Long time no blog ...

Wow! I haven’t blogged in forever.

<------- and this is a big part of why. For the last month I’ve been working at Kitchell’s job site at Mercy Med Center in Redding 3 or 4 days a week … and it looks like I’ll be relocating up there sometime in the near future … and should be there until 2011 or thereabouts. Actually not blogging is a good sign because I generally talk to my blog when I’m unhappy ... so hey! … maybe I’m having a run of happiness. Shhhhhhh!

Seriously though life has been really good lately … so good it’s a bit boring really. Family life is good, finances are improving and work is good. All is well in my little world and that's a big deal.

Redding is very pretty. Lakes, creeks, rivers and the mountains everywhere you look. There’s every kind of shopping and eatery you could ask for … and surprise, surprise, it snows there just enough to be pretty without being an inconvenience. It’s close to every kind of water sport for summer and skiing in the winter … and I know it sound incredibly hokey and un-Jojo like but the people there are universally nice … seriously. It’s a very relaxing environment that has a slower rhythm and I think that’s what makes it easy for people to just be kind to one another. I’m looking forward to the move. In fact, the sooner, the better. Being stretched between two places makes me largely ineffective in both if you know what I mean.

I had a recent bout of temporary insanity that was cured by reconnaissance mission reports from fellow solider and trusted buddy Di, who bravely went to Renegades camp last weekend ... thanks to her I’m sane again and perfectly content to be a spectator. Just as well because incredibly I am STILL recovering from my attempted space launch. I think the damage to my left shoulder and tailbone may be permanent. Egads. Moving in certain directions STILL takes my breath away.

I’ve judged a couple of shows …one not so well … the other much better. The first gig was in Fresno … about 46 colorguards … I lost control about half way through it and it was real fight to manage the numbers til the end. Because of the size of those shows number management is always a challenge but WGI’s new philosophy, and the elimination of block scores, made it more of a challenge than usual. The next show was in Bakersfield … a new circuit for me and a tremendously long way to travel to judge by the way ... too long I’ve decided ... but I’m glad for the chance to have stretched out. I admit I was nervous when I got there but I “fell back on my technique” so to speak and did just fine. The next show for me is another Fresno gig, followed by a Modesto gig, followed by Leigh ... a weekend trifecta ... I love those because they always help me establish my “groove” as it were. I’m really looking forward to it all but I have a lot of homework I have to do to prepare ... and very little time to do it in.

Tonight is the last rehearsal for the Elkies before their first show on Saturday at Rodriguez. Here’s the thing ... the show is a minute short ... we haven’t seen the floor yet ... or the inside of a gym ... and we just got our prop materials dropped off last night. So tonight’s rehearsal will be about putting a quickie ending on the show (or finding a logical place to just stop, although I prefer the former over the latter), getting the girls on and off the floor and hopefully incorporating the floor into the show. I’m opting not to use the props this weekend. I think that’s too much and a big neon invitation for trouble ... so that’s that. The upside is there’s absolutely no danger that we’ll be moved up ... lol ... and that’s good. More on that front AFTER the upcoming weekend.




I think my angels
are doing an outstanding
job this past month

thanks guys

I owe you a drink
when we finally meet.