6.07.2013

maple bacon


various media sources have hit me with the alert: today is national donut/doughnut day.  i didn't know this was a thing. is this a thing?  i've read that the first friday of every june is the day dedicated to an only-in-america holiday.  i rolled up to my favorite place in town and doubled up on my breakfast dessert (and one for the wife, who figured she'd celebrate right along with me).

i can only eat them on occasion; a special pick-me-up for when life is kicking my butt, or when i have actually overcome some minor obstacle that has nagged me for too long.  donuts are my kryptonite.  coupled with my middle age metabolism, i'd be the size of a house if i ate them on a regular basis.  my friend jackie works at the hy-vee bakery here in town, and she is the size of a twig.  how does she do it?  i used to work at cinnabon, and now can't bear to choke another one down.  maybe she overdosed on donuts?  what an awful life to live...


i usually need just one donut to curb my cravings.  i eat it slowly, allowing all five senses to go haywire.  this infrequent yummy reminds me of the incredible taste, the delicate texture, the buzz in my forehead from an instant sugar rush, and how much better the coffee is as it washes the sweet remnants down my throat.  (i predictably make a beeline for the bathroom about 15 minutes later, but that's probably too much information to share with you.)


sometimes teaching music gets me away from listening to music for pleasure.  i am often checking out youtube links that someone has suggested (like the sun ra clip from sanborn's night music below), singles off their ipod (like these tracks from mudvayne) and copies of stuff that people think i should check out.  i listen critically, evaluating the material, searching for strategies of how i can incorporate these sounds into my playing, wondering why i was made aware of this particular song - did they simply want to share the sounds or do they think it's right up my alley?



every time i hear chris potter play live, i only need one song.  i remember checking out his quartet at the dakota jazz club a handful of years ago.  i was sitting really close. potter played his first tune - okinawa - and it was amazing. his tone was balanced, his ideas fresh, and his masterful agility was on point.  i was ready to split.  my wife told me "hey, we paid for these seats, we should at least make it through the first set."  i'm glad we did, of course, but was completely satisfied with just one snapshot of his artistry.

best donuts in the world?  i just ate my two culinary delights from dutch oven bakery, an old school joint that blows away the competition.  my crew likes "hot now" glazed donuts at krispy kreme, and will hit them up whenever they are in sight. our family's top pick is voodoo donuts in portland, or.  last summer we flew into seattle and, once we secured the rental, drove 175 miles to this donut shop.  that box of goodness we called lunch was totally worth it.


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