Playing piano for old mailman!

Here is my mail truck, parked as I always park it for my morning break:

I am taking the photo from the Mississippi River! (frozen solid)

I can just walk right out on the river, and admire the frozen vistas all around me... for 10 minutes, only!

Then, it's back to driving the mean streets of French Island, La Crosse!

I realize the above has nothing to do with playing piano, but hey, I like a nice photo regardless, don't you?

At any rate, I bought (after evaluating piano play by ear courses ad nauseum), and finally settled on one at Playpianotoday.com, by David Sprunger.

I've played piano, in a rudimentary, read-the-notes fashion for decades. I always wanted to play by ear, and never knew how, despite knowing quite a bit of theory and technique, via my studies in trombone, piano, and then voice.

This course, whilst deceptively simple, really has the goods, so to speak!

David is a natural teacher, and reveals the (simple) secrets that classically trained musicians are never taught! I could just skim through the early lessons, and then jump into the accompaniments to singing a few songs...

BUT, I see that, even if you NEVER played an instrument, and knew NOTHING about music, this course could make you into a play by ear pianist by itself!!

(And that is a tall order!)

The best part is that you are playing the background to real songs that are fun to sing and play from the start! It's all up to you:

David shows you how to play the chords, the rhythmic patterns you need to make the music come alive, and how to transpose music into any key, by using the relative notes and chords! (Not just by being spoon fed sheet music, and then memorizing, as is the rule).

Although I'm a relative newcomer to this course, and also to "playing by ear", I recommend it wholeheartedly, even at this early stage! I've already learned two songs; (IN ANY KEY, AS I STATED ABOVE!!), and that knowledge alone is worth the price of this course to me!

If my daughter profits from it to this extent as well, the course is worth way more than that- especially if we can harmonize, while one of us is accompanying on piano.

I also recommend hearandplay.com, but I am only using the free lessons online. Both seem good; but playpianotoday seemed even BETTER!

I will keep you posted on the future lessons- hey, I'll upload a tune or two!!

Your old mailman,
Jay

The first REAL day of SPRING 2008!

Today, it was about 50 degrees here in the Coulee region- sunny, mild, and just, well-PERFECT!

So, since I also had THE DAY OFF!, I did what any old mailman would do...

I went to Best Buy, and got a new power supply cord for our old DELL laptop! (Yes, the one Holly used for SIMS exclusively for a few years).

ALL that this computer needed, a Windows laptop, was the power supply cord... for this it had been sitting unused for about a year, under the couch??

My bad.

I'm actually writing this blog update FROM this old, given-up-for-dead laptop! AND, I took that miraculous photo of my truck's hood today, and uploaded it to this laptop...

Amazing!

Anyway, what do you think that old Ford logo from 1962 is supposed to represent? To me, it kind of looks like a superhero emblem...

Electro-FordMan!

My new identity- Old Electro Ford Mailman

Not really... but I did enjoy driving my truck to choir practice tonight! As I also enjoyed grilling the pork roast beforehand! AND eating it!

It is so great Spring is finally here- IT HAS BEEN THE WORST WINTER EVER!!

Love,
Your old mailman

Old Mailman goes to Korea!

It is now official: in July, the old mailman will be going with a church group from Onalaska United Methodist Church to Korea! The above photo shows a group of Koreans who visited us here this past winter. (They sang us a goodbye song at the church).

The old mailman will be accompanied by his daughter, Holly, who will be home from her freshman year of college. Our Pastor Kim in Onalaska is from Korea- he is the reason and inspiration for this cross-cultural exchange. It should be very, very interesting, to say the least!

I am NOT one who loves travel, and so, anticipating a trip to the other side of the world! seems quite extreme... but, I know it will be a wonderful thing! Overwhelming, but wonderful.

Hopefully, Mark Bertrang, my singing compadre, and Pastor Kim can also do some singing over in Korea- Koreans are new to barbershop and gospel music! I'd really like to sing them The Star Spangled Banner !

It's a Wonderful Life!

With all the fallout from the recent article in the La Crosse Tribune, I really am beginning to feel a bit like George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life!

So many have written really nice letters, sent emails, and just let me know that they read the article, and that they agree with it. This is really validating; sometimes we all feel as if the world would be better off, as George said, "If I'd never been born!"

But it wasn't true for him, it's not for me, AND it's not true for all of us everyday, hard-working, average folks who just try to do their best, both in their jobs, and in their lives.

So many people came out, on my new French Island route, and welcomed me as their mailman! It would have taken a very long time to get to know them without the article "paving the way".

One guy, yesterday, asked me if I was the mailman featured in the article. I said yes, I was.

"You don't look like him!" he responded.

Maybe he'll see the above photo by Festival Foods in La Crosse, and recognize me...
or, maybe he'll think I don't look like this guy either!

La Crosse Tribune article "Old Mailman"

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2008/01/28/news/00lead.txt

I believe if you click on the above, you will access today's online version of the La Crosse Tribune. So, if the spirit of La Crosse and it's many mailmen moves you, go ahead and read the online version!!

What an amazing first day I had on the new route on French Island today! Although it is very stressful to learn a new route; both sorting the mail (think: major headache), and finding your way around a circuitous, albeit very beautiful area (think: French Island).

But, people on the Island were very friendly and welcoming! Quite a few waved, and quite a few more actually met me at the mailbox and welcomed me, due to their advance introduction via the Tribune article!

Several even greeted me by name!! Wow, what a welcome welcoming!

I think I will really enjoy this area of La Crosse; an area of great beauty that heretofore was largely unknown to me. And, I know I will enjoy the great people!

La Crosse Tribune article

Well, it appears there will be an article about me next week! How unexpected...

A journalist by the name of Chris came by the house today, and interviewed me about my mail delivery career, and we had a really nice talk. He, like me, majored in English in college; so, we are both "men of letters", as my dad always says about me. He went to U of Illinois; I went to Illinois State U. Anyway, the paper even plans to send a photographer to photograph me on Saturday! So, keep your eye out for me in the paper.......

your OLD MAILMAN!

Last day on the route after 16 years

Here I am, after carrying my walking route 23 on the final day, January 17, 2008. Bittersweet feelings, as I will miss greatly all the wonderful people from that nice neighborhood under the foot of the bluffs in La Crosse, Wisconsin!

Now, I will carry mail, while driving, up by the "big river"!

Change is always hard, but hopefully rewarding.

The last day!