P.S. You Rock My World

Moved'd'd'd

2009-03-31T07:13:00.002-05:00

I'm writing this from the kitchen of my awesome new house. We moved a lot of stuff yesterday and are going to move a lot more stuff today. The closing went fine, and we even got some money back (they overestimated how much we'd have to pay in fees and such by about $1500...sweet!). The cable guy doesn't come until Wednesday, so right now I'm pirating St. Paul Public School internet (they have a school right across the street). Only problem is that they have useful sites like Facebook blocked (AND IP proxy sites I could use to go around their firewall blocked), so I'm banned from FB land until tomorrow.

This afternoon after moving more junk I will go get Etta the dog and bring her home so she can chew up all of our stuff. Awesome.

A Number of Life Altering Events

2009-03-21T21:49:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the lapse, folks...a lot has been going on lately. And honestly most, if not all people who read this are on Facebook so you probably know this already. Anyway, to sum it up:

1) Moving to a house we will own in one week.
2) Sold Alison's car. We are now a 1-car family.
3) Adopted a new puppy. Etta will be coming home with us next Tuesday.
4) I bought a sweet, giant computer (The dell version of an iMac, 24" monitor quadcore stop me I'm drooling computer)

So this next week is an odd transition period of packing and planning and waiting. Luckily, there's plenty to keep me busy. I'm visiting Eau Claire for the first time in a loooong time on Monday with my brother-in-law and mother-in-law for a personalized campus tour as he chooses a school to attend. If you're still in Eau Claire, give me a holler (although I don't know if there's anyone left that would holler at me...Boll I suppose, but he'll probably be working). Add to that the end of quarter 3 at work and before you know it it'll be closing day. Yikes!

Right up my Alley

2009-02-14T07:37:00.002-06:00

My beloved Midwinter teacher's convention was marred by a lovely head cold. This has happened before...I think my body senses that I am getting ready to relax for a couple days and says "...not so fast!" Still had a decent time though. The experience for me is no doubt different from a lot of district teachers. You see them walking around in their packs, making lots of noise...and then there are folks like me who are the lone wolves, the only music teacher in their school. Sometimes I can't wait to have another music teacher to have someone to commiserate and collaborate with, and sometimes I enjoy my status as "the music guy," because it is totally and completely mine.

Went to 1/2 Price Books last night and found a fascinating read, "Baseball and Philosophy: Thinking Outside the Batter's Box." It really places baseball as a thinker's game. It contains a bunch of essays related to philosophical baseball situations and the grander ideas behind them. Such as: discussing "Home plate," and the whole concept of "home." Or the contraction of the MN Twins and Utilitarianism. Or my favorite so far: faith and Cubs fans. It's pretty great.

It's almost officially official now

2009-02-02T20:11:00.002-06:00

After a little bump in the road, we're back on track for the whole house buying thing. Turned out the mortgage program we are using to get a sweet deal does not allow rent-back agreements. That meant that the original plan of closing March 2nd and having the seller rent back from us until May wasn't going to work. Instead, we're closing on March 30th, and that will be that. Alison and I will be home owners by the end of March...assuming none of the following happens:

1. The appraisal of the house is significantly under what we're paying for it (i.e. they won't give us a loan for 188k if the house is only worth 175...that would suck, but probably won't happen)

2. The bank decides that we are not worthy of their loan

3. The world explodes

We seem to think that we look pretty good on paper, so we are pretty confident that this will all work out. What's nice about this change of closing date is that it falls right in the middle of my spring break, which will make moving less stressful. Sweet. By the way - anyone who's around and wants to help haul crap will be rewarded with some sort of food and beverage to be determined.

Woohoo!

Plug your ears!

2009-01-25T10:58:00.002-06:00

Today is monumental: I will be playing the flute and the clarinet in public. Yikes. Our school is having a 10-years and we haven't gone bankrupt celebration (quite a feat for a charter school, actually). The boss wanted music, so I got 2 pairs of high school woodwind players to volunteer to play duets. The music we settled on could work as a duet, but sounded better as a trio...enter Mr. Bents. It should be fun.

The in-laws drove by our new house last night and reported that there's a SOLD sign on it. That's pretty sweet...we'll have to go get a picture.

Other than that not too much to report.

I used to blog more

2009-01-19T19:38:00.002-06:00

"Blog"...it's such an ugly sounding word, and even uglier sounding when used as a verb. "What are you doing?" "Blogging." Blech.

I've been reading over entries from 2006 for some strange reason. Some startling conclusions:
1) I wrote with relative frequency
2) There was actually some interesting content

Will I get the band back together and start blogging more? No promises. If nothing else it serves as a nice chronicle of the passing of days...a diary of sorts that everyone can see. I remember events that I would otherwise forget by looking back.

So today I participated in a focus group for SmartMusic. The actual session was nothing special...they showed us a bunch of screen shots from the new version they're working on and asked us for our reactions. But for our trouble they gave us cookies, popcorn, 3 scores of music used in the program, and $20. Score.

Oh, and Alison and I are going to buy a house. It'll be on 336 Sturgis St. in St. Paul, and it's freaking gorgeous. Look on Alison's FB for pics. Went through an inspection of the place on Thursday and for a 100 year old house, it's in impeccable shape. When the home inspector is impressed, that's a good thing. We take ownership on March 2nd, then will rent it back to the previous owner until May 1st (we didn't want to move in until then b/c our lease isn't done until May 10). We're gonna be landlords for 2 months!

I will try to write again before another month has passed.

It's been awhile

2008-12-19T20:38:00.002-06:00

Yup, sure has. Free of the little children for 2 weeks, which is a nice thing indeed. I was starting to get a bit cranky with them, and when that happens you know it's time for a break. Had a good winter concert, though.

So Alison and I saw a house today we really liked. Gonna look at it again with the folks tomorrow. Who knows, we may do something about it.

Looking forward to lots of snow, Christmas, and going up north for New Years.

Did I mention I don't have to work again until Jan. 5th?

YES, WE DID.

2008-11-04T22:09:00.004-06:00

Time to get Japanese potty training videos off of the front of my blog. I am truly inspired by our next President-elect. We all need to do our part to make sure that he holds up his end of the bargain. This is amazing to me:

Thanks to ABC for the graphic. Thanks to our amazing country for inspiration.

Just in case you need a refresher course...

2008-10-21T18:48:00.001-05:00

I love the Japanese...

I Miss This Guy...

2008-10-15T19:04:00.001-05:00

In the mail today

2008-10-04T18:17:00.003-05:00

So long 'til spring...

2008-09-30T21:26:00.002-05:00

Ken Griffey, Jr. was a childhood hero of mine.

Jim Thome is a like-able enough lug (I neither like nor hate him).

I hope A.J. Pierzynski drinks the next bottle of bleach he uses to dye his hair.

What an intense game...what a crappy outcome. Why do you put Kubel in for Gomez? Do you hope for the longball? Is that the kind of game this team plays? Why do you send hobbled Cuddyer?

Y'know...if the Twins would have just won one more game, none of this would have ever happened. And, if they would have done what everyone thought they were going to do (and not be in a tie for first), none of this would have happened either.

Great season. Go Rays. Go Brew Crew. Go to hell, Sox.

Wow.

2008-09-10T06:49:00.000-05:00

Bon Iver on the Cone-Zone:

Weinder kids, D.I.N.K'S, and Pretzeldogs

2008-09-07T16:07:00.002-05:00

Well, it begins again. The children returned as they tend to do last Tuesday. This will be my third full year teaching, and man has it gone by fast. I have 11 8th graders who were with me when they were in 6th grade, and it's cool to take kids through all 3 years...you take some ownership. The other really good news is that I see all of my bands during the day without pull-outs, so they even feel like real classes.

Now that Alison has been working full time for a couple months, we are starting to realize the joy of being DINK's (Double Income, No KidS). The MN Orch has this outstanding deal where you can get a ticket for 6 Saturday night concerts plus a free Yo-yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble concert, PLUS free parking on all nights for $190. We bought 2 tix and are now season subscribers to the MN Orchestra. Considering I've never been to a MN orch concert except for Young People's concerts (all you Eau Claire folk always went without asking me if I wanted to go), I'm real excited. Also, saving up for a down payment is nice, and not having to worry about running out of money every two weeks.

Finally, if you haven't seen this yet, watch it. Phil should win an Emmy or something (or maybe a free pretzel)

Scientific Polling

2008-08-26T20:55:00.001-05:00

Where Are The Dogs Humping.com

Stole this survey

2008-08-21T22:00:00.002-05:00

Did you marry someone from your high school?
She did not go to my high school, but the one across town. We met in high school...does that count?

Did you car pool to school?
Yes. Sophomore year I bummed rides off of Karen, and I was the carpool between SES and EVHS

What kind of car did you have?
My grandfather's 92 LeSabre...a sweet machine.

What kind of car do you have now?
2006 Scion xB...also a sweet machine.

It's Friday night...where are you? (then)
Either at Vertigo with friends or wishing I had friends, or at someone's house playing cards.

It's Friday night..where are you? (now)
Probably going to bed.

What kind of job did you have in high school?
Freshman year @ McDonald's. After that it was running the Snyder Drug with Chris. That was OUR store towards the end.

What do you do now?
I corrupt the minds of America's youth through music.

Were you a party animal?
Hah!

Were you considered a flirt?
I was mostly terrified of the opposite sex really until my freshman year in college.

Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
Band-o

Did you get suspended/expelled?
No...only Mark and Andrea have that distinction to their record amongst our group of brown-nosers and authority-respecters.

Can you sing the fight song?
You play it at enough pep band games and you're bound to pick it up.

Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)?
Henry, Pasq, and Betters (Band), Tunseth, Goodwin, Johnson, Carlson (SES), Carberry/Hokkanen (Sophomore History/English)

Where did you sit during lunch?
I don't remember at EVHS, but once I got to SES, it was usually outside, but only long enough to eat so we could play frisbee.

What was your school's full name?
Eastview Senior High School (9-12)
School of Environmental Studies (11-12)

When did you graduate?
2001

What was your school mascot?
Lightning

If you could go back and do it again, would you?
Yes. There were many wonderful things that happened during high school.

What do you remember most about graduation?
Speaking at SES graduation...sleeping through Eastview's, tearing out of the parking lot listening to "2001" with Sam.

Who did you take to prom Sr yr?
I was backpacking during my Senior Prom

Did you have fun at Prom?
The best part about Junior prom was breakfast at Mark's the next morning.

Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with?
Maisa and I cross paths from time to time, yes.

Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion?
If I'm in town, probably, but I'm not going to travel for it and I certainly won't stay long (EVHS)...I always look for excuses to go back to SES.

Do you still talk to people from school?
I spend time with them frequently. Many of them managed to find their way back to the Cities after leaving for college. Hopefully this trend will continue. I went to high school with some pretty decent folk.

Thanks for the endorsement, white-haired dude.

2008-08-12T20:36:00.004-05:00

This is totally hot:

Matchbox 20 Sucks

2008-08-03T00:50:00.002-05:00

So tonight was Mark's birthday party w/baseball and beer afterward, and I'm now at home, up later than I have been in a long while, and I'm winding down before going to bed, and distracting me currently is a Matchbox 20 concert on PBS. I am absolutely amazed at how A) A group made up of seemingly mediocre musicians and really, really bland, generic music, could produce a facade of a performance where they're up on stage, rocking hard and really getting into really cheesy, simple music, and playing it off like they're rock virtuosos, and B) How the crowd completely eats it up. It's kinda gross.

That's all. In 9th grade I listened to "Yourself or Someone Like You" everyday on the bus ride to school for about 2 months...it's amazing how your tastes change and mature.

New Music

2008-07-31T13:35:00.002-05:00

Bon Iver has been on a headlining tour recently. After seeing him play pretty much the exact same show each of the 3 or 4 times I've seen him, I was expecting 8/18's First Ave show to be more of the same. Apparently not.

Videos are up on YouTube of some new music. First and most notably, in my opinion, is a cover of a song called "Lovin's For Fools" that Bon Iver has been performing with opening act (and fellow Raleigh band and also quite good) Bowerbirds:

Second is a new song entitled "Blood Bank"

Looks like 8/18 will be a good show...too bad I'm not going!

For Yakkers

2008-07-24T13:59:00.002-05:00

Make sure you watch the whole thing! He also does some stuff along the lines of the Beaker Beethoven, but this is just funny.

Revisiting an old friend

2008-07-23T14:44:00.002-05:00

So I've pulled out my old friend the trombone this week in preparation for a couple of things. I'm playing at a church service on Sunday, and am auditioning for a sub spot with the Encore Wind Ensemble early next month, so I want to not suck. It's amazing how craptastic your tone can sound when you put your horn away for way too long. Also, I'm picking out a couple of pieces for the audition (2 solos, unaccompanied, contrasting style), and I've forgotten what it's like to play solo music.

I'm revisiting a couple of my senior recital pieces. I'm going to do the Sarabande from Bach's 2nd Cello Suite, and the Allegro from Barat's Andante and Allegro.

I've been doing the Barat with Smart Music, and it's enjoyable. I was never a diligent, disciplined musician in college, and it's certainly tough now. Kudos to all of you still playing every day, you all have the desire and dedication I never found...or have found in other areas. I still heart my trombone, though...even if I have a cruel way of showing it.

Batman

2008-07-18T09:34:00.003-05:00

Who can hold off going to see The Dark Knight until Tuesday? I reeeeeealy want to see it, but won't have an opportunity until Tuesday at the earliest.

I have yet to see a movie in the theater this summer, and this looks like one that would be worth it.

I might even have to see it at the IMAX.

Who's interested?

Happy 5th of July!

2008-07-05T19:45:00.001-05:00

Andrei shared this on Facebook, so don't give me all the credit here:

Summer List

2008-07-02T14:01:00.002-05:00

Since I haven't posted since my birthday, I thought I should throw something out there, however trivial. After a week at my folks's working on their garage, and 4 days at the Wind Band Institute in Moorhead, I'm finally home and doing summer right. Here's a compelling list of summer things:

- t-ball starz softball (0-3, but not for lack of heart)
-Burning down the kitchen
-Catching up on some Wii (currently playing Super Mario Galaxy)
-Figuring out how not to suck at teaching next year
-Justifying my gym membership
-Learning how to go about buying a house
-Cleaning the place I live
-Going to the cabin

Notice there is plenty of room for other activities, should they come about. Aside from the next two weekends, my summer is literally wide open until August 18th.

Twenty and Five

2008-06-19T07:37:00.003-05:00

Garfield is exactly 5 years older than me. I also believe he clocks in around that increment in terms of lameness (I'm not saying I'm cool, but Garfield is really, really lame).

So in the grand tradition, I will be spending the big day doing nothing of note. I've never really worried about doing spectacular things on my birthday...usually if there's a cake involved sometime plus or minus a week I'm satisfied. My Dad would frequently tell the story of how he spent his golden birthday digging sewers, and since I've been of working age, I've spent many June 19ths working. Today will be no different! I've been spending the week at my parent's place working on the garage at their new place. If you want something intellectually stimulating, spackle and sand a garage. Woo!

This weekend, however, should be awesome. Friday we go to Cumberland, WI (home of the Rutabaga festival) for my cousin's wedding. Saturday is Rock the Garden, which looking at the forecast, should be f-ing incredible. And then on Monday I go to band teacher camp. The end.

PS: Did I mention Rock the Garden is on Saturday? Don't you wish you could go to France with Bon Iver?

Totally 90's

2008-05-24T13:53:00.002-05:00

So forgive me for watching American Idol, but I happened to be viewing last week's finale, and I was very pleased with Dave Cook's selection that evening:

"The World I Know" by Collective Soul

Which, on this Saturday afternoon, has hurtled me back into a fit of nostalgia. I've been cruising around YouTube for bands of that era. Man, Collective Soul was good. You know who else was good?

Our Lady Peace "Clumsy"

I remember wearing out my copy of "Happiness...is Not A Fish You Can Catch" my junior year in High School. I remember back in those days, I had relatively few concerns, so it was easy to get completely engrossed and wrapped up in something like pop music. Unfortunately, I don't have the time these days (nor is it something I'm paid for, like certain people I know) for the same amount of devotion. Going back and listening to this stuff brings back good times, though.

What music were you obsessed with "back in the day"?

Off the top of my head:

-The Smashing Pumpkins (Every album really, but especially "Adore" and "Siamese Dream")
-The Offspring "Ixnay on the Hombre" and "Americana" (listened to them both on the bus to and from school for the better part of several months)
-Our Lady Peace (aforementioned)
-Cake "Prolonging the Magic" and "Fashion Nugget"
-Ben Folds Five "Whatever and Ever Amen"
-Mason Jennings "Mason Jennings" and "Birds Flying Away"
-No Doubt "Tragic Kingdom"
-Reel Big Fish "Turn the Radio Off"
-Weezer ("Blue" "Green" and "Pinkerton")

Summer Camp!

2008-05-05T19:44:00.003-05:00

Well, the boss lady has officially sent in the down payment, so I'm off to Band Teacher Summer Camp! It'll be great! There'll be campfires, sing-alongs, and there's a girl's camp across the lake! Oh, there will be so many memories!

...not quite, but I am attending the Wind Band Institute at Concorida College in happenin' Moorhead, MN from June 23rd-26th. It will feature Andrew Boysen, Jr. and Robert Duke, and it should be good. None of you have any reason to be excited for this, but I feel good about doing something to improve myself this summer.

Other than that, I don't have much going this summer. No job prospects or major trips in the works...probably a good amount of babysitting, softball, etc. I'm gettin' antsy for it.

One more month of school!

Hiatus

2008-04-22T20:40:00.003-05:00

So apparently I haven't blogged since I was trapped in France. Well, I've been back for some time now, all in one piece. If you want to see pictures, check out my Facebook, or Alison's Flickr (which is linked to from her blog, which is linked to on the right).

Not a whole lot of exciting news to report. This warm weather has gotten me thinking about summer, and how the next 6 weeks need to pass quickly so summer can once again begin. I think part of my decision to teach lies in my unwillingness to give up that schedule. While I do spend a good portion of the summer working to improve myself and get ready for the coming year, it is a nice break from the everyday stresses of teaching.

This summer, I have few plans, but I do have some. Among them are:

-Hopefully playing softball again
-Going to Kansas City to see the Twins (the Milwaukee game I was going to go to ended up selling out. BOO!)
-Camping
-Going to Alison's family's cabin

Other than that...who knows? I might want to find some money-making venture, as I would like to not be renting by summer 2009.

They won't let us leave!

2008-03-30T10:06:00.002-05:00

So I was supposed to be back in St. Paul on Sunday evening...but instead it's Sunday Morning US Time (5pm local time), and I am in Paris Hilton...I mean the Charles DeGaulle Hilton Hotel, after the 2nd flight screw-up. Let me re-cap:

1) Leave for Moscow Airport to board plane to London and then to Chicago. Our original itinerary had us going through Frankfurt. Expedia neglected to tell the Russian airline that. We get to the airport and they say "sorry, you should have been on a plane to Frankfurt 3 hrs ago." We spend the next 8 hours with the cream of Russian personalities, very unhelpful and unsympathetic to our plight...can't get a phone to work, but manage to get Alison's uncle to ream out Expedia and get us on some other flights. In order to do that, we have to hire a taxi to take us to the other side of Moscow to the other airport and hop on a British Airways flight to London.

2) Arrive in London at the brand spanking new Heathrow Terminal 5. Spend the night in a coffee shop in the terminal. We are to board a flight for Paris at 10:45am and a flight to Chicago at 2:50.

3) While surfing the internet I discover that someone purchased an iPod on my Amazon account. Make some international calls to Amazon and my bank to pass the time.

4) Did I mention that this new terminal has had the worst SNAFU in the history of baggage handling? 15,000 misplaced bags have piled up since the terminal opened on Tuesday. As a result, our flight to Paris is delayed 90 minutes. We fear that we'll miss our flight to Chicago.

5) Land in Paris. Dash to gate. Watch plane taxi away without us. Weep openly.

5) Get put up in the Hilton hotel for the night, where I write this e-mail. I should be nearing St. Paul in my car right now...instead I'm in the airport hotel in Paris. Tomorrow we leave at 2:40 for Chicago, and will drive straight home. I'm exhausted...

The trip however, was amazing. More details once I am back on US Soil.

Au revoir!

I Made It!

2008-03-23T13:37:00.002-05:00

It's 9:37pm here in Moscow, and I am about to pass out from fatigue, but I'm trying to get on local time ASAP as our stay isn't long.

The trip here, however, was. Let me re-cap for you.

5:00AM Friday: Leave Rosemount. 3" of snow on the ground, more falling as we leave.

2:00PM: Arrive in Chicago. Yeah, that's right. 9 hours of driving to get to Chicago. 9 hours of white-knuckle, can't see the car in front of you at times driving. Yikes.

3:30: Board plane for London.

5:00: Plane leaves Chicago after sitting on the tarmac for 90 minutes for de-icing and other assorted delays.

8:00AM Friday, GMT: Arrive in London. Miss connected flight to Moscow. Luckily, they already booked us on the next flight. Slept a total of 30 minutes on the plane. American Airlines gives us free lunch (breakfast)!

12:20pm: Board plane for Moscow.

7:00pm (Moscow time, 3 hrs. ahead of London): Arrive in Moscow. Can't read or understand anything anyone is saying.

7:30 Make it through customs with no questions. Mispronounce the Russian word for "thank you."

8:00: Realize Alison's suitcase did not come to Moscow with us. Go to speak with lost and found people.

8:45: Leave airport for Tom and Kathleen's apartment.

9:45: Arrive in downtown Moscow. Eat snacks.

11:00pm: Go to sleep. For the first time (really) since 4:15 the previous morning.

Exhausting, but worth it. I don't know if I'll have time to regale you all with stories from our first full day here, but we saw a lot of churches and monasteries today. At the big one, the head of the Russian Orthodox church was leading the service...he's kinda like the pope of Russia (big deal). Pretty sweet! Tomorrow: The Kremlin and the graveyard where Russian notables like Tolstoy, Rimsky-Korsakov, Scriabin, and Shostakovich are buried. I'll take pictures!

You Should be more Socialist

2008-03-20T07:02:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I shall brave wintry roads to make it to Chicago in time to hop a plane to London, then Moscow. I will learn many amazing things on my trip. I shall tell you about a few of them.

That is all.

Some Things

2008-03-12T19:10:00.002-05:00

1) Looking forward to bringing the band kids to see the UWEC Wind Symphony at EHS tomorrow. I'm hoping that they don't do anything stupid, and that they gain something from the experience. I'm excited to see the group play. It'll be fun being on the other side of a band tour (have fun on the bus to Nebraska...HA!)

2) I leave for Moscow a week from Friday. Not only have I not learned a lick of Russian, or started thinking about what I need, but I have yet to start my sub plans for the week I will be gone. Saturday, Saturday, Saturday.

3) Saw this on Casey's MySpace: Garfield Minus Garfield. Remove Garfield and all associated dialog from the comic and all you have are the depressing ramblings of a lonely schizophrenic named Jon. Pretty hilarious!

Star Wars according to a 3 Year Old

2008-03-08T08:20:00.000-06:00

Pretty much sums it up if you ask me.

Get it together

2008-02-25T20:07:00.002-06:00

Yesterday on a visit to Target, I purchased a pair of (relatively) cheap pair of noise-canceling headphones (not the $300 Bose kind...more like the $50 Sony kind). They claim to cancel out 70% of ambient background noise, which will be excellent for the 13 hour trip to Moscow. Planes are noisy things. I am currently listening to a live recording of a concert Bon Iver gave in Washington D.C. last week, and I must say, it is spectacular. It's on NPR's "All Songs Considered" site. Check it out. Whoever did the mixing did a fantastic job.

I'm currently attempting to get a firmer grasp on my professional life. I'm trying to refocus my teaching and give it some more goal-driven purpose. At the MMEA convention I attended 3 sessions by one of the big-time Music Ed. gurus, Dr. Peter Boonshaft. In the same ilk as a Dr. Tim, he blows a lot of sunshine up your rear by telling you how amazing you are for teaching music, but, unlike many of the Dr. Tim sessions I've attended, actually provided some useful teaching advice. So useful, that I've bought both of his books. Lately I've been examining my conducting and rehearsal habits, and am trying to suck less at both. I'm also trying to make more out of the relatively little time I have with my students in my program. I'm going to stop using my crappy rehearsal schedule as an excuse for poor behavior and results from my students. There's nothing I can do about it, nothing that can probably be done about it in the near future, and aside from that I really like where I am, so I'll just make the most of it.

On the home front, Alison and I have in recent months grown wearier of our living situation. There comes a time when you tire of having people living above your head and all the tension and frustration that can come with it. So, we've started thinking about looking to buy a house. Only problem is, we're in no position to do so! We can't do anything until we both have jobs and save up money for a down payment...so a new place in '08 doesn't look realistic. The whole prospect and process of it all brings out my impatient side, but it will be worth the wait. Anyone have $10,000?

Seriously, go listen to the Bon Iver podcast. It's amazing.

Aah! Good News!

2008-02-15T17:15:00.002-06:00

1) I'm an uncle! Aria Leone Fahlstrom was born at 9:30 this morning. Alison and I are off to see the newest family member soon.

2) My best man got engaged! It's about freaking time too. Mark and Tess have been dating since Tess dumped me in 10th grade (obviously not meant to be). Looking forward to the sweet party.

3) Had a great MMEA convention, and now a 3 day weekend!

Woohoo!

Adult Pretend Time

2008-02-13T06:59:00.002-06:00

Coming up is by far some of my favorite 2 days of the school year...MMEA Convention. Sounds incredibly dorky, I know, but I really like it. I get to take 2 days off of work, spend them in the wide wide world of downtown Minneapolis, hang out with other music teachers, hang out with other ADULTS, eat real food for lunch...oh, and learn a bunch of teaching junk, too.

Granted, the vendor booths aren't as good as WMEA (no cheesecake), but it's still freaking sweet. Also sweet is the fact that it's held on President's Day Weekend, so say hell to 5 days away from school for this kid.

It gets even better. Today, I teach one class then I'm off to supervise children at a theater. Tonight is the Bon Iver in-store at the Fetus. On Saturday I'm volunteering with my co-workers at Habitat for Humanity. I'm really bad at this whole manual labor, build things with your hands sort of thing, so I'll probably be the guy who gets people hammers and nails and stuff. Should be fun.

Like Hope, But Different

2008-02-11T22:13:00.000-06:00

If you're confused, please see my previous YouTube post for reference.

The Return!

2008-02-09T10:27:00.001-06:00

Bon Iver is returning to the Turf Club on Saturday, April 12th.

Get your tickets now! (I won't be sorry again, and ordered mine last night!)

Also psyched for the in-store at the Fetus on Tuesday, and to have the album on vinyl. Sweet!

Musical Orator

2008-02-04T20:46:00.000-06:00

So tomorrow is Super Tuesday, and I am going to go vote. I'm inspired. I was sent a link to this video this evening. Ignore the fact that it has Scarlett Johansson singing and focus on:

1) The poise and intensity that Barack Obama speaks with...it's incredible and unfounded in today's leaders.

2) The effective blending of music with the speech. It's pretty cool.

If you live in a Super State - vote tomorrow!

Wait for it...

2008-02-02T22:23:00.000-06:00

Man, what a long but ultimately rewarding day. The doors for the Obama rally at Target Center weren't set to open until 1:30pm today. With seating limited to the first 20,000 lucky people, and me not wanting to miss out, I headed out at 11am.

Boy was I glad I did.

I hopped off the light rail at about 11:30, ducked into Jimmy John's to grab a sandwich, and by the time I got to the line, I was already a full block away from the door. The line quickly formed behind me, and I saw several friends and coworkers pass me on the way to the back of the eventual 1 mile long line. Alison had to work, and the friends I was going to go with didn't feel as urged to show up early, so I was on my own. While in line, I met some friendly seniors from Cretin Derim Hall, and a teacher from Eagan High School and her friend. We waited out in the cold together for almost 2 hours before we were let in. It was amazing to watch the actions of thousands of very diverse people, which helped make standing in the cold bearable.

Once we got in, I grabbed a bottle of water and found my seat atop of the 2nd row of stands in the Target Center. I had a direct line of sight to Sen. Obama, save a giant light pole blocking some of the view. While they tried to get 20,000 people into the arena, we were treated to music by Golden Smog, and tried to pick out local political celebrities in the crowd (Rybak, Ellison, McCollum).

The place went as nuts as a bunch of reserved Midwesterners could get when Obama came out, and his speech was well received. It firmly solidified his place as my candidate of choice, and I am firmly convinced that if given the chance, he could really do something for this country. The Audacity of Hope, indeed.

Party like a Politician

2008-01-30T20:13:00.000-06:00

I want to go see Obama at the Target Center (Target Center? Crazy...) on Saturday at 1:30. Anyone else want to go?

SOLD OUT! But this time, I got a ticket! Woo! Anyone else?

More Amazingness

2008-01-23T19:47:00.000-06:00

I could write a post every day about how amazing Bon Iver is.

"Flume"

Also:

"Lump Sum"

This is from last week's live session at The Current.

Conga Rats

2008-01-20T09:42:00.000-06:00

Congratulations are in order:

1) To Jake and Angie for starting down the road to procreation. It's always a good thing when non-stupid people reproduce.

2) To Nims and his new kidney. Thank goodness everything went well, and that him and his sister are doing well. Here's to being healthy, and eating some salt.

3) To me being stupid and thinking the EC Bon Iver show is on a Saturday when it's on a Sunday. Who kicks off a tour on a Sunday? BOO! Guess I won't be going to EC after all.

NOOO!!!!

2008-01-16T21:31:00.000-06:00

Curse my lack of action! I had big plans to go see Bon Iver tomorrow night...right here in St. Paul, not 3 miles from my home.

Turns out the rest of the city had the same idea. SOLD OUT!

Since when does the Turf Club sell out? Bon Iver is a big deal, folks.

So, to make up for it, I think I'm going to come to Eau Claire on February 9th to see his CD (re)release show. Don't know if I'll stay the night, but I probably should. I haven't actually been to the Nucleus yet, so it should be sweet. Anyone interested?

You bunt who?

2007-12-30T10:32:00.000-06:00

The new year will be an exciting and adventursome one. Last night I embarked into new computing territory and installed Ubuntu Linux on my computer. My hope is to someday rid myself of Windows entirely, but for now I have a dual boot on my lappy. I don't know much about it yet, but what I've seen so far, I like quite a bit. It's visually appealing, clean, and has been very friendly so far in recognizing things on my computer. I am downloading a program called Wine that supposedly lets you run Windows software in Linux, with the hopes of being able to use Finale and SmartMusic in Linux. I'm not banking on it though, especially considering how much of the computer's resources SmartMusic uses...worth a try, though!

In other news, the holidays have been most eventful. I was surprised to receive Guitar Hero III for the Wii for Christmas, and it has been pretty great. I've been running all over the Cities visiting folks, including my mother who went in for surgery (all planned, nothing too serious). I am currently sitting in a Bruegger's in Shoreview, waiting for Alison to be done with church. Afterward, we are headed to the great white north to spend New Year's Eve at Sawbill Canoe Outfitters. I went last year and had a great time, and am greatly looking forward to a return tripo.

Any other Linux users out there wishing to offer their support (or condolences?), feel free. Happy New Year!

Like a leaky faucet...

2007-12-13T20:03:00.000-06:00

This morning while not working I came across an mp3 of a high school group doing a commendable job of playing the wind ensemble arrangement of Lauridsen's "O Magnum Mysterium." It's not that I meant to come across it, but it's one of those pieces that once you start playing it, there's no way you can stop.

I am definitely one of those people that succumbs rather easily to a piece of music wrought with intense, dripping, in your face, excruciating (and often sad, depressing) emotion. To sum it up in a High Fidelity sort of way, I'm a sucker for "sad bastard" music. But really, who isn't?

That got me thinking, what are some of the all-time, top 5 desert island pieces of music that are simultaneously heart-wrenching and soul-lifting? Works that make you sob uncontrollably out of sheer anguish and elation? Granted, I'm no expert on the subject, and I'm sure there are plenty I haven't heard, but a few come to mind:

"Nimrod" from Elgar's Enigma Variations. I think specifically to graduation, and the University Orchestra's incredibly emotional performance of it, on an incredibly emotional day.

"O Magnum Mysterium," in its various forms and arrangements. The original choral arrangement is fantastic, the trombone choir arrangement I played my last semester in school is equally impressive, and the wind ensemble arrangement blows me away every time. I have a recording of the Northwestern Wind Symphony playing it...incredible!

The fourth movement of Mahler's 5th symphony.

Barber's Adagio for Strings

Biebl's Ave Maria, which reminds me of Mr. Hudson's retirement send-off.

Countless more! Who wants to make a list? This time of year is always good for listening to beautiful, passionate music.

ADDITION: Bach's cello suites. All of them, but esp. the 2nd one. I saw Prof. Kosower perform all of them from memory once...it was a cool transformation. He was playing so intensely, and I swear he looked about 30 years younger when in the moment of performance. Sweet!

New look

2007-12-09T10:08:00.000-06:00

Had some free time today, so I decided to change up the ol' blog look. I don't think I can ever be satisfied with the limited options in templates that blogger gives you, but I'm too lazy to go hunting for a better one. This will have to do.

The children had their winter concert on Thursday, and overall things went really well. The middle school program is growing rapidly. After the concert, I had about 1/2 dozen 6th graders who quit band before the school year ask me if they could come back. I say hells yeah.

I had a winter concert last night and one more today with the Dakota Valley Symphony. It's nice to play with other adults, and as each concert goes by I begin to appreciate playing with this group more and more. We may not be the most technically accomplished group of people, but for the limited time that we meet we are able to make some pretty good music happen.

Speaking of pretty good music, what was your favorite album of 2007? I went over to 89.3 The Current's site to vote, only to realize that I really didn't buy a whole lot of music this year. I suppose when you're in your first year teaching, paying rent in the big city, buying a car, etc., I really limited my music purchasing. Plus, some purchases were not good (see: Smashing Pumpkins). But, if I had to make a top 5 for the year, it would look like this:

1. Bon Iver - "For Emma, Forever Ago"
2. Spoon - "Ga ga ga ga ga"
3. Ryan Adams - "Easy Tiger"
4. Iron and Wine - "The Shepherd's Dog"
5. Radiohead - "In Rainbows"

Overall, it was a pretty good year for music, but I think I was too caught up in a lot of other stuff and I missed a lot of it. Perhaps folks can share albums that I would be ashamed to have missed.

Hot Stove in a Drafty House

2007-11-28T19:45:00.000-06:00

I was pretty irked this morning when I awoke to discover that my cold had returned. Still irked this evening to find that it hasn't yet gone away. I've pretty much been sick since Saturday and I'm pretty much tired of it. I have no interest in wasting another weekend on the couch. It has also been pretty effing cold lately, and the recent spell has brought up some bitter wind which has made me realize just how drafty our windows are. Might be time to shrink wrap the windows.

Despite all the cold and sorrow, there are a couple things to keep me warm on a Wednesday night. First, I scored Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii, which so far appears to be an entertaining sequel to one of my all time favorites, Mario 64. The game play/story line is very similar, but this installment involves some upside-down and sideways-ness. Hopefully I won't hurl.

The second is the plastic surgery currently being performed on the face of the Minnesota Twins. This is where people who don't give a crap about baseball can stop reading (which is probably all of you), but it's fascinating to watch. As things look now...

Long gone is Torii Hunter
Gone for sure is Johan Santana
Just traded is Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and Juan Rincon

What we'll end up getting in return is Delmon Young, some other Rays players, and a handful of Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, or Angels.

Honestly, I'm in support of all of these trade decisions. The Twins are looking to make their team competitive when they open the new stadium in 2010. They are doing themselves a huge favor now by dumping their big salary guys like Hunter, Santana, and maybe even Nathan. By doing this, they save room to sign their true franchise players, the Mauers, Morneaus, and Cuddyers of the world. In the meantime, they are making smart decisions and keeping the team competitive, but not breaking the bank in the process. I get the fact that Pohlad, while one of the richest guys in the country, does not want to dump tons of money into a mid-market baseball team. If the Twins were chocked full of A-Rods, Manny's, Jeter's, whatever, they wouldn't get the attention they want, because there aren't enough people in Minnesota to fill that need. I've always been a fan of the homegrown, modest, organic feel that the Twins have always had.

Is it April yet?

Aimful Wandering

2007-11-12T19:52:00.000-06:00

What, with the long hours at the job, people constantly leaving snacks out for me to have, the holiday season approaching, and countless other excuses, I am once again getting soft around the edges. If this were last year, I could combat this with a trip to the local YMCA. However, there are now two car payments that beg to differ. Since it's getting too cold for the bicycle, I've decided to take up walking.

It's a pretty simple premise: put a CD in the discman or iPod, and start walking. Doesn't matter where. When you get 1/2-way through the album, turn around and go home. Sometimes things don't quite work out that slick. Such as tonight, I'm walking down Summit Ave, about 1/2-way through Iron and Wines' "Shepherd's Dog," when I realize "hey, I'm just a short distance from Cheapo Records. I haven't bought a CD in awhile." I need to be careful, otherwise regular trips to the CD shop and two CD's later, I'm going to be fit and broke. But at least I'll have tunes.

Which brings me to my next frustration. There was a point not too long ago that I swore to myself to stay out of record stores because there were too many purchases I wanted to make. I walk into Cheapo tonight, and I can't remember a damned one of them. So I ended up buying the new Spoon CD "Ga ga ga ga ga" after hearing good things from them on Sound Opinions this weekend, and the new LCD Soundsystem, which I've heard on the radio and have enjoyed. Here's hoping!

Finally, I am sad to report that I will not be making the Bone Dinner this year. And really, as long as I'm teaching where I am, I won't be able to, since we like to do conferences the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Since the Bone Dinner is the Friday before Thanksgiving, this makes for a long trip and an early morning on Saturday. I did it last year, and while it was great to see Colin (and I'll miss him this year), it's just not worth it. That's right, Colin: you're not worth it. On so many levels.

Just kidding.

...

.

What might have been lost

2007-10-29T06:55:00.000-05:00

Some days I wish I didn't have this infernal "real job" that kept me from doing things like going to Eau Claire for two nights during the middle of the week to catch a reunion of one of my all-time favorite bands (DeYarmond Edison, for those of you clueless ones). But alas, I was geographically isolated, and forced to be satisfied with seeing the band's modern incarnations (Bon Iver and Megafaun) at the Uptown Bar on Saturday night. Which, by the way, was amazing.

What's also amazing is the simple joy that can be had from playing a good video game. I'm currently immersed in Zelda: Twilight Princess for the Wii, and I can say that it is one of the more fluid and natural games I've played. Very little of it seems forced, and the controls are extremely intuitive. Bless your heart, Nintendo.

What's not quite as amazing is the fact that next week is the end of the first quarter at school. It's taken me this long to get my kids going on the whole SmartMusic thing, but it's starting to pay off. After a quarter of troubleshooting and routine-forming, I think they're really going to benefit from its use. Hooray for learning! Equally as funny is the fact that I'm having my middle school general music kids write formal business letters from the viewpoint of J.S. Bach to the Margrave of Brandenburg, expressing disappointment in the light of him not having the Brandenburg Concertos (to whom Bach dedicated the pieces to) performed, and the fact that we live in an age where I have to tell kids that formal writing is not akin to text messaging, so leave out the "l8r"s and "OMG"'s. Sigh.

26

2007-10-16T06:58:00.000-05:00

It's unfortunate that I am able to use tragic loss to mark the passage of time, but it's pretty amazing that it's been two years. My High School General Music class right now is looking at music in the context of memorials, condolences, and commemorations. To bring in the recording of Threnody to play for the class, along with the whole context of the bus crash would be a good example that I think the kids could relate to, but I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. It's pretty incredible how fast emotions can come flooding back.

I think the comfort and power of music to bring people together during times of mourning is very powerful. The image that's been in my head this morning was during Branden's memorial service in Gantner, sitting with all of his friends in the band, and remembering the specific moment when they pulled the curtain back and we started to play Holst's First Suite...I'm surprised I made it through the whole thing.

I keep a picture of Branden on my desk at school. Whenever things aren't going well, or I'm having a rough time, it reminds me why I do what I do. Happy Birthday, friend.

Long time

2007-10-01T19:05:00.000-05:00

Woah folks, sorry for the break in the updates. Not a whole lot to report, though; school's going good, all of the little cherubs are learning just as much as they can. I'm feeling generally more organized this year, and I feel like the kids are learning better from me. This is a good thing.

If you haven't been watching, you should really try to catch the new Ken Burns documentary "The War" on PBS. It's pretty incredible. I haven't missed a night yet (7 episodes at 2-2.5 hours each). It's very, very good.

Tomorrow night, after a full work day and a dentist appointment, I'll be going to see The Smashing Pumpkins. While I don't like their new album (despite recent attempts to reconcile with it), I'm still hoping it'll be a good show. With luck, they'll keep the new stuff down to a minimum, and play a lot of their old stuff. Here's hopin'.

I really wish someone would tell me how many days there were left. I'm really bad at keeping track of these sorts of things. It would be a shame to not know and miss it.

A Quality, Informational Video

2007-09-18T21:23:00.000-05:00

In honor of tomorrow's observance of "National Talk Like A Pirate Day," please view this informational video before attempting to speak the dialect.

Ye scurvy dogs...

For Emma, Forever Ago

2007-09-14T20:56:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: I hereby fully acknowledge that no one who reads my blog takes my advice or gives a crap about anything I say regarding sports, politics, music, or life in general. I am not one of those blog writers visited by hundreds of bored cubicle rats daily trying to distract themselves by reading my opinions on the latest releases. I am not nearly that cool.

That being said, I occasionally like to indulge my desires to make my opinions heard, even if they are heard by people who, while appreciating my updates on my life and such, generally see me as the crazy old man who listens to depressing, hippie, sad bastard music.

I appreciate all of my friends for tolerating my indulgence.

I write today about an individual who I personally admire very much. During my time in Eau Claire, I was able to regularly watch him perform, and even one I got to hang out with him and the Cook Brothers when Phil invited me over for soup, which is probably a story I will continue to tell people once the collective secret of their respective genius gets out and they're widely lauded..."yeah? Those guys? I knew them back in the day...they sure know how to make soup."

Seriously, one of the highlights of my life.

I'm getting off track here. The supposed "secret" of the amazingness of Justin Vernon is finally being spread with the release of his new album "For Emma, Forever Ago," under his newly assumed pseudonym Bon Iver. Do a google search and you will find dozens of accounts of how he went into the woods and wound up recording an amazing album. I won't rehash what's been said.

Instead I'll say that I'm thrilled that he's finally getting widespread attention. This album is one of those that you put in your best stereo, turn up incredibly loud, get a foot-pounding-on-the-ceiling-above scolding from the neighbors, put on your headphones, and turn up louder to fully appreciate all of the subtleties of this very delicate, purposeful, expansive, stripped down and atmospheric album. Vernon creates a very unique soundscape that sounds like a crisp January morning, a rainy April night while driving home at 2am, and the first summer night that starts to feel like autumn. It's seasonal, natural, organic, and incredible, and is something that everyone should listen to.

It's streamed online here.

With that, I hope that my addition to the blogging frenzy that's been occurring over this release adds one more hit in the Google search on Vernon's way towards notoriety.

Wedding pho-tos

2007-08-30T21:28:00.000-05:00

Well they're finally in. All 689 of them. Anyone interested in looking at the fabulous photography of Monte Swann can check it out here.

Weeeeeeeee!!!

2007-08-26T22:22:00.000-05:00

Er, I mean:

Wii!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Randomly shopping at a Target in Blaine, and sure enough, they have 5 of them (when you can't find them anywhere in the Cities).

Got one for myself and one for my Brother-in-Law. Childish? Probably. Do I care? Not really.

I didn't buy any games with it, so I only have the Wii sports, but the Boxing so far is the most gratifying (am I really violent?)

Fin.

2007-08-20T07:01:00.000-05:00

Nothing like a weekend full of rain to officially close the book on summer. As the credits of "Borat" rolled last night (Alison and I rented it), the realization hit me that I had just enjoyed my last bits of summer. Now it's back to the grind, with children coming in 2 weeks.

In those two weeks, I need to get my schedule straightened out with my boss (who currently doesn't realize that my schedule is currently almost the exact opposite of what we discussed, and I have no prep hour), prepare for 3 bands and 2 grades of General Music, and sit through a lot of meetings. With the exception of the teeth-pulling that will be the whole schedule debacle, I'm ready and excited to start round two of teaching.

For the first time ever I get to do things over again. For the first time ever I will know a majority of the students on the first day. There are relationships, expectations and routines that are pre-established. I made some mistakes last year, and with any luck, I'll avoid them this year. But, I will no doubt have a whole new batch of mistakes to learn from. A fellow trombonist who taught band with my cooperating teacher at Northstar told me, then in his seventh year, "I can't believe how much I sucked for about the first five years. I look back on what I did then and think 'what the hell was I doing?'"

Inspiring words, no doubt.

So what the hell am I doing?

Chapter 2: Stability/Having Another Go at it.

2007-08-07T16:42:00.000-05:00

Today Alison and I celebrate our 1-month anniversary. No huge deal, really, but it hardly feels like a month has passed. Alison claims it feels as if the day never happened. I would tend to agree...it all flew by so fast, and all of the sudden things were back to normal again. People keep telling me that it did in fact happen, and that it was enjoyable, so I suppose I'll take their word for it.

Today also marks another important milestone. One year ago today I gained access to the lower duplex on Saint Clair Ave. The next year was spent figuring out how to not suck at teaching, how to live with a girl, and planning/executing a wedding. I have learned a lot in my first year of truly being on my own. Alison and I have been making several upgrades to our living space - buying furniture in an effort to organize and find a place for everything. In the last year this place has never quite felt settled, but we're getting there.

In fact, that feeling of instability has dominated this past year in general. I think when you are a new member in a community, job, or living situation, it takes awhile to acclimate and to adjust. I know I'm still adjusting, but some of the pieces are starting to lock in. I spent some time at work today figuring out curriculum for my HS General Music class. This is my second time teaching it, and the frantic worry of making everything up is gone, since I've done it once before. The revision process is far less stressful than the creation process, let me tell you what. I've always hated being the new guy.

In unrelated news, go over to virb.com and listen to Bon Iver (AKA Justin Vernon)'s new record "For Emma, Forever Ago." It's beautiful.

BOOM!

2007-07-28T22:29:00.000-05:00

Just got back from the Simpsons movie. It was pretty hilarious, and better than I was expecting. But the big news of the night is that Jason Tyner, the tyniest of Twins, hit his first major league home run tonight, breaking the longest active streak of at bats without a home run. It just barely made it over the wall! So proud of the li'l guy!

Time to get back on the horse

2007-07-19T18:33:00.000-05:00

Something inspired me to blow the dust off of my trombone this evening and to practice. It was a wonderful reunification that lasted almost a whole 10 minutes, when my upper lip swelled up.

Pathetic, I know. Deep in my heart, I knew that I would not be a disciplined trombonist once I left school, probably due to the fact that I never really was a disciplined trombonist when I was in school, but at least I had commitments that kept the horn on my face. I never meant for it to come to this, honestly.

I pray that the trombone gods will forgive me.

Newlywed, Old Flame

2007-07-10T14:53:00.000-05:00

Yes, indeed, Alison and I were married on 07.07.2007. It was a great, amazing day. For more details, check out my Facebook, as many people have posted pictures and such.

But now, as I celebrate my 3-day anniversary, an old flame has turned up at my doorstep. After dumping me rudely in 2000, he has spent the last 7 years giving me the runaround, and more often than not making a fool of himself. Now, he's back again and is asking my forgiveness, and I'm not sure if I can:

Billy Corgan has always been known to be an ego maniacal control freak when it comes to his intellectual property. Rumors of him overdubbing his band mates tracks on albums in order to achieve the sound he wants were rampant, probably true, and his micro-management was no doubt the downfall of this great band. But up until now, it was never admitted in print.

On the credits page of the liner notes of Zeitgeist, it says: "songs by William Patrick Corgan, performed artfully by Jimmy Chamberlain - Drums/Billy Corgan - All the Rest."

So be forewarned, you are getting unquestioned, unfiltered, unadulterated Corgan circa 2007, and he is not the same monster he was 10 years ago. 13 years of angst-ridden, rageful wailing have left his voice thin and unresonant. Having overcome all of his personal problems -- thanking first and foremost "God, Jesus Christ, Mother Mary," in the liner notes --, the lyrics, once poetic sonnets of personal strife are now half-hearted, 5 years too late political statements and passionless love songs.

That's not to say that Corgan and Chamberlain aren't still formidable musical powers. I still consider them tops at what they do, and consider them able of retaining the respectable image of the Pumpkins by finding new ground to break on future efforts, but Zeitgeist is nothing more than a half-baked re-hashing of sounds from the past.

It's not the worst album in the world. It's not always painful to listen to. There are a few good tracks on it. It will probably grow on me more after some more listens. However, to listen to their other studio releases, you will see 7 unique opuses, each with their own different attitude, and that ingenuity is what made the Pumpkins amazing. This album is stuck in nostalgia, afraid to tread new ground. With any luck, B&C are still shaking the rust off after 7 years, and will remember what it's like to be the Pumpkins again. Maybe they'll have it figured out when I see them in concert in October.

Some times I'd like to freeze

2007-06-29T21:30:00.001-05:00

Here it is, 8 days away from the wedding. House probably needs cleaning. There's probably some wedding stuff to do. I probably should wonder where all of my money is going.

Probably.

But not tonight. After dinner (which reminds me, I should probably do the dishes), I grabbed a beer, a book, a chair, and an AM radio, parked myself on the front lawn, turned on the Twins game, and proceeded to enjoy a perfect summer evening. One of the perks about the big city so far is the relative absence of bugs. As I listened to the boys of summer, I watched people go by on the sidewalk, and absorbed the world around me.

I am enjoying this part of summer.

Rockabye Baby!

2007-06-22T08:29:00.000-05:00

So a few weeks ago, Alison and I were at our local Half Price Books. I was at the register checking out, when my ears perked up. I heard the sounds of vibraphones and glockenspiels, but what they were playing was even more familiar. I say out loud, "Is this 'Today'?" Sure enough, what I was hearing was a rendition of the well-known Smashing Pumpkins song, featured among others on this album:

If you click on the title of the post, you will see albums of this nature have been done for many artists: Radiohead, Tool, Zeppelin, No Doubt, Green Day, Bjork (Bjork?! That would surely give any child nightmares). What a way to tap back in to the grunge/alt rock crowd of the early 90's that are now having lots of babies, and their parents who are having grand-babies.

I bought the Pumpkins and Radiohead albums with an iTunes gift card, and honestly, the arrangements are well done, and the music is quite soothing --perfect for this rainy Friday.

Whew!

2007-06-09T10:59:00.000-05:00

After 1.5 years in the "real world," I can now say that I've completed a full year of teaching. It's a pretty good feeling, and I'm really looking forward to the summer. We kicked the kids out the door yesterday, spent some hours cleaning, then went to the Saints game to tailgate. It was several hours well spent. Now, I have to get my act in gear and get music to wedding musicians, start planning curriculum for next year, and lots of other stuff.

28 days!

Perpetuating a tired stereotype...givin' us a bad name.

2007-05-31T19:02:00.000-05:00

Aaaah! Some of the people in my profession make me sick. Why is it that band directors can't keep their filthy hands off of their students?!!? How could someone abuse their position and their responsibility by doing something so incredibly stupid?!?! I have a couple of friends who have gotten jobs due to the inappropriate actions of their predecessors, and know of other schools who have caught their band teachers with their pants down.

And here it is again!

It is these people who continually perpetuate the stereotype of the creepy band teacher who is always hitting on their students. They abuse the unique relationships that can develop as a result of having the same students for many years, in such a personal environment where music is made, trips are taken, etc.

KNOCK IT THE FREAK OFF!

Anything but soft

2007-05-23T06:58:00.000-05:00

Summer is nearly upon us, and I am totally stoked. We have something ridiculous like 10 days of school left. Alison and I booked our honeymoon last night (we're goin' to Disney World!), and it's been very warm.

But what I am also very excited about is playing softball. The staff at Twin Cities Academy will be playing in an amateur softball league in Minneapolis this summer. Our first meet 'n' greet is tonight, so we can talk strategy and so everyone (especially members who are friends of teachers) can meet each other. We're in the lower ability level league, so we should be able to kick some ass.

Aaah...

2007-05-11T15:37:00.000-05:00

Taking the day off after a concert is probably the best idea ever. Had the weiner-kid fest last night, then went up to Duluth with my parents afterward. It's nice to take a day and physically and mentally remove myself from all of the insanity that has been the last couple of weeks.

The concert went great, folks liked it, even if it was 90 degrees in the gym and the basketball hoop wouldn't go up.

With less than a month left of school, there isn't a regular week remaining. The end is coming at a torrid speed, and I welcome it!

I look forward to a summer knowing that I am employed, don't have to move, don't have to hunt for work, and don't have to work in a grocery store or warehouse.

An Inconvenient Truth

2007-05-04T06:46:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already seen Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, find a way to do so. If you ignore the segments about his personal life, it is an amazing documentary that clearly spells out the dire situation that is global warming. It is not a "theory," nor is it "disputed" in the scientific community. And the fact that its causes can be greatly reduced with relatively little effort makes one wonder why people have been so keen on casting the whole thing off as fiction.

Seriously, go see it. Rent it. Download it illegally, whatever.

Thoughts to the past, present

2007-04-30T16:02:00.000-05:00

I was sitting at my computer during my prep hour today, reading the Star Tribune website, when I read that the bus trial had gone to the jury. I will admit that I haven't been following the trial that closely, and I think the part of it is not wanting to bring myself back to that dark time. What has constantly been on my mind, though, are the people who have had no choice. My heart goes out to anyone who has had the tragic duty of spending the last couple weeks in Hudson, having to relive a terrible night day after day.

I'm not going to give my opinion based on what I have read, because I don't feel informed enough to do so. I trust that our country's legal system will produce a just verdict. But again, that hasn't been my main concern. I have a picture of Branden at my desk that serves as a daily motivation for me to try to live up to his memory. And each time I've looked at it recently, I think of everyone else still with us that are affected daily by this tragedy, and I wonder, regardless of who is to blame, why it had to happen.

I don't know of proceedings like this are actually supposed to provide any closure, or if families will feel like "justice has been served," but my hope is that the conclusion of this and whatever other legal proceedings lie ahead allow those affected to take a couple steps further in healing.

And now, I look outside, and see gray skies for the first time in days.

Doin' Sweet Stuff On A Wednesday

2007-04-25T20:15:00.000-05:00

For one night, I'm going to pretend that I don't live in the real world. A little later this evening I'm headed out to a show, on a school night no less. I'm going to see Megafaun, which contains the remaining members of DeYarmond Edison, minus Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon, at the Nomad. I've missed seeing these guys play since they moved to North Carolina, so I'm super pumped to see them in this new band.

The show starts at 9, so hopefully I'll be home by Midnight. I do have to work tomorrow!

Speaking of sweet shows, I have 2 orchestra concerts this weekend. I'll be playing the Tuba Mirum in Mozart's Requiem. Sweet action.

The end of an era

2007-04-16T20:50:00.000-05:00

Well, a chapter of my life has officially closed. I graduated from college 16 months ago, and as of today, I can no longer access my UWEC e-mail account. Granted, I haven't received anything resembling an important e-mail on it in about 15 months, but it was always nice knowing it was there. It was like the last connecting thread between me and my Alma Mater.

That is, if you don't count all the people I don't know who still go there.

And all of the professors.

And the mail that still gets sent there.

And all the stuff that's probably still at Hastings.

And junkyard.

I think we should have a reunion of everyone who has ever lived at The House when they bulldoze it. We can all get rul rul drunk, pee on the ashes, and take a piece of it home with us...well, take the piece first, then pee on the ashes. I don't want a pee-soaked piece of rubble.

I will only post sad things

2007-04-12T06:29:00.000-05:00

R.I.P. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

1922-2007

At one point in my life I was on a mission do read his entire collected works. I think I'm about halfway there, with my favorites among them being Bluebeard, Slaughterhouse 5, and Breakfast of Champions.

Hopefully everyone else important will stay alive between now and my next post, so that my blog doesn't turn into an obituary.

Because I Do Listen to the Radio

2007-04-01T12:08:00.000-05:00

R.I.P. Herb Carneal: Twins broadcasting legend, Hall of Famer. He had been broadcasting Twins games since 1962, and was a very familiar voice on the AM dial.

He brings back memories of being very young, camping with my family in the ol' pop-up in the summertime. We'd be sitting around the campfire, making some Jiffy-Pop, and listening to the Twins on an old AM radio. His voice was the personification of summer: slow, easy-going, and smooth. He never talked over the game, but let the sounds of the stadium do most of the work. He would mostly just fill in the details.

Even now, since I don't have the good fortune of a fortune to get cable TV (nor can I justify getting cable just for one channel), I do not get the pleasure of watching games on TV. So I still find myself turning on the radio, sitting in a chair and listening to a game. It's relaxing and exhilarating at the same time. And in a way, it feels authentic, genuine...this is the way people should experience baseball if they can't be at the game. Instead of multiple camera angles and fancy graphics, you rely so much more on your ears to listen to the game. Listening to baseball on the radio stays true to the rhythm of the game...it's not frantic and fast paced, but rather you get time to think, to let what's happening sink in.

That being said, I'm excited for the season to start tomorrow. I will be attending the first two games. But once again, the team starts the season on a sad note. First Casey, then Puckett, now Carneal.

Go Twins!

Toaster'd'd'd

2007-03-28T15:38:00.000-05:00

I signed my life away today and bought a 2006 Scion xB, a Shadow Mica colored one (dark grey). First, we went to a Ford dealer in Eden Prairie that had a used toaster for real cheap, and it was cheap because it smelled NASTY, so we left there in a hurry and went to Bloomington. Once there we met a fellow named Grey who just happened to have an xB that the dealer had been renting, had 3000 miles on it, and lots of options. Since it had been titled, it was a couple thousand less than it would have been new, so I bought it. It looks like this:

It has the upgraded Pioneer sound system with iPod input and audio controls on the steering wheel, power everything, a spoiler, some decals on the side, and "sport pedals" (I did not choose these add-ons). Next week I'm getting cruise control put it. It's a sweet car, has tons of room, and gets 30mpg in the city. Can't beat that for the price, no sir.

Warm temps, sunny skies, new bikes, BUY MY CAR!

2007-03-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Wow, what a glorious day. This is what spring break is all about. Alison got off work early yesterday, which gave us the opportunity to get to the bike store in time to buy 2 new bikes. We both got Raleigh Mojave v2.0 mountain bikes...don't ask me what that means, but they're awesome. I plan on biking to work from time to time.

I also spent yesterday sprucing up the ol' Grand Am, and put 2 for sale signs in the window. I figure if I can get some decent money for it, I could buy a couple rounds of insurance with the proceeds. I go car shopping on Wednesday!

Take a look at it...you need a car?

Tuba Mirum

2007-03-23T21:08:00.000-05:00

Went to my first orchestra rehearsal in awhile last night. We are playing Mozart's Requiem in about a month, and sight-read it last night. Having only heard the piece on recordings before, I did not realize how taxing (read: awesome) the 2nd bone part is, especially since I don't play as regularly as I used to. PLUS, I get to play the Tuba Mirum solo, which is OUTstanding.

Hopefully I won't disgrace it.

PS: SPRING BREAK!!!!

Zoom Zoom

2007-03-10T20:50:00.000-06:00

So when I became employed full time for the first time last fall, I decided that one of the rewards of my employment would be the purchase of a new(er) vehicle. I decided that it would be smart to wait until I had accumulated some money for a down payment, and see what my salary can really do before I went making a big mistake.

I have recently decided that the wait is almost over.

For months I've had my heart set on one of these goofy looking things:

The Scion xB gets great mileage, is roomy, and looks just goofy enough to suit my personality. However, the more I researched, the more I discovered that there weren't a lot of used Scions out there, and 15-17k for a new one just isn't completely in my price range. Plus, the driver's seat is shorter than normal, making it possibly uncomfortable in the leg department when only half your ass is on the seat.

So, I started to look elsewhere for a car that is roomy, cheap, and can be found in plentiful quantities in used-car lots, with low mileage. In the past couple of weeks, I couldn't help but notice a lot of these tooling around town:

This, by the way, is a 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser. So, I did some research. Since the model has been around for 5 years, and they've been making a lot, there are a lot of them out there. There are some 200+ on the local used car websites. They are very roomy, good for long trips, and goofy looking. While they don't get the nice mileage that the Scion does, they're no worse than my current Pontiac Grand Am. There are several 06's for sale around here with around 10,000 miles, and selling for under 13k. I have my eyes set on a pretty blue one.

So, during spring break (which is in 2 weeks), my Mom is going to come down for a day, and we're going car shopping. I can finally say goodbye to my Pontiac. Yes, it has been a reliable car, and V6 engine 2-door sport coupes are fun to drive, BUT...it now has almost 129,000 miles on it, and little things are starting to bother it. I have the feeling it would be getting more expensive to keep it running...so I'll hopefully trade it in and make it someone else's problem!

Snow Day

2007-03-01T21:12:00.001-06:00

= 3 day weekend.

See all you fools on Monday.

Just as thought provoking as the last one...

2007-02-28T22:46:00.000-06:00

So I've logged another 40 hours in a video game...actually just under 40, but I beat this totally sweet game entitled "Okami." In it you play a Japanese sun god who is a wolf who goes around defeating evil, helping people, and feeding animals with the help of a paintbrush. It's actually a very neat game. Highly recommended.

Go snow!

Stolen from Hayley...a survey that was actually interesting to complete.

2007-02-26T21:37:00.000-06:00

1) Something you hate about a person you love:
Hmm...I really hate the word hate, especially when put in the context of someone I love. If I truly loved them, then I don't think I could hate any certain aspect of them...at least, not in my perception of the word.

2) Something you wish your mother or father had warned you about:
When cars break it can be expensive, and you don't always want to fix it right away. I've been horn-less for several months now.

3) Something that's holding you back from achieving your dreams:
Not quite knowing what my dreams really are. Is it what I truly wish for, or what I think I should want? But, if I stop reaching for these dreams --real or imposed-- and start on another dream...well, then I'd have to start all over! There would be no fun in that. At least, not right now.

4) Something you think you could win an award for:
I think the title "King of B.S." that was bestowed upon me in high school is fitting.

5) Something you fear more than anything:
Making an ass of myself because I'm not ready for a certain situation. Sometimes I feel this fear several times a week.

6) Something you wish people would understand:
How to count dotted quarter notes.

7) Something that keeps you going everyday:
The realization that I actually like doing what I do...even when I don't.

8) Something amazing that happened last summer:
I saw New York City for the first time.

9) Something you hate that people say:
When people call things/people retarded, gay, fag, etc. Especially when my students do it.

10) Something you refuse to pay money for:
Boxes

11) Something you wish you could have told a person that you'll never see again:
Not so much told, but the fact that I have no living grandparents makes me wish I would have been more conversational with them, and had gotten to know them as people better.

12) Something that really stands out about last year:
I started my taxes tonight, and looking at the three W-2 forms I have filed, I realized that:

a) I worked three different jobs in the last year
b) They were in three different cities in two different states
c) They all were licensed teaching positions
d) I'm actually doing my own taxes!

13) Something you like that everyone else thinks is weird:
Peanut butter and bacon sandwiches. Before you turn your nose in disgust, try it. Then, you should probably go for a jog.

14) Something that makes you laugh every time it happens:
1) When the hum of the road beneath your tires is in tune/harmony with the song on the radio
2) Ducks

15) Something that makes the problems in your life not seem so bad:
A quick perusal of the newspaper usually does the trick.

16) Something you listen to when you're in a really good mood:
The Smashing Pumpkins...crank it up and sing along.

17) Something you do when you're trying to calm down:
Close the door, turn on music, and stay very still.

18) Something you do when you wake up at three AM:
Go pee.

19) Something you love doing on cold rainy days:
Watching movies, playing video games, cleaning and organizing.

20) Something you absolutely love about a person you love:
That she lets me drive her car through the treacherous ice and snow :).

21) Something amazing that's happened this year:
Hmm...something amazing that's happened in the last 7 weeks...I'd say that New Years was pretty sweet. Everything else has been pretty average.

Oh, I also know how to Cha-cha.

22) Something that you always run into/trip over:
Oh, pretty much everything, really. I have size 13 feet and my head sits too high off the ground to notice foot obstacles.

23) Something that irritates you more than anything:
When people let me down.

24) Something you're addicted to/can't stop doing:
Gummi Worms

25) Something you had to give up but didn't want to:
When I went to college, I had to give the Buick LeSabre I had been driving for 2 years to my sister. She took all of my decals and stickers out of the car, and when I got it back, it wasn't the same.

26) Something that really stands out about you:
There are times when I have absolutely no regard for what I might look like in the eyes of others.

27) Something about you that's like everyone else:
Um...I bought some pants from the Gap.

28) Something that you say a lot that others have picked up on:
Alison and I have started to sound like each other; we've melded our dialects.

29) Something that makes you change the channel:
Awkward situations.

30) Something that really turns you on:
Initiative

31) Something that really turns you off:
Thinking that you deserve special treatment for no good reason (what's the word for this?)

32) Something you wish you could change about your life:
I wish I would have taken more pictures.

33) Something you think about every night before you go to sleep:
I wonder if I will remember my dreams

34) Something that you don't think will ever change about you:
The anxiety associated with asking someone for/to do something for me.

35) Something about you that you think will soon change:
My marital status.

36) Something that broke your heart as a child:
I cried after the last episode of Family Ties. I think I was 5 or 6.

37) Something that really sparks your interest:
My ears perk up whenever I hear music...especially if it's in an unexpected place. Just tonight, at the YMCA, a gentleman a few lockers down was whistling randomly. I tried to figure out what tune he was whistling. It might have been "The Price is Right" theme song.

38) Something that truly disgusts you:
The current federal administration. Corruption in general, really.

39) Something the opposite gender has complimented you on:
I have large calf muscles.

40) Something you wish that certain person would see in you:
Hmm...

Really feel like an Old Man

2007-02-25T18:52:00.000-06:00

Holy cow, I can honestly say that I had forgotten what shoveling a foot of heavy snow feels like. I don't think I've done that kind of shoveling since PMA cleared out Dr. Dossin's driveway on that one snow day when I lived at the house...and this time I didn't get apple juice and cashews after!

It was an interesting weekend of winter weather, and only one of my orchestra concerts managed to get canceled, and on the one that did happen, there were definitely more orchestra members than audience members. Oh well, I still got to play the Hindemith Symphonic Metamorphoses, so I'm happy.

Unfortunately, the snow came a day early, so it looks like I'll be headed to work tomorrow. I think the strategy to combat my disappointment is to be overly cheerful to the students who will be more disappointed..."Welcome back! What a beautiful day to be in school"...and so forth.

Tosses hat into middle of hula hoop

2007-02-12T19:01:00.000-06:00

**Warning: I'm about to get political**

I am officially announcing my support for the candidacy of the Hon. Barak Hussein Obama for the Presidency of the United States of America. The fact that he's got the whole internet figured out should be reason enough (take that, Al Gore):

Graham Ease

2007-02-11T22:01:00.000-06:00

So, for the must part, the Grammys have been a celebration of all that is spectacle and money-making in commercial music, and, for the most part, a pretty big letdown. What I didn't know,was that Dan Wilson (MN musician/lead singer of the now defunct Semisonic/totally sweet), co-wrote the Dixie Chicks song that won 9,000,000 Grammys. That's pretty sweet. And that said Dixie Chicks album, which was a big "F-you" to all of the people that poo-pood their anti Bush/war sentiment, won so many awards, is pretty sweet.

And since when was Mary J. Blige a big deal?

And am I the only one who noticed that there's exactly one guitar chord in James Blunt's "Beautiful"?

But yet I could not keep from watching. I feel like a schill.

Additions:

Al Gore + Queen Latifah? Presenting Rock Album of the year?
Quentin Tarentino + Tony Bennett? Record of the year?

Who gets these ideas?

How the heck do they choose the nominees? Take the Rock Album category for example: Neil Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty, The Racontouers? the John Mayer Trio? I didn't even know there WAS a John Mayer Trio. He was terrible enough by himself.

Today is the greatest...

2007-02-07T18:36:00.000-06:00

I've just discovered that 07-07-07 will be the best day of my life for TWO reasons.

1) The Smashing Pumpkins are releasing their first new album since 2000 on that date.

2) I think I'm getting married or something

I should probably put the album on our registry...you know, for the folks who wait til the last minute.

Just so we're clear...

2007-02-04T19:22:00.001-06:00

Super Bowl = yawn

Super Bowl Halftime Show with Prince + Marching Bands = Awesome.

It was live, not lip-synced, and Prince's guitar solo with the big flying sheet totally cast an intentional phallic image that was about 3 stories tall...and he'll get away with it too. Take that, Janet Jackson.

Plus, he started with Let's Go Crazy, moved to Rollin' on the River, then to All Along the Watchtower, then the Foo Fighters? Unexpected, but totally sweet. And how appropriate to end it with Purple Rain, what with the rain and all.

I could care less about the football or the commercials, but that was sweet.

Ready, set...

2007-02-03T06:26:00.001-06:00

8 hours of parent-teacher conferences on a Saturday...

...GO!

zzzzzzzzz

...a couple weeks later

2007-01-31T19:51:00.000-06:00

So yeah, it's been awhile. Not too much happening here. It's freaking cold, going to get colder. Parent-teacher conferences are on Saturday (yes, Saturday...we sacrifice a day in the name of 98% attendance rate, and they give us a personal day in return). BUT, I'm going to a sweet show at the Varsity on Saturday night. Haven't been to a real "show" in awhile, so I'm pretty pumped.

I'm also pumped (band teacher nerd stuff) that the principal OK'd $$$ for new music for the spring semester. I got some pretty sweet stuff (including Harry Potter). Also, Groth Music is having a clearance on their cymbals (50% off!), so I'm going to see if I can get some for uber cheap. That, and MMEA state conference is in 2 weeks. I can't wait.

I reserve the right to delete questions I don't want to answer

2007-01-15T21:12:00.000-06:00

What do you drink with dinner?
Milk. Used to be 1%, but I've switched to skim.

What do you dip a chicken nugget in?
Barbecue sauce.

What is your favorite type of food/cuisine?
I don't think I've experienced enough of one cuisine to pick.

What movies could you watch over and over and still love?
High Fidelity, Wayne's World, Star Wars, Lost in Translation...

Were you in sports in high school?
I attended an informational meeting for the track team freshman year, does that count? No, I suppose it doesn't.

Were you a boy/girl scout?
I was...even got my Eagle Scout.

When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
I used to write Alison every now and again back when we didn't live together.

Ever gotten a speeding ticket?
Yes, one. Driving back to Eau Claire from Duluth Sophomore year after Winterim. It was a bright, sunny wednesday afternoon, and no one was on the road...except for the state trooper.

Ran out of gas?
Nope.

Favorite kind of sandwich?
I have recently discovered the Philly Cheesesteak at Hot City Pizza near my work...it's amazing.

Best thing to eat for breakfast?
Two fried eggs on a piece of buttered toast (but only occasionally)

What is your usual bedtime?
Between 10:30-11

Are you lazy?
Usually at the worst times

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
If I feel comfortable I can be very outspoken.

What's your favorite mixed drink?
Gin & tonic

When you were a kid what did you dress up as for Halloween?
I've always (and still do) had the lamest costume ideas. One year, I had a pumpkin costume. I put a sheet over it, and was a "pumpkin ghost." I've just never put any decent effort into it.

Do you read the newspaper?
I read it online and buy the sunday paper on the corner

How many languages can you speak?
One I guess

Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
Alison's grandparents have given us gift subscriptions of "Reader's Digest," and an inspirational magazine called "Guideposts." You know those inspirational posters that have some inspirational words and a picture of a whale or some crap? This is like that in magazine form.

Which are better Legos or Lincoln Logs?
Legos. I never understood how Lincoln Logs worked.

Red wine or white wine?
Usually white

Are you stubborn?
I tend to be the first to bend to avoid conflict

Who is better...Leno or Letterman?
I'd be betraying my years of training if I said anything but Conan. I miss my Cone Zone

Watch a soap opera?
Nope.

Afraid of heights?
I'm afraid of unsecured heights...like leaning over the railing at the top of a parking ramp.

Sing in the car?
Uh...yeah

Dance in the shower?
Yes

Dance in the car?
Just wait til I get my Scion

Ever used a gun?
Thanks to the Boy Scouts, I have had the opportunity to shoot a .22, a .30-6, a 12-gauge shotgun and an air rifle. Oh, and a musket.

Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?
School picture day this past October

Are musicals cheesy?
Yes, they're supposed to be.

Is Christmas stressful?
When you get the stomach flu it is.

Favorite type of fruit pie?
Apple

Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?
Pro baseball player

Do you believe in ghosts?
I have not experienced anything compelling enough to say yes. That's not saying no, but it's not saying yes either.

Ever have a Deja vu feeling?
frequently

Take a vitamin daily?
I need to get back on the horse

Wear slippers?
No

Wear a bath robe?
I used to.

What do you wear to bed?
undershorts

First concert?
First rock concert was when my folks took me to see Neil Diamond. First rock concert I chose to go to was The Smashing Pumpkins. Amazing.

Any tattoos?
No, but I've got some wicked scars

Ever take dance lessons?
Got one comin' up this Friday

Is there a profession that you picture your perfect future spouse to have?
She shall be in the service of the Lord in some fashion, I would wager.

Can you curl your tongue?
No. I can't roll it, can't curl it, can't flutter tongue, can't double tongue...This reminds me of a wonderful Mr. Hudson moment, but man mine is worthless.

Ever won a spelling bee?
Again, Mr. Hudson comes to mind for some reason. In 5th grade I lost on the word "schedule." Mr. Hudson always pronounced that word "ske-dooley." Ever since hearing that I've never spelled it wrong. Too bad this didn't happen until I was 19.

Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
Probably.

5 words that describe you?
Better than eight pet rocks.

Own any record albums?
Oh yes.

Own a record player?
I've owned two in my lifetime. The one I have now serves me quite well.

Ever been in love?
Yep.

Who would you really like to see in concert? The list is too long to write out. I'll just say that I wish I could have seen Ben Folds Five before they split.

Hot tea or iced tea?
Blech

Tea or coffee?
Coffee

Favorite kind of cookie?
The monster cookies they sold in Haas

Can you swim well?
Not really...I never learned to dive, and since I busted my knee my actual swimming has been rather inefficient.

Can you hold your breath w/o manually holding your nose?
Yeah, can't everyone?

Ever had braces or a mouth piece?
Joe is a nerd. I had braces and currently have 2 permanent retainers.

Are you artistic?
I hope so.

Are you patient?
I haven't maimed any students yet, so I'll say yes.

DJ or band, at a wedding?
Hopefully both. PS if you want to play in a small jazz group at my wedding e-mail me ASAP.

Ever won a contest?
At a church raffle when I was 4 I won a bag of apples...then got stung by a bee as I ran up to collect my prize

Have plastic surgery?
Have you seen my ass lately? It's fantastic.

Which are better, black or green olives?
Neither please

Can you knit or crochet? When I was little I wanted my mom to teach me when she was teaching my sister. She didn't believe I was serious. She was probably right.

Best room for a fireplace?
Living Room.

Want to get married?
Yes, and am looking forward to it very much.

Do you believe what I'm saying now?

2007-01-06T16:03:00.000-06:00

After returning from home from an open house at my school, getting my tire fixed (aka replaced), I was doing some dishes and had put in some old mix CD's I had compiled over the years, when a sudden wave of nostalgia hit me. I found myself recalling what it was like to be 19 again. I wasn't so much missing the dorm lifestyle, but I was realizing that I don't really talk to a lot of the people from that time in my life all that frequently now. It's not that I don't want to, or that I think any less of these folks, it's just that life has seperated us. I sincerely wish that I was better at keeping in touch with people, but that has never been my strength.

Why did I pick sophomore year? I think it's because I still feel fairly connected with folks from my last two.5 years of school. I've been back to Hastings House a couple of times, talk to those guys sort of regularly (more so that others), and I saw a lot of folks from the House days a lot this past summer.

I feel as if I was such a different person then. That year I went to a lot of shows...in Minneapolis, Madison, Milwaukee. Heck, and this will sound extremely lame, but I saw Weezer 3 times in a 12 month span. I one evening a week doing an (internet) radio show. I went to Madison and protested the war. For the first semester of that year, I was single.

What brought all of this on? I think it happened when listening to one song on a mix I made that was from my roomate Nick's CD. On it he sang about how he had lived 18 years and so much had happened...now he's 23, married, and has a kid. It hasn't been that long, but so much has happened. It's hella crazy. Tomorrow, Alison and I are going to figure out the tuxedo situation for the wedding, and to start a registry at some stores. Since we planned most of the wedding last spring, I've kind of forgotten about it. Now it's January 6th, and in 6 months and one day, I'm getting married. I anxiously anticipate that wonderful day, but holy crap it's sneaking up fast.

Right now, all I want to do is to go to the caf, have a contest with Colin to see how many pieces of pie we can eat, go sit in the lobby, drive back from a concert at 2am, and play in 8 ensembles at once.

How are you doing these days?

Inconsequential!

2007-01-03T21:52:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know it's been awhile since my last post. While I am happy to be posting again, I'm afraid the content of this post bears little interest or consequence, but I need to broadcast this news:

I beat Final Fantasy XII.

It took me almost 68 hours (not consecutive mind you), but I did it. I didn't mean to do it. I sat down in front of the TV, knowing very well that I still had work to do, when I got into an area that I could not escape (with no save point! What was I to do?) Before I knew it, the credits were rolling.

Man, that's almost 3 straight days of playing one video game. That's nuts. Just think of all the amazing things I could have done with that time.

But man, I beat it. It was good. Haven't had a satisfying gaming experience like that, well...ever.

Now, what am I going to teach tomorrow?

Domestic Diva

2006-12-23T09:55:00.000-06:00

Man, Martha Stewart would be proud...or if not her, then probably my mom. In the last day I have wrapped gifts, cleaned pretty much the entire house, gone grocery shopping, and generally decked the halls so that they are now filled with Christmas cheer. Today brings another round of Christmas, this one with my immediate family. Tomorrow I leave with my folks to go see my aunties in Portage, WI (just across the way from Barbado), where I will spend Xmas eve & day.

Speaking of Christmas music (which I wasn't), I highly encourage anyone who enjoys strange, eclectic, whiny, depressing music (which I guess is really only me), to pick up the Sufjan Stevens presents "Songs for Christmas" EP set. It contains 5 glorious EPs full of traditional and original Christmas music, plus STICKERS, and a booklet with lyrics and chords so you can sing and play along. It has made this season even more brighter than it already is.

A new frontier

2006-12-20T06:46:00.000-06:00

In a few hours, I shall take on a new persona, one that has never been dabbled with before:

Middle School Dance DJ

I've made my mix CD's, and no one (Ryan) has tampered with them, they are clean of most foul language and innuendo, so, let's get ready to get

funky funky funky funky

now slide to the left!

one hop real slow!

slide to the right!

cha cha now y'all...

...should be fun.

Post-Concert-Post

2006-12-14T20:53:00.000-06:00

I am generally against doing surveys, seeing as they are pretty much a waste of time. But I just got back from my first concert at TCA (went well), and frankly I need to waste some time.

YEAR-END SURVEY

1.) Where did you bring in 2006? In Apple Valley with the High School Crew + Alison

2.) What was your status by Valentine's Day?
my status? Engaged + 3.5 months

3.) Were you in school (anytime this year)?
As a student only for the first 2 weeks, then teaching in Hastings, Eau Claire, and Saint Paul.

4.) How did you earn your keep? Long-Term Sub at Catholic school in Hastings, Summer Band teacher in Eau Claire, Band/Music Teacher at Twin Cities Academy

5.) Did you ever have to go to the hospital?
No.

6.) Have you ever encountered the police? Not this year.

7.) Where did you go on vacation? Washington State with Alison in March (Saw GVS, found out that I didn't really want to move there), Backpacking with Alison up North, New York City with Dad in June.

8.) What did you purchase that was over $500? Rent. That's it.

9.) Did you know anybody who got married? 2006 -- Kristin/Garrison (high school), My cousin.

10.) Did you know anybody who passed away? Kelly Heyer

11.) Have you ran into anybody you graduated high school with? I try to on a somewhat frequent basis, seeing as many of us have wandered back to the Cities.

12.) Did you move anywhere? Rosemount, Back to Eau Claire, and now permanently in Saint Paul.

13.) What sporting events did you go to? Saw the Twins in Milwaukee, and many times at the Dome, some Middle School basketball games and college basketball games.

14.) What concerts did you go to? Less than I should have. Honestly, I'm having trouble remembering them.

15.) Are you registered to vote? Yes

16.) If so, did you do your patriotic duty on Nov. 7? Yes

17.) Where do you live now? Saint Paul

18.) Describe your birthday. My birthdays pretty much since my 14th have been uneventful, and this one was no different. My 23rd was the first day of Summer Band. I was working. I think we went to Dooley's afterward.

19.) What's the one thing you thought you would never do but did in 2006? Land an amazing job, and live with (and immensely enjoy living with) Alison.

20.) What is one thing you regretted this year? I agree with Angie...no regrets.

21.) What's something you learned about yourself? I can be strong and in shape again.

22.) Any new additions to your family? No, but that will soon change if my sister and her husband have any say.

23.) What was your best month? Either June or August. Vacations in one, getting jobs and moving in another...This year had many good months.

24.) What from pop culture will you remember 2006 by? The death of Kirby Puckett

25.) How would you rate this year with a scale from 1 (shitty) to 10 (the shit)? 8 or 9...tough but with good rewards.

I don't think you can Handel this

2006-12-08T17:36:00.000-06:00

So tonight, tomorrow night, and Sunday I am playing bone 3 on The Messiah. I've been trying hard to not listen to the music during the two dress rehearsals, since the trombones only play on 5 of the movements, out of 20 or 30 some. So I'll be getting my fill of Handel this weekend.

The weiner kids and I are putting on a concert on Thursday. It should be pretty sweet. The kids are playing well and they're stoked, so it should be fun.

Man, it's almost Christmas. I haven't been this excited for Christmas in awhile. No specific reason...maybe other than the break. I could use one.

Oh, and for those of you attending the Hastings Joy of Christmas version 3.0, you best keep it classy.

There are always more interesting things to do

2006-11-25T19:56:00.000-06:00

I have awaiting me a short laundry list of things to do (including laundry) that is being creatively avoided. My most recent distraction was found in the form of a great program called MusicBrainz Picard (yes, like Jean-Luc). A while back, some nasty glitch in iTunes erased all of the data that identified a good chunk of my music, leaving me with 500 or so "unknown album/artist/title" tracks, scarring my music library. I went on a cyber-search to find a program that could recover this information, and I found something even better.

Picard is a program that takes an "audio fingerprint" of an MP3 file, and analyzes it against a vast, open-user internet database of files that is added to any time someone uses a MusicBrainz program. Not only did it recover all of the lost information, but it is now going through my 4,500+ songs and adding all the details it can find, plus album art! Take that iTunes! However, the process isn't that fast (as should be expected), so this should take the better part of several hours to complete. Should be worth it, though.

What else has gone on during this extended weekend? Thanksgiving was good...since my folks just sold their house and moved in to a rental (in preparation for moving back to the Cities), they had no place to go for Thanksgiving, so my family and Alison's family joined forces and had one big brou-ha-ha. It was a good time. Yesterday, Alison and I went on a date to celebrate our 1-year engagement anniversary. We went to Buca, which was awesome, and then to the Tenacious D movie, which was wretched. I don't know what we were thinking, but it sucked.

Today I went to Hastings and played frisbee and ate burritos with Phil, Ryan, and a bunch of other Hastings type folk. I haven't played ultimate since before I hurt my knee. It was good to be back in business.

Other than that, things are pretty normal around here. I'm looking forward to getting my band concert ready, and getting it over with. December 14th (and really the 22nd) can't come soon enough!

I miss video games

2006-11-19T22:30:00.000-06:00

So this morning, Alison and I ventured to Best Buy in search of an external hard drive to feed Alison's growing Star Trek craving. When we got there, there were people walking out the door with brand new Nintendo Wii's. I thought "sweet, maybe I could get one." Ha! Fat chance. So for fun we went around to see where the lines were and to see if we could nab one, but to no avail. When we were at Target, we did notice the extremely low price on Slim-line Playstation 2's ($129), and realized that for the price of the Wii alone, we could get a PS2, Final Fantasy XII, Lego Star Wars II, an extra controller, and a memory card.

Done and done.

Tonight, instead of doing things like lesson planning and writing papers, we played Lego Star Wars together. I've never felt closer to her than I did this evening.

Weekend?

2006-11-18T17:01:00.000-06:00

Insanely long week. 5 days of teaching fun, punctuated by 9 hours of parent-teacher conferences to day (yes, on a Saturday). Got a bit of relief on Friday night when I drove up for the Bone Dinner. Which, by the way, was awesome. Not only did Gnate and Joe show up, but Colin and his big mouth drove all the way from Indiana. It was pretty much amazing. Good to see everyone, and the plebes looked very down-trodden...good work, gents.

Now I'm off to a fellow colleague's house to blow off some steam after conferences. Tomorrow, I am sleeping.

Adios

2006-11-11T16:12:00.000-06:00

I really have nothing new to say...hooray for Democrats, boo for Wisconsin still thinking like a bunch of old-fashioned mid-westerners. Hooray for the YMCA, boo Tim Pawlenty (and Mike Hatch, too).

Really, nothing much has happened this week. I'll keep ya posted.

Back in the saddle

2006-11-02T21:27:00.000-06:00

So tonight I went to the south metro to audition for the Dakota Valley Symphony. I played Rochut #42, Willaim Tell and the Tuba Mirum...I have never been serious about studying excerpts, nor did I spend too much time working these up in the week I had to get ready. But, I channeled my good musical sense, and the conductor had no problem with my playing. Plus, the orchestra right now is sans 2nd and bass trombone, so they stuck me on bass for the Messiah. Overall, I think this group is probably on par with Chip Valley, maybe a bit smaller string section (although it seemed like many people were gone...this is a volunteer group). I don't really care...it's a chance for me to get my face back on the horn, and for that I am grateful.

This weekend I am going to get a membership to the local YMCA and I am going to stop being un-fit.

Next weekend I shall conquer France.

Why I love my job

2006-10-25T20:56:00.000-05:00

So I'm teaching this General Music class in the high school...and for you faithful readers, this would be the one that was assigned to me the day before school started. My challenge was to create a unique class for students who did not sign up for music, and, to quote my quotable principle "do something fun and funky."

So I've roleld with it, with fairly decent results. Tomorrow's lesson? Dance music. Leading off the discussion: Napoleon Dynamite. Other listening excerpts will cover:

-Beyonce and Jay-Z: "Deja Vu"
-Vengaboys: "We Like to Party"
-The Macarena
-The Cha-Cha Slide
-Boot Scootin' Boogie

The list goes on...Since there's a school dance on Friday, I'm gonna get catch them in the right mindset the next two days by listening and analyzing popular dance music, then next week hit 'em with the hard stuff and look at traditional and classical dances (rite of spring, handel's water music, bach's cello suites). I'm an evil, evil man.