March is National Toaster Month

Stella By Starlight

Real Book, failed CD burn, note on water-stained paper, and tiny-cheap headphones.

I am terrified of talking on the phone. I don't know why. I just freeze up, and for some reason I just want to email instead. Sometimes I beg for the answering machine. But today I faced my fears, and now I have a gig. Good deal. In retrospect, it seems my fear was irrational. I guess, the phone is a commitment. You can leave an email or a text message, but if someone calls you, you can't just up and leave. I'm scared of commitment. That's why I don't have a girl. That and I'm part creeper. But I fear that I may not be committed. Or that she may not be committed. But in the end, I will figure it out. Ponder, eh.

I am Episcopalian. I love the Episcopal Church. We have freedom, and instead of just handing you a set of beliefs and rules and curriculum, we have questions. What does God mean to you? Why? If you disagree with this person, that's fine. Let's go have some drinks. We still have wine, and it tastes pretty good. There is such a variety of people, and we all love each other. We accept gays and lesbians, and they are some of the most awesome members of our congregation. The Anglican sect (Episcopal is the American Anglican) is the second largest in the world, next to Catholicism. Speaking of religion, I heard an interesting point - sometimes the people who doubt a religion also know more than the average church-goer. Because if you doubt, you think. If you have "faith," then sometimes that means you are just a blind follower. I encourage you to think about your own morals and ethics and beliefs and question them. C.S. Lewis, who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, was originally a scientist. His goal was to prove that God didn't exist, but instead he ended up embracing Christianity. You might be thinking "'Deus ex machina' much, pal" but I want you to think about who you are and what you believe. Ponder, and also with you.

I hate bugs. And bug bites.
Go to sleep.
Good night.

Band Camp

Thoughts and Things I learned from Band Camp.

I flew there, on a plane. Being in a big airport is confusing and enlightening. So many people, of all shades and hues, different clothing and different faces and different smiles. Overhead, the announcements ring like Big Brother or Fahrenheit 451 in sweet strange tones. People walking, machines talking and the old-people cart beeping out of time. Sandwich inflation is rampant; water costs money; this is airport.

The plane is also interesting. I still don't know why I can't listen to my iPod during takeoff or landing. People coughing. The air hostess shows us how to save ourselves. We barely listen. Fasten our seat belts, get ready for takeoff. In the air in no time. Fly through and above the water mountains and finally I can listen to music. Not a long flight, but we still get soda. I just sight-read some music. I did not sleep. This is airplane.

Family. Gasp. Some are incredible. Others are talkative, and some discourse on matters that never seemed important. They are still not important. I'm sorry that you had to stay extra hour at work. I don't really care. Token grandfather popcorn. A board game with dice. Luck is always involved, but strategy never takes back seat. The drive to the university was cool. My aunt and uncle bought me dried apples at the Trader Joe's.

Camp. Making new friends. Always hard, the first day. An unfamiliar place, with faces and smells and sights to boot. At least the lobby had a piano. Found old friends. Made new ones. Played music. I auditioned and was placed into the top wind ensemble, second chair to someone who had never played tenor before. It angered me, but it was an angsty teenage anger, the kind that comes from jealousy and hate. I practiced hard. I auditioned for jazz band. I am a horrible sight reader, but my improv turned out well. I don't think the auditioner dug my sound, and I was second chair tenor in the second band. With my bravado and general enthusiasm and jazz style I convinced everyone I was first tenor. Ha. I love music.

Jazz music is free. I cannot emphasize this enough. It is not something that should be controlled or forced. It should flow, light from light, true jazz from true jazz. Jazz is improvisation; Jazz is personal expression and telling a story without using any words. Jazz should not be arranged and caged, like in the sense of middle school jazz bands, where there aren't any solos at all. To them, jazz is just notes on a page, placed and played. Oh boy! Gee willickers! By golly, jazz is swell and kosher! Huge vibrato, big claps, smiles and snaps on one and three. I'm sorry, but this is not the case. Jazz is heavy. If you can't say "I'm angry" or "I love you" in words, Jazz can say all that and a bag of chips. The salt and vinegar kind. Something that takes class and taste, acquired and always different. To those seek to contain jazz with tangible notes on a piece of paper and destroy the solo, I despise you. To those who seek to bring jazz into it's true setting, the unknown and the ever-changing, I admire you. Jazz ponder.

I also learned that using the word "gay" instead of "stupid" is in essence idiotic. No, really that idea can not be gay. Any jokes, for that matter, that insert the word "gay" are completely foolish. Gay people are often much cooler than straight people. On a side note (with zest of sarcasm) Fox News should go screw itself.

Anyways,

enjoy life. Don't postpone it. Let is happen. Nothing good comes from holding things back. Except the Hoover Dam.

I want to be Chet Baker.

On Food.

Money clip, unknown (adjustable) strap, iTouch, and hand grip workout thingy. 

Food, in short, is amazing. The fact that we humans can take random plants and animals and add heat and flavor is awesome. And there are so many foods already! French (very rich, buttery. I'm told something about snails). Italian (uses oregano, basil, excellent herbs and spices, and pasta is shown in many dishes, and of course the Neapolitan pizza). Spanish (spicier Italian? Cilantro/coriander). Mexican (Spicy, uses cilantro and other herbs as well). Continental (Steak and potatoes, surf and turf, etc.). Creole (Crawfish, anyone?). BBQ - many subdivision across US. Argentine (lots of meat). Japanese (use of Hibachi grills, Teriyaki, sushi). Chinese (use of wok, stir-fry, and NOT chinese fortune cookies, an American invention). Thai (emphasis on balance of meals, bitter, sweet, salty, sour, etc. Also in food types - meat and greens, always). Pizza (New York, New England, Chicago, Argentine, Sicilian, Neapolitan, Californian, Tex-Mex). Seafood (see continental, except replace expensive steak for expensive lobster). Greek (gyros and souvlaki - so good). And there are so many more types!

Pizza Dough -

I have been working pizza dough for five years now - and I have come really close to capturing a beautiful dough recipe. Dough is actually really easy to make; the trick is how long you knead it. For a stretchier, more New York style dough, you must add less yeast, a little more flour, and knead a lot longer. Here is a good recipe you can jump off of - 

4 cups flour (preferable bread flour), extra for flouring the cutting board

1 3/4 cups of warm water 

1 packet of yeast (or about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon salt 

1 tablespoon sugar 

2 tablespoons olive oil (extra for bowl and cookie sheet)

To begin, mix the packet of yeast and sugar in the warm water. Pour the flour and the salt into a large bowl and form a well in the middle, pushing the flour to the sides of the bowl. Add the olive oil and then add the yeast-sugar mixture and begin stirring. Stir until a dough ball forms, and if the dough is really dry, add a little more water. Plop the dough ball on a cutting board dusted with some of the extra flour, and knead for 12 minutes (if you don't know how to knead, go on youtube.com). But the flour in a bowl brushed in olive oil and let rise for about an hour or until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and brush a cookie sheet with olive oil. Cut the dough ball in half, and roll it into a circle on the sheet, and add toppings. I usually add mozzarella and tomato sauce. I'll do the tomato sauce recipe next time. Thank you!

Cook

So, summer has started but I'm really bored. It feels like I have nothing to do, when in reality, there is so much I must be doing. I need to start my summer reading, do all of my AP assignments, I need to practice the saxophone religiously and I wanted to run every day. Not quite. I will discipline myself. Tomorrow. Procrastination! The best nation in the world. Ponder, eh, I'll do it tomorrow.