Tuesday 8th January 2013 – Lunch Report - Moral choices...

[Goat]

Lunch: fromage sur pain grillé avec sauce au piment doux!
Which if I trust Google translate is cheese on toast with sweet chilli sauce!
It’s turning into a madly busy week, so my lunches are getting less exciting than usual. At least if I give them French names, I fool myself into thinking I’m eating something exotic!


G&L Topic of the Day: So the conversation went like this…. My friend George rings me up and says:

George: “I just bought a Les Paul!”
Goat: “Oh, cool! I just bought a G&L ASAT Deluxe.”
George: “What’s one of those?”
Goat: “Well G&L was Leo Fender’s last company, after he sold Fender to CBS and did a bit of work with Music Man.”
George: “Never heard of them! Are they any good?”
Goat: “Erm… do I buy crap?”
George: “OK, so does it ‘twang’ like a Tele or ‘quack’ like a Strat?”
Goat: “It’s shaped like a Tele, got a mahogany body, a maple cap, and a pair of coil-tapable humbuckers. so it has a different sonic signature to….”
George: “Bring it down Friday… crash… have a few beers… the witch is away…”
Goat: “Wish I could… I gotta work!”
(Next part of conversation unrepeatable!)

(I work for myself, but cancelling clients is self-employed suicide).

Question: Would you pull a sickie (is that a British expression or used everywhere?) and go jam with your mate, with your new G&L guitar and his LP, and sink a few cold beers until the early hours? Or would you work/spend time with the kids/make love to your wife, i.e. do what is expected of you on a Friday night?

Non-G&L Topic of the day: Beer. Always a good topic! I like a beer. I drink every type of beer going, and enjoy them all. And a good malt Scotch too. But I rarely drink to excess; I can’t remember the last time I had a ‘proper’ hangover. What do you drink? Is beer a part of your life, or a treat?

Busy is great for money; not so great for social life and playing guitar!

[NickHorne]

I would be really wary of the sickie.

But BEER is nice. I must average a beer a day, pretty much. I don't drink much else except water and tea.
Sometimes one beer, sometimes none, occasionally two, virtually never more than that (like not every year) and only after work. One goes nice with an hour's informal guitar-friendship time, and doesn't impair practice too badly.
Two is terrible for music, makes me adventurous and stupid all at once, and prevents me from learning anything.
And I like to learn something most days. My wife is wonderfully tolerant, never complains at my practice time. And having someone practice music nearby is tough - listening to disembodied bits of music, that the player is not yet good at, played again and again and again...
My wife doesn't drink anything alcoholic, never has done ever. Not even when I play the guitar at home....

[StevieSTL]

I say do both, burn the candle at both ends. I am blessed, however. My wife plays drums, so she's usually there jamming and drinking with me. And she understands when I get GAS and come home with another axe. I honestly don't know how many I have right now. But I do know that I've had at least 4 or 5 "proper" hangovers in the last month. Cheers and good luck deciding! Just don't show up for your client meeting still smelling like booze.

[louis cyfer]

i'll go jam, but i don't drink alcohol, beer tastes horrible, as does wine. never cared for them. i am self employed, but things can get rescheduled. as far as the wives complaining, they can't really, they usually gotta be with their husband on the weekend.

[The Black Page]

Lunch:fried chicken wings & salad..
In my early days of plank spankin she was a non event really ,& lost a job or 3 due to it which were only transient excursions anyway to speed up getting my next bit of gear.these days I prefer the latter.age & wisdom would be a definite factor,lessons learned from previous failed relationships,already at peace with what I've already done in music etc or maybe i genuinely love my wife? can't really nail the answer to that one sorry.
can nail the answer to the beer question though..GUINNESS
Love ya work goat keep em comin ole son!

[repoman]

Hi Goat,

My lunch was a less than exotic peanut butter sandwich, an orange, and a couple pieces of chocolate.

I get myself in plenty of trouble with the wife without even trying! So I'd probably NOT lie to her in order to sneak away for a jam session. But she (mostly) puts up with me. So if I really wanted to go jam she'd probably agree with no hesitation.

I don't drink much but I do love a good beer! So many good ones to choose from. Sam Adams, Guinness, Anchor Steam, Fat Tire, and 100's of small craft beers out there. When I drink wine its usually the cheap stuff as my palate is not sophisticated enough to tell the difference there. Well, that and my wallet is not fat enough to buy the fancy stuff.

Jeff

[Dave_P]

Hmmm.... I'm with Stevie, try and work out both somehow, if not possible....well it is winter and people DO get sick

Never heard the term " sickie" here in the US for that. Sometimes I hear "hookie" which would be the same as faking sick/skipping school or work. I like sickie better though. I hate to say it but I would probably go to work, but I'd give it some hard thought first, that is a very tempting proposition.

Lunch was some leftover baked chicken I threw in a spinach salad with blue cheese and half an apple (it was a really big apple).

Beer is good! I drink pretty infrequently, but do enjoy a good beer. Haven't had a proper hangover in many years now, I'll have 1-3 beers on average at most gatherings and even more occasionally a car bomb or two (Guinness with a shot of baileys and jameson dropped in and chugged )

Good luck Goat, hope it works out for ya!

-Dave

[blargfromouterspace]

I'm a wine drinker. I love a good beer, but I'd choose a good wine over a beer almost every time. That said I probably drink more beer as its more readily available on the rider and its not so commonplace to be offered a glass of wine as a beer when visiting friends. And there are some meals - fish and chips, anything asian - which are far better with a beer.

I'd keep the job and family You can make noise any time if you book a rehearsal space - not the most economical choice but you don't have to worry about annoying the neighbors and can turn up the volume as high as you like!

[Philby]

Hi Goat,

It's great to see a newbie taking up LR duties this week. Seems like you fit right in around here!

My French is pretty poor these days but lunch today was jambon, fromage, pain paysanne et moutard which sounds far more posh than ham, cheese and mustard sandwiches.

The last time I checked my leave balance I had about 6 months sick leave owing, so throwing a sickie wouldn't raise too many questions at work. Could I live with myself? Probably. Especially for a night of jamming. The only jam I see these days is strawberry on toast

I'm a frequent beer drinker, but not a big drinker if that makes sense. For all the reasons outlined by Nick, 2 beers has the greatest relaxation / minimum stupidity effect. Because I drink relatively few I like to make sure that any beer passing my lips tastes good. Mass produced sticky malty stuff doesn't cut it like it did when I was younger. My lovely wife bought me 12 boutique beers from around the world for my birthday this year, and there were some excellent brews from the UK including a ginger flavoured ale from Dorset and Theakston's Old Peculiar from Yorkshire. At the risk of being labelled a philistine, I've never been into wine much. It gives me terrible hangovers and I'm allergic to the chemicals used as preservatives.

[Goat]

Seems a few of us like our beers like we like our guitars - craft/boutique - with quality over quantity!

Theakston's Old Peculiar is a fave of mine. Really nice to sit in the bar at the brewery arguing over who is going to drive home!

Sam Adams is expensive over here, but I like it. Guinness is good! I like dark beers.... I used to have 2 balck and white cats - called Guinness and Murphy, (Murphy is a type of Stout too).

[darwinohm]

Goat,thanks for jumping in this week. I just had a glance yesterday and finally have some time.

I like that G&L is kind of unknown but for their advantage I wish they had a market of people like Fender and Gibson. I was a Fender guy and had close to 20 of them. I found my first G&L and have never looked back. I now have more G&Ls than Fenders, but in checking tonight, I still have a dozen Fenders, most of them are hard to find. I have owned a few Gibsons and currently only have one. It is not a player but I am banking on the value increasing. I have many brands but the G&L are my favorites overall.

As for bridges, I was a Strat guy and liked trems. I still like trems but really like Bigsbys for what I do. I have become a T-type convert and have several Asats. The saddlelock is a great bridge and my L -2500 has it. I like the coupling to the body and the saddle lock feature. It can't hurt.

For todays questions, I don't have to do sickie as I am a retired dude. I practice alone a lot and we work our material out individually before we get together as a group. I am actively gigging and we do not live close to each other so our practice sessions have to be scheduled. We practice hard , have a few beers and talk smart after we finish. I can't talk too smart because one of my bandmates is my daughter.

That brings up the question of beer. Good stuff! I am having one as I type this. Sometimes it take a couple to become truly brilliant and talented. I do like dark beers and craft beers. I spent a month in the UK in the early 70's. We worked as a team of 6 people, 3 from the states and 3 from the UK. The UK dudes were reportedly good beer drinkers but the beer there was weak compared to what we were used to. We used to chuckle at night when they had their heads on the table and we would switch to wiskey (Scotch to us). I don't suppose any of this would be politically correct today, but life was good that month in the UK. I did not meet anyone named "Goat". Despite all the hard work, I survived. Thanks for the reports this week. I miss them when they're not posted and a few have been missed recently -- Darwin

[zapcosongs]

I say do both, burn the candle at both ends. I am blessed, however. My wife plays drums, so she's usually there jamming and drinking with me. And she understands when I get GAS and come home with another axe. I honestly don't know how many I have right now. But I do know that I've had at least 4 or 5 "proper" hangovers in the last month. Cheers and good luck deciding! Just don't show up for your client meeting still smelling like booze.

You win. Bastid! - ed

[zapcosongs]

Hey Goat. I'm with Philby. I think you're fitting in just fine. Great taking up the LR duty this week. Seems we're a bit slow waking up from our New Year's slumber......

I have to say I absolutely LOVE your moniker and image here. Believe it or not (but it's true!), I have for a long time had a special relationship with goats. For some reason that cannot be easily explained, these creatures LOVE me! My family and I go annually to our local agricultural fair, and inevitably, we will go to check out the goats. My wife and kids will call to these beasts, and are generally ignored. On the other hand, I only need to walk up to their enclosures, and they will magically gather around me and favor me with much affection. I have come both to expect and appreciate it. I really do love touching and relating to them, and them to me. It's really very strange, but it is a fact. It is nice indeed to have a Goat here!!!

Beer: I used to be much involved with beer. However, being environmentally couscous, I wondered if there wasn't some way to consume alcohol in a greener, more efficient manner. Long story short, I have changed over to Vodka, and have lost about twenty unnecessary pounds in the process. Yes, I still enjoy a beer or seven on occasion, but in the end it is Vodka that keeps me fit and witty!

What was I saying? - ed

[glvourot]

Lunch today was next to nothing, unmemorable. Wasn't too hungry I guess.

Tempting to go Jam with your buddy, very ,very tempting. Plan it out so there is no dilemma next time.

Beer : I am a fan of good beer. Right now I prefer dark beers. Germans, Irish, its all good. I do drink a lot more wine though. BIg Cote de Rhone fan here.
Actually, I'm a big fan of liquor in general. I have mastered the Old Fashion, Manhattan, and Gimlet ( anyone who drinks those would love how I make mine ). I also have a small but quality single malt collection. Wow , I must come across as a big drunk, but I appreciate it to much to abuse it. Having a glass of Riesling as I type.

Good to have you aboard Goat !

[zapcosongs]

Lunch today was next to nothing, unmemorable. Wasn't too hungry I guess.

Tempting to go Jam with your buddy, very ,very tempting. Plan it out so there is no dilemma next time.

Beer : I am a fan of good beer. Right now I prefer dark beers. Germans, Irish, its all good. I do drink a lot more wine though. BIg Cote de Rhone fan here.
Actually, I'm a big fan of liquor in general. I have mastered the Old Fashion, Manhattan, and Gimlet ( anyone who drinks those would love how I make mine ). I also have a small but quality single malt collection. Wow , I must come across as a big drunk, but I appreciate it to much to abuse it. Having a glass of Riesling as I type.

Good to have you aboard Goat !

Riesling?

- ed ;+)

[Ahryn]

Why not both? deal with the clients and jam afterward, hell invite him over and jam with him at your place if you can.

I've met beers I have tolerated and most that taste like water, if I'm going to drink beer it has to be either domestic or from anywhere other than my neighbors to the south.
That's generally best but I've found that vodka fits my tastes to a tee, when I drink.
Wine for the most part just tastes like vinegar and grapes, yuk.
Maybe I'm just not cultured

[JagInTheBag]

Lunch was a steak burrito at a new mexican place that opened up recently, the spanish channel was blaring in the dining room so I was hopeful. The burrito had gristle in it and the tortia was over toasted on a dry grill. The salsa, heavy on the cilantro with no heat whatsoever- Gringo Sauce. I guess I am still looking for a good local mexican place.

G&L Question: Keep the main thing the main thing, you take care of the clients first, then beers and jamming with your friends later. As you say, it is self employment suicide. If it is a choice between wife and jamming, that is situational- but if you are looking at a romantic Friday night, buddy that is yours to lose!

Non-G&L: Being a beer snob, anything you can read your watch trough is not fit to drink. I enjoy the taste both of beer and Scotch in moderation. Isle of Islay is my favorite region for flavor and on the beer front, a local to the U.S., by New Holland Brewing called Dragons Milk is a high gravity flavorite of mine.

Cheers!

[Goat]

I have mastered the Old Fashion

My brother makes a wicked Old Fashioned! That and his Cuban cigar collection mean we drink together quite often.

Good to have you aboard Goat !

Thanks. You're all a friendly crowd!

[Goat]

Hey Goat. I'm with Philby. I think you're fitting in just fine. Great taking up the LR duty this week. Seems we're a bit slow waking up from our New Year's slumber......

I'm a mod at another forum (non-guitar) and I find fun threads keep folk coming back, which is life-blood for any forum. I noticed the number of recent 'open mics' so felt duty bound to fill the gap!

I have to say I absolutely LOVE your moniker and image here. Believe it or not (but it's true!), I have for a long time had a special relationship with goats. For some reason that cannot be easily explained, these creatures LOVE me! My family and I go annually to our local agricultural fair, and inevitably, we will go to check out the goats. My wife and kids will call to these beasts, and are generally ignored. On the other hand, I only need to walk up to their enclosures, and they will magically gather around me and favor me with much affection. I have come both to expect and appreciate it. I really do love touching and relating to them, and them to me. It's really very strange, but it is a fact. It is nice indeed to have a Goat here!!!

I have a 'passion' for goats too. Platonic of course. You'll love these:

Goats-in-tree by A Goat 2, on Flickr

goats on dam 4 by A Goat 2, on Flickr

Goats on dam 2 by A Goat 2, on Flickr

Goats on dam 3 by A Goat 2, on Flickr

[zapcosongs]

And who said that goats don't grow on trees.... Just great!

btw, may I ask which forum you moderate? Thanks - ed

[Goat]

And who said that goats don't grow on trees.... Just great!

btw, may I ask which forum you moderate? Thanks - ed

thundersplace.org

[zapcosongs]

And who said that goats don't grow on trees.... Just great!

btw, may I ask which forum you moderate? Thanks - ed

thundersplace.org

I guess maybe I deserved that..... - ed

[Goat]

I guess maybe I deserved that..... - ed

[zapcosongs]

Are you trying to get my goat, Goat? - ed

[JagInTheBag]

And who said that goats don't grow on trees.... Just great!

btw, may I ask which forum you moderate? Thanks - ed

thundersplace.org

No shame in it Goat, lots of Englishmen (are) little pricks...