Ups and Downs

I've missed a few weeks, mostly due to other pressing needs (especially the day job), but also due to a vacation, getting the spring garden in, and general lack of interest in sitting down to type. But, I thought I should get back into the swing of things, hence this week's rambling post.
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First, upcoming events:

- May 10, gig with DK & the Affordables, Los Alamos Sheriff's Posse Lodge, 7-9 pm, Par-tay!
- May 16, gig with Craig Martin Experience, Fuller Lodge, private party
- May 17, fly tying class at Fuller Lodge Art Center, 10 am - 12 pm.
- May 24, piano recital featuring MY STUDENTS! White Rock United Methodist Church, 2 pm.
- June 7, Rockabilly on the Route with DK & the Affordables, Tucumcari, NM, 10 am
- June 7, DK & the Affordables back Justin Shandor, the "Ultimate Elvis," Tucumcari, NM, 10 pm
- June 27, gig with DK & the Affordables, Los Alamos Summer Concert Series, 7-10 pm. 
- Aug 27, gig with DK & the Affordables, Santa Fe Bandstand 6-9 pm.

I'm really excited for all of these events!

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Now for the ups and downs:

Life's full of 'em, of course. One of the biggest ups for me, recently, was watching my 7-year-old realize he could ride a bike. I bought him a bike for his 6th birthday, and he rode it quite a bit with training wheels. When I took the training wheels off and tried to teach him like a good dad should, he would have none of it. He ended up taking to a scooter, which was also fun to watch. We got him this 3-wheeled contraption (2 in front, 1 in back) that would steer much smoother than the ol' Razor scooters. He would scooter up to the top of our street--using the sidewalk like he was told--then carve turns back down the middle of the street (which he was NOT supposed to do). I couldn't believe how fluid he was. I of course had to chastise him for being in the road, but secretly I was saying, "Right on!" Anyway, the other evening after dinner, we took a family walk over to the parking lot of his elementary school (2 blocks from our house). It took a bit of convincing, but he got on the bike and started pedaling while I was holding his shoulders. After about 3 minutes he said, "Daddy, you can let go." And he was off. He is a 2-wheel riding machine now! I'm so happy for him because I remember how much joy and freedom I've gotten from riding a bike.

One of the "downs" right now involves missing my dad. He died in Feb 2013. Right after the funeral, I went with my Mom to see their insurance agent, John, and he said that even though it'd been 6 years since his dad died, he still expected him to answer the phone when he called. I don't expect Dad to pick up the phone, but I do come across stuff I think he'd appreciate and have to stop myself from calling or emailing him. It's a matter of reframing, though. While I miss my dad, I value and embrace all the wonderful stuff he taught me. I'm teaching a fly tying class in a couple weeks; I have fond memories of swapping patterns by email and tying together when we had the chance. He taught me a lot of what I know about tying and fishing (and about life, really). I drew for an elk hunt this year, which means I'll have to get out and scout, and actually shoot a rifle again. Time to dredge up all those memories, too! I'll be using one of Dad's favorite rifles, a Ruger .270 that he'd fitted in a composite stock, for that.

Tying flies in Pacific City, OR. Did I just mess up?

Another "down" is my recurring sciatica. As I type this, I'm sitting on a stool or standing, with my posture as good as I can get it, because sitting in a regular chair puts pressure on the pinched nerve. I had to resort to anti-inflammatories for a few days (even though, and perhaps because, I managed a 3 mile run mid-week). But, to reframe, at least I still have full function. I can walk normally and stand. In the past, I have suffered from the foot drop and strength loss in each leg. I went to the chiropractor, and as I write this I'm feeling much better, although last night I was in a lot of pain. I was definitely out of whack. I'm hoping to be running again soon, but I might dust off the mountain bike instead. I probably won't be back to Karate, though, as that has hurt my back a few times and I'm unwilling to put up with the pain, frustration, and downtime that being hurt causes. And I will miss a backcountry ski day in part because I don't want to be a liability in the big mountains. On the upside, the pinched nerves and tennis elbow in my arms has subsided, so playing the piano is much less of a chore than it has been.

We had a great vacation a couple weeks ago to the Oregon Coast. I have relatives out there--in Portland and Salem--and it was great to catch up and reconnect. As an added bonus, my mom, niece, and aunt (mom's sister) drove out to meet us in Salem (we were staying with my mom's other sister) so we got a couple nice days to catch up. The kids got to see a real city (Portland), as well as the ocean; living in a landlocked, desert state, it's sensory overload to see the ocean--that much water in one place! It all seems so exotic. My wife and I took a drive about 2 hours East of Salem, and climbed steadily to 4000 ft elevation, where there was still quite a bit of snow! It's amazing the relief between the ocean and the 10,000 ft volcanoes between Salem and Bend. That same afternoon, I did a few hours of fly fishing in at a big reservoir (Detroit Lake; difficult without a boat or float tube), and my Aunt Cleo gave me a nice casting lesson (which I needed!). Aunt Cleo was an adventurer, for sure. She and her brother/my uncle Pat fished and hunted all over Southern Idaho, and when she moved to Oregon, she fished and fished! It was great to have that bonding experience with her.

The kids, Aunt Cleo (blue shirt), and I (plaid) get our feet wet and cold in the Oregon surf.

Our motley crew poses at the base of Silver Falls near Salem, OR. Actually, the closest town is Sublimity, a promising sounding berg, don't you think?

Another mixed blessing is our current house hunt. Right now we are looking to swap houses. We learned a lot by owning, renovating, and living in a 1300 square foot house, mostly about how little stuff you really need, but also about what you should and shouldn't try to do yourself. We moved into that house from a 2000 square foot house, and, consequently, had to sell a lot of stuff. As we added a couple kids to the mix, more of our stuff found its way to Freecycle, Craigslist, eBay, or the curb. We are down to a minimal mix of stuff, But, I play and teach music and my wife paints and sews, so we need a studio space to keep pursuing those interests. Looking at houses is always exciting. Dropping a chunk of change, well, that's not always so fun.

I suppose life would be boring if emotions ran flat. My life has been a series of crazy ups and downs lately. But, I suppose yours has, too, and that I shouldn't complain too much. For me, the "downs" in life are often an opportunity to reframe my perception. My mantra has become "wholeness, wellness, happiness," especially as it relates to my lower back.

Appreciating greenery and flowing water, rare luxuries in the Desert Southwest.

Thank you for reading!