Another one off the list

Well, we are into March, and it is well into the four week period that I am spending alcohol free. It is going quite well, and there has only been one time really, when I was tempted, and would have enjoyed a quite beer with a mate. We had just ridden 92 k and were quite hot on sweaty on our return, over three hours later. Mark went straight for a XXXX Summer and I went for a protein shake. That was probably healthier anyway. It is only 23 more days, and I am working away for most of that. I will only be home for one weekend, so that will make it easier, as I usually don't drink when I am away for work.

Anyway, the challenge for March is to find a $200 bottle of wine from say the Margaret River region of WA. I am working alot in Perth for the first part of this year, so should support the area with my monthly challenge. I have never drank anything that expensive, so it will be a real novelty. Something different. I know just the person that I will drink it with, too.

One thing that I have not put on this blog, is that I also have a 101 to do list outside of what I am going to achieve this year. That involves all sorts of things like walking the Kokoda Trail, climbing Mount Everest, going to the Olympics etc, and one of the things on that list is to visit the Kimberleys, in Western Australia. It is rumoured to be an amazing part of the country. Well, would you believe it, but for the work that I am currently doing in WA, I am right this moment sitting on a diamond mine in the East Kimberleys. And yes, the scenery is amazing. Yee hah, another one crossed off the list. I am going running each night, and it is amazing to be running along roads that are skirted with amazing mountain ranges that show thousands of years of ground movement, amongst other things.

So, it is probably time for a recap of the 10 things I was going to do this year, as well as the monthly challenges.

Here are the 10 things, and a progress report:

1. Travel overseas (travel booked for December, though I suspect I will be going to Thailand earlier than that for work - As soon as June)
2. Learn how to do something new (something that takes more than a week to learn) - No progress
3. Do an endurance sporting event - Planned for May 15 and 16
4. Do an extreme sport - No progress
5. Achieve an unrealistic goal - No progress
6. Meet someone famous - Planned for May 16
7. Put something on You Tube - No progress
8. Change someone's life - No progress
9. Have sex every day for a week - No progress, but excited
10. Give up alcohol for at least one month - Under way, to be completed by March 28, without too much trouble

February was to attend a live event - which was a jazz concert - great fun, and another first.
March is to buy an expensive bottle of wine - sounds nice.

You know, it is great to have a list like this to achieve each year, and I can't believe that I didn't do it sooner. It is not only fun doing stuff I have never done before, but it is a great way to keep doing amazing things. I can't wait to learn to surf, though Summer is nearly coming to an end, so it is going to get cold soon. Bummer, might wait until next Summer. The cold weather is too tough for me.

Anyway, life rocks. Keep at the 101 things to do, and live the dream.

Anton

February Challenge

Well, the February challenge is done and dusted. The challenge was to go to a live performance of some sort.

I thought I would pick something that was a little unusual (for me at least)

Last night, for the first time in my life, so it was quite an experience, I went to a Jazz concert.

It was just a great evening, and something that I want to do again soon. The band that was playing was the Tal Cohen Trio, with Jamie Oehlers. I have included the information from the Perth Jazz Club web site below, to provide more information. They played at the Charles Hotel at North Perth.

Look, for a country boy from Queensland, with not a great deal of culture, mind you, last night was just great fun. The music was lively, the performers pumping, and the audience engaged. It was not a huge audience, perhaps 70 people were there, enjoying the fun. The four guys played for an hour, had half and hour break, then got back into it.

The Bassist reminded me of the shaggy out of Scooby Doo, he was lanky and gee he could play that instrument. He rocked, as did the drummer and of course Tal and Jamie.

Get this, some of their songs were like 10 minutes long. They just kept going. In one song, they could go up, down, loud, soft, slow fast and anything in between. The four lads really enjoyed what they were doing. I loved the way that they moved when they were doing solos, they were just engrossed, and passionate - living the dream. Good on you boys.

I have played the alto sax for a short time, so I love that instrument. The bass and the piano and the drums were also smoking, too, and when you put it all together the music was quite groovy. Most of it appeared to be written by Tal, I am guessing, given his short announcements (gee, he needs to work on his speeches though, his stage presence behind the microphone was very ordinary - but that is not why he was there after all) prior to each song. He talked about Bach's Prelude there at one stage, which sounded a little like he was speaking Chinese, as I have no idea, but audience seemed to get a little excited.

The one thing that I thought about was, how much do these blokes get paid for their efforts. It really can't be much. See, there were about 70 people there, all having paid either $10 or $15 entry. Now, that can only equate to between $700 and $1,000 ish. And there were four of them, and the house needs to take a bit, I guess. So, really they would get paid next to nothing, I would presume. The next thing that went through my mind was, so what. Really, I reckon there was no other place those four blokes wanted to be on Monday night. They really were loving it.

The question is, is money everything. Maybe not, you know. Look, I like earning a good wage, as we all do, but is there a point where you just live the dream. See, if you are living your passion, the theory is that you will make heaps, and this is generally true. Maybe these guys make heaps outside these small shows (Tal and Jamie appear to work at a Music School, so they get a wage there, presumably). It is really none of my business, it was just a thought. Two things are for certain, though, they are at the top of their game, and they are loving what they are doing. Good on 'em! How many people can really, truly, say the same.

FYI, here is the information that I found on the Perth Jazz Society Web site:

TAL COHEN TRIO ...with special guest JAMIE OEHLERS

Mon 15 Feb 2010 @ 8:00pm

Admission Members $10 Student members $5 Non members $15

DON'T MISS this energized evening of hard bop, original ideas and virtuoso performance! Joining pianist Tal Cohen and special guest, the supreme tenor saxophonist, Jamie Oehlers, will be two of the most promising musicians that ‘stoke the fire and burn the fuel’ – bassist Karl Florrison and on drums, Sean Phillips.

TAL COHEN left Israel at the age of 16 where he studied classical piano and traditional Jewish folk culture. Upon arrival in Perth Tal received a music scholarship to Churchlands and in 2006 gained entrance into jazz at WAAPA. Tal is currently completing his Masters degree under the guidance of Jamie Oehlers - that makes for a stream of musical consciousness that will literally ‘blow your mind’.

Western Australian jazz saxophonist, Jamie Oehlers is one of those phenomena that comes along once in a generation. Already he has a string of awards to his name including Winner of the 2003 White Foundation World Saxophone Competition and Winner of 2007 Bell Award for Australian Jazz Musician of the Year. Jamie has not even reached his zenith so every performance is an exciting voyage of discovery for both audience and artist.