practice

 Monday,

I belong to the Community Band of Central Texas.   CBOCT

Or is it the Central Texas Community Band?   CTCB

NOPE.  Going with the first name.

We meet in the Salado Middle School Band room On Thursdays from 7 till 9.

We have not had a session since last spring.  We start back this coming Thursday.  Today, I took out my trumpet and oiled the valves.  Boy were they thirsty.  I have to go buy some more valve oil soon.

I'm like normal folks.  I love to play my horn.  I hate to just practice.  /Right now I am playing my scales.  One octave from C down to low F# in half notes.   Then, 2 octaves in quarter notes starting on low F# and up until I embarrass myself with my inability to make the high notes sound.  A common problem, Tis.

I rest a tiny bit between each scale.  This is to give the old chops (lips) a slight chance to recover between scales.  This is another common practice.  If you rest a bit, you last longer and progress is made - to some degree.   Right now I am going to do my 2 octave Bb scale.   High Bb will not be a gorgeous sound.  So be it.  

Done.  The other trumpet players in the band seem to practice more than I.  Sure, I have excuses for not practicing.  Being 85 and lazy are my two biggest problems.   Now, the B natural scale.

That went okay.  Interesting to me is that my dogs don't bark when I practice.  Why izzat?  Ya know they can't like what it does to their ears.  Enough rest.  Time for the 2 octave C scale.  Then I close.

This missage is over  (missage?  a real word or a missppeelliinngg?

m    

GADS - he rants again

 remember:  Gifts are not about keeping score

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From a small bedroom, in a moderately sized fairly new house, outside a small but growing village, in a square county, in a very large State, on the southerly edge of a pretty large country, near the north of a large continent, on a small planet - the third rock from the center among a smallish solar system, on the edge of a large galaxy, deep in what seems to be a never ending universe, I sit here at my fairly low priced PC, playing with colors & typing words on my keyboard to be posted on my little known blog, in retirement, watching TV and waiting - waiting - for what?  This shall be left to the imagination of the reader - happy thoughts or somber muses  Vs. the void ... whatever THAT may be or may bring.

Well, that was fun.

Went to a Halloween carnival once that had a kissing booth - turned out to be a puppy kissing booth.

Went to a topless carwash once - turned out they didn't wash the top of your car.

Went to a fundraiser once where they sold chances on a portion of a football field - forgot what it was called - a cow was turned loose & wherever he dropped a cow patty, that square won the prize.  Cow Patty Bingo - or something like that.  Tickets weren't cheap.

Knew a rapper once who went by the name of Gershwin.  He only sold CDs which were blue in color. They were his  "rap CDs in blue."  [that's a joke]

My wife doesn't do email anymore.  I checked a while back, she had accumulated 32,061 emails.  This probably does not include her spam file.

Short term memory is not something my wife has anymore.  She does pretty well with long-term things.  I try to create events in her life that call up memories.  I figure it can't hurt.  One is the  "Tuesday Joke of the Week."  The Temple newspaper has a kid's page on Tuesdays which include a joke or riddle.   All I have to say is, "Tuesday."  She responds with "Joke of the week."   Another is when I bring her a can of Coke.  I say, "Here's your Coke."  She sings, "and get your hat. Put your worries on the doorstep."  For youngsters those are words from an old song: Sunny Side of the Street.

This memory condition has some interesting side effects.  The car radio is tuned to a 50s station.  We were in high school during the 50s.  She seems to know most of songs and sings along with them - often times clapping her hands in rhythm.  In years past she would never have sung along with any song at any time.  It seems she is losing many of her inhibitions.  I do lead her on to some extent.  During the next month, she will turn 86.  She's older than I am by 6 weeks or so.  I guess we have had a pretty good run together.   We topped our 64th anniversary this past month.  That's a long time for her to put up with my foolishness - and, I would appreciate it if nobody will give any examples of my past stupidities.  Thank you.

As the chosen caretaker, I have taken on being head chef in the Metze household.  My daughter pushes me out of the way sometimes - but, I don't care.  Menu planning is a real pain.  I have my eating disorders (purely selected by my not wanting to eat certain foods).  I don't eat broccoli.  Tried it; don't like it.  But the spouse needs to eat green stuff. So every evening I create a weird menu around what she will eat willingly and what I'd prefer to consume.  Yesterday for instance, I found some stuffed pork chops at Walmart - cheese and bacon.  Put in oven.  Added green stuff & some chicken rice from a box.  Nice meal.  I wish they had had more bacon and cheese stuffing.  Hey!  for $3.50, beggars can't be choosey.

Now, what's for tonight?  I'm considering Pepperoni Hot Pockets plus sides (salad and green stuff).  How can I go wrong.  4 days ago, hot dogs with home made chili  - plus salad and green stuff.  It was a hit even though the hot dog buns kept splitting apart and dumping the chili.  I'm thinking Sunday, it will be cheeseburger day - with salad and green stuff.   I am getting a longing for Chinese Food and good ole American BBQ.  I did read a food truck menu today on my phone.  l lb brisket = $33.  1 lb ribs = $22.  Sausage = $whatever.  Pint (not quart) of beans  = $8.  I'm getting too old for these prices.

Found a magazine I want at Walmart.  $15.  Life magazine and the Wild Wild West.  It was full of pictures and stories of the old west.  $15 - well, $14.99 plus tax.  Maybe one of you will get it for me for my birthday - or better yet - start a GoFundMe page - ask for a quarter each.  That might be hard to find - enough people with 25 cents.

I leave.  Y'all take care.  Today is Friday.  Think I'll  go tune up the microwave.

mtz, m3, Mike, etc.  My PC is returned to its resting position.

64

 Must make a point to say that today is our anniversary.   It has been 64 years.  They were not all roses and lollipops; but, they have been workable.  As we say around here:  "on to 65."

The wife's brother, who is not a spring chicken either, used FTD and sent some beautiful roses and a box of chocolate.  That was very nice.  My wife is infatuated with the roses.  Gorgeous big flowers.

I have been reading a series of books by Alan Hunter about a British detective named George Gently.  He wrote about 56 books.  All are easy reads with little to no hanky panky among the police staff.  Some stories dip into lust somewhat.   There is a BBC series based upon the books.  Colorful writings in my opinion.  Not necessarily great literature like War & Peace.  Still, I can read a few paragraphs, put the book down, and return without losing any sleep over it.

Ate out with daughters at Cracker Barrel.  Adequate.  Served it's purpose.  As we sat waiting, a rather tall, lumpy guy walked in.  He had a giant mop of blue hair and a big red ball on his nose.  His clothes were comical.  He sat at a table for two and waited.  Then she walked in.  Yes, Send in the clowns.  She had all sorts of make up, fantastic clothes, and giant shoes with bubbled toes.  They sat and ordered.  Eventually, two young ladies went over and had a conversation.  I bet they never get to eat in privacy.   In some ways you must envy these two who have the personalities to do this kind of thing.  I'm not sure I would ever be able to.  What about chu?

With that, I close.  Got to go fix my face for the day.  Everyone has to do a bit of decoration or work in order to remain on the "Most Beautiful" lists.

mtz