Performance Update

I completely forgot to update the come see me schedule when I started playing at the Baptist Church.

The latest performance was yesterday at the Baptist Church.

The next is this coming Saturday at RPC. We will be playing the Scarlatti Sinfonia and some hymns.

The only Christmas performance I can remember at the moment is December 18 at the Baptist Church. I have a solo in O Holy Night. Pretty stoked about this.

Dueling Banjos

Let me begin by saying I still hate I-40 at night. At least the part where you get on 306, and get lost, or go the long way.

Now, Kristi and I went to Jeannie and David's this past weekend. I actually enjoyed the trip up there this time. It is so much more fun with someone in the car. We never ran out of things to talk about only had to stop twice. It would have been perfect except for the 40-306 thing. Jeannie had country fried steak for us when we got there. Jere had already left by the time we got there. So sad. We'll have to try and run into him soon (probably won't see him until the engagement party on New Years). Jeannie had the country fried steak and David was watching Deliverance. Actually it was paused and I new exactly what it was (sad or scary, we're not sure).

Saturday was awesome. I actually slept till 10 o'clock. Then once everyone was awake we went to the Farmers Market. David rode his new toy to get a safety sticker and some sanity after a wonderful work week. The Farmers Market was pretty interesting. I really liked the Seafood Restaraunt. It's a need to go back again and again to try all the menu offerings. Then we slept again (at least I did). Oh, luxury. Getting to sleep twice in one day. Then we ate steak and bacon wrapped shrimp.

It was a weekend of totally enforced laziness. Kristi and I did absolutely nothing but be pampered. That was really nice.

Now for Suzy's big news. They rocked Auburn Alabama. First trip they finished 11 out of 16. What is so cool about that is that Milton got done wrong. In the first round, after spending all night reconfiguring their robot, they got a big ol' goose egg. Milton was the only team to get zero points in any of the rounds of the finals. They came back and posted the highest score for any round in the tournament in the last round.

MILTON BEAT WHEELER AT AUBURN REGIONALS

... bomb's bursting in air...

This past Saturday was pretty darn cool. I'm kinda glad I got sick last week so Kristi and I had to put the trip to Clayton off. We were in the kitchen when we heard a booming sound outside.

We looked and it was fire works. It was kind of funny trying to open the door we were so excited. I couldn't think why anyone would be having a Halloween fireworks display, but I wasn't going to argue. Anyway Kristi informed me that the church up the street was having its big fall festival this weekend. I honestly don't care why they were doing it. There Were Fireworks Out My Backdoor!!!

I mean the coolest thing is we could sit on the patio and watch the whole deal. No traffic, do finding a parking space, no travel time. JUST RIGHT THERE!!!! Well, needless to say we will be looking into whether there will be fireworks at this church on the 4th of July or not. Just imagine. We are already going to put a park bench under the kitchen window.

I just wish I'd had a camera to get one picture. The view was just awesome. Gotta go to work now.

128 and Counting

Well, we've made it through the first 11 weeks of school. Fall is finally here (temperature wise). I'm so happy I get to wear sweaters and sweatshirts and what not... and cords! Going to the Triangle this weekend. That is, we're going to Clayton NC to visit Jeannie and David.

Today is a sad day. Rosa Parks died today. She started the bus boycott in Birmingham and helped found the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). She lived to the age of 92. Rosa will be missed.

I'm drawing a blank on what else to tell the world at the moment so I'll probably do updates later in the day.

The Happy Couple

happy couple,
originally uploaded by ralknz.

The performance went well this morning at RPC. Reba, Roy, and Regina came down to hear the performance. Reba and Roy are my future in-laws, and Regina is Kristi's sister. We all went to Outback after the last performance and Mom and Dad got to meet Mom and Dad. Joe and Roy hit it off. Neither one of them would quit talking. We also finally got some decent pictures of us, the Happy Couple.

Well, the Milton robotics team has advanced to the next competition at Auburn in a few weeks. Yahoooooooo! Go Suzy and Sam. I'm not so sure that Roswell even got to the semi's of this weekends competition. I'll have to ask Suz tonight.

Remember my next performance is November 13 and we're playing Scarlatti's Sinfonia.

UPDATE: Milton placed 3rd this weekend at the Boost Engineering Science and Technology (BEST) competition this weekend at Southern Polytechnic in Marietta.

I'm a Smart One

We're playing tomorrow 10.23.05. That is the RPC Orchestra is playing tomorrow. I'm not the fastest snail in the bunch (my own metaphor). Everybody keeps asking me to let them know when and where I'm performing. Well, I'm an idiot! This is the place to do it. Of course I have to make sure everyone is checking the site out so they can check out my performances.

Here is the current schedule as it stands now:

Tomorrow 10.23.05 at the Roswell Presbyterian Church (RPC) 9:45 and 11:15 services. The orchestra is performing part of the prelude and possibly the first hymn. Bach's Prelude and Fugue in Bb Minor is the prelude piece and the hymn is TBD (we'll know in the morning).

The next performance as of right now is 11.13.05 at RPC 9:45 and 11:15 services. We will be performing Scarlatti's Sinfonia. There is no hymn at this date, but that will more than likely change.

A possible solo performance may be in the works at Macedonia Baptist Church in Dalton. All that information will be forth coming.

I should go to sleep now so I'll be worth something in the morning.

Timely Shmimely

Well, this weekend was fun, as was last weekend. To start off with, last weekend Kristi moved to Love Lane. Yes, we will be living on Love Lane. That's so cute!!! Philip, Mom and Dad Holland, Regina, Kristi, and I packed all the remaining furniture and boxes into the family vehicles and took off from Riverbend for Love Lane. Philip and I only managed to mildly aggravate Kristi, which I think is a good thing for me.

During the week I managed to start exercising regularly (sorta). I get to school around 6 in the morning and do alpines. That is a lap around the track plus once through the stadium. I like these. They give variety to boring old laps. I will also start alternating riding in the morning with running(once I start running) when I find a place to keep the track bike (and indoor trainer) at school.

This weekend Mom and Dad Holland brought down a washer and dryer which we got into the house with only one pulled muscle (on me, not noticed until much later). That was Saturday, the day after a depressing homecoming game against Walton. We gave them the game. Mental, all mental. On Sunday, Kristi and I went shopping for livingroom furniture. We got a couch, coffee table, end table, and mattress (no the mattress is not going in the livingroom they just had a deal). Now we can invite people over and be all sociable and stuff.

Gotta meeting to go crash (forgot to get my name put on the list)

Guess What

Well, I figured it was about time I told the world. I'm getting married!!!!!!!!!! I asked Kristi to marry me on September 3, 2005. I'm still floating around annoying people with my happiness. I asked her if she would wear my grandmother's engagement ring. She said of course she would. Then we went to Brown and Co. Jewelers to get the ring fitted. Ian set us up right. There is so much to do. I shall attempt to be more timely in the updates of what is going on. Later

Bringing Back the 70's

Kristi and I were driving around last night looking for a gas station that we wouldn't run out of gas waiting to fill up. The whole situation was, and is, absurd. News stations could have used file footage from the 70's. What is the first thing people do when told not to panic. They Freak Out! How Annoying! It's times like this that I enjoy having two tanks in my truck and a half full Escort. I get to skip the whole "Omagod, there ain't no gas!" stupidity. Of course, having three bicycles helps, too. That is my actual prefered method of transportation anyhoo. The only thing bad about this gas price explosion is that it happened at the same time that ragweed and goldenrod make their appearance. These two are the arch villains of my life.

...we are merely players

KH is home!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!!

That was the good news.

Tomorrow we close on the sale of my grandmother's house. The house my siblings and I spent our summers growing up. I lived there while I went to Ga Southwestern. It's the in of an era. Time to move on I suppose. Mom and I went down Sunday to pick up some last minute things and say fair well to the old place. We got some chairs a treadle sowing machine a desk and few other things. My mom's cousin that lives near the old house went and picked up the stuff we had "forgotten" in the event we changed our minds later.

Mom and Dad are going down to Cordele tomorrow to close the deal and get the money. I'm going to close this now. I can't write anymore about the lake. It's gone. Time to design a new set for the stage on which my life is played out and build it.

174 more to go

Well, we made it through the first week of school. Parents are extremely ecstatic and kids less so. Teachers not at all. We do get a paycheck though so we really can't complain. It is our own fault that we are doing this.

Actually, school was the best thing about last week. We are still rearranging the house after the redu of the floors. It rained after school most of the week so I didn't get to any clients' yards until about Thursday. I did pick up a new "toy." I got me a 42" cut zero turn lawn mower. Let's just say my life as a landscape maitenance contractor got alot easier. Business is still small enough that these little things can excite me. My brother-in-law and I rebuilt a trailer, all my siblings were in town, and my Dad turned 70 on Saturday.

Here's hoping for a slack week this go 'round. I only have to work both jobs (actually three of them), start orchestra rehearsal, change the oil in KH's car, get the car washed, and go retrieve valuables from my grandmother's house before we close the deal. Not a busy week at all.

The best thing of all is that KH comes home this weekend. I miss her. I've missed her since the day before she left.

Well, I must go and hope for some rain this afternoon so I can finish registering my trailer.

Send in the Clowns

Well, well, well. It is time for yet another school year to begin. I have my things all ready for tomorrow. I even have lunch prepared for the week. I'm on fire. I'll be riding to work to skip out on these wonderful gas prices and get some wheel time in with my hectic schedule. It already feels like it has been a month since KH left for her little vacation on the Med. I miss her. I had to do my first day of grocery shopping by myself. There will be next year and the year after that ad infinitum. I am hoping for no after school rain for the next week so I can get settled into the two job thing again.

This was a short one. We'll talk at y'all later.

It's that time again

Well, I have sadly been remiss in posting my thoughts and persceptions on life. Bla...Bla...Bla. We are now smack in the middle of pre-planning for the school year. I don't have a whole lot to do. I have been around to meet all my student's teachers and let them know we'll be in their room this semester. I work mano-a-mano with a student that has Muscular Dystrophy. That's about the toughest thing I had to do this week other than staying awake.

That is job wise. On the home front Mom and Dad are getting the floors redone so we have been displaced for the week. The floors look beautiful. I cannot wait for the folks to be done with the polyurethane business. I am staying at a friends place while he's out of town and I keep remembering things I forgot to bring. Well, until later I must go feed my belly and fraternize with more of my colleagues.

oh by the by! checkout my bookstore at the JollyShop

Wasted Day (Sorta)

Well, I had to sit out the landscaping today. I had a slightly out of socket hip. Which means it hurt to walk, sit or lay down, but was still useable. Any heavy lifting or pulling would have done it in so I had to wait for my chiropractor to put it back in place, and then let it rest (let the muscles unstretch and hold everything where it is supposed to be). While this was going on I added two new clients to my landscape maintenance business. There's a silver lining to every cloud. Well, maybe bronze or some semi precious metal. While being an invalid I also got some picture links set up at the JollyShop. Now, instead of just text lists of the books I have for sale you can now see what I want you to buy and be interested in it. By next Wednesday I hope to start commentating on some cycling races in the metro Atlanta area and a little beyond. With pictures. I think I shall move on for now.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

That little red head was finally right yesterday. The sun has returned and I got most of my yards caught up. How long will it last. Next week will be quite the mad rush and push. RH gets married to KS next week. I'm keeping everybody's yards in good order and trying to stay out of the way. After that I get to wear a monkey suit Saturday. Saturday at 9:00 in the morning. I'll have to be out of the shower by 7:00 I new I should have known this long hair would cause me grief. Then after the hitching ceremony I get to help my sister get ready for the family reunion. This'uns gonna be a big'un this year. Well, I must perform tomorrow at 8 in the morning so I'm gonna get my stuff in order and vegirelax.

check these books out Circle of Friends, Stormy Weather, Trojan Gold, Photosynthesis

Frittatas That Rock

I made this amazing recipe last night. Tuna frittatas with an eggplant sauce. The frittatas are great and quick to make. The eggplant sauce is EASY. Here's the recipe...


Roasted Eggplant Sauce
1# eggplant
basil (fresh or dried)
water
salt
pepper

Preheat the oven to 350*. Wrap the eggplant individually in aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp into the bowl of a food processor, and puree. Add the basil leaves and 1 tablespoon of water, season with salt and pepper, and process, adding a drizzle of olive oil in a slow, steady stream until the sauce has a smooth, thick consistency. Adjust the seasonings.


Frittatas
eggs
cream
hard Italian cheese (or seriously sharp cheddar)
salt and pepper
tuna or bacon or whatever
chopped parsley (fresh or dried)
chopped basil (fresh or dried)
oregano (fresh or dried)
scallions chopped
olive oil

Use the number of eggs as suits the number of people you’re cooking for. The other ingredients are best judgment. Mix the whole shooting match up. Should make 4-8 frittatas. Warm olive oil in skillet over low heat. Pour in egg mixture and cook till set then flip and cook till done. Repeat till mixture is used up.

Checkout some of these books for sale by Jollyshop The Voice of the Violin, Makers of Rome, The Marshall and the Madwoman

This is Just Weird Weather!

What is up with all this. Hurricane season just started yesterday. It's the Glorious 1st of June, Howe beat off the French Fleet in 1794. Any how, it's the first day of June and I had to dig up a sweater. And I didn't get to do any work again today. I'm going to have to slam everything in on one day when the weather breaks.I even wore cords today. June 1st this is supposed to be summer. Any way, with all this reading weather you should look for these books sold by Jollyshop; Pirate Looks at 50, Jolie Blon's Bounce, Rum Punch

Traffic Sucks

I know sucks isn't a nice word, but traffic does suck. There, three times and I'll say it again if I want. I'm never on the road at 5:00. Well, I was today. I had been hanging out with my sisters cat watching Braveheart. I realized it was getting late if I wanted to go for a ride so I took off without thinking. By the time I got to the end of her street I learned that rush hour had hit. (I'm not the fastest thing sometimes.)

My news ticker on my computer has lost its mind. The news is all in French and Dutch. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding the English they use now they go foreign. It could have been something in German or Spanish, something I can make out, but Noooooo.

OK back to traffic. I was no longer in the mood to go ride so I decided to head home. Blood Boiler. The drive usually takes 7-8 minutes took nearly 30. There are just too many people around here anymore not to use mass transit. Yeah, I know. No one is going to give up there personal vehicular. They are just going to sit in the car and die of stress and fast food (and all those other heart attack contributers). Well, the mass transit isn't good enough. Well, it's not going to get any better if people don't support it (ride the bus) the more money MARTA's got the more they can spend. The more people use MARTA the less everyone has to pay.

Me, I just ride my bike most of the time. Except for when I don't (usually when I'm working). It's kind of hard to carry landscape maintenance equipment on the back of my bike. Or a load of antiques or books. I am usually off the road at rush hour (morning and evening) thus the rant of the day.

How 'bout Miss Patrick this weekend in Indianapolis. Big stuff, leading 7-8 laps and finishing fourth.

At the moment I'm following the Wachovia Series Lancaster race, and HealthNet/Maxxis is looking strong in the break on the final lap. Horner is there in the break (I'm leaning towards him). Rodriguez is there, too. I've got to check on this Oliphant guy, I know some folks name of Oliphant. Hmmmmmmm?

By the way how 'bout Discovery Channel, il Falco, and the Giro. Bruyneel know how to pick 'em and Yatesy can call a good race.

It looks like Henderson (HealthNet/Maxxis), Rodriguez (Lotto-Davitamon), and Dominguez (HealthNet/Maxxis) at Lancaster.

Take a look at Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Memorial Day

Wow, can you say subdued? This is the type of weather that makes you take the time to remember that Memorial Day is more than just a day to sleep in and grill out during the week. Not to mention I love this weather. I'm weird. This day is a day to remember those who went before and served our country in the military. Just heard about a 105 year old veteran of WWI. He was sixteen when he signed up for service in WORLD WAR ONE. Well, here's to those who have been there and done that or are still there and doing it.

Off To The Races

Well, it's memorial day and I have entered the world of blogging. The idea is part place to put the family photos, part vent and rant, and part marketing strategy. It's always good when you can use business ideas to keep the family up to date. Especially when we's so spread out. I'll be talking alot about cycling, a bit about music (just about any type of music I can play on the cello, you'd be amazed at what comes out of that thing), more than is fair about soccer (or as the civilized people call it football), I will also mention baseball and football depending on the time of year. If you aren't a Georgia fan please keep an open mind (I of course will constantly be going on lock down of the mind). I will also tell you who I think is good to read and which authors I think blow. There will of course be the authors that I just won't be able to bring myself to be mean to their work or them. As for politics, well, I'm from the south and just like football and baseball (and hunting and fishing) I'll let you know how I feel about something... if I feel like it.
Well, that's enough for now. I will eventually tell y'all to go look at my store on ebay (jollyshopoddsandends) or look for books on Amazon.com sold by jollyshop. But, I'll save that for later.