Apple Miner Colony in the Blogosphere

Well gee whiz, I had no idea a simple anecdote involving a certain band named Apple Miner Colony would get so much attention for this little diary of mine. Kinda weird to have random music lovers stumbling upon my tales of family vacation and teaching and God, but I suppose that's how this world-wide-web thing kinda works.

Feel free to stay and come back and visit and say hello and learn more about fifth graders and the Apostle Paul, but if all you're looking for is Apple Miner Colony, feel free to move on here:

my story about seeing them
MySpace
Official Site
Vimeo

It's my understanding that as of a few days ago, AMC is now a thing of the past. If you missed out, you really missed out.

Shorb Family Vacation 2009!

Brother-in-law Mark and six-year-old-nephew Logan were relaxing in the hammock together. I came over to join, the three of us just hanging out in the shade, and Mark relayed this story that had just happened. The two of them were laying back in this picture perfect day of relaxation, reaching into a box of generic Wheat Thins called Thin Wheats and munching away.

Logan spoke up and said, "Mark, now this is some real manage."

Clarifying, Mark said, "Manage? You mean cause we're a couple of boys just relaxing and eating a snack?" Logan shook his head.

And he was right. Now that I had joined them in their leisure, I could confirm that it was some serious manage, relaxing together, laughing, eating some snacks, enjoying life.

Shorb Family Vacation 2009 took us back to a lake in Connecticut where we were two years ago. Despite only having full, consistent sunshine on one of the five days, we had a great time. Here are the highlights:

1. Seeing UP for a second time with the family on a rainy day.
2. Throwing Erica a Strawberry Shortcake birthday party (and trying to bake and decorate a cake without her knowing).

3. Laying in the hammock.
4. Sleeping outside in the gazebo.
5. Watching the kids learn how to bait their own hook and unhook their own fish. They caught a ton; my dad caught 22 fish before lunchtime one day. So much fun to hear Logan shout excitedly, "I got one!" and as he hunches up and reels rapidly, Taylor comments like an experienced, Steve-Irwinesque fisherwoman, "Ooo! He's a fighter!"

6. Watching the comedy of errors when Logan's rod went into the lake and he and Pop-Pop tried to devise a way to get it out.
7. Learning the game of Kubb.
8. Making grilled tilapia one night and burritos another for the family.
9. Eating Mark and Heather's shrimp tacos and Andy and Jodi's buffalo chicken cheesesteaks. Yes, we ate well.
10. Reading so much that I'm ahead one week on my reading plan. Watsons go to Birmingham and Nickel and Dimed are finished!
11. Watching a great blue heron fly over the lake at several points throughout the week.
12. Seeing the baby turtle Andy caught from his kayak, that was promptly released back into the lake after it bit Taylor.

13. Watching Logan swim with his goofy swimming goggles and shiver violently after getting out.
14. Kayaking.
15. Scrabble.
16. UConn dairy bar. Oh. My. Goodness. Best coffee ice cream I've EVER tasted, and I've tasted a lot. Coffee espresso crunch: good, strong coffee taste with chocolate covered espresso beans throughout.

17. The beautiful bright rainbow as the sun was setting after a thunderstorm Friday night.
18. Going barefoot. I'm not usually one who romanticizes about going barefoot in the summer. But I spent more time without shoes than with this vacation, and the bottom of my feet are still grass-stained, and something makes me really like that.

Summer is here. Families and vacations are wonderful things, "good and perfect gifts from above." I hope you get to enjoy some of your own this season.

Speaking of Influencing Children to Like Things Most People Hate...

On the last day of school, it happened twice.

The first time, I was letting children suggest activities for spending our final hours together. A boy patiently raising his hand said, "How about we just put on some Icelandic music, relax together, and do some things at our seats?"

If you know me, you know how much joy and excitement filled my heart in that moment. (And we did indeed follow his suggestion!)

Later on--in a completely separate instance, I promise--a different boy begged, "Mr. Shorb, can we dance to some Icelandic music??"

I love it!

So the fifth graders have caught on to the craze. If you've been following this blog and you still don't know what I'm referring to, I've prepared a tutorial with some of my kids' favorites:

Sigur Ros - obviously the most frequent choice. Start here, because they loved that video, then move here and then here. These guys are about beauty.

Amiina - The kids really got to liking this song after I showed them how to play the musical saw during our sound unit in science class. These gals are about instrumentation.

Mum - Another frequent choice during quiet work time. Ignore the weirdness of their stage presence in this performance, and focus on that beautiful, heart-melting melodica melody instead. These guys are about creativity.

Benni Hemm Hemm - Here's a fine place to start, as it's actually where I first found them. These guys are about youth.

Summer Reading

In the past year or more, I've gone through the dry Valley of Not-Wanting-To-Read-Much-Of-Anythingness. So, I'm not sure how it happened, but I've developed quite a long and impressive list of books I want to read this summer.

Now, that's not very unusual from other summers, and I'm usually lucky to finish about 20% of the list by the end of August. There just always seems to be a few more important things to do, like surf the internet a little longer, or stare at the ceiling just a bit more.

So why is this summer different? Because I'm off to a great start. I've mapped out an elaborate reading schedule so that I can finish as much as possible, and I just finished Chapter 6 -- 85 pages in all, mind you -- of my first book, and I'm loving it! Yeah, I know it's only day 4 of summer and there's still a lot ahead of me, but it doesn't hurt to give yourself a little encouragement for the small things, right?

Part of the goal is to read a little juvenile fiction. Next year, I'll be teaching reading for the first time in my career. I'm kind of excited about it (one more way to influence young minds into liking something most of the world hates), but I've gotta admit my knowledge of children's literature is pretty pathetic. So when we had a workshop on multicultural literature the other day, and the presenter and our librarian both raved and raved and raved about how wonderful a book The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 is, and I've seen it around the classroom since college and have always wanted to give it a shot, I decided this would be the first book of the summer.

And I love it. And you should read it.

Now, I'm only six chapters in, but knowing what's ahead in the plot, something tells me it's only going to get better. Little Kenny's poignant descriptions of family mishaps are not only clever and vivid, they're part terrifying, part heartwarming, part empathetic, part hilarious. I don't know a whole lot about living in a blue collar African-American family in Flint, but there is something about the experiences relayed--the looks in Momma's eyes, the pains of being teased--that we can all identify and nod our heads with, agreeing with sorry smiles and wincing chuckles.

So go pick it up at your library and give it a shot. And don't be one of those people who's above juvenile literature. I don't remember how Madeleine L'Engle put it exactly, but she always said she didn't write kids' books. She just wrote good stories, and the kids were the only ones with enough creativity and imagination to embrace them. (Speaking of which, if you've never read Wrinkle in Time, you absolutely must.) I see no reason why Christopher Paul Curtis's debut novel should be banished to the kids' section.

There you have it. Commerical over.

Here are a few of the books on the schedule for the rest of the summer:

• Nickel and Dimed - Barbara Ehrenreich -- Required reading for the faculty and high schoolers at my school, a community trying to broaden awareness of and sensitivity to those outside the middle and upper class.

• The Shack - William P. Young -- Time to find out what the hype and attraction is about.

• The Drama of Scripture - Bartholomew and Goheen -- Required reading for our future work in France.

• Phantom Tollbooth - Norman Juster -- The first novel taught in our reading curriculum.

• Irresistible Revolution - Shane Claiborne -- Erica's interested because she was involved in some of the guy's initiatives when she studied at Eastern. I'm interested in order to see what all the hype is about, especially because I've heard people on similar wavelengths to my own tell me it's some pretty level-headed stuff.

• Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson -- A sweet student of mine bought this for me last year, and he wrote in the card that it was because "I know you and your wife are interested in mission work." I've heard lots of good things from good people, so I'd like to see what it's about too.

I'm going to stop here before I completely embarrass myself at the end of the summer when only 20% of this is read (thought I'll admit there's much more on the list), especially because I'm just now remembering I'm enrolled in a seminary class which will probably entail much more reading than I'm used to. But if you'd like to read along with me, pick a book and let's get started!

What's on your summer reading list?

Creative Coursework

I'm not too crazy about the masters program I'm in. I'm pursuing it mostly because the majority of it has been reimbursed by my employers, and (if I were to continue teaching) it would get me a pay raise, and it never hurts to have a masters degree on one's resume.

But the classes are pathetic to be perfectly honest. To get a degree in Classroom Technology, you have to take classes like 'PowerPoint for Educators' and things along similar lines. No thank you.

So at the beginning of the summer, I noticed there were six credits worth of electives. I've been wanting to take some classes at a nearby seminary, but don't seem to have the time or money. It dawned on me, though, that perhaps I could take at least six credits there and have them transfer toward my masters. I inquired, and the only hurdle I was nervous about was that it "had to apply to my current area of study." How does one make theology apply to classroom technology? It's a stretch.

But I started thinking about it. I work at a "church-based school." I am the chair of the lower school diversity committee and a member of the all-school diversity committee. One of the classes I was interested in was Christianity and World Religion. That may not apply to classroom technology, but it seems to apply pretty well to my job. (I might even argue that it applies more than the usual classes I've been taking!)

I wanted to take it a step further so that there was no way this institution could deny the credit transfer. I went to my principal and asked if she thought a class like this would apply to my job. There was some hesitance, but she was willing to agree. "How about writing a letter for me?" She was willing to agree to that too, and immediately went to her secretary and said, "Anne, we need a letter!" I felt bad she was dumping it on her, so I asked, "Do you want me to write it?" She said, "Sure. You write, Anne will edit, and I will sign." Teamwork at its best. And right after that, before I left the office, her mischievous brainstorming problem-solving side kicked in and came out and she started listing all the things to include in the letter. "And don't forget...AND! also...OH! and..."

I just found out the credit transfer was approved. Yes! Now I can study what I want--things that aren't a complete waste of time--and still earn my masters degree slowly but surely.

Interview Project

Few people understand my taste in art and beauty better than Jamin does, so his recommendations are usually something I definitely get excited about. He let me know about this way in advance, but I haven't gotten to it until now, my second day of summer, and I'm making a vow to keep up with it from here on out. And you should too.

David Lynch is usually up to something pretty bizarre and way out in left field, but this project is something I think most everyone can appreciate. It's called Interview Project, and it's simply a roadtrip across this country of ours, interviewing everyday people along the way. The videos are short and sweet, usually around the 4 minute mark, and invariably, you'll wish some were a bit longer.

It's a beautiful slice of the human condition, and I might have been most surprised at the way I found myself reacting differently to each one. If nothing else, it's great testing ground for identifying your own nuances and biases in responding to certain types of people. When we learn about others, we learn about ourselves.

But, as it usually is with me, the beauty is in the small things, the one-liners, like Palmer Black who "loves little kids and puppies" and wants to be remembered as a "happy person who cooked a real good barbecue."

The first one starts HERE with Jess in Needles, CA. I think you can handle the rest from there.

Vacation to Bristol?

Summer break starts as soon as I get up from this desk to pack my bag and go home.

First thing on the agenda? Travel to Bristol for this:
Banksy, the world's most favorite anonymously mischievous graffiti artist is on display. Who wants to join me (and pay for airfare)? Here's a sample of his outdoor work:

Keene on Apple Miner Colony

On Saturday night, we stumbled into the quaint little college town of Keene, NH, a lovely little hotbed of art and culture and romance, not to mention the place that annually sets world records for the most lit jack-o-lanterns in one place.

Being a very large group full of indecisive people, figuring out plans was a bit sketchy, but Steve and I somehow coerced half the group to venture into a burrito joint that had some live music. The first band was good enough to eat a burrito with, and the second band was good enough to hold our attention before leaving. Both alluded to the band that would be closing the evening, but we left, opting for some ice cream and a little bit more of the town.

Things were wrapping up and Erica and I were ready to go back to camp. As we walked past the burrito joint again, we heard the sound of trumpets leaking out of the doors. Thinking the rest of the group was close behind us ready to leave, we didn't think we had time to check it out. So I peeked in the window and saw more than 20 people with a myriad of instruments crowded in the corner and overflowing off the stage. Guitars, mandolins, basses, cello, trumpets, trombones, violins, saxophones, clarinets, and the beloved accordion. Some were strolling around as they played. It looked magical, and Erica and I decided we had better slip inside.

We were instantly mesmerized.
They announced that they would be playing their last song, and I saw the rest of the group crossing the street coming towards us. I ran out and told them to come in, and most of them did. They were mesmerized too.

It was the Apple Miner Colony.

I got home and searched the web only to find that they seem relatively unknown. Google produces very few results as does YouTube, and their records don't seem to be available anywhere on the web. But after finding their myspace page and band website, I came to find out they are on a final 5-week tour, disbanding at the end of June, and hopefully producing a documentary in the process.

Comparisons to Arcade Fire and Beirut are inevitable and deserved, as much as it seems the band tries to direct attention elsewhere. And sure, it's full of melodrama and gimmicks, some of them showing a little bit of immaturity and naivete. But you know what? I'm OK with all of the above, because there is something special when such a large group of people come together to share so much infectious joy and unity with as many people as they can reach. There is always room for one more of those bands. It's a window to heaven, and in many ways I wish the Church could emulate just a little bit more of what we experienced in the burrito joint that night.

Yet it's not as perfect as that idealistic statement makes it sound. The band leader seems to enjoy his position over so many people just a little too much, and the more you learn the more it seems a little more like an unhealthy brainwashed cult than anything else. At least that'll make for good documentary material.

At any rate, it was a special night, and it's a shame that Apple Miner Colony is calling it quits before more people had the chance to experience what they had to offer.

Home Is Wherever You Are: Full Trailer from Home is Wherever You Are on Vimeo.

Celebrating Four Years

We just finished watching our wedding DVD (thank you Jamin) to celebrate the event that occurred four years ago on this day. There's a bunch of sappy stuff I could say to really explain what's on my mind, but really, tonight, the thing I am most proud of about our wedding is the fact that we had a full-blown mosh pit at the reception. I believe the song choice was "Sell Out" by Reel Big Fish, wasn't it? All the tough guys that avoided the dance floor otherwise (I'm talking to you, Chalupa) all of a sudden showed up and went nuts. And it was great. And that might make me sound totally unclassy and maybe even barbaric or meatheaded, but I'm OK with it.