Off Stage With Meyer and McGuire

Hey Folks,

Hope you are all doing well!  Here is a story and some news if you have some time for reading.

Quite often, people want to know about some of the challenges I face in being blind.  I never really know what to tell them, but recently, I thought of one that might be somewhat entertaining.  A few months ago, Siobhan and I were traveling on the New York State Thruway, and we stopped at a rest area.  The restroom designated for handicapped people was occupied.  So, I decided to use the regular one to see how well I remembered all the strategies I use to navigate a restroom.  When I entered this one, I stood for a minute to listen for the essential sounds, sinks, hand dryers, urinals, and toilets.  Now, when you are orienting yourself in a restroom, you must remember two things.  Don't stand too long, and keep your head down.  Standing too long and looking around can get you into trouble.  Inadvertently, you might be looking at something you shouldn't be.  After I identified all the crucial sounds, I headed for the row of toilets.  Regardless of my needs, I always use a toilet.  If you think about it for a minute, you can understand how urinals are way too dangerous.  I gave up on them years ago because I kept lining up in front of too many back pockets.  When I got to the row of toilets, I prayed for the sounds of some grunts and farts so I could determine what toilets were empty.  Unfortunately, it was a quiet day in the toilets so I had to check every door.  I had to hear the matter of fact comment, "Occupied," three times before I found an empty toilet.  Well you might think the fun was over, but it wasn't.  After I left the toilet, I went over to the sink, washed my hands, and headed for the hand dryers.  I dried my hands, but unfortunately, as I left the restroom, I was too close to the other dryers, and I set off five of them.  So, remember me the next time you enter a public restroom.  If it brings a smile to your face, remember to keep your head down.  That smile could get you into trouble.

As I mentioned in my last post, Siobhan and I are really enjoying coordinating the "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concert series at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, we played you a video of Pat Maloney playing his song, "Good Night Irene Again." In this post, we have a video of Jeff Riales doing his song "The Ticket."  In this song, the narrator reads in a newspaper article that his ex-wife wins the lottery.  He learns that the winning numbers were ones that reminded her of him.  Very funny! Here is the video.  Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.

Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Scott Regan for the fine show he did for us in October. On November 15, we are having Joe Dady from the Dady Brothers do a show in our side room. In addition to being an outstanding musician, Joe has become quite the songwriter over the years.  He has performed all over the United States, Canada, and Ireland, and has shared the stage with such greats as The Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Rick Danko, Bill Staines, and many more. Joe has a lot of great stories that I am sure you will enjoy. Here is a link to the Dady Brothers' site to find out more about him.  Hope you can join us on November 15!

Since songwriting seems to be the focus of this post, here is a link to "Set Yourself Free," one of my original songs.  You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song.  If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already.  If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!

Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!