Recent happenings... and a Frisbee "Sixteen Games" parody of Sixteen Tons

To all those who were wondering what I've been up to, or why I have not posted the promised update of my Alaskan adventures, allow me to offer an explanation. My grandmother from Germany has been visiting us for the last two weeks, so I have been spending much of my time with her. She also bought me a beautiful Washburn guitar, which I have been dutifully learning to play (a couple hours a day) for the last three or four weeks. I now know about ten songs for which I can decently do guitar chord backing (for singing), including Hebrew, Russian, and English music. I am very much in love with the instrument! When my family and my grandmother went to visit the beautiful Eklutna Lake, I took the guitar with me and spent a good 2-3 hours serenading my grandmother, my dogs, and the plentiful mosquitoes.

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Also, as yet another ode to Frisbee, I recently composed a Frisbee parody based on Johnny Cash's "Sixteen Tons". The parody is called "Sixteen Games", and bears a remarkable likeness to the reality of my summer Frisbee. There has definitely been a time this summer when I played Frisbee for AT LEAST sixteen days straight, if not more. As for diving on rocks, being sore, and etc, that goes without saying... See lyrics below:

Sixteen Games -- Parody by Michael Zlatkovsky

Some people say a man is made outa mud
A Frisbee player's made outa muscle 'n blood.
Muscle an' blood an' skin an' bone
And a mind that sharp, and a back that's strong.

You play sixteen games, an' whaddya get?
Another day sorer an' more drenched in sweat.
The devil won't tempt me, he thinks that I'm lame --
I sold my soul to the Ultimate Game.

If my backhand's coming, ya better step aside:

A lotta men didn't -- a lotta man died.
One hand of iron, the other of steel,
If the right one won't block you then the left one will.

You play sixteen games, an' whaddya get?
Another day sorer an' more drenched in sweat.
The devil won't tempt me, he thinks that I'm lame --
I sold my soul to the Ultimate Game.

I competed one evening in the drizzling rain
Played till my fingers were too numb to feel pain.
Dove in a puddle, dove on a rock,
Ain't no person gonna tell me that Frisbee's a joke.

You play sixteen games, an' whaddya get?
Another day sorer an' more drenched in sweat.
The devil won't tempt me, he thinks that I'm lame --
I sold my soul to the Ultimate Game.

In the heat of the battle I'll be trampled upon;
I might fall and miss, but the game will go on.
This game is my life, an' my life I will risk --
If I die, may I reincarnate as a disk!

You play sixteen games, an' whaddya get?
Another day sorer an' more drenched in sweat.
The devil won't tempt me, he thinks that I'm lame --
I sold my soul to the Ultimate Game.

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For the record, feel free to comment on this -- or any other -- of my blog posts. I'd love to hear back from you!