Author Archives: Gandalfe

About Gandalfe

Just an itinerant saxophonist trying to find life between the changes. I have retired from the Corps of Engineers and Microsoft. I am an admin on the Woodwind Forum, run the Pacifica Big Band (formerly the Microsoft Jumpin' Jive Orchestra) and participate in other ensembles. Mostly enjoy time with family and friends.

The iRobot Roomba does my carpets

Posted on April 21, 2010 by Gandalfe

Those of youse on my Facebook friend list saw this post about ten minutes ago: So I thought I’d point those interested souls to this site: It’s the iRobot site and we also use the Scooba for scrubbing the wood … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | 2 Comments

Would you buy a pre-owned BMW?

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Gandalfe

I don’t think we’ll ever see this ad in the U.S. It’s BMW Germany ‘s campaign for their factory approved "pre-owned" cars. I remember how shocking Europe was to my wife and I when I was stationed in Germany in … Continue reading →

Posted in Too Spicy for some | 2 Comments

Concert Prep for the Hobbyist

Posted on April 18, 2010 by Gandalfe

I was reading David Thomas’ “My Concert Preparation” and I thought is was very apropos as I prepare for the Woodinville Community Band Spring concert “American Remembrances” scheduled for this afternoon at 3 PM at the Redmond High School Performance … Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Neil Gaiman talks to my grandkids, and to me…

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Gandalfe

"Remember, dragons have one soft spot, always." See more…

Posted in Books | Leave a comment

Microsoft Outlook 2010 and Windows Live Calendars Unite!

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Gandalfe

Gary, a friend of mine was showing me how his calendars on Outlook at work included his personal calendars from his Windows Live subscription. I was very impressed and discovered with the beta version of Microsoft Outlook 2010 that I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology | Leave a comment

Experiments in Sax and Clarinet Choirs

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Gandalfe

Just for the experience I put together a sax choir and a clarinet choir for the Woodinville Community Band’s Music Ambassador program. The Ambassador program visits and performs at various senior citizen centers right before our concert so that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music, Saxophone | Leave a comment

Portals done old-school

Posted on April 8, 2010 by Gandalfe

I talk about certain laptops being portals and not much more. By that I mean that the computer isn’t really powerful or fast enough to run much more than the Internet browser. But that is a very valuable device for … Continue reading →

Posted in Travel | Leave a comment

Unvarnished.com: You want the truth; you can’t take the truth!

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Gandalfe

When I was a cadet attending the ROTC Summer Camp two catastrophic things happened. First Mt. St. Helens erupted spewing ash all over the western US. Secondly, the curriculum included a peer rating system. After a few weeks of working … Continue reading →

Posted in Health and wellness | 8 Comments