Ray Manzarek , keyboard player extraordinaire for The Doors, died yesterday, after a long battle with cancer. He was 74.
I’ve been a huge fan of this group from my early teens. The kind of group and music that will live on forever.
I can remember visiting LA many years ago in the late summer and the music of The Doors seemed to be playing everywhere; in particular LA Woman, one of their biggest hits. Long after the group had disbanded, their music still fresh, relevant and moving.
Jim Morrison was a huge part of The Doorssuccess but the group would not have been the same without the magical touch of Ray Manzarek on keyboard.
I like to think those two are jamming together tonight. Unless of course those rumours about Jim still being alive are true.
RIP Ray Manzarek.
You will live on forever in the memorable, magical music that you’ve given all of us.
***
Here’s a classic Door’s song from YouTube and one of my many favorites:
If you are considering getting the new version of Word 2013 you might want to think again!
I finally “bit the bullet” and got a trial version of this software, to complete my novel formatting and for other book projects I currently have in the works.
To say I’m not impressed by this new, “improved” version of Wordis putting it mildly. I have used earlier versions of Word and found them acceptable and fairly easy to navigate but Word 2013 is a big disappointment.
Here’s my one star review over at Amazon:
I could go on and on about why I’ve given Word 2013 1 star, suffice to say, if I could, it would be zero stars!!!
What a pain it has been, trying to navigate this software to do what should be simple tasks like adding page numbers on specific pages, working with headers and footers, trying to find where things are, on the new ‘improved’ ribbon….
Microsoft NEEDS and big-time to get ‘real people’ working at their company, when they design new versions of software, not just programmers/designers, who probably never work on things like book manuscripts themselves.
And speaking of MS, how’s this for a laugh:
I contacted their support services about the issues I was having with adding headers/footers to my novel manuscript and no one I spoke to/chatted with there could figure it out.
I went through 5 (yes 5) different dept./reps. and none of them had any answers!!
If they don’t know how to navigate this software, how do they expect users to?
I’m not geekess, and don’t want to be. But with Word 2013 you better be prepared to learn for yourself.
I FINALLY got my page number issues worked out but ‘surrendered’ LOL when it came to the headers I wanted to use, on specific pages. I’ve already wasted hours and hours on all this. I want to be working on my projects, not wasting time with formatting!
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I also asked several friends for help with these issues too. One friend who is an author and has used Word for years told me that even a formatting expert that he spoke to was having major issues with navigating the new Word. I’m glad it wasn’t just me!
“How did you do with those last medical books I gave you?” Dr. Cohen asked.
“Heavy reading but interesting.” I replied. “You really think I could be a doctor?”
“Yes, I really think you could be a physician. And a good one.”
“And Dr. Mills too.”
“And Dr. Mills too. Maybe you should give what we’re trying to tell you some serious thought. You have the intelligence and compassion to do this. Don’t sell yourself short.” he said, closing my chart. “ I’ll be right back. You can get dressed in the meantime. I won’t be long.”
Slipping off the edge of the paper-lined examination table, I pulled my dress back on, over the pale blue slip I was wearing. Thinking about the faith both of these wonderful doctors had in me. A confidence I didn’t have in myself. And what little self-esteem that was left, rapidly being chipped away at home, each day.
“Anything else I can help with today? ” Dr. Cohen asked when he returned, sitting down to face me.
“Well, as much as I’m not a fan of taking drugs, I’m having problems with my stomach bothering me, in addition to all the anxiety and stress you already know about.”
“You’ve got to leave that guy. It’s not going to get better from what you’ve told me, repeatedly. In the meantime, it’s ruining your health. You don’t deserve to live like that. He isn’t worth it.”
“I know all that. I’ve tried to leave. I have left, more than once. But I always come back. He always says things will be different. And for a while they are. Then it starts all over again.”
“Well, no little pill is going to fix a situation like you’re in. But if you need something short-term, I can prescribe some Librax for you. 4 mg. is the lowest dosage there is. Should help with the anxiety and your stomach issues but it won’t fix the problems at home. Only you can do that.”
“Yeah, just something short-term. Just to help get me through the next little while. I know I have to leave.”
“OK, here’s the prescription. But be careful taking these. They will make you feel relaxed. But they can also make you less aware when you’re driving. You could float through a stop sign some day and not even be aware of it at the time. Be careful.”
“I will.” I said, taking the paper from him.
“See you in a month or so. And keep reading those books. That’s the kind of things you should be focused on, not trying to reform your husband. You’ve already given him more than his share of chances.”
“Thanks doc, I’ll try. On both counts.”
—
Several weeks later, while driving down a quiet street close to our apartment, I did “float” through a stop sign, narrowly missing hitting a Volkswagen Beetle.
When I slammed on the brakes at the last minute, I felt like something had woken me up in that split second. I had been drifting, relaxed…until I saw the young woman with her small baby, getting out of that car.
I will never forget that moment.
I burst into tears and got out of my car. Went over and apologized again and again.
The woman was shaken up too, but not angry towards me. She was very kind, all things considered. No damage to life, to the cars…it could have all turned out so differently, so tragically.
After a few minutes, she drove off and I pulled my car over to the side of the curb, still crying.
When I got home that night, I threw the rest of the capsules I had, down the toilet.
Dr. C was right. I had to face the problems in my marriage and do something about them, once and for all.
As for the drugs I had been taking while still continuing to drive. …Acceptable? NOT!
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You can read more about the dangers of mixing many prescription drugs and driving here.
I know this is a touchy subject for so many people. Drunk driving is becoming more and more unacceptable every year. But why do so many people assume that prescription drugs are safe to take while driving, just because they are prescribed by a doctor? Not always the case.
Names have been changed but this (shorter version) of the actual story is true.
Timeline, my first marriage and in my early 20′s.
***
Dedicated in memory of one of my best friends, Debbie Claeys who died when she was 16.
Debbie was one of the most beautiful, kind people I have ever known. Because of someone who shouldn’t have been driving but was, her life was cut tragically short and those of two of her other friends too.
Sending hugs Debbie, you will never be forgotten.♥
Unless of course those rumours about Jim still being alive are true.
