pages tagged ericfcheblog : Frank Ch. Eigler's insignificant weblog⁴http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/tags/eric/fcheblog : Frank Ch. Eigler's insignificant weblog⁴ikiwiki2023-10-29T15:47:49Zhow it started, how it is goinghttp://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/2023-10-29T15:47:49Z2023-08-20T14:43:52Z
<p>How it started, in 2009 and 2011:</p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/p1020194.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-p1020194.jpg" width="350" height="263" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/P1290206.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-P1290206.jpg" width="350" height="263" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/eric-karate-poem-2009.png"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/250x-eric-karate-poem-2009.png" width="250" height="408" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
<p><hr>
How 210 minutes of black belt grading went:</p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_7961crop.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/250x-DSC_7961crop.jpg" width="250" height="295" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_7782.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_7782.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_7791.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_7791.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_7875.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_7875.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_7941.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_7941.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_7966.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_7966.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_7977.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_7977.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_8100.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_8100.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
<p><hr>
Obligatory post-grading photo. Congratulations to the boys, and to Sensei Erik Croft and Senpai Marcia Schnepf as well as all their other teachers - David Turkoski, Tracy Warrener, and many more!</p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_8107crop.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/500x-DSC_8107crop.jpg" width="500" height="415" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
<p><hr>
Obligatory belt ceremony photos ten days later. Thanks to O'Sensei Turkoski for visiting, and congratulations to Sensei Schnepf on her promotion too!</p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_8869.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_8869.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_8879.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_8879.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_8894.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_8894.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_8907.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/350x-DSC_8907.jpg" width="350" height="233" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/DSC_8901.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/how_it_started__44___how_it_is_going/250x-DSC_8901.jpg" width="250" height="375" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
piano escape 11http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/2023-07-15T00:10:36Z2022-09-26T17:14:10Z
<p>The boys were invited to guest perform at the amazing <a href="https://whistlinggardens.ca/">Whistling Gardens</a>, sponsored by the <a href="https://arcady.ca/">Arcady Ensemble</a>. A few pieces were a bit rusty, but the dusk/night environment made for a pretty good show for a whole new audience.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjtd00JUifY">Watch on youtube.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/poster5.png"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/250x-poster5.png" width="250" height="167" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/Whistling_Garden_program.png"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/200x-Whistling_Garden_program.png" width="200" height="259" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/2022-09-17_19.18.31.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/200x-2022-09-17_19.18.31.jpg" width="200" height="267" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/DSC_3377.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/250x-DSC_3377.jpg" width="250" height="167" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/2022-09-17_18.56.10.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/200x-2022-09-17_18.56.10.jpg" width="200" height="267" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/IMG_20220917_194539.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/250x-IMG_20220917_194539.jpg" width="250" height="188" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/DSC_3396.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_11/250x-DSC_3396.jpg" width="250" height="167" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
piano escape 10http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/2023-07-15T00:10:36Z2022-08-19T15:05:10Z
<p>The boys were at it again, with some <a href="https://www.kevinwilliamsband.com/">jazzy special guests</a>! Weather was perfect, and our usual fans plus bunches of passersby came to enjoy the show.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IdYs13bFRk">Watch on youtube.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/piano_escape_10.png"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/250x-piano_escape_10.png" width="250" height="324" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/piano-escape-10-program.png"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/250x-piano-escape-10-program.png" width="250" height="323" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/P2050445.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/300x-P2050445.jpg" width="299" height="200" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/P2050451.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/300x-P2050451.jpg" width="299" height="200" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/P2050454.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/300x-P2050454.jpg" width="299" height="200" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/P2050458.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/300x-P2050458.jpg" width="299" height="200" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/P2050483.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/piano_escape_10/300x-P2050483.jpg" width="299" height="200" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
first piano escapehttp://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/2023-07-15T00:10:36Z2020-04-19T22:16:14Z
<p>Thanks everyone for coming!</p>
<p>This was followed up by <a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/tags/pianoescape/">bunch more shows over the next few years</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/IMG_20200422_150709.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/400x-IMG_20200422_150709.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/IMG_0296.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/400x-IMG_0296.jpg" width="400" height="267" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/IMG_0298.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/400x-IMG_0298.jpg" width="400" height="267" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/corona-concert-poster.png"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/300x-corona-concert-poster.png" width="300" height="388" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/program.png"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/first_piano_escape/300x-program.png" width="300" height="388" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
musical anticipationhttp://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/musical_anticipation/2020-01-31T15:40:38Z2020-01-31T15:40:38Z
<p>Humblebrag alert. I'm being distracted from the next room over, by Eric starting to dabble in playing that super famous American piece of music by Gershwin. It has been an aspiration for a few years, and now he's just about able to do it justice. The anticipation over the next few months as it comes together will be hard to bear.</p>
couragehttp://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/courage/2019-05-05T12:40:32Z2019-05-04T21:18:18Z
<p>Today I come to sing the praises of boy #1. He did today the most courageous thing I've ever seen him do. It has to do with his music.</p>
<p>As my one or two readers may know, both our boys have been playing the piano since something like kindergarten. They're starting to get the hang of it! Eric in particular channels the memory/focus advantages that come with other disadvantages effectively into piano performance.</p>
<p>For the last, what, five years, his dream has been to play with an orchestra. The <a href="https://brantfordsymphony.ca">BSO</a> in our own little town is fine, and offers a concerto opportunity to local youth artists, once every two years. These opportunities are of course scarce and highly competitive. He was disappointed at the previous two chances in 2016 and 2018 to have not been selected. But he hasn't given up. Rare amongst the senior students (who are in high school, and too busy to memorize a concerto movement or two), he keeps learning them. He's working on two at the moment.</p>
<p>It is 2019. Those of you who are good at math will notice that the next BSO opportunity, according to the established formula is in 2020. However, the competition part was opened at our local festival in this year's syllabus. Of course, Eric and a small number of other younger competitors entered. My eyebrows were raised at the broken year pattern, but surely things were as they seem...</p>
<p>Today was BSO concerto competition day.</p>
<p>Literally one minute before the competition, the adjudicator/conductor stood up and explained that there was a mistake. The BSO is not doing youth concerto program this fall, and that this class should never have been scheduled. There will be no winners. But he came, and offered to give adjudication / suggestions to the three kids who showed up.</p>
<p>We were stunned. Eric - I have tears just thinking what must have been in his mind. He's been working on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._19_(Mozart)">this piece</a> for over a year, auditioned it several times in several venues, polished and polished and polished. He sometimes says that the main reason he's still taking piano is for this very competition, for this particular orchestra opportunity. And then, the rug is pulled from beneath his feet, literally one minute to go. What a mindf--- (please excuse my french).</p>
<p>It was gone.</p>
<p>He just sat there.</p>
<p>I snuck over, told him some encouraging words.</p>
<p>He just sat there.</p>
<p>Then, when it was his turn, the brat walked up to the front with his accompanist (thanks, Maggie!), announced his piece, and performed. It was not perfect, but it was about the best he's ever played it. Then, later on, he had a conversation with the adjudicator about what could be made better.</p>
<p>Like a boss.</p>
<p>I have never been prouder.</p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/courage/DSC_8019-r.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/courage/300x200-DSC_8019-r.jpg" width="300" height="200" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
a little bit dizzyhttp://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/a_little_bit_dizzy/2018-07-09T03:16:09Z2018-07-09T03:09:10Z
<p>This is what happens if a 13-year-old takes flight controls with "steep turns please!" on the agenda. Good thing there are no airborne cops pulling people over for suspected intoxication! (Don't worry, our airspace was clear, and neither of us got queasy enough to stop before sunset ... somehow!)</p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/a_little_bit_dizzy/cgxrp-eric-turns.png"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/a_little_bit_dizzy/750x-cgxrp-eric-turns.png" width="750" height="598" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/a_little_bit_dizzy/DSC_6575.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/a_little_bit_dizzy/250x-DSC_6575.jpg" width="250" height="167" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/a_little_bit_dizzy/DSC_6587.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/a_little_bit_dizzy/250x-DSC_6587.jpg" width="250" height="167" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a>
<a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/a_little_bit_dizzy/DSC_6593.jpg"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/a_little_bit_dizzy/250x-DSC_6593.jpg" width="250" height="167" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
it started with a bananahttp://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/it_started_with_a_banana/2019-12-22T21:28:57Z2017-10-06T03:17:47Z
<p>It was a decade ago, give or take another, when it started. The fight. The loss. The covert combat for food in our family.</p>
<p>I struck first. My lovely wife and I were mid-snack in our house one day. I ate a banana. She ate a banana. I ate another banana. She started eating another banana, then stopped a moment to say something. I was not listening. As if driven by reflex, my body computed that the male-to-female distance was ideal. I bent forward, right over, smoothly toward her.... Hey, get your mind out of the gutter - I was aimed at hand holding the peeled fruit. Less than three syllables into her speech, my mouth was on a trajectory that perfectly enclosed her second banana. I stole a bite. A big bite, like half. All before she or I even consciously realized what happened. I straightened up. It took her a few seconds to figure it out, then ... "HEEEYYYY!!!".</p>
<p>My smug smile upon recalling the raid could not be chiseled away for several years.</p>
<p>What I did not realize is that she was plotting revenge.</p>
<p>It was a dish served cold. She didn't even do it herself: she subcontracted to son number one. He's almost 13 now, growing like mad and eating even madder. The wife has somehow hypnotized him into believing that taking food from me is not only forgivable, it is also proper. At least I assume she has done it, because he's so good at it and she laughs every time. Slices of ham, the occasional berry, whatever .... if it's on my plate and if Eric can reach over quietly, he does. Sometimes I get a "please" afterwards (?!). Rarer still is a "thank you". Alas, fatherhood.</p>
<p>Round #3 went to me. Just the other day, I deliberately stole freshly cut smoked cheese off of son number two's sandwich. Yup, he had it all set up, all ready to eat, but I distracted him. "Look out the window - there's a bird!" ... or some such manipulative lie, well-aware of Stuart's fascination with nature. Even though the boy is quite astute, he trusted me that time. And yes, I stole one cube. Then, with another distracting line, another, and then another. I was starting to feel guilty, but not guilty enough to stop. But by now, Juimiin was laughing her head off -- which tipped Stuart off about the crime in progress. "HEEEEYYYYY!"</p>
<p>He took it out on me later by stealing my stuffed Scouting plush wolf.</p>
<p>The punchline to this sorry saga occurred today at lunch. For the first time, criminal went head-to-head against criminal. I was neither: it was boy #2 vs wife #1, both pecking at a piece of chinese bakery bun. Like two pretend-starving seagulls, they poked at it with chopsticks. They ripped with hands. They bit into the piece -- then pulled it from each other's sweaty-tooth madman hands. This was all over one little delicious coconut bun. It went on for a few minutes, with crumbs all over the place, and both parties having a great time.</p>
<p>What they didn't realize was that I was studying their tactics the whole time. I realize I can beat them both. I have a plan for the remaining buns in the house. Kind reader, say a prayer for this once and again dominant food pirate, for the aftermath is unpredictable. If you don't hear from me in a few more days, send a rescue party. And a bag of buns.</p>
the hushhttp://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/the_hush/2017-05-23T14:14:44Z2017-05-22T23:36:07Z
<p>A week ago, both boys were among a dozen kids invited to perform for the local <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Probus_Clubs">Women's Probus Club</a>, on account of their competition in the <a href="http://www.bkmf.ca/">Kiwanis Music Festival</a>. We were there to entertain a lunchtime crowd of older ladies who get together monthly to socialize. It was a school day, so the other kids' & parents' availability was limited. Thus the show wasn't just the top overall winners, but a nice little mix of young and less young, a wide range of grade levels. Less than an hour in total.</p>
<p>The hundred ladies of the club were very polite and attentive while sitting around the dozens of circular tables. A clearly-spoken MC read out the biography of each performer, and the right level of claps always arrived before & after. There was often just a little bit of murmur in the background as the kids were playing, nothing offensive. Eventually Eric was called up. Polite clap after his bio was read out. He sat down, examined the odd little CD player nailed to the piano, then started playing his Mozart piece.</p>
<p>Two bars in, the place went silent.</p>
<p>Not Eric of course, he kept playing.</p>
<p><a href="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/the_hush/eric-probus.png"><img src="http://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/the_hush/424x240-eric-probus.png" width="423" height="240" alt="" class="img" align="inline" /></a></p>
<p>But the din was done, gone. I caught a glimpse of more happy faces turning around to face the piano. Eric played it, almost as well as he ever has. 140 seconds later, it was over. There was a collective breath, a few quiet wows, and then applause. Another piece, then other kids followed, and they probably received the same good silent treatment, but I was in a little smiley world of my own by then, reliving the "hush ... wow".</p>
you can't take it with youhttp://web.elastic.org/~fche/blog4/posts/blog-0674/2017-04-04T17:23:00Z2017-04-04T17:23:00Z
<p>I live with an almost-teenager.</p><p>Since we mostly homeschool our brats, we enjoy most of our lunches together. This has usually worked well – people make themselves a sandwich, maybe put on a brief documentary to watch, the usual. As boy #1 has grown older, his appetite has grown bigger. He often asks to finish up last scraps on a serving plate – and occasionally on our plate. But what happened today went beyond that.</p>
<p>There I was, making a protein megablast sandwich (giant gobs of PB & J on a bun) on the counter. Or rather, I made two, for my breakfast was small and my belly blubber needed a boost. You should’ve seen it: a thin bun, about half an inch depth of toppings, hundreds and hundreds of calories and minutes of tasting delight. With anticipation I headed for the dining table, but … nature called. I left the food on the counter.</p>
<p>For thirty seven seconds.</p>
<p>When I returned, everything looked normal. Boy #1 was still facing away, watching the Beethoven video and munching down on something. The wife had a little wrinkle around her eye, but maybe that was just my imagination (for hers is eternal youth and stuff, darn Taiwanese genes).</p>
<p>Then I looked at the counter where I left my sandwiches. Plural. My sandwich was there. Singular. I emitted a Tim Taylor style “uuugghh??” noise, at which point the chuckles started. The boy stole one of my sandwiches, and was half done with it already. His female conspirator didn’t turn him in!</p>
<p>I thought of thanking them. After all, maybe my belly blubber may not need quite as big a boost. So I grabbed the plate with the surviving sandwich, and headed for the table to join them. As I was about to sit down, I heard … “don’t eat it yet!”</p>
<p>If you were to guess that it was someone’s concern for my well-being – that they saw a bug on it or something – that would be wrong.<br />
If you were to guess that the boy was thinking about stealing my <i>other</i> sandwich, you would be right.<br />
Which he did … twenty seconds later.</p>
<p>I’m eating in my office from now on. With the door locked. With a potty.</p>