Today marks my 31^st day on the mountains. I have been skiing, snowboarding, and teaching for 31 days this season. I am fortunate to be able to do what I love for free (including my family members) and a bit of extra money. Teaching is not enough to make a living, but enough to enjoy all the perks. I am content with that.

I taught two adults today. They came in half an hour late for their lesson. Even though they signed up for beginner lesson, they had been snowboarded before. They caught up quick. After I covered all the basics, we went straight into J turns and then S turns. After that I took them on the long green trail to practice their S turns. They told me that my explanation of torsional twist was very helpful for them. They rode with confidence. They did not catch the edge. That was all that I wanted to get across.

I didn’t get a lesson in the afternoon; therefore, I rode with two other instructors. I went to the back side, but the trails were so foggy that I decided to call it the day and headed back home. Another fantastic day in the book.

I had been listening to Dave Brubeck’s classic Time Out for years. And yet, I only came across his follow-up Time Further Out last week. “Far More Blues” expanded his time signatures from “Take Five” and Paul Desmond was killing it on his alto saxophone. I always have a soft spot for Desmond’s sensual sax sound. “Far More Drum” gave Joe Morello the space to solo. I always enjoyed an energetic drum improvisation and Morello delivered. The rhythm in “Unsquare Dance” is exhilarating. Loved this album.

With a smartphone in hands, I filmed lots of short clips, especially when our family was out skiing and riding. With short clips, I turned them into YouTube shorts. I enjoyed pairing the favorite videos with my favorite jazz tunes. Here’s a clip of my wife skiing and my son cruising down the steep green at Liberty.

We have been couchless for a few months. I didn’t want to replace it. Couches are expensive and they turn you into a potato. We didn’t need one, but my wife insisted on getting one. Of course, she always got what she wanted. She ordered a set of Coddle Aria Fabric Sleeper Sofa with Reversible Chaise and Storage for $1250. I didn’t care much for it. It just took up space along with all the things we accumulated over the years. It is what it is. I just try to do my part to tidy up as much as I can.

The encounter of two saxophone legends (Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster) alone was already something special. With the Oscar Peterson rhythm section, they made history. The album kicked off with the intoxicating “Blues for Yolenda.” These guys were the masters of the blues. From the intro, Peterson (piano), Alvin Stoller (drums), and Ray Brown (double bass) laid down the blues mood. Hawkins and Webster joined in unison. Whereas Webster made his sax cried, Hawkins played a charming solo. What a magical moment. On “Tangerine,” Coleman began with such a beautiful solo and Webster took it up a notch. Absolutely astonishing.

Professor Li:

Hi Donny,

Thank you so much for generously donating your time to speak with my students! Your work is truly wonderful and thought-provoking. I was especially moved by the COVID and climate change project you did for Mural Arts Philadelphia.

I’d like to extend an open invitation for you to visit La Salle at your convenience. Our end-of-year show takes place in late April or early May, but I’d also love to arrange a more casual lunch between us whenever it suits you. I would truly enjoy the opportunity to meet and chat in person.

Once again, thank you so much for your talk—my students and I greatly appreciated it.

Have a fantastic weekend snowboarding!

Here’s the transcript for my presentation.

1. Intro (check boot pain, go over equipments)
2. Athletic stance
3. Getting in and out of skis
4. Sidestepping
5. Straight runs
6. Gliding wedge (turn toes inward)
7. Braking wedge (repeat until they can stop safely)
8. Riding chairlift (loading, safety bar, unloading)
9. First turns (pressure outside ski)
10. J turns, link turns, ski to bottom
11. Use terrain-based features when available
12. Summarize and debrief

I woke up at 5 am with an aching body and head. The lack of sleep started to get to me.I had to take an Aleve. I left the house around 6:15 am and arrived around 7:45 am. The Aleve worked its magic. I felt much better. I changed into my ski boots and headed to the ski clinic. We worked on one leg skiing and railing track for carving. I enjoyed it.

I was assigned to a private lesson with an adult. She’s a creative director who wants to take up snowboarding to ride with her boys. She came to the right spot. I worked her hard. By the end of the lesson, she could do her J turns and began to link them together in S turns. We went over 20 minutes. I wanted to get her money worthwhile. I only had 10 minutes left for lunch. Luckily I packed a peanut-butter-jelly sandwich and my special mango salad.

I didn’t have a lesson in the afternoon, which was a relief. I went riding, but the lines were long and I was exhausted. I went home and went over to a friend house to watch some football. I was too sleepy. I went back home around 8:30 pm and went straight to bed.

I taught six teenagers from age 12 to 18. Except for the 12-year-old the rest did well. I also taught a friend for a bit.

Before my lesson, I snowboarded with Xuân. He was able to go down Bold Decision with no problem. That kid picked up fast once he put his mind to it. I am very proud of him. Another kid moving over the dark side. I encouraged him to keep skiing as well.

Man, I am exhausted. I started to feel the cold after 6 pm on the snow. My body is sore. I kind of don’t want to get up early the next day.

Teaching has taken away my personal development time. I don’t get to train myself too much. I got so tired after a lesson.

I learned about Jelly Roll Morton in a jazz history class that I audited at Vassar College. I knew that he had excellent piano skills, particular his striking rendition off “Maple Leaf Rag.” I didn’t know, however, he was a blues singer with raunchy lyrics. In Jelly Roll Blues, Elijah Wald discovered Morton’s censored songs through recordings of interviews with John A. Lomax. These records are available in the Library of Congress. “The Dirty Dozen” is an example Morton had performed:

Oh, you dirty motherfucker,
You old cocksucker,
You dirty son of a bitch.
You’re a bastard, you’re everything,
And your mammy don’t wear no drawers.…

Said, look out bitch, you make me mad,
I’ll tell you ’bout the puppies that your sister had,
Oh, it was a fad.
She fucked a hog, she fucked a dog,
I know the dirty bitch would fuck a frog,
’Cause your mammy don’t wear no drawers.

Maybe I was not too familiar with the people at that time; therefore, I could not follow everything Wald had written. His writing was a bit hard to comprehend for me. Nevertheless, I learned that Morton was as hard as a gangster rapper almost a century before rap was founded.