This is normally the time of year, after the holidays (getting the bills) after another birthday (needing a fire extinguisher to blow out all the candles) in the midst of another dastardly brutal winter (the snow now looks like a five layer CAKE with layers of ice/snow/ice/snow/ice) that I seem to get fits of negativity and depression. Fortunately, this is being mitigated this year by my now (almost) month long happy marriage! HowEVAH, a few things have happened recently that are making me think too much. But first a word from out sponsor...
There is no Blue Band show this week. It's actually a planned weekend off so that Carolyn and I can have one more wedding event with my relatives in Chicago. My Aunt Dolores has helped organize a gathering of about 40 aunts/uncles/cousins, some of whom I haven't seen in 25 years! I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone. I was part of the wedding party for some of these cousins over 40 years ago! The only thing we'll be missing is the polka band...
But NEXT WEEK! Thank God It's The First Friday, geeeeezer gig at The Hub, 4th & Main in Sparkle City USA, after work, 6-9pm, great sound system, run by audio pros, with friendly and courteous bar staff. Have a couple slices of pizza, some adult beverages, do the boogaloo and the shing-a-ling and still be home for the 10 o'clock news. A pleasant time is guaranteed for all...
Saturday, Feb. 13, we have been invited to a VERY cool fundraiser in Ames. The Love 'N Art Benefit is a fundraiser for Octagon Center For The Arts in Ames. Buffet, music, and door prize drawings (22 prizes valued at $100 or more) with the music being held at City Auditorium, 520 6th St., at 8pm. Ya gotta love an event that has Cupid holding a Flying V guitar (like Jeff uses) on their poster! For more info or to order tickets, call Eye.Works at 515-232-4003...
And we added a date on Sat. Feb. 20 at the new restaurant/nightclub Reux Orleans/Bourre Lounge at the old Black's Building (501 Sycamore) in Waterloo. Great food/atmosphere, we play 8:30pm-12:30ish am. Wow, a gig every week for three weeks in a row! Pretty soon we'll be up to "Weekend Warrior" status!...
I think I had mentioned in the last note (how long ago was that?) that we had a tentative return to Gatherings in Cedar Rapids set up in March. The club has had to cut back to only being open two nights a week (instead of six!) and no longer has a budget for bands of our size. Help us keep searching for a home in Cedar Rapids!...
So back to the reality check. With the whirlwind of New Years Eve, the wedding events, and my retirement celebrations, along with my birthday, all in the first 19 days of the year, it's just now beginning to sink in that I really am no longer an employee of the University of Northern Iowa nor Iowa Public Radio. It's scary to step out of that safe zone after 30+ years. First my email addresses for both were dropped (with no notice from IPR!) Then, because I am no longer a UNI employee, the legal opinion is that, altho' I am an independent contractor, producing two shows for IPR, I can no longer actually operate the on-air equipment and do LIVE shows on the UNI campus! I found this out the day after I had a "modified root amputation" on the tooth that I had that root canal done way back last March (yes, this was the THIRD oral surgery I'd had done on that tooth) Then, today, because I am no longer on the IPR staff list and consequently did not get the memo, the way I found out that my long-time KUNI colleague Greg Shanley died Tuesday night was by getting a phone call from the local newspaper who wanted a quote about his death! Yikes! This is a man who is 9 years younger than I am. Because he was the producer of some of the early IPR talk shows, he let me host a few of those shows. I would probably never had that opportunity if he had not opened that door. He was a gifted talk show host. IPR and particularly the (station formerly known as) KUNI staff will miss him. Retirement, separation, sickness, death, dying, alienation. Too heavy to laugh. Somebody's at least gotta come up with some off color joke about the tooth fairy here...
I had a few more things on the list of stuff to be worrying/depressed about but frankly they're beginning to seem petty and embarrassingly selfish. I am a very lucky person in so many ways. Last weekend, I heard Mike Ditka say (I since have found out that Elenore Roosevelt is generally credited with the quote) Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift and that is why we call it the present! I need to keep repeating that to myself. See yas on the Blue Highway to the Windy City, bring yer zzzzydeco tie to the geeeezer gig. Remember, next week, it's time to sing You Ain't Nothin' But A Ground Hog, my Aunt Dolores has promised one more wedding CAKE, so life MUST be good, and don't you ever forget we love you. Bob Dorr & The Blue Band
