I feel bad for this guy I know. He can't spell AND he has a small penis. I'm afraid he suffers from lesdyxia.
Two lazy guys sitting around at the cafe. One says to the other, 'What have you been doing?" "Networking", replies his friend. "Yeah, me neither", says the first guy.
No wonder I'm a lousy weight lifter.
To me, the 'clean and jerk' is counter-intuitive.
What's the point of a period?
Overheard at dance class...
"Squeeze the glutes..... uh your OWN glutes, Rich"
I get a little tired of people bragging on Facebook. I was just thinking about this as I knocked out the NY Times Saturday crossword in ink (20 minutes). Why do people have to always project their best image? I don't get it.
I am cleaning up my friend's list. If you know me and want to stay on my list, uh, stop posing multiple inspirational messages on a daily basis. Share your own thoughts, by all means, but how bout a moratorium on faux spirituality. Just a suggestion.
I wish my lawn was emo...maybe it would cut itself...
(yes I know that's wrong on every level)
If you play my tambourine again, there will be repercussions.
When you read the local crime reports, the perpetrators invariably have these skeevy beards and goatees. I never thought of crappy facial hair as an indicator of criminal behavior, but I'm starting to wonder. Dude, instead of beating up your girlfriend, maybe try shaving instead?
Hey, it's OK to be negative..... (especially at the clinic)
This from a woman friend of mine... 'There was one time I had a bad urinary tract infection and I had to pull of the road in Burns'
Me, 'Wait a minute, I have to write that down'
I love the word 'disingenuous'. It's lawyer-speak for 'lying motherfucker'
I get a lump in my throat when I think about the Flemish Masters
Wow, I have 499 friends. Maybe I'll round it off to a nice even ......498
I think, I jam...Therefore iamb
I like it when people complain about facebook...... on facebook.
'I'm not allergic to poison ivy', he said rashly
Words....
I roam for amor
I adore a roadie
That's a mean name (amen)
Every guerra has an arguer
Silence while I read your license
Marching is not too charming
Carp is crap
Piano o pain
Elvis lives in Levi's
Start the tarts
It's a night thing
There's a beggar in garbage
Family is my fail, apparently.
Much criticism was aimed at the media
Eminem sure serves up the verses
Don't step on the pets, pest!
Best bets..
In brief.... fiber.
He thirsts for t shirts.
'Tensile' has a silent 'e'
A user can sure find a ruse
How do you triage a tiger?
Why entrap a parent?
His words are a sword
He's a priest of a different stripe.
He tires of the rites
Shall we cross the stream, master?
That street is a real tester
Narcissism.... man's crisis
Spare pears?
Punks with spunk
It's worth a throw
Earth heart
Stop the post
I wonder why he's such a downer
Knits stink
Marriage.... a grim area
In general, Al Green.
Teas from the East
There is a caveat... we have to vacate.
To forgo or go for, that is the question.
Here lived a devil
That was a lovely volley
She has quite a range of anger
'Dais', I said
I don't mean to snipe, but that penis needs a little spine
You can find 'gerund' under 'g'.
Goddam mad dog!
He took a flier with a rifle.. (now he's a lifer)
Never! The Nerve!
I'm in a trance from that nectar.
It's weird I'm so wired
Where is the hewer?
He sips piss
Tina aint here
I'll tend to the dent
Hard to make a note fade if you're tone deaf
Too much steak is a stake to the heart
Where does desire reside?
A latent talent, I see..
Dance or be caned
Pierce the recipe
No parts?... Strap on!
Strung out grunts in Nam, man
Resist your sister
Wonton?... Not now
Nothing subtle about the bustle of Manhattan
I believe that's an evil bee
I adore a roadie
That's a mean name (amen)
Every guerra has an arguer
Silence while I read your license
Marching is not too charming
Carp is crap
Piano o pain
Elvis lives in Levi's
Start the tarts
It's a night thing
There's a beggar in garbage
Family is my fail, apparently.
Much criticism was aimed at the media
Eminem sure serves up the verses
Don't step on the pets, pest!
Best bets..
In brief.... fiber.
He thirsts for t shirts.
'Tensile' has a silent 'e'
A user can sure find a ruse
How do you triage a tiger?
Why entrap a parent?
His words are a sword
He's a priest of a different stripe.
He tires of the rites
Shall we cross the stream, master?
That street is a real tester
Narcissism.... man's crisis
Spare pears?
Punks with spunk
It's worth a throw
Earth heart
Stop the post
I wonder why he's such a downer
Knits stink
Marriage.... a grim area
In general, Al Green.
Teas from the East
There is a caveat... we have to vacate.
To forgo or go for, that is the question.
Here lived a devil
That was a lovely volley
She has quite a range of anger
'Dais', I said
I don't mean to snipe, but that penis needs a little spine
You can find 'gerund' under 'g'.
Goddam mad dog!
He took a flier with a rifle.. (now he's a lifer)
Never! The Nerve!
I'm in a trance from that nectar.
It's weird I'm so wired
Where is the hewer?
He sips piss
Tina aint here
I'll tend to the dent
Hard to make a note fade if you're tone deaf
Too much steak is a stake to the heart
Where does desire reside?
A latent talent, I see..
Dance or be caned
Pierce the recipe
No parts?... Strap on!
Strung out grunts in Nam, man
Resist your sister
Wonton?... Not now
Nothing subtle about the bustle of Manhattan
I believe that's an evil bee
Ace in the Pocket
Well now look at what happened
Just like I thought it might
Got sucked into the same old same old
Couldn't say it feels alright
If I had a little ace in the pocket
I could use a little trick or two
No telling how the sky would open
Lord if I could just start anew
It's not like I haven't been here plenty
It's not like I don't know the score
Another day, how many
Til the days just ain't no more...
Just like I thought it might
Got sucked into the same old same old
Couldn't say it feels alright
If I had a little ace in the pocket
I could use a little trick or two
No telling how the sky would open
Lord if I could just start anew
It's not like I haven't been here plenty
It's not like I don't know the score
Another day, how many
Til the days just ain't no more...
Treasured...
Back in Oregon after a week with my family in New York. It was really excellent to be there, as things are in a period of change, mostly due to Lois' melt-down during Passover last month. It was some kind of stroke that landed her in the hospital and in a few weeks worth of rehab after that. She got home the day before I arrived, and the timing was fortuitous, in that I was able to plug in and help with stuff like getting her to doctor visits, doing some cooking and shopping and helping with her physical therapy regimen. Considering everything that she's been through, she's in pretty good shape, intact mentally and emotionally, but needing a walker to get around (slowly). It's hard to predict how far back she can come to 'normal', and I guess it's more a case of finding out what the 'new normal' is. It seems like she's ready to sell her house and relocate to a wheelchair accessible apartment somewhere in White Plains. Ch ch ch ch changes...
It was as though the universe was encouraging my trip back east as the arrangements came easily, a good and cheap flight, a place to park my car for free in Portland, and a ride to and from the airport on each end. And my time in White Plains was very satisfying; I needed to participate in this chapter of the family's story, and I'm very glad that I made the effort. Seems like it's a period of helping out others lately, and after a lifetime of primarily selfish pursuits, yeah, that feels right too. Before I left Eugene, I put in a bunch of hours helping my friend Jack complete his cedar fence... that was me digging holes and moving dirt around. And I paid a rehab visit to my friend Jabali on the way to a gig in Portland. Simple stuff, but appreciated by my friends and family (and by me too). It makes for a better balance.
And it's great to be back home here in Eugene, the weather is warming, the sun is shining, dance classes are happening, and this is where I live. I'm getting back to doing some gigs, and within a month, I'll be in eastern Oregon on a library tour, where I'll be able to add some zeroes to my bank account. It's looking a little paltry at the moment. What, me worry? I actually don't. Instead I have the strong sense that every day is a blessing, and that if my body is moving around OK, then wow, that is something to be treasured. And I do...
It was as though the universe was encouraging my trip back east as the arrangements came easily, a good and cheap flight, a place to park my car for free in Portland, and a ride to and from the airport on each end. And my time in White Plains was very satisfying; I needed to participate in this chapter of the family's story, and I'm very glad that I made the effort. Seems like it's a period of helping out others lately, and after a lifetime of primarily selfish pursuits, yeah, that feels right too. Before I left Eugene, I put in a bunch of hours helping my friend Jack complete his cedar fence... that was me digging holes and moving dirt around. And I paid a rehab visit to my friend Jabali on the way to a gig in Portland. Simple stuff, but appreciated by my friends and family (and by me too). It makes for a better balance.
And it's great to be back home here in Eugene, the weather is warming, the sun is shining, dance classes are happening, and this is where I live. I'm getting back to doing some gigs, and within a month, I'll be in eastern Oregon on a library tour, where I'll be able to add some zeroes to my bank account. It's looking a little paltry at the moment. What, me worry? I actually don't. Instead I have the strong sense that every day is a blessing, and that if my body is moving around OK, then wow, that is something to be treasured. And I do...
Trials.... (the good kind)
Got a great gig at the Olympic Track and Field Trials, working with the City of Eugene Recreation Department. It started with a conversation at a party between me and my friend Craig, who is head of the department. I asked him what's up in City Rec and he said 'All trials, all the time'. Turns out they have a major role in setting up the kid friendly area known as the 'Starting Block'. I asked him a bunch of questions, mostly angling to see if there was a role for me to play there, and indeed there is.
The main feature of the starting block is a mini-pentathlon in which the kids can run a 40 meter dash, a short hurdles race, do a standing and a running long jump and a high jump as well. They will get timed, get a certificate etc. I asked if there was an emcee who would pump them up, call attention to the event etc. Craig said, 'keep talking'. And then I asked about the possibility of doing a group warm-up, because you don't want to put the kids on the starting line without a little warm-up. Craig said, 'keep talking'.
Apparently there is some big energy about branding Eugene as 'Track Town USA', and the three big players in the branding are Nike, The Oregon Track Club and the University of Oregon. Craig said that if I had a good song called 'Track Town USA' it might be very well received. So I got the idea to write that song, and then use it as an upbeat celebration tune that the kids could warm up to and then run their races.
I spent most of a week marinating on some ideas and eventually came up with what I think is a great song, the right words, the right spirit and the right energy. I told Craig that I had something for him to hear, and he set up a meeting with himself and Janet W, who is in charge of the Starting Block operation. The meeting was last Friday and I showed up with my laptop, a couple of speakers and the lyrics to the song for them to look at. They were both very into it, they want to have me onsite, in the role that I imagined for myself. It's a paying gig, not sure how much yet, but more importantly, it will be a visible role at a prestigious event, and if my imagination is correct, it will put this song into people's consciousness and video cameras.
Speaking of video, I wrote it as a soundtrack for a video, complete with Oregon imagery of waterfalls, rivers and rain as the backdrop for this incredible running history in this town. I hear that Nike is producing a big 'Track Town USA' video centered around the trials. Apparently they did the same thing 4 years ago but weren't happy with the results... too many talking heads holding forth about Track Town USA, rather than action and feeling. The video company which is doing the shooting also has a contract with the City of Eugene to produce a small video, so I have a very convenient 'in' to the guy who is responsible for the big project. Craig will put me in touch with him, and I'm hoping that he'll hear this song as a great theme for part of his Nike shoot. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he? And this is what I'm dreaming about. I'm going for it.
I guess the song is my homage to Eugene, my home for the past 3 decades. Now that I'm maybe pulling away from the town, it seems somehow appropriate that I'd write a love song to this place...
The main feature of the starting block is a mini-pentathlon in which the kids can run a 40 meter dash, a short hurdles race, do a standing and a running long jump and a high jump as well. They will get timed, get a certificate etc. I asked if there was an emcee who would pump them up, call attention to the event etc. Craig said, 'keep talking'. And then I asked about the possibility of doing a group warm-up, because you don't want to put the kids on the starting line without a little warm-up. Craig said, 'keep talking'.
Apparently there is some big energy about branding Eugene as 'Track Town USA', and the three big players in the branding are Nike, The Oregon Track Club and the University of Oregon. Craig said that if I had a good song called 'Track Town USA' it might be very well received. So I got the idea to write that song, and then use it as an upbeat celebration tune that the kids could warm up to and then run their races.
I spent most of a week marinating on some ideas and eventually came up with what I think is a great song, the right words, the right spirit and the right energy. I told Craig that I had something for him to hear, and he set up a meeting with himself and Janet W, who is in charge of the Starting Block operation. The meeting was last Friday and I showed up with my laptop, a couple of speakers and the lyrics to the song for them to look at. They were both very into it, they want to have me onsite, in the role that I imagined for myself. It's a paying gig, not sure how much yet, but more importantly, it will be a visible role at a prestigious event, and if my imagination is correct, it will put this song into people's consciousness and video cameras.
Speaking of video, I wrote it as a soundtrack for a video, complete with Oregon imagery of waterfalls, rivers and rain as the backdrop for this incredible running history in this town. I hear that Nike is producing a big 'Track Town USA' video centered around the trials. Apparently they did the same thing 4 years ago but weren't happy with the results... too many talking heads holding forth about Track Town USA, rather than action and feeling. The video company which is doing the shooting also has a contract with the City of Eugene to produce a small video, so I have a very convenient 'in' to the guy who is responsible for the big project. Craig will put me in touch with him, and I'm hoping that he'll hear this song as a great theme for part of his Nike shoot. Hey, a guy can dream, can't he? And this is what I'm dreaming about. I'm going for it.
I guess the song is my homage to Eugene, my home for the past 3 decades. Now that I'm maybe pulling away from the town, it seems somehow appropriate that I'd write a love song to this place...
Pounding Away at the Portland Airport PDX
I remember on the journey back from Thailand how I would look longingly at the laptop owners who were happily pounding away while I was dying to check email, post on the blog or just get lost in cyber space. And now I have remedied that problem as here I am at gate C10, happily pounding away as I wait for the Denver flight to board. I had a great night in Portland, hung out with my friend and former softball coach Greg Wilbur, crashed at his place and he insisted on driving me to the airport this morning at 6:15am. He's up anyway, and wouldn't hear of me taking a taxi. So I ended up saving a bunch of money, because aside from the free lodging and ride, I was able to leave my car parked in front of his place where it will stay for the week that I'm in New York. I had been planning to spend a night in an airport hotel that lets you park for cheap, but then I realized I couldn't leave my accordion in the car because if the weather turned warm, the wax inside would melt and make it unplayable. So I went to plan B, which was better on every level. Not the least of which was that it was great to see Greg and Sandy and to catch up on some of the news.
The reason I had my instruments with me is because I had a Dia de los Ninos gig in Tualatin at 6:30pm yesterday. The gig went great, lots of kids, mostly Spanish speaking and I gave a strong performance, my Spanish was good, they were with me, and it was a 'success'. Took quite a bit of effort as they were a bit slow to warm, and there was a wide age range which makes it that much more challenging, but it came off great. Got them moving, singing some, participating in the story, all good. A nice way to earn $300. Muchas gracias.
And now it's off to New York to spend a week with my mom as she returns from a stay in rehab, after a bout with high blood pressure, a urinary tract infection and dehydration. She melted down at the Seder, got taken to the hospital by my brothers and it was a fairly substantial setback for her. She is now using a walker, though supposedly on the mend, and finally back home, as of yesterday. I'm looking forward to plugging in, helping to make some decisions, and basically be at her beck and call for the week. It will be good to see her and to be of service. My family stepped up big time and I need to be part of that as well. Lois totally deserves the support, and she's getting it.
Kinda hungry but resisting the urge... and God knows they won't feed you on the plane. But it's a two hour flight into Denver, then a three hour layover, so I'll just chill in my middle seat and then grab a bite in Colorado. And then I'll happily pound away in the airport... cause that's what we modern types do...
The reason I had my instruments with me is because I had a Dia de los Ninos gig in Tualatin at 6:30pm yesterday. The gig went great, lots of kids, mostly Spanish speaking and I gave a strong performance, my Spanish was good, they were with me, and it was a 'success'. Took quite a bit of effort as they were a bit slow to warm, and there was a wide age range which makes it that much more challenging, but it came off great. Got them moving, singing some, participating in the story, all good. A nice way to earn $300. Muchas gracias.
And now it's off to New York to spend a week with my mom as she returns from a stay in rehab, after a bout with high blood pressure, a urinary tract infection and dehydration. She melted down at the Seder, got taken to the hospital by my brothers and it was a fairly substantial setback for her. She is now using a walker, though supposedly on the mend, and finally back home, as of yesterday. I'm looking forward to plugging in, helping to make some decisions, and basically be at her beck and call for the week. It will be good to see her and to be of service. My family stepped up big time and I need to be part of that as well. Lois totally deserves the support, and she's getting it.
Kinda hungry but resisting the urge... and God knows they won't feed you on the plane. But it's a two hour flight into Denver, then a three hour layover, so I'll just chill in my middle seat and then grab a bite in Colorado. And then I'll happily pound away in the airport... cause that's what we modern types do...
When I Write My Masterpiece
Have you heard the runners of Oregon
And the legend of Hayward Field
In the great northwest, home of the champions
Oh the courage and commitment they revealed
In the rains of late December
When the rivers rage and swell
Through the whistling winds of April
On the track and on the hills
A million miles have come before
Now just one more
It's time to take it home
We're taking it home
Track Town, USA
Track Town, no one can take that crown away
Track Town, USA
Like a waterfall cascading down the mountain side
Ever changing, ever rushing to the open sea
There's a current running deep and wide
The spirit of Eugene's Track Town legacy
Bowerman and Dellinger, Slaney and Salazar
Ashton Eaton, Craig Blanchette, Leann Warren, Kenny Moore
Records falling down like rain
Prefontaine would set the track ablaze
Some of those incredible days
Track Town, USA
Track Town, no one can take that crown away
Track Town, USA
And the legend of Hayward Field
In the great northwest, home of the champions
Oh the courage and commitment they revealed
In the rains of late December
When the rivers rage and swell
Through the whistling winds of April
On the track and on the hills
A million miles have come before
Now just one more
It's time to take it home
We're taking it home
Track Town, USA
Track Town, no one can take that crown away
Track Town, USA
Like a waterfall cascading down the mountain side
Ever changing, ever rushing to the open sea
There's a current running deep and wide
The spirit of Eugene's Track Town legacy
Bowerman and Dellinger, Slaney and Salazar
Ashton Eaton, Craig Blanchette, Leann Warren, Kenny Moore
Records falling down like rain
Prefontaine would set the track ablaze
Some of those incredible days
Track Town, USA
Track Town, no one can take that crown away
Track Town, USA
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