Quarantine pastimes

I said I was going to update the old bloggaroni weekly. Well, it sure SOUNDED good at the time I said it. Many of you don't know this but I have a real job. A good, old-fashioned 9 to 5-er. It keeps me busy and for the most part, it's rewarding. Currently, I work as a medical practice manager, going on 31 years. Did I think at 50 that I'd still be at it? Hell, no. The fact is, I still haven't figured out what I want to be when I grow up.

This isn't some deep revelation. Many of you have gone through it or are going through it, now. Few of us get the opportunity to pursue their dream jobs. Some are able to just up and quit their full-time gig to do so and MORE POWER TO YOU if you are one of them. My sis Anna, for example. She is brave. She is smart and confident and all of those other complimentary adjectives. She knows what she wants and she's going after it. And it hasn't been easy. Yet, she perseveres. Maybe I want to be like her when I grow up?

Not gonna lie, my dream job has to be something to do with music, like creating a podcast, or going to catch my favorite bands and follow them on tour, maybe write reviews or sell their merch or SOMETHING that gets me close to the music. That's a groupie, you say? Well, funny that you say that. When I first heard my favorite band of all time, The Rolling Stones, back in the 4th grade, that's EXACTLY what I wanted to be. 

Until I found out what a groupie actually does and then I was OUT.

If I hadn't mentioned it by now, you must know one of my favorite pastimes is going to live shows. It's a big part of my life. I literally plan my vacations around festivals. Thanks, Corona. I get alerts on social media almost weekly with taunting reminders of yet more cancelled shows that I had planned to attend. There are a lot of things that Corona sidelined this year, the least of which are concerts. I know it and I get it. By no means am I downplaying the impact that COVID-19 has had on all of us. But until I can go to shows again, this blog, for me at least, is an escape from that. 

Another thing I've been doing during quarantine is checking out lots of old YouTube content. One of the channels I subscribe to is "What's in My Bag". It's a series where bands go to Amoeba Music (a record store) and go on a shopping spree, courtesy of the Amoeba. Some are straight garbage but more times than not, they pick up some really good shit. Often, it's a lot of bands I've never heard of so it gives me an opportunity to check out what my fave bands are listening to. This week, I watched an episode of "What's in My Bag" with Tweedy, filmed about 2 years ago.

Jeff Tweedy (frontman for Wilco and guitarist for Tweedy) mentioned Chastity Belt so I checked them out this week. Long story short, they're now on regular rotation on my playlists. Love their sound. They've got that jangly guitar vibe that I dig a lot AND they're all women so, YAY!!!

I hope to catch them at a live show in the future. Until then, YouTube it is. What have y'all been up to during quarantine?