On Being A Good Sport

Okay, so the past three years I've helped my church's pastor write the Christmas play for the teens to perform. This year was probably the funniest one to date-even the actors got most of the jokes (does that mean we're slipping?). This morning-the DAY of the play-the mother of a teen actor called to say that their whole family was shouting at their shoes (or unswallowing-whichever euphamism you prefer) and-well-long story short: I agreed to fill the role. Note: This is out of my league! I mean, I can hardly handle it when I get acknowledged for writing some of it. So anyway, I've been really trying to be a good sport lately, so I guess I played the part of chef (Sous Chef?) Jacques Gasstove. And it was pretty fun...I didn't really have time to memorize my lines, so I taped them to the back of my giant meat cleaver for a cheat sheet. Not that many people came out and told me they noticed, so I guess it worked! What a long, strange trip it's been.-kmf

You think THAT'S bad!

I heard a national radio news spot about our 'big blizzard' and at first, listening, I was all proud of it. They spoke of snowdrifts eight feet deep and windgusts up to 70mph. (that's when I was proud) Then the next thing they said was that the Dakotas "had temperatures down in the lower teens"...good grief! that blew the whole thing! That's not even freezing (hardly). You know, it sounded so impressive until they announced the (almost) tropical temp. we had to endure. C'mon...save us our airplay for colder times! Don't try to make us out to be newcomers-to-winter-weather!

Show

For the month of November, some of my work will be at the coffee shop, Coffee 'n Clay, (12th and Phillips) in Sioux Falls, SD.

~KMF~

Check me out!!!

I guess I'm ten times cooler than I thought...I figured I'd be an uruk-or at least an orc!-kmf

tenting it and loving it

We went camping last weekend with some of the homeschool group (but without our most-fun-friends-of-the-bunch) and it was a blast. I wonder: do teenagers who play guitar think that everyone near them wants to hear them a-singin' and a-strummin'? Like, "that's great, kid, but can't you find your own campfire...we're trying to talk here." And when the people in the adjacent spot (you know, the ones with the Excursion and the ginormous pull-behind [not pop-up, mind you]camper)say "oh, I remember when WE used to sleep in a tent" I bit my tongue SO HARD to not say "oh, back when you were happy?" ...Other than those few tiny things, we had a total bast. Which is cool because we almost didn't go because of financial reasons (food usually costs us WAY too much). But my smart wife was making a huge pot of stuffed green pepper, and when we dropped off our big, unfriendly-to-strangers-and-even-some-friends dog at my in-laws' house, they gave us a bunch of leftovers and snacks and stuff, too. So all we had to do was trust that God would somehow provide, and He did. Our trip only cost us $13 for the campsite. How awesome is that?!-kmf

Something's got to give

I know...having-this-blog is about the same as not-having-this-blog. And I suppose that reading-this-blog is about the same as not-reading-it. Since it never changes, it's got to be terribly boring. But things have been changing in my world. God is on the move. I don't know when it started, but it's been building slowly-even snowballing without me even knowing it. The first giant step that I realize now was when I agreed to leave the warm confines of my comfort zone and perform 'live drawing' while a friend read a story I wrote in front of loads of local kids. Then I had that art show. Then I talked to a manager at a different coffeeshop and she asked me to set up a show there as well. (So I guess in November I'm having a show at Coffee -n- Clay.) Since my first show someone has contacted me about buying a piece and possibly commissioning a personal portrait; various people have 'been dropping out of nowhere' with helpful advice and encouragement; God had put me in the right place at the right time to meet up with another guy who I'd heard was interested in buying a piece; and the local newspaper editor stopped at my house to say she'd heard I'd had a show and ask if she could run a story about my stuff. I hope I can present my case well "blaming" everything on God-who dragged me out of my shell to show what He can do. What an orchestrator! He's doing WAY more than we can see. All I can do is agree and hang on tight and try to enjoy the ride. It's so subtle and it comes in such waves and it's so invigorating and it's so keith-altering. Strange stuff...can I have some more? -kmf

I guess I'm an exhibitionist...?

So now I have my art in public viewing. -not that the coffee shop is really all that public. It's pretty strange for me to have so much of my stuff somewhere-not-in-my-house. I'm really not that crazy about it. And I feel like not going there for coffee for the next three weeks. Except I need to go there with Darrin while he's here. I think I'll be glad when it's over and I can bring them home again. So, everyone, head on down there and check out my stuff-chances are you won't see me there! This is my first exhibition and it feels like my last!-kmf

So last week I realized the truth to those goofy old cliches. "Don't spend it all in one place." And even (albeit loosely translated) "a rolling stone gathers no moss". Yeah...so if you know anything about anything you'd know that I had the week off from work last week. (With the holiday Monday I actually only missed [I wouldn't exactly say I ~missed~] four days of work.) I believe I had the greatest vacation I've ever had. And I give the credit to its (lack of) planning. Truth be told: I was always under the impression that a good vacation involves going somewhere for a week or so and seeing all the sights that place has to offer and "all that jazz". But this time, instead of going to one place for a long time, we went many places for short times. We didn't put all our hopes and dreams (eggs) into going on some trip(basket) that would fulfill all our vacating desires. We didn't spend it (our time) all in one place. It was awesome. We didn't even tell our kids that we were going to Omaha to the zoo until we woke them up really early on Wednesday and each one asked why they had to get up. It was SO fun. We stopped at an old fashioned soda fountain and the Jerk gave us each these goofy paper soda jerk hats. Anyway...there were WAY too many things that we did to tell in one post -so y'all just have to imagine the great fun we had all over our little chunk of the midwest (not gathering any moss, mind you).-kmf

Today something unusual happened that I never could have anticipated. I mean: who (other than Darrin- somehow)in my life would have guessed that it would be possible for me to enjoy something so ...not-of-my-world/bubble. My heart was racing. My attention was thoroughly engrossed. My muscles were taut. It was like how you get a good hockey game. But it wasn't hockey. It wasn't skateboarding. It was America's favorite pasttime! What a surprise! I came home early from work to make it to my kid's game. It was against Madison's Blue Jays-a notorious bunch (I'd even bet that the kids' parents actually watch baseball on tv with their young-uns). This team had creamed us every time last season. But (after winning the first two games) our team seems to have gained some confidence since last year. This third-in-a-row win even inspired the coach to treat the kids to some impromptu ice cream at 'the Spot'. I couldn't believe that baseball was moving me! Our team had fallen behind at the end of the game (8 to 11) when, instead of ending the game, the other team (out of pride and self-assuredness, no doubt) asked if we wanted to play one more inning. They probably planned to sink us even further. But, wait a second, something familiar just got kicked in the shorts! We beat THEM (12 to 11). WOOOHOOOOO! Like if you've followed SF59's albums: something familiar just got kicked in the shorts! Wham! 12 to 11...I AM the Portuguese Blues! So eat my dust!-kmf

Darrin and Ellie

Back in 1991 our friend Lisa found a song of Miles Davis with the New York Philharmonic-probably from 1969. It was incredible. -And it also sparked a tiny interest of jazz in me. Not too long after that I saw something on TV about Wynton Marsalis and his three volume set of 'Soul Gestures in Southern Blue' (I think is the right name). My friends had all graduated and left me (always the younger one) alone at school. I had planned to become anonymous and invisible--but it didn't happen. Instead-and I'm not sure how- I met this dude who owned these Wynton Marsalis albums. It was strange, because our school had thick lines between the cliques. Just how a freak hooked up with a geek is beyond me. (Maybe it's because his geeky friends had also graduated to become geeky college kids. [Whereas my freaky friends graduated to become freaky burnouts, inmates, and college/votech um...freaks.] ) So here we were, in a brave new world and all we had in common was good ol' Wynton. It didn't take long to become affiliated with other freaky geeks, PCs, and other non-popular doofs. But I had no closer bond with any of them than I had with my new friend, Darrin. Darrin, later, went off to college. We wrote to eachother a lot, and he came up to visit quite a bit. He got engaged and, when that dissolved, he came to crash at our place. We were honored to be his 'safe haven'. He would always come to stay with us for a week or so when he had some time. We loved it. Our kids have grown up with him coming and going. He is a permanent fixture in our family. The kids keep asking when Darrin is going to come again. -And we sadly have to tell them that he has a job now and it's not as easy for him to come over. We all miss him. We even named our dog after him. So, anyway, here's to Darrin on his thirtieth birthday! We love you, man!!!-kmf

Today was such a trip! On my way to work I saw a coyote run across the hi-way in front of me, then it crossed the ditch and jumped the fence. You should've seen it jump...it was so smooth and easy...so graceful. -like those wolves on those wolf documentaries! Then, like a half mile later, there was this pheasant rooster totally strutting his stuff on top of a big rock. After another short distance, there was a big, fluffy dog playing with something I couldn't see and he was wagging his ginormous tail like a madman. --but wait, there's more! As if that wasn't enough...tonight we were at home and my wife asked me what kind of bird was making this obnoxious noise. I knew I'd heard it before and just guessed it was a starling. So I got curious and started scanning the big maple in the back yard, and suddenly the bird flew out of the tree and perched on my electric line to my house. You know what kind of bird it was? It was my all-time-fave bird in all of God's creation: the KINGFISHER! It was in MY yard...on MY wire! I was just freaking out. I've never seen one perched anywhere other than over water! My wife was on the phone and hung up on whomever after shouting "it's a kingfisher!" into the poor person's ear. My entire family shared my excitement. They care about me enough to care about my (silly, old) favorite bird. What a family! What a moment -with us all standing like statues depicting 'awe' in our back window! -kmf

Yesterday I did something that I'll probably only ever do one more time (maybe two more). It meant very little to me, but it did make me think in 'tens' instead of just 'ones'. You know some people make such a big deal out of turning 30, but maybe the 'big-deal-number' gets bigger as the baby boomers get older. I don't know. A guy at work said "ya know, thirty is like the new twenty-five". -Whatever. But all of a sudden I can think of decades! Yesterday morning felt more like a "New Year's Day" than any January first ever has for me. This is all probably just because I've been innoculated to believe that things change when you turn thirty. What a farse! So anyway...here's to ten more! -or thirty more! -or whatever/however much more! -kmf

So, I don't have much time to post, 'cause we're going camping for my boy's birthday! Happy B-Day, KMV! It's fun to go to the state park this early in the year because there's, like, nobody there. Let's hope it's the same this year. -AND our family's good friends, the Gottbihg's, are going camping, too! So there'll be fun for all: men, women, girls, and boys (and dogs) -how cool is that?! I got my kid a kid's archery set and a new music cd. He will be pretty stoked to receive both. AWWW, YEAH! ...and we're off!-kmf

Today counts as an annual holiday at our house. It doesn't always fall on the-day-before-Easter, and it usually wouldn't happen before April; but TODAY is the-day-we-take-apart
-the-ice-rink. It isn't because we dislike the ice rink. It isn't because we regain that huge chunk of yard under it. It's a holiday because while the plastic liner is drying in the wind, the kids LOVE running under it. Remember in P.E. when we got to play under that parachute? It's like that-except bigger, and personally ours, and full of anticipation, and unpredictable due to the wind that blows it into caves, tunnels, and domes. It was a great time! And I'm afraid I added to the annual festivities: we built a log cabin with the wood that framed our ice rink. I'm sure we'll have to do this every year now, too. Which is fine-because it's a great way to let the wood dry. So, anyway, that's today. -kmf

So I read this story about Owen Wilson's nose, and it -naturally- made me think of "Bottlerocket"-perhaps my favorite movie. That in itself made me think of "Hi-Fidelity" in which John Cusack makes lists of his favorites. And I figured that -since this is a blog- I should post a list of my own. Anyone who's known me for a while already knows all this about me, but what is the point of having a blog anyway... So here's my list of the Greatest 10 Albums of All Time* (*subject to change at any time author chooses to change it-it's my list, isn't it?!)
Astral Weeks--Van Morrison (with an honorary nod to Common One-on a more personal basis)
What Makes A Man Start Fires?--Minutemen/coupled with IF'N--fIREHOSE (I can couple 2 albums as one if I want--It's MY list, remember? -and, anyway, there both really short, so it's easy to pair them together)
Drukqs--Aphex Twin (Everthing can be summed up in track#10 of disc #1 [quite likely the most important song in my entire life]-just ask my wife how many times I've played it!)
Discovery--Daft Punk (Thank you, Jackhammer! -for helping me to understand)
Troubadour/Naturally--J J Cale (again, I can stick two short albums together. Troubadour is night-turning-to-dawn...Naturally is dark-evening-turning-to-darker-night in a myriad of Faulkner stories)
Loaded--The Velvet Underground (especially the 'fully loaded' set with demos and extras...WOW)
Sorry, Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash--the Replacements (I got this cassette back in '88 [by dishonorable means] -I haven't stopped listening to it since then-it is on cd now.
Gold--Starflyer59 (the untitled album that is gold in color--I'm eternally glad that girl broke up with ol' Jason Martin!)
Kaya--Bob Marley (I borrowed this from my future bro-in-law the 2nd time I met him back in '90...I think I gave it back [but I have had his Sonic Youth's "Goo" on vinyl ever since then])
Pistolero--Frank Black and the Catholics (This holds a special place in my heart and when I saw them live they played some awesome songs from it--especially "So. Cal" WOW.)
Figureheads on the Forefront of Pop Culture--Blenderhead (Songwriting at one of its finest hours-I wish these guys would just get together and stay together!)
Okay, so I know there's, like, 13 albums (in 11 spots) on my top 10 list...whatcha gonna do about it!?

So last week I realized the truth to those goofy old cliches. "Don't spend it all in one place." And even (albeit loosely translated) "a rolling stone gathers no moss". Yeah...so if you know anything about anything you'd know that I had the week off from work last week. (With the holiday Monday I actually only missed [I wouldn't exactly say I ~missed~] four days of work.) I believe I had the greatest vacation I've ever had. And I give the credit to its (lack of) planning. Truth be told: I was always under the impression that a good vacation involves going somewhere for a week or so and seeing all the sights that place has to offer and "all that jazz". But this time, instead of going to one place for a long time, we went many places for short times. We didn't put all our hopes and dreams (eggs) into going on some trip(basket) that would fulfill all our vacating desires. We didn't spend it (our time) all in one place. It was awesome. We didn't even tell our kids that we were going to Omaha to the zoo until we woke them up really early on Wednesday and each one asked why they had to get up. It was SO fun. We stopped at an old fashioned soda fountain and the Jerk gave us each these goofy paper soda jerk hats. Anyway...there were WAY too many things that we did to tell in one post -so y'all just have to imagine the great fun we had all over our little chunk of the midwest (not gathering any moss, mind you).-kmf