Looking for the Summer

I can be unusually singularly minded about some things. I have spent years of my life waiting for the next chance to go surfing, or play volleyball and lately to go cycling. I'm not manly enough to endure cycling through year-round Utah weather. This means that in the winter I might go 3-4 weeks without getting on the bike. I'm lucky to just maintain a semblance of fitness. Also, It is easy for me go up in weight by 15-20 lbs during the inactive winter (not so shocking I'm a pretty tall guy.)

So each year around February March and April I start thinking often about trying to get out on the bike. I used to get up early in the morning to ride and granted, if I were doing that I would have gotten a FEW more rides in. For various sleep and health related reasons I don't see myself getting up early much until the weather gets REALLY nice.

This year has been horrendous. It's so disheartening to try to plan out what rides you are going to get in during the coming week when the forecast calls for yuckey cold, rainy, and snowy weather all week. As I was writing this it started to snow briefly. And typically the nicest weather all week will fall on Sunday, with the exception of Conference weekend.

On the bike I like to go fast and I won't go that fast until I lose a little weight and that won't happen until I can get at least 3-4 rides in per week.

Fun with Place Names

We were just having fun with Oconomowoc, WI. There was only one vowel available when they named that place. Or, a trapper comes out of the woods on an extremely cold day. They ask him where he came from and he' only able to mumble Cnmwc. That's the Arabic spelling.

How I find my music

I've gotten to a crotchety old age where I do not listen to music radio. The radio now is for talk, conservative talk.

But, being a singer and heavily drenched in popular culture, I have to have music in my life. I listen a lot in my free time. With my Borg bluetooth headphone in one ear, people probably think I think I'm some high powered mover and shaker (I really do more ducking and bobbing, dodging and weaving than shaking and moving.) But, the headphone is just so I can listen to music and it is mostly when I ride my bike. (I do also listen to other audio, scriptures, conference talks, devotional talks et al.)

So how do I find new music to bring into my rotation? A lot I get from soundtracks. I have been fascinated with them for 30+ years. I could make a case for their being our current "classical" music. The operas written since Puccini's death are mostly tripe.

My young adult kids do expose me to some music that I adopt. But, I bring music to them as well.

A couple of months ago I watched online a Filmology 2010 compilation video. The background music was quite fun. So, I looked up the content and purchased most of the songs. One that has really stuck with me is called "Little Baby Pines" by the Sunbears! on the Dream Happy Dreams Album. Now, don't those titles just make you feel good! Little baby pines has really stuck with me and the kids love it. You should check it out.

I once wrote that music embeds and invokes memories on a level with the sense of smell, because it attaches to our psyche in many places. It is not unlike the scriptures of Isaiah. There is substance and meaning and appeal on several levels.

What a blessing we have in Music.

Recital

Yesterday Shazia and Ameer had a recital at Gram's house. They both did admirably (he on violin and she on voice.) Shazia packs more volume per pound than anyone in the world and she has great resonance. As she trains and improves her technique will get even better. Ameer was nearly perfect with his fingering and is able to draw a very nice sound out of his instrument. Its funny that most of the music that gets performed at recitals is "showy." It's a little like, "look l can sing this note." Or "I can do this run or this melismatic passage really well."
There were at least two numbers meant to show as well as entertain a more plebian audience like me: "I remember snow" (Sondheim) and "I dreamed a dream" (from Les Mis).

Very well done kids.

Marathon Bike Tour 2011

I did the Marathon Bike Tour again on Saturday. This was the third time for me. It went okay. But, it could have been better.

I went for a ride the evening before and in retrospect, that probably hurt me. I tried not to push hard and I kept my heart rate down. But, I think It made a big difference.

Saturday morning I just didn't have the legs. I was a mile slower than my two previous times at this. I did a lot of riding by myself. A couple of groups came along that I managed to hook up with and hang with for a while. But, I couldn't stay with them longer than a mile or two.

AG Laney

Laney recently participated in the local JA City affair (Junior Achievement City) something like Boys Town I figure. There were kids from a couple of grade schools participating. She was busy with anticipation during the run-up. She set her sights on different roles she could play and tried to keep her expectations low in case her role didn't rise to the level of prestige that she wanted. She went to the interview fully prepared. She was asked if she could do the job of a bank teller. She responded, “why, yes! I can say, Sir there are insufficient funds to cover this check.” As it turned out she got the prestigious role of Attorney General. and had a great time during the activity. Ailsa also went and helped chaperone the kids.