July 4th Nasty Habits

So I hauled out the bass guitar from its case that it's been in for probably a year, and proceeded to try and learn this tune last night. Today, my right index and middle finger are a little numb (from not using a pick).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HLOS2fi2Vo

Well, I don't smoke, but its coming up to the weekend where I always have the urge to let loose down at the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland.  Let's see how many nasty habits I get into this weekend. Will I exercise? I'll try.  Will I drink too much beer and eat too much barbecue and/or junk food?  Probably.  Will I wish I could spend the whole weekend down there, instead of the few hours I'll probably get? You bet.  I usually also get inspired and try to practice more guitar.

I think three or four years back, I saw the  Tommy Castro band at the blues fest.  I was standing where I normally do for shows where the guitar is featured prominently, which is down toward the water, as close to the stage as I can get without feeling crowded by lots of people.  Through the show, I felt like Tommy was looking at me the whole time with too much eye contact,  it was actually quite uncomfortable.  It turns out that I was standing directly behind his son.  Tommy proceeded to announce to the audience that he had a "son he never knew" in Portland and it was his first weekend meeting him.   I was somewhat relieved that I wasn't being picked out of the crowd somehow.  I kept wondering during the show, "why is he looking this way".  Tommy puts on a great show, and his old bass player Randy was a hoot to watch on stage, playing a coral pink (probably 60's) Fender Precision bass, making faces to the audience, and dancing around.

Let's see what Nasty Habits I develop over this 4th of July.  Maybe snoring in a tent or something.