It's Time.

So, yeah, it's time to get this going.

I've come to the conclusion that I simply can't sit around and watch the world go by silently.  I mean, I have a lot of things to say, same as anyone.  But... I'm in a bit of a pickle, you see?  All these endeavours are intertwined together so one leads you to the next, leads you to the next.  So, in effect, if you find me one place you've found me everyplace.

I simply can't have that.  Too many conflicting interests, you know?

And should I restrict my thoughts and words to generalizations and benign commentary?  Fuck no!

That's just goddamned ridiculous.  What the hell did I go through life for, just to silence myself in the end?  No chance.

So, in lieu of repressing my musings, I've reduced the obviousness of this media outlet.  No longer listed on the Facebooks and Twitters of the world.  I mean, it's not the effervescent freedom of, say, retiring or a perfectly timed rainstorm, but it's a start!

So, yes.  It's time.  I hope life finds you well, and stay tuned, whether you want to or not.

As always,
Jimmy.

A Year in the Life

What's all this then?


I know, I know.  But hey, the journey of 1000 posts begins with 1 step, right?


So what's new?


As you may all know, we're currently expecting our 2nd child.  This time around it looks like we'll be having a boy.  And while we have always been resigned to stop at two children, I must say it was a relief to get one of each.  Raising a little girl has been nothing short of the best experience of my life, and I'm sure that adding another child will only add to the craziness of an already busy life.  It's icing on the cake that this one will be of the opposite sex, and will present an entirely new set of challenges, parenting wise.


The Ms. is holding up quite nicely with only nine weeks left to go.  We're a bit behind as far as getting the baby's room ready goes, but once the semester settles down a bit we'll be able to concentrate on that more. 


The Spawn is growing like a weed and full of attitude.  Quite precocious for a three year old, no doubt.  But her goods always outweigh her bads, so she's OK in my book.

That's all for now, time to close shop and get ready for tonight's rehearsal.  


The order of the day is:


Rossini - Semiramide Overture


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UFvNiR_91I8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>iframe>


Saint-Saens - Piano Concerto No. 2


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QlB6plYea7U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>iframe>


Elgar - Enigma Variations


<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sUgoBb8m1eE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>iframe>


Give em' a listen if you have a chance.


Until we meet again,


Jimmy

It's 5:47 am, do you know where your children are?

So effin' tired...

UPDATE 8:42 am MST: Still pretty damn tired.... coffee = no effect.  Attempting to solicit proprietary "upper."  Calls to Pfizer not being returned.

A Week in the Life - The Reason…

 

Well, what can you say.  My life is good, and I can’t complain about the fact that I’m so busy in such a good way that I’ve over neglected those things that once kept me sane.  I mean, shit, look at her.  She’s a lot of fun to be around.  Couple that with the usual smorgasbord (spelled that right on the first try, thank God) of skills that pay the bills, and you find yourself home long after she’s gone to bed.  The days fly by faster than you can count, and the one thing you always know is this, the tired doesn’t change.  If I settle in at 6:00 pm, there’s as much a chance of me sleeping straight through until morning as there is when I get in at 1:30 in the morning.  There’s no such thing as wide awake, no matter now long you sleep.  Every day we close in on one goal while setting two more, two steps forward one step back.

Still, every once in awhile I find time to myself.  Like now.  They were both in bed by the time I arrived, and by the time I wake up tomorrow, one will be halfway to work and the other will probably be asleep through the morning drop-off.  I saw her last at 5:00 pm today, and I’ll see her again tomorrow at about 6:00 pm.  It seems like it would be difficult, but then I’m one of the lucky ones.  It takes about half a second to think about those who go far longer periods of time through exigencies far superior to mine.  So I press on through my relatively easy life, enjoying every minute of time most others might take for granted.  Somebody always has it worse than you do, always.

So, what’s new?  Not a lot.  Still working, still in school, still playing in my usual two orchestras, and still teaching Mariachi and a private violin lesson or two.  The Ms. is working full time as well, and going to school full time.  The spawn is fast approaching her 3rd birthday, and plans for her yearly pachanga are fast underway.  No clowns, no ponies, just pure unadulterated debauchery on an epic scale.  BYOB.

So, until next time, whenever that is, hope life finds you well.  Let’s see if I can’t make a habit of this again.

Jimmy

Another Bad Creation

1:47 in the morning on a warm and slightly cooling Sunday night / Monday morning.  Phase 1 of a long stifled return to the world outside my own.  Full of anger and happiness, and Flamin' Hot Cheetos.  Everybody is asleep with the exception of @ElwoodJBlues, and eight green dots on my Facebook page.  For now, goodnight.  Let's see what the week holds!!!

I can't freakin' do it!

I’m up...

I’m up, so what better to do than write.  No worrying about what tomorrow holds, or late night snacking.  Just writing.  I always feel like there’s a great deal to say but no simple way of funneling it efficiently into clear thought.  There’s anecdotes and opinions just swirling around my head like 5 dollar bills in a used car lot cash grab, and me flailing my aging arms about trying to grasp cohesiveness…

…and then out of blue comes clarity, and I realize once again that I’ve managed, somehow, to sum up my very existence in a single metaphorical sentence.

And then I’m stuck again.  Shit.

Forget the past, I say, for today is a new day.  I suppose that’s more fortune cookie than actual insight, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  Many a day has gone by confidently nurturing the spawn into her own identity, gazing at infinite pixels (be they work or play), and music, such wonderful music.  I live in a world where all I want every day is another six hours, because there’s always either something I need to do, or something I long to do, and never time for both.

Life as you know it is in full swing.  The usual combination of busy workweeks, multiple symphony concerts, school and family leaves little time for the frivolity of surfing the net.  Yet I reminisce always about a time when there was little else to do.  I suppose it is all about prioritization.  And while I can’t say my priorities aren’t straight, that doesn’t mean I can’t shave a minute or two off each segment of my day to better communicate with those around me, right?

Right.

1 Washer, 1 Brick, 10 Questions.

Go ahead and watch, I'll list follow up questions below.....



I'm not sure what you're asking, but I'm curious...

• Was this perpetrated by the Maytag repair man?
• How many kittens were in that washer?
• Did anyone consult Julio Dominguez, the gardener, prior to establishing the shooting locale?
• Is this the same technology Scientologists use to puppet Tom Cruise when he's being interviewed about Katie Holmes?
• Given his relatively short height, is there a possibility they simply threw Michael J. Fox into an unplugged appliance?
• Why does my piece of shit washer do the same thing when tasked with a bundle of wet socks?
• It there any possibility that the washer will return to life with a witty sense of humor, just to co-star with Ally Sheedy and Steve Guttenberg in an off-the-wall 80's comedy?
• Is this an early prototype of the Large Hadron Collider?
• How does this simple exercise so perfectly emulate the nightmares of my childhood?
• Doesn't it look like somebody opened fire on a Pee Wee's Playhouse cast member?

More to come, have a great day!

Jimmy

Stuck

Ugh, sitting at work today and my server is down.  This means I have work to do and no means to finish it. 

Nothing like forced procrastination, which is exactly what I don't need, since I'm perfectly good at procrastinating on my own.  Its like having a bacon eating assistant, I simply don't need one.

So what's new? Charlie Rangel is in hot water for some shady funding deals and disclosure violations.  His response, "I can't make an excuse for serious violations, but I can have an explanation of my intent ... and to large degree that's what my life has been all about -- intent."

Well, if everything in this world were based off of our intent and not our action, let me be the first to say the following:

• I've just completed my doctorate.
• I'm financially stable, with plenty saved up for retirement.
• I practice violin every day without fail, leaving plenty of time for vigorous aerobic exercise, playtime with my daughter, and a few pleasant moments with my wife.

The reality is that no matter our intent, our actions do tend to define us.  We can mold some of the intent-excuse-reasoning framework in order to provide perspective to our situation.  However, at the end of the day we are each most responsible for our own actions, and the way those actions affect others' perspective of ourselves.

More to come, time to see if my server is up....

Have a great day!

Jimmy

In the News Today

Today's hot story:

(CNN) -- Germany will beat Argentina in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final, at least if an octopus called Paul is to be believed.  And if you're unsure whether to accept the word of an eight-legged sea creature, Paul has form. The octopus, who lives at an aquarium in Germany, has correctly predicted all four results of that country's games in the tournament, according to staff.
Before Sunday's game against England Paul needed just eight seconds to make up his mind, but in view of the tougher challenge that Diego Maradona's side will pose Germany, he took over an hour to decide, suggesting it could go to extra-time or even penalties.

Staff at Sea Life in Oberhausen, western Germany, help Paul make his prediction by lowering into his tank two boxes of food, one carrying a German flag and the other bearing that of their opponents. The case he opens first is adjudged to be his predicted winner.  The octopus correctly predicted Germany would beat Ghana and Australia in their Group D matches, but he disagreed with land-based pundits by tipping Serbia in their match. They went on to win 1-0.

And even though Paul was born in England, he went against his roots to predict Germany's emphatic last-16 rout of his own country.

Paul will be following the rest of the World Cup closely, a Sea Life spokesman told CNN, and will make more predictions as the tournament reaches its climax.

But before you blow your savings on Paul's tips be warned: Most bookmakers have Argentina as favorites on Saturday, and Paul's success rate for the European Championships in 2008 was only 80 percent.

So there you have it.  An octopus choosing the winner of Germany's world cup matches.  What they don't tell you is this: that octopus' owner is Rudolph Mengele, nephew of Holocaust "death angel" and all around douchenozzle Josef Mengele.

That's right, my friends, that poor fellow slinking around randomly choosing world cup teams is really BERTHOLD EPSTEIN! Former pediatrician/assistant, now destined to live out his days a slimy invertebrate, the result of Mengele's medical experiments gone wrong. 

Oh, the horror...

But really, I guess I'm pulling for Argentina... don't really care.  Also Maradona's kind of a pompous ass.