Peeve de la semaine

This is one of the times where being incredibly happy with so much bounty in my life is making me feel weirdly pressurized, like my head might pop a leak:

Heather RIP

Last Thursday, my ex put to sleep my sweet li’l girl of a puppy, my Welsh Corgi, Heather. It was time and she mercifully arranged to have the Vet do it as a house call. I had always said that it would be the actual visit to the Vet’s office that would kill Heather, her heart raced so whenever we even pulled into the parking lot. So I thank Lauren for that. I’ll forever be grateful.

I loved Heather a lot. She was a wonderful little prize and I continue to miss her.

Karin Berg RIP

On the same day we lost Heather, Karin Berg, the woman who made all my dreams come true by signing Tin Huey, bringing us to the Ultimate Bunny Hutch, Warner Brothers…. died. She’d been sick for a long, long time. I stayed in touch, as did many, I think. I wish I had done a bit more. Chris had the idea, last time Half Cleveland played in NY, that we might go to her place (she was a shut in) and play a little set for her, bring some bagels, make it a NOT-JAZZ Brunch. We dropped the ball on that, and now can’t get a re-do.

She and I wrote about shut-in stuff: Netflix movies, and our favorite TV shows. She turned me onto “Everything I’m Cracked Up to be” a book by Jen Trynin, another Warner Brothers ne’er-do-well who I’ve been in touch with as we couldn’t be more kindred spirits… at least in the sense of shared experience. Karin is in the book under the pseudo of “Lola.”

Karin was known for some incredible signings to Elektra and Warner Brothers, as well as being heralded for her smarts in NOT signing bands. You can do a search and read tons about all this. Signing us? Not so smart. But between doing so and being my friend for many years, she’ll always be in my heart, and I’m sad about this passing.

I’m so sorry, Mark

My old school chum since Kindergarten, Mark Goldstein just lost his wife. Younger than us. I didn’t know her well, but it’s very close, has happened along with all the rest in a really condensed period of time.

I see how, in getting older, these kinds of weeks will be more frequent, as long as I manage not to become part of one. I’m getting more used to it, more resolved to these goings on and by no means surprised by much of any of it, so far. After losing my daughter in a way that surprised beyond surprise, I’m both jaded when it comes to seeing people go, and frustrated by the fact that it’s just not gonna stop… ever.

On the good side, and it's an enormous one, I adore my wife, a great and singular woman, my unique home that feels so like a home, my dear, dear family and friends- don’t get me wrong, I’m also grateful and appreciative of every minute Mark is with us- and my pups, Eddie and Debbie. I am finding a minute here and there to play a little music, embarking on a new project this past August unlike anything I’ve ever done before. Very exciting. This time is wedged between my active enjoyment of all the above bounties in my life, and the fact that my business in NY, Gold Teleproductions celebrated an October, the first October in our 20th year in biz, with an unprecedented number of shoots, so I’ve been very, very busy. My Doc gave me an excellent report on my health, and while I will have to probably get a new tooth bonded in, as I write this, they’re still all mine.

But I walk through this Shangri-La for a minute, with a head feeling the pressure of the sadness this kind of loss brings. It’s a barometric sadness, breathing is different, different muscles are tensed against the winds of despair. Need a little Ibuprofen and it makes me a little tired too.

I’m a lucky and grateful man.