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Showing posts from March 23, 2010

Magical Moment 53, "The Cure for the Blues, the Blues!"

I spent my weekend googling, practicing, and memorizing blues standards. Although I have a repertoire full of jazz and boogie-woogie, I have only a couple genuine blues songs and next week I’m booked playing an entire blues set for hour and a half straight. I’ll be impressed if I keep the crowd entertained that long, considering blues is the same 3 chords played in the same format over and over again. I began with the basics, Ray Charles, Jimmy Rogers, Ottis Redding, even some Bo Diddley. And soon my fears of monotony were put at ease when I discovered the full spectrum of the blues genre. I even found several new lines to add to my “greatest lyrics ever” list: “If you don’t think you’ll come home soon, I’m gonna drown in my own tears” - Ray Charles “You aint nothing but a hound dog, been snoopin round my door. You can wag your tail, but I ain’t gonna feedjya no mo.” – Etta James “Put you down in a ditch with a great long spade.
Wish to God that you hadn't never been made.” – Edd

Magical Moment 52, "A Mass-ively Wrong Stereotype"

Mass transportation in this area can be a horrible experience. The buses are rarely on time, the drivers are usually cranky, and the other passengers are either rude, smelly, or a little creepy. And anyone can completely transform into the Hulk if all the unspoken “mass-transit courtesy” rules are not followed. I’ve seen drivers throw tantrums like 2-year olds when a tourist doesn’t pay with exact change. I’ve seen passengers practically break out into a fistfight because the reading light was on and no one was reading. I even saw a bus driver stop the bus, get up from his drivers seat, walk back to a seated passenger, and yell at them for accidently hitting the stop button. And it doesn’t end with the buses. The subways have their rules too. When you get on, you go to the back or middle to make room for the next group boarding. You don’t talk to anyone, or look at anyone unless you want to get hit on or start a fight. Overall, the experience can be cold and intimidating. I began to f

Magical Moment 51, "Jungle of Stone"

I walked through a jungle made of stone With steal mountains high as I could see. I walked through the jungle all alone Though predators had their eye on me. If unprovoked, they won’t attack So calm I must remain. I look to the front, not the side or back Traveling through rough terrain. A snake, a tiger, creatures unknown, Spiders, lizards, and bears Are lurking about this jungle of stone So I must pass through with care. My feet are blistered, my muscles are sore I’m dirty, scared, and tired. I fear that I can walk no more But if I stop, I’ll surely expire. I look up above and what’s that I see? The sun is peeking through, High above the cement canopy I don’t have much left to do. A few more steps and I’ll be safe Inside my secure, warm home. A few more steps, I’ve made it now. Out of this jungle of stone.

Magical Moment 50, "A Moment of Pride"

My little sister is officially a grown up and officially in the Air Force. She just graduated Air Force Tech School and before that, the 8 grueling weeks of basic training. Her entire family is beaming with pride today as we stare at the picture of her in the neatly tailored dress uniform and blue beret. People say that the military forces you to grow up and although I have seen many military personnel who will never grow up, I think the statement is true for Erica. It was true for me as well. I understand the feeling of pride and accomplishment, and doing something so rare among your circle of friends who are working as managers in the mall, handling fast food, or don’t know what they’re going to do yet. Wasn’t it only a few years ago we were the same? During my senior year of high school, the thought never entered my mind, but a year and a half later there I was. In ROTC, and then airborne school, where the military became real to me for the first time. Airborne school was the fi

Magical Moment 49, "A Well Earned Prize"

My puppy, Joy, and I walked outside on a windy, spring evening. Still clumsy and a poor judge of distance, Joy often stumbles and trips over herself. Walking downstairs sometimes causes her to tumble head over feet, exposing her pink, puppy tummy while she lets out a startled yelp. Now that spring is here and the critters of the neighborhood are finding the courage to emerge from the safety and warmth of their homes, Joy is discovering that it might be fun to chase and bark at squirrels and birds. Which she does quite well now. I don’t mind it though. She rummaged through the leaves on the ground with her nose pressed deep in the grass and dirt, smelling all the new scents that now filled her world since the snow disappeared. Soon she found something that fascinated and amazed her on such a level, she had to have it. She must not let this treasure get away. She would carry it and protect it with her life. It was a big stick. She clamped her teeth around the stick only to find that th

Magical Moment 47, "My Albums of Memories"

When we moved from our 4-bedroom house with storage space, closets, washer/dryer, yard, and cabinets into a tiny apartment with none of the above, I had to get rid of a lot of stuff. I sorted through, item by item, letting go of things I kept with me for years for no real reason. One of the more difficult things to say farewell to was over half of my record collection. All of my music is now on my computer and ipod and I realized that I scarcely, if ever, listened to records anymore. Furthermore, many of them were scratched or broken and they take up a lot of room. While doing housework yesterday, I decided to dig out and listen to the records that “made the cut.” I soon found it very interesting that those who know me the best could probably guess every single album I kept. Because they’re my influences, they’ve become part of who I am, and each one holds a memory that is to me, as clear and vivid as a color photograph. First I listened to my favorite record, autographed by the m