They keep playing and I don't want to stop'em!

You know, I told myself that I would be able to write more blogs once winter break started. It started and I didn’t write one yet. Leaning back on that procrastination again. I know now that I’m more prone to procrastination now than during the school year. Yup. It’s because now I can say, “Oh, don’t worry, I have all the time tomorrow,” because I don’t have a job. I kind of wanted a job this winter break. But that didn’t happen. I consider myself a late bloomer. Therefore, I must make efficient use of my time by teaching myself to play the drums and other instruments and stuff, like writing blogs.

One reason I’m not writing a lot is because I have other stuff on my mind. I have drums on my mind. They’re playing all the time and I can’t make them stop because I like it too much. But I also like to write, but that’s harder to do than play; actually no, it’s just that a different type of energy is required. I also like the piano. Perhaps I’m spreading myself too much?

Like the smart balance butter I put on my pan de sal, today. Hmmmm. I want one now. Butter and sugar. Back in the old days, when I was around six or seven years old, my Grandpa who used to live in the basement with Tito Joey and Grandma, would toast bread and put butter and sugar on it and dip it in coffee. Good stuff; one of the best foods to stimulate my taste buds and widen my young eyes. I’d come home from kindergarten and go to the basement and have a little merienda. My parents were working, so Grandpa, Grandma and Tito Joey took care of me, Steph and Ate Sherry and Kuya, after school. Now I eat them without the coffee. Grandpa usually drank the coffee and I would just dip the pan de sal in it. But since I don’t drink coffee and Grandpa is in Queens while I’m snuggled here in Commack, I don’t use coffee anymore. I’ll try chocolate milk, although I know it won’t be the same. You can never return to the past in the same fashion. You know why? Because you’ve already been dipped into the future. Covered by a brush stroke of the present, one can only go back to the past through untarnished memories and saved photographs, procured in times of nostalgic pulls and family gatherings or though conversations broached to busy a long ride home.

Anyway, as I was saying – drums; they’re on my mind. When I get’em, I’ll set them up in the basement in Ate Ila’s old room. My ideal drums would be a five-piece, solid black, Pearl, Ludwig or Yamaha with white drum heads. I don’t fancy transparent ones really. They would be used (and therefore not so expensive) but still considered new. I get excited just by thinking about it or just by thinking about drum sticks. I would do covers of Killers songs or Jason Mraz songs. It’d be cool if I made a song on the piano and recorded it and then created the drum section for that song and then record both of them together. Yeah, I like that idea. Of course that won’t happen in the near future – practice takes time; everyone knows that! I’m humbled by all drummers and I yearn to be in their domain of practice.

I heard of this guy who started playing the drums on house old objects when he was two years old. Imagine that – little, soft baby arms holding sticks, banging on things with actual rhythm. A baby’s mind has that capacity? Anyway, he asked for a drum set for his birthday or for Christmas each year since he was five years old. His parents finally bought him one when he was fifteen. He must be very patient – a quality I only have in selective moments (like when I’m waiting for my pan de sal to toast – yup still thinking about that; I still want one now). Props to his patience and a round of applause for his continued interest despite lack of real drums. So I was thinking that this guy made up a drum set before he had one.

Today I also looked up Ronnie Vannucci, the drummer of The Killers. He also started playing the drums when he was around two years old. He was in his parents’ garage banging on old refrigerators and pots and pans before he got his real first drum set.

Now, I realized that I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, that I myself made up a drum set using my bed (the mattress plus a comforter make a good bass drum sound – that or you can stomp on a hard-cover text book), a pillow with a plastic bag on it (or a bean pillow) and a leather address book. I see a pattern . . .

New Year’s is just around the corner – actually New Year’s Eve is tomorrow, and I have a goal for 2010. Several goals. They are:
1. Teach myself how to play the drums so I don’t have to pay for lessons
2. Help around the house
3. Continue to do well in school
4. Get a part time job next school year (starting in September) in a local music shop

Happy New Year everybody! If we all have goals, we’re all in the same boat!