TILT: (Sun) The drone

I just went to a school fine arts award banquet for my daughter last nite. The speaker for the event was just horrible. Too bad. He droned. He said arts doesn't pay so ... just be careful. He mumbled. He made most of the mistakes you can make when speaking publicly. He took much too long. Everyone was saying he was bad. Oh well. I guess he came with a good long resume. BUT HE WAS BAD.

TILT: (Sat) It's SUMMER!

Ugh. Very hot and worse: lots of humidity. Went running today and came back totally bedraggled and roasted. I've got to start earlier in the morning. Much earlier. Otherwise, I'm just totally overheated. I had to rest for an hour after running. I soaked a shirt and a towel AFTER showering. Next time, I'm taking a cold bath to cool down.

Summer's here. Oh boy.

TILT: (Fri) More remembering reunion

Some of my friends thought I had gotten a lot of our music things started, way back when. This reminds me of when I did my high school 20th reunion (ages ago now!), and the same thing happened. I guess I got people into playing in bands. I don't really remember that too much. But, I was certainly amazed and secretly pleased when people told me I made something about music come true in their lives. That's a legacy I do hope to be remembered for. Certainly, I hope my daughter will remember me that way. Amazing to think about what you'll be remembered for -- hey, I'm not dying that soon!

But, it's interesting to hear other's perceptions.

TILT: (Thu) Exams

My daughter is just finishing up exams this week at high school -- she's studying pretty hard, and we hope she does well. Last big push before all the grades are under study by college admissions people. Really hope she does well this time. She seems on top of it, but sometimes she makes silly mistakes from lack of preplanning or just because she's not a great test-taker. From the exam frying pan into the SAT test fire on Saturday -- that's a really taxing week.

TILT: (Wed) Big storm

I was on the phone today with a client when BOOM the wind blew and knocked out power. It finally came back on some 6 hours later, and the rough weather didn't last long, but it was a huge thing when it hit. Others on the phone in Bethesda had the same impact. Odd weather.

Reminds you that no matter what you think you've built (like a home), it can be knocked over by nature. Scary. Daunting. Terrible. But, exciting and amazing too. Raw power, uncontrolled.

Then, lots of rain. We saw what looked like a river between two houses across the street -- there was that much rain so quickly. Made a lot of noise too.

TILT: (Tue) Remembering the Reunion

More things to keep in mind.

Saw many people I did not know then, but they were friendly. And, old.
Saw many people I did know then, and they were friendly. And, old. Yet, not so totally different from how I remembered them. Each one's personal traits still were there, still visible. Little things that made them unique then haven't changed much. Some more successful than others. Some still unmarried; others with 3+ kids. Some just divorced -- and still hurting, obviously. Some scarred by 9/11. Some just moved back to NYC and married someone from near where they grew up. Some dating still. Some recovering from bike wrecks. Some hoping to move from tennis pro to sculptor. Some still hoping to make it big as owner of a company.

Just amazing. All these people. All this time. All this. And, not much has changed. They're still the people I knew.

I've got to go visit more often; after all, I was the only one who doesn't live up near NYC now. If I get there, I could get them together again.

TILT: (Mon) I have a whole list of music to try

Riding around in Julian's car, listening to his iPod tunes. He's into metal still -- Slipknot, Mission of Burma, Snow Patrol, Killswitch Engage, Deaftones, but then also Jazz: Charlie Hunter "Nothin but Trouble".

Maybe I'll get some of these tunes. It's hard sometimes to tell after just one listen. Still, if a friend likes it, I often do. Especially an old band mate.

Off to Amazon, where music is DRM free and cheap.

TILT: (Sun) Going home, remembering

I remember my college friends. I remember NYC. I remember the upper west side. I remember.

Nice to remember. Then, also, nice to go home to things I don't have to remember for long. Of course, one person at home is one I remember from school as well: my wife. We met in college, my junior year. Didn't get married for a while yet, but we started going out then. So, 25th year reunion is even longer for how long I've been with the woman I married. Still happy. Pretty amazing, that.

TILT: (Sat) Playing again

Julian organized our old band and some friends into a practice studio for 3 hours today. What a blast from the past. Can't remember ANY of our OWN songs, naturally. Haven't played those FOREVER. But, we jammed at some old tunes (Police, of course) and some tunes we made up. Blasted the tubes in some old Marshall at the studio -- sounded odd on Back in Black. Played a telecaster, which wasn't bad. Can't remember when I've had as much fun -- since I last played with some friends. Love the stuff. Like any addiction I suppose. I'm hooked on playing with other people and just making the noise.

TILT: (Fri) College Reunion -- who do you remember?

View from the location of the Class of 83 cocktail party at an office on Times Square.


I certainly remember the close band friends I dined and beered with last nite. Wonderful bunch, really. We all tried to remember exactly how we met, and who roomed with who when and where. After 25 years, we were not all that sure of all that. But, we did remember stories. Ones we hadn't told in years, ones we'd forgotten, ones we'd hoped to forget or never repeat. A great time! I remember these guys just like then. It's almost like we never left, we just seem to get along. And, the one guy of the crowd I never really liked -- I still don't like him much. How can that be?

TILT: (Thu) Off to NYC -- Trains work too

Traveling to NYC for the 25th college reunion. Amazing I've lasted this long, really. Also nice to take the train -- really simple and direct into the city from the city of DC -- with some Metro and Subway on either end. No seat belts, coffee in the dining car, silent car, can use your cell phone, or just like me: listen to music the whole way and just read the magazines you haven't gotten to. Then, you toss them on arrival so they no longer weigh you down. Trains are nice.

TILT: (Wed) The FBI on TV

Remember Efram Zimbalist Jr.? Wasn't he some FBI guy on some long lost TV show? Today we have the renaissance of the FBI on TV -- which makes me smile every time I meet someone here in DC that actually works for the FBI. The old "suit" is replaced by a genius math prof in Numb3rs with his frankly hip (for an FBI guy) brother and his very young and not stiff looking colleagues. Also, in Bones, set in DC, the FBI guy is mostly hip (Texas belt buckles, jeans often, but indeed suits too) and he's YOUNG. This is the modern FBI, I guess. Seems like a commercial, really.

Then I watched Thelma & Louise and remembered what the FBI is really known for. Taking over for the locals.

TILT: (Tue) Travel by Car?

An odd occurrence for me is traveling to a client by car. Today's trip was strange for me -- I visited a client by car. Actually, I had to hurry to the DC metro at Vienna to be sure I got a parking spot in time (before their lots fill up by 8am), then met a sales guy to drive down into VA for the meeting. Odd to travel like this -- no planes, no airports, no luggage toting, no checking boards, no waiting. That's it in a nutshell: no waiting. No traffic either, the way we rigged it -- a reverse commute by DC standards. Got to see beautiful southern MD -- that's a joke, in case you've never been there. Actually, we got to some pretty marshy parts -- I've always loved that.


This is not that marsh, but it IS A MARSH. Pages are just prettier with pictures. MD is prettier with marshes. Marshes make blogs better. Well, that's just logical!