The older I get, the more I want to give

Day 4 out of 100 begins with an early wake-up (as usual) and a walk around the corner for the morning cappuccino.  What?!  She's not there?!  Ah no problem, I'm hyper enough at the moment.  My sleep is totally whack so far, up most of the night, wanting to sleep from the late afternoon into the evening.  And ya know what?  It doesn't make a difference since I'm not working at the moment and a guy like that can sleep in any of the 24 hours that he chooses.

What does make a difference is some chest discomfort I had yesterday afternoon... not severe but slightly worrisome, and once the worry and adrenaline kick in, then it's easy to get more worried.  It probably is the way I'm gonna depart this plane, if family history be a guide (and it be), but I'm hoping that it's not for a long long time.  Let's see, paternal grandfather, check, maternal grandfather, check, father (some heart issues) hmmm.  Well I'm pretty healthy in my choices so here's hoping.  Anyhow, when I go back to the States I'll sign up for Obamacare and actually be able to see a doctor.  The only time I've ever had health insurance as an adult is the brief period I was married in Canada.  I've been very lucky so far, but we knew that.

And on the health front, I took my friend Toby's advice and visited the Elite Dental Clinic which is fifteen minutes down the road.  I had busted a tooth in Eugene a couple of weeks ago and figured that it would be way better to take care of it here, so I have an appointment for 11am this morning.  A free visit to assess the situation and then we'll make a plan.  And wow, I think I'll get a good teeth cleaning as well.  It's probably been ten years, but I just can't get with the American Dental Establishment anymore.  I made that decision after spending $2000 cash to get a crown put in, and it failed within 3 years.  When I went back to the dentist, he shrugged his shoulders and said, 'nothing lasts forever'.  In my mind I replied, yeah fuck you.  That was my last visit.  Makes total sense to do stuff here, so I will.

I brought my good guitar over here this year... a slight risk because you never know what's gonna happen on a plane, but it was all smooth and now I'm set up with a pro guitar which is a nice thing to have on this side of the world.  Tonight I'll play at the weekly 'Yummy Pizza' jam, thanks to a phone call from my buddy John (the most interesting man in the world) Fengler, who will drive me out there and probably roll some video of a song or two.  They like my stuff over here, so it makes him look good to bring in a ringer for this gig.  Looking forward to it.  And Noi, who owns the uber successful 'Dash Restaurant' in Chiang Mai, has asked me to play a few nights of background music for her diners.  That's a paying gig, and one of the reasons it's good to have a pro guitar.  I'll leave out the Boom Boom and Happy Finnish Girls material, and be a little more Tin Pan Alley and standard stuff.  (but some originals for sure).  That's a nice gig.  Noi is a Thai woman who lives half the year here and half in Seattle, and last summer I put her up for a night when she was coming through Eugene, gave her a place to stay and took her to dinner... payback time :-)

And since I've set it up that this trip is 100 days, it seems like a good idea to have some kind of a theme going.  What's it all about, what's the purpose?  I know that it's not to just consume and focus on myself, although there is certainly some of that.  But the older I get, the more I want to give.  And so I do.   It can take a lot of forms, many of them musical ones.  The other night, we were jamming in CU Corner and it's as simple as leaving space for Jelly to play his tin whistle solo while I'm on guitar.  We'll be singing the song and then when it's time for the solo, I'll quiet way down, the focus goes to him, he gets to shine.  (I wish more musicians understood this truth... to play quietly so others can shine... sigh). 

And when I was sitting and drinking my noodle soup and the tiny old lady came by, going to every table looking for a handout, I realized that I had a pocketful of change, so here's most of it.  I know she needed it, if she was able to sit around in a comfortable place, I'm sure that she would...I think I'm gonna do that on a regular basis... keep change on me for the beggars.  It's way better than judgment... Yup.  OK, off to a cappuccino and I'll hang on to the change for later...