Good Tuba Boy

Not a great picture, but this shows the Older Boy at his recital Tuesday evening. Every year the band students do this before their solo and ensemble contest, as a practice. He was so careful getting dressed, though is appears that his pants were thrown in a wad on the floor, and his shirt was so new it was full of creases. But all the boys looked like that. Either their tie, shirt or pants was slightly askew. But what really amazed me was how beautiful it sounded. I didn't know tubas could make such pretty music--his tone was lovely, and he didn't mess up at all that I could tell (especially compared to most of the other kids we heard). I hope he gets that second movement down! He also told us he is now in the orchestra, too. There is only one tuba in the orchestra, and I guess the kid who was doing it isn't any more. It's an honor to be in the orchestra as well as in the top band!

He also got to play at his lacrosse game last night, and I wish I could have been there. But, we learned the song we are playing at the memorial service for our church member friend on Saturday, so I had to be at choir, sigh. Anyway, I am proud of him for sticking with things, even when he isn't the best. His debate partner and he have not won anything all year, and he is the least skilled lacrosse player, but he is getting strong and learning a lot about debate, so it's worth it. Just a lot to do.

Please think of me tomorrow as I do an interview for perhaps the only job left to apply for at ALE. All the other positions I applied for have gone away, thanks to a hiring freeze by our New CEO, same as the Original CEO. I knew all that rah rah talking about how thrilled we were that he was taking over again would not mean good things for little Suna. Plus no bonuses for the real employees either, which doesn't help our household financial status. But, I have this one chance in a group in another division, so I will give it my all. After that, off to look for contract work. It will all work out, so Lee keeps telling me.

High School Television Fun

Now, that's one fine looking sousaphone player, isn't it? Everone at work kept saying, "He looks JUST like you only his hair is a different color!" That made me laugh, since our hair is actually the same color--they've just never seen my actual hair.

I posted this because I saw the new television show, "Friday Night Lights" last night, and it's all about high school football. Not only that, but it was filmed right here in my home county. Lots of folks we know were in the crowd scenes, but I didn't spot anyone. I did, however, recognize each football stadium shown (they showed more than one, though supposedly it was the same. Definitely recognized the weird berms of dirt at the Pflugerville stadium. The show was pretty good, and does not really exaggerrate much about the importance of high school football around here.

We are fifth in central Texas, btw, after barely beating a much better team last week. In the photo at left, the older boy is in front of the cross town rivals' stadium, a rather rickety one, but where you feel nice and close to the action. We play in "the Palace" for our home games. The fanciest high school stadium I ever saw. Has a HUGE Jumbotron thing that plays instand replays and such. But you are farther from the action. I have to say the pageantry of Texas high school football has not lost its appeal to me so far. Even a cynic like me gets caught up in all the flags, the horsie that runs up and down the field, etc.

So, if you want to watch another television show that is soap-opera-like, check out "Friday Night Lights" and see what it looks like where I live.

Comment

DianeS said...
I enjoyed the heck out of Friday Night Lights, myself. Except that I kept forgetting it wasn't real. I was yelling at the kids that they needed a defense and stuff. When the kid got a bad hit and was lying face down and still, I remembered very well what it was like when one of your fellow students was clearly injured, though I don't recall anyone being that bad off. It was as if the last 34 years hadn't happened and I was back in the band!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006 10:33:00 PM

Reading the News Is Educational

...and depressing sometimes. I think I am going too overboard on liberal news sites.

This is a quote from the last words in a wonderful yet sobering speech I just read by MSNBC anchor Keith Olbermann, who is one of the new heroes of our sad time, which needs heroes so much:

When we are scolded, that if we merely question, we have “forgotten the lessons of 9/11"… look into this empty space behind me and the bi-partisanship upon which this administration also did not build, and tell me:
Who has left this hole in the ground?
We have not forgotten, Mr. President.
You have.
May this country forgive you.

This cartoon by Mr. Fish goes with the speech. Truly and really, how DARE the people who have bought/stolen the priviledge of running the USA tell those of us who live here that we don't remember 9/11 just because we haven't turned into raging murderous war mongers? Often there is more than one lesson to learn from an event.

Another hero for today is Colin Powell. Arianna Huffington says what I would like to say about his bravery for finally standing up to his former boss, the man who runs the country. How comme none of "us" Dems will start pitching fits? I don't want to live in the country that is the "bad guy" of the world. Thank you, General, and Sen. McCain. We need people who think and don't just react however their political party tells them to, whether liberal, conservative, Christian, or none of the above. I am glad these guys are there and either have enough power or bravery to speak up.

I heard this dude on NPR yesterday. A really frightening evangelical fellow who has some mission to be pals with Jews. Ah, Gershom Gorenberg is his name, and here is his story if you can stomach it. Anyway, he has that evangelicalically smug certainty that he knows exactly how the world we are in, exactly where we are on the countdown to the Rapture, and such that scares be "bejeezus" out of me. Of course, every once in a while he sorta sounds like he is telling the truth (all these wars getting worse and worse, etc.). But that's how they suck people in--some of the stuff they say is barely plausible. I just couldn't stop listening to his assertions as to why the Jews will be JUST fine thanks--as soon as Jesus actually shows up for the second time, they'll say, "OK, we see him now, and so we can believe in him," and magically they'll get saved! What a relief, I am sure, for our Jewish friends. AAAAAA......

On a happier note (yet a very low one)

Want to learn a lot about tubas? I really enjoyed this news item on Friday, and am glad it is all on the web. A 21-year-old woman is the principal tuba player in a major orchestra! The sound samples from the episode are amazing--hard to believe it is tuba music.

Being There for Each Other

Well, let me do the knitting news first: Icarius is in the blocking stage! Thanks to my pal Janet for her excellent assistance, the shawl is MUCH bigger now and looks beautiful. (However, if Tina reads this, she still might want to consider making it one repeat larger.) It is probably completely dry now, so soon I will have photos. I took some of it on the blocking wires. I now wish I had taken some of it in its pitiful lumpen "before" shape. I am now partway through a "hankie" I am making, and spent so much time sitting and waiting at band events in the last couple of days that I almost finished my first silk/wool sock that had been languishing for a while. I think I will finish that one today.

So...it has been a very busy few days, all in a good way. I have enjoyed doing a lot of high school band volunteering. They are a nice bunch of folks to volunteer with, and I feel no pressure about it. This year's band is way ahead of last year's in marching and music progress after a week of band camp, too. The tubas all march in a circle at one point, which will look cool from the stands. This year's music is classical stuff that is also in old TV cartoons, which should be fun. The Older Boy says the tuba parts are too easy, but the marching is hard, so I think that is actually a good thing. Isn't the picture for today nice? The band historian took it, and her mom sent it to me. The location is the large tarmac where the band practices.

Anyway, yesterday I spent the morning at "everything day," where the band come in to get fitted for uniforms and all their supplies, and even though there was no air conditioning in the band hall, it was not TOO hot, and the crowds were not bad. Very successful day. I spent a lot of time with my son's friend and his little sister, and they were most entertaining, too. My son, lucky boy, went off to a water park (Schlitterbahn for you locals) and had a blast. He is a bit pink today, though.

Most of the last few days has been spent spending time with my good friend, Janet, who is going through a turbulent time. I am glad I got the chance to be there and listen and commiserate. Sometimes you need a friend who does not judge you, even when you make "mistakes" or do things in ways others might not. We had IMMENSE margaritas Friday night at La Mesa Rosa (conveniently located little more than a mile from my house) and that helped a lot. I was probably a bit overly interested in the friendly waiter. Oh well, that rarely happens any more, so it was a nice diversion from the theme of "eek, things are gonna be a mess for Janet for a while, but eek, things are looking up," and that is good. In any case, it was nice to spend that time with her, and my only regret is that we left her dog at my house and that made all the dogs bark and irritate Dear Partner. I am so glad to have Janet for a friend, and glad I won't really "lose" her, since email is Our Friend.

Yesterday after the band thing, Janet and I headed out to the yarn store, where we attempted to relax and had fun in between her phone calls from various people in her cast of characters. We enjoyed yarn, teaching a nice woman how to knit (really nice woman), talking to the Yarn Store Staff minus the beloved Cheri, and meeting up with Deb and her family, who also dropped by. They got the NICEST yarn (even if they did spend a lot of bucks on it--they will have NICE outcomes). Deb's spousal unit got the best shades of green to make a felted "man bag" (satchel) out of--I hope to see a picture of the final product. I might make such a thing to carry my stuff to work in, if I see how his works out. And their kids were great, too. We do get some of the most well behaved kids in that place!!

When Jody got to the shop, "fresh" from her Friday of fun, we eventually decided to take a field trip to the sewing store, and that was a nice diversion, other than it being SO HOT HERE. A walk down the shopping center was almost too much! I had wanted Janet to see the "cherry" theme fabric they had there, and sure enough, she got some to line a purse (her birth name was "Cherry"). Seems like a nice marriage liberation theme fabric.

After yarning all day, Janet and Jody and I went to dinner and did some serious tarot stuff. The dinner was good (Bear Rock Cafe again) and the readings interesting. More on them will be found in the tarot journal. Janet's reading was reassuring and VERY accurate, and mine was...thought provoking. Jody's was a tough one to crack. We eventually went home, where Icarius got blocked and we thoroughly enjoyed watching the pug and Janet's dog (yorkie) play together. Whoa did they have a blast. I think Srcunchy was in heaven--Gwynnie doesn't play as well now that she is blind, and the cat usually declines his invites (frequently issued).

Janet left before I woke up this morning. I took sleep stuff and zonked a LONG time. Finally got rid of the headache and other aches. Today is chore day, so off I go to finish the laundry and stuff.

Comments

Tina said...
I am probably going to go ahead and add another repeat - it DOES seem a bit small. Did you find out if getting Zephyr wet will make it freak out? I guess I could knit a swatch (I usually don't with shawls. Hard to REALLY screw up on gauge.).
Sunday, August 06, 2006 5:25:00 PM

Deb said...
Anton is almost done with his man bag and it is quite nice in those colors. I am so glad we talked him out of the black and grey. I finally finished my market bag that I rag out of Big Koreon for over a year ago but we able to nicely match another # skein from the shop. It is on wash #2 and I will make sure to take pictures once it is done.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006 9:31:00 PM

Proud Mom, Progress

Yesterday my older son participated in a little orchestra at church, which they do once or twice a year. For someone who isn't really "musical" in many ways, I have been surprised at how well he's done in band. He reads music very well and is quite confident in his playing. His low notes really contribute to the sound of the orchestra. Since I will miss his final middle school band concert (have to be at a workshop), I was glad to be able to go to this one.

He's also participating in the church play, which I may have mentioned before. It's God's Favorite, by Neil Simon, and he just loves the play. He never would try any of these things at school, so it is nice to have a smaller setting and more compatible people to try out new things like acting. It's stuff like this that make me want to stick with the church community, even with all the "difficult people" issues it has.

In good news, I got most of last week's to do list done, even the dreaded dental appointment. I am not sure why it was so hard for me to go find a dentist--I had gone faithfully the entire time I lived in Illinois. Now I just have to get yet another toe doctor appointment for D, who sure has an ingrown toenail issue, sigh.

It was a rough weekend for me, as issues among volunteers at the organization I work for have deteriorated more. I am separating myself from it and have resolved to work for these folks, and not try to consider myself one of them any more. I am in the middle, and I feel really apart from those on both "sides" of things. Not a fun place to be. Off to work now...

Distributed = Republican?

Tonight I was watching Now formerly with Bill Moyers, and there was an interview with Christine something with a W. (Oh yeah, Todd Whitman...I get it confused with Christine Whitney Sanchez) who used to be in the Bush administration. She was talking about how California should have the right to set higher standards for auto emissions than the US, and how it isn't right for the Bush administration to give in to automaker pressure to not do this (technicality, only the EPA can regulate fuel efficiency and they say any law on emissions really does this). She then said states should always be allowed to set any standard that is higher than the US standard, and what's more, it is in the Republican tradition to let those closest to the source of an issue set the policy--getting away with over centralized government, too much centralization, etc.

Well, how bout that, I thought. All this stuff those in my workplace are being asked to do in the name of distributive systems is not the Commie, Socialist evil those in the more "conservative" faction lead us to believe--it's right up there with Republican founding principles. And now that I think of it, it sounds pretty Libertarian, too, and that's another faction that has been complaining about new ideas about how organizations can function that are being introduced at work.

Where does this leave me? Even more firmly entrenched in my apparently novel approach of trying to evaluate ideas that are new to me based on their merit, independent of what kind of political folks would advocate it. Of course, I realize you can't really separate your philosophical leanings from what you are learning about. You always interpret new things from your particular cultural context--and there come those problems again.

In other news, I spent all day alone today other than a brief visit to church to sing old hymns with Unitarian lyrics. J.. went away to visit his brother in some desert where they were supposed to kill wild turkeys with arrows, but they had gotten chased off. I guess the Great White Hunter came up empty. I am glad I don't have to eat some freshly dead turkey. At least he's a "good" hunter and all involved in conservation and protecting the wilderness.

I get really down on weekends when the kids' dad comes and entertains them. I sometimes miss the family I had tried to hard to establish and lost. I'm sure everyone's better off now, but I hate having to "share" the kids. I didn't get to go to K's solo and ensemble competition, and he had been SO worried that he had no accompaniment for his tuba solo. It went OK, though, and I am relieved. That's also a problem with all the fun travel I now get to do for work. I miss kid events, like I won't be at their final band concert this year due to a conference. SIGH.

Enough personal stuff! At least I am blogging away.

Weekend Goals

Watch this--I will try to not work today. Too late, I already wrote a long email and posted it in my work Wiki.

Other goals I may actually achieve:

• Be calm in coparenting even when I disagree with decisions of former spouse
• Finish church web update for www.lliveoakuu.org
• Update Live Oak Coffeehouse page www.liveoakuu.org/coffee/
• Go shopping
• Enjoy wedding I got invited to because my friend got the musicians' spouses invited along to the meal. Smooches to Eddie. It's at Green Pastures, a lovely old home turned into a restaurant. There are peafowl there.
• Work on the amusing mitred squares made from leftover sock yarn (hasn't turned out too pretty so far)
• Think longer and harder about how my attitude affects others--I got some nice validation yesterday from friends, and one said I am an agent for good in the world. And you know what? That is, I think, my primary goal.

Now must take boy and tuba to a rehearsal.