Operation 365 2... Blog 186

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 186 “The Ground”

Car repairs. One of the many so so fun things in life. But, like always, it's what we do with these challenges that determines what they really are. For instance, I could have sat in the dingy mechanic office and impatiently waited for some info on my Tealmobile... OR... Walk the super dog Nigel over to the nearby Balboa Park, cuddle up on some shady grass and get cracking on today's 365. That's having fun. That's using your times wisely. I feel good. I knew that I would now.

So here we are. I recorded my videos. I talked about the ground, Thanks ground. without you I do to know what I'd be sitting on. Be good to the ground folks. You never you got it til you're in it, and by then it's too late.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 186 “When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge

I love a woman, my wife, Leanne, She is swell, the bees' knees. I could endlessly express that, but I'll let my guitar fingers do the talking. Here's some Percy Sledge, live from Balboa Park. Thanks universe for soul music. Soul needs music too.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 186 “What is Real (and Does Tomorrow Matter?)” by Jefferson Jay

I am a nostalgic fellow. I didn't study all that graduate history for nothing, I am interested in what's happening and one way to enjoy that is to reflect on what's already occurred. I am sitting in a special spot right now as I type this, I have too many memories to mention. I'll name a few though.

I am here with my pooch Nigel, but I used to come here often with my old dog, Angel. She was so great. I am sitting right besides the bocce ball court I used to play at with my old pal Zach, my ex, Lisa, and a bunch of other folks over a decade ago. I fondly recall hucking bocce balls into the tree near here, with Zach. One went in there by accident when I was trying my "Elway" method of bocce toss. Then, before you know it,  all the rest of the balls were in there too, our efforts to get the first one out backfiring majestically.

Zach and I dubbed the public restroom behind me the George Michael Rest Area, due to the number of single men who loitered nearby and disappeared in there for extended periods of time. 

Once, Angel split from near here and sprinted across the street. She came back, proud to give me the little baby chipmunk she'd caught. I made her put it down and gave her guilt about it so she'd never do that again. She didn't. I miss her.

I wrote this song with that gal I mention in it, Amber, in 1999. I remember the moment. It was after I'd moved back to Hunboldt after a short stint living in San Francisco. Must have been just a bit before that Y2K I think. My dear friends' band, Jumbo, was coming to to play that weekend and I was stoked. I think I even threw together a band and played before them, unless that was a different trip. Maybe this was even in the very first days of 2000, almost the exact same time I got Angel. I needed more in my life as this song suggests and Angel provided just that, more to live for than just myself. It made a sea change of difference for me. And now here I am, with my dog, less than a year after Angel's passing, quite close to one of the dog parks we visited all the time.

I love my friends, the ones I have now. But I have a different kind of special feeling for my long lost amigos, those whom I was once closest with but now mostly live on as memories from long ago. So I'll take just a sec here to salute and send love to Zach, Lisa, Juliet, all the dudes from Jumbo, the Horvaths, Al and Andy near Amherst, all the Boomshanka fellas, my old bassist Damon, Josh, Jon, Jesse and the other guys from my JJ and the Hustlers band, the only group that ever played this song live and my dear, sweet, beloved, Angel. Love lives forever and I've loved all of you. I still do. Peace.