Bacheloring for a week ..kinds of foods.

So home alone for a week and back on my diet: Hemp hearts in the porridge, Bell peppers sauteed with other things (protean too) —I'm hopping to get back on the track of a pound a day. I'll be going for it in this next week for sure. Hemp hearts gives energy for the whole day and allows you to eat only the skimpiest of lunches (salad or sauteed veg. + a plug of salmon). Staying off anything sugary/"carby" bread and potatoes. I have a little brown rice (small portion) now and then. Anything that will slow down the digestive process and give the pancreas and liver a chance is fair game. One has to be reasonably full after supper. Then no eating after supper, i.e. go to bed a little hungry and voila another pound gone (hopefully). I still have quite a ways to go to reach my goal but it is worth it. Feeling better, a little more athletic and lighter on and off my feet. It's a good thing: a life saving, savoring thing. This is the first time I've ever sauteed garlic cloves... they are delicious.

I'm missing my grandson Jack who is amazing and developing into quite a fine kid. G. is off visiting them.

Work/chores/practise/listen—life is busy and planned and it's OK to not practise 6-8 hours a day. More like 2 hours maybe. I'm making some time think and read and (trying to) grow.

The book got relaunched (see the site: charlieaustinjazz.com) with KMO's brilliant new cover design (Yay).

I've learned a lot by listening to my tracks recently recorded—it takes a tremendous concentration as those that know will attest. I'm kicking myself over a few careless blunders that marred a potentially good take. Recording one's self is really soul-building (neuron building). I can measure my state of mind just by the touch of the keys. I confess that I out-smarted myself on a few rhythmic gestures and didn't wait for the downbeat to catch up. Right there is a reason to practise with the metronome. I can tell where I'm at mentally and personally (is there a difference? sub category) by what comes out: Solo piano gives you no place to hide really. I kind of flubbed an entry and then "classlessness" abounded as I tried to cover it up by doing grace notes to kind of imitate the flub as if it was intended all along. I won't do that again—it's just so obvious and false. Just start over with a new track and a stronger mind set and soul set! It turns out that except for a couple of very precious tracks on day 2, the best results came on the first day of recording ("beginner's" luck—with red light fever).

I'm thinking this will make me a better player—if I pay attention and do the hard work of listening to the same tracks individually over and over again. I would like to think I didn't squander the recording opportunity and got a CD's worth of entertaining music. This is serious business and everyone who does this sort of thing works really hard at getting it done well.

EKOS

I'll be playing less as it's getting to be EKOS choir writing time and I'm starting to think about some sort of allotment of time for P.'s wonderful EKOS ambitious projects. I think the overall concert will be a success in May because the choir can get a lot done because of the nature of the arrangements we're doing. The EKOS concert theme is New Orleans and covers some musical history and roots music that should be very entertaining and fun to do. I just have to get to work on it.

Reincarnation:

The thoughts on reincarnation are bearing some fruit in that I think I potentially have more peace and spiritual progress and am able to deal with past faults with more clarity and resolution. In any case the only way is forward. So that is the way.

Chris Hedges:

Here's one of the many You Tube clips of Chris Hedges. He tells it how it is on every level through many brilliant speaking events. He is so brilliant and well thought out and has a lot to say about our existence on this planet. Here's a link to get it going — it's all good stuff. We are fortunate to have this humble and wise man who in my view, has everyone's true interest at heart. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aNik_d2Tug&feature=related

Hedges mixes it up with Hitchens... and wins hands down as far as I'm concerned —and I was (and still am) a fan of Hitchens: Then I saw Chris Hedges being interviewed. I'm reading his books and noting his influences: Noam Chomski and George Orwell.... they're all on You Tube as well... I'm going to take the time to absorb their thoughts too.

Take care all !!