One Dad's Life

10 Weird Sounds I Like

In my most recent post, I mentioned an odd sound I happened to like...then I mentioned that was a topic for another post.

Soooooo...not wanting to disappoint, I decided to come up with 10 weird sounds I like.  This isn't a top 10 list, because seriously, I'm not putting that much effort into it and would feel really bad if tomorrow morning as I drove to work, I thought of a BETTER sound.

Also, I'm qualifying this by saying they are weird sounds.  This rules out all the standard stuff like your kids telling you how you are the greatest dad in the whole wide world...at least as far as their very limited experience has shown them and by the way could they have some money to go do something farther away from the world's greatest dad?  So, that whole thing is ruled out...no sweet and loving sayings from the kids, or wife, for that matter.  Dianne, I'm ruling you out!  Besides, best wife in the whole wide world, once you read this list I'm quite certain you'll WANT to be left out.

Without further ado or fanfare, the list of the first 10 weird sounds I like:

(standard disclaimer:  These are in no particular order)

1. That strange clicking sound of the old film projectors.  This revelation was the inspiration for this whole post!
2. The sound of large diesel engines.  I'd buy a big truck, with a big diesel engine just to hear this sound.  However, I don't have the money, or good enough excuse to rationalize this purchase!
3. The startup sound from the Nintendo Gamecube.   I call it the "sound of fun."  It's missing in the Wii, which is a bummer!
4. Windchimes.   OK, this isn't so weird, but if I didn't think people would look at me slightly askew, I'd so totally fill my yard, porch, bathroom, etc with windchimes.  I already have quite a few.
5. The winding sound in old spring driven clocks.
6. The static and surface noise sound at the beginning of a vinyl LP.
7. Those old toys that you'd turn upside down and then right side up and they'd "MOO."
8. The screeching metal on metal sound that trains make as the wheels rub on the tracks and the couple rub against each other.
9. Shuffling cards.
10. The sound of a plane's wheels bouncing on the seams in the runway, followed by the silence as the plane lifts off.  I love to fly!

Spring has Sprung!

 

Crocuses blooming by my driveway this afternoon.  Get out the gardening implements!

The Best Day of School, Ever!

It's odd how sometimes completely out of the blue, a thought hits you that completely derails what you were doing or thinking about and takes you to another time and place.

If you are lucky, this does not occur while you are driving!

I had one of these thoughts tonight and fortunately, I was sitting down.  Unfortunately, I was sitting down in a Bible Study.

I don't remember the details surrounding the moment of my "thought."  Perhaps this is early senility setting in, or perhaps it was just the derailing nature of my thought.  Who can tell these things?

The thing is, we were having our discussion and something in this discussion triggered this thought.

Wait.  I actually suddenly DO remember what triggered the thought, and I'm too lazy to go back and delete all the stuff I just wrote, so you are forced to just DEAL with this stream of consciousness post.  Just DEAL with it!

We were talking about possibilities for the next Bible study, and the discussion moved to a Bible study that involved a video.

This is what triggered my thought.

You see, I am currently in my early 40's.  When I went to grade school, video, in the form of video tape and DVD essentially didn't exist.  There were laser disks, that only Mr. Fancy Pants could afford, and there was a form of magnetic video tape, but it was largely used by news crews, not consumers.  So for OUR videos in school, we had actual film projectors.  I still love the sound of the old film projectors, but that is the subject for another post.  This post is all about my derailing thought.  Remember?

Anyway,  for whatever reason, when we talked about the video possibility, I had a little flashback to grade school and watching science films and the like using actual film projectors.  At the end of every film, the entire class would start to screech in unison:

"PLAY THE MOVIE BACKWARDS, PLAY THE MOVIE BACKWARDS!!!"

You see, with actual film projectors, you have to rewind the film back to the original reel the movie came on, so you could return it to its original box.  You could do this by directly feeding the film back to the original reel and switching the direction to rewind, or you could feed the tape back through the whole complicated mechanism, past the bulb, and finally back to the original reel.  If you did this, you could have the lamp on, and watch the movie backwards at high speed.  This was endlessly entertaining and every film we watched, the class would BEG the teacher to let them watch it backwards.

Occasionally, the teacher would oblige.  When the teacher obliged, it was the best day of school, ever!

This memory was triggered for some reason on the mention of a video in my Bible class.  Try to keep up. 

So did I let this derailing thought run its course and try to catch up to the conversation, already in progress?

OF COURSE NOT!

With no warning, I blurted out:

"CAN WE WATCH THE VIDEO BACKWARDS!!!!"

Well, there was a moment of silence as the group struggled to hold on to their train of thought.  It wasn't possible.  My derailing thought was so powerful it derailed the entire group.  I had to go through my whole explanation of the outburst.  Eventually everything was straightened out, and the discussion returned to normal.

So, what made your best days of school, ever?

PMMP (Potential Mini Muny Performer) update

It would seem, seeing as there were no phone calls this weekend, that my eldest daughter will not be performing in the children's chorus at The Muny this year.  Close your eyes and imagine me with a sad face on.  However, my daughter, not to be deterred, will be trying out again next season...and will be joined by her younger sister! 

In any case, hats off to The Muny for an audition process that encouraged the kids, rather than frighten them, and my family is looking forward to the shows!   This will be our seventh season of season tickets and has become our main summertime tradition.

For out-of-town readers, included is a shot of The Muny stage, undergoing renovation.  The trees are actually IN FRONT of where the back of the stage wall normally goes.  Yep.  Trees on a stage.  You gotta like that! Click for a bigger picture.

Sign Photo of the Day

This hardware store (a real hardware store) frequently has catchy or humorous signs by the street.  This one caught my attention and I wanted to get a picture of it.  There never seemed to be a good time as I was always in a hurry or didn't have a camera.   I was afraid they would change the sign before I got a picture.

Fortunately, a couple of Sunday's ago we left for church earlier than we needed to and I realized that NOW was the time!  I actually turned the car around, and snapped the photo.

BTW, for St. Louis readers, you can actually refill your propane tanks here...not swap them for some beat-up tank at an exchange.  I have a couple of tanks that I bought, and it's nice to have a place to refill them.

Muny Auditions Quote of the Day

As told to me by my daughter, Rebecca, after her audition for the Muny (see the post below).  The name of the exuberant girl has been changed.  This has occurred largely because I'm in a rush, and forgot the actual name, plus to protect the innocent and all that stuff.

Friendly Muny Volunteer (FMV): OK kids, does everyone have their yellow cards?

Potential Miniature Muny Performers (PMMPs):  YES!!!

FMV: OK, hold them up so I can see them!

Narrator (that's me, Gregg):  OOOOOO, a photo opportunity!  (Shameless tie-in to yesterday's post)

FMV:  OK, Everyone memorize your number.  It helps if you do this... (FMV presses a yellow card to her forehead.)

PMMPs: (giggle)

FMV:  OK, now look at the person in front of you, and look at the person behind you and remember who they are, in case you get out of order.

PMMPs: (look around)

Rebecca: (looking behind her in line)

Exuberant Girl Behind Rebecca:  (with great enthusiasm as soon as Rebecca looks) HI!!!  My name is Kelly, what's yours!!!???!!!!

Rebecca: (looking wide-eyed and slightly shocked) Rebecca.

Exuberant Girl Behind Rebecca: People frequently think I'm tall for my age, what do you think?  Look!!! Let's meet some people, hey the line is moving, isn't this exciting, I wonder how many kids will be accepted, do you think it's getting warmer outside....(voice fades as they enter the elevator)

(editors note:  Actually, to satisfy the truth in blogging rules, I have to mention that the very last paragraph was completely made up from me after exuberant girl said "People frequently think I'm tall for my age, what do you think?"  I just extrapolated the rest from my daughter's description.)

The Muny - Auditions

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that our family is somewhat into producing musicals.  My wife has been an actress, producer, and jack of all trades. I've done music (synthesizers), tech stuff, and anything else I had time for, and both of my daughters have acted/sung/danced in a variety of productions.

This year, my oldest daughter, who is twelve, decided she wanted to try out for The Muny...the grand open air theater in St. Louis' incredible Forest Park.  This theater puts on seven professional productions each summer and has approximately 9000 seats.  Each production runs a full week (and sometimes more!).

Naturally, competition is tough to get into this venue, but after performing in some shows with Muny performers, my daughter was excited to give it a try.

She selected a excerpt of music to use for her audition and my wife and I helped her and a friend rehearse their music and gave them tips for the audition on Friday night.  She had decided to do a section of "Learn Your Lessons Well" from Godspell, thinking it could show some attitude and get the attention of the judges.

We got to the children's chorus audition Saturday morning just a little bit after 8:00 in the morning, with the first possible audition slot being at 8:30, and she was already number 171!   I'll have to say that I was really expecting the whole experience to be total pandemonium, waiting in long lines, prima donna performers and worse, prima donna parents. 

I was not looking forward to this aspect of the day, but I blocked out the entire day for the "experience."

I was pleasantly surprised. 

When you entered the audition site, you simply picked up a yellow card to fill in all the usual contact information.  On one corner was the auditioner's number.  On the back was listed the time commitment for the show they were auditioning for, and what time the audition would be for the number.  This was great, as you could leave and do other things and come back in time for your number to be called.  However, even at 171, her audition time was only 10:00AM, so we decided to wait around.  It turned out they had time-slots prepared for 500-700 kids.  That is a lot of kids!  There was only one show they were auditioning for, this year, so nearly all these kids would not make it.

Pretty rapidly she met up with friends and performers she knew from other shows and their parents.  The whole atmosphere was actually very relaxed.  There were very few crazy parents around, and compared to all the good-natured performers and parents, they just looked like idiots.

This was good!

Finally, it was time for the first group of performers to do their audition, and they were lined up, about 40 at a time, to be photographed, taught a dance combination, perform the dance combination in a small group, and sing their solo (with a provided accompanist).   All the people representing The Muny were wonderful and friendly, clearly trying to put the kids at ease.  They explained everything that was going to happen, and shoo'ed the parents away (no one was allowed in the audition).  They were actually funny!

After that point, every half-hour another group of kids was lined up and sent into the audition.  The Muny staff kept the audition running like clock-work.  Everything was right on time.  I have to hand it to them, they made the whole process easy.

One of the nicest things was when each group of kids emerged from the audition, they were greeted with a round of applause from the waiting performers and parents.  Each batch of kids was beaming from ear to ear when they emerged, showing that the audition process was as fun on the inside as the staff made it on the outside.

The kids will find out whether they made it into the show next weekend.

To me, it won't matter whether my daughter makes it in or not.  When she was in line about to go into the audition I realized that I've never been prouder of her!

Photo info:

Top: Audition sign.  The girl in the reflection on the right is my daughter.  I didn't even notice her when taking the picture.  I also didn't notice the camera and hand in the frame, seemingly floating above her head.

Top Middle: Waiting for her number to be called.  The girl on the right in the black leotard is my daughter.

Bottom Middle: Yellow cards, people! (very important)

Bottom:  All smiles, coming out of the audition.  My daughter is in the very center, in black.