joyfulnoisemaker

Making a Fool of Myself for Your Entertainment

2011-09-21T20:59:00.003-05:00

My cello case broke on Saturday. It has been breaking for some time, but has still managed, and it's such a nice case that even when partially broken it's better than anything I'd be willing to buy. Saturday as I was loading my car to leave a wedding, it finally gave out, and is now basically non-usable.

Yesterday I selected the replacement. It will be wonderful. Finally I will have a cello case with wheels. I found the online dealer with the best price, selected all my specs, and placed the order.

Today I received an email notifying that my order was placed, but the case was not available in the color I'd selected: black. Would I rather pick a different color, or wait a few months for the black one? They gave a phone number or email to let them know which I'd prefer.

I called the toll free number, and when put on hold, turned on the speaker phone so that I could put the hand held down and continue another task. When I finally got to leave a message, I left a brief message with my order number and new color choice, said thank you and put the handset back on the cradle. Not realizing that the phone call was still on, Alisa and I continued chatting for several minutes before I looked down and saw that our conversation was still going onto this company's voice mail.

I decided to email them, and apologize for wasting their time with such a long message. With any luck, they'd see the email first and disregard the message. Just then a student came in with a question about something I can't remember, no big deal, but by the time I looked back at my computer screen, I had sent the email. Without writing it.

So, somewhere in New Jersey, is a small business owner at an instrument accessory retailer. He or she does not know me, but he or she is convinced that I am a moron. And, worse, he or she has both a voicemail and a blank email to prove it. Fortunately, this person is happy to do business with any paying customer, and I just received an email that my order has been adjusted and can proceed forward.

We're Moving

2011-05-24T14:12:00.002-05:00

I've had some exciting news to share for awhile, but we've been keeping it a secret until this week.

Next month Jordan and I are moving to Pearland. I have accepted a new job as the assistant Orchestra Director at (D*O*B*I*E*) HS. We reached the decision to leave K*A*T*Y* after much discussion and prayer.

This new position gives us a number of exciting opportunities. (1) We will be closer to my side of the family (coincidetally we will be about 10 minutes from Hobby Airport, so you could say we're closer to both sides of the family.) (2) To teach alongside a good friend and colleague of mine. She and I have worked together over the past few years as we've helped with one another's programs. We have compatible personalities and contrasting specialties, so it will be good for both of us to work together with this program. (3) We will be much closer to Jordan's work. With Jordan working full time this summer, and full time permanently after graduation (Dec) it was apparent that her 60+ minute commute would not be a good thing long term.

The two schools (current and soon-to-be) are very similar in several ways: size, ethnic diversity, socio-economic mix and others I'll learn about as we go. One major difference is the Orchestra program. I am proud of the work that has been accomplished here over the last few years, and the thought of handing it over to another director causes me to feel protective and possessive.
The program at this new school, however, is historically very strong. This was one of the first schools in the state of Texas to have a full-time Orchestra teacher many years ago, and the past 15 years have seen a tremendous growth of the program and their role in the community. For that reason, it will feel quite different.

Our families have known that this was a possibility for some time, and they've kept it a secret up until now. My fellow directors have been good to keep the secret safe until the time was right to tell my kids. That time was Monday, after our end-of-year trip, concert and banquet. Each of these things are very special to our program, and tend to focus on the seniors who are leaving. I didn't want to change that pattern.

We're sad to leave our community. I have a wonderful job, we have a great church home, the best friends we could ask for, and we've enjoyed our time here. But, this is a good forward move for many reasons (listed above) and we look forward to plugging in to our new community/area.

For the out-of-town folks - we'll still be in the Houston area. In fact we'll be a short drive from Hobby Airport if you ever pass through.

* - I prefer for this blog post not to pop up in any google searches for either high school.

Heart-broken

2011-03-04T18:28:00.004-06:00

Maybe you've heard in the news about Harding University's identity crisis involving LBGT students on campus. I won't go into that issue in this post. It is certainly worth discussion for all Christians, and I don't mean the sort of discussion where we simply remind ourselves of the same talking points and scripture references with which we've fenced ourselves in over the past several decades. I mean some real discussion where we ask ourselves why Lesbians and gays feel that we're the ones attacking them.

Below is a facebook status from a friend of mine earlier today. I won't put his name, because I hope and pray that his heart changes one day, he'll feel ashamed for posting this on the internet, and when that day comes won't want his name associated with these words:

this whole gay thing at harding is absolutely hilarious... i dont understand why gays would even think about going to this school - but im glad they do and hope they all get kicked out and have less rights than the normal people here10 hours after this was posted, there were 70 comments. People immediately criticized him for various reasons, and others came to his defense. This is their idea of one doing his Christian duty to stand up for principles.

One response broke my heart more than any other. I paste it here below.
And this is the reason I left the church. The hypocrisy that exists in the church is unbelievable. To think that one sin is worse than another one is ludicrious. To believe anything in a book written by humans 2000 years ago as fact is the ...biggest bunch of horse crap ever. If you can believe that a god chooses to create people specifically to go to hell then I'll be right there in hell with them. There's no way in the world that i'd worship a god that would allow that. Christianity is filled with contradictions and hypocrisy and the church of christ is one of the biggest violators of them all. It is a brainwashing cult. Leaving was one of the best decisions I ever made. I can't believe I even took the time to know your name. What you said was one of the most ignorant things I ever heard. Do you also believe that I should not have rights because I'm black? I mean I can't help that. Wow j----, I'm disgusted.This was posted by my friend C.W. C and I were good friends in high school when he joined my youth group. C was brought to church by a friend of mine I grew up with. He became a believer after his first visit to our church. I give glory to God, that I was part of a terrific group of teenagers at my church growing up. C found our group of people to be different, appealing, and he wanted in. I can remember hugging him just after his baptism, which took place the same day that we met. I can picture standing in a circle afterwards and tell you what songs we sang and which faces were where. It was a victorious day.

Sadly, C is like the seed that fell in the rocky soil. He received the gospel with much joy, but after a few years' time and over exposure to the hypocrisy and intolerance among believers, he had a bad taste for the church and turned away from Christ all together.

Below is an email that I wrote to C. It's long. I wish it weren't so, but my heart overflowed for my friend as I thought of all the hateful things done by fellow believers, and I grieved for an at-home example of it playing a part in chasing away one of God's baby boys. I'm hoping the letter will prompt some honest dialogue between C and me. As you can imagine, the sort of dialogue prompted by facebook statuses above won't lead to anything but more devisiveness.

Dear C----,
We haven’t talked or seen each other in a long time. I hope you are doing well, wherever you are, with whatever it is you’re pursuing. Small talk aside, what prompted me to write you was your comment on -----------'s bizarre facebook status earlier today. When I saw the status, my heart sank into my stomach. Not only because Harding appears to be struggling with what ought to be a simple issue for any Christian (how to treat people – it’s kind of Christ 101) but that this was how I would learn about it. While I’m grateful to Harding for the education that some people have received there, and for the generous things they’ve done towards certain groups of people around the world, I’m sickened by their [their = certain people who represent the school, not a unanimous Harding body] inability to extend basic human acknowledgement to gays, outspoken women, or even people with liberal political ideas, like myself. To disagree is one thing, to de-humanize is another.
When I read your comment, I felt several things all at once.
(1) A sense of relief. Your comment and your feelings, in my opinion, brought to the table a certain degree of common sense. As I’d read the previous comments, both the ones that agreed and dissented with the status sentiment, I had thought “what would an outsider be thinking of all of this? Don’t we realize how obviously foolish this looks?” and your words articulated that absurdity better than I could have. While I disagree with your decision to leave the church, I am grateful you made some points badly in need of making.
(2) A sense of guilt. Chris, we are friends. I miss you. I miss conversations we used to have about everything from movies to music, literature, politics. Everything. I’ve looked at your facebook profile now and then over the last few years. I gathered that you left the church, but didn’t know much else. I work to be a good friend to my friends, and if you’ll still count me, I consider us to be friends. The fact that I didn’t message you earlier to ask how you’re doing, catch up, visit etc., is not the mark of a good friend. For that, I am ashamed and I apologize.
Add onto that, here I am writing you now. After all this time of doing nothing more than reading an occasional facebook status, it takes me seeing your response to a misguided facebook thread to do what I should have done – write to my friend and renew the friendship.
(3) A sense of objection. I am glad you said what you said on the FB thread. Yours is the perspective of someone who has learned the Gospel of Jesus, met the body of Christ, and said “No.” When shown an example, in a public place, of the kind of dismissive and narrow-minded bigotry that shapes the Church’s projected image, you stood up to it, unashamedly, and called it out.
For the latter reason, I cheer for you. But there are a few points you made, about which I’d like to offer a different view. I know you’ve been preached at before; you’ve probably been forced to defend your stance and beliefs many times, so if you’re wanting to say “Stop right there”, I get it. Trust me. Also please trust that I do not want to “tell you why you’re wrong” or attempt some sort of “proof through debate”. I have no doubt that you may dispute some of the things I’m about to say, and I would love nothing more than for you to do just that. For us to have an open dialogue about things we have in common (like, for instance, sexuality being no grounds for determining a person’s worth, or their “acceptability” in churches, universities, or anywhere else) and things where we differ (keep reading.)
You mentioned, in your comment, that the church is nothing but a cult. As a member of the church, I feel the bite of those words.
I step back and examine it: We have sets of rules about what we can/cannot do; we close our eyes and pray to a Being who supposedly created the reality we know yet can do no wrong; we believe this Being hears us because we’ve heard of a man who walked the earth 2000+ years ago that assured us he was the Son of said Being. Add to that, sometimes we do not even pray these words out loud, and yet somehow the Being still receives the message as if through divine telepathy.
In addition to these beliefs, most of us devote a substantial portion of our income to our congregations, believing that we are the body of the Son of this Being, and that in using our money to carry out His will, we’re somehow being him to the rest of the world. Being the Being.
Sounds like a cult. Smells like a cult. I hadn’t given it much thought before, but a picture is starting to form. It doesn’t stop there.
We believe that these things - our faithful adherence and belief in the Son of this Being who does no wrong - means we cannot die. That’s right. We have the arrogance to believe that death itself can’t kill us, but rather only serves as a passage into an eternal life where we live free from the pains and struggles that are part of the earthly human experience.
That last part, where we deem ourselves immortal, seems to put the icing on the cake, doesn’t it? I mean, as if it weren’t enough that we believe in an invisible God because of his supposed son, but now we can say that we’re better than everyone else.
Recap. What are we? * A group of people conforming to a set of values (though if you ask most Christians, and don’t allow them to answer with talking points, you’ll find that save a few ideals, our values have much disparity), * believing that one person/thing can give immortality, *devoting fortunes to this thing, *indoctrinating our children, and *seeking out other recruits, or “converts” as we prefer to call them. *Can you believe that recruits are actually told to cease being members of their families? “We’re your family now.” Wow!
I’m rambling on, but you summed it up in one word. “Cult.”
Unless.
In my opinion, there’s only one thing that can cast this in any different light. That is the claim that Jesus rose from the dead. And here’s the thing: I believe he did. I believe that Jesus Christ was put to death, and that his body ceased to be a vessel of life, but on the third day, he was resurrected.
That takes away any middle ground. LORD, liar, or lunatic, as C.S. Lewis put it. The possibility that he may or may not have been a man, just a good teacher, vanishes. He is LORD because everything he said and did was real; he is a liar because he claimed all of these things that were not real; or he is a lunatic because he himself believed all of these things that were not real.
I’ve never not known about God, standard Bible stories, and the basic dos and don’ts at any point in my life. But I have only been a follower of Jesus more recently. I used to read the Bible in order to try to find out what was right and what was wrong. Or even, who was right and who was wrong. The Bible was, to me, a way to find out what I could and could not do, listen to, hang out with, etc.
Then, thanks to some wise teachers I had in my life, and some new-found maturity of my own (for which I give God credit) I realized the Bible is not about me. It’s a story about God and his people. The Bible is a story about a God who loves his children so much that he will stop at nothing to redeem them; to hold them close to him despite everything they will do to push him away. Read in this light, the teachings of Jesus take on a whole new meaning. A practical meaning that makes sense.
Here’s where I get stuck. The teachings of Jesus point me to love, truth, humility, meekness, kindness, being slow to speech, and things like that. As a result of learning the teaching of Jesus, I have a peace that I never had before. I wouldn't say I'm a better person than I was before I started trying to follow Jesus. In fact, I would say that my deeper understanding of his perfection has served to make me more aware of my own comparative filth than ever before. But in light of the perfection of his teaching - I honestly find it more bizarre to believe this man was a liar or lunatic than to believe that he is, indeed, the Son of Almighty God.

I wish I knew all the particulars. I want to know where his spirit dwelled while his body was lifeless. I want to know if he arose with any memory between the time of his death and his “awakening”. But I don’t. I understand all the reasons not to believe.

Chris, I’m going on longer than I thought I would when I sat down to type this. In fact, I started this over my lunch break and got so worked up I had to come back (it’s night time now) to finish it.
I could never ask you to swallow or accept the hatred shown by some of my fellow believers in Christ. And, what’s more, I could never support their use of the teachings of Jesus to justify de-humanizing of God’s children.
I guess if I have one request it’s this: Please consider the teachings of Jesus. People have worn his name proudly while acting in terrible ways, but please don’t count it against Jesus.
If you choose not to write back, I understand. If the only reason you choose to write back is to let me know how you’re doing and make small talk, I’d actually really enjoy it. But if you write back, and would be willing to have an honest dialogue about the teachings of Jesus, right and wrong, or anything along those lines, I’d relish it.
Hoping to hear from you soon. Your friend,
Sam

Playing "Catch"

2010-12-22T13:26:00.003-06:00

It's great to be off from school. We got to my parents' house about two hours ago, and Kate is playing with us! We're having our Flippin Family Christmas tonight. Kate wanted me to play "Catch" with her, and we did. Kate has her own idea of what Catch is, and we even managed to get her to play a few rounds while the camera was on. Enjoy! She'll be furious with me one day when she realizes that I tricked her into playing a dog's game.

2010-12-14T18:32:00.002-06:00

Our dear friend Ouida Garrett passed away earlier this month. I suppose our friendship with Ouida and her surviving husband, Leroy, is tops a list of "ought to be blogged about" topics. I do not have the time.

I do want to share what Leroy wrote in a way that few people could. Thank you, Lord, for friends and examples like Leroy. Thank you Leroy, for taking time to teach even while the wounds are fresh.

“THEY ARE NOT HERE”

This affirmation out of the life of Alexander Campbell was especially meaningful to me as I had my cheek next to Ouida’s, and holding her hand , as she breathed her last. I told those in the room that she was gone, in a moment’s time, that she had just transferred from being part of the family of God on earth to being part of the family of God in heaven, to use Paul’s way of putting it in Ephesians 3:15. I had whispered to her sometime before that it was time for her to go, and that she was about to embark upon life’s greatest adventure. She labored to reply, her last word to me, Yes, affirming her faith.

I have been telling friends that our relationship began with a yes, when she agreed to take on the risk of marrying the likes of me, and it ended 66 years later with a yes to our separation for the sake of her homegoing. There were numerous affirmations in between, even amidst tragedy and sorrow, in which we said yes to God’s sovereign will, even when we did not understand.

The Campbell story goes back to 1847, the year his eleven-year old Wycliffe drowned in a mill-pond on the family farm. The reformer was in Scotland when the tragedy occurred, and came home to a grief-stricken family. The boy’s mother was inconsolable, to the point of being a problem to the family. One evening when she could not be found about the house, her husband supposed he might find her at the family burial plot, where not only Wycliffe lay buried but other loved ones as well. He found her standing before the graves weeping. He stood behind her and whispered, “My dear, they are not here,” and gently led her back to the house.

That story touches my mind as well as heart, for it defines the essence of faith. If the believer is not captured by the grave, but lives on in the Great Beyond, we have a living hope. When we believe such affirmations as “to live is Christ, to die is gain” and “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord,” to quote the great apostle, the victory is ours, with “exceeding great joy.”

Campbell’s profound expression of faith, “They are not here,” gave me strength when the van arrived from the medical college to take the body away. I had said my farewells while she yet breathed, and now I was there when they reverently wrapped the body, covered it with a blanket, and secured it tight to the gurney. As the body was taken down the hall, I followed close behind, accompanied by elders from our congregation and several close friends. It was important to me that I could say, “They are not taking my sweetheart wife away, only the body in which she lived.” And yet the body in which she lived was precious to us, and we were releasing it to the medical school with prayer and dedication.

We paused at the entrance way. The elders read Scripture and prayed, and one of them, referring to Romans 12:1, mentioned how Ouida in life had presented her body a “living sacrifice,” and in her demise she donated her body as a “dead sacrifice” for the good of medical education

I had prepared this prayer for the occasion, which one of the elders read.

May this body, donated by our dear sister to the Southwestern Medical College, be used by student doctors and nurses and their professors to the glory of God. May it be treated with dignity and respect, and may those who make use of it realize that it is not only the creation of God, but that it once served as a temple of God in which the Spirit of God dwelt. Bless her who made this priceless gift, and bless those who make use of it to the enhancement of medical science.

I stood by as the attendants eased the body into the van and made it secure. I thanked them for the dignity and reverence they had shown. We all watched in silence until the van disappeared out of sight into the night. The body will be used for medical study and research, perhaps for a time, then cremated and interred anonymously in the memorial garden at the medical school.

As we went through this emotional ordeal of “telling Ouida goodbye,” as it could have been seen, we might have heard the reassuring whisper of Alexander Campbell in our ears, “She is not here.”

(Ouida’s “Service of Remembrance and Celebration” is tomorrow. It will be a glorious worship experience. In my next essay I plan to give you an account of how it went.)

The Galveston County Daily News

2010-11-01T11:24:00.000-05:00

I guess it's no longer News, but I hadn't seen the Galveston County version until just now. It will be 5 months next week!

The Galveston County Daily News

Have a Seat, Grab a Tissue

2010-10-04T14:44:00.001-05:00

YouTube helps everything

2010-09-13T17:05:00.002-05:00

Today in my Music Theory course, we stepped into the treacherous waters of Sight-singing. Sight-singing is essential to the study of Music Theory, and often the most feared portion of the AP exam. (A good AP Score = College Credit. Sometimes.)

Before we began our sight-singing, I showed two Videos. The first one, while silly, actually is a good way to be introduced to the idea of calling certain Scale Degrees by syllabic names (Do=1; Re=2 etc). I told the kids that since "Sound of Music" is based on a true story, surely after hearing the song they would be able to sight sing most a-ny-thing.

Then, before we began singing, I showed this one. I love this video, in fact, I think I may have posted it once before. Bo*bb%y McFEr(rin is one of my favorite YouTube searches, and this video is a big reason why. His demonstration shows how instinctive certain pitch relations are. (He constructs the pentatonic scale, getting an entire audience to sing accurately with only a small amount of prompting, but more instinct than anything else.)

Enjoy:

Carmen

2010-08-20T13:29:00.002-05:00

The kids arrive Monday. Enough said. We're busy.

Just a moment ago I got an email from a parent that agreed to set up the Booster Club website last May. He's done so, and it's wonderful. For parents who will want to keep up with the latest news and events of the Orchestra, this will be so efficient.

What's also neat, is that he put up a video from our May concert. I hadn't heard them play it since we did it live. Have a look:

Nice Catch

2010-07-27T17:37:00.000-05:00

Maybe you've already heard about this, the catch is already being talked about as one of the greatest sports clips ever recorded. And it's not from a Terrell Owens or a Lebron James, not even from a multi-billion dollar over-marketted sport. It's from the Ultimate Frisbee World Championships. Pretty cool.

Aaron Copland Scavenger Hunt

2010-06-30T14:42:00.002-05:00

Aaron Copland is one of my favorite composers. I certainly do enjoy his pieces for their entertainment value, but as an American musician, I am grateful that he created a place in the high-brow musical repertoire for the "American Sound."

I look forward to teaching some of his music to my students in the coming school year. Of course, his best known piece, perhaps the one high school students enjoy playing the most, is his Hoe Down from the ballet Rodeo. Many who have never heard Copland's name hear the tune, and out of Pavlovian (sp?) conditioning recite, "Beef, it's what's for dinner."

Anyways, picking up from one of last summer's un-finished projects, I'm using my newly found leisure reading time to BEEF-up my background knowledge of Aaron Copland. Here's the book I've currently borrowed from the library.

So, in reading about the piece itself, I found a wonderful blog post tracing the background of the main theme of Hoe-Down. Copland's music is heavily tied to American folk tunes that were passed down aurally amongst Appalachian people, often un-attributed to an original source. Folk tunes provided a rich source of material for most prominent European composers of the 19th century onward. Beethoven, Brahms, Dvorak, Chopin, Lizst, Schubert, Schumann, Kodaly, Orff, and countless others took folk tunes from peasants, gypsies and other commoners, and grew them into Orchestral masterpieces.

Anyways, you can read the blog post here if you are interested. The tune, "Bonaparte's Retreat" is originally an Irish tune depicting it's title. Copland chose the interpretation of one of his fiddle-playing contemporaries, and his work became so popular that the original tune is almost unrecognizable.

Seeking Suggestions

2010-06-22T23:23:00.002-05:00

My life has been non-stop busy for the last 10 months. A busy school year to wedding to honeymoon to settling into our new apartment - the transitions have been seamless, but I have neglected some things. Among them - reading and exercise. I'm hoping that between now and the end of summer, I can re-acquaint myself with those two things.

So, blog world, I'm looking to you for suggestions on two (2) things.

1.) Houston people - Tip me off to some interesting places to go running in Houston. I know, I know, nowhere that's outdoors in fun to run in Houston in June or July. Point taken. Places pleasant only in the early morning are fine, but even a nice place to run in the fall would be great. Just looking forward to it gives me motivation for the next few months of running on a stationary machine.

2.) Anybody - books to read. Let's get the dust off my library card. Fiction or non-fiction. You've read lots of books, right? What are the recent ones that you could not put down? Which ones prompted fascinating discussion with your friends? Which ones peaked interest in a topic you never knew you were interested in before? Bring 'em on.

Wedding PIctures to Come

2010-06-22T15:29:00.002-05:00

We had a beautiful wedding. Too many people to thank for all the ways we were blessed. Mrs. Bailey and Jordan spent I-don't-know-how-many hours attending to details for the last year or so leading up to it.
Several ladies from Legacy took time off of work to help set things up, decorate, and arrange stuff. Lots of folks at Legacy stayed late after Wednesday Bible Class to move things out of the way and make room for everything.
Lots of friends and families drove or flew long distances to be there and make it extra special. Two of my groomsmen traveled from Nashville, one of whom had to be back there 12 hours after the wedding ended.
For our honeymoon, we stayed at Excellence Riviera in Cancun, Mexico. We found everything about it to be extraordinarily relaxing and top rate. There's no telling how many pounds of food I ate, but it was all too good to turn down. And despite our putting on sunblock several times a day, we came back tanned (not burnt!) because we simply loved the beautiful pools and beaches too much to stay inside.

Now we look ahead. I'll post favorite pictures when I have the time, but for now we're busily settling into our new apartment.

I'm getting married in 22 days!

2010-05-21T16:43:00.004-05:00

I have been meaning to blog for some time. Things have been extremely busy, it's all good and exciting, and I didn't want the 400th post on this blog to be a "here's what's new" kind of thing.

Then today on YouTube I found the perfect thing. If you watched Ted Kennedy's funeral last summer, then perhaps you've already seen this. The funeral itself is not my reason for posting the video, but rather the piece of music you'll hear.

This is the Sarabande from Bach's 6th Cello Suite in D Major.
Sarabande - Derived from a Spanish dance form revolving around castanets. Bach wrote many unaccompanied suites for Violin and Cello - all of which incorporated movements based on various dance forms, regardless if the movement actually sounded dance-like or not.

About this Suite - this is the last of the Suites that Bach wrote for the unaccompanied cello. [Nobody can know for sure for what use Bach intended them, as he never published them or had them publically performed to our knowledge. Also, several of the suites' original autograph copies are missing.]
At the time of their coneption, the cello was still very much an evolving instrument, and Western Music had not yet settled the question of how many strings a cello would have. While 4-string cellos were the most widely used [all cellos have had 4 strings for about the last 200 years] 3 and 5 stringers were still around and preferred by some. Bach wrote the 6th Suite for a 5-string cello, which would have had one string extending the cello's range by a 5th. On a 5 string cello the 6th suite seems to fit in with the other 5, but on a 4 string cello - today - it is by far the most technically difficult, arguably impossible, to play. In case you're wondering, I cannot play it, and because of my love of Bach will never attempt it unless I intend to spend great deals of time growing my technique to handle it.

About this Performance - Because of the cello community's tendency to admire the technical difficulty of its faster movements, we fail to realize that underneath all the "tricks" and "stumbling blocks" of such a challenging piece, lies the sublime musical perfection that causes musicians to spend lifetimes admiring Bach centuries after he died. Watch this video, and you will not say "Wow, what a great cellist Yo Yo Ma is" but rather, "What a beautiful piece." Only talent such as this can conceal the difficulty of a piece so well that we're able to ignore the "showmanship" that lesser players would display, in order to hear the flesh and blood music between the skeleton of notes.

This Cool! . . . I mean, warm?

2010-04-16T13:24:00.002-05:00

New way to offset the cost of heating buildings during cold European winters. Read here.

Greatest Moment in Texas Stadium History?

2010-04-11T22:15:00.001-05:00

An April Fools for All Music Folk

2010-04-10T20:52:00.002-05:00

This video has been passed around the Music Teacher networks so much, I don't even know where I first saw it anymore. I thought I'd share. If you've ever taught music, or felt the frustration of working with high school students you can imagine how fun this was to stage.

Two websites everyone should know and use

2010-04-05T15:46:00.005-05:00

I want to share with you two websites that I think all internet users should know and use. In a technological world where instant information often disconnects us and makes life frantic, these websites make me feel fortunate to live in a world where so much can be shared so easily.

1.) Naxos. Naxos is a record label that has long represented a variety of Classical Music recordings among other things. Now they've made thousands of their recordings available for online streaming. Certain things are not available for streaming, and I assume it has to do with cost, or prohibitive royalties.
* For no charge, you can set up an account and password, and listen to the first 25% of any track they stream.
* For an annual membership ($19.95/year, very reasonable) you can hear all of the streamed tracks.
* If you're a college student - find out if your library has a subscription. Many universities do, and that's how I got hooked. If your university subscribes, then you can use it for free with your school login.

2.) Books Should Be Free.
This website offers a resource useful for students, and enjoyable for all - audio books! Not just that, FREE audio books!
*All of the books found on this site are public domain, and have been recorded by volunteer readers.
*You can download them as MP3s to your iTunes, and then load them onto your iPod or MP3 player.

Needing This Day Off

2010-04-01T09:43:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is Good Friday, and I am glad it's a day off. Something about having such a nice Spring Break made getting back into the routine these past two weeks difficult.

Perhaps my body clock got so relaxed that it switched into Summer Mode.

Anyways, I won't be lounging around by any means. I have things for school, at home, and cello-playing which have fallen behind. I'm just grateful for a day where I don't have to teach so that I can knock out the "other stuff."

Jordan and I are going to League City tomorrow night. Our good friend, Ann Pape, from Denton is coming into town to visit her brother, and it will be fun to see them. Then, we're spending Saturday with my family. Grandma Claudia is in town from Tahoka, so there will be good visiting.

We'll be back in Katy Saturday night so that we can be at church for Easter Sunday. Should be a fun weekend. I'm determined to go at a slow pace and come back on Monday caught up, and refreshed, not tired out.

Way to Go, AP

2010-03-31T15:05:00.002-05:00

An Associated Press Story posted on Yahoo News. I quote:

"Since the Philadelphia Eagles brought convicted dogfighter Michael Vick to town, more people are aware that the illegal sport is also a crime."

Illegal things are also crimes? Cutting edge journalism digs deep!

Here's the original story.

Fair and Balanced

2010-03-23T13:42:00.002-05:00

13 States have filed lawsuits to block the new Health Care legislation. Among my family and friends, I know there are those digging in their heels on one side or another, and there are many others rolling their eyes because they're just tired of hearing about it.

I'm not calling out Fox News because I totally agree with the bill, or I think there aren't some legitimate questions that may come out in the lawsuit, but, I am simply challenging them on their headline for the lawsuit story:

"States Go to War"

How is this fair and balanced? There can be no argument that it is. I could, and do argue, that it is an attempt to incite anger and aggression.

To my conservative friends, and Fox News: Disagree if you will, but do so honestly. Go as far as to start your own TV network to give a soap box to people who resonate with your political views. But to call yourselves "Fair and Balanced" when you obviously have a slant is dishonest, and destructive.

The rest of Spring Break

2010-03-22T12:42:00.003-05:00

The two days following the trip were productive, but at a slow and steady pace.

I got home around 11:00 on Tuesday night and went straight to bed.

On Wednesday I woke up in time to help unload the trailer at school, and then met my family (see Marla's blog) for lunch. I am glad I got to see them and play with Kate. Again, taking it very slow and enjoying the time.

Thursday I did something "vacation-y" that I'd never done before. I got a professional massage. Big thanks to the local Massage Envy for running a great deal for teachers in our district, and equally big thanks to boss-man for giving me a gift certificate.

The massage was first thing in the morning, so afterwards I just fluttered around painlessly to get groceries, car inspection, and a new suit at the mall (my navy suit was a gift from my parents back when I had my senior pictures taken in high school. Great suit - but after many years it's time for it to go.)

By the end of Thursday I had unpacked, washed clothes, run a week's worth of errands, and managed to do all of it in a very relaxed manner. I was rested, and really missing Jordan.

(Jordan's family, fraternal grandparents and down, went on a lovely family cruise to Jamaica and Haiti to celebrate the grandparents' 50th Wedding Anniversary. I was invited, but could not go because of "work conflicts.")

So, kind of spur of the moment, I decided to fly to Dallas on Friday and spend the weekend with her family. Impulsive? Yes. Worth it? Totally.

We spent a good deal of the time there doing wedding stuff. I must say, I have a new appreciation for the amount of work that Jordan and her mom are putting into the wedding planning. I was there for about a day and a half of it, and what we worked on seemed like a huge project, even though in the grand scheme of things it's just a small fraction of all the parts coming into play for the big day. It's in 82 days by the way. Not that I'm counting, but I am!

Now I'm back at school. I think I fell out of the "School groove" over the break. My alarm was going off entirely too early this morning. Coming back into the office, it just felt like it took longer for me to remember what it is I do here. I think I enjoyed the break so much that it felt like summer. If summer actually ended after a a mere long weekend, that would be upsetting. My body clock things that's what happened.

That being said, I realized this morning there are only 50 (49 in half an hour) school days left, and there is ALOT that happens between now and the end of the year. Three major UIL contests (enter 2, host 1) an end of year concert, banquet, and placement auditions for next year's Orchestras. Time to get crackin'!

Chartered Flights and losing time

2010-03-18T21:10:00.003-05:00

(Note: I am publishing trip posts in reverse chronological order so that they appear from beginning to end going top to bottom.)

Spring Break 2010, I made my first venture into one of the most demanding/rewarding aspects of being a high school music teacher - Spring Trips! I approached this trip with anticipation and dread both. As a high school student, some of my very favorite memories involved trips with the choir and orchestra. I don't know that there was a more fun weekend in those four years than leaving town with friends and going someplace new. Being away from parents in a hotel, theme parks, bus rides, and various other things depending on where we went.

However, it wouldn't suffice to say that I feel pressure at the thought of keeping all those kids safe, making sure they eat, take their medications, get sleep, don't get in trouble at the hotel or in the parks etc.

Day One:
So, Friday after school, Spring Break is officially underway. At 3:45 PM the band hall is filled with 152 Orchestra and Band students, 4 directors, 12 parents, 1 principal, and all our luggage. We loaded 5 school busses and rolled out for the airport.

Bus ride, airport check-in, flight, baggage claim, bus ride - and it's 1 AM at the Regal Sun Resort in Orlando, FL.

We got the kids into their rooms, lights out, taped the doors, brief chaperone meeting, and I was fast asleep just before 3 AM (we lost an hour changing time zones.)

Universal/Islands of Adventure

2010-03-18T18:20:00.000-05:00

7:00 AM wake up and call my three rooms guys to wake them up.
7:30 - enter each room to see that every kid is up and getting ready.
8:00 AM - All kids have to report to breakfast. This way we see each kid eat a meal, give them their park and show tickets for the day, and roll out in the busses at 9.

Our first park day held Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure (side by side parks, seperated by a mall called City Walk, and a ticket that works for both.) We divided the directors and chaperones between the two parks, and told the kids they needed to choose one for the day (the City Walk in between provides too many ways for a kids to get lost or into trouble, so they aren't to be passing freely in between.)

Pictured above: one of our Assistant Principals, Noemi, came along to be our administrator. She and I buddied up for the first half of the day. This is from the line for the Spider Man 3-D ride. She's wearing her "Night Vision" goggles and supervising reporters at the Daily Bugler.

The Harry Potter section of the park opens later this spring. So, while it is blocked off and parts are still under construction, I still had the chance to take my wand (conducting baton) and pose for a nice shot in front of Hogwartz.

Suess Landing. Noemi and I met several characters while here, but we took our pictures with her camera. I'm hoping she'll share some of them with me when we're back in school next week . . .

Around lunch time, one of my students was admitted to the clinic for fatigue. So, Noemi and I switched over to Universal so that I could check on him. Pictured above is a display in the special Lucille Ball exhibit.

Get this: Following their night-time parade, the day we're there, Universal Studios is holding a special concert featuring whom? The one, the only, Aretha Franklin! One problem - we're scheduled to be picked up by our busses at the same time the concert begins. Of course we called the bus company and told them we had to move back our pickup time. It's Aretha Franklin! But no can do. Those busses are booked around the clock, and if you don't use them for the time you booked them, you're stranded. So I settled for hearing her band rehearse from a distance. Even without a lead singer, they sounded amazing. They rehearsed "Freedom" "In the Mood" and, of course "Respect."

That night we saw "Blue Man Group" at the theater just a few steps outside of the park. I had seen them last summer with my dad in Boston, and was really looking forward to it. I can't describe how entertaining their show is. Really, I don't know how to describe it. Take your family the next time you're in a city where they perform.

Dinner followed at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. I had a bit of an old-feeling moment as student after student missed the countless Forrest Gump references.

Day 3: Magic Kingdom

2010-03-18T18:02:00.000-05:00

The largest, most classic, popular, crowded park of them all. Could be that we were there on a Sunday (simultaneous Spring Breaks, weekend crowds)? or just that people who only attend one park choose the original.

I spent most of the day in the clinic. My same student who went to the clinic the day before didn't even make it into the park before conking out (he wound up going home the next day. Poor kid, couldn't handle the stress of being away from home and being in a room with three other kids.)

This was the day that the Band marched in the parade, so I was happy to do clinic duty all day so that the directors and band parents could be a part of it.

Around dinner time, I did get the chance to catch a few things in the park. Rather than going to long lines and trying to do any specific thing, I just went where the shortest lines were.

Jordan, if I ever grow this much back hair, please require me to wax. Or at least wear sleeves in public.

There's a cool display called "Mickey's PhilharMagic". It's a 3-D Fantasia-like film going through great numbers from classic Disney films. Fun to watch. This was one of the merchandise shelves in the gift shop nearby.

One of several clever posters in the line area going in.

Classic Disneyworld. Cinderella's Castle lit up for the night.

Day 4: Epcot

2010-03-18T18:01:00.000-05:00

By this day, the kids were finally starting to slow down. Three nights of short sleep, two intense park days, and that made Epcott the perfect third day. Less crowded on a Monday, perfect weather, shorter lines. Epcott is the perfect park for a slower paced day.
Some highlights:

Bill Cook was my park buddy for the day. We went on the GM Test Course ride. While waiting through the line, you learn all about the different tests that GM performs on new car models before it's ready to go to the market. We took a picture with this crash dummy, because it seemed a good example of some of the "Dress Code violations" we'd talked to some of our kids about earlier that day.

I found Kate's Mouse Ears and snapped a picture of the lady embroidering her name on them (they actually just set the hat on a mannequin, type in the name, and the machine does it in about 2 minutes.) See Marla's blog to find out how Kate liked them when I got home.

Disney grows all of the produce and fish for their restaurants on site at Epcot. They offer a boat tour of their greenhouses and you can see how they're incorporating, and in some cases, inventing the most innovative and efficient agriculture systems in the world.

Epcot is famous for their various country areas (I did not know this ahead of time. This was my first Epcot visit. Actually, I'd been to Disneyworld with Mom and Marla back in 1994? '95?, otherwise it was my first time at all the parks.)

I ate lunch in China, rode a Viking boat in Norway, met my group for our workshop* in Italy, heard the Oom-Pah band and had dinner in Germany, coffee in Morocco, and gathered the entire group for fireworks in Mexico. All by traveling less than a mile!

I told you the kids were tired.

* The Orchestra participated in a Disney Magic Music Days Workshop. We were asked not to take any pictures or video since the workshop involves a great deal of heavily copyrighted materials. But, it was a neat workshop for the kids. I'd recommend it to any directors considering a Disney trip with their groups. The kids got a chance to play familiar Disney tunes that were arranged for their ability level, and work with professional Disney musicians.

Day 5: Hollywood Studios

2010-03-18T18:00:00.000-05:00

This used to be the MGM park before Disney bought it out and re-named is "Disney's Hollywood Studios". Therefore, it's an interesting blend of MGM and Disney themes all in the same place. A bit confusing at first, but a fun park to visit.

I didn't try as much on this last day. I wanted to do a few things, but spent more time just walking around, people watching, etc. We only stayed at this one until 2:30, because we had to catch our buses and head home.

Noemi decided to take over and drive the bus.

That's right. I met the Power Rangers.

Can't wait!

Costumes from "Prince Caspian".

"Great Movies" Ride. You go into the famous Groman's Chinese Theater. A guide takes you through iconic movie scenes. Pictured above, "Mary Poppins" and "Casablanca." It also included Clint Eastwood and John Wayne (no particular films), Godfather, Wizard of Oz, Alien, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Another fun part of the ride was waiting in the line, the line zig-zagged through a room with a giant screen that ran the original trailers to really old Disney movies.

We left the park around 2:30, and arrived early at the airport. Best thing about having a charter flight is that if the group is an hour early, the plane can leave an hour early!
We were back at the school around 10:00. I went home, changed my clocks, went to bed, and slept for 10 hours.

Trip summary:
9-1-1 calls made on behalf of our group - 4
Students sent home early - 1 (and not for rule-breaking, but rather for being homesick and not wanting to get better.)
Rainy days - 0.
Weather - perfect.

Disney trip again? Yes. But not for another four years. This was a great trip, but it took it's toll on the directors and chaperones. The students who went, I think, had the experience of a lifetime. I think the next three trips can be less expensive, weekend trips that aren't quite so exhausting, and Disney, or some far off, big trip, can be once every four years.

2010-03-10T23:03:00.003-06:00

We performed a concert of three pieces, followed by a session of Sight-Reading (a brand new piece of music we've never seen before, I get 10 minutes to talk them through it, then we perform it.)

Both the concert and sight-reading are judged by a 3-judge panel. Each judge gives a score on a scale of 1-5 (1 is best, 5 is devastating). For each panel, a composite score is figured by averaging the three scores and rounding to nearest integer.

We received 1-1-1 from both panels. This award is called a "Sweepstakes" and is the highest honor that UIL (Texas thing) gives to public school music programs. Yesterday marked the first time in seven years that the Orchestra brought home this award.

The Orchestra is not where it needs to be. But yesterday was an encouraging land mark on the Road pointed in the right direction.

The three concert pieces were:

Jubilance - by Mark Lortz
Rhosymedre - by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Symphonic Portrait - by Lennie Niehaus

A Laugh During a Busy Day

2010-03-08T13:11:00.002-06:00

We're still busy here. The weekend was nice - I did manage to get up to school for about 3 hours and get some things taken care of, while still having a relaxing Saturday.

I can't view YouTube videos, but there is one Super Bowl commercial that just got me so tickled. It has helped relieve some of the stress to read the text of it. It's just so funny.

Go to YouTube if you haven't seen it. It's popular enough that you could probably just search "Old Spice" and it'd be the top hit.

Here's the text (best I can do from work's internet.)

Hello, ladies, look at your man, and now back to me. Now back at your man, and now back to me. Sadly, he isn’t me, but if you stop using ladies scented body wash and switch to Old Spice, he could smell like he’s me. Look down, back up, where are you? You’re on a boat with the man your man could smell like. What’s in your hand, back at me. I have an oyster with two tickets to that thing you love. Look at it again, the tickets are now diamonds. Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady. I’m on a horse.

Busy just leads to more busy

2010-03-04T09:58:00.003-06:00

Our Orchestra goes to UIL contest on Tuesday. Almost one year ago I took my top Orchestra to this contest having only known them and worked with them for 7 weeks. We came so close to achieving the highest rating ("Sweepstakes", for you non-Texas public school music folk) possible. It was disappointing to come close enough to touch it and not quite get over that edge. At the same time, one couldn't help but think, "Hey, if after 7 weeks we're that close, give us a year and we'll totally be there!"

That is why I'm surprised that we're not solidly there yet. I've heard these kids play every day for the last two weeks. Some days they can't miss, and some days you wonder how they leave their house without hurting themselves. All for one big reason: turnover. Each school year is like starting over. If I could have had a year with the exact same group as last year, we'd probably be further along, but that's not real life. Seniors graduate. Freshmen have to learn the system starting from zero, and kids who were just "members" have to learn to be the "leaders" and so August does not just pick up right where May left off.

We've had new issues to deal with this year. Wonderful issues. But difficult.
The Orchestra here has been divided into two classes for the last 10 years, which has worked well. There were times (like when the Orchestra consisted of 20 students) that being allowed two independent classes was a generous favor from the administration.
Now the Orchestra is the biggest it's ever been since the time that our district was divided into 6 high schools. This is a great thing. This is a huge tribute to the Junior High directors who have built the feeder programs and made 6th graders into "Orchestra kids" that want to be in it all through high school. A chunk of credit should go to the kids and the parents who have made Orchestra a welcoming place to be. And I'm just kind of the last piece of the puzzle - working constantly to balance the satisfaction of a job well done with a friendly and relaxed atmosphere that keeps kids in Orchestra beyond their minimum Fine Arts graduation requirement.
But with our current size, only having two classes presents some difficult problems we've never had before. Something as simple as a playing test, the best way to give kids individual feedback and coaching, can cost days of group rehearsal.
It's hard to choose appropriate music for a group of this year's size. Even the ideal piece will challenge most, but not beyond what they can achieve through careful practice and structured rehearsal. But with the range of talent that is inevitable in a group this size, the piece that challenges most will overwhelm and discourage a few, while boring a select group of advanced kids. I commend my kids for having great attitudes in all three situations. And when we're not preparing for contest, we can adjust parts for those who struggle so that they get a chance to gain experience from the difficult part, but are also able to perform successfully and contribute a good sound to the team. Because this is a contest with judges and rules etc, we have to play every note off the page - sink or swim.

All that to say - I'm pleased with these kids. I'm proud of them. If I played you their recordings from the first week they got this music, and then played it for you today, you'd hear the difference. You'd hear that they've come a great distance as a group. Most of them have made similar strides individually.

But that's not how this contest works. Instead, we play for three judges who haven't walked in our shoes. While they are all themselves experienced and successful directors, they must judge based on one performance on one day. Don't get me wrong. This is FAIR. I want it this way. I don't want my school or any other school to be judged more harshly or leniently for any reason. I want to know that our score, whatever it may be, is a true measure of where we are. I can be the judge of how far we've come, or of our progress, and our parents can and will be our cheerleaders who will tell the kids how proud they are and how much they loved it. That's what Orchestra parents are for.
We need the judges for their experience, for their insight, and yes, for their criticism.

This occupies a lot of my mind these days. Whatever part of my brain I've alotted for "work" is overflowing. As if that weren't enough, contest is three days before I leave on a plane with 152 High School kids for a four-day trip to Florida. The trip itself is probably going to be amazing. It's the collecting of medical forms, prescription authorizations and parent meetings and endless questions about itinerary that make the head spin.

This is why when I get to plan the trips (next year) they will take place several weeks after contest is over. And they will be discussed between me and parents through emails and parent meetings, not during our rehearsals.

Anyways, being busy just leads to more being busy. We will be done with contest around 6:00 on Tuesday, and just when we'll feel ready to take a rest, we have to finish all preperation for the trip, and it's off to 5 sleepless days in Florida.

Once we're back from Spring Break, we have 14 school days before we turn around and go to contest AGAIN in April.

While getting ready for the April contest, we'll be spending after school time, and parent volunteer time preparing to host the Junior High contest that takes place here at our school the two days following ours.

Hosting contest involves two days of being at school from 7-7, running all over the place, and giving sweat and tears to keep a tight schedule running on time.

Contest ends, and we have three weeks to prepare an end of year concert. This one tends to be fun, as the kids get some input on the music, and it's a concert just to finish the year with a bang.

Anyways, thanks for reading this if you're still going. It's been a good release for me to sneak away for a few minutes and let everything out.

Praying for Chile

2010-02-27T12:53:00.002-06:00

Click on title to read story from YahooNews.

And Now We Must Wrestle

2010-02-22T19:39:00.002-06:00

Many of us have been praying for Jenny for several weeks now, and at a few points it had appeared that she was healing and that God was answering in a slow affirmative. However, in the end, the roller coaster dipped down too far and her earthly life was lost.

Only a God Almighty and his son, Jesus, could make something as painful as this untimely and drawn out death a victory. And a victory it is. At 3:38 PM a woman who had suffered with pnuemonia, infection, and had suffered leg amputation among other desperate attempts to restore health, was made whole.

The Bible tells us to pray for what we want, and do so knowing that he will do it. Why is that hard? Because we doubt that he CAN? Not at all. We're afraid to do that because of things like this. We prayed that he would heal Jenny. We expected that from him. We have scriptures saying that if we pray for something he will certainly do it. And he didn't. My friend Tyler Browder once said "I cannot trust a man who doesn't wrestle with God." And today I understand that deeply.

We prayed. We obediently expected God to do something. He did not. And now we must wrestle with him.

Below is the post on the blog that Jenny's family has used over the last few weeks to keep the world up to date on Jenny's fight.

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!
Jenny Bizaillion passed from this world at 3:38pm.
She was the most beautiful, wonderful friend, perfect mom, devoted sister, loyal daughter, and best wife a person could ever have.
We will see her again.

sdraobyek sdrawkcab!

2010-02-22T14:16:00.002-06:00

Backwords Keyboards.

"Necessity is the mother of invention."

This proverbial quote has been around for ages. In varying forms, it can be traced back so far that it has often been attributed to Plato. But is it really true?

It seems to make sense, right? People think of ideas and invent things in response to pressing problems that face their society or way of life.

BUT . . . .

I've been on again - off again reading this Pulitzer Prize Winning book, "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as work schedule allows.

In the section I recently read, the author discusses all of the factors that must align for a culture to adopt a new invention.

Often times, accident, surprise, nature, and other things are the source of invention. Example given: Crude oil was first widely used in order to provide light by burning it in lamps. In refining the oil so that a small amount could burn for a long time, low combustability was desired, and in doing this, this annoying biproduct called gasoline was produced. Gasoline was a pain to deal with - highly combustible, unbearably odorous, and wherever you poured it, all plant life died. It was such a problem that oil lamps barely managed over a long time to replace wax candles as producers of artificial light. Only many generations later would a combustion engine be invented (providing the "neccessity" to invent gasoline.)

But then it lead me to this bit of information:
Did you know that your computer keyboard is designed for the purpose of slowing down your word processing?

I always figured, in fact I believe I was taught, that the letters were arranged in such a way as to facilitate faster typing. But just the opposite is true. The first type writers had may moving parts that had to work in order to print the result of a singe keyboard stroke.
When typists began to type too quickly, parts would jam or the machine could overheat. This was such a nuissance, that the keyboard was engineered to put commonly grouped letters far apart from each other, AND to put the most commonly used letters on the left side of the keyboard, so as to make right-handed typists rely on their weaker hands.

If you watch "Wheel of Fortune" you know the most commonly used letters in English are "R S T L N E" because they're always given for the Bonus Round. 4 of those 6 letters, are typed with the left hand.

So let's do an experiment, blog readers. I've gone to Google and typed in "Wordsworth poems". The first hit is a page that has all of his poems listed by title, each linking to the text of the poem. I selected "Idiot Boy" (appropriate?) and copy-pasted the first paragraph below. As you read through it, type it in your mind and pay special attention to Left Hand vs. Right Hand characters.

'TIS eight o'clock,--a clear March night,
The moon is up,--the sky is blue,
The owlet, in the moonlight air,
Shouts from nobody knows where;
He lengthens out his lonely shout,
Halloo! halloo! a long halloo!

Total:
Left Hand: 64
Right Hand: 102
I didn't count spaces (which can be stroked with either hand, and characters that require both hands like "!" I did not count at all.

If I were a real scientists, I'd try it with hundreds of passages and thousands of samples. But as for this one random one, the keyboard explanation appears to be totally untrue.

Hrmmmmm....

Congrats Saints

2010-02-07T22:42:00.003-06:00

I rooted for a close game. It was fun to watch. I'm happy for the people of New Orleans, but must admit that I have no emotional attachment to either team and just watched for the enjoyment of seeing one more football game this season, and laughing with friends.

Some of the commercials were funny, but few were memorable. This is one that made me laugh in 2007 when it first aired. Props to ad people who have to figure out how to sell snack nuts to the SuperBowl viewers. Makes beer and cars look easy.

A Reminder Limmerick

2010-01-26T13:41:00.002-06:00

There Once was a man from Nantucket,
dropped his receipt in Texas Roadhouse's bucket.
Of the cash that he spent,
we got ten percent.........
and everyone lived happily ever after.

****************************************************************************
On Monday night, Texas Roadhouse in Katy will give our Orchestra 10% of all tickets that have a "Katy Orchestra Night" flyer attached. They gave us the flyer which we distributed all over the place, and we've told everyone we can to eat there Monday.

They help us - for every customer who drops their receipt in the fish bowl with our flyer, we get 10%. We help them - fill their restaurant with customers on what is otherwise the slowest night of the month - the first Monday.

I've had kids handing out flyers for the last two weeks, and this week being the last week, we're blitzing hard. Someone told me that I should write a limmerick to remind all my kids to spread the word. And then it came to me, right there in the front office.

Kids: Don't copy this limmerick and turn it in for an English Assignment. You will not only be cheating, you will make worse than an 'F' as this follows none of the real rules of limmerick writing:

From today's Houston Chronicle

2010-01-26T08:16:00.000-06:00

Taking aim at Bible verses on guns

HAVE you heard about the Jesus rifles? ABC News broke the story last week. It seems there was this fellow named Glyn Bindon, who used weapons of war to speak for his faith. Bindon, who lost his life in a 2003 plane crash, was the founder of Trijicon, a Michigan company that has a $600 million contract to provide gun sights to the U.S. military. Apparently he had a policy, which survived him, of inscribing coded references to Bible verses on the gun sights he manufactured for highpowered rifles used by U.S. service personnel. So that, for instance, one sight is marked 2COR4:6, i.e., 2 Corinthians 4:6: “God said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness.’ He made his light shine in our hearts. It shows us the light of God’s glory in the face of Christ.” Tom Munson, a Trijicon executive, told ABC there was nothing wrong or illegal about the inscriptions and noted pointedly that the issue was being raised by a group (presumably meaning the Muslims who have complained) that is “not Christian.” On Thursday, the company agreed to discontinue the practice. Still, Munson’s remarks deserve a riposte. Here it is: In the first place, the gun sights actually seem a violation of a regulation prohibiting service personnel from proselytizing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In the second place, the revelation is a fresh embarrassment for the United States, which has labored for nine years to convince the Muslim world that it is not leading a Christian crusade against Islam.

In the third place, the coded scriptural references provided a recruiting tool to warlords and terrorists who could truthfully tell followers they were being shot at by Jesus guns.

In the fourth place, Munson’s airy dismissal of his critics as “not Christian” (i.e., we can ignore them) speaks volumes about the smug, insular fundamentalism at work here.

In the fifth place, there is a rather jarring cognitive disconnect involved in seeing weapons of war used to lionize the prince of peace.

And finally, in the sixth place: Is this not one of the cheesiest expressions of religious faith you’ve ever seen? Not that that would make it unique. On the contrary, we specialize in cheesy expressions of faith here in God’s favorite country. Indeed, you could build a tower unto heaven itself out of all the roadside Jesuses, prayer cloths, Ten Commandments rocks, and other trinkets of a cheap, disposable faith that says nothing, costs nothing, does nothing, risks nothing, that speaks not of God, external and eternal, but only of the grubby, temporal perspectives and fears of ground-bound women and men.

Last November, the University of Chicago published a study quantifying the blazingly obvious: People tend to create God in their own image, to ascribe to the deity their own opinions, interests and beliefs. But is that really faith, when you reduce God to a bigger version of you?

Mother Teresa’s faith drove her to foreswear material riches and spend half a century working to uplift the wretched poor of Calcutta.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s faith drove him to gamble his very life in a dangerous campaign to win human and civil rights for African-American people.

And then there’s Glyn Bindon, whose faith led him to inscribe coded Bible verses on his gun sights.

The point is not that he or we can do what Martin Luther King did or be who Mother Teresa was — we all suffer in that comparison. No, the point is that truest faith is not seen in a secret code on a gun sight, a trinket from a store or words on a rock. Rather, faith is seen in the substance of a life lived in service to others, lived as if God were not in fact one’s personal echo chamber in the sky.

I submit that this is the only kind of faith that matters. And that it speaks for itself.

Pitts’ e-mail address is lpitts@miamiherald.com.

LEONARD PITTS JR. says the company that put coded Scripture on weapons has provided a recruiting tool to terrorists.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Self-Awareness Experiment

2010-01-25T13:49:00.002-06:00

I had this idea for an experiment I'm going to try myself. I thought it was interesting enough that it was worth sharing.

So you think you're good with money? You think you're thrifty and do a good job of keeping track of every buck that goes in and out of your bank account? Hopefully so. Follow these steps and see if you wind up learning anything surprising:

1.) Withdraw $100 in cash from the ATM.

2.) Leave all Credit/Debit cards at home until the experiment is over.

3.) Pay for every discretionary purchase with cash. That's all your gas, fast food, snacks, groceries (if you shop for a family, maybe exclude the groceries from 'discretionary' category)etc.

When your $100 runs out, ask yourself some simple questions, such as:

1.) Are there things I buy that I don't usually "count" when I just swipe a debit card? How much do they end up costing over time?[for me, it's getting a drive-thru cup of coffee on the way to work. It's only about $1 but ends up being $12-$20 a month!)

2.) How quick was I to spend when I had the full $100 as opposed to once I got down to the last $25? $10? $1?

3.) Would I buy as many "little things" with my debit/credit card if I could actually see my balance go down the instant I paid for them?

Just an idea . . . meant to be a game more than anything.

INternal Debate

2010-01-16T23:58:00.002-06:00

Adapted, and cleaned up a bit, from CollegeHumor.com
Computer: Monitor, display this document, ok?

Monitor: No prob, boss.

Computer: OK, now it looks like Mouse is moving around so, Monitor, will you move the pointer icon accordingly?

Monitor: Anything you ask, boss.

Computer: Great, great. OK, Mouse, where are you going now?

Mouse: Over to the icon panel, sir.

Computer: Hmm, Let me know if he clicks anything, OK?

Mouse: Of course.

Keyboard: Sir, he's pressed control and P simultaneously.

Monitor: Oh no, here we go.

Computer: *sighs* Printer, are you there?

Printer: No.

Computer: Please, Printer. I know you're there.

Printer: NO! I'm not here! Leave me alone!

Computer: Seriously. OK look, you really ne...

Mouse: Sir, he's clicked on the printer icon.

Computer: Printer, now you have to print it twice.

Printer: NO! NO! NO! I don't want to! I hate you! I hate printing! I'm turning off!

Computer: Printer, you know you can't turn yourself off. Just print the document twice and we'll leave you alone.

Printer: NO! That's what you always say! I hate you! I'm out of ink!

Computer: You're not out of in...

Printer: I'M OUT OF INK!

Computer: *Sighs* Monitor, please show a low ink level alert.

Monitor: But sir, he has plen...

Computer: Just show the alert!

Monitor: Yes sir.

Keyboard: AHHH! He's hitting me!

Computer: Stay calm, he'll stop soon. Stay calm, old friend.

Keyboard: He's pressing everything. I can't keep up, I don't know, the pain, he's just pressing everything!

Computer: PRINTER! Are you happy now?! Do you see what you've done?!

Printer: HA! that's what you get for trying to get me to do work. Next time he...hey...HEY! He's trying to open me! HELP! HELP! Oh! He's torn out my cartridge! HELP! Please! ERROR!

Monitor: Sir, maybe we should help him?

Computer: No. He did this to himself.

Calling Compassionate Believers

2010-01-15T09:20:00.003-06:00

Since the news of the horrific earthquake in Haiti hit the news, Pat Robertson, a supposed Evangelical Christian has spoken out in judgement against the Haitian people. While the secular world is rushing to extend help and comfort for the mourning and helpless of Haiti, he is claiming that this disaster is God punishing these people for something their ancestors did over 200 years ago.

This man did not read the same gospel as me. He claimed that the planes hit the Twin Towers on 9/11 because "there were homosexuals inside" and he has a pattern of explaining away unexplainable tragedies by blaming them on the sins of the citizens.

Let me say, outright, that if tragedy happened purely as God's retribution for wrong-doing, I would not have lived my life as unscathed as I have thus far. But praise God, I have.

If you are not a Christian, please continue reading, but if you are a fellow believer, please continue reading and then take action! As followers of Christ, we are called to be ambassadors of the Kingdom of God to the world. Here is a situation where an outspoken person, claiming to be a mouthpiece for the Lord, is falsely prophesying, BLASPHEMING in the name of Jesus. He is creating the perception for the world that Christians are not cold-hearted and mean, that only secular organizations can be a force of good/light in this dark and grim time. LET THAT NOT BE!

I am pleading with all of you, in whatever way you can, to openly and unapologetically renounce Pat Robertson and his message! I will not sugar coat it by claiming that "he and I just have different interpretations." NO! He is poisoning the gospel that God sent his only son so that whoever believed in him will not perish but have eternal life!

I'm not going to start a massive email forward to rile people up or make it a media contest. I'm choosing the means accessible to me: one, my blog. Two - daily conversation both with fellow believers, as well as with non-believers to whom I have an obligation to model Christ-like behavior. I don't believe that facing Pat Robertson's statements is a "calm and teaching moment" I believe it's a "get angry and turn over tables in the temple" kind of moment.

Maybe you're a blogger too, and you could post something for your readers to know that you, a follower of Christ, are heartbroken for the people of Haiti. But please, do not be passive about this. Do not give those around you the impression that when people like Pat Robertson speak hatefully towards suffering humans, that the most compassion you can offer is your indifference.

Jordan is Moved In!

2010-01-14T09:04:00.003-06:00

I haven't taken any pictures of Jordan's new apartment yet, I'll wait until she says she's got everything settled before doing so.

On Saturday, I got to her new complex, and she and her parents were already there signing papers and getting keys (they had to drive 5 hours, I had to drive 15 minutes, and they beat me there. Hmmm...)

My parents arrived shortly after I did, and once the papers were signed, the 5 of us went to work hauling things out of the truck and into the apartment. This is the apartment that Jordan and I will both live in after we're married. Within the first few trips up and down the stairs, there was one BIG reason I realized I will like this one better: I live on the 3rd floor*, this one's on the 2nd floor.

The Morrisses came out shortly afterward. Kate got to explore the new surroundings, and Marla and Josh helped with the unpacking and arranging of things. After lunch, my family headed out. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey stayed until Sunday morning and headed back to Fort Worth after church.

Jordan went to orientation at UH on Monday, bought her books, and is enjoying having time this week to get settled and rested. She's all unpacked, has set up internet for the apartment, and as of yesterday she said she was bored and ready for classes to begin.

This weekend is MLK Day weekend, and I am so glad. I desperately need this day off. It's been a stressful week at school, and I'm seeing no sign that it will let up any time before Spring Break. There are a few things Jordan and I have talked about doing, but above all, I need to rest!

Tomorrow it will be one year since I sat at Johnny Carino's with J Bailey and asked his permission to propose to Jordan. A lot has happened in the year that followed.

*About a year ago, my dad and uncle helped me move into my 3rd floor apartment. Our legs were so tired after however many trips up and down those stairs, we could barely stand.

Watch This Right Now!

2010-01-08T20:06:00.002-06:00

A teacher sent this video out at school today. Sometimes I read the forwards and wish that people wouldn't be so quick to email things to so many people. But this one is so different. So glad I watched it, can't wait to share it with my classes, and you should watch it too.

The Day's Headlines

2010-01-08T17:58:00.002-06:00

We've had a "Hard Freeze" since yesterday evening, but because the air is dry, the roads are safe and not icy.
I thought I had the perfect start to my weekend planned out: Texas would beat 'Bama making a certain God-loving, morally exemplary QB (don't want this post to appear in his Google searches, so I'm not filling in his name) the most celebrated college football athlete of the year. I would go to Academy afterwards and wait in the long line to buy a "Nation Champion" t-shirt, then make it home just before the roads froze over to sleep in this morning since the schools would have to close.

It didn't happen that way.

Also, I just saw this headline on the FoxNews website: Mind Reading Devices Could Help Airport Security.

Really? Is FoxNews trying to tell me that the government has figured out how to read my thoughts? I don't know which angle is harder to swallow: Be afraid of the government that will be forming the Orwellian Thought Police later in the year . . . . or the idea that we're going to catch a bad guy by catching him running through the steps of his plan in his head while going through the metal detector.

I guess the next time I fly, I'll make sure that I'm thinking "Rainbows and Puppies" over and over again so they won't think I'm up to no good.

Never happened before

2010-01-06T10:00:00.002-06:00

I've been working hard all morning long. This is the kids' first day back. One thing I appreciate about the first day back - I'm very prepared for it.

My biggest group arrives in about 20 minutes, and since I've got things set, I decided to rest for a few moments so that I'm relaxed when they arrive. I went to Google Reader, and NONE of my blogging friends have posted anything since the last time I checked. Is everyone okay?

There have been occasions where I don't check for a week or so, and then it's overflowing with new posts, and there are times when I'll check twice in the same day and only find one or two new ones.

But this occurrence is a new one. I am rejoicing in this. I will take it as a sign that I got so rested and caught up over the break, that I'm even caught up on blog reading!

Happy New Year! Happy 2nd half to all of my teaching friends!

ALSO: As of this morning, I have been teaching at Katy High School for one year! We won't play our first concert until March, but I'm hoping we knock it out of the park. I want to play my kids recordings of their concerts a year apart and show notiecable improvement.

Pay off your credit cards

2010-01-05T10:58:00.004-06:00

I just got an email from my mom, and then went to YahooNews to confirm:

Congress has passed legislation to put a lid on the usurious interest rates that credit card companies have imposed. I don't know who is right or wrong in this situation: the greedy credit card companies preying on folks to keep them in perpetual debt, or irresponsible people who run up credit card bills and then never repay them, forcing credit card companies to raise interest rates as a deterrent to delinquency. I'm sure there are cases of both, and frankly, I don't care to dig any deeper.

But here's the thing - if you use credit cards, pay them off right now! The new legislation takes effect in February, or after February, or something. So if a company anticipates the need for a higher interest rate at any point in the future, they will raise their rate NOW before the new law restricts their ability to do so.

I pay off my card every month. But as soon as I read this, I went online and paid the full balance right away, even though I know it's not due until next month.

If you are not in a position to pay off the card right now, here is my advice to you:
Several companies, I know Discover for sure, have an "extension program" of sorts. Basically, it's for people experiencing temporary financial strain. If you activate it, or apply for it, or whatever, it's a two part deal. Part One: They freeze your interest accumulation for a certain amount of time (180 days is typical). Part 2: You cannot use the credit card during this time. Using the card could void the whole thing and mean you have to pay the interest for the entire time period.

If you can pay off the card during that 6-month window, you're home free without drowning in interest. If you can't, my next piece of advice would be to use that 6-months' of breathing room to find a new credit card company. Wait until the new legislation takes effect, sign up with a new credit card company so that your new account is regulated by these new pro-consumer guidelines, and then transfer the balance.
This will by no means make your debt any smaller or easier to pay off, but could shield you from some unbearable interest rates which may hit you if you carry a balance and do nothing.

Quick update

2009-12-26T19:23:00.003-06:00

The evening of my previous post, I was unable to go to sleep. Little did I know I'd caught the same stomach bug that Marla, Dad, and Kate had shared just a day or two before.

So, Christmas Eve, from about 4 AM until I went to bed that night, I got out of bed very little.

The bug actually passed in just a few hours, but it was so severe that it wasn't until about 24 hours after it was over that I began to get my strength back.

As a bonus - my mom and I were getting sick at about the same times (in different houses, I stay at the Morris' when we have big family gatherings in LC)and she and I both ended up quarantined at Marla's house on Christmas Day.

We did wind up feeling better and were able to rejoin the living for good visiting yesterday afternoon/evening and this morning, and thanks to Marla's kind nursing/waitress service, and a ton of Lysol used in both houses, Josh has still not had it, and so far (fingers crossed) none of our out of town relatives have caught it.

I'm leading singing in the morning and heading straight from church to Ft. Worth for some much overdue time with Jordan (did I mention that she's moving here in a few weeks? If we've been around each other recently I'm sure you've heard it multiple times)

I'm up at work right now. Just moments ago I finished all my 1/1/2010 deadlines. Who in their right mind would give a school teacher a New Years' deadline? Don't they know we're on break? Anyways, I plan to come back from Jordan's on the 1st, so I'm tying up all loose ends here until next year.

Santa brought a New Toy

2009-12-23T18:17:00.002-06:00

Santa Clause brought me the new "Flip" video camera. It's really easy to use - and I'm figuring out how to save videos and share them.

The only thing worth videoing since last night has been Kate. Marla has been a bit under the weather. She's doing much better now, but still resting. I was happy to go over there today and play with Kate until she was pooped and I needed a shower (it's warm and sticky in Houston, but cold weather should be here by Christmas Day.)

Anyways, Marla shot this earlier while we were playing on the swing in the back yard. I did my best to entertain her while not tripping over their dog who was also in need of attention.

I love how just seconds after spotting Marla holding a camera, she says "CHEEESE". She's a well-trained kiddo who has her picture taken often. Played with the crop features on the Flipshare software, and it wasn't cropping. Will figure that out during my next playing session, but for now, I apologize that the video is not cut down to a more reasonable length.

2009-12-16T13:20:00.004-06:00

Oh excuses, how I loath thee.
Giving the final exam in one of my Orchestra classes today. It's not a blow off final, but it's not that hard to understand.
You were given music several weeks ago.
You were given class time to work on it.
You were given help during class, and help was available to you before and after school for the last two weeks.
Some kids lost their music, but managed to borrow a copy from a neighbor so they could take it to the library and pay 10 cents to make a new copy. Those kids are problem solvers.

And yet, the day of the final exam, they come pouring in. Some kids don't even realize that their "excuses" are not even reasons, much less excuses. I divide them into three categories:

Actual reasons/excuses that still don't excuse you from having to take the final:
I lost my music.
My mom said I only have to take the finals in my real classes.
I thought it was a participation grade.
I was absent that day back in August when you handed out the calendars (which are
also available on the website, and posted all around the room.)
I didn't know we were taking a final.

Confessions
I lost my backpack.
I haven't even looked at this once.
This is gonna be really bad.

Problems that happen to everyone, not just you:
I've had homework for other classes this semester.
Sometimes my instrument goes out of tune.

And then there's the excuses that just make me go "HUH?"
I thought I could play something that I made up instead.

Ya know, if a kid walked in here totally unprepared, not ready in any way to play the final, but owned up to it, like, "Mr. Flippin, this isn't good. I got the music the day it was handed out, but never took it out of my backpack. I took my instrument home most days and had time to practice, but I was tired and I watched TV instead." I would be inclined to pass the kid just for owning up to their own decisions.

I have decided one thing though - I'm never assigning my favorite pieces again. One of the options I gave the cellos (every instrument had a "moderate" and a "difficult" piece to choose from) is the Prelude to the 1st Bach Suite for Cello. I love this piece deeply and want to share it with my students. But from now on, only the ones I choose. I will no longer put that music to the kind of mutilation and careless treatment it is receiving today.

Winding Down the Craziness

2009-12-11T11:21:00.002-06:00

The past two weeks have come off very sucessfully, I am pleased to report. I will continue to be busy for about one more week, but without the pressure of the last two weeks.
Monday, our concert went well. We were very fortunate that another choir director from the district, along with a hired accompanist came in the day of the concert and conducted it. That way, once the school day was over and the stage was set, I was able to give the Orchestra my full attention.
The morning after the concert, on very little sleep, I took a small group of players over to the Administration building to play music during the pre-meeting breakfast of the Katy Area Economic Advisory. The kids enjoyed being out of class a few periods, and we just played simple arragements of familiar tunes. A low pressure gig for all involved, and great community exposure for our program!

Thursday, I spent the whole day as choir director. The choir parents put on a Faculty Appreciation Luncheon each year. The boosters buy turkeys and hams, and all the kids bring desserts and side dishes and put out the spread in a gym. All the teachers come down during their lunch periods to eat, and while eating they're serenaded by various choir students and soloists.
The choirs did alright considering it was a few days after their concert, they had no conductor (I was the piano slave all day long) and in a gym with people talking throughout, but the teachers loved being fed, and the food was great, a good time was had by all.

Last night I had the honor of having very distinguished company in my home. Tony Cason is the Orchestra Director at Pepperdine. He comes to Texas to recruit players a few times per year, and once a year comes through Houston to visit some of the larger programs in the Houston area.
The national trend of all expense budgets shrinking has made it to Pepperdine. In order to continue his efforts to find quality players for the school, but also save the school some money, he's stayed with various friends in the different cities he has visited.

Exhausted as I was, I worked some on Tuesday night, and then stayed up LATE Wednesday night cleaning. I hadn't had an ounce of time to clean in several weeks, so this would have been needed even if there was no specific occasion, but all the more reason since a Colonel from the U.S. Military was coming as my guest.

We ate at an amazing Barbecue place in Houston called Beaver's Barbecue I've only eaten there with Mr. Cason, because last year when he came he'd read about it as one of the "Top 10 Places to Eat in the U.S." and wanted to try it. It's every bit as good as I remember it being last year.

I really enjoyed visiting with Mr. Cason, and was flattered that he came to stay at my apartment. We visited late into the night so that I feel all caught up on the latest goings-on of the Pepperdine Orchestra/Choir/Theater. I've never regretted the decision to transfer to North Texas after my freshman year, but I also have never lost my love for Pepperdine, or the relationships that I have with the friends I met there.
What's even better, is that he is a very good advocate in every way a Pepperdine Orchestra Director would need to be. He's a good advocate to the school's administration on behalf of the Orchestra, and a good advocate to the world on behalf of Pepperdine. I'm glad he's there, and I'm glad that after five years he is still encouraged and pushing the program forward.

Next week are final exams here at Kaatty hI(gh) Skewl (I mispell it so that people who search for my school in search engines won't be lead to this blog.)Not much stress for me, but a lot of busy-work. Harder for the students for sure, I just have to stay on top of things so that when tests are taken, they can be graded and submitted quickly.

One week from today I fly to Little Rock with Aunt Jean. We'll be driving out to Searcy to visit Harding and attend Jordan's graduation!

The Power of Thought

2009-12-04T16:30:00.002-06:00

Katy ISD closed all secondary school at 12:35 today. For what reason? SNOW! Can you believe that? Here in Katy, TX, school is snowed out.

We started getting flurries early this morning, but with the temperatures projected to drop further into the day, and the snow starting to stick, the district decided to get students home while the roads are still clear and not icy.

They made the announcement at about 9:30 this morning, and in all class periods after that, trying to teach anything was pretty much a wash. I can't say I was sincerely disappointed that we couldn't rehearse today. This has a rough week.

(Quick note: Thanksgiving was very restful and joyful, and I'm so glad. Had I not at least started the week rested and rejuvenated, I don't know that I would have lasted through it.)

Our choir director underwent quintuple bypass surgery on Friday (one week ago.) I have been tagged as the person to head up the effort to cover his classes while he's out, or until we can find a qualified substitute. So, I'm teaching 3 additional classes along with my own (by dropping my daily Junior High visits and giving up my conference period, it all fits in.)

The days have been long (about 60 hours at school so far this week) with too many tasks to keep up with, and too many choir parents all calling and wanting to know what's going on. I can't blame parents, in fact I applaud parents who hear that choir class has been turned up on it's head and call to ask questions, I just don't have the time of day to answer all of their individual questions. I can't say that on the phone, because these are good parents asking good questions, any time during the school day that I spend talking on the phone is time that I'm taking from a class that I'm teaching, or students who have come in for after school help. What's more, I have to go home to eat and sleep at some point.

We'd heard there might be a chance of school closing today since the weather forecast looked ugly. When I woke up this morning, I checked the news to see if school was closed before I did anything.

Since I knew I'd have to work most of tomorrow and Sunday anyways, I thought to myself this morning "hopefully I can sneak away early this afternoon to rest and relax tonight." By "early" I was thinking 4:00 or 5:00, I'm thrilled with 1:00 PM!

And not to fear, this will pass soon. Monday night is the Winter concert for both the Orchestra and the Choir. After the concert, the after school rehearsal schedule for both programs becomes much lighter. ALSO, thanks to the selfless generosity of some of our colleagues in the rest of the district, we'll have extra help next week. Two of the high school choirs in this district have two directors, and once their concerts are over, they're going to take turns coming over the Katy to help out between now and the end of the semester.

Idea for a Research Article

2009-11-19T14:11:00.002-06:00

"Societies' Have Nots Need Not Be Education's Can Nots".

Shucks!

2009-11-17T14:32:00.003-06:00

I just made my housing reservation for the TMEA convention in February. I'm very pleased with myself. I found a roommate and everything - so I can stay in the Riverwalk area and not have to commute in and out from a Motel on the outside of town.

But I did learn a valuable lesson - book early and book through TMEA.

My friend Will and I will be roommates at Red Roof Inn - easy walk to and from convention center and area restaurants. We both agreed before we even started looking that we were fine with staying in a motel instead of a hotel if it would save us money and mean that we could be walking distance from all the action.

What we discovered, was that if you book a Hotel room through TMEA, the nighly rate is only slightly higher than what we're paying for our Motel room. And had we booked our motel through the TMEA site - the rate would have been lower still. By this point, everything is booked up.

Silly me for making my housing arrangments a mere 3 months early. Now I understand why people stay up until midnight the night before the convention hotel blocks open up.

Next year . . . .

Brusilow

2009-11-16T14:20:00.002-06:00

The reason that I attended the University of North Texas, well the biggest reason at least, was because I wanted to study cello with Mr. Eugene Osadchy. Studying with him was every bit as rewarding that I'd hoped it would be.

But there were other great things about that school, some of which I did not know about until I experienced them.

Without a doubt, one of the biggest blessings of studying at UNT when I did was playing under Maestro Anshel Brusilow.

The school has just recently built this website to highlight his musical career. He retired from his tenure in Spring 2008, leaving a hole in the Orchestra that may never be filled.

When I started at UNT, even through the first few concerts I played there, I had no idea what kind of a legend this man was. I'll let you find out for yourself if you'd like to poke around the website a little bit, but I will post this image. This is a reference letter that Leonard Bernstein wrote on his behalf.

Unblocked!

2009-11-13T16:47:00.003-06:00

The internet at our school is filtered to keep students out of sites like facebook, gmail, etc. And for good reason. We have computers all over this school, and each student has his own login and password. The computers are part of their every day tasks - a good thing.

But if the internet were just as available and unfiltered - there would be no way to control access to distractions.

Anyways, we recently switched filters, and I noticed that the pictures on Marla's blog were now appearing (old filter - blogs were blocked, but Google Reader was not) and so I clicked on the link to my blog - also unblocked. I attempted to sign in thinking that at any moment it's going to block me saying "Go no further!" but it let me right in.

Hopefully this lasts and I can update from school.

Latest things

2009-10-19T17:25:00.002-05:00

I'm in the midst of one of my job's "Busy Seasons" but I like each part of it. I have spent my last two Saturdays judging "All Region Auditions".

I myself attended 9 Region auditions as a student, and I must say that I strongly prefer the judging side. Lower pressure, see the results sooner, and food is provided. However, I do get nervous for my own students.

Wednesday is our first concert. So tomorrow and Wednesday will be marathon days. Tomorrow we rehearse after school and I'll finish with the last group at about 7:00. Then Wednesday the concert starts at about 7:00. If all goes smoothly it will last until about 8:30 or 8:45 with brief reception to follow.

Concerts just make days hectic. And that's okay - there are just many details to attend to, and many bodies to coordinate.

So, in preperation for that, I've been working really hard to prioritize tasks at work this week. Anything that can possibly wait until Friday or later will have to wait. There are many things occupying the time. Finalizing and making a program, copying music for the next concert so that we waste no time the day after this one, ordering pizza for the Jr. High students coming for the rehearsal tomorrow. Responding to every parent's individual email or voicemail question regarding information they already have. Handling questions about attendance.

Most of my kids are excited about the concert, and I think some more will become convinced once they perform and feel pride in it. But there are those who either don't want to be there, or want to, but it's not as big of a priority as something else. I expect that from the kids. One kid says "I can't go because I have to be at my (fill-in-the-blank) practice." I respond "Concerts and performances beat out practices, you have to be there." I expect that from the kids. They don't know any better.
What really irks me are the parents who don't get it. My heart goes out to a student when his/her parents don't get it. How are these kids supposed to compete in the real world of academics, college, and life if they grow up with parents who knock their legs out from underneath them my constantly making excuses?

Aside from school stuff, I've been out of town two of the last three weekends. Two weeks ago we went to the family reunion in Abilene, and last weekend I went to Fort Worth to see Jordan and her family after the Region Auditions. Both trips were fun and totally worth the driving time, but both left me drained of all energy.

So, several busy weeks, followed by crazy weeks, with jam packed weekends in between . . . .. . . if I'm asleep and not to be found on Saturday, you'll understand?

On Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-12T17:39:00.003-05:00

I live in Texas. I live in a Texas town that considers itself "Small Town" even though it's huge. This town takes on many traits of a stereotypical small Texan town. Many students at the school I teach are the children, grandchildren, and yes, great-grandchildren of graduates of the same school. Our football games carry the pride of the town. And, yes, when the conversation turns to politics, there is much contempt to be found towards "liberals." Very often I meet folks who feel that anybody associated with the word "Democrat" is a lazy, communist, atheist fool who cannot think for himself.

There are many conversations where I find myself just keeping my mouth closed because it's the same conversation amongst the same people that I've heard before, and an attempt at dialogue leads only to argument. I hear Rush Limbaugh quoted as if he's a prophet, and yet Obama is the "elitist."

Anyways, with Obama's recent receipt of the Nobel Prize, I cannot keep my mouth closed, and I have some things that I must say. I hope I am saying things that most of us are thinking, regardless of what side of the ballot you vote for.

1.) I think it is absurd to give that award, this year, to this man. I voted for him. I stand by my decision to vote for him given the choice between Obama/Biden and McPain/Palin. Make Obama Time Magazine's 2009 Man of the Year. Let Barbara Walters put him at the top of her "Most fascinating People" show. Say as much as you want about the sensation of a Black person being president of the U.S. I can understand that.
But do not give him the Nobel Peace Prize. That is a distinction for somebody "who shall have done" as Nobel himself said, not somebody who "perhaps shall do." I hope that in the course of his career in public office, now and post-presidency, he does enough to earn the award 5x over. I think the possibility is there. But I would no sooner give a first year president the Nobel Peace Prize than I would vote a rookie pitcher into Cooperstown.

2.) I believe the Nobel Committee put Obama in a no-win publicity situation. By accepting the award he has given conservative pundits (who have resisted, undermined, and distorted every single one of his efforts thus far in office, for better or worse, you decide) to attack him for supposed arrogance.
But if he turns it down, is the coverage any better? Would those same pundits not still attack him with the same attacks? "Our own president doubts the value of his own plans." "Our own president has told the world that he's not worthy of being honored." "Barack Hussein Obama is only 9 months into his presidency and already having second thoughts about his strategy for our national security."
His "surprised and humbled" along with "call to action" response is a diplomatic one, but to the furthest extent I can postulate hypothetical alternatives, the most appropriate.

3.) I do believe that the (IMO - ill-advised) decision to choose him is a response to a spirit of reconciliation he has extended to the world in his recent campaign as well as tone of his addresses during an overseas trip and speeches at the UN. Many (some good friends of mine included) would call this "apologetic" as if to say it's un-American to apologize. "Since when did we become apologizers to countries that cannot even stand on their own two feet? We're the ones who defeated the Nazis" blah blah blah.
Long before Obama was ever on the radar, I have had major objections with this viewpoint. If you are 80 years old or older, you might not read this next paragraph as pertaining to you:
I did not overcome the Great Depression. My grandparents and their parents did. They worked their way up from having nothing to create and become part of a new middle-class. I on the other hand, along with the vast majority of mine and my parents' respective generations, have virtually stayed put on the socio-economic spectrum. Most my age were born high, low, middle, wherever, on the wealth ladder and have stayed put.
I did not defeat the Nazis. In fact, my grandfather did not defeat the Nazis. In fact, Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, and Churchill can only take a small portion of the credit for defeating the Nazis. Call me unpatriotic, but a simple and objective look at the numbers and the calendar of who fought where, and it's an uncomfortable admission that a Stalin-led Russia did the biggest bulk of the Nazi-beating. Sorry, patriots.
Please don't misunderstand me. I wouldn't trade my American birth for anywhere else. I have enjoyed more freedom, more opportunity, more wealth, more abundance of free thought and optimism here than anywhere else on earth. But I will not let Jesse Jackson blame me for my ancestors' enslavement of his, and I will not fool myself into thinking that the people of France should do whatever I say as a credit to me for what my grandfathers did for theirs. Absurd.

4.) The idea that Obama's "arrogance" causes him to make these "apologies" to certain countries is backwards from mine. In my opinion, Bush's stubborn "for us or against us" turned into a right-wing "Republican or freedom-hating-communist-terrorist-hippie" that came across to the world as ARROGANT. Tell me the media mis-represented him. Okay. It was not on the "liberal" news networks that I learned of Bush's decisions to withdraw our agreement in nuclear non-proliferation treaties; it was from "fair and balanced" Fox news sources. It was not from a journalist that I learned that we would be going into Iraq with or without the approval of our long-time friends and allies, it was straight from the mouth, un-edited, of GWB himself.

5.) There are many reasons I can digest for not liking Obama or feeling uneasy about his presidency so far. The amount of debt we are accumulating is unacceptable. The fact that the health care reform has not been preceeded by a long overdue overhaul and reduction of government spending is irresponsible. None such as these are the things I heard discussed on Talk Radio.
Sean Hannity proclaimed that the NP Prize goes to those who hate freedom and Jews. He referred to Jimmy Carter being an "obvious Jew-hater" because of "many actions taken not in the best interest of Israel." I would think a person who claims to know so much about the constitution as Sean Hannity would know that the POTUS has the job of acting in the best interest of one country, which happens to not be Israel. And for a person who claims to understand so much about God and rights given by God, and the word of God, etc., he'd understand how there are two sides to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

So to my polarized friends on either end of the spectrum: We can still be friends. But if you are a fellow Obama supporter who thinks he's fixed everything and we're onto the "happy ending" part of the story, please wake up.
If you're an Obama opposer who truly fears that the country is headed for certain ruin, first, let me say I'm sorry your life is filled with so much stress, but let's talk about real problems and factual information, not sensationalized hype.

Newbery Checklist

2009-09-29T21:32:00.002-05:00

The Newbery Medal is an award given annually by the ALA for outstanding contribution to Children's Literature (usually fiction, few exceptions.) Given once per year since 1922, the list of winners includes some of the most beloved authors and novels of kids for several generations.

I remember in Intermediate school, when choosing books for book reports or projects, we were taught that if a book had the symbol for the Newbery Medal meant that your teacher would approve your choice.

I was at the local Katy Library today, where I have been numerous times since moving here, and decided to pop over to the Juvenile section to see if they had any Louis Sachar books (I have LOVED his books since I read "Sideways Stories from Wayside School in 3rd grade) I haven't read.

While in that section, I noticed they had a special shelf set aside for Newbery winners. I scanned the titles and saw some I remember reading, and some I'd meant to read but forgotten, and many I'd never heard of.

So, I decided that I'd like to read all the winners. Not going to do it in any order, and I'm not going to stop reading other books, but I'm just going to read them one at a time according to what's in the library when I look.

Here is the list of winners. I've bolded the ones I've already read. Take a look for yourself and see if there are any you've read on the list.

2009: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, illus. by Dave McKean (HarperCollins)
2008: Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (Candlewick)
2007: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron, illus. by Matt Phelan (Simon & Schuster/Richard Jackson)
2006: Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins (Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins)
2005: Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster)
2004: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick Press)
2003: Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi (Hyperion Books for Children)
2002: A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park(Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin)
2001: A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (Dial)
2000: Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (Delacorte)
1999: Holes by Louis Sachar (Frances Foster)
1998: Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (Scholastic)
1997: The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg (Jean Karl/Atheneum)
1996: The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman (Clarion)
1995: Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (HarperCollins)
1994: The Giver by Lois Lowry(Houghton)
1993: Missing May by Cynthia Rylant (Jackson/Orchard)
1992: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Atheneum)
1991: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (Little, Brown)
1990: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (Houghton)
1989: Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman (Harper)
1988: Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman (Clarion)
1987: The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman (Greenwillow)
1986: Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (Harper)
1985: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley (Greenwillow)
1984: Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary (Morrow)
1983: Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt (Atheneum)
1982: A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard (Harcourt)
1981: Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson (Crowell)
1980: A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl's Journal, 1830-1832 by Joan W. Blos (Scribner)
1979: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (Dutton)
1978: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (Crowell)
1977: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (Dial)
1976: The Grey King by Susan Cooper (McElderry/Atheneum)
1975: M. C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton (Macmillan)
1974: The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox (Bradbury)
1973: Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George (Harper)
1972: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (Atheneum)
1971: Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars (Viking)
1970: Sounder by William H. Armstrong (Harper)
1969: The High King by Lloyd Alexander (Holt)
1968: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg (Atheneum)
1967: Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt (Follett)
1966: I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Trevino (Farrar)
1965: Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojciechowska (Atheneum)
1964: It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville (Harper)
1963: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (Farrar)
1962: The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare (Houghton)
1961: Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (Houghton)
1960: Onion John by Joseph Krumgold (Crowell)
1959: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (Houghton)
1958: Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith (Crowell)
1957: Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen (Harcourt)
1956: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham (Houghton)
1955: The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong (Harper)
1954: ...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold (Crowell)
1953: Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark (Viking)
1952: Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes (Harcourt)
1951: Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (Dutton)
1950: The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli (Doubleday)
1949: King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry (Rand McNally)
1948: The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois (Viking)
1947: Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (Viking)
1946: Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski (Lippincott)
1945: Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson (Viking)
1944: Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (Houghton)
1943: Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray (Viking)
1942: The Matchlock Gun by Walter Edmonds (Dodd)
1941: Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry (Macmillan)
1940: Daniel Boone by James Daugherty (Viking)
1939: Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright (Rinehart)
1938: The White Stag by Kate Seredy (Viking)
1937: Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer (Viking)
1936: Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink (Macmillan)
1935: Dobry by Monica Shannon (Viking)
1934: Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs (Little, Brown)
1933: Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Lewis (Winston)
1932: Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer (Longmans)
1931: The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth (Macmillan)
1930: Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field (Macmillan)
1929: The Trumpeter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly (Macmillan)
1928: Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji (Dutton)
1927: Smoky, the Cowhorse by Will James (Scribner)
1926: Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman (Dutton)
1925: Tales from Silver Lands by Charles Finger (Doubleday)
1924: The Dark Frigate by Charles Hawes (Little, Brown)
1923: The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting (Stokes)
1922: The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon (Liveright)

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

2009-09-20T22:37:00.001-05:00

Go see it. In 3-D. You'll be glad you paid the extra $2 for 3-D, and you'll be glad you saw it on the big screen. Really cool, and you'll laugh from beginning to end.

Ahh, Waffle House.

2009-09-17T22:13:00.000-05:00

My love, you are shivering! And so pale. Here, wear my cloak over your own. We have walked for many miles, and I had hoped the skies would have grown merciful by now. But we must persevere. Remember, even in the darkest night there is always a light somewhere ahead, and—but what's this? Do you see it? That yellow glow. Has the sun itself plumbed the darkest clouds and settled upon the earth next to that gas station over there?

Take heart, my love, for sanctuary is at hand. It can only be a Waffle House!

Do you know it? Yes, it is rather like a Denny's, but humbler still. It is a Southern thing, truly, perhaps best likened to the IHOPs of your girlhood in Fresno. But the Waffle House has a spirit of its very own. Let us make haste! Salvation is near, and it is slathered in syrup!

Please do not fret about your appearance. In my adventures, I have visited many Waffle Houses well after midnight, and though this rascal storm has drenched and muddied our clothes such that peasants would not exchange their rags for ours, we will be welcomed at yon Waffle House. No one, from the weary truck driver to the drunkard to the consumptive, is turned away, and on my last visit, my waitress informed me that, a fortnight earlier, Merle Haggard himself had occupied the very booth in which I was then seated.

Who is Merle Haggard? Never you mind, my dear. Never you mind.

But we must keep going. You have my word; it is not far. Let the heavens lash us while we repel the elements with thoughts of sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches. You will not have to wait until morning, as breakfast is served at all hours. And while it is true that lunch and dinner fare such as patty melts and chopped steak is available, it is breakfast that Waffle House embraces above all else.

Now tell me: scattered, smothered, or covered? You look at me as if I speak some savage dialect, woman, when I merely refer to options for the preparation of the hash browns from which we will soon take sustenance. You will see once we arrive, my love, you will see. Tremble no longer, and think only of cheese 'n' eggs with raisin toast and apple butter. Or let us speak of grits. Or perhaps an omelet or—no, not pancakes. Waffle House does not serve pancakes.

Yes, my sweet, this house's devotion to the waffle is so complete that it excludes from its menu any other kind of griddled cake.

O, this cruel wind! Even if we are spared, I fear the Waffle House itself will be flung from its moorings. But I can see inside now. Observe that bloated man: He stands before a jukebox that features songs composed especially for the Waffle House. Do you know "Waffle Doo Wop"? I supposed not. It is every bit as gay as it would seem to be, and I shall play it, and it will forever betoken what you and I have endured on this night.

The parking lot at last! I could fall upon my knees and kiss its every stripe. But come. We must enter now and take this booth here by the window. Let the tempest outside look upon us, helpless to afflict us any longer. Let us now drink coffee without limit and fill our shrunken stomachs with pecan waffles and country ham. My love, let us rejoice!

The waitress should be along eventually.

News Briefs

2009-09-15T23:00:00.002-05:00

I need to go to bed, but here's the bullet point update:

Saw Jordan 2 and a half weeks ago when she came down here. This weekend, Friday-Sunday, I'm going to see her in Searcy. Very much glad to have a Friday to anticipate. It keeps me going.

Our United Players friend, Katie Clarke, returns to Broadway in November. She will be playing Glinda in "Wicked". One of the most coveted female roles of all time in one of the longest running shows of all things currently showing on Broadway.

Orchestra is bigger and better, but nuts. Having 80 kids in Orchestra is a great leap in enrollment, but I'm convinced that more students increases paperwork and grading exponentially, not linearly.

I'm in the market for a String Quartet or a Piano Trio. Seeking two violinists, a pianist, and a violist who want to play chamber music. Must be good sight-readers and have time on weekends. We'll make money off of it if we can, but we'll do it for the music and the company. I'm tired of playing alone.

Wedding is now 8 months away. Jordan's move down to H-town is now 3 or 4 months away, not sure what the Holiday schedule looks like yet.

Signed up to run a 5k on Saturday, even woke up at 5:30 (ON A SATURDAY) but it was rained out so instead of starting the day off with early exercise, I went home and slept most of the morning.

Teaching a unit of Renaissance and other early European music in Music History class at school. In the process of re-learning things to teach in the class, I accidentally fell in love with some of the music I hated when forced to study it in school.

Kanye West is the perfect example of why civility is dying in American culture. I hope if I ever have a student like him, I'm able to think of a way to help him understand that he cannot interrupt grown-ups when it's not his turn to speak.

Katy Football is going strong. The Tigers are 2-1, and have already played 2 of the 3 toughest teams they will see this season. Looking better every week. I get to watch large chunks of the game from the comfort of the press box. If I ever work up the nerve to take my camera up there, I'll show you how great the view is.

Economic Stimulus Idea

2009-09-10T19:07:00.003-05:00

I live alone, and I buy groceries for one eater. I get a Houston Chronicle three times per week, a 6-month subscription for which I paid $20.

In the few weeks since I've begun clipping the coupons out of the Sunday paper, I've saved between $5 and $20 each week. I only clip coupons for items that I would otherwise buy, and I discard a number of coupons that would be useful if I weren't a household of one (e.g. a coupon for two packages of sandwich cheese is nice, but I wouldn't go through two packages before it went bad.)

I would suppose that if you don't buy a Sunday paper, you could save $10/eater every week as well.

When I hear in the news that the government is paying this many million and billion dollars to this and that industry, it's hard for me to grasp. Middle-class consumers do not compute costs and budgets that deal in millions and billions over years and years. We think dollars/month. That's why it's easy to get behind the Local-paper-stimulus.

It's real. I went to the grocery store today with my envelope of coupons from Sunday's paper. Do you know how long it took to cut out the coupons? I did it entirely during the commercial breaks of an Astros game and was done by the 3rd inning. How much did I save? $12.

Was every single item that I bought an item I was going to buy anyways? Yes and no. Tomato sauce is something I use often, but no I wasn't necessarily thinking Italian food any night this week, but it's just as healthy and affordable as anything comparable I might have otherwise chosen. I bought Allergy medicine just because there was a $4 off coupon that expires before I'll finish what I've already got, but the medicine doesn't expire anytime soon so it was smart to buy it now and hang onto it for a few weeks.

How much do you think you could save? If you saved $10/eater/week how much would that be at the end of the month? I spent $20 for my 6 month subscription and saved it in food purchases after the 2nd week. How about you folks who feed five and six people in your house?

The newspaper's jobs, most of them at least, I can trust to stay in this area. The local reporting, features, delivery etc. all mean jobs for people in my community, publicity for organizations around here, which is good for our economy.

To go one step further - the money I save this month will go back into the economy some other way. I'll invest it, or I'll buy popcorn at the movie instead of just the ticket; I might eat my Sunday lunch at a restaurant where I can tip a waiter instead of at a fast food chain where everyone is earning minimum wage; I might just have some spending money when a worthy cause presents itself.

If you don't have a HC subscription, or a paper where you live, join in. Couldn't we all use an opportunity to spend our money a little more wisely?

Chapter 5: All Plans Out the Window

2009-08-28T19:49:00.004-05:00

Friday brought me the end of a stressful week at school. I was ready to see Jordan more than ever. Friday night I spent the night at my parents' house where I got to visit with them, Kate, Marla, and Josh; they all saw the ring, it was nice.

Saturday morning, my dad traded cars with me, a very kind gesture on his part, because his car is much more comfortable for long drives.

I was literally pulling out of their neighborhood when my phone rang and all the plans flew out the window.

Jordan was calling from IAH airport in Houston. She sounded terrible. She felt worse than she sounded. She was en route back from Guatemala and very sick. My head began to spin. I'm picturing Jordan spending a week in the jungle around sick people working with unsanitary instruments and catching some horrible tropical disease.

Her mom feels like she needs to see a doctor right away, so they try to re-route her to fly to Dallas instead of LR. This won't work. She looked into leaving the airport right there in Houston so I could take her to a doctor and then back to Dallas or Searcy. Neither of these were options. So instead she flew back to Little Rock and caught a ride back to campus because she was too weak to even drive her own car.

Plan: No overnight stop in Denton. I will get there as soon as possible to take her to the doctor first thing Sunday morning. I stopped in Denton to eat dinner with some friends, drank a ton of coffee, and then got back on the road and headed to Texarkana (which is roughly halfway from Denton to Little Rock). It was late, I was tired, and this was the last big town (it was technically New Boston, just outside Texark I found out the next morning) for awhile, so I stopped at the Best Value Inn for a full 5 1/2 hours of sleep. I got up eeeeeearly on Sunday morning so I could drive the remaining 3 hours to Searcy to get her to the doctor right away.

At this point I have no idea what the plan is. If she's deathly ill she might not want to be proposed to. How do girls think? Would she rather me ask her when I was planning to ask her? or wait until it's perfect? I was playing by ear because there'd be no way to know until I saw her.

I got to Searcy around 9:30 or 9:45 that morning and she came out to meet me. She looked and sounded completely different from the day before. She still had an ear ache and low energy, but after strong medicine and twelve hours of sleep, she was in good spirits and able to get up and walk around.
We drove to the only clinic that's open in Searcy on a Sunday, and what would you know? It doesn't open until 1:00. Three hours of time, and nowhere to be. I started thinking - I'm here a whole day earlier than planned. She's feeling fine and I have the ring and don't want it to be a secret anymore.

I got the ring out of my suitcase and into my pocket under the pretense of getting my vitamins out of the trunk. We drove to a park where we've gone many times while in Searcy, and very spur-of-the-moment, I proposed in a gazebo where we've sat many times.

She said yes, and we sat there and talked. I was able to tell all the details I hadn't been able to before - how I'd talked to her dad that Saturday before she got into town; how Caitlin and I had gone ring shopping the weekend she thought I was judging Solo and Ensemble; and how the real reason behind that impromptu Valentine's visit was so that she wouldn't feel like she needed to come down that weekend.

After awhile it was after noon, so our families were out of church and we called them and told them all the news.

We ate a nice lunch and I think we both grinned non-stop the entire time.

Then we did go to the doctor where it turned out Jordan had either developed an ear infection or caught Lime Disease.

Caitlin came into town the following day, Jordan's social club threw her one of their special "Ring Ceremonies" (it's not a cult. Don't ask me the difference, but she promises it's not.)

I did make my visit to Nashville a few days later as planned. After spending some quality time with Jake and Natalie, I met Jordan in Fort Worth and spent the weekend with her family. It was exciting to go to church with her and watch her show off the ring.

Chapter 4: Plan A

2009-08-28T19:36:00.003-05:00

By this point, I had abandoned the idea of proposing that summer. Twice I had had to make up a story to keep Jordan from catching on to my scheme. I knew I was going to propose, and it was getting harder and harder to keep the secret. By this point, my family, her family, the Steins, various friends in Denton all knew the plan. The longer I waited, the greater chance somebody, maybe even me, would slip and foil the whole thing.

Answer: SPRING BREAK. Our breaks were a week apart. Jordan would spend her break in Guatemala on a mission trip. The following week I was going to go visit my friend Jake in Nashville. This had been the plan since Jake got the job at Lipscomb University the summer before. Stopping in Searcy to see Jordan was "purely a matter of convenience." That's what I wanted her to think.

She would get back from her trip on Saturday and be exhausted. So I would leave Saturday morning, spend the night in Denton, visit and see people at Singing Oaks on Sunday morning, and then get to Searcy Sunday evening. This would allow me to break up the long drive, and allow her time to rest and recover from a strenuous trip.

On Monday, I would surprise her with a picnic lunch at Heber Springs. It's a really pretty lake about an hour from Harding, we've talked about going there, but haven't been yet. We went on a picnic date a long time ago that was really fun and would be fun to do again.

I purchased a picnic basket at Wal-Mart, and had it all planned out. When Jordan went to her morning classes I'd tell her that I'd meet her for lunch. I knew she had a long break in the day so there would be enough time. I would buy all our food at the local sandwich shop during her morning classes.

It'd be a beautiful day, beautiful place, just the two of us, it was perfect!

I let Caitlin in on the plans and she arranged to fly in on Monday and be there when we got back from the picnic.

That WAS the plan . . .

Chapter Three: Gotta Find a Ring

2009-08-28T19:22:00.004-05:00

I asked Jordan's sister, Caitlin, to help me ring shop. I wanted somebody with nice taste to help me pick out the right one, and who better to know what Jordan would like than her own sister, right? Right.
Now, Caitlin is a busy person too. This was spring semester of her senior year in high school. She has track tournaments, college visits, interviews, etc. So pretty soon after talking to Jordan's dad, Caitlin and I compare calendars and choose the last weekend in February.
I had about seven weeks to get my CD and savings accounts into my checking, get together all my documents verifying my income and employment, check my credit, all that.

One twist - Jordan wants to come visit that weekend. I tell her I'm judging Solo and Ensemble all day long, and it doesn't come up . . . .for awhile. It's February, and we haven't seen each other in a month, and might not get to until Spring Break, so she decides she doesn't mind if I'm busy part of the time, it'll be worth it.
Now I'm in a pickle. She can't come to Houston because I won't be here. I can't tell her I'm out of town because she can't know that I'm trying to pick out an engagement ring.
This problem went away when I made a last minute impromptu Searcy visit the weekend of Valentine's Day. All it cost me was the cost of a plane ticket and skipping out 1/2 a day at TMEA - but it meant I was free and clear to go buy an engagement ring without Jordan suspecting a thing!

Ring shopping with Caitlin made for a fun day. We went to South Lake Town Square (it's like a Galleria for you H-town folks) where we could shop at a number of different stores. After seeing several places, we ate lunch and settled on our final choice. Went back and ordered the ring and it was ready that same day.

Sunday, after church at Singing Oaks in Denton, I drove back to Katy with a ring, the whole way home searching for the perfect proposal idea. . .

Chapter Two:

2009-08-28T19:21:00.001-05:00

It was MLK weekend. I'd been at my new job for one week. I had called Mr. Bailey earlier that week and asked if I could meet him for lunch on Saturday. He offered to meet me halfway to which I nervously responded "No, that's okay, I'm gonna be up in that area anyways." (In hind-sight, this was a poor lie. I live in Katy, my family is in Houston, my girlfriend is in Arkansas, and I have a brand-new job. Why would I "happen to be in town"?)

Literally moments after getting off the phone with Jordan's dad, I talked with Jordan, as we talk on the phone most nights. She threw a huge curve-ball in my whole plan:
She pointed out that we both had three-day weekends coming up, and she had some free flight passes from Southwest Airlines. Wouldn't this be a great weekend for her to come down and visit?
What do I do!?
If I tell her what I'm up to, the surprise is spoiled. What excuse can I possibly give that wouldn't hurt her feelings? Besides the truth, what could be so important that it couldn't wait 'til some other weekend so we can spend time together?
I kind of mumble through the phone call and convince her that it'd be more fun to hang out in Denton and Fort Worth. So she flies into Dallas instead of Houston, I'll drive up on Saturday JUST TO MEET HER THERE. Plan saved.
I called my good friend Sherry Stein and swore her to secrecy: I was coming into town to talk to Mr. Bailey, could she please keep a secret and let me stay at their house? Yes.
Everything was set. I'll leave Friday after school, spend the night with the Steins, get a full night's rest, dress up Saturday morning and go meet Mr. Bailey for lunch. . . . . not quite.
It took a long time to get away from work. My car had to have an oil change blah blah blah. Instead of being on the road by 3:30 or 4:00 as planned, it was more like 7:00.
I get about an hour along and stop for gas in Spring. As I'm pumping the gas I get this horrible feeling that I've forgotten my garment bag with my clothes. It's gotta be nothing because this is the first time I've sat still and thought about the importance of this trip, and I'm just worrying. I'm gonna pop open my trunk and lay all worries aside. The trunk opens. No bag. No clothes for the weekend. Just my bathroom bag and the shorts and t-shirt I'm wearing. It's an hour back to my apartment, if I go back for it it'll be 2:00 AM when I get to the Steins.
So I get back in the car and head back for Katy. I call the Stein's house and tell Howard not to expect me that night. I go to bed early on a Friday night with my alarm set for 4:30 AM.
Saturday morning I was on the road by 6:00 AM. I was to meet Mr. Bailey at the Johnny Carino's near their house at noon. Jordan is flying in that evening and supposed to land at 6:00. Her understanding is that I have lunch obligations and will be on my way to get her as soon as they're over. This should make sense since if the lunch were in Katy I'd leave Katy after lunch and get there right about that time anyways.
Things went smoothly from there. Mr. Bailey gave me his blessing to propose to her and we enjoyed lunch. Jordan arrived at about 6:00 that night and we saw each other the rest of the weekend. Nobody in her family said a thing even though they all knew.

The Proposal Story

2009-08-28T18:28:00.004-05:00

Jordan is coming to visit me and my family this weekend. It occurred to me that I never really told the blog world the full story of how we got engaged. I would have posted things as they developed, but because it was all kept secret from Jordan, I did not.

This post is long, sorry. Think of it as multi-chaptered.

Chapter One: Setting the wheels in motion.
I knew that before Jordan and I got married, if she agreed to marry me, we'd want things to happen in a certain order. We would want to live in the same place long enough to go to pre-marital counseling, make common friends, and see each other on a day-to-day basis.
When I landed a job in Houston, I knew that I would be ready to propose soon. By "soon" I was thinking that summer. I thought if Jordan could move to Houston after graduating in December, we could live in the same place for a semester and then get married as soon as school was out for the summer. Proposing at the start of the summer gave us a full year to be engaged and plan the wedding.
The first week of my job, I began to grasp just how busy life was about to become. My weeks would be long days of work, and weekends would be jam packed with everything that couldn't fit in the weeks. The weekends on my calendar were filling up quickly with work-related things. If I let too many free weekends go by, I would run out of time to make a trip to talk to Mr. Bailey, make a trip to ring shop with Caitlin, and then still have a chance to propose. So very quickly, my "in a few months" plans became "starting this weekend" plans.

2009-08-19T23:10:00.000-05:00

To My Dear Niece Kate on your 1st birthday.

I can’t believe you’re already a year old. But then I look at the pictures taken in the hospital the day you were born, and thinking back to Saturday when we got to play, and I see how much you’ve changed.

Thinking back over the last year, seeing you once a week or every other week or so, each time was like a snapshot growth and development. I remember each new change as being exciting, fascinating, and with you, ALWAYS entertaining.

There were your first few days when you figured out how to steer your eyes and you began spending every waking moment exploring your surroundings.

You have one of the most expressive faces I’ve ever seen in a baby, and we were overjoyed when you began smiling, laughing (and you also have sad faces that are no less animated.) I don’t know that I’ve ever seen your parents, my parents, or myself invest so much energy into making another person laugh as we all have since you got to the point that you laugh at noises, faces, and whatever we can think of.

My favorite new “trick” of yours that I haven’t been able to stop telling people about is when you see somebody eating something and you say “Ooooh”. In case of Grandma’s peach cobbler last weekend, that sound of yours got the most positive reinforcement known to man – desert.

I check your mom’s blog every day now, because I constantly wonder what you’re doing. I expect at any moment to see pictures (hopefully video) of your first steps as that’s what you’ve been working on hardest lately.

The Evil Eye

2009-07-13T16:16:00.001-05:00

There is a group of janitors that look at me contemptuously as I come and go from my room each day. Today I finally learned the reason.

The Orchestra and Band rooms are the biggest rooms in this school that are Air Conditioned year-round. This is because we have so many climate-sensitive instruments. Of those two rooms, mine is the only one with carpet. Band halls have to be mopped daily because of leaking spit valves.

That has made the Orchestra room the best place for slipping away and napping. They're not supposed to take extended breaks, and they get in trouble if they nap during their shift since they're paid by the hour. However, until now, there's always been this dark, air-conditioned room with carpet in a part of the school where people never go, so they can nap in the middle of the day and not get caught. I am the first Orchestra director at this school in memory who actually works during the summer instead of just vanishing for 2 1/2 months out of the year.

I noticed a few times my first day back, I would be in my office and hear my door open, but by the time I stick my head out the office door, whoever it was is gone. I found this strange since it takes a key to open my room, so nobody would be doing it by mistake or be able to open my door if they mistook it for somewhere else.

Turns out, they all have keys, so they unlock the door, see the office door open and all the lights on, and then leave before they get caught.

I had become friends with most of the janitors over the course of last spring. Most of the time I'd be the only teacher still up here when they came through to clean at night. I know enough Spanish that I became friends with several of them. We knew each other by name, and often if I had food, I would share it. I hope that camaraderie isn't ruined now that I've foiled their secret breakroom.

Getting Around to Summer

2009-07-13T15:42:00.002-05:00

Summer has been wonderful thus far. Pretty much everything has been scheduled around Jordan and I visiting each other. With the exception of the summer when we both lived in the DFW area, we've seen each other more this summer than any past summer, I believe.
Shortly after I got out of school she came down for a few days. I got to introduce her to my new church friends, and she was here for the Houston Symphony concert*.
I rode back to Hurst with her and spent a few days with her and her family.

By this point it was the middle of June; I flew home and the following week taught at the week-long Katy ISD Summer String Camp. It was a fun experience teaching Junior High string players from around the district, socializing with other Orchestra Directors after camp each day, and it never hurts to earn some extra gas money during the summer.
The day after the camp ended I went to Boston for about a week with my dad. Pleasant temperatures and overcast skies for five days, and all it cost us was getting rained on a little at the end! Boston gets its own post later.

The day after getting back from Boston, my parents and I drove to Granbury together. We spent the night with family there, and then Saturday morning (the 4th!) drove to Richland Hills Church of Christ for the wedding anniversary celebration of our cousins, the Griffiths. This year marks 50 years for Carl and Anna; and 25 for their oldest son John and wife Connie.

The next day, after spending the night at Jordan's house and attending church at Legacy, we came back home and brought Jordan with us. Jordan was able to stay until Thursday. We managed to do some thorough apartment hunting in the West Houston area, as well as put in some Kate time.

As you can see, I've enjoyed everything about this summer thus far, but have been unable to establish any sort of routine since I'm in a different place every few days.

There are things I'm really focused on this week that had previously been put in the "summer" folder. I never like living in an unpacked apartment. Usually when I move in I can't feel settled into things are put away and the boxes are gone. However, the move in December/January happened so quickly that I was not fully unpacked when school started. As for finding time to unpack during this past semester? Forget it! Leaving by 6:45 every morning only to return after 9:00 that night meant that 99% of the time I was at my apartment I was sleeping. The weekends that I wasn't tied down with work I rested - and usually in League City, not mention the handful of weekend trips I managed to Fort Worth or Searcy.

The whole semester I knew that what I needed was set aside a full weekend to devote to settling the apartment, and I'd be able to do that in the summer.

If I told you that "this is the first chance I've had" I would be lying. I've had some days scattered over the past few months when I could have been busier or pushed myself, but those have been in between trips and I'm better rested for having not pushed myself.
But now, out of excuses, and actually spending waking hours confronting an unorganized living space, I'm down to business. The apartment feels a little more like home every time I finish a box or finish clearing out a room.

Similarly with school. I worked very hard on my room the first week without kids and accomplished much of, maybe most of what I wanted to change in the room before the fall. Now I'm up at school a few hours every day getting ready for the fall. I have to pick music, make a calendar, and kind of map out how the year is going to look. I definitely prefer to start a school like this - planned and anticipated, instead of the way I started in January - stranger in a strange land with a year's worth of tasks and 1/2 a year in which to complete them with one arm tied behind my back.

*The Houston Symphony gave a free concert here at Katy High School on June 11th. It was part of their "Sounds Like Fun" series. The evening included a 30 minute Instrument Petting Zoo where Symphony volunteers laid out tables of instruments for kids to hold and "play" followed by about an hour of music with the conductor introducing each piece, telling its background story, and really making the concert appeal to kids. Much thanks to the HSO for choosing KHS as one of your host sites! Please come back again.

Greetings from Boston

2009-06-28T21:49:00.002-05:00

Typing from iPod is slow so this is brief.
We are in Boston as of yesterday and loving it. We is Dad and me.
Weather is 65 and overcast. Have taken some neat pics to post later.
If you wanna see what we did today, google Freedom Trail. Also check outna cool street performer at yoyoshow dot com.

TONY Awards

2009-06-07T19:26:00.006-05:00

Writing my comments as we go:
Opening - CBS, fix your sound issues. You're embarrassing yourselves if we getting more laughs and coughs from the audience than vocals from the stage.

Shrek, the musical - Thumbs down. While some of the greatest Broadway shows of this decade have been seemingly unlikely adaptations of smash-hit animated films - this is not one of those. Music is unoriginal, old-fashioned, predictable. A far miss at the parody achieved in Spamalot, Curtains, and other shows that take themselves 1/2 seriously in order to allow for jabs at other shows.

NPH is a funny host.

33 Variations - Intriguing. I would like to see or read this one, but the preview wasn't much to know what it's about.

West Side Story - Doing this show with a bi-lingual reminds me of the "Big River" revival (2002?) when the entire show was done in English and ASL. I love it! I love that you can understand everything being discussed even if you speak not a work of Spanish (so say the reviews)! They chose to perform one of the big dance numbers - I would have to ask one of my dancer friends to comment on the quality of it - but it's not the same shark/jet 1970s Afro Carribbean style we saw in the traditional production.

Rock of Ages - Still don't know what this show is about - but their cast performance was hilarious. Catching Liza off guard was akin to the cast of "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" pulling a confused-looking Al Sharpton onstage in 2005. I'm gonna guess that this is one of those shows that's a fun concert for fans of the music they cover, but probably lacks a compelling story that pulls you into the characters. Again, I would love to be corrected.

Guys and Dolls - Thank you for fixing the sound, stage crew. Vocally, this is the most musically "tight" performance we've heard thus far tonight. I like this new orchestration and vocal backup parts - gives an already classic number fresh propulsion. One question about the revival: Is it any shorter than the original? Since the first time I saw this show (and the 2nd, then 3rd) I've been of the opinion that the best thing for it would be a 25 minute cut in the overall length.

Note: John Stamos in "Bye Bye Birdie" should be a lot of fun. I hope it tours and does well.

Next to Normal - The number started dull and I was thinking "there's not anything here" but it picked up with the third person came in. Fun music, probably an intense story, but I honestly don't think there's anything memorable in it. I think this show will not stick around.

Billy Elliott - I don't know this story, but I'm sure this number makes more sense in context. I wish they'd chosen a number with more lyrics than "Aaah!" But Elton John always writes an exciting score.

Legally Blonde - I feel like I should hold some grudge against this show. Two of my friends have come very close to winning leading roles in this show, and not gotten it. If you've seen the movie, as I have, and not the show, as I have not, then you're probably thinking "has the Broadway audience sunk this low?" and granted, this is no Les Mis or Rent, but the stage adaption, from what I can tell or have been told, plays more to the idea of a modern - strong, woman. More along the lines of Thoroughly Modern Millie, we see a girl whose beauty is seen as an excuse or a setback to the world, who proves herself professional, adequate and a force to be reckoned with. Not just the movie's comedy of shopping bags, vanity and princess-gets-everything.

Lifetime Achievement to Jerry Herman - my only question - Why did it take until 2009?

Irony = Anne Hathaway + Hair

Hair - nothing new. Keep whatever opinion of "Hair" you already had.

I always enjoy watching the Tonys in order to get a preview of what's new on Broadway, but this year nothing stands out. This is the first one in awhile where I'm in no hurry to save up and buy soundtracks. Maybe next year.

Summer is Heeeeeere

2009-06-05T19:02:00.003-05:00

I am so glad summer is here! Yesterday was the last day with students, and I spent the rest of yesterday and most of today rapping up grades, putting away music, setting classes for next year, etc.
Finally, I am getting to CLEAN OUT THIS ROOM! I will have to work on this throughout the semester, but it's hard to get much organizing done during the year because it takes all day long just to do the day to day stuff, and anytime you go through things, you have to put everything back in time for the next day.

Both in college, and with teaching, I find that a full day of school takes up all of my brain juice. It's hard to get into books, or anything intellectually stimulating after a 12 hour day of school. Instead, I get home and all I can think about is unwinding and resting my mind.

Now I'll still be going to school pretty much every day for the foreseeable future, but instead of teaching and practicing (which I love, seriously, I do, it doesn't stress me out at all, it just uses up all my energy) I'm moving things around and sorting them. Now my mind feels free to think about other things.

I reserved some books at the library earlier this week, and this afternoon swung by and picked up the ones that have come in. I'm going to read "The Soloist" as per Aunt Jean's recommendation and so that I will have read the story before I see the movie.
I'm also reading "Aaron Copland: The Life and Work of an Uncommon Man". I would really like to teach some Copland music to my Orchestra kids over the next couple of years, and this will help to make me qualified to talk about it.
In preparation for my trip to Boston with Dad at the end of this month, I got a DVD documentary on the Kennedys. I want to read "John Adams" by David McCullough, but it's not in yet. Similarly "Cambridge Conductor's Companion" caught my attention and I have a place in the reservation line to read it later.
"Primary Justice" is a legal thriller by William Bernhardt. I'd never heard of either of them, but the online review said he writes similar stories to those of John Grisham, and I have enjoyed several of Grisham's books.
I don't know if I'll finish all or any of these, but that's what I love about the library, you can take 10 books, try them all, finish the handful you like, and go back the very next week, day, whatever, and get a fresh set!

Also in the summer kick-off spirit, I went for a swim in my apartment complex's pool this evening. It felt great (3rd floor apartment BAKES! I will be finding out-of-house places to be every day this summer, this is ridiculous). The pool is nice, but I'm hoping that by going first thing in the morning the lap lanes will be less obstructed so I can use pool time as exercise as well.

Swap Meet

2009-04-28T11:11:00.002-05:00

Summer is coming. One thing I look forward to most during summer is more enjoyable reading time. As is, during busy weeks, I don't get to read for pleasure until late at night, in which case I'm just reading to go to sleep. It can be difficult to really get into a good book if you only read 15 minutes a night and forget everything you read the next morning.
Also, while I never plan for this, I always see alot of movies over holidays and summer. There are more movies in the theaters, along with movies that came out during the year that I meant to see but had no time. Furthermore, movies are always a pretty sure bet when looking for something to do with friends.

So, with summer coming, I want to make the most of my brief increased reading time. That's where you come in Blog world. I've probably read 10-12 books during this school year, and below I will briefly review the ones I think are the best and that I would recommend to a friend.

Your job: recommend books that you like! Save me the trouble of starting or reading several different books before finding a really enjoyable one. Help me find good books to read that I wouldn't find by just scanning the NYT Best-Sellers list. Thanks in advance!

My best read of 2008/2009: The Kite Runner.

I still have not seen the movie adaptation, but this book hooked me from cover to cover. I am thrilled to see it on the new AP English reading list for high school students. I cannot wait until my students in AP English and reading it and talking about it. This is not a light read, but rather an intense story of true friendship and selfless love.
As a follower of Christ, I delight in the "self evidence" of God's traits of grace, love, and sacrifice. The author is culturally Islamic, the characters are Islamic, and the setting is in a heavily Islamic Afghanistan - and still the literary ideas we Westerners consider "Judeo-Christian" - sacrifice, selfless love, unending giving - are never more beautifully honored in all of fiction that in this book.

Next - A Whole New Mind

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41GMBp-ziOL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA240_SH20_OU01_.jpg

Now, I must admit, my interest in this book originated simply because I attended a presentation by the author that left me fired up and inspired. But I read his book twice and could not memorize his information fast enough.
We have seen a number of best sellers in the business world that attempt to alert us to the changing and globalizing world. Standing out among them is "The World is Flat" and I have read that one as well. If you pick between the two to read, read "A Whole New Mind". This book not only explains why globalization changes the demands on the training and skills of a 21st Century Middle Class Professional, but he offers very clear suggestions for addressing the new competitive battlegrounds.

My final recommendations(s): "The Fourth Bear" and "The Big Over Easy."

Jasper Forde, a British author, has a sense of humor unlike anybody else I've read. These "Nursery Crime" mysteries create complicated murder-mystery plots using classic literary characters, or "Persons of Dubious Reality" intertwined with everyday British society.
I have used both of these books on CD on roadtrips - and they make the drive seem short and easy.

Also, last summer I read "The Shack".
I only mention this one because it has become pretty popular amongst Christian literature, and so you may have heard about it. I cannot say this one is a favorite, but I suppose I'm glad I read it. The author addresses some commonly raised issues with God, the church, and mankind, but I wouldn't say it contains any new perspective or explanation. Not a hard read, so perhaps I should be easier on it - you'll get something out of it, and it won't take long to read.

I would also like to point out that I do not own any of these books. Rather, I have borrowed or Library-ed most of the books I've read this year, and that's the best way to do it.

Belated Update

2009-04-25T15:49:00.002-05:00

Thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes. My birthday was fun - but busy. I am sorry for the lack of posts (Aunt Jean), but things will hopefully settle down in the coming days/weeks.

The past two weeks have just been unbearably busy.

We competed at UIL on Monday and Tuesday, and then hosted a UIL contest all day Wednesday and Thursday. These things are just a marathon of preperation and work - and having never done it before juts makes it so much more so.

Contest is over, and I'm spending the weekend in Searcy with Jordan. We're goig to her club's formal tonight, in a few minutes, actually, so I've got to head out now.

Well Put

2009-04-08T23:10:00.001-05:00

I echo John Stewart's impressions of the Republican party lately. I just choose my words less profanely.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M - Th 11p / 10c

Baracknophobia - Obey

thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

Political Humor

Real or Fake?

2009-03-30T20:26:00.002-05:00

A friend sent me a video link yesterday, and simply asked "You're a music teacher: do you think this is real or a joke?" I watched it several times and was blown away. How could a person who is this off-key and awkward not be self aware? Then again, how talented would this girl have to be to be that convincing as a BAD singer?
Here's the video I saw. Follow the YouTube link if you'd like to receive a "Free Voice Lesson" from Miranda.

I couldn't stop asking myself all day long "is this real?" Does this poor girl really live in her imagination where she is on the brink of bursting into stardom, or his a self-created Florence Foster Jenkins having more fun than anyone else standing back and watching the rest of us scratch our heads.

I did some digging around, and I found this video, of a young actress who attended Azusa Pacific (where Camry goes) and I think I've found a match!

Furthermore, she is now a contract performer with Disney.

Bravo, Colleen, or "Miranda". I enjoy your YouTube performances, both your legit musical numbers and your alter ego the pitiful American Idol reject.

I'm Engaged!

2009-03-18T10:54:00.002-05:00

It's been an exciting Spring Break so far, so I was busy and not the first person to break the news in the blog World. But, yes, on Sunday morning I proposed to Jordan and she said yes!
I managed to surprise her by throwing her off guard a bit. Perhaps someday I'll post the story here, but more likely, you'll just have to wait until the next time you see one of us and we won't be tired of telling about it.

Her sister, who is also on Spring Break, came in Monday to see her and be part of all the stuff that Harding Social Clubs do when a member gets engaged (tradition is cool, but as an outsider I can't fully appreciate all the meaning of it).

In just a few minutes I'm taking Caitlin to the airport, and from there continuing on to Nashville for some buddy time with my friend Jacob Harbour. I'm looking forward to this. I spent some Spring Break time in Nashville with my family in 2002 and can't remember a lot of detail. But, I've never been on the Lipscomb campus before, even though I have friends who attended there and my own father even taught there briefly.

On Saturday morning I set out to drive from Nashville to Houston by myself. I'm really kind of looking forward to it. I've got books on tape and other precautions (including finally getting consistent and proper amounts of sleep over the last few days) to keep myself safe. But I'm hoping that before the drive gets boring I will enjoy having time to think and reflect on things.

Growing up, Marla and I went to "Camp Hensel" ever Easter Weekend we were in Youth Group, and I always valued the "Solo Time". I think the teachers there were wise to know that the kids who were being presented with challenging ideas and lessons needed time to absorb and be alone. I'm not sure I've had anything like "Solo Time" since starting my new life in Katy, venturing off into a brand new career, and making official my intentions with Jordan. This week has started off very well, and I expect, Lord willing, it will continue to be so.

25 things

2009-03-04T17:41:00.007-06:00

This chain letter of sorts has been passed around facebook for sometime now. At first I ignored it, then I read a few others' but haven't had time to sit down and do something like this until now.

1.) In all the time I've lived by myself I have never paid for internet, TV, or a home phone. I pride myself on doing without cable TV (though I do love the new digital picture from the converter box!) finding WiFi places, and not needing a landline.
2.) I'm about to give in on the internet one because I can't stand not being able to go online at night and on weekends when away from work.
3.) I used to drive trams and give tours at NASA. Sometimes I secretly miss that job and wish I could go back and do it for a weekend. But that's becauase I only remember the fun parts and forget how badly I wanted to quit that job.
4.) Come next month it will have been one year since I played cello in an orchestra. I can't believe it's been that long and I'm itching to play again.
5.) I prefer sitcoms to reality TV. That is why "The Office" is my favorite show. It's sitcom making fun of reality TV - a bold statement that contrived real life situations will never be funnier than clever writing and quality character acting.
(6-9 all go together)
6.) I used to think that if I ever had a girlfriend who was in high school we would stop dating when either of us went to college so that college would be a fresh start.
7.) I used to think I would probably wind up marrying a fellow musician (but not a cellist - I'm not homosectional . . . . . sorry) simply because in college those are almost the only people I met in classes, so the odds made it seem likely.
8.) I am engaged to Jordan Bailey. She loves music but isn't a musician per se. We started dating when she was in high school. I'll be able to tell people I went to my wife's senior prom and high school graduation.
9.) Jordan and I are already kinda related. My dad's first cousin is married to her great grandfather's nephew. That makes her my first-cousin-once-removed's mother-in-law's nephew's eldest granddaughter. But we're so much closer than that. Don't worry, I've gone over it dozens of times, and we don't share any common blood, we just have two distant family members who married one another.
10.) Jordan doesn't yet realize that it's not easy having a last name like "Flippin" in a post-1980s world. Marla got to get married and change hers. I've had a lifetime to build resistance to people constantly commenting that it's a funny name. Jordan is going to need some time to get used to it. Just for the record, there is no missing "g" on the end of it. 'Flippin' comes from "Phillip" which comes from "Phileo" meaning "love" as in "Philadelphia - the city of brotherly love."
11.) My niece was born in August of 2008. She is showing signs of being the smartest baby anyone has ever seen. Ever.
12.) I teach orchestra at Katy High School. I'm doing what I've wanted to do since the 6th grade or earlier. How many 6th graders do you know who can tell you what their career will be?
13.) I've made a resolution to not define myself by what I do for a living.
14.) I am left handed.
15.) If my parents hadn't been able to pay for my college, I would have gone anyways. Plan B would have been to find work riding my unicycle and juggling. Plan C - Air Force.
16.) I like collecting strange hats.
17.) I am legally allowed to perform wedding ceremonies in the state of Texas and several others. No takers so far.
18.) Some summer I am going to drive a convertible up the PCH from San Diego to San Francisco, stopping to see a game at every Major League Baseball stadium in California.
19.) Two years ago my dad took me to a Yankees v. Red Sox game in the original Yankee Stadium.
20.) It has now taken me 4 sittings, and I'm not done with this list.
21.) Some of my favorite classes in college were the Music History courses, and someday I intend to teach college level Music HIstory - in Europe!
22.) I believe this rule: All posts titled "My 25 Random Things" should have 25 items. Each item should be numbered and contain a beginning, middle, and an end. The only exception

Calling All Public School Music Advocates

2009-02-20T16:54:00.002-06:00

Here is a pragmatic case for Fine Arts as an integral part of every public school education.

Best part - It comes from a left-brained lawyer. Not another music teacher advocating his/her own job security.

I met this guy at TMEA a week ago. His presentation is powerful. Read this book. Better yet, give copies of it to your principals as gifts. Ask your local library to buy it so you can tell your friends to check it out.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1594481717/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link

Craziness

2009-01-23T17:43:00.002-06:00

This has been a crazy week at school. Nuts. Most of the things going on are good, only a few bad, but it's ALLL CRRRAZY! I wish I had more time to update. With school internet blocking all internet communication, it's hardly possible to do any better.

I've been really busy at work so far. My average work day is probably 12-15 hours, getting to school around 6:45 and leaving most nights by 9:00 or 10:00. I had to scale back the last two days because on Wednesday I got a soar throat which by Thursday had turned into a cold.

The cold is on the upswing. I'm actually feeling much better, but not pushing hard. Yesterday was the worst day, but I think I got through the rehearsals without letting on that I was sick.

This weekend I'm a professional page turner at the Rice University Young Artist Chamber Competition. Some of my former students from Memorial are competiting, and if your piano player uses a page turner, the page turner has to be a contestant. Who do they know who is under 25 and can lay down some wicked-awesome page turning at a moment's notice. "Mr. Flippin can!"

Interpretting the text

2009-01-10T10:32:00.002-06:00

Two men both played golf every Saturday. They did not know each other, but they worked in the same office building, and played golf on Saturday mornings at the same course. I mention this to you only so you will understand why they only drive by this Thai restaurant on Saturdays and no other day of the week.

One Saturday, the Thai restaurant that they passed on the way to golf had a new marquee reading "Lunch Special 7 days."

Man Number One drove by, read the sign, and thought "Wow! Seven days until the lunch special! I've got to remember to come back in seven days and try it!" One week later, after his early nine, he stopped by, and just as he'd expected, they were offering a lunch special. On his way out the door he saw the sign again; the news thrilled him that in seven days, lining up with his golf habit, he could come by and enjoy another lunch special. How fortunate!

Man Number Two drove by, read the sign, and thought "Wow! Lunch Specials every day of the week! I'm going there every day!" For the next week he drove out there every day at lunch to enjoy the special.

Every Saturday these men ate lunch at the Thai restaurant. They never knew each other or noticed one another. Each was convinced he had correctly read the sign, because, after all, each found his interpretation to be confirmed by experience.

You tell Me

2009-01-08T22:23:00.002-06:00

What I know:
-I cannot access personal email, blogs, or video on the school internet (which is smart of them considering the amount of time we spend at our computers, and the number of students who use computers daily in class.)

-The local library has free WiFi but is not nearby and keeps narrow hours.

-My lease runs through December of this year, so I don't want to sign any contract that would run longer than that.

-I do not need a land line phone.

What I want to know:
-What would be a good internet option for a single guy who lives by himself and wants to be on a budget? I do not have any desire to have cable TV or digital home phone. Just internet.

-Who have you guys used? What's the best deal, not neccessarily the fastest, but the best service for the least cost?

I eagerly await your advice, blog world, as I want to start shopping around.

Sermonette

2009-01-03T14:01:00.000-06:00

Let me tell you a story about a family that gave more than they felt they had to in order to follow Jesus by giving to others. I hope this story at least entertains you, but even more that it challenges you to think about something. Maybe it only causes you to say “good for them”, but even that would make it worth my time to tell you.
I’ll introduce the family to you. Mom and Dad have been married for fourteen years. They both love the Lord. One of the reasons they were initially attracted to one another is that they were both seeking a mate who was seeking Christ. Their desire to follow Jesus shows in many ways, the least of which is their active membership at church.
Dad sells insurance for a living. His company values him for generating a large volume of business. His clients trust him because he is honest and pleasant to deal with. Dad is good at his job.
Mom is a dentist. The hygienists and receptionists who work in her office think that she is a good boss. She is fair, generous, and her patients come back repeatedly because they don’t know of any other dentistry office where the experience is so painless.
Even with their careers, both parents are highly present in the lives of their 12 year-old son and 8 year-old daughter. Mom drops the kids off at school every morning and most nights is home in time to cook dinner. Dad coaches Little League teams, and has been known to pitch in with a science project or two.
A few years before our story begins, the family moved to a new neighborhood in order to live closer to work, thus losing less family time traveling to and from work. Their new house is beautiful – two stories with an open downstairs. It’s a great house for hosting big groups of people. They’ve only been there for three years, but already groups from church, kids’ friends from school, co-workers, and family gatherings have enjoyed the hospitality of the new house.
One night, as Dad was tucking in his little girl, they discussed the things on her mind when a concerned look came over the 8 year-old’s face. “Daddy? Why do we pay somebody to clean our house?”
“Well, Sweetie, God has blessed us with this wonderful house we have, and we have a responsibility to take good care of it. Part of taking care of it means making sure it is kept clean, so we pay somebody to come in and clean it.”
Normally these explanations would be sealed up with “Okay Daddy”, but the girl just looked even more perplexed and said, “I just don’t think that’s how God wants us to spend our money.”
Taken aback by the thoughtfulness of his child, the Dad later repeated the conversation to his wife. As parents, this couple had been prayerful and deliberate in raising their children to be followers of Christ. As they prayed that night, they thanked God that their little girl was giving thought to stewardship and that she felt comfortable talking to her parents about things she wanted to understand.
The Mom and Dad had carefully weighed the decision when they first hired the maid service. Between the two of them, they had no doubts that it was a worthwhile expense. Balancing careers, kids’ activities, and their commitments at church, having the housework taken care of allowed enabled them to be more giving to others.
The next night, Mom takes a turn tucking in their little girl. She explains to her daughter why they pay to have the house cleaned. Neither parent was prepared for the response their daughter would give. “If we bought more house than we can take care of, then maybe we bought more house than God wanted us to have.”
Time out. At this point, the parents have multiple options as far as what is “the right thing to do.” They can sit down with their daughter and gently explain to her that even though she doesn’t understand all of their decisions, she does not need to burden herself with the family budget. Grown-ups will take care of that. This would certainly not be wrong or dishonest. But thank goodness this isn’t where their thinking stopped. They made a commitment when their son was born that they would make every effort to raise their children to follow Christ. What if their daughter learned the wrong lesson from this? What if their daughter got the impression that there are some things you just can’t change even if the teaching of God seems to challenge your decisions? Their greatest consideration was for this girl, and soon-to-be woman, to learn that when you feel the teachings of God and Jesus compel you to go somewhere, you say ‘yes!’ Their daughter is only 8, so there are many things she cannot do without her parents’ help, but in the future when she feels lead to challenge herself to live more like Christ, they want her to remember that her parents always supported her in saying ‘yes!’
Two nights later the four of them sat down as a family and discussed their plan. The family could discontinue the cleaning service. For three years they had paid $40/week, so they would be saving about $160/month. In the spring and summer, a lawn man was paid $35/week to cut the grass. This would require everyone’s contribution. The maid had been hired to solve a real problem – there is more housework to be done than Mom and Dad can do.
A list of tasks was compiled of things that the four of them would now have to do routinely because they still had responsibility to God to take good care of the home he had allowed them to have. Each was assigned according to his/her ability with the understanding that from time to time someone would be unable to complete his/her work and the rest of the family would have to work extra and carry the load.
The plan was not always easy. The 8 year-old has since grown into a teenager. On occasion she comes home unhappy from a bad day at school; she wants to go in her room and be left alone all day, but is not allowed to do so because she must vacuum the downstairs and clean her bathroom. The dad soon found that he seldom took off early in the afternoon to play golf because he took those afternoons off early in order to mow the yard and still make it to his son’s baseball game.
Despite the momentary aggravation, the family felt a satisfying joy that the parents could have never imagined imparting on their children any other way. Because all four of them contributed according to his/her ability, all four had a say in how the $160 was used each month. The family discussed openly their ideas and wishes as to how to give the money to the Lord. Each was heard and appreciated regardless of age and gender. They used some of the money in ways that we typically think of when we say “giving money to the Lord” such as church collections. But they also stretched their boundaries of what they viewed as giving to the Lord. A teammate of the son’s would have had to play the entire season in his old pair of sneakers, but was given brand new cleats and felt the joy of being suited out like all the other team members. One of dad’s clients lost his job one year in the month of May. As a gesture of kindness, this house-cleaning family paid the man’s electric bills during two months of summer heat.
The lessons in this story are subtle. If the message were “house keeping is a duty and hiring a maid is extravagant” then I would not have taken the time to type it. Perhaps someday when this Mom and Dad are older empty nesters they will again pay for these things to be done. The point is that their daughter felt a need to give more and they withheld nothing to affirm and facilitate that.
You might be somebody who says, “I really cannot give up my housekeeper.” That’s fine. The Bible never says, “Thou shalt not pay anyone to clean thy house”. It is possible that relieving yourself of house cleaning gets you out of the house to serve others in invaluable ways, or that the money you pay your housekeeper keeps his/her children fed.
You might be like me and say, “I certainly don’t make as much money as my insurance agent or my dentist. Of course if I had as much money as people like that I would give it away instead of spending on myself.” If I sit here, then I’ve missed the point. My apartment may be two rooms instead of ten, but I can still echo their sentiment that God has given me a nice place to live and I have a responsibility to take care of it.
When God asks us to give more – more money, more time, more thought, more prayer, more energy, more of any of our resources – what are the things we’re stuck to that would prevent us from saying ‘yes!’?

Here Come the Changes

2008-12-31T09:47:00.004-06:00

It's funny, but this is the first New Year's that I decided not to make any resolutions. It seems to me that if a person is serious about making changes or improvements in his life, he should be committed enough to make the change without needing a Hallmark holiday to say "Ready-Set-Go."
I certainly wouldn't say that I want everything to stay as it is right now. Quite the opposite. My life is about to completely change regardless of if I want it to or not. I would much rather be proactive at this time and see the changes happen in my favor than ignore the inevitable until I'm depressed months from now saying "what happened?"
I seem to make new resolutions and goals every time I move. With my studio apartment in Denton, I resolved to take advantage of living so close to campus and walk to school every day. And, in rain, snow, hot and cold, I walked hundredes of miles in less than a year's time while I lived there, back and forth from campus to Bernard Street. In this most recent apartment, my big initiative kind of blew up in my face. The idea was to only unpack what I would absolutely need, and leave the rest boxed up. I was only going to live here for 5 months, and boxing things up is a pain. This would be efficient. By the 4th and 5th month I was constantly tripping over piles of such efficiency, and finding the simplest things like a highlighter or a book became real chores because those things weren't in their place, they were efficiently in the bottom of some box in the back of some closet or in the corner of a room.

But 2009 is different. New apartment? Yes! And I'm paying more for this apartment than any of my previous ones. Part of that is because this is a really nice apartment community. There is a 24 hour workout room. I got a taste of treadmills and weight machines using the YMCA between tonsillitis bouts this summer, and would like daily to feel the way one feels after an early morning run (or late afternoon) on the treadmill or bike. I'd like to spend money at the grocery store buying less food and buying more ingredients so I can have more say over the nutrition and cost of the food I eat. I want to set up my living room in such a way so as to make my small space inviting to groups of people. I plan to join a church and be able to use my apartment for discussion groups and friendly get togethers.

Of course, I have many goals and dreams for my new job. Not that I want to change anything; I'm starting fresh. I have wanted an opportunity like this for some time, and teachers, friends, and professors have been preparing me to do this for the last several years. Time to take the training wheels off and ride! No doubt I will fall and there will be some skinned knees, but it's time.

2008 was a year of great blessing, and I will comment on a few. I have no doubt that by doing this I will unavoidably leave something out:

Singing Oaks - This past spring I finished my time as worship minister at Singing Oaks in Denton. Having this experience was a great opportunity and enriched my life in many ways, but it was also a blessing to end this chapter and regain hold of the boundaries around my time management and commitments. I still talk to several close friends at Singing Oaks, and have enjoyed being back there a few times since to visit.
Italy - Jordan got to spend a semester at the Harding satellite campus in Florence. She still tells all kinds of stories about places and things in Europe that make me want to go there someday. Additionally, it was a stretch and exercise of our patience to go three solid months without seeing each other or even having a thorough conversation.
Award - I was surprised in April to be designated the "Outstanding Undergraduate Music Education Major" for UNT. There were a number of us eligible for consideration, and I had no idea that I was contending for the award until I found out that I was selected as the winner. A humbling honor considering the caliber of so many of my classmates and the fact that I am not a straight A student.
The Music Man - After a string of enjoyable musicals at United Players, this past summer I landed my dream job with my favorite musical. With very generous help and encouragement from Laney Carlin and Laurie Purcell, I music directed the United Players summer musical. The show saw record-breaking attendance, great reviews from local papers and community members, and the group was extremely kind and helpful in seeing me through my first music directing assignment.
Tonsils - On the tail end of this election season, we are more aware than ever what a blessing it is in any country to have health care coverage. 22 years of chronic Ear, Nose and Throat ailments, my tonsils were infected more in the first half of 2008 than ever before in my life. Around the first of August I had them removed by our friend Dr. Cynthia Tarver and made a considerably smooth recovery. My singing voice is still not quite back where I'd like it to be, but for the first time in my life I got through a fall semester of school without so much as a common cold or fever!
Katelyn - Marla and Josh are now the proud parents of the most beautiful baby girl I have ever seen. I am going to miss seeing her every weekend. More than ever, Marla, I am counting on faithful blogging and facebook updates so I can watch her grow.
Student teaching - Perhaps I haven't blogged enough the past few months about student teaching. I couldn't possibly say how enriching this experience has been. But the main points would be that Bingiee Shiu is a Godly man, and he heads a cluster of consummate orchestra teachers inside a community that has a uniquely deep love for the arts and quality orchestral music.
Graduation/job - As planned, I graduated at the conclusion of the fall semester. As of December 13, 2008, I hold a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas. To everyone's surprise (some slightly more than others) I also landed a job. What's more, I landed a great job.

Christmas Comes Early For the Teachers

2008-12-19T08:50:00.002-06:00

I am student teaching with some of the very best people in the whole wide world. I've known that for some time. I finish this week with highly mixed feelings. I am eager to begin working with Katy High School, and excited about the things that are poised to take place there. I like that school, I like the kids, I like the principal. They have had a rough past few years, and I would not wish that kind of frustration on anybody, especially high school students. BUT, I do like what it has created in many of them - a drive and a great desire to have a good orchestra experience. They want the program to move forward and they're ready to work!
I have built friendships with so many of the kids both at Memorial High School and Middle School. I will miss visiting with them in the mornings as they hang out and study in the orchestra room before school. I will miss talking to them and hearing them talk about school, what they like, what music they like and stuff like that. With so many of the middle schoolers, I will mainly miss getting to see how they develop into full-grown people. I wonder when some of them will out-grow their awkward phases. Among the beginners, I want to know what kinds of players they're going to turn into. Are any of them going to start taking private lessons and become all-staters? Will that one kid who is the class clown end up being class president or will he just remain a little kid who does anything for a laugh? How will the 8th graders do when they get to high school? Some of them will no doubt hit the ground running and no doubt be some of the best players from day one. Some of them will have a rude awakening when they're little antics and annoying forgetfulness isn't tolerated. Which ones will meet the challenge and grow into responsible high school students, and which ones will sadly refuse and trade their orchestra experience to put off learning responsibility a bit longer?

But this week has been fun. We got to hear their chamber music performances and enjoy the fruit of so much of our work from this semester.
AND . . . . . . . Presents!
I've gotten the nicest cards, notes, and well wishes at both schools. On top of that, I've got a new coffee maker, Starbucks money, a dancing Hallmark penguin, penguin tie, penguin coin bank (they figured out that I like penguins) restaurant gift cards, all kinds of baked cookies and snack mixes, and a few pieces of holiday decor that are "for your new apartment in Katy."

Speaking of my new apartment, I get the new keys this evening, hopefully. Tomorrow is moving day, and I will waste no time getting settled in.

Job Announcement

2008-12-08T09:46:00.002-06:00

I hope to replace this with a more detailed post later, but knowing the number of times I've started posts that way and never gone back and changed them, this is probably how it will stay:

As of Friday I was told that I will be hired as the Head Orchestra Director at Katy High School. "Head" is the word we're using but "only" would also be accurate. The job does come with some challenges and obstacles and will be hard work, but it seems like a better scenario than just about anything I could have imagined finding for a first job - seeing as how I'm looking to start smack dab in the middle of the school year.
The job search seemed to move so slowly, I guess it started when I attended the TMEA job fair back in February, and then resumed in September/October when I began applying and searching. Suddenly less than a week after interviews, I have only a few weeks to pack up and move (again.) I'm hoping to make this move last a bit longer. Since leaving home for college, 9 months is the longest I've lived in any one place. Time to break that record.

The Waiting Game

2008-11-19T20:46:00.002-06:00

My car was inspected by an insurance adjuster yesterday, and I found out today that the money is going to come in the form of a check made out to my dad. I (he) can then use it to get the car repaired at the shop of my choosing. The amount certainly doesn't total out the car, but equals a significant fraction of it's current trade-in value. Also, they are giving me a bodily injury settlement in an amount that is $100 higher than my medical expenses. So, here is my plan:

I wait. As far as I can tell, the car still runs the same as it did before the accident. The back bumper doesn't look all that great, but it can wait.

(IF I GET A JOB IN JANUARY) After I know what my pay is, as well as my basic month-to-month expenses, then I get a new (to me) car and have the repair money to make a nice down payment in hopes of scoring a low interest rate. Part of my "once I get a job" plans, anyways, were to start setting aside money for the day when I'd need to replace the car, this would just be taking the opportunity to get a head start on paying off a note.

(IF I DO NOT GET A JOB IN JANUARY, OR DECIDE THAT I CANNOT AFFORD PAYMENTS) Then I can continue to save the money for a future date when I can afford the purchase, or even go ahead and repair the car and hope to drive it a few more years.

Why I Love to Teach

2008-11-13T08:07:00.004-06:00

Tomorrow I am leaving straight from school to drive to the airport. From there I will fly to Little Rock to spend the weekend in Searcy with Jordan! Since it's been a month since we saw each other, and we may miss each other completely over the Thanksgiving holiday, this is a good time to go.
Because I'm headed out of town right after school tomorrow, I am unable to attend the Memorial Middle School Talent Show. I know, I know, "it's a middle school talent show, Sam. You'll get over it." And I would, emphasis on "I". It still means a lot to the kids who know me if I come to see them perform. So, I talked to the theater teacher who is sponsoring the show, and arranged to sit in on the two dress rehearsals, yesterday and this afternoon.

Fast forward to yesterday late morning. I arrive at the middle school in the middle of Symphony (the top orchestra) class, and just wait in the office for the bell to ring. If I walk into the classroom in the middle of rehearsal the kids loose focus, not because they get loud or interrupt, but they each seem to want me to wave to them one at a time. As soon as the bell rings, they're coming in and out of the office, and I'm out in the orchestra room. As I'm saying hi to them there is one girl who is quiet, and she's never quiet. She's either really bouncy and cheery or she's angry and let's everyone know about it. But this time, she barely even looked up when I said hi to her, there were puffs under her eyes as if she'd been crying, and various other girls were asking her if she was okay, getting no answer.

As I found out later, here's what had happened - This girl, whose parents are from China, had auditioned and been selected to perform a Chinese dance in the talent show. It's a dance she does by herself to a recording of Chinese drumming. When giving her information for her act she listed the title of the song as "Drummer." See, this style of drumming is mostly improvised, so every performance and piece is unique and generally cannot be played live the same way twice (thank you, intro to ethnomusicology!) Yesterday, some theater kids were sent around the school to get needed information for the talent show program. If a kid didn't list the artist on their CD track, or list the composer of their song, etc. When they came to this girl, she tried to explain to them that she listed the name of the song as "Drummer" because it had no English name, and she didn't list a composer because it's a recording of a group of Chinese people playing drums, not any particular song or piece. She got teased about this, and apparently these and other kids throughout the day would walk up to her and say, "Hey [insert her name], can you dance to this 'ching tang ding'" and sing what sounded like "Kung Fu Fighting."
She felt embarrassed and asked the theater teacher to let her out of the talent show. The teacher told her that a lot of kids hadn't been chosen, and she should be honored to be asked to perform so she had to. That's when the crying happened.

Fast forward again to yesterday afternoon. I walk into the auditorium after 8th period, and most of the kids are already in there. The theater teacher has them all in the center section in the front three rows and is giving instructions before they begin. I take a seat several rows back in the right hand section of the auditorium. This girl talked about above walks in a few minutes late, and a few kids in the crowd quietly (as if nobody could hear them) snicker and I even heard some of them humming that "Chinese" song (FYI, as a music nerd, I want everyone to know that the tune I'm talking about that everyone associates with Asian food and Chinese people, is in fact, not Chinese music.) She scans the crowd and the available seats, spots me, and walks straight back to where I'm sitting and just plops down in the seat right next to me.

Long story short, by the end of the rehearsal, she was laughing and being talkative. A few of her friends had found their way back there and talked to her and sat with us. She took her turn to practice, did fine, and our little section of the audience stood up and cheered loudly at the end, so as to drown out whatever other sounds might have come from the brats in the audience who need to have their egos knocked down a notch or two. At one point, I was letting her borrow my computer and my phone vibrated, so I said "I'll be right back" and zipped out of there for a minute to take the call (more on why I'm taking cell phone calls at school later). While I was gone my facebook status was changed from "Sam is waiting for an important phone call" to "Sam is sitting with the most awesomest person ever :DDDDDDD".

See why I love being a teacher? Where else would you get to do something like that for a 12 year-old kid while at work?

Hold Up a Second!

2008-11-12T09:51:00.003-06:00

Here's the AP story; Paulson has publicly announced he's not going to use the $700 billion as he'd said when they bullied and threatened congress and the public into giving it to them.
I'll leave it to my friends who know the stock market and economics to decide if this change of plans is better or not, but I just have one simple question:
Did we seriously give him the authority to just do what he wants with it, whether or not it has to do with the original intention of the money? What else could he decide to do with it, if he wants, that is not "purchasing troubled assets as originally planned"?

WASHINGTON – Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says that the $700 billion government rescue program will not be used to purchase troubled assets as originally planned.
Paulson says the administration will continue to use $250 billion of the program to purchase stock in banks as a way to bolster their balance sheets and encourage them to resume more normal lending.
He announced a new goal for the program to support financial markets, which supply consumer credit in such areas as credit card debt, auto loans and student loans.

Our Purpose Must Not Change

2008-11-05T09:24:00.003-06:00

Friends, Brothers, Sisters,
Our president-to-be has changed, our purpose has not. I must say whatever patriotic pride or good feelings I had by my candidate winning last night have been polluted and smeared by the attitudes of people around me.
I have never seen so much tension between people as I have today. What's more, it's in this school, this orchestra, where just a few weeks ago, when the election was not the topic of discussion, people were loving each other and being one big happy family.
Today, McCain supporters are non-stop smearing Obama and "all socialists everywhere." I wish I could say it's one-sided and that Obama supporters are behaving graciously. But this would be so far from the truth, "Why doens't anybody who would vote for Sarah Palin quit wasting all our oxygen and just cease to exist! Obama Obama." In each other's faces, competing to bring one another to tears.
You might assume I'm just talking about the students, or if I'm talking about teachers that it's before/after class or away from students. It's not. Teachers arguing with students, groups of students ganging up on each other. People are already talking about how they're leaving the country, or they hope somebody gets assassinated. It's sick.

Friends, a bit of advice for just today - shut your mouths. If you're feeling emotional one way or another, at least for today - shut your mouth.

If you are dedicated to a cause that you feel has been hurt by the election of this president - that doesn't mean you no longer work to make the world a better place. What success story of any successful athlete, writer, hero, clergy, or rights activist ever has everything go right? If you are as committed to your cause as you say you are, then whoever the next president is won't stop you from pursuing the cause that motivated you to begin with. If you're one who voted for Obama, don't spew out eight years of pent of rage and frustration just because your party won the election. The same mistake made by the post-Clinton Republicans has landed them where they are now eight years later, history gives no reason the same shouldn't happen to you.

Any outcome from this election was never going to either solve or create all our problems. The problems are already here and coming, and we've solved none of them. The election and all its commercials are over (thank goodness) but now the work begins.

Enter Witness Protection

2008-10-31T21:50:00.003-05:00

Happy Halloween, Everybody!
I hope everyone has been to to see the pictures of Kate's first Halloween.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif The pictures that she (Marla) put up earlier this week just make me anxious to get home and play with her (Kate, well Marla too if she wants . . . )
Tomorrow the orchestra kids tape for area and all state auditions. I remember those Saturdays from high school all too well. I hope most of them have a better go of it than I did. I was well prepared for that taping three years in a row, and never once was I able to get through the taping without some major mishap or minor brain freeze, which is all it takes for your tape to get eliminated. Anyways, there are several kids at this school who have made it before and are going for their 2nd, 3rd, or 4th consecutive all-state audition, so maybe it doesn't seem as daunting to them since more of their friends have made it.
I am in the mall tonight. Hiding out. Let me give you some background information to how this night became this way: I personally think this story is humorous, but it's not short. Sorry.

A subject that is widely disagreed upon in the education community is if a teacher should live in the same community where he/she teaches. I have had professors make compelling arguments - some for, some against both sides.
As the director of a program - like orchestra, band, or an athletic team - it can be nice to accept the role of public figure. It's nice for the students to see their teacher or coach not just in their role at school, but also about the community: going to the store, attending church, etc. Also, many teachers like having their own kids at the school where they teach. This is usually not a desire to be overbearing or to smother their kids, but as busy as teachers are, if you want to be involved in your child's activities and school stuff, it's just way easier if you don't have negotiate two school schedules.
Now, there are those who feel that living in the same community where you teach creates a lack of boundaries that is bad for the teacher and his/her family. When with family, that needs to be family time, the teacher doesn't need to be running into students and their families when out doing things with their family. The teacher doesn't need the added pressure of having to look like a teacher and be prepared to turn on the teacher mode every time they go to a public place and run into a student. Also, one of my professors pointed out that for those of my colleagues who might enjoy the night-life or the bar scene, it would be embarrassing for a student to spot you out drinking. This particular concern doesn't so much apply to me, but the point is well made.

I have really enjoyed my apartment location so far this semester. Those of you who have ever lived or worked in West Houston know that no price tag can be put on a commute that does not require any major interstates or thoroughfares. I arrive at work five minutes after I get in my car every morning, and I'm home just as soon after I leave. I only go through three traffic lights and the same number of stop signs to get there. Even with this close proximity I still have to wake up around 5:45 every morning to get to school when I need to. I shudder to imagine the thought of adding in a 30 minute drive and what 5:00 am would look like after five consecutive mornings. Also consider that on days (like every Monday, and then one or two other afternoons a week as well) if I leave work at 8:00 or 9:00 having not eaten dinner, even the five minute drive seems long.
My apartment is big enough for me to feel like I have plenty of space, and small enough that cleaning is anything but overwhelming. For the most part it is quiet. It is safe, it is clean, and it is reasonably priced. What more can I say? I lucked out when it came to getting the kind of place and location I wanted.

Now, here's the twist. Of the 22 beginning violin players I see every day, 7 of them live in this apartment complex. This was revealed to me on Wednesday when one student shouted out to the class that I lived in her complex because she'd seen me coming or going from my apartment "with his silver cello case." Immediately I learn of all the students who live in the complex, and they immediately want to know what number I live in and start talking about coming over sometime.
I am no fool. I do not want 6th graders knowing where I live. I do not want them knocking on my door after school, before school, or ever! I'm a 22 year old single male who lives alone. I am NOT touching that story with a 20 foot poll because at the far end of that poll lies the 6:00 news and a teaching career that is over before its begun.
Anyways, these kids think they've figured out where I live, and I'm worried because they're close. For two afternoons in a row now, I've heard them outside my front door. Both afternoons they've come, two or three of them (I know who one is, but not sure of the other two, because I don't dare open the door or show my face out the window). By some stroke of luck they don't know exactly which door is mine, but they've actually knocked on my next door neighbor's front door looking for me. These are sweet kids, and they have no bad intentions. We get along great at school and I think they're great. I take it that they like me too since the thought of seeing me outside of school doesn't make them run the other way. BUT, I'm a prisoner in my own apartment. I got out of the house earlier this evening, and came to the mall to see a movie. I had to leave before it got dark, because I was afraid if I didn't go earlier, there'd be trick-or-treaters and I'd be trapped. I feel like every time I go in or out of my apartment they could be somewhere and spot me and my cover would be blown.

So, still reading? If you're a teacher, or even a little league coach or Sunday School teacher - leave your stories or pointers in the comment box. Do you enjoy living in the community and knowing that your students could run into you at any moment? Or do you enjoy a comfortable distance between school life and the rest of your life?
Also, I seem to remember learning that for some kids, seeing their teachers outside of school can make them very uncomfortable and confused; like they don't think about their teachers having actual lives outside of school. If you ever had an experience like that as a kid, let me know about it.

Car wreck? Yes. Karma? No.

2008-10-18T08:11:00.000-05:00

If my archives were working correctly, you could look back to a December 2005 post, in which I witnessed a fender bender accident in Denton, while on my way to hang out with friends who were waiting for me to get there - and I pulled over and waited with the people until the police came and filed a report. In fact, I was contacted by one of the party's insurance companies a few weeks later and asked to make statements as to what I saw at the accident.

Before I go any further, let me just assure everyone that I am fine, my car is driveable, and I know I'm fortunate for this.

Yesterday I left Houston around 3:30 and began heading north towards Fort Worth. Traffic getting out of Houston was slow going even before rush hour. Understandable - it's Friday and everybody is heading out of town.

About the time I get to Huntsville, traffic picks up and really starts flowing, but about a mile north of that giant Sam Houston statue, I-45 northbound narrows from two lanes to one. This is where everyone was stopped. Although it's really sad to have been in Houston traffic for so long, finally get going, and then have to come to bumper to bumper congestion again, I managed to stop just fine. However, the guy two cars behind me did not. A Chevy Impala, also in the left lane like me, slammed his brakes but could not stop in time, so he swerved onto the left shoulder. On the gravelly shoulder with his wheels locked, he began to fish-tail and spin out.

I saw in my rear-view mirror that he was going to hit me. Sure enough, his car slid from the shoulder to the right back towards the traffic, and his front liscence plate smacked the left side of my back bumper. I am convinced that seeing it coming saved me most substantial damage and injury. He was going fast - we'd all been doing 65 just a few seconds earlier, this guy more recently than everyone else since the rest of us had started braking soon enough to come to complete stops without slamming our brakes. Because I knew he was going to hit me, I lifted my foot off the brake right before he did. Had I not done this, I have little doubt I would have hit the car in front of me and we would have had a pile-up, not to mention the likely whip-lash if I'd hit on both ends. Instead, with my wheels rolling, I never lost the ability to steer the car. He pushed me a good 30-40 feet (that's how far apart the cars were when we came to a stop) but I was on the shoulder/grass and didn't hit anybody. His car ended up turning about 180 degrees and facing traffic from the shoulder with a bent lisence plate. My bumper is toast, and for some reason my iPod has not worked since the accident, but a body shop guy will have to look at my car to see if there's any more damage.

Everyone was okay. I was very calm, and it didn't even really spook me until about an hour after we'd all headed back on our way. The driver and passenger in the car that hit me weren't hurt either. I got all of their insurance information, took lots of pictures, and the Highway Patrol came out and ran both liscences and insurance(s), said I was at no fault, gave the other guy a ticket and sent us on our way (gave me a head start, which I was grateful for).

There are two things that keep coming back into my mind:
1.) Nobody stopped. ONE person, one person, rolled down his window as he creeped past and said, "Y'all okay?" but didn't even look at us long enough for me to ask him if he'd seen anything much less if he could pull over and be a witness for me. The road was crawling with bumper to bumper traffic, and nobody had the time to even pull over and check on us.

2.) The guy who hit me. Right before I got out of the car I said a quick prayer thanking God I was okay, I selfishly asked him to allow me to continue on my trip to see Jordan this weekend, and finally I asked God to give me the ability to be compassionate towards this person who'd just hit me. The man was very nice. He and his girlfriend were on their way to Dallas. We each made sure the other was okay. He tried to make excuses for why he hit me and how it was unavoidalbe, but, when the towers and the police officer showed up, he told the truth and didn't try to blame anyone else. So this was a man of integrity.
When we were exchanging information (I only gave him my name and phone number because I didn't want to do anything that could be conceived as accepting blame) he told me that they were in a rental car, because they'd been in a wreck a week ago and their car was still in the shop. Poor guy, you know you're having a terrible day when you wreck your loaner a week after an accident. Fortunately, he'd bought extended coverage on the rental, on top of his personal liability insurance.
BUT, it gets worse. We had a cordial conversation while we waited about 45 minutes for a police officer to come out. After the police officer looks at the two cars, he takes both or information to his car and he's sitting in there writing for several minutes. The guy turns to me and says, "Man, you don't think he's gonna gimme a ticket, do ya?" In my head I'm thinking "I sure HOPE he does. One of us is getting a ticket and it's not me!" But I just responded, "This is my first accident, so I don't really know first hand how everything works."
He then continues, "Man, with my liscense, ya know, you lose points every time something happens, right? Cuz I got a CDL. I dunno if I can have two accidents like this."
I bit. "Oh? What do you do?"
"I'm an 18-wheeler driver."

SERIOUSLY? There are perhaps 200 cars in this traffic jam, only 1, that's 0.5% of the drivers are not able to bring their car to a stop without crashing, and you, that one driver of the whole bunch, are an 18 wheeler driver? I don't know what to wish for you, sir. I know you're a good man, I saw that in your honesty with the officer yesterday. I know you're a caring man, I sensed that when we checked on each other after the wreck and as we visited with one another on the side of the road. I can't wish bad things on you, but for the sake of my family, loved ones, and everyone who uses the highways and public roads, I have to hope that they're going to take away your CDL. It hurts me to say that, especially with the economy in its current shape. This is a bad time to have to change jobs or careers. But you should not be driving, let alone monstrously deadly trucks.

Sam Needs a Job

2008-10-14T07:34:00.002-05:00

This past week, I have made contact with various heads of fine arts in a few districts, inquiring about potential openings and even filling out a few applications online.
So last night, as I'm finishing a two-hour online application stint in the mall, I realized exactly what it is I need to do to find the perfect job.

So . . . . . . I'm going to take every dime of savings I've accumulated since high school, drain both savings accounts and check deposits, and throw all the eggs into one basket - 30 seconds of air-time during the next Obama/McCain debate. In this airtime I will make my case to every viewer in the world as to why I would be a good hire.

This promotional resume commercial will display my characteristics as a hard working, passionate, dedicated, loyal teacher whose love of music will spill over to everyone who I engage in the classroom. It will culminate in a huge cathartic moment at the very end when my message is approved by John McCain AND Barack Obama.

Of course, most of the visual footage will be me playin' the banjo and eatin' ribs.

I'm Steamin' Mad!

2008-10-08T13:18:00.002-05:00

My electricity is off! I called Reliant, and there has been NO mistake on my payments. My section of the apartment complex is just experiencing power outtages. I stopped by the apartment between schools today and my fridge was already starting to smell! And worst of all, just Monday I went out and spent $40 to re-stock my fridge after emptying it from the hurricane!!

You'll enjoy this... just kidding

2008-10-08T07:32:00.000-05:00

Help! Do it Now!

2008-10-03T09:15:00.002-05:00

The state is considering a state-wide GPA calculation system. As of the most current draft, fine arts courses such as band, choir, orchestra, and art ARE NOT included in courses whose grades would count towards the GPA. That's right, they left sports and athletics alone, but excluded music. Just so you know, music courses follow state mandated CURRICULUM, therefore should not be considered extra-curricular. Furthermore, with the state's new 4x4 plan, many students are already pressured by advisors and teachers to drop of out courses like orchestra, band, or choir in order to take heavier loads of math, science, english, and history. While this may be good for some students, such a cookie-cutter format IS NOT good for many students.
In a day and age when counselors and social workers report rising angst and depression among high school students, more and more point to group involvement as being vital to a students academic and mental health. The state is failing to acknowledge this.

The plan is not finalized, and you can write to Natalie Coffey at this email address natalie.coffey@thecb.state.tx.us and tell them that this is a terrible mistake that will lessen your confidence in the Texas School System. I've pasted the e-mail I wrote her below. If you agree with me but don't have the time to write an e-mail, copy mine and sign your name to it.

Please please help. High School students already are reported to be under tremendous amounts of stress, forcing the large numbers of high school students who find joy and retreat in their music and art classes to accept a lower GPA for it IS WRONG!

Dear Mrs. Coffey and Members of THECB:
It has come to my attention that you are considering a new GPA calculation that would no longer weigh certain areas of coursework in a high school student's overall GPA. These courses, according to my understanding of the policy's draft, would include all music and arts courses.
I must say that in addition to being alarmed and worried that such a change could actually take effect, I cannot understand how you fail to see the academic merit of courses such as band, choir, and orchestra. In the state of Texas, music courses of all grade levels abide by Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) guidelines put forth by the state, and students in all of these programs are assessed on material laid out by these guidelines. There is nothing extra-curricular about that.
Furthermore, your implication that education and exposure to the arts is of no academic merit insults students and parents who know the value of a well-rounded education. In evaluating a students overall academic achievement (the essence of a Grade Point Average) you seem willing to take no account for a student's accomplishments in the fine arts.
Perhaps you or your own children have experienced the positive affects of being involved in a thriving arts program within the school, and you know that along with this sort of activity comes an elevated work ethic and commitment to excellence that spills over from the music course into all areas of study. If you have not, then surely you have heard testimony from counselors, parents, and former students as to the importance of balance in the academic experience. This GPA plan can only lead to putting further pressure on students to leave behind their fine arts pursuits under the false impression that replacing what you call a "non-academic" course with another math or science will somehow make them better students.
If you have not experienced this first hand, perhaps you would read reports by the 21st Century Workforce National Alliance of Business. Business leaders describe the most needed traits they find lacking in potential employees coming out of their educations. These leaders seek people with good communication, problem-solving, time management, and healthy teamwork. These things are all instilled in music students across our state every day, and are the life skills they will need in any career. Furthermore, these things come naturally to the music classroom and are absent in your "academic" courses.
Please re-consider your decision to exclude grades in music courses from students' Grade Point Averages. It is unfair to ask a student to choose between the enriching experience of music and a competitive GPA; furthermore it is de-valuing of such a vital part of so many students' education.

Sincerely,
Sam Flippin

Small steps back to normal

2008-09-23T07:33:00.002-05:00

So, we're starting school today. My district gave up on opening the whole district as one, because there are a few schools that would hold everybody back a long period of time. They also gave up on starting schools that had power restored. Instead they're opening all schools but those with damage that makes them unsafe to occupy. My high school is open, but on generators. So, light? Yes! A/C? No. Roughly 75-80% of the students at the school still do not have power at home and are all in here before school talking about the disappointment to be in yet another place that has no A/C.
I have power in my apartment, but don't tell any of them. Before this week, I was actually hoping that in the event that school resumed before my power came back, that some orchestra mom would pity me and invite me to shower at their house. Even though it's the other way around, I'm not inviting any students to shower at my apartment. That's a great way to end a career before it even begins.
No word yet on a strategy for making up the seven days we've missed. I'm told that during Rita three years ago, the state had pre-approved a 10 day waiver (allowing affected districts to take up to 10 days off and still receive funding for those days) and I think it would be nice if a similar waiver were offered for this district. We have changed our December concert program around the fewer number of rehearsals we will have between now and then, and I imagine football (once all the schools we need to play are back in school as well) will be playing 2, even 3 games a week if we're still going to have playoffs on time.
For some districts, like Galveston and LaMarque, they're going to be closed long enough that people have to enroll elsewhere for the time being. As for CCISD, they're re-opening on Monday. That means they will have missed twelve days of school. There's just no way to make that up. They could go to school every Saturday between now and Winter break; or they could shorten Winter Break to just stretch between Christmas and New Year's and cancel Spring Break as well; or they could attend school through the first two weeks of June; or some combination of all of above. Not pretty. I do not envy those schools or the people who are going to have a very unpopular decision to make.

Sunday morning

2008-09-14T10:05:00.003-05:00

I had a few minutes before leaving for church. Here is what I know:
Power outages drag on for most of Houston. Some people have restored power, but most are still waiting. We have not heard any word on our houses (Marla's, my parent's or my apartment) but only from people in our general areas that everything is still standing.
I do not know when we head back. My school will not resume classes any sooner than Wednesday, and I do not know when or if power will come back on. The folks in Tyler are watching anxiously but still hoping to get a hold of somebody who has been at or near our houses to know exactly what the conditions are.
My uncle Jack, who lives about two miles from my apartment, has power, but much of the area around him does not. Some of Marla and Josh's friends have reported roof and fence damage in their neighborhood, and I think their neighbor Mandy was going to look in their house for them, but I haven't heard if she reported anything.

Watchful Waiting

2008-09-12T13:18:00.002-05:00

The process of watching, and recently running, from this storm has been a roller coaster. A week ago it barely concerned us, and since then predictions have put it far from us on both sides, and more recently directly towards us.
I am happy to report that all of my immediate family is now safely inland; my Dad and Josh were the last to give in and decide to leave.
I am at the Pape home (Ann and Dave Pape are two of my favorite Denton friends, and they're family has generously put me up for a few days) along with Mark (their son) and his wife, and his wife's mother and grandmother. Mark works at NASA and their third floor apartment is in the Nassau Bay area of Clear Lake.
The Papes own and run an RV and trailer home park here in Bastrop (about 45 minutes from Austin) and business is non-stop. They are completely full and have been turning away folks all morning. The local news station is at the entrance to their park and going to report live to all of Austin at 5:00 this evening on how booked up all such parks and motels have become. This morning, Mr. Pape, Mark, and I went to Sears and picked up a 6500 Watt Generator, set it up, and have rigged all the extension chords to keep the refrigerator and window unit AC running should we lose power. But power outtage and maybe a short rain is about the worst this area can expect from the storm.
To folks who have decided to stay in Houston - I hope none of this turns out to be as bad as they are predicting. I sincerely hope that 6 months from now, all of us who ran from it can laugh at ourselves and confess that we overreacted. But I still wish you'd get out; although every hour that passes cuts you closer to being stuck in it.

I (DON'T) like Ike

2008-09-11T07:07:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update:
Marla, Grandma Laura, and Kate left around 10:30 last night to drive to Tyler and stay with Bill and Virginia Chambers (family on Dad's side, he's a baby doctor and they have plenty of room.) Dad and Josh are boarding up their houses and tying up loose ends at work. They have not decided if they'll leave or if they'll shelter and place. As of right now, neither of them live within the mandatory evacuation zones.
I have my duffle back and cardboard box packed and ready to go, and have touched base with my friend Ann Pape whose parents live in Bastrop, TX. Assuming things look the way they do now at 3:00 this afternoon, I'm going straight from school out of town.

My Way With the Ladies

2008-09-01T09:41:00.003-05:00

My niece Kate is very cute, and as of tomorrow she will be two weeks old. I get to see her mainly on the weekends while I'm staying over on this side of town. All week long while I'm up at school (which is going very well by the way, I hope to blog about that at some point) I hear reports from Grandparents and regular parents that she is increasingly awake and alert and her eyes are constantly looking around blah blah blah blah. So I come home on the weekends and can't wait to see the baby. However, it seems that whenever I hold her she never takes more than two minutes to fall asleep. At this age, I think this "gift" is useful and good. However, I'm hoping that at some point she grows out of this. It wouldn't be so cute if five years from now, I help out one morning while Marla and Josh are out of town and deliver a sleeping kid to kindergarten in the morning, or if I have to avoid her t-ball games because it's not safe for the third baseman to fall asleep in the middle of the inning.
But I think I will start aiming my visit's to Marla and Josh's for late evenings and put this "talent" of mine to good use.