It feels strange not to feel much of a desire to write, when writing is one of the things I feel most comfortable doing. It's sort of like the feeling one gets when he has the urge to buy something but then realizes he's already bought everything he needs or wants, and that there is no point to spending more money. It's also like the feeling one gets when his mouth is "hungry" -- that is, he feels a desire to eat something -- but his stomach is already full. What can I write about that I haven't already discussed ad nauseum? Perhaps it's a testament to my lack of curiosity and blinkered thinking that I only seem to have four or five philosophical riffs off which I can improvise. And, even within that limited framework, I seem to repeat myself endlessly, like some mid-60s garage-rock lead guitarist playing the same two or three minor-pentatonic licks in every solo. In that light, it's probably no wonder that even my closest loved ones don't seem to care much what I think (or, fittingly, to listen to my guitar-playing).
On the subject of guitar-playing, I recently got out the old black Squier II Stratocaster that I bought in 1992, which was the only electric guitar I owned for more than ten years (and which I rarely played until I bought my first Line-6 amplifier on eBay a number of years ago). It's a cheaply made Korean model, with a body made of some kind of porous, lightweight plywood, cheesy electronics, a tremolo unit that, when used, immediately throws the instrument completely out of tune, and (now) non-functional tone controls. However, it also has the best neck of any guitar I've ever owned, and the two "out of phase" pickup settings (out of five total) actually produce very pleasing tones. In the last few years, I've given away several guitars to family members, but I've held onto the Squier II for sentimental reasons. Now that I've re-discovered it as a playing instrument, however, I place it up there with my silver MIM "Classic 60s" Fender Stratocaster and my new Epiphone Les Paul Standard -- meaning I have three very kick-A guitars!
