Looks like we are in for another

warm day here today and it's supposed to be warm like this all week. I like the warm weather, I just don't like all the noise from magpie birds out here to contractors working on a Sunday and screaming kids that go along with it. I miss the quietness of the West end.

Yesterday while waiting for my bus home at Clareview I had to take this shot of these two cherry trees or whatever they're called next to the green one. This was taken about 3pm yesterday. They're' all over the City this time of year:

Last night as I was about ready to settle in for the news I heard the name Tommy Ramone mentioned by the news anchor just before the broadcast. Uh-oh. Stuff like this is usually near the end of the news as filler and I didn't want to wait half an hour to confirm what I already had a hint of. I went to my iPad and learned the news the fast way: Tommy Ramone dead at 65. Talk a about a shock to the system. This brought back a flood of memories. Tommy Ramone was last of the original members of the punk rock band "The Ramones" that passed away Friday. First it was Joey Ramone that passed away of lymphatic cancer at the age of 49 in 2001. Dee-Dee Ramone died of a drug over dose in 2002 at the age of 50. Then Johnny Ramone, died of prostrate cancer at the age of 55 in 2004. While the band never gained commercial success and I never had a chance to see any of their shows or buy any of their albums, I was always aware of them. Their first self titled album only recently after 38 years went gold. They came here in Edmonton June 1983. Hearing about the death of Tommy Ramone last night was sad to say the least. I always knew he was getting up there in age. He was struggling with Bile Duct cancer and in the end he lost that battle. While I was vaguely aware of the emerging punk rock scene in the mid 1970's it was off my consciousness for the most part until while living in Calgary in January 1976-77. I recall looking for new music in a Calgary record store in the Spring of 1977. I think I was on my way out of the "Under the stairs basement suite" situation  in this Calgary home I was renting from my boss. I was doing telemarketing at that time. I recall getting my last pay cheque and shortly after that I was about to move into this transit hotel situation not far from the Cecile hotel. I stayed there before after I lost my job with Best Cleaners. I didn't have a plan after I lost the telemarketing job but I recall how I needed to get some new music. I found myself looking around in the record bins at a record store in downtown Calgary. I found The Clash and The Sex Pistols records. I saw the Ramones album and knew nothing about them at the time nor did I knew anything about The Clash or Sex Pistols. I had enough cash for 2 albums and I bought these two as a trial and the Ramones didn't look like a punk band. I remember buying the records "Lets hear what punk rock sounds like" type thing. I got home as there was nobody in the house at the time and I played the music on a low volume setting and was immediately impressed. Both albums were keepers. I wasn't into music like I am now in the 80's and 90's. When the Internet came along with Napster I renewed my interest with punk rock because it was so accessible and free. I tried Napster before it went under then Audio Galaxy and they went the way of Napster, then YouTube. I remember sometime in maybe 2003 getting off the train at Clareview after work seeing this woman with a Ramones jacket and paying it no attention at the time. Because of the Internet, I rekindled my interest in punk rock. It was unsettling to say the least to hear the death of Tommy Ramone's passing. These guys were about the same age as me and most of them died of cancer. It makes me even more aware of my struggle with diabetes having all these people die around me and last night hearing Tommy Ramone.

Ok, switching gears here Anne's out at the truck getting a few things and then we'll have our Sunday brunch. After that Anne is going to Walmart and she's going to pick me up a replacement gluclometer for my blood sugar tests then she's on the iPad face time her sister, while I'm struggling with this old laptop trying to make a beat. 

Tomorrow on my day off I'm going to cancel my Doctor's appointment as he's concerned about my blood pressure. It's been a little high as of late. I haven't been taking these blood pressure pills he gave me because my wife is on the same ones and she said they are causing her problems. So I'm reluctant to take them. I'm going to call and cancel the appointment and rebook for after my pcn next week. Tomorrow I want to go and get my go mic at LM. I'm going to call first to see if they're open first. Anyway, that's all for now.