Tuesday, May 03, 2011
He's at it again.
The Chief is building me another bed. The south corner of our front yard is about the only patch where I can plant full-sun flowers, but has quite a slope to it and is 99% clay, despite my efforts over the past several years to improve it. The Chief has now used some landscaping logs to build up that corner. He dumped in 5 bags of topsoil and a bit of peat moss today, is going back for more topsoil tomorrow to fill it in and top it up. Then we'll replant the phlox that was there, and I've got 2 ice plants I picked up a few weeks ago that will also go in. God willing, they'll do better with some proper dirt; I'd love to see them thrive and fill that corner with color. Pictures to come once the plants are moved into their new home.
Getting a trainee?
The boss has been doing performance chats now that HR has made her official; my turn this morning. Among other topics was that I may be "assigned" to mentor someone who'll be spending a few weeks in our office (he's touring all sections in the division before going to a staff job). Depending on his experience, I may be the one who gets to help him ejumacated in how we do things. Boss told me this would be "because you did so well with [intern]", which was nice to hear.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Annual ritual
Sunday was the annual planting of the impatiens bed. But most of the impatiens are in the lower tier of the bed, with a few of them flanking the hellebores in the upper tier (the Chief's suggestion) to fill the holes.
I also planted the flower boxes - geraniums and million bells again this year, with a few snapdragons mixed in for fun. I got a red and a deep-red geranium, but the nursery had no red million bells when I went, so I got 1 pink and 2 yellows. The snapdragons are white, yellow, red and a pink/yellow mix. We'll see how they like growing in a flowerbox.
The Chief tried the cilantro and herb boxes outside but they didn't seem to be doing too well - maybe they were getting too much direct sun? This afternoon I decided to bring them back inside; the cilantro is now back on the windowsill and the herb box on the island, where it gets plenty of indirect sun from the skylight.
I also planted the flower boxes - geraniums and million bells again this year, with a few snapdragons mixed in for fun. I got a red and a deep-red geranium, but the nursery had no red million bells when I went, so I got 1 pink and 2 yellows. The snapdragons are white, yellow, red and a pink/yellow mix. We'll see how they like growing in a flowerbox.
The Chief tried the cilantro and herb boxes outside but they didn't seem to be doing too well - maybe they were getting too much direct sun? This afternoon I decided to bring them back inside; the cilantro is now back on the windowsill and the herb box on the island, where it gets plenty of indirect sun from the skylight.
Thebes is getting closer...
Last night we had a photographer taking headshots for the lobby as well as publicity shots. I didn't get the e-mail about bringing costume pieces, so all I had was my shawl. :( At least I looked presentable, since I'd slapped on some make-up so I wouldn't look all pale & washed out in my lobby shot.
We then did a full run, with the Guard filling in for Haemon (who apparently had an audition last night). Not bad - we timed out at about 1:20 or thereabouts, so once we get things tightened up, we should clock in at about 1:10 or 1:15. Given that the show runs straight through, without any intermission, we'll have our audience out in short order.
My shawl turned out quite nicely. Our director had found a white gauze shawl, but it was a bit too stark with the darker colors of my blouse and black skirt. I offered to tea-dye it; it turned out a lovely shade of darjeeling. ;) I can't remember the last time I tea-dyed anything, so I was pleased that I managed to get the color just right. It's still quite a light color - sort of a light ivory - which suits the other colors (of both my costume and the set) much better. And the blood will still show just fine.
We then did a full run, with the Guard filling in for Haemon (who apparently had an audition last night). Not bad - we timed out at about 1:20 or thereabouts, so once we get things tightened up, we should clock in at about 1:10 or 1:15. Given that the show runs straight through, without any intermission, we'll have our audience out in short order.
My shawl turned out quite nicely. Our director had found a white gauze shawl, but it was a bit too stark with the darker colors of my blouse and black skirt. I offered to tea-dye it; it turned out a lovely shade of darjeeling. ;) I can't remember the last time I tea-dyed anything, so I was pleased that I managed to get the color just right. It's still quite a light color - sort of a light ivory - which suits the other colors (of both my costume and the set) much better. And the blood will still show just fine.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
I'm gonna wash sawdust right outta my hair...
Worked on the Thebes set for a bit this afternoon. We learned the hard way that the theater's circular saw produced more smoke & noise than sawdust; we stopped pretty quickly when it started sparking! I called the Chief to see if he'd be willing to bring his; he brought two (one was a battery-powered mini circular saw) and stayed to work on the set with us. The director and I held plywood while the Chief plied the saw; hence the sawdust in my hair. And in my clothes, face, shoes... We got a lot done, too - all the platforms are now built and were getting a base coat when the Chief & I left for dinner.
Starting tomorrow night, a good two weeks before we start Tech Week, we'll be able to rehearse on the actual platforms, so we'll have plenty of time to work out timing and spacing. Next weekend's set work will probably finish the back wall, including the doorway, so we'll get plenty of rehearsal with the actual entrances too. I'm excited - it's very rare in community theater to get so much time on the set before opening night; the more we get to rehearse on the actual set, the better we'll be when we open.
In other theater-related news, I did a (very) little thrift shopping yesterday for a blouse for Eurydice; the first blouse I tried on worked! Got director approval this afternoon, so that's taken care of. I stopped by Joann's on the way to the theater to get fabric for an underskirt (I'm wearing a thin cotton skirt which is a little thin and needs something under it both for modesty when backlit and to give the skirt some body and flow). I found some nice "peachskin" lining fabric that's just heavy and drapey enough for the purpose, won't catch on the cotton and - best of all - was 50% off! Seems I chose a day when Joann's was having a big, fat spring sale - no wonder the lines were so long! I won't have a chance to cut out the underskirt until Wednesday at the earliest, but I now have everything I need. This will probably be next weekend's project.
Starting tomorrow night, a good two weeks before we start Tech Week, we'll be able to rehearse on the actual platforms, so we'll have plenty of time to work out timing and spacing. Next weekend's set work will probably finish the back wall, including the doorway, so we'll get plenty of rehearsal with the actual entrances too. I'm excited - it's very rare in community theater to get so much time on the set before opening night; the more we get to rehearse on the actual set, the better we'll be when we open.
In other theater-related news, I did a (very) little thrift shopping yesterday for a blouse for Eurydice; the first blouse I tried on worked! Got director approval this afternoon, so that's taken care of. I stopped by Joann's on the way to the theater to get fabric for an underskirt (I'm wearing a thin cotton skirt which is a little thin and needs something under it both for modesty when backlit and to give the skirt some body and flow). I found some nice "peachskin" lining fabric that's just heavy and drapey enough for the purpose, won't catch on the cotton and - best of all - was 50% off! Seems I chose a day when Joann's was having a big, fat spring sale - no wonder the lines were so long! I won't have a chance to cut out the underskirt until Wednesday at the earliest, but I now have everything I need. This will probably be next weekend's project.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
We'll see how long they last
The Chief and I went to the nursery yesterday. Too soon for the impatiens I was planning to get, but we did come home w/ some herbs (parsley, cilantro, rosemary, dill, basil, oregano) and a couple of planters for same. The cilantro is now ensconced in a windowsill planter on the sill above the kitchen table, while the others are in a larger planter on the island. We'll see how long I can manage to keep these plants alive; I didn't inherit Mom's green hands, unfortunately. A green thumbnail, maybe; hope that's enough.
The last time I tried this, I planted some parsley in a pot I already had; the stuff lasted maybe 3 weeks. I'd had something else die in that pot too, so maybe it needed to be sterilized before I put anything else in it. I do hope these things do well in their brand-new planters; aside from the expense, I just hate to see the poor little things wither & die.
On the other hand, the 2 pots of tulips (1 yellow, 1 purple) I picked up at Sam's a couple of weeks ago have been flourishing. Not only did all 6 bulbs in each pot bloom beautifully, but they are also wonderfully aromatic. I never knew tulips had a fragrance, so this has been a delightful experience - beautiful flowers (that are starting to drop their petals) that smell beautiful. Now to decide where to plant the bulbs...
The last time I tried this, I planted some parsley in a pot I already had; the stuff lasted maybe 3 weeks. I'd had something else die in that pot too, so maybe it needed to be sterilized before I put anything else in it. I do hope these things do well in their brand-new planters; aside from the expense, I just hate to see the poor little things wither & die.
On the other hand, the 2 pots of tulips (1 yellow, 1 purple) I picked up at Sam's a couple of weeks ago have been flourishing. Not only did all 6 bulbs in each pot bloom beautifully, but they are also wonderfully aromatic. I never knew tulips had a fragrance, so this has been a delightful experience - beautiful flowers (that are starting to drop their petals) that smell beautiful. Now to decide where to plant the bulbs...
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
New bed
New flower bed, that is. Yesterday the Chief spent a few hours working on the impatiens bed, installing a new tier to dress it up a little:
Unfortunately, it's been cold enough the past several days (overnight temps below the freezing mark) that I don't want to plant anything in that bed just yet, lest it freeze. The Chief transplanted the 2 hellebores that were already in there, but so far that's the only thing in the bed.
I'm hoping it warms up enough this weekend that I can make my annual pilgrimage to the nursery for impatiens. This year I'm also planning to put in some summer ice, and maybe try upside-down tomatoes on the deck and a few herbs (rosemary, basil, parsley, oregano?) in the kitchen.
Unfortunately, it's been cold enough the past several days (overnight temps below the freezing mark) that I don't want to plant anything in that bed just yet, lest it freeze. The Chief transplanted the 2 hellebores that were already in there, but so far that's the only thing in the bed.
I'm hoping it warms up enough this weekend that I can make my annual pilgrimage to the nursery for impatiens. This year I'm also planning to put in some summer ice, and maybe try upside-down tomatoes on the deck and a few herbs (rosemary, basil, parsley, oregano?) in the kitchen.
Zumba!
I just learned that one of the local high schools has a few fitness classes open to the community, so Monday I had my first-ever Zumba class. It was a struggle to get through the hour, but I did it. Surprisingly, even though my legs felt like overcooked spaghetti afterwards, I didn't really hurt - none of that "hurting in muscles I'd forgotten" business. I did take it easy - we were in the cafeteria (hard on arthritic knees), and I knew I needed to baby my arthritic joints and sedentary self - but still was left in NO doubt that I'd had a work-out! The only problem was that I didn't baby my bad shoulder enough - just steering to get out of my parking space after class was painful. I'll know better for next time.
I was thinking I'd just do this once a week initially, while I ease out of my sedentary life, but the Chief told me last night to go ahead & take the Thursday class as well, after which we would go to the Chinese place near my rehearsal site (we rehearse Mon/Tue/Thu). So maybe I'll get back into shape more quickly than I'd anticipated, which is not a bad thing at all.
The instructor told us she also teaches an aqua-zumba class; I'll have to find out more.
I was thinking I'd just do this once a week initially, while I ease out of my sedentary life, but the Chief told me last night to go ahead & take the Thursday class as well, after which we would go to the Chinese place near my rehearsal site (we rehearse Mon/Tue/Thu). So maybe I'll get back into shape more quickly than I'd anticipated, which is not a bad thing at all.
The instructor told us she also teaches an aqua-zumba class; I'll have to find out more.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Very interesting rehearsal
This is my first show with this company, first non-singing chorus (Greek chorus), first tragedy. Last night was another first - we had our first rehearsal with the choreographer who set one of the choral odes in its entirety and most of a second, out of 4. Very interesting when the text is the music. The first one she set has me just standing in one place while everyone else moves around me, with all the movement cued from a word or phrase in the text in lieu of music. I quickly saw that the speaker (the lines are divvied up among the women in the chorus) can help the "dancers" by slowing or speeding up her delivery to accommodate the movement.
So far I have just one bit I'll want to work on: at one point the women fall to the ground. No big deal, except I'll be wearing a skirt and we'll be performing with audience on 3 sides of us. I'll need to find out what kind and length of skirt I'll be wearing so I can practice doing that move without flashing the audience.
The further along we get in this process, the more I like it. It was obvious almost immediately last night why our Director wanted us off book last week, before we started choreography or blocking. Much easier to do without a book in one hand and pencil in the other. Now I understand why our Creon told me he "loves" working with this guy.
So far I have just one bit I'll want to work on: at one point the women fall to the ground. No big deal, except I'll be wearing a skirt and we'll be performing with audience on 3 sides of us. I'll need to find out what kind and length of skirt I'll be wearing so I can practice doing that move without flashing the audience.
The further along we get in this process, the more I like it. It was obvious almost immediately last night why our Director wanted us off book last week, before we started choreography or blocking. Much easier to do without a book in one hand and pencil in the other. Now I understand why our Creon told me he "loves" working with this guy.
Friday, March 18, 2011
"The Meaning of Community Theater"
I stumbled across this guy's blog. He's an actor who usually blogs about whatever production he's in at the time, but frequently writes more general pieces. This one is gonna get a lot of "amen, brother!"s from a lot of people.
And this one does an even better job of explaining why so many of us continue to do community theater, and why you even see whole families working together (I've seen 3 generations working on a single production). At its best, it's family in the best possible sense of the word. Warning: have a tissue or two handy.
And this one does an even better job of explaining why so many of us continue to do community theater, and why you even see whole families working together (I've seen 3 generations working on a single production). At its best, it's family in the best possible sense of the word. Warning: have a tissue or two handy.
"They're dancing!"
I called the Chief this afternoon about something and he told me that when he brought the recycling bin in from the curb, he checked out my crocuses "And they're dancing!" Highs finally got into the 70s today; I'm sure that's the reason they look so very happy. The first brave crocuses of the swaths I planted last fall are just starting to come up, with 3 or 4 finally blooming today. I still don't see as many shoots as there should be; I hope it's only that I planted the bulbs a little too deep, not that some varmint ate them.
I was also pleased to see that the hellebores on the side of the house are finally blooming! Until today I only saw one lone white bloom; today that plant has a few more buds getting ready to open, a second plant looks like it'll bloom white as well, and a 3rd has a magenta flower on it, with a couple of buds promising more flowers. Those plants must have been brand new when I planted them, that it took 2-1/2 years for them to mature enough to bloom. And the one in the front bed hasn't bloomed yet. However, it took rather a beating this winter, so maybe it'll need another year to recover, poor thing.
Today's mild weather had me itching to swing by the nursery on the way home to load up on impatiens and perhaps a few other things. However, the Chief plans to build a tier in the front bed; no point in buying anything for that bed until the "construction" is finished. It should be pretty; I can plant one thing in the upper tier and something different in the lower tier, or all impatiens but in different colors or color schemes, or... Now that spring seems to be here to stay, I really want to get that bed populated!
I was also pleased to see that the hellebores on the side of the house are finally blooming! Until today I only saw one lone white bloom; today that plant has a few more buds getting ready to open, a second plant looks like it'll bloom white as well, and a 3rd has a magenta flower on it, with a couple of buds promising more flowers. Those plants must have been brand new when I planted them, that it took 2-1/2 years for them to mature enough to bloom. And the one in the front bed hasn't bloomed yet. However, it took rather a beating this winter, so maybe it'll need another year to recover, poor thing.
Today's mild weather had me itching to swing by the nursery on the way home to load up on impatiens and perhaps a few other things. However, the Chief plans to build a tier in the front bed; no point in buying anything for that bed until the "construction" is finished. It should be pretty; I can plant one thing in the upper tier and something different in the lower tier, or all impatiens but in different colors or color schemes, or... Now that spring seems to be here to stay, I really want to get that bed populated!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
My first gold star!
I check my weight on Sundays and today found that I've now lost 5 lb. since I started Weight Watchers a few weeks ago. When I logged the reading on line, the tracker actually gave me a gold star! Pretty funny - makes me feel like I'm back in kindergarten. :)
More important than the gold star is the proof of progress - that weighing and measuring and eating more mindfully is paying off. It's slow, but it's happening; at this rate, even if I get lazy or decide to indulge in a great big milkshake (which my lactose intolerance wouldn't like), I should be where I want to be by fall.
More important than the gold star is the proof of progress - that weighing and measuring and eating more mindfully is paying off. It's slow, but it's happening; at this rate, even if I get lazy or decide to indulge in a great big milkshake (which my lactose intolerance wouldn't like), I should be where I want to be by fall.
Favorites and 2 new recipes
More cooking for the week today - a big vat of mushroom sauce (3 jars of Classico and 1.5 lbs. of sauteed fresh mushrooms) and the usual vat o' salad for lunch during the week. I also cooked my first spaghetti squash and tried 2 new recipes: Peach Cobbler Oatmeal (oatmeal made in the crockpot, w/ canned peaches and a little cinnamon & brown sugar) and Lemon Chicken w/ Broccoli. I'll try the oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow and we had the chicken for dinner tonight. Pretty good, though I let the broccoli cook too long, so it got a bit mushy. The Chief suggested trying it with lime; will notate the recipe accordingly and try that next time.
My back is tired from so much standing, but the house smells great and we've got meals ready for most of the rest of the week. We'll get 2 more meals out of the chicken and I'll use some of the sauce in lasagne, with the rest going over pasta or the spaghetti squash.
My back is tired from so much standing, but the house smells great and we've got meals ready for most of the rest of the week. We'll get 2 more meals out of the chicken and I'll use some of the sauce in lasagne, with the rest going over pasta or the spaghetti squash.
Spring is starting to get serious
The crocuses are starting to really come into their own, and I noticed one lone little snowdrop in the front yard this morning. Still not all that warm - only into the 50s today - but we've moved to DST, so I guess that means it must be spring, right?
Saturday, March 12, 2011
My Major League Baseball try-out
I woke up about 1/2 hour later than planned this morning. Not good, as I wanted the extra time to wake up my voice and work out the morning crud. Ah well, no help for it; I picked up NA, my voice teacher, as planned and we went down and got in line with the other national anthem hopefuls. I immediately spotted 2 people I knew, and others arrived later. (The final tally of people I knew - 10.) It was chilly and the breeze was occasionally quite brrrrisk, but as we kept reminding each other, it could have been worse - it wasn't raining, sleeting or snowing, after all.
Eventually they opened the gates and let us in, leading us to a check-in table, where they checked our names off their list, then instructed us to take a seat. As we waited, someone asked about rest rooms; when our guide told us which ones "might" be open, you saw several people making a beeline in that direction to relieve cold, nervous bladders. Once they got everyone checked in, they shepherded us over to another section of seats behind and slightly left of home plate. (Great seats! One of the hopefuls who had once gotten to sit there said they were quite pricey and included a pre-game buffet and all your concessions, delivered.) They told us we'd be singing over the stadium sound system, warned us not to listen to the delay, wished us luck and got down to business.
We sat & shivered as we waited. We were out of the wind, but it had clouded up so no sunshine to relieve the chill so we kept repeating that "it could be worse" mantra. There was someone with one of those huge TV-type cameras whom I first noticed when he got within only a foot or so of one of the singers. He managed to keep singing (very nicely) without batting an eyelash; good for him. The cameraman then started filming the next batch of people to be heard, then moved into the seats. When he got to our section, he chided us that "This is supposed to be fun!" which got us chuckling if not laughing. When I waved to the camera, he said "Those gloves will make it for you!" so I waved some more. I'll have to wear Mom's leopard-print gloves the next time I have an outdoor audition! :D
NA went just ahead of me. She's a coloratura soprano and a seasoned pro so she did quite nicely. I sang in a slightly lower key than we'd rehearsed - my voice always sits lower in the morning - but it felt pretty good. I was able to hear myself well enough that the delay didn't bother me, my tempo felt good, and best of all - I managed to get through the whole thing without clearing my throat, let alone coughing (which I hadn't managed when I ran thru the anthem several times before leaving the house).
When we finished, they directed us to the visitor's dug-out - very cool! I'm sorry I didn't think to grab my camera; I would've loved a picture of me in an actual, official MLB dug-out! Someone then escorted us around the 3rd-base side of the field, through an employees-only area under the outfield seats past their little electric carts and the Control Room and outside.
NA and I had nice chats with several of our fellow hopefuls and I ended up sending a list of area theater links to two of them, who were new in town. I think I may have recruited one person (lovely baritone voice) to audition for the Mikado production I'm going for, and one of the new-in-town people is an architect who does small projects and work on older homes - the Chief will want to learn more about him!
It was cold enough that my toes went quite numb, and we got down there around 9 but didn't actually sing until 11 or later, but it was fun chatting with the others and getting to see a major-league stadium from the field. I just wish they'd said something about how soon we can expect to hear, and whether they'll contact us only if they want to use us. A couple of friends got pictures for me which they promised to send and which I'll try to remember to post.
Now that I've got this one behind me, time to start learning Burial at Thebes lines and prepping for next week's audition for The Mikado...
Eventually they opened the gates and let us in, leading us to a check-in table, where they checked our names off their list, then instructed us to take a seat. As we waited, someone asked about rest rooms; when our guide told us which ones "might" be open, you saw several people making a beeline in that direction to relieve cold, nervous bladders. Once they got everyone checked in, they shepherded us over to another section of seats behind and slightly left of home plate. (Great seats! One of the hopefuls who had once gotten to sit there said they were quite pricey and included a pre-game buffet and all your concessions, delivered.) They told us we'd be singing over the stadium sound system, warned us not to listen to the delay, wished us luck and got down to business.
We sat & shivered as we waited. We were out of the wind, but it had clouded up so no sunshine to relieve the chill so we kept repeating that "it could be worse" mantra. There was someone with one of those huge TV-type cameras whom I first noticed when he got within only a foot or so of one of the singers. He managed to keep singing (very nicely) without batting an eyelash; good for him. The cameraman then started filming the next batch of people to be heard, then moved into the seats. When he got to our section, he chided us that "This is supposed to be fun!" which got us chuckling if not laughing. When I waved to the camera, he said "Those gloves will make it for you!" so I waved some more. I'll have to wear Mom's leopard-print gloves the next time I have an outdoor audition! :D
NA went just ahead of me. She's a coloratura soprano and a seasoned pro so she did quite nicely. I sang in a slightly lower key than we'd rehearsed - my voice always sits lower in the morning - but it felt pretty good. I was able to hear myself well enough that the delay didn't bother me, my tempo felt good, and best of all - I managed to get through the whole thing without clearing my throat, let alone coughing (which I hadn't managed when I ran thru the anthem several times before leaving the house).
When we finished, they directed us to the visitor's dug-out - very cool! I'm sorry I didn't think to grab my camera; I would've loved a picture of me in an actual, official MLB dug-out! Someone then escorted us around the 3rd-base side of the field, through an employees-only area under the outfield seats past their little electric carts and the Control Room and outside.
NA and I had nice chats with several of our fellow hopefuls and I ended up sending a list of area theater links to two of them, who were new in town. I think I may have recruited one person (lovely baritone voice) to audition for the Mikado production I'm going for, and one of the new-in-town people is an architect who does small projects and work on older homes - the Chief will want to learn more about him!
It was cold enough that my toes went quite numb, and we got down there around 9 but didn't actually sing until 11 or later, but it was fun chatting with the others and getting to see a major-league stadium from the field. I just wish they'd said something about how soon we can expect to hear, and whether they'll contact us only if they want to use us. A couple of friends got pictures for me which they promised to send and which I'll try to remember to post.
Now that I've got this one behind me, time to start learning Burial at Thebes lines and prepping for next week's audition for The Mikado...
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Another audition
I just signed up for another audition, which will probably be my last for this season. This is for another production of The Mikado, which will run in June. I'm going to ask for Katisha or nothing; I'm a bit long in the tooth to get Pitti-Sing again (unless the director wants us in a LOT of make-up, which would hide my crow's feet) and chorus isn't worth spending so many summer weekends in rehearsal instead of at the cabin or otherwise hanging out with my honey.
Now to decide what to use for an audition piece.
Now to decide what to use for an audition piece.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
That MLB audition
Spent about half of yesterday's voice lesson working on The Star-Spangled Banner. First thing I realized was that singing it with a chorus at work is NOT the same as doing it solo! You've gotta start low enough that you don't strangle on the high notes at the end, yet not so low that you have little or no volume on the low notes, all while making both the bottom & top registers sound equally full.
Other things I learned I need to work on: some of my vowels are a bit off, I need to keep the energy up from first note to last, plan every single breath, focus the sound. Oh, and I have to tell the story. Yep, this is one tough song to sing - lotsa hard work involved!
I even had a Christina Aguilera moment. My teacher (who also has an audition) was woodshedding a particular phrase with me, then had me go back to the previous phrase to start singing. Starting in the middle like that, I lost track of where I was and either skipped or repeated a phrase; had us both laughing.
Other things I learned I need to work on: some of my vowels are a bit off, I need to keep the energy up from first note to last, plan every single breath, focus the sound. Oh, and I have to tell the story. Yep, this is one tough song to sing - lotsa hard work involved!
I even had a Christina Aguilera moment. My teacher (who also has an audition) was woodshedding a particular phrase with me, then had me go back to the previous phrase to start singing. Starting in the middle like that, I lost track of where I was and either skipped or repeated a phrase; had us both laughing.
First Thebes rehearsal
Had my first rehearsal last night for Burial at Thebes. Quite different from La Belle Helene! The director said there'll be some underscoring (i.e., music under some of the action) at the beginning and end, and possibly somewhere in the middle, but in general this is a straight play - no music, no singing, no dancing.
Another difference is that this play has long chunks of speeches more than dialogue. The chorus has several "choral odes" (that's what the director is calling them), which have been divvied up among those of us in the chorus - some solo lines, some lines spoken by 2 or more of us.
I learned that the director wants me onstage as Eurydice the whole time - no starting as a member of the chorus, then going off to change costume/hair/make-up to become Eurydice. I enter w/ Creon, my husband, stay on stage through much of the action, leave w/ Creon, then come back later by myself to hear horrible news, then exit to kill myself. While I'm on stage the first time, I have a few solo lines in the choruses and join in some of the "all" sections, but don't really have a lot of lines to learn. The challenge will be figuring out how Eurydice feels about what's going on, what she thinks of Creon's decision not to let Antigone's brother be buried, and so on. Mostly silent acting, which can be the hardest kind. That means homework - reading up on the Oedipus cycle to learn Eurydice's history, to give me a better idea of how she'd react to all this.
Which brings me to another point. The script says near the end that "the body of Eurydice is revealed." The director said he may have someone bring me on; should be interesting! If they carry me, I'll have to work at staying limp, and then playing dead for however long the director decides to leave me there.
Counting up all the firsts: first tragedy, first non-singing chorus, first time to be dead on stage (though I don't actually die on stage), first tole I've had to do any research for. It's all good!
Another difference is that this play has long chunks of speeches more than dialogue. The chorus has several "choral odes" (that's what the director is calling them), which have been divvied up among those of us in the chorus - some solo lines, some lines spoken by 2 or more of us.
I learned that the director wants me onstage as Eurydice the whole time - no starting as a member of the chorus, then going off to change costume/hair/make-up to become Eurydice. I enter w/ Creon, my husband, stay on stage through much of the action, leave w/ Creon, then come back later by myself to hear horrible news, then exit to kill myself. While I'm on stage the first time, I have a few solo lines in the choruses and join in some of the "all" sections, but don't really have a lot of lines to learn. The challenge will be figuring out how Eurydice feels about what's going on, what she thinks of Creon's decision not to let Antigone's brother be buried, and so on. Mostly silent acting, which can be the hardest kind. That means homework - reading up on the Oedipus cycle to learn Eurydice's history, to give me a better idea of how she'd react to all this.
Which brings me to another point. The script says near the end that "the body of Eurydice is revealed." The director said he may have someone bring me on; should be interesting! If they carry me, I'll have to work at staying limp, and then playing dead for however long the director decides to leave me there.
Counting up all the firsts: first tragedy, first non-singing chorus, first time to be dead on stage (though I don't actually die on stage), first tole I've had to do any research for. It's all good!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Things to get excited about
In getting ready to head out to the theater yesterday, I noticed 2 little purple crocuses, still tightly furled, under the little boxwood near the front door. I'll have to patrol the yard tomorrow (won't have time today between church and leaving for the matinee) to see where the other early crocuses are making their appearance.
And KL confirmed that she and LC will be coming out from KY and OR for a WHOLE WEEK in July!!! This will be SOOO great! Poor Chief won't see much of me, and when he does, he won't be able to get a word in edgewise, the 3 of us will have so much to get caught up on. We'll probably spend most of that time at the cabin, but I'll try to bring them to the house at least overnight so they can see the results of the 7-month remodel they've heard so much about (and LC can see how much her room & bathroom have changed).
And KL confirmed that she and LC will be coming out from KY and OR for a WHOLE WEEK in July!!! This will be SOOO great! Poor Chief won't see much of me, and when he does, he won't be able to get a word in edgewise, the 3 of us will have so much to get caught up on. We'll probably spend most of that time at the cabin, but I'll try to bring them to the house at least overnight so they can see the results of the 7-month remodel they've heard so much about (and LC can see how much her room & bathroom have changed).
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Diiferent kind of audition
The local MLB franchise is having auditions in 2 weeks for people to sing the national anthem before their home games. I've got one of the slots! As do several people in the company with whom I'm doing La Belle Helene (I forwarded the audition notice to the company's listserv). No information yet ("keep it to 90 mins, and keep it TRADITIONAL"), but that's promised in a week or so.
Taking a few minutes to get caught up
Week ago Thursday: Finally decided to take the plunge and join Weight Watchers. Right before tech week may not be the best timing, but might as well. Wish me luck!
Week ago Sunday: load-in and cue-to-cue, first rehearsal on the set. Not the usual unmitigated disaster, which seems to be a decent sign. Tech week in general had its glitches, but not too bad. However, this show is l-o-n-g (3 acts, running 3 hrs 15 mins w/ 2 intermissions) and when I'm on stage, all I do is stand. My feet hate character shoes, so my feet and back are hating me right about now. The Chief is on set crew, so we actually get to see each other backstage, which is always nice. He's not crazy about the show - doesn't find it has any "catchy tunes" - so he'll be happier than usual when this closes and he doesn't have to ignore it any more. ;)
We opened last night. A few pregnant pauses (director felt at least one "10-month pause" in there) and a few wording glitches, but the audience was quite lively, and the windstorms that downed at least 5 huge trees on the theater grounds did not knock out the power, for which we were OH so grateful!
Week ago Sunday: load-in and cue-to-cue, first rehearsal on the set. Not the usual unmitigated disaster, which seems to be a decent sign. Tech week in general had its glitches, but not too bad. However, this show is l-o-n-g (3 acts, running 3 hrs 15 mins w/ 2 intermissions) and when I'm on stage, all I do is stand. My feet hate character shoes, so my feet and back are hating me right about now. The Chief is on set crew, so we actually get to see each other backstage, which is always nice. He's not crazy about the show - doesn't find it has any "catchy tunes" - so he'll be happier than usual when this closes and he doesn't have to ignore it any more. ;)
We opened last night. A few pregnant pauses (director felt at least one "10-month pause" in there) and a few wording glitches, but the audience was quite lively, and the windstorms that downed at least 5 huge trees on the theater grounds did not knock out the power, for which we were OH so grateful!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Beautiful definition of success
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is the meaning of success.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is the meaning of success.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Friday, February 11, 2011
Only my 2nd straight play since high school
Found out Tuesday that I've been cast in The Burial at Thebes. A new translation of Sophocles' Antigone, it has the usual Greek chorus, of which I'll be a member. It'll be interesting to be in a chorus that doesn't sing, and I'll face the challenge of learning text not set to music, but I've done it before so I know I'll manage.
I haven't done a straight play (i.e., no music) in 5 or 6 years, unless you count the non-singing role of Mae Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie a few years ago. This will also be the very first tragedy I've ever done, and the first classic Greek drama; I'm looking forward to seeing how the director handles the chorus.
I haven't done a straight play (i.e., no music) in 5 or 6 years, unless you count the non-singing role of Mae Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie a few years ago. This will also be the very first tragedy I've ever done, and the first classic Greek drama; I'm looking forward to seeing how the director handles the chorus.
First Parade Magazine, now the coupon flyer
Tonight I finally got around to trying a recipe I'd pulled out of one of the Sunday coupon flyers, for Margarita Chicken. To my surprise, it was actually very good! I'm sure the "juice & zest of one lime" had a lot to do with that. I had my doubts when I started, but I'm glad I decided to take the plunge, and so is the Chief. We'll definitely be making this again.
Margarita Chicken
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 c. canola oil (I used extra-light olive oil)
1 lime
2 Tbsp. honey
2 c. finely crushed tortilla chips
1 can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, juice & all
1/4-1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 c. shredded Monterey jack/cheddar cheese
Mix oil, juice & zest from the lime. honey in a bowl. Dip chicken in mixture and roll in tortilla crumbs to coat. Place in baking dish; bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Puree tomatoes, cilantro in blender. (Save some cilantro for garnish.) Remove chicken from oven, cover w/ puree, top with cheese. Return chicken to oven for about 5 mins. to melt the cheese.
Margarita Chicken
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 c. canola oil (I used extra-light olive oil)
1 lime
2 Tbsp. honey
2 c. finely crushed tortilla chips
1 can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, juice & all
1/4-1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 c. shredded Monterey jack/cheddar cheese
Mix oil, juice & zest from the lime. honey in a bowl. Dip chicken in mixture and roll in tortilla crumbs to coat. Place in baking dish; bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Puree tomatoes, cilantro in blender. (Save some cilantro for garnish.) Remove chicken from oven, cover w/ puree, top with cheese. Return chicken to oven for about 5 mins. to melt the cheese.
Christmas present worth waiting for!
The Chief ordered me a lovely wooden music stand for Christmas. The company was so backlogged that we were originally given an April shipping date. However, they were obviously being very conservative in their estimate, as my music stand arrived today! The Chief had it all assembled and ready to go by the time I got home from work, and I just had to get pictures to show off. Natural maple, all that lovely fancywork - seems a shame to cover it up with music! :-)
Sunday, February 06, 2011
A reason to read Parade magazine
I have no idea how long Parade Magazine's been running its "Sunday dinner" feature, but a couple of weeks ago I actually looked at it instead of paging past it. The recipe was someone's mother's meatball recipe, which sounded pretty good. Added one or 2 ingredients to the next grocery list, made a batch of meatballs and, after the 2nd dinner (when the flavors had had time to "develop"), decided I'm gonna hafta start paying attention to these recipes! I just made another batch this afternoon between church & rehearsal and left the meatballs simmering in sauce for about 6 hours, so the flavors had lots and lots of time to get blended. The Chief already had last night's leftovers ready for dinner when I got home tonight, but I'm looking forward to dinner tomorrow night!
Today's recipe was for a flourless chocolate cake - perfect to offer family and friends who can't eat gluten, and with only 4 ingredients, it looks pretty easy, too. Just need to add eggs and quality semi-sweet chocolate to this week's grocery list...
Today's recipe was for a flourless chocolate cake - perfect to offer family and friends who can't eat gluten, and with only 4 ingredients, it looks pretty easy, too. Just need to add eggs and quality semi-sweet chocolate to this week's grocery list...
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Back in the audition saddle again
Last week I auditioned for a production of The Cocktail Hour. I knew going in that it was a longshot - only 2 women's roles, and with one of those a woman in her 40s and the other that woman's mom, I was not at all surprised to see plenty of us vying for those 2 roles. I don't think I read badly, but so many of the others read well that I knew when I left that I wouldn't be cast.
This afternoon I had an audition for The Burial at Thebes, one of these "cheery" little plays in which nearly all the play's characters end up dead at the end. Having attended a funeral earlier in the day, I arrived at the theater in my black suit, which seemed suited to the subject matter. (Doubt is currently running there and the director told me my "attire" fit right in with the set.) While I thought some of the other women read very well indeed, I thought I read reasonably well, and I had easily the biggest voice there (a couple of the other, very strong women were a bit hard to hear at times). I was pleased to learn that I made callbacks, but frustrated by the fact that I've got a rehearsal that night. I've never run into this before; wonder how it'll work out?
This afternoon I had an audition for The Burial at Thebes, one of these "cheery" little plays in which nearly all the play's characters end up dead at the end. Having attended a funeral earlier in the day, I arrived at the theater in my black suit, which seemed suited to the subject matter. (Doubt is currently running there and the director told me my "attire" fit right in with the set.) While I thought some of the other women read very well indeed, I thought I read reasonably well, and I had easily the biggest voice there (a couple of the other, very strong women were a bit hard to hear at times). I was pleased to learn that I made callbacks, but frustrated by the fact that I've got a rehearsal that night. I've never run into this before; wonder how it'll work out?
Another funeral
The service for LH's mom was this morning. Weather was pretty cooperative, considering - a light mist rather than the sleet that was in the forecast a few days ago. Rain always feels right for a funeral, somehow, as if God's sharing our pain.
I went from there to an audition for The Burial at Thebes. I didn't bother to change out of my black suit; given that nearly all the play's characters end up dead at the end, funereal black seemed completely appropriate.
I went from there to an audition for The Burial at Thebes. I didn't bother to change out of my black suit; given that nearly all the play's characters end up dead at the end, funereal black seemed completely appropriate.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
So many recipes, so little time.
Actually took a good, long look at the latest issue of Cook's Country magazine the other day. Definitely plan to try their pot roast recipe as soon as they explain what "espresso powder" is. There are several other recipes I'd like to try too, not to mention the Christmas cookie recipes in the last issue - wonder if they'd ship well?
We've enjoyed both Cook's Country and Cook's Illustrated - they evaluate cooking equipment, ingredients and tools a la Consumer Reports, explain cuts of meat or types of flour, and even explain the chemistry of cooking and why a given ingredient can hurt or help a recipe. Their Thanksgiving issue is definitely a keeper - steps you through all the stages of assembling a traditional turkey dinner, warning how to avoid common pitfalls and suggesting variations or alternatives to traditional dishes.
We're only going to keep Cook's Country - Cook's Illustrated is more technical - which is still more than I can keep up with, but I can dream, right?
We've enjoyed both Cook's Country and Cook's Illustrated - they evaluate cooking equipment, ingredients and tools a la Consumer Reports, explain cuts of meat or types of flour, and even explain the chemistry of cooking and why a given ingredient can hurt or help a recipe. Their Thanksgiving issue is definitely a keeper - steps you through all the stages of assembling a traditional turkey dinner, warning how to avoid common pitfalls and suggesting variations or alternatives to traditional dishes.
We're only going to keep Cook's Country - Cook's Illustrated is more technical - which is still more than I can keep up with, but I can dream, right?
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Good riddance, 2010!
No, it wasn't a total disaster, but 2010 was definitely one of the 2 worst years of my life:
I haven't been this glad to see a year end over 20 years (child died, marriage followed)!
- major respiratory problems for most of February through April
- that blasted double blizzard that dumped 3 feet of snow on us in early February
- the Chief's mom diagnosed w/ terminal cancer in early February
- my mom suddenly dying of cancer later in February (we're betting she'd known for months it was back)
- Chief's cousin learned her cancer was back for a 3rd round
- KL's husband dropped dead of a heart attack at only 42 years old in July
- Mom's brother died of cancer (are you seeing a pattern here?) in August
- the Chief's mom's cancer killed her in December
I haven't been this glad to see a year end over 20 years (child died, marriage followed)!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Date night!
Last night TW decided we'd go see a movie tonight, something we haven't done since January. We settled on The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which was very well done - enjoyed the cinematography and most of the characterizations. Caspian was still something of a cipher, but we quite liked Lucy and Edmund, and I loved Reepicheep! Eustace was also very good.
After the movie (and a sidetrip to pick up a Christmas present), we went to a nearby diner for dinner. I even got a free milkshake to go w/ my burger, courtesy of my movie ticket stub. We'd have gone there anyway, but it was nice to get a little freebie. TW and I had a bit of a theological discussion about death & dying, but it wasn't morbid; more a "wonder if it's like this..." discussion.
Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling too well even when we left the house, so he went to bed as soon as we got home. We're hoping a good night's sleep will take care of whatever it was.
After the movie (and a sidetrip to pick up a Christmas present), we went to a nearby diner for dinner. I even got a free milkshake to go w/ my burger, courtesy of my movie ticket stub. We'd have gone there anyway, but it was nice to get a little freebie. TW and I had a bit of a theological discussion about death & dying, but it wasn't morbid; more a "wonder if it's like this..." discussion.
Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling too well even when we left the house, so he went to bed as soon as we got home. We're hoping a good night's sleep will take care of whatever it was.
Waiting for a call
TW's been calling home daily since Sunday, checking on his mom. I doubt she'll be with us much longer: she's gotten so weak they don't even try to get her out of bed, just shift her so she doesn't get bed sores, and when TW calls, they have to hold the phone for her. TW's brother said she sleeps pretty much 24/7 now, and no longer eats - just takes a bit of one of those nutrition drinks. TW says when he's talked to her, he's heard her making little grunts of pain. I wonder how soon God will take her Home; it breaks my heart to know she's suffering.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
This could be a really sucky Christmas
I've been bracing myself for the pain of our first Christmas without Mom. The rest of us will all be together, but that gaping, Mom-sized hole is gonna be raw.
TW called home earlier this afternoon to let his brother know we were planning to come up for another visit next weekend, but he waved us off. MuMu is more & more out of it (she asked TW, again, how the kids are), so I guess P thinks she won't know us if we visit. From what TW relayed, it sounds like MuMu's decline is accelerating; last week, just making the short trip to the bathroom tired her enough that she needed oxygen for 5 or 10 minutes before returning to her recliner. She's weak, she's in pain, and she's outlasted the 3-6 months the docs gave her when they diagnosed her terminal cancer 8 months ago.
This could affect our plans to spend Christmas with my family - they live in the midwest, while MuMu & P live 5 or 6 hours' drive northeast of us. Depending on how much longer God gives MuMu, we might end up going north for a funeral before going west for Christmas (or post-Christmas), or cutting our midwest trip short to head back east for a funeral. Or MuMu might hang in there until after New Year's. As the Russian proverb says, God knows and he ain't tellin'! (OK, so it's a colloquial translation, but it made Mom laugh.)
Pray for us all - it's been a helluva year.
TW called home earlier this afternoon to let his brother know we were planning to come up for another visit next weekend, but he waved us off. MuMu is more & more out of it (she asked TW, again, how the kids are), so I guess P thinks she won't know us if we visit. From what TW relayed, it sounds like MuMu's decline is accelerating; last week, just making the short trip to the bathroom tired her enough that she needed oxygen for 5 or 10 minutes before returning to her recliner. She's weak, she's in pain, and she's outlasted the 3-6 months the docs gave her when they diagnosed her terminal cancer 8 months ago.
This could affect our plans to spend Christmas with my family - they live in the midwest, while MuMu & P live 5 or 6 hours' drive northeast of us. Depending on how much longer God gives MuMu, we might end up going north for a funeral before going west for Christmas (or post-Christmas), or cutting our midwest trip short to head back east for a funeral. Or MuMu might hang in there until after New Year's. As the Russian proverb says, God knows and he ain't tellin'! (OK, so it's a colloquial translation, but it made Mom laugh.)
Pray for us all - it's been a helluva year.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sick - phooey!
Started out as a normal day - got up, dragged my sleepy self into some clothes, fetched the paper... Then the bug hit - pesky little GI bug that had me making 5 or 6 trips to the bathroom in less than an hour. Thinking it was simply a matter of too much of a good thing at dinner last night, I debated going into work anyway - spent all day yesterday moving desks and getting reorganized, not doing any actual work - but decided not to risk it. That turned out to be the right decision, as I later realized I'm also running a low-grade fever.
I'm just glad I didn't get this last week - I would have had to pass on going to MuMu's for Thanksgiving, as I couldn't risk infecting her, or the Chief's brother, for that matter.
I had to cancel my voice lesson, which was disappointing, as I missed last week because we were headed for Thanksgiving with the Chief's family. Now it'll be a 3-week gap between lessons. At least it gives me more time to make duplicates of some of my repertory candidates, and maybe even work on memorizing some of 'em. Not today, though; I've got all the energy of an overcooked noodle.
And I find myself doing my usual: "I'm home today anyway, so I'll have time to do X and Y and Z." Time, yes; energy, no. As I have to remind myself, the reason I'm home is that I'm not up to working; that includes attempting to be productive at home.
I'm just glad I didn't get this last week - I would have had to pass on going to MuMu's for Thanksgiving, as I couldn't risk infecting her, or the Chief's brother, for that matter.
I had to cancel my voice lesson, which was disappointing, as I missed last week because we were headed for Thanksgiving with the Chief's family. Now it'll be a 3-week gap between lessons. At least it gives me more time to make duplicates of some of my repertory candidates, and maybe even work on memorizing some of 'em. Not today, though; I've got all the energy of an overcooked noodle.
And I find myself doing my usual: "I'm home today anyway, so I'll have time to do X and Y and Z." Time, yes; energy, no. As I have to remind myself, the reason I'm home is that I'm not up to working; that includes attempting to be productive at home.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Having fun dirtying dishes
Another food-producing weekend - salmon spread after we got home yesterday afternoon, with leftovers for dinner. Today was the big push - an "experimental" pot roast, testing how good it is without the 1750mg-of-sodium onion soup mix; butternut squash soup (huge batch - filled 5 4-cup containers, so 1.25 gallons); and pumpkin pie.
The pot roast had 1 lb. of mushrooms to about the same amount of meat - good gravy! It tasted different without the flavored-sodium "soup mix", but the mushrooms & canned (low-sodium) mushroom soup, we got a lot of great gravy. I also tried a slightly different cut of meat, with less fat; good choice. I'll have to remember to get the loin pot roast instead of chuck roast next time the Chief wants pot roast.
Tomorrow I'll make a batch of veggie-beef soup to use up the shredded cabbage I didn't use in the squash soup. Some of that will go to one of the neighbors, some to the freezer. If I had any yeast in the house, I'd be tempted to make some bread to go with it.
I shouldn't have to do much more than reheat stuff for dinner the rest of the week, as we now have enough food on hand for a siege: leftover pot roast from Monday, enough "experimental" pot roast for one person, a bit of turkey left over from Thanksgiving with the Chief's family, salmon spread, squash soup, veggie-beef soup by tomorrow night, and fixings for the usual "vat o' salad" that I take to work for lunch. And except for the pumpkin pie, it's all healthy, too!
The Chief spent at least 3 hours raking leaves, yet volunteered to do all the dishes I dirtied in the course of my cooking fit - what a guy!
The pot roast had 1 lb. of mushrooms to about the same amount of meat - good gravy! It tasted different without the flavored-sodium "soup mix", but the mushrooms & canned (low-sodium) mushroom soup, we got a lot of great gravy. I also tried a slightly different cut of meat, with less fat; good choice. I'll have to remember to get the loin pot roast instead of chuck roast next time the Chief wants pot roast.
Tomorrow I'll make a batch of veggie-beef soup to use up the shredded cabbage I didn't use in the squash soup. Some of that will go to one of the neighbors, some to the freezer. If I had any yeast in the house, I'd be tempted to make some bread to go with it.
I shouldn't have to do much more than reheat stuff for dinner the rest of the week, as we now have enough food on hand for a siege: leftover pot roast from Monday, enough "experimental" pot roast for one person, a bit of turkey left over from Thanksgiving with the Chief's family, salmon spread, squash soup, veggie-beef soup by tomorrow night, and fixings for the usual "vat o' salad" that I take to work for lunch. And except for the pumpkin pie, it's all healthy, too!
The Chief spent at least 3 hours raking leaves, yet volunteered to do all the dishes I dirtied in the course of my cooking fit - what a guy!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Kitchen diva
I spent most of Saturday in the kitchen - baked & pureed a pumpkin and 2 butternut squash, the usual vat o' salad for lunches, got a pot roast going in the crock pot. The pumpkin was particularly labor-intensive, as the strings & seeds didn't want to let go and the pumpkin "meat" was a little dry, making it harder to puree. It had a lovely deep color, though, so I'll be making a pumpkin pie next weekend. (That's the problem with going to someone else's house for Thanksgiving - no leftovers.)
The butternut squash were much more cooperative. They have far less to scrape out, for one thing, and these were just moist enough to puree beautifully. I'm looking forward to making soup with them this weekend and freezing at least half of it for future meals.
I always sautee the mushrooms that go into the pot roast, which makes the cooking meat smell even better. Between that and the baked squashes, our kitchen smelled very good indeed this weekend.
I think this coming weekend may rival it, though. The Chief wants me to try a low-sodium variation of the pot roast recipe (it's a huge favorite of his, so he won't suffer by having it again so soon), and of course I'm planning to make pumpkin pie and butternut squash soup. I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it. ;)
The butternut squash were much more cooperative. They have far less to scrape out, for one thing, and these were just moist enough to puree beautifully. I'm looking forward to making soup with them this weekend and freezing at least half of it for future meals.
I always sautee the mushrooms that go into the pot roast, which makes the cooking meat smell even better. Between that and the baked squashes, our kitchen smelled very good indeed this weekend.
I think this coming weekend may rival it, though. The Chief wants me to try a low-sodium variation of the pot roast recipe (it's a huge favorite of his, so he won't suffer by having it again so soon), and of course I'm planning to make pumpkin pie and butternut squash soup. I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it. ;)
Adventures in blocking
Yesterday was our first blocking rehearsal and our director decided to start out with some movement since, as she noted, auditions hadn't included a dance or movement sequence. A little bit of grapevine, then a bit of very basic charleston, in groups small enough that she could watch everyone in them. I was doing pretty well, but the soles on my character shoes were obviously slicker than I realized, as my left heel suddenly shot out from under me. It must have looked like something right out of an old cartoon - felt like my heel went forward and up! I landed on my left, er, padding and caught myself w/ my left hand. Hurt like crazy at first, but after a while I was OK. I took something for it last night and again this morning, just in case.
This afternoon, though, the wrist started getting a little achey so I stopped by a drugstore on the way home to get a brace. Nothing serious - no metal strips or anything like that - just enough to provide a little support and remind me to baby the wrist for a bit.
Who says rehearsals are boring? That little pratfall certainly got everyone stirred up! All the more reason to replace my character shoes, which have always made my feet hurt anyway. Next weekend's To Do list just got "Buy new character shoes" added to it.
This afternoon, though, the wrist started getting a little achey so I stopped by a drugstore on the way home to get a brace. Nothing serious - no metal strips or anything like that - just enough to provide a little support and remind me to baby the wrist for a bit.
Who says rehearsals are boring? That little pratfall certainly got everyone stirred up! All the more reason to replace my character shoes, which have always made my feet hurt anyway. Next weekend's To Do list just got "Buy new character shoes" added to it.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Methinks I need a copier.
I've recently bought several songs from musicnotes.com for potential audition, recital or "future reference" repertory pieces (I may yet put a cabaret together), and there's a how-to book of 1920s and 1930s hairstyles I want to download & print for LBH. Either I run to the local Kinko's competitor to make copies of some of these things and get the book printed & bound, or I invest in a better printer that will do 2-sided copies, among other things.
Oh. what a beautiful weekend!
The Chief & I got out to the cabin this weekend; first time I'd been there since the beginning of October. We had unseasonably mild weather - highs in the 60s! - and sun. Still a few leaves on most of the trees, with some sugar maples & burning bush retaining enough leaves to look spectacular in direct sunlight!
I treated myself to a much-needed massage on Saturday. I hadn't realized how knotted up I was until my favorite massage therapist started untying them; some of my muscles still ache a little from holding those knots for so long. I'm hoping to get out to the cabin again sometime in December, in which case I'll definitely try to book another massage. And maybe I'll get another one to get the new year off to a good start...
I also stopped by our nurseryman out there to get some more compost and have a bit of a visit.
The Chief & I did a bit of antiquing before evening mass, then ended up going out to dinner instead of having left-overs. He enjoyed his bison burger and I had a very good portobella cap sandwich with melted goat cheese and fried (!) spinach on it.
Today I headed home early enough to go over to DB's and help him get 250 spring bulbs into the ground; housewarming present for his new house. He said narcissi remind him of his mom, so it's a good thing we had more of those (63, assorted) than about anything else. I had also bought him 60 assorted crocus bulbs, 20 assorted mini-irises, 17 red tulips and 10 snowdrops. I told him I'll probably want to swing by several times during the spring to see how everything comes up. Several of the narcissus bulbs were doubles; as I told him, those are two-fers.
Still had plenty of daylight left when I zipped home to get a shower and some lunch before rehearsal. We sound pretty darn good already, and it's fun to watch our MD's face when we hit a particularly meaty passage - he lights up at the richness of the sound. Helping that is the fact that another show he's directing, which is in tech this week, has a much smaller cast and therefore a smaller sound.
I got home to find the Chief starting dinner (the leftovers we passed on last night), so we had a nice, cozy dinner a deux and a quiet evening at home. Lovely end to a lovely weekend.
I treated myself to a much-needed massage on Saturday. I hadn't realized how knotted up I was until my favorite massage therapist started untying them; some of my muscles still ache a little from holding those knots for so long. I'm hoping to get out to the cabin again sometime in December, in which case I'll definitely try to book another massage. And maybe I'll get another one to get the new year off to a good start...
I also stopped by our nurseryman out there to get some more compost and have a bit of a visit.
The Chief & I did a bit of antiquing before evening mass, then ended up going out to dinner instead of having left-overs. He enjoyed his bison burger and I had a very good portobella cap sandwich with melted goat cheese and fried (!) spinach on it.
Today I headed home early enough to go over to DB's and help him get 250 spring bulbs into the ground; housewarming present for his new house. He said narcissi remind him of his mom, so it's a good thing we had more of those (63, assorted) than about anything else. I had also bought him 60 assorted crocus bulbs, 20 assorted mini-irises, 17 red tulips and 10 snowdrops. I told him I'll probably want to swing by several times during the spring to see how everything comes up. Several of the narcissus bulbs were doubles; as I told him, those are two-fers.
Still had plenty of daylight left when I zipped home to get a shower and some lunch before rehearsal. We sound pretty darn good already, and it's fun to watch our MD's face when we hit a particularly meaty passage - he lights up at the richness of the sound. Helping that is the fact that another show he's directing, which is in tech this week, has a much smaller cast and therefore a smaller sound.
I got home to find the Chief starting dinner (the leftovers we passed on last night), so we had a nice, cozy dinner a deux and a quiet evening at home. Lovely end to a lovely weekend.
Monday, November 08, 2010
Does anyone know...
Does anyone happen to know how the Gallup pollsters managed to get my cellphone number when it's on the Do Not Call list? This is the first time I've gotten a call on that number that wasn't family, friends or the occasional wrong number. (There's this lovely woman somewhere in southern Virginia whose friend or relative has a number that's just one digit off mine. Every so often, she misdials and gets me instead.) I tried to cut the guy off politely - he's just doing his job, after all, and wasn't rude or otherwise ill-behaved - but I haven't slept well the past few nights because of this cold I'm getting, so it was hard not to get crabby about it.
What a lovely day for a stroll
Saturday was chilly but sunny so the Chief decided we should ignore our respective "honey do" lists and take a day trip, or at least a half-day trip. We ended up at one of the lovelier campuses in the area, though we couldn't tour the historic chapel because they seemed to be tag-teaming weddings in there. We did get to stroll past the older buildings, admire the "superintendent's" lovely gardens, watch a tour group led by a costumed docent, and treated ourselves to a nice lunch at a restaurant with pub aspirations and some excellent crab cakes. We got home in plenty of time for an early dinner and movie at home.
No, we haven't caught up on our domestic duties yet, but it was nice to kick off the traces and have a date.
No, we haven't caught up on our domestic duties yet, but it was nice to kick off the traces and have a date.
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