Student Trombones!
 

I awoke at 8:30AM,  frantically getting ready and trying to help my wife get our youngest son ready for school.   The oldest son had already left for school.   I felt guilty for not waking up earlier and helping my wife.   But I feel my wife understands the schedule adjustments and "cuts me some slack".   But it doesn't help me feel any less guilty.   I vow that I will wake up early tomorrow,  being that the band has no gigs for the next few days.

The Insomniac Stays Awake!

Heavens!  Last night I slept at 3:00AM.  This insomnia...  I'm really trying to get back on track, but last night I couldn't sleep and when I DID go to bed I was tossing and turning,  and staring up at the ceiling.   I'm just a night person,  that's all,  and I AM a musician.  So, the challenge of trying to juggle family life and a musician's life continues for me...

A Day Of Errands...

After dropping my son off at school and dropping my wife off at her work,  I drove around doing errands the entire morning and past lunch.

I went to the Borders in Carmel Mountain and bought a card and a gift certificate for my brother.   It was his birthday today and we were going to meet him at my parents house for a family get together to celebrate his birthday.

I then went to the post office to mail the NAMM Directory I promised Pat, a friend and fan of the band. 

Finishing up in the Carmel Mountain area,  I deposited some checks at the Credit Union.

Then I went shopping around for a used trombone for my oldest son.  Yes,  he had requested a trombone,  since he was at that age where kids begin to take lessons at school,  and usually it's on band instruments.   I had to rent one from somewhere and after checking a few places for a decent price,  I settled on McCrea Music in La Mesa to pick up a trombone.   They only had new trombones available for rent at 22.00 per month.  Not bad considering that one of the stores I checked quoted a price of 75.00 per month!
 
 

My Brother's Lame Excuse!

After picking up my youngest son from school and after waiting for my oldest son to arrive via school bus,  we all went to pick up my wife from her work.   From there we went to my parents for my brother's little birthday party,  just a small family get together.

A few minutes after we arrived,  my brother called on the phone.   He had some lame excuse about his mother-in-law needing to get to the hospital.   It just seemed too suspicious to me.   I know his wife is always trying to avoid get togethers with my family.   It's happened many times before in the past.   If my brother's mom-in-law were truly ill, then he would have said what the problem was,  but he was very mysterious about it and he didn't want to talk to mom.   Also,  he has two brothers-in-law living with him,  and they could've taken THEIR mom to the hospital and let my brother go to his birthday party.  It all reaks of the wife wearing the pants in the family and making all the decisions.   I just wish my brother had the "balls" to stand up to his own wife.   There should definitely be some sort of compromise.   I haven't seen my sister-in-law in several months.   She is this elusive person that doesn't like to socialize at least with her own husband's (my brother's) family.   And, they have a newborn baby that I haven't seen yet!!!

I think I'm going to insist on going over to their place to visit,  but I know they'll make up some kind of excuse...   that they have to go somewhere or do something.   It's pretty pathetic.   My brother and his wife haven't even seen me perform with Big Time Operator yet!   What a joke!  And it's always my brother talking on the phone and not my sister-in-law.   I've never even had the chance to talk to her on the phone!  That's how elusive she is.

Oh well,  her loss.   I've got more important things to do,  than spending precious time dwelling on someone who's perpetually anti-social. 

Dinner Is Served Anyway

Well,  after that phone call I was making fun of the whole situation.  Both my parents seemed perturbed,  but my wife kept insisting that maybe my brother's mother-in-law WAS sick and needed to go to the hospital.   Well,  it may have been true,  but looking at all the countless times my brother has had to speak for his wife,  and thus not being able to make it to yet another family event,  it's just too obvious and too consistent to think otherwise.   Again,  they made yet ANOTHER excuse not to come to a family get together.

So we had dinner anyway...  and we ate some horrendously delicious food prepared by both mom and dad.   And after being bombarded with great cooking,  we left our gifts for my brother...  and my wife, the boys and I went our merry way homeward.
 
 

The way I interpret this Zen koan is that of "going with the flow".   The book talks about always adopting a positive attitude, and to have a greater appreciation for life.   Everyday CAN be good in its own unique way.   If we have a hard day,  we can look at this day as a challenge.  And if we have a good day,  we can relish in the goodness of the day,  knowing that each day will bring even newer challenges.

I guess the key word is "adapting" to the changes of each day.  Being flexible and not expecting the day to go a certain way,  the way we would like it to be.  But instead,  go through each day with the notion that you can adapt to the developments of the day.   The book states that we should be unattached to the way we want a particular day to be,  and it is better to transform ourselves to "harmonize" with the way LIFE wants it.

If one is a wave and thus a part of the sea,  then why resist the sea?
 

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Zen Koan of the Day:

With Zen, everyday is a good day.
Without Zen, even good days are bad days.

Led Zeppelin ~ The Remasters CD Box Set

The Zen Koan Card Pack

A Simple Plan
Shakespeare In Love
Waking Nev Devine

Akira Jimbo ~ Metamorphosis
Davd Garibaldi ~ Tower Of Groove