flashback: 15 august 2010

There were auditions in Columbia, SC, for "The Biggest Loser", a television show.

My first niece had won a VIP Pass to be part of the event.

I don't recall how she had done so.

The point is, she had invited me to be her Plus-1 for the trip and I'd gladly accepted.

A chance to travel with her?

Of course I said yes!

Here she is, putting on lipstick.

Isn't she so pretty?

I really believe she was too pretty.

I'd seen a few episodes of the show and she was, by far, much prettier than anyone I'd ever seen on it.

Perhaps they concurred.

All I know is, she did not get chosen.

Their loss!

Our gain was a weekend out of town.

We both enjoy "waking up somewhere else" every so often.

(smile!)

How could we have known it was to be such an auspicious Sunday?

We were having breakfast at the Chick-Fil-A in the hotel before heading back to Savannah.

Then, suddenly, there was a horse...

and a man holding an umbrella...

and a wedding party!

What a special treat for us!

Right place, right time.

The preliminaries of the Indian wedding slowly unfolded before our eyes, with the young groom mounting the white horse before galloping off to meet his fair maiden...

well, maybe not quite like that.

(smile!)

They traveled at a slow walk.

Nonetheless, it was quite a marvel to behold as the brightly-clad party headed down the street in downtown Columbia toward a bride awaiting her future husband.

So romantic!

We watched until they were out of sight, enjoying this unexpected rainbow under a clear sky.

 

i thank You, God.

borderlands, borderlands, borderlands

"Holy shiite! Did you watch that for all three of the slots on your A*List???"

No, dear, I did not, though I most def will see it again. What a fabulous bit of fun it was! I was expecting, and hoping, it would be in the same vein as "Guardians Of The Galaxy", and it was not disappointing in that regard. Actually, it was kinda sorta like GOTG set in the apocolyptic deserts of "Mad Max". Really light, fun, science fiction! But I did not, yet, burn up all my dances on that one movie. See?

"I do. Then why repeat "Borderlands" thrice in the post title?"

'Cause that was the theme for the trio! I realized when I watched "Deadpool & Wolverine" again that it also featured a place called the Borderlands, on the outskirts of the Void. That's where DP & W hooked up with a hilarious Channing Tatum - as The Gambler, apparently Cajun - plus Blade and Elektra and X-23. So very cool to see Wesley Snipes again! He's so good-looking still, even now, when he's 62! I just may have to see if I can locate the Blade movies for free somewhere...

"That would be way cool! But, hold up there. You had a triple header today???"

Kinda sorta. (smile!) That last movie, "Harold And The Purple Crayon", is on the list, but I didn't actually go to it. I still had yard work to do, and that workout with the Ryobi can only be done in late evening. So, I could either go to that 7:15 movie, which I'd already seen, or I could tackle the yard, but not both. So, I worked on the front yard.

"I thought you had cutting still to do in the back?"

I do, but, here's the thing: no one sees me when I'm mowing back there. I wanted to make sure the neighbors all knew I was getting it done, so I worked on the front. I managed to get most of the side with the Japanese magnolia done before the battery stopped me. I'm glad I can see that spiral again! It was quite muted from the extra growth spurt from Debby's mad watering spree.

"Yes, that looks quite nice."

Thanks.

"So, why did you choose the kid movie to complete the trio?"

It was about borderlands, too, principally the ones between reality and imagination. I thought that most def deserved a place with the other two.

"I agree! How nice that the movie times worked out for you."

Hey, they worked with my medical appointments today, too. I knew I would end up southside this afternoon, so I decided to maximize my options! I started out at Howard Midtown for a dental appointment with Emily Husted. She filled two tiny cavities for me. I likened it to having a chip in the windshield of my car, and getting it repaired before it splintered the whole thing. I don't think she cared for that analogy, but the male receptionist loved it.

"LOL! I take it the macrame sun was hanging on their wall?"

Yes, it was. I liked it because it reminded me of Ronnie. He won an award for the artistry of his macrame pieces that he did in high school.

"Nice. And how went the dental visit?"

It was okay. They really do need to pay attention to patient's allergies, because Alicia, the assistant, used this nasty-tasting red swab to numb my left upper gums. Had she realized I was deathly allergic to strawberry? Nope. Fortunately for her, the flavor was "cherry". I wish they would ask if I want flavored dental crap, but they do not.

"Holy shiite!!! That could have botched up your entire day!"

I know. "Dr. Emily" went to give me three numb-dumb shots and seemed absolutely offended when I refused to have them. I guess I need to let UHC know not to pay for those, since I didn't need them. Again, these were tiny cavities. I didn't wince once during the drilling and sanding and polishing procedures. I think that aggravated Emily Husted even more, as she left me for almost ten minutes after installing the second filling. Just jetted off, saying she'd be right back. Nope. Even Alicia left to be part of the group chatting in the hall.

"Seriously? That was rather rude."

I thought so and said as much after the dentist and assistant returned to polish the second filling and remove the tooth cap left in place all that time. Emily Husted again made like she had been offended. She was also aggravated that I was refusing to get the crown redone on that leftmost upper molar. As I told her, I'd had Dr. Julie Howard put it back on several years ago after it fell off, and it stayed not even a month. I have no interest in spending money on adorning that tooth again.

"Good for you! Emily Husted sounds like she is quite young and inexperienced."

I'm sure she's fine with children, which is good as they are the focus at that dental practice. That's why they have so much flavored dental crap.

"Yes, I remember. So, afterward, you went to your first movie of the triple header?"

I did! Then I had a second appointment, this time at the Savannah VA Center. It was for an ultrasound of my thyroid to see how that butterfly is doing. I had asked for a check of it since the levothyroxine dosage has been lowered yet again, for the second time in as many years. I told Ms. Barker that I was curious as to what the three little cysts are doing now.

"Three cysts in that one gland?"

Correct, but they were quite small back in 2009. There were two on the right side and one on the left side. Peggy Byck was my PCP then, before I started coming to the VA Center regularly. She's retired now. In fact, she may have retired the same year I did.

"How did today's appointment go?"

Cindy was the radiology tech and she seemed right on top of her game. She had me in and out in fifteen minutes! Very thorough scan with her wand, too, so I wouldn't be surprised if I had light bruising in two areas. Even with cleaning the goop off, I was back next door at AMC in time to catch my second movie. Brava!

"Indeed! Sounds like quite a productive Tina Tuesday!"

Yes, and it was mostly fun, too! (smile!)

two feet tall no more

Well, mostly that's true of the back yard. 

This is how I left it on Saturday, with the sun setting and the sensor turning on the headlights on the Ryobi as I pushed the trusty lawnmower through the thick growth.

I did get most of the furrows cut before the battery gave up on the mission.

I can't say that I blame it.

Even though it was almost 8 PM, the temperature was still in the upper 80's, with the heat index adding another ten degrees.

Sunday afternoon, the rain came down, hard.

That meant no mowing for me!

So, that task fell due this evening instead.

I wanted to complete the back yard, that's all, but it was not to be.

The battery slogged away for 45 minutes, as it had before, but not even having the setting on the 4th highest notch was enough to tame it.

See that strip running east from the shed?

Yeah, that will have to await another charging.

I wish I could just pave over half that yard.

I realize that would cost a fortune and would seriously cut into my fun times.

At least the yard is green, right?

Now, it's time to fold laundry and put it away.

This has been a day of getting things done, mostly driven by my need for clean panties.

Hey, I haven't had to wash clothes since before my vacation with Christina and the girls, so... it was definitely overdue.

(smile!)

7 scenes from a church

I was sure this 5 PM matinee was to be held at Waters and Henry, so I had lollygagged around at home, thinking I had plenty of time...

nope!!!

"Sanctuary", my third volunteer shift for SVF12, was all the way downtown!!!

Christ Church Episcopal was in the first block of Bull Street!

 

Fortunately, our call time was 90 minutes before the operatic scenes began.

Even more fortunately, I snagged parking just south of the Lucas Theatre.

Most fortunately of all, the rain didn't start until I was safely there.

In fact, I'd placed the black armbands on ten of the pews - and done so before Kim had completed putting purple ones on six pews - before the rain began.

Penny and Lonnie Breslow arrived after that.

So... I wasn't so late after all!

(smile!)

Billed as "sacred themed scenes from opera, musical theatre, and song", the program had been curated by Jorge Parodi, the VOICE festival's Artistic Director.

These were clearly pieces that were close to his heart...

and there was one that even brought me to tears.

Remember "Suor Angelica", the Puccini one-act that I'd loved so much I saw it twice?

That was back in 2015, so I'd not remembered quite how the "Final Scene" listed in today's program had played out.

Then, all of a sudden, while enjoying the performance by Anna Farysej, I watched, transfixed, as she drank the poison so she could die and join her dead child in heaven... with her realizing too late that suicides cannot go to heaven so she would not be reunited with him after all... and tears came to my eyes.

Too recently, and for the fourth time, have I had another suicide of someone I loved.

What has become of their souls?

I hope it is as Aaron Freeman has described the transition.

I hope.

What other pieces were performed here at Christ Church Episcopal?

Three of the staged scenes were from operas: from Act 4 of "Faust", Marguerite's plea for forgiveness after her affair; from Act 2 of "Tosca", Floria's plea with Baron Scarpia (showcasing Chad Sonka's bass) for the life of her lover, but to no avail; and from the one-act "Cavalleria Rusticana", Santuzzo's plea with her lover's mother to convince her son to give up the other woman.

Two songs from the musical, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", were performed.

Maria Zouves sang "God Help The Outcasts", the one with Esmeralda pleading with God to show his mercy to others less fortunate, rather than to herself.

An alternate side is shown in "Hellfire", with Trollo (sung by John Tibbetts) pleading with God to help him sort out his lust for Esmeralda from his moral convictions.

Very serious stuff.

So, that just leaves the scene from a song: "Kyrie", from "Messe Solennelle".

This time, the choir of the Christ Church performed the entire piece, rather than acting in accompaniment with the opera singers.

Wow.

What fabulous acoustics that church has!!!

How marvelous that I was sitting far to the side, so I could snap that photo of them, ringing the balcony, and letting their voices soar above us!

Wow.

And by the time the program was done, the rain was as well, with the air cleanly washed and somewhat cooler than it had been.

How fortunate to have been there!

i thank You, God.

she still has a drinking problem - lol!

One never knows what the source of a giggle may be.

 

I was at Advance Auto Parts to get a couple of quarts for my Saturn.

The young man at the counter seemed to get a kick out of my bare-armed self in there with the two containers of oil.

I guess I was not quite the same ilk as the little old lady who came in after me, dressed as though she'd just come from church.

(smile!)

The young man was the only one manning the store, as the other clerk was outside helping a customer install something they'd purchased, perhaps a tail light or such.

(I've had them do that for me, too. That's one of the best things about this store: they help put the device in for you, at no charge.)

There were two guys in there before me, but one was needing to have an item looked up, and the other needed to see if they had a replacement for the old part he held.

Mine would be a quick in and out sale, and the two guys waved me ahead.

So, up I went, punching in my phone number on the keypad.

The clerk was evidently surprised that I was in their loyalty club!

(smile!)

Grinning at me, he said, "Thank you, Miss Smith. Is there anything else you need?"

Smiling right back at him, I said, "No, this is all for now, but I'll be back. She has a bit of a drinking problem."

That really made him smile - I was making a joke!

I continued, "She's had that since before she was 18. She's 23 now and still does."

Then, with a big smile, I grabbed my purchase and sauntered out the door.

(smile!)

I should have added that she still lives at home and doesn't have a job - hahahaha!!!

Plus, she just passed another odometer milestone - 236,000!!! - so I was treating her to the good stuff, the fully synthetic for high mileage lasses like herself.

 

But she'll have to wait for it to breathe a bit and get to the right temperature.

 

I'd hate to give her a drink that was too cold and might stop her heart.

 

Hahahaha!

Nice to be able to share our inside joke with others!

(smile!)

babajanian, et alia

It was a new concert, at a new venue, and I found out about at Connect Savannah.

That's rather a last-resort place for me to seek out entertainment options, as most of their stuff seems to be at bars.

Yet, they helped a girl out tonight!

I had the Masters in Voice class earlier and had thought I had something else with the SVF12, but I was mistaken.

Now what to do?

Show up at Jalapenos anyway, after telling my brothers I'd be absent, or go to an evening movie out at AMC?

Neither of those options motivated me to leave the house.

I know that tomorrow I'll have a play in a new venue for me, and the bfe will be there...

and Sunday will find me serving at another SVF12 concert...

but, what to do, if anything, on this Friday night?

So, I went for the free classical music concert at Messiah Lutheran Church.

Excellent choice!!!

Not only did I run into one of my fellow Lucas volunteers, but she told me that this summer concert series put on by her church has been fabulous!

That was Julie Gillart, and I'll look to see her at future The Arts At Messiah events.

They have them the second Monday of June, July, and August each year, but this month's Monday had become a Friday thanks to Debby dropping by.

I'm well acquainted with days being out of sequence.

(smile!)

Their change made my choice easy.

Oh, I just realized I had not yet introduced the band!

It's a very new group, formed in 2021, called Trio Ondata, with musicians who met and played together while students at Yale School of Music.

Their name translates from Latin as "trio waves", which could refer to music as sinusoidal patterns of sound, but I choose to believe it's because of their hair.

Seriously!

All three of them have hair with different degrees of natural curl!

I know that not much can be told from that photo, but it's true.

The violinist, Michael Ferri, had the curliest, a mass of dark waves overlapping on his head.

The cellist, Miriam Liske-Doorandish (a name which reminds me of the door-dashing my first niece does in Hinesville!), has an uneven hairstyle, with long, flowing waves on one side giving way to short hair on the other.

But it's the pianist, Anthony Ratinov, who has tight, short, blond curls, much like the hair that my stepdad had when he missed a trim.

Very nice!

(smile!)

Together, they gave us a very energetic program that ranged from a modern piece to a century-old classic and back to a modern master.

I liked the Reena Esmail piece, "Saans (Breath)", written in 2017 when she was 34 years old.

The musicians claimed it had Indian themes, but I definitely heard some Japanese tones.

Next was a composition from Johannes Brahms, "Piano Trio No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 101", written in 1886 when he was 52 years old. 

They played all four movements and, trust me, that was no lullaby!

(smile!)

To finish the program, after a nice intermission, the trio brought out the most energetic work of them all: Arno Babajanian's "Piano trio in F-Sharp minor".

Written in 1952 when the composer was 31 years old, it was certainly "espresssivo" and "vivace" in those first and third movements!!!

The link I have for this one is the best performance I found on youTube, though truly none of those chamber musicians played as ferociously as Trio Ondata did!

Perhaps, one day, they will have their version posted on their channel at that site.

It truly was something to behold, as well as to hear.

(smile!)

What an excellent choice for a night at loose ends!

i thank You, God!

not all is an aria

That's a direct quote from Fabrizio Melano today.

But first, let me set the stage, shall I?

I was there at Asbury Memorial as a volunteer again, as was Kim Owens.

This time, many of the rooms were occupied as rehearsal areas, including Holliday Hall, which had been used last night as the welcome center.

Hence, I'd gone straight in there when I arrived... not realizing that Sherrill Milnes was holding an unofficial Masters In Voice class with several students.

As I'd already intruded, I thought it might cause more commotion if I abruptly left, so I sat down quietly and quickly and observed.

I've always enjoyed and learned from those classes!

I only caught the last part for one student, but I was there for all with Bojan Medic, which was good, as he introduced me to a song I now love: "The Vagabond".

"All I seek is the heaven above and the road below me."

Ralph Vaughan Williams' tune of travel should be on every traveler's lips!

As intriguing as the song itself were the insights from the 89-year-old Maestro, not only for the singer, but also the keyboard accompanist. 

What is meant by staccato? What is meant by allegro?

Even more important: what did those words mean to the composer of that song?

Those are questions which cannot be answered, as Williams died in 1958.

So, that allows some leeway, as no one can say that the pianist's interpretation of the speed or emphasis of the "staccato" parts is not what the composer meant.

Words are always open to interpretation.

(smile!)

About that time, Emily fetched me and Kim and we set up for today's event.

That was also a Masters In Voice class, but with Fabrizio Melano and his sister, Laura Melano Flanagan, with the point being to help the singers find the psychological identity of the character whose song they are performing.

Very cool!!!

He is a noted stage director; she is a psychotherapist in New York City.

I had a brief, but informative, chat with her at last night's reception, at which she gave me some insight into what today's class will entail.

Very cool!!!

Here, they are interacting with Alayna Sevilla, who had just performed "Vissi d'arte", sung by the character, Tosca, who was 22 years old and questioning God about her lover being imprisoned when she has always been such a good girl.

Even Sherrill Milnes had risen to the occasion and offered words to her!

(Note: she was the only one for which he did so.)

Anyway, when Fabrizio was talking with Alayno, that's when he spoke those words.

"Not all is an aria."

He and Laura both explained that the song was a meditation, not meant for demonstrating one's vocal power but one's contemplative nature.

(smile!)

Alayna had been the second to perform.

Naysa Marrero Pruzaesky was the first, and she sang a piece "Qui la voce", from an opera - "I Puritani" - I'd never heard of.

She was advised that the character was suicidal and manic, necessitating a much more somber tone and body language.

What I liked most was that gorgeous, dark green, velvet gown she wore.

Very, very nice!

The third piece was the most fun for me, as "Quel guardo il cavaliere", from "Don Pasquale", required the singer to laugh several times.

When Jacqueline Germer was asked what the character was laughing about, she answered that the laughs were intended at the ladies she was around.

That was apparently incorrect.

Fabrizio told her he had always hated that song, as the character seemed to be such a braggart with no merit to warrant that behavior.

However, he now understood the character was actually laughing at her own foibles, and that had changed his mind about the piece.

It certainly changed Jacqueline's, too, and her approach.

Most excellent!

Laura Elena Fernandez was the fourth, and final, and she had a piece I somewhat knew: "Donde lieta usci", from "La Boheme".

She received insights into the character, Mimi, whose song that was, as well as context for the words in the song: Mimi was singing farewell to her lover, as she knew she was dying and that his frivolous artistic self would not do well at her demise.

Very serious, but also touching, words.

Notice anything odd about the audience today?

The vast majority were other students.

I saw no recognized singers from the past, and fewer than ten regular patrons.

Perhaps they, like me, were hoping for tidbits to help with their own singing...

even for songs in our cars or showers.

(smile!)

synchronized diving for sweet dreams

Oddly, I have no photos of that event in Paris.

That's a shame, really, because it would be nice to see again those hard bodies in the men's synchronized diving - oh, my, oh, my!

As I told my first niece, there's almost nothing but bare flesh bouncing, in tandem, on those diving boards and launching into the water below - my, oh, my!!

Then, the camera crews show the dives repeatedly, from different angles - my, oh, my!!!

Very sweet dreams, indeed!

Throughout the 2024 Summer Olympics, nearly naked bodies prevailed.

 

Here are nearly naked men, from all over the world, running.

As I told Christina, even with the shorts, most were so tight you could have counted pubic hairs, had they not been shaved off.

 

Here are nearly naked women, from all over the world, running.

They have on tighter, and fewer, clothes than the men.

 

Here are nearly naked people, from all over the world, swimming.

Sure, for this sport, "nearly naked" would be expected.

 

Here are nearly naked women, from all over the world, playing beach volleyball.

The odd thing is that when they played regular volleyball, bikinis were not worn.

Also, I never did see men playing beach volleyball, sadly. 

I did catch some of the fencing, as well as the motocross racing.

Those folks were so covered in clothing and protective headgear that there was no way to tell if they were male or female.

Nonetheless, I still enjoyed watching those two sports.

Go figure!

(smile!)

fireworks with songs for SVF12!

With all the notes being lifted into the stratosphere, that certainly seemed to be true!

The 12th Annual Savannah Voice Festival (SVF12) held its kickoff concert tonight...

and I was there!!!

That's because I am serving as usher (EW-sure, as Sherrill Milnes pronounces the word) again this year - hooray!

With this first of several events being held at Asbury Memorial Church, it was quite helpful for them to have me there to answer questions about locations of various rooms, or to give directions to the two stairwells, or anything else of that nature.

Sure, they could ask Randy Cannady, too, as he was the church's representative, but I was right there and ready to help!

Emily Gallagher was riding herd on the volunteers, as she had last year.

Not that there were many of us who needed a herder.

Just me, old pro Kim Owens, and the Penny & Lonnie team from the days at the Lucas.

Very nice!

(smile!)

So, what was the title of tonight's concert?

"Aria"

Just the one four-letter word, the word that most people associate with opera: aria.

Twenty singers were there to perform twenty arias, from nineteen different operas, written by fourteen different composers.

Of the three from Giacomo Puccini, I was only familiar with the song from "Madama Butterfly", thanks to last year's production.

Last year also helped me know the song from "Don Giovanni", but I knew the two songs from "Le Nozze Di Figaro" courtesy of the SVF spent in ZOOM.

Actually, SVF-8 is truly the reason I know Wolfgang Mozart's conniving Don so well.

(smile!)

The only other song I knew was one that i could have actually sung along with: "The Impossible Dream", from the last play the Asbury Memorial Theatre troupe ever did.

That means there were fifteen songs from fifteen operas that I did not know.

I doubt I was the only one who didn't know several of those pieces.

The manner in which the performances occurred left no time to even consider what might have been going on or what the singer was going on about.

As each singer completed their aria, they would take their bow and proceed to stage left as the next singer walked on from stage right.

Efficient, yes; helpful for the audience, not particularly.

I may make this suggestion to Maria Zouves for next year: have a longer pause between the performances, with the singer providing a short introduction to allow the song to have some context before launching into the piece.

I understand that this would have added to the length of the program (which still ran about 75 minutes), but a brief intermission would have handled that nicely.

There still would have been plenty of time for the reception that followed.

(smile!)

I very much enjoyed the chicken salad on the sourdough bread (which one of the singers said was made by Maria herself!).

However, my favorite on the table were the mariposas, of which I had two.

Those crunchy cookies with the croissant texture and slight sweet taste were exactly what I've been missing lately.

(smile!)

Now to put away my blue geo dress!

I will most likely wear it again on Sunday when I return to AsbMemCh for another SVF concert!

(smile!)