Averygoodun's Personal File

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l4ccE5_Njg&feature=related

(This is the song we're going to attempt to sing on Sunday. I hope we do it justice.)

I made an approximation of vindaloo last night. I only added half the peppers called for, and it's still rather too hot. Poor Geoff wasn't able to finish his portion.

I'm starting to think it's possible those ground peppers are made from the ultra-nasty Thai peppers. Seriously hot stuff. *wipes brow and nose*

Ach well, it's a good way to get lots of water in me, right?

( Happy Easter )

( Roommate stressing )

( Energy and weather frustrations )

( Garden )

And I guess I should start thinking up a pre-con to do list. I really should. And I will.

Just not right now.

Poor Babe has the croup. He started coughing in his sleep last night, then woke up crying an hour or so later. He was so tired and just wanted to go back to sleep, but he was so upset because of the cough and pain... It hurts to see little ones suffer.

Sick child or no, I have a busy day ahead of me.

( For my own benefit )

Church this spring is going to be interesting. I've given up choir to help teach 3-4th grade RE ('religious' education).

0_o

The new semester starts next week, but I spent yesterday observing the group. I think it'll be good. I had hoped to help with older kids, like 5th, 6th or 7th grades, but meeting this group reassures me that these are people. They're high energy, but they can read, write and reason. And since I'm only co-teaching, it'll be fine.

The really funny thing about this is that Geoff is very possibly going to replace me in choir. Hee! Geoff's singing leaves a fair amount to be desired, but recently we discovered that if he drops an octave (or two), he can stay in tune! I think this is so very cool. He's still pretty much tone-deaf, but music is something he genuinely loves, though he'll downplay its importance because of the kind of music likes. Yes, some of his tastes are questionable (Hawkwind, for example) but that doesn't make it less important! So, if he can go to choir and learn to sing (Choir Director isn't the best teacher, but his methods should suit Geoff very well), I think it would really enrich Geoff's life and sense of self.

And on another church note, a choir mate, the Director and I are starting a prayer group! We're meeting next Thursday to set up a format before we open it up to everyone. We need to be clear so that when we open it up, people know that this is a group for praying, not discussing prayer (UUs being what they are...).

Anyway. That's what's up. Exciting and scary and, hopefully, good. All except for Babe being sick and refusing to poop, that is. That's not good. But otherwise...

Happy February. May it be better than January!

( Read more... )

And that's it. Today I want to make the sugar cookie dough, and maybe do a test run on the custard, but otherwise, it's going to be an easy-going day after I get the errands out of the way. Yay!

Oh, and I do believe *knocks on wood* that the antibiotics did do their job, and my sinus infection is coming to an end. Or at least it's retreating to its normal levels. Yay!

I'm a dunce when it comes to interpreting poetry, and even more of a dunce when it comes to interpreting older poetry.

We'll be singing "Tune Thy Music To Thy Heart" tomorrow (to a tricky-ish composition by Alec Rowley), and still, the phrase "and so thy sorrow" is giving me trouble, linguistically. I more or less get it, but I don't get it enough to explain it to others. Would any of you be able and kind enough to explain it to me, the English poetry lay(wo)man?


Tune thy Musicke to thy hart,
Sing thy joy with thankes, and so thy sorrow:
Though Devotion needes not Art,
Sometimes of the poore the rich may borrow.

Strive not yet for curious wayes:
Concord pleaseth more, the lesse 'tis strained;
Zeale affects not outward prayse,
Onely strives to show a love unfained.

Love can wondrous things affect,
Sweetest Sacrifice, all wrath appeasing;
Love the highest doth respect;
Love alone to Him is ever pleasing.

Unless it turns out I'm coming down with something (which is very possible, given Mr. Germ Factory Jr.), I think I need to quit choir. At this point, I'm getting more enjoyment out of hearing them sing than singing with them. And there are enough sopranos and altos to never miss my half-hearted warblings.

But now I need to go to bed. Tomorrow morning I've gotta be up early so as to call the doctor to book an appointment for Babe. (I know, I know. But his fever was gone!) A choir mate might have rheumatic fever (her doctor hasn't called back yet with the blood test results), and her symptoms are similar to Babe's, except Babe never got any rash (which rules out fifth disease). And Babe did have a sore throat not too long ago...

...

Worry sucks.



*big hugs to those who need them*

1. Last night I was wondering why blood is described as "coppery", because, well, it isn't. Yes, it has a minerally and even metallic taste, but if I were to put a name to the metal that it tastes of, I would say it's more aluminum or iron. But of course, "the ironic taste" would mean something altogether different, wouldn't it?


2. This morning I had an interesting dream, where, thanks to some deft (and damn near orgasmic) stroking of the base of my skull down to the third cervical (neck) vertebra, I was able to find that my tone, the musical note I resonate at, is an E. At least, that's what I figured it to be in the dream (we were in the woods, so there was no way to confirm my guess).


3. The triptych is not done after all. The third painting is still being a pain now that I've seen it in daylight and next to its partner. It's dull. Repainting/major retouching is required. Bah.


4. The other day, We got a coconut still in its husk. Tonight we decided to open it up using hints garnered from youtube. Well, I must say it was a complete success. More than a success, really, as we managed to unshell the meat completely. Intact. It was the coolest, weirdest thing! It felt like a somewhat squishy (though not slimy) rubber ball. I took lots of pictures, and as soon as I can upload them from the camera, there will be picspam.

which brings me to

5. The computer is being a nuisance. Last night it froze on me four times while reading a story at fanfiction.net. Geoff upgraded to fedora 8.2 this morning and so far there haven't been any crashes, but there still seems to be a problem with the USB or something, because this error keeps popping up when we try to upload the pics:

An error occurred in the io-library ('Could not claim the USB device'): Could not claim interface 0 (Bad file descriptor). Make sure no other program or kernel module (such as sdc2xx, stv680, spca50x) is using the device and you have read/write access to the device.

We have no idea how to solve it. One time it worked to restart the computer with the camera attached and on, with the thought that maybe that would force the connection, but the other times he's tried that, it hasn't. It's most annoying. Needless to say, if you know how to solve this problem, please, please speak up!


6. I must, must, must remember to make the organizer of the choir a goody basket for the last singing Sunday. Perhaps I should recruit other members to contribute something as well... She does so much, probably definitely more than the director, and she goes about it so very modestly. We'd be lost without her.

Okay all you musical people out there. How do you and the choir you are in (important qualifier, that) stay in tune on difficult songs? We're due to sing "I Believe in the Sun" arranged by Jonathon Adams, and although it's beautiful, it's hell to stay on pitch. We're usually flat four notes in.

I'm trying to remember the tricks that previous directors have used to lift our voices into pitch, but I've only come up with a couple. Like standing up, for one. (Yeah, yeah, I know...) I was thinking that since the background of the piece is so somber (words were found on a basement wall in Cologne, presumably written by someone hiding from the Gestapo), maybe that's dragging us down a little further than the notes are supposed to go, so psychological counters are needed. But it would be kind of weird to sing this song while smiling.

So... any tips? We perform this one on Sunday, so we're all out of practices, besides the morning of.

In other segments of life, I've made a bit of progress on exchange fic (finished the last chapter and started the next), so that's good.  I made a vat of spaghetti sauce to have without spaghetti.  It is quite good (although I did add salt.  But only about 3/4 tsp for 8 qts!).  I have given up and started using vit E on my face.  Too soon to tell whether it'll help the enflamed, scarred areas, but the zits are responding weil (or to my liking, anyway).   I've also determined that I need way more fat in my diet than I'm used to.  An avacado a day seems to make my rashes go away.  Well, maybe only half an avacado.  Have I mentioned that this is not a cheap diet?

Went picture hunting this evening, but it was too late for really good pics, I was cold, and the cemetary isn't at its peak yet.  Another few days should get it to its full glory, and then I will bundle myself up for a nice leisurely walk through the park.  However, yesterday evening we stopped at the store on the plateau and were just in time to see a really quite spectacular rainbow.  It wasn't the boldest or the best rainbow I've ever seen, but it was so incredibly detailed!  Not only was it a double, but the inner arch was trying to double up itself!  I tried taking some pictures, but the camera didn't really like the rain all that much.  And the video I captured of the clouds floating into it (it was so fake!) has disappeared into the ether, so I can't capture a frame from that, either.  But it was beautiful and lovely and the sky on the other side was yellow.  Golden yellow.  And then, driving home, the clouds turned mauve while the visible sky was cyan.  With little highlights of fuschia cloudlings here and there.

'Twas a lovely evening, anyway.

And we also went to the library yesterday.  I returned my mostly unread books and picked up four more, although two of them are books on Shaker music, so they shouldn't count.  The other two books will be read as time permits, although I've already finished the first third of the bigger one.  Gotta love pulp fiction.  :-D

Anyway, it's late and I'm finally getting sleepy so I'll sign off now, sending and receiving vibes of good cheer.

Something weird happened in choir practice tonight. I had a panic attack. Maybe I should just call it an anxiety attack, because it really wasn't that severe (nothing compared to my other chest pains, although longer lasting).

One minute I was happily singing along (or trying to, anyway) with everyone, and the next... well, I was still happily singing along, just with my chest feeling like it was folding in on itself.

I knew immediately what was going on so I was able to continue doing what I was supposed to without missing more than a beat, but I was surprised at the lack of mental involvement. I didn't hear noises (other than the choir, that is). I didn't feel dizzy. I didn't feel anxious, but my body did.

I always assumed that anxiety attacks were accompanied by, well, anxiety. Go figure.

The sad thing is, I think I know what caused it. Right, that's not sad. The cause is.

( And the backstory is... )

On another note, I'm having company over tomorrow. Artist lady (wife of a fellow choir member) is coming over, finally. I confronted her (rather artlessly, at that) on SUnday and scheduled a time then and there because I knew if it were left up to me calling her, it would never, ever happen. I don't call people other than my husband and my mum. I don't even call my siblings.

Anyway, we scheduled for Tuesday, but she had to move it back to Thursday, which was a-okay by me, giving me more time to clean.

Which brings me to a poll!

[Poll #826283]