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[Akima]

Vaya con Dios amigo!

Edit: Annoying page-break.

[Carl-E]

I did a thing last night...



I'm a member of the Blair Concert Chorale.  Second tenor.  We combined with two university choirs and another local singing choir for nearly 180 voices strong, along with our local 65 piece symphony orchestra. 

It was amazing.  Two and a half months of rehearsals separately (our group is about 45 members).  Last Monday we had the first rehearsal with the combined choirs, and it was almost overpowering.  Friday was the first rehearsal with the orchestra and soloists (all professionals).  When the Turkish march began, and the tenor solo started, I was weeping.  I just have no words. 

One last rehearsal Saturday afternoon before the performance to get used to the space - the church holds about a thousand, and it was nearly full - I'd guess between 850 and 900 in the audience, which is serious money for the symphony (it, like out chorale, is non-profit).  I was seated behind the contra-bassoon. 

All the practice was worth it, though.  We nailed the performance, got a good 5 minute ovation.  I'm now able to hit notes in full voice that were only in my falsetto range in the past.  I never thought I'd make it up to a high F, now I've got G, A, and B flat. 

My wife gets aggravated with all the time put into this, especially since I'm still looking for full time work.  She's right, extra-curricular stuff should take a backseat, but it's hard to explain just what this meant to me.  What singing means in general.  Without making music, I think I'd be too depressed to do much of anything.  And this is a dream I've had since college.  Of course, back then I was a baritone...

[Lines]

Carl, that is amazing! I haven't sung in a choir since high school, but I miss it a lot and I know the rush you're talking about. It is time consuming, but sometimes you need to feed your soul and music definitely does that. I'm glad you had such a wonderful experience.

[Redball]

Oh my God, Carl, what an experience! Weeping while performing is a curse and a blessing, but I'd never want to be so laid back as to remain dry-eyed. And from baritone to second tenor! I can only wish. I went the other way when I retired from work and two choirs. When I returned to one of them, I could no longer handle the tenor. That group memorizes its music, so I had to memorize the baritone/bass. And if nothing we're singing in a season (Christmas gigs in Renaissance costume) brings a tear to my eye, I feel a little cheated.
The Beethoven 9th was hard on the voice as a tenor. I was lucky enough to do it twice, the last with the Detroit Symphony and Järvi around 1995 or so. I'm still in the Christmas-gig a cappella group back in Detroit, but singing in church near Kalamazoo. But we've been in Tucson since mid-February, and the church here, close to the UA campus, has an excellent music program. So we did the Rutter Requiem for Palm Sunday with a small instrumental ensemble. That's a tear-full. With all the spring singing, it seemed that my tenor range might be returning. That'd be interesting; and tenors definitely have more fun.
We need this kind of singing for our souls, Carl, and you more than I. Don't stop.

[explicit]

I'll be teaching a meditation class next week. So that's cool... never even tried mediation myself, so I guess we're all going to learn something.

[Akima]

I don't know if there have been any reports out there in the wider world about the storms that have been hammering Sydney for the last few days, but I just thought I'd drop a line saying that I'm fine and my home is still in one piece. We were without electricity for eighteen hours yesterday, but that was restored early yesterday evening.

I'll be teaching a meditation class next week. So that's cool... never even tried mediation myself, so I guess we're all going to learn something.

Meditation is part of my daily routine, though only in the zuňchán style, so if you have questions, I might be able to help.

[KingOfIreland]

So basically my job has become a miserable hell and my bosses refuse to do anything about the ridiculous working situation we have there. Meanwhile, my desktop has finally given up the ghost for good, I haven't been paid properly for three months and my laptop is overheating constantly. Not the best of months so far. I've decided I have little choice but to quit the job, since I can no longer afford my train tickets, but this will mean I'm fucked in terms of income for the next while.

[Masterpiece]

I started a new diary. It's an arbitrary moment, but it feels like the start of a new era.

[The Seldom Killer]

I've just handed in notice on my job. There's another month to go before I leave but I'm feeling the relief already.

[cesium133]

Putting this in the blog thread instead of the complaints thread, since with some time I think it's become more funny than infuriating...

So I've been at at a conference this week. Awesome conference (though the food at the banquet sucked, and I sort of wish I hadn't stayed to see the talk by the grad student who took over my old experiment when I graduated  ), but getting to the conference was a trip through hell and back. On Monday, I boarded a plane in Madison and we went 2/3 of the way to Chicago before the pilot announced that O'Hare was closed because of storms and we were being diverted back to Madison. They told us to stay on the plane, because we were leaving again as soon as the storms cleared. Five hours later, we finally left and flew to Chicago. Of course, I had missed my connection, so they rebooked me for another flight to Columbus. That flight was already one hour late, and became later and later, until it was finally cancelled at 1 AM. No hotel rooms were available, so I had to stay the night at O'Hare. United didn't have any flights available on Tuesday to Columbus, so they rebooked me on Delta. At 5 PM on Tuesday, a full day after I was supposed to arrive, I finally got to Columbus, went to the hotel and tried to check in. They gave away my reservation, so I had no hotel room. Luckily, a grad student had an extra bed in his room, so I didn't have to sleep in the lobby during the conference. 

edit -- this was funnier to me this morning. Now I'm stuck at the fucking shithole that is O'Hare Airport again. The airline even gave me false hope by giving me a hotel voucher... to a hotel that doesn't have any rooms available. And food vouchers... for places that aren't open.

[Grognard]

you could be stuck in a Canadian Army barracks....

[The Seldom Killer]

Someone tried to break into our house on Saturday night while we were fast asleep. Luckily for us they didn't succeed but they did manage to trash the lock on the back door. The insurance company are now dragging their heels over getting it fixed and won't have someone round until tomorrow. It's just a ballache compounded by the sense of powerlessness you get when you're a victim of someone that you can't see, can't understand and can't rationalise. Fortunately for us they managed to trash it to the point that you can't actually get the door unlocked but in a way, that's worse. I live in Yorkshire where basically the back door is the front door. Mrs SK is away tonight as well so I reckon I'll wake up to every little sound. Also panicking about the large number of high value bikes we have in the house. Hoping there won't be a second attempt on entry.

On the good news side of things, in the aftermath of discovering this, I went out for a ride to relieve a bit of stress. Went up a hill so hard I overtook and dropped a Mercedes. OK, it was part of a vintage car rally but still, it's a nice little brag. #roadiedouchebag

[Akima]

There is no accounting for the minds of burglars. Years ago, someone tried to break into our home while we were out by, apparently, pounding on the front door lock with a hammer. The metal face of the lock, and the door around the lock, were covered with hammer-dents, and it must have made a lot of noise. Why not just break a window?

[Grognard]

our old house was burglarized several years ago.
guaranteed juveniles (based on physical evidence, etc)

but they trashed the back door and couldn't get it open.
smashed a window that even is very high up for me.
and eventually got someone (not a juvie) to kick in the front door.

they stole several odds and ends, a ring left on the bedside table, an antique blackpowder rifle, and our document safe with all the birth certs, marriage licesnse, car titles and old love letters.  All the stolen stuff only totaled $1000.

However, the damage done to the window and doors totaled $3000.

that, and the letters and the antiques are personally priceless.

We KNOW and the Sheriff KNOW who did it: just couldn't prove it.

I hate criminals.

[Detachable Felix]

I have two major assessments and an exam all in the next couple of days. Suffice to say, this is me right now

[The Seldom Killer]

There is no accounting for the minds of burglars.

There mostly is. It's mostly drugs.

I should, know, it's part of what the office I work in deals with. It doesn't make it easier though, I'm just left wondering which of the little scrotes on our clients list it probably was, what they were planning. Alas the one benefit of knowing more is a greater understanding just how little you know.

Fun fact for those of you who have ever been the victim of an acquisitive crime. We in the westernized world are currently dealing with a small epidemic of drug related blindness and visual degeneration. Drugs make you blind? Nope. Heroin and other intravenously injected drugs disolve better in an acidic solution. The cheapest and easiest to buy functional acidic solution is lemon juice. Lemon juice naturally contains a fungus that, when injected interavenously, likes to grow on the inside of the eyeball among other places.

[cesium133]

I decided to get a car to replace my old car that went south last month. I'm going to be picking it up from the dealership this afternoon. My favorite part of the process so far was when I contacted them to tell them which car I was looking at, and the sales guy's response was "You actually want a car with a manual transmission?" (yes, especially when it's $2000 cheaper) 

[Pilchard123]

"Yes, because I can drive"

[osaka]

I thought that manual transmission cars would be more expensive in the states, since EVERYONE uses auto.

[cesium133]

Picked the car up from the dealership, and it turns out I'm rustier at driving a manual than I thought I'd be. Mainly, it's I haven't gotten the feel of the stick in that car and accidentally put it in the wrong gear a couple times (mostly shifting into 5th when I was trying to shift into 3rd).

I thought that manual transmission cars would be more expensive in the states, since EVERYONE uses auto.

The dealerships keep some manuals around for the people who want them, but often discount them because they have a hard time selling them.

[osaka]

That can also happen just swapping cars. When I grab my sis' Nissan Pixo everything is really close together, and my dad's BX 5th gear feels as if it's in an entirely different zip code to 3rd.

My old subaru had a really stern gearshift, but it was at the perfect position. I miss that vehicle

[cesium133]

I just managed to stall the car out for the first time... stopped at a stop sign and accidentally shifted into 3rd instead of 1st.

Oh, and I found out that the button I thought locked the doors doesn't (it locks the back door only). I really should read the manual, but would I be a good experimental physicist if I did? 

[jwhouk]

I owned one car with a manual tranny. Got rid of it because the clutch was close to burning out.

[celticgeek]

Oh, and I found out that the button I thought locked the doors doesn't (it locks the back door only). I really should read the manual, but would I be a good experimental physicist if I did? 

If all else fails, read the manual.

[hedgie]

I owned one car with a manual tranny. Got rid of it because the clutch was close to burning out.

I didn't even lock my first car because the clutch was so bad that no one else could drive the damned thing.  Then again, most thieves couldn't even operate a standard transmission if their lives depended on it.

[cesium133]

That was one motivation to get the manual instead of an automatic.

[Grognard]

I'm in the process of selling Son&Heir's first vehicle.
it's a manual, and is one of the reasons I bought it in the first place.
I wanted him to have that experience and knowledge.
but keeping the old hunkajunk running is way expensive.

I just picked up a 2 dr coupe, 4 cyl. automatic for $1100. gets great MPG. same age as his truck.
his first observation was "that is a girl car"
my reply:  "I know. which means it is in better shape than your truck."
my big, strong, firefighter, redneck son still drove it home, festooned with pink, yellow and blue flower stickers.

[94ssd]

So I was going to put this in the complaints thread, but it's really only like 1/10th a complaint.

I'm tech directing a play, and I just agreed to help out the set designer by driving to a town 2 hours away tomorrow to pick up chairs.

The complaint part is that tomorrow was going to be my one day of relaxation in the next two weeks, and I know that 4 straight hours on the road will be damn tiring.

But here's the upside: I love driving. Going on a road trip with friends is fun, and driving alone is one of the best stress relievers for me. It's weird, even though I have an apartment and that apartment has a bedroom, driving is the only time I really feel like I'm alone. I've had a pretty damn stressful summer, and there were days when I would have loved to drive on the Parkway until I got lost, or just taken a day trip somewhere to see a play, or a friend, or just for the drive.

But two of my sources of stress have been how tight money is, and how unbelievably busy I've been, so that hasn't really been a possibility. But I get to drive, alone, for four hours tomorrow, and it's all on the company's dime. So I'm actually looking forward to it, even if it does mess with my plans to sleep in all day.

[94ssd]

I should say - for those wondering why I need to drive 2 hours away to get chairs - we need 6 identical, old-looking school chairs. We called furniture and antique stores in the area and got further and further away until we found them.

[Welu]

I guess this is a blog topic. Was looking up family ancestry stuff and found these two old news stories from the county my Mammy's family lived in for many a-year.

October 19, 1854

A CHILD EATEN BY A SOW--Last week a fine child belonging to a person named CONAGHTY, residing in the townland of Kill, near Kilnaleck, was left alone in the house, some occasion calling the rest of the family out for a time. The first that returned, met a sow outside the door, having in its mouth the child, quite dead, and already half devoured.

THE TURNIP--We have seen a specimen of the turnip crop grown by Dr. KELLY, of this town, on the farm which he holds from MR. M'LENIHAN, of Ballyhaise. The specimen now before us weights 111bs. in measure- ment it is 30˝ by 25˝ inches. The seed was purchased from Mr. Edward KENNEDY, Cavan, and sowed in June last. It is the white stone turnip. The manure was guano. Mr. M'LENIHAN deserves high credit for the encouragement he gives his tenants to grow green crops, and improve upon the agriculture of bye gone years.

They were together so the juxtaposition caught my attention.

[Aimless]

I guess this is a blog topic. Was looking up family ancestry stuff and found these two old news stories from the county my Mammy's family lived in for many a-year.

October 19, 1854

A CHILD EATEN BY A SOW--Last week a fine child belonging to a person named CONAGHTY, residing in the townland of Kill, near Kilnaleck, was left alone in the house, some occasion calling the rest of the family out for a time. The first that returned, met a sow outside the door, having in its mouth the child, quite dead, and already half devoured.

THE TURNIP--We have seen a specimen of the turnip crop grown by Dr. KELLY, of this town, on the farm which he holds from MR. M'LENIHAN, of Ballyhaise. The specimen now before us weights 111bs. in measure- ment it is 30˝ by 25˝ inches. The seed was purchased from Mr. Edward KENNEDY, Cavan, and sowed in June last. It is the white stone turnip. The manure was guano. Mr. M'LENIHAN deserves high credit for the encouragement he gives his tenants to grow green crops, and improve upon the agriculture of bye gone years.

They were together so the juxtaposition caught my attention.

God how I wish they'd start writing in that style again <3

[94ssd]

Today's lesson: always shop around.

This year has not been good to poor old Eugene, my car. There was the time the power steering stopped working, in May I had to replace the muffler, and then there was the incident where a window got shattered by rocks. During the trip that I was so plussed about in my last post, I had a blowout on the highway.

Digression: The drive was still a good experience regardless. When I heard the tire pop the closest place for me to turn off was a scenic overlook. I had my spare and my jack, but I don't know what happened to my lug wrench, so I had to call for help. That was a relaxing hour and a half, although I had a hard time telling AAA where I was.

Anyway, I figured as long as I avoided anymore road trips, I could use my donut spare for a little while, but yesterday I noticed another tire was worn down to the belt. I've kept my car parked since then for fear of the other tire blowing out, opting to make the 45 minute walk to work instead. After work, I walked into my usual tire shop, and for two tires, plus labor and an alignment (which even I know I need if I had two tires wear down in the same fashion in short succession), they gave me an estimate of just under $200. Considering I went in there thinking "if this costs more than 250 I'm fucked," I was fine to take that an make an appointment at the nearest available date - Monday.

But on my walk back while trying to decide where to get dinner, I noticed another tire place, not sure if it's new or just never caught my attention before, so I decided to go in. There I was informed that they don't charge for mounting or alignment, freeing me up to get better tires and still save money. Plus they were able to get me in for tomorrow, freeing me up from having to walk to my "day job" and saving me from having to inconvenience one of my friends more than once (since I have to arrive 30 minutes earlier than he does) to get to rehearsals in the evening (the rehearsal space is 10 miles away, not really walkable)

So also, never assume that just because a place is familiar to you that it is actually the best value.

[Grognard]

Good for You.

Maintenance on vehicles is most maddening.

EVERY year in February, they'll all need repairs.

I SWEAR. they must know it is tax refund time. 

[cesium133]

The cars' computers are programmed to cause components to fail in February, when the car repair industry knows that people are getting tax refunds.

Either that, or winter is just hard on cars. 

[Grognard]

I'll tend to believe the prior rather than the latter.

no matter where I've lived, North or South, harsh or mild winter ... it's the same.

always in February. 

[94ssd]

I saw my new apartment today. I've christened it the Cupboard Under the Stairs. Both because as a studio it's about the size of your average broom closet (as I knew it would be), and because it is actually under the staircase to the upper level.

Despite the fact that if a prisoner were put in a cell as small as this apartment he'd have grounds to sue, and despite the hellish change in management issues, it does have a couple distinct perks. First, of course, is the reason I bought it, which is that it's a fairly low-rent place located downtown and only a block away from campus. Could I have gotten a bigger apartment and still been downtown? Yes. Would I be a block further down the street in a slum of a building and still be paying higher rent? Also yes.

What was unexpected was that the carpet, oven, and refrigerator were brand new, and as I was walking in they were putting new vents in (for the heat, it just has a window unit for a/c). Also, it is remarkably well shaded. It is hot as hell out today, but there are some trees right outside my door and it was so much cooler inside even with the air and the ceiling fan off. Also there's a decent view...out the one window.

[Is it cold in here?]

I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

It was the night before.

[Welu]

Hard work week. Eight days in a row, finishing with two days of double shifts.

[jwhouk]

Hard work week. Eight days in a row, finishing with two days of double shifts.

So, when did you start working at my workplace?

[Welu]

It's the hazard of being an unofficial relief worker.

[94ssd]

More enthusing about the apartment, cupboard like though it may be. So it's a block away from the main street in town, up a slight hill. I was worried about walking that hill, but there are some steps right outside my front door that lead down to the main street. Whether those steps will be usable in the winter remains to be seen, it depends on if the town 'owns' them or if they're part of the same property the building is on.

Anyway, once you get down those steps (which are a joke compared to some of the ones on campus) it is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL walk to the theatre building. I love our downtown. These days you see old, small town main street buildings like vtthese boarded up and in ruins, but here that steert is just so alive. And there's wonderful mountain views. I'm going to enjoy walking past the buskers, art sellers, graffiti, and dogs to get to class every day.

I could afford an apartment in a good location, or a good apartment, but not both. And since this is a decent apartment in the most perfect location in town I can think of, I've decided to love it. I just have to come to terms with the fact that my landlord is the enemy here.

[jwhouk]

It's the hazard of being an unofficial relief worker.

Or a government employee for a thankless regime.

[Lines]

I just sent off my resume to the local art museum. My current job doesn't know I'm looking for a new job (well, some of my coworkers do). My inside scream sounds like this:

[Thrillho]

Back from Paris. It was fucking amazing. More to follow when I can be arsed.

[cesium133]

Kicked ass at bar trivia tonight. Especially considering I was competing by myself in a team competition. And my useless knowledge of national anthems and such became useful in an unexpected way... I got a question about the movie Ravenous correct (I w the only person in the bar who had heard of the movie) because its theme song is Hail Columbia...

[cesium133]

Tried and failed to go to Devils Lake State Park today. I didn't consider that it was Labor Day weekend, and the park was so full of people that they weren't letting anyone else in.  But on the way there, I was passed by the Google Street View wagon, so in however long it takes them to process their photos, my car may appear on U.S. Route 12 near Sauk City, WI...

[94ssd]

I bought curtains today. I had been avoiding it for want of energy to install them. But as much as I don't think people are peeking through my blinds as they walk by, it's nice to know they aren't. It makes the whole 'living in front of a busy sidewalk' thing easier. There's a bar that's across the street and a few buildings down and it got rowdy last night, I'm a heavy sleeper (fortunate because the fire station is a block away) so not enough that it woke me up, but enough to make me think it's probably time. Hopefully they'll also help keep it cooler in here, it's been really hot this week by mountain standards anyway.

I also bought $90 worth of bland diet food, which should be plenty for the next two weeks plus a couple transition days. I'm slowly but surely getting used to life without caffeine. So maybe this ulcer is the kick in the ass I need to cut it out for good. I tried to for Lent a couple years ago (yes I still give things up for Lent even though I'm not religious, it's a personal development thing, okay) and I actually couldn't. It's the only time I couldn't follow through. In the past I've given up video games, social media, television, fast food...but caffeine was too hard. I got headaches, I felt irritable. But along with a thousand other things it's on the 4 page list of what I can and cannot have. I'm not really getting headaches, I'm just more tired during the day. And I can't decide if I'm surly due to lack of caffeine or just because the pain has made me that way.

The diet and medicines have helped. I spent most of Thursday doubled over in pain, barely able to keep water down. Right now the pain is just sort of there and I've been keeping my bland, starchy food down just fine since Friday. Hopefully it will be gone completely before long, but I'll still have to stick out the two weeks. But with any luck it won't be any longer than that.

[Thrillho]

New avatar!

[Pilchard123]

Is that a Game Grumps/Tokemon pic?

[Thrillho]

It is exactly that.