I just watched "First Knight", which I got because I thought my 5 year old would like the sword fights. This has got to be the worst movie ever made! I thought at least if it wasn't good I could admire Richard Gere, and of course Sean Connery but NO- I felt embarrassed for them both. Just sad.
Yesterday however, we watched "The Truman Show", which was great! It stars Jim Carrey and he thinks he is just a normal guy, but in reality he is the star of a tv series about himself. His whole world is on tv 24 hours a day. It was very freaky weird, but beautifully done.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
garden spot
Wow! I just spent 8 hours in the garden! And it still is just barely a dent - this could be a full time job. I really should limit myself more, it is hard with 20 acres to pick an end point. But mostly today I was fixing the drip system - the best thing EVER for gardens - ours is on a timer so once it is set up, I never water again. YAY!
Also today I went to the gym and practiced - it is a red letter day! I should get a prize or something...I guess if I did this every day my prize would be a beautiful garden, super body and incredible chops of steel. I could live with that.
Also today I went to the gym and practiced - it is a red letter day! I should get a prize or something...I guess if I did this every day my prize would be a beautiful garden, super body and incredible chops of steel. I could live with that.
mo stuff
I finally practiced again, felt to guilty to blog before I played a little. So I worked on La Scala and Tombeau, I hope to work these up soon.
But it has been a busy week - with Memorial Day in there I had really hoped to get the kitchen floor ripped up; but we didn't actually get any of that done. Or any gardening (because the weather was terrible) today of course, it is beautiful! But we partied with the neighbors and various friends and relatives; ate way too much and watched a couple of shows that had been waiting for ages.
Jim has a "thing" about movies - he hates to go out to the show; 1. cost, 2. sticky floors, 3. loud people, 4. lines, 5. so much more comfy at home. I am ok with this, but we end up buying tons of dvds (because he has another "thing" about renting movies). We probably have close to 1000 dvds. I should count them sometime. hahaha. Anyway, we haven't been out to a show since before Daniel was born (almost 6 years). It seems like we have to save babysitting for the times I HAVE to have it, so we very rarely go on any kind of date. Before D was born, we had great plans for "date-night" every week. What happened there??? And my cousin came to stay at a fancy hotel nearby with his wifey for their anniversary - we have NEVER done that. I tried to impress Jim with the desirability of going somewhere overnight WITHOUT Daniel WITH a maid and room service, but he did not seem impressed. Well, our seventh anniversary is in December, so we have a while to work on this!
But it has been a busy week - with Memorial Day in there I had really hoped to get the kitchen floor ripped up; but we didn't actually get any of that done. Or any gardening (because the weather was terrible) today of course, it is beautiful! But we partied with the neighbors and various friends and relatives; ate way too much and watched a couple of shows that had been waiting for ages.
Jim has a "thing" about movies - he hates to go out to the show; 1. cost, 2. sticky floors, 3. loud people, 4. lines, 5. so much more comfy at home. I am ok with this, but we end up buying tons of dvds (because he has another "thing" about renting movies). We probably have close to 1000 dvds. I should count them sometime. hahaha. Anyway, we haven't been out to a show since before Daniel was born (almost 6 years). It seems like we have to save babysitting for the times I HAVE to have it, so we very rarely go on any kind of date. Before D was born, we had great plans for "date-night" every week. What happened there??? And my cousin came to stay at a fancy hotel nearby with his wifey for their anniversary - we have NEVER done that. I tried to impress Jim with the desirability of going somewhere overnight WITHOUT Daniel WITH a maid and room service, but he did not seem impressed. Well, our seventh anniversary is in December, so we have a while to work on this!
Friday, May 25, 2007
Critics
I just read that blogging is hurting critics. In Atlanta anyway. I have to say at first blush that seems great! On the other hand, NOT hiring art/music critics isn't good for the industry as a whole. I think critics tend to get a bad rap, but that doesn't mean they aren't useful.
I hate when critics do the blanket "it was lovely" review. Can understand why they would do that, especially in a small community (your boss's wife is the soloist in the Christmas cantata kinda thing), but educated discussion of a performance doesn't need to be "bad/good". However, I don't played in a group that regularly gets reviewed, so my comments should be taken with a grain of salt.
I hate when critics do the blanket "it was lovely" review. Can understand why they would do that, especially in a small community (your boss's wife is the soloist in the Christmas cantata kinda thing), but educated discussion of a performance doesn't need to be "bad/good". However, I don't played in a group that regularly gets reviewed, so my comments should be taken with a grain of salt.
musicals
I decided to add a list of my musicals (ones I've played) --seems much shorter than what I thought it would be! If I put on all the musicals I love I guess that would be much longer; so many productions have reduced pits these days, and the oboe is usually the first thing to go. *sigh*
Just to give credit where credit is due - I got the idea for this on oboe insight, where Patti has done MANY more shows/operas that I ever will. But soon I can add Puttin it Together, Sondheim, can't wait to get my book for that.
I was checking out the "woodwind doubling in Broadway musicals" page (this is a great page) and I noticed that Wicked (my latest favorite) has a bass oboe part! That is cool. Sadly I can't listen to my cd because just yesterday I played it for a friend and it got stuck in her Explorer cd player (argh). But now I am lusting to play it. I might even consider renting a bass oboe if they did it for the big theater company - one of the 10 best places to see Broadway off Broadway! But I assume it will be some years before it is available to us.
Just to give credit where credit is due - I got the idea for this on oboe insight, where Patti has done MANY more shows/operas that I ever will. But soon I can add Puttin it Together, Sondheim, can't wait to get my book for that.
I was checking out the "woodwind doubling in Broadway musicals" page (this is a great page) and I noticed that Wicked (my latest favorite) has a bass oboe part! That is cool. Sadly I can't listen to my cd because just yesterday I played it for a friend and it got stuck in her Explorer cd player (argh). But now I am lusting to play it. I might even consider renting a bass oboe if they did it for the big theater company - one of the 10 best places to see Broadway off Broadway! But I assume it will be some years before it is available to us.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
a miracle!
As always I am trying to loose weight, been going to the gym about 5 times a week; especially now that my insane schedule has loosened up a bit. I thought I really needed to be more rigorous on my diet (that has been slipping); so I got on the scale and I had lost 4 pounds! YAY! I am now at 179 (I will put that here since no one seems to be reading this blog anyway). For ages I was around 170 and then last fall I gained 28 pounds...so my goal is to reach 160 by late August (pictures) and 140(ish) by the end of the year. The August goal is perhaps a bit unrealistic, but I'm not going to kill myself. Just the last time we had family pictures I looked pregnant (and wasn't).
oboey stuff
I sent my EH to the repair guy (Peter, the god of instrument repair!) for a new pad and some key unfreezing - I'm pretty sure Gary and I can get it adjusted well enough once the screws work. This is my old EH that I never play, I thought I should get it going and either sell it or play it! I will probably wait until Barb sells me hers (which is what I always play - it lives here with me)
I need to transpose the clarinet part for the Mozart concerto, I've been helping the section in band but my sight transposing stinks. It would be ok if I weren't leading the section, but that's how it goes! Helen has offered to let me use her software later this week, they are out of town til Friday.
Today I want to pull all the music we are doing next year, I guess highlights are Lt. Kiji Suite, Brahms Double, Haydn 101, Russian Christmas Music, and Firebird. I guess that will be fun. But I'm angry that our concerts ALL conflict with Big SYmphony's concerts, even the one with FIVE oboes. I am so frustrated that they are forcing me to make a choice (assuming the big symphony sub audition goes well).
I need to transpose the clarinet part for the Mozart concerto, I've been helping the section in band but my sight transposing stinks. It would be ok if I weren't leading the section, but that's how it goes! Helen has offered to let me use her software later this week, they are out of town til Friday.
Today I want to pull all the music we are doing next year, I guess highlights are Lt. Kiji Suite, Brahms Double, Haydn 101, Russian Christmas Music, and Firebird. I guess that will be fun. But I'm angry that our concerts ALL conflict with Big SYmphony's concerts, even the one with FIVE oboes. I am so frustrated that they are forcing me to make a choice (assuming the big symphony sub audition goes well).
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