by not-doing, leave nothing undone

It's a moot point since I'm married, but I've always found it odd that most women who are attracted to me are quite conventional/conservative/traditional in their thinking. Many of the women I've drawn in to me have been religious, quiet, "nice," not-especially-intelligent girls-next-door.

I find this even now, as a married man who is not looking for "extracurriculars." I still (of course) encounter women in my day-to-day life, and develop interpersonal relationships with some. And, sure enough, the ones that want to hang around me are not the edgy, intellectual, unconventional ones. They are the sweet, unassuming, traditional ones. Usually not of below-average intelligence, but not above average either. And often, they are also religious (Christians) or observant (Jewish).

I wonder why that is. I am QUITE unorthodox in my belief systems. I'm also pretty bright, with an IQ around 140 (not quite genius-level, but no mental slouch).

Maybe it's because, despite my out-there beliefs, I don't actually behave unusually. I gather that my outward image is of a considerate, thoughtful, competent, clean-cut person.

I've realized that one thing missing in my early music pursuits is something of my own. I've been working exclusively with The Early Interval the last couple of years, because with workouts, school, and (of course) f/t work, I just haven't had enough time left over for any other music activities. Actually, I've avoided taking on anything else because I know from my experience that trying to squeeze in just one more thing usually leads me to exhaustion.

But I really have been craving something of my own--something recorder-based, but more modern than the Medieval and Renaissance repertoire we play in EI. And I think I've found just the thing.

The recorder fell out of favor in "classical" music at the end of the Baroque, around 1750. The style of music written by Haydn, Mozart, and Salieri demanded a greater range of pitch and dynamics, demands the recorder just couldn't meet. As a result, the recorder was largely abandoned in favor of the modern transverse flute.

However, I'd read at some point that other members of the recorder "family" continued to flourish in amateur musicianship into the middle of the 19th c. These instruments were the flageolet and the czakan. The former was more or less a refined recorder, often with keys; the latter, a recorder/walking cane hybrid, used frequently by gentlemen in the Hapsburg Empire (Austria-Hungary).

I had a flash of inspiration last week and decided to find out if any repertoire existed for these instruments. And, thanks to a few of my Facebook friends who are professional early musicians, I found an abundance of this stuff! Some was even downloadable, but others were readily available through inter-library loan.

So I printed off some and requested others. Fascinating music. Very much in a classical idiom--far more chromatic and expressive than Baroque literature. Actually, some of it is quite challenging and I wonder how many casual, amateur players could have assayed the more difficult pieces. At any rate, there is quite a lot of literature and information out there and I think I'm on track to learning more about an area that's been mostly neglected.

In addition, I'm really having FUN for the first time in quite awhile. The music is novel, lively, and challenging; plus, few have trod the path ahead of me, so I'm free to make some of my own judgments.

I'm hoping to put together a lecture/concert program, hopefully with the assistance of a few musical friends (one of the flageolet pieces calls for a soprano voice, and a couple of the czakan pieces are written with classical guitar accompaniment.

Something to work towards!

Also posted this on my FB profile (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=577687512 - feel free to friend me if you're on FB as well)

Just a few impressions and blessings from this weekend:

Friday's Valentine exchange @ the office, where I received several cards--both identified and anonymous--expressing wonderfully complimentary thoughts about me. I am so blessed to have warm, thoughtful people in my life and to have the opportunity to spread a little joy in the office...

Many hours Friday night and Saturday throughout the day rapt in the latest installment of the Inheritance Cycle (many of you may be familiar with Eragon, the first book in the series), a fantastical tale of dragons, Riders, elves, and their struggle against an evil wizard/king...

Waking up Saturday morning next to my lovely wife and finding her gift to me on the dining table, the latest book by SARK (learn more about her creative, joyful work at http://www.planetsark.com/)...

Having our monthly volunteer day at the Waste Not Center (www.wastenotcenter.org) and witnessing the unbelievable, bustling growth of the Center...

Fixing a home-cooked brunch for my lovely wife, then continuing my reading...

Later that evening, going out on the town with a tasty dinner out followed by wine and chocolate tasting with another couple among the orchids at the Franklin Park Conservatory...

Spotting a rabbit hopping about the lawn upon our return home (the first bunny we've seen in the open here since fall!)

Sleeping in and lounging about with my lovely wife Sunday morning...

A brief stroll in the Smith Nature Park here in my own town, just a couple miles from home...

Cleaning up fallen branches in the lawn, laughing at the frisky, pouncing antics of our cat Buddy who came into our lives just as our dog Brandy left; spotting sap dripping out of the silver maple in the corner of the lawn (a sure sign of spring--the sap starts rising in the sugar and silver maples, ready to be collected for syrup in March); touching my finger to it and tasting the faint sweetness of that sap; and listening to cardinals and mourning doves singing for mates, ready to re-commence the perpetual cycle of life...

Practicing voice and recorder, then teaching a recorder lesson with an inquisitive, intelligent, adult student. Those of you who have known me for a while know that I have a great thirst for knowledge and it a gift to be able to share it...

Enjoying a hot pot of soup prepared by my lovely wife...

Doing taxes and learning that, yes, we get a refund for the first time in 4 years (!)

Performing a few stretches and crunches, and feeling the improvements in balance and strength that my winter classes in cardio kickbox and tai chi have given me...

I was just reading my new SARK book, Juicy Pens and Thirsty Paper, and was inspired by that to write a bit about my weekend. I have so many wonderful, magical people and occurrences in my life, but I often absorb them and keep them to myself instead of sharing. It's so much more fun to share with others, and there often is not a good way to do that conversationally... so I'll try to write more of these kinds of notes. People tell me I have a way of stumbling across interesting things, so hopefully this is a good way to share them.

Have a wonderful week!

Unfortunately, funding was NOT approved for the permanent version of my 2-year term gig here at Ohio State. What that means is my contract is still scheduled to end April 5. I just had another conv with my boss' boss about extending it through September, but they've been talking about that for a while and nothing concrete has materialized.

So... it's back to the job-hunting grind. Hopefully, not everyplace has a 15% unempl rate like Elkhart, IN. Actually, I've already had a couple of nibbles--I'm meeting a recruiter Friday morning, have touched in with a couple of others, and have applied for a couple of jobs (one here, one in Chicago). Plus I've put out feelers to a couple of folks for contract work. We shall see.

I did promise that I'd be around here more often, didn't I? Well, I seem to have wrapped my work-ish responsibilities today so I think I'll stretch out and do a more substantial update.

First: things at work continue to progress splendidly. I was originally hired as a 2-year term employee in April 2007, but my contract was extended to September and they just posted a further extention till June 2010. I've applied for it and don't think it will be a problem staying on.

I'm developing PeopleSoft user documentation and delivering training at Ohio State University. The job suits me well and I continue to get praise from colleagues on my work. I just do what I can, support the people around me, and try to contribute--and I am blessed with an environment that appreciates it. So I'm pretty pleased.

School has also gone well in the last few months. I'm taking undergrad prereqs before applying for an MPA (Master of Public Admin) program--it's the public-sector equivalent of an MBA, a broad-based organizational/managerial degree. I completed micro and macro-econ last year (both at the top of my respective classes) and did the same with basic stats last quarter. I enrolled in an accounting class this quarter but got behind due to work and music commitments, and dropped it. However, it's offered every quarter so I can just sign up again for spring or summer.

I'm very pleased musically as well. My experiences at the Madison Early Music Fest have paid off with better technique and interpretive skills. My ensemble successfully recorded 5 live takes for our Mediterranean 12th Night CD, which is planned for release this summer. To be a recorded musical artist is something I didn't expect at this point in my life, and I'm grateful to have this opportunity.

I was asked by a long-time audience member to teach recorder and am giving my first lesson on Sunday.

My father had a major health challenge--he discovered he had lung cancer back in August. I made several extra trips to Indiana to lend emotional support. I'm very grateful to report that his course of chemo and radiation seems to have been completely effective--at present, his cancer is in complete remission as far as can be told. Quite a rare occurrence with small-cell carcinoma (typical of smokers, which he was till he had a heart attack at age 50).

I continue to maintain health-wise. I'm currently taking a cardio kickboxing class at the OSU gym twice a week and actually managing to keep pace with the classes full of slender 20somthing college girls that are doing it with me! Plus, also taking a tai chi class once a week and continuing regular strength training/cardio a couple times a week. My bench press is great--I'm working out with 175-180# and can easily press 205#, which is 15 lbs more than my body weight.

And, on top of all that, "my guy" won back in November and just took his oath of office (for the second time yesterday--thanks for the re-do, Justice Roberts!)

Lastly, upcoming in about 4 weeks: North Market Chili Cookoff. I took runner-up in the amateur division 2 years ago and didn't compete last year; I brought a lovely powerdered chipotle back from the Sahara Mart in Bloomington, IN and I'm ready to go again.

So I am grateful for much right now. Life is wonderful!

Haven't visited here for quite some time... just wanted to quick-post and let you all know that I'll probably be around more frequently in the near future. :)

Nights spent in fervid imaginings
Of heart-home's backyard
Enveloped in loved ones' embrace
Peaceful belonging

Days spent in anticipation
Of confident strides down corporate corridors
Shining benevolently on my charges
Confident belonging

But peace and confidence for me
Emerge unanticipated along life's winding path
Sprititual luminescence from within
Everywhere belonging.

Thank you, spiralflames!

Your result for The Golden Compass Daemon Test...

Multi-Faceted Soul

Take The Golden Compass Daemon Test at HelloQuizzy

I'm walking on air
Clouds at my feet
Free as a bird
On Strawberry Street
     -Lili Haydn, "Strawberry Street"

I titled this post "mulberry street" instead of "strawberry street" because the mulberry trees are in full fruit right now... branches hanging low with delectable, juicy purple fruit!

Sometimes my heart just wants to burst open with all the beauty I see around me! Not just see... but also touch, smell, hear. The song of a brilliant red cardinal, or the flurry of wing-beats he makes as he dashes through the lilac hedge to grab a sunflower seed from the feeder. The creamy pungency of a cheddar cheese sample that I pick as I walk through Whole Foods. The scent of the linden tree on the next block, in full flower.

And I feel so fully alive, vibrant, and healthy right now. I grow stronger each day as I ride my bike to work. My voice is working better than ever. Weather that caused me to break out in sweats two years ago just feel pleasantly warm now.

I just feel so grateful to the universe for the wonders all around me, and so satisfied with life.

Just a list (in no particular order) of a few wonders I've enjoyed so far this season:

• Gorgeous black and green dragonflies, their 4 wings darting to and fro
• An explosion of lilacs in the back yard
• Ladybug colliding with my nose as I lounged with a book, then landing and scurrying along my shoulder
• Narrowly escaping a bicycle collision with a l'il groundhog scurrying across the bike path--who then proceeded to snort and scold me for nearly running it over
• Family of 4 little groundhogs, regularly foraging around at a nearby intersection
• The male Northern Cardinal who hangs out at our place, with the unusually bushy red crest
• His mate, who is much less shy and sits there nonchalantly cracking seeds with us just on the other side of the window
• Serviceberries: purple, plump, sweet, and refreshing
• Mulberries (see serviceberries for description)
• Asian white mulberries (see serviceberries but insert "blushy lavender" for "purple")
• The stately flapping of blue herons overhead, trailing their long, folded legs
• Talkative pair of Carolina Wrens in the backyard
• Unusually fragrant lavender iris in the side yard

I was joking with a friend about Cosmo magazine's lists (The Top 10 things You Need to Know about Men!!! and so on) and I ended up writing my own "top 10 sex secrets;" I thought I'd share them. Comments/feedback/disagreements definitely welcome!

1. The most important sexual organ is the mind.
2. The second most important sexual organ is the skin.
3. Making love “to” someone is good sometimes, but most of the time you’re better off making love “with” someone.
4. A chivalrous gentleman lets the lady come first. (this is true on, um, multiple levels)
5. Some people say that even when sex is bad, it’s good. Not true.
6. If you, your partner, or both of you are really tired, it’s nice to just cuddle.
7. Honey sounds much more erotic than it is in truth… because it is really, REALLY sticky. (I discovered this at age 25 or so)
8. Be careful when you are trying to set the mood—check what’s loaded on your CD or MP3 player before you put it on “shuffle”!
9. Look your partner in the eyes and smile afterward.
10. Fantasies are fun, but are not long-term substitutes for reality.

I am feeling a ridiculously strong urge to get "vertically integrated" with one of those pasty, ethnically-ambiguous American Apparel girls. Maybe one in a Green Boy Brief or Sheer Thigh-High Stocking.

It's horribly wrong, I know. Curse you, Dov Charney.

It's rather atypical. I tend to go more for more mature and physically robust women like Sela, Mimi, or Salma. (As I read over this, apparently I also like women with odd 2-syllable names).

I'm really ready for spring. The birds are singing every morning, the forsythia are looking gold-ish at the tips, the silver maples are starting to bud, and many of the ground-cover-creeping-plant kinds of things are starting to sprout again here in central Ohio.

This winter, I learned to distinguish the Carolina Chickadee from the Black-Capped Chickadee. These two perky little bird species are almost indistinguishable by sight or by behavior, but in most cases you can tell which one you're seeing just by location (north=Black-Capped, south=Carolina). Columbus is in the overlap zone, so we have both (though I think the Carolina is more common hereabouts). Anyway, I learned from the All About Birds site that they have related but distinctive songs; the Black-Capped a 2-note song (Fee-bee) and the Carolina a 4-note song (Fee-bee, fee-bay). And yes, I have heard them both in our area. I've heard the Carolina several times this spring, but not the Black-Capped yet. I'll keep my ears open.

LOVED the early music workshop last weekend. I had the chance to work with 7 other serious amateur players, and we ready through a s__tload of music with the help of our teacher, virtuoso Han Tol. I most enjoyed the modern swing stuff, though the Baroque and Renaissance music was great too. One of the most fun pieces we played was a "Peanut Butter Suite" with two movements: "Crunchy" and "Smooth". Hilarious!

I'm wrapping the micro-econ class next week (final exam). I'm still only 2 points shy of a perfect score for the entire term, which is OK in my book. I'm registered for macro next quarter, but considering dropping it. It's HARD to work full-time, work out regularly, play with a semi-pro ensemble, AND go to class too. Not sure yet what I'm going to do.

Thank you, aislinggheal! I like to think some of the following are true...

Since I'm still flip-flopping on graduate programs to pursue, I decided in the fall to look for a common denominator and just get going with SOME kind of study. The programs I've been looking at all have something of a business/organizational focus (MS in marketing, MBA, public policy, arts admin) and they all like to see a core business curriculum at the undergrad level. Basically, this means 100-level classes in things like marketing, accounting, economics,  stats, finance, and business management--none of which I took as part of my liberal arts curriculum as an undergrad. Many of these grad programs will admit candidates without all their prereqs, but you wind up taking them one way or another (either undergrad classes or graduate level "make-up" equivalents).

So I decided to plunge in and start with microeconomics at the beginning of winter quarter. I didn't really know what to expect; I'd talked with some liberal arts-type people that REALLY hated it. But those same people tend to hate anything "business-y" or quantitative, and I know from experience that I'm much more flexible in that regard. Quantitative things have never come entirely naturally to me, but with a bit of work I can usually do well in them. It feels like the mental equivalent of running--I've never been very good at that, but with practice I certainly get better.

As it turns out, I'm really enjoying the econ class and doing quite well. We've completed two scheduled midterms: I scored 90% on the first and 95% on the one earlier this week. We also have weekly 2-point quizzes and I've aced every one of those. Huzzah!

Random movie note: I finally watched St. Elmo's Fire Sunday night. That movie was such a big deal when I was in high school (I was a sophomore in '85) so it was fun to catch up on something I missed 'way back when.

I did find confirmation that Andie MacDowell has made a Faustian pact with the devil--she looks exactly the same as she did 23 years ago. Some might say that she'd have more lines on her face if she actually EMOTED in any way while acting, of course.

The guys actually look pretty similar--just huskier these days. People say that men stop growing by age 21, but that's really just in height. Most men put on bulk through their mid-20s or so. I know I got a bit broader across the shoulders and chest between 20 and 25--and I stopped growing in height at age 16.

Demi Moore was really cute when she was 23.  Very girlish-looking, but with that throaty, husky voice. Rowr.

I'm going to a weekend workshop with recorder virtuoso Han Tol in Bloomington at the end of this month ("leap weekend"). REALLY looking forward to it. I love visiting Bloomington, and I love playing and working with new people. Should be very educational.

I've also decided to attend the Madison Early Music Workshop this summer. I've always wanted to see Madison, and I'm looking forward to a week of great music-making.

Otherwise, things are good. I'm pulling an "A" average in my micro-econ class here at OSU. It is a bit of work, I have to admit--quantitative studies have never come easily to me, though I guess I was still an above-average student in math. But I always found other things so much easier! For instance, I took my GRE (standardized test) about 3 years ago--I scored in the 99th percentile in verbal (with virtually no prep other than an hour or two of vocab flashcards) and the 80th percentile in quantitative (despite 15-20 hours of practice with prep books).

Not that 80th percentile is anything to sneeze at, given the company I'm in. Nearly all GRE takers have undergrad degrees and are at least considering grad school, so we're talking about a fairly well-educated group of people who have done a bit of standardized testing in their lives. Still, I could walk right in and score in the top 1% on the verbal stuff, but had to WORK to be in the top 20% in math. Same thing here in econ: I'm scoring in the top 10% or so of the class (as I verified using stats available on the online companion site for the class), but I DO have to make an effort at it. Stretch the mental muscles. It feels good, actually.

Strangely enough, I'd never seen one of Giada De Laurentiis' shows until recently, and I was quite taken with her charm and obvious beauty. I was hunting the 'net for stuff on her and I found that someone had dressed up as her for Hallowe'en. For some reason, the photo and caption just made me chuckle. I think it's the combination of the toothy smile, the mixing bowl, and the beyond-obvious cleavage.

I've been keeping an eye on upcoming recorder workshops in the region and it turns out that winter brings an embarrassment of riches. I just sent in registrations for ( these two sessions: )

First, a bit about mucus (feel free to skip this part)
<mucus>
I seem to have caught the cold that's going around. Scratchy throat and phlegm 2 days ago; congestion yesterday; nasty voice today. We both went to see a Chinese medicine practitioner last night and he did a few things to free up the sinuses and let them drain... I did feel some immediate relief, but one consequence is more gunk in my throat (because, after all, where do the sinuses drain?) I feel that I will move pretty quickly through this and am taking plenty of zinc lozenges and flushing things out with a nasal rinser.
</mucus>

I snuck out of work for an extra-long lunch yesterday to see the film version of Sweeney Todd. I was in a staged version of the musical back in Monterey--oh, 12 years ago now. I thought Messrs. Burton and Depp, as well as Mme. Bonham-Carter, made a wonderful, chilling film rendition of this complex and challenging show. It's not for the faint-of-heart: the throat-slicing scenes are pretty graphic (arterial blood spraying in every direction) and the tone, of course, is quite grim.

I had many chuckles at their rendition of "Under the Sea"--Mrs. Lovett's number about the wonderful life she imagines she and Sweeney will live when they leave London. In the stage version, this is a straightforward (and rather throwaway, I always thought) number and I think it occurs either in the pieshop or the barbershop. In the film version, they show the grim, pasty duo sitting in the sun, on the beach, picnicing, etc. They're wearing beach attire--sort of--which is still in London's monochromatic palette of London, and the result is highly ironic--showing just how ridiculous it would be to transplant their relationship to another locale.

In other news: a generous and anonymous donor gifted The Early Interval with substantial sum of money for musical development, which the director in turn distributed to the group members as discretionary funds. I'm planning to use mine for a summer workshop; I'm leaning toward the Amherst Early Music Festival, which will take place in New London, CT. I've spent very little time on the East Coast (brief trips to Baltimore, DC, and NYC only) and I'm looking forward to seeing a new locale. I'm also very excited about the musical possibilities.

Christmas was fine--Wife and I headed down to Indiana to spend time with my parents, my brother, and his family. We had a very pleasant time.