Sunday, March 30, 2008

The $85 mistake

Looks innocent enough, right? I live on an outside corner, I was in no vehicular danger. Our driveway is the largest flattest surface to get the new pool cover laid out and cut.

The pool is 10' x 36', with an irregular shape.

10:00am and pretty toasty already, in the 80's.

Yes, I am a quilter. Actually wore clothes to HIGH SCHOOL that I had sewn (was that brave, or what?). Created Halloween costumes, made parade banners, and upholstered vinyl chairs with cording.

I am now humbled. Dang. D'oh. What a dolt.

We cut off the excess, and cut a new corner from what we had left. It works fine. We should be swimming next week (after we finish it's final cleaning).


Please laugh with me, it's hard to be me.




Friday, March 28, 2008

Friday Flashback - "Music, Music, Music!"

Yes, I know. "WOW, a blog entry!" I said it too.

My father was a drummer. While he was in the Air Force during the Korean War, he was the entertainment, or so the story goes. He willed his drum set to the Salvation Army Band. His love for music transferred directly to me, probably in utero. Big Band was his favorite, only logical, I suppose. I still have many of his old 33-1/3 records, very brittle and very heavy. I bought one of those retro radio/phonograph/cassette players and play them once in awhile. I can smell my father's Old Spice when I sit and listen.

A few crusty music memories of my own exist, of about age 6. Spending time in my bedroom listening to my little record player. Similar to the one pictured above, I had a speed selector that would play each type, 16, 33-1/3, 45, 78 (was there a 16, that looks weird!). At 6 years tho, my choice of records was limited to children's records.

My 2 favorite records were vinyl, one was yellow, the other red. I also had one other very special record. It was a storybook record whereas each side had 2 stories. If you played the story and the needle went into one groove track, you'd get one story, the other grove track had a second story. You never would know which one you'd hear. One of the stories was "The Lion and the Bumbershoot," the other title is lost in the abyss.

My sister, 10 years my senior, would sit for hours and play her 45's over and over to pen the lyrics. I know most of the words to those songs too, brainwashed at an impressionable age. "Kathy's Clown" comes to mind.

I went on to learn to play the flute, soprano sax, piano, flirted with trumpet, and my favorite, the piccolo. Learning to play the piccolo part for "The Stars and Stripes" march to play in Detroit's Hudson's Thanksgiving Parade was my biggest challenge. Marching Band and Orchestra were the highlights of my high school years. My biggest accomplishment was of being selected to play in the Children's Orchestra, I guess around the age of 12 or so.

Music is still everpresent. I "plug-in" at work when I'm stressed and need to get major work done. It's my soother, my background, my constant.

I'm always singing a tune in my head, tho the music phrases seem to be shorter these days...and dh questions my selection of words sometimes. Who cares! Sounds good to me!

I last played my flute in 1976 when I solo'd for a wedding, but I think I could still "finger" the piccolo march part. Some things, like riding a bike too, you just don't forget. The flute is long gone, gifted to a budding musician.

Make a cuppa, and lay with me on the floor. Listen to "Moonlight Serenade" or choose something like, "You are My Sunshine". Pick out an early Ella or Frank or Clooney. Maybe a Dorsey or Goodman is your favorite? They're all there.

Psst...It's good to me back. Won't you post your Friday Flashback too?