Of Mice and Men April 14, 2009
Posted by Dale in Wildlife.1 comment so far
Last night I had a dream. I dreamed that there was a mouse in our house, and when I discovered it, in my dream, I caught it by the quickest, most resourceful method I could come up with in the spur of the moment – with my bare hand. It was a wiggly little thing, this mouse in my dream, but I managed to hang onto it without either of us getting hurt. Knowing that the mouse would need to be released a considerable distance from the house so it wouldn’t find its way back in, I proceeded to make my way into the woods, intending to go as far as I could, right to the very end of our property. The mouse in my dream was actually rather cute, and with every step I took through the woods, I found myself falling more and more in love with the little creature. It was, then, a tearful moment when I finally said goodbye to my new little friend as I sent it on its way.
The dream was not a surprise. You see, we’ve had an actual mouse in our house the last couple of days – maybe longer, but I just saw it for the first time a couple of days ago, a little brown streak out of the corner of my eye, disappearing under the couch, never to be seen again. I set a trap, a nice little humane trap designed to keep the mouse alive for release back into the wild.
Sure enough, when I awoke this morning the trap door was closed, so I prepared to live out my dream by taking the trap outside. But that’s where the similarities ended – my real mouse (probably a vole, actually) was dead; in fact, rigor mortis had already set in. Perhaps due to my dream (or the fact that I am such a softie), I realized that I was upset by the little creature’s demise. It really was a little cutie!
International Trombone Week 2009 April 5, 2009
Posted by Dale in Trombone.2 comments
Today marks the first day of International Trombone Week 2009, and I intend to celebrate! I am going to attempt to write a post a day here on my blog, and I even have a performance planned with the UPEI Trombone Quartet.
It is fitting that I should be performing in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony with the PEISO this afternoon. This particular work is generally regarded as the first Symphony (the genre, not the orchestra) to use trombones, albeit with one relatively obscure exception. After this, it would become common to have three trombones in the orchestra, and for this we are truly grateful to Beethoven for his influential and extraordinary vision. The score calls for alto, tenor and bass trombones – but not until the last movement. The first note for the alto trombone is a high C, and it is agonizing to sit quietly on stage for three movements waiting for your big moment – it would be really nice if the conductor would stop the piece for a few minutes to let you warm up for it! Later there is a high F (two if you take the repeat!), and a high E near the end. This is the only piece in all the standard orchestral repertoire that asks the first trombonist to play these notes. One might assume that there must have been an amazing trombonist at Beethoven’s disposal for him to have written these notes; on the other hand, maybe old Ludwig just had no idea what he was doing. By all accounts, the first performance of the work was an absolute disaster, although we don’t know how the trombonists may or may not have contributed to this. What is clear is that neither Beethoven nor anyone else would ever write such high notes for the trombone again, perhaps implying that a lesson had been learned!
I do enjoy playing the alto trombone, and look forward to this afternoon’s challenge. And I can’t think of a better way to kick off International Trombone Week!
Making Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups April 3, 2009
Posted by Dale in Food, My Favourite Things, Recipes.3 comments
Considering my recent obsession with dark chocolate and my fondness of peanut butter, it’s only natural that I should want to eat them together. With Reese’s as my model, I’ve been making my own chocolate peanut butter cups, and it goes like this:
Using a double boiler (to avoid scorching), melt some nice dark chocolate. Into a little candy cup, spoon just enough chocolate to cover the bottom of the cup. Let the chocolate cool down and solidify (faster if you put it in the fridge). While you are waiting, mix some peanut butter with a bit of honey. I use natural peanut butter (100% peanuts), and the honey helps stiffen it so it is easier to control when adding it to the cup. When the chocolate base has set, spoon in a small ball of the peanut butter mixture and press down to spread it into a disc shape, keeping it slightly away from the side of the cup. Then pour in some more melted chocolate so it surrounds and covers the peanut butter. Let cool. Presto, delicious peanut butter cups, guaranteed to please!
A word of caution: don’t be too disappointed if people refuse to believe that you made these all by yourself!
25 Things About Me February 2, 2009
Posted by Dale in Life.2 comments
I was recently tagged here in the 7 Things thing, and coincidentally tagged by my wife on facebook with the 25 Things thing there. So here I am, killing two birds with one stone, and ending my blogging hiatus with my list of 25 things you don’t really need to know about me.
1. My middle name is Burpee. That’s right, Burpee. Sad but true. What were my parents thinking?! Actually, I like it. It’s distinctive. Some of my best friends call me Burpee. Without laughing, even. (Burpee was also my maternal grandfather’s middle name, and that’s what everyone called him – except for my grandmother; she couldn’t stand it).
2. I love the trombone. I could listen to trombone music all day, every day. And I love performing. I wish I had more time to practice, though.
3. I love my family more than anything (even the trombone!). They bring out the best and the worst in me, and that can only be caused by people for whom I am truly passionate. When Sandy and I met it was love at first sight, but it would be another year before we finally started dating. That was in 1987 – we’ve been together for over half of our lives!
4. Being a dad is the scariest thing I’ve ever done, but you know what? I think I might actually be good at it! I just wish I didn’t have to work – it bugs me when I miss out on happenings at home.
5. I am fiercely loyal. I still can’t bring myself to get rid of my ‘92 Dodge Colt, even though absolutely nothing on it works anymore. Man, what a great car that was! OK, let’s add “sentimental” to the list, too. Dare I mention that high school graduation T-shirt from 1986?
6. I am a night owl. My best work (including this list, lol) is done after everyone has gone to bed. It’s inertia, really. Awake – just want to stay up. In bed – Zzzzzz.
7. I can fix anything. I’m not afraid to take anything apart, and when I put it back together I feel confident that the leftover parts must not have been all that important anyway. I will likely be a handyman when I grow up.
8. I have two university degrees: a Bachelor of Music degree from UPEI (1991) and a Master of Music in trombone performance from Northwestern University in Chicago (1992). Believe it or not, they’ve actually come in handy a couple of times.
9. I have been nearly vegan for 17 years. I say “nearly” because I have been eating a few eggs in the last couple of years. I don’t really know why either – they’re disgusting.
10. I have a high metabolism and can eat and eat and eat. I have put a few all-you-can-eat restaurants out of business over the years. A long time ago I lost a bunch of weight and ended up really skinny. Some people assume that I lost the weight because I became vegetarian, but it actually happened before that, due to “Starving Student Syndrome” that year in Chicago. I have been gradually able to put the weight back on after some sporadic periods of lifting weights, and am finally back to my teenage high of 165 lbs. I am kind of sensitive about people calling me skinny. I think a double standard exists whereby people seem to think it’s OK to tease people about being skinny when they wouldn’t tease somebody about being fat.
11. I have recently come to the inevitable conclusion that I have celiac disease. If you’re wondering how I could possibly survive as a nearly-vegan who can’t eat wheat, let me say that for every food I’ve given up I’ve found lots more to replace it. The result is that my diet includes a much wider variety of foods than it ever would have if I was still a meat-and-potatoes man.
12. My first big job was playing in the Band of the Ceremonial Guard on Parliament Hill in the summer of 1988. Marching on the Hill in 30 degree heat, wearing a wool tunic and a bearskin hat – we earned our money. We also had to undergo basic military training – I threw a real live hand grenade and learned how to operate a rifle and a submachine gun. These skills have come in very handy in my career as a trombonist.
13. Farthest I’ve travelled: Japan, 2000 – a three-week tour playing in the orchestra for Opera Atelier’s production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”. What an amazing experience that was.
14. I am a patient man, but two things drive me crazy: slow drivers, and Windows computers.
15. I love building things out of Lego and K’nex. Bailey and I will play with that stuff together for hours. Hey Bailey – Bailey? Where’d you go?
16. I am such a perfectionist, I can’t even send an email to myself without proofreading and correcting spelling mistakes, grammar and punctuation. Like, chill out, man.
17. I am really quite boring. I can’t believe you’re still reading this.
18. I love a good action flick. Actually, it doesn’t even have to be that good. I’ll watch anything. Except Keanu – that guy makes me sick.
19. When I am older, I want to play the role of Matthew Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables, The Musical. I already know all the lines!
20. My favourite smell in the whole wide world is almond extract. Time stands still when I get a whiff of that stuff.
21. When I think about winning the lottery, my first thought is about how many composers I would commission to write trombone pieces. Oh man, I can’t wait to play all those new works. What? You have to buy a ticket?!
22. I am an earth muffin. We live off-the-grid in the middle of the woods, buy local as much as possible, shop second-hand and generally try really hard to be green. There is lots more I could do to be greener – every day I try a little bit harder. Someday I hope to be able to look my grandkids in the eye and honestly say I did my best to keep this planet liveable for them.
23. One of my biggest regrets is quitting piano. As a kid, I would start lessons every fall and then quit after a few weeks. Perhaps if I had been taking lessons from someone other than my mother I might have stuck with it; who knows? I know it’s never too late, but I don’t even have the time now for everything I’m already doing. A retirement project, perhaps…
24. I value my friends highly. If you’ve read this far, you must be a good one. Thanks! By the way, if you haven’t heard from me in a couple of years, it’s not that I don’t love you; I think about you all the time. It’s just that:
25. I am a procrastinator. How did I ever get around to finishing this list?
Windterra Wind Turbine August 25, 2007
Posted by Dale in Environment, Renewable Energy.13 comments
When we built our off-the-grid house in 2000, our power system consisted primarily of 8 photovoltaic solar panels. Since then, we have been keen on adding a wind turbine to complement the solar, but just haven’t made that step yet. My father-in-law recently pointed out a small ad in the newspaper about a new Canadian-made wind turbine, so I checked out their website and was very excited by what I saw.
The Windterra ECO1200 is a 1000-watt wind turbine which, as you can see in the photo below, spins on a vertical axis rather than the traditional horizontal axis which you would be used to seeing. The advantage of the vertical axis system is that the turbine is omni-directional, meaning it will work no matter what direction the wind is coming from. The traditional wind turbines need to face into the wind in order to work. Other advantages of the Windterra turbine include: 1) it works better in turbulent air, 2) it is more effective at lower wind speeds (operates as low as 11 km/h), increasing its efficiency and output, 3) it can be mounted on the roof, eliminating the need for a costly tower, and making it easier to install and service.
Windterra’s online price of $6050.00 includes includes the turbine, controller/inverter, and mounting system – pretty well everything you need to get started.
Unfortunately for us, the Windterra ECO1200 is designed for grid-tied systems, and will not work with our inverter. I am truly disappointed about this, because it seems like such a great product. However, for those of you who are on the utility grid and have been considering the possibility of making some of your own power, this product may be your answer. Meanwhile, I’ll keep looking for the right turbine for us.
Letter to my Tailgater August 8, 2007
Posted by Dale in Life on PEI.add a comment
Dear Tailgater:
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed me here on the road right in front of you. I know I’m driving a car much smaller than yours, but I do have my lights on, so surely you see me? Speaking of lights, do you have your hi-beams on, or is it just that you’re so @*&#ing close?! Oh sorry, am I holding you up? I guess I’m only doing the speed limit; that must really suck for you. What the…?! Oh man, I wouldn’t do that if I were you! Passing on a double solid line on this stretch of road? Don’t you know the cops are always sitting at the bottom of this hill? Geez, you must be doing 120! Oh, I see, you’re from Ontario… Listen man, you should trust the native drivers – we actually know what we’re d… Oh shit, see those flashing lights? Yeah, that’s a cop car – we’ve got those here too – uh, I think it’s a little too late to slam on your brakes. Yep, you’re busted. Bummer. Then again, with an SUV that size, you’re probably not too worried about a li’l ol’ ticket – a drop in the bucket compared to how much it must cost you to run that thing, eh? Hopefully they won’t take off too many points though. Hey, my turn to pass you! See you later! Maybe you’ll catch up again a little further down the road – then again, I might be home by the time you’re done here. Say Hi to Officer Bob for me!
Sincerely,
Damn Island Driver
Royal Tandoor July 12, 2007
Posted by Dale in Restaurants.add a comment
When the Royal Tandoor opened in Charlottetown last summer I was VERY excited. Finally, an Indian buffet in PEI. I went twice a week, between Anne shows on double days. Over the winter I only ended up going a few times, and the last few were rather disappointing. Reasons included:
1) food not heated up enough – I don’t know whether it had just come out of the fridge, or whether the food warmers just weren’t turned up high enough.
2) food sometimes dried out – hard crunchy rice, and food with a dried out layer on top – not very appetizing.
3) food not up to its former quality – flavours were off somehow – I occasionally didn’t go back for seconds – that says a lot!
4) fewer vegan options – sometimes I would only be able to have one of the vegetarian dishes because most of them were cream based or contained cheese.
So, after avoiding the place for a while, I finally gave it another chance today, and I am happy to report that things seem to be back to normal. They have a new chef, and the food was fresh, very tasty, heated properly, and I was able to eat all 4 vegetarian dishes. Only further visits will tell for sure, but I am optimistic that the Royal Tandoor has returned to its former glory.
I must also mention that the buffet is now available only at lunch time ($8.99), and supper is now a la carte.
Distress in Desable June 8, 2007
Posted by Dale in Environment, Life on PEI, Wildlife.2 comments
It is almost a perfect day today – sunny but not too hot, with a nice breeze to keep the mosquitoes at bay. Almost perfect, except that the pleasant chirping of birds is being punctuated by the sound of fake gunshots created by some stupid machine placed by a local farmer in his field to scare away the crows or raccoons or something. How stupid does he think they are?
So much for peace and tranquility in our woodland refuge.
Farmer Featherbrain started using his “gunshot machine” a few years ago, and some of the neighbours registered complaints about it. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done – although it is extremely annoying, it does not exceed the decibel level allowed by noise bylaws. So, all we can do is put up with it and curse him under our breath. I suppose we should be grateful that he’s not starting it up at 5:00 AM anymore. After a couple of mornings of that, one of our neighbours would go over and shut it off, but when Mr. Muggins found out, he put up “No Trespassing” signs, and threatened to shoot the guy if he caught him on his land. Nice. He eventually listened to reason – well, sort of – and compromised by holding off until 7:00.
One of Herr Brain’s latest projects is to cut down all the trees surrounding his fields. I guess he figures if the crows have no place to perch, they won’t come around. Hmm, is it possible he hasn’t figured out that THEY CAN FLY…
Killing trees generates quite a pile of brush which our resident genius disposes of by setting on fire. Because they are green, the burning brush piles generate great plumes of smoke, polluting the air for miles downwind and adding to the sensory overload. And of course, our neighbourhood numskull doesn’t worry too much about acquiring burning permits, or the attendant bans of such on dry days.
One interesting fact that has arisen from all of this is the discovery that he has had corn in the same field for 3 or 4 years straight, which is a blatant contravention of PEI’s Agricultural Crop Rotation Act. As a result of this discovery, Farmer Featherbrain was fined – some consolation for the neighbourhood perhaps, although I honestly doubt the consequences amounted to more than a slap on the wrist.
How do you talk sense into someone like this? Hmm, I wonder what he would think of me practicing the trombone across from his house…
Petition to Restore CBC Radio Two May 30, 2007
Posted by Dale in Music.10 comments
A couple of months ago, CBC Radio 2 made some changes which resulted in the cancellation of its evening classical music programmes, including my favourite: Two New Hours with Larry Lake. Two New Hours was the only radio programme to exclusively feature contemporary classical music, and its cancellation has ramifications for all of Canada’s composers and musicians, not to mention the audiences who relied on this particular programme as the only one of its kind to present the music of our living composers, as interpreted by Canada’s best, most creative musicians. It allowed us to travel all across the country from the comfort of our own homes, to hear great concerts such as those from the Winnipeg New Music Festival, and to feel connected with the new music community. It was one-of-a-kind, and now it’s gone – there is no alternative.
Critics (myself included) are condemning the changes as a “dumbing down” of CBC’s programming, that it unnecessarily duplicates other radio stations’ programming and leaves a big hole in fulfilling its mandate “to provide rich, original content that reflects the diversity of Canada.” Some lively discussions about the issue can be found here and here, as well as this letter to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage by composer Paul Steenhuisen.
A petition to restore CBC Radio Two has been initiated to try and convince those in power to undo these changes and reinstate “the type of intelligent, provocative and informative programming that has long been a hallmark of Radio 2.” Feel free to sign this petition if you have any interest in the issue. And be assured, this is NOT one of those silly chain emails that goes around; it is a legitimate petition.
Here’s hoping I get my CBC back.
Win CF Light Bulbs! May 18, 2007
Posted by Dale in Environment.1 comment so far
If you are the owner of a single family dwelling on PEI, and are interested in finally making the switch from incandescent to compact fluorescent light bulbs, why not get some for free! Green Light Prince Edward Island is holding a lottery draw in which 1000 winners will be chosen (the week of June 11) to receive up to 12 CF light bulbs to replace any existing incandescents in their homes.
This contest is the second phase of Green Light PEI’s A Bright Idea project, the goal of which is to “help homeowners save energy and money, and in turn, reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” The results of their pilot project in 2006 demonstrated that the average household retrofitted with CF bulbs reduced their energy use by 2.6 kilowatt hours per day (worth about $95/year), and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 0.65 tonnes per participant. It is another example of how a small action can make a big difference – imagine how much greenhouse gases could be reduced if everyone made the switch.
Check out Green Light PEI’s website for more details on the contest. It is a great project, and a great chance to win some free bulbs. And with 1000 winners, the odds are pretty good!
Incidentally, our house is outfitted completely with CF bulbs (which makes us ineligible for the contest), and although the initial cost was higher up front (compared to incandescents), we have not had to change a single bulb since we installed them over six years ago!
Music Festival – on marks and competition May 14, 2007
Posted by Dale in Kids, Life, Music.1 comment so far
My daughter sang in the Kiwanis Music Festival today. It was so sweet. All the girls who sang were very cute. I love the fact that Riley likes to perform in front of an audience – she’s really into it, and I hope she will always retain that joy for sharing music. Last year was the first year she sang in the festival, and it was a non-competitive class – everyone got a participant ribbon, no first-second-third nonsense. If only life could be so, well, non-competitive. Although Riley’s classes were competitive this year, she still didn’t seem too concerned about whether or not she would win, although she very much hoped to get a ribbon (colour not important), just because she likes ribbons – and she came home with a blue one and a white one (even better – two different colours!).
You might wonder what would be the point of having competitive classes at that age – is there any real purpose to being marked and ranked when you’re seven? I suppose it prepares kids for “real life” and the reality of sports and spelling bees… and jobs. Having gone through that whole music festival experience myself, as both participant and adjudicator, I am cognizant of the somewhat subjective nature of music competitions – of how the adjudicator’s own musical tastes, biases and expectations come into play in their evaluations. When I adjudicate, or when I have to mark my university students on their progress, I always find myself wishing I didn’t have to assign a mark – that I could just relate my comments and constructive criticism, and leave it at that. Of course, that would be taking the easy way out – and what kind of message would that send to the kids? There’s already an attitude (borderline epidemic?) of entitlement apparent among today’s youths. Perhaps we should embrace any opportunity to demonstrate to kids that success requires effort, that hard work is rewarded – and that you don’t automatically get something just because you want it.
While we may worry now about our desire to keep the music festival experience a good one, it is inevitable, if the adjudicators are doing their job, that Riley (and Bailey, in his turn) will experience disappointment along the way. And rather than try to negate or temper the impact of such an experience, perhaps the best thing we can do as parents is to make sure our kids learn something valuable in the process – how to deal with disappointment, to see it as an opportunity to build character, and to always look for the positive in any situation. Lifelong goals, for sure. And if we can keep music-making fun through all of that, then I will be very happy.
My 1200 Calorie Breakfast May 9, 2007
Posted by Dale in Health, Vegetarian Food, Wheat-free.1 comment so far
I’ve always believed in having a good breakfast, although the actual content has changed a lot over the years. As a kid, bacon and eggs were the usual thing; now, as a vegetarian, I start my day with a base of whole grains. What has remained consistent is that my breakfast is BIG. Today, I decided to find out just how big – here is a typical morning meal:
That ought to get me through to lunch!
Music from CTV Ad May 3, 2007
Posted by Dale in Music.1 comment so far
We don’t have cable TV, so the only channels we get are CBC, CTV and Global on a clear day. Honestly, though, who needs more than CTV? With Criminal Minds, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and all the CSIs and Law and Orders (and yes, even American Idol), CTV is it for me. One could easily spend their whole evening glued to CTV, although thanks to facebook, this doesn’t happen so much anymore!
I’ve been really enjoying the music on one of the CTV ads – it’s the ad with the bouncing “C” ball and pretty much all the stars of all the shows on CTV – the one which starts with Jon Stewart doing air grafitti, and where George from Grey’s gets it in the you-know-what. I was determined to find out what the song was, and have learned that it is the title track from Natasha Bedingfield’s album Unwritten.
According to her website, Natasha Bedingfield is “the UK’s biggest female pop star bar none”. And I’ve never even heard of her. But then, that genre isn’t really what I stay on top of. I do like that song though, and once I figured out what it was, I downloaded it from Puretracks so I could listen to the whole thing. I like it! I also like expanding my musical horizons, and that means keeping my ears (and my mind) open – inspiration can come at any time and from any place, even from a simple ad on TV.
First Blogiversary April 29, 2007
Posted by Dale in Blogging.1 comment so far
Exactly one year ago I made my first post to this blog. 84 posts later, I have averaged 7 per month, a little short of my goal of 2 or 3 a week, but not too bad I guess. My most verbose month (with 15 posts) was the current one, April 2007, which is not surprising since this included all the International Trombone Week posts. September 2006 was my least loquacious month, with only 3 posts.
My blogging goals have been:
1) to keep in touch with friends,
2) to initiate discussions on various topics, and
3) to practice writing, and work on improving my writing skills.
Regarding this last goal, one important component of being a successful writer is the ability to communicate effectively. One of my first posts (which I ended up deleting) caused quite a controversy, and precipitated a period in which I have given much consideration to the adequacy of the written word in communicating ideas. Malcolm Gladwell, in one of his books (Blink or The Tipping Point, I can’t remember which), reported on the significance of facial expressions and body language in communicating – the actual words themselves contribute only a small percentage to the message. That makes one stop and think about how easily the written word on it’s own (in a format such as a blog), without the context of expression, can be misinterpreted – and that is exactly what happened to me with the aforementioned post. As a result, I have become supersensitive to this aspect of writing, and continue to strive for greater clarity of meaning.
One unexpected (and very rewarding) result of blogging is reconnecting with old friends. In November, I related a story about one of my former colleagues with the Hamilton Philharmonic, with whom I had not been in touch for several years. A few weeks after posting the story, I received an email from him. His brother had stumbled across the post somehow, and emailed the link to him. We have now reconnected and gotten caught up-to-date with each other’s lives.
I have had 8,297 total views, an average of 22 visits a day, with a single-day high of 157 – not bad, really, for a trombonist from little old PEI. All in all, it’s been fun. Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me over the year – hopefully I can come up with another year’s worth of stuff to write about.
Cheers,
Dale
Pearls Before Breakfast April 26, 2007
Posted by Dale in Life, Music.1 comment so far
Here is a very intriguing article about an experiment undertaken by the Washington Post to see what the public’s reaction might be when famous violin virtuoso Joshua Bell busks in a subway station (at the centre of federal Washington D.C.) during the morning rush hour, and for 43 minutes performs (on his 1713 Stradivarius, worth $3.5 million!) some of the greatest musical masterpieces ever written.
Before you read the article, try to guess what would happen: How many people might pass by during those 43 minutes? How many of those would stop to listen? How many would recognize (or even notice) who was playing? How many would throw money into the open violin case? How much money would be collected by the end of the performance? The actual results may surprise you. It certainly provides a very interesting commentary on our society, and is definitely worth reading.
Running/Shoes – Cause and Effect April 25, 2007
Posted by Dale in Health, Life.add a comment
I am currently experiencing a shoe shortage – all my shoes have gradually been falling apart. So yesterday, when I was heading out the door to drive to the Halifax airport to pick up my brother, I was down to a few unappealing choices: my black dress shoes, my winter boots, or my rubber boots. Oh man, something comfortable would be really nice for the six-hour round-trip. Then I spotted my running shoes. Lightweight and comfortable – yes, they would do nicely.
Then, at my first pit-stop, I made a discovery: simply wearing running shoes seems to make me want to run. As I stepped out of the car, I was taken over by an intense desire to RUN! So run I did. I felt so light on my feet. I FLEW across the parking lot, the wind whipping through my hair – runner’s high taking over almost instantly. I was a cheetah in pursuit of its prey, an Olympian sprinting to supremacy – a child loving life.
This is completely opposite to how this usually works – usually, you wait until you feel like running, then you put on your running shoes and you go for a run. This time, putting on the shoes made me want to run. It’s “cause and effect” in reverse. Just think of how one could apply this process to life! Some possibilities: put the trombone to my lips – presto, I feel like practicing! Put a saw in my hands – wow, I feel like cutting wood!
I think I might be on to something here. Try it. See if you have the same experience. Don’t wait until you feel like doing something. Just do it, and then see if that inspires the feeling. Hey, the worst that could happen is that you actually get something done.
Well, I’m off to bed, to see if that makes me feel like sleeping. Good night.
Two New Features April 22, 2007
Posted by Dale in Uncategorized.2 comments
Just wanted to bring your attention to two new features on my blog. On the right-hand column you will now notice links to my websites: 1) my trombone website, which contains my bio, musical activities and resources, 2) our house website, which describes how we are living off the grid, and 3) Pine Grove Music, my music publishing business. Someone mentioned to me recently that they wanted to be able to find these sites more easily. My Flickr photos link is further down the column.
I have also added a note which lists the book I am currently reading, in case anyone cares. I always find it interesting to know what people are reading. I haven’t made much progress on the current book, thanks to facebook!
Facebook Has Consumed Me April 20, 2007
Posted by Dale in Life.1 comment so far
OK, so last week I got an email from a friend (and 2nd cousin) inviting me to sign up with Facebook and join the “Bluefield Class of 1986″ group he’d created. We were in school together at Englewood from Grades 1-9, and then Bluefield for high school. The class of ‘86 was a very spirited bunch, and I have some great memories of many of those classmates. We had our 20-year reunion last summer – what a trip! Some people I hadn’t seen since the 10-year reunion; some, not since graduation day; some I run into all the time. Some had changed very little, some were almost unrecognisable – but everyone was excited to see everyone else. We all agreed that it would be really nice to stay in touch, especially those of us who were together since Grade One at Englewood. Twelve years – we did all of our growing up together – that makes for a bond with some strength behind it! It’s only natural we should want to maintain ties. But of course, it’s always easier said than done.
When I first came across Classmates.com, I thought it might be the answer, but it didn’t take long to figure out that it is pretty much useless, unless you pay for their premium service. While it’s standard fare for a website to offer both free and paid services, I believe that the free service should at least be functional. Classmates.com is not. You can write your profile, but friends can’t read it. Friends can leave you a message, but you can’t read it. Useless. And really, how many people are actually going to pay for the upgrade? A quick browse through the list of classmates reveals that next to none have. Classmates.com, move over – Facebook has achieved what you have failed to do. And finding old classmates is just the tip of the iceberg.
I’ve always thought it would be nice to keep in touch with every friend I’ve ever had – but of course, that’s just not possible. Everyone moves on – starts a family, gets a new job – and every phase brings with it a new set of friends. As we move from one thing to another, we have to come to terms with the fact that friends will come and go. That’s life. We enjoy the memories, and look forward to the reunions or chance encounters that temporarily bring us back together. After this week though, I think Facebook has the potential to shatter that notion. I now really believe it could be possible to stay in touch with everyone.
Facebook has it all: profiles, photos, blogs, email, discussion groups, fun features (check out the Friend Game for example), all with a user-friendly interface. You can participate in whatever capacity you choose, from social director to voyeur. Beware though – it’s TOTALLY ADDICTIVE!!! I’ve really been racking up the hours online this week – it’s INSANE! Hopefully once the novelty wears off, I can streamline things a bit – just check for updates a couple of times a day, and leave it at that – maybe reconnect with my children… 
Until then, see you on Facebook!
“Spring”, a poem by Riley April 18, 2007
Posted by Dale in Kids.add a comment
My Dad just emailed me this photo of their white board:
She must have been feeling very optimistic,
because it hasn’t felt much like spring yet.
