D. Lee Jackson

Words and Music

Knee Minus One and Counting

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Knee Replacement XrayTomorrow’s the day, barring a panic call from the COVID-19 testing center of the hospital. I had that test run yesterday, and yes, it was of the “brain scrape” variety (i.e., insert a long swap through the sinus cavity so that it feels like they’re scraping your brain). If I hear nothing of the results, that means it’s safe to report to the hospital on Friday (Sept. 4th) for total knee replacement surgery.

I know some of the specifics of what they’ll be doing, but not many. They’ll be using a product manufactured by Smith+Nephew, but I don’t know which product. It’ll be made out of zirconium and titanium, which means it’ll be safe around MRI machines. Don’t know what it’ll do around TSA scanner machines.

One new twist got added to the operation on Wednesday morning. I had a sleep study run last Friday, and they determined that I have borderline apnea (can’t confirm it because I didn’t have any REM sleep during the study). They’ve given me an APAP machine, with APAP standing for Automatic Positive Airway Pressure, and I’m going to have to take it with me to the hospital. The anesthesiologist will hook me up to it after the surgery is over.

There. That’s the anxiety about the surgery out of the way. How about some good news? The Derivations CDs are finally for sale on Amazon! If you’re viewing this on a computer, you’ll see the link to the right of this text.  If you’re on a phone, you’ll probably see it at the bottom. For good measure, here’s the link to the Amazon CD sale. Quantities are limited, so grab yours while they’re still in stock!

Thank you for reading. My next update will probably speak of a new world of pain. Prepare yourselves.

Good News From CD Baby

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CD Baby LogoI got up this morning and did my usual round of e-mail and web checks. After that, I figured I’d check in with CD Baby one more time to see whether or not their warehouse was open yet. I was greeted with the following message:

Currently, THE CD BABY WAREHOUSE IS OPEN. This means we are now able to receive physical stock, digitize audio for a CD and activate (or reactivate) your Amazon physical listing(s).

I raised my hands in victory. At long last, Derivations CDs will eventually go on sale on Amazon!

Now, before you rush over to Amazon’s web site and go looking for Derivations in their CD section, look back at that previous sentence and see the word eventually. Based on previous bulletins, CD Baby has said they’ll only be working at 50% capacity in their warehouse. They’re also bound to be backlogged like crazy with shipments on their dock. So, it’s not likely that they’re going to be getting to Derivations any time soon. I promise that I will stay on top of the situation and let you know as soon as I find out when the CD posts.

One thing I can tell you is the CD is slated to sell for $12.97 plus any applicable tax and shipping. I’m biased, of course, but I think it’ll be well worth the price. 🙂

Tip Jar on Hearnow

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tipjarOne of the many ways you can track down the different releases of Derivations is via my Hearnow page. There, you can find links to Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Deezer, and Bandcamp releases of the album. Now, there’s another link available on my Hearnow page – a tip jar!

I’ll admit right here and now that making music isn’t cheap. Case in point: every dollar from the sale of the signed & numbered Collector’s Edition CDs of Derivations was reinvested right back into my musical setup by way of the purchase of a $750+ (incl. tax) brass and woodwind library for Native Instruments Kontakt. If you did the math on the Collector’s Edition sale, you’ll understand that a goodly amount of my own money went into that purchase as well. There will be more purchases in the future, of course, to keep up with the times.

I’m not asking for a hand-out, just a hand. If you go to my Hearnow page for Derivations and like what you hear, or if you just want to support me in my musical endeavors, please go to my Hearnow page for Derivations and look on the left column of the screen for the icon of the hand holding a dollar sign. That will take you to my Paypal.Me page, where you can leave a tip. I would appreciate any amount you can leave.

Thank you for your support!

And Like That … It’s Gone

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Empty RoomMy gratitude goes out to the person who must have read my last blog post, for they acted quickly and snatched up the very last signed & numbered CD of Derivations that will ever be made. Thank you very much indeed! As soon as I hear back from you concerning the question I sent on eBay, I will ship out your CD to you. Much obliged, and many thanks!

So, now we wait for CD Baby to reopen their warehouse so that CD sales can begin on Amazon. You can already buy the MP3 album from Amazon, but I’ll be happy when people can get the physical product in their hands. Watch this space for updates, and cross your fingers that the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t shut everything down again.