When that sun is high in that Texas sky... [014]

Stuck in my head: "Amarillo by Morning"
George Strait
Strait from the Heart

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Amarillo by morning, up from San Antone.
Everything that I've got is just what I've got on.
When that sun is high in that Texas sky
I'll be bucking at the county fair.
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo I'll be there.

They took my saddle in Houston, broke my leg in Santa Fe.
Lost my wife and a girlfriend somewhere along the way.
Well I'll be looking for eight when they pull that gate,
And I hope that judge ain't blind.
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo's on my mind.

Amarillo by morning, up from San Antone.
Everything that I've got is just what I've got on.
I ain't got a dime, but what I got is mine.
I ain't rich, but Lord I'm free.
Amarillo by morning, Amarillo's where I'll be.

Amarillo by morning, Amarillo's where I'll be...

I need to add this to my list of road trip ideas: San Antonio to the Geographic Center of Texas, and then "Strait" onto Amarillo. If I leave in the evening, I'll make it to Amarillo by morning...

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It's done. The Seahawks have sent russell wilson's bitch ass to Denver.

I'm okay with this, for all the reasons I enumerated here.

A lot of the fan noise is too much to tolerate, now more than ever, with many getting self-righteous about the rumored acquisition of Houston Texans' quarterback, Deshaun Watson. If you don't know, Watson has had twenty-two (22) complaints of sexual misconduct filed against him (link), and on Friday, March 11, a grand jury did not find any evidence to formally charge Watson for criminal acts. What remains of the civil suits, however, has yet to be determined.

In a text I sent to a football thread, "I'm going to say this and then I'm going to walk away from this conversation: the NFL is an elitist, racist, brutal, and downright inhumane organization that respects absolutely no one, and anyone who is outraged at this news but continues to follow the game is a hypocrite and a liar."

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My niece's Mini Jazzmaster is stuck somewhere in federal express's ocean of lies and sadness. How is it that USPS and UPS can get shit to me in time - often a day or two early - but fed-fuckin'-ex is constantly running a day or two late? If you're reading this and work in logistics, please help me understand because this sum ol' BOOLSHIT.

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I am excited for the Jazzmaster project, though. I'm writing up a summary of the updated specs, with some numbered items skipped due to being incomplete:

1.) I replaced the stock string trees with Graph Tech Tusq XL trees: Tusq XL is a man-made ivory that is made with PTFE (Teflon) for permanent lubrication. This construction should allow the string to glide effortlessly along its contact points.

2.) I replaced the stock nut with a Graph Tech Tusq for the same reason I replaced the string trees. Many traditionalists use bone, but I choose Tusq because it doesn't involve the use of animal parts. Additionally, there exists a belief is that Tusq is a more consistent material than bone... and I'm inclined to believe it.

4.) Fender isn't known for making the best humbuckers, and experience says that a humbucking pickup on an entry-level Squier by Fender probably isn't that great, either, so I bumped up your tonal capabilities by installing Seymour Duncan humbuckers.

Similar to what I installed in my Gibson Les Paul, you have a Duncan '59 in the neck position, but this '59 is the bridge model. It's nice and rich and full and powerful, with a little bite.

The bridge position is outfitted with Duncan's JB humbucker. The JB is a classic, nice and crispy and crystalline able to drive an amp (more on this when we get you a big amp) into delicious overdrive territory. A definite must-have.

I should note that both of these pickups together are worth the total value of the guitar. More on this later.

9.) Again with Graph Tech for saddles. I replaced the stock bent-steel saddles with a flatter that won't hurt your hand, and they have a little piece of the same "Tusq" material to allow the strings to slide more easily. I started using them on my main Stratocaster several years ago when I was breaking my low E-string, and I never looked back.

All this is to say that I am incredibly excited for the possibility that one day my niece will love music an guitars and art and history and all the things that aren't just some standardized math and science test that tell us nothing about how talented a human being can be.

Of course, my sister-in-law did say that my nephew may be leaning toward drums.

Well, little guy, "Untish" will have you covered in that department when the time comes.

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I'm doing what I can to try and filter out as much noise as possible. My therapist and I are working on focusing on the things that matter, and how I can learn to live both in washington and in Texas. I am carrying a lot of resentment for seattle; it's not as if there aren't good people here, but I think the noise of it finally got to me. I wish people better understood just how ignorant they can sound, especially when they talk about "those people over there". It might give us all a little more peace if we took a moment to think about things from somebody else's perspective, but I wonder how possible that is in a time where anger instantly gratifies.

I think that I stay now because of the job, the career. It's taken care of me, and has put me in a position to take care of mom and the kids and everyone who might need me if the time comes.

That's what I can be...

There are good people here. I'm learning to surround myself with them. I'm trying.

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Hang on, Ukraine.