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Family is still together, waiting for roasted meat.

going to miss Walter in the band so much. Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967. We started writing nutty little tunes on an upright piano in a small sitting room in the lobby of Ward Manor, a mouldering old mansion on the Hudson River that the college used as a dorm. We liked a lot of the same things: jazz (from the twenties through the mid-sixties), W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, science fiction, Nabokov, Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Berger, and Robert Altman films come to mind. Also soul music and Chicago blues. Walter had a very rough childhood - I’ll spare you the details. Luckily, he was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter. He was cynical about human nature, including his own, and hysterically funny. Like a lot of kids from fractured families, he had the knack of creative mimicry, reading people’s hidden psychology and transforming what he saw into bubbly, incisive art. He used to write letters (never meant to be sent) in my wife Libby’s singular voice that made the three of us collapse with laughter. His habits got the best of him by the end of the seventies, and we lost touch for a while. In the eighties, when I was putting together the NY Rock and Soul Review with Libby, we hooked up again, revived the Steely Dan concept and developed another terrific band. I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band. Donald Fagen September 3 2017

It's been a busy week for sure. My second Cousin has a lawn care business in Rockport, TX. He has lots of equipment and He, his Dad and I have been clearing trees, brush and trash all through his neighborhood, as well as temporarily tarping roofs. There are many elderly residents that just can't do it themselves. So we're filling a need and helping them get some piece of mind. It feels great to see the relief on their faces and the shock when they try to pay you and you tell them it's part of the massive volunteer effort underway. It also keeps my mind off of things I have no control over. Being a carpenter and letting people know what is reasonable and what is an obvious scam is also very rewarding. This place is already seeing those that travel to prey on others in dark times, and I'm determined to thwart as many of those as is possible. I'm safe and sound, eating well and generally in good spirits. Not yet sure about my next home options, but I'll figure that out in the near future. I have offers from past customers to stay as long as needed, so no need for any kind of panic. I am considering this event as motivation to get my ass out of Texas, and back to California, where I belong, but that won't happen overnight. Just so glad that my Mother is in Alaska and not having to witness the devastation first hand. She went through it in hurricane Celia in 1970, and that's why we went back to Alaska. Not sure she'd handle it well today. I miss all of you and will be back on a regular schedule before too long.

Dusty approved crisps

At The Hand and Flowers in Marlowe (2 Michelin Star) Summer Radish and Haggis Tart with Crispy Lamb, Creamed Horseradish and Lemon Thyme Essex Lamb “Bun” with Sweetbreads and Salsa Verde Blueberry Soufflé with Parma Violet Ice Cream and Verbena Custard Awesome Others around the table had things that looked like this Loin of Cotswold Venison with Black Pudding, Salt Baked Carrot, Keema Pie and Lime Pickle "Fish du Jour" (forget which fish it was) with Butter Roasted Cabbage, Seaweed, Caviar and Toasted Brassica Beurre Blanc Gooseberry and White Chocolate Bavarois with Provence Sponge and Bay Leaf Ice Cream (the thing that looks like Saturn!)

If they let Gays be Saints, Steve, I'm nominating you! Awesome stuff, so heartening to read/hear!

RIP Walter, a wonderful note from Mr. Fagen. Also RIP, from back in June: Don Garber, creator and manufacturer a.k.a. Fi Audio. He made some unorthodox tube gear. I am not one to judge technical merits on gear, but I will say that - having heard some beautiful music through one of his higher end preamps and amps driving a large Tannoy system some years ago - it nearly brought me to tears.....

RIP Walter Becker, the guitar half of Steely Dan.

It's even worse in context -- he says that like it's a good thing. He obviously does not have Grammarly. Or perhaps his sister is hot. Or perhaps it's a Game of Thrones reference.

Back ribs.

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark -- The Punishment of Luxury Lot of Kraftwerk in evidence, not that that's a bad thing.

Well, I can cheerfully report that the mad phono stage sounds absolutely stunning. I've been going through record after record and depending on what I'm listening to I've giggled, sung along and wept depending on what I've got on. Kind of standard with the territory it takes a long time to warm up. There are three servos - one to null the voltage across the cartridge to zero. One to null the output of the input stage to zero, and one to null the output of the second stage to zero. Given that every stage runs hot, and that there are two of these per balanced channel it takes a while to sort itself out and stabilise. It will remain on permanently. Thank heavens it does sound stunning - given the overall cost of circuit boards, parts (lot of em), and time in build and test, layout and procurement of the shunt regulator boards etc - I would have been royally pissed off if it had sounded not good!

Lots of days clearing brush and patching roofs. Will catch up with you guys on the weekend. Am doing good.

Just seeing this, ER. Thank you for thinking of us! We are very fortunate. Very much so. The rains came hard and I literally swept water off my porch to keep it out of our home until 2am one night. Hours of sweeping and then finally the hardware store opened and I was able to acquire a sump pump. Dug a hole in the yard, placed it in a bucket, plumbed pool tubing and some plumbing fixtures...viola. Within minutes my yard was dry. Directly in front of us the toll way is under water up to the cross over bridge / road. So many heroic efforts. We are blessed. That's a sexy time piece. I might just have to bring one home... Cheers, Sam

Eclectic Mill Valley Brunch Not Shown: Honky tonk piano accompaniment

Three meat brunch. I ignored the collards. Pulled pork was good. Vinegary not sweet. Brisket was tender but had a boiled consistency. Meh. Smoked chicken flat out sucks. Rubbery skin and feels undercooked in the mouth even when it's done. Bleah.

Breakfast. Two pounds of ancho chili flank steak. Some eggs (I like them hard.*) (*Giggety.)

Nah - that is a Family Guy caricature of English food in the same way as folks on your side of the pond living on hot dogs and burgers. Which is equally untrue - I've eaten exceptionally well in the US

Last night, success. Tonight, fail. Ribs over cooked and twice baked potatoes undercooked.