In the past I've talked guitars with the owner, as he also plays. Chieko and I went in recently and I gave the owner a CD of some of my tunes. So last night, after we'd been there for a good 4 or 5 hours, he came up to the table and asked me to play a song, and he handed me this beauty:
I didn't play this exact guitar, but it's the same one: a 1959 Martin D-18. If you want to buy this guitar, expect to pay upwards of $5000. It's not the first thing I'd bring over to a table full of half-drunk people, to say the least.
Martin guitars are regarded by most people as one of the top 2 or 3 kinds of acoustic guitar, and their older, vintage guitars are legendary. I considered some Martins when I was shopping for my J-45 a few years ago, and while there is no question regarding their quality, the sound just wasn't what I was looking for. Don't get me wrong, the sound was great, but not the sound I had in my head that I was trying to track down. All I can say after playing this thing for 30 minutes or so is that I now understand what all the fuss is about with Martin guitars. This thing was alive. I hope I have more opportunities for a strum in the future.
I should clarify the scene last night at Big Pink a little bit. My friends and I were the only 4 people in the place at the time, so it wasn't like I was playing in front of anyone really. And while I did play decently, I'm thankful that my wife and friends could remember the words to the songs I was playing because I was having some trouble. Special thanks to Sheryl who, despite saying 'I don't know that one' before every song I played, would instantly start singing along with me the moment I started a song. Of course, once some other customers came along the owner turned the real music back on and took his guitar back, but it was fun while it lasted.
I was a little slow to the draw this morning, but that wasn't much of a problem since I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO these days. I woke up at a decent enough hour, but spent the next several hours remaining in bed. I was conscious, and even somewhat productive, but I stayed in bed for a while today. It was nice.
In the afternoon I moved my operation to the couch, where I did crossword puzzles and listened to 'This American Life' (thanks Hannah!!) online. If you aren't familiar with this radio show you should check it out. It provides glimpses into the lives of some pretty interesting Americans. You can stream all the episodes (past and present) from this website.
In the evening I rose and walked down to the gym. I had a good workout, and after my body was demanding it be provided with meat, quickly, so I stopped off at the grocery store for some dead animal. I was going to the usual, simple thing I always do with chicken breast, but I had to consult the cookbook for the proper temperature. It was at that point that I noticed a picture and recipe for what was termed 'Bruschetta Chicken,' and I changed plans. I didn't actually read the recipe, but I liked the idea, so I threw all the normal bruschetta ingredients onto my chicken breast.
This was the result:
It was tasty, and I'll probably do it again sometime.
Tomorrow we have big plans, considering we have plans at all. Chieko and I are taking a drive up to the Noto Peninsula. I've showcased Noto here before (think shoreline littered with giant jelly fish carcasses). The last time we went, we left around noon, so only made it about halfway up the peninsula. Tomorrow's plan is to leave early and make it all the way to the tip, which is supposedly more rustic and exposed to the abuse of the Sea of Japan. So stay tuned for some cool pics from our drive.
Well, it's pretty late here, and considering my strenuous day I should probably call it an evening. Have a good one!
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