On Overload and Lovin' It!

Finished up band rehearsal today and as usual I'm exhausted!  My brain is working overtime which I'm sure is good for it.  I'm giving myself a quick break and then will begin practicing over and over again various drum stick patterns.  I'm also working on swing rhythms and fills on my drumset.  Need to get the triplets on various toms as well as the snare.


Mark and I ran over to the Drum Store on Linden Street in Old Town Fort Collins and I got a Djembe drum and Mark got a digeridoo!  I think we are going to start a drum circle at our house and rotate between different houses.  Should be fun!

Update Time

The latest on my weight loss journey...not so good this week.  While I was on target for my points this week and up'd my activity I managed to gain 1/2 pound!  How discouraging!  Guess I'll just keep doing what I've been doing and see if a weight loss can kick in over the next week or two.


Getting excited about seeing Sara and Zach on Sunday!  Going to try my hand at a pregnancy photo shoot.  I'll take more pictures of Sara than Zach.  I'm trying to think of poses that are not the goofy traditional ones.


Looking forward to Sara's baby shower next weekend, too!  It was so nice of Sara's friend, Dani to hold the shower at her place! Should be fun!


Still have to practice drums tonight.  Spent the afternoon in Old Town browsing some of the shops.

The Sun Has Returned!

We had several cloudy days in a row with an occasional peek of sun late in the afternoon but today was different...clear blue sunshine skies greeted me when I awoke!  Yes!  What a way to start off the day; sunshine always puts me in a great mood!  As much as I love waking to sunshine beams, I think I'll close my venetian blinds the opposite way so the sunlight doesn't peak through and glare in my eyes in the morning; feels a bit like having Gort's weapon beam of light shining in my eyes!  "Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!"

We made it up to 56 degrees today and it should be about 60 degrees for the next few days.  The sunshine is supposed to stick around, too.  Can you believe that this weekend begins Daylight Savings Time?  Is this a recent change?  I thought it usually happened in April.  I welcome it.

Had my drums and guitar lessons today.  I'm working on offbeat rhythms in drums and am starting on Swing rhythms.  I finally have Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" finger picking pattern down in guitar as well as John Denver's "Poems, Prayers, and Promises".  Just need to practice speed now.

I'm still managing to stay within my daily Weight Watcher's points plus totals and have incorporated more movement into each day.  I'll have a fuller update on my progress on Friday.

Tidbits

Looks like the snow missed us again!  That's okay with me because I'm definitely ready for spring!  I enjoy my walks outside...better than working out on an elliptical.  There is supposed to be another round of snow tonight and it looks as though that will miss us, too!


I managed to get in 3 hours of drum practice and 1 hour of guitar practice yesterday.  I decided to start playing my fills and basic rhythms to some of my Ipod tunes; helps me play a rhythm consistently throughout the song.


I've been quite successful getting in my time/steps for the past few days to support my permanent lifestyle change of more "movement" in my day.  It will be more of a challenge this week as my music lessons and rehearsals come back into the picture.  But, I'll make it happen.


Mark is finalizing our tax return today (thank you, Mark)!  It's one less thing to think about.


I'm starting to read a photography book today which deals with composition.  It has assignments at the end of each chapter.  Might take a little longer than I anticipate since the weather needs to cooperate for some of the outdoor shots.  We'll see.


Well, I hear the elliptical calling me so I'd better not ignore it any longer.  Back later with more updates.

Music Goals

I've immersed myself in music these past few months and decided to set some goals. In drums, I want to be the best drummer in the New Horizons Band in a year. I also want to be proficient in swing band music in a year, too. In guitar, I want to build a repertoire of songs that I can play with ease within a year.

I would like to work on the publicity committee for our local New Horizons Band; I hope through a publicity campaign, we can attract 4 new members to the organization in 2011.

In 2012, I want to participate in a band camp for the national New Horizons Band organization.

In my next post, I'll provide more information about the New Horizons Band--how it got started, what its goals are, and how you can join.

Music! Music! Music!

What a great day today! Not only did I have my second concert band rehearsal, but I went to the more experienced band rehearsal afterwards and got a good look at all the percussion instruments. I actually played during one piece, too! All the band members were so welcoming to me and so encouraging, too! What a nice bunch of people!

After 3 hours of percussion, I went to my guitar lesson. I'm working on a difficult picking pattern and finally have the first half of the song down. Need to get the other half down now as well as picking up the tempo.

Music sure makes me happy, whether I'm playing it or listening to it. I'm convinced that you are never too old to pick up an instrument...I'm proof of that. I was so worried what others (particularly a drum instructor) would think to start drums at the young age of 57. My drum teacher is probably 30 years my junior and he is so supportive of my new found endeavor.

If boredom is setting in, try something different. Pick up an instrument. Besides being fun, there is an added benefit...the process of learning something new is great for an aging brain!