Chit-Chat Check-In #158

Hello, this is your Captain speaking. Before I get into the song I’m going to share today, I’d like to tell you a little bit about a squirrel we know named Lil’ Pedro, who showed up at Susie’s father’s house not long after Susie’s father passed away, and gave us all the impression that it was her father reincarnated to some degree. Or had come back in spirit to say hi and check on us. That’s why we called him Lil’ Pedro, because we called Susie’s father Pedro. And if you watch The Tweedy Show, you might be familiar with the Pedrobot, because that’s the device he would call in to listen to the show and add his commentary.

Anyway, Lil’ Pedro kept coming around, while Susie and our friend Theresa were dealing with the stuff that gets left behind when someone passes away. Lil’ Pedro kept showing up, and even though it’s been over a couple of years now, he keeps showing up.

You know it’s Lil’ Pedro becuase--you’re going to see in the picture I’m going to share--this is how he waits for Susie to show up and give him some almonds and whatever else she might have. They do like nuts. Squirrels like nuts. It checks out.

Anyway, Susie has managed, in spite of all of her procedures and surgery and recorery, she’s managed to get over there and tend to Lil’ Pedro all but a few days. It’s kind of a testament to her unbelievable strength.

So, I don’t know if you believe in reincarnation. I don’t know if I believe in it. I don’t know that I don’t believe in it. I think it’s one of those things that’s similar to the story that I tell about the song I’m sharing. Where it’s just a moment where you can be convinced that there’s some meaning. And it’s usually the meaning that you’ve applied to either a coincidence--I’m open to the idea that it hints at some unknown, deeper order for things.

But it’s sweet enough, to me, if it’s just a reminder that we make meaning. That’s kind of what we’re here to do. And the world gives us a whole lot to work with if we’re paying attention. And sometimes it just reminds you to pay attention. The world, or the way our brains work. And I think that’s good.

Anyway, I love Lil’ Pedro, and he’s the most perfect, adorable squirrel I’ve ever seen in my life. And he means a lot to us.

I’m sharing a song called “Judy (Ball of Light)” which is renamed here “Judy Just Left.” It was shared a while ago as “Judy (Ball of Light)” on here, and it’s been around for a while, and is still in the back of my head, so every once in a while I play it.

And recently, I guess through the process of playing a guitar a lot, I’m always trying to learn to play the guitar in different ways and get better at playing the guitar, sometimes some new things creep into my playing. I go back and play older songs and see if I hear anything different in how to play them. And that was the case with this song. Something about what I’ve been working on the guitar unlocked some voicings and counterpoint to the melody, which was pretty satisfying to me. And I think it sounds more finished to me.

So I thought I’d share it, and thought it might be interesting to any of you who are interested (laughs) in songwriting, and revision, and how many times songs get reworked, and thought about. And sometimes it’s a lot, and sometimes you get it right the first time. This one’s been reworked a lot.

Carry on.