Last picture of Titanic

Dead Poets Society

Carpe Diem

Seize the Day

What's your verse to be?

Watched "Dead Poets Society" today with my son. Saw it before, but what a great inspiring movie. Loved it. Inspired me in teaching early in my doctoral training. Still sad about Robin Williams.

Good practice day today, going over my riffs and some repertoire. Getting ready soon for a rock and roll gig with the band. Quit the Gypsy Band; want to do more rock and roll as well as jazz.

Health. Guitar.

Long story short: some problems with discs in neck. Knee issue (although painful) seems to be not as concerning as neck stuff. Exercise on hold. No more being a vegan. Got to regroup and work with what I got (Tony Evans talks about being "great" with what you got in his book, "Kingdom Man"). 

Guitar work is coming along at a snail's pace. Was tempted again to go back to piano and the Sudnow Method, but I do not think I'll be doing that. 

Have been listening to some cool Johnny Hodges stuff. 

Slowly coming around to being a Catholic again. Have been reading Christian stuff. 

Practice Sunday

Traveled about two hours to see my dad today. Listened to some cool Johnny Hodges in the car. Got home and had a good guitar practice. I have to learn two more jazz things before I'm done with Lesson 1.

Practice Saturday

Good practice day. Of six assignments, I am working pretty good on three. It's a lot of work doing this jazz guitar stuff! 

Healthwise, I am out of commission due to my knee. Got to get back to the diet but it's seeming easier to break it, unfortunately. Feel bad, stlll, though about eating meat; couldn't bring myself to eat a lunch meat sandwich today.

Slowly working my way back to Jesus in the Catholic faith. 

COOL EARLY ROCKER BEATLES

Bumps in the Road

Went off of diet big time today. Big car bill did not help. Knee pain precludes exercising at this point. Getting lackluster about guitar though today I did practice some new stuff and some of repertoire. I will bounce back and both health and music fronts. I've come too far with good health to give up now, and one day of cheating won't eliminate all gains (after a month of eating better and exercising more, my blood pressure seems to be improving, and I lost 13.5 pounds). Can't give up now! 

Here We Go!

Got my first jazz guitar lesson in the mail today. It's looking cool. Got some stuff to work on! Still walking an hour a day and trying to eat better. 

The Stones, My Guitar, Change, and Health

Fun practice with the rock and roll band tonight. Really enjoying my Epiphone ES-339 Pro. 

Been listening to the Rolling Stones' "Ventillator Blues" on the "Exile on Main Street" album. Love the hypnotically repeated riff in the song, the guitar solo at the end of the song, how the song segues into the next track, and that track itself "I Just Want To See His Face."

Still shocked regarding the sad, sad death of Robin Williams...

Haven't really been into practicing my repertoire for some reason. Maybe I'm ready for the change that the new jazz lessons might offer. Maybe I'm being drawn to making other kinds of music with my guitar. However, in the band tonight we did play a couple of songs in my repertoire: "Over the Rainbow," and "Misty." 

Lost 13 pounds since July 21st; eating mostly a vegan diet (with some cheating :)); walked for an hour every day for the past 25 of 27 days; have started to sometimes jog during part of my walks. Feels really really good.

Robin Williams

So heartbreaking and shocking to hear of the death of Robin Williams....

Rest in Peace 

:( 

Back From Vacation

A good family vacation. Spent a week doing some walking, trying to eat healthy, and having some family time. 

Musically, signed up for the Mark Stefani course, read some of the Bix Beiderbecke book, and read some of Robert Conti's "The Formula!"

Today was the first time I picked up the guitar in a while. Played repertoire.

"Boyhood"

Saw a beautiful movie last night: "Boyhood." I connected with it on so many levels, and I give it a five star rating (if five stars is the best a movie can get). Related to it as a parent, and related to the main character's point of view. Highly, highly recommended. 

Abbey Road

45 years ago today the Beatles made their walk across Abbey Road for the album cover. 

How'd this guy photobomb it? :)

Swing Blues: The Doorway to Jazz

Ordered the first three lessons of Mark Stefani's course: "Swing Blues: The Doorway to Jazz."

Bix

Reading an interesting book: "Bix: The Definitive History of a Jazz Legend," by Jean Pierre Lion. It's a biography of Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke, a jazz horn player during the 1920's.

Interesting how some musicians just seem to be so focused on their art, at the expense of fitting in with so-called normal  society. 

I'll probably be making a major announcement soon regarding my next step in learning jazz guitar. Stay tuned.

Diet

Walked for an hour this morning. Haven't really been following my diet closely. So this is applicable:

Change?

Tempted to switch improv methods from Aebersold to Cont's Ticket to Improv.

Crusing

Went over repertoire and Aebersold scales. Had pizza with cheese and meat. Vegan days are not over, though.

Vegan Update

Tomorrow will make about 2 weeks that I'm walking an hour a day and being a vegan. Lost about five pounds and blood pressure today is 130/80!

Since the beginning of July the highest the top number of my blood pressure had been was 154 and the highest the lower number was 98 so I'm really happy with today's 130/80. Getting there....

Morning Sky / Morning Walk