: What’s New Pussycat?
So here I am – 73 years old. I’m composing symphonies, reading Tolstoy & Cervantes, studying 20th century music theory, keeping up with current events, etc. So what am I going to do in this month’s episode?
I’m gonna share some cat pictures.
Yes. It has come to that. But first – allow me to give some background. In the last few years, what with the kids out on their own, Lisa & I have been idly speculating about about getting a pet. The thing about pets is that they complicate your life – and we’ve been trying to simplify our lives. So much for getting a dog. OK – when they invent a dog that can walk & clean itself up we’ll reconsider. How about reptiles, fish, rodents, etc? Really, be serious. That leaves a cat – but that is out of the question if one of the two inhabitants of the house is very allergic to cats – and so we continued along our pet-less way.
Meanwhile, somewhere along the line our kids have acquired their own cats – and we became cat sitters when they went on trips. Last summer we babysat our son’s cat for two weeks and there were no allergic reactions; that raised the possibility of getting one on our own. Imagine our surprise when our son offered to let us keep him. After a very brief moment the decision was made. Yes!
So now Frisky is part of the family. It’s amazing how quickly you bond with these little creatures. Frisky wakes us up at 7:00 every AM (no exceptions for weekends), follows us around the house, annoys the hell out of us when he wants to be fed, falls asleep in our laps, and brightens our days. If we go out, we have to time things around his feeding schedule, etc, etc.
And now here come the dreaded cat pictures. NOTE: You may have to open in your web browser to see the pics.
First, here is Frisky reading the newspaper around the breakfast table:
And here he is contemplating a chair leg:
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I’ll spare you the videos.
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Meanwhile, in other news my composition – Variations on Aria of Asker – got honorable mention the International Composition Competition of the Vienna Classical Music Academy in the Chamber Music category. Winning these competitions is a bit like winning the lottery, but it’s still a nice ego boost. You can listen to it here.
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Friday May 6, 8:00PM-11:00ish
Better Off Dead at Shillelagh Club
648 Prospect Ave, West Orange, NJ (973) 509-1134
As you drive along Prospect Ave at night, you may feel like you’re in the middle of a forest. But when your GPS says “you’ve arrived at your destination“, you will notice a parking lot light up with bright green LED lights which let’s you know that indeed you have arrived at a great destination. In spite of it’s seeming ethnic identity, The Shillelagh Club hosts many of the areas top blues and r&r/r&b bands. The club has excellent bar food (I can recommend the burgers) and a lively friendly mix of folks.
http://www.betteroffdead.com/home.htm/
https://shillelaghclub.com/
Friday May 13, 7:00PM-9:00
Better Off Dead at Ruthie’s BBQ
64 1/2 Chestnut Ave, Montclair, NJ (973) 509-1134
With any luck the weather gods will smile on us as we play outside on the world famous Ruthie’s Veranda. If bad weather, call ahead. Remember to BYO.
http://www.betteroffdead.com/home.htm/
http://www.ruthiesbbq.com/