the pattyo

***Glowing Underwear – The Wait is Over!

I read about some glow-in-the-dark underwear just now. Well, glow-in-the-dark thongs, to be specific. But, really, it’s just those skinny parts of the thong that glow. So big whoop. I was thinking “Whoa, how handy to have underwear you can locate in the dark! An energy saver, to be sure. I won’t have to turn on the lights to get dressed. I won’t wake Dan when I get up before him.” (Dan will laugh when he reads this because this never happens, as he gets up at the horrendous time of 5:30 AM and I am not an early morning person.) “I’m gonna run out and buy a few pair right now!”

Okay, I wasn’t really thinking that at all. I was thinking, “Stupid guys. Can’t they invent something useful? Maybe an automatic toilet seat putter-downer? Or a “pick up all the mail and sort it” device?” I mean … c’mon. But these thongs were invented by some college guys. Yeah. Right. I’m sure the underwear will come in handy at their keg parties.

Anyway, I knew you all would want to know about these thongs. Such a necessary item. Sure to be on ever girl’s Christmas list.

I’d give you the link to the site, but I’m just not that nice. So sorry.
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So here it is … the picture of Clay Aiken and the students from Lincoln who sang for his performance. This picture was taken by Anne-Marie Katemopoulos, the vocal teacher at Lincoln.
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***11:30 PM – Tonight
Jameson sang in a choir that backed up Clay Aiken. That’s sort of cool, you know? What would have been even more cool would have been if I could have taken the gig, but I had opera tonight so I had to turn it down. (I was asked to play a while back; Jameson only found out a few days ago that he could sing if he wanted.)

***1:42 AM – Home!

Well that was one loooong day! It was great to hear Estetica sing, although they didn’t win anything at this particular contest. Such is life! They still did quite well, but I think the team that won first did do a great job (a jazz group from Danville that was all seniors and one junior; clearly very strong and very much into the “show” of music). After we sat around listening (and shivering in the cold) to all the high school choirs we heard the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (first the youth and then the adult choir, actually). They were astounding, but the sound was cranked so high most of us had to stuff wadded up kleenex in our ears. I was a bit annoyed; haven’t these sound people heard about hearing loss? It was the loudest show I’ve ever experienced.

After dinner, we all went to hear Tuck & Patti. What an incredible duo! The kids were so tired before the show began, but hearing Patti sing and hearing Tuck’s absolutely amazing guitar playing seemed to wake them up. I would go hear them again in an instant … they are simply the best!

And now we are home. And very, very tired. I teach at 10:00 this morning. I have opera tonight. I’d better get to bed! Yawn.
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***Yesterday
we managed to seat 15 in our house! It was great fun to see everyone (we hadn’t seen Jan’s brother and his wife since a trip to Tahoe back when Brandon was, I think, in middle school). Most everyone brought their additions to the meal, and we had so much food I’m sure we could have fed a huge crowd!

Thanks to all who supplied goodies and flowers and tables etc.. It wouldn’t have been the same without your contributions!

The living room is already back to “normal” (I have students tomorrow so I had no choice but to get it back in order), and the kitchen is getting there. (Dan and I work in spurts.) The turkey is in a big pot and we’ll have turkey soup for a while. Mostly I look forward to the dinner leftovers. That will have to wait until tomorrow because …

Today Jameson has an Estetica performance in Jack London Square (in Oakland). The kids will be competing against 30 or so choirs. Looking at the list of groups they sure run the gamut … from their vocal jazz group of twelve to large choirs. How they will be judged I haven’t a clue. I’m driving some kids, and Kelsey will join us. After (too long after, actually) we’ll be going to hear Tuck & Patti at Yoshi’s. We all thought we were going to the 8:00 performance, but I received an email yesterday saying “Oops. It’s at 10:00 PM. Sorry!” Sigh. I’m not good with such late performances … but I have no choice so there you go. I do like Tuck & Patti, so I’m hoping I won’t be as uncomfortable as I sometimes am because I’ll be distracted by the great music. Time will tell. The killer will actually be the time between the competition and the show; what to do with all that time? Hmmm. We’ll see.
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***2:40 PM – Update

I survived the dentist but, as always, I was hassled about flossing (I DO floss, but not every day) and my teeth sure hurt as the technician (or whatever she’s called) scraped and scraped. I sure don’t like going there.

Now I have a headache.

But …
Shopping is done.

I think.

And my student just wrote to cancel! While I love teaching her this means I can start closing up all my oboe stuff and see just how the heck we’ll fit 15 people in our living room. (It WILL be done, because I can’t stand a few people being left in the family room — it just isn’t right to do that!)

***Things I wondered about today

• Why anyone thinks “anyways” is a word
• Why some men refer to their wives as “the wife”
• Why anyone would like olives

Silly things to wonder about, but there you go.

***8:07 AM – Last Trip! (I hope)

I’m going back to Whole Foods. As is typical when I shop, I forgot a few things yesterday. Silly me. But I’ll go early (NOW!) and after that I have the joy of a dental appointment. Oh well. I guess I will give thanks tomorrow for the fact that I won’t have a dental appointment for 6 months. Yes indeed.

***The Job I Couldn’t Play This Saturday
turns out to be the job Jameson will sing. Lincoln High School got a call; Clay Aiken needs singers. Jameson will be one of them. I’m bummed now that I couldn’t play because it could have been a “mom & son” gig. Well, sort of — they aren’t paying the students who are singing. But anyway, isn’t it cool that he is getting to do this?

I’m not an Aiken fan (I can’t even tell you what he sings, although I think I’d recognize him). I’m not really a follower of any singers (or performers). Maybe playing for these jobs has made me that way, but I actually just think I’m not a gushy fan type. Still, it’s really a kick to play them most of the time.
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***11:10 AM – Trying

Okay. I’m sitting here looking at my messy house. I got up once and cleaned up a little bit in the laundry and living rooms. I also washed the pot in the sink and put that away. But boy, oh boy, is it difficult to convince myself to do more. I’m trying (my father’s response to that has always been something like “Yes, you are very trying.” And he’s correct!). I’m not sure what it is; opera does exhaust me, but I didn’t have it yesterday. Maybe it’s just knowing that I’ll have a house full on Thursday. Maybe I’m frozen. Sort of like the turkey I’ll be picking up today.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Maybe I’m just lazy. Maybe my sin is sloth. (Well, I certainly am afflicted with other sins too, but maybe that’s the one I have “worst”.)

Anyway, the house is messy. Poor, poor house. Sad house. Neglected house. But no one really notices except this old lady. So maybe it doesn’t matter. Right?

***QOD

Sloth and Silence are a Fool’s Virtues

-Benjamin Franklin quotes

Give me a break, Ben!

Rambling ….

***Greg & Jan
are here. Brandon and I went to see them yesterday. Yay! I’m so glad they have come for a visit. I was able to witness Greg the Chef preparing what looked to be a very nice dinner for my parents and Carolyn. I think he and Dan should have a cook-off contest! I will be the judge. I think being an eating judge sounds sort of nice, you know? (Just no tomatoes, please!)
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***9:11 PM – Clarification

I just remembered that I do have a couple of readers who aren’t related to me: Jessica is my niece (my sister’s daughter). She is sweet and wonderful and all that great stuff!

Just so you know.

***6:31 PM – Congratulations!

To Jessica and Raj; this family has an engagement! Brandon, Jameson and I just happened to go to Willow Street Pizza last night and who was there but Carolyn, her kids, and this man I’d never met before. Turns out that they were celebrating the engagement of Jessica and Raj.

How ’bout that!?
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***1:20 PM – Finally!

A reason that guys should put the toilet seat down that may convince some of them.

The book “The Secret Life of Germs: Observations and Lessons from a Microbe Hunter” by Dr. Philip M. Tierno Jr. (Pocket Books, 2001) recommends closing the toilet seat before flushing, noting that, “flushing the toilet can send small drops of aerosolized fecal matter as far as 20 feet into the air, potentially hitting every surface of even a large bathroom.”

Nummy, eh? :-)

***9:50 AM – Staying Home

Last night was opening night for Tosca. Aside from one very silly thing, I think I played fine. In truth the oboe barely matters in this opera so the stress level isn’t all that high for me (it’s a clarinet and flute opera really). After the opera a friend had a little gathering at her house and I stayed until 1:00 in the morning. I rarely do this any more but I decided to be sociable. Dan was invited but since he was going skiing today he didn’t accompany me, so there I was, alone … and, I think, the OLDEST person there. The youngest was only one year older than Brandon. How funny to be a senior member of the orchestras I’m in now. I still feel like I’m in my 20s. Oh well!

So I’m staying home from church today; what with staying up too late (early?); knowing that church was probably not going to be my “cup ‘o tea” today, and having another opera this afternoon, I decided to play hooky. I’m trying not to feel guilty. I think guilt is my middle name!

I can’t believe we are going to have fifteen people in this horribly messy house this Thursday! What to do, what to do?

Oh. Clean it up, I suppose. That’s probably the answer.

Ya think?
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***3:05 PM – Last Night
we saw the production “Mousical” at LIncoln High. Jameson was great! It was so much fun.

Today was a bit of a “day” already … woke up to get Jameson to school for the pancake breakfast, then taught student #1 at 8:45. Dan and I drove to the pancake breakfast and survived eating their eggs and pancakes, and then heard the students perform (that part was fun). Home again and students #2 and #3. Now I’m vegging out before going to opening night of Tosca. I’m a bit tired, so I guess I need some rest.

***QOD

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.

-Father Larry Lorenzoni

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