A Life in a Day

crazy day
up late
off to a meeting
to meet a couple heavy corporate cats

on my way
on bloor street
and there's braxton hicks
one of the world's greatest sax players
and CAL alumni

i pull up - he hops in the caddy
and we're off to his place
he has a present for me!
the meeting can wait

some background on braxton's present
years ago i'm hosting a party
and my attorney dino is there
i look around the room
and realize that he's a lawyer to everyone in the room
i ask him what it's like to know everyone's secrets
he said it renewed his faith in humanity
that it's our flaws that make us attractive
and without that - we'd be robotic
like star trek next generation

years later i relate that story to braxton

back at braxton's
it's 2:10pm
we're drinking scotch
he hands me my present
it's a painting of the starship enterprise that he painted in grade nine
he took my little story to heart
and i'm deeply touched
the painting is already up on the wall

running late
off to the meeting
with 2 fingers of scotch in me
nice restaurant
and the corporate cats are cool
they care about their jobs
they want to do something different
they have the know how and the infrastructure
i like them
we touch on my selling CAL
it's a valid question

the meeting had lots of other elements
i love that people dream
it ignites things inside me
we conclude feeling up and optimistic

rushing
trampoline class with my youngest
then dinner at a chinese food buffet
a tims to follow
and it's off to the doors rehearsal
the CAL doors band is smart
and exact
and clifton sounds and looks great
happy and strong
a strange headspace to be in when your singing doors
but clifton makes it all work
and flow

before you know it
the doors rehearsal is over and the zep rehearsal is starting
and in a flash there's 12 musicians in the room
and everyone is sparking and hugging and laughing

then it's down to business again
and the new CAL zep band begins unraveling zep 4
with all the mysticism of it in tact
phil naro understands this music
i comment on him needing a bit more 'british' in places
he digs it and wraps himself around the delivery
man this is good

then it's off to the old CAL zep band rehearsal
nicky's back in town
he's in through the out door
and fresh from zep 2 in orlando
and this is a big thing
because this month we have 2 CAL zep bands on the road
and they're both beautiful

back at my house
it's late now
rob phillips drops by to switch a bunch of guitars around
i make chilli and salad
some wine
we put on a doobie brothers album
talk shop
it's relaxing
he leaves with some heavy clothes that don't fit me anymore
watch for bobby and the black velvet blazer

now it's late
and i'm alone
listening to sticky fingers
in two weeks i'll be out of this house
my family house
i sold it to a young family with a nice vibe
time i was on my way

the year ahead is full of change
i think about selling CAL
because i'd be foolish not to consider every possibility
but there's this picture of the starship enterprise hanging on my wall
and there's a feeling i get
when musicians are busy
and working together
that brings life to life
and i realize
that there's no way i'd ever sell CAL

craig
jan 18 2012
red wine and salad scrapings