Sometimes I wish I could make up real life:
So we're getting out to the car to head to church. Denise spots a squirrel in the big tree outside. I take the kids over to see, and they both get really excited. As we're walking away, Caelyn and I have this conversation:
R: So, Caelyn, what color was that squirrel?C: Uh, I don't know.R: Was it gray?C: Yeah, it was gray, just like (pauses to think) Papa's hair!
--
Oilers at Dallas today, in another afternoon game. After pulling out a win against the Blues, I revert back to my early-season stance that we have no idea what to expect from this team. Either they get lucky, and pucks fall in the net, or they don't, and they lose. We aren't seeing any real blowouts, but watching games results in a Zantac 2.5 hours. I guess that's why we watch sports, to see who wins and loses. It's just a lot more fun to watch a team win consistently.
--
I haven't posted yet on the Thanksgiving results. Suffice to say that the turkey (more accurately the fire in the smoker) caused a good bit of apprehension, but turned out spectacular. Most families can say that they ended up with way to much in the leftover department, but in our case it really was true! We hadd a simply stupid amount of food for seven adults.The five (yes, five) desserts were almost untouched.
I've subsequently done justice to the holiday by eating my weight back up in stuffing, turkey (ooooh that dark meat), and desserts. To the gym tomorrow, where I will subject myself to all the exercises I don't like.
Go Oilers!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Christmas
It's been a long time since I've really truly gotten into the christmas holiday. I mean, everyone gets excited as they sit on their couch, eating a cookie and watching the Peanuts gang magically transform a stick into something beautiful. No, what I'm talking about is the true excitement that used to seize us as children. The excitement that began to bubble up just after Halloween, as the wind picked up, the snow began to fall, and plans for "Who's house this year?" were being made.
The trouble is that we grew up. We lost that excitement in the press of everyday life, in 1500 new Christmas movies a year, in the commercialism. I mean, how many times can we hear from retailers that the holiday season was disappointing before we truly understand that all they want us to do is buy up their overinflated inventories? Christmas lost the magic. Sure, maybe we went to church (maybe), and listened to the old stories. Maybe we felt the spirit of giving infuse us enough to plink a quarter in a kettle, or buy some truly outstandingly thoughtful gift for the significant other of the year. We baked less, drank more, even worked on the holy day itself. Is this ringing a bell with anyone else's twenties?
So what is different this year? For me, it's the thought of slogging back across mountain passes to a place of cold clear weather. A place where the air smells of sage and wood smoke. A place that might not get snow, but who knows what's up in those clouds. When I was growing up, Christmas was always freezing, and it didn't rain.
Another factor is the fact that we'll be spending Christmas in one place. No more portioning time for church, FamilyA, and FamilyB. One place, only. We go, we open presents, we play, cook, talk, sing, and enjoy for the rest of the day. No obligations, just family. Of course our Christmas will be soured by the fact that it won't be the entire family, but hey, steps toward perfection are always positive.
Finally, maybe it's just the thought that this year has been extremely stressful. Work situations, Jonah's delays, Caelyn potty training, and a meriad of other little items are weighing me down like an anchor. I need that unwind. That time when nothing else matters but us. When everything else is secure, safe, and three-hundred miles away.
It's been a long time since I've thought about saying this before Thanksgiving, but I'll say it now: Merry Christmas, everyone.
The trouble is that we grew up. We lost that excitement in the press of everyday life, in 1500 new Christmas movies a year, in the commercialism. I mean, how many times can we hear from retailers that the holiday season was disappointing before we truly understand that all they want us to do is buy up their overinflated inventories? Christmas lost the magic. Sure, maybe we went to church (maybe), and listened to the old stories. Maybe we felt the spirit of giving infuse us enough to plink a quarter in a kettle, or buy some truly outstandingly thoughtful gift for the significant other of the year. We baked less, drank more, even worked on the holy day itself. Is this ringing a bell with anyone else's twenties?
So what is different this year? For me, it's the thought of slogging back across mountain passes to a place of cold clear weather. A place where the air smells of sage and wood smoke. A place that might not get snow, but who knows what's up in those clouds. When I was growing up, Christmas was always freezing, and it didn't rain.
Another factor is the fact that we'll be spending Christmas in one place. No more portioning time for church, FamilyA, and FamilyB. One place, only. We go, we open presents, we play, cook, talk, sing, and enjoy for the rest of the day. No obligations, just family. Of course our Christmas will be soured by the fact that it won't be the entire family, but hey, steps toward perfection are always positive.
Finally, maybe it's just the thought that this year has been extremely stressful. Work situations, Jonah's delays, Caelyn potty training, and a meriad of other little items are weighing me down like an anchor. I need that unwind. That time when nothing else matters but us. When everything else is secure, safe, and three-hundred miles away.
It's been a long time since I've thought about saying this before Thanksgiving, but I'll say it now: Merry Christmas, everyone.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
See, I'm not insane!
Maybe it wasn't the main focus of my post from yesterday, but we did have a little discussion about the NHL's slamming the Oilers with possibly the best/worst schedule in 08-09. It seems that someone else had a very similar thought over at Oilers Nation. Click here to read the post.
Tonight we have another matchup with a team that I say is about to dynasty itself into the record books. Detroit is one of those teams that you watch skate just to see brilliant hockey. Here comes a prediction: Detroit takes the President's trophy enroute to a six game Stanley Cup victory over...oh...how about the Penguins? (Wait, wasn't that last year?)
Anyway, back to schedules rant. As I said before, I hate this schedule now. It messes with my mind, as we jump from games in central, mountain, and eastern timezones, all in the same week. It can't be good on the players, which could extend the current twenty points to 22 or 23. But in the end, what is better?
Tonight we have another matchup with a team that I say is about to dynasty itself into the record books. Detroit is one of those teams that you watch skate just to see brilliant hockey. Here comes a prediction: Detroit takes the President's trophy enroute to a six game Stanley Cup victory over...oh...how about the Penguins? (Wait, wasn't that last year?)
Anyway, back to schedules rant. As I said before, I hate this schedule now. It messes with my mind, as we jump from games in central, mountain, and eastern timezones, all in the same week. It can't be good on the players, which could extend the current twenty points to 22 or 23. But in the end, what is better?
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Learning by Ear
First, let me say, nice win last night, Oilers. You get doubled up in shots, but somehow pull out a 7-2 win. Better to save those goals for next month.
Which reminds me to point out something. (Okay, I'll get back to the actual subject of this post in a moment.) The fact that the Oilers start off their season with so many games on the road, added to the fact that they have one divisional game in all of November, smacks of something criminal to me. Sure, I'll probably be loving life in March when everyone has to come to freezing Alberta to play a winter game, but right now it's brutal. A lot of comments are flowing through Oiler blogs about players not playing to their potential. Is it at all possible that they are still shaking off the summer rust, and that the travel schedule has done nothing but emphasize the problem? I guess we'll see, come next spring.
Okay, so back on topic.
A blind guitarist can learn songs in a few different ways. The expensive route is to purchase lessons from either a website (i.e. www.musicvi.com) or via a personal teacher. Alternatively, you listen to a CD, probably augment with Internet research, and try to hack it out. Some even have friends that play that can help teach.
I use the second option. As this topic gets a bit of conversation on forums, I figured I would comment on the process. It's laborious, almost impossible with kids around, and will result in you playing the song your way. You will probably never exactly cover a song, which in some ways is a great thing! On the other hand, if you truly want to cover a song, I can't stress the first option enough. It costs more in dollars, but less in time. It has the added benefit of helping to develop proper technique while learning a song you enjoy.
Anyway, for me, the process usually goes like this: I start out either looking specifically for a song, or browsing the catalog of one of the sites listed below. I listen to the song over and over to develop a sense of rhythm, key, and difficulty. For example, songs with advanced techniques or finger-style melodies would go way up on the difficulty chart. Often, songs with high difficulty are simply impossible for my ear, as I can't pick up every transition, every note.
So I've listened to the song several times. I like it, I can probably even sing the words, but I haven't touched a guitar. Once I have everything in my head, I sit down and attempt to play the melody. This solidifies my sense of the song's key and helps me identify chord changes. Since most popular songs follow standard music theory. (Why go against the grain if it won't make you money.) So, I know that a song in a particular key will generally have specific chords. For example, a song in the key of C will have C, F, G, and A-minor. Since most songs work very well with only four chords, artists rarely go outside the box. So now it's up to me to put those into a proper order, get the right strumming pattern, and play along with a group.
Is my method precise? NO. Does it develop any new techniques or skills? No. Does it allow me to play along with a crowd in 99% of circumstances? Yes. So, for anyone thinking that picking up the guitar is to hard, listen very carefully to a few songs, learn some chords, build up some calouses, and have fun!
And now, for your clicking pleasure, the sites I most commonly use for chords, lyrics, and learning:
www.guitarnoise.com
www.guntheranderson.com/v/index.htm
Which reminds me to point out something. (Okay, I'll get back to the actual subject of this post in a moment.) The fact that the Oilers start off their season with so many games on the road, added to the fact that they have one divisional game in all of November, smacks of something criminal to me. Sure, I'll probably be loving life in March when everyone has to come to freezing Alberta to play a winter game, but right now it's brutal. A lot of comments are flowing through Oiler blogs about players not playing to their potential. Is it at all possible that they are still shaking off the summer rust, and that the travel schedule has done nothing but emphasize the problem? I guess we'll see, come next spring.
Okay, so back on topic.
A blind guitarist can learn songs in a few different ways. The expensive route is to purchase lessons from either a website (i.e. www.musicvi.com) or via a personal teacher. Alternatively, you listen to a CD, probably augment with Internet research, and try to hack it out. Some even have friends that play that can help teach.
I use the second option. As this topic gets a bit of conversation on forums, I figured I would comment on the process. It's laborious, almost impossible with kids around, and will result in you playing the song your way. You will probably never exactly cover a song, which in some ways is a great thing! On the other hand, if you truly want to cover a song, I can't stress the first option enough. It costs more in dollars, but less in time. It has the added benefit of helping to develop proper technique while learning a song you enjoy.
Anyway, for me, the process usually goes like this: I start out either looking specifically for a song, or browsing the catalog of one of the sites listed below. I listen to the song over and over to develop a sense of rhythm, key, and difficulty. For example, songs with advanced techniques or finger-style melodies would go way up on the difficulty chart. Often, songs with high difficulty are simply impossible for my ear, as I can't pick up every transition, every note.
So I've listened to the song several times. I like it, I can probably even sing the words, but I haven't touched a guitar. Once I have everything in my head, I sit down and attempt to play the melody. This solidifies my sense of the song's key and helps me identify chord changes. Since most popular songs follow standard music theory. (Why go against the grain if it won't make you money.) So, I know that a song in a particular key will generally have specific chords. For example, a song in the key of C will have C, F, G, and A-minor. Since most songs work very well with only four chords, artists rarely go outside the box. So now it's up to me to put those into a proper order, get the right strumming pattern, and play along with a group.
Is my method precise? NO. Does it develop any new techniques or skills? No. Does it allow me to play along with a crowd in 99% of circumstances? Yes. So, for anyone thinking that picking up the guitar is to hard, listen very carefully to a few songs, learn some chords, build up some calouses, and have fun!
And now, for your clicking pleasure, the sites I most commonly use for chords, lyrics, and learning:
www.guitarnoise.com
www.guntheranderson.com/v/index.htm
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Party on, Jonah!
We just finished watching the Oilers get beat in a shootout to the Avalanche. Despite the fact that Dwayne needs to keep his legs together more than a homecoming princess, it was a really good game. Shootout took five rounds, which is not something you see very often. I don't remember seeing one that long before. The whole thing was particularly heartbreaking as the Oilers had a goal lead with 30 seconds to go in regulation. After a couple of penalties, and a five-hole shot (see my comment above), the game was essentially lost.
Oh, and at the same time, we had Jonah's second BDay party. Thomas the Tank Engine seems to be a bit of an obsession right now, and it definitely was the theme. From the decorations to the music to the cake to the presents, everything came up trains. I'm sure I'll have pics to post tomorrow, which will give me a chance to figure out image placement with a screen reader. Anyway, party was pretty good. It's always good to have E&K in the house, even if she was off the radar again.
I realized today that I haven't touched the Breedlove in several days. That will be remedied tomorrow. 'tis the season to study Christmas songs, and I'm already behind the curve. Erik reported that I should have a looping pedal in my house shortly, which will help enormously with practice.
A very journal-like entry, but hey, what do you want for 10:30 at night after a very, very long day.
Go Oilers.
Oh, and at the same time, we had Jonah's second BDay party. Thomas the Tank Engine seems to be a bit of an obsession right now, and it definitely was the theme. From the decorations to the music to the cake to the presents, everything came up trains. I'm sure I'll have pics to post tomorrow, which will give me a chance to figure out image placement with a screen reader. Anyway, party was pretty good. It's always good to have E&K in the house, even if she was off the radar again.
I realized today that I haven't touched the Breedlove in several days. That will be remedied tomorrow. 'tis the season to study Christmas songs, and I'm already behind the curve. Erik reported that I should have a looping pedal in my house shortly, which will help enormously with practice.
A very journal-like entry, but hey, what do you want for 10:30 at night after a very, very long day.
Go Oilers.
Friday, November 14, 2008
The Ubiquitous First Post
Alright, so here it is, and yes, it'll read something like every other first blog post you've ever read. Sorry about that, but sometimes you don't mess with perfection.
It took me a long time to get into this blog thing, and like most everything else in life, it was hockey that was the trigger. Hockey? Yes. Hockey got me married, hockey gave me an entertaining childhood. Hockey pulled me into blogging. Why? Mainly because I had to respond to this.
I'm also a nonAlbertan that follows the Oilers, and doesn't understand why. I mean, there is a hockey team less than 200 miles from me (though I would have to pass through border control to get to a game). The fact is, that the Oilers are simply the most entertaining, best covered, and certifiably insane (northern Alberta in winter) team in the NHL. You love them, you hate them, you watch them on HNIC when the stars align. And, if you're me, you start blogging just to say that some NHL blogger with weak content has it right (Reportedly she's pretty hot, though.)
Admittedly this blog will probably result in very little interest external to my children looking back in twenty years to see "what truly was wrong with daddy", but at least it's an outlet for marginal creativity. What can you, my nonexistant reader, expect? Essentially, this blog will, like so many others, be a chronicle of my thoughts and experiences. Enjoy!
It took me a long time to get into this blog thing, and like most everything else in life, it was hockey that was the trigger. Hockey? Yes. Hockey got me married, hockey gave me an entertaining childhood. Hockey pulled me into blogging. Why? Mainly because I had to respond to this.
I'm also a nonAlbertan that follows the Oilers, and doesn't understand why. I mean, there is a hockey team less than 200 miles from me (though I would have to pass through border control to get to a game). The fact is, that the Oilers are simply the most entertaining, best covered, and certifiably insane (northern Alberta in winter) team in the NHL. You love them, you hate them, you watch them on HNIC when the stars align. And, if you're me, you start blogging just to say that some NHL blogger with weak content has it right (Reportedly she's pretty hot, though.)
Admittedly this blog will probably result in very little interest external to my children looking back in twenty years to see "what truly was wrong with daddy", but at least it's an outlet for marginal creativity. What can you, my nonexistant reader, expect? Essentially, this blog will, like so many others, be a chronicle of my thoughts and experiences. Enjoy!
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