Anything not saved will be lost.

Are you sure you want to continue?

Words of wisdom from wii-master. Most people disregard these messages, and I usually do, too. But having lost some things lately, I'm going to start paying more attention.

We're not going to go back to when I lost my passport, and my drill, the latter of which was found. Whenever I find something that I thought was lost, my DH always asks, "Is your passport in there?" I did, however, lose a life that was entrusted to my care on Saturday.

We are dog-sitting for my DD's cello teacher, who is on an extended trip. The charming Mr. Joey is a black mixed breed lab/dachshund who is surprisingly well-behaved for a 7 month old puppy. Of course he loves DH who I refer as his step-dad. DH was at a very long gig so DD & I went to the movies (Wall-E). After running an errand, we came home to a wide open gate and no black dog. The wind was heavy and it pushed the gate open. I immediately called "help-me- find-the-dog-I'm-supposed-to-be-watching-911", my friend Pat. She and I cruised around our neighborhood for over an hour calling out to Joey, but to no avail. Did I mention that same Pat and I had a nice big fat duet/trio the next morning with the Schumacher, our gallery organ? We tried to save our voices but couldn't help calling for the lost guy. Around 11:30pm I get a call from Joey's mom, who tells me that a neighbor of mine has Joey in her garage! She looked up the owner info from Joey's http://www.getmehome.com/ tag. Thank the dog gods! Now I'm barely letting him out to pee.

While we were looking for the dog, the DH had a wedding to DJ. He informed me the next day that some people were having a great time, what with the open bar and all, and that a young man, surrounded by his peers, actually pulled his dick out of his pants. I said, "Wait a minute, did you actually see the dick?" "Yes, I saw his pink pointer." A moment that the reveler probably wishes will be lost, and not saved, especially by the wedding videographer.

At the moment in the Doppler household, we are dealing with a problem so heinous, so vile, that I dare not speak of it here. Nobody is sick or dying, but the Dopplers have some extra houseguests that REALLY need to get LOST!

And on top of that, wii-master's little red scion was completely out today. This was after I played The Seeker and Cherub Rock on hard (thank you!) earlier in the day. A quick call to Nintendo and a short conversation with somebody not in Bangalore or anywhere on that continent and wii-master was back at the ready. To quote an old 80s saying, "I almost lost it."

I watched my Netflix movie last night, "Dancer In The Dark" about a factory worker who loses her eyesight. I think about all the things I've lost over the years. A passport can be replaced (and it was), drills can be bought, dogs come home even if it's not their own home, dicks get taken out (that's a little like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube, once it's out, it's out), and wii-masters get restored. At least I can see.

I am a guitar hero

According to my Wii, that is. I finally mastered the easy section of guitar hero, after about 3 weeks of studying and practicing, all time well-spent. I also got a wi-fi and can play other supposed heros from around the world. I always kick their ass. Could it be I'm playing on medium and they, expert?
I'm ready to buy an electric guitar and amp and tour the world.

Monteverdi & mitochondria

My friend forwarded this to me a while ago. It's 90 minutes of Trinity Wall Street performing Monteverdi's Vespers in its entirety, complete with period instruments, concluding with 5 minutes of applause. This occurred in NY on some random Tuesday night in January. It amazes me to think that a work of this magnitude is offered mid-week. I suppose there are other pressing performances which take up the coveted Friday and Saturday night slots. The vocal soloists are fantastic and the little continuo organ is perfect for that setting.

What would prompt Monteverdi to write such a lengthy muscial offering? Without doing any research on the piece in order to approach it with pure-mind, I wonder about the story behind the Vespers. My analytical side screams "a commissioned work! so he can eat and pay rent! it has nothing to do with God! just smile and write the music!" Or, on a less greedy sense, "I must write what the people want to hear" (here, the Catholic church is implied to be the "people"). I'm not a full-on paid church musician but have 18 years' experience in that area, and I can tell you even today's priests don't care much for lenghty musical works. Perhaps it's one of many pieces Monteverdi wrote that he didn't get to hear in his lifetime. Maybe his mental footnote on the Vespers was "more power to the souls who undertake such a grand work."

Or maybe, just maybe, Monteverdi actually wrote this beautiful, complex, difficult, mysterious work to honor a God that he thought equally beautiful, complex, difficult and mysterious.

At the same time I was listening to the Vespers, and yes, I did watch/listen to the whole performance, my DH was studying for his anatomy class. We talked about the different organelles and their functions. Taken individually, it's not hard to remember what each of them do. There is always a little cartoon drawing of what the smooth endoplastic reticulum looks like, as well as all of the others. It's easy to memorize these things. But more difficult to grasp the matrices which make up the human body. It is a daily task for me to appreciate the interconnectedness of life. How everybody looks the same on the inside. How many trillions of mitochondria I have inside, powering my limbs to move. How the eye can transmit light into images for my brain. How electrons cannot be in one place at any given time, but that we are all made of electrons coming into and going out of existence.

Then I wonder how long Monteverdi's Vespers would be if he knew about mitochondria.

Monk

I realize the show "Monk" has been on for quite a while. I watch a lot of A&E so the show is advertised a lot there. Before I even saw it I knew the premise. Monk is somewhat of a particular person, to the point of it controlling his life, and he is also in some kind of police work. That said, I watched part of an episode for the first time the other day.
So he's seeing a psychiatrist or therapist, probably about his OCD. He appears tortured, not being able to relax when something is out of place. This has taken over his life. The Dr. suggests medication, which is quickly dismissed by Monk. "Just the thought of all those chemicals in my body..." that is his excuse for not trying the meds. But the good Dr. gives him a small bottle and urges him to take one when he feels ready. After screwing up an investigation into a cop shooting by not wanting to physically apprehend a suspect (for fear of soiling his clean hands) he decides its time to take the pills.
The next few scenes shows Monk doing things very uncharacteristic of him--eating off someone else's place and using their (used) utensils, being overly jovial, you get the picture. This is where I had to turn it off.
I ventured to guess, although I might be wrong, that Monk loses his "edge" for noticing the small things while he's on the meds, and although he is happier, he is less efficient in his work. It can only end with Monk deciding not to take the meds any longer (because then it wouldn't be a show, then, would it?). Since I didn't even watch the rest of the episode, one twist could have been that the pills were actually a placebo, and the OCD is really all in Monk's mind (where else would it be?).
This episode is a disservice to those people who have OCD and those who have it and decide to treat their disorder with medication. You don't get goofy, lazy and careless after taking one pill. You don't get goofy, lazy or careless at all. What does happen, what is supposed to happen, is that you don't get so hung up on things mentally. Think about an endless tape loop of your own voice telling you things that need to be done. Not just a friendly reminder, "You really should take that laundry out of the dryer" but more like standing at the dryer with a stopwatch telling yourself that the dryer timer must be off about 2 minutes because I know it's been more than 20 minutes since I put that stuff in there! Just a little bit different.
Don't be fooled by Hollywood making a fool out of someone with a disorder that has a full spectrum of manifestations. For some, it means they are able to do 14 stitches per inch in a hand-quilted blanket. Others can concentrate for hours, writing, mixing, arranging or playing music. A lot of people that are like this become doctors. Unfortunately, some people with OCD also work for the IRS.
I like to embrace it as a strength, not a weakness, and you should too, Monk.

What? No Photos?

I haven't blogged in a while because I haven't had the time to wait for my photos to upload, which at Blogger can take a while. So I decided while I have the time but not the camera, I'll write about what's been going on since last posting, Nov 2007 (yikes!). A good blog entry doesn't always need photos, right?
We held Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year. We haven't done that before, but were happy to oblige. Hubby made homemade cornbread stuffing that was to die for, along with the normal fare. I ended up making 3 pear-cranberry pies that week (I have awesome step-by-step photos that I will include in a later post). Everbody loved them! I love cranberries and pears and thought the combination couldn't be wrong.
We had the large Christmas party on 12/23 this year, still fewer than what we've had before. Two weekends before that my brother-in-law and his wife moved here permanently from Japan. It is so joyful knowing they are here now and we can see them more often. Santa came down the chimney with lots of toys, but my daughter's favorite is Buzz Lightyear.
Our choir performed Vivaldi's "Gloria" in its entirety before the service on Christmas Eve, then my all-time favorite song in the world sacred and profane, "Here is the Little Door" by Herbert Howells, a transcript you will find in a previous post. Then a sweet little number written by our choir director "Holy Child".
I tried contacting some old friends who live at great distances to see how they are doing, and didn't hear from either of them. I seem to care for these people a bit and always wonder how things are going for them.
Also we got a new central AC/heat for the house and a new shed! Not a woman's idea of Christmas presents but both badly needed.

Children of the Corn, or "He wants you, too, Malachai"

We went to a corn maze/crop circle recently. What fun! The city folks get into the country and can't tell a donkey from a mule. The kids in the image above are in a bin full of dried corn, people. What a hoot!

RADIOHEAD IN RAINBOWS

Radiohead's new release is now available. I downloaded it this morning and have been in it deep for a couple of hours. It is fantastic.
What's different about this release? It's only available via download at this time, and you pay whatever you want to for it. Of course I paid for it since I love the band, but I like that they leave it up to me.
Support the greatest band around and download it today!

Time to learn

I'm trying to learn a new software program so that I can arrange music easier than pencil and staves. Of course I want to hit the ground running but cannot. Must I really go through all those tutorials?
My husband is taking a chemistry class. Woe be unto him.
My daughter is having trouble spelling "into."
We all are learning and growing.

Homemade/Homegrown Goodness!

Earlier in the year, we planted seeds for pumpkin and watermelon, as well as planting a small tomato plant. Now we have a couple of small tomatoes!

During my most recent minivacation from work, I baked 2 loaves of homemade bread. Both of them looked this good, but the first one was inedible. The 2nd one was great!

Near the end of Summer Break

My daughter now has about 3 weeks before school starts. Most kids in today's society keep very busy during the summer with different "camps," swimming lessons, exciting trips and whatnot. As a child I remember melting in the hot sun during tennis camp. I vowed never to force my child into something physically gruelling just to pass the summer time. So last week she's been in strings camp. At first she was excited that she would be sleeping in a sleeping bag, collecting rocks and dirt, and using a combination sunscreen/bug repellent. But I explained to her that it's just a day camp, and that she would be playing the viola, the instrument she chose probably because I have a viola. After the 3rd day she was ready to stay home. I asked her why she didn't want to go. I eventually got out of her that, after her rhythm class, eurythmics class, and class piano, she has to stand up during most of master class.

So do I force her to endure the physical hardship of standing up, or does she switch to the cello, which ensures her seated position during class?

She has already told me that she doesn't want to go to strings camp next year. Perhaps I should have spent the money from camp on individual lessons for her.

I got a nasty blister on my thumb from tennis camp. All my daughter might get is falling arches, which I don't think is possible to get in the pediatric population.

Last Day of Kindergarten

It was my daughter's last day of kindergarten last Friday. There was no boo-hoo-ing this day, although we did cry on the first day of K. Or should I say sob. I held it together that morning, I was the mountain. The husband was gushing fountain. Very sweet--that means that he adores her. Just like he adores his dog, who he just recently started calling by MY term of endearment.

Anyways, recent images of life here in this hemisphere!

Recent Trip to Philadelphia

We recently visited Philly, my dh's birthplace. Here are some highlights!

Critical Acclaim for "Travels Down South"

Travelers everywhere will enjoy "Travels Down South" a short documentary about an island, Kyushu, in the South of Japan. Exploring cities such as the mountain and lake town Sasebo, the cinematographer and still photographer take sweeping vistas and explore every local delight. Against the backdrop of a million paper origami cranes, the city of Nagasaki rises as a monument of peace. If you can't make it to this unique section of Southern Japan, the movie will make you feel like you've been there. Available soon at Amazon.

In the yard

After finally getting a new battery for my camera, I took these wandering around the yard this morning.

The lake lay blue below the hill,

O'er it, as I looked,

there flew across the waters, cold and still,

a bird whose wings were palest blue.

The sky above was blue at last,

the sky beneath me

blue in blue.

A moment, ere the bird had passed,

It caught his image as he flew.

Mary Coleridge

Children of Men

What a fantastic movie. And I heard nothing about it anywhere until I read the small synopsis in the local newspaper. Edge of your seat time: 70%. Gasps: 23. Sinking feelings: 8. Squinting eyes shut: 2.
It defies explanation. It's a new twist on an old science fiction theory, and is also loosely adapted from the book of the same name by P. D. James (which I haven't read).
It has a 9 1/5 minute long shot (no breaks) during the most violent and brutal part of the film. That must have taken months to set up.
Even if you don't like the story, or the violence, or futuristic science fiction, you have to love this film for it's purity to the most ideal film. You could almost imagine hearing during production NOTHING that resembles, "We can't do that" be it sets, shots, acting, props, explosions, and raw emotion.
Cancel your Netflix subscription, if you have to, for the money to see this movie.

Do You Hookah?

When my brother in law visited for the holidays, we went to the local hookah den. After beers, kibbe and hummus were served, we passed around the apricot-flavored hookah. Not that any of us actually smoke in real life, what with all 3 of us in health care, we ought to know the dangers, right? But it's ok to indulge every once in a while. Remember, when the life insurance salesman asks you if you smoke, there's only 2 answers to that question. You don't want to get lumped in there with those 4-pack a day folks, so just say no! Hookahs don't count!

Time to catch up!

Wow! No post since 10/31? Sloth, you are a vile virtue! I'll start with some images from a mini vacation I took in November. Try to guess where we went...

Some Recent Irritations

A few things that have gotten under my skin this week:

1. The schoolbus driver in front of me who threw out a styrofoam cup out of the driver's window. You know, the huge white ones with a half life of about 668 years? What a great example she is setting for her young charges in her care.

2. The public utility truck and trailer full of who knows what kind of crap that pulls out in front of me on my way to work. This fine city employee couldn't be bothered to drive more than 10 miles an hour. You see, he was already at work. I, however, was trying to get there.....

3. The kind gentleman with whom I occasionally work with whom I offered a cup of coffee. He came back 45 minutes later asking for another. I only have a 4 cup coffee maker, so that killed that pot. But the clincher is that he didn't close the french vanilla creamer all the way, so when I went to shake it vigorously, as is my custom, (I made a 2nd pot), I got it all over God's green acre!

4. My daughter's kindergarten teacher taking her 5th day off since school started in August. Don't you people have like 3 months off in the summer to galavant around?