In The Band!

Yes, I played in the band.

And band geek was my brand.

A solo was my shinning moment,

because I could not sing a single note yet.

Yankee doodle our trio trilled,

and the crowd was pleased and smiled and thrilled.

Scales, cords and rhythms practiced.

Then I had to learn them all again backwards.

Amongst my group of music spastics,

I thought my world was just fantastic.

I played the oboe, the flute and the tenor sax,

it’s no wonder it took me so long to have sex.

I marched in the band with my big drum,

So much excitement I forgot my hat, how dumb.

Music still give me chills and exhilaration,

I miss those days of musical exaltation.

Yes, I played in the band,

and “band geek” is still my brand!

Bookcrossing Booty Has Finally Arrived

Bookcrossing Tools

My book-plates and other BookCrossing tools finally arrived and I am so excited to release my first book. I couldn’t understand why it was taking so long, until the package arrived from BookCrossing Europe in the Netherlands. I thought it was coming from Sandpoint, Idaho where the site was started and runs.

I am now trying to decide which book should get the honor of my first release. I am considering “A Girl Named Zippy” one of my favorite books and the first one I reviewed here at Random & Rhyme but there are so many others that I love too.

Do you have a suggestion for the book that I should release first?

Book Geeks Dream – Bookcrossing

I love to read!

A recent New York Times article that I quoted in “I am Afflicted with Wanderlust” – “Solo In Paris” by Stephanie Rosenbloom has a quick paragraph about discovering a book at a museum that intrigued me;

“I had taken the book, by Patricia Wentworth, because I recognized the sticker on the cover: www.Bookcrossing.com, a website that encourages people to read, register and hide books in the world for others to find. For years I had wanted to discover one. Later, when I went on the site to register that I had the book, there was a message from its former, anonymous owner: “This book was not lost,” it said in French, “it was found for a new reader.””

I love to read and have loved books since I was a child. One of my favorite pastimes was spending time in our little towns old library; checking out books, learning new things and bugging the librarian. We lived just 4 short blocks from the library until I was 9 and we moved to the country. It was almost like my second home and is one of the cherished memories from my youth.

So I had to check out the site.

“What is BookCrossing?”

“It’s the World’s Library. It’s a smart social networking site. It’s a celebration of literature and a place where books get new life. BookCrossing is the act of giving a book a unique identity so, as the book is passed from reader to reader, it can be tracked and thus connecting its readers. There are currently 1,199,724 BookCrossers and 10,296,948 books travelling throughout 132 countries. Our community is changing the world and touching lives one book at a time.”

I am so excited to find this site, I love to share my books and get recommendations from others and this is a whole new way to share, review, connect and discover. The picture at the top is of the custom bookplate I created on the site. It was super easy and purchasing them from the site helps support the site. They have tons of really cool ones that you can get or really simple straightforward ones. I included a link to mine in the picture if you are interested in my creation with my Maddie dog on it.

I can’t wait to release my first book. In searching the site it looks like there are about a half dozen books in my little town in Olympia so I will be on the lookout. You can check out their “Go Hunting” section for free and go hunting for a book in your community too.

I will share more about my first release and any successful catches along the way.

Have you ever caught or released a book with Bookcrossing? What’s your story?

I’m A Band Geek

I was a band girl, went to band camp, marched in the band and played in a couple of bands.

I was so lucky to have such an amazing teacher, who was tough but fun and really seemed to enjoy teaching. He was one of those teachers that kept you motivated, made you want to perform well and make him proud.

If it wasn’t for the 3 or 4 music classes I had at school everyday I probably would have skipped a lot more school. That is one of the reasons I choose to support “Save The Music” as one of the places I send my charity dollars. They are dedicated to restoring music programs in public schools. From their website.

“The benefits of music education are astounding, and studies have consistently exposed the tremendously positive effect music education has on a child’s academic performance, sense of community, self-expression and self-esteem.

But as schools across the nation increasingly face budget cuts and pressures, music is often one of the first subject areas to be cut.

At VH1 Save The Music Foundation, we develop strategic partnerships with school districts to build sustainable instrumental music programs by providing grants of brand-new musical instruments to public elementary and middle schools.”

Having access to a musical education changed my life for the better and if I can help a few children get that same chance, I will be happy. Consider making a donation yourself if you feel music is important to a well rounded child.

And band camp is as fun as it is in the movies, although I never knew a girl that put her flute in her lady area ala American Pie. But there were weekend flings, healthy competition, a few beers and just a lot of hanging out with “my people”. Hanging out with people who get you and like some of the same things you like and are open to your “geekiness” is pretty rare as you get older. You have to have that whole professional persona going on once you are out in the work world and it usually does’t allow you to let your freak flag fly and be you.

Music is something from my youth that I dearly miss; it was such a huge part of my growing up. I played at least 5 days a week, 9 plus months out of the year for nearly 8 years. It is one of those passions I want to add back into my life somehow. I have no professional ambitions, just would like to find some of my people again and jam.

Is there something you did a lot when you were young that you miss now as an adult?