Pool Bum

The last several years, at the apartment where we first lived, and now at our condominium, I have tried to spend a couple of hours a day outside at the pool all summer reading. This pastime has caused my wife to nickname me "Pool Bum." I will wade into the water on occasion to cool off, but not to swim. I grew up on a lake and was always a very comfortable swimmer (I can still remember -- BARELY -- taking swimming lessons at the appropriately named Allen Lake when I was 5), but my accident caused me to be unable to hold my breath in the water. So, other than an easy backstroke, swimming itself is now out. But I still do love being in and around the water. At the apartment, I would, every few minutes, walk in, off the deck, at the deep end, sink to the bottom, and slowly rise and backstroke to the shallow end. This continued until my wife chastised me ... "you'll SCARE people!"

John in Ole Choir

I am so proud of my son John being in the St. Olaf Choir. His mother and I were in the choir (founded in 1912) in the late seventies, and his older sister Christy was during 2004-2005. Now it's his turn, and it was our great joy to see him in concert in the Great Hall of Wharton Center for the Performing Arts at Michigan State University on February 8, 2007. But shortly after she snapped this picture, an usher came and busted my wife Michelle, confiscating her camera, so that she had to go and get it back later. (On campus, the ensemble is informally known as Ole Choir, pronounced OH-lee ... the first time my younger brother saw this, I was amused by his giving it the Mexican pronunciation of oh-LAY!)

A little Opus Borton

The link in my May 19 post takes you to an article from the St. Olaf College website. And the second paragraph of that article contains a link that takes you to an archived broadcast of the April 20 chapel service that contained my viola solo. A sliding control beneath the screen allows you to select what part of it plays, and the music begins a little over 3/8 of the way in. I am very pleased with Bridget Callahan's performance of the music.

Borton music goes WWW

Some happy news: a piece of mine was recently performed at St. Olaf College (my alma mater), as detailed in this link from St. Olaf's website: