The Aerie

Bits and Pieces

I received an amazing comment on one of my first blog entries by someone who was searching for information on our mutual mentor, the late Dr. Noel Johnson. his kind comment served to point out that I'm about seven years late writing up an entry on the man who set me on the road to my career. Thanks for moving that back to the top of my queue!

Part of the reason I don't blog as much as I'd like is that I write too much - I'm not great at the short entry style of blogging. The result of this is a bunch of half-written blog entries. Since I am pressed for time today (this whole week really) and yet want to blog, here is a collection of my abandoned blog entries over the past few months. Most of these are taken off my cell phone. Enjoy the ADD-ramblings of your host...

June 24th
Indigo Girls Minnesota Zoo Concert Setlist

August 11th
Well this is certainly interesting. I'm sitting here in Yuma, California in a dive called 'The Branding Iron,' waiting for Lick to perform.

Lick is my friend Paul's rock band, which he has been building since leaving Lifehouse several years ago. Yeah, that Lifehouse - the one that went big right after he left. What can I say, he hasn't got the best timing.

While we'red waiting for Lick we are suffering through a college band called After Shock. This six man group includes on fellow who plays keyboard, sax, and accordion and harmonica; a musclebound bass guitarist, a lead guitarist with improbably pretty hair, and a vocalist who can't sing. They have their moves down, they can head-bob while soloing, play with their feet planted wide apart, and stroll out in front of the stage during songs treating their guitars in a phallic fashion. They perform covers badly, and some original works as well as they've ever been performed.

When they're finished Lick will perform. While Paul is a magnificent guy, I have to confess that I suffer from curmudgeonism to the extent that I don't quite get his music. Hopefully I'll do better tonight. The music hard to describe, a cross between punk and techno maybe? Or metal and jazz? I suspect if I could suss it better i could decribe it better.

But that's past experience, Lick is bout to play so I'll put this away...

October 14th
Notes from a Rotterdam cafe:

A trio: an older, a silver-haired man, a tall skinny woman in miniskirt and hose, and an elegant-looking black woman with gold-trimmed hair and nose stud, walking arm-in-arm.

A black man in a dark suit, with a short mohawk, wearing an enormous set of silver headphones.

Sisters, older, one whose face seems twisted by bad cosmetic surgery, who consider sitting down then leave.

My waiters wear T-shirts that read, “Masturbating is not a crime” and “I am not God”

October 18th
Well I managed to get out, but not as far as Amsterdam, unfortunately. Ignoring the withdrawal symptoms already afflicting me, I locked my laptop into my classroom and made myself climb aboard the first train to Rotterdam.

When I got to the central station, I considered buying a ticket into Amsterdam, despite the nearly 30 dollar fee. Unfortunately none of the ticket machines would accept my credit card, and after I broke down and asked at the information kiosk I learned I would have to leave the station, find a cash machine somewhere, and buy the ticket with cash.

Well I hadn't counted on this kind of delay, the sun was already setting, and it looks like we'll be done early tomorrow, so I decided to see more of Rotterdam. It's not like one Sunday excursion is sufficient to see any city.

So I wandered away from the station following the setting sun and getting several good photos. The street I followed seemed to lead through ethnic ghettos, first Asian, the Arab. Dozens of Asian groceries crowded together with restaurants two or three to a block. Shortly thereafter were halal shops and restaurants, with many women in hajab in the street.

When i spotted a 'tweeweiler,' bicycle, shop I scurried across the street, but no, they neither rented bikes nor sold cheap used ones, only new.

I continued on foot' catching photos of attractive parks and homes, wandering at random. Now i was starting to get hungry, so when i passed a cash machine I withdrew 20 Euro (less than the cost of the Amsterdam ticket,) and started looking for dinner.

I spotted a Cafe Blue Moon but they didn't serve food. I spotted a number of street stands, but i wanted to sit down to eat. Finally i came across www.cafeari.com

November 9th
Last Friday's unfinished entry...

Okay, it's Friday and I am exhausted... It's 3:00 p.m. and I've got two hours to go and I'm about ready to pass out at my desk. Part of that is that I had the Big Interview this morning, and I think I let myself stress out about that rather more than I ought to. Particularly since I'm not sure I want it. Mostly because I'm intimidated by it. Which is probably unnecessary. But there you go.

The interview(s) went okay. The first one got off to an odd start, because the person to whom I was speaking delayed me by about 20 minutes. Then while I was waiting I was recognized by a fellow with whom I used to work. I was happy to speak with him, but it put my head in a completely different place.