February 9, 2009

"You'll meet a nice girl and..."

"I've mets lots of girls--nice and otherwise."

--All That Heaven Allows

Yesterday I showed the parents the photos I took in London last year, on the computer.  They agree that I have a talent for photography.

Dreamed of starting to write a series of Tom Swift-like science fiction adventures featuring unlikely heroes; being in the back yard of our old house in Sackville, N.B., during a total solar eclipse; a coach asking me "Are you mature enough to be on this team?" (Hardly--I wanted out!)

Dinner was lamb stew.

Saw the DVD of Douglas Sirk's romantic melodrama All That Heaven Allows.  It's one of those 1950s movies that date in a good way. (Though Agnes Moorhead's red dye job looked like her hair was on fire!)

At choir practice we went through Faure's Requiem. (My favourite parts are "Sanctus" and "In Paradisum.") Afterward John George (the one who reminds me of Grandpa Jones) gave me a lift to the subway.

February 7, 2009

 Dreamed of sneaking into a Tibetan village.

Saw the Met cinemacast of Lucia di Lamermoor.  It was a great production, though the Victorian setting seemed odd. (Huck Finn's America I can see...)

Dinner was scallops.

Read another 50 pages of The Grapes of Wrath.

Baked white bread overnight.

February 6, 2009

Dreamed of riding a bicycle whose handlebars suddenly melted away.

Deposited four cheques at the bank.

Went shopping. (We also bought new laces for my boots.)

Moira and I were going to have dinner with Puitak and Gordon, but Gordon took sick so we'll go later.

Dinner was McDonald's.

February 5, 2009

Tom Joad: "What the hell is these reds anyways?"--The Grapes of Wrath

Dreamed of going back in time 50 years and meeting some people who wanted to legalize drugs; landing in an airplane at Victoria, B.C. (which I've never visited).

For my birthday Moira gave me a biography of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.  It looks fascinating! [I still haven't read it.]

Dinner was Chinese food.

The opera chorus had an extra rehearsal (badly needed) where we went through both operas offstage.  Most of us showed up!  Barbara remembered it was my birthday and she had everyone sing "Happy Birthday" to me.  We showed some improvement, but we'll see what difference it makes in the performances.

February 4, 2009

"'These goddamned Okies are thieves.  They'll steal anything.  They've got no sense of property rights.'... And the latter was true, for how can a man without property know the ache of ownership?"--The Grapes of Wrath

Dreamed of passing through a community centre in Vaughan with a Polish name where people were brushing their teeth in public.

Dinner was salmon.

We went through the first Cenerentola dress rehearsal.  We still haven't got the "Il pranzo in ordine" chorus right. (Barbara wore a T-shirt saying "Don't make me use my opera voice"!)

February 3, 2009

Dreamed of being one of two possible heirs to the throne of ancient Egypt just after the old Pharaoh died; wanting an immediate fight with my rival to decide who'd succeed to the throne.

Went to the Bickford Centre and helped unload the opera costumes from Malabar.  I also tried on my Cenerentola costume, and the back of my pants doesn't have the buttons to connect to my suspenders, so I'll need two extra safety pins.

Dinner was spaghetti.

We went through the first dress rehearsal for Carmen.  I took the opportunity to try on my Carmen costume too.

February 2, 2009

"Tom said 'That's stinkin'...' The young man laughed harshly. 'You stay out here a little while, an' if you smell any roses, you come let me smell, too"--The Grapes of Wrath

Dreamed of the John Wayne western The Searchers (one of my favourite movies).

I've been watching the documentary series The Nazis:  A Warning From History on DVD.

Borrowed Moira's laptop to play my old game King's Quest VII:  The Princeless Bride.  For some reason the background music won't play, but I actually like it that way!

Dinner was pork chops.

At choir practice we went through all the Cavalleria Rusticana choruses.  It's brilliant music!