Tuesday, August 31, 2004
I have to face an unfortunate fact: ragtime just isn't that fast. I played back my first sketches for A Mask and a Mirror, then pulled out one of my Budapest Ragtime Band CDs and listened to the Maple Leaf Rag, then filled out the sketches and played them back again. It's not something I'd really noticed before; you think of ragtime as being fast - lively anyway - and when you really pay attention the tempo is rather relaxed, maybe around 92. Well, what this comes down to is that this slows down M&M from the stage show considerably. Maybe a little too far for the vocal line to flow comfortably. We'll have to press ahead, see how it feels when I've gotten a bit more written. It's probably going to wind up a compomise.
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Sunday, August 29, 2004
Friday's hike was harder on my muscles than I thought at first. My back was yelling at me all day yesterday; I must've had my poles adjusted too short. Next weekend I want to get out again, maybe Labor Day morning.
I finished-up Envy the Man today after tweaking the drum parts. Next song on the list is probably A Mask and a Mirror. Wish me luck; I'm doing a full piano arrangement.
The new solar pump from Gaiam arrived today. It's bigger and sturdier than the ones I've been playing around with, and in full sunlight has a lift of about 4 feet - I checked it out with clear tubing in a bucket of water. So now I just need to clean out and fill the "pond". Looks like a task for next weekend.
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I finished-up Envy the Man today after tweaking the drum parts. Next song on the list is probably A Mask and a Mirror. Wish me luck; I'm doing a full piano arrangement.
The new solar pump from Gaiam arrived today. It's bigger and sturdier than the ones I've been playing around with, and in full sunlight has a lift of about 4 feet - I checked it out with clear tubing in a bucket of water. So now I just need to clean out and fill the "pond". Looks like a task for next weekend.
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Friday, August 27, 2004
Where's my head?
Peaseblossom is acting like a twit today because she accidentally got Omega's valium this morning. I got up at an ungodly hour so I could get in my first hike of the season before it got too hot, and was so sleepy that I gave the cats each others' food, hence, medication. I headed out to Usery Pass and got to the Wind Cave trailhead around 6:30-6:45. It was a good choice because, where it climbs the west side of Pass Mountain, the trail is in shade well into the day, and there was a good breeze keeping things cool. Not much in the way of blooming stuff this time of year, but the ocotillos were all leafed-out and the cacti looked prosperous. They must've gotten some rain out here from this month's storms.
After reaching the Wind Cave I decided out of curiosity to investigate the Summit Trail that goes on past the cave. It's unmaintained and involves a bit of scrambling over rocks and boulders (although not as strenuous as the last part of the Cholla Trail on Camelback); the trail's marked with small white arrows painted on the rocks. I didn't go all the way to the summit, but just to the point where it reaches the crest of the ridge and I was suddenly standing in blazing sunlight. Great view from here, especially to the northeast, where it's all Superstitions wilderness. To the west you can clearly see the highrises of downtown Phoenix, and the White Tanks more dimly beyond the city haze. (Brown cloud wasn't bad this morning.) Coming back down the Summit Trail I had a moment of panic when the white arrows disappeared - but pressing on I discovered I was only a few hundred yards from the Wind Cave. Knees were a bit wobbly coming back down, but that's to be expected.
There was a water line under repair nearby, so I wasn't surprised to find the restroom at the trailhead locked. However, my search for a restroom in the park that wasn't locked was turning into an epic quest by the time I found one tucked away in a near-deserted campground. Seems a bit extreme; the park's not bustling with activity Friday morning, but there were other hikers there...
Animals seen: Quail, lizards, squirrels, hummingbirds (at the cave), cactus wren.
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Peaseblossom is acting like a twit today because she accidentally got Omega's valium this morning. I got up at an ungodly hour so I could get in my first hike of the season before it got too hot, and was so sleepy that I gave the cats each others' food, hence, medication. I headed out to Usery Pass and got to the Wind Cave trailhead around 6:30-6:45. It was a good choice because, where it climbs the west side of Pass Mountain, the trail is in shade well into the day, and there was a good breeze keeping things cool. Not much in the way of blooming stuff this time of year, but the ocotillos were all leafed-out and the cacti looked prosperous. They must've gotten some rain out here from this month's storms.
After reaching the Wind Cave I decided out of curiosity to investigate the Summit Trail that goes on past the cave. It's unmaintained and involves a bit of scrambling over rocks and boulders (although not as strenuous as the last part of the Cholla Trail on Camelback); the trail's marked with small white arrows painted on the rocks. I didn't go all the way to the summit, but just to the point where it reaches the crest of the ridge and I was suddenly standing in blazing sunlight. Great view from here, especially to the northeast, where it's all Superstitions wilderness. To the west you can clearly see the highrises of downtown Phoenix, and the White Tanks more dimly beyond the city haze. (Brown cloud wasn't bad this morning.) Coming back down the Summit Trail I had a moment of panic when the white arrows disappeared - but pressing on I discovered I was only a few hundred yards from the Wind Cave. Knees were a bit wobbly coming back down, but that's to be expected.
There was a water line under repair nearby, so I wasn't surprised to find the restroom at the trailhead locked. However, my search for a restroom in the park that wasn't locked was turning into an epic quest by the time I found one tucked away in a near-deserted campground. Seems a bit extreme; the park's not bustling with activity Friday morning, but there were other hikers there...
Animals seen: Quail, lizards, squirrels, hummingbirds (at the cave), cactus wren.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Busy weekend...
I finished up the arrangement for Two Worlds, bundled the score and midi sketch off to Jeff, and the very next day realized that it desperately needed the addition of a rainstick. Oh well, these will probably all go through a few more drafts. I'm in the finishing stage on Envy the Man; fleshed out the drum part last night; still have to figure out something interesting for the fiddle to do inbetween verses.
On the homefront, I've been interviewing housekeeping services. Nothing like the estimator telling you that your fee would be $15-20 lower if you didn't have so much clutter in the house. I need more bookcases! Will the Ikea in Tempe never open?
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I finished up the arrangement for Two Worlds, bundled the score and midi sketch off to Jeff, and the very next day realized that it desperately needed the addition of a rainstick. Oh well, these will probably all go through a few more drafts. I'm in the finishing stage on Envy the Man; fleshed out the drum part last night; still have to figure out something interesting for the fiddle to do inbetween verses.
On the homefront, I've been interviewing housekeeping services. Nothing like the estimator telling you that your fee would be $15-20 lower if you didn't have so much clutter in the house. I need more bookcases! Will the Ikea in Tempe never open?
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Friday, August 20, 2004
This morning when I stepped out to water what's left of my garden, it was pleasant, almost cool. When I walked down to the mailbox late afternoon it was pretty warm, but there was enough of a breeze that the temp was bearable. Can the end of summer be in sight? I know, summer doesn't really end in Phoenix until mid-October, but I think the weather definitely has turned.
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Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Across the sea a pale moon rises....
You know what bothers me? Annie Lennox is looking Into the West as she sings this lyric. Surely Tolkien would have made mention of this astronomical anomaly, if it actually ocurred in Middle-Earth.
It also bothers me that the timer switch I installed for the light in the guest room less than a year ago just broke. Isn't anything built to last anymore?
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You know what bothers me? Annie Lennox is looking Into the West as she sings this lyric. Surely Tolkien would have made mention of this astronomical anomaly, if it actually ocurred in Middle-Earth.
It also bothers me that the timer switch I installed for the light in the guest room less than a year ago just broke. Isn't anything built to last anymore?
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Coming home from work this evening I cut across the Res as usual. A big wind was whipping dust from the plowed fields and some vicious-looking tumbleweeds across the road, reminding me of the dust wall that caused those pile-ups last Thursday on I-10. It must've given pause to the other drivers, too; most of the cars on the stretch of McKellips between the 101 and the 202 stayed at or below the speed limit, except for a few yahoos weaving through traffic. Here at the house we got wind and some thunder, nothing you could call rain.
Last weekend I flew up to visit Mom in Tacoma. I arrived late Friday afternoon, time enough to admire with envy Mom's luxurious tomatoes plants and hubbard squash, and have dinner on the patio. Friday evening we watched the Olympics on tv. Fortunately Mom's cable has CBUT, a Canadian channel, which showed the opening ceremonies uncut. In their entirety they were very spectacular and moving, especially the tableux.
On Saturday we picked up Lila at Mel & Kathy's place, and went out to McDonald's for lunch. This McD's had a veggie burger that was pretty good. It must be a regional thing; their kids meal offered apple slices instead of mandarin oranges. Lila was looking well, more alert than the last time I saw her, about a year ago. (I wonder if this is because she's moved from her basement apartment up to the second floor.) She's not in the great health that Mom is, but gets out for a walk every morning. After lunch Mom & I went to Tacoma Boys to pick up some fresh corn on the cob for dinner, then we went over to Snake Lake. Snake Lake is a little nature preserve across the street from Henry Foss, where I went to high school. It was first set aside around the time I graduated I think, and kind of languished for awhile. Now in addition to the walking trails it has a visitor's center with a gift shop and exhibits, and a classroom for field trips. The lake, more a pond really, was rather shrunken due to the heat, but we saw two turtles and numerous wood ducks.
When we got back to the house I sat down and tried to figure out Mom's iMac so I could write down clear, non-technical instructions on how to start up the word processor. Mom's been intending to gather up her notes and try to finish the memoir Dad started before he died. Trouble is, Dad was always the one who set up the computer for her, as well as doing all the maintenance stuff around the house. (Dad built, plumbed, and wired the house, and was definitely the techie of the marriage.) Since Cliff lives up in Seattle now, she relies a lot on my cousins Craig and Mel to help her out when something goes wrong with the plumbing etc.
Sunday morning Cliff came down and the three of us went down to The Lobster Shop for their wonderful brunch overlooking the Bay. We decided that next time we'll wait and make our reservation for 10:30, since that's when they start serving outside on the deck. Afterwards we took a short walk along the waterfront, with all the dogwalkers, bicycles, and scuba divers - wonder what there was to see down there? Tacoma as a whole has become a little more upscale since I grew up there, due to Seattle becoming a trendy place, and the waterfront area in particular has been gentrified. Hanging baskets of flowers? In my day, we decorated with driftwood and seaweed!
We drove out to the cemetary and cleared out the dead leaves and petals around Dad's rose. It's doing better, Mom says, since they sprayed. She poured some fertilizer around it and installed a little windchime on a stake next to it. The rose garden is a beautiful place, very quiet, with a little stream and pond in its middle.
Sunday evening I arrived home to a huge rainstorm - over far too soon.
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Last weekend I flew up to visit Mom in Tacoma. I arrived late Friday afternoon, time enough to admire with envy Mom's luxurious tomatoes plants and hubbard squash, and have dinner on the patio. Friday evening we watched the Olympics on tv. Fortunately Mom's cable has CBUT, a Canadian channel, which showed the opening ceremonies uncut. In their entirety they were very spectacular and moving, especially the tableux.
On Saturday we picked up Lila at Mel & Kathy's place, and went out to McDonald's for lunch. This McD's had a veggie burger that was pretty good. It must be a regional thing; their kids meal offered apple slices instead of mandarin oranges. Lila was looking well, more alert than the last time I saw her, about a year ago. (I wonder if this is because she's moved from her basement apartment up to the second floor.) She's not in the great health that Mom is, but gets out for a walk every morning. After lunch Mom & I went to Tacoma Boys to pick up some fresh corn on the cob for dinner, then we went over to Snake Lake. Snake Lake is a little nature preserve across the street from Henry Foss, where I went to high school. It was first set aside around the time I graduated I think, and kind of languished for awhile. Now in addition to the walking trails it has a visitor's center with a gift shop and exhibits, and a classroom for field trips. The lake, more a pond really, was rather shrunken due to the heat, but we saw two turtles and numerous wood ducks.
When we got back to the house I sat down and tried to figure out Mom's iMac so I could write down clear, non-technical instructions on how to start up the word processor. Mom's been intending to gather up her notes and try to finish the memoir Dad started before he died. Trouble is, Dad was always the one who set up the computer for her, as well as doing all the maintenance stuff around the house. (Dad built, plumbed, and wired the house, and was definitely the techie of the marriage.) Since Cliff lives up in Seattle now, she relies a lot on my cousins Craig and Mel to help her out when something goes wrong with the plumbing etc.
Sunday morning Cliff came down and the three of us went down to The Lobster Shop for their wonderful brunch overlooking the Bay. We decided that next time we'll wait and make our reservation for 10:30, since that's when they start serving outside on the deck. Afterwards we took a short walk along the waterfront, with all the dogwalkers, bicycles, and scuba divers - wonder what there was to see down there? Tacoma as a whole has become a little more upscale since I grew up there, due to Seattle becoming a trendy place, and the waterfront area in particular has been gentrified. Hanging baskets of flowers? In my day, we decorated with driftwood and seaweed!
We drove out to the cemetary and cleared out the dead leaves and petals around Dad's rose. It's doing better, Mom says, since they sprayed. She poured some fertilizer around it and installed a little windchime on a stake next to it. The rose garden is a beautiful place, very quiet, with a little stream and pond in its middle.
Sunday evening I arrived home to a huge rainstorm - over far too soon.
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Monday, August 16, 2004
Can you read me now?
Well, Shirley says that Netscape is working for her now, so I'll give that a try. I still think it's fishy that my login suddenly flaked out, and tech support insists it's a browser problem. They must've reconfigured something on the server side.
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Well, Shirley says that Netscape is working for her now, so I'll give that a try. I still think it's fishy that my login suddenly flaked out, and tech support insists it's a browser problem. They must've reconfigured something on the server side.
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Thursday, August 12, 2004
Woo! I managed to login this time!
I'm having serious issues with blogspot right now, which is the reason for the dearth of posts lately. If you're trying to post a comment and can't, it's probably the same thing. Hopefully we'll get this straightened out soon - I'm on round 3 with customer support and so far they've told me to delete my cookies or try another browser.....
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I'm having serious issues with blogspot right now, which is the reason for the dearth of posts lately. If you're trying to post a comment and can't, it's probably the same thing. Hopefully we'll get this straightened out soon - I'm on round 3 with customer support and so far they've told me to delete my cookies or try another browser.....
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Monday, August 09, 2004
This is why I don't get things done on the weekend...
Sunday morning I'm planning on getting up at a decent hour so I can do some work in the backyard before it gets too hot, but since I'm still tired from the week, I pull the sheets over my head so Peaseblossom will stop licking my hair and go back to sleep for just a little longer. Finally I get up, do my yoga, shower, feed the cats, get my own breakfast together, and then sit down on the music room rug with the Sunday paper, where I restrict myself to just the comics, the arts section (including Dave Barry and Dear Abby), and a bit of the Home and Travel sections. By the time I'm dressed, it's nearly 11 o'clock and 104 degrees outside. Nevertheless, I head out to work on the patio because it's been sitting for weeks with no progress. An hour of not-very-strenuous moving of paving stones under the acacia tree later, I'm drenched and unable to keep the sweat out of my eyes any longer, so I head back in. The rest of the day went pretty much like that.
However, I did pull off a few hours on Keepers and the Kindlers March; ripped out and re-did the alto and bass voices, then diddled a little with the percussion, and I feel pretty good about the result. The arrangement I'd had going had too many parallel fourths between the soprano and alto voices and just sounded weird. The new version also has the virtue of being simpler - the lighthouse keepers are a unified group expressing a single purpose, so the arrangement should have some stability and not be four voices in contant independant motion.
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Sunday morning I'm planning on getting up at a decent hour so I can do some work in the backyard before it gets too hot, but since I'm still tired from the week, I pull the sheets over my head so Peaseblossom will stop licking my hair and go back to sleep for just a little longer. Finally I get up, do my yoga, shower, feed the cats, get my own breakfast together, and then sit down on the music room rug with the Sunday paper, where I restrict myself to just the comics, the arts section (including Dave Barry and Dear Abby), and a bit of the Home and Travel sections. By the time I'm dressed, it's nearly 11 o'clock and 104 degrees outside. Nevertheless, I head out to work on the patio because it's been sitting for weeks with no progress. An hour of not-very-strenuous moving of paving stones under the acacia tree later, I'm drenched and unable to keep the sweat out of my eyes any longer, so I head back in. The rest of the day went pretty much like that.
However, I did pull off a few hours on Keepers and the Kindlers March; ripped out and re-did the alto and bass voices, then diddled a little with the percussion, and I feel pretty good about the result. The arrangement I'd had going had too many parallel fourths between the soprano and alto voices and just sounded weird. The new version also has the virtue of being simpler - the lighthouse keepers are a unified group expressing a single purpose, so the arrangement should have some stability and not be four voices in contant independant motion.
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Friday, August 06, 2004
It's a sad thing when the cultural highlight of one's trip to Minneapolis is wandering through the Mall of America searching for the mythical Sponge Bob Square Pants store. (Hint: it doesn't exist.) That's what happens when you're stuck out by the airport in Bloominton. One of these trips I'll have to arrange a weekend where I can actually get into town. Sorry, Pete & Donna, no Sponge Bob shot glass this time.
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