TubaOrNotTuba

About an hour of all I felt efficient. Ready to tackle the world. And so I put on my boots and grabbed my shovel and went outside to clear off the deck. Remember we had a snow storm that brought us about I figure 10 to 15 centimetres of new white cover. This is not a new job this is a recurrent thing. I just don’t do it as often as I used to. And here’s why. When you cannot see more than a shovel length away from you you know that there is danger. Not a grizzly bear will get me kind of danger. Rather I might just follow my nose and no-one will no. And so I took my time and continued to clear snow until I simply ran out of interest. The deck is about half empty and I am completely empty. If you had told me a lifetime ago that I would no longer be able to clear snow whenever I wanted I would have laughed. Not anymore. Will I go back out this afternoon and make a second try? That could happen but the temperature is rising and it is a lot more damp and chilly than before. The snow is no longer fresh powder. More like fresh sand. Each shovel full requires true effort. The only reason we clear the deck off is because insurance rules require you to keep both doors clear. And so I have done my part. Getting back from the deck to the door of the house took much longer than I would have expected. I knew that I could fall down the hill in one direction or get caught in snow in the other direction and so I went one step at a time. Probably would make a funny movie but I did not film it. We could get a sudden thaw and all the snow will go away for the third time this winter but that will not happen today. Instead I’m going to rethink the situation. Maybe the answer is to get out as soon as the snow stops. Although in this case that was just yesterday evening so I was not far off my mark. And if I keep a walkway clear the limits will be defined if I stray outside the limits that would be my bad. We shall see.

This morning I listened to a press conference. Impart so that you would not have to but I digress. Our current Prime Minister announced his decision to resign. Or rather his intention. This will not be an immediate thing because he also added that he will not have this happen until a new leader has been chosen. For all of those on the other side of the aisle waiting for their chance to take power this just tells us that the process will take months. By my calculation all the snow will be gone and we will probably be through mud season. The slinging of mud in the eventual campaign is just a distraction. We have a rather convoluted process in changing governments. Our elections are on fixed dates sort of. The choice of the voter for a new party does not change the leader sort of. We rely upon the intelligence of the party members to give us the answer to our questions period. But back to the prime minister. This is not a surprise. The country has known for months that like bad cheese the government smelled period. By the time all is done we will have had the chance to change the advisors to our country. The real hands on the steering wheel will still be in place. So why the fuss? Well it all comes down to a belief that the government runs something. If we reflect on 200 years of parliamentary presence that is countable. I have noticed that some people come from a long line of politicians father to son to grandson if you will. I have also noticed that governments rarely do something that is completely uncalculated. We have not had a war in my lifetime. And the eventual crash that all the opposition warns of our monetary system has not happened although one of the new guys thanks a Bitcoin might be an answer to something. So like most other people I will prepare some more popcorn and sit back and wait. The popcorn might be rather stale by the time things are over but that is a risk. Closer to home our car is in the garage for replacement of an important cable. The garage has no idea of the timeline but we’re getting a rental in the interim. Not something we have done very often and because we live in Canada the big question is whether or not the automobile will have winter tires.

Based on limited research that covers only a few decades I have come to a conclusion. One of the most optimistic publications in modern history is the mail order catalog. For me going back to the time before I could even read I loved when the catalogs came in. Trying to decipher what was being offered and at what price point taught me a lot about commerce. And I learned that I could not afford to own all the things that caught my interest. That principle remains. There are so many videos, now, that show what people add to their personal vehicles. Essentially catalogs of what the market has to offer. What I take away from these videos is that some people have two much money and time on their hands. Watching someone who has taken the time to add what seems like unlimited storage to the rear of this camper van leaves me with the question what is that person trying to assure. You cannot take it all with your buddy. I have learned that the market continues to innovate and that with enough money you can turn a standard vehicle into something from a dream. As long as I dream is technical. Most of the gear that is available for sale comes from the dreams of the military who also want it all now. I still do not have a correlation between whether or not these customers are former military people but I am working on it. Back to the contents of the videos. With the right racks and straps you can carry the equivalent of a small house on the back of a vehicle. Not sure why you would do this but it is probably part of the hobby. Or a mental illness. The tendency is out there in almost every special interest group. Do you have enough tools in your truck? Here I have a catalog. Does your new camera have enough gadgets in the kit? Here check the catalogs. I do not own a bowler plane but I am certain that the same rules apply. You can probably get your boat or plane to the point where it can no longer move. The better to display all the kit you have bought.

I appreciate it when places keep the same names. I know that’s almost a given for much of the geography but in the case of things like parks there’s a lot of variables. Almost by accident I came across a video review of a park that I used to go to a full half century ago. The lake has not changed very much and according to the description neither has the beach what has improved is that there are a lot more camping sites because this is now in the tourist zone and you know how tourists are. The people during the review took the time to point out that one of the only good recreational activities was to drive around and look at the cottages. To see where the real money goes. When I was there so many years ago we used it as a recreation place in the way the teenagers go and do. I wonder if all the old beer bottles have been recovered. This park also has a wildlife sanctuary which I knew by name but not because I had ever visited. We go where we’re interested. When I was 15 the chance to see a wild goose did not mean nearly as much. I was asked in a chat if I was coming up. I assume that the lake still freezes so any visiting will be at the end of the really cold season when all the ice fishermen have retreated. Right now we’re waiting on car repairs as well. The battery system has a problem and in keeping with modern technology we get codes that mean nothing to us. Therefore the car is off to the city and we had to find someone to give us slash her a ride back home. I just hope they fix it quickly. As you can guess our winter has paused. All the snow has left and we are waiting for the next round just before we do some traveling. That will also depend upon the car being repaired. Getting back to my visit to a lake, where I use to go swimming in many many many years ago. That is where I almost drowned. I had come back from summer in the maritimes and I was fooled by the difference in buoyancy between salt and fresh. My nose kept going below the surface and my breathing did not seem to work as well as I remembered. A friend pulled me to safety. I wonder if he remembers after all these years? 

I appreciate it when prices keep the same names. I know that’s almost a given for much of the geography but in the case of things like parks there’s a lot of variables. Almost by accident I came across a video review of a park that I used to go to a full half century ago. The lake has not changed very much and according to the description neither has the beach what has improved is that there are a lot more camping sites because this is now in the tourist zone and you know how tourists are. The people during the review took the time to point out that one of the only good recreational activities was to drive around and look at the cottages. To see where the real money goes. When I was there so many years ago we used it as a recreation place in the way the teenagers go and do. I wonder if all the old beer bottles have been recovered. This park also has a wildlife sanctuary which I knew by name but not because I had ever visited. We go where we’re interested. When I was 15 the chance to see a wild goose did not mean nearly as much. Oddly and family living very close to the park alloy have not stopped by to hang out. I was asked in a chat if I was coming up. I assume that the lake still freezes so any visiting will be at the end of the really cold season when all the ice fishermen have retreated. Right now we’re waiting on car repairs as well. The battery system has a problem and in keeping with modern technology we get codes that mean nothing to us. Therefore the car is off to the city and we had to find someone to give us slash her a ride back home. I just hope they fix it quickly. As you can guess our winter has paused. All the snow has left and we are waiting for the next round just before we do some traveling. That will also depend upon the car being repaired. Getting back to my visit to a lake can I use to go swimming in many many many years ago. That is where I almost drowned. I had come back from summer in the maritimes and I was fooled by the difference in buoyancy between salt and fresh. My nose kept going below the surface and my breathing did not seem to work as well as I remembered. A friend pulled me to safety. I wonder if he remembers after all these years?

To be fair this year I skipped the end of the season. 2024 was over and I felt no urge to listen to political commentary about a system where I was no longer part. You can only handle so many bad jokes about the leaders. I am sure that for those that did stay up it was worth every moment. Their scale is not the same as mine. Instead I took New Year’s Eve and reset the clock and then went to bed sure that the next day would look much like the day before. And now that I’ve had some time to examine what has happened I have had my beliefs reaffirmed. As others might say it was a nothing burger. One of our national networks took the time to parody some old songs like they do each year. In the audience there must be someone that remembers the words to a radio hit who 30 years ago. Even bringing back the old players no longer gets me excited. I have seen it all said the old man. Instead I used my bed to rest my head. Cheap poetry for the new year. I get the distinct feeling that some of the political parity is for an in crowd. They have the budget and they know the names so they produce the content. For the rest of us outside looking in we just wish the weather was warmer. Someday I might have to go South just because. Here at home we no longer get dressed up and go out. Where would we go and who would we know. Someone had warned me of this. As you age your cohort gets smaller. Right now I am waiting for new members. Sure they will be young when they arrive but time does go by so quickly there within a few years the newbies will be the regulars. Dancing to their tunes.

I guess this is where I say Happy New Year! Done. Onto other things. Based on my years of living I am an unlikely candidate to lecture on science or scientific method. At least according to my friends. After all I spent all those years in university in the arts faculty. That does not mean that I am artistic either. What I was taught to question during my time in school was it the idea of being scientific meant only be interested in numbers. Not according to me. The whole point of science and scientific method is to be predictable and offer repeatable results. As someone who spent time in music I insist that we also have that ability. There is little that is more predictable or repeatable than watching someone in band practice. We know how long to spend on any given task and we know how to repeat it. With that in mind I find myself drawn to videos that show people doing things that are clearly based upon science. Even if they fail to meet the test. Watching someone design an experiment to test a battery pack fits perfectly with the idea of being scientific but so many people out there our week in scientific skills. What did I learn this afternoon? Well, with some careful measurement you can find out how long a portable battery pack will work in a given task. Not really important until it is. And for many people trying to present their material they do not know how to explain the why or the what of the results they receive. In one case the video was clearly designed to back up a claim that a battery pack they had purchased was fit for the task. It probably was but the author of the experiment had no idea how to present his approach or his results so it’s forced to return to the title of the video to find out what to buy. We are constantly shopping for better gear period. In our case for Internet access. The idea of using a battery pack with a system of reception reception had not crossed my mind before today but now I will be looking for experiments that show me the way to do it properly. I am too old to cobble together different adapter cables to do what should be a straightforward job.

We went to the city last night for a get together with old friends. Went well. On the way there and back we were listening to old radio. Fitting I guess. This was music from before I was born. From around the time of the Second World War. And surprisingly I recognized a lot of the music because it was pieces that I had played while in stage band half a century ago. Back then these were seen as slightly older music rather than music from before the dawn of time. No electric guitars were heard. However trumpets with mutes were all the rage. Different mutes. Even I had a small collection years ago which I think are now living with my son. We never had a mute for any tuba although I suppose exist but for trump it’s lots. Different shapes and sizes. Above all different tonalities. If you have spent anytime around wind players you begin to recognize the nuances involved. Yes there was an old plunger belt somewheres in the toolbox but usually these were known as stone mutes. Something to do with the company involved I think. And we did not abuse him because if we broke one it could be a while before we found a replacement. Our musical output would be altered. I have seen mutes for other instruments. I think there is one on the violin. Nothing on the flute though. And for drums we just had pieces of carpet that you can lay on top to alter the tone. State-of-the-art for people on the student budget. Getting back to the radio show it was fun. I cannot claim to recognize every piece of music but a lot of them were things that I had heard back in the day as they say. By the time we get home we were ready to sleep. Too much virtual dancing. And of course the fog along the road meant that there was not much to see outside. Search strange weather. The sump pump ran all night and into today. Our snow cover is just a memory although I’m sure that will change all too soon. It is the end of another year and if I want I can celebrate it by dancing around the room remembering old music. Which I won’t because I am also too old for such shenanigans. Reminder to self learn the origins of that word.

There was a time when one of the most important documents in my life was the logbook. Going diving I had to keep a logbook period. While playing with my radios I had to keep a logbook. Sitting in my office taking phone call after phone call from other people I had to keep a logbook. Really the only way to keep track of what was going on in a day. After all if someone asked you if you had done such and such a thing you had the log book as a supporting document. I have not had to worry about this over the last ten years. In fact I suspect that I have lost my ability to do so. Perhaps with all this new AI stuff someone else will find a way to do it. But back to keeping a log. It taught me to be accurate and to pay attention to the clock. Everything had to be traceable to the time and date. I have been taught this professionally while working in coast radio. We had typewriters rather than pen and ink and you could not back up and correct an error. You had to let the error stand and then find a new way to record what had actually happened. No room for telling tales. I missed that now. I would love to turn on one of my radios and make a contact with some results in the world and then accurately record the when and the where. I would love to return to the sea although that becomes less and less likely. No I do not want to return to the office but it was a challenge. To always record what had happened if only in one of those CYA moments. You can look it up. It is a viable acronym for what goes on in an office. But back to my logs. I no longer have them. Left behind the last time we moved. And in reality no one else actually cared. After that initial start of phase in radio when the government required me to do so I was never asked to show a log again. That tells you something about the regulations that are put in place even in the hobby world. But keeping a log caught me is that you could record things accurately. You could provide a timestamp for most things that happened during a day. And you could learn to ignore what others so easily ignored.

Early last week one of my high school teachers passed away. I had a lot of different teachers but a small handful did make me better. This was one. The alert came from one of my siblings who knew of the man without ever having had him had as a teacher. And then on Facebook where I go less often one of my former classmates pointed out that the obituary was online. Based on the comments this man was very well respected. I did meet with him long after graduation but only for a short while. However the skills that he planted for me musically have stayed with me for a lifetime. Most teachers avoid allowing students a place to discover what skills they can achieve. In the music room we were all part of the band. When I asked to take home a different instrument just to try it out I met with no opposition. This was a place to learn not to pigeonhole. And so over a three-year. I did get to try most of the instruments in the band room and that ability stayed with me for the rest of my life. If you are a teacher and you want to be remembered years after the fact; let your students discover things. Avoid putting a break on the ability to learn. If someone wants to try a new skill set allow them to do so. After all we have already removed most of the danger from our school system. Allowing someone like me to take a clarinet home did not make the world a better place other than for certain sonic moments. Probably you would not have heard them because sound does not carry that well. So to my former teacher I salute you. You did things properly. And to my former classmates who also are taking the time to give a salute I hear you. A pity we can’t get together for practice. And yes I realized there are ways to do things over distance but that will not happen biggest band director will not be there. And that is when a band is at its best. Instead let us have a moment of silence to recognize that a good one is no longer here.