Teacher Report Day

Even though I have been at work all week helping with the marching band today is the first day teachers report. There was a gala breakfast this morning and a big celebration in the district auditorium for returning and new teachers. I look around at all the young faces and shake my head. I've been teaching here 19 years. So many faces have come and gone.
Students report on Tuesday and it's always exciting to see the kids agai after the summer break. Always love to hear their stories summer trips and adventures. That's another thing that makes teaching so fun!
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Hoarding Paper

I confess; I am a terrible packrat, especially when it comes to documents. I save every receipt for as long as I possibly can and I don't know why. Okay. case in point: Monday my wife bought a new comforter for our bed. It was time. But that left a storage issue because she wanted to have the old one dry cleaned and stored. The only place to store it is in our master bedroom closet, but on the highest shelf I had all these old file boxes. They were receipts and tax returns and records dating back to 1984, when we were married. Would I please remove those boxes so that the old comforter and pillows can be stored there?

Dutifully I brought the boxes down and start pouring through them. Walgreens receipts, cancelled checks, bank statements, tax returns, W-2 statements, charitable donations, worksheets, Quicken reports, registers, medical bills, you name it all dating back before our son was born to a period up to ten years ago. Organized, yes. Unnecessary, absolutely!

I looked through everything and even called my tax advisor, who told me I would be safe pitching tax returns more than ten years old. So, I brought out the shredder last night and started shredding. OMG I cannot believe how much paper I had up there! I've filled ten 30 gallon bags of shredded paper to this point and still have two boxes of cancelled checks to dispose of tomorrow after school. It was fascinating to travel back in time to see how truly far we have come financially, but still I'd rather have my feet up watching a game.

A dear friend tonight told me about a product called Neat Desk, a scanner with software to electronically store all this stuff on a harddrive. It eliminates the paper, which is safer from a fire hazard stand point, and the information can be imported in Excel files, Quicken documents (I use Quicken for personal finances), and Outlook. It's available at the office supply stores so I will definitely entertain picking this up.

Summer Of Gun Violence

Last night, July 26th, nine people were shot at a bus terminus at 79th and Western in Chicago.  This savage episode marks yet another sad chapter that is unfolding in my birth city, a town I still love and call home, even though I moved away to Tucson in 1987. We had judged it as unsuitable to raise a child then and nothing has changed our minds since.

 

I was born in Chicago and saw my share of butchery on the streets as a kid. When our son was born in 1986 we just felt that things were only going to get worse and not better. We had the werewithal to get out, and we did. It broke my heart to leave because I love all things Chicago; the food, the attractions, the neighborhoods, and its sports teams. So this current wave of gun violence feels so tragic to us.

 

Last night's incident is one in a string of shootings have become the norm in Chicago. Thank God no one was killed, but in recent weeks three Chicago police officers have been killed. Most of the violence is gang-related but bullets know no gang members when shots are indiscriminately fired in the streets. Most often the ones who are hit have nothing to do with the gang feud.

 

What scares me most is that I have a good friend who is a beat cop in the Southside neighborhoods most afflicted with the violence. I worry about her every day.The police commissioner, Jody Weis, has mandated that every cop in the department do some street time to supplement the patrol force, but all this seems to have done is to raise bad feelings within the department. We've heard all kinds of crazy solutions, including putting National Guard troops on patrol. They are untrained in urban police work and would simply be moving targets.

 

Calls for stricter gun control are irrelevant. Chicago has one of the toughest gun laws in the nation. It is nearly impossible to register a gun there. The shooters don't use legally owned guns. It's the people in the communities who need to become vigilent, reporting suspicious activity and standing up to the gang activity by working with the police.  Additionally, folks have to get their kids off the street at a reasonable hour and keep them home and out of arms way. Until the people themselves take ownership of their neighborhoods the shootings will only escalate.

The Virtual End Of Summer

Yes it it still hot just about everywhere, folks are still on their summer holidays, the rains are threatening floods here and there, and yet for me summer is just about over. It seemed like just yesterday I was skipping happily out of the school house on May 22 to begin my coveted and well-deserved, I might add, two months time off to rest and reflect.. Bam! I opened my eyes and here I was this morning, in my office updating and cranking out course syllabi, handbooks, placing orders and preparing lesson plan for the the coming week. Here in Southern Arizona schools start early; my district welcomes students back to school August 3rd.

 

So where did this summer escape to? Well for me, a great deal of time was consumed with the surgery I had on my shoulder May 27th and the subsequent recovery period. Many trips to the doctor, PT and diagnostic centers. Then there was the business of the claims with the auto insurance companies for relief. Since this has been turned over to attorneys I can't speak further on it at this time.

 

Together with the medical issues just the process of procuring requested information was time consuming. So this "vacation" turned into one of the shortest that I can remember. I slept poorly for much of it, due to continued recovery from the surgery, and was unable to do the exercise regimen the I had planned, yet I did get a chance to spend quality time with my wife, who was an angel throughout the recovery process, at my side from surgery to all the doctors' appointments. I am so absolutely grateful for her love and support in all this.

 

So on balance my health is good and I am back to doing what I love and was trained for; teaching music to young people. I am excited for this coming year, knowing I will have great students to work with and will be host to a major jazz festival and a site host for a regional music festival this year. That's plenty to keep me busy. And I will will keep you posted, as always!

Tubac Resort Trip

We like "staycations" a lot; living in Arizona there are so many great resorts to visit, since this state is a popular vacation destination. In Tucson there are several resorts that we have stayed at over the years - Westward Look, JW Marriott Starr Pass, Sheraton El Conquistador. There are several more that we have visited for a weekend in the Phoenix area, but this weekend we decided to visit Tubac Golf Resort and Spa, in the little town of Tubac, about a hour's drive from our home. It's near the Mexican border and is a beautiful, rustic property very popular during the winter months. In the summers rates are cheaper and it's a perfect weekend getaway.

 

All the rooms, and ours looked just like the picture I have included, are in casitas, little buildings that house just two adjoining rooms. There is a great spa on campus, offering all of the latest massage treatments, a hair salon, and three restaurants. Of course for the golfers there is a fabulous 27-hole course, complete with man-made lakes and herds of grazing cows. Staples, the main restaurants overlook one of the holes. Cows graze within view of thus idyllic setting.

 

So we packed up our overnight bags and trekked down to Tubac yesterday afternoon for our spa treatments, dinner and an overnight stay. The massages were fabulous; I've had many facials before but this one was absolutely one of the best. Linda's hot stone massage was also great. And dinner was wonderful too!. I snapped a picture of Linda as we ate.

 

The downer was the overnight stay. There were two weddings going on (the resort has a little chapel on its grounds for such occasions). Unfortunately we had the misfortune of being housed in a casita paired with one of the wedding parties. After the reception these people returned to their room and began to party at 2 am, not long after we had turned for the night. The carousing was intolerable and forced us to make three calls to the front desk. The third time brought the police, who broke up the party in the room. It simply moved to the lawn behind our room and carried on until about 4 in the morning.

 

Naturally we were not in a good mood at check-out and complained to the front desk. They must have been very sympathetic because they waived the lodging charge, leavng only the spa and dinner charges. They were also apologetic, explaining that the weddings were a problem this weekend. In all fairness Linda has been here before for a weekend with her mother. That was a delightful stay at that time. This one ended poorly. But I'm willing to come back again. A good chance will be October 30th, when trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and singer Marlena Shaw headline the Tubac Jazz Festival at the resort. Ordering my tickets on Monday!

 

So What Did You Look Like In High School?

I was looking through some old boxes today and came across my old high school year book and our wedding photo album. I'm definitely dating myself now but I graduated high school on June 19, 1975. I was 18 years old about to turn 19 on the 23rd of that year. I wasn't dumb, I just started late because my mom held me back a year so that I could go to school with my sister. We lived in a hard neighborhood. At one time I had a little natural going and I wore outrageous clothes: four inch stack shoes, wide bell-bottom pants and paisley shirts. Yeah, it was a seventies thing.  Of course I was in Army ROTC too, graduating with a brevet second lieutenant's commission. I never went into the army.

 

The second pic is nine years later, at our wedding. That was in my in-laws back yard. We had a small wedding with family and then a small reception afterward with friends and colleagues in a favorite Chicago Chinese restaurant, Cantonsia.  That date? August 17, 1984. I met Linda through a newspaper ad, in the decades before internet dating was born. We'd both been using newspaper ads to meet new people and struck gold on the third date for each of us, though I had a relationship just ending with a woman I had met through the ads months before.

 

Linda and I met in February of 1984 and we were engaged within two months. Everybody thought we were going too fast but 26 years later, I'm looking back and saying that we probably didn't move fast enough. It's just worked out. She looks just about the same of course, except for some gray hair. I have lost mine and put on sixty pounds. The weight I can shed; hey I can even fix the hair too if I chose to, or just shave it all, lol! At my age you can look back and feel bad or look forward and feel great. I choose the latter!

Prized Students

Today I had one of those opportunities that means more to me than extra paychecks, and that was the chance to see deserving. talented and prized students receive the adulation they deserve. Yes it is something only a dedicated teacher would say; of that I must plead guilty.

I had been contacted by my superintendent in late May, inquiring as to whether or not I had a student or students available to perform the National Anthem at the Arizona Association of School Business Officers convention luncheon to be held on July 22nd in JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson. School is still not in session and I was mindful that I may have had difficulty finding anyone, but of course I had two very talented ladies (names/photos must be withheld) whom I could trust with preparing for this, especially since the organizers subsequently requested additonal music.

My two young ladies are seniors this year and among the most serious and responsible students that I have ever had. I contacted them via email exclusively and asked them if they could be available, and they readily agreed. I advised them to prepare additional music if they could in addition to the Anthem, which they sing as a duet beautifully. Both intend to prepare for careers in musicals and opera in college, so I gave them freedom to choose from that repertoire something appropriate. There would be professional sound in the hall so an accompaniment CD would be great if they had one. I asked if they needed any help and they both replied "No Mr. H., enjoy your summer, we'll take care of it."

With today's kids that's an awful lot of trust because kids are distracted by so many things nowadays that they can forget. Not these students, who are throwbacks. The prepared a fabulous routine to accompany selections from the Sound of Music and other famous shows, including a script and an excellent presentation. The thousand or so conventioneers in the hall were flabbergasted at the professionalism of the duo and of course heaped praise on the wrong person; me. I just typed a couple of emails, they did the rest.

It's working with students like these two that make my job enjoyable. Not easy, but enjoyable. I know that every school must have a few students who are so dedicated and so organized, but it's great to see them hard at work at my school. I have a feeling that this is going to be a great school year! Opening bell August 4th!

Beer Chili

I have so much home brewed beer in the house right now that I had to do something with some of it; hence, this receipe using beer. This is a simple receipe but tastes oh so good!

1 lb. ground beef
1 small white or yellow onion, medium chop
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped medium
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped medium
3 cloves garlic, chopped rough
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
1 14.5 oz can pinto beans
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup salsa, any style
1 cup chicken stock or bouilion
2 12 oz. bottles of your favorite beer
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stockpot heat the oil and add the meat, seasoning with salt and pepper. Brown and dump in the peppers and onions, cooking until the onons are clear. Add the garlic and cook a minute longer. Do not overcook the garlic as it will burn and become bitter.

Add the stock, beans, tomatoes, beer and salsa. Stir to combine and the chili powder and chipotle powder. Stir and bring to a boil.

Turn down the heat and let simmer for about an hour. You may serve the chili with a dollop of shredded cheese and a crisp slice of baked bread. This dish is delicious with cold beer, especially on those blustery fall nights coming up.

Vacation Pics

I didn't take a lot of pictures during my stay at Riu Ochos Rios in Jamaica, mostly because I was so busy having a good time in the pool, bars and night club there.  The people were friendly and very eager to please. The only downer was that this all-inclusive resort was crawling with children. I've no problem with that but it does feel funny to be enjoying an adult beverage with a kid sitting at the bar with his parents.  I saw that a lot.  Had I the extra money I would have definitely spent it at a more exclusive resort, but that's hindsight. Hey, it was fun and I made the most of it, making friends in the process.

Driving in Jamaica

Now that was a trip! Of course they drive on the left so the steering wheel is on the right. Everything is out of sequence. The turn signal is on the right stalk, not the left as well. I found myself turning on my windsheld wipers a lot.

Roundabouts are interesting to. I sort of got the hang of it before I left but i'm not sure if I like them or not yet. Mostly the drivers are nuts. Most roads are two lane highways so there is lots of passing on the right into oncoming lanes. That's cool if the roads are straight, but of course the main highway winds. Oh yes, they honk a lot at each other and cut people off at the drop of a hat. I felt like I was driving a bumper car. But, despite driving 45 miles from the airport in pitch black and driving the same number of miles back to the airport in driving rain, I did okay. Still a memorable trip!

Vacation Pictures

I took this shot from my room though the screen door as I was searching through the drawer for a pair of swim trunks after lunch one day.  There was a lot rain one day and the next day it was exceptionally muggy.  I'm used to muggy Chicago summers in my youth so the conditions weren't really all that bad. Besides, there was always the pool! Riu Ochos Rios has two identical pools on two connected campuses. That one is for adults only, though they share restaurant and bar facilities.

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A few from the viranda, Riu Ocho Rios on an overcast day.
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Vacation

Tomorrow I'll be flying to Jamaica for a little down time prior to school cranking back up the last week of July. That's band camp for me. I'll be posting pics as the weekend progresses. Alas, I could only afford five days four nights, so I'll make the most of it. Where am I staying? Riu Ochos Rios, about 45 miles from the airport. All-inclusive. Look out!

George Steinbrenner

I suppose that there has been no greater "villain" to the small market clubs in baseball than George Steinbrenner. He passed today at 80, a symbol of executive success extraordinaire, turning a 10 million dollar investment back in 1972 into a multibillion dollar sports empire.
Small market teams have long argued that he drove up salaries, bought up the best players and developed a monopoly with his New York Yankees franchise, funded in large part by his regional sports cable network.
They could be justified in saying that but I actually thing just the opposite is true. Because he spent money like he did, the structure of baseball levied luxury taxes on the Yankees as well as revenue sharing. That money went to the small market teams screaming the loudest. What did they do with it? Build up their minor league systems and develop their own superstars.
While many of those players leave after three years they are replaced by younger better players all the time. And now that Latin American and Asian are now streaming into the leagues the talent has never been better.
Thank you Mr. Steinbrenner.
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Big Papi

Yay Big Papi!! Scores one for the old guys tonight in the Home Run Derby. I'm not a part of Red Sox Nation but I really like David Ortiz. Great for him!

Great Cookie Recipe Posted On The Trombone Forum!

Greatest Cookies Ever Created
Contributed by "slidemansailor"

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1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted organic butter
1/2 cup Sucanat
3/4 cup golden brown sugar, packed
2 fresh organic eggs from range chickens
1 tbs organic vanilla
2-1/4 cups organic whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon evaporated sea salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups quick oats
1 cup raw, unsalted, organic nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.), finely chopped
3/4 cup (9 ounces) organic chocolate chips, frozen
Preheat oven to 375°F. Soften butter and combine with sugars in mixing bowl and cream until light and smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and beat. In a separate bowl mix flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to batter and mix well. Mix in oats and nuts. Add frozen chocolate chips and mix until distributed evenly. Scoop with a serving spoon into hand and make golf ball sized dough balls. Place on cookie sheet, leaving at least a dough ball's width between them. Bake at 375°F for 11 minutes (less if the dough balls are smaller). Cool on cookie sheet for 12 minutes and transfer to cooling rack for another 10 minutes before serving.




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The Trombone Forum Cookbook
Contributed 2008-05-31

More on Cliff Lee

Ironically Cliff Lee has a horrible record pitching in Arlington and debut was not surprising. There are some owners in the league who are upset that Texas has been allowed to take on salary. They are undergoing bankruptcy procedures as a part of the deal to sell the team. I don't see the Rangers signing him in the off season. I predict he'll be wearing his fifth uniform in two years come spring training. That's amazing considering his talent. My prediction: Pinstripes

Saturday, July 10 Notes

It's a lazy Saturday and that's a good thing. I just realized that I have been inside all day. Inasmuch as you have to drive to go anywhere in this town that's alright. I saved gas money today.

I did a couple of productive things though; I bottled the second batch of beer and completed a requisition for new music this coming school year for my jazz group. I'm not done with requisitions yet. Two big ones to go.
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Microbrewed Beer

Last month I was given as a birthday gift a Mr. Beer brewery kit. Now trust me, I'm no beer drinker. I'll have one now and then but most are too bitter or too heavy for my tastes. The "German" beers seem like the worst for bitterness.

I was also skeptical about all the precautions needed for sterile conditions in brewwing because, well, sterile conditions scare me. So with all that on my mind I went about following directions to the letter and began brewing my first two gallons (!)of beer. It's a 14 day process at minimum, seven for fermentation and seven for "conditioning", where the beer is bottled in one liter bottles with a specified amount of sugar and allowed to sit for a minimum of seven more days. This step adds the carbonation to the brew.

Today was actually the fifteeth day, so I had popped two liters into the fridge a couple days ago. I opened one up today. Oh man, it's good! This one is a blond wheat beer, not heavy and just about right. Of course I quickly purchased an American golden brew too, and I have that fermentng now. Should be ready for bottling this weekend. I'll update you on that batch.

The Yankees and Cliff Lee

Seattle gave Cliff Lee to Texas for nothing! And they even paid the Rangers 2.5 million dollars to take him. I guess they just did not want to make the Yankees that much richer. Gonna watch this one, because I have a feeling it's not done.

7/10 Update:

Cliff pitched tonight so it was a done deal. I liked this deal because, sorry Yankees fans, New York does not get to buy up every player that they need on demand. But on second thought it may not be over. Lee is a free agent; with the sale of Texas in process it remains to be seen if they can sign him. So New York may yet get him.

The Yankees

Sorry @CaramelQTofTX, it looks like your Yankees have stalled in their bid to land Cliff Lee. I was dreading the idea of The Rich Getting Richer, but knowing that the Minnesota Twins, the arch-rival of my beloved White Sox, were next in line I'm disappointed that New York did land him. Maybe the Rays can steal him away from Seattle. Afterall, if we see New York or Tampa Bay again this year it will be in the playoffs. We still have 14 games with Minnesota yet to play.

KIng James and Miami

So The King has moved on to the Heat after what can only be described as an acrimonious parting from Cleveland. LeBron James has so much talent that you wonder if he was worried about his "legacy" had he chosen to play in Chicago, a great fit, or even in New York and did not win in either place. Championships are not guaranteed, of course.

So then this looks like a move to hedge his bet, to better ensure that he will eventually get that ring. Ironically it won't be next year. Miami has so over spent that they don't even have a mid-level exception this year under the Collective Bargaining Agreement. D-Wade, James and Bosh are going to be surrounded next year by a lot of ninth of tenth man roster players; in short, NBA minimum salary players and rookies. Hardly the type of team on which to begin a dynasty.

My best guest? Next year they are out in the second round of the playoffs. Perhaps in two years they will be championship material in terms of a complete team. If I had to predict the future, I'd see one or maybe two rings, especially if Kobe retires during this run. We'll see.

KIng James

This LeBron James thing is shameful in it's excess. Ask yourself; would MJ, Magic, Bird, or even Kobe drag this thing out into primetime TV like he's done? Who really cares? It's basketball! That's all. LeBron James won't put one pea on my table - none of them will. I just can't get too excited about all of this.