Unfortunately, I couldn't find a you tube video of Allen Ginsberg reciting his poem "Do the Meditation." I saw him perform that poem probably two or three times, the most exhilarating at my very own high school. He came and read poetry during my senior year and he led an auditorium full of high school students in a brief meditation. Ever since that moment, I have been interested in both Zen Buddhism and meditation.
I never followed up on this interest for too many complicated and shallow reasons. I now feel that I will no longer delay following an interest because I feel so much more confident in my ability to handle the consequences, whatever they may be.
A few weeks ago, I noticed that something called the Yoga House opened in a small office space down the hall from my gym. There were some information cards posted along the window, so I took one. I read the schedule and saw that there was a session called Meditation & Breath Awareness. This took me back to my long standing interest and I decided that I would go.
The space was really quite small, with three or four mats laid out on the floor. The instructor, Rupert, had lit incense and candles. One other person showed up for the session. He suggested that I sit on an oval shaped pillow, to elevate hip hips over my knees.
We then spent to next 60 minutes focused on controlled breathing for example breathing in different parts of our lungs. It was quite a remarkable feeling the air enter and leave different parts of my lungs, due to a conscious decision on my part. I felt relaxed and refreshed at the end. The only trouble I had was my right hip and knee were hurting a bit. Next time, he told me that I could sit differently to alleviate the pain. I will definitely go back.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
My evil plot
I do not like lawns. Expanses of suburban green squares. If it were solely up to me, our lawn would disappear under rocks, ferns, and flowers. I have repeatedly made this suggestion, pointing out how we would no longer need to water and cut. To be honest, our front yard is very small and mowing it takes all of about 15-20 minutes. But, still, that's 15-20 minutes that could be spent doing something more enjoyable. My husband is NOT on board. Therefore, I must proceed in small increments.
I am a less than novice gardener, so I take bits of advice from many resources. For this little project, I used an idiot-proof book called The Way We Garden Now, by Katherine Whiteside. This is the second time I've checked this book out from the library and I find her directions for projects to be undestandable and realistic.
I started today by plotting out a small strip for a flower bed, along the walk from the driveway to the porch. In the spring, this area gets a ton of sun because the leaves on the trees have not yet come in. It will be perfect for tulips, daffodils, etc. In the summer, It gets filtered light, so I foresee ferns and maybe some hostas. I hammered six stakes into the ground and tied string around them to mark off the area. I didn't measure, I just eye-balled the dimensions. That was a deliberate choice; I want the area to look more natural and less manicured. I then attempted to cut the grass as short as possible. Unfortunately, the lawn mower handle was broken, so I didn't cut the grass as short as I should have. I soaked the grass and laid newspapers on top of the wet ground. Today is extremely windy, so I had to scrounge to find rocks to keep the paper in place. Next, I soaked the newspapers and then laid a weed barrier on top. This is the step I am not sure is going to work. The store I went to this morning sold only a biodegradable paper weed barrier. That sound good, except I'm not sure that it will last long enough to kill the grass underneath. I'm pretty sure that I'll have to find a woven weed barrier that I'll be able to use a few times. I soaked the weed barrier and voila, in about a month, I should have a spot for low light flowers and ferns.
I am a less than novice gardener, so I take bits of advice from many resources. For this little project, I used an idiot-proof book called The Way We Garden Now, by Katherine Whiteside. This is the second time I've checked this book out from the library and I find her directions for projects to be undestandable and realistic.
I started today by plotting out a small strip for a flower bed, along the walk from the driveway to the porch. In the spring, this area gets a ton of sun because the leaves on the trees have not yet come in. It will be perfect for tulips, daffodils, etc. In the summer, It gets filtered light, so I foresee ferns and maybe some hostas. I hammered six stakes into the ground and tied string around them to mark off the area. I didn't measure, I just eye-balled the dimensions. That was a deliberate choice; I want the area to look more natural and less manicured. I then attempted to cut the grass as short as possible. Unfortunately, the lawn mower handle was broken, so I didn't cut the grass as short as I should have. I soaked the grass and laid newspapers on top of the wet ground. Today is extremely windy, so I had to scrounge to find rocks to keep the paper in place. Next, I soaked the newspapers and then laid a weed barrier on top. This is the step I am not sure is going to work. The store I went to this morning sold only a biodegradable paper weed barrier. That sound good, except I'm not sure that it will last long enough to kill the grass underneath. I'm pretty sure that I'll have to find a woven weed barrier that I'll be able to use a few times. I soaked the weed barrier and voila, in about a month, I should have a spot for low light flowers and ferns.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
"The Bird" is the word
I turned nine in the summer of 1976. It was a busy exciting summer. Of course, it was the Bicentennial celebration. My Girl Scout troupe marched in our hometown parade and I wore dress that was kind of "colonial" style. It was a long dress with a brown gingham pattern on the skirt.
1976 was the summer that I fell in love with baseball. The Tigers were a hopeless team, usually mired in fifth place. As fans, we were pleased if they finished ahead of the Indians. The big story on the team had been a home town guy named Ron LeFlore who came out of prison into the big leagues and stole a ton of bases. He had been the story until this lanky kid from Wooster, MA pitched. Mark Fidrych made his major league pitching debut in mid May and beat the Indians. I remember exactly where I was. My family was driving somewhere on Telegraph Road and the radio announcers started talking about this pitcher and how he would kneel down on the mound to smooth out the dirt. We laughed, but the kid won the game and I was hooked.
Later that summer, my parents took us to our first game and it was a game when Fidrych was pitching. The Tigers had poor attendance, except for his games. I've read that his games averaged 40,000 plus while non-Fidrych games averaged 14,000. We waited in a huge crowd outside of old Tiger Stadium waiting for tickets. It was hot, probably in July and I remember feeling woozy. As we made out way through the gate, ushers handed out Bird whistles. The game was magic. He won, but I can no longer remember if it was a complete game.
That summer saw Bird-mania all over Detroit. I had at least two t-shirts, one was an iron on decal from the Free Press. There were songs and people seemed happy.
His career never panned out; a knee injury did him in. He died this week on his farm, crushed by a truck. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1976 and then basically faded away into a regular life. I know that Detroiters never forgot him. Who could forget a summer like that. Thanks Mark
I haven't quite mastered the art of linking to YouTube but here's a little video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzJui7dqVaw
1976 was the summer that I fell in love with baseball. The Tigers were a hopeless team, usually mired in fifth place. As fans, we were pleased if they finished ahead of the Indians. The big story on the team had been a home town guy named Ron LeFlore who came out of prison into the big leagues and stole a ton of bases. He had been the story until this lanky kid from Wooster, MA pitched. Mark Fidrych made his major league pitching debut in mid May and beat the Indians. I remember exactly where I was. My family was driving somewhere on Telegraph Road and the radio announcers started talking about this pitcher and how he would kneel down on the mound to smooth out the dirt. We laughed, but the kid won the game and I was hooked.
Later that summer, my parents took us to our first game and it was a game when Fidrych was pitching. The Tigers had poor attendance, except for his games. I've read that his games averaged 40,000 plus while non-Fidrych games averaged 14,000. We waited in a huge crowd outside of old Tiger Stadium waiting for tickets. It was hot, probably in July and I remember feeling woozy. As we made out way through the gate, ushers handed out Bird whistles. The game was magic. He won, but I can no longer remember if it was a complete game.
That summer saw Bird-mania all over Detroit. I had at least two t-shirts, one was an iron on decal from the Free Press. There were songs and people seemed happy.
His career never panned out; a knee injury did him in. He died this week on his farm, crushed by a truck. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1976 and then basically faded away into a regular life. I know that Detroiters never forgot him. Who could forget a summer like that. Thanks Mark
I haven't quite mastered the art of linking to YouTube but here's a little video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzJui7dqVaw
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Music, music, music
A few weeks ago, MaryB at alone with each other wrote about 25 books or authors that had a big impact on her. I am the world's lamest English teacher, so I actually added nothing to the conversation. Well, I haven't yet come down from my Cleveland high, so I am still in a musical mood. I thought that I'd post a list of the top 30 (I tried to stay to 25, but I just couldn't) of songs or musical acts that have had a big impact on my life. The list is alphabetical.
1. "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers: Okay, laugh all you want. I was 9 or 10 years old and I couldn't get enough of these Scottish boys. It wasn't the plaid on their clothes. It was that they left the top button on their pants undone. I knew that made them slightly dangerous and it peaked my very youthful attention.
2. The Beatles: For a while, as a non-baby boomer, I was completely sick of the Beatles. As a matter of fact, I still feel that way about Led Zeppelin. Unlike Led Zeppelin, I have come to fully appreciate how brilliant these guys were. I made sure that Sgt Pepper was the first CD I ever purchased.
3. David Bowie: I'd have to say that I love everything that David Bowie has ever recorded (except for China Girl). For me, the best are the albums from the Berlin trilogy: Low, Heros, and Lodger. He is artist who stayed one step ahead of trends and provoke controversy before Madonna could spell the word.
4. The Clash: This is yet another artist that I can't make one single song choice. London Calling is rife with amazing songs that touch on many genres. The Sex Pistols may have been the first, but, like Bowie, the Clash wouldn't be pigeon holed into making only one type of music. The first concert I ever saw was The Clash on the Combat Rock tour. I wore that t-shirt thread bare.
5. "Appalachian Spring" by Aaron Copeland: I love the scope and sweep of this composition. I am a complete novice when it comes to orchestral music, but this took my breath away the first time I heard it.
6. "32 Flavors" by Alana Davis: This is a one hit wonder that just struck a nerve. I have always felt like I am so much more than what people can see - a virtual 32 flavors.
7. "Tangled up in Blue" by Bob Dylan: In the summer of 1985, I was the full-time baby-sitter for this very annoying yuppie couple who lived around the block. The three-year old spoke in a perma-whine and the six-year old was already telling his parents that he didn't want to attend the University of Michigan. The best part of this deal for me was the parents copy of Bob Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks." I was already a Dylan fan, but the story telling in "Tangled up in Blue" has influenced the way I write short stories and poems.
8. "Lost in the Music" by Eminem: Heads and shoulders the best song ever about wanting to be famous. I don't really like the rest of Em's songs, but I can't get enough of this one.
9. Billie Holliday: She was my introduction to blues. An excellent place to start.
10. "Raw Power" by Iggy and the Stooges: Punk before the Ramones and the Pistols. This band is not in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame and I won't visit until that is rectified. Good Detroit rock n'roll.
11. "Hammer and a Nail" by the Indigo Girls: I often like music that has a message and I love the message in this song. If I need a pick me up, I crank this tune, just to remind me that I can do anything.
12. "At Last" by Etta James: Yet another that introduced me to a different type of music. It's sexy and sophisticated.
13. Janis Joplin: I don't know what I can say about Janis Joplin that hasn't already been said.
14. John Lennon: He is the Beatle I followed for the rest of his career. He wasn't afraid to experiment or lay raw emotion out on the floor. I admired his courage.
15. "American Pie" by Don McLean: I was born in 1967 and this song is like a history lesson for me. I love all the cultural references and I love Buddy Holly.
16. "Sing! Sing! Sing!" by Glenn Miller: When I was a small child, we had this enormous stereo and at night, my father would play big band music. I need total silence to fall asleep, so I would beg my father to turn the music off. As a result, I hated big band music. At some point as a teenager, I heard "Sing! Sing! Sing!" and I did a 180. Of course, I didn't tell my dad.
17. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana: Thank Buddha for grunge and in particular this song. Without it, we might have been stuck with big hair bands like Ratt and Poison for longer. Kurt Cobain's lyrics about complete boredom and detachment from the world are powerful.
18. "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order": This song is a mish-mash of memories for me. Right after college, I was engaged to be married. Three months before the wedding, I went and visited a friend in Indiana. She and I went with her brother and some of his friends to the bar. This song came on and one of the friends, Joe, asked me to dance and let's just say that something...sparked. I went home and called off the wedding. More recently, this is the first "pop" song that I played for Andrew and it is the first song to which we danced.
19. "Black" by Pearl Jam: I love the line "I know you'll be the sun in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be mine." Eddie Vedder delivers it in such an angst driven way, I just want to give him a hug. I find the whole song to be very romantic.
20. "South Central Rain" by R.E.M.: There were so many choices from R.E.M. Time and time again, I come back to this song. It's comfort food for my soul.
21. Rent: I have seen this musical perhaps four or five times. There is something there that speaks to a part of me that is hidden away for my own safety. "Forget regrets, or life is your's to miss."
22. "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones: I love, love, love Marianne Faithful's solo in this song. Everytime I hear it, I want to sing like her.
23. Squeeze: Hmm...where to start? Chris Difford's positively brilliant lyrics or Glenn Tilbrook's masterful construction of perfect pop tunes? It doesn't matter, this has been my number one band forever and I suspect that they always will be.
24. The Smiths: Snarky and cad-like lyrics backed by Johnny Marr's amazing guitar playing. This band could have given Squeeze a run for the number one spot, except Glenn is soooo much cuter than Morrissey.
25. Tosca: This first opera that had me in it's grip from the opening curtain. I changed my mind about opera after seeing Tosca.
26. "Herion" by the Velvet Underground: A dangerous song. I was overwhelmed by the feedback and honesty of the lyrics. I have never taken drugs, but this song is great.
27. Paul Weller: It doesn't matter if this man is in The Jam, the Style Council, or on his own - he is GOD!
28. Stevie Wonder: I could write the same thing here as I wrote for Paul Weller. Stevie has tackle so many different types of music and a wide array of subject matters. Most of it amazing.
29. "Everytime You Go Away" by Paul Young: The summer after I graduated from high school, 1985, my family took in a French exchange student, Staphane, for a month. He was very cute, but my parents kept a very short leash on us - planning events or outings every night. I should have lost something that summer, but we couldn't shake my parents. This song was playing in the car as we drove him to the airport. We both cried like babies.
30. X: The best American punk band of the 80s and Excene Cervenka rocks.
Do you care to share any of your favorite songs or performers.
1. "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers: Okay, laugh all you want. I was 9 or 10 years old and I couldn't get enough of these Scottish boys. It wasn't the plaid on their clothes. It was that they left the top button on their pants undone. I knew that made them slightly dangerous and it peaked my very youthful attention.
2. The Beatles: For a while, as a non-baby boomer, I was completely sick of the Beatles. As a matter of fact, I still feel that way about Led Zeppelin. Unlike Led Zeppelin, I have come to fully appreciate how brilliant these guys were. I made sure that Sgt Pepper was the first CD I ever purchased.
3. David Bowie: I'd have to say that I love everything that David Bowie has ever recorded (except for China Girl). For me, the best are the albums from the Berlin trilogy: Low, Heros, and Lodger. He is artist who stayed one step ahead of trends and provoke controversy before Madonna could spell the word.
4. The Clash: This is yet another artist that I can't make one single song choice. London Calling is rife with amazing songs that touch on many genres. The Sex Pistols may have been the first, but, like Bowie, the Clash wouldn't be pigeon holed into making only one type of music. The first concert I ever saw was The Clash on the Combat Rock tour. I wore that t-shirt thread bare.
5. "Appalachian Spring" by Aaron Copeland: I love the scope and sweep of this composition. I am a complete novice when it comes to orchestral music, but this took my breath away the first time I heard it.
6. "32 Flavors" by Alana Davis: This is a one hit wonder that just struck a nerve. I have always felt like I am so much more than what people can see - a virtual 32 flavors.
7. "Tangled up in Blue" by Bob Dylan: In the summer of 1985, I was the full-time baby-sitter for this very annoying yuppie couple who lived around the block. The three-year old spoke in a perma-whine and the six-year old was already telling his parents that he didn't want to attend the University of Michigan. The best part of this deal for me was the parents copy of Bob Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks." I was already a Dylan fan, but the story telling in "Tangled up in Blue" has influenced the way I write short stories and poems.
8. "Lost in the Music" by Eminem: Heads and shoulders the best song ever about wanting to be famous. I don't really like the rest of Em's songs, but I can't get enough of this one.
9. Billie Holliday: She was my introduction to blues. An excellent place to start.
10. "Raw Power" by Iggy and the Stooges: Punk before the Ramones and the Pistols. This band is not in the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame and I won't visit until that is rectified. Good Detroit rock n'roll.
11. "Hammer and a Nail" by the Indigo Girls: I often like music that has a message and I love the message in this song. If I need a pick me up, I crank this tune, just to remind me that I can do anything.
12. "At Last" by Etta James: Yet another that introduced me to a different type of music. It's sexy and sophisticated.
13. Janis Joplin: I don't know what I can say about Janis Joplin that hasn't already been said.
14. John Lennon: He is the Beatle I followed for the rest of his career. He wasn't afraid to experiment or lay raw emotion out on the floor. I admired his courage.
15. "American Pie" by Don McLean: I was born in 1967 and this song is like a history lesson for me. I love all the cultural references and I love Buddy Holly.
16. "Sing! Sing! Sing!" by Glenn Miller: When I was a small child, we had this enormous stereo and at night, my father would play big band music. I need total silence to fall asleep, so I would beg my father to turn the music off. As a result, I hated big band music. At some point as a teenager, I heard "Sing! Sing! Sing!" and I did a 180. Of course, I didn't tell my dad.
17. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana: Thank Buddha for grunge and in particular this song. Without it, we might have been stuck with big hair bands like Ratt and Poison for longer. Kurt Cobain's lyrics about complete boredom and detachment from the world are powerful.
18. "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order": This song is a mish-mash of memories for me. Right after college, I was engaged to be married. Three months before the wedding, I went and visited a friend in Indiana. She and I went with her brother and some of his friends to the bar. This song came on and one of the friends, Joe, asked me to dance and let's just say that something...sparked. I went home and called off the wedding. More recently, this is the first "pop" song that I played for Andrew and it is the first song to which we danced.
19. "Black" by Pearl Jam: I love the line "I know you'll be the sun in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be mine." Eddie Vedder delivers it in such an angst driven way, I just want to give him a hug. I find the whole song to be very romantic.
20. "South Central Rain" by R.E.M.: There were so many choices from R.E.M. Time and time again, I come back to this song. It's comfort food for my soul.
21. Rent: I have seen this musical perhaps four or five times. There is something there that speaks to a part of me that is hidden away for my own safety. "Forget regrets, or life is your's to miss."
22. "Gimme Shelter" by the Rolling Stones: I love, love, love Marianne Faithful's solo in this song. Everytime I hear it, I want to sing like her.
23. Squeeze: Hmm...where to start? Chris Difford's positively brilliant lyrics or Glenn Tilbrook's masterful construction of perfect pop tunes? It doesn't matter, this has been my number one band forever and I suspect that they always will be.
24. The Smiths: Snarky and cad-like lyrics backed by Johnny Marr's amazing guitar playing. This band could have given Squeeze a run for the number one spot, except Glenn is soooo much cuter than Morrissey.
25. Tosca: This first opera that had me in it's grip from the opening curtain. I changed my mind about opera after seeing Tosca.
26. "Herion" by the Velvet Underground: A dangerous song. I was overwhelmed by the feedback and honesty of the lyrics. I have never taken drugs, but this song is great.
27. Paul Weller: It doesn't matter if this man is in The Jam, the Style Council, or on his own - he is GOD!
28. Stevie Wonder: I could write the same thing here as I wrote for Paul Weller. Stevie has tackle so many different types of music and a wide array of subject matters. Most of it amazing.
29. "Everytime You Go Away" by Paul Young: The summer after I graduated from high school, 1985, my family took in a French exchange student, Staphane, for a month. He was very cute, but my parents kept a very short leash on us - planning events or outings every night. I should have lost something that summer, but we couldn't shake my parents. This song was playing in the car as we drove him to the airport. We both cried like babies.
30. X: The best American punk band of the 80s and Excene Cervenka rocks.
Do you care to share any of your favorite songs or performers.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Cleveland Rocks!!
I spent this past Friday night in Cleveland at a place called the Beachland Ballroom. I went there with my girlfriend Laurie to see my favorite singer, Glenn Tilbrook, with his new band The Fluffers. Glenn had previously been the singer for Squeeze.
I have to first admit that I have had a crush on Glenn since I was 13 years old and I first saw him on MTV. His voice and his good looks sent me to the moon. I have seen Squeeze perhaps a half dozen times.
In January, I found out that he was touring and that meet and greet tickets were available. Unfortunately, he wasn't coming to Detroit. The closest he would be was Cleveland. My other problem was our lack of money. But, undaunted, I set about convincing my husband. When I told him that Laurie had agreed, he said sure.
We left the Detroit area around 11:30 and the total trip took us a little over three hours. Unfortunately, our hotel was a bit of a pit (the Comfort Inn in Wickliffe is not worth $90/night). Laurie took a nap while I read the Squeeze: Song by Song book that I brought for Glenn to sign.
When she woke up, it was time to get dressed and find a place to eat. I wanted to look attractive, but not slutty, so I brought way too much clothing. Eventually, I decided on the knee length black skirt, the new calf high black boots, and a tank top with a lacy front (not sheer) that showed some cleavage. I never show cleavage, so I felt very odd in this shirt. I threw on my jean jacket and away we went.
We found the Beachland and then went to dinner. Laurie has a GPS system on her phone and it has a restaurant finding feature. She read some names and we decided on Bistro 185. The food was wonderful. We ate appetizers, I had a small plate with scallops and shrimp in a cheesy alfredo sauce and she had a smoked duck breast on potato pancakes.
We timed everything perfectly and arrived on time for the meet and greet. There were only six people signed up for the meet and greet. We were taken to a back bar area and were given tour posters. Simon Hanson, the drummer, arrived first and gave hugs all around. Glenn arrived next and proved to be a very genial fellow. He graciously posed for pictures, hugging and kissing complete strangers. He signed my book. He asked what I did for a living and he said that he thought that teaching was a cool thing to do, like good for the world.
The meet and greet lasted about a half-hour and then the band went to go get ready. On stage, the band was joyous, bouncing, and tight. A real highlight came for me during the first set. On their album, Pandemonium Ensues, Johnny Depp (a big Squeeze fan) does a voice over for an instrumental piece called "Too Close To the Sun." All Johnny does is repeat those words a intervals. Needless to say, Mr. Depp is not on the road with Glenn and his band, so an audience volunteer was sought. I jumped up and raised my hand and Glenn picked me. I went around to the stairs, Glenn had remembered my name (wow!) and he told me just to watch him for my cue. Glenn played guitar to my immediate left and I spoke "too close to the sun," into the microphone whenever Glenn told me. Before leaving the stage, both he and the bassist, Lucy Shaw gave me big hugs. Where ever I went in the audience after that, people screamed my name and gave me high fives.
After the show, Glenn and the band came out to the merchandise area, where more autographs were signed. I bought the new CD and the whole band signed it. I had the chance to chat with Glenn for quite some time. I can't believe how many pictures I have where it is just the two of us chatting. He was very kind and generous with his time.
I only hope that next time, he and his band swing through Detroit.
I have to first admit that I have had a crush on Glenn since I was 13 years old and I first saw him on MTV. His voice and his good looks sent me to the moon. I have seen Squeeze perhaps a half dozen times.
In January, I found out that he was touring and that meet and greet tickets were available. Unfortunately, he wasn't coming to Detroit. The closest he would be was Cleveland. My other problem was our lack of money. But, undaunted, I set about convincing my husband. When I told him that Laurie had agreed, he said sure.
We left the Detroit area around 11:30 and the total trip took us a little over three hours. Unfortunately, our hotel was a bit of a pit (the Comfort Inn in Wickliffe is not worth $90/night). Laurie took a nap while I read the Squeeze: Song by Song book that I brought for Glenn to sign.
When she woke up, it was time to get dressed and find a place to eat. I wanted to look attractive, but not slutty, so I brought way too much clothing. Eventually, I decided on the knee length black skirt, the new calf high black boots, and a tank top with a lacy front (not sheer) that showed some cleavage. I never show cleavage, so I felt very odd in this shirt. I threw on my jean jacket and away we went.
We found the Beachland and then went to dinner. Laurie has a GPS system on her phone and it has a restaurant finding feature. She read some names and we decided on Bistro 185. The food was wonderful. We ate appetizers, I had a small plate with scallops and shrimp in a cheesy alfredo sauce and she had a smoked duck breast on potato pancakes.
We timed everything perfectly and arrived on time for the meet and greet. There were only six people signed up for the meet and greet. We were taken to a back bar area and were given tour posters. Simon Hanson, the drummer, arrived first and gave hugs all around. Glenn arrived next and proved to be a very genial fellow. He graciously posed for pictures, hugging and kissing complete strangers. He signed my book. He asked what I did for a living and he said that he thought that teaching was a cool thing to do, like good for the world.
The meet and greet lasted about a half-hour and then the band went to go get ready. On stage, the band was joyous, bouncing, and tight. A real highlight came for me during the first set. On their album, Pandemonium Ensues, Johnny Depp (a big Squeeze fan) does a voice over for an instrumental piece called "Too Close To the Sun." All Johnny does is repeat those words a intervals. Needless to say, Mr. Depp is not on the road with Glenn and his band, so an audience volunteer was sought. I jumped up and raised my hand and Glenn picked me. I went around to the stairs, Glenn had remembered my name (wow!) and he told me just to watch him for my cue. Glenn played guitar to my immediate left and I spoke "too close to the sun," into the microphone whenever Glenn told me. Before leaving the stage, both he and the bassist, Lucy Shaw gave me big hugs. Where ever I went in the audience after that, people screamed my name and gave me high fives.
After the show, Glenn and the band came out to the merchandise area, where more autographs were signed. I bought the new CD and the whole band signed it. I had the chance to chat with Glenn for quite some time. I can't believe how many pictures I have where it is just the two of us chatting. He was very kind and generous with his time.
I only hope that next time, he and his band swing through Detroit.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Looking for a job
I knew that things would be tight financially when I decided to take a year off of work. I just didn't realize that I would have to get a job.
I have spent the last few mornings going to retails stores of the big box nature, filling out applications. I have been surprised by one change since my retail days (in college 20 years ago), all of these stores want a resume. I can't understand why. These are minimum wage jobs. I have a resume, displaying how wonderful a teacher I am. I can't justify skewing my CV to show the vast retail experience I accumulated before becoming a teacher.
My job search took me to the mall today. I was struck how by how youth orientated the mall really is. I didn't feel comfortable filling out an application at most of the stores in the mall, mostly because the merchandise is not meant for me. Those places don't want someone with wisps of gray hair selling size 2 pants to teenage girls.
Unfortunately, the economy is such that almost no one is hiring anyway. I got a lot of "we're just not hiring." Well, tomorrow, I hit the big box hardware stores. At least at those places, I won't be tempted to spend too much cash.
I have spent the last few mornings going to retails stores of the big box nature, filling out applications. I have been surprised by one change since my retail days (in college 20 years ago), all of these stores want a resume. I can't understand why. These are minimum wage jobs. I have a resume, displaying how wonderful a teacher I am. I can't justify skewing my CV to show the vast retail experience I accumulated before becoming a teacher.
My job search took me to the mall today. I was struck how by how youth orientated the mall really is. I didn't feel comfortable filling out an application at most of the stores in the mall, mostly because the merchandise is not meant for me. Those places don't want someone with wisps of gray hair selling size 2 pants to teenage girls.
Unfortunately, the economy is such that almost no one is hiring anyway. I got a lot of "we're just not hiring." Well, tomorrow, I hit the big box hardware stores. At least at those places, I won't be tempted to spend too much cash.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Testing PaLooza
I have come to the realization that I miss work. The chaos, the noise, the kids - all of it. Except this week.
This is the week during which all juniors in the state of Michigan take standardize tests to prove that their teachers are worthy of holding down a job. I always hate testing week. First of all, thanks to the pressure of NCLB and the parasitic charter schools, I spend the whole month of February doing intensive test prep - during class time. Because juniors will take the ACT tomorrow, I spend an inordinate amount of time drilling them on grammar rules that we have gradually reviewed all year. We also perform timed reading tasks. By the time we actually get to test week, everyone is stressed and anxious.
The two days of testing that follow the ACT (yes, there are three day of testing - for a grand total of 12 hours), students will take state one test that cover some of the same material, but at a lower skill level. This test is called Work Keys and it seems to be geared toward entry level job skills. The final test students take is a social studies test that requires two essays in three hours.
To accommodate all of this testing, my district runs half days, keeping non-testing students at home. At the end of it, everyone is spent and drained. And for what? To tell me that my immigrant students don't test as well as their suburban counterparts? To try and drive a stake in my heart and make me feel like I'm a failure? To get more kids to go to privately operated charter schools, circumventing teachers' unions?
If students from lower socio-economic neighborhoods tend to do drastically poorer on tests - doesn't it stand to reason that poverty is an underlying cause? Maybe we should address the larger issue.
This is the week during which all juniors in the state of Michigan take standardize tests to prove that their teachers are worthy of holding down a job. I always hate testing week. First of all, thanks to the pressure of NCLB and the parasitic charter schools, I spend the whole month of February doing intensive test prep - during class time. Because juniors will take the ACT tomorrow, I spend an inordinate amount of time drilling them on grammar rules that we have gradually reviewed all year. We also perform timed reading tasks. By the time we actually get to test week, everyone is stressed and anxious.
The two days of testing that follow the ACT (yes, there are three day of testing - for a grand total of 12 hours), students will take state one test that cover some of the same material, but at a lower skill level. This test is called Work Keys and it seems to be geared toward entry level job skills. The final test students take is a social studies test that requires two essays in three hours.
To accommodate all of this testing, my district runs half days, keeping non-testing students at home. At the end of it, everyone is spent and drained. And for what? To tell me that my immigrant students don't test as well as their suburban counterparts? To try and drive a stake in my heart and make me feel like I'm a failure? To get more kids to go to privately operated charter schools, circumventing teachers' unions?
If students from lower socio-economic neighborhoods tend to do drastically poorer on tests - doesn't it stand to reason that poverty is an underlying cause? Maybe we should address the larger issue.
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