Anita saw her Windsor oncologist yesterday. Her case has been transferred to London, where she will not only receive the "usual" chemotherapy for stage 4b pancreatic cancer, but she will also receive chemo for a clinical trial. Without chemo she was told 3 months. With chemo 8 months. However, her newest doctor also said that one of his (her?) patients undergoing the clinical trial is still alive after two years. So there is some room for hope, though overall it is still a very grim scenario.
Treatment will begin within two weeks, and Randy will have to drive her to London (about 2 hrs east of Windsor) every week for a while.
On the home front things are going pretty well. Deb had to stop her self-treatment of her neck and shoulder fibro, as her gut could not
handle the medications required. So she is back to neck pain and pain killers. Very unfortunate, as it had worked nicely for awhile.
It is clearing up as I write this (5:30 pm), and after I return from Iaido practice we are hoping to head out to the observatory for a final session before the moon drowns out the sky. If it does clear as predicted, it will likely be a long session.
Wednesday, July 26th/17
The weekly teaching is done, and with only four students today, all is well. Deb will be setting up the new computer tomorrow, and this blog will be moving in 4 short days.
We had a fun day in Detroit Monday, but somewhat spoiled by a horrendous wait to get back into Canada. I cannot say enough good things about the US customs agents. However, many of the Canadian ones are getting very nit-picky, and traffic is held up for unreasonably long waits. Imagine being in a very long line of cars, and not moving once in 15 minutes. Really? You can't pull that car over to secondary?
Anyway, we eventually made it to visit with Randy and Anita. Anita's first big appt. is tomorrow morning, and we should know a whole lot more about this time tomorrow. She seemed tired but otherwise was looking pretty well!
Deb and I went to Comber Monday night. We were alone at the observatory and stayed there until 12:30 am. It had been a long day for both of us, so we called it an early night. But what a fine night it was!
Nothing much on the agenda for the weekend--piano, Iaido, our in-home blueberry festival, plenty of reading, some writing... I am reviewing my 122nd SF book for the Avon blog. This time it's Silverberg's Majipoor Chronicles.
Sunday, July 23rd/17
I am undertaking a massive update of my astronomy blog, and so I have changed the moving date for this blog to August 1st. Everything here will be gone as of that date, except for a link to the new pages. The astronomy update is way overdue, and I have already had 3 clear nights so far this session. Perhaps two more coming up, though not any this past weekend.
I have now completed 8 Iaido classes, and have reached the point where I pretty much remember everything up to and including 1st kyu. Once this material is a bit smoother I will undertake the black belt stuff, and then lastly the 2nd degree black belt stuff. That will be the end of the review, which will likely take me well into August. Lastly, I can then resume new work on 3rd level black belt material.
Tomorrow is Detroit day. In addition to a mail box run (book expected) and lunch somewhere fun, there is a new cafe on Woodward that we wish to visit--small batch craft coffee! Woo hoo!
Due to some timing conflicts we have not yet been to visit Anita. Perhaps tomorrow, or Tuesday. She has her first oncologist appointment Thursday, so things will likely get jump started soon after that. We hope the disease is at a treatable stage, and not beyond. We fervently hope.
Friday, July 21st/17
I returned to Iaido again tonight, after missing a week because of our travels to Sudbury. I did manage to get one practice session in while in Sudbury, in the back yard. I have now reviewed material as high as 3rd kyu, and should be near black belt level again by the end of the month.
I was out late last night again in Comber, observing on an even warmer night. Two other observers were out as well. I am still working on my notes from a very successful and fruitful observing run.
Sometime this weekend this website will be replaced by the Google version. Do not fear; there will be a link placed here to the new site. That link will be up for at least a year before it, too, vanishes. The google version will have links to all of my travel blogs, as well as my literature ones and the astronomy blog. It has been way too much work changing things over, so I will not likely return to a different blog. If I ever do, then the old stuff will not follow.
I finished playing "Timelapse" today on the main computer, and I am nearly finished the epic "Dreamfall Chapters," one of the better games I have ever played, despite some questionable moments.
Not much further info yet on Anita G., other than there is room for some optimism for treatment. She is now waiting to see an oncologist. Sooner, rather than later, would be a good thing.
Wednesday, July 19th/17
My teeth are clean once again, and X-rays show no other problems. Done for another year. I managed to get to the piano for an hour yesterday and another hour today, Hopefully much more of that coming up soon. I would like to perform my pieces sometime in mid-August. They are all in good shape; they just need a bit more seasoning now.
It was clear last night so I headed out to the observatory. I was back home in bed by 2:15 am, and up early for teaching today. 7 students again, and then again next week. It was quite warm and humid last night while observing, but the sky was quite good. Tonight it is even warmer and much more humid, so I stayed home. Besides, I am fairly worn out.
We purchased a new computer, and it is on its way. Our current desk top is about 4 years old. It only has 3 gigs of RAM, and the new one will have 12. This is much better for gaming, too. The hard drive is also massive, so storing very large images will not be a problem. I am trying to finish up two games I am playing on the old computer, and to transfer all of this blog over to Google. This weekend will see a lot of gaming and transferring, unless it is clear a lot.
We received some very bad news about a very good friend of ours. More will be known tomorrow when she visits her doctor for the full results from tests that were done recently at the hospital. Things look grim, however. And guess what--she has been retired for only a month. She already suffers too much from osteo-arthritis, and now there is cancer. Words fail me, at least words that I can print on a family blog. Thinking of you a lot, A.
Monday, July 17th/17
We are just back from a quick visit to see family in Sudbury. Dad was celebrating his 86th spin around the sun! Our two nieces have birthdays near then, too, so it was a time for everyone to gather. We stayed over three nights, and brother Steve showed us the most recent Star Trek film on his downstairs screen. It is a special effects-filled extravaganza, held together by the great talents of the actors playing the original cast. It is quite a whiz-bang affair, though I am starting to get a bit too old for whiz-bang affairs. Still, it was enjoyable enough, and it was a free screening with open bar!!
Besides seeing close family again after a full year, I reconnected with my best friend from grade school. I have not seen Darrell D. in almost 50 years!!! We finally managed to connect, and he and his wife Nancy came over for the Sunday evening birthday party.
Darrell and I were inseparable in Grs. 1-8, then lost touch quickly after high school (we went to different high schools, and due to some challenging life circumstances, Darrell never finished high school). We had a fantastic time remembering childhood days, the very unique little Catholic school we attended, and generally catching up on 50 years of life. Needless to say we did not get too far--quite a bit more to talk about next time.
The drive home went much better than the drive north. Coming home it took 7 hrs. 50 min., with 3 stops. Heading through Friday traffic near Toronto (which I am beginning to refer to more and more as Mordor) took us 10 hours with 3 stops. Much too long a drive for Deb, so that might be her last drive up there.
I hope to finish transferring all the data here to the new website over the next two weeks. Once the new blog is up and running, I will be able to blog from anywhere, instead of just here at home.
First thing tomorrow morning I have a dentist appointment. For that reason I am not going out tonight with the telescope. Looks like a really good night, too.
Wednesday, July 12th/17
7 music students today, but I'm done till next Wed. It is very humid here today, though not hot. Yesterday was very warm and very humid, and it was our day to visit Detroit. We walked around downtown a lot, wilting, before finally going for lunch, coffee, then home. We filled up the Tiguan with gas, and it is ready for its big trip to Sudbury. We also visited John King Books, and I snagged a solo novel by Piers Anthony, and several books by Harry Harrison. I always seem to find Book 2 and Book 3 of a new series I am searching for, and never Book 1.
I just finished reading an epic historical novel by Edgar Pangborn. It is set in New England, from 1704 to 1708. I have read two outstanding SF books by the author. He took a long time to research and write this one, of two young brothers who survive the French and Indian attack on Deerfield, MA. I never would have even come across this very good book, let alone read it, if I was not fully engaged in the Avon SF series. With certain authors I am committed to reading all of their works, and Pangborn is one of them. He didn't write that many books, so finishing his complete works won't be too difficult.
I will soon be reading book #14 in the Equinox series, by Hugo Gernsbeck (of the famous SF "Hugo" award fame).
No practicing now in 3 days. I will practice tomorrow, then be done until we return from Sudbury. No more Iaido till then, either.
Saturday, July 8th/17
Happy Full Moon! It is a beautiful evening (perfectly clear, of course!). We are awaiting moonrise, with actual fullness at 9:21 pm EDT (about 90 minutes from now). Because of trees surrounding us we won't see it all until about 11 pm.
Thursday night and Friday evening we had two big rainstorms. An inch of rain fell altogether, which meant it was time to fire up the lawn mower and get in to the back 40.
Wed. was my first summer teaching day. 6 more to go! All three of my students passed their piano exams, and two of them received 1st Class Honours!
Friday night I also went to Iaido, now reaching a bit beyond 5th kyu level. It is coming back to me fairly quickly, but I am not going to rush things. I will attend Sunday and Monday classes, then have to miss a week due to our trip north to visit family in Sudbury. The sword will come with me, however.
And I just finished reading my 114th book in my Avon blog, an Arctic adventure I received from Caroline when we visited in April. I have also resumed reading the excellent biography of Brahms. I am about halfway through. As it talks about the pieces he wrote, I try to keep my Brahms listening program aligned with the book, but I am still ahead with the reading part.
Monday, July 3rd/17
I have now attended 2 Iaido classes, relearning the basics but actually remembering quite a lot. In some ways it feels as if the sword never left my hands. However, my upper body is in mild agony from all the stretching, and my thighs feel like I've been on a horse for several days. There are 12 basic katas, and that is what I have been working on. Four of them require lots of kneeling. However, I've reviewed enough material now to be at a rank of 6th Kyu. It will take a few weeks to get back to black belt level, and probably all summer to return to Nidan level, where I was when I left last year.
My recital program is more or less ready. I now need to play it for someone, likely Paula, perhaps this week. Then I need to plan a recital, after fixing what needs fixing after the play-through.
My SF reading program is going great guns. I'm currently devouring a novel by Eric Frank Russell, one of many wonderful discoveries I have made since undertaking to read and review the Avon/Equinox SF series. I have been led to some completely amazing places and planets, and I have still about two hundred novels to go in my planned extra reading. When I undertook the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series I stuck to the series, and did not go outside of it. That will still happen, as a lot of those authors have many other works of interest to me. But with the Avon/Equinox series I immediately began reading other works by the authors, not all of them SF. It is proving to be a truly wonderful journey!
Tomorrow is the end of my 10-day episode with no teaching. Back to work Wed. with 6 students scheduled (so far).
Sunday, July 2nd/17
I continue to switch over this blog to Google Blogger. Hopefully by August 1st everything will be switched over. There are two main advantages to going over to Google. First, it's free. I pay about $10 a month right now to host this site. Secondly, on my daily blog I won't have to use those tiny teeny photos any longer, but can make them any size I wish. This will re-inspire my photography hobby, too.
I will leave this old site empty for at least a year, with links posted to the new one. Then it will go dark, if I am happy with google. So far I am. However, the switch is a very tedious process. Three more years of writing to transfer...
Last Thursday was visit Detroit day. Traffic was very heavy, so the driving part was not so great. And coming home to Canada the lines were hopelessly long, with only five customs booths open to traffic. Ridiculous. By comparison, getting into the USA has been a breeze, with polite border guards and fast lines.
Anyway, I got a new Silverberg 3-in-1 volume , as well as a book by E.R. Eddison. I have looked long and deep for the Eddison, and finally found it used, like new, on Amazon.com. So I now have a Norse saga to read, supposedly the best version of any Norse saga ever penned. I am excited!
We went to 8 Degrees Plato in Detroit, in search of a low alcohol table beer for Deb. We found one a few weeks ago at 2.9%, and it was really good. Alas, there was no more. Then we moved on to Jolly Pumpkin for their vegan pizza (one of the best there is!), and I had a pint of one of their delicious farmhouse ales.
Then we walked to a favourite cafe, enjoying pour-over coffee, picking up vegan cookies at Avalon Bakery on the way. We took a different route home to check out a restaurant with vegan vegetable pie, marking it down for our next lunch visit. It is also close to Orchestra Hall, which will come in handy during concert season.
On the way home we filled up the Golf diesel with the cheapest fuel I have seen in nearly 10 years--$2.11 US per gallon. Even in Canada gas and diesel are very cheap right now, but still about 50% higher than in Detroit. Thus all the traffic on the roads. People are driving like there will be no tomorrow.
We stayed home Friday and Saturday, except for evening walks in the neighbourhood, and we are home again today. However, if the Sunday evening Iaido class is still on (it's a holiday weekend), I plan on making my return to martial arts tonight.
Wednesday, June 28th/17
One day of teaching left for my burned out school teacher friends and comrades! I remember that feeling! My teaching resumes next Wed. So far I have 45 lessons scheduled for July and August, with several more expected to be booked. I can do this.
80 now dead in the high-rise horror story from the London fire. And 75 high rise buildings (more coming) suddenly found to be unsafe. Really? Other than in a terrorist incident, I can not even imagine 80 people dying in a civilized country in a fire. That is certainly one of the most shocking realizations I have ever faced. How could this happen? People blame the fire brigade, since their ladders did not reach 24 floors. It doesn't matter! Even if they did, the fire was so intense that those ladders could not have gotten close enough to rescue people in the hot zone. And besides, London streets and traffic are not friendly to giant fire vehicles trying to manoever through the city. Detroit still might have a very long ladder requiring a driver in front and rear, but their streets are wide and forgiving compared to most streets in London. The dust from this event will not settle for many years...
Last night I enjoyed yet another fine observing night, my 3rd in 4 nights, and the final one for this session. No more deep sky observing until we are back from Sudbury in mid-July. Two other observers were out last night, including Mitch, who has been absent from the scene for three years due to illness. He was out with his camera and tripod last night taking some wide field sky shots. I showed him some show piece objects in the 12", and he was very impressed. Once he sends me some of his photos, I will post one here.
Tomorrow is Detroit Day, and we are looking forward to a fun time.
Monday, June 27th/17
Will wonders never cease?! Two clear nights in a row! I enjoyed a spectacular night at Hallam once again, only this time I was all alone out there. Where was everyone? I went deep into galaxy observing again, coming out refreshed and energized! Fun stuff! And we had a 2nd extremely pleasant weather day, dry and cool. I got the front and middle lawns cut, and Deb continued the attack on weeds. Things are looking good outside. In a week we will be having two large brush piles removed from the yard, containing over 20 years of accumulated deadfall and tree trimming. Then we might get some new outdoor furniture.
Right now I am somewhat sleep-deprived and jet-lagged from my two nights of observing, and my eyeballs are sore. It's early to bed for me.
Sunday, June 25th/17
Our summer holidays are underway, and we even scored a clear night last night. Deb and I headed out to Hallam Observatory, along with a handful of other intrepid observers. It was a beautiful night, but as we weren't use to the late nights we broke off early and were home by 2 am. I hope to pull an all-nighter soon.
Our performances Friday night at Paula's went very well. Deb performed two recorder solos, and I joined her for three duets. Paula and I did well on our Rachmaninoff duet, and my adult student Jenn did a great job on her two solos for piano.
It is unusually (and delightfully) cool here today, barely getting into the 70s. We've had windows open all day!
I finished reading (and reviewing) the first of Silverberg's "Valentine" novels. Quite well done, and I approve. Looking forward to #2, in about a month. Next up is another Spinrad novel--the guy is quite a writer! All of his books, except for the earliest, are unforgettable. He really pushed boundaries, and I can't wait to see what is in store during "Bug Jack Barron."
Thursday, June 22nd/17
A Happy (belated) Summer Solstice to all!! We mostly celebrated last night after teaching, watching a beautiful sunset, among other things. It felt like summer today, with highs in the 30s and very high humidity. Along came a big storm around 8 pm. So it begins.
And nary a good night for observing, and the new moon is tomorrow. Ridiculous. Again.
Tonight was my final teaching night of the school year, having lived through another 38 weeks of it. All three piano exam students have completed their national tests. I am done! Tomorrow night is a performance night, and then ten days of vacation occur before my summer teaching begins. I already have 6 students booked each week on Weds. in July and August. No doubt there will be others. Sigh.
No big plans for the next ten days--read lots, write, and practice. Maybe even get some exercise. I am returning to Iaido for a month, to see how my elbows hold up. I recently finished reading Farmer's Riverworld series, and am now starting on Silverberg's Majipoor one. Good times!
Monday, June 19th/17
My last full week of teaching has commenced. Tonight there were some extra lessons for the two girls doing piano exams this week. Emily is up to bat tomorrow, and Sarah on Thursday. Tomorrow is my usual busy teaching Tuesday (minus Emily), followed by the Solstice Sunset party at around 9:20 pm. Ever since we had to cut down a big tree from our front yard, we can now see all of the sunsets very clearly from our windows. We've never been able to see summer sunsets before!
Besides teaching on Wed. and Thursday, Deb and I are performing at Paula's annual adult student gathering. She has six or seven adults, and I have two. In addition to the students performing, Paula and I are playing a tricky duet by Rachmaninoff. Deb is doing some solo recorder work, accompanied by Paula, and then we are doing some recorder duets, also accompanied by Paula. After Friday, I can begin to think about my own concert, minus the duet, as Paula will be out of commission this summer. Hopefully my advanced adult student, Jenn, can take over the accompaniments for the recorder pieces.
Sunday, June 18th/17
Origins Game Fair turned into a pretty memorable event. Of course gaming is the main thrust, and most of the big publishers of table games and board games debut their newest games. I got to try seven, with rules explained by hosts, who play along with you as far as you wish to go. There is also a lot of fantasy art, fantasy authors, clothing, jewellery, etc. There are also gaming tournaments, taking up about half of the exhibit space.
The best game I tried is called "Deadline", a board game based on Noir films. Though it can be played by 2-4 players, two is not so great, otherwise I would have bought it right away. We still might buy it anyway when it is available to the public. I also got introduced to a dice game, a word game, a Sherlock Holmes game, and several others.
The film festival portion of the show was also pretty cool, and is where Deb spent most of her time. She attended two film workshops, as well as several screenings. It was really fun seeing her two movies up on the big screen in front of a live audience!
We also managed to visit three veg restaurants, and a very cool brew pub. If Deb's films are accepted again next year, we will certainly be back, this time with a big gaming budget. Columbus is only about 4 hours from our home, and has an airport big enough even for someone from London to come over. Are you listening, Caroline??!!
Thursday, June 15th/17
My adult student took her Gr. 8 piano exam today. We will know the results in about three weeks. Next week I have two school girls taking Grade 4 exams. With this week of teaching wrapped up, there is only one more week to go. Then it's down to one day a week for July and the first half of August. I can handle one day a week, but three days is getting to be a bit much. I do need some relief. So far I have one new student next year, another adult. She hopes to try for her Gr. 9 piano exam.
Summer goals for me include giving another short concert, and finishing the 2nd Valeria novel.
The body count in the London high rise fire keeps climbing, now standing at 17. With the timing of the fire, and seeing how fast it spread, 17 seems a pretty low body count. From the looks of the aftermath, it seems as if many more could have died. Hoping the count does not go higher, but it seems like it will.
Deb and I attended a high rise fire in Detroit several years ago, where four people died. The ones that died had jumped rather than wait for a rescue. Everyone who waited for the ladders and the firemen coming to them from inside survived. We watched babies and adults carried down ladders from on high, as the firemen did everything possible to quickly save lives. They did a good job that day, and the scenes from that event will forever stay with me. The London fire was much worse, and will haunt both rescuers and civilian bystanders for a long time to come.
We are off to Columbus tomorrow for the weekend. Temps are supposed to be in the low 90s, and humid. Thankfully, we will be inside most of the time, trying out new games and watching films at the huge Origins Game Con.
Our own heatwave continues, too, having begun last Saturday. Looks like it will also last all weekend.
Sunday, June 11th/17
Life's Great Pleasures, #7: Enjoying a cool shower after working in the garden on a hot day! During and afterwards, one feels fantastic!
Life's Great Pleasures, #6: Follow up Pleasure #7 with a chilled craft ale! Heaven!
With only two weeks remaining in our teaching session, we are amidst our first major heatwave of the year. It should break by Wed., but in the meantime, it is hot outside. So far, we have had 9 wonderfully clear nights, all with the bright moon shining down. That beats last month, which had 8 (and if anyone is counting, there wasn't a single decent night during the dark of the moon).
Yesterday we went to Detroit for the day. I had three paperback books in at the mailbox, and I picked up a few more at John King Books. We then stopped off at Batch Brewing for some samples, and then on to Brew Detroit. Lunch was at Mudgies, which features several vegan options on their menu. The deli, situated in a wonderful neighbourhood near downtown Detroit, is a delight to visit. It occupies two older houses, joined together now for an expanded experience. There are also two outdoor seating areas. We had enough food left over to bring home and have for today's lunch. Our next stop was Astro Coffee, one of the world's funkiest and best cafes. Incredible pour-over coffee and vegan coffee cake!! Lastly came Honey Bee Market, a Mex-Town grocery story, also one of the best. It was a really fun day. There are suddenly so many different areas of Detroit to explore, instead of just Greektown, Midtown, and Downtown (though those areas are enough to make any city great). The neighbourhoods are gradually improving.
Next weekend we revisit Columbus, Ohio. We are attending Origins Game Fair, where two of Deb's short films are being shown at the film festival. The gaming part is mostly about board games, card games, and role-playing games. It should be a lot of fun. Deb's films are being screened on Saturday.
By Sunday night I hope to be observing again.
Tuesday, June 6th/17
My piano program is memorized, and it should all be playable by July 1st. Not certain when I will play it, but hopefully sometime in the summer.
With Tuesday gone, my longest teaching day of the week is also over. Two more students tomorrow, three on Thursday, and it's the weekend again. After this week there are only two more weeks of teaching left.
We were back out on the deck last evening observing the moon and Jupiter, our 4th such excursion. Three of those nights have been spectacular, and there is still a week to go until dark sky season begins again. So plenty of time for several nice, clear, bright lunar nights before all the rain and clouds return for deep sky work. What a hobby.
I have resumed work on my 2nd Valeria novel, a book aimed at 10 years and up. I have written a first chapter a few times and then discarded them. This time I mostly have what I wanted. It will be quite different from the first novel, with Valeria's life in great danger, in a sleeping beauty sort of way.
I'm happy to say that the new lawn tractor works well, and we are managing to keep up with the yardwork so far this Spring. We haven't had any real hot weather yet, for one thing. Keep the cool days coming!
As ever, our thoughts are always on London. It will take more than a few violent criminals to make that city go away. The mayhem that occurs regularly in big American cities (Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis come to mind) is actually far worse, though Mr. President and most Americans pretend to not notice. Anyone can carry a firearm in Detroit, concealed or showing. Anyone. The police are not even allowed to stop and see if they have a legal permit. Nice way to live in 2017.
Saturday, June 3rd/17
Last night I finished my 100th book related to the authors selected for the Avon/Equinox SF series!! While most of the books I read this year are SF, several of them are of other genres, including fantasy, adventure, and more regular novels. In addition to the 100 by the Avon authors, I managed to read 10 books by unrelated authors. So, that makes 110 novels read in a year. Not to mention one of my own novels getting finished up, and another underway. Deb was going to bake me a cake to commerate the day, but it was too hot today to even think of turning on the oven.
Last night we undertook our 3rd lunar surface observation in a row. We concentrated on the site of the Apollo 15 landing, as it was in high relief. The mountain near the landing site is called Mons Hadley, which lies 4.2 km above the plains where the astronauts were. Today I came across a wonderful Apollo 15 photo, in which someone interposed the world's tallest building into the background, to give a good idea of the scale of the mountain. Here is a link to it. The skyscraper is 828 metres high, or about 1/5th the height of the mountain. Of course nothing can be actually seen of the Apollo site remnants in a telescope, but the mountain and its enormous shadow were mighty impressive.
Friday, June 2nd/17
With the moon at or near 1st quarter, and the faint deep sky objects blocked out by its light, clear skies have returned to Essex County. I did not get one decent night for deep sky objects in May--the entire two-week session was a wash. Now that the moon is back, here come the great skies! It really is unbelievable, except for the fact that it happens all the time. We went out on the deck for the past two nights and observed features on the moon and Jupiter, using Deb's 6" scope. Even after all these years of astronomy, I still love to observe the surface of the moon. Only wish I could have visited there by now.
Last June 3rd I began reading novels in the Avon/Equinox series, along with other books by those authors. To date I have read 12 of the books in the series (there are 27). However, I am now on my 100th book by the authors of that series encountered to date. I will likely finish my 100th book tonight or tomorrow. Not too shabby! In addition to reading them, I have added comments about each one on my website devoted to the series (link on left hand side).
Today the front and near-back lawns got cut. Deb trimmed tree branches and uprooted grass where our weed whacker will not reach (it's electric, and we have a very large yard).
I had my 3rd M*A*S*H martini of the 2017 season. Deb got to drink a glass of beer. I found a 2.9% table beer in Detroit a few weeks ago, and she got to try it out today. It's very good! It's from Austin, Texas.
We have a quiet weekend planned. Reading, practicing piano, some gaming, film watching, and, in Deb's case, film making. She is hard at work on her 4th short Yorick film.
Speaking of films, we just finished watching "The Bad Sleep Well," a film by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Grim and fascinating.
Tuesday, May 30th/17
It was downtown Detroit day, Deb's first since well before England. There is no other city that has a better streetscape now, not to mention animated street life. We went downtown for lunch, and the place was hopping with activity. There are fabulous swinging chairs in which to sit, tables and chairs scattered literally everywhere for quiet reading or joining friends for lunch, and enough renovation and construction going on to almost doubt that this could really be Detroit. We've been visiting since 1977, and have seen Detroit animated and lively before, but without all of the once-abandoned buildings undergoing redevelopment. If it continues to spread out from downtown as it currently is, then it will one day be a truly great city once again. For now, part of it is, anyway.
I had a number of used SF books awaiting me at the mailbox, too. Fun times. My count is up to 98 books reviewed since last June 3rd. Probably time for one more.
Friday, May 26th/17
We went to the Canadian Tire store in Amherstburg yesterday morning and bought a lawn tractor. It was delivered ten minutes after we got home. Unfortunately it rained yesterday, so I had to wait till today to begin cutting. I got the front lawn and the near back all done this afternoon. Now for some serious weed trimming, and then the far back lawn.
In other good news, we have completed four of eight weeks in our final teaching session of the school year. We will once again offer a summer session, teaching Wed. only. Usually I am kept pretty busy on that day.
The new moon has come and gone. With the moon now beginning to wax, I have till about Monday night left in this astronomy session. So far we have been completely blocked by clouds, and no clear nights are predicted in the near future. Not a single good night for spring galaxy work. Of course my loyal readers will remember the 8 clear nights we had when we came back from London, while the moon was getting brighter and brighter. Of course.
Wednesday, May 24th/17
The piano got tuned today, but I had no time to practice on it. My Wed. students were the first ones to play on it.
Last Friday we purchased a lawn tractor on line from Sears. It was supposed to be delivered tomorrow. Well, it won't be delivered tomorrow. So I called to cancel the order, as now they say it won't come till next Thursday. By that time, our house will be totally overgrown. We were told the order cannot be cancelled. So we have to wait till it's delivered next Thursday, then refuse the delivery. It will then get sent back and we will be refunded. No wonder large companies like Sears Canada are going under. Anyway, we are off to Canadian Tire tomorrow to buy one there. It will be delivered same day. Bye bye Sears.
Today I reviewed my 95th book since beginning to read the Avon/Equinox SF Series, and other books by those authors. I should easily make 100 by June 10th, the anniversary of the project's beginning. That doesn't count the 10 or so books that I've read not related to the series. I wish I could learn piano repertoire that fast.
I ran into a major problem playing Timelapse, an older PC game that runs on our old laptop using Win 98. When I went to put in the Anasazi disc, it wouldn't run. A quick look showed why--there was a deep, long scratch in the CD. Steam to the rescue. Not only was I able to load it on our newer computer from Steam ($5 or $6), but I was even able to load my saved games to it from the older computer. So I am able to resume from where I left off, at the start of the Anasazi chapter!! I'm also finishing up Gabriel Knight Image of The Beast on the upstairs computer, and am still immersed in Dreamfall Chapters.
I also got my 2nd free NM All Topo Maps update. It's good for one year. Don't know why I keep getting free ones, but I'll take them!
Sunday, May 21st/17
I spent a 12 hour day in Detroit yesterday. Deb wasn't feeling up to a long adventure, so she stayed home and worked on her newest film. I met up with Jenn, a good friend and former student, and her significant other, Brad. We spent the day downtown, after meeting up at King Books, where I snagged another half-dozen volumes of SF goodness.
We caught the streetcar downtown, did some architectural rubber-necking, and had lunch at the new Avalon Cafe on Woodward Ave. We also visited a few cafes, the gaming/comic store, and Detroit Beer Company. We caught the streetcar back up to Midtown, in the rain, then headed to Canfield for more indoor activities, including sampling some beer at Jolly Pumpkin and TJs. We visited Third Man Records, Shinola, and tried (unsuccessfully) to get into Hopcat. We ended up dining at TJs, and then went to the DSO.
The orchestra, under the baton of Slatkin, was performing the 9th Symphony of Beethoven. The orchestra, choir, soloists, and conductor hit it right out of the ballpark!! It was a terrific and very memorable performance. It was also a sell-out, and I was fortunate to snag a last minute ticket.
Thursday, May 18th/17
The furnace technician that was supposed to show up between 7am and 11am arrived promptly just after 1 pm, to inform us we needed a plumber. We have a leaking copper pipe that leads out from the boiler.
We still have not heard about our lawn tractor, as in whether it can be repaired or whether we have to shell out for a new one. Meanwhile, the grass grows.
We have had a mini three-day heat wave this week, with temps in the high 80s. No astronomy nights yet, of course.
All of the London blog is now on-line, even the pub section. Grab a beer and enjoy!
Tonight was the official close of Scotch drinking (until autumn), to be replaced tomorrow by the first M*A*S*H martini of the warm season, and a new episode. We are beginning Season 8!
Despite the long weekend, we have plans to visit Detroit on Saturday. We'll see how ambitious we get, and whether or not we need to shop for a new lawn tractor.
Tuesday, May 16th/17
I have finished the London blog update as far as the walking and exploring is concerned. The Pubs segment is still under construction, and will likely take a few more days.
Our lawn tractor appears to have cut its last blade of grass. It up and died yesterday when I had finished only 1/3rd of my job. We are waiting for a technician to officially pronounce it dead. Then we have to dish out big bucks for a new one. Sigh. For the price of a new tractor we could probably have another Amtrak California adventure.
We might have been able to crowd all of our teaching into Tuesday (8 students) and Wed. (7). This would mean being off all day Thursday!! It will happen this week for sure; a permanent solution has not been decided yet. I should know tomorrow.
Friday, May 12th/17
This is the 6th clear night since returning from London, and due to the moon phase all quite useless for deep sky work. New session begins Monday--and I'll bet so does a completely different weather pattern, a cloudy one.
I got a lot done today, as the written journal of our recent jaunt to London is now completed and the web version is under way. I will not be finished by Monday night, but if it is cloudy that night (what are the odds) I will continue to work. Hopefully all will be done by the time teaching resumes on Tuesday. My practicing is more or less on track, too. I have two modern astronomy pieces left to memorize, and a tiny bit more of the Debussy. Otherwise, the whole (short) program is memorized! Even so, I tend to perform with music in front of me for some of the pieces.
I am just finishing up the next book in the Avon/Equinox rediscovery series. It is called A Mirror for Observers, by Pangborn. I am near the end, and so far it is simply one of the best! The man knows his music, too, a welcome surprise. Since getting back from London I have read two other books, including one given me by Caroline written by John Christopher.
Thursday, May 11th/17
It's been a while since I last posted, though I have not been idle. My teaching schedule is quite lopsided for this semester. I now have 8 students on Tuesdays, 2 on Wednesdays, and 3 on Thursdays. So, after Tuesday is settled, I more or less coast to the weekend.
We had an auto issue this week with our older vehicle, which took up some valuable time. It was still under warranty, thankfully. Otherwise, it was pretty clear sailing. We celebrated the full moon last night, and that means the new astronomy session is just around the corner. I will likely begin observing again starting Monday if it is clear. Unfortunately this time of year means staying up very late just to see it get dark.
I am trying to get as much of the London trip written up before astronomy season resumes. I should finish the written journal tonight or tomorrow morning. Then I can begin the web version. The final trip pub count is 32! It pays to be in shape!
We have no definite plans for the weekend. Yard work will occupy some of the time, as well as riding our bikes. No Detroit this weekend, but next weekend we will have a big day over there with Jennifer G. Tomorrow the new street car line commences its 7-day a week job. Hope it works out and leads to the much anticipated expansion of the system.
Friday, May 5th/17
Deb has been invited to the Columbus, Ohio gaming festival in mid-June, one of the largest in the world. This is the 2nd year they are running a film festival along with the games (no computer games; rather board, role-playing, and card games). Her first two Yorick films have been selected for screening on the Saturday afternoon. Huzzah! We have two free passes to the festival ($120 US value!). So we are likely going to Columbus, last visited in 2011 when Deb did the half-marathon there.
In other Deb news, she has cut her hair. I am no longer married to a long red head. It is currently mid-length, with about 12" cut off. It looks pretty good, and seems to suit her well.
We have just finished up two days of solid, very cold rain. We have had 2.3" of rain since early Thursday morning. It is quite ridiculous, especially as I did not get the grass cut. At sunset tonight the sky turned orange, and it looks as if it might clear. Let's hope so.
We have plans to visit Ann Arbor tomorrow, for some cask ale, craft coffee, and, of course, book stores. Can't wait! It's been several months.
Today I got my selected London photo prints done, and the summer tires are now back on the Golf. I am still hard at work at the written journal for our London trip. Website coming next week.
Thursday, May 4th/17
The first week of teaching is done. The laundry is done. The photo editing is done. I even managed 2 hours of piano practice today! Some memorization has gone to the wayside, but most things are still in good shape.
Tomorrow the car goes in to have the winter tires removed. At the same time I will walk to the nearby drugstore and get some photo prints done. These will go into my written journal of the London trip, which is now well underway. It is (for me) an excellent way of remembering exactly what we did and where we did it. So much walking and so many pubs can be confusing to the memory, and it's nice to know exactly where these places are. I am currently writing about last Monday's London Loop expedition, which has many pleasant memories.
It has rained all day today, and will rain all day tomorrow. The lawn has not been cut for two weeks, and it is growing at an alarming rate. No cutting now until at least Sunday.
After reading four novels unrelated to my Avon/Equinox project while in London and on planes, I have resumed reading authors from that series. I am currently reading a first contact novel by Chad Oliver, who seems to excel at this sort of thing. I will soon read the 12th book from the actual series, and have yet another author to add to my reading list.
Wednesday, May 3rd/17
Two days of teaching have gone smoothly, along with our medical appointments. Yesterday I waited 90 minutes for my eye doctor to tell me everything was fine. He saw no new holes in my retina, and the repaired one had healed well. Back in six months for a check up.
Today Deb had her blood work appointment, followed by her RA infusion appointment. She has also been treating herself for her painful fibromyalgia, and seems to have made great progress. Her neck and shoulders have been much better. The trip to London and the two long flights were good tests to gauge her progress. She even carried a backpack for 8 days with no ill effects.
No piano playing as yet; that should resume tomorrow. I have finished a quick edit of over 230 London photos, and selected a batch for printing. I am now working full time on the written journal of our trip, which will be followed later by the web version. The current astronomy session ended the day of our return, so I have about two weeks to get everything done before resuming very late nights at the observatory.
The only thing I did not accomplish in London was to attend the Sunday evening JAGs concert. I would have certainly met up with my friend Nadia there. However, we were pretty much done in by late afternoon. We walked 8 days in a row, and did a good job of tiring ourselves completely afterwards. One night, when we were supposed to visit Caroline for dinner, we had to cancel and return home. We were asleep by 8 pm that night! So late afternoons and evenings were mostly restful, with reading being the most strenuous activity.
The weather was mostly good, but tended to change every 15 minutes. It was mostly cool, but perfect for walking. It was mostly cloudy, though I managed a facial sunburn. It was mostly dry, but one day we got soaked three times, the third time encountering a hailstorm. We found shelter once in a church, once in a small alcove, and once outside a shop entrance.
We enjoyed some great food, eating out once each day. Breakfasts were always on the run, and eaten on trains. Lunch was usually picnic style, consisting of crackers and hummous. There was good beer aplenty, good coffee, and good veg food. Our day away from London, a feature of all our visits now, was also a highlight. Photos from the ruins of Hadleigh Castle turned out really well!
Tuesday, May 2nd/17
We are just back from a very fun trip to London, England. We spent 8 days in and around the great city, and two days travelling there and back from Toronto (which includes a four hour drive from our home each way). So yesterday was a fairly grueling day, as we sat 9 hours on our plane, then 4 more hours in our vehicle.
We managed to meet up three times with Caroline, twice for dinner and once for a windmill locating expedition. We also met up once with a former student of mine. Rachael is working near London for a few years, and travelling when she can.
We completed two more segments of the Capital Ring, bringing our total to 9 of 15. And we completed one and a half segments of the much longer London Loop, bringing that total to 7 1/2 segments of 15. So much more walking to go!
We managed a visit to Hampton Court Palace, our first to the interior (we visited the gardens several years ago). We spent one day in London, walking near St Paul's Cathedral with a 1905 Baedecker guidebook. We also went out of London to Leigh-On-Sea for a day visit, mostly to see the picturesque ruins of Hadleigh Castle. I have just begun to edit the photos, so it will still be awhile before I begin work on the website.
Meanwhile, our week from hell at home begins, with medical appointments, teaching (7 students tonight), lawn mower repair and grass cutting, and some laundry and grocery shopping in there somewhere. Piano practice is a distant memory. So goodbye for now.
Thursday, April 20th/17
The week, as expected, is flying past. Private lessons are done for two weeks, with a group lesson left for tomorrow. Overnight and today we have had 0.7" of rain. Things are pretty misty and humid right now. Unfortunately, I have to cut grass tomorrow. Not fun when it's wet. Soaking wet.
Monday, April 17th/17
Because we own a 2010 VW diesel engine car, we are eligible for enormous payback amounts from VW, due to the emissions scandal involving VW diesels. We brought our old Golf in today for some warranty-covered work, and found out how much money we would get from VW for it. How much? The final amount is to be determined, but it was more than enough for us to purchase a brand new gasoline engine 2017 Golf. The final sale is subject to our approval of the settlement, but with our trade-in we should get about $20,000. The new car costs about $35,000. Figure it out.
I also got the lawn tractor up and running today. Oil and filter were changed last week, and today I just had to pop in the battery, fill up the tank, crank the starter a few times, and I am ready to cut grass once again.
The new dishwasher is an amazing piece of machinery, and runs so quietly that you often cannot tell it is on. With the old one we could not listen to the stereo when it was running! Dishes are much cleaner, too, and as the inside is larger, we now only need to wash every other night, instead of every night.
We got out for a bike ride on Sunday, a day so warm that kids were out running around their neighbourhood with bathing suits on! My kind of Easter holiday. Amanda also came by for a lovely visit. We plied her with coffee and ale, caught up on some news, and should see her again in late May. By the time we are back from London she will be off to Barcelona.
A very busy week lies ahead, with the final push for exercising, and our teaching nights extended through Friday, due to the group lesson.
Friday, April 14th/17
It's been an incredibly busy week, but we are finally winding down. Our brand new dishwasher is installed and operational, and our taxes are signed with refunds on the way. The refunds should pay off the dishwasher. Our old one was nearly 30 years old. We bought a very basic model, but had to wait several weeks. When it still wasn't delivered, the salesman (a former student) offered us an upgraded one for the same price. So we have a very quiet running high end model, instead of the noisy basic one we ordered.
It's been very hard to balance the exercise program with everything else going on, and next week we add in astronomy nights to the mix, as well as our student group lesson next Friday. I've been cramming in as much piano practice as possible this week, in anticipation of next week.
Today we got the oil and filter changed on the lawn tractor, and Deb roasted coffee. The dishwasher was installed this morning. Mark had to come on Wed. to take the old one out.
Amanda is in town for the weekend, so with luck we should run into her for an afternoon and/or evening. She is mainly here for her sister's bridal shower.
Wednesday, April 12th/17
I have two hyper-active students on Wed., both girls. One is 10 yrs and one is 6 yrs. The 6 is as smart as the 10, and the 10 is pretty smart. Anyway, Wednesdays are tiring but usually fun. Add in chocolate mini-cupcakes for a pre-Easter kiddie treat, and I am really asking for trouble (however, only once the lesson is done does any sugar enter their mouths). One day left in the work week.
In addition to five students tomorrow, we have to go to Windsor for a hill walk, then into A'burg to sign our taxes at our accountant's home, then go to the bank to pick up our English pounds which we ordered a few days ago.
Also tomorrow the new dishwasher arrives (hopefully). Yesterday our friend Mark G. came and disconnected the old one. He will return Friday to connect the new one (hopefully). The old one had been in place for about 28 years. There was a lot of mouse poo back there. They are attracted by the evening heat of the washer, and they like to pick away at the insulation that is also in there. Unlike stoves and fridges, dishwashers cannot be simply pulled out at random for cleaning. We put the old one out by the road for collection, but within a few hours someone stopped by and took it, likely to sell for scrap. One of the (few) benefits to living by a busy highway.
It's almost time for the new lunar astronomy session, which begins Friday. However, due to our travel plans I will miss more than half of the April session. Bad planning on my part. Dang. It's supposed to be cloudy all weekend, except for Sunday. So I am looking forward to an Easter Sunday astronomy session at the observatory.
I finished reading "No Blade of Grass," published first in England as "The Death of Grass." A virus kills off all grass crops, and social chaos follows soon afterwards. Written in 1956, this excellent book is as timely as ever. Let's not forget the bumble bees.
Monday, April 10th/17
Four weeks of walking prep are now complete. We went to Malden Hill today for a long walk, capping off Week 4. The walking in London is much easier, mostly due to cafe, pub, and scenic bench stops. Longer, but easier. If we can walk 4 miles here non-stop, then we can walk 7 in London with many stops.
Two weeks of teaching remain, capped by the group lesson. I think I can survive.
Today the temp reached 76 F, a bit on the high side for this time of year. Especially after the brutal March and early April we have undergone.
We've been fine-tuning the London walks, and have now complete plans of our daytime hours. Night time activities are restricted because of the hearty day activities we have planned. Of course miserable weather will cancel the walking plans. If that happens, then concerts, plays, etc. will take up the slack.
We have been getting the yard ready in earnest of late, picking up two seasons worth of blown down branches. The autumn leaves have mostly composted as expected, and a few runs with the lawn mower will mulch them even more.
I am about to read my next volume in the Avon/Equinox SF series. I saw the movie "No Blade of Grass" back in the early 70s, and now am about to read the novel it was based upon. An ecological disaster is caused when a virus wipes out all crops on earth. Hopefully we can see the movie again after I've read the book.
Thursday, April 6th/17
Another week of teaching has gone down; two to go until our next break. Students were playing decently this week, too. What a nice surprise!
Here at home, the Brahms and Britten listening projects are continuing. The last work we heard by Britten was his chamber opera "The Rape of Lucretia." Some really wonderful music goes along with the tragedy, but the story (from around 400-500 B.C.) somehow ends up with a Christian theme that seems to spoil the overall effect. Believe in Christ and getting raped might not be so bad, or something like that. Sheesh.
I am also continuing to make progress in the three PC games I am playing. On the oldest computer I am progressing with "Timelapse," though I am currently stuck on a devilish slider puzzle in a Mayan pyramid. Because it resets differently each time, there is no printed solution to the puzzle. Could be stuck here a while.
On the upstairs computer I am playing "Gabriel Knight 2", a gruesome game with a werewolf at its center, as well as Wagner and Ludwig of Bavaria.
And on the main computer I am playing the third installment of the Longest Journey series, called "Dreamfall: Chapters." Graphically superb, it also has a complex story with some very interesting characters. Much of it runs like a film; the gaming fades into the background. There are some quite difficult puzzles, though.
And the NM map program also carries on, as I finish up the "F" maps. I am intensely studying each of over 2,000 topo maps of the entire state. Some of these studies have led us to visit areas we would have never known about, while others just get added to the waiting list.
The weather continues to be frightful. Tonight it is very cold, very windy, and very wet. Measurable snow is also expected overnight. We hope to visit Detroit tomorrow. We'll see.
Wednesday, April 5th/17
Reading, practicing. Sums things up this week, if you don't count all the teaching. I'm currently reading two books: some early short stories by Budrys; and three children's novels by the incomparable John Bellairs, who wrote the unforgettable "Face In the Frost." I am currently reading his "House With A Clock in the Wall." Wish I'd known of his writing when I was younger. Still, it's very enjoyable for adults, too.
As to piano, I am now well into memorization of the program's 2nd half. My poor overworked brain!
I have finally drawn up a tentative London itinerary, filled with new walks, a new day excursion from London, and a possible visit to Hampton Court Palace. We have visited the gardens, but not the interior. The only part of the trip I am not looking forward to is driving home from Toronto after our flight back from Gatwick. Still, we saved nearly $1000 by doing this.
Speaking of $1000, our maple tree from the front is now gone. It was really rotting in the center from an earlier split, and with all the rain and damp weather we've been having I am relieved it is down, though saddened at the same time. Several years ago that tree also cost us money and consternation when the roots from it broke apart our sewage line. Fun times.
Sunday, April 2nd/17
I lucked into yet another clear night last night, and headed out to the observatory. The place was hopping with a group of cub scouts getting a tour and a peek at the sky, thanks to some of our hard working member volunteers. The 5-day moon was up pretty high, ruining things early on for serious deep sky work. So I ended up staying late, until the moon was down low. I got to bed just after 2 am.
A new link has opened in our county's hike/bike rails to trails program. We did a short hike on the Amherstburg end of things today. Part of the trail was under water due to recent heavy rains (more coming tomorrow), but we heard our first singing frogs of the year. Mosquitoes can't be far behind. The farm fields we saw were sopping wet and muddy.
In other news, Deb is being cautiously optimistic that her new regime of exercise and tumeric and magnesium is making her feel better. We should have a pretty solid idea by the time of our trip to England.
We have completed the three week "warmup" walking program, and will soon move on to a more intense three week program. We are hoping to make progress on two long distance trails in and around London, maybe even finishing them someday.
Friday, March 31st/17
Teaching Week 2 of 5 is over. Very busy now with 15 students to call my very own. We've already reached and exceeded our yearly savings goal, and there is still a full semester of fees to come in May. Not to worry--with all the yard work expenses going on, there will be little excess cash. One of our front yard trees, a big, battered maple, has to come down. And our backyard brush pile has now reached gargantuan proportions and will have to be trucked away. There goes a couple of thousand dollars. We have so many trees, and they are a huge expense.
Tuesday night was very clear and I spent a late night at Hallam. I got to bed around 1:30 am, and really suffered for it Wednesday, which is my heaviest teaching day. By now all is well.
Thursday was a full day and night of heavy, cold rain and thunderstorms. Our creek was at an all-time high, a rampaging torrent of muddy water. It's still going pretty strongly today, though much subdued. We had to resort to the treadmill for walking yesterday, but made it outside today.
A quiet weekend is planned, practicing, reading, listening to music. Deb is at work on her next little film. Her coffee film has now been accepted into festivals in Barcelona and Berlin!
Monday, March 27th/17
A fun day in the big city, and no line- ups into the USA or back into Canada. Yay! And it was mild, and didn't rain!
We began at Eastern Market in Detroit, which is mostly closed Monday. But Germack Coffee Roasters is open. Deb stocked up on green coffee beans (Ethopian Harrar and Mexican Oaxaca, our two favs). She roasted a batch once we got home.
Next stop was John King Books, where I hit the jackpot today. The store was really busy. The used SF section changes a lot every week. Today I bought about 20 books, with several each by Silverberg (early stuff), Russell, Kornbluth, and a new favourite, Chad Oliver. Deb got an interesting volume in the Maths section called "The Man Who Counted," by Malba Tahan. I will likely read this one, too.
Speaking of reading, I am currently on my 76th novel since the end of last May related to my Avon/Equinox SF project. That doesn't count the other books I have read, such as a recent astronomy one. So I am buying a lot of books, but reading voraciously, too.
Next stop was the mailbox, where Deb had a Cranio Cradle awaiting her. It is supposed to ease chronic head, neck and back pain. Hopefully!! I have books coming, but they were not in yet.
Next up was a 3-mile walk, the last one of Week Two. We walked on the River Rouge Trail, and there were flowers!! Four more weeks of training remain. One of our former students, Rachael, is currently traveling through Europe. We hope to meet with her in London for an afternoon or evening. She is working there till November.
Lastly came lunch. La Shish is our favourite Middle Eastern restaurant, and we had our usual feast--we split an enormous Rice-Almond Salad, added in a side of baba, and ate and ate and ate!. It comes with bread and two dips. $20 for two, and it stuffs us.
It will be clear tomorrow night, so after teaching my 6 students for Tuesday, I will be out the door and on my way to Comber for the night. Can't wait!
Sunday, March 26th/17
Another wee setback for Deb, as she pulled a muscle in her back today. Ouchie! She has been trying to ease her overall back and neck pain for a few weeks now with turmeric. Hard to say if it is working yet. She has likely injured her shoulder muscles using the sword from Iaido, expecially the cutting required when she did her 2nd Dan test.
I've been out walking in the rain yesterday and today, and feeling it in my legs. Deb was on the treadmill yesterday, but not today. Not ready for long distance walking just yet.
Some good news: Deb's very short "Coffee" film has been accepted by a film festival in Berlin! Yay!
As we approach new moon and the end of this month's observing session, the clouds have never been thicker. However, it is expected to be clear on Tuesday night again. A tiring full teaching afternoon and evening will once again be followed by a zoom to the observatory and a late night of observing. 4 nights of the week I do not teach. Why are only teaching nights clear lately?
I will be giving up most of my April observing session due to the ill-timed London trip. This year our teaching break happens to coincide with new moon. Damn!
We own a deluxe set of 25 movies by Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, probably one of the five best directors who ever lived. Last night we watched one of his all time greats, "Hidden Fortress." George Lucas was so inspired by this film that he made Star Wars, though his princess was nowhere near as stunning as Kurosawa's. And CP3O and R2D2 were based on the two peasants in the film. We haven't seen this film in a long time. Certainly more watchable than Star Wars!!
Still from Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress.
Thursday, March 23rd/17
It's been a very busy week. I acquired yet another new student (3 recently), bringing my total number to 15 (I'm happy with 10). Word of mouth only--I don't dare advertise. The newest one is an adult, who studied a little when she was very young. Initial impressions are positive--she seems very motivated and capable.
My two heaviest nights of teaching are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Guess which two nights were spectacularly clear? If you guessed Tuesday and Wednesday, you are correct. Deb had food ready, and as soon as the last student was out the door I ate a quick bite, dressed for winter, and headed out to the observatory. I enjoyed two glorious nights, the first one alone and the second one with a few other members present. I'm still behind in my notes, and my sleep. But teaching is done and the weekend has arrived. However, it's supposed to rain all weekend.
Last Monday was our annual Spring celebration. We changed the art in the living room, got our newest Tarot cards, enjoyed a lovely wood fire, and stared out the window at our poor flowers, having to endure temps as low as 18 F this week. So far we have three varieties blooming in our front garden. Somehow.
We have no major plans for the weekend, other than a trip to Eastern Market in Detroit, and to John King Books.
Sunday, March 19th/17
This is a story about time travel, and how it affected one man and woman. A week ago Saturday we were forced to advance our clocks by one hour, switching to Daylight Savings Time--I am not a fan. By Monday morning we were grudgingly adjusting. When we got on a train to Chicago that day we had to put our watches back by an hour. Back to standard time. Wednesday we headed home, putting our watches ahead an hour--back to Daylight time. Thursday night it was clear, and I got to bed 1 and 1/2 hrs. later than usual. Deb stayed home, but kept my hours. We paid the price on Friday and Saturday, walking around like the living dead.
And I do mean walking--we have now walked 7 days in a row, despite wintry weather and cool temps. We are hoping to be ready for the London Loop in six weeks. Tomorrow is a long walk, then finally a day of rest.
Deb continues to wage war against her fibromyalgia. She is pretty much on her own, as most doctors are pretty clueless, and simply prescribe pain meds. Fortunately, the internet can be a very helpful resource if used well. Hoping for some positive results.
Friday, March 17th/17
I posted a short blog article on our recent trip to Chicago. See the link to the American Midwest blog, opposite.
I had a fantastic night at the observatory last night. I was alone, and it was cold, but I managed a three hour observing session! Got the notes done today, too.
Our walking program is now in full swing, despite the lousy weather. The winds were chilly and the air very damp on our walk today. Have to tough it out--London walking in six weeks.
And I managed a new entry in the Avon SF series--Winds of Time--such a great novel!!
Thursday, March 16th/17
We got home from Chicago about 9:30 pm last evening. Our train was one hour late--into Chicago it seems to always run on time, but back towards Detroit it is always hopelessly late. We went coach fare, which was cheap and reasonably comfortable. At times the train is travelling at 175 km/hr. We were kicking up a lot of snow!
The weather was cold, snowy and quite miserable, but as our hotel was so centrally located we were just fine. The longest walk we needed to make in any one direction was ten minutes; many places were much closer.
We went to Whole Foods in Detroit. Deb needed tortoise greens, I needed craft beer (we am allowed to bring back 48 bottles after a two-night stay in the US), and we both needed dinner. We did it all in one stop. The store windows look out onto one of the major intersections of Detroit--I witnessed an ambulance heading for the nearby ER, accompanied by about a dozen police cars. That could only mean one thing--a Detroit police officer had been shot. We've seen this emergency parade before, sadly.
Driving home we got news on the radio and on the phone data--two officers had been shot and the shooter was still at large. The shooting was not near our location; just the hospital was. We saw the police helicopter--it wasn't too far from the bridge to Canada.
This morning it was reported that the officers would be okay, and the shooter had been captured. Yay for the good guys! Detroit would likely be my last choice to be a police officer (or teacher).
Today is sunny but still cold, and it appears that I am heading out to the observatory in about an hour from now. More later.
Sunday, March 12th/17
The three works by Bach and the two-movement sonata by Haydn are memorized! I am very happy, as it has only been two months since I began the new program. Once we return from Chicago I will only have the Cramer Etude left to memorize in the program's 1st half.
The 2nd half consists of three solo piano astronomy works by Canadian composer Alexina Louie; a daunting Prelude by Debussy (The Hills of Anacapri); a showpiece etude by MacDowell (March Wind); and a Rachmaninoff duet to be performed with Paula. Memory work will begin on those pieces presently, though many parts are already sticking in my head.
The third half of the program-LOL- will consist of works for recorders and harpsichord,with Deb and I on recorders and Paula on harpsichord.
Our sub-freezing week continues, with some in-coming snow about to make things even more interesting. I guess if we have to endure temps far below normal, then March is a better month for it than either January or February.
Saturday, March 11th/17
I managed to get the 2011 blog transferred, in my on-going attempt to close this version down and switch to Google. 5 1/2 more years of blogs to switch over. It is very tedious and time-consuming work.
Tonight we celebrated the Full Moon. Wood fire, Brahms Op 25 and Britten Op 35!
A week from tonight I hope to be immersed in my observations of Leo once again. Galaxies and more galaxies. How many galaxies can one man see in a lifetime?
Thursday, March 9th/17
Well, the best that can be said is that I'm glad that's over with. And I don't mean my week of teaching. That was fine.
Don't ever let anyone tell you that laser eye surgery won't hurt. Out of about 30 times that I was zapped this morning, 10 of them hurt. 5 of them hurt a lot. I'm glad that's over. I go back in May for a check-up. I fervently hope it will not have to be redone.
Right now there is only mild discomfort, as if I had been observing with my scope for several intense hours.
I cancelled my Thursday teaching, but I guess I didn't really have to. It's a loss of $90, but I can live with that. Besides, the three children are leaving for a long holiday, so anything I would have taught them would have been easily forgotten. We are now on holiday until Tuesday, March 21st!
Norman Spinrad is one of the authors I am reading of late, related to my Avon/Equinox SF project. My blog seems to be attracting considerable international attention, though Blogger is clumsy to use and inconvenient to update in an orderly fashion. Anyway, Spinrad wrote two scripts for the original Star Trek series. Sadly, only one was ever produced. "The Doomsday Machine" is still a first class episode, with a great story, original music, and good acting (even by Shatner!). The effects also hold up well today. We watched it last night and enjoyed it a lot. I haven't read much Spinrad, but several of his books are on my shelf awaiting their turn.
We hope to be home until Monday, when we are off to Chicago for a few days. The weather is going to be frightful, as we remain about 13 degrees F below average for this time of year, well into next week. Snow is also likely to occur. I am not happy about this, though I seem to be limited in my ability to change things for the better....
Monday, March 6th/17
Deb is all nicely infused for another two months. Her next appointment will be just after our return from London.
Our last week of teaching is coming up, and then we get a week off. I might have to cancel my Thursday teaching, depending on what I have to do after eye surgery that morning. Since I haven't been told anything, I assume I will walk out and be able to carry on. Though perhaps not...
Very mild temps again today, with lots of rain in the near forecast. However, it would appear that this weekend and part of next week are going to be very cold and unseasonal. Such is Mother Nature.
I am almost finished memorizing my Haydn sonata! With any luck it will be secure before our Chicago trip.
We have been watching Season Two of Mozart In the Jungle, an Amazon Prime series that is quite fresh and enjoyable, and more or less concerned with musicians of an orchestra and its conductor. Some very funny and very tender scenes. Tonight's episode (4) had some pretty amazing musical superstar guest stars--very fun! It was also a very creative effort, quite different from the more story-driven earlier episodes.
Sunday, March 5th/17
Sometimes it is hard to believe how long it's been since my last entry! Since I try to keep about 6 blogs updated, I sometimes lose track of a few of them for a time.
We've had a chilly introduction to March, though relief is on the way. On Monday Deb has her infusion. Her next one won't be until be are back from our next London adventure (#14). This Thursday I have eye surgery. An interesting week.
Planning for the London trip has been underway, and the six week walking program leading up to it commences officially next week. While we have been walking all winter, we have not yet pushed ourselves beyond a very basic fitness level.
In addition to at least two long walks near London, we are planning a day away from London that also involves some walking, and a visit to a ruined castle. Rainy weather will of course alter all plans, but the National Gallery and British Museum will help take up some of the slack if we do not complete our walks.
This is our final week of teaching before the March school break. We are off to Chicago next week for two days and nights. I'm looking forward to taking the train instead of driving. After the break we teach five more weeks, then we are off to England. A former student of mine is working near London, and we hope to get together with her for a pint or two. Also, our music teacher friend Nadia will likely be seen at the JAGs annual concert. I think she still teaches there. Then there is Liberty, a new friend from Jersey Island who is studying voice at Trinity College. We heard her sing in 2015, and hope to hear her again soon! Hopefully Caroline, our London bestie, will accompany us on many of these mini-adventures.
Though I continue to read voraciously, I have to stop ordering books for awhile, until I can get partly caught up. I have such a long row of books awaiting me, about 100!!
Last night it was clear. Due to a high and very bright quarter moon I stayed home, but I did go out and observe from our back deck. I have to set up 4 tarps to protect my eyes from stray light, but I get pretty decent skies for such a suburban location.
The Bach Festival in Germany we had thought of attending in Sept. is sold out. That leaves Morro Bay, or the star party in NM. Still deciding, though acconmodations in Morro Bay are very expensive, and not really where we want to be (on the bay).
Tuesday, Feb. 28th/17
Our grass is green and we have a garden full of blooming snowdrop flowers. As I type this in early evening we are experiencing a thunder storm, with some heavy rain. Average high for today is 39 F. It went above 50 F again today. Tomorrow will be 60 F. Then it will get cool for two days, a bit below average, then right back up again. If our summer temperatures match this, it will be a very hot one.
Today was Detroit day. Virtually no Canadians are visiting Detroit, no doubt due to Trump and a few widely covered encounters with American border guards. As long as we get across hassle free we will continue to visit. Detroit is like a best friend, and I refuse to abandon a friend because a nincompoop is now President for awhile. Detroit voted for Hillary, too.
Anyway, we had a great lunch at Seva veg restaurant in Midtown. I had 8 books from Amazon booksellers awaiting me at the Dearborn mailbox, and we had a good walk through the lovely neighbourhood adjacent (Springwells). I came home with a 4-pack of craft beer, as I did last week. No hassles on either side. There have been no lineups at the customs booths for three weeks in a row. Our next visit will likely be in two weeks, when we head to Chicago's Loop for two days and nights. We have scouted out cafes, pubs, veg restaurants, and book stores on-line. It's going to be a fun trip, via Amtrak.
In July there are two conferences of interest, and we will likely choose one. The first is the annual Mythopoeic gathering, this year in nearby Illinois. The other is a pulp novel and magazine conference, held in Pittsburgh. They both sound great, so we shall see. It would likely be late in August before we make the annual trip up north, to visit Deb's mom in Lindsay, followed by a visit to Sudbury to see my family.
Our autumn travel possibility has changed yet again, as we now seriously consider attending the Enchanted Skies Star Party in central New Mexico. This year it will take place in mid-October, and I think I can make that work. It is the last really big thing I want to do in NM, so I think the time has finally come to go for it. Stay tuned for further updates.
Monday, Feb. 27th/17
It's official--I have a tiny hole in my left eye! Laser repair on Mar. 9th. Less said the better...
Deb has been doing some research on Fibromyalgia--it was her internet snooping that matched up her symptoms to a tee. She's had more problems, but she found a doctor in Ohio who also has it, and has been successfully treating himself with malic acid and magnesium. To make a long story short, they might help Deb with her on-going upper body pain problems. Her RA seems fully under control, so we hope this will help with her Fibro. Right now all she has is pain meds.
Deb also received her first Canada pension cheque today. She makes more than I do! All of our pension money goes into the living expense account. The teaching money goes into travel funds. Still, with the extra cash coming in, life will be a bit easier.
More storms and heavy rain are forecast for us tomorrow--usually this is the time of year for big, nasty snowstorms. Not this year. We are hoping to make our weekly excursion to Detroit, weather allowing.
I'm reading the 5th book of P. J. Farmer's World of Tiers series, a really fun adventure series he wrote over a number of years. By comparison, the series he is best known for is called Riverworld, also five books long. It is an unmitigated disaster by comparison. While the first book was pretty good, the 2nd and 3rd grew progressively worse. I am committed to reading the remaining volumes, but I am not looking forward to them.
Among other things, we have been watching Dr. Who episodes on demand. We are watching the 1st series with Bill Hartnell in order, and were even able to watch a remake of the 7 missing Marco Polo episodes! The voice recording survived. One person put the series back together using stills, while another guy made a computer animation version. I remember watching these as a kid. All video copies were lost.
Then we watch a series with Tom Baker, from Season 12. Then we watch a more recent episode. Tonight we watched "Blink," with David Tenant, possibly the best Who episode ever written (despite a few time quandrys that may be tricky to explain). Season One with Hartnell is up next, The Keys of Marinus.
Saturday, Feb. 25th/17
I don't know what has been more strange--the things that have come from the White House lately, or our weather. Yesterday it reached 70 F (21 C). In February. Needless to say it shattered the old record of 59 F. We have returned to more seasonal temps for the next few days, before the next warmup. No clear nights, either. It's funny how cloudy skies are always predicted with 100% accuracy, though clear sky predictions are often wrong about 50% of the time.
We are having some difficulty getting affordable accommodations in
Morro Bay for the 1st week in September. We might have to try different dates. We still have not ruled out the Bach Festival in Germany, either. 8 private concerts, just for our travel group. That's pretty hard to ignore.
Memorization of the first half of my next concert is proceeding painfully along. I have another movement of the Haydn to memorize, and the Cramer study, so not doing too badly.
Deb is working on her very short musical film, with the three lady rats performing Bach's "Coffee Cantata." It's not quite a David Lean production, but it's a movie.
Hoping to do some writing today, some exercising, and plenty of reading. Maybe a nap. Lots of coffee. A Dr. Who episode. More piano practice, and later some listening (Brahms, Op 23).
Wednesday, Feb. 22/17
Only three students left to teach, and my short but intense work week will have ended. Tuesday and Wed. the students come here, until 7:30 pm. On Thursday I go up the road to teach at the home of three students, twin boys and a girl. Nearly there.
It would appear that the February astronomy session has crashed and burned, after two very fine nights. Normally I like to count on 5 or 6 outings in a two-week lunar session, but that hasn't happened since October. It has been a very cloudy several months!
Yesterday we made an excursion to Dearborn, MI. I had five books awaiting me at the mailbox. One of them was a large hardcover book containing five novels by the SF author Eric Frank Russell. So you could say that nine novels arrived! Still awaiting several more. Deb got some little cups and saucers and such things at the doll house store, which she is painting for use in her upcoming video. Yorick also got a new chair!
We booked a two-night stay in Chicago for the upcoming school break in March. Since the weather is still likely to be wintry, we booked travel on Amtrak. We are staying in a hotel not far from the station, in an area dense with pubs, cafes, and veggie restaurants. Even if the weather is snowy and cold, we will have a fun time if we have to stay very near the hotel. And hopefully I can read a novel or two during the train journeys!
Monday, Feb. 20th/17
I have finally caught up on my astronomy notes from Friday and Saturday night. That looks like it for observing this session. New Moon is coming soon, along with plenty of clouds. At least two great nights were had! I am now preparing my next article for the club newsletter, to be published in mid-March.
Piano practice has suffered as a result, and we did not get out for a walk today. Tomorrow is our mailbox run to Dearborn, as well as a lunch outing. Deb will also visit a dollhouse store, hoping to buy a tea and coffee set for her music video. I am also expecting several books to have arrived at the mailbox.
We are now leaning towards revisiting Morro Bay, California in early September, again traveling by Amtrak, renting a car at the L.A. station, and driving north up the coast. This time we will stay in one place on the Bay. There is good hiking, ocean view walks, great pubs, a vegan cafe, and several days of peace and quiet by the ocean. Can't wait! Hoping that California is still there when we arrive.
Sunday, Feb. 19th/17
A number of things came together to make this a very memorable weekend. Firstly, the weather. In a very scary burst of sun and temperatures, we made it into the high 60s both yesterday and today, setting records. The temps were so far above average that if this happened in July we would have reached 118 F yesterday and 115 F today. If that isn't scary, I don't know what is! So we had some enjoyable "winter" walks, including today's in summer jackets!
Another unusual event was the clear skies we enjoyed, both Friday night and Saturday night. Very clear skies. While Friday's observing session saw temps in the mid-30s, last night's session saw temps remain in the 50s until we left at 11 pm. Two perfect nights enabled me to do unprecedented work with the winter sky.
I am still writing up notes, and of course my reading and practice time schedules got completely messed up. Temps high above average will continue through Friday. Hopefully another clear night will pop up, too. We have had winter warm spells before, but never lasting a week, and never with so many days so far above average. I still worry about July.
In addition to an upcoming visit to London, UK, we are looking at attending a Bach Festival in Weimar and Leipzig in Sept. The tour lasts a week and includes all tickets (about 8 concerts). The concerts are private affairs, scheduled only for people on this package tour. Other sight-seeing events are also included, and some meals. We would have to get to Frankfurt from Windsor, and then back, at our own expense. It is a very expensive package, and flights are not cheap. We'll see. Our teaching would commence the day we got back.
Wednesday, Feb. 15th/17
"The Four Sea Interludes" by Benjamin Britten contain some of the best orchestral writing of the 20th C. They are short instrumental works lifted directly from his opera "Peter Grimes," which premiered in London in June, 1945. Long before Deb or I knew the opera, or any other Britten pieces, we knew the Four Sea Interludes. They are still widely performed today by most symphony orchestras. The movements are "Dawn; Sunday Morning; Moonlight; and Storm." Each work is a miniature masterpiece of orchestral writing. In the opera they serve as preludes to the upcoming scene. Thus, the music for Dawn permeates the entire scene where the fishermen are launching their boats. Since we hear the theme first, once the singing begins we already know where the music is coming from and what it is about. Likewise with the other Interludes, which always come just before their scene in the opera. In Storm, the opera action takes places in a seaside pub. Every time someone opens the door to come in or go out, the storm music rages at full volume, being much subdued when the door, with much difficulty, is closed. Brilliant and very effective writing! Anyway, because we already know the Interludes so well, it was a joy to hear the opera again recently, as we could recognize the main themes. A fifth movement, "Passacaglia," is often performed with the other four. A passacaglia is a theme and variations in a minor key, and this piece gets right inside the soul of Peter Grimes, a lonely man who has too many rough edges for his, or anyone else's, own good. The Four Sea Interludes are an excellent introduction to Britten's writing, and once familiar to the listener, the opera will prove to be an overwhelming and wonderful experience.
My Wed. teaching time is up by 45', thanks to one student expanding from 30' to 45', as well as a new student starting today, my 2nd such this week. Both little things just starting out with piano lessons are 6 years old, female, and absolutely delightful to spend time with. Both are daughters of former music students from APS.
I am growing more and more excited about the possibility of some clear nights this weekend, combined with some above average temps. I have some prep work to do tomorrow.
A few months ago Deb totally rebuilt the tortoise habitat. That was Phase I of the operation. Yesterday she finished Phase 2, which increases Ludwig's space by 50%. He seems very happy in his new garden!
Tuesday, Feb. 14th/17
Starting to memorize newer piano pieces is a bit like finding your way around in a heavy fog. Things are okay for a bit, but then comes an area where nothing seems to exist. Trying to fill in a few hazy details in those many areas is where the real work begins.
I have two of three short Bach pieces memorized now, and am more than halfway through memorizing the first half of the Haydn Sonata (2 movements).
My new program is, in some ways, very similar to my last one. I have moved the home key from C up to D! Again I will open with three short works by Bach, illustrating exactly what he could do with one basic idea for each piece. His pieces are meant both for performance instruction as well as for composition students. I will follow these with another early Haydn Sonata (D+), perhaps a bit easier to play than the last one. Then comes a Cramer Etude once more, also in D Major. This piece fits really well after the Haydn, and seems almost like a 3rd part of that piece. It is a very short first half, but I will have a fair amount to say about the pieces. Next blog I will talk about the 2nd half of the program, with more modern works.
This week it is back to teaching. I have an increase of 1 1/4 hours over last semester, with two new students (both girls, and both 6) and expansion of lesson times with two more. I now have 14 students for a total time of 8.5 hrs. Deb has two students for a total of 1 1/4 hrs, meaning that we have nearly 10 hrs of teaching time @ $40 per hr. for 38 weeks. That constitutes our travel and concert fund. If the roof blows off, we have a separate line of credit for that.
Rafael, our landscaper, has been coming by in this nice weather, continuing his mega-project from last year of taming our yard and making it look less like an out-of-control rain forest. He is a great guy, works like a dog, and doesn't charge enough money. How can I not love him?
This is usually the day we celebrate the beginning of the end of winter.
However, since winter hasn't really got started yet (in our location, at least--the Maritime provinces are currently digging out from a really nasty blizzard), there isn't much to celebrate. Our daylight is back, our temps are up, and the Harleys are roaring up and down the highway in front of our house. It's almost like Spring has arrived already. Oh, and the crocuses are coming up, too.
Sunday, Feb. 12th/17
Looking at the 15-day forecast, all of our high temps for the daytime will be above 0 C! Next weekend looks to be very warm. And clear! Telescope observations should resume next weekend. It's been a miserably cloudy winter, except when the moon is waxing.
The Detroit Symphony Mozart Festival broadcasts are posted on Youtube until March 3rd! Superb renditions with a Classical-size orchestra (30 musicians instead of the usual 80). We are listening to some of the works again, especially the symphonies.
I also resumed the Brahms listening project tonight, hearing the Op 21 piano variations (two different sets). Next time I post I will talk about my newest piano pieces.
I have now read over 60 books in my SF reading spree, with the Avon/Equinox website growing accordingly. In addition to Farmer, I am reading works by Sladek, Kornbluth, Spinrad, Anthony, etc. A new author for me is Eric Frank Russell, and I am currently thoroughly enjoying his "The Great Explosion" right now. Great stuff, and very funny, too.
Friday, Feb 10th/17
Happy Full Moon to you! Usually this Snow Moon would fall on some of the coldest temps of the year. But not last year, and not this year. As I type at 9:30 pm it is clear out and 32 degrees F.! Moon tan weather!! No snow on the ground. And back into the 40s tomorrow. Warm temps did not stop us from having our wood fire, along with chocolate moon cake and (for me) some dark rum.
It's been a week since our last Mozart concert event, but his music is still roaring through my brain. Mostly parts of various symphonies. Not a bad curse, but still a curse. And this despite practicing my new piano pieces for 2 hours a day. One would think they would be going through my head instead. Thanks, Wolfgang.
While we wait for Amazon to restock the operas we ordered by Mozart, we continued on tonight with our listening program of works by Benjamin Britten. His most famous, and best, opera is Peter Grimes, a favourite of ours. We saw it performed many years ago by The Metropolitan Opera Co. of NYC, with Jon Vicars as the lead (one of the greatest Canadian singers, he died in 2015). I still remember the power and drama he brought to the role. We listened to the entire opera by the fire tonight, with two cats listening along with us.
Deb's 3rd short film has now been accepted into two film festivals, one in Spain and one in Oregon. There are still several more to hear from.
I have sent my 2nd Allie Tachbrook novel off to Amanda for a professional edit. Not sure if I will begin the third and final volume of that series next, or the 2nd story of Valeria the Vegetarian Vampire. In the meantime, piano progress has been steady. I will report on my newest program in a few short days.
Wed., Feb. 8th/17
Our winter-like cold spells are down to single days! Looking at the 15-day forecast, I would say that winter is done. In fact, it never really got started in our area. Sudbury has been getting a typical winter, and many snowstorms have nearly buried places in the Mid-West and on the east coast (they're getting a doozy right now). But our area has been spared the worst. We have not even had a true winter storm (that one in Dec. was on the 11th, technically still Autumn). And with nothing showing on the long range forecast, what can I say? There has been a lot of rain and fog, however.
Our walking program has pretty much continued all winter. We were in Windsor today, having lunch and walking in the Old Walkerville area. It was a chilly day, but about average for today. Pleasant enough, with no snow on the ground, either. Tomorrow will be colder, but then our temps bump back up right away again.
Our natural gas prices went up about 75% on Jan. 1st. The actual price of gas went up 50%, and the "delivery" rate (same as gas used) went up 100%. Nice, eh? Can't wait for my pension to go up 75%. If we use $60 worth of gas, our bill total comes to over $150.
We also have the highest electric rates in North America. Us, specifically, because we are customers of Ontario Hydro, classified as "rural," thus in the worst category possible. Use $60 worth of electricity, and the bill is over $150.
So warm winter months are a blessing in more ways than one.
I managed to get the 2010 blog transferred to my new blog site. That was my retirement year, so it was pretty interesting to read parts of it again after so many years. Six more years of posts to transfer, probably at the rate of one year per month--it is very tedious work.
Monday, Feb. 6th/17
We have a week off from teaching this week. Practicing is going well, and I have added two new shorter pieces to the program. I'm hoping to find time for just one more. More on the new program later.
Last Friday we finished up the DSO Mozart Festival with an epic day of concerts. In the morning we heard Symphonies #35 and 36. In the evening we heard #38 and 41, along with the Concerto for Flute and Harp. The evening concert was so good that we watched Saturday's live repeat performance on the DSO Live webcast.
The Festival was superb, marking our third in-depth study of a major composer. Last year was Brahms with the DSO, and before that we attended over a dozen concerts in a Bach chamber festival, tracing his influence into modern times. Immersion is the best way to get a feel for the music of a beloved composer. We are going to follow up the Mozart event by listening to half a dozen of his best operas. The CDs are on the way from Amazon!
In the meantime we will continue with our in-house exploration of Brahms and Britten, and I hope to resume my Haydn Symphony listening project, an attempt to critically listen to all 104 of them.
Deb and I have finished an editing reread of Allie Tachbrook and the Queenswood Gate, the 2nd adventure in a series. A third novel is planned.
I am also working on transferring this website to Google. It will take some time, perhaps well into summer. I am currently moving all of the older posts. I'm not posting many pictures here until that is done--they are a real bugger to transfer over, so the less photos right now the better. However, when the blog moves to Google, I will be able to post large photos, instead of the dinky ones I now use.
There is still some snow on the ground, but tonight's rain and tomorrow's high temps should erase it. A few days of cold will follow, and then we appear to be out of the woods of winter, so to speak. Wouldn't that be nice!
I am continuing to read voraciously, and just finished Farmer's "Venus on the Half-Shell." Great great book. HAHAHA! What a guy!
Thursday, Feb. 2nd/17
My three students from Thursday afternoon are at the funeral of their great grandfather, so my vacation week is off to an early start. When I return to teaching (Feb. 14th) I will have an additional hour added to my schedule. Two students are increasing their lesson time from 30 minutes to 45, and I will have a new student for 30 minutes, the 7 yr. old daughter of a former APS student. She will be my youngest student, supplanting the 8 yr. old currently holding down that position.
The DSO Mozart Festival climaxes this weekend. Two different concerts are scheduled for Friday. One is at 10:45, and will be broadcast live. It features two of the symphonies (35 and 36). Friday evening at 8 pm is the final concert of the series, also featuring two different symphonies (38 and 41), along with the Concerto for Flute and Harp. We hope to attend both concerts, so we will be spending an entire day and evening in Detroit.
I'm hoping to get to John King Books and start looking for some novels by Robert Silverberg! There will also be lots of cafe sitting, hopfully looking through some recently purchased paperbacks!
Today is Imbolg, or, if you are Christian, Candlemas, or, if you are a fan of pop culture, Groundhog Day. Imbolg is the original festival day, with the northern Celts celebrating the return of the light, and trying to appease the Goddess and have her bless the fields with her fertility before planting. If you happen to live at or north of the Arctic Circle, the daylight begins to return at this time! This was such an important festival in early days that the Christians were eager to supplant it with one of their own.
For us it means 40 minutes more sunlight today since Winter Solstice, and we are about halfway to Spring Equinox. And it was sunny today, too!! And yesterday! And should be tomorrow and Saturday!! The trade off is some very cold temps. We won't get above freezing till Sunday afternoon. Still, with a very mild January out of the way, the rest is going to be easy. Snowstorms and cold weather still lie ahead, but we are so much closer to Spring now.
Tuesday, Jan. 31st/17
I have finally finished writing my second novel in the Allie Tachbrook series! It only took about seven years, but it's done! One more to write. Someday. Deb and I will read through it, then I will send it off to Amanda for a professional edit, and then perhaps both books will be sent along to a few publishers.
It's turning into a weird week for music lessons, as so far 6 of my 12 students have cancelled! One is sick, 2 can't come because their dad was injured in an accident (a car came crashing through their garage while Dad was working there!), and three are off to a funeral. So an easy week of teaching for me. I am supposed to have 5 students tomorrow--we'll see if they manage to turn up.
We awoke to about 3 1/2" of snow on the ground, our first somewhat significant snowfall in a very long time (December). Temps have returned to near average, after a 10-day run of being high above average. The next week or so seems like a return to seasonal weather, which means cold but not really cold. I did a lot of shoveling today, and the snow was very heavy. I have a bit more left for tomorrow.
Our next DSO concerts are scheduled for Friday and Sunday, which will wrap up the Mozart Festival. Because four of his most important symphonies will be performed, this will be an outstanding weekend of music. Like the banner says, these concerts can be listened to live, as they happen. Go to Detroit Symphony Live for more info.
Friday, Jan. 27th/17
Last Sunday we visited the Detroit Institute of Arts before the Mozart concert. There was a special gathering of ethnic coffee and tea makers there, including an Arabic one, in conjunction with their major art exhibit. The coffee (prepared by boiling) is mixed with cardamom, and is absolutely delicious. They also had some sesame snacks available, also worth seeking out. We had picked up their business card and went to visit their shop in Dearborn today, buying some of the coffee, along with a little Turkish coffee pot, six tiny cups, some extra cardamom, and some snacks. The store is filled with nuts and candy, too, a great place to visit! We shall return, though it is a bit out of our usual area. Deb made some of the coffee when we got home from Detroit today. Just as good as at the museum. Great stuff!!
Before that we went to Buddy's Pizza in Dearborn for a late lunch. Deb had a coupon for a free pizza. They have one of the two best pizzas in our geographical area, with Detroit's Jolly Pumpkin having the other one.
Before that we went to our Dearborn mailbox, where I had a nice pile of SF books awaiting me. Books by Kornbluth, Budrys, Farmer, and Sladek were there. When we got home, my books by Piers Anthony were in the mailbox. So a good day for book collecting!! I am currently reading "The Muller Fokker Effect" by Sladek, which is nearly impossible to describe but which reaffirms his status as one of my very favourite SF authors. An amazing genius with words!
Before that we were at Orchestra Hall for a morning DSO concert in the Mozart Festival series, our fourth of seven. For attending four events we each got a Mozart pint glass, which says MO-TOWN (for Mozart). Coincidentally, it was Mozarts 261st birthday today, and Slatkin had a great little surprise cooked up for the audience. Concert highlights today included fabulous renditions of the 3rd Horn Concerto (justly very famous), and the ever-popular Clarinet Concerto. The DSO continues to shine, and proves once again to have immense depth from within its own ranks to produce top notch soloists.
We return to Detroit on Sunday for the G Minor Symphony, one of the very best!!
Tuesday, Jan. 24th/17
There are three stages of learning new piano repertoire. The first is a bit of a slog, as all those new notes have to get into your brain and your fingers. New neural pathways are being created. Each piece comes along at its own pace--a piece that should be easy sometimes is not, and a difficult piece might fall into place sooner than expected. But it still takes a long time. So I am heavily involved with Stage One learning these days. Stage Two is memorization, still a few weeks away. For someone like me that is a very difficult phase, though it gets better as it goes along. Starting to memorize a new piece is pure agony, but by the time half of it is learned it gets a lot easier. The third and final stage is the polishing, and is best done when a definite performance date has been set. A fourth stage was necessitated in my last program by a December snowstorm, as I tried to keep pieces fresh long past their best before date.
I haven't had a lot of time to practice since my recital, losing two days last week (and for the next two weeks) to the Mozart Festival. Still, progress is being made, and we have a week off from teaching after next week's lessons are complete.
Sunday's concert was a fine one, and I am still humming parts of the Flute Concerto, Horn Concerto, and the 39th Symphony. Orchestra Hall is acoustically perfect, which is the main reason it was saved from being torn down and becoming a MacDonalds (true story). It took years of restoration and fund raising to bring it back to its full glory, and with the newer lobby add-on it now ranks as one of the world's best concert halls. Our preferred seats are in the very back row, up against the wall in the upper balcony. Not only does this location give the best sound, but they are also the least expensive tickets. Score! It just doesn't work out that way in most things.
Anyway, with only 22 string players out there, and a full Mozart-sized orchestra of only 32, it still sounds like a full orchestra. When the flute solo happens, you hear it as if you were on the conductor's podium. A full orchestra is usually around 90 players. So the festival is going well. 3 Mozart concerts down, four to go (and perhaps a film about Mozart, if we can squeeze that in, too).
Today was Day 8 of our unprecedented winter heat wave, with temps remaining far above average. One more to go, and then things slowly settle back to a January pattern, though only about average for the season. No more horrible cold spells in the immediate forecast. It's been damp, grey, dark, and drizzly a lot, though. We've had one day of sunshine in the past two weeks.
Deb is going to go back to physio for a few weeks. We are not getting far with doctors. Don't really know what else to do, except live on pain killers. We'll hope the physio can help with her fibromyalgia.
Friday, Jan. 20th/17
The DSO Mozart Festival is one of those once in a lifetime events, like last year's Brahms Festival. Unless you happen to live in Salzburg, where you could hear one every year.
We arrived at Orchestra Hall in Detroit yesterday at 2 pm, in time to hear the 2nd half of the Mozart Piano Sonata Marathon. The 19 Sonatas (we heard #11-19) were performed by area university music students, and were mostly of a very high calibre. Many of the performers were Asian females. Yuja Wang seems to be a pretty big inspiration. There is some good teaching going on over there. It was a thrill to hear so much music by the Master in one day. The music of Mozart acts like a stimulant, and a Mozart concert can have an effect on the brain similar to that of several cups of coffee. Deb didn't sleep much last night, and it took me a long time to fall asleep.
We had a break for dinner, and went to Seva, Detroit's premier veg restaurant. In addition to our fabulous meal, we also shared a piece of vegan chocolate cake to die for, with vegan ice cream! After dinner we returned to the hall for the first of six Mozart orchestra concerts being presented over the next three weekends. If the weather holds out we will attend all six.
We heard the Overture to Marriage of Figaro; the Oboe Concerto; the first of 4 horn concerti; and a Concertante with violin and viola solos. All soloists for the Festival are from within the orchestra, and performances were of the highest standard.
The orchestra was small, with only 25 in the core, including all the first chair players. Next concert is Sunday afternoon, and we will also begin to hear the composer's last six symphonies, among the most incredible instrumental music ever written. And tickets are only $15. You won't find that in Salzburg.
When we came out of the hall to go home, the "check engine" light came on in our 2010 Golf. We called VW this morning, got an appt. right away, and it was fixed in under an hour. Even though the vehicle is over 6 years old, it was still covered under VWs extended warranty. We didn't have to pay a dime!
We made it home before the heavy fog settled in. It is very dense tonight, and with temps hitting the mid 50s tomorrow (!), wheels continue to fly off the 2017 winter climate.
If you want my true opinion of the weather (I know you don't, so just skip this next part), I am much like Goldilocks. Not too hot, not too cold, but just right LOL. I do not like it when the temps vary greatly from average for that month. Last weekend the temps were nearly dead on average for 3 days, and I loved it! When it stays way below 0 C for six days in a row I am not happy. When it stays way above average (and it will for about 10 days) I am also not happy.
After VW repaired our car we had to get groceries. Once home it was time for lunch (Deb made an incredible noodle dish--she can whip these things up from her head in no time). Then coffee, and my postponed teaching from last night. But I was finished by 5 pm and ready for another episode of Doctor Who. We are watching the very first season, and the very first encounter with the Daleks. One more episode to go.
I have been reading P.J. Farmer's Riverworld series lately. It is one of the strangest concepts ever for a SF novel. I doubt many people could pull it off, either, as everyone who has ever lived on Earth is resurrected simultaneously on an alien planet, alongside a river that is a million miles long. Quite the concept! And we get to hang out with all sorts of famous people trying to figure out just what the hell is going on. Fun stuff, and hard to put down once begun.
Wed., Jan. 18th/18
None of our students seem to be sick these days, which is a good thing. Deb seems to have fought off a small cold before it really got started. Tomorrow is our full day/evening in Detroit, as the Mozart Festival kicks off at Orchestra Hall. Temps in the 40s, and maybe some sun. Not what we usually get on her birthday!
I have been transferring the old blog entries to Google Blogger. Each full year takes about 3 1/2 hrs., not including the time I stop and read some of the old entries. It is quite remarkable how incredibly busy we were when we were school teachers. An endless parade of student concerts and performances!
Speaking of performances, I will give a recap of Sunday's recital here, for my future reading reference.
I opened the program with the first 3 of Bach's 12 Little Preludes; in C major, C major and c minor. Each of these very short works are gems, and built on the simplest of chord patterns. My talk focused on how Bach took 3 or 4 notes and constructed a piece of music from them. I compared them to Lego blocks, as he would use the same motif many times over to build a very short piece of music. Only difference is that he constructs his own different Lego block for each work.
Next came Haydn's very first Sonata, #1 In C Major. The first movement is the most important one, and is mostly constructed on two very simple ideas. It is fast, lively and very witty. The second movement is an operatic style aria, very simple and pure. Haydn wrote dozens of operas, but they are seldom performed today. The third movement is a Minuet and Trio, with the Trio being a very lovely meditation in the minor key.
I followed that up with an Etude by Cramer (#28 in c minor), a contemporary of Beethoven and a pianist whom the Great One admired a lot. Like the 3 Bach pieces, it is constructed on a single simple motif. I call it a chessboard piece, as there are 64 measures, with a breath every 8 measures.
Next came the two masterpieces on the program, and the most difficult pieces to learn and perform. The Brahms Intermezzo, Op. 117 #1, is a soft, gentle work that runs very deep. The middle section sounds like sighing. Then came a Debussy Prelude from Book 2 (#2), and is called Dead Leaves. It's a very unusual piece with some haunting writing and harmonies, again held together by a very short falling note motif. For me it's like standing in the middle of a very deep forest in late autumn, on a quiet day.
I finished up with Tantrum Tarantelle, an obscure fast dance by a virtually unknown Canadian composer.
Altogether I was able to perform the entire program 3x for small audiences. If it hadn't been winter I might have taken it to Toronto as well, and even on to Sudbury. Perhaps the next one, which is now being learned.
Tuesday, Jan. 17th/17
Every good Canadian child growing up in the 1960s watched Forest Rangers everyday after school. We just started re-watching them!
Teaching week #2 is underway. 4 students have passed by for a lesson, with 10 more to go. I am cancelling Thursday lessons as we will be heading over the border for the start of the Mozart Festival. I'm also hoping that my Farmer SF book will be in. It is the very first adventure of Doc Savage, when he was a teen and a POW. It tells how Doc met up with his cohorts, and how they escaped from a special Nazi prison camp. It's been a long time arriving, coming from overseas, I think by canoe.
I'm preparing a new order for books by Kornbluth and Budrys. Sladek, too.
The first of a long series of very warm days are now upon us. Even at night the temps will not get below, or much below, freezing. Not unusual for this to happen for a day or two, but for a week??? In January?? With no El Nino to blame??
Monday, Jan. 16th/17
Despite some pretty grim weather, it was a fun day for us. We went to Windsor for lunch at the Garden, our favourite veg restaurant. We parked far enough away to get a good walk in before and after. It was very slippery on our way to lunch, as ice pellets were falling and sidewalks were treacherous. However, near the university the sidewalks were salted. By the time we had eaten and were walking home it had turned to rain. Our temps are going to remain way above average for at least another week. Feels a bit like a London winter. I'm sure that February will have some cruel days in store for us, if we make it easily through January.
After lunch we went to visit Alison, who had been in a terrible car accident Nov. 30th. The police called her husband from the scene, telling him to get to the hospital to say his good-byes. The paramedics had told the police that she was going to die.
She lost four days of memory and cannot remember the accident, but she crossed the centre line and hit a dump truck head on. She is pretty messed up. After being in bed for 5 weeks she is finally starting to do some physio, and walking a bit with a walker. No one knows how long she will have to remain in hospital. She is full of surgical metal plates in her arms, shoulder and side. Airbags saved her life, though she was not expected to live. None of her organs were damaged, somehow. Anyway, she is pretty normal as far as chatting goes, and thankfully is pretty much herself. We worked for many years with Chris, her husband, at APS. He is now a principal. He came in near the end of our visit, and we got to talk with him, too. It had been a long time.
Back at home we watched MST3K rip apart Moon Zero Two, a very bad space movie from the 60s. Some very funny space ship lines from the bot crew, including "Close the door. Were you born in a vacuum?"
Sunday, Jan. 15th/17
One of the finest winter weather weekends in memory is just ending--average temps or just a bit below, and almost no wind. No snow on the ground, so walking was a priority. We are heading for a very warm and rainy week--most strange.
We are making progress in DreamFall Chapters, a brilliant game for PC, but many of the puzzles are less than logical. Still, there are beautiful cities and environments in which to wander. There is not as much humour, either, which is too bad. Longest Journey had some very funny moments. It's still early on, but things seem totally grim in this 3rd entry in the series.
I'm also playing a fantastic old game called Gabriel Knight 2: The Beast Within. Written by Jane Jenson, who I adore as a game writer, it is a very scary werewolf game. It takes place in Germany and it involves Ludwig II of Bavaria, Wagner, and an amazing amount of locations in and around Munich. And I am still at work on Timelapse, a very very old game of time travel.
Speaking of time travel, we are now involved in watching no less than 3 different doctors, in rotation. We are rewatching the earliest Will Hartnell episodes (the original Doctor from 1963). Then we are watching the first Tom Baker season, and then one of the more recent ones with David Tenant as the Doctor. Great fun!!
Now that the concert is over (I was expecting 11 or 12 people and 5 showed up) I can kick back a bit again. It is not necessary that I practice every single day. Not until I get closer to the next concert date. New pieces will come out to play this coming week, though.
I have resumed work on one of my unfinished drawing projects (a covered bridge scene), and continue to read SF books at a ferocious pace. I am about to start the Riverworld Series by P.J. Farmer, one of his best known creations. Deb has already read it--it is finally my turn to get started. I just finished a real oldie from 1952. Gunner Cade was written by two authors; C.M. Kornbluth and Judith Merril. What a fantastic book! It would make a great series, but back then there was no such thing.
Tomorrow we are going to visit a friend in hospital. A month ago she drove her van straight into an on-coming dump truck. She is just beginning to walk again (with a walker).
This week also marks the beginning of the DSO's Mozart Festival. We hope to attend concerts on Thursday and Sunday this coming week. Can't wait! There is always debate about who was the greatest composer, Mozart or Bach. I'll take either, but I feel that it is Bach. He was a true composer, whereas Mozart just scribbled down quickly what was already in his head. Music came to him without effort. He could compose an opera or symphony while friends read him letters and he dictated back to them. Sometimes they just read books to him, to help him stay awake to meet a deadline. He seldom ever went back to correct or improve anything--it came out perfect first time.
Bach, on the other hand, worked things out until he was satisfied, creating music that is intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally far above anything else ever written--except perhaps for Mozart. Mozart's best writing is in his operas, but we will only hear some of the overtures in the festival. This is an orchestral festival. He last six symphonies will be performed, along with all of his wind concerti. We are very excited to immerse ourselves in his world for three weeks (weather permitting). No doubt we will listen to the operas again here at home once the festival winds down.
On Thursday's visit Obama will still be President of the US, but by the time of our visit on Sunday those days will be behind us.
Thursday, Jan. 12th/17
14 students later, the weekend commences! I always get to finish my week at the Savoni house, about 300 meters away. I teach the three children piano. It is a very beautiful and expensive home on the Detroit River, and the grand piano is situated up against floor to ceiling windows with views to the river. I am always handed a glass of wine when I get there, and also receive a delicious vegan dinner as I teach. So the week usually ends pretty well!
The weather has been an almost unbelievable roller coaster ride this week. Last night at midnight it was 56 F (about 13 C), and we awoke this morning to heavy rain and thunderstorms. Now it is turning quite cold again. Next week is supposed to be very mild. Looks like we will get through January with little or no winter, but some of the strangest weather days. Warm, cold, snow, rain, warm, cold, snow rain.
My main goal for this weekend is to practice my piano program for the final few times, performing it late Sunday afternoon for a packed house (if everyone shows up). Getting out for some walking would also be nice, depending on the wind. I can handle cold temps, but not combined with a strong wind.
Also hoping to do a lot of reading this weekend, and to get back into drawing. I have an older covered bridge landscape to finish up before I begin work with my newest book.
I am deep into the 3rd game of a fabulous pc game series. Dreamfall Chapters is a huge and beautiful game, and the first of five segments now complete. There is quite a learning curve to this one when using a mouse/keyboard combo, but I am finally getting the hand of it.
No Detroit this weekend for us, but beginning next weekend we will be crossing twice weekly for the Mozart Festival, beginning a week from today.
Tuesday, Jan. 10th/17
Today was a day of significant weather. We awoke to about 2" of very dense and very heavy snow on the ground. The only thing denser and heavier would have to come from inside a neutron star. Luckily there wasn't enough of the stuff to warrant shovelling. When we left--it was Deb's infusion day, on the other side of the county--freezing rain was falling. However, the roads were mostly clear and salted, so we encountered no problems. We came straight home afterwards, as temps were hovering near freezing and the rain was continuing.
During late afternoon the winds became very high, and torrents of rain poured down. As I write this at 10 pm the winds are cranking up even higher. Will the power remain on overnight? That is the current concern. Most of the snow is gone, at least. We have so many trees on our property, including one large spruce that seems to lean toward the house when it is windy. Branches will fall, though hopefully no trees. We are three weeks into official winter, and it has been very strange so far.
While Deb was receiving her meds I was busy reading my new drawing book. It seems very good, and I learned a lot just by reading. I can't wait to get my pencil going again!
I ended up with four students tonight (instead of three), as my trumpet student had to reschedule from his usual Wed. time. The Gr. 8 students have been invited to tour the high school this Wed. evening. It was actually fun to be teaching again. Like I said, I had a great holiday, and it seemed a long time ago that I had taught!
Five more days to practice the old piano pieces, and then I hit "refresh" and begin a new batch! It is always exciting to contemplate new pieces, though I still mostly like all the old ones.
Monday, Jan. 9th/17
We are just finishing our 6th day in a row of sub-zero temps, and looking forward to a few days of well above average temps. First we have to get through some snow and freezing rain tonight....
We finally ventured out today on a real excursion. We headed to Dearborn, where I had two novels awaiting me at our mailbox. Both works are by John Sladek; The Steam-Driven Boy, and The Lunatics of Terra nearly complete my collection of this SF writer's works. Aside from Phillip J Farmer, whom I love as a writer, Sladek has become one of my all-time favourite authors. I had not heard of him before collecting the Avon/Equinox series.
We went to Fairlane Mall, mostly to walk. It is large and has many levels, so we walked indoors for 45 minutes, including lots of stairs. Then we went to an art supply store. Deb had a coupon for 40% off one item, and I was able to purchase "The Complete Beginner's Guide to Drawing." Yay! My art education will now recommence. It is a hard cover book with 200 projects for the budding artist. Can't wait to get going again!
We had lunch at La Shish, where we split a gigantic rice-almond salad, filled with greens and other veggies. We also ordered a side of baba to put on the salad. Delicious, and we gobbled it down in record time!
This is our final day of holidays for this season. Teaching resumes tomorrow. It has turned out to be one of the best ones yet, and it seemed very long, probably because we stayed home so much. However, we will soon be attending a number of concerts, as the Detroit Symphony Mozart Festival begins on Jan. 19th (Deb's birthday). Weather permitting, we will be attending at least half a dozen concerts in Detroit.
Saturday, Jan. 7th/17
One of the joys of being retired is that I never have to go outside in the cold if I choose not to. And I choose not to. We are finishing our 4th day in a row of sub zero temps, with highs only around 15 F. Average for us is 32 F, or 0 C. Our daytime highs are lower than our nights should be. Add in a stiff breeze and... indoor activities. Usually I will function well outdoors around 25 F or higher. Won't see that until Monday.
I did venture out yesterday for a haircut, correctly assuming that no one else would be out and that I would step right into the chair. Voila! I'm also out twice a day to feed the birds and squirrels. We have a really nice variety of birds this year, too.
We recently watched the 3rd episode of MST3K, from many many years ago, and unseen by us till now. Very very funny episode.
Being January, I can easily put up with the cold weather, especially as we have been dodging a continuous line of major snowstorms. Since Dec. 11th we have had nothing significant, while half a dozen big storms have cruised past us. Still, our tiny bit of snow from Thursday morning is lingering. It's simply far too cold for snow to even consider melting. New York City is the latest storm victim. At least the local children will be happy about it. I'm hoping that our next storm isn't going to be Jan. 15th, the date for my recital. Please wait at least until the 16th.
Thursday, Jan. 5th/17
It hasn't snowed since Dec. 18th, until today. We awoke to about half an inch of fluffy white stuff on the ground, barely enough to cover the grass. Just enough to get children really excited, but then totally disappoint them as no more was forthcoming. HA HA. Too bad. Up until today we had been snow free for 11 days!
We are also at the end of our 2nd day of a 5 or 6 day cold snap, accompanied by a sharp breeze. Temps will not rise above freezing, or even near it, until Monday or Tuesday. Of course it was an indoor day for us, but I had two students drop by for make-up piano lessons. Our regular teaching begins next week, when the children return to school.
I have a full house lined up for my Jan. 15th recital. I am going to perform my pieces without Jenn this time. She will perform again in the Spring closer to her exam time. This will enable me to somewhat expand my accompanying talk. All of my pieces are meant to be played in succession, as there is a method in my madness. I will now be able to explain this fully next Sunday. I really don't know where everyone will sit. And where to put all the boots and coats. Winter concerts are never a good idea.
Tuesday, Jan. 3rd/17
9 days with no snow on the ground. Despite a late Autumn bite (that killed my main concert date), winter has been nicely bearable. We are due for a 5-day blast of cold air beginning tomorrow, though no major snow is in the forecast. Today it is mild and foggy.
I have begun the Herculean task of moving the main part of this blog over to Blogger. So far I have managed to move the 2006 and 2007 files. It is so much work, and so boring! If you click the 2006 or 07 links at the very bottom of this column, it should take you to the new site.
I have officially resurrected my concert, to be held on Jan. 15th. It is amazing how much growth there has been in the pieces in just three extra weeks of practicing. I'm really looking forward to performing them!
We are watching a newer series based on a novel by Philip K Dick. Man In the High Castle (1962) is an alternate history story that every SF author who lived through WW11 seems to have written. What if the Axis had won the war? What then? I have read Kornbluth's novella on the same theme, which was written four years before Dick's work. It is amazing! Also, I have read Spinrad's version, possibly one of the strangest Hitler novels ever written. Instead of being a politician, Hitler was actually a SF writer, living his Nazi fantasies through his bizarre fiction!
Anyway, we are enjoying our new, virtually unlimited tv universe!
Sunday, January 1st, 2017
I have begun moving my older blogs over to Blogger. I have not yet decided if I will also move the photos, as it would be a massive undertaking. The text transfers easily, but the photos have to be done one at a time. We'll see.
2016 was another pretty good year for us. If we can only get Deb's neck and shoulder pain under control then all will be well. We are going to give her doctor one more try on January 10th, and if he cannot help we will begin trying elsewhere. Hopefully some relief is coming.
Travelwise it was a great year of hiking, pubs, cafes, and bookstores. Last March we made our first winter desert visit to NM in many years. In addition to hiking some of the most desolate mountains on earth, we also timed our visit with the flowering of the cacti. They are blooming much earlier now. We used to always visit in mid-March and never see one flower.
In April we visited Denver. Though we did manage a really fun hike, the main purpose was just to visit the area. In addition to exploring the city, we also had an exciting and highly scenic drive to Vail, and also spent a fun day in Boulder.
In the summer we did a combined visit to Lindsay and Sudbury, visiting our parents and spending a night and a day with my brother and family on Lake Nipissing. That was a really fun trip!
Then came a two-night visit to Fort Wayne, IN, a smaller city we usually fly past on our way to NM. Another really fun excursion!
Lastly was our climactic visit to NM, climbing the highest mountain in the State. We trained hard for it, and managed to get to one of the most beautiful mountain tops in the world. Yay us!! All of these trips and others can be found using the links on the opposite side of this blog.
2016 saw Deb get heavily into movie making, not only getting 2 1/2 short animated movies complete, but also being accepted into four film festivals. Woot!
My ear finally returned to normal in May, and I was able to resume piano performances for close friends and students. Lots more of that on the way.
Culturally, the highlight for us was the Detroit Symphony's Brahms Festival, a chance to immerse ourselves in the orchestral music of this great master, heir to both Bach and Beethoven. We now have the complete set of CDs of his music, and are in the midst of hearing it all. We also continue listening to the 37 CDs we have of Britten, another superb "B" composer.
It was also a grand year for astronomical observations, the most successful year I have ever had since starting out in 1968. More on that achievement in a few more days. I am currently on my way to set up on the back deck for some evening observing.
