While 2014 has been a transformational year for me, I end the year, questioningly shaking my head about a number of issues. Not all of these issues are unique to 2014; some have been around for ages.
Why do so many people turn into raving idiots while sitting safely at their keyboards
If I were to make a New Year's Resolution, it would be to never, ever read the comments on a news article again. I don't understand why news articles even need comments. Idiotic comments are not found only attached to news articles. I have read some moronic things attached to posts of organizations I "like" on Facebook.
I used to like a food page, but I couldn't handle everyone who complained that the posted article didn't address GMO food or was a meat recipe. I am concerned about GMOs and I'm a vegetarian, but I cannot stand fundamentalists in either camp. Stop being self-righteous pricks!
Then, I read some horrible, vile comments this year. If anyone thought for a second that racism is dead, think again. The worst had to be when some "human" called Tamir Rice an "unsupervised ghetto rat." Who thinks like that?
Why do so many lack empathy?
From what I can find, about one-third of all Americans live from paycheck to paycheck. Some wealthier people do it to max out investments. But, I suspect that middle class families who do this, do so at great risk. One job loss or major medical issue, and they would be wiped out pretty quickly. I'm sure they know that. With so many people living in poverty (15 percent) or on the brink, why do we as a society accept so many policies that punish the poor for being poor? Drug testing for welfare recipients, anti-minimum wage hike sentiments, cuts to food stamps? This is how we treat the poor in our country.
How did we become so apathetic?
Sixty percent of eligible voters stayed home on Election Day this year. I get that the system is broken. If my car wasn't working properly, it wouldn't get fixed by sitting in the driveway. I'd have to tinker with it, or go to someone who could help me fix it. The system isn't going to fix itself folks; it needs handy men and women who are willing to do a little work to make take it back from the oligarchs.
Does everything have to be scented?
I own a Swifter. I know it's not the best environmental cleaning tool out there, but I own one anyway. I have found it impossible to buy sheets, name brand or generic brand, that are not scented. That scented stuff gives me a headache. Today at the store, I saw dish towels that have dish detergent and scent in them. Too many hidden chemicals.
Will there be a Detroit Difford/Tilbrook show this year?
Did we do something wrong? What can I do to fix it? Just once, I want to see you guys sing and afterward, I go home to my own bed. The last local show was 2008. I'll cook, make cake, whatever - just sing in Detroit this year.
Showing posts with label Glenn Tilbrook. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glenn Tilbrook. Show all posts
Monday, December 29, 2014
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Musical Magic
I did not attend as many concerts as I would have liked. Oh well, that's the cost of austerity. I did get to travel to see my friends Glenn Tilbrook and Simon Hanson for two concerts this fall. That opportunity will always make my highlight reel.
Why? Music has always been where I go to escape the world. We all need to escape from time to time. Music moves our feet and our souls.
My travels this fall took me to the Beachland Ballroom (where I first met Glenn) in Cleveland and to the Space in Evanston (Illionois). I attended both shows with my friend Kriss and became friends with a couple of her friends. That's another wonderful thing about music, it brings people together.
Hopefully, 2014 offers me a few more musical moments.
Why? Music has always been where I go to escape the world. We all need to escape from time to time. Music moves our feet and our souls.
My travels this fall took me to the Beachland Ballroom (where I first met Glenn) in Cleveland and to the Space in Evanston (Illionois). I attended both shows with my friend Kriss and became friends with a couple of her friends. That's another wonderful thing about music, it brings people together.
Hopefully, 2014 offers me a few more musical moments.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Can music save your mortal soul?
Last night, I attended my fourth Squeeze concert of the year. For this one, I drove, all by myself, to Milwaukee to attend the annual Summerfest. Squeeze was scheduled to take the stage at 9:30 p.m.
I took advantage of the free admission before 3:00 policy and found the stage and wandered the grounds, which were about a mile from my hotel, for a little while. I was tired and sweaty from my drive, so I went back to my hotel to freshen up and grab a bite to eat. As usual, I wasn't very hungry, so soup, salad, and a glass of Merlot filled my belly quite nicely.
The city runs a shuttle for Summerfest, so I hopped on and met two women from South Dakota, They had driven all that way to see Hanson (not Simon). They, Marilyn and Ashley, were a mother-daughter team and they were really sweet. It turns out that the Hanson brothers were staying in my hotel ( as were the ladies) and Ashley had just met the guys and of course was floating on air.
The bus arrived and I walked around for a bit with Ashley and her mom, but we quickly parted company and I wanted to head the stage where Squeeze would be performing later. I wanted to say hello, if possible and if not, I wanted to grab a spot up front.
That was to be, as I ran into Simon Hanson (not Mmm Bop) chatting with a couple. He saw me, called me over and introduced me to Ken and Susan. They had been to the show on Saturday in Iowa. Ken is a drummer, so he and Simon hit it off. The four of us wandered the grounds and then Simon needed to go check in, so I stayed on with Susan and Ken.
I had badges, from a friend, to deliver to the guys in the band, Simon was the first to get his. So occasionally, we would head back toward the stage to see if I could find anyone, to complete my mission. As luck would have it, who wanders around the corner but Glenn Tilbrook. We chatted for a bit (he was eating) and he said 'I'll see you after the show."
I'll skip everything else and jump right to the show. I decided that on this night, I wanted to just be an fan. I took very few pictures, danced like a mad woman, and did not write down the set list. They played the usual set, along with two new songs: "The Honey Trap" and "Top of the Form" (my personal favorite). The audience really seemed to enjoy both of those songs. Glenn was chatty and happy from stage and during the encore, in honor of Neil Diamond playing a few stages over, played a little "Sweet Caroline."
The wonderful show ended, the crowd went home and I went back to say hello. Stephen, John, and Simon all stopped to talk about how the tour was going and how brutal the weather had been. Then Glenn came out, signed a few autograph, and got caught by plastic people, including one Barbie and her husband Ken.
By this time, the only people left were me (by myself), Glenn, and the plastic people. I at least wanted to say bye to GT, so I lingered around while Barbie and her husband talked. Barbie saw me and made a very snarky comment to me. I will not dignify her comment by repeating it, but clearly it was meant to size me up and determine whether she should be polite to me or not. My response led her to dismiss me, which backfired on her as GT turned down her and her husband's invitation to walk around the festival grounds with the response, "No, I really want to get back to my book." That made me smile. So they left and I asked Glenn what he was reading. Hitch 22, by Christopher Hitchens is his current read. This led us to a whole conversation about writing and editing. I mentioned that I had written a novel, which elicited the most delightful expression from GT, I can't quite describe it.
He asked me genuine questions about the book. I told him it was about a high school English teacher. He chuckled and said, "Really , where'd that idea come from?" Smart ass. Then we had this great conversation about editing, including how it feels when someone else goes through your work. He shared his experience about columns he had written for a paper in the UK. He asked what my editor had done, if she had made story suggestions and I revealed a big plot point in my story that my editor thought needed punching up.
We were interrupted by Barbie, who wanted to tell him how much the songs and words meant to her when she was a teenager and finally by someone else who wanted a picture. I had no idea what time it was. I just knew that I didn't want to miss the shuttle and end up walking alone through an unfamiliar city. I didn't want to go. I never get to talk to anyone about writing. Frankly, I think he was enjoying the conversation, too. He said he'll see me Saturday and I caught the shuttle back to my hotel.
I can't wait until Saturday. I just want to talk about writing.
I took advantage of the free admission before 3:00 policy and found the stage and wandered the grounds, which were about a mile from my hotel, for a little while. I was tired and sweaty from my drive, so I went back to my hotel to freshen up and grab a bite to eat. As usual, I wasn't very hungry, so soup, salad, and a glass of Merlot filled my belly quite nicely.
The city runs a shuttle for Summerfest, so I hopped on and met two women from South Dakota, They had driven all that way to see Hanson (not Simon). They, Marilyn and Ashley, were a mother-daughter team and they were really sweet. It turns out that the Hanson brothers were staying in my hotel ( as were the ladies) and Ashley had just met the guys and of course was floating on air.
The bus arrived and I walked around for a bit with Ashley and her mom, but we quickly parted company and I wanted to head the stage where Squeeze would be performing later. I wanted to say hello, if possible and if not, I wanted to grab a spot up front.
That was to be, as I ran into Simon Hanson (not Mmm Bop) chatting with a couple. He saw me, called me over and introduced me to Ken and Susan. They had been to the show on Saturday in Iowa. Ken is a drummer, so he and Simon hit it off. The four of us wandered the grounds and then Simon needed to go check in, so I stayed on with Susan and Ken.
I had badges, from a friend, to deliver to the guys in the band, Simon was the first to get his. So occasionally, we would head back toward the stage to see if I could find anyone, to complete my mission. As luck would have it, who wanders around the corner but Glenn Tilbrook. We chatted for a bit (he was eating) and he said 'I'll see you after the show."
I'll skip everything else and jump right to the show. I decided that on this night, I wanted to just be an fan. I took very few pictures, danced like a mad woman, and did not write down the set list. They played the usual set, along with two new songs: "The Honey Trap" and "Top of the Form" (my personal favorite). The audience really seemed to enjoy both of those songs. Glenn was chatty and happy from stage and during the encore, in honor of Neil Diamond playing a few stages over, played a little "Sweet Caroline."
The wonderful show ended, the crowd went home and I went back to say hello. Stephen, John, and Simon all stopped to talk about how the tour was going and how brutal the weather had been. Then Glenn came out, signed a few autograph, and got caught by plastic people, including one Barbie and her husband Ken.
By this time, the only people left were me (by myself), Glenn, and the plastic people. I at least wanted to say bye to GT, so I lingered around while Barbie and her husband talked. Barbie saw me and made a very snarky comment to me. I will not dignify her comment by repeating it, but clearly it was meant to size me up and determine whether she should be polite to me or not. My response led her to dismiss me, which backfired on her as GT turned down her and her husband's invitation to walk around the festival grounds with the response, "No, I really want to get back to my book." That made me smile. So they left and I asked Glenn what he was reading. Hitch 22, by Christopher Hitchens is his current read. This led us to a whole conversation about writing and editing. I mentioned that I had written a novel, which elicited the most delightful expression from GT, I can't quite describe it.
He asked me genuine questions about the book. I told him it was about a high school English teacher. He chuckled and said, "Really , where'd that idea come from?" Smart ass. Then we had this great conversation about editing, including how it feels when someone else goes through your work. He shared his experience about columns he had written for a paper in the UK. He asked what my editor had done, if she had made story suggestions and I revealed a big plot point in my story that my editor thought needed punching up.
We were interrupted by Barbie, who wanted to tell him how much the songs and words meant to her when she was a teenager and finally by someone else who wanted a picture. I had no idea what time it was. I just knew that I didn't want to miss the shuttle and end up walking alone through an unfamiliar city. I didn't want to go. I never get to talk to anyone about writing. Frankly, I think he was enjoying the conversation, too. He said he'll see me Saturday and I caught the shuttle back to my hotel.
I can't wait until Saturday. I just want to talk about writing.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
What Squeeze means to me
I think that many of my non-Squeeze friends find my activities a bit...odd. I mean, I am a mom in her mid 40s who travels around to see an underrated 80s band perform old songs. They haven't put out new material and I travel by myself. I've been thinking about this for a long time now and I've come up with something. For me, Squeeze=love and community.
A long time ago, I was a very shy girl, who did not believe in herself. My parents were a touch over-protective and for the most part, my social life was very limited. I carried that girl inside of me for a long time, well into adulthood. I molded myself to whatever situation I encountered, just so I would fit in. Except for music. I kept my musical taste true to my actual self. As insecure as I was, I didn't share my music with others. I don't know why.
Since ninth grade, Squeeze has been my favorite band. I loved Chris Difford's storytelling and clever lyrics. Of course, there was Glenn Tilbrook and his voice and...well, everyone knows about my crush. They weren't hardcore enough for my more punk friends and were under the radar for other friends - underdogs. Perfect for me.
I followed them through records and attending shows when I could. I lost track of them when I became a teacher. Hell, I lost track of everything when I became a teacher. But, I found them again when they toured in 2008 and even more so when I saw Glenn perform in Cleveland in 2009. As a matter of fact, that show was a real turning point in my life. I mean, he and his band the Fluffers were so nice and I met other fanatics. I can't fully explain what it was about that night, I just knew I needed to travel and see shows.
That's what I've been doing. All along the way, I meet more people who love what I do. I have visited places that I probably wouldn't have visited. Honestly, if I hadn't gone to San Diego during this past Easter break, you know what I would have been doing? Grading papers and sitting around. Why do that? Instead, I got a tan, made new friends and talked with my favorite musicians. I learned that my lifelong crush really knows who I am as unprompted he asked my how my school year was going. I met the woman who edited my novel at a gig on Long Island. I'm going to London during the Olympics because of Squeeze.
I wouldn't have my life any other way.
A long time ago, I was a very shy girl, who did not believe in herself. My parents were a touch over-protective and for the most part, my social life was very limited. I carried that girl inside of me for a long time, well into adulthood. I molded myself to whatever situation I encountered, just so I would fit in. Except for music. I kept my musical taste true to my actual self. As insecure as I was, I didn't share my music with others. I don't know why.
Since ninth grade, Squeeze has been my favorite band. I loved Chris Difford's storytelling and clever lyrics. Of course, there was Glenn Tilbrook and his voice and...well, everyone knows about my crush. They weren't hardcore enough for my more punk friends and were under the radar for other friends - underdogs. Perfect for me.
I followed them through records and attending shows when I could. I lost track of them when I became a teacher. Hell, I lost track of everything when I became a teacher. But, I found them again when they toured in 2008 and even more so when I saw Glenn perform in Cleveland in 2009. As a matter of fact, that show was a real turning point in my life. I mean, he and his band the Fluffers were so nice and I met other fanatics. I can't fully explain what it was about that night, I just knew I needed to travel and see shows.
That's what I've been doing. All along the way, I meet more people who love what I do. I have visited places that I probably wouldn't have visited. Honestly, if I hadn't gone to San Diego during this past Easter break, you know what I would have been doing? Grading papers and sitting around. Why do that? Instead, I got a tan, made new friends and talked with my favorite musicians. I learned that my lifelong crush really knows who I am as unprompted he asked my how my school year was going. I met the woman who edited my novel at a gig on Long Island. I'm going to London during the Olympics because of Squeeze.
I wouldn't have my life any other way.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Squeeeeeeze!!!!!!!!!!
Squeeze has just announced that they will be playing Coachelle on April 14t and 21st. Technically, I could attend either show and, if I sold body parts, perhaps both. But, I have a problem.
This would be yet another trip I take by myself, just like London. My normal travel buddy can't go. I suppose it's okay, but after a while I start to feel like a loser just hanging out on my own and it sure would be nice to have a little company.
My second concern revolves around the possibility of other dates. I've been hanging on to my personal days (three of them) thinking that Glenn Tilbrook might swing through for a few dates in the spring. Of course, his website shows nothing about US dates. To be honest, every time I've ever left a question for management to answer, I heard nothing. Will Squeeze have more dates?
So, now I have to decide what I'm going to do. Should I book another solo flight for myself? How long should I wait for other dates to be posted? Maybe they'll perform closer to home.
This would be yet another trip I take by myself, just like London. My normal travel buddy can't go. I suppose it's okay, but after a while I start to feel like a loser just hanging out on my own and it sure would be nice to have a little company.
My second concern revolves around the possibility of other dates. I've been hanging on to my personal days (three of them) thinking that Glenn Tilbrook might swing through for a few dates in the spring. Of course, his website shows nothing about US dates. To be honest, every time I've ever left a question for management to answer, I heard nothing. Will Squeeze have more dates?
So, now I have to decide what I'm going to do. Should I book another solo flight for myself? How long should I wait for other dates to be posted? Maybe they'll perform closer to home.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Thing 19
Last year, I asked our district tech department about podcasts. I had listened to a couple and thought that it would be cool and relevant if my students could create their own podcasts. I am sorry to say that I received several blank stares. I quietly excused myself, backed out of the room, and returned to my room - where I laid my head on my desk and silently wept for not having thrown caution to the wind and become a rock n'roll photographer, salary and sleep deprivation be damned.
For some reason, I was unable to watch either of the RESA podcasts on my laptop (told myself to watch them at the ex's later in the week), so I went directly to the third link.
The first podcast I watched was the Sesame Street on about language acquisition. I suppose because as the mom on a mildly autistic mom, repetitive language is a daily struggle. He has grown up with two teachers, so his receptive language is pretty impressive, but he struggles with his expressive language, though he has come a long way in the past year.
Additionally, a large number of my students were not born in this country and thus come from an English as Second Language background. Many of them do not speak English at home and, thanks to satellite television, only hear it at school. I've struggled for a few years with an effective way to handle vocabulary. I guess I just have to surround my high school students with vocabulary in the same manner I did my adopted-from-China-didn't-know-he-was autistic son. Don't talk down to them, be diligent about my word wall, and keep reading the research.
The second one I watched was for pure pleasure because I needed a Glenn Tilbrook fix. I can't really talk about it publicly, but I have secret plans to make him mine ;)
The final one I found was a series of four about the History of Photography. This is the great passion of my life and I'm always looking to know more about it. Of course, I was drawn in to it due to the iconic Dorothea Lange "Migrant Mother" photograph.
I still want my students to make a podcast and it would be great to find some podcasts about the craft of writing and maybe I can share those with my students. I'll save that search for thing 20.
For some reason, I was unable to watch either of the RESA podcasts on my laptop (told myself to watch them at the ex's later in the week), so I went directly to the third link.
The first podcast I watched was the Sesame Street on about language acquisition. I suppose because as the mom on a mildly autistic mom, repetitive language is a daily struggle. He has grown up with two teachers, so his receptive language is pretty impressive, but he struggles with his expressive language, though he has come a long way in the past year.
Additionally, a large number of my students were not born in this country and thus come from an English as Second Language background. Many of them do not speak English at home and, thanks to satellite television, only hear it at school. I've struggled for a few years with an effective way to handle vocabulary. I guess I just have to surround my high school students with vocabulary in the same manner I did my adopted-from-China-didn't-know-he-was autistic son. Don't talk down to them, be diligent about my word wall, and keep reading the research.
The second one I watched was for pure pleasure because I needed a Glenn Tilbrook fix. I can't really talk about it publicly, but I have secret plans to make him mine ;)
The final one I found was a series of four about the History of Photography. This is the great passion of my life and I'm always looking to know more about it. Of course, I was drawn in to it due to the iconic Dorothea Lange "Migrant Mother" photograph.
I still want my students to make a podcast and it would be great to find some podcasts about the craft of writing and maybe I can share those with my students. I'll save that search for thing 20.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Glenn Tilbrook - Evanston April 4
Last night I fed my need for a Glenn Tilbrook/Squeeze fix. My girlfriend Laurie and I drove to Evanston, Illinois to catch an acoustic show from Glenn at a venue called Space. We both took the day off and Laurie drove.
The GPS on her phone eventually took us along Lakeshore Drive and needless to say, we grew envious of the vibrancy that emanated from every pore of Chicago. We arrived at our hotel before the room was available and our stomachs rumbling for food. Luckily, there was a pub directly across. It was called Tommy Nevin's and it will crop up later in my story. From lunch, we walked three blocks into the shopping district and looked for the venue. We also stopped in a jewelry shop. I bought a swish pair of sterling silver hoop (large) earrings and Laurie bought a beautiful necklace. The time told us it was finally time to check in at the hotel, so we walked back.
I showered and read while Laurie napped. Finally, it was time to head out for dinner and then to the show. We chose to eat at Union Pizzeria, which is attached to the show venue. We dined on a delicious thin crust pizza with basil pesto, broccoli, red onion, sun-dried tomato, and goat cheese. Yummy! No time or room for dessert, the doors were opening and we had general admission tickets.
We wandered to the first row on the right of the stage. Our seats placed us in a way that we would have to watch Glenn's backside for the whole show. I chatted with the couple next to us, Adam and Olga, and then Glenn came on.
He started with an explanation that United had lost his luggage and his two guitars. He then launched into a delightful 25 minute set that went as follows:
1. Monkey Up the Tree
2. Take Me I'm Yours
3. This is Where You Ain't
4. Chatline Larry (apparently about one of his oldest boys and his phone habits)
5. Wild World (covering that great Cat Stevens songs)
6. Tongue Like a Knife
7. Oh Well
8. Vanity Fair
9. If I Didn't Love You
10. Untouchable
11. Harper Valley PTA
12. Introvert
13. Another Nail
14. Good-bye Girl (on electric guitar with assistance on the acoustic from a guy in the audience)
15. Cool for Cats (delivered in a droll, spoken word manner)
16. Best of Times
17. Tempted
18. Some Fantastic Place
19. Is That Love?
20. Vicky Verky
21. The Truth
22. Annie, Get You Gun
23. Up the Junction
24. Slap and Tickle
25. Pulling Mussels
End of show - just wonderful. As always, he came out and chatted to everyone. I told him that I was coming to England to see the Rochester Castle show. I posed for pictures and then, we left. Happily, the night doesn't end here.
We returned to our hotel and quickly decided to grab a drink at the pub across the street, Tommy Nevins. We take a seat, grab drinks, and who walks (now with his luggage) into the bar? Glenn and an old friend. Glenn turns and sees me, comes over, asks what we're drinking, and invites us to an empty table that is larger than our table. Over the next two hours, we chat, throw popcorn at each other (he could catch it, I could not), drink, and laugh. Someone gave him a gift bag that include a large hollow chocolate thing and a small metal mallet to crack it open. Out tumbled more chocolate delights that no one wanted. When asked what he was going to do with the hammer, he had no clue. I urged him to pull a Spinal Tap with it, which elicited a big laugh.
He had to get up the next morning at 7 to fly to New York, so we parted company around 1:00 a.m. It was a great night.
The GPS on her phone eventually took us along Lakeshore Drive and needless to say, we grew envious of the vibrancy that emanated from every pore of Chicago. We arrived at our hotel before the room was available and our stomachs rumbling for food. Luckily, there was a pub directly across. It was called Tommy Nevin's and it will crop up later in my story. From lunch, we walked three blocks into the shopping district and looked for the venue. We also stopped in a jewelry shop. I bought a swish pair of sterling silver hoop (large) earrings and Laurie bought a beautiful necklace. The time told us it was finally time to check in at the hotel, so we walked back.
I showered and read while Laurie napped. Finally, it was time to head out for dinner and then to the show. We chose to eat at Union Pizzeria, which is attached to the show venue. We dined on a delicious thin crust pizza with basil pesto, broccoli, red onion, sun-dried tomato, and goat cheese. Yummy! No time or room for dessert, the doors were opening and we had general admission tickets.
We wandered to the first row on the right of the stage. Our seats placed us in a way that we would have to watch Glenn's backside for the whole show. I chatted with the couple next to us, Adam and Olga, and then Glenn came on.
He started with an explanation that United had lost his luggage and his two guitars. He then launched into a delightful 25 minute set that went as follows:
1. Monkey Up the Tree
2. Take Me I'm Yours
3. This is Where You Ain't
4. Chatline Larry (apparently about one of his oldest boys and his phone habits)
5. Wild World (covering that great Cat Stevens songs)
6. Tongue Like a Knife
7. Oh Well
8. Vanity Fair
9. If I Didn't Love You
10. Untouchable
11. Harper Valley PTA
12. Introvert
13. Another Nail
14. Good-bye Girl (on electric guitar with assistance on the acoustic from a guy in the audience)
15. Cool for Cats (delivered in a droll, spoken word manner)
16. Best of Times
17. Tempted
18. Some Fantastic Place
19. Is That Love?
20. Vicky Verky
21. The Truth
22. Annie, Get You Gun
23. Up the Junction
24. Slap and Tickle
25. Pulling Mussels
End of show - just wonderful. As always, he came out and chatted to everyone. I told him that I was coming to England to see the Rochester Castle show. I posed for pictures and then, we left. Happily, the night doesn't end here.
We returned to our hotel and quickly decided to grab a drink at the pub across the street, Tommy Nevins. We take a seat, grab drinks, and who walks (now with his luggage) into the bar? Glenn and an old friend. Glenn turns and sees me, comes over, asks what we're drinking, and invites us to an empty table that is larger than our table. Over the next two hours, we chat, throw popcorn at each other (he could catch it, I could not), drink, and laugh. Someone gave him a gift bag that include a large hollow chocolate thing and a small metal mallet to crack it open. Out tumbled more chocolate delights that no one wanted. When asked what he was going to do with the hammer, he had no clue. I urged him to pull a Spinal Tap with it, which elicited a big laugh.
He had to get up the next morning at 7 to fly to New York, so we parted company around 1:00 a.m. It was a great night.
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