Waiting for an answer

The interview went well, now I'm just waiting for my potential boss to talk to some of my references and then tell the HR folks thumbs up or down as the case may be.

'Sup

A lot of not much has been happening lately. I continue to pursue employment opportunities in grand ole D/FW. I'm waiting to hear back for an interview in the upcoming weeks. It's for a job with the VA, working out of a clinic in Ft. Worth. This should be a good opportunity on multiple levels. 1- It's in D/FW. 2 - It's a federal job (service, benefits, stable) 3- it's in a specialty in which I have alot of experience and can see myself staying long term. Hopefully the salary will be close to my expectations, assuming they actually offer me a job. I'll definitely have to take a pay cut from my current contractor position, but that's to be expected for a federal job. We'll see. On another professional note, I took and passed my recertification exam. That's a big professional check off that I won't have to worry about for another 6 years, or even 10 if they change the standard like has been discussed. I got the results only two days after taking the test which is much better than it was in 1998 when I took my first certification exam. I think I waited around 6 weeks to find out if I passed.

lazing on a Saturday afternoon

Today's been a good day. Went for a nice long run, awesome tasty barbecue with the wife unit, enjoyed some good beer,watched porcupine tree...

Thanks, Yngwie.

Leave it to Yngwie to say one thing in an interview that actually solves a problem I've been struggling with for a long time. There was a question about speed (with Yngwie of all people) and he said "If you don't have your left and right hands synchronized, you'll never play fast."  Now, this seems like common sense, but it's one of those fundamentals that seems so simple you don't think about it. The most effective way to synchronize your left and right hands is to play with a metronome (or equivalent) only at a speed that you can play the material perfectly. I've heard this over and over, but sadly I had gotten away from metronome playing for a long time. Since I started incorporating 5 minutes of steady metronome scale playing a few weeks ago I've already started to notice improvement in my fast scale playing. Yeah, I'm kind of a genius. Or an Idiot Savant with heavy emphasis on the former.

New Guitar Day Approaches

The longest anticipated guitar I have ever purchased is in the hands of Fedex and on the way to my house as I type.

Cowboys looked like a different team.

The Cowboys were 14 point underdogs going into the game at Giants stadium yesterday. Their abysmal year that led to Wade Phillip's firing last Monday was the main reason I hadn't previously posted anything about them so far this season. Interim head coach Jason Garrett must have put something in the water, or he has supernatural motivational speech chops, or maybe they are just reacting to a new situation. Whatever the cause(s), they came out and played with a fire that has been missing for weeks. It was a strange victory, with a couple of key plays (101 yard interception return for a TD) that made the difference although we didn't necessarily dominate any phase of the game. Other than big momentum plays, that is. We had several of those. Regardless of the post season implications (still essentially null and void at this time), it was fun to watch and at least gives us some potentially competitive games to enjoy for the rest of the season.

100 miles in 4 weeks

I managed to cram 30 miles into the last 4 days. I'll try and stay on schedule for the next month so I won't fall so far behind my pace this time. I haven't calculated my marathon training plan cumulative totals for the next month, but with ever increasing long run day distances, I might meet the goal a bit earlier than 4 weeks.

Tropes...

I'm not talking about the overused TV themes kind of tropes. No, this is merely a salutation using my best commanding officer pronunciation of "Troops".  I think they send field grade officers to a special class on how to speak majestically when addressing your Tropes. Words like Godspeed and Fourscore are also highly encouraged.

Anywho,  it's been awhile.  Life has been tumultous, but overall predictable since last I posted. Back in August I was preparing for retirement and was going to start working as a contractor at a Ft Hood clinic. Since that time I declined that job and ended up taking a federal job for a new off post clinic that the Army was building in Killeen.  Now it's going on mid-November and things are probably going to come full circle. I'm currently in the process of taking a different contracting job on Ft Hood, maily because it's about a 35% pay hike. Without going into detail, I'm thinking about going back to school in a few years and short term earning potential is paramount since I won't be able to work much after starting school.

On the fitness front I have been training to run the Austin 2011 Marathon next February.  This will be my first marathon so I started training several months in advance. I just completed a half marathon last weekend, which was actually a few weeks ahead of my training schedule but it was a memorial run for the November 5th shooting victims and it seemed like a good coincidence and a worthy reason to run.  I ran in 1:44 which I was pretty happy with since my marathon goal is to break 4 hours. I had a short term goal of running 100 miles in 30 days (at the insistence of the Nike+app, actually) and I need to run 8.5 miles today to meet that goal. I have been keeping a pretty steady running schedule, but the occasional Saturday over-indulgence in sudsy beverages has caused me to skip an occasional long run which is usually scheduled for Sunday.

On the musical front not much is different. I had been in an acoustic phase for the last several months but began playing electric a few weeks back.  I'm getting gradually closer to "Endless Road" which has lived up to its name.  I started playing electric again out of natural jonesin and also looking forward to getting my Suhr Modern a la Frankenstrat here in the near future.  On the piano front, I had actually signed up for piano lessons at a little studio here in Harker Heights and took four lessons over the course of a month. The teacher was nice enough but it was very regimented and strictly by this beginner's lesson book.  It would have been good for me to learn sight reading, but I'm more interested in learning songs and don't really see that it's worth the effort to get fast at sight reading.  So, I quit taking lessons and I'm back to just playing my selection of songs. I've added "Linus & Lucy" which is challenging but alot of fun.

A long drive to Colorado, Rush, and back

We returned home Friday after driving 16 hours both ways to see Rush in Colorado. We spread the drives out over two days each time, staying over at the posh Amarillo La Quinta, home of musty air conditioning and pet droppings in the grassy patches. The long drives and seedy motel stays were worth it since we got to see Rush in what's probably one of the best venues in North America, Red Rocks in Colorado.  Built out of a natural amphitheatre in the mountains outside of Denver, Red Rocks is a mixture of natural beauty with a man made venue overlaying it in seamless fashion. The staggered stadium style seating means that everyone in the place has an unobstructed view of the stage, a rarity for most concert venues. 

The weather was mild and beautiful, and the crowd were fully energized for a night of classic progressive rock from its pre-eminent power trio. The set list didn't disappoint with their typical mixture of old and new (including two songs from their forthcoming album) with the classic "Moving Pictures" being the feature of their second set. "The Camera Eye" is a song I never expected to see Rush perform, and it was a truly moving experience to hear it live for the first time.  The show featured all the requisite Rush lights, video, sound, pyrotechnics, with a set list to satisfy everyone who came to the show.  They played all the expected hits but threw in enough deep cuts to satisify their stalwart loyal.  In addition to TCE, they played La Villa Strangiato, Leave That Thing Alone, Stick It Out, Presto, Faithless, and several other deep cuts. Their two new songs "Caravan" and "BU2B" were ideally suited to live performance since both are pretty hard rocking tunes.  A fantastic show as always and we're looking forward to seeing them again in Houston next month.

Lazy days of summer...

Time seems to be alternating between languid and rapid if that's possible. The days are drifting by with no regiment but the number of them is dwindling. I signed out of the Army going on two weeks ago and I still have 5 weeks before I go back to work. No concerts this month but September will be a busy one. Besides exercising and some practice, productivity has been non existent.

2010 Summer Concert Series

is shaping up to be a good one. Iron Maiden & Dream Theater in Dallas tomorrow. Tool in Georgetown on June 22nd. Rush at Red Rocks (Denver) on August 18th, Asia at the Paramount in Austin on August 22nd, Billy Idol in Dallas on August 24th, Rodrigo & Gabriela in Austin on September 3rd, Tommy Emmanuel in Austin September 16/17th, Rush in Houston September 25th.  July is rather bare at this point but hopefully something will come up worth seeing that month. I'm especially looking forward to Maiden, Dream Theather, Tool, & Rodrigo/Gabriela since these will be first time shows. It goes without saying that Rush, BIlly Idol & Tommy Emmnauel will be great. This will be our 7th/8th time seeing Rush, my 3rd time seeing Billy Idol, our 4/5th time for Tommy.  This will be the 2nd time we've seen Asia but this should be a longer set than last time when they opened for Yes in Fort Worth.  The Rush shows should be great since they'll be playing two new songs as well as Moving Pictures in its entirety. 

Book Review - The Name of the Wind

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - go ahead and get the flatulence jokes out of the way, you'll feel better. Now, a brief review of one of the most promising first novels to come out in the Fantasy realm in many years. This is the story of the hero Kvothe, through his own eyes.  The story begins with Kvothe, many years after his most famous exploits, under personal exile as a tavern owner. He is recognized by a traveling chronicler who convinces him to tell his story and the telling is where the bulk of this story lies. It's an interesting story device since the juxtaposition between "now" and "then" actually works on multiple levels, slowly revealing important points while adding to the suspense since although we know he must have survived the "then" story, we have no idea where the "now" story may finish.

Kvothe begins life as member of a traveling group of actors and minstrels.  He possesses a tremendous gift for learning all manner of things quickly and is well trained in a variety of disciplines by his parents and other members of his troupe. His troupes chance encounter with a former member of the Arcanum (a higher order within the University, the realms highest center of magical and scientific learning) exposes young Kvothe to a wealth of new knowledge, some of which is very dangerous. Partially learning the "name of the wind" is one of the most difficult and dangerous bits of knowledge he is exposed to by the Arcanist.  His idyllic childhood is abruptly interrupted by a tragic event which will shape the arc of his subsequent life. He eventually finds his way to the University and the story concludes with him still a student. Along the way are many trials and tribulations, friends, enemies, arcane knowledge, scientific discoveries, all told in a first person narration style that draws you completely into the story.

This is one those books that you read in a few sittings and decide to skip television and the internet for a few days until you finish it. Sadly, the second novel isn't due for release until March 2011 which means it will probably be 2015 or later before the series concludes. This is just a very satisfying read; Kvothe is a very appealing character who is equal parts brilliant, brave, funny, shy and ultimately is a very convincing, complex character that isn't the typical cutout hero. Fans of George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan will eat this up and even J.K. Rowling fans who want something more adult will enjoy this as well. Highly recommended.

Polishing things up...

The site is almost back to where it was before the change to squarespace/godaddy although I need to re-upload some media that got lost in the shuffle. Then I can get back to actually using this thing on a regular basis. Comments about broken/missing links or anything else are welcome and encouraged.

Mostly transitioned

I have finished most of the hard lifting for the site transfer. I had to go back and manually change the date stamps on all the entries going back to 2006. I'm now messing with templates and fine tuning and will be getting back to actually blogging in the near future.

Site Transfer

I am moving to a new web hosting service, and the domain transfer/site update process is not exactly going smoothly. I have to copy/paste all my old entries and update the date stamps for each. This means that the site is completely skullduggerized in its chronology at this point. Hopefully I'll have it fixed within a few weeks given time.

Still Breathing

What can I say, it’s been a busy 8 months or so. The site definitely needs maintenance and updates to make it a valid blog. Lots to come if and when I have time. I’m on the cusp of retirement (what comes after the cusp by the way?) and will be busy at work and other assorted events in the near future. I have lots of updates on the home life and a metric crap ton of gear updates. On the gear front, I can only say that I am much closer to gearvana than ever before (if such a thing is possible) For those wanting a hint I can only say: Fractal Audio, Roland, JBL, Presonus, Charvel, Maton, Mesa.

Back in the USA

I’ve been back going on 36 hours now and I’m quickly transitioning into the stateside way of living again. The next few weeks will be comprised of required training and processing as well as an adequate amount of time off. I’m still trying to adjust my circadian rhythm back to central standard time and that will probably take another week or so.  Life is really good now with the feeling I won’t have to participate in any extended Army vacations again since I will be retiring in October of next year.  I’m just enjoying being home with Aeyoung and our dogs right now.

It’s just a blast here…

at sunny Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan. I’m into my third week of conducting post deployment health assessments on returning soldiers and otherwise trying to get the time to pass as fast as possible (which it isn’t).  Just to keep things exciting we had a rocket attack two nights ago that killed two soldiers and injured six others. This was the most deadly attack in about two years at Bagram. The rockets landed about a quarter mile from where we sleep so they woke me up but it was basically over by the time I realized what was happening. Just the thing to keep us on our toes for the next few weeks. I’m due to leave around the first or so of July.

Drawing Down

It’s June and most likely the last calendar month for yours truly in good ‘ole A-Stan. I’ve got about another week here at beautiful FOB Blessing and then I’ll be headed to Bagram Airbase for a couple of days or weeks (depending) to take care of medical outprocessing. Mentally I’m already back at home playing my guitar at loud volumes.

Recent developments

Time is slowly chugging along here at FOB Blessing. Nothing of great import has transpired since last update with the exception of my removal from ADVON which means I will be coming home in late June or early July as opposed to late May. That change has its pros and cons with the main negative being more time away from home but almost everything else is positive. The ADVON providers have to setup the medical footprint and get everyone at home ready for the return of the brigade so it’s a lot of coordination that can be somewhat of a pain. The other positive is that it will be one or two more months of the extra combat pays so that will come in handy.

Of most significant import on the musical front is that yesterday we got tickets to see Yes with Asia (Steve Howe will be pulling double duty) July 15th at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth. Of all the concerts and musicians I have been able to see over the years, there are still a couple of my all time favorites that I have never seen live and Steve Howe is at the top of the list.  I was able to catch Yes on the 90125 tour with Trevor Rabin (a fantastic show and I was very happy to see that lineup) but I have always felt I missed a great opportunity to see Steve Howe with the classic lineup, playing the more classic era song list. Unfortunately (depending on your viewpoint) Jon Anderson & Rick Wakeman have both had some medical issues that have kept them from performing so Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White have enlisted the duties of Oliver Wakeman (Rick’s son) on keyboards and Benoit David (a Yes tribute band member) on vocals. According to reviews from a short tour last winter, David sounds like the Jon Anderson of the 70’s and does an incredible job on the old tunes. Another benefit of this lineup is that they can perform tunes from Drama which Jon Anderson always refused to do. So it’s possible this set list will be about the most varied and interesting they have performed in a long time. I’m fairly sure they will perform Close to the Edge in entirety and that’s worth the price of admission alone. I’m really looking forward to Machine Messiah or pretty much anything from Drama.

But if that wasn’t enough, they are being joined by Asia with the original lineup and they should be able to draw tunes from the first two albums as well as the most recent studio album “Phoenix” which was released a couple of years ago. Asia comes from a unique genre in that it’s the closest thing to Progressive Pop, definitely the most successful next to the 90125 Yes of that era. The nice thing is that the “Phoenix” is actually a great album in their catalog and it seems like the album they should have released after the first two. Asia had many forgettable lineups and albums in the intervening years between “Alpha” and “Phoenix” but this tour is shaping up to very promising.