Currently watching: The Office S9: E4
So I just stumbled on this blog again and realized it's been over 2 years since I did a post and lot has changed in the last two years. A few things that have changed in the last 2 years: moved from Roanoke to Midlothian, got a new job at a much more reputable company, we adopted a dog, and we had a baby!
So yeah, lots going on in the Rodrigues household. As far as the job goes it has its up and downs, but after some recent drama I have pretty much resigned myself to showing up, doing my very best and leaving; as well as marketing the shop and some of our repairs.
Some of the repairs that I have been able to do that I haven't really posted about that stand out are run over instruments, key fittings, as well as numerous overhauls on clarinets, oboes, saxophones, and bassoons. Needless to say I've been a very busy boy.
And through it all, the highs and lows (and very lows) God has been good. It's hard not to overstate this, there have been times where we had $30 to our name and we were #blessed (sorry I had to because I realize how cheesy this sounds) by our church family with enough money to pay our bills. I was recently started reading Zechariah on my reverse-read-through of the Bible and came across on interesting summarization: Present obedience is necessary for future blessing to occur. Now that sounds a lot like some Joel Osteen bullsh*t, but I think a better understanding is this: work = results. Whether or not we see those results is ultimately up to God. Our labor is never for ourselves it is always for the kingdom and for the Lord. At least that's how I see it, so keep on working hard and working for God.
Now if you'll excuse me my wife is dying to read this before I post it. Promise to post more regularly, like maybe once a week or twice a month and actually include some repair stuff in it as well as spiritual nuggets I find.
Peace
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Saturday, March 2, 2013
TL;DR
Teenage Dream - Warblers GLEE cover (Katy Perry)
So yeah interesting thing happened today: I had the most views on my blog that I have ever had. Interesting. I wonder if it's because I'm suddenly more popular or because I'm so interesting? Probably just the fact that I posted in on Facebook on a Saturday morning when most people are waking from their shenanigans from the previous night.
Either way it got me excited so definitely going to post more. However, I think that most of my posts are going to become a mixture of my job and how I can relate that to the spiritual. I say this so that any of my friends that are atheists, agnostic, or any other religion than non-denominational Christian don't suddenly get offended. I hope you continue to read the blog and get some insight as to my spiritual belief and how I relate it to work place.
That being said please feel free to comment on the blog as well as message me if you have questions about repair or spiritual things, can't really think of a better word there.
Well now so here is what I am thinking of while typing all of this: we as humans are constantly being repaired when we seek forgiveness from our Creator.
When you are doing brass repair or even some woodwind there is no way to return the piece to perfect conditions. Every dent leaves a scar on the metal or crack in the wood. My job is to make the dents or cracks invisible to remove them from the instrument and return it into working condition. I feel like I am pretty talented in this area, I mean I have a lot to learn, but compared to how bad I was when I started there is definite visible progress.
Now the difficulty that comes with diagnosing and repairing doesn't quite fit into this analogy if we are working under the idea that there is nothing outside the power of God's will (No I do not think God could microwave a burrito too hot that He cannot eat). Which most deists will say that the previous is true, otherwise said being isn't God and we need not fear Him. Watch Kingdom of Heaven and you will understand that quote.
Sorry for the complication, but it is important to clarify where I (and most Christians) stand on this.
So now we come to the analogy: We are all instruments. We all fit somewhere in the orchestra. Whether we know where is a different topic all together. So here we sit going through this existence getting the living snot beat out of us everyday. From nasty break ups, hearts broken, personal failures, triumphs that cost us some moral dignity, and tragedy. Lets face it it's a nasty world out there, lots of bad things happen all the time. Here is a visual of what most of us would look like after one day. So imagine what years of abuse would look like?
Que this man, well God/man: Jesus. He is perfect at what he does; and what does he do? Well he repairs instruments. Now this is where most people just tune out, because they have heard it all before and they think it's silly. But here me out: We are trucking along, taking a beating and slowly but surely we get worn down. Our valves no longer work. Our joints get loose. We become 'out of tune' to put in in layman's terms. But the cool thing is that there is this perfect instrument repair technician out there who can fix us. And best of all it's free. It takes no effort on the instruments part. The technician does all the work and doesn't charge us a fee at all.
So what does this mean? Well once we become 'fixed' we start working properly and never have to be repaired again? Not quite, despite this popular idea among parents of 6th grade band students, we go back out into the world again but we start getting dinged up, bent, lose pads and break braces. Now here's the cool thing: we are always given that option of repair and it is still free. We are perpetually being fixed and sent back into the world. No matter how messed up the instrument(person) becomes there is no fee to bring it back into working condition. And that my friends is grace. Grace is getting something amazingly silly and impossible to comprehend, for free. Not because we deserve it, but because in the end God(Band/Orchestra director of the Universe) just wants us all to play in tune.
So yeah, there you go. Sorry that was so long, but the first post is usually the longest when you start up something like this. I promise to keep subsequent posts shorter and filled with less doctrine and more spiritual insight.
TL;DR: God is a band director, we are instruments. Jesus fixes us for free constantly so that we can play for the band director better.
So yeah interesting thing happened today: I had the most views on my blog that I have ever had. Interesting. I wonder if it's because I'm suddenly more popular or because I'm so interesting? Probably just the fact that I posted in on Facebook on a Saturday morning when most people are waking from their shenanigans from the previous night.
Either way it got me excited so definitely going to post more. However, I think that most of my posts are going to become a mixture of my job and how I can relate that to the spiritual. I say this so that any of my friends that are atheists, agnostic, or any other religion than non-denominational Christian don't suddenly get offended. I hope you continue to read the blog and get some insight as to my spiritual belief and how I relate it to work place.
That being said please feel free to comment on the blog as well as message me if you have questions about repair or spiritual things, can't really think of a better word there.
Well now so here is what I am thinking of while typing all of this: we as humans are constantly being repaired when we seek forgiveness from our Creator.
When you are doing brass repair or even some woodwind there is no way to return the piece to perfect conditions. Every dent leaves a scar on the metal or crack in the wood. My job is to make the dents or cracks invisible to remove them from the instrument and return it into working condition. I feel like I am pretty talented in this area, I mean I have a lot to learn, but compared to how bad I was when I started there is definite visible progress.
Now the difficulty that comes with diagnosing and repairing doesn't quite fit into this analogy if we are working under the idea that there is nothing outside the power of God's will (No I do not think God could microwave a burrito too hot that He cannot eat). Which most deists will say that the previous is true, otherwise said being isn't God and we need not fear Him. Watch Kingdom of Heaven and you will understand that quote.
Sorry for the complication, but it is important to clarify where I (and most Christians) stand on this.
So now we come to the analogy: We are all instruments. We all fit somewhere in the orchestra. Whether we know where is a different topic all together. So here we sit going through this existence getting the living snot beat out of us everyday. From nasty break ups, hearts broken, personal failures, triumphs that cost us some moral dignity, and tragedy. Lets face it it's a nasty world out there, lots of bad things happen all the time. Here is a visual of what most of us would look like after one day. So imagine what years of abuse would look like?
Que this man, well God/man: Jesus. He is perfect at what he does; and what does he do? Well he repairs instruments. Now this is where most people just tune out, because they have heard it all before and they think it's silly. But here me out: We are trucking along, taking a beating and slowly but surely we get worn down. Our valves no longer work. Our joints get loose. We become 'out of tune' to put in in layman's terms. But the cool thing is that there is this perfect instrument repair technician out there who can fix us. And best of all it's free. It takes no effort on the instruments part. The technician does all the work and doesn't charge us a fee at all.
So what does this mean? Well once we become 'fixed' we start working properly and never have to be repaired again? Not quite, despite this popular idea among parents of 6th grade band students, we go back out into the world again but we start getting dinged up, bent, lose pads and break braces. Now here's the cool thing: we are always given that option of repair and it is still free. We are perpetually being fixed and sent back into the world. No matter how messed up the instrument(person) becomes there is no fee to bring it back into working condition. And that my friends is grace. Grace is getting something amazingly silly and impossible to comprehend, for free. Not because we deserve it, but because in the end God(Band/Orchestra director of the Universe) just wants us all to play in tune.
So yeah, there you go. Sorry that was so long, but the first post is usually the longest when you start up something like this. I promise to keep subsequent posts shorter and filled with less doctrine and more spiritual insight.
Ephesians 2:4-9 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
TL;DR: God is a band director, we are instruments. Jesus fixes us for free constantly so that we can play for the band director better.
3/1/2013
The Hardest Part - Coldplay
So I have been on a serious hiatus from blogging and updating this thing. I'm not sorry, just thought you should know. I figured since it is a slower season I should probably update more often and also I am learning to code so this gives me a place to practice.
Well everything has been pretty normal going around work. There was only one project that I really took as a giant learning experience: overhauling and restoring a Selmer Series 3 Bari-Sax. Here are some pictures of the before and after. As you can see in the pictures this instrument has seen some years of battle. It was a horn from Dallas ISD, and if you read some of my earlier posts concerning the condition of their instruments you know exactly what I am talking about when I say 'battle'.
Well my boss decided that it would be a a good experience for me to completely overhaul this: disassemble, clean, remove dents, straighten the body, level tone holes, re-cork and re-pad the keys and then make it play. I started working on saxophones in April of last year. So I had less than a years experience on saxophones in general then add to that it is the largest instrument and it has to be perfect; I was feeling quite nervous about the whole process.
Well it took me about a week and in that time I learned a lot more about saxophones, specifically: patience, as close to perfection, and make sure to check the side keys very slowly. Over all I feel like the experience helped me grow as a repairman and as a human in general.
I was very angry while working on the saxophone because I was so concerned with money. I was falling behind on my paycheck and was so upset by that I tried to take every shortcut I could think of to make it work only to have every single one blow up in my face. A bible verse that was very near to my heart and thoughts was Psalms 46:10, "Be still and know I am the LORD."
The reason I would think of this verse specifically is because I have it on the cover of my notebook at work. But it applies because while I was getting so upset I started to micromanage and cut corners because I was so obsessed with the end result. I began to rely on my conscious skills. However when I started to rely on God for peace rather than skill, I started to notice the work became easier to me. It wasn't that God granted me skills I didn't already, but rather the Holy Spirit interceded for me and gave me peace and stillness to my weary, wandering, and frustrated mind.
I think that there is a lesson there for all of us: when we get caught up in the action, or duty or encased in our own mind we begin to start over-think, over-compensate, and over-analyze our actions. What we need in those moments is clarity and peace. I get my peace from the Lord, it is my hope that you would too.
"...but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:15
Monday, September 10, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
I wish I was Marty McFly
Crocodile Rock - SIR Elton John
No but really, after the half week I've had so far I really want a Delorean to flash forward a few years just to make sure it all turns out okay. This week has been very discouraging because everything is kinda in a stasis as it comes to repair. The work is steady but it's all rental return instruments which thanks to my company's severely outdated price list is very close to the point of not worth my time. If you remember I have my own school to work on but thanks to the geniuses in the Dallas Independent School District we still haven't gotten a new purchase order to allow any of the tech's in our shop to work on the loads of DISD horns we currently have. Honestly we have about an even amount of DISD as well as rental return instruments; but the three of us that are commission pay are stuck working on the beaters that are in their own special circle of hell: being perpetually destroyed and fixed only to be destroyed even worse.
I'm sure everything will work out in the end but I can't say I've been more discouraged at work this week than I have today. And I don't mean to be all sad and gloomy, but I think a lot of my frustration is stemming from little things in the work environment I haven't adapted too yet or flat out don't like. Such as the ridiculously outdated price list. I mean seriously I'm sure my fellow tech's will read this and agree at how stupidly low the prices are for us to fix next to destroyed instruments.
I guess I'm just going to do my drone thing for a little longer and hope something changes or that things will actually start to look up and my future won't seem so murky. I'm constantly reminded that I need to keep working hard at it and eventually something will happen.
No but really, after the half week I've had so far I really want a Delorean to flash forward a few years just to make sure it all turns out okay. This week has been very discouraging because everything is kinda in a stasis as it comes to repair. The work is steady but it's all rental return instruments which thanks to my company's severely outdated price list is very close to the point of not worth my time. If you remember I have my own school to work on but thanks to the geniuses in the Dallas Independent School District we still haven't gotten a new purchase order to allow any of the tech's in our shop to work on the loads of DISD horns we currently have. Honestly we have about an even amount of DISD as well as rental return instruments; but the three of us that are commission pay are stuck working on the beaters that are in their own special circle of hell: being perpetually destroyed and fixed only to be destroyed even worse.
I'm sure everything will work out in the end but I can't say I've been more discouraged at work this week than I have today. And I don't mean to be all sad and gloomy, but I think a lot of my frustration is stemming from little things in the work environment I haven't adapted too yet or flat out don't like. Such as the ridiculously outdated price list. I mean seriously I'm sure my fellow tech's will read this and agree at how stupidly low the prices are for us to fix next to destroyed instruments.
I guess I'm just going to do my drone thing for a little longer and hope something changes or that things will actually start to look up and my future won't seem so murky. I'm constantly reminded that I need to keep working hard at it and eventually something will happen.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
I Walk the Line
Antiphonal Brass Music - Boston Brass Section
So lets start off with me apologizing for not posting a lot this week. I am getting married this Saturday and you know, writing this stuff for you people isn't very high on my priority list at the moment. I mean the world doesn't revolve around you, so stop texting me begging for my next post; I will put a post up when I feel in the mood.
All joking aside, I am getting married so this will probably be my last post for a week or so since we leave for Seattle on Tuesday! I'm super excited about this weekend and spending the rest of my life with the girl of my dreams.
Side note you all should check out my buddy's tumblr: http://adamkoble.tumblr.com/ Great friend that is starting out in repair and doing some awesome custom work for tuba players around the Metroplex. Looking forward to some of the crazy stuff he is doing, like venting rotors!
So on to the post:
There is an indescribably feeling when you completely destroy something on accident. It happens to everyone, that terrible moment when you realize that whatever design or plan you had going in your head will no longer be attainable. The moment you begin to think of how long until you might be able to get your original design back. That my friends happened yesterday at 4:30pm. I have been lucky enough to have some friends in 'high' places and managed to land a school account of my own.
As I was plugging through the marching brass I ran into a very stubborn Mellophone tuning slide (And Thomas if you are reading don't worry). So I did what I have done hundred of times before except this one time while trying to pull it out the entire lead pipe got ripped off of the horn and crushed in a terrible way. Commence the moment I described in the above paragraph.
Being my first school account I have fielded a lot of questions to my boss and he has been super helpful. So I ran to him asking what would be better: to replace the part or fix the existing part. This is the line we as repairmen are constantly straddling. I like to think of it as a proverbial tight rope walk that happens daily. As repairmen we are constantly struggling with thoughts of: "Is that good enough?" "Will anyone see that little dent I didn't get out?" "Is this flute actually sealing? Or am I mashing the keys down too hard to get a seal?" These little moments happen to even the best repairmen. It's not like these moments are a bad thing, self-questioning can only lead to improvement. But I think that the longer you are in the field the quicker you are at coming to the realization of what should be done.
My boss is like this: Upon seeing the tubing and hearing my question he called into the Yamaha ordering center and got a price for a replacement, then went out and did a very quick glance at 'how much' it would be to fix the existing part. (Side note replacing that specific lead pipe costs $110 before shipping.) He is a firm believer in the best of people, he came out looked at the rest of the horn smiled and said, "Fix it." He then schooled me on how 'long' it should take by removing the worst part of the crushed section in a way I never would have thought.
It was that little 5 minutes that really got me thinking about the struggle up and coming repairmen face when it comes to ability vs. practicality. We all like to believe we can fix something, but how practical would it be to just replace that thing? I guess if I were to sum up this post it would be that the line we as repairmen walk sort of a fickle thing that only exists in our head, but walking that line is where you can gain a lot of wisdom and insight when it comes to practicality v. ability.
So lets start off with me apologizing for not posting a lot this week. I am getting married this Saturday and you know, writing this stuff for you people isn't very high on my priority list at the moment. I mean the world doesn't revolve around you, so stop texting me begging for my next post; I will put a post up when I feel in the mood.
All joking aside, I am getting married so this will probably be my last post for a week or so since we leave for Seattle on Tuesday! I'm super excited about this weekend and spending the rest of my life with the girl of my dreams.
Side note you all should check out my buddy's tumblr: http://adamkoble.tumblr.com/ Great friend that is starting out in repair and doing some awesome custom work for tuba players around the Metroplex. Looking forward to some of the crazy stuff he is doing, like venting rotors!
So on to the post:
There is an indescribably feeling when you completely destroy something on accident. It happens to everyone, that terrible moment when you realize that whatever design or plan you had going in your head will no longer be attainable. The moment you begin to think of how long until you might be able to get your original design back. That my friends happened yesterday at 4:30pm. I have been lucky enough to have some friends in 'high' places and managed to land a school account of my own.
As I was plugging through the marching brass I ran into a very stubborn Mellophone tuning slide (And Thomas if you are reading don't worry). So I did what I have done hundred of times before except this one time while trying to pull it out the entire lead pipe got ripped off of the horn and crushed in a terrible way. Commence the moment I described in the above paragraph.
Being my first school account I have fielded a lot of questions to my boss and he has been super helpful. So I ran to him asking what would be better: to replace the part or fix the existing part. This is the line we as repairmen are constantly straddling. I like to think of it as a proverbial tight rope walk that happens daily. As repairmen we are constantly struggling with thoughts of: "Is that good enough?" "Will anyone see that little dent I didn't get out?" "Is this flute actually sealing? Or am I mashing the keys down too hard to get a seal?" These little moments happen to even the best repairmen. It's not like these moments are a bad thing, self-questioning can only lead to improvement. But I think that the longer you are in the field the quicker you are at coming to the realization of what should be done.
My boss is like this: Upon seeing the tubing and hearing my question he called into the Yamaha ordering center and got a price for a replacement, then went out and did a very quick glance at 'how much' it would be to fix the existing part. (Side note replacing that specific lead pipe costs $110 before shipping.) He is a firm believer in the best of people, he came out looked at the rest of the horn smiled and said, "Fix it." He then schooled me on how 'long' it should take by removing the worst part of the crushed section in a way I never would have thought.
It was that little 5 minutes that really got me thinking about the struggle up and coming repairmen face when it comes to ability vs. practicality. We all like to believe we can fix something, but how practical would it be to just replace that thing? I guess if I were to sum up this post it would be that the line we as repairmen walk sort of a fickle thing that only exists in our head, but walking that line is where you can gain a lot of wisdom and insight when it comes to practicality v. ability.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
That Awkward Moment...
Dreams - The Cranberries
So everyone knows life is full of awkward moments. I think some of the most awkward moments come when you least expect it. If you don't know, I recently moved and started a my career. In an effort to not starve to death I took it upon myself to start nosing around the area looking for business. To say the least I'm already an awkward person, add in the fact I'm emailing people I have never met and the awkwardness seems to multiple. I mean in the technological age, something like emailing potential clients should seem normal right? WRONG! Apparently email is strictly for people you already know and reaching out should still be done in person.
I just hope that I'm not shooting myself in the foot when it comes to networking. I want this career to work and I am just being active in my future. Despite what most people think Band Instrument Repair isn't about skill at all; skill comes with experience which I already wrote about. No the biggest part of this industry is who you know. This has already proved to my advantage greatly because I know a lot of people, and my boss and the owner have begun to notice my potential.
Where I live now is actually great for me, because it is a giant untapped region when it comes to repair. There is a huge volume of work that the few Mom and Pop shops around here can't or won't handle. So my goal is to by the beginning of next year to be the primary resource for these (extremely rich) school districts. And it starts with doing freebies. Luckily for me I know some private lessons instructors in the area and maybe I can get my foot in the door that way. All I know is that with 10 days to the wedding, I need to get my act together and stop playing video games.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Grinding Experience
Music Mood: Panama, Van Halen
NERD ALERT!
So repair is an interesting career in that it takes a lot of skill to be considered 'great'. And the only real way to get that skill is practice and experience. So when I use such a gamer term as grinding let me just say it is almost exactly that. Today was proof of the 'grinding' nature that is repair. I wouldn't say today was bad, but man did was it long and tedious. Kind of like when you are running the same instance in WoW day after day trying to get that one trinket only to never see it until it is obsolete.
Today's grinding experience was brought to me via my good friends known as the 'flute'. (I feel like using parentheses a lot tonight so deal!) No matter how 'good' I think I am flutes always manage to knock me flat on my but and get my tires spinning the 'proverbial' mud! I know that all of this is 'good' for me, but I just wish it was as easy as clarinets are to me. It took me a mere 2 hours to overhaul a clarinet today where as I could barely do 3 flutes in that time. (For those not aware: 'overhauling' consists of removing all the keys, pads, corks, cleaning the instrument and keys and then replacing all the aforementioned items. Very time consuming)
Any way, I'm just really hoping work picks up more so the grind won't seem as tedious as it did today. And knowing that I blogged about how grinding today was, tomorrow will either be just as bad or go by without a hitch. I'm hoping for the latter but expecting the former.
Stay tuned! :D
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Obligatory Post
Music Mood: 1979, Smashing Pumpkins
So here is my obligatory post for the first of many overhauls of my blog/website. Just to catch everyone up to what's going on in my life: I'm getting married to the most amazing girl I have ever met in about 3 weeks and I'm super excited about that. I am out of school now still pending a degree. I figure that will come whenever and I should just jump into work and get that experience in my belt. I hope that you will continue to put up with me as I write pedantic ravings about how 'awesome' I am. Just know I am doing that as a self promotion as well as a way of sharing with others what I really do from 10-6 everyday. I'm not an egomanic. I am, however, quite good at what I do and that is repairing band instruments.
I recently got a full time position at Brook Mays Music in Irving, TX and I am hoping to expand while I stay there. I recently bought business cards so peeps might be reading this from those if so, "Welcome!" I am trying to attract as much business as possible including the elusive school district accounts. But for now I'll just say "Hello" again and actually start updating this quasi-daily.
Goodnight!
Sunday, May 29, 2011
I'm Back in the Saddle Again
So it seems that it has been way too long since I last posted a blog on recent happening in the trumpet side of my world. To correct this fallacy I have decided that from hence forth I will be blogging once a week with past developments. So every Sunday in the afternoon be looking out.
Since it has been so long I pretty much forgotten everything I wanted to talk about so I will try to remember as I go along. I have some new pictures up of 2 projects that are currently in progress so that is where I will begin. If you look through the pictures I have posted to Picasa you will come across few pictures of a Bb Getzen Eterna cornet with a nice gold finish. Well a few months ago I decided that I wanted to to try converting it to play in C. In theory this is a simple process. Essentially you have to lose 12% of the tubing across the entire horn cutting tubing from all of the tuning slides, the bell and the lead pipe (leed pipe, not lead pipe). I however had no idea how much tubing to cut across the horn so I set out on a research project that I am still working on and will put up here once more significant data has been collected.
So after measuring different horn makers I decided that the best course of action was to cut the tubes to the length of Getzen C tubes. With some guidance from a colleague and a very old metal lathe I set to work. If you check the pictures that have recently been uploaded you will notice that I am not completely finished. I had the tubes the correct length but to put it bluntly what I was doing was guess and check work. Top that off with the fact that since I cut the tubing the bell wouldn't fit back on I was put off schedule by a few months.
Luckily I have a pretty good head on my shoulders for problem solving (thanks mom and dad) and decided to design my own brace. I based the design loosely on the Edwards Company's Joe Allesi brace design (Google it). And what came out was pretty great. I have some work to do to perfect the production of the brace but it is very stable and very sturdy as well as quite heavy giving the horn a darker sound. So after the few weeks it took to make that brace I had the horn back together and to my surprise it played in C! Although it was 20 cents flat. So that is why the horn is still in pieces I am fine tuning the tube lengths as well as planning out finishes (I'm thinking satin).
The other horn that was uploaded is a early 70's Olds Ambassador that was just a gem I found on eBay for about 40 bucks. It plays phenomenally and will be the first Bb trumpet that I convert into a C trumpet. Pictures will be coming as the process begins and continues.
Well that is all I have for right now. Seeing as I have been on an absence I might post another blog later tonight if I can think of anything else trumpet-y on my mind.
Until next time,
Daniel
Since it has been so long I pretty much forgotten everything I wanted to talk about so I will try to remember as I go along. I have some new pictures up of 2 projects that are currently in progress so that is where I will begin. If you look through the pictures I have posted to Picasa you will come across few pictures of a Bb Getzen Eterna cornet with a nice gold finish. Well a few months ago I decided that I wanted to to try converting it to play in C. In theory this is a simple process. Essentially you have to lose 12% of the tubing across the entire horn cutting tubing from all of the tuning slides, the bell and the lead pipe (leed pipe, not lead pipe). I however had no idea how much tubing to cut across the horn so I set out on a research project that I am still working on and will put up here once more significant data has been collected.
So after measuring different horn makers I decided that the best course of action was to cut the tubes to the length of Getzen C tubes. With some guidance from a colleague and a very old metal lathe I set to work. If you check the pictures that have recently been uploaded you will notice that I am not completely finished. I had the tubes the correct length but to put it bluntly what I was doing was guess and check work. Top that off with the fact that since I cut the tubing the bell wouldn't fit back on I was put off schedule by a few months.
Luckily I have a pretty good head on my shoulders for problem solving (thanks mom and dad) and decided to design my own brace. I based the design loosely on the Edwards Company's Joe Allesi brace design (Google it). And what came out was pretty great. I have some work to do to perfect the production of the brace but it is very stable and very sturdy as well as quite heavy giving the horn a darker sound. So after the few weeks it took to make that brace I had the horn back together and to my surprise it played in C! Although it was 20 cents flat. So that is why the horn is still in pieces I am fine tuning the tube lengths as well as planning out finishes (I'm thinking satin).
The other horn that was uploaded is a early 70's Olds Ambassador that was just a gem I found on eBay for about 40 bucks. It plays phenomenally and will be the first Bb trumpet that I convert into a C trumpet. Pictures will be coming as the process begins and continues.
Well that is all I have for right now. Seeing as I have been on an absence I might post another blog later tonight if I can think of anything else trumpet-y on my mind.
Until next time,
Daniel
Friday, April 29, 2011
Temporary Hiatus
So it's been a few days since my last post. Sorry for the wait but I've been ridiculously busy with school and planning a wedding.
But that is neither here nor there this is about trumpets!
So in my absence from blogging I have had the opportunity to work on some really nice horns and some really bad horns. I should have pics up before the end of the night. But I'll just give a brief description of what work was done:
First up is a Conn Vintage One Flugelhorn. The main crook of the bell from the casing to the bore extension was crushed after someone decided it needed stepping on. My boss Ann MacMillan did an amazing job getting the tube back into the right shape. I was responsible for cleaning/polishing. I did run into a slight problem that required the dis/re-assembling of the 3rd valve slide.
Second is a Kanstul rip off of Monet's Prana 3. It LOOKS like a great horn really heavy and has a beautiful finish, but unfortunately it has a small bore and is really really tight. There was nothing seriously wrong with this horn besides it's pinch-y sound.
Next is a horn I don't have photos of but I'll try and get some soon. It is a Schilke 3B and it was really trashed. The horn is a gigging horn so it didn't get a lot of down time. The horn was being eaten from the inside out from "red rot" aka de-zinctification. There were multiple cracks along the bell and nothing was working properly besides the fact that it played. After cleaning the horn of what we could and getting everything working, my boss came up with an en genius solution to the multiple bell crook cracks. Pictures will show how she has a normal brace style patch along the outside of the crook and along the side she beaded a piece of wire giving it an almost tuba like look.
Regular updates should be incoming from now on since school is winding down to an end.
But that is neither here nor there this is about trumpets!
So in my absence from blogging I have had the opportunity to work on some really nice horns and some really bad horns. I should have pics up before the end of the night. But I'll just give a brief description of what work was done:
First up is a Conn Vintage One Flugelhorn. The main crook of the bell from the casing to the bore extension was crushed after someone decided it needed stepping on. My boss Ann MacMillan did an amazing job getting the tube back into the right shape. I was responsible for cleaning/polishing. I did run into a slight problem that required the dis/re-assembling of the 3rd valve slide.
Second is a Kanstul rip off of Monet's Prana 3. It LOOKS like a great horn really heavy and has a beautiful finish, but unfortunately it has a small bore and is really really tight. There was nothing seriously wrong with this horn besides it's pinch-y sound.
Next is a horn I don't have photos of but I'll try and get some soon. It is a Schilke 3B and it was really trashed. The horn is a gigging horn so it didn't get a lot of down time. The horn was being eaten from the inside out from "red rot" aka de-zinctification. There were multiple cracks along the bell and nothing was working properly besides the fact that it played. After cleaning the horn of what we could and getting everything working, my boss came up with an en genius solution to the multiple bell crook cracks. Pictures will show how she has a normal brace style patch along the outside of the crook and along the side she beaded a piece of wire giving it an almost tuba like look.
Regular updates should be incoming from now on since school is winding down to an end.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Perfect Porting
So fyi: rant incoming.
So here is my beef: Bob Reeves valve alignments. Bob Reeves charges people "X" amount of money to take your horns valves and align them perfectly along the ports. The process is simple he has neoprene and hard plastic spacers made to a specific legnth. He then measures how off the porting is in your horn and cuts away the valve stem til the ports are within thousands of a millimeter of "perfect."
There is only one problem: while the verticle alignment might be perfect the horizontal alignment remains imperfect.
The facts are these: When a horn's valves are manufactured the valve guide is cut to a specific width which is less than the width of the corresponding slots in the casing. This isn't a flaw, it has to be this way because the piston would fail to work properly if the guide and slot were pefectly fit.
Morover the the space that is through the upper part of the piston is not flush for this same reason. A perfect fit would lead to a phenominal amount friction leading to sticking and terrible action.
This micro space can be exacerbated with poor production quality which is seen very often amongst the major brands. Therefor if you factor this in you ccome to the conclusion that your valves will hardly ever be perfect horizontally.
I challenge you! Open your second valve slide annd look in towards your third valve. You will definitely be able to see your casing.
Now think about this: knowing this is a very common occurrance do our horns ever seem off? Of course not! If they did we wouldn't be playing them!
So if it doesn't affect our sound or playing at all why would we pay money to fix a problem that isn't really there? We shouldn't. What comes standard from the factory is not only adequate but really the only sensible option.
So there, that is my beef with valve alignments.
Keeping Busy
Well my life seems to have been going a mile a minute. So much has been going on especially this week with the end of the semester looming and wedding plans consuming a lot of our free time, but luckily God has blessed us with an amazing community of believers who have been encouraging us. However the one thing that is very stressful is knowing how much this wedding will cost. But I guess that means I just get to work more, right?
Yesterday was a great day for horns I was able to stretch out and cover many different problems at the same time. Yesterday's work docket looked something like this: Yamaha 8310Z Chem. clean, Couesnon Piccolo valve alignment, Chinese C Trumpet valve work, and an ancient Getzen Capri Trumpet clean and polish.
Interestingly enough the chem clean was pretty easy seeing as Yamaha makes a very simple horn. The only problem I had to deal with was valve porting. The last repair tech/factory (not quite sure) didn't have the right felts in the top caps so I had to hunt for them and even then I had flatten them out even more. After some trial and error the problem was for the most part fixed. I say this because I am a firm believer that you can never truly port a valve "perfectly". But I will explain that later today during my studio class.
The Couesnon Pic and Chinese C (Yamaha clone) were having some major valve issues which involved slow action and sticking. I took the valves apart and ran them through our UltraSonic cleaner for a good 5 minutes. This vibrated free and loose debris (there was a ton) and after a quick dip in some acid the valves were looking great. I dry brushed out the casings and then did a trade secret to oil them up and soon enough they felt like the pistons on my Olds.
I have some pictures of the Couesnon and for such an older horn it was in surprisingly great condition. For those who don't know about Couesnon here is a link: http://www.dallasmusic.org/gearhead/Couesnon%3F.html%20
Gives a great history of the amazing lineage of this premier brass maker.
As for the Chinese C, lets just say that the company who is producing those horns is going to be in some trouble if another company finds out what is printed on the bell.
Keep a look out for my next post sometime later today, as well as news about my latest restoration horn which happens to also be a Couesnon. Pics of the piccolo should be up so take a look.
Yesterday was a great day for horns I was able to stretch out and cover many different problems at the same time. Yesterday's work docket looked something like this: Yamaha 8310Z Chem. clean, Couesnon Piccolo valve alignment, Chinese C Trumpet valve work, and an ancient Getzen Capri Trumpet clean and polish.
Interestingly enough the chem clean was pretty easy seeing as Yamaha makes a very simple horn. The only problem I had to deal with was valve porting. The last repair tech/factory (not quite sure) didn't have the right felts in the top caps so I had to hunt for them and even then I had flatten them out even more. After some trial and error the problem was for the most part fixed. I say this because I am a firm believer that you can never truly port a valve "perfectly". But I will explain that later today during my studio class.
The Couesnon Pic and Chinese C (Yamaha clone) were having some major valve issues which involved slow action and sticking. I took the valves apart and ran them through our UltraSonic cleaner for a good 5 minutes. This vibrated free and loose debris (there was a ton) and after a quick dip in some acid the valves were looking great. I dry brushed out the casings and then did a trade secret to oil them up and soon enough they felt like the pistons on my Olds.
I have some pictures of the Couesnon and for such an older horn it was in surprisingly great condition. For those who don't know about Couesnon here is a link: http://www.dallasmusic.org/gearhead/Couesnon%3F.html%20
Gives a great history of the amazing lineage of this premier brass maker.
As for the Chinese C, lets just say that the company who is producing those horns is going to be in some trouble if another company finds out what is printed on the bell.
Keep a look out for my next post sometime later today, as well as news about my latest restoration horn which happens to also be a Couesnon. Pics of the piccolo should be up so take a look.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
1 is rare, 2 is just impossible
So work today was super tiring, not really sure why but for some reason I just kept feeling exhausted.
Anyways enough about me, onto the horns I got a chance to work with today! :)
It was a pretty normal day in the shop at UNT today. I had two trumpet cleans on the docket and one as a polish so nothing super fancy. That was until I got a chance to look at one of the horns. I pulled it out of the case and it was a raw brass Bach Strad with a 37 bell from Elkhart, IN. This horn was gorgeous to say the least. Everything was in perfect condition, the brass was dirty but had that wonderful tarnish look to it; I just drooled over it for a while. Anyways while it was soaking in our tub I got a chance to look up the serial number: it was from 1976! Making it the perfect "vintage" Elkhart Strad.
Now a little background: I absolutely love vintage Bach's. There is something about them that few horn makers can get right nowadays. The horns have a smooth velvety sound with great articulation. All of the hardware is seamlessly flawless and the solder joints actually look like they were done by a professional. Unlike the crap that Bach is turning out now, back in the 70s Bach built a solid beast of a horn.
So I start my second clean in a very cheery mood and notice that the horn is a 1990s Bach Strad with a 37 bell. I chuckled honestly, it was like God was giving me a chance to see the difference time can make. This horn was it terrible shape so I had to actually put some effort into it. After putting it through our cleaning room and polishing it up all nice and shiny-like I began to compare the horns to see how much Bach has changed their "most popular" horn.
To start off I noticed that the 70s Bach had a 1 piece hand-hammered bell whereas the 90s Bach had a 1 piece pressure molded bell (no seam). And right off the bat I can tell you that this is a huge difference. Whereas pressure forming is more cost effective and way faster having a seamed bell that has been hammered and shaped gives the horn a more mello sound. The metal is put under a lot of stress while being formed and is thinner than being pressurized. This would add a nice sparkle to the horn.
Second up the valve cluster on the 70s horn was part nickle silver and the 90s was solid brass. This is simply put: Nickle is denser than Brass therefor the nickle silver with resonate at a lower frequency giving it a darker tone.
Next up would be general construction. The 70s horn was very clean on the inside. There was no excess solder or unaligned ports. It was "perfect". Where as it's younger brother had excess solder in every port. Some of the slides weren't parallel to themselves and I had to port all of the valves.
This was concerning in that while the newer horns are less likely to be in terrible shape down the road the craftsmanship is just sub par. Bach has a huge reputation that was begun with these 1907s horns and frankly the horns of today just don't cut it. Now I know that just because one horn was like this doesn't mean that they all are, but this shoddy work is a pattern I have noticed on many of the Bach's that float around this school.
"Always be what you can be, not what you are." Is a quote from Dr. Brian Bowman that I really enjoy because I think it really applies to this line of work. There is always room for improvement and our best is only achieved when we are in the presence of the Creator.
Anyway that is a different topic that I will talk about tomorrow. Back to the present. So overall my day was going great (besides the being tired thing.) I got some great pics of a very rare horn that played great and was just honestly the best horn I have seen in a very long time. The icing on the cake though was when the owner of the horn came in we started gabbing about how he got it and just traded some vintage horn stories. He left and said that he was glad to get this back cause he was getting tired of playing his backup horn: a 1930s Mount Vernon Bach Strad!!!
I about flipped when he pulled it from the case. The story about how he got it was hilarious. His dad traded a cornet for it in high school and didn't know what he had until he took it to a shop 20 years later!
Anyway that was just a great little anecdote about a great day in the shop. Pics of the 70s horn will be up soon. Stay tuned for some weekend edition.
Anyways enough about me, onto the horns I got a chance to work with today! :)
It was a pretty normal day in the shop at UNT today. I had two trumpet cleans on the docket and one as a polish so nothing super fancy. That was until I got a chance to look at one of the horns. I pulled it out of the case and it was a raw brass Bach Strad with a 37 bell from Elkhart, IN. This horn was gorgeous to say the least. Everything was in perfect condition, the brass was dirty but had that wonderful tarnish look to it; I just drooled over it for a while. Anyways while it was soaking in our tub I got a chance to look up the serial number: it was from 1976! Making it the perfect "vintage" Elkhart Strad.
Now a little background: I absolutely love vintage Bach's. There is something about them that few horn makers can get right nowadays. The horns have a smooth velvety sound with great articulation. All of the hardware is seamlessly flawless and the solder joints actually look like they were done by a professional. Unlike the crap that Bach is turning out now, back in the 70s Bach built a solid beast of a horn.
So I start my second clean in a very cheery mood and notice that the horn is a 1990s Bach Strad with a 37 bell. I chuckled honestly, it was like God was giving me a chance to see the difference time can make. This horn was it terrible shape so I had to actually put some effort into it. After putting it through our cleaning room and polishing it up all nice and shiny-like I began to compare the horns to see how much Bach has changed their "most popular" horn.
To start off I noticed that the 70s Bach had a 1 piece hand-hammered bell whereas the 90s Bach had a 1 piece pressure molded bell (no seam). And right off the bat I can tell you that this is a huge difference. Whereas pressure forming is more cost effective and way faster having a seamed bell that has been hammered and shaped gives the horn a more mello sound. The metal is put under a lot of stress while being formed and is thinner than being pressurized. This would add a nice sparkle to the horn.
Second up the valve cluster on the 70s horn was part nickle silver and the 90s was solid brass. This is simply put: Nickle is denser than Brass therefor the nickle silver with resonate at a lower frequency giving it a darker tone.
Next up would be general construction. The 70s horn was very clean on the inside. There was no excess solder or unaligned ports. It was "perfect". Where as it's younger brother had excess solder in every port. Some of the slides weren't parallel to themselves and I had to port all of the valves.
This was concerning in that while the newer horns are less likely to be in terrible shape down the road the craftsmanship is just sub par. Bach has a huge reputation that was begun with these 1907s horns and frankly the horns of today just don't cut it. Now I know that just because one horn was like this doesn't mean that they all are, but this shoddy work is a pattern I have noticed on many of the Bach's that float around this school.
"Always be what you can be, not what you are." Is a quote from Dr. Brian Bowman that I really enjoy because I think it really applies to this line of work. There is always room for improvement and our best is only achieved when we are in the presence of the Creator.
Anyway that is a different topic that I will talk about tomorrow. Back to the present. So overall my day was going great (besides the being tired thing.) I got some great pics of a very rare horn that played great and was just honestly the best horn I have seen in a very long time. The icing on the cake though was when the owner of the horn came in we started gabbing about how he got it and just traded some vintage horn stories. He left and said that he was glad to get this back cause he was getting tired of playing his backup horn: a 1930s Mount Vernon Bach Strad!!!
I about flipped when he pulled it from the case. The story about how he got it was hilarious. His dad traded a cornet for it in high school and didn't know what he had until he took it to a shop 20 years later!
Anyway that was just a great little anecdote about a great day in the shop. Pics of the 70s horn will be up soon. Stay tuned for some weekend edition.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Current Projects
Currently listening to: Hummel Trumpet Concerto - Jessica Wood
So I've uploaded a lot of new photos of both personal and project horns.
The last project I finished was a particularily interesting one. I somehow got ahold of a very old Bach Mercury Model. The horn was very close to junk: there were many tears and punctures in the brass; the bell was detached and crinkled; none of the slides worked and it was missing many components not to mention all of the un-soldered joints.
I had a monumental but fantastic time resotring this 86 year old horn. It was very theraputic and really inspiring to see this horn come back to life.
First I had to reshape the bell and patch its crook in 2 different spots. Using a dent machine and with lots of careful practice on other horns, this bronze bell started to look like it was intended.
Next was the many numerous slides and pipes that had to be resoldered and have dents removed. After finishing dents I moved on to putting an amado water key on the tuning slide where the original water went missing. Following this I had the difficult task of refitting the leadpipe to the horn and retro fitting a brace to keep the leadpipe in place.
Finally the horn's bell had to be fitted back onto the horn with the completed valve block. This proved harder than imagined because the braces had been crushed and no longer fit where they were supposed to so with this problem I devised an interesting solution.
I managed to take the braces apart and refit them to the correct size. This painstaking process allowed me to finally put the horn back together in a whole state for the first time.
After all of this I had to clean, polish, and align the valves. This process didn't take long and soon enough the horn was in great shape. The horn has a very tight sound and has an amazing articulation response.
Sorry for the ridiculously long post but I wanted to be as detailed as possible. Other project posts will be spread out and shorter.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Getting Back in the Swing of Things
Currently listening to: Blink 182 - Anthem
It is really my hope and dream to become a brass instrument manufacturer and some of my current projects and research have been great steps towards this dream. If you are looking for some custom trumpet work and you are in the DFW area please contact me and we can work something out. Also ask me any questions you might have; this will help me not only better understand what I'm doing but also let you know better what I actually do.
Hopefully I will update this regularly and hopefully you see something you like.
Enjoy
DSR
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Manhood
Currently Listening to: Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight
What makes a man a man?
A simple question it would seem that comes loaded with so many different possibilities and answer combinations that i could take an entire lifetime to answer this one question. But what makes a man a man? Is it the physical changes that occur when he goes through puberty? Or is it the time that he realizes what is important in life and devotes his efforts to that? Or is it when he first kisses a woman or gets married?
I've been thinking about all of this for a while now. It's something that is funny because though I claim to be a man (and look like one), I act as selfish and immature as a child. So what makes a man? Here are some words of wisdom that have been a huge influence on my thought for the last few weeks as I have thought about whether or not to come back to my fraternity or whether to continue on my path of education.
"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11
And that my friends and audience is what it is to be a man. If every boy (no matter what age) where to put away their childish things what kind of world would we live in? Would the divorce rate be so high? Would abortions be necessary? Would raping and murdering still happen?
I honestly think the answer to these questions is NO. Some may find this simple minded and naive, but if every man and every woman for that matter were to put behind them the simple pleasures and desires of their childhood and grow up we would be better off.
So as I go into this upcoming year my prayer for all of my Brothers in Christ is to put away your childish things and become the man you are called to be, a man of Christ, a man women want to be with, a man worthy of calling yourself a man.
I'm tired now and need to sleep. Posting will be regular from now on as long as nothing big pops up. Till than laters!
What makes a man a man?
A simple question it would seem that comes loaded with so many different possibilities and answer combinations that i could take an entire lifetime to answer this one question. But what makes a man a man? Is it the physical changes that occur when he goes through puberty? Or is it the time that he realizes what is important in life and devotes his efforts to that? Or is it when he first kisses a woman or gets married?
I've been thinking about all of this for a while now. It's something that is funny because though I claim to be a man (and look like one), I act as selfish and immature as a child. So what makes a man? Here are some words of wisdom that have been a huge influence on my thought for the last few weeks as I have thought about whether or not to come back to my fraternity or whether to continue on my path of education.
"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." 1 Corinthians 13:11
And that my friends and audience is what it is to be a man. If every boy (no matter what age) where to put away their childish things what kind of world would we live in? Would the divorce rate be so high? Would abortions be necessary? Would raping and murdering still happen?
I honestly think the answer to these questions is NO. Some may find this simple minded and naive, but if every man and every woman for that matter were to put behind them the simple pleasures and desires of their childhood and grow up we would be better off.
So as I go into this upcoming year my prayer for all of my Brothers in Christ is to put away your childish things and become the man you are called to be, a man of Christ, a man women want to be with, a man worthy of calling yourself a man.
I'm tired now and need to sleep. Posting will be regular from now on as long as nothing big pops up. Till than laters!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Blah
Currently listening to: Mrs. Robinson - Simon and Garfunkle
I hate it when my brain decideds it doesn't want to work. So this post is going to be exactly three minutes of nothing but stream of conciousness writing, mkay?
Ready....
Steady...
Go!
Why do they call it baseball? I mean I want cupcakes....stupid song. I'm so tired I really don't want to go to work. Majiuana. Random. What ever happened to Garfunkle? I mean Simon went on to have a career but no one says what happened to Garfunkle. Why is America so oppsessed with more and more food in serving sizes? Was Joe DiMaggio a good baseball player cause we never hear about him. I wonder if he was like a Babe Ruth.
I like Symphonic Metal it's so classy and rebelious at the same time. Oooo, email I have to read. Some important stuff going down. I want to move in so bad. I can't wait to get out of this weird summer crap
Oh, times up.....
3 more mins go!
I want a car, but I'm afraid that if I walk on the lot the guys will shove credit crap down my throat. If the country is run on credit, brownies, where do homeless people go when it rains?
If the police are supposed to protect us how come they seem to get out of hand and abuse it? Does absolute power corrupt absolutely, if so why do we have presidents and all that? I mean can't we assume that the power they have will also corupt them even more cause they have more power than clowns....
I really hate clowns the movie "It" ruined them for me, I wonder how many people are afraid of clowns and if it has something to do with that movie? Why do dogs lick their privates? and what is with them sniffing each other's butts? Maybe we should do that too
Okay time to sleep.
And that is what goes through my head in 6 minutes....
I hate it when my brain decideds it doesn't want to work. So this post is going to be exactly three minutes of nothing but stream of conciousness writing, mkay?
Ready....
Steady...
Go!
Why do they call it baseball? I mean I want cupcakes....stupid song. I'm so tired I really don't want to go to work. Majiuana. Random. What ever happened to Garfunkle? I mean Simon went on to have a career but no one says what happened to Garfunkle. Why is America so oppsessed with more and more food in serving sizes? Was Joe DiMaggio a good baseball player cause we never hear about him. I wonder if he was like a Babe Ruth.
I like Symphonic Metal it's so classy and rebelious at the same time. Oooo, email I have to read. Some important stuff going down. I want to move in so bad. I can't wait to get out of this weird summer crap
Oh, times up.....
3 more mins go!
I want a car, but I'm afraid that if I walk on the lot the guys will shove credit crap down my throat. If the country is run on credit, brownies, where do homeless people go when it rains?
If the police are supposed to protect us how come they seem to get out of hand and abuse it? Does absolute power corrupt absolutely, if so why do we have presidents and all that? I mean can't we assume that the power they have will also corupt them even more cause they have more power than clowns....
I really hate clowns the movie "It" ruined them for me, I wonder how many people are afraid of clowns and if it has something to do with that movie? Why do dogs lick their privates? and what is with them sniffing each other's butts? Maybe we should do that too
Okay time to sleep.
And that is what goes through my head in 6 minutes....
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Driving
Currently listening to: Through the Fire and Flames - Dragonforce
So I'm convinced that my car (Adrianne's car) emits an aura of stupidity because it seems that every freaking time I come home from work at 6pm-ish I catch some of the stupidest crap I've have ever seen on the road including but not limited to:
Talking on the phone while shaving
Cutting off an 18 wheeler while taking a sip of your overly-sized mug
Zig-Zagging in and out of traffic while painting your nails
Shaving, Talking on the phone, Applying make-up, and Eating while driving like a bat out of hell
Passing someone(and flip the bird) for going to slow in the left lane, only to than take a phone call and do the exactly what you just passed someone doing
And the list could go on and on and on. The sad thing about all of this crap is that most of the stupid crap and accidents I see coming and going from work all involve a victim usually obeying the traffic laws and a woman....
Now you can say how I'm a sexist and that men cause just as many accidents as women, but I'm sorry I have actual proof of women being more hazardous on the road. And it's not all women it's just the ones that believe it is safe to drive and multi-task....
It's my opinion that if we are going to drive that we shouldn't do anything else but enjoy music or something non interactive. No more of this crap of driving and chaging a kids diaper. It's just not worth it in the end....
And for the good Lord's sake STOP TXTING & DRVING!!!!!!1
In all honesty that is the number one reason for most accidents I see happen or drive past...texting.
So what about all this hazardous driving and stuff? Why has it suddenly skyrocketed in the last few years? Well it's this whole idea that we have to stay connected to everything and we have to be busy and working for something 24/7. The idea that we should only stop when we are dead is literally killing us.
We need to stop thinking about what I have to do next and start thinking about nothing. Here's a challenge: next time you are driving somewhere whether it's down the street or across country, turn your phone off, turn the radio off, turn the iPod down or off(shouldn't be listing to it anyway it's against the law) and just listen to the world pass you by. I guarantee a more relaxing drive and a less stressful day. Promise! Enjoy life just don't just speed through it
So turn off your computer and stop giving sexual favors while driving through downtown Dallas with your windows open and and your music blasting drawing attention to you (that was a funny day), and freaking enjoy all life has to offer.
And that's what I think.
So I'm convinced that my car (Adrianne's car) emits an aura of stupidity because it seems that every freaking time I come home from work at 6pm-ish I catch some of the stupidest crap I've have ever seen on the road including but not limited to:
Talking on the phone while shaving
Cutting off an 18 wheeler while taking a sip of your overly-sized mug
Zig-Zagging in and out of traffic while painting your nails
Shaving, Talking on the phone, Applying make-up, and Eating while driving like a bat out of hell
Passing someone(and flip the bird) for going to slow in the left lane, only to than take a phone call and do the exactly what you just passed someone doing
And the list could go on and on and on. The sad thing about all of this crap is that most of the stupid crap and accidents I see coming and going from work all involve a victim usually obeying the traffic laws and a woman....
Now you can say how I'm a sexist and that men cause just as many accidents as women, but I'm sorry I have actual proof of women being more hazardous on the road. And it's not all women it's just the ones that believe it is safe to drive and multi-task....
It's my opinion that if we are going to drive that we shouldn't do anything else but enjoy music or something non interactive. No more of this crap of driving and chaging a kids diaper. It's just not worth it in the end....
And for the good Lord's sake STOP TXTING & DRVING!!!!!!1
In all honesty that is the number one reason for most accidents I see happen or drive past...texting.
So what about all this hazardous driving and stuff? Why has it suddenly skyrocketed in the last few years? Well it's this whole idea that we have to stay connected to everything and we have to be busy and working for something 24/7. The idea that we should only stop when we are dead is literally killing us.
We need to stop thinking about what I have to do next and start thinking about nothing. Here's a challenge: next time you are driving somewhere whether it's down the street or across country, turn your phone off, turn the radio off, turn the iPod down or off(shouldn't be listing to it anyway it's against the law) and just listen to the world pass you by. I guarantee a more relaxing drive and a less stressful day. Promise! Enjoy life just don't just speed through it
So turn off your computer and stop giving sexual favors while driving through downtown Dallas with your windows open and and your music blasting drawing attention to you (that was a funny day), and freaking enjoy all life has to offer.
And that's what I think.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Teacher's
Currently listening to: Bullet With Butterflywings - Smashing Pumpkins
Soo....
I want you to picture yourself a student still, whether you are still in college or high school. Think of your favorite teacher now. Think of the teacher that you not only miss now, but you would actually enjoy going to that person's class every stinking day.
Okay now that we have this ideal set up in our minds, I want you to think about the one thing about that teacher that made them your favorite and the "best" teacher you have ever known. What is it that that one person had/has that we love so much? Honesty. That is simply it. Honesty.
I say this cause it's true, think about that teacher, mentor, pastor the one thing that each and every single one of them has in common is an honesty only surpassed by the one and only Jesus Christ.
Today at work I was having trouble with some dent work on trombone's. I'm slowly improving but it takes practice so I would ask a co-worker for his opinion. I see him as my mentor through this process whether he knows it or not. And he was brutally honest with me telling me how it was the saddest piece of you-know-what that he has ever seen in brass repair ever; but the difference is after he berated me and told me about how he learned he sat there and told me how to fix it. (This has been going on for a while now.) And with much, much practice today he has helped me become better.
One thing you should know about this mentor I have, we'll call him Steve. Is that he has been through everything possible in his life. He got expelled from college, thrown in jail, got in a police shootout, flipped his car going 90, got divorced, gotten many diseases, broken his neck, been in a coma. And all of this before he has turned 55...
But for all of his life's problems and struggles he has become one of the greatest teachers in my life. Without him I don't think I could have made the decision to focus my efforts in instrument repair.
Alright enough sappy-ness for this post. Here's the point: If we see honesty as the greatest value of a teacher, than why don't we always use this quality? I mean if we truly want to be the teacher's of the next generation whether in education, physical performance, or spiritual guidance why don't we cut the crap and get down right honest with everyone?
I think that if we were at least slightly honest with everyone we come in daily contact with the world would suddenly start to turn into something more than just a place we live and breathe, it might become something we aren't ashamed of; if honesty were the basis of how we live and conduct business and socialize shouldn't the world become a better place? Shouldn't we start to see more of God's love for us?
I mean after all wasn't/isn't God the greatest teacher of them all? If we strive to be honest, to be a teacher, to be like God shouldn't love be the by product? It only makes sense.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that no matter what kind of background a person has or what they do for a living, or how they perceive the afterlife or even what deodorant they use shouldn't change the fact that you should be honest with them cause in the end it's WJWD.
Honesty = Love = God
Think about it.
Soo....
I want you to picture yourself a student still, whether you are still in college or high school. Think of your favorite teacher now. Think of the teacher that you not only miss now, but you would actually enjoy going to that person's class every stinking day.
Okay now that we have this ideal set up in our minds, I want you to think about the one thing about that teacher that made them your favorite and the "best" teacher you have ever known. What is it that that one person had/has that we love so much? Honesty. That is simply it. Honesty.
I say this cause it's true, think about that teacher, mentor, pastor the one thing that each and every single one of them has in common is an honesty only surpassed by the one and only Jesus Christ.
Today at work I was having trouble with some dent work on trombone's. I'm slowly improving but it takes practice so I would ask a co-worker for his opinion. I see him as my mentor through this process whether he knows it or not. And he was brutally honest with me telling me how it was the saddest piece of you-know-what that he has ever seen in brass repair ever; but the difference is after he berated me and told me about how he learned he sat there and told me how to fix it. (This has been going on for a while now.) And with much, much practice today he has helped me become better.
One thing you should know about this mentor I have, we'll call him Steve. Is that he has been through everything possible in his life. He got expelled from college, thrown in jail, got in a police shootout, flipped his car going 90, got divorced, gotten many diseases, broken his neck, been in a coma. And all of this before he has turned 55...
But for all of his life's problems and struggles he has become one of the greatest teachers in my life. Without him I don't think I could have made the decision to focus my efforts in instrument repair.
Alright enough sappy-ness for this post. Here's the point: If we see honesty as the greatest value of a teacher, than why don't we always use this quality? I mean if we truly want to be the teacher's of the next generation whether in education, physical performance, or spiritual guidance why don't we cut the crap and get down right honest with everyone?
I think that if we were at least slightly honest with everyone we come in daily contact with the world would suddenly start to turn into something more than just a place we live and breathe, it might become something we aren't ashamed of; if honesty were the basis of how we live and conduct business and socialize shouldn't the world become a better place? Shouldn't we start to see more of God's love for us?
I mean after all wasn't/isn't God the greatest teacher of them all? If we strive to be honest, to be a teacher, to be like God shouldn't love be the by product? It only makes sense.
So I guess what I'm trying to say is that no matter what kind of background a person has or what they do for a living, or how they perceive the afterlife or even what deodorant they use shouldn't change the fact that you should be honest with them cause in the end it's WJWD.
Honesty = Love = God
Think about it.
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