Ah, a nice dream remembered

I go through periods of a week or two where at night I dream vivid, often incoherent dreams. At some point in the night my dog will wake me to be let out, or I wake me to let myself out, and I can clearly remember everything about the dream.

At the time I think, there is no way I am going to forget this dream, its so clear, remarkable, and easy to remember. Then in the morning nothing, barely a recollection that I dreamed at all. During one of these bursts of dreams I kept a notepad nearby the bed to scrawl something that would key my memory, but mostly I couldn't read my own handwriting from 3AM.

This week I remembered one of the dreams. Not right away in the morning though, but later in the day. Its one of the better ones that I've ever remembered and I am glad it came back. One note before the dream, I have 3 children: my two oldest sons are now 24 and 21, and my daughter is 18.

The dream:  I am watching a family video tape on a smaller TV that we used long ago. On the screen one of our former cars is approaching the camera - the camera appears to be moving in the same direction as the car - and the perspective changes smoothly throughout the dream. My two sons are hanging out the back driver side window and they appear to be the same age, about four to five years old, and they are laughing and waving at the camera. The car rolls alongside the camera for a distance, and looking in the driver's window my daughter is seen. She looks four to five years in age and it appears as if she is driving the car. She too is laughing and waving at the camera. The camera moves closer at this point and then you see that I am in the car too, the driver seat is fully reclined, and that I am lying on it with my daughter seated on my lap, and I am in fact driving the car. The car eases past the camera so that the back of the car is seen, my two sons continue to laugh and wave at the camera. Fade to black - the end.

This is one of my warmest dreams in recent memory. Lots I can't explain about it. Namely how could my two boys both be hanging out the same window, especially if the driver seat and dad is reclining right in their way.  But other things too - why are they all about the same age? Why is daughter the fake driver? On and on.

I can now replay the dream at will in my brain. Its very pleasant and enjoyable. I think I will put it on a loop for a few days.

Fixing The American Ryder Cup Team

 

I want my weekend refunded. After watching most of the matches from Friday afternoon through Sunday's conclusion, I don't believe the Americans gave me my monies worth.

Something rotten has infested the US side and the whole thing needs to be gutted and re-tooled:

Tiger Woods does not care. He looked disinterested throughout much of the competition. He rarely had anything to cheer about since he trailed most of his matches. No more Tiger on the Ryder Cup team. ( I concede this will never happen.)

Stricker looked lifeless. It appeared he had no confidence in anything he was doing. His putts down the stretch could not have been more timid. Stricker - you are out.

Same for Furyk. I like Jim Furyk but he has failed so many times on the closing holes lately he is just undependable. Sorry Jim, you are out too.

Phil Mickelson - fellow left hander, you have to go. I can appreciate good sportsmanship as much as anyone, but I was disappointed to see you applauding your own demise. At times you appear stiff and blank and confused out on the course. It was a struggle to watch you get defeated. Admittedly Justin Rose holed some mighty long distance putts, but I wanted fire from you, not a mutual admiration society reaction -save that for the press room.

So that leaves the remaining eight. Zack Johnson, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Matt Kuchar, and Brandt Snedecker. We start building around these younger guys. Watson and Bradley showed they fully embrace and are fired up about this competition and the team concept. Each player now has a bitter taste in their mouth to wash out. Mix in some other aggressive players: Rikki Fowler, Hunter Mahan, Bo Van Pelt - these guys are dying to play.

Big Change: I want a playing Captain, and put the C on his shirt like they do in hockey. I want someone to lead. I want someone who is standing shoulder to shoulder with the others, who knows first hand how everyone else is playing, feeling, and what is working. Let non-playing assistants handle all the other stuff.

Get together earlier and find out who is playing their best. Find out who works best together. Build some chemistry. (Tiger and Stricker were deadmen walking.) Be prepared if trouble arises, have a Plan B. If a team gets hot ride them to exhaustion. Justin Rose played every segment and he didn't look overused in the end. Pulling Bradley for Saturday's matches was a mistake. He said he'd play a hundred holes if he needed to. Mickelson said he needed a rest. Blah. Rest Monday.

I am sick of losing. The Euros clearly outplayed us, and I congratulate them - now - but during the competition I am all about them losing. Watching the US Team break down was tough duty. The Euros win with fire - witness Ian Poulter's eyes for a sample. I love his act and hate it at the same time. Clearly our side needs more of that.

Piano Square One More Time

Music For Millions Vol 27, MFM27, More Easy Classics To Moderns. Its got what I will be working on for awhile. I have chosen Six German Dances by Beethoven to try out. I have a CD with these being played and they sound great - in the hands of a pro. Me, not so smooth yet.  I don't know why either. The music is self-described on the title of the book as "easy" and looking at it you'd think, piece of cake.

Nothing complicated, you see F and C7, 3/4 time simple. Yet I get brain freeze from measure to measure, and playing with a metronome there is no time for brain freeze. Its a problem of breaking my hands apart, a pesky grace note (all are) and a repeating f note in the left hand. So I will play a measure over and over until I start to get it right and can transition to the next without pause. Is it rote memorization? I don't think so because I have to look at the music on the page to get it right.

To avoid getting bored I have moved on to the second of the dances which involves more scale-like play in the right hand with droning chords in the left - still, staying in time with the metronome is testing.

What it really boils down to is that my technique is badly rusted. Fortunately these German Dances have different types of melody and accompaniment that will keep breaking my hands apart further.

I am using some advice from Bill Hilton on this video as a guide for this return to the classics:

Piano - Square 1 again

Taking a cue from several different sources, I am trying to re-re-re-re-kickstart my piano efforts again by settling in with some classical music. I dug out my volumes 17, 27, and 37 of Music For Millions (MFM) and am playing through some music in it. Well, so far the first, Volume 17.(PS Don't buy new editions of these books - I found mine at Half Price Books years ago, but spent about $10 for all 3, used but in mint condition)

Its not that I stopped, only other stuff has been in the way. I also decided I didn't have a good plan before, relying on playing whatever I felt like, and not really getting anywhere. This way I can measure, so to speak, a few things. This practice will help with reading the music, not relying on ear or memory too heavily, because I am not overly familiar with this music anymore. My memories of it are returning tho.

By the way, the title, Easy Classics To Moderns, what a laugh. Some of this music is tough. Its not abridged in anyway. Lucky for me I like music from Anna Magdalena Notebook, Schumann Album for the Young, Tchaikovsky's Album for the Young, or Ivan's Adventures. And nowadays you can tune into YouTube to find some 8 year old playing the music you are having problems figuring out.

Here is Ivan Sings from MFM17: