Stopped by the annual Pride Fest yesterday at Bushnell Park. A quick circuit around the sundry booths and vendors, a stop by the bandshell stage (a band was playing, nobody seemed to be listening), and I was out of there.
I did see a handful of old friends and stopped to chat with a few. But for the most part there was a feeling of alienation and disappointment, that this did not seem to be a place of connection, support, or community for me. It feels like, if one has been around enough, one has had a falling out or a drifting away from pretty much every organization in the park. Bleah.
About the only significant interaction was an eager young woman with a clipboard, fishing for HRC members. I felt rather old and cranky as I explained that I had been an HRC member / supporter for many years but that I was unable to support them anymore due to their policies vis a vis trans issues. Interesting that her canned spiel described HRC as "the largest gay and lesbian advocacy organization" - clearly HRC is not even pretending to be GLBT or trans advocates these days.javascript:void(0)
Later, I headed to Trinity College for the last night of the "Gay and Lesbian" Film Fest (again, no inclusiveness in terms of the name of the festival, although there is usually plenty of diversity in the films). Some interesting shorts (several fairly dark, several funny) including the amusing 25 Random Things I Did During My Big Fat Lesbian Depression which felt WAY too familiar. I joked that I was up to #17, but come on, one of the random things was getting into Kirtan, and another was yoga! Sheesh.
However, the film-maker seemed to plow through her 25 things in the course of a year; it seems to take me a decade to get through the same ground. At this point I'll find a relationship sometime around my 60th birthday.
The final short was my perennial favorite U-Haul: The Music Video, which makes me smile every single time I see it.
The feature last night was a bio-pic of the Topp Twins called Untouchable Girls. Really an amazing story about New Zealand twin sisters who are lesbians, folk musicians, and have evolved into commediennes.
A very well done film which incorporated a lot of archaival footage - Jools and Lynda as young buskers playing the streets (in 70's and 80's lesbian drag, denim and mullets, looking so delightfully dykey and at times reminding me of the young Roches in their harmonies and playfulness) and then aging into a beloved performing duo that has been engaged in NZ issues - anti-nukes, indigineous rights, and of course, gay/lesbian rights.
They are playing Northampton next week (June 12) at the Academy of Music - I'm gonna be knee deep in Guinea Pigs stuff or I'd take a trip up!
June 06, 2010
June 05, 2010
Fauna
Critters spotted at Deming-Young farm in Newington, over and above the omnipresent birds.
Rabbit: Elo is particularly interested and gives chase, the rabbits are descendants of El-ahrairah and soon lose the doltish dog. But he does so love to give chase. It's the beagle in him. We've seen them on the paths in early morning and late afternoon....feeding time no doubt.
Turtle: Think it was a painted turtle (the shell was a bit shallow for a box turtle) sunning itself in the short cut path. Elo tore up the path and sniffed a bit but did not bother it otherwise. Nice to see a turtle....it feels lucky.
Groundhog: Today, up by the barn. Elo was on a leash at the time, and did not see it, fortunately, I think he might have caught this critter given a chance. The ground-hog knew it was at risk and scampered into the underbrush. The ground hog must have some escape skills, given the number of unleashed dogs that walk at the farm.
Rabbit: Elo is particularly interested and gives chase, the rabbits are descendants of El-ahrairah and soon lose the doltish dog. But he does so love to give chase. It's the beagle in him. We've seen them on the paths in early morning and late afternoon....feeding time no doubt.
Turtle: Think it was a painted turtle (the shell was a bit shallow for a box turtle) sunning itself in the short cut path. Elo tore up the path and sniffed a bit but did not bother it otherwise. Nice to see a turtle....it feels lucky.
Groundhog: Today, up by the barn. Elo was on a leash at the time, and did not see it, fortunately, I think he might have caught this critter given a chance. The ground-hog knew it was at risk and scampered into the underbrush. The ground hog must have some escape skills, given the number of unleashed dogs that walk at the farm.
June 04, 2010
Crockett
Among the life mementos that I have carried with me is a 45 RPM record by a Worcester MA group called "Crockett". The A side is a bit of bawdy innuendo called "Judy Grew a Wildflower" and the B side is the something called "Some Kids". Circa 1979.
Crockett (led by Walter Crockett, with his wife Valerie and I believe featuring a young whipper-snapper on guitar named Duke Levine) must have played the coffeehouse at WPI and I liked them well enough to buy the record (the sleeve of which bears a price - 49 cents - although no idea if the sleeve is original)
For some reason I thought about Crockett this evening, and hunted them down online. There is a self described primitive website and sadly, an obituary for Valerie Crockett who passed away in October 2009.
Walter Crockett is still out there, playing music. I dug up a few videos on Youtube. First, a 2008 reunion of the band Zonkaraz (which I vaguely remember playing WPI, probably some concert or another).
And more visible adding some leads to a folkie duo called "Chuck & Mud"
I ought to email Mr. Crockett and see if the 45 is of some interest to him as a bit of history that he may no longer have a copy of....
Crockett (led by Walter Crockett, with his wife Valerie and I believe featuring a young whipper-snapper on guitar named Duke Levine) must have played the coffeehouse at WPI and I liked them well enough to buy the record (the sleeve of which bears a price - 49 cents - although no idea if the sleeve is original)
For some reason I thought about Crockett this evening, and hunted them down online. There is a self described primitive website and sadly, an obituary for Valerie Crockett who passed away in October 2009.
Walter Crockett is still out there, playing music. I dug up a few videos on Youtube. First, a 2008 reunion of the band Zonkaraz (which I vaguely remember playing WPI, probably some concert or another).
And more visible adding some leads to a folkie duo called "Chuck & Mud"
I ought to email Mr. Crockett and see if the 45 is of some interest to him as a bit of history that he may no longer have a copy of....
June 01, 2010
Un-Facebooking
I've decided to unlink my blog feed from my Facebook account.
I guess I feel like I'm putting myself out there a bit too much. I do not mind sharing my thoughts on a public sphere (I've been blogging since 2002) but Facebook is a little too public - writing here, and a handful of frequent readers will see it, along with those who stumble upon the blog via search engines or links, and those who consciously seek it out.
But Facebook - just too many people reading, and I've found myself filtering what I choose to write about because I am concerned about, or conscious of, the ripples that my words might cause among an increasing large circle of "friends". I've been reading Donna Farhi's "Teaching Yoga" and there is a lot in there regarding boundaries between students and teachers that is making me think a bit, and consider pulling back a bit.
Still linking to Twitter; which is (if anything) even more impersonal, but at least there, readers need to click through to get to the actual blog / post.
Apologies to those who enjoy my writing; stop by the blog once in a while and you can keep up with me.
I guess I feel like I'm putting myself out there a bit too much. I do not mind sharing my thoughts on a public sphere (I've been blogging since 2002) but Facebook is a little too public - writing here, and a handful of frequent readers will see it, along with those who stumble upon the blog via search engines or links, and those who consciously seek it out.
But Facebook - just too many people reading, and I've found myself filtering what I choose to write about because I am concerned about, or conscious of, the ripples that my words might cause among an increasing large circle of "friends". I've been reading Donna Farhi's "Teaching Yoga" and there is a lot in there regarding boundaries between students and teachers that is making me think a bit, and consider pulling back a bit.
Still linking to Twitter; which is (if anything) even more impersonal, but at least there, readers need to click through to get to the actual blog / post.
Apologies to those who enjoy my writing; stop by the blog once in a while and you can keep up with me.
May 29, 2010
Holiday Weekends
These summertime, long weekend holidays - Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day - are toughies. I am typically fighting a low grade depression as these things come round each year.
Part of that is, as a single person, not tied in to a traditional / local family unit, I rarely have someplace special to go or big plans. While much of society is off to the beach, a family cook-out, a barbeque, or the like, I'm often at loose ends. This year, I got an invite to a cookout with friends on Monday; I'm also teaching yoga Monday morning. Today was balloon chasing and then a day of vegging and cleaning; hit the GLBT film fest tonight. Tomorrow I hope to hit the mat, and perhaps find myself on the trail in the afternoon. So my weekend has filled up. But I still feel somewhat disconnected.
Another aspect is, as a single and self employed person, I'm fairly disconnected from the cultural shift towards summer mode. The end of the school year does not really impact me. Nor do I take much in the way of formal vacation. So the way these holidays are seasonal milestones for many is less meaningful to me.
I guess there is a nagging feeling that, were I to stop trying to stay connected, I could easily drop out for the 72 hours of this particular holiday, and I'd not be much missed. And even as I do find places to be, I feel very much like a 5th wheel, a spectator, a hanger-on. The undertow of these feelings is not particularly healthy or helpful, but it needs to be acknowledged.
Mostly, I just try to hang in there and not sink into too much lethargy. Tuesday will come and with it, a drop back in to the normal and comfortable rhythms of life. Just kind of weird to realize that while much of world lives for these breaks from the routine and the ordinary, I seem to flounder in these spaces.
Part of that is, as a single person, not tied in to a traditional / local family unit, I rarely have someplace special to go or big plans. While much of society is off to the beach, a family cook-out, a barbeque, or the like, I'm often at loose ends. This year, I got an invite to a cookout with friends on Monday; I'm also teaching yoga Monday morning. Today was balloon chasing and then a day of vegging and cleaning; hit the GLBT film fest tonight. Tomorrow I hope to hit the mat, and perhaps find myself on the trail in the afternoon. So my weekend has filled up. But I still feel somewhat disconnected.
Another aspect is, as a single and self employed person, I'm fairly disconnected from the cultural shift towards summer mode. The end of the school year does not really impact me. Nor do I take much in the way of formal vacation. So the way these holidays are seasonal milestones for many is less meaningful to me.
I guess there is a nagging feeling that, were I to stop trying to stay connected, I could easily drop out for the 72 hours of this particular holiday, and I'd not be much missed. And even as I do find places to be, I feel very much like a 5th wheel, a spectator, a hanger-on. The undertow of these feelings is not particularly healthy or helpful, but it needs to be acknowledged.
Mostly, I just try to hang in there and not sink into too much lethargy. Tuesday will come and with it, a drop back in to the normal and comfortable rhythms of life. Just kind of weird to realize that while much of world lives for these breaks from the routine and the ordinary, I seem to flounder in these spaces.
May 24, 2010
Breaking Silence
I spent the weekend supporting the 2010 teacher trainees. It was their 5th weekend of training, and this was "silent weekend". They were asked to keep to functional silence all weekend - no chatting, no socializing between sessions. And to extend that to their friends and families, as well as to communications tools - phone, internet, facebook, radio, tv, etc. Quite the challenge for most of us in this culture, myself included.
While I was not within the cone of silence (I'm on staff) I did respect that as much as possible, and kept my radio off in the car and at home, stayed off the internets for the most part, and avoided TV. So this morning, I'm continuing to enjoy the silence; keeping public radio off for a while as I ease into my day.
Assisting at teacher training is an incredible honor and opportunity - I entered teacher training myself 2 years ago because my enthusiasm for and joy surrounding yoga was spilling out of me; and this is just one more chance to share the love. These folks are working so hard and it is so amazing to watch their growth as yogis and as people in the pressure cooker of a teacher training program. I am in awe, most of the weekend.
While I was on duty most of the weekend, including assisting at the practices, I was able to unroll my mat on Sunday morning and practice with the class. The teacher training practices are incredibly challenging; yoga boot camp. And we started with a yin practice that took me down into grief and tears pretty quickly. So a good time on the mat....
The teacher training weekend is long - 5 hours Friday, 9 hours Saturday, and 9 hours Sunday. I also worked at the studio Saturday morning. So not a lot of unwinding and chilling going on this weekend. I missed out on a Falcon Ridge weekend - crew chiefs meeting as well as a concert with the most wanted song swap artists, and the chance to catch up with friends - but what can you do?
I'm back at it this morning, although consciously taking it easy. I have a few small projects to take care of, and an intro to yoga class to teach this evening in Meriden. But I'm hoping that today is a chance to reintegrate and catch up.
The teacher trainees were left with homework, as usual, and this month, one of their tasks was to come up with an "Unreasonable" - something that would challenge them, break old patterns, move them into a place of discomfort or out of habit. As this was being assigned, I thought back to my teacher training. I had no remembrance what my "unreasonable" was (although upon reflection, it involved getting body work; I had up until then never had a massage). But I think back on the past two years - I ended a relationship, purchased a home, began teaching yoga, started playing music in a band. On the whole, my entire life borders on the unreasonable, these days. Pretty great, all in all!
So kudos to my teachers, for the practice that has changed my life. For the teacher training that has helped me to grow. And for the community that continues to challenge me, to nurture me, and is my family.
While I was not within the cone of silence (I'm on staff) I did respect that as much as possible, and kept my radio off in the car and at home, stayed off the internets for the most part, and avoided TV. So this morning, I'm continuing to enjoy the silence; keeping public radio off for a while as I ease into my day.
Assisting at teacher training is an incredible honor and opportunity - I entered teacher training myself 2 years ago because my enthusiasm for and joy surrounding yoga was spilling out of me; and this is just one more chance to share the love. These folks are working so hard and it is so amazing to watch their growth as yogis and as people in the pressure cooker of a teacher training program. I am in awe, most of the weekend.
While I was on duty most of the weekend, including assisting at the practices, I was able to unroll my mat on Sunday morning and practice with the class. The teacher training practices are incredibly challenging; yoga boot camp. And we started with a yin practice that took me down into grief and tears pretty quickly. So a good time on the mat....
The teacher training weekend is long - 5 hours Friday, 9 hours Saturday, and 9 hours Sunday. I also worked at the studio Saturday morning. So not a lot of unwinding and chilling going on this weekend. I missed out on a Falcon Ridge weekend - crew chiefs meeting as well as a concert with the most wanted song swap artists, and the chance to catch up with friends - but what can you do?
I'm back at it this morning, although consciously taking it easy. I have a few small projects to take care of, and an intro to yoga class to teach this evening in Meriden. But I'm hoping that today is a chance to reintegrate and catch up.
The teacher trainees were left with homework, as usual, and this month, one of their tasks was to come up with an "Unreasonable" - something that would challenge them, break old patterns, move them into a place of discomfort or out of habit. As this was being assigned, I thought back to my teacher training. I had no remembrance what my "unreasonable" was (although upon reflection, it involved getting body work; I had up until then never had a massage). But I think back on the past two years - I ended a relationship, purchased a home, began teaching yoga, started playing music in a band. On the whole, my entire life borders on the unreasonable, these days. Pretty great, all in all!
So kudos to my teachers, for the practice that has changed my life. For the teacher training that has helped me to grow. And for the community that continues to challenge me, to nurture me, and is my family.
May 17, 2010
The Under Toad
From 'The World According To Garp' (and cribbed from Currently This):
"Duncan began talking about Walt and the undertow- a famous family story. For as far back as Duncan could remember, the Garps had gone every summer to Dog's Head Harbor, New Hampshire, where the miles of beach in front of Jenny Fields' estate were ravaged by a fearful undertow. When Walt was old enough to venture near the water, Duncan said to him- as Helen and Garp had, for years, said to Duncan- "Watch out for the undertow." Walt retreated, respectfully. And for three summers, Walt was warned about the undertow. Duncan recalled all the phrases.
"The undertow is bad today."
"The undertow is strong today."
"The undertow is wicked today." Wicked was a big word in New Hampshire- not just for the undertow.
And for years, Walt watched out for it. From the first, when he asked what it could do to you, he had only been told that it could pull you out to sea. It could suck you under and drown and you and drag you away.
It was Walt's fourth summer at Dog's Head Harbor, Duncan remembered, when Garp and Helen and Duncan had observed Walt watching the sea. He stood ankle deep in the foam from the surf and peered into the waves, without taking a step, for the longest time. The family went down to the water's edge to have a word with him.
"What are you doing, Walt?" Helen asked?
"What are you looking for, Dummy?" Duncan asked him.
"I'm trying to see the Under Toad, " Walt said.
"The what?" said Garp?
"The Under Toad," Walt said. "I'm trying to see it. How big is it?"
And Garp and Helen and Duncan held their breath; they realized that all these years, Walt had been dreading a giant toad, lurking offshore, waiting to suck him under and drag him out to sea. The terrible Under Toad.
Garp tried to imagine it with him. Would it ever surface? Did it ever float? Or was it always down under, slimy and bloated and ever watchful for ankles its coated tongue could snare? The vile Under Toad.
Between Helen and Garp, the Under Toad became their code word for anxiety. Long after the monster was clarified for Walt ("Undertow, dummy, not Under Toad!" Duncan had howled), Garp and Helen evoked the beast as a way of referring to their own sense of danger. When the traffic was heavy, when the road was icy- when depression had moved in overnight- they said to each other "The Under Toad is strong today."
"Remember," Duncan asked on the plane, "how Walt asked if it was green or brown?"
Both Garp and Helen laughed. But it was neither green nor brown, Garp thought. It was me. It was Helen. It was the color of bad weather. It was the size of an automobile.
I'm conscious of the Under Toad at the moment.
Last week, I got news that a friend, teacher trainee, and one of my regular students down at the yoga studio got hit by a car on her bicycle. Not one of these little brushes or scrapes (which can be bad enough, given the relative size and speed of the vehicle compared to a biker) but a full on collision that involved the neck, concussion, pelvis, ribs, ankle. Pretty scary. She seems to be doing OK, and will recover although I suspect it will be long and difficult.
On Friday, my former partner Zippy called. A mutual friend P was in the hospital - had been for almost two weeks with what appeared to be a stroke. Lots of drama there - Zippy upset that he had not checked up on P (who had not been returning calls), Zippy upset that the way P compartmentalized his life meant that family and friends were not in contact. But two weeks later, P is still barely conscious, in hospital, and they are not exactly sure what is going on. A week or so of testing and observation led up to a brain biopsy last week; results still unknown. Zippy's been over to visit P every day since; and he (Zippy) is pretty shaken up by it all - he and P have been very close.
In the background, some issues at the studio that do not directly affect me but results in my being pulled in to the teacher training (long weekends) - I love and am honored to be part of the training, but it will mean a long and tiring three days, last month and again next weekend.
Meanwhile, my home has descended into a level of mess and clutter heretofore unseen; musical instruments, yoga mats, clothes, shoes, newspapers, mail, you name it. I'm not exactly a neat freak but it's past the point of simply feeling comfortable and lived in. Just a bit too busy to spend the time keeping up around here, and in this place of frenetic activity, things like healthy eating, keeping my living space ordered, etc. go out the window. I've made a list and am starting to pick away at it; my kitchen table is cleared and I bought myself some flowers this weekend to draw myself back into the world of beauty and order.
I have a relatively clear schedule today and will be sneaking in some household chores in between my work projects. Might even sneak over to weight watchers and try to kick start that.
"Duncan began talking about Walt and the undertow- a famous family story. For as far back as Duncan could remember, the Garps had gone every summer to Dog's Head Harbor, New Hampshire, where the miles of beach in front of Jenny Fields' estate were ravaged by a fearful undertow. When Walt was old enough to venture near the water, Duncan said to him- as Helen and Garp had, for years, said to Duncan- "Watch out for the undertow." Walt retreated, respectfully. And for three summers, Walt was warned about the undertow. Duncan recalled all the phrases.
"The undertow is bad today."
"The undertow is strong today."
"The undertow is wicked today." Wicked was a big word in New Hampshire- not just for the undertow.
And for years, Walt watched out for it. From the first, when he asked what it could do to you, he had only been told that it could pull you out to sea. It could suck you under and drown and you and drag you away.
It was Walt's fourth summer at Dog's Head Harbor, Duncan remembered, when Garp and Helen and Duncan had observed Walt watching the sea. He stood ankle deep in the foam from the surf and peered into the waves, without taking a step, for the longest time. The family went down to the water's edge to have a word with him.
"What are you doing, Walt?" Helen asked?
"What are you looking for, Dummy?" Duncan asked him.
"I'm trying to see the Under Toad, " Walt said.
"The what?" said Garp?
"The Under Toad," Walt said. "I'm trying to see it. How big is it?"
And Garp and Helen and Duncan held their breath; they realized that all these years, Walt had been dreading a giant toad, lurking offshore, waiting to suck him under and drag him out to sea. The terrible Under Toad.
Garp tried to imagine it with him. Would it ever surface? Did it ever float? Or was it always down under, slimy and bloated and ever watchful for ankles its coated tongue could snare? The vile Under Toad.
Between Helen and Garp, the Under Toad became their code word for anxiety. Long after the monster was clarified for Walt ("Undertow, dummy, not Under Toad!" Duncan had howled), Garp and Helen evoked the beast as a way of referring to their own sense of danger. When the traffic was heavy, when the road was icy- when depression had moved in overnight- they said to each other "The Under Toad is strong today."
"Remember," Duncan asked on the plane, "how Walt asked if it was green or brown?"
Both Garp and Helen laughed. But it was neither green nor brown, Garp thought. It was me. It was Helen. It was the color of bad weather. It was the size of an automobile.
I'm conscious of the Under Toad at the moment.
Last week, I got news that a friend, teacher trainee, and one of my regular students down at the yoga studio got hit by a car on her bicycle. Not one of these little brushes or scrapes (which can be bad enough, given the relative size and speed of the vehicle compared to a biker) but a full on collision that involved the neck, concussion, pelvis, ribs, ankle. Pretty scary. She seems to be doing OK, and will recover although I suspect it will be long and difficult.
On Friday, my former partner Zippy called. A mutual friend P was in the hospital - had been for almost two weeks with what appeared to be a stroke. Lots of drama there - Zippy upset that he had not checked up on P (who had not been returning calls), Zippy upset that the way P compartmentalized his life meant that family and friends were not in contact. But two weeks later, P is still barely conscious, in hospital, and they are not exactly sure what is going on. A week or so of testing and observation led up to a brain biopsy last week; results still unknown. Zippy's been over to visit P every day since; and he (Zippy) is pretty shaken up by it all - he and P have been very close.
In the background, some issues at the studio that do not directly affect me but results in my being pulled in to the teacher training (long weekends) - I love and am honored to be part of the training, but it will mean a long and tiring three days, last month and again next weekend.
Meanwhile, my home has descended into a level of mess and clutter heretofore unseen; musical instruments, yoga mats, clothes, shoes, newspapers, mail, you name it. I'm not exactly a neat freak but it's past the point of simply feeling comfortable and lived in. Just a bit too busy to spend the time keeping up around here, and in this place of frenetic activity, things like healthy eating, keeping my living space ordered, etc. go out the window. I've made a list and am starting to pick away at it; my kitchen table is cleared and I bought myself some flowers this weekend to draw myself back into the world of beauty and order.
I have a relatively clear schedule today and will be sneaking in some household chores in between my work projects. Might even sneak over to weight watchers and try to kick start that.
May 13, 2010
Into the Woods
Spent the day up in MA, visiting my brother's workplace. Can't say too much but it was interesting, thought-provoking and more than a little sad. He was excited for my sister and I to see the place though, and it was nice to see where he works, etc.
Got back in time for some power yoga - but Elo the dog was so whiny and needy, and truthfully has bene neglected (due to yesterdays rain) so I opted out of yoga and we hit the farm for a hike. Felt good in my body and Elo needed the chance to run.
I am happy to report that the much anticipated (and endangered) Bobolinks have arrived - their plumage is quite distinctive (kind of a backwards tuxedo) as is their call (a particularly tuneful trill, almost carnival like). They keep the field uncut to permit nesting, so I expect they will be a frequent site in teh coming months.
Also, saw two rabbits on the mown lawn. I wondered how Elo would react (he ignores the birds, robins poking around all over the place) - and true to his beagle heritage, he took off after the rabbit who quickly shook him (must have been Hazel-rah, smart bunny). So it was an exciting day.
In other news, I got a package from Amazon.com today - "Teaching Yoga: Exploring the Teacher-Student Relationship" by Donna Farhi. There have been some issues bouncing around the studio of late (not directly involving me, but I am caught in some of the fallout) that warrant a closer look at teacher ethics - one of my friends had a copy of this amazing book, so I picked up my own copy.
Got back in time for some power yoga - but Elo the dog was so whiny and needy, and truthfully has bene neglected (due to yesterdays rain) so I opted out of yoga and we hit the farm for a hike. Felt good in my body and Elo needed the chance to run.
I am happy to report that the much anticipated (and endangered) Bobolinks have arrived - their plumage is quite distinctive (kind of a backwards tuxedo) as is their call (a particularly tuneful trill, almost carnival like). They keep the field uncut to permit nesting, so I expect they will be a frequent site in teh coming months.
Also, saw two rabbits on the mown lawn. I wondered how Elo would react (he ignores the birds, robins poking around all over the place) - and true to his beagle heritage, he took off after the rabbit who quickly shook him (must have been Hazel-rah, smart bunny). So it was an exciting day.
In other news, I got a package from Amazon.com today - "Teaching Yoga: Exploring the Teacher-Student Relationship" by Donna Farhi. There have been some issues bouncing around the studio of late (not directly involving me, but I am caught in some of the fallout) that warrant a closer look at teacher ethics - one of my friends had a copy of this amazing book, so I picked up my own copy.
Out Film Fest
Headed off to Cinestudio this evening for the Gay & Lesbian Film Fest. Seemed to be lesbian night.
The first piece, Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement, was a sweet bio-pic of a lesbian couple whose relationship spanned the past 40 years of GLBT progress. It was well done, and a compelling story that left me teary in places. The archival slides from their past were fascinating, with the elderly women sitting and watching, and commenting.
But I was also very conscious of the privilege of these two individuals (one employed by IBM as a system architect, the other a PhD Psychologist). They were able to move through the NYC lesbian circles, and insulated by their good fortune, their struggles seemed less about their sexuality and more the normal struggles of a relationship, especially Thea's battle with MS.
Reminded me a bit of how I felt hearing one of the CT gay marriage plaintiffs complain about the economic ramifications of not being able to transfer large retirement accounts to each other; I realized that for the most part, gay marriage is an economic issue for people who don't have a lot of other needs unmet. Me, I'd just as soon have universal health care.
The first piece, Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement, was a sweet bio-pic of a lesbian couple whose relationship spanned the past 40 years of GLBT progress. It was well done, and a compelling story that left me teary in places. The archival slides from their past were fascinating, with the elderly women sitting and watching, and commenting.
But I was also very conscious of the privilege of these two individuals (one employed by IBM as a system architect, the other a PhD Psychologist). They were able to move through the NYC lesbian circles, and insulated by their good fortune, their struggles seemed less about their sexuality and more the normal struggles of a relationship, especially Thea's battle with MS.
Reminded me a bit of how I felt hearing one of the CT gay marriage plaintiffs complain about the economic ramifications of not being able to transfer large retirement accounts to each other; I realized that for the most part, gay marriage is an economic issue for people who don't have a lot of other needs unmet. Me, I'd just as soon have universal health care.
May 08, 2010
Hugh and Lucy
My friend Kim and I trekked out to University of Hartford to see Hugh Blumenfeld, opening up for Lucy Kaplansky last event, part of the Music for a Change series.
First Hugh. Lovely to see him again, although Kim and I also headed out to see him last year at the Coventry Farmer's Market (where the *cough* Guinea Pigs will be playing in June!). A short set; but filled with goodness - opening with Raphael, doing the song about his brother from Strong in Spirit. No "Good Humor Man" (not quite summer enough) and no "How Long (Will the Mill Wheels Turn)" although thatt's probably not the name of the song.
However, extra special bonus, Diane Chodkowski (who I spotted in the house along with long time folkie Cyd Slotoroff) came up on stage to help out with "Friend of the Traveler" (she is the Diane who has "...been from Equador to Cracow, singing like an ambassador from heaven....", and sang with Margo and Adrienne as part of "Madwommin in the Attic" for a time). A fun treat; I was hoping she might join Hugh on stage.
For the Hugh fans - a new album entitled "Father" is coming out in June (in time for Father's Day) and he graduates and puts up his shingle in June also. I'm assuming he's going to be practicing pediatrics; not sure where.
Lucy is also an old favorite of mine; Kim never quite caught the bug. She played a cover heavy set - opening with Lyle Lovett's God Will, closing with Springsteen's Thunder Road (!), and sprinkling in Cohen (Hallelujah), McCartney (Let it Be), and Cash (Ring of Fire) - along with two by her father.
I'm a Lucy fan for a lot of reasons. I've heard her harmonizing on my favorite folk artists for literally decades - perhaps first on John Gorka's tracks. She has written and performed some amazing songs - her cover of Broken Things (Julie Miller) is a staple on my yoga disk, often setting up for Savasana (and often bringing tears). And one year, getting ready for Falcon Ridge Folk Fest she must have called me 1/2 dozen times to be sure her CDs got there; and she was so personable and engaging on the phone that I fell in love with the person to match the voice and music. Having a beloved performer call you on the phone is always kind of an E ticket experience....
But I think I hit on why some folks do not get her - she steadfastly refuses to sing the melody, live. She performed many songs that I know well (her own and covers) and invariably, she sang all over the place. Consciously, deliberately, and beautifully, mind you. But the "hook" of a song is almost always in the melody, and so it's hard to really get the song without that. It's almost like her performances are for the true believer, who has the song's melody in their head (from listening to the track) leaving her free to play around with harmony. She is, as she confessed to having been titled by Gorka "The Dominatrix of Harmony"
She's not on the Falcon Ridge roster for this year, BUT she noted that she, John Gorka, and Eliza Gilkyson are working on a trio project (think "Cry Cry Cry") entitled "Red Horses", and due out in July. Since 2/3 of the trio will be at Falcon Ridge I would not be surprised to see her make an appearance.....
Afterwards, Kim and I grabbed a bite at Gold Roc, a pack of high school theater geeks descended, some in greasepaint and hairspray. Kim guessed "Godspell" based on some of the makeup and I guessed the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts (they are performing "Urinetown" this weekend and next, which I would love to sneak over to see). Having watched one too many episodes of Glee, I half expected an over the top production number. But we let before they got rowdy and tuneful!
First Hugh. Lovely to see him again, although Kim and I also headed out to see him last year at the Coventry Farmer's Market (where the *cough* Guinea Pigs will be playing in June!). A short set; but filled with goodness - opening with Raphael, doing the song about his brother from Strong in Spirit. No "Good Humor Man" (not quite summer enough) and no "How Long (Will the Mill Wheels Turn)" although thatt's probably not the name of the song.
However, extra special bonus, Diane Chodkowski (who I spotted in the house along with long time folkie Cyd Slotoroff) came up on stage to help out with "Friend of the Traveler" (she is the Diane who has "...been from Equador to Cracow, singing like an ambassador from heaven....", and sang with Margo and Adrienne as part of "Madwommin in the Attic" for a time). A fun treat; I was hoping she might join Hugh on stage.
For the Hugh fans - a new album entitled "Father" is coming out in June (in time for Father's Day) and he graduates and puts up his shingle in June also. I'm assuming he's going to be practicing pediatrics; not sure where.
Lucy is also an old favorite of mine; Kim never quite caught the bug. She played a cover heavy set - opening with Lyle Lovett's God Will, closing with Springsteen's Thunder Road (!), and sprinkling in Cohen (Hallelujah), McCartney (Let it Be), and Cash (Ring of Fire) - along with two by her father.
I'm a Lucy fan for a lot of reasons. I've heard her harmonizing on my favorite folk artists for literally decades - perhaps first on John Gorka's tracks. She has written and performed some amazing songs - her cover of Broken Things (Julie Miller) is a staple on my yoga disk, often setting up for Savasana (and often bringing tears). And one year, getting ready for Falcon Ridge Folk Fest she must have called me 1/2 dozen times to be sure her CDs got there; and she was so personable and engaging on the phone that I fell in love with the person to match the voice and music. Having a beloved performer call you on the phone is always kind of an E ticket experience....
But I think I hit on why some folks do not get her - she steadfastly refuses to sing the melody, live. She performed many songs that I know well (her own and covers) and invariably, she sang all over the place. Consciously, deliberately, and beautifully, mind you. But the "hook" of a song is almost always in the melody, and so it's hard to really get the song without that. It's almost like her performances are for the true believer, who has the song's melody in their head (from listening to the track) leaving her free to play around with harmony. She is, as she confessed to having been titled by Gorka "The Dominatrix of Harmony"
She's not on the Falcon Ridge roster for this year, BUT she noted that she, John Gorka, and Eliza Gilkyson are working on a trio project (think "Cry Cry Cry") entitled "Red Horses", and due out in July. Since 2/3 of the trio will be at Falcon Ridge I would not be surprised to see her make an appearance.....
Afterwards, Kim and I grabbed a bite at Gold Roc, a pack of high school theater geeks descended, some in greasepaint and hairspray. Kim guessed "Godspell" based on some of the makeup and I guessed the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts (they are performing "Urinetown" this weekend and next, which I would love to sneak over to see). Having watched one too many episodes of Glee, I half expected an over the top production number. But we let before they got rowdy and tuneful!
May 07, 2010
Flashmob. Or Not.
Apparently, the Greater Hartford Arts Council organized (or, to use the word that I saw on Facebook today regarding this, choreographed) a "flashmob" today at State House Square. It looked kind of fun....
A small slice of uneasiness here....does something cool cease to be cool (or perhaps, become less cool) when it's used as a tool by an organization (regardless of how worthwhile)? When people are invited to come watch? When it's pre-packaged and marketed?
I think back to that staple of arena and stadium fandemonioum, The Wave. Wikipedia has a few alternate versions of how this got started, but as I recall from those early years, the coolness of The Wave was its grass roots origins, how one fan, or perhaps one rowdy section, would work to get it going, how each section in turn figured out that it was happening, and how the stadium sort of caught it's breath and watched, hoping it would make it around. No organization or marketing needed.
Today, with a mascot leading the charge, a video screen, announcer, and theme music proclaiming "It's Time for the Wave!" - it is simultaneously simple to get a wave going, and a lot less cool. It was plucked from the realm of "self entertainment by the masses" and co-opted by management.
So, an organized "flashmob" set up by marketers and with full sanction of all parties (official or no), with an invited guest list. Kind of cool. But only "kind of".
Addendum: A follow up tweet from GHAC. "Clear Channel Radio was at today's hARTfordFlashmob...were you?" 5 points from Gryffindor. Clear Channel? The bane of independent, local radio? Might as well announce that Walmart, Monsanto, and BP were there as well....."
Addendum II: And ctnow.com (Courant, FoxCT, WTXX, Advocate, etc.) describes this as Spontaneous Dance Breaks Out In Hartford. Sigh. A quick foray over to Merriam-Webster online provides several definitions of the word spontaneous, including:
5 : developing or occurring without apparent external influence, force, cause, or treatment
6 : not apparently contrived or manipulated : natural
Au contraire. This appears to have been completely contrived or manipulated. IMHO.
Jude = Arts and Tourism Crank and Marketing Curmudgeon. Guilty as charged.
A small slice of uneasiness here....does something cool cease to be cool (or perhaps, become less cool) when it's used as a tool by an organization (regardless of how worthwhile)? When people are invited to come watch? When it's pre-packaged and marketed?
I think back to that staple of arena and stadium fandemonioum, The Wave. Wikipedia has a few alternate versions of how this got started, but as I recall from those early years, the coolness of The Wave was its grass roots origins, how one fan, or perhaps one rowdy section, would work to get it going, how each section in turn figured out that it was happening, and how the stadium sort of caught it's breath and watched, hoping it would make it around. No organization or marketing needed.
Today, with a mascot leading the charge, a video screen, announcer, and theme music proclaiming "It's Time for the Wave!" - it is simultaneously simple to get a wave going, and a lot less cool. It was plucked from the realm of "self entertainment by the masses" and co-opted by management.
So, an organized "flashmob" set up by marketers and with full sanction of all parties (official or no), with an invited guest list. Kind of cool. But only "kind of".
Addendum: A follow up tweet from GHAC. "Clear Channel Radio was at today's hARTfordFlashmob...were you?" 5 points from Gryffindor. Clear Channel? The bane of independent, local radio? Might as well announce that Walmart, Monsanto, and BP were there as well....."
Addendum II: And ctnow.com (Courant, FoxCT, WTXX, Advocate, etc.) describes this as Spontaneous Dance Breaks Out In Hartford. Sigh. A quick foray over to Merriam-Webster online provides several definitions of the word spontaneous, including:
5 : developing or occurring without apparent external influence, force, cause, or treatment
6 : not apparently contrived or manipulated : natural
Au contraire. This appears to have been completely contrived or manipulated. IMHO.
Jude = Arts and Tourism Crank and Marketing Curmudgeon. Guilty as charged.
May 05, 2010
Dear Susan Bysiewicz:
(a) You won your case. Good for you. But this is not ".... A MAJOR VICTORY FOR CONNECTICUT VOTERS...." (as your recent email proclaims) nor do I feel that "Connecticut voters won a huge victory" as your email proclaims. Rather, an ambitious career politician (i.e. - you) won a victory. At last do us the favor of owning your own gleefulness at wining this decision.
(b) How *did* I get on your mailing list? Each email irks me somewhat - not enough to actually unsubscribe, but enough to make each of your mailings a small incentive to vote for your primary challenger.
Bleah. Politics. I've always kind of liked Ms. Bysiewicz as Sec of State. But this sort of ambition just sticks in my craw.
(b) How *did* I get on your mailing list? Each email irks me somewhat - not enough to actually unsubscribe, but enough to make each of your mailings a small incentive to vote for your primary challenger.
Bleah. Politics. I've always kind of liked Ms. Bysiewicz as Sec of State. But this sort of ambition just sticks in my craw.
For the Birds
Elo and I have been hitting the fields and woods of Deming-Young Farm in Newington pretty regularly. On quiet days (weekdays, off hours), I let Elo off the leash - he trucks ahead on the mown path until I call him back, at which point he backtracks and then trots ahead. We walk to the end of the field, take a short hike up the hill and into the woods, emerging at a soccer / lacrosse field of a nearby middle school. If the field is empty, we play a few rounds of fetch the tennis ball (which I can really toss with the Chuck-it) and then back through the woods and into the fields, circling the field back to the car.
Other than dogs and their owners (the place is a real dog walking magnet) the fauna most evident are the birds. The field is reportedly kept long to abet the nesting of the endangered Bobolink, although I have yet to catch glimpse of one of these. But I have seen many common robins, a surprising number of beautiful red-winged blackbirds, an occasional cardinal, and swarming tree swallows, which make me think of the embattled bat as they hunt insects in the late afternoon.
I have yet to start working to identify the bird calls, but it's only a matter of time. It's quite peaceful and wonderful walking in the mornings and evenings as the birds are most active, but there are calls and flashes of wings pretty much all the time.
This afternoon, on our walk, I pondered the concept of birds as the survivors from the age of dinosaurs, and imagined this world in the next era - we homo sapiens having burned ourselves out and those patient birds, waiting in the wings, and perhaps returning to their past dominance.
Other than dogs and their owners (the place is a real dog walking magnet) the fauna most evident are the birds. The field is reportedly kept long to abet the nesting of the endangered Bobolink, although I have yet to catch glimpse of one of these. But I have seen many common robins, a surprising number of beautiful red-winged blackbirds, an occasional cardinal, and swarming tree swallows, which make me think of the embattled bat as they hunt insects in the late afternoon.
I have yet to start working to identify the bird calls, but it's only a matter of time. It's quite peaceful and wonderful walking in the mornings and evenings as the birds are most active, but there are calls and flashes of wings pretty much all the time.
This afternoon, on our walk, I pondered the concept of birds as the survivors from the age of dinosaurs, and imagined this world in the next era - we homo sapiens having burned ourselves out and those patient birds, waiting in the wings, and perhaps returning to their past dominance.
May 04, 2010
Fully Unexpected
Finished up my last yoga class tonight in Bristol. I've been teaching an adult ed class - six week series, one hour classes, in an elementary school gym.
To be honest, it's a difficult class to teach. The space is a big gym that has been, until recently, pretty cold. If the heat does come on (fairly random) then the blowers are loud and it's hard to teach over them. The overhead lights have two levels - full blast or off. The class tends to spread out to the far corners of the room. And it's just an hour - difficult to get a full practice in when one is used to 75 - 90 minute sessions. I put classes together, I teach, but it's often hard to really feel like I am bringing it....
And yet....this evening as I finished up I got a hug from one student who said her practice has really grown this past year. Another was thrilled to get into an inversion. I left feeling I was doing a decent job, making a difference.
An unexpected bit of affirmation and inspiration. Was on the fence about taking on this class next year, but now.....I think I'm going to re-enlist....
To be honest, it's a difficult class to teach. The space is a big gym that has been, until recently, pretty cold. If the heat does come on (fairly random) then the blowers are loud and it's hard to teach over them. The overhead lights have two levels - full blast or off. The class tends to spread out to the far corners of the room. And it's just an hour - difficult to get a full practice in when one is used to 75 - 90 minute sessions. I put classes together, I teach, but it's often hard to really feel like I am bringing it....
And yet....this evening as I finished up I got a hug from one student who said her practice has really grown this past year. Another was thrilled to get into an inversion. I left feeling I was doing a decent job, making a difference.
An unexpected bit of affirmation and inspiration. Was on the fence about taking on this class next year, but now.....I think I'm going to re-enlist....
April 21, 2010
Deming-Young Farm
So, Elo the dog and your faithful blogger have discovered the Deming-Young Farm, on Church Street, in Newington. Two miles from the house, 5 minutes by car. And although this 1784 farmhouse is an historic structure, it's primary purpose these days seems to be a de facto dog park and town garden.
The town mows a path through and around the field (left long to abet the nesting of birds) and a loop around the main field is a bit over a mile. Add a jaunt through the woods that end up at John Wallace Middle School, and it's a nice little walk. We end up there 3-4 times a week, depending on weather, other adventures, etc.
Depending on the day and time, I can let Elo off the leash and work on training....although the field is well used by other dog owners and Elo is way too interested in other dogs (and not quite predictable as a friendly dog, his alpha nature makes him a bit of a jerk). I picked up a 30' training leash (a nice compromise between letting him run and keeping him on a short leash, he does not pull on the longer leash the way he does on a shorter one) and also one of these plastic Chuck-It handles that allow me to toss the tennis ball without aggravating my shoulder crankiness.
We've had some lovely times...met some nice people and nice dogs (and some that just let their dogs run up to us, Elo predictably gets aggressive when he is on the leash....). People mostly pick up the poop (not all, though.....). Last night, as I walked in the late afternoon, the bird population active in an adjacent swamp, the trees budding and flowering, the sun dropping to the west and making the clouds pop....it was just amazing. I had an awareness of being blessed for having been born into this life, into this creation.
A lovely little find in my new neighborhood....
The town mows a path through and around the field (left long to abet the nesting of birds) and a loop around the main field is a bit over a mile. Add a jaunt through the woods that end up at John Wallace Middle School, and it's a nice little walk. We end up there 3-4 times a week, depending on weather, other adventures, etc.
Depending on the day and time, I can let Elo off the leash and work on training....although the field is well used by other dog owners and Elo is way too interested in other dogs (and not quite predictable as a friendly dog, his alpha nature makes him a bit of a jerk). I picked up a 30' training leash (a nice compromise between letting him run and keeping him on a short leash, he does not pull on the longer leash the way he does on a shorter one) and also one of these plastic Chuck-It handles that allow me to toss the tennis ball without aggravating my shoulder crankiness.
We've had some lovely times...met some nice people and nice dogs (and some that just let their dogs run up to us, Elo predictably gets aggressive when he is on the leash....). People mostly pick up the poop (not all, though.....). Last night, as I walked in the late afternoon, the bird population active in an adjacent swamp, the trees budding and flowering, the sun dropping to the west and making the clouds pop....it was just amazing. I had an awareness of being blessed for having been born into this life, into this creation.
A lovely little find in my new neighborhood....
April 19, 2010
Dad
Mom sent an email last night. "APRIL 19 IS DAD'S ANNIVERSARY. PLEASE SAY A PRAYER! LOVE, MOM" - I so often forget, although I often hit a bit of a sad spot this time of year.
April 19, 1979, my father, William Joseph Russell, passed away. He was at (then named) Framingham Union Hospital, in the midst of an angioplasty attempting to repair a heart damaged by a series of heart attacks. He was not yet 45; missing his birthday by a few days - I'm older now than he ever was; if one were to believe in a corporal afterlife where one retained ones age at death, my dad would be my junior when next we met....
It is perhaps indicative of where we were at the time that none of us were at the hospital - Dad had been in and out of the hospital repeatedly over the past year or so; my sister and I had grown used to stopping by to see him after high school (right now the block from the hospital) and later finding him puttering around the house as he recovered. On some level, his infirmity had become an annoyance; we wanted to ignore it and hope it would clear up, and let us get back to our lives. So on some level, this procedure and his passing were just one more thing in a slow but seemingly inevitable slide that we had grown accustomed to.
I remember driving the family in his 1973 AMC Hornet to the hospital to see him - as the eldest child who had just turned 18 myself, I suddenly assumed a heavy mantle of family responsibility; Mom seemed in no condition to drive. At the hospital, I went in to see him; not sure if they kept him alive via machines until we got there or not, but it was clear that he was gone. I had learned well his lessons regarding torquing down on my emotions, and I did not cry even as I stood over my father's lifeless body.
I don't remember a whole lot about the next few days. I remember a little black humor with my family at the funeral home regarding caskets (Dad wouldn't want something too ostentatious, dad won't care, that sort of thing); I remember tucking a guitar pick into Dad's suit pocket; thanking him for my music. I remember a reception following the funeral at the house; not quite an irish wake but with some lightness and spirit. At my graduation a month or so later, mom presented me with a typewriter that she and dad had picked out together.
Not too long afterwards, I left for college, beginning the slow pulling away from family. My brother took over my bedroom soon thereafter and I slept on the couch or an empty bunk bed when I came home for vacations and summer. I kind of missed the mourning and getting used to a house with one less person in it. My family got a dog soon thereafter - Kyla was a mix of Coyote, Labrador, and Samoyed, she was a companion, protector, and friend - and came to live with me in CT in her dotage. I was with her when she died....
Dad has been in my mind to a greater and lesser extent over the years. I think we miss him most at those times of ceremony and ritual - holidays, graduations, weddings, births. Mom has watched over us kids in the years since - at this point she has lived as a single mother and widow much longer than she lived with her husband.
I certainly I have danced with his ghost in my therapy, on the mat, at various retreats, workshops, and ceremonies. I have moved from numbness to anger to grief; from resentment to pity. For many years I assumed I might follow his lead and expected an early death; my various transformations and personal growth has effaced that surety; I feel like I have a lot of life ahead of me. Death has not touched me much in the years since; having taken Dad, the reaper has been mostly silent these many years save for grandparents and an aunt.
Rest in peace, Dad. Miss you and love you. Not sure I have a prayer today, but you remain in memory; tears have been shed.
April 19, 1979, my father, William Joseph Russell, passed away. He was at (then named) Framingham Union Hospital, in the midst of an angioplasty attempting to repair a heart damaged by a series of heart attacks. He was not yet 45; missing his birthday by a few days - I'm older now than he ever was; if one were to believe in a corporal afterlife where one retained ones age at death, my dad would be my junior when next we met....
It is perhaps indicative of where we were at the time that none of us were at the hospital - Dad had been in and out of the hospital repeatedly over the past year or so; my sister and I had grown used to stopping by to see him after high school (right now the block from the hospital) and later finding him puttering around the house as he recovered. On some level, his infirmity had become an annoyance; we wanted to ignore it and hope it would clear up, and let us get back to our lives. So on some level, this procedure and his passing were just one more thing in a slow but seemingly inevitable slide that we had grown accustomed to.
I remember driving the family in his 1973 AMC Hornet to the hospital to see him - as the eldest child who had just turned 18 myself, I suddenly assumed a heavy mantle of family responsibility; Mom seemed in no condition to drive. At the hospital, I went in to see him; not sure if they kept him alive via machines until we got there or not, but it was clear that he was gone. I had learned well his lessons regarding torquing down on my emotions, and I did not cry even as I stood over my father's lifeless body.
I don't remember a whole lot about the next few days. I remember a little black humor with my family at the funeral home regarding caskets (Dad wouldn't want something too ostentatious, dad won't care, that sort of thing); I remember tucking a guitar pick into Dad's suit pocket; thanking him for my music. I remember a reception following the funeral at the house; not quite an irish wake but with some lightness and spirit. At my graduation a month or so later, mom presented me with a typewriter that she and dad had picked out together.
Not too long afterwards, I left for college, beginning the slow pulling away from family. My brother took over my bedroom soon thereafter and I slept on the couch or an empty bunk bed when I came home for vacations and summer. I kind of missed the mourning and getting used to a house with one less person in it. My family got a dog soon thereafter - Kyla was a mix of Coyote, Labrador, and Samoyed, she was a companion, protector, and friend - and came to live with me in CT in her dotage. I was with her when she died....
Dad has been in my mind to a greater and lesser extent over the years. I think we miss him most at those times of ceremony and ritual - holidays, graduations, weddings, births. Mom has watched over us kids in the years since - at this point she has lived as a single mother and widow much longer than she lived with her husband.
I certainly I have danced with his ghost in my therapy, on the mat, at various retreats, workshops, and ceremonies. I have moved from numbness to anger to grief; from resentment to pity. For many years I assumed I might follow his lead and expected an early death; my various transformations and personal growth has effaced that surety; I feel like I have a lot of life ahead of me. Death has not touched me much in the years since; having taken Dad, the reaper has been mostly silent these many years save for grandparents and an aunt.
Rest in peace, Dad. Miss you and love you. Not sure I have a prayer today, but you remain in memory; tears have been shed.
April 12, 2010
Tell Me What Another Is
Back from the Intensive. It was NOT exactly a gentle re-integration day. I did spend an extra night up at Kripalu - which helped a lot. But after five go-rounds with these amazing weekends, one sort of gets accustomed to the spaciness and just rides the re-entry.....
In terms of mechanics, I hit a 6:30 am "Moderate Yoga" class up at Kripalu - very sweet to be back on the mat and just right. For those calibrating their Yoga, Moderate Yoga up at Kripalu is about the same intensity (maybe a wee bit up-level) as Gentle Yoga by Jude. After that, breakfast with Intensive friends, a bull session in the lounge, and back to the dyad room for a few hours of sharing circle. From there, headed home. Picked up Elo the dog, did a few hours of work, and then off to Bristol to teach yoga. Finally chilling out....looking forward to my own bed tonight.
Working on "another" was both a wonderful treat and incredibly challenging.
Wonderful: each dyad provided a different participant seated before me for contemplation. As opposed to contemplation "who I am" or "what I am" (where the object of contemplation is oneself, and where one falls tends to fall into some ruts or runs out of things coming up) "another" was always new and fresh (at least during a three day intensive with a lot of participants, assuming one used a dyad partner as an object of contemplation). I commented to one of the staff - "it's like I am at a buffet, always something new to explore".
Challenging: Another is difficult because it is wholly outside of oneself. Not as many hooks, at least in my experience.
On the other hand, I quickly latched onto the fact that during a series of dyads, I could continue to contemplate "another" during my time as listening partner. And some of my partners picked up on the fact that as I contemplated them during my turn, they could as well. So I got a lot of really wonderful work done.
I comented afterwards that I did not really dredge up a lot of my stuff - which was different. But that did not stop me from dropping into some pretty deep tears at times - but these were not unassuaged grief or bringing up old wounds - but rather tears of joy at the realization of my love for many of the "anothers" in my life, mingled with some sadness for those places of loneliness and lack of a relationship.
No Direct Experience (not a surprise) but amazing work nonetheless, and a few dyads as the weekend wore down that were among the most precious of my weekends to date. I'm really coming to a good understanding of the technique, and I spent the weekend working on staying out of the easy fix of an emotional release (I love my emotions during EIs), staying out of stories, staying out of attachment to the direct experience, and sticking to the technique.
So a very difficult weekend (they all are) and a lot of good work. Someday I will have that direct experience during an EI.....
Back to life. A life filled with "anothers" that I love just a bit more deeply and openly.
In terms of mechanics, I hit a 6:30 am "Moderate Yoga" class up at Kripalu - very sweet to be back on the mat and just right. For those calibrating their Yoga, Moderate Yoga up at Kripalu is about the same intensity (maybe a wee bit up-level) as Gentle Yoga by Jude. After that, breakfast with Intensive friends, a bull session in the lounge, and back to the dyad room for a few hours of sharing circle. From there, headed home. Picked up Elo the dog, did a few hours of work, and then off to Bristol to teach yoga. Finally chilling out....looking forward to my own bed tonight.
Working on "another" was both a wonderful treat and incredibly challenging.
Wonderful: each dyad provided a different participant seated before me for contemplation. As opposed to contemplation "who I am" or "what I am" (where the object of contemplation is oneself, and where one falls tends to fall into some ruts or runs out of things coming up) "another" was always new and fresh (at least during a three day intensive with a lot of participants, assuming one used a dyad partner as an object of contemplation). I commented to one of the staff - "it's like I am at a buffet, always something new to explore".
Challenging: Another is difficult because it is wholly outside of oneself. Not as many hooks, at least in my experience.
On the other hand, I quickly latched onto the fact that during a series of dyads, I could continue to contemplate "another" during my time as listening partner. And some of my partners picked up on the fact that as I contemplated them during my turn, they could as well. So I got a lot of really wonderful work done.
I comented afterwards that I did not really dredge up a lot of my stuff - which was different. But that did not stop me from dropping into some pretty deep tears at times - but these were not unassuaged grief or bringing up old wounds - but rather tears of joy at the realization of my love for many of the "anothers" in my life, mingled with some sadness for those places of loneliness and lack of a relationship.
No Direct Experience (not a surprise) but amazing work nonetheless, and a few dyads as the weekend wore down that were among the most precious of my weekends to date. I'm really coming to a good understanding of the technique, and I spent the weekend working on staying out of the easy fix of an emotional release (I love my emotions during EIs), staying out of stories, staying out of attachment to the direct experience, and sticking to the technique.
So a very difficult weekend (they all are) and a lot of good work. Someday I will have that direct experience during an EI.....
Back to life. A life filled with "anothers" that I love just a bit more deeply and openly.
April 06, 2010
Enlightenment Intensive VI
Off to Kripalu this weekend for another go round with....myself! I'm participating in another Enlightenment Intensive
Regular blog readers may notice that this is not my first Intensive - it will be in fact, my 6th. I have come to cherish this opportunity to work on "me" - with no distractions from work, television, radio, computers, blogs (gasp!), tweets, facebook, etc.
The weekends can be grinding and grueling - early mornings, late evenings, with a rigorous and full schedule of dyads, interspersed with periods of walking meditation, seated meditation, meals, and resting periods. And yet, I have no doubt that I will drop right in to the rhythm of the weekend, and get down to the hard work of finding myself, another, or life. And maybe just maybe, stumble upon a piece of truth.....
"Well, you mend your clothes and patch your roof
And slivers of God's shattered truth
Grow tender as the grass in clean-swept yards
But a savior came and told us how
The truth was all around us now
Abandon house and field and gather up the shards"
- And A God Descended / Dar Williams
Regular blog readers may notice that this is not my first Intensive - it will be in fact, my 6th. I have come to cherish this opportunity to work on "me" - with no distractions from work, television, radio, computers, blogs (gasp!), tweets, facebook, etc.
The weekends can be grinding and grueling - early mornings, late evenings, with a rigorous and full schedule of dyads, interspersed with periods of walking meditation, seated meditation, meals, and resting periods. And yet, I have no doubt that I will drop right in to the rhythm of the weekend, and get down to the hard work of finding myself, another, or life. And maybe just maybe, stumble upon a piece of truth.....
"Well, you mend your clothes and patch your roof
And slivers of God's shattered truth
Grow tender as the grass in clean-swept yards
But a savior came and told us how
The truth was all around us now
Abandon house and field and gather up the shards"
- And A God Descended / Dar Williams
April 03, 2010
Off Shore Drilling
Lot's of discussion surrounding President Obama's decision to open up certain areas to off-shore oil exploration. Drill baby, drill, and all that....
My thoughts. In the grand scheme of things, the concerns about off shore drilling are dwarfed by the magnitude of issues surrounding global warming and climate change*. So if President Obama is using off shore drilling as a carrot to pull some republicans on board towards passing some carbon footprint legislation, good for him. Because if we do not get our carbon footprint under control soon, the shorelines won't stay where they are anyway, they will be miles inland. And if the Republicans do not step across the aisle to deal, Obama has justification to just do a climate change bill without bipartisan support, a la health care.
President Obama is, IMHO, a smart, pragmatic leader, a chess player and long term thinker. Sometimes one has to sacrifice a piece to win a bigger piece, or to win the match. I have no doubt that this is a small piece of a bigger plan, and I trust him on it.....
* Do I think that this winter's massive snowstorms in the mid-atlantic, and the recent New England record spring floods, are related to an energized global weather pattern driven by warming. Yes, I do. Get used to it......
My thoughts. In the grand scheme of things, the concerns about off shore drilling are dwarfed by the magnitude of issues surrounding global warming and climate change*. So if President Obama is using off shore drilling as a carrot to pull some republicans on board towards passing some carbon footprint legislation, good for him. Because if we do not get our carbon footprint under control soon, the shorelines won't stay where they are anyway, they will be miles inland. And if the Republicans do not step across the aisle to deal, Obama has justification to just do a climate change bill without bipartisan support, a la health care.
President Obama is, IMHO, a smart, pragmatic leader, a chess player and long term thinker. Sometimes one has to sacrifice a piece to win a bigger piece, or to win the match. I have no doubt that this is a small piece of a bigger plan, and I trust him on it.....
* Do I think that this winter's massive snowstorms in the mid-atlantic, and the recent New England record spring floods, are related to an energized global weather pattern driven by warming. Yes, I do. Get used to it......
Suicide by Death Penalty
Steven Hayes, 1/2 of the criminal duo who are alleged to have killed the Petit family, wants to change his plea to guilty, and to follow the inevitable legal process towards life imprisonment or death. This change of plea seems to have thrown all involved into chaos - with defense attorneys (anti-death penalty zealots) vowing to fight his plea, the prosecution, gearing up for a court fight suddenly left hanging. Dr. Petit has noted this as "...a moment of honesty..."
Coming on the heels of a prison suicide attempt, perhaps Hayes simply wants to end the torment of a sad and misspent life. Not sure there is repentence here, it seems more a "sick and tired" response. And to some extent, those involved seem steeled to take this legal battle to the end, and having the accused turn around and surrender to a guilty plea seems unsatisfying.
I dunno how I feel about this. In some ways, no legal process, no verdict, no punishment will ever provide healing. But I suppose there is something satisfying of the pursuit, of chasing a protesting criminal to the end of the legal process and depriving another human being of life against his will - an eye for an eye. But to have the criminal let go and surrender, to giv eup on life willingly - a lot different energy there, and perhaps ironically a way that will leave wounds open and festering in a way that a protracted court battle would not.
Steven Hayes - a twisted, evil, damaged soul who just wants to get off the planet and end this misery? An individual who has come to realize the scope of his deeds and feels remorse? Or a truly evil SOB who has found one last way to torment Dr. Petit, by taking away his enemy?
Coming on the heels of a prison suicide attempt, perhaps Hayes simply wants to end the torment of a sad and misspent life. Not sure there is repentence here, it seems more a "sick and tired" response. And to some extent, those involved seem steeled to take this legal battle to the end, and having the accused turn around and surrender to a guilty plea seems unsatisfying.
I dunno how I feel about this. In some ways, no legal process, no verdict, no punishment will ever provide healing. But I suppose there is something satisfying of the pursuit, of chasing a protesting criminal to the end of the legal process and depriving another human being of life against his will - an eye for an eye. But to have the criminal let go and surrender, to giv eup on life willingly - a lot different energy there, and perhaps ironically a way that will leave wounds open and festering in a way that a protracted court battle would not.
Steven Hayes - a twisted, evil, damaged soul who just wants to get off the planet and end this misery? An individual who has come to realize the scope of his deeds and feels remorse? Or a truly evil SOB who has found one last way to torment Dr. Petit, by taking away his enemy?
March 27, 2010
How Judy Got Her Groove Back
It has been, so far, a pretty great weekend.
Friday saw me doing a bit of work, and then teaching my 12:15 gentle class. A bit more work, then back to the studio for some training. Back home to feed and water Elo. And then off to Hartford to pick up Zippy and trek over to Univ of Hartford for Meg Hutchinson & Cheryl Wheeler, in town for the Music for a Change series.
Cheryl was Cheryl. Which is to say her opening number (Quarter Moon) had me sniffling and then sobbing, with its poignant and brave face towards aging and mortality. And she was at the same time hilarious and irreverent, confessing at one point that she had the ashes of three cats and one dog "on the shelf" and that when she came to the "...buried their own dog in their backyard..." part she pretty much always starts thinking how she ought to bury the pets one of these days.
Zippy and I both agree we'd love to hear a bit more of her serious ballads but when you have the chance to laugh your ass off listening to a wonderful artist, no real complaints.
Meg Hutchinson opened - heard her on Bob Edwards Weekend last weekend and she was wonderful (and oh so young, sigh) there as well as last night. Bought her newest CD and listened a bit last evening though I really want to give it a good listen before it goes into the regular rotation.
Afterwards, I stopped by the yoga studio to facilitate the switchover of front desk computers - today was the official launch of the studio going 100% to a new online software system, and the old desktop (kept running on life support because the old software would only run on the old O/S) needed to be retired. Turned into a two hour project - the receipt printer needed to be reinstalled and I ended up downloading (2) 475M divers before it took, and there were a lot of peripherals that needed to be tested (credit card swipe, bar code reader, cash drawer, several printers) as well as the typical new computer automatic upgrades (windows / java / flash / virus protection) - so I was there until past midnight. But....mission accomplished.
After my yoga hiatus, I made it to one of NP's patented Saturday morning celebrations of the spirit - in a room nearly packed I found space for my mat in my favorite corner. And though there were many things coming up today, and an awareness of one serious shoulder issue that drove me to bring my knees down for chaturanga and avoid up dog, I had a quite delicious and bright practice.
After practice, I hung out to help set up for the Open Studio event. Which involved Starbucks run, setting up the snacks, and assisting with two classes. I was not on tap to assist, but scheduling assistants slipped off the back burner as the studio prepared for the changeover to the new software (and class card system) so I stepped in. Completely wonderful to work with two of my fave teachers, and challenging to move through a very full room (60-70) of diverse students (from studio veterans, to new to the studio yogis, to newcomers). Very nurturing to my spirit in a lot of ways.
Snuck home around 4:30, and after a shower and a dog feeding, piled Elo in the car to head back to the studio (I left a fleece, with $$$ in the pocket) and then we wandered in search of a place for a walk (between the rain and my schedule, he's been somewhat neglected of late). Found the Deming Young Farm in Newington (very close to my place) which I have been meaning to check out - turns out to be a lovely loop around the fields - a little muddy today but I suspect it will become a regular stop. Some "leash your dog" warnings regarding the nest of the endangered Bobolink, but these seem to not nest until mid-May at the earliest, so a good spot to let Elo run during non-prime hours.
Happily, Elo was well behaved, and a good chance for a little bit of training - with a dozen or so rewarded rounds of fetch (he brought the tennis ball right back and dropped it at my feet once he figured out the treat angle), some come and sit practice, and even a sit / stay (with a bit of control) as another dog walked by. My furry little friend is totally sacked out right now, so let's call this one a win. And the field was filled with foraging robins - a wonderful springtime sight.
Tomorrow, up to MA to see my niece in the chorus of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Nashoba Regional High School.
While I am not foolish enough to write off the malaise and concerns of the past few weeks following one good weekend, nevertheless it seems that winds have shifted, and life is much brighter. Several of my yoga friends commented on my absense the past few weeks, so I guess I was missed. It's nice to be back....
Friday saw me doing a bit of work, and then teaching my 12:15 gentle class. A bit more work, then back to the studio for some training. Back home to feed and water Elo. And then off to Hartford to pick up Zippy and trek over to Univ of Hartford for Meg Hutchinson & Cheryl Wheeler, in town for the Music for a Change series.
Cheryl was Cheryl. Which is to say her opening number (Quarter Moon) had me sniffling and then sobbing, with its poignant and brave face towards aging and mortality. And she was at the same time hilarious and irreverent, confessing at one point that she had the ashes of three cats and one dog "on the shelf" and that when she came to the "...buried their own dog in their backyard..." part she pretty much always starts thinking how she ought to bury the pets one of these days.
Zippy and I both agree we'd love to hear a bit more of her serious ballads but when you have the chance to laugh your ass off listening to a wonderful artist, no real complaints.
Meg Hutchinson opened - heard her on Bob Edwards Weekend last weekend and she was wonderful (and oh so young, sigh) there as well as last night. Bought her newest CD and listened a bit last evening though I really want to give it a good listen before it goes into the regular rotation.
Afterwards, I stopped by the yoga studio to facilitate the switchover of front desk computers - today was the official launch of the studio going 100% to a new online software system, and the old desktop (kept running on life support because the old software would only run on the old O/S) needed to be retired. Turned into a two hour project - the receipt printer needed to be reinstalled and I ended up downloading (2) 475M divers before it took, and there were a lot of peripherals that needed to be tested (credit card swipe, bar code reader, cash drawer, several printers) as well as the typical new computer automatic upgrades (windows / java / flash / virus protection) - so I was there until past midnight. But....mission accomplished.
After my yoga hiatus, I made it to one of NP's patented Saturday morning celebrations of the spirit - in a room nearly packed I found space for my mat in my favorite corner. And though there were many things coming up today, and an awareness of one serious shoulder issue that drove me to bring my knees down for chaturanga and avoid up dog, I had a quite delicious and bright practice.
After practice, I hung out to help set up for the Open Studio event. Which involved Starbucks run, setting up the snacks, and assisting with two classes. I was not on tap to assist, but scheduling assistants slipped off the back burner as the studio prepared for the changeover to the new software (and class card system) so I stepped in. Completely wonderful to work with two of my fave teachers, and challenging to move through a very full room (60-70) of diverse students (from studio veterans, to new to the studio yogis, to newcomers). Very nurturing to my spirit in a lot of ways.
Snuck home around 4:30, and after a shower and a dog feeding, piled Elo in the car to head back to the studio (I left a fleece, with $$$ in the pocket) and then we wandered in search of a place for a walk (between the rain and my schedule, he's been somewhat neglected of late). Found the Deming Young Farm in Newington (very close to my place) which I have been meaning to check out - turns out to be a lovely loop around the fields - a little muddy today but I suspect it will become a regular stop. Some "leash your dog" warnings regarding the nest of the endangered Bobolink, but these seem to not nest until mid-May at the earliest, so a good spot to let Elo run during non-prime hours.
Happily, Elo was well behaved, and a good chance for a little bit of training - with a dozen or so rewarded rounds of fetch (he brought the tennis ball right back and dropped it at my feet once he figured out the treat angle), some come and sit practice, and even a sit / stay (with a bit of control) as another dog walked by. My furry little friend is totally sacked out right now, so let's call this one a win. And the field was filled with foraging robins - a wonderful springtime sight.
Tomorrow, up to MA to see my niece in the chorus of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Nashoba Regional High School.
While I am not foolish enough to write off the malaise and concerns of the past few weeks following one good weekend, nevertheless it seems that winds have shifted, and life is much brighter. Several of my yoga friends commented on my absense the past few weeks, so I guess I was missed. It's nice to be back....
March 26, 2010
Font Critique Bureau
Really, NBC Connecticut, this is the best you could do? Ick.
Sidebar, what happened to WVIT 30? Your call letters and UHF channel are nowhere to be found on your website. Curious. Both WFSB Channel 3 and WTNH Channel 8 remain rooted to their broadcast roots.
Kind of makes sense in an era when most folks get their television off a cable, where NBC is sitting right there on Channel 4. But still, kind of curious. I'll have to check out the news to see if you've unbranded your broadcasts the same way you've unbranded your website....
Professional Organizer - Second Hand
Talked to my buddy Cheryl yesterday - she had a professional organizer come to her place (very successfully) and was sharing some of the changes this woman had suggested. Specifically, she removed the cover from her second sink and put her dish drainer down inside; her drying dishes had been piling up, falling off the sink, etc.
Now, I too have a double sink. I've been kind of luxuriating in having both sinks open - using the second sink to wash veggies, to stack dirty dishes, to rinse when I wash. Having the second sink has probably given me permission to let the dishes go a bit longer than I ought....
But I've also had my dish drainer (and one of those plastic things to catch the water) on my counter to the right of my sink, eating up 4 sq feet of counter space, which is at a premium in this place. My one free length of counter space has been crowded - coffee maker, coffee canister, knife block, toaster, canister full of spoons and utensils, cutting board.
So as I spoke to Cheryl on the phone, I moved my drainer into the second sink (perfect fit, a good omen). Voila - an entire new expanse of counter. Not sure how this will work out long term - but right now, it seems like the right decision. So I loved my coffee maker and coffee canister over to the new space, and everything seems a little less cluttered and a little more useful.
Now, I too have a double sink. I've been kind of luxuriating in having both sinks open - using the second sink to wash veggies, to stack dirty dishes, to rinse when I wash. Having the second sink has probably given me permission to let the dishes go a bit longer than I ought....
But I've also had my dish drainer (and one of those plastic things to catch the water) on my counter to the right of my sink, eating up 4 sq feet of counter space, which is at a premium in this place. My one free length of counter space has been crowded - coffee maker, coffee canister, knife block, toaster, canister full of spoons and utensils, cutting board.
So as I spoke to Cheryl on the phone, I moved my drainer into the second sink (perfect fit, a good omen). Voila - an entire new expanse of counter. Not sure how this will work out long term - but right now, it seems like the right decision. So I loved my coffee maker and coffee canister over to the new space, and everything seems a little less cluttered and a little more useful.
March 23, 2010
Hiatus
I have been experiencing an uncharacteristic step back from my yoga practice.
Started a month or so ago - I stepped onto the mat with one of my favorite, and invariably healing, teachers, and lost my shit. One knows that yoga brings up emotions locked in the body's deep tissues and faschia, so I am not unfamiliar with an occasional wash of tears as I move into a deeper place in my body, but this was different. From the moment I stepped onto my mat that day, I was a goner - tears streaming down my face through the entire practice, replacing the sweat that often drips onto my mat, and a pile of tissues from wiping my eyes and blowing my nose accumulating beside my space.
In the ensuing weeks, I've really been struggling. At the surface, there is crankiness (ranging from fatique to aches to pain) in my upper body, specifically shoulders and elbows. Knee down chaturanga has become almost de rigeur for me, and a vinyasa practice with a lot of sun salutations is torture. But deeper, there is a level of tiredness. Standing postures seem to be unaffected - but in general I'm just a lot more tentative moving onto my mat.
As a result, I've been for the most part, off the mat. I do a quiet, stretching practice most days on my own, and I move through much of the practice when I teach, but the 5x a week, hot / power classes that have been my bread and butter for the past 4-5 years have been out of the question. It's been a very frustrating, humbling, and interesting experience. Yoga has become such an important part of my life - physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. So not being on the mat with my friends, my teachers, and my community has been really hard.
Not sure what this is about. My theories are all over the map. Getting older (my birthday fell in the past month, and I'm on the cusp of the big 50) - and I am certainly butting up against the limits and mortality of this particular physical form. The change of seasons. Some cold or flu that has sunk down into my body (I am historically pretty rugged and most seasonal things do not lay me low, so it's completely possible that I have been sick but not really debilitated). Perhaps just a wearing out of my upper body from years of strong yoga, especially considering my extra weight. I've even considered something more esoteric like Lyme Disease - I have plenty of friends and a dog who have gotten that. And finally, I've been processing some very deep grief of late (related to living alone, to mortality, to my lack of a significant other), and perhaps the toxins and chemical release of that grief has been moving through my body and affecting my practice.
Still figuring it all out. I have a good arsenal of resources to call upon - massage, therapy, journaling, food knowledge, friends, and of course, yoga. But right now I am deep in my stuff. So if you've noticed a bit less Jude in your life of late, I'm in my cave, working on my stuff....
Started a month or so ago - I stepped onto the mat with one of my favorite, and invariably healing, teachers, and lost my shit. One knows that yoga brings up emotions locked in the body's deep tissues and faschia, so I am not unfamiliar with an occasional wash of tears as I move into a deeper place in my body, but this was different. From the moment I stepped onto my mat that day, I was a goner - tears streaming down my face through the entire practice, replacing the sweat that often drips onto my mat, and a pile of tissues from wiping my eyes and blowing my nose accumulating beside my space.
In the ensuing weeks, I've really been struggling. At the surface, there is crankiness (ranging from fatique to aches to pain) in my upper body, specifically shoulders and elbows. Knee down chaturanga has become almost de rigeur for me, and a vinyasa practice with a lot of sun salutations is torture. But deeper, there is a level of tiredness. Standing postures seem to be unaffected - but in general I'm just a lot more tentative moving onto my mat.
As a result, I've been for the most part, off the mat. I do a quiet, stretching practice most days on my own, and I move through much of the practice when I teach, but the 5x a week, hot / power classes that have been my bread and butter for the past 4-5 years have been out of the question. It's been a very frustrating, humbling, and interesting experience. Yoga has become such an important part of my life - physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. So not being on the mat with my friends, my teachers, and my community has been really hard.
Not sure what this is about. My theories are all over the map. Getting older (my birthday fell in the past month, and I'm on the cusp of the big 50) - and I am certainly butting up against the limits and mortality of this particular physical form. The change of seasons. Some cold or flu that has sunk down into my body (I am historically pretty rugged and most seasonal things do not lay me low, so it's completely possible that I have been sick but not really debilitated). Perhaps just a wearing out of my upper body from years of strong yoga, especially considering my extra weight. I've even considered something more esoteric like Lyme Disease - I have plenty of friends and a dog who have gotten that. And finally, I've been processing some very deep grief of late (related to living alone, to mortality, to my lack of a significant other), and perhaps the toxins and chemical release of that grief has been moving through my body and affecting my practice.
Still figuring it all out. I have a good arsenal of resources to call upon - massage, therapy, journaling, food knowledge, friends, and of course, yoga. But right now I am deep in my stuff. So if you've noticed a bit less Jude in your life of late, I'm in my cave, working on my stuff....
March 18, 2010
March 17, 2010
Madison So Long
I've found myself a comfy chair with a side table and two wall outlets - charging my laptop and iPhone en route home from Madison.
All in all a very successful trip. My client out here has been fairly dormant (in terms of work) since 2008 or so - and it looks like we have a bit of work laid out in the coming months. A nice little project - hopefully not too overwhelming. I got to meet lots of new faces and a primary technical contact. All went well, we transferred a lot of knowledge, got the project laid out, and set up a lot of the infrastructure to make things work going forward.
I also snuck in (a) a killer hot yoga class and (b) a side trip to Appleton to nosh with some old friends. And, browsing through the airport gift shop, I got some U of W apparel - Zippy is an alum so I got him a sweatshirt in payment for babysitting Elo, and I got myself a few shirts (I kind of have a crush on Bucky Badger)
I'll be back in Madison soon enough - May perhaps - so having a strong and resonant yoga studio nearby is a big plus.
Heading back today - afternoon / evening flights through Chicago that will not get me in until late. But I'm on my way home!
All in all a very successful trip. My client out here has been fairly dormant (in terms of work) since 2008 or so - and it looks like we have a bit of work laid out in the coming months. A nice little project - hopefully not too overwhelming. I got to meet lots of new faces and a primary technical contact. All went well, we transferred a lot of knowledge, got the project laid out, and set up a lot of the infrastructure to make things work going forward.
I also snuck in (a) a killer hot yoga class and (b) a side trip to Appleton to nosh with some old friends. And, browsing through the airport gift shop, I got some U of W apparel - Zippy is an alum so I got him a sweatshirt in payment for babysitting Elo, and I got myself a few shirts (I kind of have a crush on Bucky Badger)
I'll be back in Madison soon enough - May perhaps - so having a strong and resonant yoga studio nearby is a big plus.
Heading back today - afternoon / evening flights through Chicago that will not get me in until late. But I'm on my way home!
March 15, 2010
Amazing Yoga
I try to find yoga when I travel; sometimes I strike out - the practice is just not that resonant. Sometimes I get lucky, and the practice rocks. This trip I got lucky.
The studio is Inner Fire Yoga in Madison. A rocking, vital studio - I jumped into a 6:30 Power Flow with Jackie Meacham. Just an hour, but boy did we move.
In some ways, it was a "greatest hits" class - we just rolled through a lot of strong postures that my body loves. Vira I and II. Trikonasana. Forward folds. Reverse triangle. A couple of rounds of King Dancer. Dekasana. Crow. Eagle. Camel. Bow. Flip your dog. Pigeon. Bridge / Wheel. Headstand. What else you got?
Totally hot and sweaty - if I feared not getting my yoga on in 60 minutes, no fears there. I missed having a slip-proof mat (traveling with an inexpensive Wai Lana) but I survived. Jackie did a nice job of getting us moving quickly but at the same time easing us in - so my lower back was fine, sometimes these stronger vinyasa classes where we dive right in leaves me a little cranky in the back.
Felt a little cheated at the end (short savasana, and not a lot of time to take advantage of the heat with some seated or supine twists, binds, or forward folds, I could have soaked in it for another 30 minutes) but not unexpected with a 60 minute class.
Looks like I will be back to Madison over the next few months - so great to have a yoga studio that resonates, just 3 miles from the client site!
Inner Fire Yoga looks like an amazingly active studio - with two large rooms, and from what I can see, full classes and regular students. Their hot yoga seems suspiciously Bikramesque (26 postures and 2 breathing exercises performed in precise order) but the Power Flow class is right up my alley, with the options of an Inner Fire class and Yin class.
And they have a special $9 rate for yoga teachers. Sweet.
I will most definitely be back!
The studio is Inner Fire Yoga in Madison. A rocking, vital studio - I jumped into a 6:30 Power Flow with Jackie Meacham. Just an hour, but boy did we move.
In some ways, it was a "greatest hits" class - we just rolled through a lot of strong postures that my body loves. Vira I and II. Trikonasana. Forward folds. Reverse triangle. A couple of rounds of King Dancer. Dekasana. Crow. Eagle. Camel. Bow. Flip your dog. Pigeon. Bridge / Wheel. Headstand. What else you got?
Totally hot and sweaty - if I feared not getting my yoga on in 60 minutes, no fears there. I missed having a slip-proof mat (traveling with an inexpensive Wai Lana) but I survived. Jackie did a nice job of getting us moving quickly but at the same time easing us in - so my lower back was fine, sometimes these stronger vinyasa classes where we dive right in leaves me a little cranky in the back.
Felt a little cheated at the end (short savasana, and not a lot of time to take advantage of the heat with some seated or supine twists, binds, or forward folds, I could have soaked in it for another 30 minutes) but not unexpected with a 60 minute class.
Looks like I will be back to Madison over the next few months - so great to have a yoga studio that resonates, just 3 miles from the client site!
Inner Fire Yoga looks like an amazingly active studio - with two large rooms, and from what I can see, full classes and regular students. Their hot yoga seems suspiciously Bikramesque (26 postures and 2 breathing exercises performed in precise order) but the Power Flow class is right up my alley, with the options of an Inner Fire class and Yin class.
And they have a special $9 rate for yoga teachers. Sweet.
I will most definitely be back!
March 09, 2010
Making Lists
I spent some time this morning putting together a list of things to take care of in preparation for a family visit. It was pretty mundane - ranging from the routine (making the bed, doing the dishes, doing a load of laundry) through the occasional (cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming) and a handful of exceptional (a pile of cables that morphed in the office, clearing a path to the heretofor unused basement door). And one by one I banged 'em out - the place got cleaned up and organized. A highly effective morning.
Clearly, I like to work from lists. A good lesson that I can perhaps implement as I try to clean out the odds and ends of projects that have been hanging around for a while.
Clearly, I like to work from lists. A good lesson that I can perhaps implement as I try to clean out the odds and ends of projects that have been hanging around for a while.
Spring Fever & New Toy
Took a hike with friends yesterday - the Salmon River lollipop trail. 6.2 miles starting at the Comstock Covered Bridge and ending up at Day Pond State Park, then loop back.
Went with friends and their 9 month old baby, plus two dogs (one of theirs, one my buddy Shambu, borrowed for the day). I would feel all punk about my early spring outdoorsiness except one of my companions carried her 9 month old in a belly sling the whole trip. And nursed him while hiking. Puts it all in perspective.
I tried out my new toy - an iPhone App that tracks hikes (and runs and walks and bikes) via the GPS and dumps the data out to a website. The map is from the site, everytrails.org
Nice to be outdoors this early in the season. Not a lot of spring out there yet (cept for some cultivated daffodils beginning to show here and there) but the trail was relatively dry, just one little ice patch, and the day was sunny and beautiful!
Welcome spring!
Went with friends and their 9 month old baby, plus two dogs (one of theirs, one my buddy Shambu, borrowed for the day). I would feel all punk about my early spring outdoorsiness except one of my companions carried her 9 month old in a belly sling the whole trip. And nursed him while hiking. Puts it all in perspective.
I tried out my new toy - an iPhone App that tracks hikes (and runs and walks and bikes) via the GPS and dumps the data out to a website. The map is from the site, everytrails.org
Nice to be outdoors this early in the season. Not a lot of spring out there yet (cept for some cultivated daffodils beginning to show here and there) but the trail was relatively dry, just one little ice patch, and the day was sunny and beautiful!
Welcome spring!
March 06, 2010
Elo in the House
Elo the dog has come home. When I moved into my new place, Zippy and I mutually decided to keep our shared dogs together. Made sense - the dogs were bonded, Zippy's place has a fenced in yard, and my new place (condo, no yard to run, etc.) was not particularly dog friendly.
But this past week, Zippy called up to vent - Elo is a handful under the best of circumstances, and I suspect I was the pack Alpha back in the day. So Zippy has not had a lot of luck working with him, Elo's strength and pulling do not work well with Zippy's physical limitations (some arm and wrist stuff). The straw that broke the camel's back was a trip to the vet - both dogs were too much for Zippy to handle.
So....tonight on the way back from the airport, I picked up a new roomie.
The ride to the house, he was pretty stressed (whining, panting) and he spent a while running around the condo similarly nervous. But he seems to have settled in...finally. I'm sure it will take some time. I took hom out for a couple of walks already - just to get him used to going out on the leash (as opposed to letting him out back to run) and I am sure I will need as much training as he does as we work out the new rhythms and restrictions.
I stopped by Ocean State and picked up a couple of low cost dog beds (one for the basement, one for the living room) as well as some treats and chews....I figure in a new place and without his buddy Callie, he'll be a bit bored and mischievous without some additional distrations.
Little concerned that he will bother the next door neighbor. We'll see how things play out. With any luck, her daughter will become Elo's buddy....
But it's nice to have my little buddy back in my life, and I think I'll feel a little safer with him here (both when I am here and when I leave the place alone).
But this past week, Zippy called up to vent - Elo is a handful under the best of circumstances, and I suspect I was the pack Alpha back in the day. So Zippy has not had a lot of luck working with him, Elo's strength and pulling do not work well with Zippy's physical limitations (some arm and wrist stuff). The straw that broke the camel's back was a trip to the vet - both dogs were too much for Zippy to handle.
So....tonight on the way back from the airport, I picked up a new roomie.
The ride to the house, he was pretty stressed (whining, panting) and he spent a while running around the condo similarly nervous. But he seems to have settled in...finally. I'm sure it will take some time. I took hom out for a couple of walks already - just to get him used to going out on the leash (as opposed to letting him out back to run) and I am sure I will need as much training as he does as we work out the new rhythms and restrictions.
I stopped by Ocean State and picked up a couple of low cost dog beds (one for the basement, one for the living room) as well as some treats and chews....I figure in a new place and without his buddy Callie, he'll be a bit bored and mischievous without some additional distrations.
Little concerned that he will bother the next door neighbor. We'll see how things play out. With any luck, her daughter will become Elo's buddy....
But it's nice to have my little buddy back in my life, and I think I'll feel a little safer with him here (both when I am here and when I leave the place alone).
March 05, 2010
Tulsa
A quick trip, in and out, to Tulsa. Spent this evening making measurements, successful on two counts (a) we were able to capture the data and save waveforms, fairly quickly and (b) the changes my client has made to their grounding and bonding have resulted in significantly reduced electrical noise.
Fly back home tomorrow - will be home before 9:00 pm - earlier if I can sneak on a morning flight.
Fly back home tomorrow - will be home before 9:00 pm - earlier if I can sneak on a morning flight.
March 02, 2010
Melt Down
It came out of nowhere. I hit the mat this morning with Nykki....after subbing last night's Core Ab class. Did not really feel out of sorts - had a little headache (highly unusual) last night which I put down to dinner (baked cod) and I have been craving the mattress and covers each morning; I've probably been staying up too late. But all in all...I did not feel particularly good or bad walking into the studio.
But as soon as we started our asana practice, this overwhelming feeling of sadness came over me. I struggled with it for a few minutes before giving in - stepping off my mat to find a box of tissues. For the next 60 minutes, I practiced yoga with tears welling up in my eyes, rolling down my cheeks, and dropping onto my mat. By the time practice was over - a pile of tissues from dabbing my eyes and blowing my nose. In short - I lost it on the mat.
Not 100% sure what it is all about. Certainly, there are places in my life touched by sadness - loneliness, both in general and lacking a relationship. Getting older, feeling the mortality of this body. Perhaps even related to the change of seasons. I suspect my walk round the reservoir had something to do with it - spotlighting each of these (I walked alone, my body felt a little sore and stiff this morning, and it did put me in touch with the seasons).
And yet, there is also the possibility that I am dragging up some deep pain - between my losing weight and practicing, plenty of opportunity to draw out some pain from within my body, releasing the combination of chemistry and hormones that spell S-A-D.
After class, I wandered off alone. It was a beautiful pre-spring morning, bright sun, warming air. My sadness slowly cleared as the day went on, although still some little bits resonate.
Yoga. Freaking yoga. So damn beautiful, so deep and powerful. Just breath and postures, so simple - hard to imagine it turning the key to deep emotional, psychological, and spiritual work. And yet it does.....
But as soon as we started our asana practice, this overwhelming feeling of sadness came over me. I struggled with it for a few minutes before giving in - stepping off my mat to find a box of tissues. For the next 60 minutes, I practiced yoga with tears welling up in my eyes, rolling down my cheeks, and dropping onto my mat. By the time practice was over - a pile of tissues from dabbing my eyes and blowing my nose. In short - I lost it on the mat.
Not 100% sure what it is all about. Certainly, there are places in my life touched by sadness - loneliness, both in general and lacking a relationship. Getting older, feeling the mortality of this body. Perhaps even related to the change of seasons. I suspect my walk round the reservoir had something to do with it - spotlighting each of these (I walked alone, my body felt a little sore and stiff this morning, and it did put me in touch with the seasons).
And yet, there is also the possibility that I am dragging up some deep pain - between my losing weight and practicing, plenty of opportunity to draw out some pain from within my body, releasing the combination of chemistry and hormones that spell S-A-D.
After class, I wandered off alone. It was a beautiful pre-spring morning, bright sun, warming air. My sadness slowly cleared as the day went on, although still some little bits resonate.
Yoga. Freaking yoga. So damn beautiful, so deep and powerful. Just breath and postures, so simple - hard to imagine it turning the key to deep emotional, psychological, and spiritual work. And yet it does.....
Reunited
Zippy called this evening, off the hook. He took our two dogs, Elo and Callie, to the vet. (A huge tactical mistake on his part, and completely not needed, he could have left Elo home) but had a horrible experience trying to control them both. His message "I'm giving Elo away...."
Uhm, no, you are not. I called him up and talked him off the proverbial ledge - and the upshot is, I'm going to bring Elo to live with me over at the condo, starting Sunday.
Not 100% sure this will work out - the condo is not a huge place, and there is no fenced in backyard to let the dog out and run. I can possibly put a leash out back, but mostly, I'll be walking him. And I'm a little concerned about barking and the neighbors and stuff; he's not really much of a barker. We'll see....
But it will be nice to have the little f*cker around, give me an excuse to get out and get more exercise. We'll see if I can get him in a little better place, training wise, with me being around more (working out of the house) and him being the only dog.
So, once more, I'm gonna be a dog owner.
Uhm, no, you are not. I called him up and talked him off the proverbial ledge - and the upshot is, I'm going to bring Elo to live with me over at the condo, starting Sunday.
Not 100% sure this will work out - the condo is not a huge place, and there is no fenced in backyard to let the dog out and run. I can possibly put a leash out back, but mostly, I'll be walking him. And I'm a little concerned about barking and the neighbors and stuff; he's not really much of a barker. We'll see....
But it will be nice to have the little f*cker around, give me an excuse to get out and get more exercise. We'll see if I can get him in a little better place, training wise, with me being around more (working out of the house) and him being the only dog.
So, once more, I'm gonna be a dog owner.
February 28, 2010
Oscar Nominated Live Shorts - Real Art Ways
Popped over to Real Art Ways this afternoon to catch the 2010 Oscar Nominated Short Films. All in all, a pretty dark set of films. My quick review.
Kavi was an Indian short, about a young boy who lives in effective slavery in a brick making kiln. Kind of like a sober Slum Dog Millionaire. A beautiful film even as it was dark and only partly resolved.
The New Tenants was a dark comedy, noteworthy by David Rakoff (of This American Life fame) as a neurotic, dark part of a gay couple. Also Vincent D'Onofrio. I giggled through the mayhem and violence.
The Door was about a young family displaced (and later, destroyed) by the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Quite moving and sad, especially in these days where we are considering re-opening the door to domestic nuclear power.
Miracle Fish was perhaps the most cerebral or thought provoking film - a young boy from a poor family struggles with his schoolmates, until they all disappear. Exceptionally surprising and poignant.
Finally, Instead of Abracadabra introduces a nerdy young magician who struggles with family, his craft, and his love life. Funny and feelgood, even if there was a high squirm factor. Also, Swedish is an amusing language to listen to, just the flow and tempo of it.
I'm also looking to go to the Animated Shorts at Real Art Ways before next weekend, as Kerri from Real Hartford has documented. A new Wallace and Grommet short is worthwhile, regardless of the others!
Kavi was an Indian short, about a young boy who lives in effective slavery in a brick making kiln. Kind of like a sober Slum Dog Millionaire. A beautiful film even as it was dark and only partly resolved.
The New Tenants was a dark comedy, noteworthy by David Rakoff (of This American Life fame) as a neurotic, dark part of a gay couple. Also Vincent D'Onofrio. I giggled through the mayhem and violence.
The Door was about a young family displaced (and later, destroyed) by the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Quite moving and sad, especially in these days where we are considering re-opening the door to domestic nuclear power.
Miracle Fish was perhaps the most cerebral or thought provoking film - a young boy from a poor family struggles with his schoolmates, until they all disappear. Exceptionally surprising and poignant.
Finally, Instead of Abracadabra introduces a nerdy young magician who struggles with family, his craft, and his love life. Funny and feelgood, even if there was a high squirm factor. Also, Swedish is an amusing language to listen to, just the flow and tempo of it.
I'm also looking to go to the Animated Shorts at Real Art Ways before next weekend, as Kerri from Real Hartford has documented. A new Wallace and Grommet short is worthwhile, regardless of the others!
February 27, 2010
Safety Seminar
A long day of sitting and learning, at the CT Lighter Than Air Society 2010 Safety Seminar. It's a full day of refresh and reboot in terms of the safety aspects of flying hot air balloons. Lots of things can go wrong - from propane related accidents to contact with high power lines, from thunderstorms and wind sheer to flying into trees.
Special guest this year was Gordon Schwontkowski, long time balloonist and author of "Hot Air Balloon Crewing Essentials". Gordon spoke on a few topics - crew safety, tie downs and tethering, crew weather - and was supplemented by other balloonists speaking about FAA Regulations, propane, accident avoidance, etc.
A long day, but worthwhile. I've been balloon crewing, on and off, for 25 years, and I have never been involved in nor witnessed a serious incident or accident. Hoping that day never comes. But it's always good to be prepared, and I walked away with a punch list of things I need to learn, some habits I need to develop, and some practices we could do better as a crew.
It was also a day of lax eating, as we ate the conference food (yummy, but not exactly weight watchers) and then a follow-up dinner at the Hawthrone Inn (where my meal included seared sea scallops, mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach, salad, and creme brulee). One day hiatus that I fear will show up on the scale on Monday.
Back to my regular life tomorrow. Yoga, methinks. Get some chores and cleaning done around here. And perhaps get my March 1 invoices out, on time for a change....
Special guest this year was Gordon Schwontkowski, long time balloonist and author of "Hot Air Balloon Crewing Essentials". Gordon spoke on a few topics - crew safety, tie downs and tethering, crew weather - and was supplemented by other balloonists speaking about FAA Regulations, propane, accident avoidance, etc. A long day, but worthwhile. I've been balloon crewing, on and off, for 25 years, and I have never been involved in nor witnessed a serious incident or accident. Hoping that day never comes. But it's always good to be prepared, and I walked away with a punch list of things I need to learn, some habits I need to develop, and some practices we could do better as a crew.
It was also a day of lax eating, as we ate the conference food (yummy, but not exactly weight watchers) and then a follow-up dinner at the Hawthrone Inn (where my meal included seared sea scallops, mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach, salad, and creme brulee). One day hiatus that I fear will show up on the scale on Monday.
Back to my regular life tomorrow. Yoga, methinks. Get some chores and cleaning done around here. And perhaps get my March 1 invoices out, on time for a change....
Let's Go To the Videotape
Back in September 2007, Bob Wilson came on a balloon flight, taping it for his Roadside Stories series. Today, I found the video from that segment on YouTube.
I'm in there a little bit.....
I'm in there a little bit.....
February 26, 2010
Hey Wait. It's Me!
Reading back through the blog....I realized that a milestone of sorts passed a few days back. So before I drift upstairs for a long overdue appointment with the pillow, I ought to note it.
I had a direct experience of my self the other night!
I was lying in bed - tired but unable to sleep, so I read for a while, listened to NPR a bit. I had flipped of the light and was snuggled under the blankets when BAM! I suddenly felt myself in my body in a way that was completely new, unexpected, and conversely completely ordinary.
I simultaneously burst out laughing, started to cry, and rolled around in bed hugging myself and whispering to myself "I'm Me! I'm Me!"
Knowing that part of the experience is to communicate the experience, and not really wanting to call up friends or my EI masters at that time of the morning, I posted to Facebook (as a place-holder, temporarily) and then checked in with my EI masters as I was able to.
Pretty sure this was real.....and although certainly not the same without the pressure cooker, support, and opportunity to share and explore of a Direct Experience during an intensive.
But yeah....nice. I feel less broken....
I had a direct experience of my self the other night!
I was lying in bed - tired but unable to sleep, so I read for a while, listened to NPR a bit. I had flipped of the light and was snuggled under the blankets when BAM! I suddenly felt myself in my body in a way that was completely new, unexpected, and conversely completely ordinary.
I simultaneously burst out laughing, started to cry, and rolled around in bed hugging myself and whispering to myself "I'm Me! I'm Me!"
Knowing that part of the experience is to communicate the experience, and not really wanting to call up friends or my EI masters at that time of the morning, I posted to Facebook (as a place-holder, temporarily) and then checked in with my EI masters as I was able to.
Pretty sure this was real.....and although certainly not the same without the pressure cooker, support, and opportunity to share and explore of a Direct Experience during an intensive.
But yeah....nice. I feel less broken....
One More Thing
Self confession - I have too many hobbies and careers. I do engineering work. I code websites. I write. I play guitar in a kirtan band. I play bass in a folk-rock band. I practice yoga religiously (some might say fanatically). I teach yoga. I chase hot air balloons. Kind of a full life, no?
So of course I trucked down to Middletown this evening for the first training program that might lead me to become a radio DJ at WESU 88.1 (Wesleyan University). Sometime last year I saw a solicitation for folk DJs on one of the local folk music lists, and it just seemed right. So here I go.....
Was kind of cool being there - rooms and hallways crammed with shelves full of LPs and CDs. Funky and cool and a little rough around the edges in the way that college radio just is. I feel like I'm getting the chance to do something I might have done back in college had I been really engaged and connected to myself, had I not been full of fear and running for my life.
Tonight was pretty tame - introductions, meet the trainers, go over the history of the station, the structure of the training, some of the rules and regs. Who knows if this will stick. Of course, the last time I embarked upon a "let's see where this road takes me" kind of training I ended up a yoga teacher.
It's never too late to have a happy childhood. Or in my case, a happy adolescence.....
So of course I trucked down to Middletown this evening for the first training program that might lead me to become a radio DJ at WESU 88.1 (Wesleyan University). Sometime last year I saw a solicitation for folk DJs on one of the local folk music lists, and it just seemed right. So here I go.....
Was kind of cool being there - rooms and hallways crammed with shelves full of LPs and CDs. Funky and cool and a little rough around the edges in the way that college radio just is. I feel like I'm getting the chance to do something I might have done back in college had I been really engaged and connected to myself, had I not been full of fear and running for my life.
Tonight was pretty tame - introductions, meet the trainers, go over the history of the station, the structure of the training, some of the rules and regs. Who knows if this will stick. Of course, the last time I embarked upon a "let's see where this road takes me" kind of training I ended up a yoga teacher.
It's never too late to have a happy childhood. Or in my case, a happy adolescence.....
February 25, 2010
Peter Anthony!
A message from Linked In this morning:
I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
etcetera, blah, blah, blah
- Peter Anthony
I'm so glad he's reconnected - been thinking of him lately with all my forays into the world of open mics, acoustic music, etc.
I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
etcetera, blah, blah, blah
- Peter Anthony
I'm so glad he's reconnected - been thinking of him lately with all my forays into the world of open mics, acoustic music, etc.
Tomboys
I've always had a thing for Tomboys. My high school and college crushes (inevitably unrequited) were for the jockettes - field hockey, tennis, track, crew, rugby. There is something about a strong and not quite so gender conforming woman that makes my heart skip a beat.
So needless to say, the Vancouver Olympics is fertile ground for renewing my mad crush skills.
Figure skating / ice dancing? Bleah. Unless the female cognate of Johnny Weir shows up - KD Lang on blades of glory, I'm not interested. And the classic winter skiing sports (downhill, etc.) are also a bit too mainstream to be of much interest.
But bobsled and luge, yeah. Curling. Snowboard and ski-cross (even Shaun White is kinda cute in a Tomboy kinda way). Speed-skating. Biathlon.
SO I have to admit that I've been watching the Olympics not just for the sport and spectacle. But kind of mildly crushing out on the athletes. Kind of an interesting insight.
February 24, 2010
WANT!
Yoga Action Figures!
16 plastic figures (8 men, 8 women) and an instructional guide. Amazing and fun.
16 plastic figures (8 men, 8 women) and an instructional guide. Amazing and fun.
February 09, 2010
Near Miss
Friends from Philly, en route to Boston, decided to drive up tonight and stopover in CT. They were thinking of staying here, and as a result I scurried around cleaning this afternoon: changed the sheets, straightened the bedroom and living room somewhat, vacuumed all the carpets.
Alas, my friends opted to lodge with another friend, along the coast. Probably smart considering the snowfall predictions. And it's nice to have the place a bit cleaned up....
Alas, my friends opted to lodge with another friend, along the coast. Probably smart considering the snowfall predictions. And it's nice to have the place a bit cleaned up....
Weight Watchers - Week #5
Alas, my WW updates have ended up for the most part on Facebook. Suffice it to say that I am still on program, still losing. As of Week #5 weigh-in on Monday, I lost 2 more pounds for 12.8 total. Not quite Biggest Loser numbers but not too bad. I had dropped exponentially over the first four weeks - roughly 6 / 3 / 1.5 / 0.5 pounds, so a decent two pounds was a welcome rebound. For that, I earned a warning from the eTools system:
Please note: You’re probably excited to be losing weight, but you’re losing faster than is recommended. Although it’s normal to lose over 2 pounds in one week, if you lose more than an average of 2 pounds per week over a four-week period, this could pose health risks, such as heart irregularities, anemia or loss of muscle mass. Please slow your weight loss; your doctor can help you do this if you’re not sure how, or ask your Leader for ideas.
Please slow your weight loss. Really? Honestly, with the good foods that I am eating, much hot / power yoga, and my starting weight, 2 pounds per week is pretty safe for me. Although I was tempted to stop by Five Guys this evening to ensure that I "slowed my weight loss". Mmmmmm...... although I ran the nutritional information into the WW calculator to find the points. Little Hamburger = 14 points, Regular Fries (which is really two servings) is 16 points. Not really. I remain somewhat shocked each time I run the numbers on a (typically fast food) "habit" from my days before I started the program. It's amazing I did not gain much more weight, a tribute to all that yoga....
I'm loving the WW eTools especially the iPhone app. Includes a points calculator, a list of restaurant menu items, and the ability to update your food or activity points on the road.
I did find a nice treat - Van's Low Fat Waffles (2 points for 2 waffles, amazing), frozen unsweetened strawberries (1 point for 1/2 cup), and some Fat Free whipped topping. A 3 or 4 point dessert that is pretty delicious and amazing.
Please note: You’re probably excited to be losing weight, but you’re losing faster than is recommended. Although it’s normal to lose over 2 pounds in one week, if you lose more than an average of 2 pounds per week over a four-week period, this could pose health risks, such as heart irregularities, anemia or loss of muscle mass. Please slow your weight loss; your doctor can help you do this if you’re not sure how, or ask your Leader for ideas.
Please slow your weight loss. Really? Honestly, with the good foods that I am eating, much hot / power yoga, and my starting weight, 2 pounds per week is pretty safe for me. Although I was tempted to stop by Five Guys this evening to ensure that I "slowed my weight loss". Mmmmmm...... although I ran the nutritional information into the WW calculator to find the points. Little Hamburger = 14 points, Regular Fries (which is really two servings) is 16 points. Not really. I remain somewhat shocked each time I run the numbers on a (typically fast food) "habit" from my days before I started the program. It's amazing I did not gain much more weight, a tribute to all that yoga....
I'm loving the WW eTools especially the iPhone app. Includes a points calculator, a list of restaurant menu items, and the ability to update your food or activity points on the road.
I did find a nice treat - Van's Low Fat Waffles (2 points for 2 waffles, amazing), frozen unsweetened strawberries (1 point for 1/2 cup), and some Fat Free whipped topping. A 3 or 4 point dessert that is pretty delicious and amazing.
February 05, 2010
Kitty Kraus / Matrix 158
Popped over to the Wadsworth Atheneum last night for the relaunch of the Matrix contemporary arts program. Full disclosure - the new Curator of Contemporary Art, Patricia Hickson, is an old friend (or rather, my sister's best bud in high school, she was a year behind me) and life has planted us both in Hartford. So I was there partly for the art, partly to support a friend, and partly to get out and about. The evening was a success on all counts!
Loved the installation. You can read a more refined synopsis of the artist's work here, although I'm trying to reflect my reaction without reading too much. I'll dig into others interpretations later....I was too busy schmoozing to catch the artist's talks, sadly.
My initial reaction was that Ms. Kraus is creating the same sorts of geometries and effects as Frank Lloyd Wright - except what he does with paint or metal, she is doing with light. I found myself stopping at each lightbox and noting how each cast a different pattern or effect on the space - and wondering if there were slots or cut-outs on the hidden face. I'm guessing not; that the differences were related to the orientation of the light brick; the distance from the walls, and perhaps subtle differences in the width of the exposed glass and the angled assembly of the individual panes of glass.
Eventually, I stopped at an individual brick and simply gazed into the light. Several of the figures created a 3D effect - as if I were gazing down the length of an unfinished room or hallway, looking at rafters or the supports of a suspended ceiling.
And finally, this morning, a more spiritual interpretation. Much like a quest for the divine - we are often blocked form gazing directly at the truth, but instead can only catch slivers of light, reflections, second and third hand evidence of the brilliant light that illuminates reality. This entire reality is the same sort of projection as Ms. Kraus's light installations - we can not see within the source of the light, but it leaks out of the cracks and the projections are both beautiful and draw us in to seek more.
The Matrix gallery space is an interesting space - long and tunnel-like with one entrance closed. In some ways it evokes other tunnel-like spaces filled with light (dare I mention the O'Hare International tunnel between terminals B and C?). My experience of the art was only slightly marred by a somewhat gruff Atheneum guard whose admonishments to "stick to the center of the room, do not touch anything, including the bench" felt a little stern and boomy in the space which otherwise might have conjured a cathedral-like silence. Perhaps a visit on another day, without the bustle of an opening and a First Thursday event is in order.
I'm a newcomer to the Atheneum's social circle - but it's feeling more comfortable, and I'm overdue for an afternoon of more leisurely browsing and exploration.
Loved the installation. You can read a more refined synopsis of the artist's work here, although I'm trying to reflect my reaction without reading too much. I'll dig into others interpretations later....I was too busy schmoozing to catch the artist's talks, sadly.
My initial reaction was that Ms. Kraus is creating the same sorts of geometries and effects as Frank Lloyd Wright - except what he does with paint or metal, she is doing with light. I found myself stopping at each lightbox and noting how each cast a different pattern or effect on the space - and wondering if there were slots or cut-outs on the hidden face. I'm guessing not; that the differences were related to the orientation of the light brick; the distance from the walls, and perhaps subtle differences in the width of the exposed glass and the angled assembly of the individual panes of glass.
Eventually, I stopped at an individual brick and simply gazed into the light. Several of the figures created a 3D effect - as if I were gazing down the length of an unfinished room or hallway, looking at rafters or the supports of a suspended ceiling.
And finally, this morning, a more spiritual interpretation. Much like a quest for the divine - we are often blocked form gazing directly at the truth, but instead can only catch slivers of light, reflections, second and third hand evidence of the brilliant light that illuminates reality. This entire reality is the same sort of projection as Ms. Kraus's light installations - we can not see within the source of the light, but it leaks out of the cracks and the projections are both beautiful and draw us in to seek more.
The Matrix gallery space is an interesting space - long and tunnel-like with one entrance closed. In some ways it evokes other tunnel-like spaces filled with light (dare I mention the O'Hare International tunnel between terminals B and C?). My experience of the art was only slightly marred by a somewhat gruff Atheneum guard whose admonishments to "stick to the center of the room, do not touch anything, including the bench" felt a little stern and boomy in the space which otherwise might have conjured a cathedral-like silence. Perhaps a visit on another day, without the bustle of an opening and a First Thursday event is in order.
I'm a newcomer to the Atheneum's social circle - but it's feeling more comfortable, and I'm overdue for an afternoon of more leisurely browsing and exploration.
February 03, 2010
Two Point Waffles
One of the pitfalls of weight-watchers is the tendencey to get into a rut, food-wise. Having to figure out the points of new foods is a minor hassle; so one tends to buy or make the same meals day-in and day-out.
Right now, my breakfasts are pretty standard:
* 5 Grain cereal (3 points), raisins (2 points), and agave nectar (1 point)
* Microwaved egg (2 points), lite english muffin (1 point), lite shredded cheese (2 points)
* Cold cereal (2 or 3 points) and milk (2 points)
Today I found a new product - Van's All Natural 97% fat-free waffles - which come in at two points for two waffles. Add a little fruit, maybe some maple syrup. Yum....
Finding low point carbs / breads is kind of the holy grail of weight watchers. So I'm pretty pumped to try these....
Right now, my breakfasts are pretty standard:
* 5 Grain cereal (3 points), raisins (2 points), and agave nectar (1 point)
* Microwaved egg (2 points), lite english muffin (1 point), lite shredded cheese (2 points)
* Cold cereal (2 or 3 points) and milk (2 points)
Today I found a new product - Van's All Natural 97% fat-free waffles - which come in at two points for two waffles. Add a little fruit, maybe some maple syrup. Yum....
Finding low point carbs / breads is kind of the holy grail of weight watchers. So I'm pretty pumped to try these....
Madame Secretary
Triggered by Colin McEnroe's Easy to grasp = True, regarding Susan Byseiwicz's problems with her prospective bid for the Attorney General position.
The whole shuffling of candidates and elected positions in Hartford leaves me with a bad taste. Regardless of whether she is qualified or not (in fact, by the legal definition, or as perceived by the electorate) - her candidacy for AG seems less like a well thought out career arc and more of a "I'm entitled to one of these jobs, the question is, which one"
Do we have a ruling class in the state? If there is one lesson to be taken from MA it's that a position or elected office for granted is no longer a sinecure.
I've always liked Ms. Byseiwicz in her role as SoS; she seems to be on top of things like reaching out to the disenfranchised, being a visible and accessible public figure in terms of elections and voting mechanics. But I've seen nothing that makes me think she has the drive or chops to be AG (other than, perhaps, having done what she can as SoS).
Maybe she has either or both of these. I hope she can communicate that to us. But right now, I'm getting a whiff of entitlement and ruling class (evidenced by Martha Coakley, whose main qualification for Senate seems to have been "I put in my time, you owe me") - and with the mood of the electorate, that does not seem like a good thing.
The whole shuffling of candidates and elected positions in Hartford leaves me with a bad taste. Regardless of whether she is qualified or not (in fact, by the legal definition, or as perceived by the electorate) - her candidacy for AG seems less like a well thought out career arc and more of a "I'm entitled to one of these jobs, the question is, which one"
Do we have a ruling class in the state? If there is one lesson to be taken from MA it's that a position or elected office for granted is no longer a sinecure.
I've always liked Ms. Byseiwicz in her role as SoS; she seems to be on top of things like reaching out to the disenfranchised, being a visible and accessible public figure in terms of elections and voting mechanics. But I've seen nothing that makes me think she has the drive or chops to be AG (other than, perhaps, having done what she can as SoS).
Maybe she has either or both of these. I hope she can communicate that to us. But right now, I'm getting a whiff of entitlement and ruling class (evidenced by Martha Coakley, whose main qualification for Senate seems to have been "I put in my time, you owe me") - and with the mood of the electorate, that does not seem like a good thing.
January 24, 2010
The Boozehounds Win
Unruly passenger forces united jet to divert to DIA
Will a plane door even open at altitude? One might hope for interlocks or something. But if this guy could get the door open, one imagines that such a catastrophic decompression at altitude might bring a plane down as easily as the xmas bomber's underwear.
So, I propose that the TSA / FAA:
a) Hereby ban alcohol on flights
b) Run a breathalyzer on all passengers and deny boarding to those who blow over 0.08 or someting.
Cause I suspect we'd be a lot safer in the air without drunks than we would be adding additional screening....just a hunch.
The man had consumed alcohol before and during the flight, said Kathy Wright, an FBI spokeswoman. After questioning at DIA, the suspect was sent for a medical evaluation.
Will a plane door even open at altitude? One might hope for interlocks or something. But if this guy could get the door open, one imagines that such a catastrophic decompression at altitude might bring a plane down as easily as the xmas bomber's underwear.
So, I propose that the TSA / FAA:
a) Hereby ban alcohol on flights
b) Run a breathalyzer on all passengers and deny boarding to those who blow over 0.08 or someting.
Cause I suspect we'd be a lot safer in the air without drunks than we would be adding additional screening....just a hunch.
January 23, 2010
Urban Oaks Organic Farm
We had our annual teacher's meeting last night in West Hartford - Barb and Peter host a get-together for all of the studio teachers; talking about upcoming workshops, the state of the studio, introduce newish teachers, pass out sub lists, etc. It's mostly a feel-good night with an incredible whole foods dinner and wonderful friends. I am blessed to find myself sitting in that circle of wonderful teachers and wonderful individuals.
I was tasked with picking up a box of local greens for the dinner, ordered from Urban Oaks Organic Farm, which, to my great surprise, is in New Britain! I'll admit that I would never have sought out the place or stumbled upon it on my own (although I did look at a house new there last summer) - but now that I know where it is, I'm pretty sure I'll be back. It's not exactly on the way between home and the yoga studio, but not too bad.
I picked up a head of kale (delicious - steamed some up for breakfast!) and a few onions - my fridge is still kind of full with my last trips to the grocers - but I intend to frequent Urban Oaks in the future. Want to support local food, add some healthier produce to my diet, and I want to be that person.
The retail shop is open year-round on Fridays from 3-6 pm and Saturdays from 10 am - 1 pm.
January 22, 2010
The Terrorists Win.....
OK, been sitting and chewing on this one since the Xmas attempted bombing of a Northwest flight.
Call me a bit jaded, but seems to me there is a helluva difference between an isolated "we are going to blow up the plane" sort of event and a "we are going to coordinate an attack by taking over multiple airliners and fly them into national landmarks" attacks. The former have been with us for years; the latter only since the 9/11 attacks. And as much as we want to travel safely, we've never quite figured out how to prevent the former. Sometimes airlines drop out of the sky due to mechanical failure or human error or weather, less often due to terrorism. And sometimes, miraculously and inexplicably, tragedy is averted. (remember that flight where the door blew off, someone got sucked out, but the plane landed? and of course, the recent Hudson River USAir landing)
My point is, that the TSA and Homeland Security schemes are working. At most we've had a few half-hearted and aborted attempts to take down planes (not, please note, to actually hijack and weaponize planes). And although these attempts may be perhaps part of a greater plan to test the security system and screening, I'd argue that we've learned a lot more from these than the terrorists.
In light of a natural disaster in Haiti that has killed perhaps 100's of thousands and impacted millions, I sit back and wonder how much of an impact even a tiny percentage of the money we've spent on homeland security and several wars would have made had it been diverted to improve the economy, health care, infrastructure, and residences of the poorest nation on earth, right at our doorstep.
Call me a bit jaded, but seems to me there is a helluva difference between an isolated "we are going to blow up the plane" sort of event and a "we are going to coordinate an attack by taking over multiple airliners and fly them into national landmarks" attacks. The former have been with us for years; the latter only since the 9/11 attacks. And as much as we want to travel safely, we've never quite figured out how to prevent the former. Sometimes airlines drop out of the sky due to mechanical failure or human error or weather, less often due to terrorism. And sometimes, miraculously and inexplicably, tragedy is averted. (remember that flight where the door blew off, someone got sucked out, but the plane landed? and of course, the recent Hudson River USAir landing)
My point is, that the TSA and Homeland Security schemes are working. At most we've had a few half-hearted and aborted attempts to take down planes (not, please note, to actually hijack and weaponize planes). And although these attempts may be perhaps part of a greater plan to test the security system and screening, I'd argue that we've learned a lot more from these than the terrorists.
In light of a natural disaster in Haiti that has killed perhaps 100's of thousands and impacted millions, I sit back and wonder how much of an impact even a tiny percentage of the money we've spent on homeland security and several wars would have made had it been diverted to improve the economy, health care, infrastructure, and residences of the poorest nation on earth, right at our doorstep.
Supreme Court Campaign Finance Ruling
OK, to start off, it sucks. I'm not a fan of "Might is Right" (hearkening all the way back to T.H. White's "The Once and Future King") and in this world, dollars = might. Or as Mr. Orwell said, all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. And those with the money, are increasingly, wielding influence and power.
But, dammit, stop whining, lefties. Play some freaking chess here. How can we (as a political movement) counter this or use this? My ideas:
* What's good for the goose is good for the gander. There are plenty of left leaning corporations and entities (unions, of course, but I suspect we can imagine others) out there. We too can dump some money into the arena. Target vulnerable republicans the same way they will target Dems. Can we even create corporate entities with the sole purpose of wielding political power?
* Use your consumer influence. Watching the big evil corporations start to come around on things like the ecology, diversity, healthy eating, local foods, etc. is a good model. Corporations respond to the markets - and if we (as a movement) target corporations that are misusing their power, if we shine a media spotlight on what is going on, if we vote with our checkbooks, we can also wield influence. Perhaps easier with consumer companies (like Walmart or Ford) than with business-to-business (thinking Monsanto or ADM) but we can apply pressure. And watching in the tech sector how seemingly unassailable juggernauts rise and fall with technology shifts, imagine a world where the big evil corporations become obsolete through technological shifts. And then work to make that happen. Hate Monsanto's proprietary seed progams? Figure out how to make their technology as obsolete as the vinyl record or cassette tape. Buh-bye.....
Your goal for next few years: Exploit this ruling, make it work for your benefits. Create a scenario where the conservatives want to create legislation or appoint judges to countermand this ruling.
I am reminded of Jon Stewart's recent piece about losing the filibuster proof majority. "George W Bush did whatever the hell he wanted without a filibuster proof majority" was the crux of his rant, and yeah. Sometimes I think we on the left need to get a bit more aggressive and use our power a bit more confidently.....
But, dammit, stop whining, lefties. Play some freaking chess here. How can we (as a political movement) counter this or use this? My ideas:
* What's good for the goose is good for the gander. There are plenty of left leaning corporations and entities (unions, of course, but I suspect we can imagine others) out there. We too can dump some money into the arena. Target vulnerable republicans the same way they will target Dems. Can we even create corporate entities with the sole purpose of wielding political power?
* Use your consumer influence. Watching the big evil corporations start to come around on things like the ecology, diversity, healthy eating, local foods, etc. is a good model. Corporations respond to the markets - and if we (as a movement) target corporations that are misusing their power, if we shine a media spotlight on what is going on, if we vote with our checkbooks, we can also wield influence. Perhaps easier with consumer companies (like Walmart or Ford) than with business-to-business (thinking Monsanto or ADM) but we can apply pressure. And watching in the tech sector how seemingly unassailable juggernauts rise and fall with technology shifts, imagine a world where the big evil corporations become obsolete through technological shifts. And then work to make that happen. Hate Monsanto's proprietary seed progams? Figure out how to make their technology as obsolete as the vinyl record or cassette tape. Buh-bye.....
Your goal for next few years: Exploit this ruling, make it work for your benefits. Create a scenario where the conservatives want to create legislation or appoint judges to countermand this ruling.
I am reminded of Jon Stewart's recent piece about losing the filibuster proof majority. "George W Bush did whatever the hell he wanted without a filibuster proof majority" was the crux of his rant, and yeah. Sometimes I think we on the left need to get a bit more aggressive and use our power a bit more confidently.....
Make Mine Music
I've been a closet music geek for most of my life.
In grade school, a local high school band stopped by one day for a performance, and a little presentation about music. I wandered home with information about music lessons. My parents, wisely looking ahead to the day my mouth would be full of metal, steered me away from the brasses and the woodwinds. How about a guitar?
So they bought me an inexpensive guitar, and I started guitar lessons with an old guy, Joe Diorio, who appears to have played at some point with Guy Lombardo's band. He was a funny old guy - with a studio in his basement. I rarely if ever practiced, but went to his house once a week and plugged my way through the Mel Bay series under his tutelage. He knew I was not really practicing, but we both kept at it.
I never did catch fire under Mr. Diorio's tutelage - instead my musical metanoia occurred in the back of a 1969 Ford Ranch Wagon, on a family vacation through the Wisconsin Dells. Somewhere on that trip, my fingers figured out how to find the chords without my brain intervening, and my right hand started strumming rhythmically through the chord changes. Against all odds, I became a guitarist.
At some point along the line, I started playing guitar at church - in those post-Vatican II days, guitars at Catholic mass were an "in" thing. And so we'd have this wall of (probably probably poorly tuned, in those pre-electronic tuner days) guitars churning out "I Am the Resurrection" and "Here We Are". I continued to play at Mass (in various forms) for the next few decades. High school - where Janet Cavatorta held sway and infused the services with Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, CSNY, and Bob Dylan. I was too nerdy to realize how cool that was. College (a year or so with the WPI Newman society, until I lost interest). Young adulthood, where I was plucked out of the congregation (visibly singing) by the music leader who was to become my spouse. And for a few years at the local Dignity chapter.
Along the way, I started to pick my way into more secular music. I remember in grade school, one of the kids having a Beatle's songbook he wanted me to play from. I had no idea who they were - having no older siblings to initiate me into popular music. My pop music sensibilities started at the Partridge Family and did not get far past Tommy Roe (it's taken me years to not think of Proud Mary as a Tommy Roe song....)
But in high school, I started to play an electric guitar - playing in the pit band for the high school production of Godspell; and then in a late's 70s basement band. We did Cars, Stones, Knack, Zep, Hendrix (I was strictly rhythm, but wunderkind Pete Toupy was pretty amazing on lead). We dubbed ourselves Broken Bones (figuring being close to the Beatles in the record racks was a good thing, and rhythmically similar to Rolling Stones). If I recall, I think the logo had a KISS feel in terms of font) so you get where the influences were.
And although my interests were somewhat divided at the time - math & science geekery, part time work at McDonald's, creative writing - well, music always seemed to be core. When my father died the spring of my senior year in high school, I tucked a guitar pick into his suit pocket in the casket. He was not a musician himself, but he always seemed to take some pleasure in my music and if he was not a band parent, he was always encouraging and generous in terms of lessons, instruments, transportation, etc.
As college rolled around, I fell in with another musical clique, 1/2 of the band Equinox of Westboro MA. Don Montgomery (drummer), and Stan Matthews (guitar and vocals) and I (picking up a bass for the first time). Would get together and jam at a WPI student apartment (Fuller 22, if memory serves) and later on the 3rd floor of the Westboro Package Store building where Stan assembled a small studio with a 4 track reel-to-reel recorder. We had a couple of gigs - a talent show at the WPI Goat's Head Pub (a black and white photo exists which will be graciously not scanned in), a full gig at the Westboro K of C hall (I have the entire thing recorded on cassette!). A graduation party on a flat-bed truck (all I remember is leading us through Jonathon Richman's Roadrunner to a field full of screaming drunk recent grads)
My musical roots grew deeper - Don was a huge Stones fan, Stan adored the Beatles, the Doors and Joy Division. We played all over the classic rock spectrum - the Animals, U2, Clash, Jam, Beatles, Stones, CCR, Neil Young. It was a fun time.
After college, I drifted away from my own music. My spouse was a musician and I kind of dropped out in the way that married couples sometimes distribute interests and responsibilities. But after a brief marriage and separation, I began to pack my old Ibanez acoustic into the car and hit the local open mike circuit. Starting at the Common Ground in Bristol, and ranging all over (Susan's in Granby, Roaring Brook in Canton, Buttonwood Tree in Middletown, Equinox World Cafe in Manchester) I played mostly covers with a few originals. My singing was never particularly noteworthy, and my playing was never more than workmanlike, but I was out there.
And then, 15 years ago or thereabouts, I started to mess with gender. And as my affect began to soften and blur, and the difficulty of moving across the gender divide whilst playing gruff and growly folk music set in, I slowly set down my guitar. I continued to truck it along with me to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (I've been volunteering and attending for 18 years or thereabouts), but after a while it never came out of the case, and then for a few years, I stopped bringing it. For many years, I did not even pick up my guitars.
A few years back, having discovered yoga, I went to an evening of chanting called Kirtan. I loved the music, I loved the energy, and when the evening was over I shyly approached the leader, Shankara. "I know you have a guitar player, but if he ever needs a backup or a rest, I play too....." Little did I know that Jeff the guitarist was stepping back from the group, and Shankara was actively looking for a guitarist. And suddenly, I had a gig. Music was back.....
I've played with the kirtan group (not so far removed from my folk mass roots, really) for a few years now - my rather intuitive playing and many years in the folk mass trenches giving me the right skills to sit and play for 2-3 hours straight, to think on my feet, to play with abandon without a particular set list or structured songs. Along the way I've picked up a new guitar (a smaller Ibanez with internal electronics), an instrument amplifier, and an acoustic bass. We're still at it....next Kirtan is Feb 11th....come on down!
And for the past few weeks, I've been rehearsing with a lovely musical duo - Sandy (Vocals) and Dan (guitar) making up the Guinea Pigs (a rather interesting name, dubbed the night they went first at an open mike). They play an eclectic mix of great stuff - Nick Lowe, Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Todd Rundgren - along with a good dose of originals. They sound wonderful together, and I'm totally excited to be adding my bass playing to the mix. It's been really fun learning their songs and rehearsing with them - and rediscovering my bass playing chops. (We're looking for a drummer, in case readers play or know someone who does)
They play around a bit - open mics, farmer's markets, clubs, other opportunities. We're doing an open mic slot on Monday up at Union Street Tavern in Windsor. It will be my first time performing publicly like this in many years. I'm excited. Playing music! Hope it sounds as good as it feels!
In grade school, a local high school band stopped by one day for a performance, and a little presentation about music. I wandered home with information about music lessons. My parents, wisely looking ahead to the day my mouth would be full of metal, steered me away from the brasses and the woodwinds. How about a guitar?
So they bought me an inexpensive guitar, and I started guitar lessons with an old guy, Joe Diorio, who appears to have played at some point with Guy Lombardo's band. He was a funny old guy - with a studio in his basement. I rarely if ever practiced, but went to his house once a week and plugged my way through the Mel Bay series under his tutelage. He knew I was not really practicing, but we both kept at it.
I never did catch fire under Mr. Diorio's tutelage - instead my musical metanoia occurred in the back of a 1969 Ford Ranch Wagon, on a family vacation through the Wisconsin Dells. Somewhere on that trip, my fingers figured out how to find the chords without my brain intervening, and my right hand started strumming rhythmically through the chord changes. Against all odds, I became a guitarist.
At some point along the line, I started playing guitar at church - in those post-Vatican II days, guitars at Catholic mass were an "in" thing. And so we'd have this wall of (probably probably poorly tuned, in those pre-electronic tuner days) guitars churning out "I Am the Resurrection" and "Here We Are". I continued to play at Mass (in various forms) for the next few decades. High school - where Janet Cavatorta held sway and infused the services with Peter, Paul and Mary, Joan Baez, CSNY, and Bob Dylan. I was too nerdy to realize how cool that was. College (a year or so with the WPI Newman society, until I lost interest). Young adulthood, where I was plucked out of the congregation (visibly singing) by the music leader who was to become my spouse. And for a few years at the local Dignity chapter.
Along the way, I started to pick my way into more secular music. I remember in grade school, one of the kids having a Beatle's songbook he wanted me to play from. I had no idea who they were - having no older siblings to initiate me into popular music. My pop music sensibilities started at the Partridge Family and did not get far past Tommy Roe (it's taken me years to not think of Proud Mary as a Tommy Roe song....)
But in high school, I started to play an electric guitar - playing in the pit band for the high school production of Godspell; and then in a late's 70s basement band. We did Cars, Stones, Knack, Zep, Hendrix (I was strictly rhythm, but wunderkind Pete Toupy was pretty amazing on lead). We dubbed ourselves Broken Bones (figuring being close to the Beatles in the record racks was a good thing, and rhythmically similar to Rolling Stones). If I recall, I think the logo had a KISS feel in terms of font) so you get where the influences were.
And although my interests were somewhat divided at the time - math & science geekery, part time work at McDonald's, creative writing - well, music always seemed to be core. When my father died the spring of my senior year in high school, I tucked a guitar pick into his suit pocket in the casket. He was not a musician himself, but he always seemed to take some pleasure in my music and if he was not a band parent, he was always encouraging and generous in terms of lessons, instruments, transportation, etc.
As college rolled around, I fell in with another musical clique, 1/2 of the band Equinox of Westboro MA. Don Montgomery (drummer), and Stan Matthews (guitar and vocals) and I (picking up a bass for the first time). Would get together and jam at a WPI student apartment (Fuller 22, if memory serves) and later on the 3rd floor of the Westboro Package Store building where Stan assembled a small studio with a 4 track reel-to-reel recorder. We had a couple of gigs - a talent show at the WPI Goat's Head Pub (a black and white photo exists which will be graciously not scanned in), a full gig at the Westboro K of C hall (I have the entire thing recorded on cassette!). A graduation party on a flat-bed truck (all I remember is leading us through Jonathon Richman's Roadrunner to a field full of screaming drunk recent grads)
My musical roots grew deeper - Don was a huge Stones fan, Stan adored the Beatles, the Doors and Joy Division. We played all over the classic rock spectrum - the Animals, U2, Clash, Jam, Beatles, Stones, CCR, Neil Young. It was a fun time.
After college, I drifted away from my own music. My spouse was a musician and I kind of dropped out in the way that married couples sometimes distribute interests and responsibilities. But after a brief marriage and separation, I began to pack my old Ibanez acoustic into the car and hit the local open mike circuit. Starting at the Common Ground in Bristol, and ranging all over (Susan's in Granby, Roaring Brook in Canton, Buttonwood Tree in Middletown, Equinox World Cafe in Manchester) I played mostly covers with a few originals. My singing was never particularly noteworthy, and my playing was never more than workmanlike, but I was out there.
And then, 15 years ago or thereabouts, I started to mess with gender. And as my affect began to soften and blur, and the difficulty of moving across the gender divide whilst playing gruff and growly folk music set in, I slowly set down my guitar. I continued to truck it along with me to the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (I've been volunteering and attending for 18 years or thereabouts), but after a while it never came out of the case, and then for a few years, I stopped bringing it. For many years, I did not even pick up my guitars.
A few years back, having discovered yoga, I went to an evening of chanting called Kirtan. I loved the music, I loved the energy, and when the evening was over I shyly approached the leader, Shankara. "I know you have a guitar player, but if he ever needs a backup or a rest, I play too....." Little did I know that Jeff the guitarist was stepping back from the group, and Shankara was actively looking for a guitarist. And suddenly, I had a gig. Music was back.....
I've played with the kirtan group (not so far removed from my folk mass roots, really) for a few years now - my rather intuitive playing and many years in the folk mass trenches giving me the right skills to sit and play for 2-3 hours straight, to think on my feet, to play with abandon without a particular set list or structured songs. Along the way I've picked up a new guitar (a smaller Ibanez with internal electronics), an instrument amplifier, and an acoustic bass. We're still at it....next Kirtan is Feb 11th....come on down!
And for the past few weeks, I've been rehearsing with a lovely musical duo - Sandy (Vocals) and Dan (guitar) making up the Guinea Pigs (a rather interesting name, dubbed the night they went first at an open mike). They play an eclectic mix of great stuff - Nick Lowe, Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Todd Rundgren - along with a good dose of originals. They sound wonderful together, and I'm totally excited to be adding my bass playing to the mix. It's been really fun learning their songs and rehearsing with them - and rediscovering my bass playing chops. (We're looking for a drummer, in case readers play or know someone who does)
They play around a bit - open mics, farmer's markets, clubs, other opportunities. We're doing an open mic slot on Monday up at Union Street Tavern in Windsor. It will be my first time performing publicly like this in many years. I'm excited. Playing music! Hope it sounds as good as it feels!
Blog Comments
Not sure if this is just a byproduct of being out there in the blogosphere for so long, or something new in the land of marketing spammishness, but I've been getting a lot of spurious blog comments.
These range from targeted (I think the principals of the Asian Five Star Farmer's Market stop by to plant comments) to obvious (random works with an embedded link to some advertising site). And then there are the curiously inexplicable - no links or apparent reasons for the comment, sometimes amusingly positive (albeit completely nonsensical) and sometimes just cryptic.
No idea what this is all about, but suffice it to say I reject 'em all. Sorry automated commenting programs, marketers, etc.
These range from targeted (I think the principals of the Asian Five Star Farmer's Market stop by to plant comments) to obvious (random works with an embedded link to some advertising site). And then there are the curiously inexplicable - no links or apparent reasons for the comment, sometimes amusingly positive (albeit completely nonsensical) and sometimes just cryptic.
No idea what this is all about, but suffice it to say I reject 'em all. Sorry automated commenting programs, marketers, etc.
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