Monday, February 11, 2008
Update
One of the posts wanted me to expand on the kideney problem. This is the way I understand it. The heart sends signals to the kidneys to regulate the amount of water a preson retains in their body. Because of Utahs congestive heart codition his kidneys get a signal they need to retain more water than what is normal. The extra water settles in the legs and lungs. As a result there is more pressure on the heart and that pressure intensifies his heart codition. That problem is what promted the trip to San Francisco. His kidneys have always worked well with the exception of the last two days when his body was having trouble ajusting to the change in medications that is necessary to figure out what medication and what doses he will be on when he returns home. His kidneys will be fine it's just past of the fine tunnig process.
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9 comments:
hi duncan,
here's a story to pass along to bruce. (he and our family go back to salt lake days.)
just a year ago now my car was carjacked from in front of my silver spring MD home. a young man pointed something at me and said, "get out of the car." i did, and off he went. but three days later the police told me my car had been used as the get-away car in a bank robbery!
the three guys were soon caught, but the car wasn't located for three months. by then i had signed it over to my insurance company, but the friendly lady detective on the case brought me back what she'd found in it she guessed was mine.
among the CDs was utah's "Making Speech Free," with the selection,
"She Favored Bankrobbers."
history does not reveal whether my guests took advantage of the opportunity to hear it. hey, you can lead a horse to water...
our best to all of you,
cricket parmalee
hey Duncan (and hi Utah and Joanna),
it's daniel from KBOO--i've been fwding to a bunch of Utah's friends up here in Oregon things like that lil' mp3-(Utah's ruminations on deciding agin' the transplant) and some of yr other updates, and it occurred to me that there are many that love him, have for many years, but don't really know about this blog world yet (me included!) so it was kind of a shock and has now affected many more and they're just replying to ME, right? So after seeing yr comments about connecting with us, i realized i better check in, even if i don't have much to say, other than the fact that we're here, and this: when folks like Utah share what he's experiencing, it helps all of us--like Ram Dass sharing his stroke experience, or Tim Leary sharing his whole final departure. They're doing it for us, imo, to help us ahead of our own selves coming into it. Dr. Zomb (Toby) and his family cried together and called Utah "a fuckin' hero". others agreed, he is our beautiful rascal and still inspiring us, even through this.
love you,
~daniel
Hello,
I'm very glad to hear that Utah is getting better! I had been saddened to know that his health was not going so well. I am a big fan of Utah's music (and sass) and he opened my eyes to certain aspects of the labor movement and social concerns in a way that I had never thought of before. Please tell him he is a true treasure to this country and that his work makes it easier for me to get up in the morning and try to make the world a better place.
Best Wishes,
Carly Nix
Duncan, you said "Occupation - undecided Bobette always asks me, what do you want to be when you grow up? Any suggestions?"
My suggestion: Don't grow up.
Now that that's settled, Utah, I want to add my Woo Woo Crystal Good Vibes (and Great Marimba) Positive Energy to the Hot Dog Soup they're pumpin' into your pump via that IV Joanna sez will become as permanent fixture as your Golden Voice, disdain for Pie in the Sky and inspirational attitudes which I've tried to emulate since that day I was dragged against my will to an SRO concert in some closet of a coffee house to be transfixed by your... by your... by your... U. Utah Phillipsness. [Please don't attempt to diagram that sentence-it can only lead to tears.]
Our paths have crossed several times; as a volunteer at KVMR and erstwhile Red Eye broadcaster and also as President of AFM Local 12 for 6 years (or was it Local 6 for 12 years?) That was an unexpected honor which completely opened my eyes to the eternal struggle of labor. Up until that point I had thought of the Union as a badge of honor, validation in belonging to the Siblinghood of Musicians. But six years up close and personal with local organizing - the Modesto Symphony, reuniting the Sacramento Ballet with live musicians instead of Karioke, plus national battles like the Tejano musicians finally winning Union recognition by the major labels - all that gave me new insight into the incredible difficulty and sacrifice required to accomplish these hard-won victories and engendered in me an immense respect for the fruits of your life's organizing work. Also for pointing out the important part music plays by being a catalyst for change.
I remember one Sunday morning after playing for a church service I was driving back from Rescue, CA listening to Loafer's Glory and I had to pull over because tears blurred my vision at the exaltation I felt at some tale of beating the big bosses. Inspiration.
...and you make me laugh.
I'd say you just got another project being presented to you in the form of organizing the U. Utah Phillips Body Parts Incorporated to spread the wealth around. Your heart has been doing so much more work than many other body members, both physical and philosophical, that it's time the others pitched in and gave a hand... or aorta as the case may be. To help things along I humbly submit the following:
The Utah Phillips Body Parts Organizing March
All your life you've led the way for others with your heart.
But now it's time to ask your gut and butt to do their part.
Ask your shins to join on in to help your pancreas
To do their part to help your heart and get you off your ass.
There's lots of things your body has that still are good as new
Your toes and nose and Tatoo Rose, just to name a few.
All you gotta do is just to write another tune, Son.
To organize your body parts into a labor union!
CHORUS
Come you toenails, tush and toes, all you knuckles, knees and nose,
We all are part of one from sole to crown. [Working as] One in brotherhood, we'll do Utah's heart some good.
Together we can move some blood around.
Wishing you a speedier than speedy recovery, however WE shall never recover from your influence.
Ken Kligerman
Hello Duncan,
I never had the chance to meet your dad personally but I met him "musically" through his collaboration with Ani Difranco.
In France he really isn't much known since it's all about understanding the words and most people won't bother... But I really wanted to say that your father has been a greatly inspiring voice for me ever since i got the chance to hear "Past didn't go anywhere". I listen to him regularly and it makes me both laugh and cry. I crave for his voice to be more widely spread.
Please do tell him that he changed the life of a young man in France and that I am very thankful to him.
Hope he gets better soon and gets a chance to favour more people with his deeply human and wise stories.
Wish all your family lots of strength and love, tough times make great people show.
Love from France,
Aurélien Foucault
Listening to Utah's podcasts out here in Lancashire, UK. Wishing him well, and thanking him for all of the wonderful and inspiring stories & songs he has passed along. Here's to many more xxxxxxLaura & Elspeth
Hi Duncan,
Just caught up with the last podcast and the news about riding it out without a transplant. I'll monitor this space a little more closely. Hope that you achieve the balance in medication to keep it all going. Keep the stories up as well. Our sense of humor should be the last thing that we relinquish.
Utah's absence is causing me to rededicate and push on myself. I got four new songs down before my mixing board started smoking - everyone is a critic.
Starting in March I'm going to get back out and inflict my presence on some folks. I'm going to try and include a Phillips song in my set. It's not hard for me to do, but some of the little coffeehouse that I play insist on all original stuff because BMI and ASCAP hit them up for fees that would prevent them from hosting music of any kind.
Trying to break even on these gigs and was looking forward to the mentoring Utah was getting into on his earlier podcasts.
I kept looking for life to get easier at a point, but I'd settle for maintaining right now - I guess so would a lot of folks.
Tell Utah to keep on struggling, I'll kick a little bit harder for him.
Mike Felten
Hi Bruce and Joanna, I've been listening to your podcasts and reading blogs (interesting times we live in!)and want you to know you are both in my heart and thoughts. Looks like the doctors finally realized that Utah's heart is one of a kind and irreplaceable, as is the man. Come home soon to that remarkable singing rooster and our beautiful snowy mountain. Love and hugs, Sue Duey
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