Not making this year's festival is now on my (thankfully very small) Regrets in Life list. I am kicking myself. I coulda sold at least 1 kidney to fund this trip!! Ugh... I should be there right now...

sigh

I guess I will live vicariously through Jonpaul

Its been a great night at the festival!!!!
Monokini impressed me !

I got out of the hospital Thursday afternoon, with a fantasy in my head: about jumping on a plane Thursday night, and surprise everyone after Lorenzo (and I) announced I would be unable to be at the Surfer Joe 2014 Summer Festival. Know this: it really is very tough for me to move past the fact that I could not attend this year. But as Lorenzo said to me, 'your health comes first. There's always next year'. He was absolutely right.

Long story short, I went to a doctor I use b/c I have been unable to fully shake this asthmatic bronchitis since the Winter. So I went for a chest check-up (did X rays recently), and to have blood taken. Results from the blood samples would come back the next day, and I'd be advised as to what's going on w/ my health, and whether I could fly out to Pisa. The doctor is listening to my chest with his stethoscope and suddenly I see 'panic' in his face. i asked him what's wrong. He said my heartbeat is 'all over the place!'. My 'heart rate' should be at at 60 beats a minute. Mine was at 140-150! and my Blood Pressure was nutzoid as well! He took an EKG, and determined that I have what's called A-FIB, short for Atrial Fibrillation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_fibrillation

He sent me to a cardiologist, who made the same determination. He said "we need to put you in the hospital for a couple of days, to run tests on me, keep a close eye on me", etc. I asked when I should go to the Emergency Room? He said "NOW!". But I went home to tie up some loose ends, speak with my boss, cancel my flights, etc.

A friend of mine had asked me, 'would you rather feel like shit in New York, or in Livorno??'. That made total sense to me. But somehow I didn't 'put it off' until I got back to NYC. I was told if I got on the plane without dealing with the A-Fib, then WITHOUT FAIL I would have had either a STROKE or a HEART ATTACK (or both!) somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, and it could have been fatal! A very close call!

In the hospital they got the beat rate down to about 100, but needed to get it lower. I went under anesthesia, and they sent a camera down my throat to check out my heart close up, looking for evidence of a clot -- which is the precursor to a stroke. You should have seen the size of the 'snake' and camera -- imagine cutting a car steering wheel, and stretching it out. The camera wire was that thick! They also did what's called a 'cardioversion', which essentially is a shock treatment to get my heart rate back to a normal rhythm. Long story short, it worked! More about the electric shock treatment: http://www.webmd.boots.com/heart-disease/atrial-fibrillation-electric-shock-treatment-cardioversion

I am one lucky, blessed boy

I am so upset I cannot be in Livorno (I've been there every year since 2008); but when I weigh that against the fact that I was 'this close to dying on a jet airliner' -- well, you know what I mean .... next year, I hope? And I don't forget 2011 where I learned, the hard way, that I had diabetes type 2, when my ('Frankenstein') Foot blew up to what looked like a big pigeon! And also long story short, if I didn't self-medicate for 3 days before I went back to NYC, I am told by several medical people that when the plane landed @ JFK, they would have found me in my seat -- as a corpse!! Dying from 'septic shock'. That makes it two times that I was deeply involved in the process of saving my life! 2 very close calls!

Enjoy an unsteady "surf's up!" picture I posted in Facebook from the hospital.

Thanks Lorenzo, Luca and all my Friends and surf music fans for all the love, and genuine concern for me and my health.

I am blessed, no doubt about it. Interesting that these two scary life-threatening moments were both related to Livorno/Pisa!!

GRAZIE!

UNSTEADY FREDDIE

P.S. -- WISHING EVERYONE A WONDERFUL TIME, AND FOR A SUCCESSFUL 'FESTIVAL'. TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER BY THE WAY. SO Y'ALL .. HAVE A FABULOSO SUMMER!!

http://www.facebook.com/unsteady.freddie

Last edited: Jun 21, 2014 00:45:18

NSSR is up and running,
tune in and listen.

informative interviews from Neils
with Lorenzo and Ralf Kilauea,
funny replies from those crazy guys.

this is crazy for me to be up,
but I wouldn't miss it for anything.

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Today Ken and I took a tour to Lucca and Pisa. Our driver - a native of Livorno - told us that she had attended Surfer Joe all 3 nights. She said it was one of the few times she could remember seeing a lot of foreign tourists in Livorno that were not connected to the cruise ships. She had really enjoyed the music! Thought it was interesting to hear a local's perspective.

No words can express what a thrill Surfer Joe and our whole trip here in Italy has been! Hope that California hospitality can measure up when Lorenzo and other Europeans are there in August.

Grazie mille!

Grazie mille!

Hey ludobag! Great to meet you in person.

What a nice and great guitar your Ludorite, or what was the name?

Twang cheers!

Ralf Kilauea

www.kilaueas.de

https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien

more reviews please.

and please post videos in this thread.
http://surfguitar101.com/forums/topic/24190/

thanks

Jeff(bigtikidude)

People don't post reviews on Facebook Jeff! Unless 2 or 3 sentences comprise a review for you.

Site dude - S3 Agent #202
Need help with the site? SG101 FAQ - Send me a private message - Email me

"It starts... when it begins" -- Ralf Kilauea

There are a few videos already up o YouTube:

Paul Johnson & Friends
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBnmEx6tkhU

Watang!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PIow0bY7Qw

Pyronauts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQP99Z5u8kg

El Ray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68aybTudWkk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aRaq_Ns6iA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRtu6hyLaAo

Slacktone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwavfkZyPIU

50 Foot Combo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSyGWdnOkUg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei-mT-WWH0g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liZ7dBz1k50

Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)

For those who don't look facebook
i made some but not much cause with a beer in a hand it hard to take pics and listen good music (maybe dancing too)

What more cool to wake up the morning ?

nice place to be

introduction of the second days

Threesome on stage(or not)

guitar surf seminaire with Paul Johnson