Ukuleles & Rock Formations

Ukulele's Rock

Been strumming on the ukulele for a couple years now. I love playing but it's hard to find the time to hone my craft. A while ago, while surfing the net, I signed for a NJ Ukulele Meetup Group. I haven't really thought much about it until recently when I received an invitation to "Ross' house for a Ukulele Meetup". I didn't think I was really going to go, but I clicked yes on the invite. It was last Tuesday night, so when I got home from work I rushed the kids through dinner, homework, jammies & teeth. I grabed my ukulele and ran out the door, still not convinced that I would walk into some strangers house. So I find the house, about 10 minutes from mine, park the car and head up the path. I was relieved to see a sign on the front door that said "Uke Meetup Side Door" assuming an axe murder wouldn't have gone through the trouble of making a sign. So I went in the side door and found a delightful group of people strumming their ukes in unison to "Have You Ever Seen the Rain by John Fogerty. I jumped right in..... can't wait until our next jam session.


Rock Formations

Took a walk on my lunch hour yesterday and stumbled across some very large Rocks at Rock Center.

The sculptures have been created by artist Ugo Rondinone. A clip from the press release explains.. "Human Nature is a stark contrast to its highly developed architectural surroundings in Midtown Manhattan. The irregular natural surfaces of the stone are left bare, while the human figure— perhaps the original artistic subject—is represented as a simple yet imposing composition.."
Also, not sure why, but there is a big oversized Tiffany box covering the ice rink area.


Shout Out
Candy Crush!!!! the only reason I blog is kill time while I wait for my next life :)

Hipsters

Like zombies, they live among us! As far as I can tell, they like handle bar mustaches, pickling things, Whole Foods and Trader Joes, bingo, vinyl records, coffee and Etsy.com.  They almost seem like Molly Ringwald from Pretty in Pink, and who didn't love her?


Boston

I'm very emotional and mostly stark raving mad about what happened at the Boston Marathon this week. I just don't understand how that kind of evil roams the earth. What provokes someone to kill innocent, beautiful people? How can that family of the eight year old boy go on? Where will they ever get the strength? how will they get out of bed each day? who will answer this question for them... WHY???? Just like the parents of the victims of Sandy Hook, they will probably never get an answer. Change, that's all.... drastic....immediate.....zero tollerance change. Scrutinize those who need to be scrutinized! Let my 80 year old mother keep her shoes on at the airport. Because on occasion, when the authorities succeed in putting the kybosh on a terrorist plot, the plotters never look like my mother!


Shout Outs

The Mavericks - they have a new album out (might not be new, but it's new to me and I love it)

NPR Podcasts: (These are all great!)
This American Life - Ira Glass
Wait Wait Don't Tell Me - Peter Sagel - Carl Castle
The Moth - Live Story Telling

Since the world has changed so much since my last post, I thought I would go ahead and chime in on all the action.

Basically, I've been watching a couple little people sprout like weeds right in front of my very eyes. Truly extraordinary and sad and happy and exciting and down right exhausting some days. It's like a amusement park ride: Your caught up in it, then when you step out and look around, you wonder "what just happened?". You've lost touch with people you used to speak to every day, you realize there are 6 drawers full of clothing that no longer fit them. Another week goes by and then another and another.

Sitting at my desk, the kids happily off to school, I review the mental to-do list that spans the length of a football field. My new years eve resolutions stagnant, forty return phone calls owed, my hair in dire need of a treatment, or treatments is more likely. The calendar is full for the next 4 months with birthday parties, first communions, graduations, school fairs, fundraisers, girl scouts, etc. And I thought corporate communications and business developement was challenging. And let's not forget DECISIONS, the hard ones, the ones where your heart and soul are battling it out with your brain. Whether they are financial or moral, there is a constant tug from side to the other.

Stretching this outward, the world has become a complicated place. I don't want to get all nostolgic, but the 80's seemed so much easier. Our overwhelming quest to be "PC" has taken away all of our real differences and the way we embrace them. There was a time when your opinion, was just that; "your opinion". Now if you don't have a "PC" opinion then you are wrong. And not just wrong, but targeted. I guess I prefer a world with more freedom, more freedom and less reality TV.

Until next time.