Friday, September 17, 2010

Friday cat blogging

Oh, there's Mom. She's down at my level to take a photo. Here I come, Mom!
Normally Dudie just lies around in the grass. When I look at him to take a photo he comes. Funny since he really doesn't like to be petted. I can stroke him as long as I don't get near his head.
Jellico avoids PuddyTat and LittleOne.
Tommie is not happy that LittleOne always wants to eat at the same bowl someone else is eating. Tom heads for the canned food.
Since I was taking a photo of PuddyTat eating on the ground level for a change, Jellico decided to leave. PT would have chased him anyhow.
Finally Tim doing what makes her by far the fattest of the felines. This is a rather homely little shelter I made from some shelves and constructor bags. There is a kitty thing at the back. It is one of the most popular shelters for some reason.

Friday shuffle

1. Every Time You Say Goodbye - Alison Krause
2. Beethoven Chased by Rossini - Garrison Keillor, Frederica Von Stade
3. Flop Eared Mule - David Grier & Mike Compton
4. Anon: Kyrie, Kyria Christifera - Anonymous Four
5. Earth Angel - Penguins
6. It Ain't Me Babe - Turtles
7. Halloran: Witness - Concordia Choir
8. Hang On, Sloopy - McCoys
9. He'll Have to Go - Jim Reeves
10. Dupre: Variations sur un Nöel - Michael Farris

Interesting collection. #2 is from Songs of the Cat. 2, 3, 5 and 6 are sort of non-human related. Michael Farris was the organist at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church for a couple of years. He died tragically early while at Eastman.

Grump, Part 2

This is the tree and some debris from the car. The tree had a couple of damaged spots which makes me wonder if the car rolled the tree a bit which may have helped get over it. Where it was hit, the tree was about a foot in diameter. It was a poplar, I think, which is pretty soft wood.
This is what it did to the guardrail. The top of the tree and lots of branches are in the creek on the other side.
The owner of the only auto body place I will allow to touch my cars is away so I won't know more until next week sometime. They are approved by my insurer too. The Prius is at home there having been a deer magnet in its early life. I'm now driving a stealth Buick with Ohio plates and PA inspection stickers. I've never owned a GM car because they are made for people who aren't built like me. By the time I get the seat close enough to reach the pedals, the steering wheel is under my chin. But this car is old enough that I can barely see over the wheel.

Oh, yes, I removed and saved the bumper stickers.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Grump

This is what happens when you run over a tree with the Prius. I was on the way to a concert in Greenville in a storm that made it difficult to see. Less than a mile from home suddenly a tree fell across the road a few feet in front of the car. One second later and I would have been under it. Three seconds earlier and I would have missed it. I knew I was going to hit the tree and waited for the airbag to go off as the car came to a sudden stop. The car didn't stop. It bumped over the tree. And it was still running. And it continued to go and stop as it should.

I pulled off into the entrance to the park - the dam road - a few hundred feet down the road and called 911 on my iPhone. I was concerned someone else would run into it in the dark and downpour. She took the info and said she would contact the Jamestown Fire Department to get rid of the tree then connected me to the State Police. They took all my info and asked repeatedly if I was ok and if the car was drivable. I didn't want to check the damage until I could see in the storm. There had to be some damage even if the car was still running. The trooper asked if I was going home. I told him I was going on to Greenville since the car seemed drivable.

By the time I hung up the rain had stopped enough to take a look. A mess. But it looked like it was drivable if the radiator was ok. How that escaped damage is interesting to ponder. I looked and listened for problems all the way into town.

So I went on to the concert not liking the idea of walking in during. But it had not started so I had time to find a seat and exchange pleasantries (gossip) with some of my neighbors. It was in Holy Trinity, the Lutheran Church I belonged to before going to Christ Church. There were people there I hadn't seen in many years. I didn't get to talk to all of them tho.

The concert was a trio from Apollo's Fire, a Baroque Orchestra from Cleveland. It was excellent. I loved the "human" sound of the Baroque violin and cello. So different from the modern instruments. I wish the harpsichord had been a little louder but I forgot my hearing aids so it may have been ok for most. I left the program in the car. If you really want to know what they played, let me know in the comments. Vivaldi, Bach, Buxtehude, Handel and whoever wrote the last lively piece.

On the way home, I checked out where the tree had fallen as I drove by. A trooper had called during the concert and I returned the call during intermission. He said the tree was gone, nobody else was involved and thanked me for calling. The tree crushed the armco (what do you call those big metal barriers?) on the other side of the road so it wasn't that small. Only Godde knows how the Prius bounced over it.

I'm curious to see if Erie Insurance totals the car. It has 124k+ miles.

Three hours before the parade...

Friday, September 10, 2010

Friday cat blogging - updated

This nasty typical fall sky over Conneaut Lake didn't yield any rain but, with the chilly nights lately, it did urge me to make warmer shelters for my feline family. A few hours later the sky created a spectacularly gorgeous sunset but I couldn't find a place to stop to take a photo.
So... yesterday the cats got two new boxes. Only Jellico is home today but PuddyTat took possession of the larger one upstairs last night.
Maybe I'll make another one for downstairs in case Dudie will use it.

Tonight LittleOne and PuddyTat are home. Of course the smaller cat has the larger box. PT has taken over the newer box which I made larger either for LO or for when it is really cold and two cats huddle.

Friday shuffle

1. Poisoning Pigeons in the Park - Tom Lehrer
2. Saint Saens: Improvisation No 7 - Roger Nyquist
3. Heart of Glass - Blondie
4. In the Mood - Glenn Miller
5. Gounod: St Cecelia Mass, Sanctus - Christian Eisner, Münchner Chor und Symphoniker
6. You Belong to Me - Jo Stafford
7. Handel: Israel in Egypt, I Will Sing... - Parrott, Taverner
8. So You Want to be a Rock 'n' Roll Star - The Byrds
9. Whitacre: Hope, Faith, Life, Love - Cathedral Choral Society
10. These Eyes - The Guess Who

Sunday, September 5, 2010

A new doctor

When it came time for Quasimodo's annual physical, he had to get a new doctor because his old one had retired. After the examination, the new doc told Quasimodo that he suspected back trouble. When Quasimodo asked the doctor why he suspected that, the doc said, "Oh, I don't know. It's just a hunch".

HT to our Senior Warden who seems to share my sense of humor on all sorts of things.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Friday cat blogging

An unusually civil morning greeting among Tim, Tommie and PuddyTat.
Dudie and Jellico were also waiting.

Friday shuffle

1. The House of the Rising Sun - Animals
2. Easier Said Than Done - Essex
3. Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf
4. Hey! Baby - Bruce Channel
5. You Tried to Ruin My Name - Wilma Lee Cooper
6. Bach: Jauchzet Gott in Allen Landen - Emma Kirkby, Gardiner
7. Torelli: Sonata for Trumpet, Allegro
8. Berlin: Blue Skies - Chanticleer
9. Walton: A Litany - Trinity Choir
10. Near: O Magnum Mysterium - Cathedral Choral Society

Friday, August 27, 2010

House

I pass this house when I go to Cleveland. Someday when there isn't traffic I'll slow down and look at all the stuff. The photo is embiggenable.

Friday cat blogging

Exciting cat photos. Not.
This is how Dudie usually looks.
LittleOne watches the world from the cathouse roof.
Jellico watches me.
Tim watches for Lady who had gone.

Friday shuffle

1. Vivaldi: Concerto in D, 1. Allegro - Karl Scheit, guitar
2. I'm a Believer - Monkees
3. Reynadine - Carolina Chocolate Drops
4. Hair - The Cowsills
5. Without You - Nilsson
6. 9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
7. What's Your Name - Don & Juan
8. Travelin' Man - Ricky Nelson
9. Powell: The Word Was God - Florida State University Singers
10. Tuesday Afternoon - Moody Blues
11. The Hunting Song - Tom Lehrer

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Some political commentary

Wonkette nails the truth about the folks wanting to attend Glenn Beck's tirade. An excerpt: "All the Tea Partiers wanted to do was descend on the Capitol on the anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech and pervert the memory of Martin Luther King Jr. in peace; little did they know they’d be stuck having to traverse literally thousands of the city’s African American residents, many of whom’s ancestors didn’t even have the decency to leave DC after being forced to build it, as slaves. Can you even imagine the nerve?"

The Parent Company Trap - I love Jon Stewart. Stupid or evil? Or pitifully uneducated?

Eliminating taxes taken to its extreme. The voters in Modoc County, CA are both stupid and pitifully uneducated. And destined to reap what they sow. Pity the folks who understand government and have to live with these, um, misguided people.

Some believe that the voting machines in Ohio were hacked or manipulated in the Bush elections. Of course that is impossible as proven here.

Truth Out will not appeal to people who watch Faux News. I love it.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Friday cat blogging

Breakfast time

Friday shuffle

1. Freddie's Apple Polka
2. Verdi: Ave Maria - Westminster Choir
3. Little Things Mean a Lot - Kitty Kallen
4. Purcell: Sonata for Trumpet
5. Celebration - Kool and the Gang
6. Gounod: St. Cecelia Mass, Benedictus - Münchner Symphoniker
7. On the Sunny Side of the Street - Shearing and Anderson
8. Easier Said Than Done - The Essex
9. Mussorgsky: Boris Godounov, 1. The Courtyard of the Novodevichiy Monastery - Cleveland Orchestra
10. Incense and Peppermints - Strawberry Alarm Clock

Friday, August 13, 2010

Friday cat blogging

The grey boys hanging around - Dudie, LittleOne and Jellico. There has been a dog running around so the cats haven't been here much. I tried to get a photo of them lying in the driveway making it difficult to navigate with the car. As soon as I go out, they get up and come to me. Oh well.

Friday shuffle

1. Where or When - The Belmonts
2. Mozart: Requiem, Lux Aeterna - Bach Choir Pittsburgh
3. Orange Blossom Special - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
4. Band of Gold - Don Cherry
5. PDQ Bach: Capriccio La Pucelle de New Orleans
6. Land of 1000 Dances - Cannibal & the Headhunters
7. de Victoria: O Magnum Mysterium - Westminster Choir
8. Rutter: As the Bridegroom to his Chosen - Cambridge Singers
9. Here Comes the Sun - Richie Havens
10. You Are So Beautiful - Joe Cocker

A couple of phamily photos

Trinka the Gorgeous
Mom is an excellent person to try to decipher son's computer instructions in the book he is writing
You'll notice that nephew has inherited aunt's preference in computers

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Yet another week to wait for marriage justice in California...

Judge Vaughan Walker followed up his opinion that Prop 8 is unconstitutional with the order to lift the stay on same sex marriage at 5 pm PDT on 18 August 2010. That gives the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals a week to consider any motion filed. A few of the coverages:
FireDogLake
Joe.My.God
Episcopal Cafe

An interesting article on Huffington Post - yes, I know it's a liberal thing - Why Gay Opponents Hated and Feared the Proposition 8 Trial. You are welcome to check the hate filled propaganda organizations for dissent if you care to.

I hope my nephew and his wife are prepared for the devastation the decision will cause in their straight California marriage.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Post BCF Week 4 2010


The audience was large and appreciative. The choir was pretty good. The tenor seemed to be straining. The soprano Mary Wilson is possibly the best for that sort of repertoire. Her Exsultate Jubilate was the finest I have ever heard - by far! No wonder Susan S and David Newman like her. I spoke to her after the concert and she said Susan wrote she had a friend in the chorus. Susan is a blog friend. My freshman year at Westminster Choir College David threw me over his shoulder and carried me up the street like a sack of potatoes on our first runout to New York then apologized because he didn't know how old I was. My world keeps shrinking.

I got a kick out of using my big "opera" voice. I never do and few have ever heard it. Anton Armstrong wanted our alto solo voices, our black mama voices. Hee.

I thought we were very privileged to have Ann Howard Jones in our audience and told her so. I met her years ago during the Long Island Choral Festival. A beautiful woman.

The four of us crazies who were the Berkshirettes and sang 8 bars of altered Motown music were very well received. Brevity is always best. As former Greenville Symphony conductor Ivan Romanenko always said, "It's better to leave the audience wanting more than to have them wondering when the program will end."

Photos are here.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Berkshire Choral Festival again

In case you're wondering, which I seriously doubt anyone is, I'm back at BCF for a week with Anton Armstrong. The week started well. He expects everything I'm used to. Then suddenly he decided he needed to change the order of the altos (and eventually everyone) to get the sound he wanted. I was stuck between two ladies who have two levels of singing. Forte and Fortissimo. And they don't really know the music and one especially can't count. ARGH!

At the third rehearsal I had to remove my hearing aids or I couldn't sing at all because I couldn't figure out which was the correct pitch. At the fourth rehearsal I was so stressed that I could barely sing at all. I was ready to quit. So I caught our section leader after and asked to move. The gal on my right knew I was unhappy and was more than willing to switch. I got the approval I needed with a warning that Armstrong might make me move back.

The fifth rehearsal was so much better. My voice was free and I was happy. I doubt the conductor will interfere. I'm sure he can see on my face that I'm much happier. I'm singing sort of behind rather than next to my favorite 2nd alto because of sight lines. I think she wants it that way. She had never heard and is "jealous" of my opera voice which we are being encouraged to use. I told her I have lots of money invested in that and she could probably get the same results if she took lessons from the right teacher. She's considerably younger than I. She won't.

So onward we go. If we will do what we've been taught, we will have a good concert. I'm less certain of this group than I was the first week however.

The concert is at 8 pm Saturday night (7 August 2010) in the Stewart Center (the new hockey rink with air and no bugs) on the Berkshire School campus in southwest Massachusetts. If you are in the neighborhood, come by. The box office is here or you can get tickets at the door, I believe.

Anton Armstrong, Conductor, St. Olaf College Choir
Mary Wilson, soprano
Dan Dressen, tenor

Poulenc – Gloria
Rutter – Te Deum
Bizet – Te Deum

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Friday cat blogging on Saturday

This is embiggenable. On the far left is Lady who is being followed by Tim who doesn't like Lady at all and is encouraging her to go home next door. In front of the shelf under the cat door is LittleOne. Then Dudie watches the chase while Jellico was leery of me and started to leave. It was all conducted in slow motion. Finally Tim retired to the corner to watch for Lady's return. Silly cat.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Friday cat blogging

This was LittleOne's first exposure to raw chicken which I normally don't offer. PuddyTat wolfed hers down. LO just played with it and never did figure it out. Now all the chicken is cooked. No idea what he'll do with cooked chicken.

Friday shuffle

1. Car Wash - Rose Royce
2. Brahms: Symphony 3, II Andante - Von Karajan/Berlin
3. Singing the Blues - Guy Mitchell
4. Oh Girl - The Chi-Lites
5. Weinerschnitzel Waltz - Tom Lehrer
6. La Barrosa (Alegrias) - Paco De Lucia
7. Poulenc: O Magnum Mysterium - Westminster Choir
8. Don't Wake Me Up, Let Me Dream - Howard Lanin Orchestra
9. Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller Orchestra
10. The Windmills of Your Mind - Dusty Springfield

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Friday cat blogging on Saturday

PuddyTat, Little One and Jellico after breakfast yesterday as seen from inside.


And after lunch.
PT and LO this morning.

Friday shuffle on Saturday

1. Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is? - Chicago
2. I Fall to Pieces - Patsy Cline
3. You're So Vain - Carly Simon
4. aurinkolaulu - rajaton
5. Let's Get It On - Marvin Gaye
6. Satie: Prélude Du Nazaréen #2 - Riri Shimada
7. Send in the Clowns - Judy Collins
8. Tell Him - The Exciters
9. Good Golly Miss Molly - Little Richard
10. Elgar: Weary Wind of the West - Finzi Singers

Much easier on the iMac tho I'm not used to using a real keyboard. There are videos of Chicago but this is the version I have.

Monday, July 19, 2010

St. Sarah's Episcopal Church, Chenango Bridge, NY

On Sunday, I visited Saint Mark's Episcopal Church in Chenango Bridge, NY for the 10 am service. If you're curious about the title to this post, read Father Mark Giroux's sermon here. This could be my parish home if I lived anywhere nearby. Friendly people. Much laughter. If you live in the Binghamton area, you should visit.
The altar was carved by a nun I was told.
The hangings on the sides were done by one of the parishioners. This is the detail of the bottom of the one on the left.
Much of the work in the church is done by the parishioners. They built the organ loft. They have also done the windows which didn't photograph well in the bright sunlight.


Friday, July 16, 2010

Friday shuffle

1. Gold Rush - Mark O'Connell
2. Whitacre: Equus - Bach Choir Pittsburgh
3. Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
4. Going Up Country - Canned Heat
5. Can't Even Get the Blues - Reba McEntire
6. Everybody Plays the Fool - The Main Ingredient
7. Stravinsky: Pater Noster - Westminster Choir
8. Under the Bridge Polka
9. Butterfly - Andy Williams
10. Who I Was Born to Be - Susan Boyle

Doing this on the iPhone isn't easy.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Friday cat blogging


LittleOne and PuddyTat seem to be comfortable in their updated digs.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Revamped cathouse

The side has to be closed off to rain which may not get done soon. At least I can now get underneath. There is new carpet too. The raccoons destroyed the boxes which will not be replaced soon. The cats do not yet need warm shelter. They really need air conditioning.

The trap is also fixed.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Prayers for Paul and his family

Paul is fighting multiple myeloma. His caringbridge page is here.