Every once in a while I think to myself, "What the hell am I doing changing careers and leaving audio?" Today I read about the CADAC console's manufacturing company going into administration. In this bad global economy, when even the best manufacturers are having problems staying open, I suppose I am leaving just in time.
If the company does sell, I hope it doesn't go the way of so many other companies and lose the quality of the product. CADAC is known for high quality, both aurally and engineering wise. As heavy as a bus, but worth it to so many people in the business of audio.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
one thing after another
Life has been full to say the least. Everyday for the past few months have been busy, and even sometimes stressful.
At the end of March, Jenna had her senior project, which was a concert with a band. It happened that the concert fell in my Spring Break, which was good, because I did a lot of work for her. Along with the concert she also recorded her new demo. She and I did a photo shoot and I designed the artwork for the demo cover. The concert itself involved a fairly stressful day. The recital hall at her school supposedly was capable of doing what we wanted to do, but they had never done a concert as technically involved as hers. She had a drummer, a bassist, a lead guitar, a piano, and even back up vocalists. Three monitor mixes would have been ideal, but some of the wiring was not working as it was labeled, so we had to go with two. Set up took longer than wanted, so the sound check got shorter. Over all we were ready when performance time came. The recording of the show was only dealt with on the fly, so the first couple of songs have some overdriving distortion issues. But, again, overall it sounds good. Everyone was impressed with how well she sang and played. She even played the piano and sang at the same time, which even I had never seen her do. She was great! Mike would have been beaming with pride.
You can hear these tracks on her myspace page.
While I was available for work in my last week of spring break, I did not get any work, so I had the opportunity to chill out. I did not do much of anything. It was just fine. :) Meanwhile, Jenna's wedding plans continued. Everyday there was something else happening, someone else whining they wanted to be invited. Wedding planning does not help keep the stress low.
I have gotten some work, though as of a few weeks ago, I am no longer on the work list. Between school and the increased social calendar prior to my moving away, I felt it would be better to not have to say "no" to work all of the time. School is very demanding this term. In my Psychology class there is a lot of reading, and papers due every week.
I had the opportunity to support my brothers and sisters of IATSE Local 500 and walked a picket line around the Kravis Centre for Performing Arts. I even made it into the paper! This was the first time I have ever walked a picket line. I may not be an uber-union person. Being born on the cusp often leads me to seeing both sides of an issue equally. But, I don't feel that it is fair that my friends were locked out of a theatre that they made work as smoothly as it does. They were cut out of tens of thousands of dollars worth of work a year. Some of them are really struggling financially. It was an honor to walk beside them.
Barry, Rubin, and Me, brothers and sister, in front of the Kravis Center (Daily News Photo by Jeffrey Langlois)
May 3rd Jenna graduated!! After five years, she finally got to walk across the stage. Of course, after a few years of manipulating the system of a new program at the school, it is no wonder that she wasn't listed to graduate! The stress of the last few months had been compounded by last minute requirements of her to conform to the (new)requirements of the new program; these requirements that had been waived for her major, but the dean had forgotten about. So, it was not surprising when Jenna's name was not listed in the program for graduation. The dean did announce her and she was one of two music students who graduated with honors!
Jenna with her friend and co-worker Nell.
We followed graduation with a party the next day to say goodbye to our South Florida friends. Jenna is of course getting married, and then she is moving to Hawaii for two years. I am moving back to North Carolina to spend some time with my Mom. She is doing good now, and I want to be able to help her when she needs it. The party was a nice and mellow time. People brought lots of yummy food and Jenna and her friend Matt played music. I am sorry more people did not make it, but there is a time to let go of those friendships built on Mike's illness and death. I suppose that is now.
Jenna and Matt in the backyard.
After Jenna's graduation, she started packing. Turning the house upside down, she collected her things, made decisions about what to keep and what not to keep, what was going into storage and what was going to Hawaii. We had daily discussions about what to do with Mike's things. This brought an edge of depression into my life. Now that I have experienced how it feels to be depressed, I can see it coming. I know that it will take a while to get adjusted to the fact the Jenna and I no longer live together. There is a further realization that Mike is gone and is not coming back.
It was really hard to say goodbye to Jenna when she left on May 13. I knew it would be hard. Shopping for a card for her brought tears to my eyes.
So now I live alone again. It's been five years since that has been the case. Tears flow regularly as I sift through Mike's belongings and as I realize that I will have to say good bye to a lot of really cool people here.
I try to see the positive though. I am going back HOME. That means a lot. Winston-Salem is a comforting place both physically and spiritually. It will be great to be near the mountains so I can go hiking. It will be great to live in the same town as Mom and to spend some quality time with her.
At the end of March, Jenna had her senior project, which was a concert with a band. It happened that the concert fell in my Spring Break, which was good, because I did a lot of work for her. Along with the concert she also recorded her new demo. She and I did a photo shoot and I designed the artwork for the demo cover. The concert itself involved a fairly stressful day. The recital hall at her school supposedly was capable of doing what we wanted to do, but they had never done a concert as technically involved as hers. She had a drummer, a bassist, a lead guitar, a piano, and even back up vocalists. Three monitor mixes would have been ideal, but some of the wiring was not working as it was labeled, so we had to go with two. Set up took longer than wanted, so the sound check got shorter. Over all we were ready when performance time came. The recording of the show was only dealt with on the fly, so the first couple of songs have some overdriving distortion issues. But, again, overall it sounds good. Everyone was impressed with how well she sang and played. She even played the piano and sang at the same time, which even I had never seen her do. She was great! Mike would have been beaming with pride.
You can hear these tracks on her myspace page.
While I was available for work in my last week of spring break, I did not get any work, so I had the opportunity to chill out. I did not do much of anything. It was just fine. :) Meanwhile, Jenna's wedding plans continued. Everyday there was something else happening, someone else whining they wanted to be invited. Wedding planning does not help keep the stress low.
I have gotten some work, though as of a few weeks ago, I am no longer on the work list. Between school and the increased social calendar prior to my moving away, I felt it would be better to not have to say "no" to work all of the time. School is very demanding this term. In my Psychology class there is a lot of reading, and papers due every week.
I had the opportunity to support my brothers and sisters of IATSE Local 500 and walked a picket line around the Kravis Centre for Performing Arts. I even made it into the paper! This was the first time I have ever walked a picket line. I may not be an uber-union person. Being born on the cusp often leads me to seeing both sides of an issue equally. But, I don't feel that it is fair that my friends were locked out of a theatre that they made work as smoothly as it does. They were cut out of tens of thousands of dollars worth of work a year. Some of them are really struggling financially. It was an honor to walk beside them.
Barry, Rubin, and Me, brothers and sister, in front of the Kravis Center (Daily News Photo by Jeffrey Langlois)
May 3rd Jenna graduated!! After five years, she finally got to walk across the stage. Of course, after a few years of manipulating the system of a new program at the school, it is no wonder that she wasn't listed to graduate! The stress of the last few months had been compounded by last minute requirements of her to conform to the (new)requirements of the new program; these requirements that had been waived for her major, but the dean had forgotten about. So, it was not surprising when Jenna's name was not listed in the program for graduation. The dean did announce her and she was one of two music students who graduated with honors!
Jenna with her friend and co-worker Nell.
We followed graduation with a party the next day to say goodbye to our South Florida friends. Jenna is of course getting married, and then she is moving to Hawaii for two years. I am moving back to North Carolina to spend some time with my Mom. She is doing good now, and I want to be able to help her when she needs it. The party was a nice and mellow time. People brought lots of yummy food and Jenna and her friend Matt played music. I am sorry more people did not make it, but there is a time to let go of those friendships built on Mike's illness and death. I suppose that is now.
Jenna and Matt in the backyard.
After Jenna's graduation, she started packing. Turning the house upside down, she collected her things, made decisions about what to keep and what not to keep, what was going into storage and what was going to Hawaii. We had daily discussions about what to do with Mike's things. This brought an edge of depression into my life. Now that I have experienced how it feels to be depressed, I can see it coming. I know that it will take a while to get adjusted to the fact the Jenna and I no longer live together. There is a further realization that Mike is gone and is not coming back.
It was really hard to say goodbye to Jenna when she left on May 13. I knew it would be hard. Shopping for a card for her brought tears to my eyes.
So now I live alone again. It's been five years since that has been the case. Tears flow regularly as I sift through Mike's belongings and as I realize that I will have to say good bye to a lot of really cool people here.
I try to see the positive though. I am going back HOME. That means a lot. Winston-Salem is a comforting place both physically and spiritually. It will be great to be near the mountains so I can go hiking. It will be great to live in the same town as Mom and to spend some quality time with her.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
a video I found on line
I found this video on line while searching facebook connections to Trout Fishing in America. It's pretty weird. I wonder if Keith and Ezra have seen it yet.
Friday, March 21, 2008
2 Years
Well, it may be getting easier to listen to Mike's music, but that doesn't mean I miss him any less. Everyday I miss him. Today marks the second anniversary of his passing. Jenna and I celebrated his life by having a cup of coffee at Starbucks downtown. We also put some flowers on the bike racks. I hope Mike's friends found a way to honor his memory today, even if by a small token of friendship to someone else. I also hope they find comfort in their memories of him.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
It's getting easier
Today I managed to listen to five songs recorded by Mike before crying. It's the first time I've tried to listen to him in a long time. I guess it's getting easier.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Latoya
Last night it was revealed to me that a class mate of mine has found herself homeless. Her family doesn't want anything to do with her going to school to be educated, so she can't stay at home anymore.
She could not find any shelters who would take her in because she has not been abused, she has no children, she is not pregnant and she has a job. She is a barista at Starbucks.
Now, I had just given a speech in class. I had concluded my speech with the point, "If I can help you, I will. I won't lie to avoid you. I'll tell you like it is and try not to hurt your feelings in the process."
As I listened to Latoya I felt a tug on my heart, a divine spark, that said it was time to step up and do what I said I would do. Here was an opportunity to help someone. I asked her to give me her number, and told her I would consult with my niece to see if she could stay with us for a week or so.
Jenna and I agreed to help her out and made room for her to stay on our couch.
Latoya just called me to let me know that her assistant manager has paid for a hotel room for her to stay in for a week until a grant from Starbucks Corporation comes for her next week. I am reminded that that sort of action by an individual is one of the positive attributes that they try to train into partners at Starbucks. People are the priority at Starbucks, and this assistant manager has proven her devotion to one of her partners in a way I would not expect. Kudos to her!
I think the divine spark I felt last night has sent some actions in motion. I hope it continues positively for Latoya. And I can't help thinking my brother Mike has something to do with this.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Patriotism
Yesterday I saw a man outside the Publix supermarket waving an American flag. Not something you see a lot unless it's the Fourth of July. He had a box of "car flags" that he was selling.
Seeing it reminded me of the period of time right after September 11, 2001, when everyone, it seemed, had American flags on their cars. Sometimes there would be two or more.
One day I found one of those flags in the street. It had fallen off the car and gotten run over countless times. But you could still read on the edge of the flag, "MADE IN CHINA."
Seeing it reminded me of the period of time right after September 11, 2001, when everyone, it seemed, had American flags on their cars. Sometimes there would be two or more.
One day I found one of those flags in the street. It had fallen off the car and gotten run over countless times. But you could still read on the edge of the flag, "MADE IN CHINA."
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The Commuters
Every day,
Around the same time of day,
Twice a day,
I hear them.
They come streaming down the street in their Subaru,
Their Doppler voices trailing behind them.
Dogs.
Barking dogs.
Two or three of them, heads hanging out the windows, barking.
I can almost set my watch by them.
Around the same time of day,
Twice a day,
I hear them.
They come streaming down the street in their Subaru,
Their Doppler voices trailing behind them.
Dogs.
Barking dogs.
Two or three of them, heads hanging out the windows, barking.
I can almost set my watch by them.
Image from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_effect
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Bold Brave Move
On Christmas Day I visited a place I hadn't stepped foot in since March 6, 2006. Good Samaritan Hospital. I brought cookies to the nursing staff of what's known as "4 South," the oncology unit. Mike spent three months there. I was there almost every day he was there. I got to know the staff pretty well.
This was something I had been meaning to do for over a year. I was afraid to go back there. I was afraid to feel the feelings I knew would bubble up. Afraid to face those wonderful people I had waited so long to thank. I never forgot them, though. They cared for Mike. They fought over him. He was a special person even to those who know that people with cancer are special, and deal with them every day.
When I left the hospital and got to my car, I cried like Mike had just died. I couldn't stop it. There are so many times I have wept. But this was stronger than had been felt in a very long time.
It's weird. I have found myself comforting other people so many times, yet haven't had anyone with me when the tears really let loose. Who ever is with me on that day better be ok with it. It'll overwhelm them.
Mike and me on 4 South
(Photo by staff photographer Florida Sun-Sentinal)
This was something I had been meaning to do for over a year. I was afraid to go back there. I was afraid to feel the feelings I knew would bubble up. Afraid to face those wonderful people I had waited so long to thank. I never forgot them, though. They cared for Mike. They fought over him. He was a special person even to those who know that people with cancer are special, and deal with them every day.
When I left the hospital and got to my car, I cried like Mike had just died. I couldn't stop it. There are so many times I have wept. But this was stronger than had been felt in a very long time.
It's weird. I have found myself comforting other people so many times, yet haven't had anyone with me when the tears really let loose. Who ever is with me on that day better be ok with it. It'll overwhelm them.
Mike and me on 4 South
(Photo by staff photographer Florida Sun-Sentinal)
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