I listened to:

"The Seasons", "Metamorphosis", "In a Landscape". "Ophelia". "Two Pieces for Piano", "Quest" and "Two Pieces for Piano" all composed by John Cage and performed by Herbert Henck on the piano.

-Richard

I listened to:

"Violin Concerto N0.2 ", composed by George Tsontakis and performed by Steven Copes (Violin) and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Conducted by Douglas Boyd.
"Clair de Lune" and "The Past, The Passion" both composed by George Tsontakis and performed by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by Douglas Boyd.


-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Fallen Man" written by Tony Hillerman.

I read this book whilst on another business trip. This time I went to Pearl River, New York. To do this I flew in and out of the White Plains Airport, New York via Washington Reagan National Airport.

The last track I listened to on my IPOD was 4th Movement of Rimsky-Korsakov's Schehrezade Symphonic Suite. This is currently track 719.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"The Oak and the Calf - a Memoir" written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

-Richard

I listened to:

"See the Morning" performed by Chris Tomlin.

I am also going to post the last track I listened to on my IPOD, if I have listened to something since my last post. Obviously, this is not the only track I would have listened to during this period. So,

The last track I listened to on my IPOD, was track number 702 - Requiem for Adam. movement 2, Concerto Funebre en el Monte Diablo composed by Terry Riley and performed by the Kronos Quartet.

-Richard

Easter

I can see the sun rising
Over a clear easter sky
A new day dawning
Over the land.

I heard that The Son rose
From a stone encased tomb.
A new day dawning
Over the land.

I met the risen Son
As He shed light on my heart.
A new life dawning
Over my world.

7th April 1996 - Skegness, Lincolnshire, England.

-Richard

The Quakes win their first tournament since they came back. Alright, it was only a pre-season tournament, the Carolina Challenge Cup, but, they were unbeaten, in fact won all three games. Beating MLS teams Toronto 1-0 and New York 3-0 and the home USL Division 1 team Charleston 2-1. In places they looked very good and could do ok this season. However, the lack of depth could really hurt them.

The real MLS season starts next weekend and we are really looking forward to it. The Quakes first game is not until the Thursday after that against arch-rivals, the hated LA Galaxy in MLS's greatest rivalry. Game on!!!

-Richard

I listened to:

"Slippery When Wet" performed by Bon Jovi.

-Richard

I listened to:

"West Side Story" composed by Leonard Bernstein, with Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It was performed The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nick Ingram.

-Richard

Another trip, this time to Randolph, MA for two days. During the trip I read:

"The Fly in the Wall" and "Coyote Waits". Both were written by Tony Hillerman.

-Richard

After a long wait of 2 1/2 years I finally got the chance to watch my San Jose Earthquakes to play yesterday, albeit, via a live web cast . It was the first match of the pre-Season Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston, South Carolina. I was actually hoping to perhaps go down for one of the weekends, but, other events have made this not going to happen. The Quakes actually won this tournament their last season before being moved. It was also the first Championship that the Houston Dynamo won in their first year. From what I could see the team looked OK for an expansion team. Obviously there are lots of areas that need improvement, but,I think they could do alright this year, although will struggle for a play-off place. They won the game 1-0 of Toronto on a goal by defender Jason Hernandez after an ugly melee in the box after a corner.

The cool thing is that I am really looking for to the American Soccer Season for the first time since the Quakes moved. This also rubs of onto watching the USL an the Carolina RailHawks. Although I enjoyed last year my heart wasn't 100% in it is I was disillusioned with the American Soccer scene due to what happened with the Quakes. Although the Quakes are undoubtedly my top team, I think I will enjoy the RailHawks more this year because my passion for the sport over here is back. Infact, due, to what I went through with the Quakes, I think they may have even overtaken Hartlepool as my #1 football team. The only way to really know that would be if they play. What I do know is that my interest in the English Premier League is at an all time low and I have watched very few games this year. I think part of my problem with that is that "most" people over here follow the big teams and I get a bit sick of it. There are some exceptions and those people I really respect.

It's gonna to be a fun Season. Live games with the RailHawks. We are planing on going to DC to see a couple of games, there is a chance to we may get to see San Jose game there and possibly a Houston game in Houston. Also with Jenn sticking with the Houston Dynamo (the re-located team) as they also became her home town team and me staying with San Jose we should have some fun "Soccer Saturdays". At least we will be able to agree on the RailHawks!!

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Kidnapped" written by Robert Louis Stevenson.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Khrushchev Remembers" written by Nikita Khrushchev.

-Richard

I listened to:

"This Means War" performed by Petra.

-Richard

On my long trip to and from Puerto Rico I finished reading:

"Plays" written by Anton Chekhov. This book contained the plays - "Ivanov", "The Seagull", "Uncle Vania", "Three Sisters", "The Cherry Orchard", "The Bear", The Proposal" and "A Jubilee".

"A Hero of Our Time" written by Mikhail Yur'evich Lermontov

"The Garden of Eden" written by Ernest Hemingway.

"Treasure Island" written by Robert Louis Stevenson.

-Richard

The trip home from Puerto Rico was a wee bit of an adventure. I was supposed to go via Miami, but, because of weather problems in Florida that flight was going to be delayed to the point where I would have missed my connection and been stuck in Miami for the night. However, I was transferred to a flight via Boston. This was a four hour flight. Unfortunately, due to bad weather in Boston this flight was about 45 minutes landing meaning I landed at the same time my flight to Raleigh was supposed to leave. Fortunately because of the bad weather the flight home was also delayed to I managed to get on it and all in all I actually got home 20 minutes sooner than I was actually scheduled for. At least I got a lot of reading done. (see next post).

The photo posted here is one I took on the drive to the airport.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Peace Making 1919" written by Harold Nicholson. This was written about the peace process after World War One. The author was a British Diplomat involved in the process.

I actually finished this book before my trip to Puerto Rico and actually started in on my trip to New York the week before.

-Richard

Another road trip!! This time I have been on Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico for four days. Although it sounds like paradise it has been strictly business with some very long days. I have had the chance to see some of the island whilst driving around to visit some customers. It is very spectacular in places. From the tropical mountains in the interior to the like blue Caribbean Sea in the South to the Dark Blue Atlantic in the North. We did have the opportunity to go to Old San Juan last night for dinner. It is a very Colonial style and reminded my in many ways of walking around Spain.

I actually stayed in a town called Caguas which is about half and hour from the Capital, San Juan. The photograph is one I took from my hotel room window. Also, obviously San Juan marks a new airport that I've been to. I travelled there and back via Miami which is an airport that I've been to before.


-Richard

I finished reading the Bible Book of 1 Kings.

-Richard

I finished reading:

"Perestroika - New Thinking for Our Country and the World" written by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987.

-Richard