Goin' Up The Country

Goin' Up The Country               3873

Saturday, May 17, 2008-1:07 A.M.

Wow...Friday night just shot right past me.  It was my first one off in a while.  Sometimes I wonder how "civilians" (non-showbiz folk) do it every week, working their 9-to-5's and killing time on the weekend.  At one point tonight, I thought about having a drink, but I ruled against it; all I have in the house is some gin (not my favorite) and nothing to mix it with.  I'm not a problem drinker, but I am given to binges, and that's not good considering my health profile.

This week was a quick one, tying up a lot of loose ends.  Bruce, my webguy, helped me get my shit together and posted my first podcast on the website www.ralphtetta.com and for a first try, I'm not completely happy with it, but I threw it together quickly to get it going, knowing that if I tarried at all it wasn't gonna get done.  The next one should be better (I hope).  At least I've got the software figured out now.

I re-strung my guitar....I had picked up strings for it months ago, and they just sat there, mocking me.  Finally, while Pam had a meeting and I was watching Harmony, I decided to get it done and over with, removing the old strings one at a time and running the new one through the harnesses, tuning and retuning each string with every change.  Harmony was interested in what daddy was doing, and ever-conscious of a "teaching moment," I started describing to her the parts of the guitar; tuning pegs, capstans, string tree, strings, headstock, neck, body, pickups, saddle and strap.  I didn't bother with the volume and tone controls; she's only four and I didn't want to burden her with information beyond her grasp.  Ha!  I guess I have the same disease my wife does, challenging Harmony with info and tasks that should be well beyond her years.  My favorite story is that Pam was doing flashcards with Harmony the week she came home from the hospital.  Our few-days old daughter hadn't even fully focused her eyes, and Pam's trying to get her to absorb two plus two.  I guess we both have the fear that at sixteen, Harmony won't be exceptional and it will be our fault, that we didn't try hard enough with her.

I continue to be obsessed with politics, in a good way, and the news that John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama made me happy.  I seem to think the Obama presidency is inevitable, although I've been wrong and disappointed before.  I was so engrossed with the report on the radio of the election returns that I got a speeding ticket driving home from work the day Governor Mario Cuomo lost his seat to Republican George Pataki.  I hated Pataki, and I will call him a miserable polack to my dying day. (Editor's Note: the term "Miserable Polack" was coined by my late father, Ralph Tetta, who despised Pataki even more than I, and he made the decision to move out of New York State based on Pataki's bumbling governorship.  It has been pointed out to me that Pataki is, in fact, Hungarian, [and also seems to have some Italian in his maternal heritage, which makes me sad and ashamed] and I no more intended to discredit all people of Polish origin by my use of the denigrate "Polock" than I would intend to slur all Italians by the use of the word "Wop."  I intended to slur one individual as the worst that group had to offer.  I am not sure of the slur for Hungarian, so I will just change my designation for the man to "miserable asshole.")

I'm almost finished with the book "It's Getting Ugly Out There," the book by CNN's Jack Cafferty, who I watch almost every day when I'm on the road.  I like the fact that while Cafferty is left-leaning and critical of the Bush administration, he calls an ace an ace and a spade a spade and he doesn't let politicians on the left side of the aisle off easy when they fuck up.  I do believe in fairness, and even my beliefs don't always run to the liberal all the time.  Cafferty has a good common sense of the issues, and I enjoy seeing them in print; it allows me to go back and digest them at my leisure.

I'm thinking about going out and looking at cars tomorrow.  I've been renting vehicles since our Corolla bit the dust, and that's been eating away at my bottom line.  The upside is having a competent vehicle to get to my roadwork, the downside is the cost.  It's bad enough that gas is approaching four bucks a gallon.  I'm almost thinking hybrid, depending on what's available out there.  I don't know much about them, other than that you get a better miles per gallon rating, and that's fine with me.  I'm sure a salesman at a Toyota dealership or a Honda dealership will be happy to explain it to me.

Next week, I'm heading to North Carolina and I'll be working with my buddy Mo Alexander again.  Then it's off to Kentucky and West Virginia and then a week off.  I'm gearing up for this year's Florida tour, and it's only three weeks this year, but I like going down there...I can stay at my mom's place on the days off (quite the savings) as well as have some quality time with her and make sure she's doing all the things for her health that she ought to be doing.  She's coming up to New York to see my brother's new baby daughter, Victoria Ann, so I'll actually be heading down to Florida as she's coming up, but she'll be back in Florida before I leave.

In the meantime, I have quite a few projects that I've started working on, including a couple of books (almost written...yeah), a CD of sketch comedy (not even close), and a push towards some instructional/corporate/motivational speaking type engagements.  The clubs are sexy and all that, but it's time to start making some money, or so my mortgage banker, accountant and in-laws have been saying as of late.

Peace out,

Ralph Tetta

Rochester, NY