Friends
Grateful Journal
19 03 09 15:36
Gardening with Carl
My 40th Birthday!
Technology
Barack Obama
My Open-Minded, Freindly, Atheist Neighbor
Listening
That I Feel Useful and Valued Every Day
Fish! Training and David's Heart Attack
04 10 08 15:12
This past week we facilitated a Fish! training at work. Rather than explain Fish!, I have provided a link.
I took lead on our group process focusing on ‘play,’ and I can’t remember which of my friends was in charge of ‘choose your attitude,’ but in the course of the conversation an example was thrown out that there are times when choosing your attitude is unreasonable, like when one has extreme health issues.
After the training, I was carrying supplies back to central computing with Melanie, Gretchen, and Catherine, and we were processing our successful inspirational training. As were were talking about ‘choose your attitude’ I told them about David’s heart attack on our vacation in Hawaii a couple weeks ago. Talk about an inspirational example of ‘choose your attitude!’ I think the story deserves to be told now.
On Friday of our vacation in Kauai, we were all tromping around having a good time. We visited the Kilauea lighthouse. David was having chest pain. Of course, with David, chest pain can mean something or not. Living with apparently chronic cancer as long as he has, his body sends all kinds of messages, many of which are misleading. Is pain related to medicine? chemo? that tumor that’s finally receding? one that’s growing? heartburn? heart attack? Who knows. What the heck, on vacation, it was a pain to ignore.
Saturday the pain continued.
Sunday we all drove up into Waimea Canyon and stopped several places. David was out of breath and in pain the entire time. On the way home, finally, the decision was made to stop at the hospital in Lihue. Carl, David Erhardt and I headed back to the house. Shortly after we returned, we got a call from Mark. David and he were to be airlifted to Honolulu. They needed us to bring them change of clothes and possibly pick up David’s mom, Elinor, and bring her back with us.
Driving was tense. It’s not good to speed, so we went speed limit, which is painful in Hawaii when you are in crisis. Carl was snippy, understandably, given the chemistry all of our bodies were pumping through our veins in response to our anxiety.
The hospital was socially clumsy. What to say or do? David E. suggested we find food for David, Mark, Patrick and Elinor who had been at the hospital for a while now. Off we went to a convenience store to buy the strangest assortment of sandwiches, fried dumplings, and water. Back to the hospital. More uncomfortable standing around. I felt like we were in the way of the four family members taking care of themselves, but I like to be left alone when sick. Finally, we left.
Well, they flew him that night to Honolulu. The doctors there put two stints in his heart, and sent him back with digital movies of his heart pumping dye through clogged, then newly unclogged arteries. Whew. There was some confusion about why Tucson surgeons had not dealt with these clogged arteries when they did bypass surgery weeks before, but then again, so what? David was back!
... I didn’t hear him complain once the rest of the trip. Remarkable. He reported feeling much better post-surgery, and off we went the 19th on our boat and snorkeling trip, David on board. No, David overboard - he went snorkeling too! He cooked us a full dinner of fresh fish from the Fish Market that night. Tromping around the island continued thereafter. Luau on the 20th. It was like nothing happened. No, it was better. It was better than as if nothing had happened - I think we all had a nice reminder how precious life is and how lucky we were to be in a beautiful place enjoying vacation time with good friends, beautiful land sea and air, and plentiful food.
At one point I asked David if he was really well enough to be running all over the island again. His response was that he felt, nay, *was* better health-wise than he was before surgical stints were applied, and if he was tromping around with us then, he might as well now. The way he phrased it demanded, ‘no arguments!’ None were given. Besides, I agreed with him. Life is too short not to enjoy every moment.
How’s that for a great ‘choose your attitude’ story?
I took lead on our group process focusing on ‘play,’ and I can’t remember which of my friends was in charge of ‘choose your attitude,’ but in the course of the conversation an example was thrown out that there are times when choosing your attitude is unreasonable, like when one has extreme health issues.
After the training, I was carrying supplies back to central computing with Melanie, Gretchen, and Catherine, and we were processing our successful inspirational training. As were were talking about ‘choose your attitude’ I told them about David’s heart attack on our vacation in Hawaii a couple weeks ago. Talk about an inspirational example of ‘choose your attitude!’ I think the story deserves to be told now.
On Friday of our vacation in Kauai, we were all tromping around having a good time. We visited the Kilauea lighthouse. David was having chest pain. Of course, with David, chest pain can mean something or not. Living with apparently chronic cancer as long as he has, his body sends all kinds of messages, many of which are misleading. Is pain related to medicine? chemo? that tumor that’s finally receding? one that’s growing? heartburn? heart attack? Who knows. What the heck, on vacation, it was a pain to ignore.
Saturday the pain continued.
Sunday we all drove up into Waimea Canyon and stopped several places. David was out of breath and in pain the entire time. On the way home, finally, the decision was made to stop at the hospital in Lihue. Carl, David Erhardt and I headed back to the house. Shortly after we returned, we got a call from Mark. David and he were to be airlifted to Honolulu. They needed us to bring them change of clothes and possibly pick up David’s mom, Elinor, and bring her back with us.
Driving was tense. It’s not good to speed, so we went speed limit, which is painful in Hawaii when you are in crisis. Carl was snippy, understandably, given the chemistry all of our bodies were pumping through our veins in response to our anxiety.
The hospital was socially clumsy. What to say or do? David E. suggested we find food for David, Mark, Patrick and Elinor who had been at the hospital for a while now. Off we went to a convenience store to buy the strangest assortment of sandwiches, fried dumplings, and water. Back to the hospital. More uncomfortable standing around. I felt like we were in the way of the four family members taking care of themselves, but I like to be left alone when sick. Finally, we left.
Well, they flew him that night to Honolulu. The doctors there put two stints in his heart, and sent him back with digital movies of his heart pumping dye through clogged, then newly unclogged arteries. Whew. There was some confusion about why Tucson surgeons had not dealt with these clogged arteries when they did bypass surgery weeks before, but then again, so what? David was back!
... I didn’t hear him complain once the rest of the trip. Remarkable. He reported feeling much better post-surgery, and off we went the 19th on our boat and snorkeling trip, David on board. No, David overboard - he went snorkeling too! He cooked us a full dinner of fresh fish from the Fish Market that night. Tromping around the island continued thereafter. Luau on the 20th. It was like nothing happened. No, it was better. It was better than as if nothing had happened - I think we all had a nice reminder how precious life is and how lucky we were to be in a beautiful place enjoying vacation time with good friends, beautiful land sea and air, and plentiful food.
At one point I asked David if he was really well enough to be running all over the island again. His response was that he felt, nay, *was* better health-wise than he was before surgical stints were applied, and if he was tromping around with us then, he might as well now. The way he phrased it demanded, ‘no arguments!’ None were given. Besides, I agreed with him. Life is too short not to enjoy every moment.
How’s that for a great ‘choose your attitude’ story?
Final Cut Pro Training
18 06 08 08:35
I am at a training all week. Mah co-worker and fwiend Patti arranged a Final Cut Pro training with Diana Weynand in one of OSCRs computer labs. That’s where I’m hanging all week, Tuesday through Friday, so basically this training is my work week.
I was a little lost at first, because I thought the Final Cut Pro training had something to do with circumcision. I half expected to arrive and find a room full of Rabbis and screaming babies. I was mistaken, however. Final Cut Pro is a video editing application published by Apple.
The first day was GREAT! It started slow, but we are learning all of the key commands as we go along, so by the end we will be Final Cut Pro keyboard jock geek experts! Yay! I can’t wait to use my newfound Final Cut Pro suerhero skills on the job... saving humanity from certain destruction... or, something like that. Here’s a pic of me at the trining with Catherine and Melanie:
I was a little lost at first, because I thought the Final Cut Pro training had something to do with circumcision. I half expected to arrive and find a room full of Rabbis and screaming babies. I was mistaken, however. Final Cut Pro is a video editing application published by Apple.
The first day was GREAT! It started slow, but we are learning all of the key commands as we go along, so by the end we will be Final Cut Pro keyboard jock geek experts! Yay! I can’t wait to use my newfound Final Cut Pro suerhero skills on the job... saving humanity from certain destruction... or, something like that. Here’s a pic of me at the trining with Catherine and Melanie:
Visiting Steven and Marla in Santa Fe
08 06 08 09:21
I am in Santa Fe this weekend spending time with Steven and Marla. Steven is moving to Singapore to accept a position at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore to design and direct a new graduate program in Sonic Arts Design. He will be gone for at least three years, and possibly significantly longer. Since he has been one of my closest friends for a long time, I wanted to be able to see him before he left.
We have been having a great time. Yesterday we went to a fishing lake at Picuris Pueblo for the day with Deloria and Thomas, nephews Zack and Shane, and Deloria’s brother Wilbur. Zack offered me SPF45 sunscreen the moment I showed up, and it’s a good thing he did! It was a perfect day. The setting was beautiful, too... complete with mountains, some still wearing snowcaps. All we did was hang out, fish, and eat. It was great. It made me feel sad that our little family is going to be so geographically scattered, but I doubt we will ever lose touch with each other. My family is all back East, and maybe thanks to iChat, cell phones, and occasional plane flights, I am just as close as ever. I’m sure it will be the same for Steven, Marla, Thomas, Deloria and me. Carl too, of course! (...being a newcomer to our circle, he wasn’t kicking around with us for the decade we all spent together in Santa Fe...)
After fishing, we changed at Deloria and Thomas’ house in San Juan, then headed off to Chimayo. We all visited the Santuario, and then met up with Marla for dinner at the Rancho de Chimayo.
^ Deloria and Wilbur and -> Steven
^ Thomas and -> Wilbur and Deloria
^ Steven posing with Carl at Santuario de Chimayo
^ Thomas and Deloria
^ Wilbur, Zack, Shane and Steven
We have been having a great time. Yesterday we went to a fishing lake at Picuris Pueblo for the day with Deloria and Thomas, nephews Zack and Shane, and Deloria’s brother Wilbur. Zack offered me SPF45 sunscreen the moment I showed up, and it’s a good thing he did! It was a perfect day. The setting was beautiful, too... complete with mountains, some still wearing snowcaps. All we did was hang out, fish, and eat. It was great. It made me feel sad that our little family is going to be so geographically scattered, but I doubt we will ever lose touch with each other. My family is all back East, and maybe thanks to iChat, cell phones, and occasional plane flights, I am just as close as ever. I’m sure it will be the same for Steven, Marla, Thomas, Deloria and me. Carl too, of course! (...being a newcomer to our circle, he wasn’t kicking around with us for the decade we all spent together in Santa Fe...)
After fishing, we changed at Deloria and Thomas’ house in San Juan, then headed off to Chimayo. We all visited the Santuario, and then met up with Marla for dinner at the Rancho de Chimayo.
^ Deloria and Wilbur and -> Steven
^ Thomas and -> Wilbur and Deloria
^ Steven posing with Carl at Santuario de Chimayo
^ Thomas and Deloria
^ Wilbur, Zack, Shane and Steven
Kurzweil, Kidjo, Ceiling Cat
14 03 08 10:50
It's been a fun couple of weeks!
On March 4, we, meaning Carl, Kathy Bayham (friend who works at the College of Education), Mats Reiniusson (friend who works in Fine Arts), and myself, went to see Ray Kurzweil, via 'teleport' delivered a talk at the University of Arizona about the future of technology, the exponential pace of technological innovation, evolution, biology as technology, and the inevitable continuation of the merging of biology and technology. It was an amazing, thought provoking talk. If you don't know about Ray Kurzweil, read about him! Better yet, read one of his books!
On the 8th we went to see Angelique Kidjo at Centennial Hall, one of the best concerts I have attended in quite some time! She is beautiful and her music is too. If you've never heard of her, check her out!
On the evening of March 12, we saw 'To Kill a Mockingbird' at the Arizona Theater Company.
...and today, Dane, one of our student staff, introduced me to FrenchMaidTV, one of the best on-line video tutorial websites I have yet seen. I have to deliver a workshop on creating podcasts in the U of A bookstore next month, so I may use their podcast video as a model. No doubt I will be bringing this up with the OSCR's Workshop and Training team at our next team meeting. Catherine, our team lead, is away on vacation for six weeks in Eastern Europe, so it's my big chance to inject some sexiness into our workshop offerings. After Dane showed me the FrenchMaidTV website, I declared aloud: 'maybe if our workshops are sexier, more people will come!' Then I realized what I said and turned quite red, I'm sure.
One last bit of fun: LOLCatBible. Every bit as accurate as other crap translations of the bible, and probably equal in terms of literary value and interest. LOLCatBible makes at least as much sense as the belief that one should live by Biblical literalism! Enjoy!
On March 4, we, meaning Carl, Kathy Bayham (friend who works at the College of Education), Mats Reiniusson (friend who works in Fine Arts), and myself, went to see Ray Kurzweil, via 'teleport' delivered a talk at the University of Arizona about the future of technology, the exponential pace of technological innovation, evolution, biology as technology, and the inevitable continuation of the merging of biology and technology. It was an amazing, thought provoking talk. If you don't know about Ray Kurzweil, read about him! Better yet, read one of his books!
On the 8th we went to see Angelique Kidjo at Centennial Hall, one of the best concerts I have attended in quite some time! She is beautiful and her music is too. If you've never heard of her, check her out!
On the evening of March 12, we saw 'To Kill a Mockingbird' at the Arizona Theater Company.
...and today, Dane, one of our student staff, introduced me to FrenchMaidTV, one of the best on-line video tutorial websites I have yet seen. I have to deliver a workshop on creating podcasts in the U of A bookstore next month, so I may use their podcast video as a model. No doubt I will be bringing this up with the OSCR's Workshop and Training team at our next team meeting. Catherine, our team lead, is away on vacation for six weeks in Eastern Europe, so it's my big chance to inject some sexiness into our workshop offerings. After Dane showed me the FrenchMaidTV website, I declared aloud: 'maybe if our workshops are sexier, more people will come!' Then I realized what I said and turned quite red, I'm sure.
One last bit of fun: LOLCatBible. Every bit as accurate as other crap translations of the bible, and probably equal in terms of literary value and interest. LOLCatBible makes at least as much sense as the belief that one should live by Biblical literalism! Enjoy!
Gamie Jammie
09 12 07 20:32
Well, yesterday afternoon I atteded my first Fine Stream Gamelan 'Gammie Jammie,' a gamelan pyjama party where we all get together, play Christmas tunes modified for Gamelan, and sleep over at Mike and Wayan's home (aka Crickethead Inn). It was a freakin' RIOT! We played pelog, which provides enough tones per octave to play recognizable renditions of 'Silent Night,' 'Jingle Bells,' 'Silver Bells,' etc... Matt describes them as 'twisted Christmas carols,' which they were, a bit. I played bonang panerus, and decided to apply a modified traditional pattern to all the pieces. Chad similarly improvised a semi-traditional bonang part. We made a great team!
After eating, playing, looking out the kitchen window for coyotes and foxes, eating dessert (a black rice pudding with coconut juice), playing some more, and falling asleep on the living room floor, we all went off to our appointed rooms to go to bed. The rooms at Crickethead Inn are beautiful!
In the morning, Wayan and Mike made us a breakfast of pancakes, homemade cranberry bread, strong coffee, yogurt, and fruit. What a treat!
Their B&B borders National Park and their backyard is undeveloped mountains that are protected from development. It is the most beautiful setting imagineable.
After breakfast, everyone went out to play bocce:
Chad left with me, and followed me home to borrow my slentem, since we won't have another gamelan practice for a month.
After arriving home, Carl and I headed out to the 4th Ave. Street Fair, where I did a bunch of Christmas shopping. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out at home.
I guess that's all the news that's fit to prin from this weekend! The holidays are just around the corner and I am getting excited about returning to Massachusetts and seeing my family. It will be fun to be back for Christmas, I think it's been a decade since I have been in New England for the holidays!
After eating, playing, looking out the kitchen window for coyotes and foxes, eating dessert (a black rice pudding with coconut juice), playing some more, and falling asleep on the living room floor, we all went off to our appointed rooms to go to bed. The rooms at Crickethead Inn are beautiful!
In the morning, Wayan and Mike made us a breakfast of pancakes, homemade cranberry bread, strong coffee, yogurt, and fruit. What a treat!
Their B&B borders National Park and their backyard is undeveloped mountains that are protected from development. It is the most beautiful setting imagineable.
After breakfast, everyone went out to play bocce:
Chad left with me, and followed me home to borrow my slentem, since we won't have another gamelan practice for a month.
After arriving home, Carl and I headed out to the 4th Ave. Street Fair, where I did a bunch of Christmas shopping. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out at home.
I guess that's all the news that's fit to prin from this weekend! The holidays are just around the corner and I am getting excited about returning to Massachusetts and seeing my family. It will be fun to be back for Christmas, I think it's been a decade since I have been in New England for the holidays!
More Friends
27 11 07 08:28
As you know, the plan was to see Circus Luminous at The Lensic with Oliver and Ruthanne Friday evening... it was GREAT! Not so much because it was the best circus show ever, but because it was a really home-brewed Santa Fe performance. All kinds of community members contributed all kinds of talent to the music, tech, and circus acts on stage. I knew a lot of the performers. Brian Mayhall and Paul Groetzinger performed some of their music for the show, as did Dino. What a blast to see everyone!
After the show, the four of us stopped by Hotel Santa Fe for some soup and conversation.
Saturday morning, we met up with Jesse and Cindy for brunch. It was great to catch up with Jesse, and to meet Cindy! I like Cindy a lot. She is really intelligent and generous, and was so friendly socially. We snapped this photo at the rail yard:
That evening we spent time catching up with Steven and Marla. Marla broke her foot rollerblading! Ouch! She is in a wheelchair now. Well, that is to say she scoots around the townhouse in an office chair with teensy wheels. That qualifies as a wheelchair, no? They just moved in to a nice, new, big townhouse with decent rent. Enough room for lots of guests, like everyone they had over for Thanksgiving weekend. They seemed to be basking in the glow of their recent family visit, too.
Marla also has a lot of her Dad's artwork hung in the house. Now that she has earned her PhD, she is trying to sort out her career and future plans. Both Marla and Steven are such gifted people, and it sounds like they have a struggle ahead of themselves to both land someplace where both of their careers can thrive. It will be interesting to see where they land in a decade...
After visiting Marla and Steven, we headed back to the Paxtons and spent a relaxing last night in Santa Fe, leaving early the next morning. We stopped in Albuquerque to have breakfast at iHop with José, then pretty much drove straight home. Wait, no, we stopped in Wilcox for early dinner...
One last picture of the Paxton's kittens:
After the show, the four of us stopped by Hotel Santa Fe for some soup and conversation.
Saturday morning, we met up with Jesse and Cindy for brunch. It was great to catch up with Jesse, and to meet Cindy! I like Cindy a lot. She is really intelligent and generous, and was so friendly socially. We snapped this photo at the rail yard:
That evening we spent time catching up with Steven and Marla. Marla broke her foot rollerblading! Ouch! She is in a wheelchair now. Well, that is to say she scoots around the townhouse in an office chair with teensy wheels. That qualifies as a wheelchair, no? They just moved in to a nice, new, big townhouse with decent rent. Enough room for lots of guests, like everyone they had over for Thanksgiving weekend. They seemed to be basking in the glow of their recent family visit, too.
Marla also has a lot of her Dad's artwork hung in the house. Now that she has earned her PhD, she is trying to sort out her career and future plans. Both Marla and Steven are such gifted people, and it sounds like they have a struggle ahead of themselves to both land someplace where both of their careers can thrive. It will be interesting to see where they land in a decade...
After visiting Marla and Steven, we headed back to the Paxtons and spent a relaxing last night in Santa Fe, leaving early the next morning. We stopped in Albuquerque to have breakfast at iHop with José, then pretty much drove straight home. Wait, no, we stopped in Wilcox for early dinner...
One last picture of the Paxton's kittens:
Day After Thanksgiving
23 11 07 15:06
This morning we had left over chocolate cake and pie for breakfast with the Paxtons, then headed out to meet Jim and Joseph for lunch. At 11am we met up with them at their house, then we walked to the India Palace near the plaza. It was great to catch up with them! We all stuffed ourselves with buffet, then walked back to Jim and Joseph's place to pick up their doggie, passing through the plaza to pause for a photo with Mr. Snowman:
We all took the dog for a walk in an arroyo near their house, then Carl and I parted.
Now we are relaxing with the Paxtons and their kitties, and have plans to meet up with Oliver and Ruthanne to see Circus Luminous at The Lensic this evening.
We all took the dog for a walk in an arroyo near their house, then Carl and I parted.
Now we are relaxing with the Paxtons and their kitties, and have plans to meet up with Oliver and Ruthanne to see Circus Luminous at The Lensic this evening.
Thanksgiving
22 11 07 20:31
We came to Santa Fe for Thanksgiving!
We have an entire weekend of social plans, all of my making... and poor Carl has to tag along! I'm sure he's willing, though. I asked him several times if my making all the plans was OK, and he indicated that it was fine. I think he enjoys my friends and enjoys seeing me with them.
Sooo... Thanksgiving dinner was with the Paxton's. We rolled in about 1:00pm. We spent the night in T or C to break up the drive, and left there at about 9:45 this morning. Since dinner was to happen at Zia Diner at 1:30pm, Carl and I parked in the lot and walked about the neighborhood until we were cold, then went in the diner to wait. Soon enough the maitre d' told us another couple in the Paxton's party had arrived. It was a couple of friends the Paxton's were expecting from Austin: Kim and Robin. Kim and Steve had worked together at Texas Tech. Moments later, Steve and Joy arrived, and minutes later, Oliver and RuthAnne joined us. When seated, Robin (and Kim) were to my right, Carl at the head of the table to my left, and Oliver (and Ruthanne) was directly across from me. Steve was at the other head of the table, with Joy seated between him and RuthAnne.
Oliver, RuthAnne, and I tend to be extremely silly when we are together, so dinner was a LOT of fun!
After dinner we all went up to see the Paxton's new house, as it is almost completed. It is going to be beautiful! I'm sure I will snap some panoramic photos before I leave.
Afterwards, we came home with Steve and Joy, where we will be staying for the weekend. They have two baby kittens, Chandler and Chance, seen here with Joy.
We have an entire weekend of social plans, all of my making... and poor Carl has to tag along! I'm sure he's willing, though. I asked him several times if my making all the plans was OK, and he indicated that it was fine. I think he enjoys my friends and enjoys seeing me with them.
Sooo... Thanksgiving dinner was with the Paxton's. We rolled in about 1:00pm. We spent the night in T or C to break up the drive, and left there at about 9:45 this morning. Since dinner was to happen at Zia Diner at 1:30pm, Carl and I parked in the lot and walked about the neighborhood until we were cold, then went in the diner to wait. Soon enough the maitre d' told us another couple in the Paxton's party had arrived. It was a couple of friends the Paxton's were expecting from Austin: Kim and Robin. Kim and Steve had worked together at Texas Tech. Moments later, Steve and Joy arrived, and minutes later, Oliver and RuthAnne joined us. When seated, Robin (and Kim) were to my right, Carl at the head of the table to my left, and Oliver (and Ruthanne) was directly across from me. Steve was at the other head of the table, with Joy seated between him and RuthAnne.
Oliver, RuthAnne, and I tend to be extremely silly when we are together, so dinner was a LOT of fun!
After dinner we all went up to see the Paxton's new house, as it is almost completed. It is going to be beautiful! I'm sure I will snap some panoramic photos before I leave.
Afterwards, we came home with Steve and Joy, where we will be staying for the weekend. They have two baby kittens, Chandler and Chance, seen here with Joy.
Stan
20 11 07 13:42
This past weekend I did a computer job for a faculty member from the College of Education, Stan, who needed help setting up wireless at his home. It ended up being an interesting technical challenge, because his laptop would crash with BSOD every time I turned on his wireless router when configured with WPA2 security; eventually I fixed it by downgrading the security on his new wireless router to WPA. It made me chuckle to think that people could unknowingly cause endless frustrations for neighbors who have laptops that crash if they try to negotiate with WPA2 encrypted ireless networks. Can you imagine? All of a sudden, for no reason, your laptop starts giving you BSOD at home when you are in reception range of your neighbors wireless network?! Most people would never, ever figure it out. LOL...
After finishing the job, though, Stan and I ended up talking about politics, GLBT youth and public schools, the work I used to do with SWAGLY, his work on GLBT issues through Tucson public school boards, his profoundly deaf children and their political differences and experiences, our experiences with religion and tolerance... In short, we really connected. We must have talked for two hours. What an amazing human being Stan is! I am so glad he is out there working to advance education.
After leaving, he sent me one of the nicest thank-you emails I have ever received.
I think I made a new friend!
After finishing the job, though, Stan and I ended up talking about politics, GLBT youth and public schools, the work I used to do with SWAGLY, his work on GLBT issues through Tucson public school boards, his profoundly deaf children and their political differences and experiences, our experiences with religion and tolerance... In short, we really connected. We must have talked for two hours. What an amazing human being Stan is! I am so glad he is out there working to advance education.
After leaving, he sent me one of the nicest thank-you emails I have ever received.
I think I made a new friend!
Entomologists
30 07 07 21:41
Last night we had a couple old friends of Carl's 'check in' to our guest house. Many of you know I say 'check in' because Carl used to own a gay bed and breakfast called Tortuga Roja, which we closed down last June when Carl sold the property to a developer. Now we sometimes have former-guests-now-friends come and stay with us.
Doug and John are entomologists. They are in town for an entomology conference in Rio Rito. Last night they set up a contraption and a blacklight to catch bugs. Tonight, when Carl and I returned home from shopping for a new large screen LCD TV, which is probably a story in itself, they had scoped out a tarantula that was climbing the wall. I snapped a couple photos for y'all!
Doug and John are entomologists. They are in town for an entomology conference in Rio Rito. Last night they set up a contraption and a blacklight to catch bugs. Tonight, when Carl and I returned home from shopping for a new large screen LCD TV, which is probably a story in itself, they had scoped out a tarantula that was climbing the wall. I snapped a couple photos for y'all!
Opera
21 07 07 09:45
Last night we went to see La Bohème at the Santa Fe Opera.
The day started with breakfast with Steven and Marla, and Deloria and Thomas. I was psyched that Carl came in to town to join us too! We went to our old breakfast hang-out, the Pantry on Cerrillos Road. It was nice to have a last chance this trip to see the four of them. Feasting with them isn't just about the food. It's about raunchy humor too! LOL... OK not just raunchy but the point is I feel more comfortable with these folks than almost anyone on the planet. I miss my Santa Fe friends!
After chorus rehearsals, I helped around the music department a bit, then Carl picked me up and we went to see Kevin over coffee at Downtown Subscription. He was happier than I have seen him in a loooong time. Thank goodness his brain-zapper transplant is helping treat his depression! He let me touch the wires in his neck and the implant in his chest. Medical technology is a trip. Anyway, he looks good.
Kevin has also scored a new computer that a friend helped him build from parts to keep cost down. Too bad I can't be his lil' computer geek any more! Not only that, but his old car finally started causing him enough problems that he has gone and bought himself a spankin' new Accord. Wow! I'm so glad for him, he deserves the best.
After visiting Kevin, we went home to Joy and Steve's and chatted with Joy a bit. Then Steve came home too. We all took naps in preparation for the opera. After nappy time, we had a bit to eat and headed out. It was a simple dinner... Joy said we are the simplest guests she's ever had because I had a PB sandwich, a peach, and a beer. Carl had something similarly easy to prepare. LOL...
I drove one of the college vans again, as I had the other night when we went to see Ghost Opera at the Lensic. No problems getting there, dropping off, or parking.
The opera was fantastic. It's a simple story without a lot of action, made me think of relationships early in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, actually. I was especially impressed with the orchestra and the staging. The set had a building that folded up for street scenes and opened up for indoor scenes. The transitions were so slick the audience applauded. Our campers enjoyed it a lot, and talked about it a fair amount on the way back to the college. The other thing they were excited about was the Harry Potter book that was being released at midnight. After dropping them off at the college, a number of them were heading to Borders at midnight to get themselves a copy! LOL.
After chorus rehearsals, I helped around the music department a bit, then Carl picked me up and we went to see Kevin over coffee at Downtown Subscription. He was happier than I have seen him in a loooong time. Thank goodness his brain-zapper transplant is helping treat his depression! He let me touch the wires in his neck and the implant in his chest. Medical technology is a trip. Anyway, he looks good.
After visiting Kevin, we went home to Joy and Steve's and chatted with Joy a bit. Then Steve came home too. We all took naps in preparation for the opera. After nappy time, we had a bit to eat and headed out. It was a simple dinner... Joy said we are the simplest guests she's ever had because I had a PB sandwich, a peach, and a beer. Carl had something similarly easy to prepare. LOL...
I drove one of the college vans again, as I had the other night when we went to see Ghost Opera at the Lensic. No problems getting there, dropping off, or parking.
The opera was fantastic. It's a simple story without a lot of action, made me think of relationships early in the HIV/AIDS epidemic, actually. I was especially impressed with the orchestra and the staging. The set had a building that folded up for street scenes and opened up for indoor scenes. The transitions were so slick the audience applauded. Our campers enjoyed it a lot, and talked about it a fair amount on the way back to the college. The other thing they were excited about was the Harry Potter book that was being released at midnight. After dropping them off at the college, a number of them were heading to Borders at midnight to get themselves a copy! LOL.
Post Music Camp Doldrums
23 07 07 08:37
I'm really down today. I miss Santa Fe, and being able to call up Steven or Jim or Deloria and hang out or have breakfast. I miss the Music Department and working with Steve as my boss. I will say this: I am so grateful that I had so many great years in Santa Fe at a job where I felt so appreciated, challenged, loved, and accomplished!
Time to focus on building community in Tucson.
Besides, I came in to the office yesterday and discovered that my new laptop has arrived. Nothing cures the doldrums better than playing with a new toy, eh?
Time to focus on building community in Tucson.
Besides, I came in to the office yesterday and discovered that my new laptop has arrived. Nothing cures the doldrums better than playing with a new toy, eh?
Falling Behind on Blogging!
20 07 07 06:45
Here are a bunch of things I wanted to mention in earlier blogs but didn't:
When I left, pdBean coffee was still in the CSF library. Dan, the coffee man, was one of the most important social organizers on campus. Staff, students and faculty from units all over campus would hang at pdBean, sharing ideas, reading magazines (it's the library, after all), and even arrange formal meetings around the coffee cart. On the first day of Music Camp, Steve asked me to arrange with Dan to make breakfast burritos and a carafe of coffee for us every morning. I discovered through Steve that Dan has moved his operation to a small shop on Cerrillos Road. It's beautiful! Still close to campus, and furnished with plenty of plush chairs, tables, and WiFi, it is a great hang out spot. Dan is doing well, too! The business has picked up, and he is happy with the move. Hurrah! The breakfast burritos have been a hit among our campers too.
Meanwhile, Robert Bond, fellow computer guru and now campus webmeistro, has bought the coffee cart in the library and his wife runs it. OMG. She makes the best iced coffee I have ever had. They actually prepare coffee ice cubes for it. I'm addicted! I don't think I'll find anyplace in Tucson that makes iced coffee with such attention to detail, but I'm sure as hell going to look for just such a place when I return...
Yesterday morning I was really worried about Carl's respiration tribulations! He just can't get enough oxygen at this altitude because of his asthma. He woke during the night and just could not breathe. When we were making plans for the day yesterday, I said 'just don't go to Taos!' thinking the altitude is higher and worrying about his breath.
Later, Carl called me from Taos! LOL. He enjoyed the drive and the area a whole lot. When I got off the phone with Carl, I looked at Steve Paxton and said 'he just called me from Taos!' Steve laughed and said he could tell from the look in Carl's eye when I said not to go to Taos that he would be doing exactly that.
Come to find out Taos isn't really higher in altitude than Santa Fe. The whole time I lived here I was delusional about Taos' altitude.
Steve and Joy are building a new home! It's off of Old Pecos Trail and has views to die for! Steve asked if I wanted to check it out with him yesterday, so off we went in his pickup to see how the construction is coming along.
We passed Bobcat Bite on the way, so I snapped a photo of it out the window for Bernard who had mentioned it to me earlier this week.
So far, the construction site is just a foundation that needs a bit of work before they can begin actual building. Looks great, though. I snapped a few panoramic photos that I will stitch together for him when I get back to work (we have software for such projects in the labs that OSCR maintains).
Last night Carl and I were invited to tag along with Deloria and Thomas, and Marla and Steven for a talk Marla organized at the Institute of American Indian Arts museum. Marla now has her PhD and has been hired to organize such events at the museum. Steven Miller, being married to Marla, gets recruited to run sound. Thomas Atencio still works security at the museum. Deloria Atencio, being married to Thomas, gets recruited to set up and break down chairs. I, being close friend to all of the above, and Carl, being married to me, get recruited to hang out, lend a hand, and look fab.
The talk, Branding the Native Artist: What does it cost to be famous?, was great, although poor Steven struggled with noise in the wireless mics the entire time.
One guy came up to Carl and said "get your hairy arm off my chair: are you Jewish?" Carl said "no." "Israeli?" "No." "Well what are you then?" Carl responded "Armenian." The guy laughed and said "Even worse. Northern Turkey!" Carl and I just looked at each other baffled. So I said to the guy, knowing full well everyone there was American Indian, "Are you Jewish?" "No." "Israeli?" "No, I'm Apache." Darnit... he didn't let me play the whole game. LOL. Then he said "here look at my work," and gave Carl a manilla folder with photos of artwork in it. Some of it was pretty cool.
At the event there was a woman with huge, blonde, hairsprayed hair. Very Texas. We were sitting two rows behind her. I was mesmerized. I pointed her out to Steven and we had a chuckle. Then I pulled out my iPhone and photographed it. Her hair was the lightest colored large object around and caught the spotlight behind us so well that her hair literally glows in the photo. I showed it to Steven and told him we better stop laughing about her big hair because she's obviously an angel of some sort. We could not stop laughing.
After the talk, Deloria, Thomas, Marla, Steven, Carl and I went out for drinks and socializing at Santa Fe Bar & Grill's downtown restaurant and bar. We had a great time and were able to catch up. Marla mentioned she knows the big-hair woman and that her email is 'bigbucks.' LOL. What a riot!
Thomas wins an award for the best ring tone. He had the entire table in fits. It's hard to describe though. You'd probably have to have Navajo friends to understand it anyway.
Coffee
When I left, pdBean coffee was still in the CSF library. Dan, the coffee man, was one of the most important social organizers on campus. Staff, students and faculty from units all over campus would hang at pdBean, sharing ideas, reading magazines (it's the library, after all), and even arrange formal meetings around the coffee cart. On the first day of Music Camp, Steve asked me to arrange with Dan to make breakfast burritos and a carafe of coffee for us every morning. I discovered through Steve that Dan has moved his operation to a small shop on Cerrillos Road. It's beautiful! Still close to campus, and furnished with plenty of plush chairs, tables, and WiFi, it is a great hang out spot. Dan is doing well, too! The business has picked up, and he is happy with the move. Hurrah! The breakfast burritos have been a hit among our campers too.
Meanwhile, Robert Bond, fellow computer guru and now campus webmeistro, has bought the coffee cart in the library and his wife runs it. OMG. She makes the best iced coffee I have ever had. They actually prepare coffee ice cubes for it. I'm addicted! I don't think I'll find anyplace in Tucson that makes iced coffee with such attention to detail, but I'm sure as hell going to look for just such a place when I return...
Carl and Taos
Yesterday morning I was really worried about Carl's respiration tribulations! He just can't get enough oxygen at this altitude because of his asthma. He woke during the night and just could not breathe. When we were making plans for the day yesterday, I said 'just don't go to Taos!' thinking the altitude is higher and worrying about his breath.
Later, Carl called me from Taos! LOL. He enjoyed the drive and the area a whole lot. When I got off the phone with Carl, I looked at Steve Paxton and said 'he just called me from Taos!' Steve laughed and said he could tell from the look in Carl's eye when I said not to go to Taos that he would be doing exactly that.
Come to find out Taos isn't really higher in altitude than Santa Fe. The whole time I lived here I was delusional about Taos' altitude.
Steve's Construction Site
We passed Bobcat Bite on the way, so I snapped a photo of it out the window for Bernard who had mentioned it to me earlier this week.
So far, the construction site is just a foundation that needs a bit of work before they can begin actual building. Looks great, though. I snapped a few panoramic photos that I will stitch together for him when I get back to work (we have software for such projects in the labs that OSCR maintains).
IAIA
Last night Carl and I were invited to tag along with Deloria and Thomas, and Marla and Steven for a talk Marla organized at the Institute of American Indian Arts museum. Marla now has her PhD and has been hired to organize such events at the museum. Steven Miller, being married to Marla, gets recruited to run sound. Thomas Atencio still works security at the museum. Deloria Atencio, being married to Thomas, gets recruited to set up and break down chairs. I, being close friend to all of the above, and Carl, being married to me, get recruited to hang out, lend a hand, and look fab.
The talk, Branding the Native Artist: What does it cost to be famous?, was great, although poor Steven struggled with noise in the wireless mics the entire time.
One guy came up to Carl and said "get your hairy arm off my chair: are you Jewish?" Carl said "no." "Israeli?" "No." "Well what are you then?" Carl responded "Armenian." The guy laughed and said "Even worse. Northern Turkey!" Carl and I just looked at each other baffled. So I said to the guy, knowing full well everyone there was American Indian, "Are you Jewish?" "No." "Israeli?" "No, I'm Apache." Darnit... he didn't let me play the whole game. LOL. Then he said "here look at my work," and gave Carl a manilla folder with photos of artwork in it. Some of it was pretty cool.
After the talk, Deloria, Thomas, Marla, Steven, Carl and I went out for drinks and socializing at Santa Fe Bar & Grill's downtown restaurant and bar. We had a great time and were able to catch up. Marla mentioned she knows the big-hair woman and that her email is 'bigbucks.' LOL. What a riot!
Thomas wins an award for the best ring tone. He had the entire table in fits. It's hard to describe though. You'd probably have to have Navajo friends to understand it anyway.
Spirit and Music and Technology
19 07 07 10:21
Have you ever taken a music theory class? Ever taken a bad one that makes music theory into a set of hard, cold, repetitive, mathematical rules? Ugh. ...and yet music, although far too often described in such a stale theoretical manner, always transcends such descriptions and touches spirit. Wow. Music is mystery. I know for sure this is part of it's attraction for me. In place of mystery in God, I focus on mystery in music and mystery in relationship.
Makes me think, too, that technology can be similar. We generally approach it as cold, rigid, repetitive... I often find myself training people who want to pull out a pen and write down every step for completion of a task. Ugh. Maybe we need to find ways to teach and approach and IMBUE technology with spirit. It must be something we can accomplish! It's probably imperative as we approach an age of machine intelligence, too. Our survival could depend on it.
Peace,
Deep Listening
18 07 07 12:58
Last night we took the music campers to a concert at the Lensic, as you can see below. It was amazing! The Ghost Opera incorporated all kinds of non-traditional instruments and sounds of stone, water, metal, strings, etc... Being a 'Ghost Opera' it had dream-like qualities and mystical qualities. It seemed an excellent follow up to my Deep Listening workshop.
After the opera, Lindsey, Steve, Carl and I went to 2nd Street Brewery to, as Steve said, 'tip a beaker' and talk. One of the things that came up was my Deep Listening workshop and how perfect it was as a precursor to the concert. Lindsey also said she did not think my workshop went poorly at all, that for me to capture the attention of that age group for a full 45 minutes was amazing, and that their silliness was a sign that on some level they were engaged. Steve agreed. I think they are right. I need to learn to accept situations as they are!
I also fall back to my thoughts as a Planned Parenthood educator: if my one workshop is one of a dozen such messages that eventually encourage some of them to see music in a different way, then I have accomplished something important. People don't have to come to my understandings right away or in the way I would like them to. Everyone learns in their own manner at their own pace.
So, I think I did good!
After the opera, Lindsey, Steve, Carl and I went to 2nd Street Brewery to, as Steve said, 'tip a beaker' and talk. One of the things that came up was my Deep Listening workshop and how perfect it was as a precursor to the concert. Lindsey also said she did not think my workshop went poorly at all, that for me to capture the attention of that age group for a full 45 minutes was amazing, and that their silliness was a sign that on some level they were engaged. Steve agreed. I think they are right. I need to learn to accept situations as they are!
I also fall back to my thoughts as a Planned Parenthood educator: if my one workshop is one of a dozen such messages that eventually encourage some of them to see music in a different way, then I have accomplished something important. People don't have to come to my understandings right away or in the way I would like them to. Everyone learns in their own manner at their own pace.
So, I think I did good!
Music Camp
17 07 07 10:57
All through Chorus I felt extremely emotional, it is so great to be back at the Contemporary Music Program and see so much continuity between my hard work for years here, and the evolution that has begun to happen since my departure. I can see how much my colleagues appreciate the work I put into this program, and I'm excited by the creative ways it is continuing to grow. I love it here so much!
I feel like my workshop was a failure in some ways, though. At 11:15am I started a second 'Deep Listening' workshop, this time what I tried to do with the group was a performance of Zena's circle, a great piece for demonstrating fractal time. Some of you who are not musicians might be confused by this so let me sum it up in a few sentences... Most of the time when we perform music the math behind it's theory is the simpler mathematics of ratios and rational numbers: harmonies are comprised of frequencies that are related to each other by perfect ratios; we subdivide beats by twos, threes, fours, sixes, sevens... all fairly simple mathematical expressions. Even thematically we generally use simple ratios: a song might be divided into two or three sections with repetition of one or more section, for example...
What we're not used to doing is listening and incorporating fractal math into our performance, although we do on some level all the time. The variations of sounds we procure from a violin bow drawn across a string, imperfections in our timing may add some complexity to our music. This complexity we actually value a whole lot because if we remove it, music sounds sterile, unbending, cold...
Zena's Circle highlights musical complexity by creating a fractal rhythm. A circle of people sends a pulse through their hands and react to it as quickly as possible and simultaneously sounding. When people really concentrate on the performance, the response time of each person and the natural delays as sound moves around the circle becomes more chaotic even as it adopts a noticeable rhythm. The sound passed through the circle becomes fractal due to different response times of each individual, which may be based on the length of our arms and the time it takes for the impulse to react to reach our brain and then pass out our mouth, for example.
Well, in the end we could not perform it because some people wouldn't participate and were actually mocking the process. I didn't handle it very well either: what I tried was to forge ahead with belief that as we repeated the exercise it would eventually become less funny and the disruptive people might become interested. It never happened. There was not enough time to defuse their lack of interest in this manner. Sigh. It really is a beautiful piece when performed with concentration. Listening and performing it can also lead one to all kinds of musical discovery, if only because we rarely step back from music and try to understand the ways complexity adds character even as we perform music that is mathematically simple.
I just had a thought, though, which is to perform the piece with a dozen people serious about performing it on Saturday's concert. Maybe if the younger members of our group see us performing it with attention they will be naturally invited to pay attention and find something intriguing about it...
Highs and lows often go hand in hand. Despite my workshop setback, I love this place and am glad to be participating in this first annual music camp...