Christmas Cheer: "Finding the Light" - Music, Laughter, and Holiday Reflection

Merry Christmas 2024

Friday night, Carrie and I had the pleasure of attending "Finding the Light: Event and Reading." We went not really knowing what to expect, but it was so fun. It was a production of readings, music, and fun. The plot revolved around guests attending a Christmas party and the troubles or issues that arise in life while trying to navigate the holiday season.

The performance made us laugh, shed a tear, and feel reflective about the Christmas holiday. It was something I would see again next year if they produce it again. I would love to take my family and friends to see it too. We heard about it from Erin and Greg, as the people who wrote the original musical were, or have been, involved with the Topeka Civic Theatre located in Topeka, KS. Our friends, Jason F and Jason D, were in the band and sounded fantastic! It was a fun night, and I hope they do it again next year as we would definitely see it again.

This was truly the first Christmas celebration outside of work that Carrie or I have attended this year. A little unusual, but it was nice to hear some original songs alongside some of the familiar Christmas carols. It was a special and enjoyable evening.

Selfie in Front of Christmas Tree

We took some time to take pictures in front of the beautifully decorated Christmas tree that was set up. They offered some delightful drinks to enjoy before, during, and after the event concluded, along with some light snacks. It made for a perfect evening of entertainment and truly put me in the Christmas spirit. 

As we approach the final full week before Christmas, I can hardly believe that 2024 is coming to an end. It will soon be Christmas 2024, and the year will be over a week later. Yes, I say it every year, but the years seem to be flying by faster and faster. You blink, and suddenly the year is over. I have a lot to do this next week at work before wrapping up 2024. I am looking forward to some time off to regroup and prepare for 2025.

Have a great week, and make sure to savor the build-up to the Christmas holiday.

Air Supply, Hurricanes, and Ham Sandwiches: A Weekend in Houston

Rainbow on way to KC Airport

Carrie and I made what was supposed to be a quick trip to Houston, TX to see a concert and also see our friends. We left for Kansas City to stay at a hotel Wednesday evening; on our way, we saw the rainbow stretching across the sky. We actually saw a double rainbow, but the second one was a little difficult to see in our picture. It was beautiful. The rainbow was forecasting that we would be stuck in Houston after the weekend due to the hurricane.

Cash and Cooper

We arrived in Houston Thursday morning following connecting flights on American Airlines from Dallas to Houston. No direct flights on American Airlines to Houston, so we wanted to get points to and stayed with American Airlines for our flights which was actually cheaper than trying to do another airline that was a direct flight. We had the chance to meet the newest member of the Flora family, Cash (pictured in the background to the right), and of course Cooper (in foreground to the right). Cash is about six months old and full of energy. We had a fun time getting to know Cash. It reminded me of Oliver when he was a puppy with all the toys everywhere. 

Tommy Cooking Burgers

On Saturday, we were able to enjoy a pool party at Tommy's house where he cooked us burgers. It rained most of the morning but cleared off enough where we could get in the pool. This was just a rain storm moving through and unrelated to the hurricane that was moving into the area Sunday evening and Monday morning. We had a great time spending time with Tommy and then Chuck and Melissa also were able to join us that day too.

Selfie at Air Supply Concert

The purpose of our trip to Houston was to attend Air Supply on Sunday night. The hurricane was due to move into Houston Sunday night into Monday morning. As the days led up to Sunday, we wondered if we should leave Saturday or Sunday morning, but then flights started being canceled and the decision was made we would attend the concert. On our way to the concert, it rained like crazy and we debated about turning around although it was a rain storm and not the hurricane, it was intense.

Air Supply

The concert venue announced earlier in the day that with the hurricane moving into Houston, the concert would start at 7 and end by 9 pm. Sure enough, they started at 6:57 pm and with one encore, the concert was done by 8:45. We had a great time with a good crowd considering what was moving into the area. This was the second time Carrie had been to an Air Supply concert and my first time attending an Air Supply concert. We had a great time and it was fun singing to so many songs we had heard for so many years. Our friend Javier was supposed to join us, but he was unable to make it because of work. 

Encore by Air Supply

I am so glad that we made the trip to see Air Supply. Good idea by Corrie! We wondered prior to leaving Topeka if we would be stuck down there, but we were hoping for the best. We had a great time at the concert and left the venue to blue skies, birds chirping and no rain on our way back to the house.

Monday morning I awoke about five-thirty or six as there were a couple of power blips that caused the fans to stop for a brief moment. Luckily I got up, checked work email, and send a couple of messages saying we were delayed because a short time later, internet was knocked out and our cell phones were not getting any signal either. By six-thirty, the rain and winds were beating against the window and causing the power to flicker every now and again. We never did lose power at the house but the wireless in the house was out and would remain out until after we left.

Tommy lost power at his house, where we had the pool party, and so he came over to Corrie's house. We spent the morning watching the news of reports coming out of Houston from flooding, trees down, etc. So many people were stranded in locations where it had flooded and had to be rescued or they just left their car where they got into trouble. The reports of power outages grew through the day with over 2 million people without power. 

Tommy and John Eating

The reports were not to leave the house unless absolutely necessary, so we remained at the house. Corrie had stuff at the house for us to eat, so Carrie made Tommy and me dinner of grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. They were good! Following dinner, we went back to watching the news to see what was happening. Tommy got a hotel to stay in so he could have internet for work, so he left us to head to the hotel.

Our flights had been rescheduled to Tuesday and then we received notices that those flights had been canceled and rescheduled for late Tuesday. We did all leave the house to eat out for lunch on Tuesday. Many places still without power, no wireless at the house, and phones not working, we had to drive around to get cell signal to call places to check if they were open or when we were driving we would see which spots were open. As we were finishing up eating, we checked that our flight for later that afternoon was still on schedule and through conversation, we realized that instead of IAH airport we were now at Hobby airport. Good thing we checked and Corrie said something or we would have gone to the wrong airport.

Drinks at Airport

Following lunch, we went back to the house for a while before Corrie drove us to the Hobby airport. We hung out at the airport as we got there a few hours before our flight not knowing how busy security would be to get into the airport. We found a spot to have some drinks, read, and I caught up on work email with the available wireless. On our way to the airport, it was crazy to see all of the places in Houston without power. Gas stations that looked like parking lots with cars waiting for gas and cars going down or around the block waiting for gas. 

We were again flying from Houston to Dallas before arriving in Kansas City. We arrived in Kansas City after midnight and got home around 2 in the morning. A crazy final ending to our trip, but glad we were able to fit it in to make the concert, see our friends, and have stories to tell.

Until next time, have a great rest of your weekend and a wonderful week.

Nashville Birthday Bash: Honky Tonks, Brunch, and Bourbon Steak!

On Our Way to Nashville

Here we are in the middle of July and it is hard to believe that a month ago we were in Nashville, TN for the 50 birthday celebration for Corrie. We had a great time. I meant to write this following the trip, but we were busy following the trip and did not get it done. We had a wonderful time in Nashville and plan to go back in the future. We went to so many great spots to listen to great music, drink, and of course we ate at some great spots too. This will be a few of the places we went but not an inclusive list.

Drinks at Assembly Food Hall

We were in Nashville from June 13 - 17. We packed in a lot during our time there. We would sometimes sleep late to about 9:30 or 10, but we were out the door and doing things in Nashville everyday we were there. We would not head back to take naps or breaks, but it was nonstop and a great time. Picture to the left was a spot we ended up a few different times called Assembly Food Hall. A variety of places to eat or get drink. Fun spot!

Group at Brunch

There were ten of us total on the trip although all ten were together I believe only two days together. Picture to the right was brunch at Adele's where we went Saturday morning on June 15. We all came away stuffed and happy. I want to go back there in the future for dinner. We spent that day going between drinking spots while the ladies went shopping. 

I am jumping around a bit, but on Thursday we spent the day on Broadway going around to the various bars. It was so fun with great bands at each and every stop. Some places would have multiple bands playing at the same time, but the way the bars were set up, you could only hear one when in the vicinity of that band. Most bands would take donations with a bucket or with a QR code to send money. We did both methods while we were going around Broadway listening where we would drop cash into a bands bucket or send Venmo through their QR code.

Dinner at Bourbon Steak

The highlight of the trip was the birthday dinner for Corrie at Bourbon Steak. We had reservations for ten and we had talked about doing a private dining room but ended up leaving it in the main dining room. When we arrived, we were surprised they took us to the private dining. It was incredible with the views, the food, and the company. The picture to the left, or the others in Flickr album, do not give it justice. We had our own wait staff that took good care of us. Javier was in charge of the wine and we had three bottles of wine through the night. It was a fantastic evening! 

To see all photos from our trip, you can browse them using the images below.

Fun memories to celebrate the birthday for Corrie. It was fun hanging out with everyone to celebrate big birthday weekend for Corrie. Carrie and I hope to go back to Nashville sometime soon.

Nostalgia Through Music

I enjoy Apple Music and the fact that it can give a summary at the end of the year of songs that I have listened to frequently during the year. Prior to Apple Music, I was using Rhapsody by Real. It is sometimes fun to go back to see what I was listening to in heavy rotation when I first start using Apple Music. There are top songs for each year going back to 2015. I am not sure if I was using Apple Music prior to 2015, but that's the first playlist that shows up in my history with heavy play rotation.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Carrie and I stopped at my Mom's in Lawrence. Mom mentioned she had been listening to CD I used to listen to back in the early 90s. I was curious of the name and she told me it was Painted Desert Serenade by Joshua Kadison. I had completely forgotten about the CD until it was mentioned. I searched for Joshua Kadison on Apple Music and immediately brought back memories of college. I think it was a CD that when I moved out of the house, I left at home. My Mom came across it in my old things and started listening to it in the afternoons.

Since last weekend, I have listened to the songs a few times through Apple Music. It is crazy how hearing those songs takes me back to the early 1990s. Of course this is true with other songs in the way the song can take us back to another time. 

As I look back on my prior years through Apple Music going back to 2015, I see a number of similar artists that I listen to regularly throughout each year with one being Neil Diamond but also mixed into the mix includes James Taylor,  Bruce Springsteen, Steve Winwood, Brett Dennen, and many others that show up year after year. 

What are some ways you keep track of music from your past?

I wish there was a way to look at back what I listened to as a kid, young adult, or into college. Yes, I remember some of them, but I know there are many CD's that I bought that I do not remember. Some I would like to find again that I know are in the house somewhere, but I have not been able to find them.

Until next time, have a great rest of your Sunday and a wonderful week...

The Mavericks in Kansas City and a Relaxing Weekend

The Mavericks

This past weekend, Carrie and I took a long weekend trip to Kansas City to see The Mavericks perform. It was actually our second time seeing them in KC – they put on such a great show, and we already have plans to go again next year!

This time around, we met up with my brother Tim and cousin Tom for the concert. It was Tim's first time seeing The Mavericks, and we had a blast right up front – we were only about four or five people from the stage!

Tom, Tim, and John at The Mavericks

Opening Act at The Mavericks

Raul Malo of The Mavericks

Group Photo at The Mavericks

Selfie at The Mavericks

Oliver in Hotel Room

Oliver enjoys hotel life

We brought our dog Oliver along with us. He actually loves staying in hotels! He enjoys relaxing in the room while we're out, but his favorite part is definitely the walks he gets throughout the day. It's hilarious to see him prance down the hallway, knowing exactly how to get in the elevator, and thinking every door we pass is "our room."

Exploring Kansas City

We arrived in Kansas City on Thursday afternoon and checked into our hotel, the Intercontinental on the Plaza. This hotel is dog-friendly, and they haven't charged us a pet fee either time we've brought Oliver.

Pancakes at The Classic Cup

Friday morning, we slept in and then headed to The Plaza for a late breakfast at The Classic Cup Cafe. They have a great patio, perfect for people-watching with Oliver. The pancakes were fantastic, and Carrie loved her breakfast sandwich – the homemade fries were a hit too!

After breakfast, we wandered around the shops before heading back to the hotel for a relaxing afternoon of reading, snoozing, and hanging out with Oliver.

Oliver at Breakfast

Walking Oliver Late at Night

Drinks, dinner, and good company

That evening, we met up with Erin and Greg for drinks at Chaz Restaurant and Lounge before heading to our dinner reservation at McCormick & Schmick's (always a delicious choice!). We finished the night with drinks in the bar area of our hotel.

Us on The Plaza

Relaxing Saturday and back home

Saturday was another slow start. We grabbed coffee at Summer Moon Coffee before heading to meet Erin and Greg for lunch in Lawrence, instead of Kansas City. We dropped Oliver off at my mom's place before lunch and then spent most of the afternoon catching up with her before heading back to Topeka.

It was a fantastic weekend filled with great music, seeing family, delicious food and drinks, and beautiful weather. We made some wonderful memories, and we hope you had a great long weekend as well!

The Mavericks at Knuckleheads Friday, May 26, 2023 was so fun! Plus trains, tracks, and late night eating. Great memories!

Picture in Hotel Lobby

We booked tickets to The Mavericks a few months ago. We had a great time. We got into Kansas City early, so we are able to visit some spots for drinks before we went to the concert. We stayed in downtown Kansas City at the Hotel Indigo which was a good spot as we were within walking distance to placed downtown and really not a bad drive (Uber) to the places we were going for the evening. 

After arriving at the hotel, we decided to walk down to the Hilton President Kansas City to have drinks at their bar. We had been to this bar a few years ago for Jack's wedding. A few drinks and then we had a snack while we were there before taking an Uber to J. Rieger & Co. We ordered fancy drinks at J. Rieger and had a cheese and meat plate. Such a fun spot! This is where Jack and Katie had their rehearsal dinner a few years ago, so Carrie and I had been wanting to get back over to J. Rieger to take Greg and Erin. Drinks are so good and it is such a fun spot. 

Lots of Trains

J. Rieger and Knuckleheads are in an industrial area, so there are a lot of trains. Tracks and trains everywhere which was fun when we arrived and making our way to the concert, but after the concert and the following day, we were not happy to see the trains. Still a fun time! Luckily after we finished at J. Rieger a train had moved so we were able to walk down the tracks a little to be able to cross over to get to the concert. At one point during the concert, a train went by and blew their horn and the place went crazy. Just a cool spot and fun to be outside enjoying a beautiful evening to watch a concert. Amazing!

Carrie and John Crossing Tracks

Carrie and I had to get our selfie in front of the train as we were crossing the tracks to get over to the concert. Always fun to see trains and be around the tracks. Most of the trains we saw in the area were standing still, so I really did not have a chance to see them moving or click-clacking down the track. Still, it was fun to see and we have some good memories of crossing the tracks to get to the concert.

Stage Shot of The Mavericks at Knuckleheads

Selfie Picture at The Mavericks

Cousin Tom and John at Concert

I missed my brother, Tim, at the concert. Confusion on what night we were going to the concert even though we had told him it was Friday night and he got tickets for Thursday. Oops! He got tickets for Friday night, but ended up not being able to make it as Donna was not feeling well. We ran into my cousin, Tom, at the concert. He was walking through the crowd and we saw one another. He bought us drinks and later we were able to buy him drinks.

Selfie Waiting for Train to Move

The Mavericks played for another 45 - 50 minutes following their last song. Put on a great show and the crowd was having fun. Following the show we headed out to walk back over to J. Rieger as someone left their hat there earlier. This was our first encounter with a train that would not move. We waited for the train to move for 15 - 20 minutes, along with others, before we finally decided to get an Uber and head out. We would venture back to this area the following day to get the hat. Of course we had to take a selfie while we were waiting. Ah, good times!

Town-Topic Burgers

We took Uber to Town-Topic Hamburgers which was very busy but well worth the wait. We snarfed down our food along with many others in the parking lot next to the place. Town-Topic is some place Carrie has said for a few years she wanted to visit when we were in Kansas City, but this was my first trip there. Burgers at 1 am are always good, but wow, this really hit the spot. 

We drove back to Topeka on Saturday and I slept for most of the evening while watching TV. We slept late on Sunday as we are not used to partying. So happy that we were able to make it to the concert and have some good memories of the trip. Carrie and I said during the winter months that we were going to try and do more concerts this year and this was the first of the year. We have another one booked  toward the end of June and we cannot wait!

We did discuss that we have not been camping yet and this would have been a perfect weekend for camping. We did our first camping trip in 2022 Memorial Day weekend (see post) and we are not sure when we will be doing our first camping trip for 2023. We talked about going in the middle of June, but nothing is set yet. Regardless, we all had a great time in Kansas City for The Mavericks and Knuckleheads outside stage was so fun!

Final Piece of Minuet in G by JS Bach for Beginning Piano Class Final

The last day of my class is tomorrow afternoon at four. I have done well on all the tests, got an A on the paper, and also did some of the extra credit. Now it comes down to our being able to play a piece in class for the final. I made my selection a few weeks ago (see Piece Selected for Final in Piano Class and Now Practice Practice) and although I had planned on practicing it a lot, the practicing really did not start until about Wednesday of this week. I started focusing on playing left and right hand separately and then putting them together. Working on sections of the piece with this process.

Good luck everyone on your finals! Have a great summer!

The time is here for you to be able to hear what I have put together. It is still a little rough. Bare with me as I struggle through the piece. I know I am going to be told that I play too fast. I try to slow it down, but then I really lose track of the notes. So, here we are with my current ability to play.

Minuet in G by Bach.


I am hoping to be able to get through the whole piece with repeats without any problem in class tomorrow. I will practice a few more times tonight before I head to bed, possibly practice again over the noon hour tomorrow, and then be ready to perform for the class. A little nervous as I do not want to not play well in front of the class.

I have a plan to continue playing and practicing after this class ends. That was the point of this class, right? Yes, to be a able to read and play music for the piano. I want to continue learning new songs and add to my knowledge. Carrie has grand ideas of me playing the piano around Christmas while everyone is around signing the songs. I will try, but no promises.

Post your comments or questions about my playing in the comments section. Let me know what you think. Any pointers before I play tomorrow would be appreciated.

Piece Selected for Final in Piano Class and Now Practice Practice

The piece I will be playing for my final has been selected. I plan on playing a piece called "Minuet in G" by Johann Sebastian Bach. There were a lot of options provided by our instructor and we were free to select anything. I had some piano books that came with the piano and then some that my Mom had sent home with me one evening. I actually played this same piece when I was young, but it was a long time ago.

Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period.

The piece was selected because I enjoy the piece and I think it will be challenging for me to site read and play for the final. The plan now is to begin learning the piece focusing on left and right hand reading the music. As I mentioned last week, we do not have to have the piece memorized, but it is fine if we do have it memorized. If I can get to the point, I would prefer to do so instead of having to rely on reading the music.

Piano at Home with Lights ... Need Music Light Instead

Below is a recording of my warm up and then first few bars of the piece. Not a very good recording, but you get the idea. You can hear a vibration sound which is actually coming from the two lamps on the piano. I already told Carrie we are going to have to replace this with something else as I need something where it provides light on the music and then also does not vibrate. The ones she picked out look great, but need more light and no vibration sound.



I am excited to begin practicing this piece and be able to provide a recording in a few weeks with the final product. I have really enjoyed my piano class. We get a third test back in class tomorrow and will begin chapter four. I came out of the last test feeling happy, so we will see how that turns out with the return of the test tomorrow night.

A lot of practice for me and I also need to start working on the paper that is due in a few weeks. I need to get over to the library to do research and write up that paper. I keep telling myself not to procrastinate and yet the days keep going by and I have not started the paper yet. The plan is to start the paper next week and it should not take more than a night or two to write it up and proof.

For now, I will continue working on "Minuet in G" and plan to post a update in a week or two with my progress.

Test Three Done and Moving on to Chapter Four

Test three is done. Glad to be done with this test. I was not looking forward to the test being on a Wednesday. Not sure why, possibly because the previous two tests I enjoyed being able to prepare for them over the weekend. Granted, I could have prepared over the weekend for this one, but instead, I spent the weekend procrastinating and then on Monday decided I needed to study for the test. Tuesday night was the real cram session though trying to figure everything out.

I left the class and the exam feeling good about how I performed. In the first part of playing the piano for the instructor, that did not go great. She had me play one piece showing cords three or four times. She told me I was rushing or making the second and forth the same. We left it with we will work on that in the future. Other than that little part of the test, I felt good about the exam.

Following class, I spoke to the instructor and believe I have selected the piece to play for the final. Possibly this weekend, I will record a sample of where I am at currently with learning the right hand which has only consisted of playing out a few lines checking to see if I like it. This piece is by JS Bach. More on this later this weekend and hopefully I will finalize it this weekend with it being the piece.

The next step for this class is to write a 5 - 8 page paper on Johannes Brahms. This is due at the end of April, so I have some time. Originally, I thought that the piece we were to play for the final had to be tied to who I selected to write about in our paper, but I was told that was not the case. Looking forward to writing a paper on Johannes Brahms. It has been a long time since I have written in MLA style for a paper. I might need to go to the library to research that process.

The struggle continues with remembering the treble clef and reading notes for my left hand. I came across a cool app last night for the iPhone that is free called NoteTutor. I used it some last night following studying for the test and then during the lunch time today. Easy to use and it makes it a game to recognize notes on either treble or bass clef. I think it is going to help a lot with being able to recognize notes on the staff.

That is all for tonight. Have a  great rest of the week and I plan to record something this weekend to post by Sunday with the piece I selected for the final.

Progress Update in Piano Class with Test Three Wednesday

Preparing for test three in piano class. As the weeks have gone along in piano, I feel more and more lost. So, that is my fault as I have not been practicing the way I should. Doing nothing for the class during spring break did not help matters and then this next Wednesday we have our third exam of the semester.

We are also supposed to be selecting our piece to play for the final. We started reviewing pieces in class this past Wednesday and the teacher would like for us to have what we will be playing selected by the start of April. There are some suggested pieces and some I have heard, but still trying to figure out what would work best for me to play for the class.

No, I have not forgotten about the paper we have to write too. That is due at the end of April, so I need to start working on it too.

Overall, the class is going well. Some of the items that I missed when I was a kid are starting to sink in and I understand them. Reading music with my left hand is still a struggle. I do intend to ask the instructor what next steps are following the class. If she gives lessons, I might do that with her too. Or try working on what we have learned during the course of the class for six months and then do a lesson. I am not sure yet.

The goal for taking this class was to be able to sit down and site read a piece. By no means can I sit down and play a piece even well at this point. Possibly with the right hand, but even then it will be slow. Possibly as I continue to work on this art, I will get to the point.

With our review for the test on Monday, I will be spending Monday and Tuesday evenings studying and reviewing for the test. Wish me well!

To close, I share a piece my mom shared with me with her being excited I am taking lessons. She sees me playing this piece one day. Enjoy! Ok, it is going to take me a while!

Birthday musico!

John totally surprised me with an early birthday present. I have an Ipod! We have had fun playing with it, creating playlists, etc. I think I picked out a case. The OtterBox. Very carrie-proof, scratch-drop resistant. And waterproof, which means we can use it this summer at the lake or on the boat without worries. Or in a year or two out by our future pool!
I should be doing laundry or something but I am picking out some songs to download...

I Turn My Camera On - Spoon
The Way We Get By - Spoon
Forca - Nelly Furtado
Jolene - Ray Lamontagne

We are going to Laughing Matters tonight with a group of friends and looking forward to it. Next time, we are going to get 4 tables and invite more people. Good time.

Cool Funk for a Friday

What I am listening to on a Friday afternoon after lunch. Using Rhapsody as my player...

Cool Funk for a Friday:

1. Trouble - Ray Lamontagne
2. Ain't Life Grand - Widespread Panic
3. King Without a Crown - Matisyahu
4. Is This Love - Bob Marley
5. Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
6. Such Great Heights (LP Version #2) - Postal Service
7. Inside Of Love - Nada Surf
8. This One's For You - Ed Harcourt
9. Pink Moon - Nick Drake
10. Lover, You Should've Come Over - Jeff Buckley
11. Please Forgive Me - David Gray
12. Somewhere Only We Know - Keane
13. The One I Love - David Gray
14. Unbelievable - Craig David
15. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing - John Legend
16. Home - Marc Broussard

Peace out!