One big thing I've been noticing is how easy it is becoming for me to avoid the fatty, unhealthy dishes I used to consume so greatly in the past. Yesterday I went to The Sentinel, which is Dennis Leary's sandwich place on New Montgomery St., got a corned beef reuben for a co worker and i got a shrimp salad that was excellent! It was easy to avoid the cookies and cakes and other things that you can get along with the excellent sandwiches. I just got a great salad and enjoyed it for my lunch.
Today, might be a bit more difficult, lunch meeting and then art/architecture event this evening, so often hors d'ourves are so bad....we'll see.
Everything is headed in the right direction, so far so good.
Peace,
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Guitar Hero, Iphones and computers
My oldest son recently gifted his xbox 360 to me for use by his younger brother and sister. When attempting to use this device as well as a new iphone I received from my office, my technological deficiencies and the ease with which my kids move in this world was really brought home.
When I received my iphone my 11 year old daughter set it up for me, connected pictures to numbers and in general whizzed around the phone while dad moved slowly. She uses the camera with ease, I tend to shake when taking pics, and in general really knows how to use it. Now she's 11 and while there many things I'm much more skilled at, the thing I really noticed is the ease with which she moves thru these computer like interfaces and how she can assimilate the principles much easier than those of us who grew up before the technological revolution hit.
It's pretty fascinating. She shows me things I can do with my phone and when we use the xbox, she's a pretty facile user quickly. My son Elliott is the same way.
To me at least, it's fascinating to see these things and how the younger generation is so much farther along in using these devices to a productive end.
Peace,
When I received my iphone my 11 year old daughter set it up for me, connected pictures to numbers and in general whizzed around the phone while dad moved slowly. She uses the camera with ease, I tend to shake when taking pics, and in general really knows how to use it. Now she's 11 and while there many things I'm much more skilled at, the thing I really noticed is the ease with which she moves thru these computer like interfaces and how she can assimilate the principles much easier than those of us who grew up before the technological revolution hit.
It's pretty fascinating. She shows me things I can do with my phone and when we use the xbox, she's a pretty facile user quickly. My son Elliott is the same way.
To me at least, it's fascinating to see these things and how the younger generation is so much farther along in using these devices to a productive end.
Peace,
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Hockey Season begins soon....
I saw that training camps opened today and all veterans were to report for NHL season 2009-2010. As a Sharks fan, I hope this season goes better than last. An early exit from the playoffs has haunted all the players and fans for 6 months.
Since I've been writing primarily about food on this blog, I thought I might say a few things about the food at the HP Pavilion/Shark Tank. It's probably the worst of all the venues in the Bay Area. AT and T park is the best by far, with the Oakland Coliseum/Arena being a distant 2nd and HP Pavilion bringing up the rear. I'm not sure how the concessions contract works down at the Pavilion, as I'm not sure who "owns" the Arena. I think the Sharks Manage it, but I don't know how the money is split and what rules have to followed in terms of letting contracts. Whoever handles the concessions out to hope for a quick contract expiration and an opportunity to get a new food vendor/make up. The one they have, no matter who it is, stinks.
When I take my kids to games as I did last year, we often dine away from the tank, which supports local businesses.
Here's wishing you a great week ahead!
Peace,
Since I've been writing primarily about food on this blog, I thought I might say a few things about the food at the HP Pavilion/Shark Tank. It's probably the worst of all the venues in the Bay Area. AT and T park is the best by far, with the Oakland Coliseum/Arena being a distant 2nd and HP Pavilion bringing up the rear. I'm not sure how the concessions contract works down at the Pavilion, as I'm not sure who "owns" the Arena. I think the Sharks Manage it, but I don't know how the money is split and what rules have to followed in terms of letting contracts. Whoever handles the concessions out to hope for a quick contract expiration and an opportunity to get a new food vendor/make up. The one they have, no matter who it is, stinks.
When I take my kids to games as I did last year, we often dine away from the tank, which supports local businesses.
Here's wishing you a great week ahead!
Peace,
Saturday, September 12, 2009
One Month and going strong
Well today is one month on the diet and things are still good. Since it's not an extreme diet, it does not leave me wanting.
Some realizations:
1. I can live without baked goods and sweets. Things I loved and desired almost daily, I am finding I can do without. Makes things easier.
2. I can live without pasta too! Often a choice when being lazy about cooking, if I do have it in the future, I'll make it myself, so much more silky and flavorful to do that.
3. I can live without steak. This hasn't been so hard either.
4. Desire for hamburgers is still a problem.
5. Appreciation for natural flavors in various produce has been heightened.
6. I feel so much better physically and emotionally.
7. In doing more label reading, did you know that most of your so called healthy bars or energy bars have more sugar in them than a Hershey Bar? I was looking yesterday and surprised to see this. Most of the bars have between 20 and 30g of sugar. A Hershey Bar had 19g. Think before you eat.
8. Time to celebrate tonight and I think the Open Table check I have is going to be history.
Peace,
Some realizations:
1. I can live without baked goods and sweets. Things I loved and desired almost daily, I am finding I can do without. Makes things easier.
2. I can live without pasta too! Often a choice when being lazy about cooking, if I do have it in the future, I'll make it myself, so much more silky and flavorful to do that.
3. I can live without steak. This hasn't been so hard either.
4. Desire for hamburgers is still a problem.
5. Appreciation for natural flavors in various produce has been heightened.
6. I feel so much better physically and emotionally.
7. In doing more label reading, did you know that most of your so called healthy bars or energy bars have more sugar in them than a Hershey Bar? I was looking yesterday and surprised to see this. Most of the bars have between 20 and 30g of sugar. A Hershey Bar had 19g. Think before you eat.
8. Time to celebrate tonight and I think the Open Table check I have is going to be history.
Peace,
Friday, September 11, 2009
Awesome Korean Food and another week in the books
I had some awesome street food yesterday, Namu Korean Food. They make toasted seaweed tacos that have kalbi, kimchee and other yummy things inside, very creative. They also make an Okonomiyaki, which is a crepe like item with kimchee and chili sauce incorporated into the batter, some veggies on top and a fried egg. It's killer!!! I know it's not on my diet, but it was good.
Starting to get towards the end of the season for fruits. Peaches are still good and oranges, but lots of the berries are starting to disappear.
Celebrating a month on the diet and things are going well. Getting comments from people that I've obviously lost weight, which is a good thing to hear, positive comments never hurt.
My oldest son gave his xbox360 to me for his little brother and sister to use. So now I'm getting exposed to the gaming world, which I'm not sure I want to be. The quality of the technology is pretty amazing. At least to a luddite like me. He gave the kids his games too, which was nice, so we'll see what adventures await.
Peace,
Starting to get towards the end of the season for fruits. Peaches are still good and oranges, but lots of the berries are starting to disappear.
Celebrating a month on the diet and things are going well. Getting comments from people that I've obviously lost weight, which is a good thing to hear, positive comments never hurt.
My oldest son gave his xbox360 to me for his little brother and sister to use. So now I'm getting exposed to the gaming world, which I'm not sure I want to be. The quality of the technology is pretty amazing. At least to a luddite like me. He gave the kids his games too, which was nice, so we'll see what adventures await.
Peace,
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Food Politics
If you haven't read Omnivore's Dilemma or In Defense of Food, you might not have heard of Michael Pollan. He's a journalism professor over at UC Berkeley and his passionate and detailed writing on the food industry are highly recommended.
Today he's written and Op-Ed in the NY Times about the relationship between health care reform and food reform. Maybe there's hope yet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html?_r=1
Highly recommended reading,
Peace,
Today he's written and Op-Ed in the NY Times about the relationship between health care reform and food reform. Maybe there's hope yet.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/10/opinion/10pollan.html?_r=1
Highly recommended reading,
Peace,
Back at it and i phone apps
Back at work and most folks seem to be in the same condition. Vacations are done, trips are taken and now it's back to reality.
Diet wise things are going fine and I think I'm going to continue doing this as I really like how I feel and it's not that big of a hassle. Yes my kids don't eat it and sometimes I have to exercise more will power on myself, but I have much more energy and I sure feel better in all phases physically. I certainly have much more mental energy and I don't feel so "draggy" as you can when you are consuming so many starchy carbs. It's also given me a new appreciation of vegetables and fruits that I didn't have before. The flavor possibilities are endless and that leads to come interesting dishes and combinations.
The other thing I've been exposed to in doing this is the seeming desire to want to make something with raw foods that it is not, i.e. lasagna or some other kind of faux dish. I don't really subscribe to this as it never meets expectations and is always, at least to me, a pale comparison. I prefer to do things true to the ingredient, so the flavors shine and the preparations can remain fairly simple. I don't want to be dehydrating foods and soaking nuts for hours and blending 5 different things separately before I can begin a dish. Just doesn't make sense to me.
IPHONE APPS
With updates to my phone software recently, I've been looking around for apps that do various things. I heard there are some 18,000 applications for the iphone. In poking around I found a few that I really think are very interesting.
1. Bloom - by Brian Eno - If you are familiar with Eno, then you know he's been doing what he calls Generative Music for some time now. For me it started with Music For Airports in 1978, but that was before everything went digital and computers became the dominant force. Eno has continued on this path and Bloom is an application for the iphone that creates very pleasing repetitive patterns and then continues to generate variations off of the original. There are multiple settings and you can adjust delay times, volume etc. You can even just shake the iphone to clear out what you did and start over, just like the old etch a sketch. I really like this app because you don't have to be a musician to use it and appreciate it. Anyone can use it and have lots of pleasant fun with it, and hopefully explore some sonic areas that might not have existed for them before. I think the app is $3.99
2. Bebot - This app is pretty amazing and I'm just getting started on using it, but it's got some endless possibilities. It's a 4 voice synthesizer that has lots of adjustable parameters. The main feature is that you can slide your finger around the screen or just touch the screen in various areas to generate sounds. It's pretty amazing so far and I can't wait to get better on it. This app is $1.99
3. Wivi Band - This one will blow your friends away, literally! It's a sound modeled collection of wind instruments, very real sounding, that you control thru a two step process. With your hands you activate keys that define pitch i.e. a piano on your screen while you are blowing over your phone mic to activate the sound. This turns your phone into a wind instrument and the results are mind blowing. Big fun, not easy to use, takes some practice, but amazing results!!
This app is bigger and deeper and cost $4.99, but still, I mean come on, this is cheap for what you are getting!!
Highly recommended!!
Peace,
Diet wise things are going fine and I think I'm going to continue doing this as I really like how I feel and it's not that big of a hassle. Yes my kids don't eat it and sometimes I have to exercise more will power on myself, but I have much more energy and I sure feel better in all phases physically. I certainly have much more mental energy and I don't feel so "draggy" as you can when you are consuming so many starchy carbs. It's also given me a new appreciation of vegetables and fruits that I didn't have before. The flavor possibilities are endless and that leads to come interesting dishes and combinations.
The other thing I've been exposed to in doing this is the seeming desire to want to make something with raw foods that it is not, i.e. lasagna or some other kind of faux dish. I don't really subscribe to this as it never meets expectations and is always, at least to me, a pale comparison. I prefer to do things true to the ingredient, so the flavors shine and the preparations can remain fairly simple. I don't want to be dehydrating foods and soaking nuts for hours and blending 5 different things separately before I can begin a dish. Just doesn't make sense to me.
IPHONE APPS
With updates to my phone software recently, I've been looking around for apps that do various things. I heard there are some 18,000 applications for the iphone. In poking around I found a few that I really think are very interesting.
1. Bloom - by Brian Eno - If you are familiar with Eno, then you know he's been doing what he calls Generative Music for some time now. For me it started with Music For Airports in 1978, but that was before everything went digital and computers became the dominant force. Eno has continued on this path and Bloom is an application for the iphone that creates very pleasing repetitive patterns and then continues to generate variations off of the original. There are multiple settings and you can adjust delay times, volume etc. You can even just shake the iphone to clear out what you did and start over, just like the old etch a sketch. I really like this app because you don't have to be a musician to use it and appreciate it. Anyone can use it and have lots of pleasant fun with it, and hopefully explore some sonic areas that might not have existed for them before. I think the app is $3.99
2. Bebot - This app is pretty amazing and I'm just getting started on using it, but it's got some endless possibilities. It's a 4 voice synthesizer that has lots of adjustable parameters. The main feature is that you can slide your finger around the screen or just touch the screen in various areas to generate sounds. It's pretty amazing so far and I can't wait to get better on it. This app is $1.99
3. Wivi Band - This one will blow your friends away, literally! It's a sound modeled collection of wind instruments, very real sounding, that you control thru a two step process. With your hands you activate keys that define pitch i.e. a piano on your screen while you are blowing over your phone mic to activate the sound. This turns your phone into a wind instrument and the results are mind blowing. Big fun, not easy to use, takes some practice, but amazing results!!
This app is bigger and deeper and cost $4.99, but still, I mean come on, this is cheap for what you are getting!!
Highly recommended!!
Peace,
Monday, September 7, 2009
Labor Day Weekend
What a nice weekend! My daughter was dancing at the Scottish Games on Saturday so for the first time in 24 years I went to the games. We had a great time. Ellissa danced well and we got to find out some things about the Thompson name we didn't know before. There was a large living history/re-enactment area, which Elliott loved and seemed to be very popular with the attendees. There were all the athletic events, the totally unhealthy food, lots of men with long hair and beards wearing kilts. Yes there was a Renaissance Faire air about certain things and there was also a "Lord of the Rings" feeling with much of the living history area, adults playing dress up and feeding their unmet drama needs. We still enjoyed the day and I didn't do too bad on my diet. The only thing I ate that I shouldn't have was a softee ice cream cone. So I consider that a victory.
Since I've been a dealing with a bout of some kind of stomach flu, it has been a bit easier to stay on course. My initial goal was to do this for one month, and now that I'm close to acheiving that, I think we'll go a bit farther along and see what happens. All in all I feel good and like how the diet helps me health wise.
As we move into the fall, there is much uncertainty in the employment markets and hence in many people's lives. We take things one step at a time, do what we can and move forward in the best way possible. Helping those we can on the way. Having the friends I do, and loved ones who have shown me how much they care and how much they do "give an damn", has been a revelation to me. I'm grateful to them and hope that as we bring this year of uncertainty to a close, we'll enter 2010, with some momentum to be doing great things in our communities and in our lives.
Peace.
Since I've been a dealing with a bout of some kind of stomach flu, it has been a bit easier to stay on course. My initial goal was to do this for one month, and now that I'm close to acheiving that, I think we'll go a bit farther along and see what happens. All in all I feel good and like how the diet helps me health wise.
As we move into the fall, there is much uncertainty in the employment markets and hence in many people's lives. We take things one step at a time, do what we can and move forward in the best way possible. Helping those we can on the way. Having the friends I do, and loved ones who have shown me how much they care and how much they do "give an damn", has been a revelation to me. I'm grateful to them and hope that as we bring this year of uncertainty to a close, we'll enter 2010, with some momentum to be doing great things in our communities and in our lives.
Peace.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Walking and Eating and Walking Some More
I ended up taking a walk yesterday down to the Ferry Building, iphone plugged in, music blasting in my ears. The walk is approximately a mile each way from my office. Yesterday was such a warm day, that it seemed like everyone was out of the office. Tourists on vacation, people going out to lunch, or, like me just out for a lunchtime stroll. Ended up stopping at the Ferry Seafood place I like to go to. Had a crab tower of all things. Something I'm NOT supposed to eat because crab is no. 1 on my list of things that can activate gout in my foot. Fortunately, being in much better shape, and having a much better diet, the small amount I had didn't impact me. The tower was a layer of avacado, grapefruit and crab. Very refreshing and very tasty and a small portion, almost appetizer like, if I were having dinner. That's fine with me.
I stolled by Il Cane Rosso, the new venture from Daniel Patterson of Coi. It looks to be simple, frersh cooking, not cheap, but they were doing a brisk business. I'll have to give it a try.
I also picked up some living foods items on my way home last night. Living meaning that they arere prepared without cooking, sometimes using a dehydrator, but it's all been prepared without exposing the ingredients to a temperature of over 118 degrees. It's alright, not particularly flavorful, but I wanted to see what it tasted like. I've also purchased some living foods crackers made with flaxseed, sunflower seeds and tomato and basil, and they were much more flavorful, but still funky.
Upon arriving home, a nice fresh avocado, yummy!!!
Today is my last day in SF as I'm taking a work from home day tomorrow due to the closure of the Bay Bridge.
Here's hoping you have an awesome day,
Make sure to smile and let your love out!
Peace,
I stolled by Il Cane Rosso, the new venture from Daniel Patterson of Coi. It looks to be simple, frersh cooking, not cheap, but they were doing a brisk business. I'll have to give it a try.
I also picked up some living foods items on my way home last night. Living meaning that they arere prepared without cooking, sometimes using a dehydrator, but it's all been prepared without exposing the ingredients to a temperature of over 118 degrees. It's alright, not particularly flavorful, but I wanted to see what it tasted like. I've also purchased some living foods crackers made with flaxseed, sunflower seeds and tomato and basil, and they were much more flavorful, but still funky.
Upon arriving home, a nice fresh avocado, yummy!!!
Today is my last day in SF as I'm taking a work from home day tomorrow due to the closure of the Bay Bridge.
Here's hoping you have an awesome day,
Make sure to smile and let your love out!
Peace,
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Best of Times and the Worst of Times
In one day I experienced sublime joy and bitter disappointment. For lunch I walked up to Turtle Tower and had some of their famous Pho. It was absolutely delicious and the best Pho I have ever had. You didn't need to add anything to it! It was flavorful, delicate and yummy!
Walking back to my office I was so happy, a great meal consumed and ready for a nice afternoon. Then I stopped for dinner at a local vegan place on my way home, in oakland, that is the sister place of a favorite lunch stop here in SF. My dinner was a major disappontment, flavorless and just not very good, boring!! One dish was ok, the spicy curry chicken, but that was it. The 'chicken' is mock chicken made from tofu, but it can still work in many cases, but the dishes I ordered were lame at best.
Today is a new day and now in a new month, summer is over, kids are back in school and Indian Summer should be starting here, so buckle up!!
Going to the Scottish Games this weekend. My daughter is dancing in a Highland Folk Dancing thing, on Saturday and Sunday, so I'll be out there to see her dance and have some fun exploring my family heritage.
Today, I'm not sure what i'll do in regards to lunch, but it'll be something tasty.
Peace,
Walking back to my office I was so happy, a great meal consumed and ready for a nice afternoon. Then I stopped for dinner at a local vegan place on my way home, in oakland, that is the sister place of a favorite lunch stop here in SF. My dinner was a major disappontment, flavorless and just not very good, boring!! One dish was ok, the spicy curry chicken, but that was it. The 'chicken' is mock chicken made from tofu, but it can still work in many cases, but the dishes I ordered were lame at best.
Today is a new day and now in a new month, summer is over, kids are back in school and Indian Summer should be starting here, so buckle up!!
Going to the Scottish Games this weekend. My daughter is dancing in a Highland Folk Dancing thing, on Saturday and Sunday, so I'll be out there to see her dance and have some fun exploring my family heritage.
Today, I'm not sure what i'll do in regards to lunch, but it'll be something tasty.
Peace,
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thoughts on Eat Real
Well, I went to Eat Real yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Out of all the foods I tried, there were only two disappointments, and coincidentally, they were the two things I was most excited about trying. So much for unrealistic expectations.
The crowds were great and very into what was being presented, which was wonderful to see. So many times, when an event is held in Oakland, there's something "off" about it, but that curse was suspended for this event.
First dishes tried and I must say most disappointing were the Seoul On Wheels Korean Tacos. The overwhelming flavor was the corn tortilla, which told me that the ingredients were bland!!! Not something you'd want to have in Korean cooking. There was a big line most of the day at the Seoul on Wheels truck so perhaps I just got a bad batch or something. I wanted to really like it!
Next dishes we tried were Lobster Rolls and Clam Chowder from Sam's Chowder Truck. Both were excellent. My daughter particularly liked the Chowder. We then tried barbeque from Shuga Catering Company. The ribs were fall off the bone tasty and the potato salad and collard greens were tasty too!!! We then tried the Creme Brulee Cart which my daughter liked more than I did. I thought the brulee was too light and the crust too thin. We also had pork from the Chop Shop which was juicy and tasty, served with two sauces!! We then went to Joe's Street Eats and had two winning dishes, their BLAT roll which was very good and their corn on the cob which is slatered with lime aioli, chili flakes and parmesano reggiano. The combination works great and was a real winning dish for the Thompson's. The last dish we tried were the home made S'mores which were just ok, cold and the cookies tasted store bought. This was the other dish I was so excited to have and was disappointing.
There was so much food that we didn't try, one because we were full but also because I was blowing out my diet and I had to be careful to not go too crazy.
In the new Market Hall, there were alot of interesting food purveyors, making pickles, and other unique products.
All in all it was a fabulous day and fabulous experience. Kudos to the organizers of the event.
Peace,
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Sunday and it's time for Real Food
After spending a quiet day, consuming more and more fruits and vegetables, and spending an even quieter evening at home, today I'm off the Real Food Festival at Jack London Square in Oakland. Will report back on what I saw, ate and thought. I fully expect to blow off my diet today as it would be about impossible to eat anything and stay on it given the choices.
Wish me luck!!
Peace,
Friday, August 28, 2009
Quiet and the Giants
Well another quiet night at home. Watching the Giants and rooting for a victory over the Rockies. Tim Lincecum is pitching tonight, so chances are as good as could be for the Giants.
Great way to start the weekend, peaceful, quiet and baseball!!
Peace,
Great way to start the weekend, peaceful, quiet and baseball!!
Peace,
Another Great Day
Spent most of the day down on the Peninsula yesterday doing marketing and meeting with architects/real estate people. Ended up having lunch at a pretty good Thai place in north sunnyvale that did a good vegan dish for me.
With all the great fruits available right now, i've been making smoothies in the morning with fresh melons and other fruits, very tasty.
Not sure what awaits this weekend, lots of free time, but whatever happens it'll be wonderful and magical nonetheless. I'm going to take a walk down to the Ferry Building for lunch today. Haven't been able to do that for a while.
Here's hoping you have a great weekend.
Peace,
With all the great fruits available right now, i've been making smoothies in the morning with fresh melons and other fruits, very tasty.
Not sure what awaits this weekend, lots of free time, but whatever happens it'll be wonderful and magical nonetheless. I'm going to take a walk down to the Ferry Building for lunch today. Haven't been able to do that for a while.
Here's hoping you have a great weekend.
Peace,
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Howard Roberts
Well I didn't do so great on my diet today, I need a mulligan. I had a meeting today and the client chose a hamburger place to go to. I had small things but still none of it was really on my diet allowance, well ok, the bun wasn't and the meat wasn't....hahaha....but the tomato and onion was ok. So I'm going to take a break about talking about food for a bit and write about my other passion which is music.
When I was 20 I got it in my mind that I could be pretty good playing the guitar. I'd started a few years earlier, inspired by none other than Peter Frampton and then countless trips to Winterland with a high school friend, Bill Coutts, to see various rock acts of the day. I started taking lessons when I was 18 with a great guitarist named Robert Graves. Robert turned me on to Joe Pass and other jazz and fusion players and that was it, I was hooked. In 1978 I heard about this new school called the Guitar Institute of Technology. It had been started by this well known studio guitarist Howard Roberts and had some other well known jazz guys teaching theree. I applied, was accepted and went to GIT to study in September of 1979 embarking on one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Howard Roberts was not at the school every day, in fact he had moved to Seattle, Washington, but periodically he was down and when he was he would give a seminar and chat with students. I got to see what an amazing teacher this guy was and how accomplished he was on the guitar. His heydey was when i was a little kid in terms of albums and awareness amongst my age group. So being exposed to him as I was thru his columns in Guitar Player and at school were a revelation to me. Howard had theories about the psychology of learning and subscribed to Psycho-Cybernetics. He also believed that everyone had alot of music in them, they just had to get it out.
In this new digital world, most of his albums from the late 50's and 60's are available on cd and you can hear what an amazing player this guy was. Even the albums he put out later, The Real Howard Roberts, being the first one I had heard, like Equinox Express Elevator and Antelope Freeway, are now get-able via digital format. While the overall sounds are often dated due to the instrumentation used at the time, the guitar playing is still stellar and creative and chance taking.
I highly recommend you check Howard out. He left us in1992 a victim of prostate cancer, but his legacy lives on and it's a hell of a legacy.
The small school of 40 students that I attended in 1979 has now grown to a larger school that teaches most music disciplines and has a student body in the hundreds. Each year more people are exposed to Howard's theories and passions and even 17 years after his passing, the influence of his work still resonates and impacts many people.
Peace,
When I was 20 I got it in my mind that I could be pretty good playing the guitar. I'd started a few years earlier, inspired by none other than Peter Frampton and then countless trips to Winterland with a high school friend, Bill Coutts, to see various rock acts of the day. I started taking lessons when I was 18 with a great guitarist named Robert Graves. Robert turned me on to Joe Pass and other jazz and fusion players and that was it, I was hooked. In 1978 I heard about this new school called the Guitar Institute of Technology. It had been started by this well known studio guitarist Howard Roberts and had some other well known jazz guys teaching theree. I applied, was accepted and went to GIT to study in September of 1979 embarking on one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Howard Roberts was not at the school every day, in fact he had moved to Seattle, Washington, but periodically he was down and when he was he would give a seminar and chat with students. I got to see what an amazing teacher this guy was and how accomplished he was on the guitar. His heydey was when i was a little kid in terms of albums and awareness amongst my age group. So being exposed to him as I was thru his columns in Guitar Player and at school were a revelation to me. Howard had theories about the psychology of learning and subscribed to Psycho-Cybernetics. He also believed that everyone had alot of music in them, they just had to get it out.
In this new digital world, most of his albums from the late 50's and 60's are available on cd and you can hear what an amazing player this guy was. Even the albums he put out later, The Real Howard Roberts, being the first one I had heard, like Equinox Express Elevator and Antelope Freeway, are now get-able via digital format. While the overall sounds are often dated due to the instrumentation used at the time, the guitar playing is still stellar and creative and chance taking.
I highly recommend you check Howard out. He left us in1992 a victim of prostate cancer, but his legacy lives on and it's a hell of a legacy.
The small school of 40 students that I attended in 1979 has now grown to a larger school that teaches most music disciplines and has a student body in the hundreds. Each year more people are exposed to Howard's theories and passions and even 17 years after his passing, the influence of his work still resonates and impacts many people.
Peace,
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Forgiveness and Diet
In the second week of the diet and things are going well. Clothes are fitting better, feeling lighter and having more energy. This diet is really helping me to move forward in life in the best possible way. As I've alluded before, the last year has been pretty rough for me, both emotionally and health wise. All of that seems to be past me now and the road ahead, whatever it is, seems clear of the energy that was in my life. I made a lot of mistakes, both in judgement and in action in how I lived my life, who I was with, and how I treated not only others but also myself. I've been able to make amends with most people and I'll have to accept the fact that I can't make amends to everyone. What I will be able to do is to go forward in life with a clear conscience. Each day is a new day to make a big difference and it sure makes each day wonderful. I remember how bad I used to feel each day and it was all about my outlook and what I then invited into my life, the people, the situations, the relationship. Angry people don't have a place in my life, thank god. They are all around but they're also easy to spot.
I've found out that I have many friends who truly care about me and want to help and support me in the best possible ways. This revelation has been a godsend and has helped me to progress through the difficulties presented.
Which brings me to forgiveness. I could be really bitter and hold a grudge for some of the things that happened to me over the last year but I don't. I can and do forgive. I'm not going to live my life bitter and angry and holding grudges against those who I perceive to have done me wrong. My life has brought me to where I am today and it's been the result of many forces, one major one is my decisions. There were also acts of randomness, impacts of others and plain serendipity. In the last 7 years especially, there has been joy, pain and frustration never known before to me. I'm still thankful for what happened and as was told to me, numerous times. "you are going to be better for the next person". Well I don't know if I am better or not, but I'm doing my best to make good decisions each day and to be good to everyone I encounter.
Each day I deal with amazing people at the highest levels in life and I get to be a part of that. These people seem to find me through recommendations/referrals and that says alot to me. It keeps me going through these hard times. Secondly, my kids have been there through this period loving me without condition and helping me at all times. From my daughter Ellissa being my little "nurse" when i was recovering from surgery, to Elliott and Miles helping me out in other ways, it's been great to know that they are there for me. There are times when you can feel so alone in life and thankfully, those times were minized through the actions of loved ones.
You see, most people are good and deserve forgiveness. No hard feelings, no bitter reprisals......life is too short. We're all getting older and as we age, our time here becomes even more precious as the 'finite' nature of it, becomes more pronounced. No good reason to be bitter and angry to the point of serious impact to your daily life. If you're holding a grudge, try on a little forgiveness and see how you feel. Hope it fits you well.
Peace,
I've found out that I have many friends who truly care about me and want to help and support me in the best possible ways. This revelation has been a godsend and has helped me to progress through the difficulties presented.
Which brings me to forgiveness. I could be really bitter and hold a grudge for some of the things that happened to me over the last year but I don't. I can and do forgive. I'm not going to live my life bitter and angry and holding grudges against those who I perceive to have done me wrong. My life has brought me to where I am today and it's been the result of many forces, one major one is my decisions. There were also acts of randomness, impacts of others and plain serendipity. In the last 7 years especially, there has been joy, pain and frustration never known before to me. I'm still thankful for what happened and as was told to me, numerous times. "you are going to be better for the next person". Well I don't know if I am better or not, but I'm doing my best to make good decisions each day and to be good to everyone I encounter.
Each day I deal with amazing people at the highest levels in life and I get to be a part of that. These people seem to find me through recommendations/referrals and that says alot to me. It keeps me going through these hard times. Secondly, my kids have been there through this period loving me without condition and helping me at all times. From my daughter Ellissa being my little "nurse" when i was recovering from surgery, to Elliott and Miles helping me out in other ways, it's been great to know that they are there for me. There are times when you can feel so alone in life and thankfully, those times were minized through the actions of loved ones.
You see, most people are good and deserve forgiveness. No hard feelings, no bitter reprisals......life is too short. We're all getting older and as we age, our time here becomes even more precious as the 'finite' nature of it, becomes more pronounced. No good reason to be bitter and angry to the point of serious impact to your daily life. If you're holding a grudge, try on a little forgiveness and see how you feel. Hope it fits you well.
Peace,
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Great time for fruits and Locavore
Tuning into the quality of fruits available at this time of year can be such a revelation. Finding wonderful organic peaches that taste so clean and fresh and sweet!! Beautiful squash of all kinds, again, so flavorful and beautiful. Lettuce mix with edible flowers, not only tastes good but looks great on the plate!!
Have you ever checked out an iphone app called Locavore? It's pretty interesting in that it keeps you posted on what is fresh in your area and what is being grown and harvested. Helps you to be prepared when you go to the Farmer's Market.
Today I'm enjoying some small, almost wine like, Thompson Seedless Grapes, some avocado's, banana, yummy!!
Peace,
Have you ever checked out an iphone app called Locavore? It's pretty interesting in that it keeps you posted on what is fresh in your area and what is being grown and harvested. Helps you to be prepared when you go to the Farmer's Market.
Today I'm enjoying some small, almost wine like, Thompson Seedless Grapes, some avocado's, banana, yummy!!
Peace,
Monday, August 24, 2009
into week 2 now. Today I cheated a bit, not much but had some carbs, tasted so good.
Otherwise things have been going ok. I think some other big things are coming to an end for me and hopefully in a good way. The last year has been rough in many ways, both emotionally and health wise. Now entering this new year, and having just celebrated a birthday, things seem to be turning, the bad things seem to be in the rear view mirror and life ahead is good but a challenge. You always wish the best and without hard feelings. I know others are never going to feel that way, but I choose to work ahead without hard feelings towards others.
Peace,
Otherwise things have been going ok. I think some other big things are coming to an end for me and hopefully in a good way. The last year has been rough in many ways, both emotionally and health wise. Now entering this new year, and having just celebrated a birthday, things seem to be turning, the bad things seem to be in the rear view mirror and life ahead is good but a challenge. You always wish the best and without hard feelings. I know others are never going to feel that way, but I choose to work ahead without hard feelings towards others.
Peace,
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Day Eight
Well I'm back from a great day of rafting down the American River with my family, what a blast. We rafted from American River Raft to a park about 4 hours south. Leisurely, at times exciting as went through some very minor rapids, we had a great time. The kids trailed along in the river and in and out of the raft while I did much of steering and enjoyed the ride. Sure it was hot but being on the water made it very tolerable. Lots of great fun!!! Can't wait to do it.
Diet wise I did very well. Keeping hydrated was of major importance so lots of water was consumed and when we got to the end of our trip, got back to our car and were famished, we ended up at a pizza parlor in Folsom. The kids had pizza, I had salad and everybody was happy. What a great day!!!
Farmer's Market today, loading up on Fruits and Vegetables.
Hope your day is awesome,
Peace,
Diet wise I did very well. Keeping hydrated was of major importance so lots of water was consumed and when we got to the end of our trip, got back to our car and were famished, we ended up at a pizza parlor in Folsom. The kids had pizza, I had salad and everybody was happy. What a great day!!!
Farmer's Market today, loading up on Fruits and Vegetables.
Hope your day is awesome,
Peace,
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Day Seven
Well i've made it a week and feel very good. The day was a bit unique in that i had to be 'creative' in my eating choices again and it's starting to become easier to do that. For those of you who have known me, and to see me ignore a luscious bakery and it's fresh offerings, would be very surprising. I did ignore them and even looked at them while i was refraining, just to test myself. I ended up having a nice vegetarian dish of fresh black beans, fresh vegetables, some guacamole and salsa at a nice taqueria across the office from my dentist. They do everything fresh and were able to accomodate my needs.
Today it's off to Sacramento to visit my son and his fiance. Hot and hotter is the forecast.
Hope you have a great weekend,
Peace,
Today it's off to Sacramento to visit my son and his fiance. Hot and hotter is the forecast.
Hope you have a great weekend,
Peace,
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