Dog Day

Today I walked up Elmwood Ave from my apartment to my bank, and I tried to take a picture of every dog I met along the way. I would say the route is about a half mile round trip. Most of the owners tried to make their dogs sit for the camera, but very few dogs complied. It is pretty hard to take a picture of a squirmy dog.

I don’t think I would ever want to own a dog, but I would like to walk one from time to time. Dogs are funny. Most people seemed very happy to let me take a picture of their dog. I tried to imagine what would happen if I had done this same thing only with babies instead of dogs, and I had to laugh. If I started asking random people if I could take a picture of their baby, I would probably be arrested. But with dogs the folks were all, “Eh, sure.”

Not that this was a competition, but here is the winning dog. His name is Jonezie. Granted, he had an advantage because he is just a puppy, but still, he blew his competition out of the water. Plus, he sat down and posed for the camera like a professional.

Sprung

Spring has finally arrived in Buffalo. One of the perks of living in such a harsh climate is that when it finally warms up everyone in town is in a good mood on the exact same day. It feels a bit like a miracle to step outside on a day like today. Everyone is smiling, including the dogs and the babies. I wandered up and down Elmwood taking pictures of strangers without their permission, and most people just smiled at me patiently. I also took my bike out for a spin. I love my bike. It is called “The Free Spirit”, it says so right on the side.

I live about a block away from a private girls high school. At about three o’clock the streets are teeming with kids. On my way home from my bike ride I spotted a group of about ten teenage girls jogging towards me. They must have been a track team or something. They looked so sweet jogging and laughing with their ponytails swinging. I tried to take a picture of them as they jogged by, but they got distracted by my camera. The next thing I knew I was taking posed group shots of them. One of the girls asked if they were going to be in the Buffalo News. I told them “yes” just to hear them whoop.

So cute and wholesome.

Thumbs Up

I feel compelled to make a few recommendations:

If you want to chill the eff out, have a hot bath with Aveeno Stress Relief Foaming Bath.   According to the bottle, it is clinically shown to help calm and relax you while you bathe- and you can believe the hype.  I get relaxed just looking at the bottle.    Aveeeeeno, take me away.

If you want to snicker at cats in humiliating situations, visit www.stuffonmycat.com.   It is pretty much my new favorite thing.  It’s just pictures of various things stacked on cats.  I say "just", but what I really mean is, IT’S AN ENTIRE WEBSITE OF CATS WITH CRAP STACKED ON TOP OF THEM!

Brilliant.

My third and final recommendation for today is this:

If you see some meatloaf with a side of peas, eat it.  Do not hesitate.  Just go ahead and eat the meatloaf.  You will not be sorry.

Waiting

I am not sure I have ever felt as restless as I do lately.  These days I feel like my life is an exercise in patience.   Waiting for Spring, waiting for the perfect audition, waiting to meet a guy.   

Waiting.

I have always believed that in order to take big steps forward in life, you have to be happy where you are.  And so I have worked on being happy, here and now.   I know I have enough, which is why it is hard for me to admit that I want more. 

I want to feel stimulated by my life.  I can feel myself getting too comfortable and too lazy. 

I want more.

So my big idea is to move to Europe- which is kind of ridiculous.  I have only been to Europe once, for an audition.  I don’t speak any languages other than English.  I am sort of the typical American. 

I don’t know how well I would do in a foreign country, but I want to be surrounded by another culture and another language.  I want to immerse myself in challenge.  I want to explore my own limits.  I want to be really tired at the end of the day.

I don’t think I should wait anymore. 

We’re Not That Lame

Remember this?  Well, hold on to your hats Buffalo, because tonight is the night that the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra plays the music of Led Zeppelin.  The orchestra has pulled out all the stops for this one.  Cover band?  Check.  Complicated lighting?  Check.  Sold out house?  Check.  We have spared no expense in bringing you the optimal Led Zeppelin cover band experience. 

We are talking smoke machines, people.

This show is cool.  The band is awesome, the lead singer sounds exactly like Robert Plant, and the music sounds right with a full orchestra.  The music of Led Zeppelin is heavily orchestrated anyway, so they didn’t have to change too much too play it with an orchestra.

I think this show is great.

Amelie and I have a joke about how we sometimes feel defensive about what we do, and the lengths to which we will go to prove that "we are not that lame".   We think it is funny to acknowledge that our music doesn’t necessarily appeal to the cool kids.  We are not that lame.  The sad thing is that there is nothing lamer than attempting to prove you are not lame. 

Of course, I do not actually believe that classical music is lame.  I love it.  I feel so fortunate to do what I do, and I feel so grateful to everyone who supports our orchestra.  A lot is said about the lack of young people at our classical concerts, but I think that maybe classical music is just a taste people cultivate later in life.  I have got absolutely no problem with that. 

But, the Led Zeppelin show is actually cool. 

And we are not that lame!

Pipes

Here are two non-Diet Coke related things to ponder:

Q: Who is better than this guy?

A. Nobody.

I took this picture of a pipe organ today.  I’m not sure why, but it makes me happy.  It think I like it because of the clock.  The clock looks like it belongs in a fifties diner, and yet it looks so good stuck to a pipe organ.   There was a glowing clock like this in the Apollo movie theater in Oberlin, Ohio.  I liked being able to see the time while watching a movie. This is my favorite picture (of a non human) I have taken so far.

The People vs. Diet Coke

I want to drink it again, I really do.  Now that my camera is fully recovered without any permanent damage, my resolve to hate Diet Coke is weakening.  I have not had any Diet Coke in two days, which could be the longest I have gone in several years.  Life without Diet Coke is frightening and far less refreshing. I really need it.  Bad.

But……

I have always felt slightly guilty about my Diet Coke addiction.  I am also addicted to food, coffee, and crack cocaine.  Do I really need an addiction to a soda?  My heart say yes, but my sense of decency says no.   I feel as if the universe was trying to tell me something with the constant pool of Diet Coke in my purse.  Two spills?- yeah I am a knucklehead.  Three spills?  I dunno, it just feels like some sort of sign from above.   Why would God want me to quit drinking Diet Coke?  I have no idea, but frankly I’m not sure I want to find out.   

Those of you who know me well know that I am prone to this sort of retarded philosophical whimsy.   It is easier for me to commit to the idea that God wants me to quit drinking Diet Coke than it is for me to commit to something sensible, like taking a vitamin everyday. 

Maybe I should stop boycotting Diet Coke and start officially boycotting vitamins.

Resphiginator

I am so tired of Resphigi.   I think two days of recording can tire me out on almost any composer.  The BPO has been working on recording an all Resphigi CD for the last two days.   Recording can be fun and exciting, and it can also be exhausting.  When you are recording you can’t really make too many mistakes, and you can’t make any extraneous noise.  I find trying to be quiet very tiring.  When I play the viola there is usually a certain amount of swaying and an occasional  foot shuffle-  well, these things make small noises. We had to record an extra take today because the microphones were picking up some excessive breathing.  Damn, yo.  I’m just trying to breath here. 

But all in all, recording is interesting and super cool.   It is an exciting break from our usual routine, and at the end we have a CD for sale in a record shop near you!   

I also enjoy eating the food they provide during recording sessions.  I don’t know why, but the orchestra management always provides a big old feast for the recording session breaks.  This was the best recording food EVER!   My first year in the orchestra all we got was pizza, but this time we got delicious little panini sandwiches.  Scrumpsh.  The musicians look forward to the free food a little too much.  You would think we were a bunch of starving hobos the way we go rushing down to the break room.

I think my sleepiness might also have something to do with the fact that we all headed down to the bar after work at- 2:30 this afternoon.  Shameful, but fun.  I got some oddly fabulous photos of the post recording session revelry.

Aren’t we pretty hot?   You know you want the BPO.  Just admit it. 

Hooray!

I woke up this morning and the camera worked!  Hooray!  Last night, due to Diet Coke related injures, my camera was able to take pictures but unable to display pictures.   I snapped a few shots in desperation and then gave up when I couldn’t see them in the LCD screen.   This morning I was able to see the shots I took in the desperate moments after the accident.

Behold:

Notice the crossed fingers and the upturned eyes.  I think it is funny that my first instinct was to take a picture of myself praying for the safety of my camera.  My camera’s last act as a working machine might have been to capture this image of me praying over its nearly lifeless body.   So poignant.

I would also like to say that my computer keyboard looks pretty much clean to the naked eye.  I don’t remember taking this picture last night.  I find it very upsetting. 

As for Diet Coke, my position remains the same.  I am not ready to forgive.  Just say no, people.  Just say no.

Eff You, Diet Coke

Part I

I guess it all began about a month ago when I failed to properly screw the cap onto my delicious and refreshing Diet Coke before putting it into my bag. The Diet Coke spilled everywhere, ruining my bag, my wallet, and my cell phone.

I have been addicted to Diet Coke for years. I love Diet Coke. There is a certain thirst that only Diet Coke can quench- and it is a thirst that I get pretty much everyday at about 3pm. Diet Coke is bubbly and delightful and perfect. Don’t even get me started on Diet Coke with Lime, Diet Vanilla Coke, Diet Vanilla Cherry Coke, or God forbid, the most upsetting of them all, the retched Coca-Cola ZERO. Gimme a plain old Diet Coke any day- extra aspartame please.

What I am trying to say here is that I love Diet Coke. Yes, I spilled an entire Diet Coke in my bag. No, I had no intention of allowing this unfortunate accident to effect my feelings in regards to Diet Coke.

ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT:

Emotional Reaction: Anger, mild embarrassment
Cost: One super cute bag, one wallet, one cell phone. (Not an insignificant loss.)
Conclusion: Well, that sucked, but these things happen.

Part II

I can’t quite explain the second incident. I think that at the time I was in a sort of blurry denial. I was definitely embarrassed. I had done it again. I inserted an improperly closed, twenty once Diet Coke bottle into my innocent bag. WHAT THE HELL?! Honestly, I shoved the memory out of my head almost as soon as the credit cards were dry. I was simply unable to fully accept that I had done this twice. Fortunately, this time no cell phones were injured and I was using a bag that was made of pleather- but my pride and dignity suffered a terrible blow. What kind of jackass does this twice?- in TWO weeks?! Me, that’s what kind of jackass. Me.

ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT:

Emotional Reaction: Shame. Terrible shame.
Cost: Pride and dignity. (Not an insignificant loss.)
Conclusion: I am a moron.

Part III

I am sure you can see where this is going. Yes, I did it again. Tonight, I was rushing out the door to get to my meditation class and I decided that I should bring my half consumed bottle of Diet Coke along for the journey. One would think that by this point I would have created a series of “double checks” before putting a Diet Coke into my bag. Is the cap on tightly? Do I really need to put this into my bag, or can I just carry it in my hand? Does my bag contain any valuable items such as my cell phone or my brand new DIGITAL CAMERA?!

I am horrified to report that this sensible “double check” system had not yet been installed as of 5:45pm EST. Although I have taken every step to ensure that another tragedy such as this will never again occur, my efforts have come too late. The loss suffered today to property and metal health was grave indeed. As of right now, my beloved camera is in what I can only describe as a “partial-coma”. The camera’s vision seems to be unharmed, but it is suffering from extreme amnesia and also an inability to respond to my loving touch. It has been several hours since the accident and there have been slight signs of improvement, so I have reason to remain hopeful. I am praying that with rest and a stable dry environment, the camera will experience a full recovery.

ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT:

Emotional Reaction: Blinding rage and all consuming bitterness.
Cost: One brand new, beautiful Canon PowerShot A620 and my ability to blog to the fullest extent. (A mighty significant loss.)
Conclusion: Diet Coke is EVIL.

I am choosing to blame the final, and deadliest chapter of this story on Diet Coke.

I have loved Diet Coke for fifteen years now, but this time it has gone too far. In attacking my camera, Diet Coke has attacked my blog, my sense of joy, my family and friends (or at least the pictures of my family and friends that were inside the camera), my cat (again, in picture form), and my belief that if you try to be a good person everything will basically be okay. Well, everything is NOT okay, and I blame YOU Diet Coke.

Diet Coke, I thought I could trust you, but I now know that I can’t. I don’t want to ever drink you again. Please don’t try to tempt me with your promise of sweet, yet non-caloric, refreshment. I don’t think I could enjoy you again after what you have done. I just want to pick up the pieces of my shattered life, and start over, as if I had never tasted you.