30 April 2007

Days Go By...

Last week absolutely stunk. Sometimes it is stunning how rough and rude people are with everyone and everything around them. And also so very destructive. We have been constantly replacing and trying to teach people how to properly use some of our equipment, but nothing sticks. Teachers won't reinforce what we teach, and kids are absolute morons. Well, not all of them, but the majority are. And you can tell.

Our composition lab has assigned seating, and whenever you have a good kid sitting at a station, there are no technical difficulties at all. Everything works, because they're not trying to walk around with their headphones plugged in or do something they want to do but don't know how to do with the computer audio system. Teachers don't tell them not to, mostly because they can't tell what the kids are doing, since they spend their time teaching instead of learning tech stuff (and understandably so).

So my whole week was spent fixing that junk, repairing printers, and running around constantly because it's the only week, until the end of the year, free of testing of any kind. Now we've started up over a month's worth of testing that will tie up 30-50% of all our computers. Oh, and some are just field tests. And the main big one is the test that we did in October. All of October. (sigh) I won't rant here.

I'd rather speak of my fun weekend. Part of what made my week hectic was me trying to fit in some good old fashioned practice time. On Saturday morning I filled in for a tenor sax player in a pro big band. It was just a couple of hours, and by the end my chops were aching a bit, but damn it felt good to play again. All I did was sightread jazz music for two hours straight. There wasn't any pressure, as I wasn't going to be at the gig; they just wanted a full band to rehearse with. I made lots of mistakes, but still not as many as I had originally thought I would make, and so much of my embouchure and technique came quickly back to me. I dug it.

When I got home, it was a bit after lunch time, so I watched some of the ballgame and relaxed with a beer and a burrito. Then it was outside to enjoy a lovely afternoon and rake up my lawn to attempt to bring it back to life. I'll tell you, nothing makes you feel more lame than getting worn out from raking. But it was nice to be out and having Austin run amok as I worked. I felt fatherly.

Eventually, our neighbors across the street came by, namely instigated by their little girl soliciting her being twelve and able to babysit now. She reminds me of my sister at about that age, which is cute but at the same time a little disconcerting. At last, Michelle was able to meet them and talk a bit. Two of the three neighbor kids offered to help rake, so I gladly accepted their services in exchange for some lemonade.

Sunday, poor Michelle was sick to her stomach, so I let her sleep most of the day away. I took Austin to the hardware store to gather up supplies to turn our lawn green again, and then he and I had lunch and returned to work outside. I got a little more of the lawn raked (good God my back was/is sore), then as soon as I got far enough, we were on to our mission: reseed the dead spot in the middle of my freakin' lawn. It's about four feet in diameter, and was a fire pit many moons ago and the previous owner, detailed maintenance man that I'm finding out he was, never decided to fix when a new pit was constructed elsewhere. Austin was pretty stoked to be able to water the patch with our new hose and his yellow 'telescope' (straight water nozzle.)

I feel almost accomplished this weekend. Almost. I did wind up wasting over five hours watching part of a Gilmore Girls marathon. Oh well. There's still a ton more to do, and I need to seed and fertilize the lawn before the world orbits much farther. Of course, I also need to properly water the whole lawn with the great sprinkler system I have, but first I need to be able to power on the most likely illegal well, and that will require a hundred feet or more of 220 extension cord. At least then I'll be watering my lawn with free well water rather than paying for city water.

Today after work I hope to get home and plant a little Green Ash sapling Michelle brought home from an environmental fair. And more raking, that way by the time the weekend rolls around, I can water and mow and seed and fertilize and be all set. Of course, weather could stop me, since we're due to have some thunderstorms this afternoon.

Toodles~

23 April 2007

Like Cousins...

It seems that my goofy cat Tyrone has managed to follow directly in the footsteps of his cousin, Buster. This is an amazing thing, considering Buster lives way out in the California mountains.

Last night, just as it started to rain, my kitten brought in a little toy from the great outdoors. Well, he thought it was a toy. Michelle had just come home, and I had Austin in the tub, so I went out to the garage to bring Tyrone in for the night. As soon as I got into the garage, I hear this sad little squeaking/squealing, and a small brown creature being follow by a slightly larger straight black cat.

At first, I could not recognize the little thing Tyrone was chasing/playing with. It darted back under the car, and then under the couch we still have in the garage. Oh, speaking of which, if anyone in the Twin Cities area is looking for a perfectly good recliner couch, let me know and it's all yours.

Tyrone quickly followed it under the couch, and the little thing ran out to the back wall. It was a little baby rabbit. Slightly smaller than a gopher, and luckily completely unharmed. Where it came from, I have no idea. We just have lots more animals like that even in the suburbs here than I had growing up in Central California.

So I managed to eventually corner Tyrone and lock him down in the basement so I could retrieve the rabbit. It was still hiding back under the couch, and so I opened the back door to the garage, lifted part of the couch (it's incredibly heavy; stupid recliners) and it scurried out into the rainy night.

I tell you, though, it was a ridiculously cute little thing, and I'm glad Michelle never saw any more of Tyrone going after it. It's a little easier for her to handle making sure Austin doesn't drink the bath water than Tyrone torturing a baby bunny.

So yes, I feel Tyrone has finally lived up to his feline stature, which was long overdue. He got pretty freaked out by the wind and refused to go outside earlier that day. But at least like his cousin Buster, Tyrone knows how to properly hunt.

Toodles~

19 April 2007

Updation...

Spring is here, a Spuh-ring is here!
Life is Skittles and life is beer!
I think the loveliest time of the year is the Spring,
I do. Don't you? 'Course you do.

But there's one thing that makes Spring complete for me,
And makes every Sunday a treat for me...

All the world seems in tune
On a spring afternoon
When we're poisoning pigeons in the park.

Every Sunday you'll see
My sweetheart and me
As we poison the pigeons in the park.



Life's been going pretty swell out here, though rather tiring. On Tuesday evening was the final band concert of the year, which included the jazz band I've been teaching since January. We performed some prelude music while the giant seventh grade band assembled itself on stage. It went over well, and we got lots of nice compliments from those in attendance. I was really proud of the kids and the work they did, despite having nearly half the jazz band drop out for lack of interest (once a week is rough for some kids to justify, after all.)

It was not the first time I've directed a group before an audience, but it was the first with jazz. It was easy this time around, because we were just background music, nothing to be the center of attention. I don't know if I showed it at all, but I was a little on edge, just because it was jazz. But hey, it went well. I survived. No reason I won't the next time. First DL is over.

There are other wonderful things going on in my life. Austin has been beyond good the past few weeks. He loves the switch of me taking him to school in the morning and Michelle picking him up. He's been getting himself dressed and his manners would do his Great Grandma Mary proud. And, now this will impress everyone who's been to our house, there have been no toys placed on the Naughty Shelf for some time now. It's amazing. I tell you, I'm done raising him. Anything else I do will be more harm than good.

Michelle is still getting up at five am and enjoying her hefty commute to work, where she can listen to music or podcasts and read. Mass transit does equal joy. In fact, I'm a little envious. But then again, I get to blog during my downtime at work. She loves being a cubicle warrior (and loves that I call her that). One thing you'll know around here is that employees at Target Corporate love their jobs and the company itself. I was talking to her last night, and apparently what Coca-Cola is to some people, what with the collectibles and paraphernalia and whatnot, Target will be for her. And you know what? I can accept that, as I have been informed.

I seem to have a hold on my own life, no?

Ta~

17 April 2007

The Worst...

...has occurred at Virginia Tech. I left my thoughts at The Amphitheater.

Peace~

13 April 2007

Wow...

I tell you, goodness is being able to play the theme to Beavis and Butt-Head while at work. I think that you have to be a man between the ages of 28 and 23 to really be able to notice at all. Either way, I like having days of working on a project without random, noisy kids coming in and souring my day.

Enjoy the weekend, Radioland. I plan to~

12 April 2007

Go Twins...

Last night was the first game since opening day that I've been able to catch a ballgame. Watching Ramon Ortiz pitch, I could only stay awake for two-thirds of the game, was a beautiful thing. He almost completely silenced the Yankees, allowing only one run in eight innings. Baseball is just an amazing game, and is partly to blame why I don't believe in probability. So much heart and individual spirit goes into each pitch and each swing, you just never know what will happen.

Granted, baseball is a game full of statistics of every kind encompassing almost a century and a half, and continuing to add to them. But still, in my little pieces of watching, I have seen the worst pitcher strike the greatest hitters out with garbage in the dirt, and seen guys who can't get a hit pull a perfect triple to win the game, and have seen two outs, two runs up in the 9th turn into two runs down and a lost game. There's a chance, a suspense, a debate, and an intensity in every action, and I love it. And if there's a chance, it's fifty-fifty in my book.

It was a nice end to a day full of ups and downs. Austin managed to wake up at five in the morning, just before Mommy and I wake to some classical music on MPR. Oh yes, and it'd been snowing all night and would for the remainder of the day. Luckily we managed to get out of the house on time, even with me dealing with Austin being up and about while I try to assemble myself along with him.

Next came an up. After Austin was at school, on my way to work Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was on the radio. I got to let it rip and I belted out along with it (though Freddy Mercury's range is well beyond my own). It felt good, and it got me groovin' and ready for the rest of the day.

Of course, the rest of the day was quite against it. It got very long, with lots of little things breaking down, but nothing big to specifically work on. Then arose a situation where I had to deal with a discipline problem with a kid in jazz band. Nothing awful, just a boy liking a girl, and to show it the boy terrorize and annoy her ceaselessly. So a parent called, I talked to the boy, it's all sorted. It was just something I don't care to deal with. Luckily he knocked it off before I had to kick him out.

The day ended in great relief when Michelle decided we should get Chinese food for dinner. So she got the munchkin and I went to a new takeout place and ordered out. I walked in like I would have at my favorite takeaway in Reading, and ordered some goodness, then sat to wait. It was such a small pleasure, and it completely recharged me. I took a section of the Star Tribune and simply read for about fifteen minutes. Nothing but smelling the wonderful aromas of food cooking there and reading local news. Like I've said before, Heaven doesn't happen after you die.


I suppose I should get back to editing another podcast for the school. I'm writing this on one of my breaks. I am teaching another session of my afternoon animation class again, which means my days will be regularly very long. At least the podcast is interesting, as most are. This one had a great storyteller, and she was describing being in West Africa where the kids wanted nothing more than pencil and paper. Makes my wheels turn and my fingers itch, I tell you...

Toodles~

06 April 2007

My Argument...

Now, this is my argument against an open-air ballpark being built out here:

Silva, Twins' outing vs. White Sox put on hold
Right-hander Carlos Silva will have to postpone his season debut as tonight's Twins-White Sox game has been suspended due to the extremely cold temperatures and winds forecast for the evening. The game will be rescheduled for a future date.


C'mon now, folks. We're paying so much for a new ballpark, which I will admit we desperately need, but put in the extra bucks and have a retractable roof put on! Our opening day would have been snowed out if it wasn't in the toilet bowl Metrodome.

Oh well. At least a train will be built to the ballpark. I'm very game for that.

02 April 2007

It's springtime...

Well, it's the first day of my spring vacation. Nice to be in the education field, right? Normally I would say that it is weak, why not just push through another week's worth of work? Well, I'll tell you, just as any teacher would, that kids get absolutely nutty around the Vernal Equinox, and pushing them too hard for too long will just make them lose it. Most of them did, particularly the week before break.

As a standard, Fridays are the wildest days of those in a week, particularly prior to a long weekend. Since the equinox, though, it's been worse. The lack of forethought and consideration has deteriorated to nearly nothing. They bounce off the walls and each other. My very three year old boy could definitely teach them a lesson in patience.

And this whole week... wow. Nothing could be said or done to get these kids to sit still or keep a thought in their head about anything other than themselves. I am certainly glad it was only a four-day week for them. Friday was for teachers to finish up their work for the end of the quarter.

Right now I'm enjoying doing very little. Tyrone and I are lounging around, both indoors and out. I'm teaching him the boundaries of the house so he'll know where home is, and so he won't be cooped up downstairs, since we've just decided to keep him from Austin at all times. It's unfortunately easier that way. Ty won't run, and Austin can't keep from playing roughly (he doesn't really know he's doing it).

I do have lots to clean around the house, and with the garage having warmed up a touch, I can put what has been living in there into proper storage or disposal, and my poor little Rusty might have a roof over his head for the first time in his life. I'm excited about it. I am also excited about sitting around on my deck, watching the kid and the cat romp around, watching baseball (home opener tonight!), and just reading my little heart out.

Most immediately, I am very excited to have my pseudo-sister coming out to visit this week. She never made it out for the wedding, and I've missed seeing her (like all of those I left in California). We'll try to catch a ballgame, visit Michelle downtown, do little things; mostly just hang.

Here's to a glass of wine and a cheesy flick from the 80s~