Luckier then Prince Charlie! (the back story about the bass/ and keyboard)

Ok.... Here's a little story about why Trena is just the coolest...

Back in 2002... I was struggling with the notion of leaving my old job, and making some changes.. In the midst of that, I'd just started to get back into music...

I'd been out of the loop a LONG LONG time... but was eager to get back into again... I'd missed it alot....

I'd heard Mike Cowie and the Funky People play at some business event, and was totaly blown away...

I told Trena I'd be playing on stage with that guy inside of year... ....I think she thought I was crazy, as I sat there and wrote down their set list... But I think it took 3 months before I was on stage with them...

Now, I have to conceed.... Mike plays with the best of the best... And I'm ok, I mean I can hold my own.. but they are on a level of skill that is significantly ahead of me, hell.. I could practic for a Lifetime and still not catch up.. But that's a good thing...as not unlike any other pursuit... Be-it Golf, tenis, whatever, if you play with people who are better then you, you will learn more... And these guys were freking Amazing... It was a work out for me just to keep up.... I don't have any formal training, nor can I read sheet music.. . But I learned more from those guys over 4 or 5 gigs, then I'd learned int he last 4 or 5 years combined....

Anyway, My old Keyboard was heavy, and hard to Carry around... and it took up a lot of room in some of the small bars I was giging at... (plus the fact I couldn't lift the damn thing by myself) So I'd started saving up for a new one..

I had just under a year in with my new job and was gettign close to enough savings to get it..

Then, I got laid off... Sux, but it happens..

Now I can't say anything about about the firm, In light of recruiting me from a decent gig, and then downsizing or whatever you want to call it... they were very reasonable with Severance... But I was still to nervous to blow it.. I had a Mortgage to pay, and all that jazz....

flash forward a bit... I'd had a job offer as a commissioned sales guy with s good local firm which i'd turned down... (I'd been down the 100% Commission and "Draw account" road before, got the T-Shirt.. and no thanks, not again..) So I counter offered to take it... with a Salary... anyway.. they dude wanted to hire me, but we had to sell it to his boss first..

So Trena and I made a deal... if I got the job, I'd get the Keyboard..
And without discounting her faith in me... there was a huge gap between their first offer, and my counter... and she wasn't totally convinced I'd get it... But I did (theres another cool story about the interview (loud part quiet/quiet part loud) but ask me that one over a beer)

Well, that said.... didn't I get the F-ing Job so I stopped at Trena's office to tell her the great news... (it was on the way to the Music Store)

She was very happy for me, but asked that I hold off on getting the keyboard until I had a few paychecks under my belt... Anyway.. a little 'debate' started, and was ended when Trena admitted, in frustration, that She'd already had the Damn thing on layaway for me, with intent to give it to me for my birthday.... job, or no job... She didnt know if/how we could pay for it.... but she wanted me to have it... (See sideways pic below)

Now.. You want to see a grown man cry... I'd been out of work for 5 months... And I'm not gonna lie, it was not an easy/stressfree 5 months... I'd had interview after interview,and was taking any odd job or under table labor gig I could get, ranging from Building Decks, helping to install duct-work, sanding Concrete overflow tanks with a brick on a stick, to delivering Pizza to keep some cash coming in, and we were nervous... but she stood by me, always encouraging, and she got me the F__king keyboard anyway...

Anyway... flash forward a few years, I've since traded that board for the newer version And Its been Freaking Incredible.. I've Still only scratched the surface of what its capable of..
And its served as Full to the Fire, so to speak, for the music addiction... (to which Trena's jokes that maybe a drug habit might be cheaper)

I've since bought a couple guitars, beefed up my computer, gotten a bunch of StudioGear and 'Doo-Hickeys' and its just been a wild ride... I've jamed with a bunch of different bands since, BluesSmith(aka Horsepower Blues band), Dave Goyetch, Bi-Polar, Sound Dawgs, Shane C, Full Circle, StilBite, Jon Matheson, Fuller Terrace, SuperStack, and the list goes on... and I'm adicted...

Now... Most, (if not all) musicians dream of having their own bar, where there freinds can come hang out and jam... Now, I'm not that crazy... But I do have a dream about a killer garage... I even blogged briefly about it back in June nothing too elaborate... but maybe 24 by 26 or 30... and enuf room for a little bar, couch, FULL band's worth of gear, including Drums, PA and Board, where it could just stay there... and we can jam, detached from the house.. so we can crank it... It'd be a gret place to reherse, jam, party, write, record, or just hang out and watch concert DVD's..

I also have a "master" list of gear I'd like to get someday... Its evolving, and some of the items change and/or be replaced with different versions, models, etc, and some things arn't hear because I either have them already, or are way to far down the road... And its not like its the Only thing that drives me... I mean, realistically speaking, I could be another 15 or 20 years building towards this. (especially if ya factor in the garage) but everyone needs a dream.. and mine is to have stuff like this, and to be able to have the time to enjoy it...

anyway.... that may be too much info, (talk about making a short story long) but anyway... one of the items I've always wanted was a 5 String Fretless bass....

I've a picture of one on that Dreams Pic I'd created on photoshop one night a year or so ago, but its just a generic import version... Which I would have been quite content to have... but a month or so ago, Wayne's helping me take some stuff to the Storage place... and we swing by Gig Street on our way home... (Wayne wanted to check out amps) So we walk in, and there it is...

Not just "a" bass.. but thee BASS...

5 String, Frettless, Made in USA by the company Leo FENDER started when he quit the Company that Still bears his name to build "Better" quality guitars on his own..

These Puppies go for 2K US or there abouts... And this one was on for 1,500 (with a case) and later got it down to 1,300...

Anyway.. as I mentioned before.. its been a good year with Concerts, Recording gear... I've had MORE then my share this year... and Fair is fair..

I'd mentioned it in passing when we got home, but had accepted that the timing was just not right, and I had resolved that it wasn't meant to be... my bass would come later.....

then... about 2 weeks ago.. Trena (Scheming Ka-Niving little Shit disturber that she can be) tells me she called Gig Stret and offered them 1,000 for it.. and they passed.... Of course the passed.. its a steel at 1,300, to take 1,000 is just insane.. hell, 1,300 is insane... but then, knowing that 300 bucks was all that was keeping me from this drove me INSANE!!!!

So I hatched a plan... Seems brilliant at the time... and had I put some extra thought into the little details, it might have worked... but I messed up, and, it was just a bad idea to start with... Trena's far too sharp and I suck at Lying... But I called they guys at the store and asked Mike if he could call Trena, say the dude droped his price (it was there on consignment) and that he'd take the 1k... I'd promised Mike that I'd get him the other 300 myself, but it might take a few months (I'd cut out my lunches, coffee, pop, etc until I'd got it paid down) Anyway... they know me there... I've sent some decent business their way, and they said they'd play ball and give it a try....... But... Joke was on me..

here's what I "thought" happened..

I thought Trena caught on IMMEDIATLY.. I spent a few days (or more) in the dawg-house over it (she said she didn't know if she should laugh her ass off or be upset, I think she tried both out) But needless to say.. my "plan" bombed, and if I had any chance of getting it in the near future.. I'd just blown it...

Now, you may be thinking... "that rotten bastard" and ok... well earned... but.. even if I'd managed to pull it off... I eventually would have come clean.. I'm just not that good at that stuff... And not that its any defence, but my dad, and most other married musicians would have tried or at least thought about trying the same thing...

Anyway.. bottom line.. there would be NO bass...

I still dreamed about it.. But I was ok with it... I'd accepted it just wasn't meant to be...

Now, the coolest part... is by the time I'd hatched my plan... Trena already had the Damn thing paid for.. And the whole time.. Bruce and Mike at Gig-street, Wayne, and a lot of other people close to us Knew it, except me...

I totally was not expecting it.. and that was cool.. Like I said.. its been a good run lately.. So needless to say, I was Floored when she gave me a card, telling me to go look in the closet.. and there it was... Wrapped... and once I saw it.. there was no mistaking what it was..

Now.. I got some cool stuff for Trena, but she was very Clear that I was not to get her a Camera, as it was something she wanted to pick out her self... And in as much as that made sense to me, I really wanted to her to have it under the tree... But.. I held back, and I didnt get it.. I'd gotten her some other cool stuff, and the plan was that we'd scope them out during boxing week sales, and pick something out together for her as a late Xmas / early Birthday gift...

Truth be told, while all that "logic" was not entirely untrue, the actual biggest reason she didnt want me to get her a camera.... was that she was worried if I used the same credit card she'd put the Bass on, we might max out and she'd be busted for-sure!!!!

Anyway, I'm still in shock and awe.. and I got a permanent smile going around my face like the cool-aid-man right-clean-around the bowl......

Between Trena, Sarah, and everything else..I do doubt I could ask for anything more...
to quote my dad "I'm feeling Luckier then Prince Charlie!!!"

Now, theres another long story about that quote... but that I'll save for another day..

Cheers for now.. Happy Holidays...

RC