Alembic Guitars Club

Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: lbpesq on August 13, 2023, 08:44:26 PM

Title: Happy 50th Anniversary to Me!
Post by: lbpesq on August 13, 2023, 08:44:26 PM
On August 13, 1973, my Mom drove me the JFK Airport in NY where I got on a plane and flew to Southern California where I started college a few weeks later.   Today is my 50th anniversary of moving to California.   I always called my Mom on this date.   She passed away last June, one week shy of her 98th birthday.   I missed calling her today, so I came here to my Alembic family instead.  So happy anniversary to me!


Bill, tgo
Title: Re: Happy 50th Anniversary to Me!
Post by: edwardofhuncote on August 14, 2023, 04:46:31 AM
Happy 50th, Bill TGO. I hope to visit California again someday. I slept through most of it last time through, and I didn't know a soul there at the time.


Title: Re: Happy 50th Anniversary to Me!
Post by: rv_bass on August 14, 2023, 05:06:39 AM
Happy anniversary, Bill, and may there be many more!  :)
Title: Re: Happy 50th Anniversary to Me!
Post by: senmen on August 14, 2023, 05:08:21 AM
Bill,
happy 50th+ also from across the pond. 
You are a important part of the family. 
And yes it is family. 
Greetz
Oliver (Spyderman)
Title: Re: Happy 50th Anniversary to Me!
Post by: David Houck on August 14, 2023, 01:21:12 PM
Happy Anniversary; and I'm glad your mom drove you to the airport so you could get on that plane; so much has happened as a result.
Title: Re: Happy 50th Anniversary to Me!
Post by: hieronymous on August 14, 2023, 05:40:40 PM
Happy anniversary Bill - you beat me out here by 23 years and 19 days! I moved out here September 1, 1996.

I wonder when my Alembiversary is? And how would I date it? First Alembic makes most sense?
Title: Re: Happy 50th Anniversary to Me!
Post by: cozmik_cowboy on August 14, 2023, 09:27:44 PM
Well, I was in CA from Aug 8 to Aug 12.........

I didn't know your mom passed, Bill; condolences.  We left CA a few hours early Saturday because we got word that Florence's baby brother was gone.  He was 59; that's way too young (but it took him 32 more years to do it than Pig........) 

Peter
Title: Re: Happy 50th Anniversary to Me!
Post by: Artgeckko on August 14, 2023, 10:26:27 PM
Happy 50th CA Bill!

I'm in So Cal as well...moved when I was 5 from Boston, so a non native...
Your story resonates with me, and being that I am only months into the Alembic Club (and I just purchased a second  Alembic Spoiler bass, pictures and history request soon to post) I totally understand the comfort here.
(Really good folks here)
My dad passed a little over a year ago, and during a trip to clean out his house, I unconsciously grabbed a pen that was a token gift from when he was supporting the Ronald Regan Foundation, way back when. 
On the side of the pen is the inscription,  "It can be done."
(I'm not a Reagan expert, but assume it was somewhat of his motto?)
Well, this pen became my mantra for taking on the refinish and restoration of my first used Alembic bass(a bucket list item) as it became apparent that the bass was not in 'excellent' shape as represented.
Instead of buyers remorse and despair, the bass, this club, and my late dads pen are my inspiration to refinish the bass to as good as it can be.

It can be done.  Right!

Welcome to CA anniversary! 
Condolences for the loss of your mom. 
I'm sure she's looking down, proud that her son always called his mom.





Title: Re: Happy 50th Anniversary to Me!
Post by: StephenR on August 14, 2023, 11:49:07 PM
Happy Anniversary Bill! At least I beat Harry by a few years arriving May 8 1992. Great that we eventually crossed paths! So sorry to hear about your mom, last time we communicated privately you mentioned going to help her. My wife and I got swept up in a medical emergency involving a relative around the same time and I never followed up to see how she was doing.
Title: Re: Happy 50th Anniversary to Me!
Post by: lbpesq on August 15, 2023, 12:19:47 AM
Thanks everyone.  Other than loss of short term memory, she was doing well in assisted living.   She was diagnosed with cancer a year before, but she had no symptoms or pain until she recently had a little sore that didn’t heal.   The doctor who saw her at the hospital was amazed she was functioning as well as she was.   I spoke to her two days before she passed.  She was having fun playing bingo!  We were planning on flying back for her 98th birthday, but I got a call a week before and was on the red-eye that night.   She lived a long, happy, and interesting life.   She also gave me my first guitar lessons as she played nylon string folk guitar until the above mentioned washing machine incident prevented her from playing.   When I cleaned out her apartment at the assisted living facility, I found a whole draw full of miscellaneous chocolates, her stash of bingo winnings!    The next time I see any of you in person (perhaps when Jazzyvee is in town) I’ll tell you the story about her ashes.    I’ll never put it in writing.

Bill, tgo