Forum Guitar III, discussion II - The Wait

[BenF]

Nice post Norman

I am trying to refrain fom spending so much time on here, but it is compulsive reading at times.  In a lifestyle where work and family rule, I have little social life, and know nobody (in person) who shares my love of guitars, so I find this forum an important place to visit to liaise with like minded individuals.  The process of this forum guitar has introduced me to a lot of great people, and I am genuinely glad I found this place, and this project in particular.

|Good plan to start this new, perhaps more phylisophical thread for the next three months!!

Ben

[rpm60912]

Okay... folks... I'm starting my own "writer's awards" for lack of a better term ala... Ocars, Tonys, Grammys... we'll call this Larris?

Yesterday, my winner for thread of the week and post of the day yesterday is: Cube in "Parlor lover takes an OM leap" or something like that

Today, I don't have to read any further post, because the "post of the day" for me is Norman's.



Listen, I'm just having a little fun. I'm not about to encourage competition in writing... no no no no.

This is my way of appreciating everyone here as Norman already put it so well.

Like humor goes to holly (strawintogold); Holly with capital H is lyric_girl's git... etc

I better make that coffee...      join me.

ricky

[rpm60912]

Nice post Norman

I am trying to refrain fom spending so much time on here, but it is compulsive reading at times.  In a lifestyle where work and family rule, I have little social life, and know nobody (in person) who shares my love of guitars, so I find this forum an important place to visit to liaise with like minded individuals.  The process of this forum guitar has introduced me to a lot of great people, and I am genuinely glad I found this place, and this project in particular.

|Good plan to start this new, perhaps more phylisophical thread for the next three months!!

Ben

Ben,

Apart from the chap I ran with from England when I was a university student in Newfoundland, I don't really have a friend from your part of the world.

Eric Lidell (spelling?) my hero, I won't meet on this side of time.

So, I'm so glad we from this side of the ocean, have you... friend, buddy, pal,... or as you say.... mate !!!

ricky

[strawintogold]

I have no desire to even look at another guitar insofar as purchase, although I am considering a trade for a 12 String if I can pull of $$ for shipping. I may be in the minority (like that never happens) in that later is much better for me. If my guitar was ready come March, maybe, but April would be even better.

Like Norm, I have been getting my house in order. Literally, the way the word is meant to be used not the way it isn't all too often as I have yet to literally see clothes fly off the racks or anyone literally having a cow. For which I am grateful. I've also gotten a lot busier as frugality has necessitated bread baking, soup making, book selling, etc. Taking the dog out in 3 degree weather rather than spending $20 for daycare, which, I will totally do next time because it was freakin' COLD. Frugal is fine, frozen, not so much.

Making a schedule in regard to practicing instead of waiting until everything is done and trying to fit it in a 8:00 PM when I am nodding off and the kid is ready for bed and the dogs are piling up wondering when they can go to sleep. Which they can, at anytime, but I must be defended against danger at all times. So what I get is an eight by ten room with me, guitars, fiber, three eighty pound dogs and one eight year old and everyone wants my attention. It doesn't help that I'm tired too, my patience is running short and my attention span, shorter.

It's like being circled by very loving sharks.

Which leads us to the great time suck continuum called Internet. So my cut off for that is 11:00 AM and then a check in in the evening. Which will probably do wonders as the majority of events I'm checking up on are devastating and despairing and make it hard to go mop the floor because why bother? I have a funny feeling this will be a positive as soon as I overcome the idea that somehow it's my duty to be upset about things I have no control over.

I also have a feeling that I've been depressed for some time. It's like this, when you live with depression (which is preferable to the other option), even with meds you can get a bit under and you don't get it until you've somehow been pushed to the surface for air. Then you realise that this 'Everything is Great!*' is really everything is normal and you've felt like crap for a long time. I would prefer to keep my head above water and this goes hand in hand with the house in order and the leaving behind the notion that if others suffer, my obligation is to view that suffering daily, otherwise I'm not being compassionate.

I am fortunate in that being so new to the guitar, this one will blow me away regardless. I have no preconceived notion of what it should be, so the chance of being disappointed is very slim. This is a rare occurrence and a treasured one as it's usually my preconceived notions and expectations that get in the way.

Now, being 15 minutes past my cutoff time I bid you adieu.

holly

ps. Thanks for the pithy and the prize. That was quite nice.

*Not to be confused with mania because that means my whole house would be painted as well as scrubbed with six loaves baking in the oven while I alphabetize the spice cabinet according to region after insuring that I have at least two cans of everything because ya never know. Oh, those were the days.....glad to see them go.

[BenF]

Ben,

Apart from the chap I ran with from England when I was a university student in Newfoundland, I don't really have a friend from your part of the world.

Eric Lidell (spelling?) my hero, I won't meet on this side of time.

So, I'm so glad we from this side of the ocean, have you... friend, buddy, pal,... or as you say.... mate !!!

ricky

Thanks Ricky, kind words as always! 

I like Holly am pretty new to the world of good guitars, and as such am sure that the forum III will not disapoint.  I still look through pages of guitars, but do not seek my next purchase like I did before.  I guess the Forum III has proved to be the first temporary cure for GAS I have discovered.

Ben

[Mr_LV19E]

....This may be the first guitar I actually name.  Any suggestions ?  I've got some time to think about it.


Tuffytheimpatientpug

How about "Forum III"

[BluesMan1]

Ben- I'm kinda in the same boat as you, pertaining to people that share my love of acoustics. Not asking for any pity , but I've been on disability for over 5 years. It sucks not being able to work or do the things I could before. But I can still play my gits, go to S** A** & talk about acoustics with some of the sales people (not often). Playing my guitars is one way to distract me from my pain. It also helps in playing the blues. As the saying goes, "you can't play the blues until you've lived them". And Danny, those penguin shots made my day; I'm still laughing over them !  
I'm not too good @ waiting for things, but I think the wait for these forum gits will be well worth it. We all wait together !  
Jeff  

[lyric_girl]

Norman,

Just had to post in reply to your dissertation. Yes, we have Dr. Pepper in Canada and have for as long as I can remember. 

FYI, soda isn't good for you as it leaches your bones of calcium (I have read this). Gave u my daily soda habit a year and still miss it occasionally.

[BluesMan1]

Holly- didn't mean to leave you out. I'm in the same boat with depression & I agree that getting this guitar will "lighten" my mood. Or should I say thrill me to no end !
Jeff  

[lyric_girl]

Like humor goes to holly (strawintogold); Holly with capital H is lyric_girl's git... etc

ricky

Yes, but remember Ricky, Ms. Holly isn't too happy that I named my guitar Holly. Can't say I blame her, but I didn't know Holly the person then and my naming convention made sense, at least to me.

[prof_stack]

Norman,
Just had to post in reply to your dissertation. Yes, we have Dr. Pepper in Canada and have for as long as I can remember. 
FYI, soda isn't good for you as it leaches your bones of calcium (I have read this). Gave u my daily soda habit a year and still miss it occasionally.

When I coached HS girls soccer I was instructed by the A.D. to remind the girls that drinking DIET soda-pop was bad for their bones/calcium.  I also reminded them that since they were practicing/playing and working out every day that regular soda-pop would be okay, but juice would be better.  Not that any teenage girl would ever listen...

[lyric_girl]

Ok folks, here's my dissertation for the day.

First off, I can't thank everyone here enough for your knowledge and support. I too am dealing with depression. However, that being said, I have been off of medication since November, 2007. I think it is time to go to the doctor to get back on it, but finding the time has been difficult and yes, I know that's a pitiful excuse. In addition, my husband is not on board with my going back on the meds, but like a good friend said (you know who you are), he's not me and doesn't have any clue what this is like. I have been really struggling for about five months now.

Back to the forum git, I am SO happy and thrilled that I got back on board on this. Gonna be honest here, I have managed to get some stuff charged on my credit cards that was worrying me to death. I don't like paying interest, but I have a plan to pay them off. That is why I backed out of the guitar in the first place. I was beating myself up (real bad habit) for getting my cards charged up and waking up at 3:00 a.m. with this knot in my gut. By the way $150 of each cheque is being put aside for the forum git which should be paid off by the time it arrives. I am very happy about this and very proud of me.

I kept coming back to the forum git, because of the size. I think it is going to be a great fit for me. As much as I love my parlor, I think something a bit bigger will obviously have more sound.

Before making the decision to come back to the forum git, I consulted a number of people including David Wren at The 12th Fret in Toronto and the owner of an independent bass shop in the Toronto area (the husband plays bass). The guy at the bass shop told me in no uncertain terms that "you're buying that guitar!"  

I am really enjoying the commaraderie (spelling) on this project. It is great fun watching everyone's anticipation. I think it's just like Christmas morning.

Now all I need to is figure out how to play some REM and I will be set.

Thank you everyone for your friendship and kind words. Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention, my Taylor 110 is for sale. I picked her up to play the other day and decided that we don't work together. A dread is just way too big for me. I'm 5'4" with shorter than normal arms and little hands. No wonder I was struggling to play it.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

LJ  

[BluesMan1]

lyric girl- my thoughts are with you. As far as the body size of your dread, I'm 6'6" & my favorite size is my OM. It doesn't sound as good as my L-10, but it will in time ! Not to say that I don't love my L-10, but for couch or bed playing, I can't beat the OM. Can't wait to get the LS body size. It should fit in my lap nicely ! 
Jeff   

[Denis]

Are they ready yet???  

How many more days?

UGH!  I guess I'll spend that time promoting my CD...shameless plug!  

[BenF]

We are all glad you are back on board Lynda, it was painful for everyone when you had to pull out.  I don't doubt you have done the right thing.



Whilst we are discussing the waiting period, are we going to have a seperate thread for photos of the new guitars (with or without the owners visible), and see how many of the 78 we can have recorded on this forum?

[strawintogold]

Yes, but remember Ricky, Ms. Holly isn't too happy that I named my guitar Holly. Can't say I blame her, but I didn't know Holly the person then and my naming convention made sense, at least to me.

Oh, I don't mind. It just threw me the first couple times, like when Ricki said to give her a hug,lol. Insofar as meds, at the end of the day it takes more courage to do what may be thought of as weak, to keep yourself strong.  I had a friend who lost so much perspective that she is destroying her children's lives by being a drunk because she won't go to rehab and make everyone 'right' about her. Which is why the friend is a had, unfortunately.

Doing what YOU need to doesn't diminish any effort you have made or will continue to make. It's a way of accepting, with grace, that you have been humbled. We all are on some level. It's what keeps us compassionate. Sometimes it's not the struggle that is noble, but rather than knowing when to ask for help and doing so.  

That's why I always think it's ridiculous when people view meds as being the easy way out. Just how friggin' easy IS it to admit you need them in the first place? In my view it's much easier to deny everything and  wreak havoc all the while insisting that you can handle it.  Too much collateral damage to look like a tough guy who in the end, impresses no one and self medicates with drink, or food or whatever.

Like I said, it's a disease, not a decision. I mean who wants to feel like that?

holly

ps. Jeff, I have a feeling it's a very crowded boat. But as long as we have stuff to look forward to, I don't see us pulling a Titanic (ugh, that movie, shut up and sink already) anytime soon.

[lyric_girl]

Ben thanks so much. Believe me, for me it was REALLY painful pulling my order out. When I emailed Jim to re-order mine, I believe my email subject was Forum III Order For Real or something to that effect.  

[lyric_girl]

Oh, I don't mind. It just threw me the first couple times, like when Ricki said to give her a hug,lol. Insofar as meds, at the end of the day it takes more courage to do what may be thought of as weak, to keep yourself strong.  I had a friend who lost so much perspective that she is destroying her children's lives by being a drunk because she won't go to rehab and make everyone 'right' about her. Which is why the friend is a had, unfortunately.

Doing what YOU need to doesn't diminish any effort you have made or will continue to make. It's a way of accepting, with grace, that you have been humbled. We all are on some level. It's what keeps us compassionate. Sometimes it's not the struggle that is noble, but rather than knowing when to ask for help and doing so.  

That's why I always think it's ridiculous when people view meds as being the easy way out. Just how friggin' easy IS it to admit you need them in the first place? In my view it's much easier to deny everything and  wreak havoc all the while insisting that you can handle it.  Too much collateral damage to look like a tough guy who in the end, impresses no one and self medicates with drink, or food or whatever.

Like I said, it's a disease, not a decision. I mean who wants to feel like that?

holly

ps. Jeff, I have a feeling it's a very crowded boat.

Holly,

I'm gonna admit here in open forum how Holly got her name. My husband suggested that she needed to be named after an elf or sprite because she's a parlor and therefore small. I thought about that for a couple of days and was almost ready to name her Arwen from Lord of the Rings. Then it hit me. I read a lot of kids' books (generally older kids books). Stop laughing now people! At any rate, I read this series based on the character Artemis Fowl and Captain Holly Short is an elf who happens to be a cop... long story. So, that's where the name came from.

As for the meds, we have had this discussion. You hit the nail on the head when you said "Doing what YOU need to doesn't diminish any effort you have made or will continue to make. It's a way of accepting, with grace, that you have been humbled." This is SO true and thank you.

[strawintogold]

You are very welcome. I do think there are folks who can manage with alternative sources, but I think for people like us it is beyond our scope and there is SO much more we can achieve well rather than limping along with the brave face.  No shame in that. Well, unless you are one of Tom Cruise's friends.....

holly

[lyric_girl]

You are very welcome. I do think there are folks who can manage with alternative sources, but I think for people like us it is beyond our scope and there is SO much more we can achieve well rather than limping along with the brave face.  No shame in that. Well, unless you are one of Tom Cruise's friends.....

holly

Tom Cruise... can I barf now!