The Waiting

The waiting is the hardest part...

So goes a line from one of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' most beloved hits. A line I can't take off my head after being put in the freezer the moment our biggest client pulled the plug on their brand awareness campaign.

The long break was full of uncertainty. I pondered on the kind of future (if there were any) that awaits this fifty year old worker. It was mentally draining to say the least.

Am I through with the industry? Is it time to start a business? Any other way to generate income? Questions, questions aplenty.

After thirty days of inactivity, I decided to hunt for another job. I'm done waiting. I reluctantly printed out a copy of my resume to try my luck with a prominent BPO company.

Fortunately, I passed the exam and interviews and was done after more than seven tedious hours of, yeah, waiting. The caveat though is they won't take me in unless I'm officially separated from my old employer.

With that in mind, I headed towards the direction of our office which incidentally is just a few blocks away. Somebody's usually in at half past eight. Perfect timing I said to myself.

I reached the building still with a few minutes to spare. To kill time, I chatted with the guards and again waited.

At around nine o'clock, I texted my co-worker and asked if he's still coming in. Got a response not long after but it turned out he's out on sick bay. Told him no problem, everyone's coming in after an hour anyway.

So I waited, yet again.

But at half past ten, I finally gave-up. There was no one in sight. Everybody must've been bitten by the the holiday bug since they were coming off the day after the Memorial Day celebration in the U.S.

The very next day, I was notified to come back to work because an old client of ours just renewed their contract. For how long, I really don't know. Again, all I can do is wait.

Wish List

A part of my ever-growing mini collection.

After a cursory glance at the eighty plus more titles on my CD wishlist, I couldn't help but feel discouraged for I have this gut feeling that it would remain that way - a wish list.

It also doesn't help that more and more titles have now joined the ranks of the elite. Yes, even albums I have scoffed at in the past - Nirvana's Nevermind, Pearl Jam's Ten and Radiohead's OK Computer.

If I were rich, eighty would be a breeze. There are, however, far more pressing needs that I have to prioritize i.e. supplies/groceries, home mortgages, monthly bills etc.

Lately, I've pared down my orders, avoided impulse buys and shied away from local sales or used CD fairs. Nowadays, I get everything exclusively via Amazon with the help of a couple of fellows I know from an audio and video forum.

And why not when you have Deep Purple's Machine Head and Made in Japan selling for as low as $3.99? It's definitely a no-brainer.

So the best way to go about this is to take it one step or rather one batch at a time. Having said that, I couldn't wait for the arrival of my latest haul!  

The Great Gig in the Sky

The throng was bristling in anticipation for what could be the mother of all gigs.

Renowned music critic Lester Bangs stood forlornly in a corner at press row. Casey Kasem, doing radio anchor duties for WHVN announced the arrival of Batch 2016-17 composed of David Bowie, Prince, Glen Frey, George Michael, Leon Russell, Al Jerraeu and Chuck Berry. "Wanna' have a good time? Brace yourselves ladies and gents for a whale of a ride!" howled Wofman Jack on the PA monitor.

Seen mingling with the crowd and fellow artists were Lou Reed and Nico. Both were dapper in their velvet suits given no doubt by fashion impresario Andy Warhol. Grunge meisters Kurt Cobain and Scott Weiland ditched their bandanas, flannels and corduroys in favor of plain white shirts and loafers. The duo looked surprisingly in the pink of health. Keith Moon and John Entwistle were huffing about probably wondering where's Roger and Pete.

Then, the lights went off.

There was a deafening roar that greeted pioneering guitar wiz Les Paul when he took the stage by his lonesome playing a haunting intro of the day's initial salvo. Jeff Buckley came up and everyone stood up to sing along to "Hallelujah."

After the second verse, he paused and said "Here's the guy who wrote this masterpiece, Mr. Leonard Cohen!" as he retreated backstage where father Tim is waiting.

Next up, a pair of Brits were testing their grooves - Jack Bruce and John Bonham. Jimi Hendrix joined the fray with a mournful sounding lead guitar part. Janis Joplin jumped right in to do the stirring vocals of "Summertime."

How about some horns? You asked for it, you got it with no less than Miles Davis, Canonball Aderley and John Coltrane alternating on trumpet and sax!  It was like the "Blue Note" era all over again.

Doors bandmates Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek were jumping up and down. The quiet Beatle George Harrison was in near tears. The fifth and the sixth - Brian Epstein and George Martin nodded repeatedly in approval.

Muddy Waters and Johnny Winter had a reunion of sorts with a blistering version of "Hoochie Coochie Man" together with Duanne Allman on slide and Ronnie Hawkins on harmonica. Tim Hardin, Sandy Denny and Harry Chapin did a folk set, a prelude to Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie's reading of "Turn, Turn, Turn."

Otis Redding and Dusty Springfield did a medley of their hits and a jaw dropping duet of "Respect." The King of Pop, Michael Jackson moonwalked to "I Want You Back" all the way up to the clouds while the Chairman of the Board, Frank Sinatra together with the Rat Pack had a showstopper capped by "Strangers in the Night." Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, John Lennon with Bill Evans on piano solemnly closed the wondrous show with "Amazing Grace."