Welcome to My Mind

The Birthday of My Blog

I started this web log 5 years ago as a way to force myself to see something new when I lived in Marin County.
1st Years Web Log's Birthday Entry

By the 2nd years web log birthday, I moved to another state, became a professor at a college teaching music and made some new friends.
2nd Years Web Log's Birthday Entry

By the 3rd years web log I met Jennifer. A sweet, caring, cool, intelligent, calming and very pretty girlfriend who really compliments my personality and makes dating easy and so much fun.
3rd Years Web Log's Birthday Entry

By the 4th years weblog, I began composing compositions again. I had written a string orchestra piece, reorchestrating my older compositions and composing new pieces for the steel band.
4th Years Web Log's Birthday Entry

By the 5th years web log, I had build the music program the largest that is as probably ever been and it was the largest the steel drum had ever been.
5th Years Web Log's Birthday Entry

By the 6th years web log, everything started falling apart. I was still with my very pretty perfect girl, still a college professor, music department chair and choir director. I had a piece being performed by a professional music ensemble at a new music festival. It was also the 1st time I have ever experienced a hurricane and the after effects of a city after it hit.
Last Years Web Log's Birthday Entry

This year everything has gone to hell. I lost my college gig because of budget cuts or the hurricane and a really stupid president that did not listen to anyone and had no forward inside. He got rid off over 10% of the faculty at the college. The funniest thing is that the neighboring college has record enrollment. They have no more rooms left for the classes they are offering. You know why? Because students were pissed and left the college. No vision.

To add to the hell year mom's mom, Nana, the one I could call me 2nd mom passed away. So I am basically in the same position I was when I started this blog. No gig and few friends in the area (many left after the hurricane). The only difference is that San Fransisco was really pretty and I could pick any direction to go and see something new. This time I am in Texas and you can drive anywhere and still not see nothing new.

I am still with my very pretty perfect girl and have been both going through our own personal hell and doing our best to keep ourselves sane.

I am hoping that this year a new and exciting adventure awaits.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEB LOG!!!!!!
                    

Fat Tuesday

Ron and I went to see the Fat Tuesday Parade downtown.  Mostly locals go to this parade since most of the tourists from the weekend are gone.  It is a fun parade and I usually get the best beads from this parade.  This time I got a glowing fuzzy spiked thing.  It is cool.  We then went to Luigi's for dinner.  Really good Italian.  I got the rigatoni in pesto with grilled chicken breast.  The pesto was really good and the grilled chicken was also really good. Then watched beads being thrown off balconies.  Goodbye Mardi Gras.

Jennifer's Mardi Gras Island Retreat Day 3

Made Jennifer pancakes for breakfast.  Then walked to the seawall and watched the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux Parade at 1p.  A parade with all kinds of dogs and cats.  Mostly dogs though.  Jennifer enjoyed the parade since she likes animals.  We watched part of the Children's Parade at 2p before taking her back up to Houston and concluding her island retreat.

Jennifer's Mardi Gras Island Retreat Day 2

I made some barbecue chicken burritos for lunch today and mainly hung out at my place for most of the day since it was so cold outside.  We did go and watch the Knights of Momus Parade while shivering.  After the parade, I called Ron and asked if we could warm up at his house.  He gave her the tour of his recently (post hurricane) fixed up house and his new registration of his organ.  For dinner we went to the Original Mexican Restaurant.

Jennifer's Mardi Gras Island Retreat

Went up and grabbed Jennifer and headed down for a romantic surprise for her.  I was going to make dinner and had the table set up and candles circled in sea shells she picked up on the beach last week.  When she walked in she was surprised.  Nothing fancy, just some pasta and some wine and watched the Olympics opening ceremonies which were boring, uninteresting and too much pop music.  Jennifer was even apologizing how bad her counties ceremonies were.  And of course the really bad coverage of NBC.  (They pretty much sucked during the whole Olympics.)  It was still a nice romantic evening with my girlfriend.

Real Computer Music

Ever wondered what it would sound like if the sounds of Microsuck Windows were put together as music?  If you have, listen to this.

Music using ONLY sounds from Windows XP and 98!
XP and 98

Music using ONLY sounds from Windows XP and Vista
XP and Vista

DD's Mardi Gras Island Retreat Day 4

Jennifer and I took DD to the airport and had breakfast/lunch at Denny's on the way.  It was sad to see him go but it was a lot of fun and I am glad that he did also.

DD's Mardi Gras Island Retreat Day 3

Today was the day of parades on the seawall.  The 1st one, the Mystic Krewe of Aquarius Parade, was a noon.  My apartment complex every year puts up a tent and gives away free food and drink to the tenants and guests.  They were behind today so no tent.  But free chicken right off the barbecue.  The next parade was at 3p, the Fire Truck Parade.  The seawall is a great place to have a parade.  Watching the parade with a back drop of the ocean is a unique sight.  Jennifer had gone down to the beach to look for some sea shells.A couple of them were very thin.  She put them on a frisbee we caught during the parade next to a tree.  Eventually a dog (ya a dog) ate the 2 thin sea shells.  Jennifer could not believe it.

The Krewe of Gambrinus parade was at 6p and was joined by my friend Belinda. 

Then Jennifer, DD and I had dinner at Salsas.  Jennifer and I really like the green sauce and tend to have to many chips.  We then went downtown where beads are being thrown off balconies and shirts are being lifted.  A fun day of beads, parades and breasts.

DD's Mardi Gras Island Retreat Day 2

DD and I had lunch at a great local barbecue place Queen's.  I got my barbecue smoked ham.  Yummy.  Then we went up to Houston to pick up Jennifer.  Got some chicken nuggets at McDonald's on during the drive down.  (Jennifer is addicted to nuggets but only at McDonald's.) DD and I then went to the Krewe of Aquarius Barn Bash. (Jennifer relaxed at my place where it is quiet.  Her and I have been to the barn bash a few years ago.)  DD and I had fun.  There was a lot of people, a live band, a dance floor and lots of beads being thrown.  What a fun party.

DD's Mardi Gras Island Retreat

George and I picked DD up at the airport.  I made a sign with DD's name on it (like the ones people use to pick up someone they do not know) and gave it to George.  When DD saw it he laughed.

We then went to BJ's Pizza for lunch. Still awesome pizza.  Then down to my place.  It is nice to have DD here for a visit.

More Traveling Crap

I got picked up by the music coordinator and search committee chair from the hotel.  My st interview was with the Dean of Academics at 1:30p.  Great Interview.  She asked good questions and I answered really well.  I then toured the college and music department myself until 3:30p for my 2nd interview with the search committee.  I did really well with my presentation (act as the committee is a beginning voice class) and the questions.

Was then taken to the airport my another professor of the college around 5p so I can go home and see my girlfriend.  Nope.  There was a major snow storm in Charlotte, North Carolina and all flights to there are canceled on all airlines.  There were no other flights to Houston on any other airline. 

Airlines suck.  What happened to the red eye flights?  Oh, since airline prices fluctuate up and down like a yo yo, no one wants to fly anymore so there are less flights.  I like traveling.  I hate flying.  It is not fun anymore.

So thanks to my wonederful girlfriend and her internet searching ability, she found a good hotel, the Days Inn, near the airport for $69.   A shuttle got me a the airport, dropped my crap off, and the hotel shuttle took me to the Skyline Restaurant.  I wanted real food.  Pretty good chicken parmesan.  Now for some sleep.

In One Word: Nothing

Wow. It looks like it has been awhile since I have written here.  There is not much to put here since all I do these days is stay at home cleaning, watching TV and playing with Mercury.

So today I go to the airport for an interview at a college in Connecticut.  My flight left around noon.  Dropped Quartz off at work, got some kolaches and left on a place to Charlotte, North Carolina.  Then the same place goes to Hartford.  Well, 6 hours later, we could not land in Hartford because the winds were so strong that the breaks on the plane would not sufficiency stop the plane.  So we were diverted to Providence, Road Island.  Brilliant.  Luckily the airline ordered us a bus to take us to Hartford.  They said the bus would arrive in 15 minutes.  Ya right.  It arrived 1 1/2 hours later.  Got on for a 2 hour ride to the Hartford airport through fresh fallen snow.  Arrived at the Hartford airport a little past 10:30p.  I was picked up by one of the professors at the college and her husband.  They took me to dinner since I had not had a real meal all day.  By the time I got to the hotel, it was midnight.  12 hours of traveling hell.  But wait, more fun tomorrow.

A New Year

I made Jennifer pancakes for breakfast.  We hung around my place.  Jennifer relaxed and I did some cleaning and laundry.

For dinner I made her Barbecued Chicken Burritos which I must say were really good.

Happy New Year

We had lunch at Salsas.  We then walked on the Strand and browsing through stores.  It was a relaxing New Years with Jennifer.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Finally The End of a Crappy 2009

Jennifer went to work and I did some emailing.  Jennifer friend Amanda called and asked if could pick them up for lunch.  We went to the Mediterranean restaurant Aladdin.  I have been there before and the food is really good. 

I picked Jennifer up from work and took her down to my place for New Years.

He bought some vegetable sushi rolls from Kroger.  I made spaghetti which did not come out that well unfortunately.  We did have our Riesling that we really like.  We also ate some chocolate in a box Jennifer brought down.  Those were good.  Watched some channel that had the New York ball drop. 

Goodbye crappy 2009.

Happy New Year and hello 2010!