30 Days of Thanks 2019

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#30daysofthanks Day 1: I was having a rough day at the shop today. My attitude was poor. Harmony Bible Church member Susan R. stopped by with donuts. My own Susan stopped by to give me a hug. Laurie came and gave me a stamp collection. They helped my day get a little better.

#30daysofthanks Day #2. I had a rehearsal today for the upcoming Medomak production of Bye Bye Birdie. And for the third (I think) year I’m covering the concert bells part. I don’t play concert bells. Or maybe I play them, just very badly. Today I’m thankful for Peter and the Amazing Tauntauns and their willingness to put up with me in the pit.

#30daysofthanks Day #3. I had no paying gigs this weekend. Instead of fretting about things being a little tight, I’ll choose to be thankful for a little savings, two packages of on-sale chicken thighs left, and plenty of food in the freezers. (I can be thankful for not one but TWO freezers downstairs!)

#30daysofthanks Day 4. On Saturday I was a little depressed about my music playing, and specifically how poorly I played mallet percussion at Saturday’s rehearsal. Tonight the drummer wasn’t there, so I sat in on drums. That really helped my attitude; I’m a much better drummer than bell player. I’m thankful for tonight’s rehearsal.

#30daysofthanks Day 5. Today was not my best day. I’m thankful for prayer meeting at Harmony Bible Church and matzah ball soup.

#30daysofthanks Day 6. I thought I was far under my calorie count yesterday. But I stepped on the scale to find I was “overweight.” It’s too bad my attitude can be affected by a silly line on a chart, but it is. Still, I’m thankful for a purchase made almost 10 years ago that has influenced my health and lifestyle for so much good—even if sometimes it makes me angry.

#30daysofthanks Day 7. My son Matthew had a fever and had to come home from school. I’m thankful I had time to go get him and bring him home before I had to leave for class.

#30daysofthanks Day 8. I am impatient. I’m easily angered. I’m selfish and unloving. I’m thankful today for forgiveness and grace!

#30daysofthanks Day 9. Something drives me BATTY, crazy, bonkers, insane: blankets! My family LOVES blankets, but NEVER picks them up. Instead of being irritated, I should be thankful. My family all still live with me, and I pretty much see them every day. They are warm and comfortable. What annoys me could be a sign of thanksgiving—if I pay attention to it.

#30daysofthanks Day 10. A friend came home to Maine to bury his mum. Another friend came home to #downtownspruceheadamerica to check in on his dad who had a stroke. These are not the circumstances I would want for them to come home, but I’m thankful that while they were here we got a chance to see each other.

#30daysofthanks Day 11. Visiting Heather on her birthday was fun. Driving home from Brooks was not! We are home safe. I’m thankful for AWD sure footed Toyota vans.

#30daysofthanks Day 12. We are a family of 5 with ONE bathroom. Sometimes it’s hard to get in there. You have to follow the shower schedule. Sometimes there’s a line. But in that one bathroom you get hot showers daily. An indoor privy so you aren’t running to the outhouse. The electric toothbrush keeps my teeth and gums healthy. Heck, Susan has an electric towel bar that keeps our towels somewhat warm and tries to keep our towels dry. I’m pretty blessed in that little bathroom.

#30daysofthanks Day 13. It was cold this morning. Single digit cold. Tonight I had a nice hot supper and soon, a dish of—what else—ice cream! I’m thankful for cold ice cream on a cold night.

#30daysofthanks Day 14. I spent some of my evening doing dishes. I was reminded of why I started doing this thankfulness exercise years back. It was that little plaque in my grandmother’s kitchen. “God bless these dirty dishes, they have a tale to tell. While others may go hungry, we’ve all been eating well.”

#30daysofthanks Day 15. I had a bunch of stuff I needed to get done today. Susan recognized I had too much stuff and not enough day. She took over one project to buy me some time to work on something else. That really helped me get things finished. Thanks Honey.

#30daysofthanks Day 16. Although Matthew’s robotics team didn’t get into the finals, I was pleased with how hard he and his teammate Daniel kept trying.

#30daysofthanks Day #17. We had a small scheduling mix up. My car which has two available seats (the back is full as it usually is) needed to get three guys home to Spruce Head. I’m thankful for some bonding time with my sons, their good humor, a safe trip home, and no police.

#30daysofthanks Day #18. This morning’s theology study for Thursday’s class was all about the doctrines of human nature, sin, and grace. Today I’m thankful for some reformed friends. We don’t agree about everything, and sometimes have major disagreements. Still, I’m thankful for them, and their positions–even though they’re wrong. 😉

#30daysofthanks Day #19. I’m thankful for an attitude adjustment that comes from praying with fellow believers at a little country church every Tuesday night.

#30daysofthanks Day #20. I had a packed schedule at work today, but came home to a “mac and cheese fest” courtesy of my beloved.

#30daysofthanks Day 21. Yes, going back to school has taken effort on my part. I get up early and study. I write papers on weekends. I have to use up vacation time and drive about two hours each way to class. But my boss has granted me time off from work going on year #3. And generous donors give to the school so students can attend tuition free. How could I not be super thankful for them?!

#30dayofthanks Day 22, an early one. I woke up and found a message from a friend. She noticed that last night I was thankful for generous people giving to my school, and she’s also noticed that I have some drums for sale. She sent me a message asking how I was doing, and wondering if I was selling drums to finance school books. I’m thankful for a friend who has that kind of heart. This former teacher has on multiple occasions gifted both me AND Julia with a little something to help pay for school expenses. I hope my heart becomes more and more like hers–loving, generous, kind, and observant.

#30daysofthanks Day #22. When your 88 year old customer says he eats one meal a day with his food stamps benefits, and of his 10 kids only one calls once a week, and he can’t drive because the eye surgery didn’t work and he now sees only out of one eye, well that’s a tough thing to hear (unless you’re totally heartless). I’m thankful for those who volunteered to buy or help pay for a new computer for him. Someone has donated one that I think will serve him just fine. Thanks everyone!

#30daysofthanks Day 23. Due to surgery this is my last gig of the year. Thank you Nikki, Vincent, David, Carl, Bill, Jo Anne, Glen, Wayne, and Peter for throwing work my way this year.

#30daysofthanks Day 24. For the person who blessed us today exactly at the time we needed it. Thank you.

#30daysofthanks Day 25. I’m thankful Susan has held up well physically on our trip to Boston.

#30daysofthanks Day 26. Giving God the praise for was could’ve been bad, but He blessed mightily! Get a pencil and take notes. The anesthesia was different this time, and recovery was much better. Felt so good we skipped the cab to North Station and just walked. Doc didn’t need to cut into my head, but did it all through my ear canal. That means less pain, no stitches, and a less obtrusive dressing. I didn’t lose my taste this time either. Dr Lee’s office admin says not losing my taste last time was very rare; I’ve got taste 2X in a row! The skin graft healed “so good” according to the doctor. He even emphasized that to Susan: “So good.” No abnormal cells found. The prosthetic was installed—titanium even! Susan last time was beat, sick, and had a headache. She’s doing great this time. Answered prayers people! I thank you for them and thank God for His mighty powers. Thanks to nurses Michael and Michelle and Julie too. And Dr. Roediger in Portland and Dr. Daniel Lee at Massachusetts Eye and Ear.

#30daysofthanks Day 27. No pain today. Not even tylenol level pain. Took 3 walks with Deuteronomy. Heck if I didn’t have all kinds of vacation time to use up I could’ve gone to work!

#30daysofthanks Day 28, Thanksgiving day. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” Romans 1:16

#30daysofthanks Day #29. I’m thankful for CLR, which did a great job of getting my toilet clean today.

#30daysofthanks Day #30, the final installment. “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” 1 Thess. 5:18. I had a theme this year. Did you catch it? (Amy did.) I tried to take the worst thing that happened to me during the day, and be thankful for it. Look at it from a different point of view. How might God use something bad for my benefit (Rom. 8:28)? I found it to be a useful exercise.

The Rolling Car and the Rosewood Snare Dream

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I dreamed I was in a vehicle that was rolling in reverse, and I had no breaks. I had to navigate through some streets and try to figure out a place to crash. I ended up crashing into a beat up old pick up. Sadly, I had cross the border from Canada into the United States during the trip, so I had to go through customs in the clear my possessions. I happened to have a rosewood snare drum with me, and imported rosewood is now illegal (at least in my dream). Thankfully the agent had a poster showing what rosewood snare drums were vintage and would be allowed in, and my snare drum was on the poster, so I knew I would be safe.

My First Ride Cymbal

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In my previous post, I mentioned I bought my first pro cymbal, and that I had a video of me in high school playing my first battle of the bands, and using that crash. At that particular band battle, I didn’t yet own a ride cymbal! I had to borrow a ride from another drummer. I don’t remember the exact model ride, but I borrowed a Zildjian Platinum ride from one of the guys at the show. I was impressed by how much ping and cut came out of that cymbal. I was very impressed with it. By the next year, and the next band battle, I purchased a Zildjian Ping Ride from my local music store. I would’ve been a sophmore in high school, I think. Again, I have a video of that Battle of the Bands. I so much loved that cymbal that I asked the sound man to make sure it was heard in the mix. He mic’d it up separately! It was heard, alright. A mic’d Ping ride will get some attention. You can see that VHS on Youtube if you click here.

I still own that ride cymbal. My tastes have changed over the years. I prefer thinner ride cymbals now, lighter cymbals I can get a crash out of if needed. So this ride doesn’t get played much, but it still gets played at the occasional rock show. As I reflect on my friend Harvey, and the closure of my local music store, I think with fondness about my love of ride cymbals (only eclipsed gear wise by my snare drum love), and how it started when I was a young teen, 15 or so, at my local music shop. And now, now that it’s gone, young drummers won’t have a shop to go listen and pick out a cymbal. They’ll have to travel an hour or two, or buy online (where you can’t hear the cymbal before you buy it).  #NK2Music

 

Harvey and the local music store

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My very first real drum set was purchased at Northern Kingdom Music, probably 1984 or so. For the last 35-ish years, I’ve done business with my local music shop. Northern Kingdom closed up a few years ago, but a couple of the employees picked up the mantle and opened K2 Music. Midcoast Maine continued to have a local music store through the line of NKM. Until yesterday. Yesterday K2 Music closed, and with it an era. I’m without a local music store. The closest one is now an hour away.

I’ve decided I want to highlight some stories, and show off some gear I purchased from NKM and K2 over the years. What musician doesn’t like talking gear?

This cymbal is a 16″ Zildjian thin crash. It’s the first professional cymbal I ever purchased, and I got it from NKM. I have a video of me playing a battle of the bands as a freshman in high school. In that video I was playing this cymbal. On a side note, in that video I’m playing a borrowed ride cymbal; I didn’t own my own ride at the time. Anyway, this crash is still in my possession, and currently is on a stand at my practice kit down in the teaching studio as I write.

Ear Plugs

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I remember it was in the trailer where my beloved and I lived during our first two years of marriage–so this would’ve been 1994 or 1995-ish. I was an active musician, and we had recently been to a concert of some nature. My ears had been ringing. And would you believe, in the newspaper was an article about hearing damage, and a phone number to a telephone based hearing test. You called the number, and listeded to three tones. I remember calling, and remember I couldn’t hear all three. A recording at the end of the test said something like “If you’ve recently been exposed to loud noises, give your ears some time to rest, and then take the test again.” I did, and thankfully the test that time was normal. Since then, I’ve been routinely wearing earplugs when playing the drums.

Fast forward 23 or so years. I was listening to a drumming podcast, and the subject or ear protection came up. Specifically, a company was promoting high fidelity, but affordable and non custom made, earplugs. I decided I’d try a pair. And so, I’ve been on a bit of a quest. A quest to find the best, not custom, affordable earplugs.

I now own four different sets of earplugs, all less than $25. I’m going to give honest reviews of these earplugs here on the blog, with the hope other musicians find these reveiws and find them helpful in choosing something that will potentially save their hearing. Reveiws will begin soon.