Vance Gilbert's BubbleTip Shoes and Touring News
Hi Vance FanFriends
This Monday's Brain Droppings:
~ So one of my credit cards was in arrears. I found that out as I tried to use it. So I called them and it went like this:
“Mr Gilbert, we sent you invoices...”
“I haven’t gotten any in the mail”
“Oh no., Mr. Gilbert - we sent them via online billing...”
“I never signed up for online billing…”
“Mr. Gilbert, you accessed your balances online in March”
“I did that to get end-of-year tax information, which you also no longer mail out.”
So they figured I wanted online billing since I now have access to my card on line. And no one even AXED me. So they erased all penalties and interest for that time, and I got a bill in the mail Saturday. But damn.
See, when I pay bills, I LOVE to write the checks, lick stamps, recycle envelopes. I love to keep it analog. Why? Because it’s a visceral, good feeling thing to pay my bills with money I make being a musician for a living. I write that check and quietly say to myself “I made this money singing…” Even typing this looks funny to me. It doesn’t carry the weight of what it means to be hands-on when I take care of business.
I will avoid paying bills online for my as long as I can. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to call my agent. Where’s my rotary phone…?
~ Why do these new running shoes have to be so comfortable and still look like this? Why do they have this bubble tip? Do I really need that stability provided by my big toe? It’s just wrong. Isn’t it enough to have to say twice to people that actually "I run”, not “I’m from Iran” or “I have the runs”?
I’m slow, but I go. My best friend’s wife has said to me more than once “You don't look like a runner...” So what? So what if I’m built like a toilet paper tube with pipe cleaner arms and legs? So what when I ask someone to go for a run I actually ask them to go walking with me and I come out dressed to run and run at their walking pace? So? So what if the kind young man at Marathon Sports in Cambridge didn’t bat an eye when I asked him if these running shoes came with a big red clip-on ball nose?
FootShape ZeroDrop Altra they're called. BubbleTip BozoStriders I call them.
I ran the Boston Marathon in 1982, albeit unofficially, finishing in about 4 1/2 hours. Why do I have to keep bragging about that?
Dthis faked nosed makeds me talkd funndy.
—————————
Here’s a cool thing you should do:
Livingston Taylor Music Retreat Aug 17 - 19 https://livingstontaylor.com/about/retreat/c/669
- I get to teach here. You get to be here with me, Liv, Melissa Ferrick, and others. Whilst already pretty inexpensive, you get $100 off if you mention my name when you sign up.
Here’s my weekend coming, and hopefully a part of yours:
6/29 - Wilmington DE -Olympia @ The Queen http://queen.worldcafelive.com/
w/Ellis Paul
6/30 - Beacon, NY, The Towne Crier - http://www.townecrier.com/calendar.html
w/Ellis Paul
7/7 - Great Barrington, MA, The Guthrie Center http://www.guthriecenter.org
Coaching, private parties, reptile sitting all available upon request. Soon I will come begging for album money. Don’t be scared - you can give what you want. Players tentatively so far are Chris Smither, Abbie Gardner (Red Molly), Tommy Malone (Subdudes), Herb Gardner (Abbie’s dad, trombone!). Yes, "Zombie Pattycake" and “The Day Before November” Halloween poem will both be on the album.
xovg
This Monday's Brain Droppings:
~ So one of my credit cards was in arrears. I found that out as I tried to use it. So I called them and it went like this:
“Mr Gilbert, we sent you invoices...”
“I haven’t gotten any in the mail”
“Oh no., Mr. Gilbert - we sent them via online billing...”
“I never signed up for online billing…”
“Mr. Gilbert, you accessed your balances online in March”
“I did that to get end-of-year tax information, which you also no longer mail out.”
So they figured I wanted online billing since I now have access to my card on line. And no one even AXED me. So they erased all penalties and interest for that time, and I got a bill in the mail Saturday. But damn.
See, when I pay bills, I LOVE to write the checks, lick stamps, recycle envelopes. I love to keep it analog. Why? Because it’s a visceral, good feeling thing to pay my bills with money I make being a musician for a living. I write that check and quietly say to myself “I made this money singing…” Even typing this looks funny to me. It doesn’t carry the weight of what it means to be hands-on when I take care of business.
I will avoid paying bills online for my as long as I can. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to call my agent. Where’s my rotary phone…?
~ Why do these new running shoes have to be so comfortable and still look like this? Why do they have this bubble tip? Do I really need that stability provided by my big toe? It’s just wrong. Isn’t it enough to have to say twice to people that actually "I run”, not “I’m from Iran” or “I have the runs”? I’m slow, but I go. My best friend’s wife has said to me more than once “You don't look like a runner...” So what? So what if I’m built like a toilet paper tube with pipe cleaner arms and legs? So what when I ask someone to go for a run I actually ask them to go walking with me and I come out dressed to run and run at their walking pace? So? So what if the kind young man at Marathon Sports in Cambridge didn’t bat an eye when I asked him if these running shoes came with a big red clip-on ball nose?
FootShape ZeroDrop Altra they're called. BubbleTip BozoStriders I call them.
I ran the Boston Marathon in 1982, albeit unofficially, finishing in about 4 1/2 hours. Why do I have to keep bragging about that?
Dthis faked nosed makeds me talkd funndy.
—————————
Here’s a cool thing you should do:
Livingston Taylor Music Retreat Aug 17 - 19 https://livingstontaylor.com/about/retreat/c/669
- I get to teach here. You get to be here with me, Liv, Melissa Ferrick, and others. Whilst already pretty inexpensive, you get $100 off if you mention my name when you sign up.
Here’s my weekend coming, and hopefully a part of yours:
6/29 - Wilmington DE -Olympia @ The Queen http://queen.worldcafelive.com/
w/Ellis Paul
6/30 - Beacon, NY, The Towne Crier - http://www.townecrier.com/calendar.html
w/Ellis Paul
7/7 - Great Barrington, MA, The Guthrie Center http://www.guthriecenter.org
Coaching, private parties, reptile sitting all available upon request. Soon I will come begging for album money. Don’t be scared - you can give what you want. Players tentatively so far are Chris Smither, Abbie Gardner (Red Molly), Tommy Malone (Subdudes), Herb Gardner (Abbie’s dad, trombone!). Yes, "Zombie Pattycake" and “The Day Before November” Halloween poem will both be on the album.
xovg