After Matisse/School of Arduous, Yet Solvable Nuts to Crack.

What? Yes. I know. Like chili. Give it time to become two days old, one day at time. Ever look at writing as a puzzle to create, putting pieces together. Giving the tea time to steep. Coffee to cool? Ever think of a book cover turned into a puzzle, getting out the real and/or imaginary saw, coping and creating your own creation. Thinking caps have been a manifestation this week.

How? One, to solve problems is a science in itself. I like to think about painting, have some subject(s) well-bled paint going to town, going down, so to speak, gathering strength in logging time on the brush/canvas, cross-training, talking quality time. Craftwork saw the daylight today. In my childhood area of communities, families related to each other, relatives that came before me, et cetera, I could not help be reminded of the work ethic and talent, G_d-given that surfaces in day-to-day events, no ego problems, a working "program" of rules, passed down from generation to generation, various locations, w/ my mother telling me of days growing up and a relative, an artist, that painted Old World folk art, hearing about Ginsberg, art/craft debate if any w/ definitions, over and over in my mind looking for an ideal resolution, a perspective. It is an awkwardness at least, humbling, well-grounded, humus for the soul, say ... stepping stones, early exercises where only repetition can bring any fruition.

It is unbelievable what I have learned while writing. And what I have remembered. It is like a venture to other worlds that exist in the same physical space, string theory experiences, all complementary of sorts, other views of dimensions. The big leap was from solving a question I had for quite a while, taking advantage of getting as much time/work under my tool belt I could get to solve it. This happened more than once. Write a second book, a ... third. What??? Yea. Last inventory count was 45-65 mss. depending on volumes-count decisions, series-count divisions, not counting eight more coauthorings w/ my robotocist sci-fi guy Marco Bitetto. A former coauthor just put out his latest coauthored w/ another Rumbling Bald project-big time w/ another climber/writer. I have long since retired from my early, mid-eighties pursuit and love of tech rock climbing. I branched/networked out to hone meaningful activities other than climbing, Riemann Zeta Conjecture/Summability methods proof and other math "talkies" to Harvard, Cambridge, U.N.C., Russian world chess master, other mathematicians, work/"Wronskians" for "Cleveland/NASA," the evasive endurance of the butterfly stroke, pony triathalons, Mensa International, American Mensa, Unitarian Universalism, Hillel, family, flamenco guitar, composing, a start at a Ph.D. in composition and theory, working w/ Jung Che Lee from China (Cleveland Orchestra pianist at the time), composing for Florida's Miami String Quartet, ... my own over 275 comps. click-and-drag note-for-note on Sibelius.

Don't try to do the same thing, and get different results. I used to have a slight reputation to be challenged w/ the standard; "Don't tell Todd he can't do something. He'll do it." That works for putting up new routes climbing. Other stuff too. ... If nothing changes, nothing changes. Now I am more discerning to see if it is an "alcoholic's" dare, or a worthwhile thing to take on, worth my time/my work, a worthy endeavor or ... not. Baffling sometimes. And my nuts to crack. On the village community tree for me to choose. What I have learned/unlearned is my own history of discerning a path created; Grab the lessons, and run into the future to the present and use the wisdom. Ten thousand hours; GO!!! Storm by storm to the mastery of violin, the piano as well, klezmer/jazz playing/living the dream my Uncle Don had, a dream he might have kept hid, like a Jime Croce tune, I've Got a Name. One of my uncles, deceased now. The jazz member, trombonist w/ their Columbus jazz band, the Lamplighters. He seemed to have taught me like yesterday, just in the crib, sometime after he set an altitude record w/ an F100 and flying for United out of L.A. That uncle I remember in the sixties w/ his Sprite sportscar and trophy doctor's daughter wife? I just get the weirdies, id est, "i" & "e" flashbacks of seeing the mind's eye sources of decisions when I am improving and elsewhere. Writing rectifies this stuff, awknowledges my life, others' lives, shouts "because of me this world was there to conquer" and "ashes and dust," returning to the "humus." Or some such.

T. Rundgren on technology, paraphrased it's not the new tech junk to get; it's what to get rid of, (the sumarai sword edit, Natalie Goldberg calls it), zen, say western "omelette-style." Started/ended w/ food ... for thought. Hoping, hanging on, pen ends the frustration; HOPE. Apologies many times over. Excuse? If you want a few; blog crashed, lost data, NYC coauthor called-twenty minutes became two and a half hour down-load, conversation/busines etc. make up-photo album additions-thirty photos to gallery, enjoy it. I thoroughly enjoyed writing to you and hope you personalise what I have written to provoke thought and have helped you on your way to the path of a life of meaningful activity, a quality life, giving to yourself and others, (Dylan) always do for others, and let others do for you. Grab a meaningful activity, look for the cork tree, the field, Ferdinan the Bull, flowers next to you. Quality. Settle in.