Practically Asian

Made some wonton soup at Stinni and Monique's tonight. Tasty.

Here's Arlen showing us how it's done.



Stinni, Monique, and RJ rollin' some 'tons.



A bunch of wontons.



Here's a link to an Icelandic pepperoni commercial with Stinni's band providing the background music. He's a vegetarian. Funny.

http://www.kjarnafaedi.is/news/auglysingin_fyrir_kjarnafaedi_pepperoni/

Drawrings

Bzzzzz

Those random chunks of wood I started with are beginning to look like something you could play a tune on.

I cut the kerfing, which are long skinny strips of maple with notches cut close together to allow them to bend. Kerfing is used to create a larger surface area on the sides of the guitar for the top and back to be glued to.



Then, the back and top are glued to the sides. These cam clamps hold down the parts to create one whole.





Next week, most of my time will be spent on the neck. This is the most intimidating part of the process. It's a mystery to me right now. I guess that's what learning is about. How you gain real wisdom. Eliminating that which creates fear through knowledge and experience.

I've still got that low and warm buzzing behind my thoughts. Sometimes this means a song is going to come. I got out of bed this morning and headed down to the ocean with a cup of coffee and a note pad. Wrote some words. Tonight I hope to marry them to a song.

Awake

It's not very often I can't sleep. In fact, I can't remember the last time I woke up in the night.

My thoughts are buzzing low. Nice thoughts.

I walked across the road to the ocean. It's calmer now.

Laying in bed listening to music and hearing the songs different. Parts are there that I've never heard before.

It's time to wake up the rain and sing what makes me feel so good.

Tomorrow, I glue together the body. It's going to start looking like a guitar. Can't wait.



Sorry for the gratuitous head shot, but I wanted you to see my eyes. They can't lie. I really am loving life this much.

The Sea is Angry

The sea is angry tonight.

It's been a strange day. Everything seemed slower.

Last night there was a bad car wreck just meters from where I sleep. Stinni, my Icelandic friend was one of the first to the car. 5:30 on a grey drizzling morning. Car wrapped around thick cedar.

I got a parcel in the mail. The woman working the mail counter (moles on neck, bags under eyes) was having problems processing my package. Something she's done thousands (?) of times. Said she was having a foggy day. Her nephew was in a bad car accident this morning. In a comma. Not looking too good.

Probably the wrong day to think about this stuff, but I've had this bouncing around in my head for the past while.

I've boiled it down to this. People vs. Product.

I know I can't keep doing the renovation business for ever. It's good for now and I create things for some great people, but it has no lasting value for me (sorry Ben, this is probably the first post you'll read). As lame as it sounds, I need to know that I'm making a difference.

For some real perspective. The stuff you won't see on The National or CNN, if you have the time, read through my friend Pam's blog. http://pamwalls.blogspot.com/

Start with the first post.

This is where the whole guitar making thing comes in. Is this a difference maker? Will the world be better if I give it some more guitars? I have a couple answers, but I'd love to hear what you think....

Guitars are like women. When you find a good one, you have to care for her. A good one is rare and hard to come by. As soon as you touch, you know. I like to think my hands are able.

Wow. Who cut the cheese?

In the midst of this writing, I've had Long Island Adam across the table spouting off on his ideas of perpetual motion (this is going to save the world through zero emission energy generation). He just drew a banana with a motor. I says pardon?

Talked to a friend on the phone tonight. Nice to talk with someone off the island.

I made the mistake of leaving my camera unattended on my work bench....

More Shop Talk

I finally finished the bracing on my guitbox yesterday. It took a lot of elbow grease, but I'm happy with what I've got. Both the top and back have what they call a good "tap tone".



I defy you to find any glue seepage on it. Even the most expensive factory manufactured guitar will have glue stains in the bracing.







Every step of the way requires multi tasking. While the glue for the braces was drying, I sanded the radius into the side profile of what will make up the body. I did this on two large sanding discs that are dome shaped. They spin at a relatively slow speed and cary very coarse sand paper (40 grit for you carpengeeks).



In the midst of all this, I started work on the neck. The first step is cutting the slots for the frets to nest in. Then, I created a template from MDF (particle board), that matches the contour of the finger board which is rosewood (pictured left).



Things are really going to come together in the next couple days.

As a side note, I found out the details for the Forest Tate Fraser Sled Island Music Festival spot. It's at The Marquee Room on Saturday night (June 28). I'm really excited to be playing with Rock Plaza Central. I've been a fan for a few years.

The end of the month is shaping up to be as exciting as the last half of May. Busy and new.

Enjoy Yrself

Pete, Dik, and I have coined this The Summer of Enjoying Yrself. Two years ago was The Summer of Fun.

The Summer of Fun proved difficult to maintain. So much pressure. Fun doesn't give you a chance to breathe. To slow down. Sniff the air.

The Summer of Enjoying Yrself on the other hand is easy. Forget about it. Enjoy yrself. Fair enough.

Fun means doing something. Making it happen. You don't usually know it's fun until it's over. Enjoyment comes once you make the realization. Hey, I like this.

At work. On the couch. Under the sun. On the water. By yrself or with company.

Like I said, enjoying yrself is easy. And telling other people to enjoy themselves is a welcome gesture. Give it a try.

Here are a few things I've been enjoying:

- riding my motorcycle down beautiful ocean side roads
- the hockey game tonight was pretty good
- learning a new skill
- new people, some of which will become lifelong friends. I know it
- memories
- getting lady advice from my little brother
- requiring lady advice
- eating fish
- drinking the odd beer with friends
- jogging down beautiful ocean side roads
- waking up in the morning
- going to bed at a decent time
- thinking about what's coming next
- the thought that people miss me when I'm gone
- writing
- drawing
- taking pictures

Here are some examples of people enjoying themselves