Simon's Cat 'TV Dinner'

Just a little cat humor for a Friday evening. You will find a whole series of Simon's Cat videos on YouTube. The "Cat Man Do" video really reminds me of our cat, Mars. He tries to wake me up every morning. Enjoy!

little league update

This should tell you how the Little League travel team is doing! After two weeks of intensive training and practices, our local Little League is hosting the minor league tournament that began on Monday night and concludes tomorrow night. There are four teams, and each team plays every other team once. The team with the best record advances, and as far as I know, the rest of the teams will be "done." So as it turns out, our travel team is not traveling, but the teams we are playing are coming from all over, and these out-of-town kids are all taller than I am and they seem to have an endless reservoir of pitchers who throw 60 mph fast balls. Can you say human growth hormone?

Seriously, our little guys, who have had little experience with baseball adversity this year, have faced two nights of "tough baseball." Last night they lost 7-1 and tonight it was an ever wider margin (I lost track, thankfully). Matt, who started every game during the regular season, and was a feature at first, second, third, and short, as well as getting some good pitching time, has been in the outfield and has been a sub - with just a short stint at first. This was a disappointment to Matt last night, but it gave us something to talk about. After all, it was an honor just to get selected for this team.

Tonight Matt went in to pitch, and he really was a gamer. He did a good job, threw strikes, and I think he'll see some more time tomorrow. However, since our guys lost their first two games, I think it is safe to say that tomorrow night may be our last night of baseball for the season. It has been good for Matt - the winning and the losing. I will look forward to some lazy summer nights with no baseball commitments in these waning days of summer. I think I can save the routine chants of "Here we go," "Let's go 1-2," "Nice cut," "Good Eye," and "Let's go Blue" for another year. The good news is, at age "nearly 10," Matthew is completely cheered up by an ice cream cone at the end of the evening and the thought of his upcoming birthday. Wouldn't it be great if more adults could be fully cheered up by the same? Let's work on that.

loon haiku

the loon's call drifts in
through the mist and the ripples --
beautiful lake sounds

[I wrote this in 2005, and then found this video on YouTube taken in the Adirondacks in 2005!]

cyndi lauper - carey

Back in 2000, the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City was the site of a special concert, An All-Star Tribute to Joni Mitchell. A number of my favorite artists performed Joni's songs, including Richard Thompson, James Taylor, Cassandra Wilson, Shawn Colvin, KD Lang, and Diana Krall.

One of the most outstanding performances (and so many were GREAT!) was by Cyndi Lauper. You can see the video on YouTube here.

I am also trying something out new today. I have toyed with the idea of subscribing to Hipcast to upload MP3s, and yet the idea of paying for a service that will require me to actually convert my CD tracks to MP3s is pretty overwhelming, since I really don't have enough time to devote to that project. My music collection is huge, and it would be a daunting task.

A number of the blogs I read use Hipcast, and I really do like it. I also read a blog (An Island Walk) that uses Putfile, and it has a free service, so I am going to give that a try first. Thanks to Kat, who sent this to me some time ago, I am going to include the MP3 of this great Cyndi Lauper performance: Carey.

I have a cassette tape of the concert, made from a videotape of the television program. To the best of my knowledge, this soundtrack is not otherwise available -- or readily so, anyway. So, enjoy this treat!

Note: When you click on a Putfile link, your browser redirects to Putfile, and it takes a moment to load the media. The song will play automatically. To go back to the blog, just hit the "back" button (or open up another browser window and call up the blog there so that you can keep reading with the music on in the background). If this works, I may be able to share music here and there as I make time to convert CDs, without depending on YouTube. Or who knows? I may end up with Hipcast eventually. Have a good day!

crystal frontier - calexico

This one suits my mood for a number of reasons tonight. Perhaps you will like it too.

Ana from Niš

We were happy to host a friend from Serbia this past week. Ana is the daughter of Moma and Miliana in Niš. How did we come to meet Ana? Tom became acquainted with Moma, a dean at the University of Niš in Serbia, during a two-year faculty exchange program a few years ago. During that time, Tom went to Serbia three times, and Moma came to the U.S. at least once. While there, Tom grew very fond of Moma and his family, and he told them to come visit any time. As it worked out, Ana was able to get a Visa and travel to the U.S. this summer!

Ana, who speaks six languages (including PERFECT English) and who works for a German bank in Serbia, was very ill last year. As a sort of dream come true, now that she had recovered, she got to travel to the U.S. She arrived in NYC a week ago Friday, and then took a bus to visit with us this past Monday through Friday. From here, she traveled back to NYC for the remaining few days of her trip. Through serendipity, Ana had befriended a Brazilian model who lives in the U.S. through their online chatting about their same illness. This friend lives near NYC in Darien, CT, and was Ana's other host for the trip. She stayed in Darien, CT last weekend, and returned to NYC yesterday so that her friend could take her to the Hamptons for the weekend before she heads home for Niš on Tuesday. Ana truly got to see a great variety of places (and two different lifestyles) within New York! (She quoted her dad as saying that everyone in Europe thinks of NYC as "New York," but upstate New York is actually "America.")

We made sure that Ana got an "upstate NY" experience during her stay with us. Tom took her to Syracuse to a big mall, to Ithaca to see Cornell and walk the Commons, and we took her all around town here -- including to the Junior Fair to see the farm animals. We hosted a little dinner party with some faculty members who had also been part of the Niš exchange on Wednesday night. She shares a love of music with us, and we spent some time singing/playing the guitar. We even took her to Wal-Mart, which she loved.

It was hard to part with Ana. She was a wonderful and dear house guest who seemed like a family member. She brought some special gifts from Serbia, including a "football" jersey of her favorite team for Matt, and a gorgeous hand-made table cloth (made by her mother's mother). Matt and Ana got along famously, and he has added to his cadre of international friends that he seems to easily make for such a young guy.

Along with hosting Ana, we had a busy week full of work for me, daily basketball camp and baseball practices for Matt, and fun side-trips in between . . . so that explains my absence from the blog. I'll try to get back on the blog-horse and get some posts going!

if i didn't know any better - alison krauss & union station

Just like there are some books I would rather read and imagine than see the movie made of the book, there are some songs I would rather just close my eyes and listen to and imagine than see a music video that doesn't fit in my mind. I am reminded that I really need to finally get an MP3 software like Hipcast so that I can post MP3s sans videos on occasion. This would have been one of those times.

This is a song off the 2004 "Lonely Runs Both Ways" album by Alison Krauss & Union Station. The song was actually written by John Scott Sherrill and Mindy Smith. I love this CD, and was reminded of it today when Kat at Keep the Coffee Coming posted another great song from the album (Wouldn't Be So Bad). I actually listened to If I Didn't Know Any Better on repeat mode because it perfectly conjured up an image of someone reluctantly falling in love, against their better judgment, with someone they should not. (Great literary theme for an English-major-type like me.)

When I went searching for this song, I was initially going to post the official Alison Krauss video for the song. I really didn't like it. It didn't fit, and was "all about Alison." So I selected this one with imagery from Pride and Prejudice . . . a much better fit (but still not as good as one's own imagination.) Feel free to listen without watching:

If I Didn't Know Any Better - Alison Krauss & Union Station

down to zero - joan armatrading

I am having a hard time believing that my lovely vacation week is over. I'm also having a hard time believing that this song is nearly 30 years old! Back by popular demand, one of your favorites and mine, (well, mine anyway) . . . is Joan Armatrading live at a German TV Studio(Studio L in Cologne) on 15th Feb. 1979. This seemed appropriate for tonight.

shameless plug

We have another blogger in the family. Tom has started a new blog, entitled The Belize Zoo Blog, and if you have a moment to check it out, I encourage you to do so. It is a work in progress, with more links and posts expected soon from the current authors, and some prospective authors who have been invited to participate. He outlines his interest in Belize, and specifically, in the Belize Zoo in his welcome post.

You may remember that Belize is actually behind the start of this blog. I started a blog initially to share photos and journal entries from our January 2007 class trip to Belize with Tom, his colleague Steve, and 16 college students. You will notice I have a Belize category label in my list of categories on the right. I enjoyed blogging so much after that trip, that I kept going, and that was the beginning of the story.

Anyway, I think you will enjoy The Belize Zoo Blog @ http://tbzblog.blogspot.com/! Please send along the address to friends who may have an interest. Thanks.

[*Remember, you can click on the image to enlarge the map of Belize. We initially stayed near San Ignacio (near the Guatemalan border), and then we went to Belize City, and then to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. What a great trip that was. ]

play that funky music

As you might have figured, one of my favorite things in life is music. I started playing the flute in 5th grade, and I played all the way through school and through my sophomore year in college. I was especially thrilled when Matt decided he wanted to play the oboe at the end of last year (they start kids with instruments in the latter part of 3rd grade in our school district. ) The oboe is a tough instrument to play, and he took to it very easily and did very well. He was the first chair oboe of three in the 4th grade band all last year. When the notice came around for summer lessons and band, he was invited to participate. But his interest in the oboe seemed to be waning and he started asking if he could play the saxophone instead. His music teacher suggested that he could play both and this summer, perhaps he could do summer band with oboe and start taking lessons on alto sax. We agreed to give that a try.

Matt's first lesson was this past Thursday morning. He has an old school loaner instrument that isn't in great shape, and he is borrowing a book for the summer. Ms. A., his teacher, was pretty amazed that he played his very first note with confidence and they got through probably 6 notes and a few songs in that first half-hour. At the end of the lesson, she asked if Matt wanted to try to immerse himself in alto sax this summer and play it for band also. That way, if he decides to make the switch and not play both instruments (something I just don't think is likely), she feels he can start out in the fall with sax where he left off with oboe and still be in the 5th and 6th grade band even though he just started. It will take some extra work. He seemed quite ready to do that.

Yesterday, he got through the Concert B-flat scale, which will be required in band. He had to figure out the fingerings for several new notes by looking at the fingering chart. While I was able to help him with oboe because I would play along with my flute (they are in the same key,) with sax, I can't help as much because the flute is in a different key. Unfortunately, I am not very good at quick transcription. Anyway, he did it, and here we go! To see the quick video I took, click here for the: B-flat Scale.

happy 4th of july

"There, I guess King George will be able to read that."-- John Hancock (1737–1793)

The Declaration of Independence is really quite an amazing document. To read the text, click HERE. I learned in my legal issues course that the Constitution does not, perhaps purposely, mention the equality of all men, and the Declaration in fact does. The U.S. saw many, many years pass before federal legislation extended rights to women and to people of color. According to Tom, Garry Wills in his book entitled, Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words that Remade America, discusses the fact that Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address posits that the Declaration of Independence is the true founding document of the United States, not the Constitution. If we think about it, "Four score and seven years ago . . . " from 1863 is 1776. I just did the math.

When do we think about these things, really? I will put the Wills book on my "to read" list, as true patriotism seems to be lost in a fog these days. It would be nice to contemplate original truths at their sources rather than passively listening to the rhetoric that abounds in the media these days. What does it mean to be patriotic? What are the values of this country? What are the things that are worth fighting for? The true values upon which the U.S. was founded are worth celebrating. They are not concerned with greed, but rather, the opposite of avarice. They do not require citizens to relegate others to a subordinate position or to dominate, but rather, the they celebrate self-governance and independence. These are ideas worthy of contemplation and honor. Have a great day.

serendipity - in reverse

I was telling my mom today on the phone to be sure to read my "4th of July" blog post tomorrow. I wrote it last night (7/2) and queued it up as a "scheduled post" on Blogger so that if I am too lazy tomorrow to post first thing, it will automatically go out at 8 a.m. EST on 7/4. She told me that the Declaration of Independence was actually written on July 2nd, and publicly read on July 4th. Because of that, the commemoration of Independence Day has since been on the 4th of July. I didn't know that!

Today, I was trolling around someecards.com, something I occasionally do, and I came across this comic that is perfect as a precursor to tomorrow's post, written yesterday. How about that? So stay tuned . . .

waves - the watson twins

There are easily six degrees or less of separation across musical lines. Today I was listening to the NPR song of the day by The Watson Twins, and I really liked it. I heard a bit of Beth Orton in the song, and could hear the folk/pop/country influences. I went to their web site and the Wikipedia site for the duo and learned that they have covered Neil Young on an album entitled, Cinnamon Girl - Women Artists Cover Neil Young for Charity, which is pretty neat. My most recent music post was Neil covering the Beatles. All the little connections make my brain happy.

From The Watson Twins' MySpace page:

Chandra and Leigh Watson, identical twin sisters, were raised in the sprawling southern city of Louisville, Kentucky. As children they began singing in the church choir and it was there they discovered a passion for music and an innate ability to harmonize. In 1997, The Watson Twins pulled up stakes and moved from Louisville across the country to Los Angeles. They found their place in the music scene of Silverlake; a neighborhood that cultivated artists such as Beck, Elliot Smith, Silversun Pickups, Rilo Kiley and more. It wasn’t long before The Watson Twins found a circle of “like minded” musicians and formed Slydell, a popular band in the local music scene. In 2006 Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) and The Watson Twins released Rabbit Fur Coat, on Conor Oberst’s label, Team Love Records. Rabbit Fur Coat was an unheralded sensation.

Anyway, here's a gentle, breezy song for you today, entitled "Waves," by The Watson Twins, off their first full-length album, Fire Songs. [Click on the song title above.] Enjoy!

beach bliss

We really lucked out with our recent trip to Long Island. The weather forecast predicted thunderstorms each day we were to be there. We had just one thunderstorm, Sunday during the night, and the weather was perfect for the beach every other day!

On Friday, we traveled about 5 1/2 hours to South Jamesport, New York, which is on the bay side of the north fork of eastern L.I., to meet up with some college friends for the long weekend. Our group, 11 this year, stayed at a very nice family motel right on the beach. This might be redundant, but the name of the resort was "Motel on the Bay." It was clean and well-situated for a group like ours. On the map above, we were east of Riverhead, and the bay was extremely calm. The kids had a great time swimming in the shallow water, and catching, studying, and releasing hermit crabs. I enjoyed lounging around and taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. We took a visit to the Palmer Winery, and found a wonderful bakery nearby the Motel. It was a wonderful couple of days.

On Sunday after lunch, Tom and Matt and I headed to our friends' on the north shore of LI, about an hour west. It was great to see Susan and Steve and Sarah and Patrick. Susan is my closest friend and has been since we met in college back in September of 1983 and discovered that our birthdays were a day apart. Another college friend Laura, and her family, drove down to Susan's for the afternoon from Westchester County for another mini-reunion. We "hung out," ate, and enjoyed some laughs and libation . . . including Susan's fabulous lychee martinis!

We had an amazingly relaxing beach day at Tobay Beach (east of Jones Beach) on Monday. The waves were really active, and the lifeguards were definitely on alert. This was the opposite type of beach from the one we had just come from. Matt and Patrick were jumping waves most of the day, and when they took breaks, they were tossing the football on the beach. Susan and I took a nice long walk on the beach. There's nothing like walking on sand, in a misty, salty, breeze. It is completely replenishing, and good exercise to boot. The lifeguards actually closed the beach at 3:30 or so due to the "angry waves," so we only stayed a short while later and then went back. That evening, the adults went out to dinner at a wonderful Japanese restaurant. Mmmmm.

Yesterday we took off mid-morning and arrived home by 3 p.m. It was a beautiful day for a ride, and it was wonderful to pick up the cats at the vet and settle in to some laundry and just being home. I am taking vacation time until Monday, and have just a couple of projects to do. Other than those, and a birthday party for one-year old Lily on Sunday, I plan to take it easy and enjoy the great summer weather we are having.

a day in the life - neil young

Not too many would attempt to cover this complex and chaotic Beatles song. According to a number of web sites, Neil Young has added this performance to his European concert tour. Neil does the piece justice with his intense guitar playing. Granted, I know not everyone will like it, but I sure do. This is a recent performance in Spain at Rock in Rio Ciudad del Arganda Rey Madrid (June 27, 2008).

“I saw the news today, oh, boy
Four-thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall”

I love that verse.

haiku fun

Hello. I'm back after a brief blog hiatus. We enjoyed some vacation time with friends down on Long Island and are back. I'll blog more tomorrow with some photos, but for now, let me post a great haiku cartoon sent to me by my friend over at Days of Transition. What a find! It is from the Washington Post Magazine. Thanks, Ralph! You may have to click on the image to enlarge it enough to read it. Very cute.

coyote - joni mitchell

Inspired by a post from Ralph at http://daysoftransition.blogspot.com, here is a very nice performance of a song off Hejira. This is a live performance with The Band for The Last Waltz.