Ironic...

The root canal was an amazing success!  Not only was it completed in under two hours, he was able to do the entire clean out and fill the tooth on the same day.  My jaw pain is gone, the headache is gone and aside from being tired, I feel great.  I have a fantastic dentist.

So today as I prepare to return to the pipe (Bagpipe Practice Chanter, nothing drug related...) Lifehacker puts out a very nice piece on how to optimize your practice sessions.  It takes what my instructor said about "Practice with Purpose" and expands on it.  It's a good read for us newbies as well as those who've been at it for a bit.

http://lifehacker.com/5939374/a-better-way-to-practice

Stuff. Ya like stuff?

I sit here the nervous dental patient awaiting the next 10 hours to come and go.  The last week I have been absolutely exhausted from the discomfort from my tooth and yesterday I drank in excess of 9 cups of coffee just to stay awake at work.  Today I lost count somewhere around #6 in the afternoon (I normally drink 2 cups a day).  A few hours ago I was having trouble keeping my eyes open during a heated game of Rummikub.  Now when all I have to do is go to sleep, wake up and have a root canal? 

I AM SO AWAKE!

Here I am, unable to sleep, unable to practice and really done searching for interesting piping websites (there are many out there, no?) wondering what to do with myself.  So I figured I’d tell you a little more about my non-Piper Girl life.

How I pay the bills:  I’m a jack of all trades Market Analyst for an automotive OEM in Detroit.  I’m very lucky in that I like what I do, I like the people I do it for and I generally agree with what my organization is trying to accomplish. 

Where I live: I own a 73 year old house that provides endless amounts of entertainment in the form of repairs and upkeep.  I'm in the out-skirts of Detroit in a very cute community that I've enjoyed for over 10 years. Through this adventure I’ve learned a lot about plumbing, electrical, HVAC systems, roofing, tile and various other odds and ends of home ownership over the years.  I’m not afraid to grab a wrench, drill or duct tape and get ‘er done.

Hobby #1: Cooking.  And not just ordinary day to day cooking (actually, I hate that).  I love the big, the extraordinary, the “this will get them talking” over the top kind of cooking.  I have a microwave simply to melt caramel and hold my knife block.  One of my favorite sports is going out to eat at new places and dissecting their recipe with my tongue.

Hobby #2: Quilting.  I love the pull of the needle and thread on a cold winter night in front of a warm toasty fire.  Making quilts is like making a hug that can span over miles.  I curl up Schroeder style in front of a hoop and let the needle rock me into a place of Zen while listening to a book, “watching” tv or just enjoying the echoing sounds of silence.  In case you are wondering, yes, I am only 39.  I've been quilting for 17 years.

Hobby #3: Master’s Degree Student.  I’m slowly working on a Master’s Degree and find that place of “student hood” to be a great place to run and hide when reality gets to be too much and I need to throw on some blinders.  It’s remarkably effective.

Hobby #4: Now I'm a piperwannabe.  I'll let you know how that goes.

That’s me in a nutshell.

Piper Girl: 0, Bad Tooth: 1

I came home from work today to find the cats arduously working on a project.  They had assembled a stick, some string and a plain white kitchen towel in the living room.

“Human with opposable thumbs who provides sustenance!” called my youngest (Button) when I arrived on the scene.  “You must tie that towel to that pole.  Do it. Do it.  Do it NOW!”

“For simplicity, you can call me Mom.  Ummm, why am I doing this?” I asked as I crouched down and began tying knots.

My eldest (S.A.M.) looked at me sheepishly and said, “We need a flag of surrender for when you are killing the duck.”

I walked over to my practice chanter and picked it up, “You mean when I’m practicing?”

They jumped back, arched their backs and hissed.

“Well, my supportive felines,” I said as I sat on the couch, “you have a reprieve.  Until Friday.  Remember yesterday after practice when I curled up on the couch holding my jaw?  I need a root canal and it’s scheduled for Thursday.”

“Oh, thank God,” said S.A.M., purring against my leg.  “What are we going to do between now and then?  Quietly read a book?  Watch TV?  Learn to knit?"

"You know," I said to the assembly, "Generally when one speaks of a root canal, they get sympathy and understanding of the pain that is involved." 

The single tracked minded Button looks at the half made flag and says, “Yeah, so “MOM”, about that flag we’re gonna need….”

Our Blog

Today's post isn't about me.  Today is about you.  I want to hear your story.

All you need is a gmail or a blogspot account and you can post here.  Simple request, this is an attempt to reach out to other pipers so that I know that I'm not alone.  So please, no negative commentary on other pipers as there shall be no awkwardness or negativity in Piper Girl's Zone.

Please share your triumphs, your tribulations, your success and your failures when learning the pipes.  I am particularly interested in the "ah-ha" moments you have had that turned you from a Practice Chanter Practitioner to a Piper.  That moment when you KNEW.  If you are struggling with something, I'm sure there is someone out there who's had that same problem and can help you fix it.  If you are thinking about starting the pipes and stumbled upon this blog in your research, let us know.  If you are frustrated about something that is causing you not to practice, let us know that as well.

All I ask is that you keep it positive with respect to others and tell me what country you are from at the end of your post.

Enjoy...
Piper Girl Cate

The Questions...

Since I started my Adventures in Piping, I’ve gotten many questions from friends, colleagues and pretty much anyone who will sit still long enough for me to gleefully tell them that I’m learning to play the bagpipes.

About playing:

“When do I get to hear you play?”  I don’t know.  I’ve been playing for a solid two weeks.  It’ll be a while yet.

“Are you going to start playing with Railroad Piper?” I’d love to, when I’m good enough.  It’ll be a while yet.

“How much do those things cost?” I don’t know as I haven’t bought one.  I have a practice chanter that was really quite reasonable and a teacher who hasn’t heard of inflation since the 1980’s, so thus far it’s been a really cheap hobby.  As for buying pipes?  It will be a while yet.

“Can you play that song, you know… dum dum da dum di da da…”  Scotland the Brave?  Um… No.  It’ll be a while yet.

“Are they awkward to hold?” I don’t know.  I haven’t actually touched one.  It’ll… be… a while… yet….

 Crazy Cat Lady related:

“Do they make earplugs for cats?”  Regretfully, no they don’t.

“How are your cats taking this?”  One runs and hides, the other sits in front of me and sings along (or she’s yelling, “WHY GOD WHY?” I’m really not sure).

“Do your cats hate you?” Actually, the younger one has taken to more cuddles since I started this.  I suspect he is thinking, “okay, the longer I sit here and purr, the longer it will be until she goes back to trying to kill that duck I can’t find.”  Regardless, everybody wins.

“Do you hate your cats?” What kind of question is that?  I love them.  They support me completely.

General Commentary:

“You know, some people take up drugs or buy expensive cars when they get older.”  Oh, good to know.  Thanks.  Anything you’d care to share?

“You are pretty much trying to guarantee that you’re never getting married again, huh?”  Oh, yeah, THAT’s the reason I’m never getting married again.

“You know there’s some weirdo who plays at lunch.”  REALLY?  You are the judge of “weirdo”?

“Yeah, someone took up bagpipes in my neighborhood a few years ago.  Home values dropped like pancakes.”  Oh, yeah, blame the piper, not the overall economic condition.  Nice.

“Those things are hideous.”  Well, I never liked you anyway.

“Those things are awesome!”  I think we can be very good friends.

So if you are reading this and trying to decide to take up the pipes, there will be questions and commentary that range from inquisitive to insane.   Oh, and it’s addictive, be prepared for that.  But it absolves you of the need to take up drugs or buy expensive cars as you age. 

2nd "Official" Instruction

Tonight I had my second official private lesson with Railroad Pipers Pipe Major.  I felt a bit like I was 10 again with "slow down!", "you must learn to walk before you run!", "WAY TOO FAST!"  and so many things I learned in my youth.  The lesson is universal and can be taken to all things in life.  This is not what you want to hear when you can see yourself crossing the finish line in the Boston Marathon but in reality only recently learned that shoes are, in fact, a pretty brilliant idea. Though I felt like I was going slow, I was not going slow enough.  Right now what I need to do is learn the new muscle memory and learn it right.  Practicing a thousand times doesn't mean anything if you practice it wrong.  As the Pipe Major says, "Practice with Purpose."  This is not the first time I've heard this.

We talked about the "Zen of Piping", and how important it is to become one with your pipe (I know there's a dirty joke in there somewhere...).  He talks of this when he sees me getting flustered when my fingers don't go where I plan them to go.  Evidently, I'm not his first rodeo.

He's right, and this takes time.  I'm willing to give it the time, but I'm ready to be THERE.  I know how that feels - I felt it with my flute.  I know I need to give it the time and LOVE the arpeggio's and the grace note scales.  There was a time when the mundane practice gave me so much pleasure and comfort.  After a long hard day I could just pick up my flute and drift into a happy place with nimble fingers, strong breath and a basic scale.  It was those very things that made me good and made my flute become an extension of me.

There is a part of me that wants to go into the basement and pull out my old trusty Gemeindhardt and run some scales just to feel that again.  I did this one day a few years ago and after a few minutes I could still go to that place in my mind where it was just me, my music stand and my parents basement, though the house I grew up in was sold many years ago.  Thus, my Gemeinhardt would be a taste of the forbidden fruit and probably cause much more harm than it would solve. 

Would it feel good?  Yes.  Would it be satisfying?  Hell yes.  Should I do it?  No.  It would only serve to scratch that proverbial itch, and anyone who has ever scratched an itch that has turned around to bite them in the rear can attest, it's not worth it in the long run.

So it's going to be me and my McCallum patiently abiding.

Herumphumph.

History

I struggle with the idea that this instrument is much like a recorder or a fife.  It's relatively basic.  Cover holes, get the sound.

Not so much.