Shiny!

Someone at work sent me this comic. I think I giggled for 3 minutes straight. Then again, I was so bored I made a tree out of binder clips yesterday, which I was debating about adding paperclip leaves to today. 

I'm in need of a new corset/bodice for Ren Fest. My old one no longer fits since I am now sized like a normal human. 
I found one I like but I am not sure what to get for fabric. The dress I have still fits fine, and that is a deep purple with black accents, so maybe black, but then there's choices such as velveteen, brocade, canvas, etc.  I really like the two-tone brocades, but none of them will go with the purple skirt and top that I already have. 

Any ideas? 
Or Miss Mafdet, any other suggestions on where to get garb before Fest?

 It looks like the only problem with my cell phone was the battery. Replaced that and now it has ceased it's annoying habit of randomly turning off anytime I try to do anything (and sometimes when I'm not doing anything).

The depoyment at work that I was supposed to help with got cancelled, so I have 3.5 days off! Woohoo!

I've been bored at work, so I started sketching illuminated letters yesterday. I'll post a scan of the finished one if I can figure out how to use that dang contraption.

 I'm having issues with inanimate objects (and traffic) lately. 

My phone likes to randomly turn off, and I had a laptop and a monitor just randomly stop working on me in the past few months. 
Chris is down in Chicago this weekend and took the projector (tv), so I brought up a monitor to use as a tv since it's easier than moving around an old school tv... and that started smoking then stopped working.  And I can't get the PS3 to work with the TV so I can play Rock Band...
(side note: got Rock Band for birthday from parents this weekend! Woohoo). 

I've had shitty driving luck this week. Saturday I hit stop-and-go traffic on 35E and 694 (making me 20 min late for dress rehearsal).  On 35E they were installing one of those electronic signs that tell you about upcoming traffic and crap, and had it down to one lane just north of 94. Then there had been an accident on 694 which had everything all slow and stopping even though it was cleared out. Sunday I went on 169 to a family thing and hit stop-and-go on some construction.

Today... just to top it off.... the road literally self destructed on my way to work, shortly before I got there (thankfully, since it seemed to have hurt tires on at least two cars), which closed the freeway I take to work. Chippewa Fucking Falls, and I end up in traffic. 



Oh but back to the side note on birthday gifts... my parents, who rule, got me Rock Band, some shirts, a bike carrier for my car (I got a bike but there is a lack of trails that are accessible from here by bike), a bike pump, some shirts, season 1 of Muppet Show, and Pythonopoly... the Monty Python version of Monopoly (not licensed though, but probably more amusing this way). 

 Concert went well.

First of all, our soloist was Katherine Jacobson-Fleisher. Her husband Leon Fleisher is quite the famous musician. I figured that he wouldn't deem us worthy to attend the performace. But he was at the dress rehearsal and concert. No pressure, just a guy who has gotten the Kennedy Center Honors. Actually pzam it would have been interested if you had been there and had spoken to him since he faced physical issues with his piano playing as well (although he was lucky enough to have one working hand). 

Now, to make this all the more amazing, Beth attended a small party where Katherine and Leon were there. Apparently Katherine went up to Halstenson, gave him a card thanking us for the performance and GAVE BACK THE CHECK for her performace fee. So... this woman who can play with professional orchestras, gave our measly little community orchestra a performance for FREE.  We did perform a piece by her nephew, but it was a cool piece, and we would have likely done it regardless since her nephew is close with Hals. 

And I'm amused because the 1st chair Bassoon was at the party, and introduced Beth to someone as "the sister of the English Horn player that should have been recognized" (I had large exposed parts, but none technically marked solo and not recognized as a soloist). I'm amused that it bothers her more than it bothers me. I didn't expect any soloists to be recognized being it was a concerto, and I don't have the ego that needs validation like some people.

 I'm really amazed that Katherine Jacobson-Fleisher has us listed on her schedule on her website... Sacramento Symphony, little ol' nso, then Austin Symphony Orchestra.

Come see our concert Saturday! It's at 7:30pm at Andover High School. 
We're doing two dances from Rodeo (incl. Hoedown), Overture from Candide, Suite from To the Moon (new piece), and the Gershwin Piano Concerto in F, which is amazing!

Chris got me a new laptop for my birthday, since my old one died around April, and I’ve been using a pretty weak one of Chris’ since then. Yay!

It’s purple!

And it even has XP instead of Vista. And really good resolution.

 So, Sunday was our first NSO rehearsal. I got a text message from Beth on Saturday saying that Hals wants me to bring my English Horn. I had gotten my music, and there were EH cues, but no part.

After the aforementioned lack of sleep, I got to NSO, and didn't see any parts, so couldn't practice quick. I brought it up before we started the concerto, and apparently he put the music on the 2nd bassoon chair. 

We're playing the Gershwin Piano Concerto... Gershwin likes icky keys. I had to sight read in 5 sharps.  And funky rhythms too. 

Our soloist is Kathleen Jacobson-Fleisher... wife of Leon Fleisher the famous pianist... and professor of piano ensamble at Peabody.  And she'll be at our rehearsal tomorrow. 

I'm a bit nervous since she is the most famous/acclaimed soloist that we've played with so far (other than maybe a bass player from Mn Orch), and I have vary exposed EH parts. 

Unfortunately I can only practice for so long on EH before my thumb/wrist starts hurting really bad. So right now I have an ice pack attached to my wrist by a giant rubber band. I collected a bunch of ice packs that they gave me when I got my allergy shots, so they are coming in handy... perfect size. 

 This weekend's schedule:

Saturday 
6:30 PM call work then leave for work
7:00PM arrive at work

Sunday
3:30AM leave work
9:30AM receive call from work then leave for work
10AM arrive at work
2:30PM leave work
3:30PM leave for MN/NSO
6:30PM NSO rehearsal
9PM go back to WI. 

I drove over twice as long as I slept last night. 
Balls.
I need a new back.

 I'm now officially related (by adoption, not blood) to a soon-to-be-official sex offender. 
At this point in my life, (if single) I would reject advances from 20 year olds... not to mention 12 year olds. Ick. 
And he's around the same age as me, and I think slightly older. 
I'm pretty sure I was not done with puberty at that point in my life. 
And the moron thought that if he told the cops everything (apparently everthing up to intercourse happened) that he would be ok. 
Yeah, not so much.
What 12 year old has a crush on a 30 year old... with dental issues. Ugh. She must have some major issues as well.

  I would just like to say... three of my coworkers are too stupid to live. 
Piece of crap useless buttfaces. Monkeys could do a better job. Or robots. Or zombies. 
Even more people I need to stuff into large rubbermaid containers with no holes... with sharp sticks. 
FUCKERS!

Sorry... just needed to vent. 
And I need some booze. 

 Stuck at the airport. Chris thought our flight left at 3, but it actually leaves at 5.  Apparently I need to actually look at the flight info on my own from now on. 

Yesterday we went to a Luau and walked down the beach at night. Didn't do much during the day other than eating. The Luau was cool. Lots of hula dancing and other polynesian dancing (samoan and maori). And drinks. Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiis. Food was ok... tried the Poi which is kinda gross. It's just purpley and tastes really bland. Apparently it is for salty meat. Also had "chicken long rice" which is actually weird translucent gummy noodles. Creeped me out but the taste was ok. 

Today we packed up and when to Pearl Harbor to see the USS Arizona Memorial. Amazing the lack of respect that some people had for what is essentially a graveyard. Don't really understand the urge to have smiley happy pictures of yourself taken there either.  There was an active aircraft carrier that was docked nearby that was neat to see. 

Ugh. Half an hour still until we board. Then an overnight flight. Thank goodness we're in business class.

Icarus the friendly penguin

On Friday we went to Hanuama Bay and did some snorkeling with lots of pretty fishes. Then we came back, watched a bit of a show that had hula dancers, fireworks, drank, then went to dinner. 

Yesterday we got up early and took a plane to the big island of Hawaii. From there we rented a car to go and see an active volcano. From the park there we could only see smoke and such. Part of the drive was closed due to high sulfur levels. We then took a helecopter tour and saw some actual red glowing lava in two places... up on the main part of the volcano and where the lava was going into the ocean.  After we went back in our car and drove around some of the areas with lava, from 3000 ft above sea level down to cliffs that were just right by the sea.  We were going to try and see the red glowing lava at night (easier to see the redness) but it was rainy by then and then we had to catch our flight back to Oahu. 

Haven't petted the penguin again. It's at 8am so we have either been gone by then or not up by then lately. 

 Wow. I'm sore. And I have a giant bruise on my knee. 

Apparently I forgot to put sunscreen on my ass. Now I have real clear sunburn lines from my swimsuit yesterday.

Also Chris had the brilliant idea to walk down towards Honolulu (we're in Waikiki) to find a restaurant last night. He thought there were some by the big mall, but nope. So we kept walking. Eventually there was a Dave and Busters and I decided we were eating there since it was open and I was tired of walking (and had a blister on my heel). Then we took a cab back.

Got an ad hoc network setup so I can use a seperate laptop from Chris, so pictures of penguins and such should be coming soon. Especially since CHris is busy with paintball stuff right now *evil stare*.

We got surf lessons this afternoon. Chris failed to mention my back situation when making the call but they were cool and the teacher just called her boss to get advise. Because of my back, we had decided to get one teacher for the two of us from Girls Who Surf.

The teacher was totally awesome. She picked us up at our hotel and took us to Ala Moana Park. They don't have a beachside stand or anything (which is a smart way to save money). She was a good teacher and she was in the water with a boogie board and fins so she could pull us places since our arms are weak and it's hard for us to paddle.  And having one teacher for the two of us worked really well so that one could rest as the other was catching a wave.  She'd pull us to where we should go, tell us what wave to get, tell us when to paddle, and give us a push (to work best you have to be going as fast as the wave, which means paddling, at which we suck).

Both of us got up and got a few decent rides. They taught us how to fall, so I was able to get out of it without any scrapes from the reef. Chris got a bit of a scrape from the reef, but not bad. I had problems since to paddle you were supposed to raise your chest and paddle with both arms, which got to be too much for my neck/shoulders area, so I took some time to just sit there and watch. Eventually my lower back got upset too, since i was laying on the board with my shoulders holding me up, which helped my neck, but then forced the curve into my lower back below the fusion.

So Pam... hate to say this but surfing is probably out of the picture for you.  They need some sort of adaptive surfboard with built in oars so I can sit and paddle out... then surfing would be fine for me.  I'm really glad I tried it though. And really glad we went with the school we used, since the teacher was really patient and helpful.  I'm going to be really sore tomorrow though... sore already. Chris is passed out right now (the time here is 8:17pm).

Our hotel has African Black Footed Penguins. One of them was raised by humans so she is tame and I got to pet her. She has shoes. Her name is Icarus and she's just about the cutest thing ever. She kept following the keeper around when the keeper was cleaning out their habitat.

Now we're going to learn how to surf... or attempt to.

 We now have a second Prius. This one is silver. 
So glad to be done car shopping with Mr. Indecision.