Sadness..

Untitled from Gene Norland on Vimeo.

Gary and I lost a friend yesterday to Cancer.

I thought about Bill quite a bit today...more than I thought I would to be honest. He was a person that never showed me anything but kindness.
He loved that Bayfield river as much as anybody I've known and I will think of him when I visit it.
The times I spent with the gang up there on the fishermans weekends were a great privilege for me and will always remain some of my fondest memories.

Here is a picture of Bill smiling...its the only way I remember him. He is 2nd  in from the right.

Thx for the kindness ..

...rest in Peace Bill

Ribbons

So proud...

Owen has become a very good athlete...certainly way better than I ever was.

Today he competed in a city wide Track and Field Meet.

He has been working very hard at it and we all had high expectations including Owen....( Maybe too high )

He dominated last year with 4 first place finishes in 4 events but this year he moves into a different division which now has him competing as the youngest of his group.
Here he is running the 800 metre...he is the wee short fella on the inside...lol..he is actually pretty tall for his age..
Untitled from Gene Norland on Vimeo.
Most kids he battled today were at least a year and a grade ahead of him.

He wasn't intimidated but you could see the shock and frustration when he didn't just destroy everyone like he usually does at his own school...or did last year against kids the same age.

Oh well...it is all part of  the learning process and it is really nice to see him excel at something he loves.

Four ribbons total..

3rd place in the 100 metre

2nd place in long jump with a 406

2nd place in the relay where he ran as the anchor and closed considerable distance

1st place in the 800 metre

The longer races seem to be his thing but his favourite event is the long jump.

Today was a good day...very emotional for me.
St Michaels School won the overall ..a big part due to my sons acheivements...


I just love that kid
 ...post script..
Kim made me remove the original Youtube video...apparently she was uncomfortable with a comment she made about one of Owens competitors ...absurd but I love her...I reposted it with some of my guitar playing in the background instead
:o)  


.

Chestnuts

 A chestnut is a term  a Jazz musician uses for a classic tune that has been played to death...or almost to death as the case maybe..

These old tunes become part of the players musical vocabulary and give a great platform for improvisation which is the cornerstone of what this music is all about.

One of the most played standard chestnuts is a tune called Stella by Starlight.

It is a benchmark for the Jazz player with chord changes that are challenging for the beginner....it used to give me fits as it changes key about every two bars..

But the melody is beautiful and I for one will never get sick of playing it.

Here is the recording I made today.... " The song a robin sings...."    

STELLA By STarlight

Classics...by the masters...

ELLA


and

FRANK


and

BILL EVANS TRIO....sigh


and

MILES

Turtles

My kids love animals...

With Ella it is a constant campaign / guilt trip for a dog.

For the record she has won me over.

I feel now that it isn't just a passing fancy with her and she would devote herself to the pooch...I mean,  as much as any child can.
 I am in.
I would get one today for her...as a matter of fact I am concerned that if I don't that I am depriving this beautiful child of something really important...something that I enjoyed myself and only have fond memories of.
That is a sin in my mind....a terrible one.

My wife has no frame of reference.

They never even had so much as a gold fish growing up.

When we first got married we were dog-less..and pet-less ...and I was cool with it.

As a matter of fact I don't miss the mess...and I do remember that...hair...shit in the back yard..itchy eyes..and that funky stink that gets on everything...

...I also remember that it was worth it.

This is something that I will not force however...it has to be a joint decision with everybody on board...so far it is just Ella and I ..with Owen Neutral ...Avery hates dogs...

Kimi is not budging and in truth I suspect that I will thank her for it in the long run....but I have never really been a big fan of the long run...

The long run sucks...and it haunts me...fuck the long run...

So in the interim it is wildlife...Toads, Mice, Snakes, Snails, Dew Worms....and of course Turtles..

Untitled from Gene Norland on Vimeo.



It is tradition for us every summer to grab a Turtle from the local swamp and bring it home for a few nights.

The kids name it..(this one is  "Candy"..lol..) and we build a little home for it in the 'Turtle Pool'.

He eats well..usually BBQ scraps...as in leftover tenderloin and walleye (Pickeral if you reek of back bacon...eh).

Here is a picture of him done by Avery..lol

They are neat animals and I get a kick out of it too.....reminds me of my youth.

So far we haven't been able to teach it to fetch ....but for now this will have to do...

..we'll keep working on Mommy..

:o)

On to the Next Thing...

Turned out pretty good...

Not sure if I would ever use the sealer again....kind of useless...but the good news is it doesn't last very long and if it discourages the ants a bit that will serve...

Pork Tenderloin tonight...on the BBQ...on the Patio...using steps...sounds like the end to me...

That and cold Mousehead..

Summer...not all bad..


"mouse-head"...????....wtf...must have mice on the brain

MOOSEHEAD!!!!!....Union Made ...fuck the man!!!

Body and Soul

I had a chance to do some music surfing today.



I got thinking about some of the great ballads that have been written over the yeas and the various recordings..

When I think of Ballads one of the first ones that comes to mind is 'Body and Soul'...a song of unrequited love and a lyric that is the pinnacle of the romantic spirit of that time period...
That paired with a perfectly haunting melody in Eb minor..the saddest key in the medium..makes it just about perfect.

 BODY and SOUL... classic

My heart is sad.. and lonely
For you I sigh (cry)...for you dear only
I tell you I mean it...,


I long for you.. Body and Soul


I spend my days in longing..,
Just wondering why...its me you're wronging 
Why haven't you seen it...


I'm all for you ....Body and Soul


I cant believe it..its hard to conceive it
That you'd turn away romance
Are you pretending?..it looks like the ending..?
Unless I could get , one more chance to prove dear?


My life a wreck ( Hell ) your making
While I am yours..
Just for the taking
I'd gladly surrender...


Myself to you ..Body and Soul


The middle section is genius...into a major key change that implies hope...mirroring the lyric...then drop to the minor of the same key and the bottom falls out...back to sadness...then up a semitone with the key change back to Eb minor...finally resolving to Db major..

Really pretty... Here is Ella singing it




Now here is my version...



:o/

About halfway through I get Ella and Avery running into the kitchen barking like dogs with their webkins...Nice...

Oh well ...that is my life..lol...

And of course theres alway the genius of Coltrane..

Best Laid Plans Of Mice and Patios...

One more step left but at least the BBQ is back where it belongs.

I like the way it looks but the stairs will have to be reused for now as I have come in quite a ways over budget...lol...

I can't help but wonder what a new deck would've cost if Id just placed an ad on Sarnia online and had some 'looking for work'  shit rat throw one up....

I think the stone looks better anyway to be honest.

Oh well ... it is done...just have to lay some sod around the perimetre and I will be able to move on.

That little job should be tomorrow or the next day...barring any unforeseen horseshit...or OT call outs....$$$$

Stop the bleeding!!!!!!

:o)


May was an easy 'get some rest' month and I really managed to enjoy it.

This little project was fun and it makes me feel good to see that I did this ..and it turned out OK.,

I am off this weekend  but then things are going to get busy and I am mentally preparing for the shitshow that summer is with my job.
It is also a time for me to grab some OT money to keep this ship afloat ....it makes me sick to think of it... but when it is hot out I don't much want to do anything anyway so I might as well be working.

So ...suck it up and bring it... I guess