I started running videos of Peanut and broke down again, so I decided to make a little short montage as a goodbye to my sweet baby.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Craig's Birthday
We went to the 40th birthday party for our friend Craig. Just some random footage from the afternoon.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Last memorial video
After most people left the memorial to go home, we had another little ceremony. Bill's ashes are being stored in the garage, the place that he loved most to be, to work. Where all his beloved tools and car(s) are kept. It's like scattering someone's ashes on the ocean that he loved or on a favorite mountaintop. But not everybody would understand keeping the ashes of a loved one in the garage.
Anyway, we had the official "installation" of the ashes in the garage, and drank one last toast to Bill. And, of course, I made a video.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
The Pinata
Our group of college friends (5 couples) and the 22 children always had a pinata when we got together for a party. Now the 22 kids are adults with children of their own, so at the memorial yesterday, we had to have a pinata for the third generation to break.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Bill's Memorial
Today was the memorial for our friend Bill--it was warm and funny and emotional altogether. You can't make a montage like this and not have it be too long, so I apologize for the length. But it really was a "fun" (if you can call this sort of thing "fun") memorial.
Friday, May 26, 2006
A Cold Night
I was reviewing an outdoor production of Carlo Goldoni's "The Venetian Twins" last night and took along the camera (missed the best photo ops, unfortunately). It was cold to begin with and got colder as the night progressed. I didn't do a very good job with the video, but here it is, such as it is.
Fortunately, it was a good show.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
The Immigration Issue
I have a difficult time with the current immigration discussion. It's not that I think it's not a serious problem, but for some 10-12 years, we hosted some 70 people from 14 different countries, who shared our lives for a few days or a few years. Some stayed in this country illegally, most did not. Some became citizens.
This video is a teeny sample of the kinds of relationships we had with our foreign visitors.
I made a mistake on the title of this video. I said that these were guests from 1990-91. Actually the early ones were in about 1981-82 and the last one was in about 1990 (you can see how much David and Tom grew from the video with the dog to the video with the football!)
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
You Didn't Quite Know Me Yet
My father and I wrote a song once, when I was a kid. I don't have a lot of positive memories of my father, but when he was at the piano were the best times. He thought up the tune for this when he was in the bath tub. When he got dressed, he asked me to help him with the lyrics. In 1982, I finally got video of him playing it. You don't get the lyrics here, but they are right out of the 1940s moon-June-swoon type of songs.
I fell in love when first we met
My heart said she's the one to get
So I started to sing, and picked out the ring
But you didn't quite know me yet.
You looked at me and shyly smiled
My knees went weak, my head went wild
For I didn't quite see, how you could care for me
When you didn't quite know me yet.
It was autumn, the leaves were falling
Your glances had me in a swoon
It was magic, romance was calling
Love was in bloom, we were in tune
You learned to love, as I loved you
Our little romance had really come true
And I know when the day your hair has turned to gray
I'll still be in love with you.
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
Sparky Juice
This is a family classic. Taken in 1982, when Paul was 13. He decided to record his own Julia Child impression. You probably won't be able to understand most of what he's saying, but the thing still has me laughing hysterically as the bit builds and builds.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
So long ago...
I found this video from 1982. Ned had just returned from spending a year in Brasil, where he learned to speak Portuguese and to play the guitar (sort of). He demonstrates both. Hard to realize that he's now pushing 40 and has been a professional musician (sort of) for many years.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Peanut's Last Day
This isn't the most wonderful of Peanut videos, but it's some shots that I took while I was waiting for him to be picked up. He's off in his next home now, and I miss him--but I'm glad I have video to remember when he was little and cute.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Piano Bar
There was a time when the "piano bar" was it, in the days before karaoke came along. People sit around the bar singing. What if someone brings a saxophone along....?
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Most Memorable Person
The most memorable person I ever met was a woman named Georgia Griffith. She was born blind, supported herself by teaching music. She played 12 different instruments. She was the only Braille proofreader of music for the Library of Congress. She lost her hearing (and sense of balance) at age 38, after which someone gave her a computer and she learned how to use it and ultimately, when I "met" her, ran 7 of the most popular discussion forums on CompuServe (in the late 1980s). She could read 12 languages fluently and a few others "not so fluently." I went with her to Washington, D.C. when she and others, were honored by the Smithsonian Institute for contributions to information technology.
(The photo above is Georgia meeting Senator Mike DeWine, who is examining her Smithsonian medallion.)
Check here for a more complete bio.
(The photo above is Georgia meeting Senator Mike DeWine, who is examining her Smithsonian medallion.)
Check here for a more complete bio.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Dave's Memorial, Part 2
The second of two videos with excerpts from David's Memorial, 10 years ago. I just took snippets from the family comments--Ned, Jeri, Marta, Tom, and Paul. There were other speakers, but the video was getting too long anyway.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Ten Years
On May 18, our youngest son will have been dead 10 years. He's permanently frozen at age 24. His memorial service was unusual (how often does the local paper send a reviewer to a memorial service?), held in the local theatre. I want to post excerpts from the service today and tomorrow. Today's excerpt is all of his best friend, Jeff Storey, who reads part of a letter David sent to him describing a piano concert he attended. I aspire to be that good a writer. I wish I had known how good he was before he died so I could have told him how very proud of him I was.
Sorry about the length of this.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Killer Lilacs
I admit this isn't the best video, but this lilac bush is so impressive. I don't know exactly how tall it is, but it reaches at the very least 10 feet above the top of the telephone pole in our back yard, climbing up the tall tree that is next to the actual lilac bush. It's pretty amazing.
Grandma gets a camera
For mother's day I gave my 86 year old mother, who is somewhat technophobic, a digital camera. I got a Kodak Easy Share camera, which is the most like a point and shoot camera. I didn't bother telling her about the fact that it does video or any of the other features. I just showed her how to turn it on, how to take a photo, and how to review them in the camera.
I told her that when she has some photos she wants prints of, either myself or my cousin will take care of it for her.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
On the Road with Lawsuit
The thing I loved most about Lawsuit was that all the members were such friends off stage as well (and still are). They had such a good time in their non-performing time. Here are some behind-the-scenes antics of the band.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Jesus Christ Superstar
An excerpt from this show, as I can guarantee you, you have NEVER seen it performed before.
Friday, May 12, 2006
The Brouhaha
People are posting their thoughts regarding the recent dustup on the Videoblogging group. I decided to weigh in with my thoughts, such as they are.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Our Baby is Growing Up
Peanut is like an old toddler now--and so cute to watch as he begins to investigate his world around him and to learn to play.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Valley Springs
Very brief video which combines the memories of my Aunt with more recent photos of my mother visiting the ranch where she spent her early years.
Useless Flowers
I wasn't going to post another Lawsuit video right away, but I've been sick as a dog all day, sleeping all afternoon, hunkered under a blanket with a fever, and I just couldn't even think about doing anything else. So here is part of a radio interview with Paul, part of a rehearsal, and part of a performance.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Happy Man
You've seen how the rap was written--now see it in a full performance of "Happy Man" at a big concert in Davis.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
How Rap is Born
Steve Erickson, trumpeter for Lawsuit, explains how he happened to write the rap section of "Happy Man"
Friday, May 05, 2006
Pounce
When the kids were in high school and beyond, they loved to get together and play card games. "Pounce," which is a multi-person game of solitaire, was always a big favorite
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Grandma in Boston
To end the Boston videos, here's a melange of my mother in Boston, which she says is her last big trip.Since she is86, I suppose that's probably true.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Scenes from Franklin Park Zoo
Here are a few scenes from our trip to the zoo. Tomorrow I'll post video of the baby gorilla.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Off to Logan Airport
I have this little "toy video camera," from eBay, which is an Aiptek. Sound quality isn't very good; color isn't very good; no zoom....but it's interesting to use in a pinch. I decided to give it a test run on the trip to Boston and filmed our trip out to Logan Airport through all the freeways and tunnels that comprise "The Big Dig." The end result is very short, but the camera performed better than I anticipated.
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