Thanks, all. I just this morning managed to get past all the roadblocks my computer was setting up in the way of my internet access (I had lost my hard drive--a gig or so of programs and data from the last three years and before) and had it replaced with a new 10 gigger, when I managed to screw up its system (Mac OS 8.5) trying to reinstall applications from my original system disk(Mac Performa 7.5)--the two systems didn't get along too well. Anyway, I remembered I had a system upgrade for the 7.5, and after tweaking it a bit I got things sorta kinda straightened out (I did manage to put my floppy drive out of commission--the Computerware service guy had got it a bit out of line when he installed the new hard drive, and it wouldn't eject disks unless I stuck a card in far enough on top of the disk so I could kind of guide it through the slot. This was working okay until I tried to reinstall Transkriber: it had kind of a loose sliding cover, and this damned thing stayed in the slot when the disk came out. I should have left it in there and taken the damned thing back to Computerware, but as an inveterate (though totally incompetent) tinkerer, I had to poke around in there with a couple of steak knives until I could drag the damned thing out--I did get it out, but now the drive tells me all my disks are unreadable and wants to reinitialize them. So I suppose I'll have to get a new floppy drive, too.

But despite the fact that much of this stuff happened on my birthday, my 67th!, it was a great weekend: I saw Dan and Bob in Davis--both are dynamite singers, and Bob's work on banjo and guitar were outstanding. I talked with them both during the break and after the concert, showed them my Wildwood (banjo, Spaw--get your mind outa the gutter), and both were impressed. They asked me for a song, and since someone else was holding my banjo, I played Dan's Martin and sang Commander Cody's "Down to Seeds and Stems Again" for them--both thought it was funny.

On Sunday I went to the East Bay Fiddlin' and Pickin' Potluck, which happened to be directly across the street from the apartment we lived in when my son was born, thirty-two years ago. I didn't make it to the Starry Plough, so I don't know if Joe let Dan and Bob go in time so they could make it after their Sunday night concert at his house. Tomorrow night will be my birthday party with my wife and son (he works Wednesday through Sunday as a reporter for Channel 2, the local Fox affiliate which despite that connection has an excellent news department; he reported last night on East Timor, and had an interview with Marshall Windmiller, SF State professor of International Relations, who was one of the staff of my Peace Corps training session back in 1963. Ya live long enough and everything seems to go in circles.

Anyway, thanks, all, for the good wishes. And I'll try to get reconnected with all of you--including contributing to the further adventures of Blake Madison, if it's still going on.

--seed