Alpha/Omega

Funny. I began in this business as a church musician in 1962 in a small Lutheran church in Baldwin Park, California. I made $90/month and managed to pay my share of food/rent and expenses with it. Imagine that. I kept up church work until 1985--while the girls were still young: 14 and 10--when I quit and vowed never to do it again.

So that was 24 years ago. Then last month I got a feeler for interest via a colleague from the Episcopal church in Decatur, which is 30 miles away. I interviewed with the rector and organist at the end of last month, auditioned with their small choir on the second of this one, got the job, and am now almost about to receive my second paycheck from them.

Never thought I'd see the day and, 24 years later, the day is here again. Not sure why I did it but am glad I did. It is most unlikely that I will have any mountain top aesthetic experiences with them: they are quite small (SATB = 5, 4, 4--2 women among them--, 3, when they are all there, that is, which has yet to happen in the 5 rehearsals and 3 services I have done with them); and they are of varied musical and vocal skill--from adept to, well, ahem. . . But as my buddy said, 'being a church musician is better than being a street musician,' and as daughter Meggie said when I told her about it, 'you've already had plenty of mountain top experiences, Dad. You've made your bones with that mob.'

And she's right, I have. (Though I made up the part about mob bones and ascribed them to her).
Besides, the rector is a great young man and a brief sermonizer--he'll go far; the soon-to-be-grizzled organist is talented and a very funny man--he's already gone far; and the choir has an assistant organist/librarian/female tenor/factota who is extremely helpful to this veteran of so many non-liturgical churches. Well, four of them. This is my fifth church job.

But the main thing for me is the wonderful people: devoted, willing to work, kind, and funny (though not many are all of the foregoing in one package, but who cares? I ain't, either). They are, all in all, a delightful group that manages to laugh at my humor, follow my instructions to the best of their abilities, remain patient with my few digressions, and stay true to my few rigid laws. And while I doubt that I will dip very far into my reserve of conducting skills, I am still quite a good teacher and it feels good to be employing those skills on a regular basis once again. I'm pleased that they hired me and are willing to tolerate me for awhile. I hope to give them some musical/vocal skills, personal satisfaction and a little joy in my time with them.

***

To end is to begin: I'm going to end my career the way I started it. That's true of the human being too, of course: we begin unable to walk and end the same way, relying on 'conveyances to carry us where our skinny shanks no longer can.' (Thomas Wolfe: Of Time and The River)

Jesus. That's depressing. But so was Thomas Wolfe: an incandescent talent who burned himself out in booze and depression at 37, I think. He was the subject of a novel, forget the title and author, but his famous editor, Maxwell Perkins, was also in that novel. Someone look it up, OK? I don't feel like it. I'm going to give myself over to a bit of depression but not booze.

You know the only thing I don't like about being a church musician again? I can't wear my academic gown in the service. Nossir. I have to wear a cassock and that pussy white surplice. With a cross around my neck. Makes me feel and look like a devout neutered peacock.

So I'll just attempt to strut down the aisle with my feathers folded, come Sundays. And avoid screeching.

Tahoe

I've been called out by Megan for not doing a post about our family camping trip to Tahoe in mid-July. I have no explanation for it other than coming back to Bama and resuming duties of dog, meals, exercise, reading, naps, and of course appointments of various kinds. Anyway, it was a delight to be with my family in that gorgeous corner of the world; I've probably been to Tahoe at least twenty times during my fifty years of living in California and have always been entranced by it. This time (about the eighth or ninth time for me) we were at Sugar Pine Point, a state park that includes the mansion and grounds of the Hellman family of Best Foods fame and money, as well as large, gorgeous campsites. And a River Runs Through It. And we saw bears a couple of times, including two cute cubs. The Boys went nuts.

I rented a '91 VW Westphalia camper for the period for Meg and me to sleep in, she in the pop-top, I below. It was also used as a brief retreat from the noise for Libby and a short-term playpen for The Boys. The Girls grew up in VW vans--I drove two--a '72 and then an '81--for sixteen years. The '91 went up the mountain much easier than my old ones, in which Third Gear was known as Beer Gear--once we reached a certain point, it was third gear the rest of the way, and I would ask Meggie to get me a beer out of the cooler. She would open it and hand it to me.

Ah, the bad old days.

Anyway, the five of them had time at a mountain lake together one day while I showered and napped, and then they went to the Nevada side for the day on a friend's boat while I sat in the shade on the beach at the Hellman estate and snacked and read. We had great campfires together and even a few decent meals, camping veterans that we all are. I did ham hocks and beans one night. Yum. And for cocktail hour once we had Alaskan Salmon. Double yum. In all, it was great to be at 7000' with my family again. That hasn't happened in a long time. Making plans to do it in some form again next summer, Allah willing. Here are some pics from the Nevada side: one of Lib in the boat and then one of Meg's Killer Hawaiian Bod:

So there you go Muggs (got even with you with this pic, eh Babe? 'Tssst! Hot!!'). Hope you enjoy it, too, L and L. Maybe even show The Boys the pic of them drawing in the van. And those of you in Cali? For God's sake, if you ain't yet been to Tahoe, go! But camp. Make a day trip from the campground if you gotta gamble. Live in a tent or van and enjoy the cool (cold, at times) nights and gorgeous, dry days. Hope you get a Sierra storm (fun) and see bears, in other words--as Larry Meredith would say--'the whole experience.'

New Years Day III

College football season officially begins Saturday. It seems like forever since January. Jeez.

***

Since I wrote the above sentence, a few things have happened, including attendance last night at the Titans/Packers pre-season game in Nashville. We went with Ian Loeppke and his new wohman, Dana, who got great tickets in the top tier on the 50-yard line. I could see pass patterns opening up before the TV crews did. Was fun. Titans have one helluva fine rookie receiver who caught two TDs from Vince Young against the second string GB secondary. We left in the fourth quarter with the score at 27-10, Titans, in a game that didn't count, just lined the pockets of Titans management. At least the city of GB gets the money, not some rich guy with too much money and time on his hands. Gotta love 'em for that, at least. GB QB Rodgers played only one series. Ho hum.

(Oh, and 'ah ite ree-ubs' in the downtown Music Alley right across from Ernest Tubbs' shop. Parked the car right next to the Grand Ole Opry, which my Dad and his buddy Charlie used to watch religiously when I was a lad).

Funny, I lived in SoCal for 30 years of my life and only went to one Rams game in all that time. Lived 20 years in NoCal and only went to one 49ers game. Lived here a little over a year and have already been to two Packers games. (Think my GB wife and her family have something to do with that? She's a rabid fan, actually, and has Brett Favre at the top of her s**** list for going over to the hated Vikings).

But have been to plenty of UCLA and USC games in that half century, plus a boatload of UOP games in Stockton while I lived there; often took the girls, who left me immediately after kickoff and cruised for friends and boys. Sigh. I tried. But they turned out more than OK otherwise.

***

Fight on, Trojans; Go, Bears and Bruins; kick non-conference butt, Pac-10. I hate the corruption and exploitation of college ball, but I do so love the sport, God help (and forgive) me.

Jetta

Here are three views. Will do a front view sometime, too. Snazzy little machine; fast as it looks.

CherryCreek

I didn't write about this adventure at the time because I was getting ready to travel and then the summer got away from me.

I did a residency at one of the finest high schools in the country: Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, Colorado. It was pure joy because of the superb training the ensembles received from Bill Erickson and Sarah Harrison, two of their three (!!) regular, full-time conductors. The women's chorus was especially responsive, adept and flexible, but even their beginning mixed chorus of 80 was a pleasure to work with. I had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed getting to know the staff there, including their versatile, gifted accompanist, Rob Lowe (real name). I even have medals to prove that I am now an honorary member of the choruses. If you'd like to hear the performances, go here. Believe me, I take no credit for their excellence at all, because all I did was have a great time for several days playing with superb, well-prepared, talented kids.

Late greetings and repeated thanks to Sarah, Bill and Rob.

Oh, and I got to see USC alum James Kim, who drove down from Ft. Collins to hear the performance, and who has also worked with these fine groups. You can hear the knockout work he is doing at Colorado State in November at the NCCO national conference--It will be his second appearance at that conference, since he also qualified for the first one in 2006. Don't miss a chance to hear what he does. Am I proud and prejudiced? Nah.

Hoops

Went 45 for 75 (60%) from 15, 17, 19 feet the other day. And 24 of the 45 (53%) were DSP NBN musical snappers. All told, the best day I have had from those distances since I started this nonsense in August '04. At that time, the 75 included 13-footers that I abandoned long ago. And as with back then, I again shoot before I lift, so am not as tired.

Just thought you'd like to know all that.

***

Pics of new red Jetta will appear anon. Will be going to camp with the Girls and Boys at Tahoe next week, though, so don't hold your breath.

Y-MCA (la ta da la ta da da . . . .)

Today is my anniversary date: I joined the Huntsville YMCA a year ago today. Had a message on my account congratulating me on lifting over 1,000,000 lbs. since I joined and amassing over 14,000 fitness points for lifting and shooting hoop.

Last week I went to my first Tai-chi class there on my doctor's advice: leg strength and balance for aging dudes (Old Asian Dudes fall much less than Old Euro and Yankee Dudes, attributable to Ancient Asian Martial Arts forms, which T/C is, apparently, but in slow motion--very slow motion). So I eliminated my three leg lift exercises and will replace them with T/C twice a week for 45 minutes/visit. Will continue with the hoops and upper body stuff (vanity, pure vanity).

This will put me at the Y almost every day; I'm really getting my $50/month worth!

Time to learn Part Wild Horse Mane, Crane Spread Wing, Brush Knee, Pray Guitar, Drive Monkey Away, Wave Hand in Croud, Fair Lady Work with Shuttle, Fan Penetrate Back!!! And Push, Parry, Strike, Pull!!!

HA-I-I-I-I-I-I-YUH!!!!