I Dreamt I Was In Marching Band Again

I dreamt I was in marching band again, but I'm the age I am now.

We were playing the theme to "CBS Sports Spectacular" circa 1979. I had it memorized, but my chops wore out.

Steve Carell was the band director.

Hmm... musta been the crack I smoked before bed.

Audra McDonald at Carnegie Hall

In a New York Times review of the 120th Anniversary of Carnegie Hall Concert, my darling Audra gets some nice notices (luckily PBS will televise the concert!):

After intermission Audra McDonald, looking and sounding radiant, sang four works by Duke Ellington. In “Solitude,” Ms. McDonald blended luscious singing with disarmingly direct sentiment. Her wistful way with “Sophisticated Lady” was also haunting. I especially loved her dreamy performance of “On a Turquoise Cloud,” a vocalise in which the singer’s “ah” sounds are cushioned by Ellington’s plangent harmonies in the orchestra. Ms. McDonald ended with “It Don’t Mean a Thing (if It Ain’t Got That Swing),” a demonstration of how swing in the Ellington sense should be lithe and rhythmic, yet relaxed and easy.

Coffee Tastes Better

Coffee tastes better when you’re not waiting for someone
When you’re not checking the time
Not wondering if anyone will show up
Or trying to look busy and not sad
Just alone and silent

Comic of the Week

Time - World's 100 Most Influential People

There's his picture, smack in the middle under the "M" - it's Chris Colfer from "Glee". Our little Kurt is sure in the big leagues, making the cover with the likes of Angela Merkel, Joe Biden, and hell, even Oprah has one of the smallest pics on the cover. Congrats Chris! Long way out of Clovis, you did it!

Many of the 100 only got an article with a drawing (Prince William & Kate Middleton) or maybe a small pic ('eff you Zuckerberg), but Chris? Full page, baby!

Wishful Drinking

Just finished Carrie Fisher's book. Well, I say book but running at 151 pages, double spaced with pictures, I managed to finish it in 3 lunches at work. It's more of a script from her 1-woman show. Regardless, it's a scream.
Some memorable bits:

"You know what’s funny about death? I mean other than absolutely nothing at all? You’d think we could remember finding out we weren’t immortal. Sometime I see children sobbing in airports and I think, 'Aww. They’ve just been told.'”

"I have a very loud voice. I used to say that my voice was designed to wrest people from dreams."

"You know I saw yet another Princess Leia figurine recently at one of those comic book conventions – which yes, I go to when I’m lonely. Anyway, this doll was on a turnstile. And when it got to a particular place on the turnstile, you could see up my dress, to my anatomically correct – though shaved – galaxy snatch. Well, as you can imagine, because this probably happens to you all the time, I was a bit taken aback by this, so I called George Lucas and I said, 'You know what man? Owning my likeness does not include owning my lagoon of mystery.'”

Historic City Cemetery

During the Open Gardens event at the Old City Cemetery, we took the tour of the cemetery. It's quite impressive on 28 acres.

Beautiful day for the event

The Crocker plot is impressive, but sadly, it's been vandalized over the years and earns have been stolen.

I didn't take the Brewer's Tour last year, but they guide did point out this famous pioneer brewer:

I couldn't get over the lovely flowers in bloom - the iris patches were breath-taking.

Lunch at Magpie Catering - in a word: Amazing! (that's the BLT)

And of course, "The Italian"


A lovely morning in the sun. I got some color on my face and burnt my neck a bit. I'm now a redneck (but not that kind).