Skip to main content

What the Cat Heard?

“Para bailar La Bamba -  Para bailar La Bamba . . .”

Podcast - What the Cat Heard . . . 

If you’re reading this post you may recognize the lyrics to the adaptation of the Mexican folk song, La Bamba, released October 18, 1958, by Richie Valens. I’m certain, listening to this tune played on the guitar you would quickly find yourself tapping your toe to the beat. And doing your best to sing along.


Me, I’m still wondering what the cat heard?


Cat lovers out there maybe you can provide some insight. 


While playing the introduction to La Bamba, my cat (Junior), jumps to my shoulders, needles a little, settles in, and meows in my ear. I suppose if he could talk he would say: “Dude, how many times do you have to repeat the same segment to get it right?”

No doubt, his comments might be a lot more entertaining than listening to me attempt this catchy tune on my guitar.

Allow met to set the stage. Every morning I strap on my guitar, check the tuning, and begin to practice. For flexibility, first its a series of warmup finger exercises: gliding across frets through all six strings, up and down the neck. Then the pentatonic scales, major and minor chords (E-F-C-Am-D). Next sliding up and down the neck attempting to repeat the chords with barre chords. Now granted, I’m not as efficient with barre chords yet but with the light touch of the Tele, I’m making excellent progress.


Well, about the time I break off to play the intro to this song Jr. decides he’s not getting enough attention and jumps to my shoulders. He shifts positions a couple of times then settles with his head against my right ear and wants to be petted.


“Ok, ok, I’ll scratch behind your ear, just sit still please.” 


All the while his tail whipping back and forth slapping me up-side the head as if in rhythm to what I’m playing.


This goes on until I shift positions to flip the page on the music stand. Then Jr. jumps down, sits on my keyboard, and proceeds to stare directly at me as if to say, “Have you settled down yet?”


I relent, tip my shoulder a little and he immediately resumes his position on my shoulders, purring in my right ear.


Now for those of you learning guitar, I really do not recommend the technique of having a 15-pound cat on your shoulders as you practice.


Granted, over the past three years, Jr. has heard me butcher many tunes I’ve attempted to play.


So, I guess I’m still wondering, “What the cat heard?” 


This is Patrick Ball, thanks for listening, see you in the next episode.    

Comments

Most Popular of All Time

Mom Was Right

In this episode: Mom Was Right (Again!) . . . Remember that old saying, "Mom knows best?" Well, this week, it resonated profoundly. I vividly recall my mother's steadfast remedy for the common cold, which was ingrained in my 1960s childhood: "Rest in bed, drink plenty of fluids, and take aspirin to reduce pain and fever." . . . Or now that I think about it, this may have been a Bayer aspirin commercial–Simple . . . Fast-forward to the age of AI and endless medical information at our fingertips, and guess what? Not much has changed. Yet, somehow, this week, Lori and I were blindsided by a cold—the first in over five years. My incredulous "How could this be?" quickly morphed into a dawning realization. Our company's annual meeting, a melting pot of colleagues from Illinois, Texas, Vietnam, Colorado, Northern California, and the Central Valley, was a veritable petri dish of germs. And, oh, the germs found me! Getting sick, especially after a long str...

Whispers of Spring

In this episode, Whispers of Spring . . . Spring has a way of sneaking in when you’re not looking. One day, you’re shaking off the last chill of winter, and the next, you realize the light has shifted, stretching shadows just a little longer. It didn’t make a big fuss about it—no dramatic entrance, no trumpets—just a quiet unfolding, like an old dog settling into a sunny spot on the porch. Last week, Daylight Saving Time kicked in, which meant we all fumbled with our clocks, grumbled a bit, and then, like frogs taken aback by a warm rain, leapt forward into longer evenings. The sun now lingers, in no rush to set, hanging in the sky like a tossed coin that refuses to fall. With the extra daylight, we find ourselves drawn outside once again, migrating to the back patio like folks are drawn to a warm campfire. The lawn chairs are right where we left them, waiting like old friends. The air hums with wind chimes, their tuned cylinders catching the breeze and weaving together something that...

Special April Fools' Edition: Did You Fall For It?

In this episode: Special April Fools' Edition: Did You Fall For It? (And a Little Baseball Nonsense) Welcome, fellow baseball aficionados and purveyors of the peculiar, to a very special, dare we say unpredictable, issue of On the Fly! Today, the air is thick with . . . well, probably just regular air, but a specific mischievous something is buzzing around. Can you feel it? Does that tingling sensation make you double-check your shoelaces and suspiciously eye any unusual packages? Yes, dear readers, it’s April 1st! A day steeped in mystery, shrouded in playful deception, and frankly, a day where you shouldn't believe anything you read (except maybe this . . .maybe). But before we descend into a whirlwind of whimsical falsehoods (don’t worry, we’ll mostly keep it light!), let’s take a quick, slightly wobbly, historical flight through the origins of this most unreliable of holidays. Whispers from the annals suggest a few intriguing possibilities for why we dedicate this particula...

At 92–Don's Digital Daydream

Listen to the audio here. In a world of his own–lives, ole' Doctor Don, Not one world, but three, 'til the setting of the sun! There’s his Blog-World , so bright, with words all a-whirl, And Book-World , with stories of boy and girl! Then, Day-World , where legs didn't leap, didn't run, Just shuffled and creaked 'til each day is done. But his brain, oh, his mind, it’s zippy and keen, A most curious fellow that ever was seen! At ninety and two, with a twinkle so bright, He met Chatty and said, "What a strange delight!" This box with the answers, so quick and so bold, Of theology and stories, new truths to unfold!" "Integrity, relationships, where do they fit? This thing makes me wonder, bit by bit!" He ponders and pokes with laughter and a grin, "Til POOF! he has gone to a world from within! A world made of words, a fantastical place, Where limits of the body, left not a trace! He Soares, and he zooms, with a thought and a rhyme, Trans...