Wow, that was fast. Mom went in for a biopsy Wednesday morning, was admitted that night because she was having breathing problems. By Friday night they were talking metastasized cancer and hospice care. My brother called at noon on Saturday to say "Get on a plane!" and not 3 hours later, as the Chief was driving me to the airport, my sister called to say Mom had "let go of her body".
I was at the Grand Duke Sitz when my brother called, so as soon as I called the Chief and asked him to find me a flight, I told a few key people I was leaving immediately to pack and would let them know when I'd be back. The trip was surreal - mostly consisted of repeating "I can't believe she's gone."
We're all still in shock, trying to digest the fact that she isn't there any more. We just settled that the wake will be Tuesday night and the funeral Wednesday morning. The Chief is flying in tomorrow (he had stayed home, in case he got the same kind of call about his mom that I'd gotten about mine) and he & I will go home Thursday.
Did someone get the license numbers of that fleet of semis that just hit our family?
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Fun audition but not what I'd hoped for
Auditioned for Bye Bye Birdie last night. I thought the singing and reading went well, and the dance combo was fun. The director called a little bit ago and offered me the mayor's wife, essentially a named chorus role. Not a big enough role to make me want to do the show again, so I declined. There's only one more spring show out there that I want to audition for; at this rate, I may not be doing a spring show. Ah well, the Chief won't mind not being a Theater Widower.
Keep the prayers coming
It was bad enough knowing that the Chief's mom won't be with us much longer. We learned this afternoon that my mom went in for a liver biopsy yesterday morning, then started hyperventilating and had low oxygen levels. They ended up admitting her and will keep her until at least Monday for tests and to get her "vitals" back up to par. When I talked to Mom ever so briefly this afternoon, she sounded out of breath the whole time "because I'm so weak". Too weak to breathe easily?!? Not good! The docs still don't know why she's been so uncomfortable and fatigued, and has also lost her appetite. Please add my mom to your prayer list.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Time for a new vacuum...
Last night the Chief and I moved the dining room table so the electrician could check the wiring for the fan (the power on one circuit shorted out last week). I wanted to vacuum the rug before we rolled it up out of the way - the deep-red carpet was almost pink in places, there was so much dust! - only to find that our vacuum doesn't suck. Even after we checked the bag and cleaned the beater brush, it still just moved the dirt around instead of picking it up. The Chief has been talking for a while about getting a new vacuum; looks like that's gonna hafta happen sooner than we thought.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Funny birds
Yesterday en route to rehearsal, I passed the huge swath of open space in front of the nearby university. As I approached, it looked like there were the usual flocks of Canada geese, but in "serried ranks assembled". As I went past, I could see a long, wide swath of green, presumably over a steam tunnel. That green swath was packed with geese over most or all of its considerable length. Those birds are no dummies - why freeze their tailfeathers sitting on snow when there was a warmer, green place to sit!
The other day I looked out onto the back deck to see at least 5 or 6 robins out there, sipping at the water dripping off the back gutters. Their feathers were all puffed up against the cold, making them look at least half again as large, and you could almost see the poor things shivering. I wanted to get a picture but something scared them off before I got to my camera. Or maybe they were camera-shy.
The other day I looked out onto the back deck to see at least 5 or 6 robins out there, sipping at the water dripping off the back gutters. Their feathers were all puffed up against the cold, making them look at least half again as large, and you could almost see the poor things shivering. I wanted to get a picture but something scared them off before I got to my camera. Or maybe they were camera-shy.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
We're rehearsing again - hallelujah!
Last night we had our first rehearsal in two weeks, and it was SUCH a good feeling! We were all a bit disoriented, I think, and had forgotten a lot, of course, but it was lovely to get to run the music and blocking, review stage business, talk props & costumes, and generally try to get this show on its feet again.
Today we had a marathon 7-hour rehearsal in an attempt to regain lost ground. We worked through the entire show, fixing and tweaking here, reviewing and woodshedding there. Near the end, the director announced that we were in good shape, considering the unplanned hiatus, and that she felt confident we'll be just fine come opening night.
Tomorrow we work the Act I and II finales and one or two other numbers with more complicated movement. Then we have just 3 more rehearsals before the Sitzprobe next Saturday, load-in and cue-to-cue Sunday, then the marathon rehearsals.
Our costumer just learned she has to be out of town for work for part of Tech Week and asked me to help organize the costume situation in her absence. I said yes because I like that sorta thing, I've worked with her on several shows and know how she works, and - this is the most important factor - she assured me she'd get all the major pieces done beforehand and would send me a detailed costume plot. Wish us luck!
Today we had a marathon 7-hour rehearsal in an attempt to regain lost ground. We worked through the entire show, fixing and tweaking here, reviewing and woodshedding there. Near the end, the director announced that we were in good shape, considering the unplanned hiatus, and that she felt confident we'll be just fine come opening night.
Tomorrow we work the Act I and II finales and one or two other numbers with more complicated movement. Then we have just 3 more rehearsals before the Sitzprobe next Saturday, load-in and cue-to-cue Sunday, then the marathon rehearsals.
Our costumer just learned she has to be out of town for work for part of Tech Week and asked me to help organize the costume situation in her absence. I said yes because I like that sorta thing, I've worked with her on several shows and know how she works, and - this is the most important factor - she assured me she'd get all the major pieces done beforehand and would send me a detailed costume plot. Wish us luck!
update on the once-and-future bathroom
The ridiculously heavy snowfalls slowed the work on the bathroom but didn't stop it entirely. The Chief and BT, our contractor, have now got all the "mud" on the walls, picked up all the moldings and trim, and have the picture rail and crown molding up on all but one corner, that being the corner that needs a bit more detailed cutting to turn the corners. BT apparently teased the Chief that once this bathroom is finally finished, we'll use it more than the back bathroom (the one right across from our bedroom) because it'll be so much nicer. The Chief was commenting that it's already warmer than the back bathroom because they packed the walls with so much insulation before they put up the new drywall.
The nice thing is that work is resuming in earnest. The electrician comes Monday to install the light over the shower, the heat lamp and the fixture over the medicine cabinet, and the painting can start as soon as the last of the molding goes up. I'm not sure at what stage BT will install the new framing around the window; hope it's soon, as that will go a long way toward making this look more finished and less like a construction zone.
Even though it'll be at least another couple of weeks before it's all done (the tiling alone will need at least 3 days, and the sink & toilet can't go in until after the tile is finished), I can finally see light at the end of that particular tunnel. In a burst of optimism, I even ordered color swatches for the new towels the Chief wants for the "new" bathroom.
And once the front bathroom is done, we start tearing apart the library so BT can replace the current closet with a properly built one and do that wall of built-in bookshelves. I'm hoping that phase won't take as long. Having to box up all my books and music for the duration will mean having to reorganize the books, which have gotten rather jumbled. I'll also want to figure out how best to organize my music, which currently is just grouped together in the same general area, with most of the church music together, possible audition or repertory pieces in the same stack, and so on. Ideally, once all is said and done, I might actually be able to find things without having to dig through a stack or shelf of random, loose sheet music. (I can dream...!)
The nice thing is that work is resuming in earnest. The electrician comes Monday to install the light over the shower, the heat lamp and the fixture over the medicine cabinet, and the painting can start as soon as the last of the molding goes up. I'm not sure at what stage BT will install the new framing around the window; hope it's soon, as that will go a long way toward making this look more finished and less like a construction zone.
Even though it'll be at least another couple of weeks before it's all done (the tiling alone will need at least 3 days, and the sink & toilet can't go in until after the tile is finished), I can finally see light at the end of that particular tunnel. In a burst of optimism, I even ordered color swatches for the new towels the Chief wants for the "new" bathroom.
And once the front bathroom is done, we start tearing apart the library so BT can replace the current closet with a properly built one and do that wall of built-in bookshelves. I'm hoping that phase won't take as long. Having to box up all my books and music for the duration will mean having to reorganize the books, which have gotten rather jumbled. I'll also want to figure out how best to organize my music, which currently is just grouped together in the same general area, with most of the church music together, possible audition or repertory pieces in the same stack, and so on. Ideally, once all is said and done, I might actually be able to find things without having to dig through a stack or shelf of random, loose sheet music. (I can dream...!)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Snowverkill
Since Friday we've gotten over 3 feet of snow. Feet. In an area where snowfall is measured in inches, usually 4 or less. Work is closed again today, which means I've missed the first 4 days of my 2-week class, and no telling whether they'll be dug out enough to open tomorrow. After all, even if you've got the equipment to get all this stuff out of the way, where on earth are ya gonna put it all? Even if you could get it to a nearby stream or other waterway, those waterways are already full to overflowing. At this rate, it'll take until at least April to get rid of all this mess, even if we don't get another flake, and Monday's forecast is for a 50% chance of additional snow.
I've done enough baking that I'm hitting bottom on both the flour and sugar canisters. We'll run out of milk tomorrow or Saturday, although we have enough of everything else that we're in no danger of starving. Good thing we have all these leftovers, as I'm actually getting tired of cooking and starting to look forward to a meal I don't have to cook or clean up after. (I hadn't realized how much eating out we do until we couldn't do any at all.)
Today will probably be a heavy-duty Grand Duke day - listening to all the choruses repeatedly, reviewing blocking notes, etc. Can't practice the choreo, as there's no room, between the construction equipment and snow removal gear, but I can mark it.
I've done enough baking that I'm hitting bottom on both the flour and sugar canisters. We'll run out of milk tomorrow or Saturday, although we have enough of everything else that we're in no danger of starving. Good thing we have all these leftovers, as I'm actually getting tired of cooking and starting to look forward to a meal I don't have to cook or clean up after. (I hadn't realized how much eating out we do until we couldn't do any at all.)
Today will probably be a heavy-duty Grand Duke day - listening to all the choruses repeatedly, reviewing blocking notes, etc. Can't practice the choreo, as there's no room, between the construction equipment and snow removal gear, but I can mark it.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Uh oh...
In baking the apple cake, I realized I'm down to the bottom of our flour supply, and very close to the bottom of the sugar. No more baking from scratch until we can get out to make another grocery run. Yes, we could do mixes if we were truly desperate, at least until the eggs run out, and maybe I will pull out that box of gingerbread mix (lovely warm, with applesauce on top) but suddenly we feel like we're living close to the (baking) edge.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Shifting "domestic goddess" gears
In a slight shift of domestic gears, I only fixed a batch of Moroccan carrot salad (with this morning's infusion of carrots; the ones bought last week were long since gone into soup) and a batch of brownie mix. We're down to a single slice of mince pie, so I'll probably make an apple cake tomorrow with the apples we bought this morning.
In a switch from cooking to sewing, I made a petticoat to go under the dirndl-style dress I may be contributing to the Grand Duke costume mix. (The couple of pettis I already have are too long.)
Which has me wondering just how many pettis I've made over the years? I made at least two sets of tiered petticoats* when I was in the Hungarian folk dance troupe, and this is at least the 2nd petti I've made on my own initiative for a stage costume. If you add in pettis made to go under ballgowns for Merry Widow or Die Fledermaus, the number goes up considerably, as I've made at least 3 or 4 "bustle pettis".
Lest you think I'm still strictly housebound, my asthma is back under control at last, so I grabbed a shovel and excavated a path to the recycling and trash bins. Took a bit of doing, as I had to work past my car, which is still only partially cleared, and I discovered several bags of construction debris which were in the way, but now we can take the trash (and its smell) outside. While I was at it, I also liberated the lower branches of the dogwood tree on that side of the house. Poor tree was quite badly weighed down. Fortunately, it only lost a few small branches.
* These were some pretty substantial pettis. These had an upper & lower tier; the bottom one, worn closest to the body, had 4 yards of fabric in the upper tier and 8 yards in the lower tier. The next petti had 5 and 10 yards, and the top petti had 6 and 12 yards. And they only came to just above the knee. Check out that silhouette! (These are from Voivodina, now part of Serbia.)
In a switch from cooking to sewing, I made a petticoat to go under the dirndl-style dress I may be contributing to the Grand Duke costume mix. (The couple of pettis I already have are too long.)
Which has me wondering just how many pettis I've made over the years? I made at least two sets of tiered petticoats* when I was in the Hungarian folk dance troupe, and this is at least the 2nd petti I've made on my own initiative for a stage costume. If you add in pettis made to go under ballgowns for Merry Widow or Die Fledermaus, the number goes up considerably, as I've made at least 3 or 4 "bustle pettis".
Lest you think I'm still strictly housebound, my asthma is back under control at last, so I grabbed a shovel and excavated a path to the recycling and trash bins. Took a bit of doing, as I had to work past my car, which is still only partially cleared, and I discovered several bags of construction debris which were in the way, but now we can take the trash (and its smell) outside. While I was at it, I also liberated the lower branches of the dogwood tree on that side of the house. Poor tree was quite badly weighed down. Fortunately, it only lost a few small branches.
* These were some pretty substantial pettis. These had an upper & lower tier; the bottom one, worn closest to the body, had 4 yards of fabric in the upper tier and 8 yards in the lower tier. The next petti had 5 and 10 yards, and the top petti had 6 and 12 yards. And they only came to just above the knee. Check out that silhouette! (These are from Voivodina, now part of Serbia.)
Small victories
The Chief and I drove to the commissary this morning to restock a few things They opened almost an hour late because they had to wait for employees to get there to stock shelves and such, but they were open and they had milk, some fresh produce, and all but one other item on our list.
We also topped up the gas tank, bought gas for the snowblower, mailed off a coupla catalog returns, and found out just how poorly some of the roads had been cleared. Some major, 3-lane roads had only 2 or even a single clear lane, and one main artery was so patchily "cleared" that it was worse than some muddy dirt roads I've traveled.
We also topped up the gas tank, bought gas for the snowblower, mailed off a coupla catalog returns, and found out just how poorly some of the roads had been cleared. Some major, 3-lane roads had only 2 or even a single clear lane, and one main artery was so patchily "cleared" that it was worse than some muddy dirt roads I've traveled.
Such a deal!
Finally got around to logging on to the Metropolitan Museum's catalog to buy some half-price Christmas cards, only to find that they've been further reduced - some of the cards that retail for $17.95 a box are now going for only $4.49. The 5 boxes I just bought cost only $30 shipped - gotta love it.
Monday, February 08, 2010
This kind of gray hair washes away.
The Chief was priming the walls of the once-and-future bathroom and managed to paint himself a little white stripe along the top of his head. He was busy in there today - did a bit of sanding, then the priming.
No, no more snow!
Oh just lovely. The National Weather Service warns that we've got yet another winter storm headed our way. They're claiming this one is likely to dump at least another 7" of snow, possibly as much as 10" or more, between Tuesday and Wednesday. Rehearsals for those nights have already been cancelled; this is getting ridiculous! We may have to lay on 8-hour rehearsals this coming weekend in hopes of making up some of the time we've lost. Pray for our director's sanity - she's probably bald from pulling her hair out!
The Chief is planning a grocery run tomorrow to restock the things we're running low on. I'm crossing my fingers that they'll have gotten deliveries of milk and such so that the shelves won't be bare when he gets there.
OK, Mother Nature, what on earth did we do to get you so pissed off and how can we make amends?
The Chief is planning a grocery run tomorrow to restock the things we're running low on. I'm crossing my fingers that they'll have gotten deliveries of milk and such so that the shelves won't be bare when he gets there.
OK, Mother Nature, what on earth did we do to get you so pissed off and how can we make amends?
"Blue skies, smiling at me"
The sun is shining from a nearly cloud-free, blue sky and its light is just about blinding off all this snow. It'll probably melt at least a little - thank goodness the neighborhood shovelers got down to bare pavement, or nearly, yesterday - but I can't help but wonder how the roads are. Work is closed today and tonight's rehearsal is principals-only, so no need for me to venture out just yet. I would like to, if only to get some pictures - the icicles hanging off our gutters look like huge fangs. My asthma numbers are better, so I might bundle up and go out, if only to ease the cabin fever a little.
Sunday, February 07, 2010
No surprise
No surprise that today's make-up rehearsal is canceled, given that we've all gotten over 2 feet of snow. Some of us live in areas with official totals over 30 inches, and none of us got less than 2 feet. I just hope things get dug out enough that we can get to a rehearsal tomorrow night. At least we'll have plenty of time to go over music and review blocking & choreography notes, since none of us can go anywhere yet. Well, assuming people aren't too worn out from shoveling...
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood
Actually, it's a gorgeous day in the neighborhood! Bitter cold (up to the mid-20s as of 11 this morning) but the sun is shining and sparkling off all the 2+ feet of snow the "blizzard of 2010" dropped on us.
The Chief is outside, renewing the attack with shovel and snowblower, along with a couple of neighbors, as they try to dig out cars, widen sidewalks, and make sure both ailing, elderly neighbors are dug out. We've been very lucky with our neighbors - most of 'em are conscientious and able-bodied and were out at least a couple of times yesterday to make sure the snowfall didn't get too far ahead of the digging out. And everyone who went out did at least at least their adjacent neighbors, which means our block isn't too bad.
The biggest problem with this kind of snowfall is a logistical one - when you dig out, where the heck do you put all that snow?!? Our yards aren't all that big so they're gonna fill up fast. The mounds along the driveways and sidewalks are already at least waist-high, and they're still digging out. Worse, the forecast for Tuesday night still includes snow, as if we haven't had enough, and more than enough, already.
The Chief was able to determine that our dryer vent is clear, so it's safe to throw his wet things in the dryer. Yesterday we didn't know that, so he had his many layers hung up in the bathroom and shut in with the space heater. My, that bathroom was warm & toasty! I just worry about all the snowblower fumes he's been inhaling; wonder if drinking lots and lots of water will help, or should he be doing something else...?
My asthma's still being uncooperative. I resent the way it's making me feel like an invalid, so I'm trying to make up for it by cooking like crazy - gotta keep my Knight in Snowy Armor well fed - and today will probably try to get some laundry done, now that I know it's safe to run the dryer.
The Chief is outside, renewing the attack with shovel and snowblower, along with a couple of neighbors, as they try to dig out cars, widen sidewalks, and make sure both ailing, elderly neighbors are dug out. We've been very lucky with our neighbors - most of 'em are conscientious and able-bodied and were out at least a couple of times yesterday to make sure the snowfall didn't get too far ahead of the digging out. And everyone who went out did at least at least their adjacent neighbors, which means our block isn't too bad.
The biggest problem with this kind of snowfall is a logistical one - when you dig out, where the heck do you put all that snow?!? Our yards aren't all that big so they're gonna fill up fast. The mounds along the driveways and sidewalks are already at least waist-high, and they're still digging out. Worse, the forecast for Tuesday night still includes snow, as if we haven't had enough, and more than enough, already.
The Chief was able to determine that our dryer vent is clear, so it's safe to throw his wet things in the dryer. Yesterday we didn't know that, so he had his many layers hung up in the bathroom and shut in with the space heater. My, that bathroom was warm & toasty! I just worry about all the snowblower fumes he's been inhaling; wonder if drinking lots and lots of water will help, or should he be doing something else...?
My asthma's still being uncooperative. I resent the way it's making me feel like an invalid, so I'm trying to make up for it by cooking like crazy - gotta keep my Knight in Snowy Armor well fed - and today will probably try to get some laundry done, now that I know it's safe to run the dryer.
In case anyone was wondering
Yesterday's cooking bout produced the following:
Hungry and don't feel like cooking? If you can get to our house, we've got plenty of food! :-)
- a BIG pot of vegetable-beef soup with lotsa great oxtail stock from simmering on the stove for 6+ hours;
- a huge vat o' salad, so all we have to do is throw it in a bowl;
- rinsed grapes, picked from the stems and added to the collection of tupperware in the fridge;
- a single batch of hummus; and
- a double batch of salmon spread.
Hungry and don't feel like cooking? If you can get to our house, we've got plenty of food! :-)
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Just keep praying...
We finally got a chance to talk to the Chief's brother today; the docs give their mom 3-6 months. They're arranging for in-home hospice care, but my BIL was waiting for a call back from the social worker so we kept it short. The Chief & I still need to learn whether there's anything we can do to help, what they can do for her, etc.
As if that weren't enough, I learned yesterday that my mom had a CAT scan yesterday in hopes of learning why the serious back pain she had in September is not going away, and why she's had such lingering fatigue since before Christmas. No telling how long it will take to get the results read, but we can't help but remember that this is how they found mom's lymphoma a few years back (long-term, unexplained pain and fatigue). As a result, my sister the occupational therapist (OT), who's working on her PhD in a gerontology specialty, is trying to make sure all 5 of us siblings have all the same information about our parents' health, their decisions about extreme medical care, burial arrangements, whether and where they'd want to move if they find themselves widowed... Not fun, but if we think about it now, when we have time to get details from Mom & Dad and make sure everything is written down and shared among all of us, that'll be so much better than having to make those decisions while trying to accept their serious illness or death.
With that news, and 2 feet of snow and counting, and my asthma trying to get worse instead of better, well, I could sure do with some spring right now! I had Beethoven's 6th on while assembling veggie-beef soup, but the Pastoral wasn't quite enough, when I can still see way too much snow out the windows.
As if that weren't enough, I learned yesterday that my mom had a CAT scan yesterday in hopes of learning why the serious back pain she had in September is not going away, and why she's had such lingering fatigue since before Christmas. No telling how long it will take to get the results read, but we can't help but remember that this is how they found mom's lymphoma a few years back (long-term, unexplained pain and fatigue). As a result, my sister the occupational therapist (OT), who's working on her PhD in a gerontology specialty, is trying to make sure all 5 of us siblings have all the same information about our parents' health, their decisions about extreme medical care, burial arrangements, whether and where they'd want to move if they find themselves widowed... Not fun, but if we think about it now, when we have time to get details from Mom & Dad and make sure everything is written down and shared among all of us, that'll be so much better than having to make those decisions while trying to accept their serious illness or death.
With that news, and 2 feet of snow and counting, and my asthma trying to get worse instead of better, well, I could sure do with some spring right now! I had Beethoven's 6th on while assembling veggie-beef soup, but the Pastoral wasn't quite enough, when I can still see way too much snow out the windows.
This bathroom will be done eventually...
But it'll be at least another coupla weeks. The tiler won't be coming until the 22nd, and the tile laying is apparently a 3-day process - wall prepped day one, tile up and grouted day two, then finish work on day 3. And only once the tile is finished can the toilet & sink go in.
At least the Chief & our contractor can do other things. The electrician is coming this week to install the lights: one over the shower, a heat lamp, and the fixture going in over the medicine cabinet. Which will also go in sometime this week. Not sure when the new shower curtain rod (which we still have to order) will go in, but it hangs from the ceiling, so it can go in anytime after the ceiling paint dries.
The Chief plans to pick up the paint this week for the walls and moldings, of which we'll have 4 rows - baseboard, "chair rail", "picture rail" (don't ask!) and a little bit of crown molding. The baseboard will probably be a medium/dark blue with a lighter-blue accent, while the rest of the molding will be white. The walls will be shades of yellow: palest between the crown molding & picture rail, somewhat yellower between the picture & chair rails, and the yellowest paint below the chair rail.
At least the Chief & our contractor can do other things. The electrician is coming this week to install the lights: one over the shower, a heat lamp, and the fixture going in over the medicine cabinet. Which will also go in sometime this week. Not sure when the new shower curtain rod (which we still have to order) will go in, but it hangs from the ceiling, so it can go in anytime after the ceiling paint dries.
The Chief plans to pick up the paint this week for the walls and moldings, of which we'll have 4 rows - baseboard, "chair rail", "picture rail" (don't ask!) and a little bit of crown molding. The baseboard will probably be a medium/dark blue with a lighter-blue accent, while the rest of the molding will be white. The walls will be shades of yellow: palest between the crown molding & picture rail, somewhat yellower between the picture & chair rails, and the yellowest paint below the chair rail.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)