new ukulele

Here's a picture of my new KoAloah Noah short scale soprano ukulele:

banjo uke

I've spent some time tonight playing my banjo-uke. It was made by this guy. The particular video I link to is the one I was using.  

I've been desperate to learn clawhammer since I saw my friend Matthew play his banjo. I'm not sure I have the coordination but it's a goal for the summer.

My new apartment is rad. The neighbors (upstairs) are a little loud but I'll drown them out with my music.

ukulele stuffs

Ukulele stuff I just ordered:

A Shag Wahini sticker,

a ukulele sized stand (instead of my big-ole guitar stand),

new strings for my Pineapple Sunday,

2 wall ukulele wall hangers (instead of my guitar wall hangers),

King Kukulele & the Friki Tikis--Live at Trader Vics,

and King Kukulele & the Friki Tikis--Luau in December (via iTunes).

I've also ordered quite a bit of old-timey sheet music from eBay.  I found Ev'ryone Says I Love You online also.  It's tuned weird and I'm going to have a hell of a time learning it but I love a challenge.  

I also found this that I really, really, really, really, really, really want.  But I didn't buy it!  See how good I am?!

The Masque of Mandragora

I've taken the liberty of checking out a novelization of the Doctor Who serial The Masque of Mandragora. The first two paragraphs of the introduction by Harlan Ellison make me want to go no further lest I be terribly disappointed. There's no story that can beat a potential geek fight:

"They could not have been more offended, confused, enraged and startled...and then an eruption of angry voices from all over the fifteen hundred person audience. The kids in their Luke Skywalker pajamas and the retarded adults spot-welded into their Darth Vader fright-masks howled with fury. But I stood my ground, there on the lecture platform at the World Science Fiction Convention, and I repeated the heretical words that had sent them into animal hysterics: 'STAR WARS is adolescent nonsense; CLOSE ENCOUNTERS is obscurantist drivel; STAR TREK can turn your brains into puree of bat guano; and the greatest science fiction series of all time is DOCTOR WHO! And I'll take you all on, one-by-one or all in a bunch to back it up!'"

(This heretic hadn't even seen the 3 Star Wars prequels!)

I really like Star Wars (I don't even consider the prequels). I've never been big into Star Trek but I'm sure it's not that bad. But I do agree that Doctor Who is superior. Not only is it great storytelling, it's got a frickin' legacy! 46 years?! C'mon! I just don't have the guts to say it in front of a bunch of geeks dressed up in their gear at a sci-fi convention!

new artwork

We went to Homer last week.  Among the things to do in Homer (going to the meadery, going to the winery, going to the brewery) browsing art shops is one of the least glamorous.  But it's great.  Homer has beautiful scenery and that alone is enough to inspire artistic genius.  Unfortunately the proportion of bad artistry is just as high-if not slightly higher-than everywhere else.

There was one piece that I found that I loved, though.  There were half-a-dozen pieces by the same artist, using the same technique, but this one was above and beyond my favorite.  Essentially, the artist created wooden inlays.  There was an Orca jumping out of the water, a sultry woman, a moose on ice skates (seriously--eccchhh!).  I was almost put off from buying the one I liked.

Anyway, I went back the next day and put my money down on the table, "Wrap it up!" I said.  

No, but the artist happened to be there (so I'm glad I didn't speak so honestly about the rest of his artwork) and I praised his picture.  It just happened to be his favorite as well (imagine that).  

Anyway, no more belaboring it:

Forgive the cybermen invasion.  I haven't found a good place for it yet. 

WBMC 2009

Yesterday we attended the World Beard & Moustache Championships in downtown Anchorage.  It was certainly a celebration of facial hair...and of course I participated.

Blag

So, National Poetry Month ended up being a bust as I seizured, slept, and recovered from my, well, seizure.

Everything's okay. My MRI and EEG came back clear and there have been no repeat occurrences. I'm medication free for the time being.

Anyway...

I'm putting a halt on my concertina lessons until August because work is about to get REALLY stressful. Summer Reading starts on Saturday and promises to be a lot of fun and a lot of work. The theme is Be Creative (or Express Yourself! for teens) and not only am I doing two storytime programs a week w/ukulele accompaniment but I foolishly agreed to take on a Fractured Fairy Tales program the first week in June AT ALL THE LOCATIONS. Egad! The program has been put together for awhile. I just need to come up with some MadLib inspired Fairy Tales to do with the kids during the program (also one for them to take home).

Again, EGAD!

But I'm excited about the other programming: Jugglers and magicians, musicians and Mad Science. I'm not excited about the late-comers and the over-crowding, the constant business and the inability to take a vacation.

Trying to remain optimistic.