time to relax

Big plans tonight. We have decided to... just sit back and relax... maybe watch a movie and read a bit. It should be nice.

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Friends, last night I ran sound for a band, and one comment got under my skin and bugged me the whole night. One of the guys picked up a cabasa and started shaking it like a maraca. I was re-doing the keyboard setup, and heard this man say that all sound is music; it just depends on your interpretation. I guess I could take that kind of pseudo-philosophical drivel better if he was an accomplished musician, but that was not the case. I could not stay silent; I challenged his position and attempted to show him the folly of his argument.

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There is a sense in which a person can listen to leaves rustling in the wind, and consider it music. But when a musician is part of a band, it is important to work together with the rest of the members. Learn the harmony. Hit your notes. Make sure the sounds you make convey the meaning of the words... that's music.

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Doing your own thing is fine for a child playing in his or her house, but not for a mic'd musician on stage. I'll tell you this, if it was up to me to assemble the band, I certainly would not choose someone who thinks like this quirky cabasa guy.

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As you can probably tell, I'm still wound up about this. I could sure use a break.

forced rest

[click on image to embiggen]

It is not easy to keep a nice lawn in front of the house, but I love doing it. Yesterday, the doctor expressly forbade me from mowing the lawn. He smiled, like he thought he was doing me a favor. There are times when we all must accept help, but I really enjoy taking care of the front lawn myself. There is a sense of accomplishment, when I see that the grass is happy and has straight edges. Some you will get it, but most people think I'm weird... that's okay.

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This week, I will need to trust someone else to cut the grass for me. He will probably not cut it diagonally, the way I like it. I alternate angles between mowings. He will probably not take extra care around the edges, and there will likely be scalpings along the mulched edges. (wince) Sometimes, when I ask my kids to cut the grass for me, it does not get done on the same day. If so, I must wait. I hate taking too long between mowings.

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Thanks for letting me vent. (sigh) I need to think about something else. Who knew that resting can be such hard work?!

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Btw, that dandelion shot was done with a macro setting, using flash and a polarizing filter, in case anyone wanted to know.