Just want to wish my Mom a Very Happy Birthday! :)

I'm calling the family later!

Love,

Geoffers 

I received some good news today; I've been given the job as Librarian for the band today.  It'll be somewhat of a challenge because of the size of the band how busy we are, but since i've been with this organization about six years it's time I start doing something extra.  I'm nervous but it's a good kind of nervous.  It'll be good.

There's a DVD coming out by a favorite comedian of mine, Brian Regan, calling "Standing Up."  This particular DVD was recorded at the show that I was actually at in Irvine!  He mostly does obversational comedy, well known for being clean, apart from the 'hells' and 'damn's.  If you get the DVD, I'm sitting in the center orchestra, sixth row on the end :)  His comedy is hilarious and I can't wait to see the movie.

Geoff

Just an update, not a whole lot to say.

Work has started up; we played a concert band performance up north aways up the I-5 last night in a nice small ampitheatre.  The crowd was real receptive especially to some of the vocal arrangements we played, and me and my fellow flute player performed the Stars & Stripes piccolo solo as the final encore.  It took us two hours to get home and I rewarded myself with a couple of beers before finally getting to bed at 2 a.m.

Today was a day off which I spent home and read and studied quite a bit.  Tomorrow we have a jazz band rehearsal; I'm thinking I'm gonna go to the beach for lunch.

Other than that, that's my life right now.  I saw the Simpsons movie last week; it was pretty good.  A friend of mine has been in town for three months but has been so busy that she can't see me atleast once for two hours.  Grrr.  Maybe after she's done with her class she can actually hang out and see a movie with me.  You know who you are!!  

Geoff  

So, I'm at the tail end of a couple weeks vacation from work, and I decided to stay home, do quite a bit of studying and recharge my batteries.  Most of all; keep saving money.  However I couldn't just stay in my apartment every minute of my life, so I have seen a few movies, taken a few jogs and enjoyed the sunshine, and this evening I decided, since I had a bit extra money I treated myself to a Dream Theater concert :)

It took place at the SD University Open Air Theatre; tonight was the first night of their new 2007 U.S. tour and featured two heavy metal opening acts: Into Eternity, and then Redemption.  Eternity was not my kind of band at all: the music was sloppy with its "time changes" and the lead singer was one of those weird growlers you see on bands similar to Dokken, Slipknot, and bands of that nature.  Redemption was alittle better, the lead singer of that group seemed as if he lost his voice, his singing was weak, and unfortunately the sound coming from one of the guitarists' speakers or amps weren't working, leaving you with an empty sound.

The evening culminated with the appearance of the five members of Dream Theater to thunderous applause.  I was there primarily to see John Petrucci, the guitarist, whose technique is amazing, and always has excellent ideas.  Dream Theater are one of those "metal" groups who take a lot of time with the musicality and make sure that they're playing the music right, and that it's always challenging, not just make noise.  However, I can't say that I really love their music, and I don't know much of their music at all,  but their concerts are worth seeing if you want to see a band who can play tight, clean, and smart.   The lead singer of the band really cracked me up tho.  For a frontman he's got to have one of the easiest jobs in rock.  When he's not singing he walks offstage and hides behind the amps leaving the crowd mesmerized at the foursome instrumentalists playing the music; seven minutes later he comes back at the end of the song to sing the last chorus before singing the beginning of the next one, only to walk off when the music takes over.

All the headbanging though was very tiring (not me, I was looking at everybody doing it) and it was interesting to finally see what all the fuss was about.  It's time for bed for me.

Geoff