If a tree falls...

You've heard that old saying before - if a tree falls in a forest does anyone hear? Well, according to a book I'm reading now called "Music, the Brain and Ecstasy: How Music Captures Our Imagination" by Robert Jourdain, everything in the forest will 'hear' it to a degree, but it differs from species to species. Some just feel vibrations, others hear but not with the nuances that we would. That's not the point of this post though.

I was foolishly running in the forest today, and I say foolishly because it was extremely windy and with my luck, something would fall on me, or my car. As I was running, I heard a lot of cracking and snapping above me and a really low groan. The type of groan that happens when trees and really swaying and are about to fall. But nothing did - at that point.

I was about 30 seconds away from when I heard the sounds when I heard CRACK! creeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek BOOOOOM! I didn't go back to investigate but I can only assume that it was large tree. Thankfully, I didn't have to feel the tree fall.

TWO Oven Mitts Required

I burnt my hand today. Typical scenario: in a hurry, wasn't thinking... blah blah blah.

Pulling out the hot pan from the oven with only one oven mitt would ordinarily do the job just fine... except this oven mitt was old (therefore thin). So I pulled my hand back from the pan (this is the hand holding the pan with the oven mitt) and grabbed the pan in an attempt to make sure the pizza didn't fall onto the floor with my non-oven-mitt hand.

My reward: a nice inch by 1/8 on an inch thick mark on the inside of my left hand which is currently STINGING like crazy so I should go and get more ice for it. This happened over 6 hours ago - you'd think it would have stopped hurting by now but apparently not.

Stupid.

Emo? oops... I thought you said Elmo

I asked my kids what their definition of Emo was today and I got a response that I wasn't expecting. According to them it's all about depressing punk wannabe music listeners who are into getting attention by whining all the time and wearing black clothes. I figure it's like a combo of goth and punk and some other wierd stuff.

So I did some research - if you can really call it that - and found some interesting sites. I liked this one about the correct clothing. Then there was this definition that I thought was good after I had read what this person had to say.

All in all I figured I got a pretty good education today from the kids and the internet. I find it funny that they kids think this whole emo thing is stupid and at the same time, I know people who are totally buying into the whole thing. *hee hee* Who's smarter - the 14 year olds, or the almost 30 year olds? My vote is with the future.

Elementary, my dear trustee... Elementary

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.... so here's my question to you - If you were a music student in a BAND program would you want to have that program changed to recorders and ukuleles after you've already done that for 6 years in elementary school? I'm guessing your answer would be "not so much" among some other choice words.

So the question then becomes, would you be willing to continue to pay for your own instrument rental even though the law now states that schools would be required to provide them for you? And if so - would you feel it to be unfair that some students would be allowed to be in the same program you are in but be able to demand that the school provide them with an instrument and then have it happen? In other words, Billy says he'll pay for his own instrument but Johnny refuses. So Johnny now gets an instrument from the school. But that instrument is only a recorder or a ukulele because that's all the school can afford. But Billy wants to be a band, and so does Johnny. Billy isn't going to get a 'band' experience' because Johnny refuses to pay for an instrument rental because under the law, schools can make him do that (not that they ever did but... whatever) so they have to provide him with something and recorders and ukes is all they've got. Is that a quality music experience? Maybe not but the learning outcomes can be met so that's a plus. Maintenance is financially possible so that's good too. What about expansion of musical experiences? Skill development? Exposure to new things?

mmmmmmm.... all points we pondered yesterday and will continue to ponder for the next while. But I'm not freaking out yet and I think my superiors think I am because one hugged me today and the other keeps stopping by to see how I'm doing. I'm a tough cookie - soft inside but you gotta get past the burnt edges first.

When is the Day the Music Will Die?

I honestly thought that the information I was learning about how to protect your band program from being cut was just more information that I would never have to think about after university class discussions but now I'm being thrust into the heart of the very scenarios we talked about in room 1033.

I have a very heavy heart today. I talked to a fellow music teacher this morning. She wanted to know if I was available to sub for her in a couple of weeks as her principal is sending her to a training program to train her for another job in the school. That is very frightening.

One can only hope that there will be a lot of backlash in our community if cuts happen.

Stubborn Bird Forces Increased Liquid Consumption

Last night was Thanksgiving Dinner at Bungler's. Dinner was suppose to happen at 6 but it turned out to be more like 7:30 or 8 when we actually sat down to eat. It was quite nice with the visiting and the people and the wait was much easier with all the wine that was consumed. I brought a potted Gerbera Daisy wrapped in a new tea towel with a black satin ribbon and card for the hostess from Nibski and I. She liked it a lot, but Cookie didn't. She said she hated Gerbera Daisies and if she gets one how she lets them die a slow painful death. Nice. She brought an amazing cake that was chocolate mousse top with a thick caramel layer and a chocolate crumble bottom (like ice cream cake bottom). Amazing but soooooooooo rich! I think they were equally good hostess gifts but since this was the hostess's first big dinner, I win for tack bringing something totally unrelated to food so as not to show up the hostess.

I hadn't eaten since 9 that morning but had coffee around noon with the girls so that tied me over. The copious quantities of wine helped as well. Met the Bunger in-laws and brother in-law to be. We talked a lot of war talk. He's in the Navy. Bungler isn't a fan but Nibski and I both think he's okay - opinionated but okay. He's young - what ya gonna do?

Ballboy showed up for dessert as he said he would but since dinner was late, he showed up just as we were about to start eating! Slightly awkward but we all survived. He was wearing jeans, as were most other people. Nibski and I on the other hand, had dressed up a bit. I actually wore a dress! Shocking.

Weird Things and Teal (originally posted 10.08.06)

Strange things this weekend.

I went to a bar. I don't do that - well.. I do but I think that pubs are different than bars and this was a bar. And man, was it ever a reminder as to why I don't do bars. There were the idiots, the posers, the drunks, the staggette-ers, the cops.. you know.. the usual. *rolls eyes* Maybe I'll keep it in mind for the next 3 years until I forget the experience and go again. Went to a bbq with friends and have many a good laugh. We made pizza on the bbq and drank a lot of wine. All was cool except for the teal fanny pack that Nibski insisted on bringing along. That man needs a man purse from the right decade. Totally hideous. We hid it on him which kinda made him panic but I have a feeling I'm going to be had at some point.. there are plots brewing about him showing up to work in a matching jump suit with the fanny pack and a John Deer bball cap asking "ya, ready to go hunny? I've been waitin' fir ya?" I don't need enemies with the friends I have.

How to not to spend your mother's birthday

1. get up, shower, dress (decide skirt is good - out of character but meh.. why not?)
2. give mom bday card (she got her present last month)
3. prep - pull usual 'create assignment last minute then change mind and don't use it therefore almost completely wasting time you had dedicated to the task you didn't actually complete'
4. teach
5. meeting/lunch/bicker with co-worker/pick for the hockey pool
6. teach x3
7. see former student - sad and good all in one
8. meeting - more bitching
9. eating - more bitching
10. coffee - creating a quasi date (more on that this weekend), mindless chatter
11. tv
12. type
13. go to bed