Is it us?

I know, you are thinking, okay already, we get that you had a lot of snow (and didn't I note with the latest header that winter might be a good thing?). Well, yes, and there will be ongoing, detailed documentation of that over at the family blog since it appears that the Artist, Engineer, and Captain may never return to the cozy confines of a classroom. However, you would be wrong to assume that this is just another post about how much snow we have received here in the DC metro area. No, this is more of a metaphysical/snow-fall oriented post.

You see, that picture above is outside of college roomy's house an hour or so outside of Atlanta, GA. Yup, that is right Atlanta, GA. We managed to get ourselves extracted from somewhere close to four feet of snow in four days to catch a plane to Atlanta, only to arrive in what constituted as a blizzard for the peach-city. The result was a touch-and-go two and a half hour trip to college roomy's house compliments of his lovely and talented wife. We then proceeded to have a wonderful weekend with college roomy, his wife and two daughters (and the dogs and a cat) only to catch a flight back home to be greeted by, you guessed it, more snow!

Not only have we had a ton of snow this year here at home where we are not supposed to have this much snow, but it seems that everywhere we go, we are blasted. The whole week in Cleveland at Christmas was one storm after another. Oh sure, you say, they are supposed to have snow; but, in fact, we have had more of the fluffy white stuff than they have seen this year (except that week when we were in Cleveland which fell conveniently between our big December storm and our two small January storms).

And so we must wonder, dear readers, what have we done to deserve this snow treatment?

• Did we wish for it too hard when we were younger for snow days and so now have been given them, only to find out it means being trapped inside with three boys for what feels like an entire season?
• Is this some karma thing telling us that somehow we have not treated someone fairly and so we must shovel to atone?
• Could it be that we are getting old and already starting the slow, slide toward the south to warm out bones?
• Perhaps, those crackpot global warming folks are correct and it has nothing to do with our behavior?
• Or perhaps Mother Nature is trying to teach us something about the pace of life?
• Then again, maybe it is just pure coincidence that we happen to end up where the snow is?

Whatever is the case, all I know is that I am ready for daffodils, dogwoods, dirt, and diving into a lake--and to finally be done with digging out of deep snow.

For the Record: I Am Out Shoveling

Lest anyone think I have been slacking in my blog maintenance--particularly those of you who might be thinking that the whole Washington, DC metro area has been shut down for snow so what else does a guy have to do other than write blog posts--let me set the record straight. Since I managed to arrive home from an insane trip to California an hour before the snow started, life has basically been about one thing: shoveling.

It started late Friday afternoon with the idea that I would shovel early and often to stay ahead and so I shoveled off the first wet inch of snow. I followed up with a little post-dinner shoveling which was followed by plopping on the couch exhausted from only 10 hours of sleep in 48 hours (4 in a plane seat) ready to listen to some music and chill. That was interrupted by some fine neighbors who thought they could drive their little sports car up the hills in our neighborhood and me donning my gear and going out to dig them out, er, back into their driveway. While I was out there, decided to shovel again.

Went to bed mistakenly feeling ahead of the game. Arose to find trees down, snow coming down in buckets and fresh foot of wet, heavy snow on the recently shoveled areas--and everywhere else. Out we went for a couple hours of shoveling and tree maintenance. Here I decided it is better to take a break given that it is going to be a long day--probably a mistake given how much snow came down during that break, but then again I am alive!

Back out for another few or five hours to reach the end of the driveway, dig a pathway around the back of the house to the side gate, clear more trees--looks like we lost at least two--and watch the boys try to walk around in three feet of freshly fallen snow. Arrive back in the house late afternoon to rest bones and eat good food--but that is a whole other post. Then sleep the sleep of the dead.

Next day--it is only Sunday at this point, but feels like a month has past--we get the big sun! We also get the report that our little neck of the woods had 40 inches! Oh my achin' bones. Head out to dig out the cars and shovel all the periphery snow around them (sounds simple, but when you are dealing with this much snow, figure another couple hours of shoveling). Get to watch the boys frolic in the snow and create trail system throughout the yard. Back in for more good food and reports that another major snow storm is on the way. You. Have. Got. To. Be. Joking!

Next morning everything, and I mean everything, is closed. Finally see a snow plow mid-Monday morning which means it is time to go out and shovel all the snow just deposited at the end of the driveway. Shoulders and back are now about to completely rebel and stage a coup to take over control of my body and force all other parts to accept their terms and conditions--laying down, anywhere, for a long time. Brain takes back over thinking about next storm.

Head out to the store to restock food and other supplies and upon return realize the roof really needs attention or that snow is going to be in our bedroom. Up on the ladder, on the roof, another couple hours of shoveling off the roof (just to make a dent) and clearing the eaves which are backing up with ice. Head back in for more good food--really, I need to write a post about that. Check the wires and nets--everything closed again on Tuesday because next storm set to begin midday.

Today--finally--get up and finally have some time to do a little work, but then back out for a few more hours of roof and eave maintenance--easily an inch and a half of ice build up under the snow pack on the roof. Get back in clean up and begin to--yes, cook more good food--and the snow begins. Just got back in from taking off the first three inches and probably need to go back out before sleep as the projections are for another 12-20 inches of snow by tomorrow night.

So good people, know that it is all my weary bones can do to type this post. Okay, there was also a bunch of fun family cabin fever activity including the cooking that I might get to between shoveling shifts tomorrow. And for those who do not believe, I provide you with some photos taken this weekend from the family blog.

The Glamorous Life of Travel

The last 24-or-so hours of my life on the road.

Wednesday 12:00 pm: Take all reasonable drugs to help with head cold before boarding cross-country flight.

Wednesday 12:30 pm: Pick up colleague at Metro station (she notes hearing upcoming weekend storm is growing).

Wednesday 1:30 pm: Arrive at Dulles airport ridiculously early for 3:00 flight but glad when discover security line will take equally ridiculously long time (given that each person has to basically disrobe to gain access to the gates).

Wednesday 3:00 pm: Still haven't boarded as flight is delayed.

Wednesday 3:30 pm: Storm updates coming in--DC going to be buried Friday afternoon to Saturday in a couple feet of snow. Let the fretting about how we are going to get back begin.

Wednesday 4:00 pm: Finally airborne with the bonus of having the seat next to me empty.

Wednesday 4:15 pm: Wishing someone was sitting in seat next to me to buffer me from the elderly gentleman in the aisle seat who is clearly going to engage me in conversation all the way to California. ALL. THE. WAY.

Wednesday 8:30 pm: Ring flight attendant to see if she has seen any sinuses laying around because I am quite sure someone just ripped mine out through my ears.

Wednesday 10:00 pm: Body starting to shut down, end of day . . . oops, arrival in California--time to go to work.

Wednesday 7:00 pm: Turn on Blackberry to discover multiple emails announcing just how massive the storm heading into DC is going to be. Sigh.

Wednesday 7:10 pm: Plane to train to rental car, head south from San Fran to San Jose.

Wednesday 8:00 pm: Tour San Jose on foot with colleague while trying to figure out how to change schedule to get back before snow storm--conclusion: we are screwed.

Wednesday 9:00 pm: Dinner and more plotting and fretting--plotting and fretting better with drinks and food.

Wednesday 11:00 pm: Crashing into bed as if I am sick and it is 2:00 am

Thursday 3:00 am: Wake up, ready to go to work.

Thursday 6:00 am: Wake up (again) with crushing guilt that I will be stuck on west coast leaving Neats and boys on their own through snow storm and resolving to find new, well-paying and engaging job close to home that doesn't require travel.

Thursday 7:00 am: Meetings start while simultaneously plotting for real to speed up LA portion of trip and get early flight home Friday.

Thursday 7:30-9:30 am: LA team can accommodate, the good folks back at headquarters moving heaven and earth to rebook us, trying to get on 9:00 am flight Friday. Cancelled. What about red-eye? Nothing else in morning? 8:00 am flight? Yes. No. Cancelled. Book red-eye, book red eye! Call LA. Red-eye sold out. No wait, one on Virgin America. Book it--I get on, colleague doesn't. Wait, earlier flight, colleague on. Need to hurry to get back to San Fran. LA cancelled.

Thursday, 9:30 am-12:30 pm: Tear around San Jose with very understanding and great team of folks (who because of that and the weather probably just scored a big contract).

Thursday 1:00 pm: Haul ass up to SFO to get colleague on flight. Score!

Thursday 2:30 pm: Car returned, train taken to terminal and then back to the other terminal where Virgin America is--check in reidiculously early, but as a result get window seat in exit row. Touchdown!

Thursday present: Hanging in airport wondering how long all of my batteries will live and waiting to board plane which will deliver me to IAD at 6:00 am in the morning just in time to get on DC highways with crazy commuters and panic shoppers!

Two things I know for sure based on these last 24 hours. One, I have amazing colleagues who stayed cool and got us booked on flights and hopefully home. Two, I am less and less interested in leaving home in the first place.

Going to California

Heading out to California for a whirlwind tour of hotels in San Jose and LA. I never really imagined that my life would involve "site-visits" of "properties" for potential conferences. I get to travel with a couple great colleagues which is the upside, but somehow having to go to two cities on the west coast and back to DC in about 60 hours isn't as romantic as the song that keeps popping into my mind when I think about "Going to California." It probably also doesn't include this much hair--nor do I imagine anyone will be holding up banners announcing our arrival. I could be wrong.

Getting on the Jason Moran Bandwagon, Part II

So just about the time I was really getting into Jason Moran's Bandwagon, another friend noted in a post I wrote on jazz resources that she had run into Moran's Modernistic via the New Yorker and it was beautiful. Coincidence? I think not. So that was the next album to try out and it was a great next step as we moved from the more aggressive live sound to a more intimate solo album which contains a number of the pieces off Bandwagon, although in a very different form.

Now to take a slight detour, David Alder (who is someone to follow if you don't) recently started a bit of a debate with his post on Covers vs. Standards when he argued that we shouldn't dismiss jazz players who focus on "covers" which are an important component of both keeping the form alive and of mastering the form. Alder suggests that currently the pendulum of tradition vs. innovation might be swinging too far toward the modern, experimental music--at least in terms of who is getting recognized. It was funny as I read the post because I was thinking how well Moran keeps a foot in each camp and that Modernistic was a perfect example of this.

I am not disagreeing with Alder (although the discussion about artists like Moran not playing standards seemed a miss, at least in Moran's case) but rather to say that his post highlighted something I love about Moran--and noted in the first part: his breadth. But not just that he ranges across genre and style, but that he is so clearly grounded in jazz and plays with both beautiful technique and skill.

Modernistic opens with a wonderful arrangement of Jame P. Johnson's "You've Got to be Modernistic" which shows of Moran's wonderful stride piano work, followed by a beautiful rendering of "Body and Soul"--hello! We then shift into the more funky part of the album, starting with a brilliant version of the 80's Afrika Bambaata's rap tune "Planet Rock." and then back into an introspective section, and so it continues. Originals mixed with "covers," stride to funk, standards to classical, but all tied together in an absolutely beautiful album all laid out on just piano and mini piano.

To give you a sense of the album, which you can pick up straight from Blue Note, here are three tracks. First the opening title track if you will--just because I love when he does the stride thing and this is such a fabulous opening track. Then we skip to later in the album for a pair of tunes that show the other two main styles on the disc. First in "Gangsterism on a Lunchtable" you get an spacey, funky exploration--with the help of some interesting instrumentation that someone will have to explain to me--that is Copeland-esque in both tune and phrasing, but all jazz. This is followed by a beautiful take on Robert Schumann's "Auf Einer Burg/In A Fortress" that makes you realize Moran could be a wholly different type of piano player if he chose to be. In short, it is all good.

You've Got To Be Modernistic

Gangsterism On A Lunchtable

Einer Burg/In A Fortress

This is an album that should be in everyone's collection and made me wonder if Jason Moran might not be the best young pianist and composer out there right now. A question I leave to those with more knowledge and awareness of all that is out there, but it is hard to not see him up there near the top of the list.

Friday Haiku

Winter weekend comes

Luxurious anticipation . . .

Friday, coffee, bliss

Fantasy SOTU

It really is less about last night's speech and more about the whole enterprise that is the state of the union address colored by my current attitude about where we are at as a country and what is being done about that. With that caveat, here are a few things I would have liked to have heard as part of the address.

• Dear members of congress: Sit down and shut up. If you haven't noticed, things are pretty shitty out there for a lot of Americans and we continue to not be able to do enough to help them, so I don't think we have a lot to be applauding--especially not every 30 seconds.
• Oh, and can we all take the smug looks off our faces. We had enough of that for the last eight years and besides it just makes people think we're assholes--I'm talking to you mister curiously tan minority leader.
• This is supposed to be a report on the state of the union, not the potential state of the union, so I am not going to announce a whole set of new ideas implying that just because I said them here they are going to ever happen given how long it takes us to do anything. Instead I am going to focus on what is at hand and what needs done. Did I mention things are pretty shitty out there right now?
• Hey ladies, what did you think of that new Apple iPad? Nice name, huh?
• Speaking of ladies, I am going to give a nod to the first lady tonight without cracking flirty little jokes that frame her as a high schooler who can't handle the spotlight like her man can.
• Also thought it might be interesting to acknowledge the need for a strong union movement in this country since the work of their members is what led to my administration and this Congress and as far as I can tell we haven't really acknowledged that or done anything legislatively to improve the right to organize.
• Wow, there really is a lot of red and purple going on tonight--did we change our colors and nobody told me?
• To my colleagues in the Senate. Since most of you are millionaires already--would you mind sharing a little of the wealth so at least a few folks could eat and see a doctor? Mighty white of ya.
• Oh and yo, white people, I am now going to drop a little dialect on you so Chris Matthews remembers I am an African-American.

Enough for now. Perhaps more later.