He Was Up Until

End of another quarter.  I am asked to ping someone last night at 11:00PM before I went to bed and then again this morning at 5:30AM.  They are over in Ireland.  Can they rush something for us on their Sunday? It’s really important.  Is there a way?  You guys checking things on the weekend?  At this stage of the month, at this stage of the year, the deals in-play take priority over most everything else. 

I came across some Booker Little last night that was particularly tasteful.  There are a few discs where the innovative trumpeter is playing with Eric Dolphy that are particularly striking.  Reminding myself of the work of this man from Memphis it is remarkable how active he was up until his untimely death at the age of a mere twenty-three years of age, from a case of uraemic poisoning.  I keep finding more and more of his work to discover.  So prolific, so talented and gone so early.   I think I remember Max Roach in whose band he played more than one period was devastated with his passing. 

I’ve got to fly to New York tomorrow.  All I can think about is my winter coat.  My late fall approximation that I bounce around with here in Beijing will not work when I step off the plane in Newark tomorrow.  That I know.  I haven’t seen the big, orange beast since last spring.  This would be a bigger problem but for the fact my flight tomorrow isn’t until 5:00PM.  The garage with all its boxes looms ominously.

Christmas tree’s up.  But no ornaments yet.  This is not a cut tree mind you but a full tree, roots, dirt and all that will slowly expire in the heat of our living room.  They weren’t selling as many this year and I don’t know why.  Is the expat market drying up around here?  Is it tied to the local government’s eradication of coal and wood heating?  The lady we bought it from acknowledged that she had fewer, but couldn’t really explain why.  It’s late Monday now and I guess I’ll miss the chance to decorate it with everyone but at least we’ve got it up there in the corner. 



Monday, 12/11/17