I went to the Memorial Day parade today to see my niece march with the Marching Band. The band was pretty much the entire parade. A boy scout troop and two veteran groups a few cop cars and politicians. Pretty boring, not even any candy...so fortunately the band was pretty good for a Memorial Day performance. My best friend's little brother who has become a good friend of mine marched as Section Leader of the trumpets for the first time today as well, so that was neat to see.
Various members of my family had to work today so we did our BBQ yesterday having hamburgers, brats, and hot dogs with watermelon and chips. All that was missing was a few beers. That got taken care of come nightfall when I got to hang out with my friend, in from Louisiana. After the BBQ was over, my sister's family and I went disc golfing out at Lakefront park in Ashtabula, definitely the best course in NE Ohio. My nephew and I both played the Blue tees while everyone else played Reds. He and I both shot under par for the day which was very impressive for only our third time out this season and the difficulty of this course, which we'd only played once before (also that was last year). The views were great and you can see a few photos of our fun up on my Facebook page.
Upon returning from having a few beers out at the Winking Lizard last night, my friend and her family invited me back to their place to play some Beatles Rock Band and I managed to sing some very "unique" harmonies. Tonight, I have to work, so hopefully I can get outside for some fun activities tomorrow again.
That is all...
May 31, 2010
May 26, 2010
Indeed
The WWE match was very entertaining and the snacks and beer were indeed free. Two good things. Even the Undertaker made an appearance, clearly the highlight of the night, as he was the only wrestler I recognized (he was on a SNES game I got for free a long time ago). The athletic, tumbling, and gymnastic abilities of the wrestlers was pretty impressive and fun to watch. The whole thing was, of course, very fake and cheesy, but it was hilarious.
Today, I took a hike and walked in a river by a waterfall at Hell Hollow with my good friend, no movie today, though. I suffered my first mosquito bites of the season, but the park is beautiful, exercise is good, and we had a good time. Tonight, I ate burgers with my sister's family and attended my nephew's middle school band concert. His band played really well and it was enjoyable.
Thus concludes my concise update....
Today, I took a hike and walked in a river by a waterfall at Hell Hollow with my good friend, no movie today, though. I suffered my first mosquito bites of the season, but the park is beautiful, exercise is good, and we had a good time. Tonight, I ate burgers with my sister's family and attended my nephew's middle school band concert. His band played really well and it was enjoyable.
Thus concludes my concise update....
May 25, 2010
15 minutes
Fifteen minutes to kill, so obviously I'm going to post my thoughts about the evening I'm about to have. I was invited by a good friend to go to a WWE match at Quicken Loans Arena (where the Cleveland Cavaliers play) for free with a suite and potentially free food and beer. Who can turn that down? I, however, have never watched this type of wrestling and the most I know about it is from my WWF Super Nintendo game I haven't played in years. I get that it is fake and a man's soap opera, but I'm not up to date on the soap opera plot, so hopefully each match is at least somewhat self-contained so I have an idea what is going on. Otherwise, that beer had better be free so I can find a different way to enjoy my time, haha.
Today, I watched another movie with my friend. I don't think she's going to be up for many more after yesterday and today's selections, haha. We also went to Mentor Beach Park and ate a "picnic" of cheesy bread and drinks. I tried out the plaid shorts from my "uniform" as a pair of shorts today, and I have to report that I'm not seeing plaid shorts as a serious staple of my wardrobe in the near future...these are being replaced with Dave-appropriate shorts for tonights festivities within the remaining 7 minutes before my planned departure time.
That is all...
Today, I watched another movie with my friend. I don't think she's going to be up for many more after yesterday and today's selections, haha. We also went to Mentor Beach Park and ate a "picnic" of cheesy bread and drinks. I tried out the plaid shorts from my "uniform" as a pair of shorts today, and I have to report that I'm not seeing plaid shorts as a serious staple of my wardrobe in the near future...these are being replaced with Dave-appropriate shorts for tonights festivities within the remaining 7 minutes before my planned departure time.
That is all...
May 24, 2010
Chucks, Cone Golf, and Breakwall
I'm certain photos will be surfacing on Facebook before long for you all to enjoy of one Trumpet player, who is not, in fact, Hiding. No trumpets will be in this album, but only a trumpet player could suit up in the new "cone golfing" uniform. It takes self confidence and arrogance to wear a horribly colored horizontal striped shirt with bold, plaid shorts, plaid Chucks, and women's knee high socks. I do think I may have fallen for Chucks, how I made it this long in life without a pair, I may never know, but two days into my relationship with these, and I'm definitely liking them. They fit the musician's aura of laziness and artistic temperment.
The resurrection of cone golf is an important part of the story as well. We purchased these "uniforms" because they fit so well with the silliness, yet amazingness, which is throwing cones onto a larger cone with golf scoring. With a lock-in involved, we managed to cone golf at 3am as well, in uniform.
Tonight, we hit the breakwall for a photo-shoot, one which will have to occur again soon when we've made it to the other side of the lighthouse prior to, instead of 10 min after, sunset. It was still a lot of fun, and the weather was perfect. It was a great capper to a day which included, but was not limited to, a trip to Coventry with a good friend to check out the shops and stopping by a "mall" afterwards (heh heh), a custard-eating fest as a substitute for dinner, and Hellraiser...to see how it was. A raccoon found it's way all the way out onto the breakwall, a feat which anyone who has been out there realizes, is ridiculous for an animal to perform as there is nothing for an animal to gain by being out there. It has now been dubbed, the rockoon and we hope it is present on future visits, but hopefully it doesn't try to attack me again.
That is all...
The resurrection of cone golf is an important part of the story as well. We purchased these "uniforms" because they fit so well with the silliness, yet amazingness, which is throwing cones onto a larger cone with golf scoring. With a lock-in involved, we managed to cone golf at 3am as well, in uniform.
Tonight, we hit the breakwall for a photo-shoot, one which will have to occur again soon when we've made it to the other side of the lighthouse prior to, instead of 10 min after, sunset. It was still a lot of fun, and the weather was perfect. It was a great capper to a day which included, but was not limited to, a trip to Coventry with a good friend to check out the shops and stopping by a "mall" afterwards (heh heh), a custard-eating fest as a substitute for dinner, and Hellraiser...to see how it was. A raccoon found it's way all the way out onto the breakwall, a feat which anyone who has been out there realizes, is ridiculous for an animal to perform as there is nothing for an animal to gain by being out there. It has now been dubbed, the rockoon and we hope it is present on future visits, but hopefully it doesn't try to attack me again.
That is all...
May 12, 2010
Luther East
Finally, a lead. A friend from Valpo days has suggested a job which his dad can put a good word in for me at. This is exciting news and it is in the Cleveland area. Here's hoping.
The portfolio work is just about done...a big day to finish it up tomorrow, and that should be all she wrote. Applications have been sent to TX as well as the states mentioned in earlier posts. I sent one to a WA school today on my brother's recommendation and have begun looking at some more in that state.
I've been contacted regarding my normal Memorial Day gig, finally. Just after I had given up on them, the yacht club made a phone call today while I was gone. I'm in the process of searching for a summer community ensemble to play in as well, hopefully one that my niece (she plays flute) can also play in so we can ride together. It would be a great experience for her as a first year college student and I of course love to play in groups, so ideally, it'll work out.
I could probably keep typing information no one wants to read, but I'll stop for tonight...
The portfolio work is just about done...a big day to finish it up tomorrow, and that should be all she wrote. Applications have been sent to TX as well as the states mentioned in earlier posts. I sent one to a WA school today on my brother's recommendation and have begun looking at some more in that state.
I've been contacted regarding my normal Memorial Day gig, finally. Just after I had given up on them, the yacht club made a phone call today while I was gone. I'm in the process of searching for a summer community ensemble to play in as well, hopefully one that my niece (she plays flute) can also play in so we can ride together. It would be a great experience for her as a first year college student and I of course love to play in groups, so ideally, it'll work out.
I could probably keep typing information no one wants to read, but I'll stop for tonight...
May 7, 2010
Concert
Music Education in Action occurred once more at Mentor High, my alma mater, last night. 200ish band members on stage after the performance to play John Phillip Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever made for quite the loud ending. They also made it corny by dropping hundreds if not thousands of red, white, and blue balloons from the rafters. It was a fun performance to listen to as I had performed the vast majority of the 13 pieces on the concert in my days in bands including all of the Wind Ensemble, the top band, selections.
Most of the rest of yesterday was dedicated to yardwork/cleaning out my car. The Lawn got mowed, outdoor games such as cornhole and hillbilly golf were brought down from the attic when I spotted them while opening out attic windows to prevent trapping anymore heat up there, gutters were emptied of the maple seeds that had helicoptered their way down from the trees, and my car got vacuumed and Windexed.
Time to at least pretend to pay attention to this seminar....at least at the start...
Most of the rest of yesterday was dedicated to yardwork/cleaning out my car. The Lawn got mowed, outdoor games such as cornhole and hillbilly golf were brought down from the attic when I spotted them while opening out attic windows to prevent trapping anymore heat up there, gutters were emptied of the maple seeds that had helicoptered their way down from the trees, and my car got vacuumed and Windexed.
Time to at least pretend to pay attention to this seminar....at least at the start...
May 6, 2010
Disc Golf
I got out to the Euclid Sims Park Disc Golf Course today to play a round of 18 and shot very well for me, especially for only my 2nd or 3rd time out this season. I threw a drive that was by far the best one I've ever thrown, distance and accuracy wise, on the 17th hole. I also made two putts of 20ish feet and had only one hole leave me completely disgusted with my performance. You can't ask for much more out of an outing by an amateur disc golfer. I sort of figure that course as perhaps straight 4s being something to strive for...even though straight 3s is supposedly par and I shot a 69 which broke the straight 4s by 3. I'm quite happy with that, and look to continue to improve on less windy days than today.
On another note, how much would it suck to be in jail for 29 years for a crime you did not commit? An Ohio man was let out yesterday after DNA testing proved that he was not the rapist that an Ohio judge and jury had written him off as in 1981. I'm not sure why this headline struck my fancy yesterday, but I just can't even imagine how you would have any faith that life was worth living after being sentenced to life in prison for a crime you didn't commit and had no knowledge of prior to your trial. Two kids identified him in a line up and a few key witnesses said they'd seen him in the metro park he had allegedly raped the 11 year old girl and forcibly restrained the 12 year old boy in. He, throughout the trial and the years served in jail, maintained he had been in his home at that time. Apparently, he had been mistaken for someone else. 29 years...wow.
Lastly, I'm looking for an ensemble to play in this summer. I think I'm going to join a community band with my niece who also wants to continue playing this summer. It should be fun, and maybe I'll even get to know someone who needs to hire a music teacher? At least, I could meet another music educator who would know of some positions/could put in a good word.
Now, off to bed as I intended to be twenty minutes ago...
On another note, how much would it suck to be in jail for 29 years for a crime you did not commit? An Ohio man was let out yesterday after DNA testing proved that he was not the rapist that an Ohio judge and jury had written him off as in 1981. I'm not sure why this headline struck my fancy yesterday, but I just can't even imagine how you would have any faith that life was worth living after being sentenced to life in prison for a crime you didn't commit and had no knowledge of prior to your trial. Two kids identified him in a line up and a few key witnesses said they'd seen him in the metro park he had allegedly raped the 11 year old girl and forcibly restrained the 12 year old boy in. He, throughout the trial and the years served in jail, maintained he had been in his home at that time. Apparently, he had been mistaken for someone else. 29 years...wow.
Lastly, I'm looking for an ensemble to play in this summer. I think I'm going to join a community band with my niece who also wants to continue playing this summer. It should be fun, and maybe I'll even get to know someone who needs to hire a music teacher? At least, I could meet another music educator who would know of some positions/could put in a good word.
Now, off to bed as I intended to be twenty minutes ago...
May 4, 2010
Fire
A quick update...
Saturday was perhaps the best unproductive day I have had in the past year. I managed to spend some time at the lake, have a fire in the gatehouse to a castle that was never built, and watch the new Nightmare on Elm Street, which coincidentally was one of the best movies of its genre I've ever seen all after working 8hrs.
Sunday, I played trumpet at church, went to the Lake County Farmpark to see some train models and barnyard animals, and watched Zombieland again.
Yesterday, I attended a useless seminar at CSU, practiced trumpet and bass, filled out two more apps, went to my nephew's track meet (and found out that they aren't as boring as I had feared they may be), and got some basketball in at the school. While being up there, I got to laugh at a 40yr old man who came over by himself and then got his game on with some middle school kids, only to then realize he had locked his keys and ID in his car. He then spent an hour trying to break into it with a stick before giving up and walking to the grocery store, presumably to call the cops or a friend/wife.
Today, I slept in until 10 and plan on getting some more apps filled out, voting, and eating at Baker's Square before working this evening. I'll probably practice my trumpet for awhile too.
That is all for the packed with exciting things I did, but written poorly enough that it doesn't sound as exciting post. I tried to mention everything without having a post that was really really long.
Saturday was perhaps the best unproductive day I have had in the past year. I managed to spend some time at the lake, have a fire in the gatehouse to a castle that was never built, and watch the new Nightmare on Elm Street, which coincidentally was one of the best movies of its genre I've ever seen all after working 8hrs.
Sunday, I played trumpet at church, went to the Lake County Farmpark to see some train models and barnyard animals, and watched Zombieland again.
Yesterday, I attended a useless seminar at CSU, practiced trumpet and bass, filled out two more apps, went to my nephew's track meet (and found out that they aren't as boring as I had feared they may be), and got some basketball in at the school. While being up there, I got to laugh at a 40yr old man who came over by himself and then got his game on with some middle school kids, only to then realize he had locked his keys and ID in his car. He then spent an hour trying to break into it with a stick before giving up and walking to the grocery store, presumably to call the cops or a friend/wife.
Today, I slept in until 10 and plan on getting some more apps filled out, voting, and eating at Baker's Square before working this evening. I'll probably practice my trumpet for awhile too.
That is all for the packed with exciting things I did, but written poorly enough that it doesn't sound as exciting post. I tried to mention everything without having a post that was really really long.
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