April 6, 2010

"I'd rather die!"

"People say that all the time, but they rarely do it."

--Hedda Gabler

On love: "Don't use that repulsive word!"--ibid.

    Dreamed of starting out on a journey with a new pair of red shoes.

    At today's singing lesson I sang the Italian Song from Der Rosenkavalier, and it turns out Giuseppe won prizes singing it in his performing days.  He suggested raising the key a couple of semitones, which I will.

    Saw the DVD of a 1962 BBC production of Ibsen's Hedda Gabler with Ingrid Bergman.  As usual with Ibsen plays, I got sleepy in the middle.

    Someone from zip.ca phoned and opffered me a free ticket to the Genie Awards show Monday, but I wasn't interested. [Those are the Canadian Oscars.]

    Dinner was ham.

    At choir practice we went through Il Trovatore with most of the soloists.

     

April 5, 2010

    Printed out my score for the Italian Song.  I tried to add the second verse, but it didn't fit.

    Dinner was the rest of the churrasco chicken (and Indian food and stuff).

    Moira and I went to the Royal (hadn't been there in years!) and saw La Danse, Frederick Wiseman's documentary about the Paris Opera Ballet.  My favourite part was the Spanish ballet where the dancers were shouting!

April 4, 2010

    Dreamed of the song "Buffalo Gals"; finding a new London subway station called Saskatchewan; accidentally turning on the built-in hot plate on top of a refrigerator.

    Donald came over for dinner, which was churrasco chicken.

    I've just about finished the new score for Richard Strauss' Italian Song. (The phrases are the tedious part.) I also composed a couple of bars for an introduction.

April 3, 2010

    Dreamed of a schoolboy coming at me with a frying pan; reprinted early episodes of the comic strip Blondie.

    Met Luke at the coffee shop next to Pawsway for the first Social Tigers Meetup.  We walked along Harbourfront, and he talked to strangers, including a woman who'd come from Shanghai just six months ago.

    Later I joined the Shyness Meetup for a walk through Rosedale's ravine.  (My feet got pretty tired.)

    John and company came over for dinner, which was takeout Indian food.

    Father drove John and the others home, but he hit a man at a crosswalk while he was out.  The latter was taken to a hospital but doesn't seem to have been hurt.  Father had to answer police questions and was a while getting back. (We were worried because we didn't know what had happened to him.)

April 2, 2010

"I refuse to pray to God for protection from a world He made dangerous!"--Dirty Sexy Money

    Dreamed of returning home from a trip to Europe, where I ended up staying longer than I wanted to.

    Baked multigrain bread.

    The warm weather has arrived!  There were quite a few people at Hillcrest Park.

    Dinner was ham quiche.

    Saw the last episodes of Dirty Sexy Money on DVD.  It got pretty silly toward the end.

April 1, 2010

    Dreamed of spring planting season; staying in an airport hotel room with glass walls; writing in this diary; waking up in the morning and telling a joke first thing.

    Went to the Reference Library and borrowed the score for Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier.  I've started making a new score for the tenor aria, with the solo part two octaves lower, perfect for my voice.

    Dinner was McDonald's.

    Saw the first episode of the DVD of the Simon Schama series A History of Britain.  He brings a new perspective to familiar stories.

    Saw a DVD of early stop-motion animated films by special effects legend Ray Harryhausen, of nursery rhymes and fairy tales and such.  He had visual talent.

March 31, 2010

    Dreamed of Harry Truman's wife Bess; the British puppet show Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons being introduced with a montage of young people becoming interested in photography.

    Went shopping.

    Dinner was the rest of the fettucine, along with the Chinese food and other leftovers.  I ate before the rest because I was leaving early.

    Went to a Games Meetup. First I played Metro, which was a mistake because it ended early and everyone else was still playing the other games.  I tried to play Lunch Money but couldn't get into it, so I played the last part of a Robo-Rally game instead.  Then I played Settlers of Catan.

    The last game ended early, but there was a streetcar accident on St. Clair Avenue so I had to take a detour and getting home ultimately took over an hour!

March 30, 2010

"For two years, I had been living with a story so American that some Americans would not recognize it as a story"--Bad Land

    Dreamed of spending three days in Boston, including a day trip to New York.

    At today's singing lesson I tried "Scintille, Diamant" from Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann for the first time. (I also advised Giuseppe that if Coro Verdi did Rigoletto in the fall we'd be asking for trouble.)

    Went to my shrink Dr. Hassan to set the date for my next appointment.

    Finished Jonathan Raban's Bad Land.  Superb.

    Dinner was fettucine alfredo, which I cooked.

    Saw the DVD of the D.W. Griffiths-Lillian Gish silent classic Way Down East.  There's a great climax involving river ice breaking up!

March 29, 2010

    Dreamed of an anti-discrimination lawsuit filed by a Montrealer with the same name as Gerrit in my choir; a song based on the lawsuit.

    Dinner was Chinese food. (My fortune said people appreciate my sense of humour.)

    At choir practice Giovanni gave us a report about the committee meeting with our patron Tony Fusco last week. (We've learned all the new stuff in La Traviata and are now going through the whole piece.)

    The other night someone sang the Carpenters song "Goodbye to Love" at the Karaoke Meetup and I've been listening to it on Youtube.  It's really brilliant!

March 28, 2010

Alan Partridge (on BBC management): "I wish they'd get into a bus and drive off a cliff, and I'd gladly be the driver!"--Knowing Me, Knowing You

    Dreamed of playing Monopoly.

    Went to a Games Meetup at the Yellow Griffin.  I played Galaxy Trucker (just one round), Puerto Rico and a new game called Acquire, which was pretty fun.

    Dinner was scallops.

    Saw Within the Law, a Norma Talmadge silent melodrama on the same disc as Kiki.

March 27, 2010

    Dreamed of reading a book about someone who knew W. Somerset Maugham, which was interesting from the first page; Kay Summersby, General Eisenhower's secretary-chauffeur who was rumoured to be his mistress.

    Joined the Brunch Club Meetup at Udupi Palace for a South Indian vegetarian lunch. (I had vegetable bulao rice and nan bread.) I met Jackie He there and we left on the same streetcar.  She's having a baby in September! [I knew her from the Games Meetup.]

    Dinner was chicken potpie.

    Read 50 pages of Jonathan Raban's Bad Land.

    Went to a Karaoke Meetup at the Bar Plus, where we rented a room.  There were only five of us, so I got to sing about a dozen songs, including "Hit the Road Jack" for the first time.  Jeanine arrived late and came in just as I was about so sing "Consider Yourself," which was fortuitous.

March 26, 2010

"Who cares if I get thrown out of this place?  Someday I'll be thrown out of the Ritz!"--Kiki

"There's a time and place for fun and enjoyment, but it's not on this show"--Knowing Me, Knowing You

Bullwinkle: "If I got any closer, I'd be on the other side of you!"--Rocky & Bullwinkle

    Dreamed of a non-existent TV show about a detective with teenage assistants; visiting a subway station in Buenos Aires; The Muppet Show.

    Baked rye bread.

    Saw the DVD of Kiki, a silent comedy with Norma Talmadge.

    Dinner was more scalloped potatoes and ham.