City - LaSalle/Las Vegas/Loy-wood State - ILLINOIS/NEVADA Country - United States
About
Bass
18 years ago I was managing an auto parts store in Ottawa, Illinois. Had a lot of people working for me pass through. Habben went off to do roofing. Chuck Jr. went trucking (died a few years back in an auto accident) Ann (I really liked Ann) went on to some job at a JV correctional institute, Skip wanted to be a famous sound editor for musicians, he went off to Oregon, Gene, well, he was just Gene. Mike (my oldest boy) worked summers delivering auto parts to make a few bob, as did Nathan (Middle son) and there were others: most notable was Sam who said to me, “If I am not in tomorrow I am still drunk or dead.” Sam was killed that night in a single car accident…yep, alcohol was involved. Two nights ago MM and I went o “Two Fools” to spend a drink or three wiff Eli and her friends. Eli is off to Georgia tomorrow then to Iraq for 1 year, leaving in October. She will be playing music in northern Iraq for troops and such. So we decided to spend a few hours with her. Andrew (her boyfriend) was there as was Sarah (one of her best friends who went to Italy to spend time wiff Eli when she was there studying). MM and I had a great time. We shared photos and stories and drinks. It was at “Two Fools” Eli tried to out-bomb me with theIrish Car-bomb’ drink. After a few hours doing music and drinks at the “Fools” Andrew (Eli’s boyfriend) invited MM and me to a place in Peru (next town west from LaSalle) and I declined. MM said she wanted to go for a bit… I relented… we went to LaSalle. It was mid-night when we got there… already 3 hours past MM’s bedtime and fast creeping up on mine. MM and I had a drink. I slid into a chair at the end of the bar and set my Miller down. The fella playing bass looked at me… he stared while doing his business… at the end of the song he reached out, offered a hand and said, “Didn’t you work for Sieg auto parts?” I am sure I looked stunned. Sieg had vanished years and years ago… bought out by larger and more national competition. Sieg has not been a name in auto parts for nearly 2 decades. "Yeah…” I replied. He smiled a great smile and shot out, “It’s Skip!”(grabbing a chain around his neck he then proclaimed) “I am military!” Oh my ME…. Had I not been screwed into my barstool to keep me from falling off, I would have fallen off. “Skip!!” and the next thing I said was, “How’s Ian?” Ian is Skip’s brother. Ian had a license plate on his car with his name: IANOPP (Ian Opp) but we read it as “I A No PP” Skip told me Ian was fine and in California. At the band break, we had a talk… a long and very nice chat about life and time passing. I thought it had been 8 or 10 years since Skip worked for me… he told me it was 18 and his daughter was 17. I was visibly stunned… 18 years……wow. I was filled in on Skip’s life since he went off to work in Oregon… and I have never had a more entertaining hour. I liked Skip 10….errrr, 18 years ago, and I liked him now. Skip is in the Air Force. Eli thought this cool as all get out. She was Air Force before going into the Army band. She told me to tell Skip, “The Army is looking for bass players!” Skip smiled and shrugged, “I only play by memory… I can’t read music.” Eli smiled and shrugged in return. So, in a nutshell (where it belongs) MM and I went out, had a drink or few, were ready to go home, were talked into a few more… went in and sat down… and re-met Skip… he was as shocked as I……. I had a great time…… and took a pic of Skip playing bass… and wearing a Dropkick Murphy t-shirt…. Skip was home for 3 days and playing for fun...MM and I had never been in this place before but went because Eli asked us to... ... and I re-met Skip.... crazy life stuff.
Nicely played... only a person who read the entire bit would have pulled that bit of American jargon out. I have been cautious over the years speaking in local flavor. I didn't think others would pick up on the meaning. I love OZ and Brit and such phrases that I do not understand but understand the meaning. "Cool as all get out" is a local phrase that does not have to be explained for folks to get the meaning. I could talk Illinois "slang" for ages and have not... only because I feared my meaning would be lost. By speaking properly… I have often sacrificed spirit. To which I now openly say, “The crap wiff all that.”
Ursula... about a year ago you commented on a photo of mine... old music records. I told you I would send you a cd of the old music recorded to cd. You sent me a mailing address... I have a cd for you. Is the maling address the same? If I send it... will it get to you?
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