ScottyG and some random thoughts

[ScottyG]

Okay, I'm diving right in with the MONSTER list! Aaaaaah, it's a monster! Hiiiiiide!

Ahem. Anyway:


01. Name? Scott

02. Gender? Male

03. Disneyworld or Disneyland? No thanks.

04. What is your favorite color? Entirely dependent on the thing to be colored. I drive a bright yellow car though, and have a tendency towards the bright flashy colors.

05. What is your favorite kind of gum? I don't like gum. I do like licorice a great deal, though, and you have to chew on it a long time sometimes. Like gum!

06. How much do you weigh? Every time I buy bulk items at the grocery store.

07. How tall are you? 5'2". Yes, very short. My parents were set up in college because everyone thought it would be cute because they were both so tiny. So I was doomed from the start.

08. Can you swim? Yes!

09. Do you like to swim? I do, very much. But I have nowhere to go swimming currently. Need to find me a good lake.

10. Living arrangement? Bedrooms upstairs, kitchen downstairs.

11. What's on your mouse pad? I don't have one. Just a laptop.

12. Favorite board game? If anyone else is a big enough geek to get this, I'll be shocked. But I just love The Settlers of Catan.

13. Favorite magazine? I don't really read any. Someone bought my family a subscription to "Parenting" when we had our baby girl, but I got too mad at it to keep reading. Every article and letter in there assumes you're a mom, and over and over again they say "only mom knows!" and such, but it's called PARENTing, not MOMing. Argh.

14. Favorite Actor? Gosh, I don't know. I used to be a big Kevin Spacey fan, but then he did some really bad movies.

15. Favorite Actress? Meryl Streep. So incredible.

16. Do you have an accent? Not really. Fairly neutral.

17. Favorite smells? Baby's head, baking bread.

18. Least favorite smells? Chicken bones in the trash too long.

19. Favorite sound? MUSIC! I am a professional musician, after all. Baby's laughter could easily give music a run for its money, though.

20. Do you prefer pools or oceans? Oceans, definitely.

21. Do you watch Buffy The Vampire Slayer? Nope.

22. Pencil or pen? Computer instead. I have terrible handwriting.

23. Who's better - boys or girls? Better at what...? I'd say boys are better at not worrying and just moving on with life, while girls are better at thinking things through and being observant.

24. Would you like to own a motorcycle? Nope. I respect y'all that do, but for me it just screams "death on wheels."

25. Do you sing in the shower? All the time, except when the baby's asleep. I sing opera and stuff. Reallllllly loud.

26. Who's the best looking Disney character? Dumbo.

27. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? "Was that the baby? Oh no, just a passing car. Dang it, now I'm awake."

28. How many rings before you answer the phone? As few as possible. But I have one phone in a 2-story house, so most often it rings 4 times and then the machine picks up. And then I call you back.

29. How do you want to die? Leaping parachute-less out of a hot air balloon with my name sprawled across it, as I fly over a gigantic parade in my honor.

30. Have you ever called a 900 number? Nope.

31. Gold or silver? Gold. My wife is a redhead, and gold just suits her so well that I've learned to keep an eye out for it.

32. Would you ever go bungee-jumping? Sure, why not? Of course, it's easy to say that from here in my office chair.

33. Do you like dressing up? Occasionally. I do enjoy wearing a good suit now and again.

34. Would you rather be short or tall? I'm quite short, and don't want to change anything.

35. Do you enjoy reading? VERY much.

36. What book are you reading now? I'm re-reading "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire, and also in the midst of "On Food and Cooking" by Harold McGee.

37. Favorite books? Too many to list, but let's start with "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami, "Ursula Under" by Ingrid Hill, and "The Culture of Fear" by Barry Glassner.

38. What was the last movie you saw? In the theatre? I can't even remember back that far, before we had a baby. But we saw "Transamerica" on video last week, and really liked it.

39. Favorite movies? Again, too many to list, but I'll start with "Magnolia," "Donnie Darko," "The Dark Crystal," and "The Hudsucker Proxy."

40. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Nope, but I've got a few from my childhood sleeping in the closet.

41. What is your sign? YIELD.

42. What are your personality traits? I laugh constantly. I'm very patient. I'm kind of an "absent-minded professor," very good at figuring things out and such, but always forgetting basic things.

43. What's your biggest fear? Cancer. My mom has a very rare, horrible brain cancer that came out of nowhere when she was just 57, and I'm always nervous that it'll somehow be genetic.

44. Would you ever have cosmetic surgery? No.

45. Future child's name? I didn't even tell anyone my current child's name until she was born, so I can't possibly share our secret list.

46. Favorite foods? Very dark chocolate. All shellfish, particularly clams and mussels. Figs. Cheese. The list could go on and on.

47. Chocolate or vanilla? CHOCOLATE! I absolutely adore chocolate, particularly the bittersweet varieties. Mmmmmmmmm chocolate.

48. Do you like to drive fast? No. I'm much more a fan of calm, nice driving.

49. Storms - cool or scary? Very cool.

50. Do you like to dance? Yes! I look kind of silly and bizarre the whole time, but who the heck cares?

51. Do you do drugs? Occasionally some ibuprofen.

52. Do you smoke? Occasionally some smoked fish.

53. What do you think of people who smoke? It depends... are they nice people? Or jerks?

54. Do you drink? Yes, but not to excess.

55. Favorite drink? Single malt Scotch, if someone else is buying.

56. Do you think men and women could ever be just friends without wanting each other? Yes, depending on the man and woman. I have many, many close female friends, who are very much just about friendship. I've always had more female friends than male friends, and why the heck should someone's private parts affect whether we're good friends or not?

57. Do you eat the stems of broccoli? Definitely. Mmmm broccoli.

58. If you could have any job you wanted, what would it be? Full-time composer. Everyone pays me to write them music.

59. What's your "type"? I'm a terrible typist. Hunt-and-peck, mostly.

60. Do you bite your nails? Nope.

61. Any siblings? One older sister. We don't get along very well, but we're at least civil. I also have 5 step-siblings, who are awesome people.

62. What movies have you cried in? I can't remember. I cry at the end of "Fearless" with Jeff Bridges every time I see it though. Honestly, I cry more at music than at movies. Today, I cried at Gorecki's Symphony #3. Yes, I'm a serious geek. I know.

63. Do you believe in God? Nope. Don't want to be provocative, it's just my personal beliefs. I believe in the beauty and wonder of the natural world, and that humans and all the beasts of the earth are by nature kind and good.

64. Did you ever cry over a guy/girl? Of course.

65. Have you ever stolen anything? In high school, I stole a $20 from my dad.

66. Do you procrastinate? Yes. I try not to, but why do you think I'm here answering so many questions??

67. Do you believe in fate? No.

68. Who's your favorite Sesame Street character? Ernie. I can't resist him.

69. Do you organize your CD's? Yes. I own something like 900 CDs though, so they'd better be organized.

70. What is your favorite kind of music? I like many, many kinds of music. Classical, rock, jazz, folk, bluegrass, 80s, electronica...

71. What are your favorite bands/artists? WAAAAAY too many to name. I can't even begin. Well, okay, how about Maurice Ravel, Bjork, and Joni Mitchell, to start.

72. What was the last CD you got? A recording of Luciano Berio's "Sinfonia." See above about me being a classical music geek with very unusual taste.

73. MTV or VH1? I don't have cable.

74. Who do you admire the most? My baby girl.

75. Internet Boyfriends and Girlfriends? No thank you, I'm happily married.

76. Are you single? See question 75.

77. Favorite TV show? It's over now, and I only saw it by renting the DVDs, but I really loved "Six Feet Under."

78. Blondes, Brunettes, or Redheads? My wife is a redhead. But I reject the plural "s" in the question. Redhead, singular.

79. Glasses or contacts? Glasses. I am legally blind without them.

80. What color are your eyes? Hazel. Greenish-brownish with gold flecks on the outside, with a yellow ring around the pupil.

81. What is your natural hair color? Brownish.

82. But what color is it now? Still brownish.

83. Have you ever been in love? Yes, in fact I am at the moment, with both my wife and my baby girl.

84. Any pets? Nope. I like visiting other people's pets, but don't want any of my own. We'll see if I can stick to that when my baby gets older and wants one.

85. Good, decent, or poor grades? I was a goody two-shoes and always had good grades in school.

86. Is the glass half empty or half full? I drank it about 5 minutes ago, so it's all empty. Mmmm, delicious.

87. Do you type with your fingers on the right keys? Nope. Left keys only.

88. What's under your bed? Monsters. Friendly ones who like to jump on the bed and play Parcheesi while I'm at work.

89. What is your favorite number? Zero. What a cool number it is.

90. Favorite sport to watch? I have no interest whatsoever in watching sports, except for the Olympics. I love watching the more obscure sports. So, I'm going to have to go with gymnastics.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

OH OH The Dark Crystal!! I completely forgot about that movie!!

I managed to get my hands on it for FREE! Of course, it is on VHS, but who cares!

 

[2dream]

These list just frustrate me soooooo. I always want more.

Would you mind adding a little more info on this.
What type of instrument? Music? etc.

19. Favorite sound? MUSIC! I am a professional musician, after all.

 

[ScottyG]

Well, thanks for being interested! I know it's kind of a weird occupation for this crowd, but hey, I am what I am.

I do a number of different things to piece together a living as a musician. I studied composing for a long time, and get some income by doing that. It's really my big dream and primary focus. I'm currently writing a huge piece of music for 5 choirs to perform (simultaneously!) in a big joint choral concert at the holidays. Doesn't pay a whole lot, but it's very rewarding, and hopefully it'll start paying more as I get more established.

I also play piano, which is what I did for a full-time living the past 3 years before now. I played for voice students at the local college, singers in the area, a couple of nearby opera companies, the occasional trombone recital or choral concert, and so on. I also played weekly at a church.

I also conducted the choir at that church. (the list gets ridiculous.) Over the summers, I've made my living being conductor and musical director for musical theatre productions on the community and college levels. Also conducted a choir of seniors at a local retirement community.

I've occasionally worked playing cocktail piano at weddings and such, or playing with cabaret singers for benefit events, galas, and the like. I also sing classical music some, and have made some money singing at weddings too. Basically, in order to live full-time as a musician, I pieced together fifty thousand different musical things.

As of this past summer, I'm now not doing much of the piano/conducting stuff any more. My wife is a full-time professor at a local college, and I'm teaching some courses there too because of a last-minute staffing problem. So, right now, I'm a professor of orchestration and a composition seminar. Nifty! But mostly, I'm staying home with the baby and being a part-time stay-at-home dad. That's one of the reasons I like this forum... gives me lots of good ideas on how to make the staying home thing work for me.

In any case, a very long answer. But hey, it's a thread with my name on it! So the short version is, I do a little of everything, but mostly I'm a piano player and a composer. Following your passion means less money and more creativity with finances, but hey, I willingly signed up for that.

 

[punkin]

My DH was a huge fan of Six Feet Under. Shame it went off. I think it's cool you're a stay at home hands on dad. Your little girl is very lucky.

I have no musical talent whatsoever. I played (& that's being generous) the clarinet in elementary school. I tried banjo a couple of years ago, but that was really hard.

 

[Cassandra]

Bjork? Really? I find that hard to believe. You like that sound? Are you sure you understood the question?

LOL
Now see what you've made me do? I'm just going to go off on a tangent about something that is not related to anything and of no consequence whatsoever...

you know how some people enjoy the sound of a rooster crowing in the morning and it drives some people crazy? If Bjork were a rooster, I'd be the crotchety neighbor across the fence with a shot gun (probably wearing an overturned pot on my head.)

No, no, wait, wait, wait. you know those supersonic, electronic rat repelling devices? Well, RonCo could design a Bjork emitting device and market it as Cassandra repellent. I'm serious. Every time I see her or (god help me) hear her, I want to run far away.

She is outside of my tolerable frequency. As a result of this, I am naturally fascinated by her popularity. I ask my husband all the time "how do people listen to her?" He shrugs and doesn't take me seriously. And YOU Scott are the only person I have ever known who claims to listen to her. She is among your top three favorite performers, even!

Tell me what it's like.. this 'listening to Bjork'...

Cassandra

 

[ScottyG]

Cassandra- HA! I don't think I can possibly convince you with words of her awesomeness, but here are a few reasons why I love her music:

1. She's kind of like watching a huge forest fire burn. Like, she sounds kind of out of control and incredibly dramatic, but the huge burst of color is just fascinating to look at.

2. She works with unbelievably talented and diverse musicians. I love things that are unique and colorful, and her albums include songs with a beautiful women's choir and electric harp, and other songs with hip-hop production and a classical string section... it's all just so creative and diverse.

3. Her demeanor is full of child-like wonder... I'm so tired of cynical music, bitter music... she's full of love for flowers, trees, people, the world. And skips around in goofy ballet dresses, full of genuine excitement and innocent bliss. I love that she doesn't stifle that energy, that if she wants to go out in public dressed like a big puffy swan, well then she does! Like her inner 8-year-old rules her life.

4. I actually really love the sound of her voice, even though it's unusual. To me, there's something so intense about it. The passion with which she sings through her unusual voice is kind of like blues singers in a way... they don't have "beautiful" sounds, but the strange ways their voices work give them a deeply felt real-ness that I love.

5. I'm a big sucker for experimentation and artists that try new things. And she's high on my list of people who go out on an artistic limb and really go for new ideas.

Anyway, you asked. So I obliged.

 

[ScottyG]

I realize my music ramblings might make me sound sort of snooty, and like, "why is he ON this message board?" So, I figured I'd briefly mention why I'm here.

My wife and I are both artists, and that means we've agreed to live on little money to support our careers in fields that aren't exactly flush with dough. We've taken steps to save money in ways that often mean avoiding the mainstream way (bonus!) and doing things our own ways. We're also kind of hippies (a little bit) and strive to do things in a way that's good for the earth, good for our baby, good for our environment, and our neighbors.

In addition to that, we both feel that doing what's best for our family usually means either doing things ourselves, or supporting good local businesses that do things well and with a personal touch. I'm not an old-fashioned guy in general, but I think so many things in our world these days have been changed to be inexpensive and disposable, instead of focusing on quality. And I believe strongly in supporting local business, and learning how to take care of my world myself.

I know I can't do everything I want to in the self-sufficiency category... I don't have any land to farm or garden, and I'm not sure that right now in my life I'd even have time to do so if I had the land. And some things I'm very happy to let other people (preferably local) do for me. I'm not liable to raise animals, for instance, but I make sure to buy all my meats and eggs from nearby farmers, because well.. it tastes better! AND, more importantly, because I think it's a much more responsible way to live.

But I do strive to do things myself if I can, because life's not about getting as much done as possible, but about enjoying as much of your time as possible. If I get more things done, but don't enjoy any of them, then I've failed. And I think part of the self-sufficient life is enjoying the time it takes to do things yourself. You know, I could buy bread quicker than I could bake it. But what would I do with that extra time that would be more enjoyable than making a loaf of bread?

 

[ScottyG]

OH OH The Dark Crystal!! I completely forgot about that movie!!

I managed to get my hands on it for FREE! Of course, it is on VHS, but who cares!

I don't have a VHS player anymore. Sometimes I think it'd be nice to have one for that reason.... you can get cheap (or free! nice score!) VHS tapes almost anywhere.

And yay for the Dark Crystal!!!

"Wings? I don't have wings!"
"Of course not, you're a boy."

 

[punkin]

I don't think you're snooty at all. I think it's great that this forum has such a diversity among its members.

It's great hearing about your musical aspirations, farmerchick's hogs, hen123's day at school or how Beekissed wants to move to Montana.

We are vegans, buddhists (sorry if I mispelled that), animal lovers, homeschooling parents, hunters, cooks, the whole kit and kaboodle, discovering our commonality. That's why this forum works.