Once again, I am at the public library, and the man on the computer next to me is on a website for Russian mail-order brides. I am so grossed out. It's not that I'm being nosy--I just look up randomly and am assailed with such unreal images... Plus there's always somebody here who REEKS of stale cigarette smoke. I swear I'm not being elitist. I just have a weak stomach. Ick... And on that note: I should probably go home and get started on that pasta (I've been meaning to make wheat pasta for a week now, but I never seem to get around to it).
Okay, so there are these auditions this weekend, but I don't think I'm going to do them. First of all, I just looked at the company's website, and I think I have scheduling conflicts with all their shows. Second, looking at their schedule, I don't think they have any roles for me. Thirdly, the monthly curse, so to speak, is nearly upon me, which is bad for singing for several reasons which I'm sure you will find fascinating:
1. Did you know that your vocal cords retain water? Yep, they're just like any other muscle--except that the very fine muscular control singing requires, and the relatively tiny size of the muscle in question, mean that being bloated actually does affect your voice. I can tell right away when it's started, because for days I'll sound like poo and suddenly I'm completely fine...
2. Apparently pain-relieving medications, because they thin your blood, can occasionally cause vocal cord hemorrhages if you sing too much while you're on them. Now this totally sounds like an old wives' tale--or perhaps an old divas' tale--so I mean to do some research into that. And why wouldn't my voice teacher or my pedagogy teacher (both of whom are very knowledgeable about vocal disorders, mechanics etc.) ever mention this? Anyway, I mean to find out.
Now it reeks of way-too-strong perfume in here--the kind that immediately calls to mind Elizabeth Taylor. My poor olfactory... Oh, hell, that's another hormonal thing--women and their superior senses of smell, etc. Great, I'm like walking progesterone here. Or whatever hormone it is. Hey, maybe that would explain the completely lesbian dream I had last night. Oddly enough, I tend to dream about men when I'm ovulating, and women when I'm menstruating--been like that for years. Damn, they should do a study on me.
Okay, I apologize to my male readership for all the TMI back there. I promise, next post will have nothing to do with Aunt Flo, monthly visitors or being on the rag... :)
Friday, June 24
Friday, June 17
Since we're sharing recipes, here's another: as you all know, I hate peas with a passion. However, I actually like these split pea burgers, courtesy of my beloved Alton Brown. Who knew?
So now it appears I might have another audition, for another small opera company in town that actually pays people occasionally. Just found out about it, and it's next weekend. Hey, remember a week or so back when I was whining about not having any goals? Well, welcome to my goals. :) Anyway, this company does contemporary American opera, so I need to work up my Britten aria again. (I know, Britten was British, but my American aria has a wicked haahd accompaniment, so unless I'm bringing my own pianist it's not worth the drama.) Had a great lesson this morning, by the way--with some tweaking I should be in good shape for that audition on the 30th.
Oh, and have I mentioned that I've been reading Fast Food Nation? Yeah, like three years after everybody else read it. (Although truthfully I read passages of the book before it was printed, in Rolling Stone. Yeah, that's how long ago it was.) I'm almost done. Mark and I needed to eat dinner at nine-thirty last night, so we drove around town looking for a place that didn't make me twitch involuntarily and cry, "Evil Empire! Evil Empire!" when I saw its glowing sign. :) We ended up at Waffle House--not the healthiest place (though they do sell salads now!), but they're really good about offering benefits to their employees. Plus I got to say, "scattered, smothered and covered" and drank three cups of decaf at ten-thirty at night. I don't know, the whole fast-food thing has me tied in knots. There's a lot to think about. My one criticism of the book is that, Michael Moore-like, he kind of runs with correlational stuff and wacked-out comparisons that lead to visceral, emotional reactions (like comparing Soviet collective agricultural management, which eventually led to the starvation of millions, to the current American agribusiness pseudo-monopoly). It seems like they're trying to beat the conservatives at their own game (distorting the truth a bit for their own benefit), instead of trying to take the high road. Mark gets aggravated by this. And it's my fault for getting him started--that is, I'll read some line from the book and he'll immediately turn devil's advocate. Poor thing. He can't back away from a political argument. My sweet little pundit baby. :)
So now it appears I might have another audition, for another small opera company in town that actually pays people occasionally. Just found out about it, and it's next weekend. Hey, remember a week or so back when I was whining about not having any goals? Well, welcome to my goals. :) Anyway, this company does contemporary American opera, so I need to work up my Britten aria again. (I know, Britten was British, but my American aria has a wicked haahd accompaniment, so unless I'm bringing my own pianist it's not worth the drama.) Had a great lesson this morning, by the way--with some tweaking I should be in good shape for that audition on the 30th.
Oh, and have I mentioned that I've been reading Fast Food Nation? Yeah, like three years after everybody else read it. (Although truthfully I read passages of the book before it was printed, in Rolling Stone. Yeah, that's how long ago it was.) I'm almost done. Mark and I needed to eat dinner at nine-thirty last night, so we drove around town looking for a place that didn't make me twitch involuntarily and cry, "Evil Empire! Evil Empire!" when I saw its glowing sign. :) We ended up at Waffle House--not the healthiest place (though they do sell salads now!), but they're really good about offering benefits to their employees. Plus I got to say, "scattered, smothered and covered" and drank three cups of decaf at ten-thirty at night. I don't know, the whole fast-food thing has me tied in knots. There's a lot to think about. My one criticism of the book is that, Michael Moore-like, he kind of runs with correlational stuff and wacked-out comparisons that lead to visceral, emotional reactions (like comparing Soviet collective agricultural management, which eventually led to the starvation of millions, to the current American agribusiness pseudo-monopoly). It seems like they're trying to beat the conservatives at their own game (distorting the truth a bit for their own benefit), instead of trying to take the high road. Mark gets aggravated by this. And it's my fault for getting him started--that is, I'll read some line from the book and he'll immediately turn devil's advocate. Poor thing. He can't back away from a political argument. My sweet little pundit baby. :)
Monday, June 13
Per Cathy's request, the avatar generator can be found here.
This weekend we ran errands--finally bought an electric kettle (after like a month of deliberations) and a wedding present for Jeff and Elena. I just found out that that audition I thought would be at the end of July has been moved up to June 30. This is weighing heavily on my mind right now. Otherwise--I have been struck with an urge to rid the house of clutter and excess crap we never use. I am going through all my papers, reorganizing and labeling the contents of my file cabinet--and Saturday night I finally sorted several years of photos and filed them neatly in albums. And there are a bunch of big bags full of Mark's clothes that are going to Goodwill. Spring cleaning in June! Nothing makes me happier than streamlining. Oh. Well, that's not entirely true.
Speaking of housewifery (was I?), I have created a fabulous new recipe for the ice cream maker--banana pudding flavor, made with two packets instant pudding, two cups skim milk, one cup lowfat plain yogurt and lots of love. Very, very rich--and less than fifty calories per half-cup. Even better with chocolate syrup on top... :)
This weekend we ran errands--finally bought an electric kettle (after like a month of deliberations) and a wedding present for Jeff and Elena. I just found out that that audition I thought would be at the end of July has been moved up to June 30. This is weighing heavily on my mind right now. Otherwise--I have been struck with an urge to rid the house of clutter and excess crap we never use. I am going through all my papers, reorganizing and labeling the contents of my file cabinet--and Saturday night I finally sorted several years of photos and filed them neatly in albums. And there are a bunch of big bags full of Mark's clothes that are going to Goodwill. Spring cleaning in June! Nothing makes me happier than streamlining. Oh. Well, that's not entirely true.
Speaking of housewifery (was I?), I have created a fabulous new recipe for the ice cream maker--banana pudding flavor, made with two packets instant pudding, two cups skim milk, one cup lowfat plain yogurt and lots of love. Very, very rich--and less than fifty calories per half-cup. Even better with chocolate syrup on top... :)
Friday, June 10
As you can see, I finally found a file I had hiding on the internet that was small enough to add to my profile. Hooray, the cartoon version of me.
Not much going on. I called a bunch of music schools the other day, sending my resume out to a few of them. One person that seemed very interested on the phone runs a "Christian" performing arts school--which at first I thought I was okay with, but apparently they want all the kids to learn "praise and worship music" (i.e that sh!t my mother listens to) and specifically singled out Disney as something they didn't want the kids working on. Hello, what else do you give a nine-year-old?! It's bad enough that they're taking voice lessons in the first place--I have a big philosophical problem with teaching voice to anybody under, say, fourteen, and would basically do more of a music "readiness" thing with younger kids--but then you want them to sing mediocre CRAP?! But honestly, my main discomfort here is that I don't know the repertoire. (And don't want to, obviously.)
Well, it's kicking me off here in the library, but everybody have a good weekend. I owe Helen a phone call! :)
Not much going on. I called a bunch of music schools the other day, sending my resume out to a few of them. One person that seemed very interested on the phone runs a "Christian" performing arts school--which at first I thought I was okay with, but apparently they want all the kids to learn "praise and worship music" (i.e that sh!t my mother listens to) and specifically singled out Disney as something they didn't want the kids working on. Hello, what else do you give a nine-year-old?! It's bad enough that they're taking voice lessons in the first place--I have a big philosophical problem with teaching voice to anybody under, say, fourteen, and would basically do more of a music "readiness" thing with younger kids--but then you want them to sing mediocre CRAP?! But honestly, my main discomfort here is that I don't know the repertoire. (And don't want to, obviously.)
Well, it's kicking me off here in the library, but everybody have a good weekend. I owe Helen a phone call! :)
Friday, June 3
I'm sure none of you will be shocked:
And this one seemed fun:
Friends/Numbers meme
Write down 20 names of 20 friends. Then answer the questions below.
1. Mark
2. Helen
3. Cathy
4. Greg
5. Elena
6. Jeff
7. Sandra
8. Rebecca
9. Fritz
10. Summer
11. Sara
12. Amanda
13. Victoria
14. Joanna
15. Christine
16. Erik
17. Jordana
18. Caitlin
19. Brad
20. Stacey
Is #9 a boy or a girl? Boy
Would #1 and #2 make a cute couple? Well, she's taller than he is... ;)
How about #18 and #4? You know, they might...
What grade is #17 in? Umm...25th?
When was the last time you talked to #12? At the wedding.
What is #6's favorite band? Possibly Blondie, maybe U2?
Does #1 have any siblings? Older sister, twin brother, younger brother.
Would you ever date #3? That would be INSANE.
Would you ever date #7? Well, she is into girls, but totally not my type...
What's #15's last name? It has six letters.
What's #10's middle name? Rae.
What's #5's favorite thing to do? Either singing, dancing, shopping or cooking.
Is #13 hot? Very cute.
Would #14 and #19 make a good couple? I don't think we have to worry about that...
What school does #20 go to? She went to college in Cleveland, I believe.
Tell me a random fact about #11: Her husband owns a cake bakery.
And #1: He likes ketchup on his grilled cheese. Nasty!
And #3: She is a recent convert to TiVo.
Have you ever had a crush on #15? No, but she's very fun to be around.
Where does #9 live? On a beautiful lake.
What's #4's favorite color? Green, maybe?
Would you makeout with #14? I don't think she'd appreciate it much.
Are #5 & #6 best friends? They're about to get married, so I would hope so.
Does #7 like #20? They've never met.
Does #8 like #19? I think they'd get along quite well.
How did you meet #2? She was in my sixth-grade class.
How did you meet #18? She was my roommate.
Does #10 have any pets? I don't think so...
Is #12 older than you? She's about 18 months younger.
Is # 17 the sexiest person alive, or what? Tee hee.
(borrowed from Jordana)
Now that I've wasted enough time doing high schooler-produced memes, I can get down to business...Yes Helen, I have posted like three times in a week. Holy crap! This is what happens when I have nothing to do. That's been bugging me, actually. Ever since last August, I have had very specific goals and deadlines in my life, and suddenly I have none. First there was the Fla. audition, then a show, then learning the music for Fla. and preparing for NYC auditions, then three months in Fla., then intensive wedding preparations, then another show. Now I have nothing until the end of July (audition). So this week I've been spending a lot of time looking at new music and stuff, but I feel really aimless. I do need to start looking for a teaching job--I'm going to make a bunch of phone calls Monday. Actually, a friend of mine left me a voicemail the other day about an adjunct teaching position at a state college a few hours away. It would be a good thing if I didn't want to go back to Fla. It seems really permanent to teach at a college--very "I am a teacher, not a singer," and I don't want that. Plus I don't feel ready to teach at that level yet. High schoolers are good for me.
Did I mention that I got the high school reunion paperwork in the mail the other day? It made me go through my yearbook. (And look: one of the people they can't find is Helen's loser ex. Oh, darn, I was really looking forward to seeing him. {sarcasm}) We're still not sure if we're going yet--it'll depend on money--but it would be fun. Ha ha, we don't live in trailer parks in Bloomingburg with our parents and our four children of varying paternity...
Your Taste in Music: |
| 80's Alternative: Highest Influence |
| 80's Pop: Highest Influence |
| 90's Alternative: Highest Influence |
| Classic Rock: Highest Influence |
| Hair Bands: Highest Influence |
| Progressive Rock: Highest Influence |
| 80's Rock: High Influence |
| 80's R&B: Medium Influence |
| 90's Pop: Medium Influence |
| 90's R&B: Medium Influence |
| 90's Rock: Medium Influence |
| Old School Hip Hop: Medium Influence |
| R&B: Medium Influence |
| Ska: Medium Influence |
| 90's Hip Hop: Low Influence |
| Adult Alternative: Low Influence |
| Alternative Rock: Low Influence |
| Heavy Metal: Low Influence |
| Punk: Low Influence |
And this one seemed fun:
Friends/Numbers meme
Write down 20 names of 20 friends. Then answer the questions below.
1. Mark
2. Helen
3. Cathy
4. Greg
5. Elena
6. Jeff
7. Sandra
8. Rebecca
9. Fritz
10. Summer
11. Sara
12. Amanda
13. Victoria
14. Joanna
15. Christine
16. Erik
17. Jordana
18. Caitlin
19. Brad
20. Stacey
Is #9 a boy or a girl? Boy
Would #1 and #2 make a cute couple? Well, she's taller than he is... ;)
How about #18 and #4? You know, they might...
What grade is #17 in? Umm...25th?
When was the last time you talked to #12? At the wedding.
What is #6's favorite band? Possibly Blondie, maybe U2?
Does #1 have any siblings? Older sister, twin brother, younger brother.
Would you ever date #3? That would be INSANE.
Would you ever date #7? Well, she is into girls, but totally not my type...
What's #15's last name? It has six letters.
What's #10's middle name? Rae.
What's #5's favorite thing to do? Either singing, dancing, shopping or cooking.
Is #13 hot? Very cute.
Would #14 and #19 make a good couple? I don't think we have to worry about that...
What school does #20 go to? She went to college in Cleveland, I believe.
Tell me a random fact about #11: Her husband owns a cake bakery.
And #1: He likes ketchup on his grilled cheese. Nasty!
And #3: She is a recent convert to TiVo.
Have you ever had a crush on #15? No, but she's very fun to be around.
Where does #9 live? On a beautiful lake.
What's #4's favorite color? Green, maybe?
Would you makeout with #14? I don't think she'd appreciate it much.
Are #5 & #6 best friends? They're about to get married, so I would hope so.
Does #7 like #20? They've never met.
Does #8 like #19? I think they'd get along quite well.
How did you meet #2? She was in my sixth-grade class.
How did you meet #18? She was my roommate.
Does #10 have any pets? I don't think so...
Is #12 older than you? She's about 18 months younger.
Is # 17 the sexiest person alive, or what? Tee hee.
(borrowed from Jordana)
Now that I've wasted enough time doing high schooler-produced memes, I can get down to business...Yes Helen, I have posted like three times in a week. Holy crap! This is what happens when I have nothing to do. That's been bugging me, actually. Ever since last August, I have had very specific goals and deadlines in my life, and suddenly I have none. First there was the Fla. audition, then a show, then learning the music for Fla. and preparing for NYC auditions, then three months in Fla., then intensive wedding preparations, then another show. Now I have nothing until the end of July (audition). So this week I've been spending a lot of time looking at new music and stuff, but I feel really aimless. I do need to start looking for a teaching job--I'm going to make a bunch of phone calls Monday. Actually, a friend of mine left me a voicemail the other day about an adjunct teaching position at a state college a few hours away. It would be a good thing if I didn't want to go back to Fla. It seems really permanent to teach at a college--very "I am a teacher, not a singer," and I don't want that. Plus I don't feel ready to teach at that level yet. High schoolers are good for me.
Did I mention that I got the high school reunion paperwork in the mail the other day? It made me go through my yearbook. (And look: one of the people they can't find is Helen's loser ex. Oh, darn, I was really looking forward to seeing him. {sarcasm}) We're still not sure if we're going yet--it'll depend on money--but it would be fun. Ha ha, we don't live in trailer parks in Bloomingburg with our parents and our four children of varying paternity...
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