11.30.08

Hello! Today finds B. & me safe and sound at home again, after a long drive to Atlanta (ItLANuh) for Thanksgiving weekend. We decided to drive the whole 650 miles back yesterday, with a very nice visit with cousin M. in Greenville, S.C.  B. &T. showered us with affection and it was great to get to know my step-inlaws (?!) and Autumn on Thanksgiving day. It's gray and cool and wet out this morning- a real good day for curling up and doing nothing in particular. That doesn't seem to be in the cards, though, as school duties and managing our new real estate empire are pressing!

Last week we closed on the foreclosure house we've been working on for the last three months.  B. and I were challenged at every turn but hung on until it finally worked. Now we shall see if the rest of the plan plays out favorably. If everything goes according to schedule, we will be residents of Riverdale Park, MD by March.

We love the new house, and it is just our style: a dump! But it's a NICE dump, and it won't take much to get it to be a nice place like our T.P. place. In fact, when I look back at what we did here, it's a wonder we made it through the tearing-down, gutting, designing, building  and  finishing that we did. The next job should be a piece of cake! (flw). You can count on photo updates at our new page 6407...

05.10.08

Hello! This little blog entry finds your host on Sunday morning, getting ready to go to a rehearsal of our band, Brulee. We have a concert coming up next Friday, in case you are interested. I can't promise that the site will be run professionally, (because I'm running it), but there is a web page for us where you can see one pic and hear a few samples of our work, @ www.brulee.org

In other news, B. and I attended an REDC foreclosure auction Saturday.  After hours of monotonaous haranguing by the auctioneers and the incredibly distracting antics of their assistants, I raised my bidder card, and before I knew it, we were on our way back to the contract area. We had been seeing folks wander out of there all day, some serious, some all smiles. By the time our paperwork was approved and we were on our way, we had had about all the emotional ups and downs we could take. The real smiles only came when the nerves wore off in the next hour or so. Now, if everything goes right and the below-reserve bid is approved, we will be the proud owners of the property above!

Those whom we've talked to think we are crazy to get right back in the game after such a long ride with our place here in T.P. All I can say is, it works for us!! Now we KNOW life won't get boring anytime soon!

19.08.08

Wow, it's been a long time! B. and I have enjoyed our summer well, though it will be nice when there are fewer projects and work and more time to ... sit around.

We had a nice trip to Portugal. I was practicing my Portuguese, which at first sounded a lot like, well, Greek. It took some getting used to, but aftrer a couple of weeks 'Muscatel' is actually 'moosh-ka-TEoo'. The language will hopefully come in handy for my plans as the next Bossa Nova heartthrob...

Keep clicking to find more pics of the projects I worked on this summer: the house, the '61 vert. Soon I hope to get the next huge project going, making A BASS. There will plenty of pics of that, too.

20.04.08

As usual, there are only a few scattered minutes to scratch out a NEW message for awbmusic! But here it is: the flowers are in bloom, the trees are green again, and the yard is full of new rhododenderons, shamrock hollies and hydrangias. B. and I have had lots of fun in the garden these past weeks. We struggled with what to do with our vintage well in the backyard. It will do as many other dug wells.. disappear under the lawn. See pics of it in the new house section 5. And please bear with me as the images and pages of the latest car updates have been thrown to the Microsoft dags- it'll take a few minutes more then I have right now to sort thinkgs out.

In a short time AWB will be an uncle- great news!! Good luck & congrats to S & D!!

12.02.08

I'M BACK!!! At least I think I will be...

The last several updates were foiled by loss by theft, software difficulties, and a myriad of other things. B. and I are fine in our little house on the hill. We love it! Things are progressing with work at the school, things around the house, and car front. We bought a new (to us) Honda Element last weekend. It's a neat automombile. My '63 Ghia has been giving me fits, however, and it seems the more stolen moments I spend with it, the worse the problems become. After completely renewing the brakes, they are still not 100%, and my ride on Sunday resulted in a pretty major oil hemorrage from somewhere on the front of the motor. While it's discouraging, I am inspired to get the '61 on the road sooner now, and cut my losses with the coupe. We'll see...

Thanks for stopping by after the long absence!

09.08.07

Hello! Welcome back from your summer trips, breaks, ans all! Well, We've been here the last few days, um... I mean months, just woking away on our project. It hasn't been the easiest phase these last few weeks. B. is between jobs but starts her new appointment at TNC (The Nature Consevancy) on Monday. I will also be going back to school in a couple pf weeks.

If my tone seems upbeat, it's only because I've made up my mind not to let the trials and hardships (and HOT weather) during work on our project get me down. If I let every setback depress me, I'd be a goner by now!! After all, life has its good points- it's not freezing outside! And the music of Duke Ellington's band is wafting through the hallway and it gives me hope that more relaxed times are ahead. After all, B. & I have each other!

More later...

20.07.07

Lots more pictures- not alot of words to go with them- sorry, more later when we're back on line! Greetings from B & A!

20.05.07

Lots to write about, little time. B. and I are leading a transient existence these days. At least we know where our home is, if not when we will live there. Good news... the long story of the framing repairs, the crux of the problem we bought in December, came to a happy conclusion on Friday. At last, Jorge's careful, dilligent and expensive work came to fruition in the form af a little red inspection sticker which PASSED the work! Now to proceed with the wiring and plumbing until that's signed off, then the real finishing can start.  I am amazed at the slow pace of things lately, but it's really a good time to be careful and not make any mistakes that will annoy us later.

Thanks for the support and kind wishes of all! Soon we will be making the final arrangements for the big day on June 30th! On days like the passed few, with moving, settlement on the Condo, all the worries of the house and people involved there, poison ivy (!) and other stresses, we will be so relieved to have it all behind us!!!

10.03.07

A lazy Saturday starts here at 7:15 AM. But B. and are enjoying being at home and taking it a little easy today. The low point of the week was Thursday, as a chain of events led to my forgetting my wallet at home in the morning, then eventually locking my keys in the truck at Home Depot. The moral of the story is, you really are nobody if you don't have a pocket full of cash in this country. I eventually made it home and was fortuitously helped out by those near and dear to me me- at not too much inconvenience to them, and we all made it safely home that evening.

On the other hand, it's odd how important the bank people suddenly treat you when they realise you are looking to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars, possibly at their institution. I guess that feeling I fleetingly experienced is one of the driving forces in this town- to be on top and to have everyone know it. There are so many little mounds with little kings and queens on them that it makes your head swim. Mine, anyway. Bless the simple pleasures in life...

I had a very good day Friday, though, and taught like a sage, sly yet fun-loving teacher all day. It's a great feeling to like what you do. I miss acoustics research though, but not much playing bass. A monumental change occurred for this reason on Sunday, when I took my true friend, Enrico the Italian double bass, to the airport on his way to NM. There he will be primped and pampered to be sold to the highest bidder by Robertson's Violin Shop. But this could all take a long time- months or years, even. Anyway, I feel fine about the end of this era, ready to move on with life and start making basses rather than dragging them from gig to gig.

23.02.07

One step closer. Click on the recent pic above to see the updated gallery of the house. There's not much to say except that life revolves around nest-building every moment I'm not on the job as a teacher. Jorge and his men are doing a great job. That's his van in the driveway. I hope the cold snap tonight is winter's last gasp. The season is short compared to where I used to live, but I don't care for it any more now than I used to. I think I would miss the seasons in Hawaii, though.

The project of the week is fixing Beth's bathroom, from the metal studs, up through the cement board to the sealed ceramic tile in the new tub. It has been a lot of planning, buying, schlepping and sweating but is "fun" and is saving us  at least $1600, and since I have the week off from school, it fits like "a fist on your eye", as the Austrians say. (wut?) HAH!! And I thought I would see the inside of a Karmann Ghia this week!

02.01.07

Above, you see my humble but loyal companion, loaded with precious cargo and destined for new adventures! I want to thank J. and Y. for the use of their house in Potomac, MD for the last fifteen months. It was great while it lasted! I think they also got an appreciative and careful tenant for the time they were away. I became a fan of Maytag washers and Sealy beds while I was there. I am now in the commuting club once again, this time for the long haul, I guess.

There was a little "house cooling" party last Friday, and in spite of the small crowd, we had a good time. There was some good music with L. and I. jamming with me. I tried to sing my one tune that never fails, but on account of my laryngitis, it came out sounding more like a Brenda Vaccaro tampon commercial- so I desisted. I'm now at my new digs here in NW Washington with my one and only, and things are cozy here in the living room tonight. It will be a nice time here, I think.

The packing went quite smoothly. Aside from the fact that I don't really own alot of large furniture (basses excepted!), I have been taking loads of things to the new place for weeks now. The Wurlitzer was a challenge but it's found its new place in the music room at school. The piano movers also got the August Förster into the studio without breaking anything, though it was a close call getting it up the driveway. The major setback of the week was the failed tune-up of my '63 Ghia. I ended up having it towed to Jackson Ave, but OF COURSE the flatbed could not get it up the driveway. In fact, our new neigbor made a whirlwind appearance to correct our ignorance about the whole thing. Anyway, yesterday I was quite at peace with cutting my losses and selling it without further delay. TODAY, I think I might know what I did wrong: setting the timing 180° off will tend to get you nowhere fast. Will I get it running before it gets stolen off the street? 

Here are the latest pics of the house repairs...

02.01.07

Happy New Year and all that. I never was one to enjoy New Year's celebrations, as the date always seems so arbitrary, and that most people seem to use the date as an excuse to be really drunk and irresposible. This year was different, mostly, though the same old feeling did get the better of me at the actual time. Thanks to the Bedford gang for making it a nice weekend, and especially to B., who makes all the difference.

It will be back to school in no time at all, so it's a good time to take advantage of the time for both business and pleasure. There's no end of things to do at the moment. I spent the day in the dust of the former kitchen and at the county dumping center. I can't beleive what I see there. Today there was a bon-a-fide antique radio, a box of Lionel train tracks and a truckload of perfectly burnable lumber scraps unloaded next to me. On December 27th I unloaded plaster next to a huge pile of boxes still in Christmas wrapping, which made me a little depressed about the tra-la-la of the toy drive we had at school. It's not right that people should take the time and care to donate and wrap presents that don't ever make it to needy families. Well, maybe they weren't donated after all- I'll never know.

 I don't seem very popular shoveling my dusty plaster. The unwitting suburban dumpers next to me always get a load of dust in the old lungs- sorry, folks! Wear a mask next time! One of the annoyed people that plulled up next to me was driving a white van, like Jorge, our contractor. Well, it WAS Jorge. It was a neat coincidence, and it showed that I wasn't blowing off my part of the preparation, either. Was the work worth the $1600 discount he promised? Maybe. But it took three solid days of the nastiest work I've ever done. And I ran over a nail at the dump. The hole can be patched, but sheesh! More in a while...

12.12.06

BLOG!! Life is good! For me, there's nothing like bringing a once-glorious object that has seen better days back to it's former self. There's something wholesome about reusing things. And I never shied from physical labor (how could I have chosen the double bass as my instrument otherwise!), so I was happy as a termite in a floor joist today, the first day at work on Beth's and my new home. Granted, the kitchen area is in rough shape, especially behind the drywall, but it will be gorgeous in just a few months. As you can see by the picture above, the house has terminal cuteness (thanks, Glen!) even in the state it's in. I spent the whole day wrecking the kitchen, which was just what I was in the mood to do today. I couldn't help thinking what a nice little spot we found for ourselves, even if the driveway is the steepest I've ever seen.

In other news, the Christmas concert at DSW went well on Sunday, though it was a real marathon for all involved. My kids were fantastic (as usual!!!) and no blood was shed before the end at 9:45 PM.  School is otherwise good, but there are the usual annoyances that any employee will feel, one way or another. My pet peeve now is the sticks that the kids play with at recess- my instinct says that no sticks should be allowed on the playground because someone is bound to lose an eye sooner or later. Am I paranoid or sensible?

I'm greatful for M. & J's visit this weekend. I am often reminded during such visits why I was friends with some people in the first place: they are just great company. Good luck to you both, wherever you are.

And for any Ghia fans out there: I've fallen into the routine that many of you share- family life: home, (almost) wife, etc.  My '61 has definitely taken a back seat to what else is going on around here. Will it ever get finihed? Definitely!! When? God only knows!!

21.11.06

Welcome back. There just doesn't seem time to turn around lately. This is not going to change any time soon. I wanted to point out that there is nothing wrong with the houses pictured above. NOTHING. Except that they leave me cold. This is however enough to make me dislike them and crave for something different. When I find my place, it's going to be the right one, whever it is. It will be a home for me and the ones in my family and a place we can all feel cozy and safe.

It's coming time to take leave of Farnsworth Drive and move on to the place I may be staying for a long time to come. My dear father says he's enjoyed having a place of his own, almost to the point where he could take a bite of the earth he calls his own. I know that feeling, though I haven't yet been able to taste my own dirt. I hope that time is fast approaching. Judging by the amount of work in store, I may wind up tasting dirt whether I like it or not.

The fast pace of the last weeks are finally giving over to a more controlled tempo. Thanksgiving is in sight, and it's a welcome one! It was good to play the bass player again, but it's a lot of work to play a 3-hour opera for $75, I can tell you. I often reflect on how I saw my first bass teacher, Bill Hawthorne, working like crazy at the things he did to make a living in old Upper Marlboro. By the time I was eighteen I was old enough to realize what a lot of work it would be to become a musician. Did that stop me?? In my "more advanced years" I do suffer at the thought that the finances and actual work done have such a bad rotten proportion compared to, well, many other jobs. Is the satisfaction of playing a B flat really in tune worth it? Jody Gatwood in 1990 presented a list of the top 200 jobs, rated by job security, income, stress level, etc. Orchestral musicians were in the last quarter, while insurance actuaries were right up there at Number 1. Would I have done it differently? Not really. People, playing in tune is BEAUTIFUL. Even playing out of tune is better than not playing at all.

So, for all you aspiring musicians out there: know what you are getting into, go for it and don't do it half-way! That's my advice. The beauty of music is also that so much of your education applies to other disciplines, too. So, learn one thing thouroughly and it will be a key to many things.

Back soon with some interesting pictures!!!

30.10.06

Welcome back! I just got back from old Vienna. Maybe it's the last time for a while. I have very complex feelings toward the place that undoubtedly shaped my mind as an adult and also as an artist. On the one hand it is a city of remarkable beauty, warm-heartedness and substance, on the other hand ugly and brutal. I suppose I will have a love-hate relationship with beautiful Vienna as long as I live. I reached sublime heights and plummeted to the lowest depths possible for man. Well, maybe not the lowest possible.

Last week was a blur. There was hardly time to get things taken care of, but it all seems to have worked out in the end. Thanks to all the lovely people I visited with, your hospitality and conversation.

Now, it's back to life as usual...

12.10.06

Ok, ok, It's time to update! Sorry about the long break. The last weeks were spent fighting a case of bronchitis and a fever. You would have thought there was some time during all that lying around to write a few lines, BUT NO!!! Actually there has been an awful lot of news lately in my personal life. The short version is that I am very happy! The long version will have to wait a bit.

In addition to being very happy in my private life, and partly because of it, there hasn't been much time to devote to the Ghizer. So as much as it tickles my fancy to get the old car on the road, it will have to wait out its time. I was hoping to get the paint on before it gets too cold, but on the other hand there's really no point in rushing now, when it all will be visible "forever". I will take my time and try to be careful and thorough, and rise to the challenge of making this out bag a beauty again. There are only a couple of recent pics of the restoration updated...

Next week it's off to old Austria. I think it's serious this time- I decided to pack up or dispose of whatever is left and get rid of the old apartment. It's about time, I guess. I will have a busy week wrapping things up. And seeing some old friends!

21.08.06

B. & I got back from a trip down south last Monday. It was a very nice trip to Atlanta, Charleston and Ocracoke to see her and my family. I'll try to post some pics. I had a habit of leaving the camera elsewhere while seeing the most interesting things- so there are only a few of the shots that should have been there. I never saw so many stars as on the island of Ocracoke- it was a clear night almost 25 miles in the ocean.

School's in, starting Thursday, but it's back to work tomorrow for planning conferences. I don't think they will help. At least I'm planned, though I have no idea in which room, if any, my students will have their music lessons.

(Blog pic)

30.07.06

More blog. It was a fantastic weekend with Bro, Sis and B., heading to scenic Chesapeake City for the annual Goss family reunion. Since I was away for all those years, this was the first time I had been around for ages to see the folks. We had a big time. The progeny was crawling joyfully all over the place- we have some fertile cousins, I tell you. Then it was on to Baltimore for drinks and a snack and a lovely, air-conditioned night in EB. Street. (Thanks, Dan!) Breakfast at the Sip & Bite can't be beat.

Then it was on to see houses- B. & I are getting into the real estate business together! They really knew how to build stuff in 1916. Too bad it costs so much to maintain it in 2006! Well, even to buy it...

The pic above shows the workshop where my generous parents allow me to do the work on gheezer. It's a nice shop, considering everything. No air-conditioning, but there's usually a decent breeze blowing through, and if not I've got the fan going. The flies find their way from the sheep pen into the garage. These are not "tasting" flies but the biting kind, which bring out the violent nature in me. I got one with a wet rag the other day, and strangely, the other flies kind of left me alone after that. There will be more work this week as the summer passes its prime. Sweaty work, no doubt! I can't wait to read this again in February!

24.07.06

Welcome to the virtual homeplace. This is a place we can meet professionally, or more likely, just to spend time together. No doubt, it's very odd spending time together this way, but I know you are out there by the occaisional mails I get from all over the world. Thanks for stopping in!!!

The place in the woods here is quite loud tonight with the katydids in the trees: the distant roar of the Beltway is nearly drowned out alltogether. The jets on their way to National Airport can't be masked, though.

There is plenty happening here, but I'm tired of thinking about it all. I was in large part cut out to be a monk, I think, so don't be misled by my easy smile. That smile seems to come less often lately, in spite of the joy of B., my favorite of all! Hang in there...

03.07.06

Another update to pique your appetite for old cars and faint melodies in the evening. Thank the powers above for Summer Vacation! It was a long time getting there, and even now some remnants of my professional life come like unwelcome guests. But they are slowly fading into the distance, their voices getting quieter, the sounds of summer becoming prominent, masking the dying murmurs...

You'd think I were ready for a break!! I'll write more in  time.

05.06.06

There's nothing like the sound of Tom Jobim's wonderful music sung by the composer. In the words on the CD jacket, "JOBIM'S VOCALS ARE NOT THOSE OF A PROFESSIONAL...". I inherited the CD from S.A. in Wien a few years ago, so thanks, Soni!

What a great weekend. I think this one topped last weekend, and that says alot. Memorial Day weekend found your host cruising out to rural PA with my companion B. for a night of beer, ribs and music. There is alot more to mention, but I can't seem to get to it now... Then a lounge clubbing event next day in B'more with Bro and Sis' and B. Did they have to seat us ON the 750 W sub-woofers? We could still hear well enough by breakfast time at the Sip n' Bite, though.

I have to sum up to say that I had nice companionship in the few days of the past weekend, including B., CGB and old Tony from days gone by- what a man! And, the rust heap in the garage is finally taking on the form of a car again- Not just any car, but my dream car! I think maybe I should get over this automotive fetish. Perhaps I will after the project is finished. Kinda doubtful, though. It would be unwise anyway, since I'm bound to keeping the thing running after the constituent parts are reunited, and that will probably take continual attention.

19.05.06

Friday again! Time marches inexoribly onward. We're lucky to march with it, for a time anyway. The photo shows my problem child from what used to be her worst side. This project with the Ghia is also marching on, but usually only with time ripped out of the weekly schedule that gets spread into the weekends. Last week was busy with the preparation of DSW's Mozart concerts: D-minor Piano Concerto and Coronation Mass in C. I was very proud to be a part of it all. Hats off to T. B. and his well-trained choir- BRAVO! Thanks to the folks who came out to hear it, too. I also was a priviledged audience member at Maurizo Polini's recital at Strathmore Hall in Rockville. It was my first visit to the hall, and for the 'burbs, it's really quite a place. Mr Polini cut a remarkable figure in his tails- wizened and hunched, and apparently exhausted in the body after his 64 years. But how remarkable this first impression contrasted with the fire in his fingers unleashed after working up to the Liszt B-minor Sonata at the end of the program. I've never seen anything like it. I had a profound feeling that Mr Polini sits at the peak of a huge mountain he laboriously climbed, day after day in his dedication to the piano. He now draws strength from the ground beneath him and wields enormous power with his experience and wisdom. The program was so well-chosen.  A. thought I was intoxicated with the music- I guess I was.

02.05.06

The beach. The two weeks in another land down south were something very special. It was a tight schedule to get through with school, take care of errands and get on the plane with my list of "stuff" to take, but we made it down there. Puerto Escondido is a nice place to visit, especially if you'd like to do nothing more than sleep and lay on the beach. In the first hours, B. and I I discovered that laying on the beach being served cold Coronas and Pacificas was what we should have been doing for the previous months, too. It's a slippery slope to think about what it takes to be able to go on vacation (i.e. A JOB) vs. not doing the job in the first place and ust sitting on the beach. I would much rather have the responsibilities, hassles, rewards and money of the job, and have the option of spending money when and how I want to. There were several meek buskers and hippie-types hawking their wares on the streets (did it remind me of busking in Vienna??) and I'd much rather get my steady paycheck, thank you very much! But enough about $$!! I was glad to get back to the green of Maryland, after all that dust and sand. For better or worse, this is where I belong!

8.04.06

No one home. Your humble host is off exploring rebirth mythology in Oaxaca province, Mexico (wha...?). No, I'm on vacation drinking margaritas, sweating and doing things I don't know yet. Taking a vacation at the beach seems to be all the rage this Easter. I wonder if I shouldn't be the dilligent coolie getting my acoustics carreer going again, building basses, or at least welding. But I probably would spend half of the vacation teaching and get to the end of the next two weeks exhausted, if perhaps richer and better prepared for school again, and wonder why I didn't get out of town. These are the thoughts that often come punctually at 4 AM. If I were a creative Wall Street accountant having an audit, my occasional insomnia would be justified. But as an elementary school music teacher?? Perhaps an elementary school music teacher WITH A PhD should be having these thoughts! But here we go again. Which brings us back to getting away from it all for aTiwhile...

My travel partner, B., is apparently well-oganized. I invited her to send me a list of suggested items to bring, in case I might forget something in my absent-minded (professor?) kind of way. The list was thorough and kindly included "anything you want not on my list". B. will certainly get more than her share of teasing on this trip. On the other hand, I will be lucky if I manage even with the list to bring everything on it. My step-mother would've written at the bottom, "Head". I'm very greatful for this chance to travel with my high-school classmate, so here's to fun at the beach!

28.03.06

Greetings from Potomac, Maryland! It is evening and there is a fox in the neighborhood, squeaking. He (she?) came trotting down the street this morning, took a right into my driveway and had a good look around the whole yard before trotting back in the direction he came from. At one point the fox hunkered down and apparently drew a bead on some unseen quarry- perhaps a squirrel or bird- but it came to nothing and he soon went about his business, warily but self-confident.

It has been a remarkable few weeks- with the passing of my dear 93-year-old granddad and lots of other ups and downs. School is a grind, mostly joyful, though. I finally got down to the Gheezer for the weekend again, so after after a good 12 hour session of restoration (if you can call my amatuer welding that) on Saturday, my male hormones are almost in balance once again. You can see by the pic that the heap is starting to look like a car again. The daffodils have been blooming like crazy in the yard- no doubt, spring is at hand!

08.03.06

Cleveland. What associations does this word evoke? For me, the strongest image was the drunken Robert Mitchum shouting at Johnny Depp in a plaid suit, "Where the hell did you get that suit? Cleveland?" ('Dead Man' by Jim Jarmusch, 1995). No longer. The city that suffers constant bashing had plenty to offer last weekend on my visit to J.S.  He finally left Manhattan to take a job at CIM, and judging by the opera performance I saw on Saturday, it's a very good school of music. J.'s new condo is also something special, with a room full of nothing but the view from the 10th floor of Lake Erie and a Steinway A- a dream for me. We ate an expensive meal in his neigborhood downtown and talked politics until 4. The following day found us on the shore of the great lake, chatting in the wind and wondering why so many tens of thousands of fish lay on the beach.

Back at school, it's odd to feel loved and hated, under fire and dedicated, strength and weakness. Strange times, but times that will be survived in any case. This is not the first time the lynch mob was after me and definitely won't be the last, so do your worst, people! On the other hand, the lecture of last Wednesday was a complete success, reaffirming my lust to persue academics in acoustics of musical instruments. So, no matter what should happen at the job, the path will continue in this direction.

I send R. F. my warmest regards from so far over here! Thanks for what you did almost two years ago, which warms my heart.

25.02.06

What a week! Saturday finds your host in bed, recovering from a short but very intense few days at the courthouse, school and at the musical grindstone. You see, I survived being called for jury duty on a murder trial (I was excused on account of being held up at gunpoint last year), THREE conferences at school, 21 of my 26 weekly private music students (!??!), my regular schedule at school, and a couple of later nights, which started last week sometime. Writing this, I feel like I achieved something by just getting through. There were also a couple of walks in the woods, and lots of "Calm" tea drunk.

The photo above was taken at my pad when my honorable colleagues needed a drink to cool down following Thursday night's meeting. I am so proud of them! It wasn't so much we were patting each other on the back for making a solid presentaion for the reform of our elementary school as revelling in the team spirit, and comparing notes on some parents' comments. Effigy frankfurters were in order! But no, I'm  not the type, so we just opened a couple of good bottles of Prosecco and wound down.

There's much more to write, but most of it goes into my book at home...

Peace and harmony to you

P.S. If S. Schuster sees this, please get in touch with me as my mail to you is presently blocked.

19.02.06

I'm still warm with pleasure about the guests that were Friday before last, in spite of the cold. There are some nice people around after all. The past weeks found your host finishing up another stint at school before the winter break last week. The break was fractious and not the full week I expected to spend welding, since I was gladly stuck in NYC visiting P. and M. during the record snowfall on February 11. What a city! The highlights: the Metropolitan Museum, dinner at Frankie and Johnny's, a Harlem church service, Mozart at Carnegie Hall, and seeing the Manhattan streets without any cars on them. This made the wait in line for the bus at the Port Authority almost worth it. Odd how all that snow just disappeared again. Now it's time to get ready for school again, with all the new challenges it will bring. I will do my best.

I spent a couple of days trying to get the doors to fit on the car. It was fun but a real challenge, sort of like wrestling with a gorilla, and isn't over yet. On the pictures, the additional 8mm gap doesn't look too large.

Thanks for stopping in.

06.02.06

Another mini-weekend! (Tuesdays are off school!) It was another productive weekend at the farm. I'm slowly getting a real itch to drive the VW. I'm putting on pieces of the body nearly every weekend, stepping inch by inch closer to the fateful moment, after numerous false starts I guess, to the first test drive.

I remember the day I put strings back onto my faithful double bass, Bertha. I had a little accident on a train in Austria, and Bertha fell onto her neck, which wasn't glued in very well, and the neck popped out. I spent weeks getting the dang thing in again under the guidance of my violin-maker mentor and friend, Christine. It was a fateful moment as I tightened the last turns of the E string... POP! Something went seriously wrong. As it was, poor Bertha suffered a bass bar crack because she hadn't been glued back together properly. Or maybe because her top had been thinned by one of the American bass butchers. Anyway, it was a major anti-climax, meaning she was bound for another stint in the repair shop.

Such may it be: the gleaming body of the Ghizer lowered onto the majesticly restored chassis, every bolt fitted with only minor difficulty, and now the turn of the key... POP! and a fire under the bonnet!!! Such are the nightmares of your humble host...

My students are the best!! They are such a hassle, and still such a delight. I notice myself whistling a new tune every day on the way to work. Could it be that I like my job? How lucky is the man who looks forward to facing the new day of duties?

Poe this weekend. That guy was out there. We all have a little of Poe in us, and perhaps that's what makes him great.

P.S. There is a war on, people.

29.01.06

Spring is on its way! At least judging by the new-born lambs down at the farm.  It was another weekend in southern Maryland grinding, welding and breathing poisonous fumes of one kind of another, and visiting with the folks. If I ever get the dang car back together and on the road, I will have to think up another excuse to be down there regularly. After being away all those years in old Vienna, it is such a pleasure to be just a few miles from my important folks. There was also a cast-away cast removal machine and a cheap guitar cable to repair, and the oil in the pickup to change. Great weather this weekend- like May yesterday and with low clouds and sweet air today.

Thanks goes out to WAMU for filling my Sundays with great old-fashioned radio. But I am annoyed by the slant of the news. Where can you get a straight story in this country!?? Between NPR and the Washington Times laying around this weekend, there wasn't much to be cheerful about. HA! What is the ruling, "democracy espousing" regime here in Washington going to do with the latest election in Palestine? I wish I didn't care. I feel used and extremely guilty, and I feel like the tendencies happening in D.C. flies in the face of all those monuments stand for. Why isn't anyone else apparently terrified?

18.01.06

I got so sick of looking at the rusty mess of the right A-column that I had to turn the old Ghizer upside up for a new perspective on things. It helped. This weekend was a considerable leap forward in the progress of my little project, and I might even venture to say I felt like it's going to be downhill from here. Naturally this is a illusion, but when the feeling happens, go with it, right?

Last Wednesday was my birthday, and it was a good one. I had lots of nice greetings from some old and true friends, for which I am very thankful, and from the barrel full of monkeys at work. This was followed by a night on the town in Washington- wow! I mean, it's different from a night on the town in a real city (oops!) but you can get a decent meal here. We were in good company, and when the mood was flagging with me the others turned it around. The Saloun got a big thumbs down, but J. Paul's saved the evening by supplying decent brew at a reasonable price and a decent chat over vintage guitars and politics with T. from Atlanna. Next stop: Havana Club and the Bossa Lounge.

Oh, did anyone remember there's a war on?

30.12.05

Time flies. You see your humble servant, Capt. Cheese, pictured with one of his biggest fans. School is happily about to get going again, one day earlier than everyone else. I can't say I was depressed at being away from it, but it will be good to get back. In the past weeks, there was alot of visiting and work on the car, and even some bass-playing in Damascus. There is a long way to go with the Ghia but I am concentrating fairly consistently on getting it done bit by bit.

I'm looking forward to the new year. 2005 wasn't bad, but I think 2006 will be even better. Happy New Year!

27.11.05

Ever wonder what your front axle looked like, taken apart? Maybe something like this...

The contents of the bucket look alot different now without the 1"+ cake of grease and grime on it. Yep, those babies are primed and ready to be put back together, in about six months! I hope I can remember how to do it by then...

Having been through the ups and downs of this difficult job (so far) puts things in perspective, perhaps: I changed the front brake rotors and pads on my fathers '92 Corolla this weekend in about 90 minutes, at a cost of around $50. I think this is a $250 job at one of the local service stations. I must say they made some convenient design improvements since 1961.

You can see some more evidence of progress by going to the new '61 Karmann Ghia page at awbmusic (this page is getting farther from the point all the time.) Looking at pictures is alot more worthwhile than reading that stuff from last week...

22.11.05

Life's too much, isn't it? I mean, too much to comprehend. It's impossible to articulate the fragments into a cohesive picture. I think they used to be able to do it in days of the good guys and bad ones- where you either belonged or didn't. Although while reading Mencken last night I got the impression this paradise lost is not a product of the times but of the human condition.  But the levels of information and activities surely move faster now.

What brings all this philosphy on? I broke my month-long news fast for several hours while working on the car today, which caused me no end of consternation and confusion, and finally to switch the radio off in disgust. Someone theorizes that the psychology serves only the Darwinian purpose of creating manipulable groups that can be convinced to support some common cause, thereby equipping them with conviction (in the guise of morality or patriotism) and the will to prevail. Many groups have had the will to prevail but of course there's much more to surviving than that. I guess the survivors have a lot of extra capacity for such wordy ruses.

So all the discussion from about who in the world should manage the internet to W's Iraq non-policy scrambled my receptors for such manipulation. In truth, I now prefer to manipulate rather than be manipulated, whether it be for inconsequential material things under my control (cars and tools) or the budding minds of humans discovering the mysteries of music. This all let me a bit confused.

To add to it, I heard the most beautiful concert tonight at the German Embassy in Washington: two Americans performing the songs of Hugo Wolf. Wolf's grave lays in my home of thirteen fateful years, Vienna. This and the mixed audience made me all the more confused in missing that old place. But during the singing- ah, the wonderful singing!!- I was carried away from the day's shards of conciousness. Joy, sorrow, playfullness, the bittersweet recognition of mortality in the bloom of life, all was there in the voice and eyes of our voluptuous soprano, accompanied by the perfect dynamics of a New York pianist from Alabama.

What ever it is, we're all in this together.

P.S. The car is coming along...

30.10.05
Spent the weekend down on the farm again. The car is coming along. This weekend was spent sawing out the old foor pans and cleaning up where the new ones go on, dismounting the transaxel, shifter and other items from the central column, and power washing the removed parts. I'm a bit unclear as to the primary goal- should it look shiny, like new, or should every reasonable effort be made to preserve its patina and look "original", with only the critical bits gussied up? There is still a bit of time to deliberate. The coat of primer on the formally rusted parts looked so pleasingly fresh and orderly as to inspire me for the former, and I also don't want to miss any opportunities to fix anything while the work is in progress. I also think the car is more desireable for "your average car driver" (i.e. $$$) if things are as clean as possible. But then, it's my dream we're talking about here, and I can't help being influenced by the European style of restoration, to leave as much of the original material as possible. Of course there isn't much to be done about alot of it- the floor, carpets and other things simply need to GO! As I wrote, there's still a bit of time.

13.10.05: So near and yet so far...

Mid-October finds your host on the porch listening to the rain in the trees and the air traffic to WAS overhead. In the dark. Alone. Shivering slightly but content.
I'm in new digs since last week, and it's nice: a whole house to myself. People say it was like winning the lottery, and I can't help but agree. You see, the house I am caring for is located about 800 feet from my workplace, instead of the 35 miles I was driving.
What do you do with the extra time in the day? This issue was never a problem for me. Besides teaching at school and privately 40 hours (on four days), there are the projects like restoring my 1961 newlywed, building instruments and researching acoustics. What would I rather do? I can't really think of anything. Perhaps the median age of my students could rise an average of fifteen years, but I also love my dwarfs. They may be small in body but there is a revolution happening in most of them as I write.
The whole list of things to do may drastically change at any time, but I don't expect it to in the near future. Oh, add dancing tango and learning Italian well to that list, and writing a couple of books: "Music Pilgrim" and "The Acoustics of the Viennese Double Bass". If we both live long enough many of these plans may become reality.
To sidestep reality for a few minutes, I went to the local mall to view the new Wallace and Grommit film. After killing time before the show in that concrete and gleaming structure the sinking feeling that it was an entirely abysmal place sunk in. The colorful smoothies were small consolation in the face of the nylon hairpieces and endless plastic shoes on display, and even the bookshop with a tiny paperback of Hesse's "Sidhartha" in English left me feeling empty. The people putting in their time at the counter seemed like robots so out of touch with life.
The movie was very clever, and I got a good laugh in spite of it all. The bull terrier's purse was my favorite moment, but then you'd have to see, wouldn't you?

22.09.05: Nothing better to do...

It all started in a junkyard in Southern Maryland. No, it all started when I was an 11-year old riding to Florida. Wait...it all started in the hazy and meandering tastes of a middle-aged lawyer in Baltimore with a habit for speed and alcohol. But this is all another story. It suffices to say that as of this week I am living out my American automotive dream, starting (almost) from the bottom up.

You see, there was this nagging materialistic feeling all those years in a foreign country that urged me to my own, mobile space. One with some responsibilities, expenses and inconveniences, but also with the advantage of a certain degree of freedom. Even when you are stuck in traffic, you still don't have the alcoholic stink af the next passenger breathing on you like you might in the old Strassenbahn. You may be waiting in the rain, but it's under your own roof, somehow.

This yearnig thrown in with my early developed modelling instinct forced me to buy the above vehicle. I oohed and ahhed at the last last harrowing seconds of the E-Bay auction, and though I was the highest bidder, I won't be certain for quite awhile whether I won or lost on that day. At any rate, this required fast action, and after contact with the seller, I wracked my brains to find a way to get it home from New Jersey. Every passing SUV with a two ton hitch suddenly jeered at me from the highway as I struggled to think of some friend that would lend me his or her car carrier. But in the end it was a fat U-Haul with a vengeful automatic transmission.

In Little Portugal, Newark, the car looked just as it did in the description, with the photos cleverly enticing potential buyers with demure angles of the Ghia's most charming features. But anyone who knows the wiles of the post-war Wirtschaftswunder can also guess at the amount of rust judging by the ommited shots. The live encounter was also enhanced by a further sense as the vehicle was used the past few years in the barn, apparently, as a cat toilet.

Santos revived my new baby with a feeding tube (more later...)

09.05: Back to work.

Lacking a pic of my smiling children (packed into the new music room at school) I decided for a bit of nostalgia- the Viennese summer. I guess the photo of my handlebars bringing up the rear of the streetcar on Waehringerstrasse let you know what the weather was like in August.

Just last Friday things started settling down for the year, and I think it's going to be a good one. I miss a good number of children that have moved on like Simone, Anna and Sofia (Hi out there!!). The change from being a university acoustics expert and performing musician to an elementary school teacher is indeed strange brew. But all in all, I love my job!

There are other things happening but I assume any reader couldn't care much about my new shelves, the fact that the Austrian taxes are LATE AGAIN or that I plan to fix a Toyota sedan's door handle tomorrow. Oh, and please spam S. in Austria that she should come to visit next month, please!

07.08.05: Italy. Italy, Italy, Italy, Italy. Italy!!!

I suppose two weeks are enough to revive that part of oneself that shrivels and wanes when you are away from Italy. The time was different now as my impressions were reflected and refracted by my company. That's what sharing time together is about, I suppose. In some ways I feel true to my culture, being flighty and easily distracted by one wonder or another, be it ugly or graceful, but also happy-go-lucky in a good way. But through the mirror I saw some worthy things I wouldn't want to have missed, for which I'm very thankful. Dancing on the roof was nice, too!

It was great to see M., G. and to meet some new friends like P., who plays piano and drives excellently, even long distances with a phone on his ear, and B. who let me bang the bridge of his Testore Cello with my magic hammer!

I posted a few pics of the trip. For now it's back to work for the next weeks in Vienna.

12.07.05: Back in Vienna! My struggles with Bach go on, but now at least I have a little help...it has to do with circles.

Things here are much as I left them: fun playing at the Theater, seeing friends that have remained as nice as ever if not even better, depressing weather, too much to do but inexorable lust for doing it. My place has remained a true if humble friend, as well, with the rare occurance of a lovely view from the window. There are also some joyous new faces on the scene, like Ludo's Jonathan and Prof. Susanne (su-SAN--NE)! I miss my school children, if only enough to look forward to them in the still distant school year. Until then, there's plenty of writing to do do on a forthcoming book about the acoustics of the Viennese double bass, and a two-week  adventure in Italy at the end of July. Prost/Salute!

05.06.05: So much Bach, so little time. 1 1/2 hours a day is not enough to learn the piano at my age. In spite of being "digitally challenged" at the keyboard, I do see signs of improvement as the months go by. Being a music teacher is a fine excuse for devoting so much time to such inefficient practice, and I love it.

I had a great laugh with some great people, C. and L., last night. Just as our meal was arriving, who should walk in the Wisconsin Avenue restaurant but ... Alan Greenspan and his lovely wife. After seeing that he does well with chopsticks, our conversation wandered to the curious sighting by my friends of a realistic, three-foot model made entirely out of uncooked pasta labelled, "The Leaning Tower of Pisa, by Alan Greenspan". This sighting at the San Fransisco airport in about 1997 made my friends wonder, and soon we were hard at work thinking of what to ask Mr. Greenspan as he enjoyed his tempura. Some people might ask him when to sell their sorghum futures, or why the Fed didn't raise the Prime Rate an extra 1/4 %, but I wanted to ask whether he built the tower with the bottom on an angle, or whether  he built it straight and then cut it off at an angle. C. came back from the bathroom claiming that she informed Mr. Greenspan that 'a friend' had a question for him, to which Mr Greenspan replied, "Well, your 'friend' should come and ask it, then." Now it was up to me. I hadn't even seen the pasta tower. My inner struggle was telling me, "you know, life only BEGINS when you do things your better judgment tells you not to," and then, "but it's much to irreverent to place a question like that while Mr Greenspan is trying to enjoy the company of his lovely wife," "yeah, but if it really IS his hobby to make pasta architecture models he'll definitely get a kick out of the question..."  Any inner conversation this long was bound to end in an anti-climax, and in the end, to my eternal chagrine, I DIDN'T ask the question. Damn. Now I'll never know if he made it, how he made it, or what kind of person he is up close. So much for life in the big city.

27.05.05: I'm alive, still. The above photo is one of the only photos I have representing my recent Easter trip to Rio de Janeiro, as my camera, along with my innocence some how, was stolen by three gunmen at the youth hostel. Without dwelling on a bad scene, it was kind of scary. The worst part of it was losing my friend Giordano's company for the second week of our vacation; he decided to get out while the going was good, leaving me to my fate among the favela-dwellers. But all clouds have a silver lining, and thus my rescue was assured under the welcoming wings of the Fuks (Fooks) family, who not only took me into their household in Jardím Botanico, but even leant me the money to buy the holy grail of samba guitars, my 2004 seven-string classical guitar by Jó Nunes. In spite of the everyday horrors of violence to people and the environment there, the warmth of my acquaintances, the vitality of the music and the tropical landscape assure me that I must return someday.

School has been dominated by the preparation of our WORLD PREMIERE of the "Prinzessin Kaugummi" on June 7 & 8. My kids are fabulous: give them the right guidance and the sky's the limit!  In other news I had a great visit with Wolfgang in Washington and John in New York, and had the priveledge of meeting Carol Vaness at a voice lesson in Midtown. My very own PCB accelerometer arrived last week and I'm now all set to measure any bass, guitar or cooking pot that comes along. There was also a performance of Verdi's Reqium in Damascus which was all worth it to chat with Michael and his friend Maggie after the show. Why do they live so far away from where I do? Finally, it's only a matter of weeks before I make the trip trip back to old Austria for the gig at Theater Akzent, to pick up where I left off, if only for a tumultuous two months.

1.2.05: Things have been busy here around Washington! My ex-band Alhambra was played on WAMU two weeks ago, thanks to Washington's own pillar of jazz scholarship, Rob Bamberger. I was a pall-bearer for the first time in my life at my grandmother's funeral last weekend. I love my school kids, though it takes a lot of nerve to manage them day after day. And my private students are some of the best children in the world, I'm convinced. Maybe I'm just prejudiced. Above, you see a shot of the Brown Brothers during a "public rehearsal" on New Year's Eve. Oh, yeah, and I finished my Ph.D. in October. You may call me Dr. Brown now. My colleague Elisabeth and I can now fix toilets, among other things (Elisabeth: "Look, I fixed the toilet!" Daughter: "You didn't get your Ph.D. for nothing, Mom.") Here in Upper Marlboro, the dogs continue to bark and the cat flees in terror at the first sign of pulling out the piano stool.

27.9.04: Life finds me happily in the "Greater Metropolitan Washington Area", stuck in traffic. This is the "ganz normale Wahnsinn" of everyday life in D.C.  I am enjoying my new job and the familiar land beneath my wheels. But I will always take some of old Austria with me: Leb' Wohl, Wien! Hello, D.C.!

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