you got me….

Ok, buddies, I do so want to write about my work, but will not.  So there.

This morning on the way to work, nearly broke into tears.  Heard a song I haven’t heard for yonks. You all know it.  If you say you have never heard it, I won’t believe you.  Here….

You know…. I never thought of him as a handsome young man back then.  The most important thing about him was his music — and the TJB, of course.

oh dearie deary dum deary dee.  Today, young Herb is 74 years old.  2009 brought the release of a new album from Herb and his wife, Lani Hall, who has endured the years with him since 1974.

Getting very tired of traffic in this very large town.  Wanted to do some last minute shopping before the trip. So many cars, I could hardly stand driving home.  Stopped at Eagle BBQ on Folsom Boulevard and got a baked potato filled with all kinds of stuff — or is it stuffed with all kinds of filling.  Either way, at $1.99 plus tax you can live on the things.  And as I have cleaned my kitchen, and vowed not to cook anything until after the trip, it means getting creative at being cheap and cheerful for dinner.  I did try eating lunch at work today.  Mistake.

Time for me to have my evening rest prior to the attack on the living room which contains folded clothing from the last time I did laundry (now the living room is my boudoir annex) as well as my new raincoat.  Determined to get a jacket this week or weekend.  Have two pair of thin cotton socks – one black pair and one that consists of one white sock and one beige sock.  So I guess I have one pair of socks that match.  Eh?

Postcards for the show came yesterday.  Sent most of them to Washington this afternoon with a pile of stamps.  Thank you Vista Print!  The business cards are great, too.  I will take those with me when I go.  Toyed with the idea for the last month or so, of sending my fabric art and my supplies for my Centrum project by UPS or FedEx or some such.  Decided last night that I would use my large suitcase for the fabric stuff and the small one for the supplies and a few changes of undies.  Well, maybe I’ll throw in a couple of changes of clothing, too.

Feel much better that I have made that decision.  Like knowing that my stuff is on the same plane with me.  Working on a simple portfolio to take, also.  It’s rather fun, actually.  Making comments for others to read while looking at the work in the book or in person.  Still need to put labels on a few of the pieces.  Just in case someone wants to purchase one!

Anxious to get started on the project, for the next one is already in my brain.  This one for up north will be white with red accents.  The next will be mostly browns and greys with turquoise pieces on it.

I’m finding this all very exciting.  You can tell my life here can get humdrum without being boring. My mother said that she never wanted to hear us say that we were bored.  By golly, I really never have said it, from the workplace to my home.  There’s always something to do.

Later……..

 

cards?

Close to negative productivity in pottery class tonight.  Went for the therapy offered by a wonderful group of women — and one guy.

I set out to make one business card holder that would hold two separate cards.  Did that, then made a single one for me?  Maybe?  Several people have asked for my card at work, but I’ve never had cards in nearly 5 years of working there.

Now I’m ready to sleep.  On the way home tonight realized I was a bit peckish (look it up, you non-British speakers!).  Then tried to think further about what I had for dinner.  Then realized I had nothing.  Oh.  Must eat something.  Ended the pick session with crumbs from the bottom of a cinnamon raisin bagel bag, and some corn nuts for old folks — they are wonderfully crisp and light corn nuts…. what we ate like crazy as kids, and have left alone since we started worrying about cracking our teeth when biting something a bit hard but delicious.  One of my classmates called them corn nuts for geezers.  They are wonderful.

Transferred my iWeb site to my .com site last night.  Says it takes up to 48 hours for the transfer to take effect.  It hasn’t been 24 yet.  Too many late nights spent trying to figure it out.  Maybe by this time tomorrow, it will be up.  I’ll let you know.

Going in to snuggle under the covers….. yes, by myself.  Tomorrow’s Friday — usually a relatively quiet day at work.  Means getting things done for the next two weeks and then for the time while I’m gone.

I think eyedrops are in order tonight.  All that clay dust at class, then the smoky air outside.  That stuff seems to affect only my eyes.  So now, I think I’ll go into the next room and close them!

Saturday morning is figure out how to put stuff on the iPod morning.  Eyes closing by themselves.  I’m going to take their lead.

anon………….

it’s happening again…

It’s not quite 6:30pm on Monday evening, and I’m ready for bed!

Is this job getting me down?  I wake up at night thinking of what I need to do the next day….. what I need to remind people of…… what arrangements I have to make for what meeting….  when what I desire is to sit quietly in the partial sun, and read, then snooze, then work on fabric.  It won’t be long. That little office feels dusty and dirty.  I’m doing my best to clean it up, so that I can complete the go-through of all the files.  I’ve already tossed many unnecessary things… all of which are either online, or in email archives.

Got me iPod.  It’s so cute and tiny!  Now if I could just figure out how to get those books on to it.  It will take me a while, but I’ll get it done.

Headaches are still there.  Still not sure of the source, but know  —– I know nothing.

Just thinking again today about the possibility of moving to northern California instead of Washington state.  Even considered going up into the hills around here, but where the weather is cooler.  I have heard that my little town in Washington is loaded with transplanted Californians.  I might feel right at home!

I don’t have to make those decisions tonight, thankfully.  And not tomorrow, either.  Much more thought will go into it after I’ve had my two weeks up north.  Departure is only 18 days off!  Finally.

Later……

good grief….

It’s only 6:30pm…. and I already want to go to bed for the night.  Even without the time change, it would be only 7:30pm.

Am I getting that old? Perhaps this will be a quick nap.  (hahaha)

Later……..

goodbye Norton….

Heard today on KVMR that local harmonica player, Norton Buffalo, lost his fight with cancer last night.  It had gone to his lungs, then on to his brain.  I last saw him in Winters at the Palms Theater with George Kahumoku and a few other Hawaiians.  It was the last concert my mom ever attended, too. I know I wrote about that concert a few months ago.

Norton was a mere 57 years of age as his life ended this time around.  An energetic man, an unsung hero, emmy winning musician who lived a simple life in Paradise — yes, there is a town named that not far from here.

Goodbye, Norton.  I’ll miss you, even though I hardly knew ye.

Doing considerable prep for the trip to Washington state in a few weeks.  Turns out I’ll be doing an extended trunk show as well as a talk to one of the classes there.  I find it exciting that the owner of the store wants to put an article about me in the local paper!  It’s a tiny town, but it’s fun.

So that I don’t have to buy things while there, I will be sending several of the fabrics and other items up earlier by UPS or some such carrier.  That should relieve me of having two luggage bags to carry on the plane.  I will probably also send my clothing, and keep the fabrics, some clean undies, and a clean outfit with me.  An adventure.

It’s 6:39pm and already dark outside.  That means tomorrow it will be dark at 5:30pm.  Not something I relish, as I’m trying to do at least one errand each evening after work — which now doesn’t end until 4pm.

Off to answer some emails.  It’s cold in here tonight.  I’ll make some hot tea and toast.  Mmmm…. that sounds good.

Bye, Norton

 

Ok…. now I’m ticked off

Just watched a bit of the new kid on the block down south who insists upon standing up in front of the LA Philharmonic, and doing contortions greater than Bernstein or Ozawa could ever imagine!  He will learn his craft there with a reasonably attentive orchestra, and leave them wondering what happened — in about 10 years.  Why do the boards of directors and orchestras choose these flappers?  Tickets, honey, tickets.

Now, I know that television is not the best way to listen to a Mahler Symphony, but heck if I get totally bored with knowing the sound governor at every known triple f (fortississimo!) will cause the set to nearly lose the sound, why can’t the PBS or whomever is doing the recording… a world of experience at their fingertips…. get with the program.  The sound was wretched.  The orchestra was good when allowed to be good and loud.  The tv sound, however, left a considerable amount to be desired.

Should I even mention the camera work.  How many times do I have to see the pinched face of the oboe player playing a solo and the flute player…. I won’t even go into it.  There are so many shots I would have absolutely loved to have seen — one good shot from mid audience… the entire orchestra and not just the second violins.  Great shot of bass player in the big solo, and the wonderful trumpets — especially the principal — and the horns who were worth the whole wait until the end of the Mahler.

After playing in orchestras here, there, and everywhere for many years, I am totally opinionated about conductors (having been married to one for several years) as well as orchestral players, individual playing, ensemble playing, audience reaction — not a smile in the most lovely of all landlers ……  and who cares what Tom Hanks thinks.

Sure, Gustavo will bring in a herd of children who will end up being the next generation of orchestral players, and who will most likely become what an old friend calls recovering symphony players who go into doo wop acapella singing, or venture into oboe improvisation… you know orchestral playing is a mighty thing, but there are too many rules, the first of which is that you have to follow the person wagging the stick in front of the group.

Now I know it’s bedtime.

Stay tuned.  This critic stuff is kinda fun!  You know, I listened without viewing for a bit, and realized just how many rehearsal hours in full orchestra and sectionals, how much time in practice alone was represented on that stage.  I would not dissuade anyone from being a part of the music world….. just as I held my words as the kid next door droned on while listening to accompanying music? on the headphones — the other day well, night actually outside the apartment door.  I never want to be the one to discourage anyone about their vocal abilities and other such skills.

Oh yes, I thought it fascinating that when the announcer — was it Andy Garcia?– mentioned that Gustavo, wunderkind, was in demand round the world, he spoke of every major city that has a major orchestra EXCEPT London.  Hmm…. is this reminiscent of the previous wunderkind, the now Sir Simon Rattle who currently conducts the Berlin Philharmonic… see, he too learned his craft and moved on to one of the greatest.  My prediction is that Gustavo will be in Vienna before long.  Maybe even before his hair turns grey, as has Sir Simon’s.

I remember a long time ago, while watching the BBC in England, a young miss of 12 was interviewed as having been one of the first 12-year-olds to have completed a degree at Cambridge or somewhere like that.  The interviewer asked her what it was like to be a genius.  Her response was something like Sir, I’m not a genius yet.  Right now I am ordinary.  I will become a genius when I have done something no one else has done before me.  Wonder where she is now.

Later……..

part of the plan…..

I have been a virtual recluse from Friday evening through Monday morning when I had to end my reclusive state to go to my workplace.  There, I continued my state, which some may call self-contained.  Made it through until nearly 4pm when I gathered my belongings and returned to my tiny, cramped abode.  Wish I could rip out these carpets and have wood or bamboo flooring.  The carpets hide so many icky things, I can hardly think of it without getting slightly ill.  Even my really good vacuum cleaner doesn’t have the oomph to get out all of the stuff left behind by people since the last carpet change.  I understand you get your place painted and new carpet when you sign another year’s lease after the first one.  I might just make it through the first one.

Please keep me here.  I am here temporarily.  I know that.  I can tolerate all that needs tolerance for another few months.

No beadwork tonight.  Going to rest the eyes after a day of fluorescent lighting.  My workspace has insufficient lighting for the space.  None of the choices is good.  Experimentation starts tomorrow.

Eye resting time.

Tomorrow I continue my origami crane-making venture.  It’s part of the plan.  An easy way for me to see the days as they pass on to finishing work, rather than big X’s on a calendar.  We’ll see.  One crane a day.  I like it.

Later………..

s’been a while…

since I’ve felt like this.  I have no feelings about anything, except that I miss my mom.  She’s been gone nearly three months. All of the disagreements, bad blood between us, have dissipated into the ethers.  Her spirit finds me.  I know she is ok, but still, in the back of her mind she worries just a tiny bit about us…. some of us more than others.  She is whole again…. she can see others.  She is weightless, as she has always wished.

I’ve been a week in my new workspace, meeting people I have known only through emails, phone calls and the like, as well as getting reacquainted with others.  It’s ok.

Going to rest in my bedroom.  Perhaps I’ll feel something tomorrow.

Later………

plum tuckered out….

Yep, that’ll be me.  My eyes have seen way too many beads being applied to ‘labyrinth’ today.  Time to close them for the night, and wish for a maximum of one waking (including bathroom visit) at maybe 2 or 3am.  That seems to be the time when I throw off the covers (sheet and comforter) due to sweating, then awaken because I’m actually quite cold.  Tonight I return to tank top and me drawers to see if I can do anything to control the situation.

We’ll see, won’t we!

Watched the original A Love Affair the b&w film from the 30s with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer — I can see why he was such a stunner in his day.  Wow…. so subtle you almost had to fill in the plot lines yourself.  How daring, yet with so much left to the imagination.  Loved it.  TCM followed it with the remake by same director 18 years later.  I couldn’t even watch.  It was blatant and comedic with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.  Made it through 10 minutes before I turned it off.

Check here for a short clip:

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/index/?cid=213438

Night all…..

most forgetful person in town….

That’s me.  I went out to Target this morning for the one item I needed to make the household tick.  I got some shampoo, a couple of empty bottles for the plane ride up (but now that I think of it, I think I’ll go shopping on the Saturday after I get there), a lightweight water repellent jacket (40% off not at Target), a couple of other things that were 40% off, lunch, and finally after a big burp as a result of the lovely sandwich and drink I had for lunch…… drat……. remembered that I had gone out to get toilet paper.

And in my house, when you’re on the last roll, you seriously consider and usually do go back out to get it as soon as lunch has digested!

I am sure that I’m the only one in the universe who does that, right?

I find stores such as Target so big and filled with shiny objects, that I usually end up with things I neither want nor need. This time it worked out fine.  I think it’s because I now have to cram my errands into fewer hours each week.

Rest time.  Then beading time again.

Doesn’t that just get you in the gut?!

Later………….