So why the uke

Over the last five years I've been fortunate enough to attend the Port Fairy Folk Festival. if you have never been, you are missing out on four days of great music, camping among like minded people and a wonderful safe environment. It's not all folk music, over the years I've seen Kasey Chambers, the Topp Twins, the Waifs and many many more great musicians.
You can't help but to be inspired by so much talent.
When you take time out and head to your camp for a rest,you often find yourself still surrounded by amateur musicians fortunate enough to be able to jam with folkie participants camped next door.
After every year I wou
I'd come home inspired, and pick up my guitar determined to be good enough to join in the following year.
Each year my enthusiasm would begin to waiver as it was all too hard. Try as I did I struggled to master holding chords. There is books and you tube videos but still it just didn't seem to be enough.
One year on our way to the festival we were listening to Radio National, quite often prior to the festival they showcase a visiting artist. On this night the artist was Jake Shimabukuro, a Hawaiian born Japanese lad who's chosen instrument was the ukulele. Boy can this boy play! He was discovered on YouTube and went viral.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k

Suddenly a light went on! Maybe I need to try a different angle.
I bought a bright orange Mahalo soprano ukulele. However without a clue of tuning that little uke hardly saw the daylight. Another year passed and again at the folkie my creative juices ignited and there is was.......a tenor Mahalo uke. Sitting there, out of tune and strummed by all. Within 10 minutes he was mine and at the same time a clip on tuner and a small chord chart.







From then on I was hooked on that little instrument. With the help of YouTube I managed to teach myself a few songs and step by step improved.
After a year with my Mahalo Sue surprised me with the wonderful Lanakai tenor that I now play. You don't realise how much a better quality instrument plays till you have one.
Mahalo hasn't been forgotten and is currently in D tuning for a song I'm working at.
After the festival this year I contacted a teacher and haven't looked back. My teacher, Helen's blog is linked to mine and I encourage you to look at it and listen to some of her music.
When I go to Hawaii in August I will be collecting a hand made kamaka to take around the US with me. They such a little instrument you can't help but love them.

Training session

With a little over four weeks till we head off to New Zealand it's important Liz and I get some quality training in. it's so hard to be motivated after a full day at work and sometimes a little rest is needed!
But there is no rest it's onward and upward I say and Liz decided it was time to show how much all the hard work has paid off!
Check out those guns!!



Looking massive Liz! You should be a true athlete! I think the stripes make your bum look big!

Now my uke is not coming to New Zealand, it's going to stay home on this trip, I can't work out how to pack it along side the axes and I'm not too sure the chopper pilot will really want to bother with a fragile load. But here's an arty picture I took of little lukie the ukie.




Do you think the angle makes his head look big!


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Finally some good luck

The saying is if a bird poops on you it's good luck! right! What if a giant bird poops on your car, does that mean super good luck!


I copped this one on my way to work. It hit so hard I thought a rock had flown up and hit me. Looks like I'm in for good times then.
The volcano has stopped covering New Zealand with dust and the planes are flying, the world isn't shaking as much in Christchurch,at this moment all things are go for the ice climbing extravaganza.
The shoulder is still playing up but responding to a variety of ice and lotions.




Here is just some of the gear needed for the trip. This doesn't include the technical equipment including ice axes,crampons etc, there still to come, either borrow or hire.
I'm going to be well layered with potentially four layers on an average day. The big question is once that's all on and I'm in my harness, how do I go to the toilet?

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Background

Welcome all to my new blog. This is all new to me so don't be surprised if I do things a little strange but I'll get the hang of it.

2011 is here and with it comes a year of the lowest of lows and the highest of highs.

The year didn't start so well, in February whilst sitting on the couch I located a massive lump in my right breast, feeling the blood drain to my feet I woke Sue and told her. Having had a long history of benign tumours and fibrous anenoma I knew what to expect and didn't panic but its hard to stay calm. Fortunately I was into the specialist the following day and in for two biopsies and a aspiration within the week. All good, panic over, heart rate back to normal.

With that finally behind us Sue and I soon had to deal with our beloved Bruce, a Schnauzer,westie cross getting out of the house one night only to go on his own adventure and not ending well. Bruce caused a four car pile up and lost his own life in the process. The devastation we felt was almost unbearable and it is still a process to come to terms with the grief.

Some of you who know us, know we have been trying for a family with IVF for well over a year. Sue has been riding a roller coaster of medication and I've been ducking for cover behind her. After six prior attempts we really though seven would be lucky for us, I even joked that the embryo was Brucie boy and I could see a little beard and eye brows, but it wasn't to be and again we are disappointed.

All this and the year wasn't even three months old. Things had to change and fortunately for us they did.
We have decided to rest from the IVF for a while and focus on some of the things we keep wanting to do bet never have the time or finances.
We are DINKS so lets start living like it.