Observations: Disasters, Jim Zabel, The Last Bargain Hunt

It's been a peaceful couple days here, looking at a full moon and crisp cool May evening.  The Oklahoma Tornado disaster of Sunday and Monday still on my mind and other sad things that have happened. The senseless killing of Lee Rigby by some pieces of shit Islamic zealots sickened me to beyond belief.  Close to home Katelyn Shepard gets kidnapped and probably died at the hands of another piece of shit pedophile Micheal Klumder who should have stayed behind bars but somehow the piece of shit pedophile got released and the fucker went out and continue to do horrible things till the piece of shit took his own life.  I cannot forgive pedophiles who do this.  Hope he's burning in a special Hell for his actions. Another innocent child that got blindsides by bullshit from some pedophile.   And then tonight a bridge collapsed on the I-5 outside of Mount Vernon Washington state. Thankfully nobody died.

Jim Zabel was the voice of the Hawkeyes to which he would be calling football and basketball games on The Hawkeye Network namely WHO out of Des Moines.  Hawkeye Sports had some great broadcasters in my growing up years, Ron Gonder at WMT, the eternal Bob Brooks (KCRG)  come to mind.  Zabel passed away at age 91.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7M85CGjegs&feature=youtu.be


The beginning of summer begins withe the annual FB and company Waubeek bash this Sunday with The Blue Band jamming around at around 3, rain or shine.  Have no idea what the Wapsipinicon looks like but the Cedar River is out of its banks at the Highway 30 bridge before highway 13 due to the heavy storms that flooded Waverly and surrounding areas a couple days ago.  Which also means no can do on Otis Road.  I basically told Bob Dorr not to expect the Crabb to be there when they play, spring cleaning and donating a bunch of music to charities but carry on anyway Mr. Dorr. Have no fear, they'll return to FB company in September http://www.theblueband.com/cal.htm

Growing old is part of life as long you are living and even I have begun to look at this life in a different light than I have in past years.  I ended up getting perhaps one of the shortest haircut that I have ever had since 4th grade I think and the long hippie look that I always endured over the years is simply becoming more and more bald spots in certain areas.  I also have come to terms that being a music bargain hunter is coming to a close, that I may have just about reviewed and had almost everything of note in a music world that it's impossible to hear it and get it all.  We never know when the end is near and as I continue to scour diminishing aisles of CDs at the local used store it's becoming oblivious, I'm not finding much in terms of new music used and basically what's in the dollar bins is crap nobody wants.  I did managed to get a decent copy of Actung Baby but passed on the five copies of How To Dismantle An Atom Bomb for 2 dollars.

So as I plan for another Arizona getaway, it does feel that this will be the final CD bargain hunt of a long and luxurious habit of hitting the desert for the harder to find CDs but anywhere you go, keep an open mind and you might find something you haven't heard before.  I know I have been saying this since 2009 but this time out it does have a twinge of our last go around.  It's old habit, going to Zia's and then branch out to Hastings and FYE for their dollar specials and finding plenty to haul back home but I been toying with the idea that when I go home, I'll take inventory and then commit to finally thinning a collection of 25 years worth of CDs in a new venture called Rod's Records Store.  You can't take it with you when you go and if and when the day comes I have to go to assisted living, the majority of stuff will be thrown by the wayside.   Or being sold at a loss to a forthcoming record store or collector I don't know.

My life has revolved around a 45 since birth it seems and then LPs and CDs.  Places that I belong to starting with the Woolworth's in Lincoln Illinois  and never really left although that place is a memory.  So many places, Arlan's, Goodwill, Marion TV n Records, Town's Square Bookstore, Wherehouse Music, CD Warehouse, Relics, FYE, Hastings, Rock n Bach and ten thousand other stores and many a pawnshops.  I never was good at sports, or auto repair wiz like my brother, nor good in relationships but I could find that hard to find Best Of Nancy And Lee CD on Rhino.  And then for the last ten years blogging about music on various websites and getting a few fans but never really broke out into the spotlight, just like being in a band and never making it big, just settling for the closet cult fans and toiling behind obscurity.  Maybe I didn't choose very well in my decisions in life but I think the only time I really was happy was at some hole in the wall music store and checking out dollar bargains and maybe finding a classic in there.

My fate was sealed in high school when i chose the wrong girl to be a steady, she lived 500 miles away and ended up getting knocked up at age 15 by some trailer trash dude half crocked on bath salts and meth and the one that I should have picked ended up becoming lesbian, just like my kindergarden GF did.  Janice spent most of high school chasing me around and problem was we were never on the same page, everytime we did make a feable attempt for a date words came out wrong and in the end, my best friend's sister Penny became High School Sweetheart since we did go out.  But she also had another guy she went out with Karl.  Anyway, both went on to other people and after all this time apart, they have gotten back together and now are engaged to be together, over 30 years after graduation.  Seems like everything has turned full circle for them and perhaps the third time will the charm.  I do wish them all the best.

As for myself, I made my bed years ago and continue to lie in it with stacks upon stacks of clutter CDs all over the place and plotting yet another trip for more obscurities and it's my life.

And so shall it be till the end.
http://billmoyers.com/2013/05/20/rise-up-or-die/