Mental Health and Me

"Omaha Electrified"

Over the course of my time in absentia from these pages, I have been on a journey of Discovery.  I was seeking to plumb the depths of my mind to understand the causal factors behind my mental and behavioral health issues.  It has been a difficult journey at times and just as hard on Will as it has been on me.  In order to understand myself I engaged the services of Tempa Sherrill M.S., LPC, the founder of Stay the Course Veterans Services to guide my process.  Tempa has become more than a therapist to me, she is the friend I needed who could listen without judgment and offer practical solutions to help me as I resolved my issues.  I will be eternally grateful to her for her warmth, compassion and understanding as she has guided me to a better place than ever I have been.

There have been many painful moments in our discussions as I opened the cellar door in my mind to let the secrets out one at a time.  Above anything else however, she has helped me get to the point where I can honestly say "It is totally OK to be me".  A simple statement that has profound reverberations in all facets of my life.  To be sure the medications proscribed by my VA psychiatrist and other VA Doctors have aided the journey.  I am in fact healthier physically than I have been in a while.  Mentally I am still getting there, but I know I am on the right path with the proper support group to insure I get to where I want to be.  

As I reiterate my adventures (and misadventures) along the way, I hope to broaden your knowledge base as well as receive the cathartic recompense from seeing my life in printed form.  I will also try to make it as interesting as possible with out being over bearing or boring.  There has been laughter and tears, terror and calm and everywhere in between as I have wandered the dark corners and bright paths in my own mind.  I will also try to help eliminate the stigmatic specter that usually blossoms in the minds of people when the phrase mental health is mentioned.  Not everyone with mental or behavioral health issues is bat shit crazy or an inmate in the asylum.  But lots of folks need a little help understanding themselves and their relationship to the world around them, myself included.  I hope you stick around as I fight the procrastination bug each week in order to indeed put my life in print.  I hope you sitick around for the journey that is Nichevo.

-------------------------------------------------

Now for your listening pleasure, I have an excellent recording of the Teleman Double  Concerti for an instrument not often heard in concert today, the Recorder, featuring Erik Bosgraaf as the soloist.  Erik Bosgraaf has won international acclaim for his Brilliant Classics recordings of music from Jakob van Eyck (Der Fluyten Lust Hof, BC93391) to Pierre Boulez (Dialogues, BC94842). His discography includes no fewer than three previous albums dedicated to Georg Philipp Telemann, the composer who more than any other in the German Baroque elevated the recorder and its relatives to the status of a high-art instrument, capable of hitherto undreamt expressive range and technical refinement. 

This recording contains the double concerti with recorder: for two recorders or in combination with transverse flute, bassoon or viola da gamba. Telemann himself was a professional recorder player. These concerti contain some of his most personal music, his usual brilliance, wit and virtuosity alternate with passages of deep emotion and melancholy. 

Erik Bosgraaf is one of the most remarkable recorder players of today. Equally at home in early as well as contemporary music he extends the limits of his instrument, achieving an extreme range of expression and unheard-of effects.  Erik is joined on the recording by his friends and Ensemble Cordevento.

You will find the track list just below the recording.  Following that is a bit of the Art side of Male Art with these six photographs of young men for you to peruse.  Thanks for the visit and as always, Enjoy!.

00:00:00 Concerto for Recorder and Flute in E Minor, TWV 52:e1: I. Largo
00:03:52 Concerto for Recorder and Flute in E Minor, TWV 52:e1: II. Allegro
00:08:07 Concerto for Recorder and Flute in E Minor, TWV 52:e1: III. Largo
00:11:47 Concerto for Recorder and Flute in E Minor, TWV 52:e1: IV. Presto
00:14:32 Concerto for 2 Recorders in A Minor, TWV 52:a2: I. Gravement
00:16:45 Concerto for 2 Recorders in A Minor, TWV 52:a2: II. Vistement
00:18:19 Concerto for 2 Recorders in A Minor, TWV 52:a2: III. Largement
00:20:16 Concerto in for 2 Recorders in A Minor, TWV 52:a2: IV. Vivement
00:22:24 Concerto for Recorder and Bassoon in F Major, TWV 52:F1: I. Largo
00:26:50 Concerto for Recorder and Bassoon in F Major, TWV 52:F1: II. Vivace
00:32:11 Concerto for Recorder and Bassoon in F Major, TWV 52:F1: III. —
00:36:27 Concerto for Recorder and Bassoon in F Major, TWV 52:F1: IV. Allegro
00:39:58 Concerto for Recorder and Viola da Gamba in A Minor ,TWV 52:a1: I. Grave
00:43:48 Concerto for Recorder and Viola da Gamba in A Minor ,TWV 52:a1: II. Allegro
00:47:54 Concerto for Recorder and Viola da Gamba in A Minor ,TWV 52:a1: III. Dolce
00:51:25 Concerto for Recorder and Viola da Gamba in A Minor ,TWV 52:a1: IV. Allegro
00:55:37 Concerto for 2 Recorders in B-Flat Major, TWV 52:B1: I. Grave
00:57:44 Concerto for 2 Recorders in B-Flat Major, TWV 52:B1: II. Vivace
00:59:17 Concerto for 2 Recorders in B-Flat Major, TWV 52:B1: III. Tendrement
01:01:05 Concerto for 2 Recorders in B-Flat Major, TWV 52:B1: IV. Gayment

Yummy Weekend!

Happy Labor Day to those of you in the US celebrating the holiday and Happy Monday to the rest of you folks out there.  I have had a good weekend so far, trying a lot of new things out with my new kitchen toys.  All of which have been imminently successful I might add.  Over the last few days I have baked a chicken ( see On the Menu! from last Friday for details), banana bread with pecans, and cod with a 4 cheese topping.  Then last night I really tested my skills and the new oven after I got home from working so a coworker could have the day off.  

I came home from work to 3 frozen pork chops and a pound and a half of little round red potatoes and one hungry Will.  Here is what I did to solve the challenge before me.  Kroger sells a pork chop seasoning mix an cooking bag that I like a lot so I took the seasoning packet and sprinkled it on the frozen pork chops after rinsing them in cold water.  I sprinkled both sides, making sure each side got a healthy coating of spice then placed them on the 3 inch grill in the NuWave Oven.  I had the extender ring in place as this was going to be a dual layer cook.  I took the remaining seasoning mixed with a little water, poured that over the chops and left that in the liner tray to add some steam effect, maybe.  I then placed the 2 inch grill atop the 3 inch grill and went to the next step.  

I quartered the potatoes, rinsed them and set them aside for a moment .  I then mixed a 1/4 cup olive oil with 1 teaspoon of ground thyme, 1 tablespoon ground rosemary and  2 tablespoons oregano and stirred them together I then tossed the potatoes in this mix then layered them skin side up on the 2 inch grill.  I put on the dome and power head, set the cook temp at 350 and the cook time at 10 minutes.  When the oven beeped after 10 minutes I turned the chops over and the potatoes skin side down, then cooked the whole thing for another 10 minutes at 350.  When the oven beeped again, the potatoes and the chops were done to perfection with correct internal temperatures in both meat and potatoes.  The chops were moist and flavorful and the potatoes were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and very flavorful.  Total time including prep time of 15 minutes from frozen to table of only 35 minutes.  Awesome does not begin to describe how pleased I am with this new machine.  

Tonight I take on a sacred cow down  here in the South.  Up North you all know it as 'country fried steak'.  Here in the South it is know as Chicken Fried Steak and it is becoming increasingly hard to find a good one anywhere.  There is a recipe for Country Air Fried Steak at NuWaveCookingClub.com that I looked at for a basis in comparing my own recipe.  I then decided to take the best of both and try that on for size.  I will try that out tonight and tell you about that tomorrow when chicken enchiladas are On the Menu!  Suffice it to say I am well pleased with my little investment and the results have spoken for themselves.  We will keep you posted as we try more and more new things.

Now it is time for your Monday with Mozart which this week features concerti written for 2 different instrument groupings.  Beginning with Mozart's Keyboard Concerto In F Major, Kv 459.  That performance is by  Viviana Sofronitzki at the Piano accompanied by  Musicae Antiquae Collegium Varsoviense conducted by Tadeusz Karolak.  We conclude with Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp, Kv 299.  That performance is by Samuel Coles on Piano, Naoko Yoshino on Harp and the English Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Yehudi Menuhin.  Over on my tumblr, Sir Neville Marriner leads the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields in their performance of Mozart's Concerto for Basson and Orchestra with Klaus Thunemann as the Bassoon Soloist.

 Down below I have your weekly dose of lithesome lads in "lingerie" as the strut their stuff in the finest Monday's Undies for your visual appreciation down below.  You may also want to take a peek the fine ass belongig to Jayden Tyler, Your Hottie of the Day! on display in that pretty white jockstrap over on my tumblr.    Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Ready for the Weekend!

I arranged for the new girl to take my short shift on Thursday evening as I was feeling worn out.  I have spent the greater portion of the last 24 hours catching up on my rest and generally vegging to a video marathon.  I feel refreshed and ready for truck night and then I have the whole weekend to rest, refresh and see what mischief I can get into!  I am ready for my weekend, let's see what I can do to get yours started on the right note (pun intended) and maybe add a little fuel to the fantasy fires as well.  

The right note or notes as it may be comes to us courtesy of one of Mozart's running buddies and billiards partner, Johann Nepomuk Hummel.  Hummel of course was himself a Composer and Virtuoso Pianist who, like Mozart, enjoyed a good time along with great music.  Posted down below is Hummel's Grand Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra.  This outstanding performance is from a 1986 radio broadcast of the Stavanger Radio Orchestra conducted by Frank Shipway.  Robert Rønnes is the Bassoon Soloist and he also wrote the Cadenzas used in the recording.  Over on my tumblr, I have his Piano Concerto in A-minor, Op.85 with a wonderful performance by Alessandro Commellato accompanied by Solamente Naturali under the baton of Didier Talpain. 

As for adding a little spice to inspire your desire, well that is where this week's edition of Fantasy Fuel comes in.  You will find it full of hunks and hotties any one of which would be enough for a forest fire of fantasy and posted down below.  Meanwhile over on my tumblr, your Hottie of the Day! is a naked 'Pole Dancer'  who begs of you the question, 'Won't you dance on my pole?".  Thanks for the visit, see you again on Sunday for your Morning Concert! Until next as always, Enjoy!

At Long Last...

... I have finally gotten all my chores and errands done for this pay day, but lord knows it was not easy this week.  I have yet to sleep, but at least all I have left is the laundry.  I will do that tomorrow once I have had some rest.  As it is I am one tired puppy, but I did not want you guys to think I had abandoned you to other blogs.  I just ran outta time, lol.  I did manage to gather some excellent photographs both days which I combined in a mega Post: "Thursday Combo, Splashy Sexiness and Denim Delights Just For You!". You can cruise on down the page to peruse the bonteous beauty to behold in the 48 gorgeous photographic portraits found there.  As for Music, I was in a very Vivaldi mood when I went to look for a selection for today.  Therefore you will get a slight overdose of Antonio Lucio in 17 of his 39 Bassoon Concerti beautifully recorded by Klaus Thunemann and I Musici in a 2 CD set available here.  The play list below includes tracks;

1. 1-3 Concerto In A Minor, Rv 497 La Mineur A- Moll
2. 4-6 Concerto In C Major, Rv 473 Ut Majeur. C-Dur
3. 7-9 Concerto In G Major, Rv 493 Sol Majeur.G-Dur
4. 10-12 Concerto In C Major, Rv 471 Ut Majeur.C-Dur
5. 13-15 Concerto In A Minor,Rv 500 La Mineur.A-Moll
6. 16-18 Concerto In D Minor, Rv 481 Re Mineur.F-Moll
7. 19-21 Concerto In B Flat Major, Rv 504 Si Bemol Majeur. B-Moll
8. 22-24 Concerto In G Minor, Rv 496 Sol Mineur. G- Moll

The other disc containing 9 additional Concerti is waiting your listening pleasure over on my tumblr.  While you are there be sure to check out 'A Perfect Pit Stop", Your Hottie of the Day! Thanks for the visit, see you again soon.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Worked Out!

Last night was truck night and on Tuesday's I only have help until 11.  So the great majority of the stocking is left to me.  With 3 deliveries between 10 and 1, I had my work cut out for me.  I got it all put up by 4 when I had to stock the cooler and get the store ready for morning rush.  I had the store polished and ready by 5 so all I had to do until I got off was keep up the coffee bar and wait on the customers.  All went fine until Andrews Distributing showed up about 6.  Andrew brings us Coors and Miller Products, Shiner Bock, a couple of craft beers, all of our Mexican imports (Corona, Modelo, Imperial, Dos Equis) and Red Bull.  I got them all checked in (3 separate invoices, sheesh) in due course between customers.  So by the time Boss Man walked in at 10 after 7, I was ready to go home.  When I did get home, I was so exhausted all I could do was go to bed.  I didn't even check my email, just turned on the music and crashed.  I have to work tonight then I am off tomorrow, but it is pay day so there will not be much rest until later in the day due to chores and errands.  But the Weekend is coming and I have both days off again (Yahoo!!!).  That brings us to the Music for today.

I am in a Vivaldi state of mind today so your Musical Moment of the day features 5 Concerti for Bassoon and/or Flute by Signori Vivaldi,  Included in the play list are Bassoon Concerto in A minor, RV 497;  Chamber Concerto, for recorder, violin, bassoon in D major, RV 92; Bassoon Concerto in D minor, RV 481; Bassoon Concerto in E minor, RV 484 and Chamber Concerto ("La notte"), for flute in G minor, RV 104.  Today's performance is by La Suave Melodia featuring Frans Robert Burkhout on Bassoon and Pieter Dirksen on Flute/Recorder.  You can hear more Vivaldi  with his Mandolin and Lute Concerti  over on my tumblr where you will also find your Hottie of the Day!  Thanks for sticking around 'til I got here, see you again soon.  Until next time as alwsy, Enjoy!

TGIF/Holiday/F*** Work

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.  I had to work, however, we were not as busy as some stores I have worked on Christmas.  Our customer base includes a lot of students, faculty and support staff at two large universities, The University of North Texas Health Science Center (Literally 2 blocks from the store) and Texas Christian University,  Both schools are virtually shut down over the holidays, so while we were semi-busy, it was not an overwhelming crush so it went OK.  Everyone was in a good mood and nobody got stupid, so it was a pretty good day.  A lot of folks have to head back in to work today before taking off for the weekend, but don't kid yourselves, not much will be getting done around any office in America because everyone is already in a TGIF/Holiday/F*** Work mood for sure.  Next up is the annual celebration of drunkenness New Year's celebration followed by another less than functional Friday to begin the New Year.  Never fear though, your intrepid Uncle will be on the job with lots of Beautiful Music, Muscular Men, a little witty reparte' and maybe even some verbiage relevant to someone out there someplace.  Speaking of which, it is a slooooooowwww news day, so let's just get on with the Music and the Men, shall we?

Your Friday Musical Moment features a generously-filled program featuring 17 of Vivaldi's 39 Bassoon Concertos in which the distinguished bassoonist Klaus Thunemann is partnered with one of the great baroque music ensembles, I Musici.  Vivaldi's 39 bassoon concertos (two are incomplete) are at the cornerstone of the bassoon repertory and in the context of Vivaldi's output constitute the greatest number of concertos for a single solo instrument after his 200+ solo violin concertos.  You will find the Volume One play list down below which includes the concerti A minor, R.497; in C, R.473; in G, R.493; in C, R.471; in A minor, R.500; in D minor, R.481; in B flat, R.504 and in G minor, R.496.  You may join I Musici and Herr Thunemann over on my tumblr for Volume Two.  

Now it is time for a little Fantasy Fuel to fire and inspire your desire for a weekend full of fun.  Today's selections run from whimsically delicious to seriously smoldering, having strived to select photographs that grasps the viewers' attention and draw them into intimate moment of pure pleasure.  I hope you think I was successful.  Now your attentions will certainly be grasped and held by the sultry stud from South of the Border, Maycon Silveira, who is your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr.  Thanks for the visit, continue to enjoy the holidays and stop in for the Evening Concert over the weekend.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

The Long Haul

My meeting yesterday with the FC went fairly well despite my trepidation before hand.  We did find some common ground, his first store as an FC was my old store on Lancaster.  In the beginning over there I did not have occasion to interact with the FC, so I was unaware of that little tidbit of info.  He was also unaware that I had written the business plans for both of my former employer's stores.  We compared notes on my former employer and pretty much came to the same conclusion as to the way he runs his store.  So all in all, our time together was not as horrible as I had anticipated.  

Today and tomorrow are going to kind of run together as I am scheduled 5 PM to 2 AM today then have to double back and work Noon to 8 PM tomorrow.  Therefore tomorrow's post may be delayed until after I get off work tomorrow night.  I have to find some time to sleep so I am not completely worn out by 8 PM tomorrow.  In addition to that long stretch of work activity, there was no sleeping in today as Will has and appointment with the urologist at the clinic in Arlington at 8 AM this morning.  The clinic in Arlington is about 30 miles from my apartment and I have to make the trip smack dab in the middle of drive time which could prove interesting traffic wise.  We don't know how long it will take for the actual exam and consultation, so It could be a long morning.  However, as always, I will soldier on until the long haul is done, but I may wear myself out in the process.

Your Musical Moment for today continues our foray into the Music for Woodwinds by Antonio Vivaldi with his Oboe Concerti Numbers RV 447, RV450, RV451, RV457, RV455, RV453, RV46.  Today's performance is by Alfredo Bernardini on Solo Oboe and Conducting the Zefiro Ensemble.  You may also hear the mellow conclusion to Vivaldi's Bassoon Concerti with Volume 3 recorded by L'Aura Soave Cremona conducted by Diego Cantalupi with Sergio Azzolini as the Soloist over on my tumblr. 

Finally for this Friday is this week's salute to the hirsute hunks among us with a collection of Bears, Cubs and Otters in this edition of Furry Friday on display below the play list.  There is also your Hottie of the Day! over on my tumblr with more hirsute hotness.  Thank you for sharing part of your Friday with me, have a Fabulous Weekend and I will catch up with you sometime on the morrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!