This morning I pranged the car in the carpark at Melville Markets where I went to busk. I considered abandoning the project and heading home to face Hannah’s type of music but the show must go on and did. Hannah turned up later and separately with takeaway coffee and reviewed the sound (guitar was too distorted) and shopped (a child’s table and two chairs.) I held off telling her about the car until the market finished. On the way to the car Hannah was complimentary so I told her. It was a terrible sight, for my car not the Landcruiser.
Her recriminations continued for half an hour and I am not complaining, it was my Bad – a 9.2/10 Bad; she has every right. On the occasions I commit a big Bad I endure the comments in silence and sorrow finally Hannah feels sorry for me. Writing those words reminds me how buried I am in an old-married-male paradigm. With that acknowledged I continue: the comments, not in chronological order, included:
• How much will this cost us?
• I suppose we have used up our excess?
• You’ve done this before.
• You’ve got to be more careful (hardly worth mentioning that one).
• Will we need to take you off the road like Mimi?
• From now you will drive an old bomb and I will drive this car.
• Is it driveable?
• What happened to the other car?
Finally Hannah placed a hand on my shoulder and said: “Poor Dan, you must be in shock. Are you in shock?”
Winningly I said: “I am in shock that you are in shock.”
It didn’t work, “No I am horrified actually.”
At the prang site I had found a pencil in my toolbag and written a note for the owner of the Landcruiser. The left front of my Honda (an excellent car but no match for a Landcruiser) has crumpled; the Landcruiser has white paint marks on the corner of the chrome fender. Tomorrow my panel beater will book me in for March. As I wrote in a previous blog, we just sold our second car, so we are hoping the car is driveable. It got us from the market home, Linda driving.
Some points about the busking:
• My beach cart continues to amaze me with the amount of stuff I can load in it: Boss Street Amp II, mic stand, guitar stand, cords, ipad, ipad holder and other such paraphernalia; high stool.
• A man sat next to Hannah and listened for an hour. He introduced himself as a Philippino agent; he said I was talented so he was a musical agent. He gave Hannah several tips but me none. To be charitable his advices were worth more than any tip today.
• I made about $40 and which puts me well on the way to paying off the $500 excess.
• Rotary said I didn’t have to pay for a space to play, they were pleased to have me. I was once a Rotarian; Rotary nearly single-handedly wiped out polio through most of the world; though it was too late for my grandmother who contracted it in 1908 when she was eight.
• I give Boss mixed reviews. I used the RC5 looper and Boss Cube Street Amp. The amp is amazing, it accepts a mic and a guitar input and there are separate controls for each. It has an excellent battery life which is vital for buskers who are usually without power. The RC5 looper has a pitiful battery life: last night I put in a new battery - the expensive square one - and it ran out after 45 minutes. Unlike the street amp the looper is not exclusively for busking, but that is a common use. In my view, on the ground of poor battery life, the RC5 is unsuitable for busking. The RC1 which has only one memory may be better. The RC5 has 99 memories. Speaking of batteries, enough battery of Boss now for the flattery: Boss produces amazing products, they are the Rolls Royce of music electronics and their pedals last decades.
This afternoon I might put in a couple of laps at Fremantle Pool. I have bought a pass: ten entries for the price of nine with a little swipe card and free parking. Hannah will be driving if I go.
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