News for June 2008

snap and memory

Lydia (4 3/4) is learning/has learned how to snap.  It’s not loud, but it’s definitely a snap.  She talked to grandma on the phone the other day – and she snapped for her.  She makes a proud statement and adds an emphatic snap at the end.  She walks in the porch from playing outside and both hands are snapping, because they can. 

We’re in the Moline IL right now visiting some friends for the weekend.  We came down some of the same roads Lydia and I drove a year and a half ago when we went down to St. Louis.  Since that trip we’ve talked about the trip a number of times, but the conversation is always about the destination – St. Louis.  But as we were driving through Cedar Falls/Waterloo I saw the hotel we had stayed at after our first night of travel.  I pointed it out and said, “Look Lydia there’s where we stayed on our trip to St. Louis!  Remember?  We went swimming and ordered pizza and walked to the gas station and bought lemonade to drink?”  And Lydia replied immediately and factually, “But first we had a cookie.”  What is she talking about? I thought to myself.  And then I too remembered that there was a jar of cookies at the front desk and when we checked in we each had a cookie, then we swam, pizza’d and drank our lemonade.  So in October of 2006 3 year old Lydia had a cookie on a trip to St. Louis and in June 2008 as we drove by the hotel in the middle of IA she was able to clear up my foggy account of the trip with, “But first we had a cookie.”  I can’t even tell you what we had for dinner last night.  Snap. 

Posted: June 22nd, 2008
Categories: family
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yea, i'm crazy so what's the fuss?

I am forever thankful to  Matt Marohl for giving me a copy of Jonathan Richman’s “Jonathan Goes Country.”  He actually gave it to Micah and I eight years ago while we were touring through his then home of Chicago.  Click on the link above and listen to You’re Crazy For Taking the Bus as you read on.

My first bus experience in St. Paul involved flying in to St. Paul in January 1996 and needing to get to Concordia University.  It was about 11:30 pm, I had only lived in St. Paul for 3 months and I got on the last bus of the night.  Unfortunately it was the wrong last bus of the night.

I had been out in California and was traveling with a fleece as my only near winter clothing.  That night it was 10 below out.  As the bus cruised into downtown St. Paul I soon realized I had no idea where I was or where I should get off, and if I did get off which direction to walk towards campus.  This was the mysterious pre-cellular period of time when people that needed rides from the airport planned ahead to be picked up or kept phone numbers and spare change in their pocket to call a friend for a ride.  None of my friends had cars at the time so that wouldn’t have done me much good anyhow. 

So pretty soon it was just me and the bus driver cruising downtown and as he pulled up to yet another unknown corner he told me it was the last stop of the night.  I asked where we were.  He asked where I was trying to go.  I told him Concordia.  He said it was a bit of a walk and he took pity on me.  This was when the metro hub was a block away from Concordia in the Midway and so what did he do?  Since he was taking the bus in for the night he’d be going right by Concordia so he dropped me off across the street from my dorm.  I love the bus.

We use the bus a lot more now days.  In fact we’re putting a for sale sign on our second vehicle (1998 Honda Civic LX a real gem, blue booked at $4.800 will part with for $4800 call Nate 612.269.9023) 

Monday I took the girls down to Mississippi Market on the bus.  We bought milk, peanut butter, juice, and many other big heavy things.  Elsa was on my back, I had two huge cloth bags we got back on the bus.  It started to pour.  When we got off  a block from our house we busted out Lydia’s little umbrellas, I held both bags in one hand (heavy) tried to hold an umbrella over Elsa and with all the speed a curious 4 year old in the wonderment of the rain can muster we meandered home. 

You don’t get memories like that in a car.  Nor do you get quite as soaked.  Oh well, I still love the bus.

Posted: June 12th, 2008
Categories: family, travel
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Details

I’ve been waiting for a big hunk of time to update the blog but as is often the case that time is nowhere near.  So assuming you are all hanging on my every word (in which case you don’t have much to hang on) here’s the short version of the last few weeks.

Floating Bridge.  I’ve been recording this band for the last few weeks.  Leader Erik Ritland is a good friend that I’ve know for close to 10 years now and we’re finally doing some recording.  This is great for a number of reasons including but not limited too:  Great songs, great people, great musicians.  Look for a floating bridge/welaware bill in august.

KUNG FU.  I’ve finally finished my first official kids CD, “Mysterious Kung Fu Ninja and the Pink Princess of Pretty Pretty Land”  Recorded with a ton of great musicians, mixed and mastered by the talented Gregg Ward, and receiving the artistic design of Kjellgren Alkire, it’s actually going to be my finest release to date.  Though an official release is pending it may be available at my kids show on June 28th, 10 am, at Gingko Coffeehouse in St. Paul

Music with Nate.  Catchy title – I continue to host a tuesday morning music class for preschoolers in the area at our local family center housed at monroe public school.  10 am in the commons be there, it’s busy.

Liturgipalooza.  This last Sunday Jonathan Rundman and I lead the liturgy at Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church in E. St. Paul.  We pulled songs from his Heartland Liturgy and from my grab bag of churchy stuff and had Micah Taylor and Justin Rimbo backing us up on drums and bass respectively.  and respectfully. 

On July 9 I’ll be playing with Micah and Justin again – dare we call it welaware? – at Augustana Lutheran Church in Mpls.  (4 blocks south of the metrodome.

Meanwhile my folks are in town, we’re gardening like crazy, I’ve got a ton of biking in (and one long 3am walk due to a flat tire.  that’ll teach you to bike at 3am) the older kid is out of preschool and the younger kid has been doing experments in sleep deprivation.  Ultamatium Elsa – Grow up to be an astronaut or take more than a 30 minute nap.  Your call.

Rock and Roll, children, Rock and Roll

Posted: June 9th, 2008
Categories: music
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muxislkj

no blog lately, sorry, been making lots of music, you’re welcome.  more to come?

Posted: June 8th, 2008
Categories: music
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