The Intergalactic Cowboy

My most recent guitar student has had to postpone further study due to some severe health issues. He is at the hospital today being blood tested for impending surgery. This man is a disabled person who broke his spine and ribs in a motorcycle accident three years ago. He is also the grandson of a Seminole Indian, who migrated up here from Florida. He has already had some training in the use of native american drums and flute. He now wants to learn guitar and create some native american influenced guitar music. I will be glad to help him as soon as he is able. The impending surgery will keep him in bed for two weeks and then inside his apartment for a couple of months. Good wishes to Johnny !
Since I am in between teaching assignments, I have had the time to pick up the Ovation and work with it. My facility in the Guitar Craft repertoire is the worst it has ever been. It takes thirty minutes of practice to get my tempos up to 80 bpm. Many pieces of the repertoire are supposed to be played at 90 + bpm. It would be my guess that my slowness is due to being away from the acoustic guitar for months and also from continuing to have a problem with tendonitis. The tendons of the hands still get stiff and sore if I pick up too much weight with the hands. Fortunately, playing the GC repertoire at an ultra slow tempo is a healthy activity, which increases the blood circulation in my hands. Fortunately also, I have had good luck at applying and assimilating the GC Work into my everyday activities. This gives me less tension and tiredness and more relaxation and energy.
Cool huh ?
I.C.

It began two weeks ago. A baby Zebra was found, grazing in the grass on the median, along interstate highway 75 in Locust Grove, Georgia. For those of you familiar with I-75, Locust Grove is the community, south of Atlanta, where the Tanger Outlet Mall is located. The poor little Zebra was just eating grass on the side of the interstate. No one knows where it came from or who it belongs to. The authorities suspect that it fell off of a truck at that location. The little fellow is being treated for an injured leg and will be taken care of by those people who are paid by the government to handle situations like this. You would think that the owner would have called around to the local police departments and animal control offices looking for this exotic animal….
A few days ago at Oxford College, ( my alma mater ) a Zebra was found in the administration building, where the president’s office is located. The depositing of animals in this building has been a regular college prank at the college since the 1960s. The Zebra had been stolen from a pasture that was located about one mile from the campus. The administration of the school shrugged the incident off as a harmless prank, but the owner of the zebra wants the students responsible to be expelled, prosecuted and punished for the crime. Back in the 1970s, a small group of students led a cow into the administration building in the middle of the night. It was announced the next day that it was actually a bull that they had cajoled into the building. One of the students later became a member of The Nobz. I should add that I am not referring to myself in this case.
With secrecy,
I.C.

As I have said in earlier diaries, my increased responsibilities to my mom and my cat have taken time away from my own personal activities. In spite of this, life has not been bad. If I get up early enough, I can have an adequate to good sitting with which to begin my day. If I go to the health club during the morning hours, I can spend the two to three hours that Mom needs me to spend assisting her during the mid-day hours, without sacrificing my daily exercise. Suvy is now able to stay outside for several hours during the day, although she does still have a debilitating limp. My volunteer work at the church has entailed spending about four hours a week there. My stock market research takes place intermitantly from 8 am till 8 pm, Monday through Friday. And now for the nursing home update…
Mrs B. has been transfered to an assisted living facility in Columbus, Georgia. Mom and I hope to visit her there once a week if possible. D. will be able to move into her own house on May 1st. She has been institutionalized for ten months now. D’s roomate at the nursing home, Mrs. M, has been diagnosed with mouth cancer and will have surgery in Macon, Georgia on Monday. It is sad for her that her roomate will be leaving when she returns from the hospital. I will give her as much support as I can.
My guitar practice has been compromised a little, but I have been successful at remembering to get in touch with the living presence inside of me at various points throughout each day. This living presence is inside a relaxed body; a calm mind; and a loving heart… At least, when I remember that it is.
With regularity,
I.C.

Hello. My name is Suvy and I belong to The Intergalactic Cowboy and his mother. They tell me that I am a cat, although I have no idea what that label name has to do with my description or existence. As many of you know, I suffered a terrible injury about three weeks ago. I just wanted to express my thanks to the Krimson News readers who sent me good wishes during my recuperation. Although my caregivers seemed oblivious to how similar having a leg splint on your leg is to having your leg caught in a bear trap, they were kind enough to bring me food and water when I was unable to walk or even crawl to the food dish or water bowl. I do love my caregivers very much. In fact, the Intergalactic Cowboy rescued me from a catfight just today. He had let me out of the house for a short commune with nature, when all of a sudden, a fully grown grey cat jumped on me and started ripping me to shreds. We scratched and bit each other in a malestrom of claws, teeth, fur and meowing until I.C. ran over and yelled for the other cat to ” get out of here!” He then picked me up and carried me into the house. Fortunately, I did not rebreak my leg in this skirmish today. The veteranarian says that it will be three more weeks before my leg will be fully healed.
My very best wishes to you all,
Suvy

While I wait for the blogs link to be added to the Krimson News home page, I will talk about the recent past. Suvy has recovered a little bit from her broken leg, but is still limping painfully. We take her to the doctor on Wednesday.
Today I worked as a wedding dj at the wedding of a friend. This was a cost conscious wedding at a bed and breakfast inn here in Thomaston. I was contracted to play music during the wedding ceremony and afterward, at the dance. I also brought my video camera to videotape the event. The groom provided a stereo system to play the wedding music on. This was a portable stereo that was designed for construction sites and was louder than the average boom box. This facility had no piano or organ on site, so prerecorded music was the decided course of action. I played music from different CDs while the bride was walking down the aisle; after the vows were taken; and after the rings were exchanged. Fortunately, I was able to pull this off with only minor errors. It was difficult for me to hear what the minister, bride and groom were saying because I was located in the back of the patio while the alter was at the front of the patio. The pouring rain also created a little sonic distraction, but, as I said, the even went smoothly and my responsibilities were completed in a successful manner.
Here’s to life, love and happiness,
I.C.