January 15th, 2006
Regressing parents
My dad has just called in to drop in number 16 in the Independent’s Great Irish Writers series. Yesterday, it was In A Cafe and other stories by Mary Lavin and by the end of the series, a quarter of the 20 books will have been short story collections. This Saturday ritual of my dad collecting a book for me seems twofold. I’m prone to colossal bouts of forgetfulness so it helps that he buys mine when he picks up his own. Mostly though, I think he likes to pop in for a chat, have Disco Fred jump all over him and catch up while refusing tea and leaving his coat on.
Today though, I’m beginning to wonder if he’s regressing: he left here with a copy of School of Rock in one hand and a Nylon-stringed guitar in the other.
January 15th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
He’d need to be a good guitarist to make a “nylon stringed guitar” sound “rocky”.
January 15th, 2006 at 6:30 pm
He’s been teaching himself on a guitar with regular strings but reckons they’re hurting his fingers too much. He’s been playing bass for over 40 years so his fingers are used to much thicker strings.
Dying to know what he makes of School of Rock…
January 16th, 2006 at 11:44 pm
He should put his fingers in meths, that’ll harden them. I don’t know if he’s to drink it afterwards or not
January 17th, 2006 at 1:59 pm
I’ve found that electric guitar is a good compromise between steel-string acoustic and nylon ’spanish’ guitars. It’s not going to be very noisy of course but there’s less bleeding finger-tips to be had.
Just don’t attempt the solo from Freebird right after you’ve bought the darn thing (ah, King for a Day…)
Otherwise, if he’s playing steel-string acoustic, ask in the shop for a lighter (or is that lower?) gauge string…
January 20th, 2006 at 11:12 am
Surgical spirit is supposed to be good. I use it on my feet after running, helps to harden the skin. And he won’t have to drink it.