An Education

So on Saturday, it was a really pretty day. I was driving around, doing errands, and singing along to my voice lesson tape.
Now, when I'm driving through a residential or slow-speed area, and I want to sing, I put the windows up. I like my voice, but the rest of the world might not. And while I think Broadway cast recordings of GOOD shows should be required listening, I realize (alas) that everyone does not feel that way.
So, I was driving home from getting groceries. I turned onto my street and put up my windows so I could sing a bit of French aria. I really like this piece, was greatly enjoying singing it in the sunshine.
A few neighbors were out, including a guy who has a woodworking shop in one of the garages.
I pulled into a parking spot--and realized my sunroof had been open.
The neighborhood had indeed been treated to some French aria.
Whoops.

High-sterical

This review of Avatar. 

1,000 words

This really sums up my feeling toward the morning:

Dinner with the Chief Justice

A fun story for your Tuesday:

October 26, 2009, 10:05 AM

Waiter, There’s a Gavel in My Soup

By GAY TALESE

My writer friend Sidney Offit and I were dining at Lumi’s on 70th Street and Lexington Avenue on Saturday night with our mutual friend, the enduringly beautiful 78-year-old modelCarmen Dell’Orefice; and seated next to our table, quietly engaged in conversation with his wife, Jane, while sipping red wine, was the chief justice of the United States, John G. Roberts Jr.

Although it was raining heavily outside — so much so that the Yankees‘ playoff game at the stadium was called off — Lumi’s restaurant had few cancellations, and every table was occupied when the chief justice and Mrs. Roberts arrived to receive, as is standard in New York, barely a nod of recognition from the onlookers and not a trace of effusion from the waiters, most particularly those who lent service to the justice. It is one of those clichés in Manhattan to remark upon the restaurant population’s indifference to celebrities of any kind, ever.

We at our table, true to form, paid the Roberts couple no mind, although after two hours of pretending not to notice them, we were certainly respectful (and grateful) when, as they stood to leave, the chief justice himself said: “Excuse me, but we cannot possibly finish this wonderful bottle of wine, and I wonder if you’d like to try it.”

“Oh, thank you, Mr. Chief Justice,’’ I replied, and then added my own admonishment (how brazen of me!) “… but only if you’ll sign the label.’’

Unhesitatingly, Chief Justice Roberts removed from his jacket pocket a ballpoint pen, and scribbled on the label his name: “John Roberts.’’

After they had left, and we were about to leave, I handed the autographed (half-empty) bottle to Carmen. She was pleased to carry it home. On the label read “Chianti Classico 2005,” from Villa Mangiacane.

“It’s from Firenze,’’ she explained, adding that this is the region of her ancestry. She had a renowned uncle from there, she went on to say — Enzo Dell’Orefice, a voice coach who tutored Caruso.

Some cuteness for your Friday

We had a guinea pig for a pet when I was growing up, but it was more my brother's than mine. I always wanted either a horse or a cocker spaniel.

Of course, this guy would've fit right in with all my stuffed bunnies:

I mean, for real--how cute is this?

Funny

OK, OK, I KNOW that it's only week one, and there's a lot of football left. But this just struck me as funny:

Cleveland Browns. Oh, how I loved you in the first half, you scrappy little Cleveland Browns. All these pregame talk was, "Oh, Favre is a captain for the Vikings already, he gives the Vikings a new swagger, they already have Adrian Peterson and a tough, tough defense and they should be great! And Eric Mangini has all the Browns miserable and none of their players are very good," and blah blah blah.

But the Brownies came out, middle fingers extended to the haters, and they played their little orange hearts out. They held Adrian Peterson to 2.8 yards per carry in the first half, Favre was a total non-factor, and they held the lead at halftime. They were Week 1 Cinderellas.

But then the universe righted itself in the second half, Peterson started burning through the Browns defense like they weren't there, and for the final thirty minutes of the game, Cleveland resumed being Cleveland. It was fun while it lasted, though.

The Internet Happy Box

Here we are all happiness and light. (Most of the time)

Because I can...

(And it's Monday)

A facebook note:

1. Who was your FIRST prom date?
Never had one. Sigh.

2. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
Rarely.

3. What was your 1st alcoholic drink?
Does communion wine count?

4. Who was your FIRST kiss?
Real one--James. Real, but onstage: Dominic.

5. What was your FIRST job?
baby-sitting. FIrst job w/ taxes--the concession stand at the Swim Club

6. What was your FIRST car?
1995 Honda Civic EX 4 door

7. Who was the FIRST person to text you today?
Ha! no one has yet.

8. Who is the FIRST person you thought of this morning?
That shall remain unsaid. :)

9. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
Mrs. Lewis

10. Where was your FIRST apartment or place of your own?
The one I'm in right now.

11. your FIRST ride on an airplane?
When I was about a year old, to Maryland.

12. Who was your FIRST best friend & do you still talk?
Anne Neighbor, and yes.

13. Where was your FIRST sleep over?
Probably Anne's.

14. Who was the FIRST person you talked to today?
Christine @ work

15. Whose wedding were you in the FIRST time?
My Aunt Patty's. Flower girl.

16. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
Hit the snooze button.

17. What was the FIRST concert you ever went to?
Probably Sesame Street Live! when I was five.

18. FIRST tattoo?
Um...none.

19. First piercing?
My ears, when I was about eight.

20. First foreign country you've been to?

Haven't done it yet.

21. FIRST movie you remember seeing?
The Great Mouse Detective

22. When was your FIRST detention?
In fifth grade, for handing in a homework slip late. (Yes, it was THAT dumb).

23. What was the first state/province you lived in?
Only lived in OH, baby.

24. Who was your FIRST roommate?
Brooke....something?

25. What was your FIRST "bad" word?
I used to think "Ass" in "What Child Is This?" was a bad word.

26. What was your FIRST broken bone?
my right humerus, second grade. Gloves and wet monkey bars do not mix

27. When did you lose your FIRST tooth?

Disney World! At breakfast!

28. If you had one wish, what would it be?
To become a world famous actress.

29. What is something you would learn if you had the time?
The violin, and Russian

30. Who do you think will be the next person to post this?
No idea. But it's fun!

Seven Quick Takes Friday--Vol. VII

I.

It's been a pretty slow blogging week, but I have been busy reading, packing and going to the gym. The gym is getting better--I actually enjoy going. How weird is that?

II.

My four year anniversary is tomorrow. For links to the other anniversaries, see sidebar. I will, of course, have more on this tomorrow.

III.

At the actual time of my call (around 9:00 pm EST), I may not actually be here (as in, my apartment, near Widget the MacBook). I may still be on my first date with a new guy.

IV.

Do men ever realize how much work the first date entails? Right now I am filling up my bathtub in order to have very clean hair, very clean and smooth skin, and a facial-ed face. I probably will not paint my nails, but I will file and buff them so they at least look presentable, and not the normal wreck they are. And that's just the prelims! Then there's clothes--what the heck do I wear?--, jewelry (if any), and then make-up application, which must be perfect. Then you have the perfume question--perfume? Eau de toilette? Bath and Body Works body splash? It's 90 degrees here. Probably thinking body splash.

V.

We're going to dinner. So then there's the "what do I drink? Will Diet Coke make me look like a kid? Do I order wine? What if he orders wine? Who pays for the meal?"

VI.

Arranged marriages are looking pretty good right now. Not scary arranged marriages, but arranged marriages like in Sleeping Beauty.

VII.

So that's my night. Preparing for a date, the date, and then the post-date.

Have a good weekend, y'all.

Today's very funny Pearls

OK you have to click on it to get the whole thing, because my browser hates me...

The revolution in Iran will be lead by...

Brutus Buckeye? 

Hi-sterical

Your daily dose of funny here. 

Peace Rules

This is one of the best things ever. Go get one. 

Bookshelf: The Sun Also Rises

I just finished my first Hemingway novel, The Sun Also Rises. Yes, OK, I should have read Hemimgway eons ago but I didn't get around to it, and it didn't sound very promising. I mean, come on, The Old Man and the Sea? It just sounded like....not so much.
So, with some birthday money I accrued, I went to B&N and picked up a few books, including this one. It was time to actually read it.
Jake's Catholicism was an interesting thread to the story. At first blush you wouldn't think any of these characters are religious. But Jake, we discover, is, and it's an interesting flavor in the novel. Brett is interested in his religion, but in a voyeuristic way (for example, when she says she wants to hear him go to confession). It's fascinating. I didn't know anything about this before I picked it up (the only thing I knew was bullfighting was involved), so I was really interested in this (obviously). When I go back through it I will have to read these parts more closely, and see if there is anything I may have missed in my first go-round.
My favorite character was Bill, Jake's friend from America, who provides the light-heartedness in the novel. Some of my favorite quotes from him:

"Have it your way. Road to hell paved with unbought stuffed dogs. Not my fault."
"Direct action...it beats legislation."
(Jake speaking) " I wonder what day God created the chicken."
"Oh," said Bill, sucking the drumstick, " how should we know? We should not question. Our stay on Earth is not for long. Let us rejoice and give thanks."

The bullfighting scenes are also wonderful. The only thing I remembered about bullfighting was from second grade Spanish class, so this was a good reminder of the logistics of bullfighting.
Anyway, if you're going to start with Hemingway, I would start with this.

Huh

You Are The Brain

You're the type of person who's always on, always churning. You are alert and quick to react. You like to stay busy. You are responsible but also demanding. You take up a lot of energy. You are someone of deep mystery. There's a lot below the surface that's hard to figure out.

What Internal Organ Are You?

The ecstasy and....the comedy.

Tech day three!!! (And fancy color font to celebrate!)
FIRST, the "ecstasy" (These are all Frank quotes)

"Things are looking really, really great."
" 'Old Red Hills' is beautiful"
"Funeral scene is just chilling."
And, my personal favorite: "The factory girls were really nice."

YAY!!! (play the harp and blow the trumpet, or whatever)

The comedy:
*All of us turning upstage at the end of "How Can I Call This Home?" and then stopping very, very short as we realizes the float was in front of us. So I was squished into Dani, with Aaron basically in between my shoulder blades. Good times!

The tragicomedy:
*the hanging scene (which, trust me, will make you just bawl)--Aaron has to put the noose around Jon (Leo's) neck. This was the first time we'd rehearsed with the actual noose, and Aaron made it tight. So tight that if Jonathan (Frankie) had really kicked out the stool beneath him, Jon would've been in a tight spot. During notes, Frank says to Aaron: "Aaron, don't tie the noose so tight!" Jon nodded emphatically and we laughed. We don't really want to kill Jon. That would be sad.

Tomorrow night we do one of my favorite theatrical things: The choreography of curtain call.

OK ONE more...

Some funny things that happened:

*Jon didn't get one of his quick changes done in time, so he came on for the trial with his shirt misbuttoned, no tie, and his suspenders down. It was a riot. Well, OK, maybe not for him. He needs a quick-change person (like Jaylene in J&H).

*We forgot the order of the lyrics for "Where will you stand?" and therefore COMBINE verses into one very bad verse whilst circling the float.

*The tray carrying the champagne glasses was dropped not once, but twice--one of those being on stage.

*Bill (who plays Watson) had another quick change mishap, from convict ("Feel the Rain Fall") to rabid publisher ("Where Will You Stand?"). So the orchestra and the governor (Randy) sort of looked at each other and went on. Bill rushed on stage (fully costumed) and caught up.

"Hey, can we stop the motorcade?"

"The baby needs some diapers."

The tale of the bouquet

Above: the reception hall for Justin and Lisa's wedding, Rochester Convention Center

So, at the wedding last weekend, there was, as usual, the bouquet toss. Normally, I'm a fan of this, since I like to watch people act crazy over a few flowers, and, at this point, I need some luck in the relationship department. 

So my cousin Cheryl shooes me and her two daughter, Jackie (16) and Gillian (12) over to the dance floor. We get there right as the bouquet is being tossed, and it lands at Jackie's feet. She manages to pick it up before one of the more--energetic--wedding guests tries to take it from her. 

Jackie looks at the small bouquet of peach roses. "What do I do with it?" She asks me. 

"Nothing. It means that you're going to get married next."

A look of horror crossed her face and she thrust the flowers at me. "No way! I don't want to get married!"

(When I told her parents this, they were very excited.)

I took the bouquet and walked back to the table, thinking I was done.

Oh no. 

Not even close. 

Apparently I am the only person on the planet who didn't know that the woman who caught the bouquet had the bride's garter put on her--by the guy who caught it. 

Um, huh. 

So I head back toward the dance floor. The guy who caught it (I didn't get his name), looked about my age, and looked Italian--dark hair, dark eyes. He was also a bit of a ham (like my brother). So he takes my hands and sits me down in a chair on the dance floor. 

"I'm glad my father isn't watching this," I told him. He winked. 

The garter went about three inches above my left knee, safely above my hemline. It felt rather odd. He was there with a date, so that was the end of our "relationship", but, apparently, he thought I was younger than I really was (according to my aunt). 

I was older than the bride by six months. 

I wasn't quite sure how to take that. I guess it's good to look younger than my age. I am starting to appreciate it. But still!

The Lipstick-wearing hockey mom

From Nutmeg