This will make you smile

I have had a headache for approximately 3 solid days and it is getting really old. This little video is guaranteed to make you smile, no matter how you feel. It is both amusing and strangely entrancing....

Friday delights

Just because I don't post 'em doesn't mean there aren't plenty of delightful things going on.... but here are a few for today:

• morning workout  (not sure this qualifies as delightful, but I am delighted I have managed to keep doing it this week!)
• catching up with an old friend. How can three years pass without notice?
• gorgeous east coast foliage and weather
• amazing home grown tomatoes   
• chorus rehearsal for Sweeney Todd!  And delighted to BE delighted about chorus rehearsal!

Also, I have finally jumped on the Twitter bandwagon (see feed to the right).  Come on over and follow me there, if you like.  Not really sure how to work it all, but I'm slowly learning. 

Have a happy Fourth of July weekend!

Spring cleaning

So my boyfriend is away this weekend, visiting his family in New Orleans for Mardi Gras.  When he asked me about attending MONTHS ago, I said "oh sure, that sounds fun...hope it works out."   Little did I know that to native New Orleanians, this is like Thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled into one.  When I stupidly took a job during this time period, I simply did not realize its import.  I thought it was much like missing a weekend bbq or a nephew's birthday party.  Little did I know. 
ANYWAY, suffice it to say, here I am, spending the weekend at home alone.  Nice for me: gorgeous weather. So while it is odd to find myself without any real social plans, I have tried to make the most of it..... i.e. spring cleaning.  I.e. "trying to turn this hovel into something bearable."  hahah

What I have done:

1.  Friday night:  Dungeness crab, Dos Equis, and Double Indemnity.  Yes, better with a pal to curl up with, but not too shabby a way to spend a Friday night.  :)

 2.  Sang a funeral.  No this does not sound fun, but it IS fun to sing a bit in a great space, possibly touch some folks that need a bit of musical healing,  and make some spare change.  Hollah!

3.  Dinner and a movie with some pals.  The Adjustment Bureau.  Totally enjoyable. Also I have been told that Emily Blunt may be my "celebrity who stars as you in the movie version of your life."   Verdict:  Totally flattering.

4.  Cleaning my bedroom.  Bought a cute wooden dresser at a yard sale and promptly set up shop in my bedroom, trying to be organized.  Went thru ALL of my clothes for the annual "what haven't you worn in 2yrs" clear out.  Hung some pics.  Room is looking fairly spiffy, if I do say so.

5. Yard Work!  Today I spent 6 hrs.  YES 6 HOURS!  raking, digging, mowing,  burning leaves and sticks, etc from my yard.  Why on earth did this take so long?   My yard is tiny.  But lordy does it need work.  My back is sore but I am feeling rather self satisfied. Stilll loads to do, but what a great start.  Yay!

6.  Finished the weekend with 2 margaritas at Original Ninfa's which was totally packed.  And totally delish.  

What still needs to happen:
1.  more yard action in the backyard.  sigh.
2.  washing dishes.
3.  straighten up living room

Am I a party animal or what???

Wednesday Delights

Wednesday delights:

1.  The Ikea Kitchen Planner.  What an amazing tool! Check out my plan, above.  Now that I have paid for my new adorable roof, I am dreaming of the next big move.... kitchen reno.  White cabinets, butcher block countertops, white tile on floor, soft yellow on the walls, dry goods in glass jars on a shelf.  It is a beautiful dream, and I am diligently saving AS WE SPEAK.    See also the pic below....mine will not be a literal interpretation, but definitely the model I am after....

2.  Getting my home inspection scheduled, after multiple occasions for literally pulling my hair out in the home insurance biz.

3.  Grapefruit.  So good.  Nature's little gift in the winter.

4.  Cleaning my desk at work.

5.  Slow but steady progress on the ole brick walkway.  Can't wait to show more pics!  But here is a sad one from day two of digging: 

It is hard to tell, but that soil is mostly clay filled with rocks and BIG tree roots.  Digging is not easy, fo sho.  I've managed to break a couple of garden tools already.  I am just so freaking strong, you see.

6.  Looking forward to some real time off.  During which I can plan for the upcoming months. So much planning!!!!

Monday delights

Delighting me this Monday:

1.  lunch with a pal.

2.  the most gorgeous day.  Still a BIT nippy when working on Project Brick Walkway, but the sun is shining and it is amazing.  Love for Houston (esp in winter): still intact.

3. A new book: The Happiness Advantage.  I am actually listening to the audiobook, and I wonder if the print version might be better but the information is good.  To quote Abraham Lincoln, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be".... and now science is telling us this is verifiable. 

4.  Another (very different) good read:  The Fall by Guillermo del Toro.  This is the 2nd in a Triology and I have not read the first, but I was pretty wrapped up in the story from moment one.   Is it great literature? No... but it is great story. 

5. My sweet boyfriend.  Are yall getting sick of hearing that yet?   hehehe.

6.  A fairly productive day.  And still many more hours before bed!  For a basically lazy person, I sure do like getting things done!

7.  Canasta.  We've been playing cards with another couple and geez do I like it.  I may buy a mumu and move to Florida and drink fruity umbrella drinks all day.

Wednesday Delights

Delighting me today:

1.  Thinking these might be the perfect summer shoe...

2.  Getting a brand new roof TOMORROW AT 9:30AM!!!
3.  The hurts-so-good feeling that you get when you do manual labor.  Like building a path out of used brick...

4.  Gratitude that the manual labor I am doing is by choice and I do not have to do this for a living.
5.  The occasional spurt of creativity in regard to my future projects.
6.  Electric blankets. 
7.  My awesome gas heater... especially during repeating power outages!
8.  A new haiku:

Major bride-zilla:

Lucia di Lammermoor.

What a wedding night!

Wednesday delights

Delighting me today:

An amazing (but cheap!) pedicure and the resulting shiny red toenails 

 

This pretty dress from Anthropologie.  le sigh. 

Shingle shopping for my new roof!!!  I am thinking dark brown.  What a decision!

Pretty pretty drawer pulls, also from Anthro.  Can you tell I am back in the home improvement game?

My sweet boyfriend.  

A day of relaxation.

Chicken tikka masala on the docket for dinner.

Plans for drinks with pals at a favorite beer bar. 

Life is good. 

so pretty

ok, I interrupt this incredibly long period of silence to show you some beautiful flowers: 

What I like:  

1. succulents
2. flowers that are almost black
3. lots of texture
4. dahlias

Saved the best for last: 

All images from Flora Grubb at The Cutting Garden. Go there now for even more amazing flower porn. 

HOpe you are having a great fall weekend!

Sunday delights

Delighting me this Sunday morning:

1. Pleasant endings  (last performance of FACE, last performance of Orpheus, saying "catch you later" to friends old and new at the end of my summer festival)
2. Exciting beginnings  (Return to Houston! Face-to-face time with a lovely man-friend! New home renovation! Catching up with old friends! Full season ahead! New foster kitties!)
3. Road trip ahead....long but not grueling.
4. Great podcasts for the road:  Radiolab
5. Packing packing packing

Thursday delights

Delighting me this Thursday morning:

1. Planning home renovations.   This Old House is my new best friend.
2. Knowledgeable and helpful and generous parents.
3. Waking up to the most beautiful sunrise.... and 50 degree weather.  (and knowing that I should soak it up because in just a few days Houston is going to provide quite a different sort of wake up scenario!)
4. Exciting future career plans.
5. Only three more days before I hit the road home, and a very light schedule for those three days.
6. AWESOME new podcast obsession: Radiolab.
7. Finding an amazing steal on Craigslist.... pics to follow soon!
8. Lovely flowers on my kitchen table.

Wednesday delights:

1. DELICIOUS DINNER: grilled pork chop; roasted potato, sweet potato, garlic & rosemary; white wine.  The meal was delish, and sitting outside, watching the sunset over mountains, reading a new magazine, with a glass of white wine, was just as nice.
2. Final scene of the summer,  STAGED AT LAST.  Still needs perfecting and costuming, but the bulk of the work is out of the way. 
3. Good workout: hiking, then running on treadmill. 
4. Realizing I am only 18 days from returning home to Houston. 
5. Feeling like we are ahead of schedule on both big shows I have going up in the next couple of weeks. 
6. A new good book (Thieves' Opera) and a new good magazine (Cooking Light)
7. Fun texts with my sweet man-friend.

I got an email from a friend the other day, telling me how he enjoyed reading my "delights" posts and what a happy life I seemed to be living.  In the interest of full disclosure, I felt a little confession was in order:  My life is not actually a series of full time delights.  Shocking, I know.  Taking the time to write down things that ARE delightful is a good reminder to me of all that IS wonderful, especially when I am feeling down.  And generally, the more I write, the more I realize what there is to write about.  To quote Abraham Lincoln, "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."     If I chose, there are plenty of things I could write about that are NOT delighting me, but would that really make me feel better?  Would it make you feel better to read it?  ha! 

(poster via Etsy)

So.... my Sunday delights:

1. Frank conversations.
2. Beautifully designed movies:  Despicable Me and A Single Man
3. Steel cut oatmeal with summer berries. 
4. Another scene up in Opera a la Carte.
5. Seeing the rest of the summer schedule all on ONE page. 
6. Notes from long lost friends.
7. My scheme for managing finances. See details HERE.  Really, I cannot explain how happy this system makes me.  Especially if you are a freelancer with head-scratching finances, check it out.

Thursday delights

(Bird coop at Mary Arden's farm, England, May 2010)

Delighting me this Thursday morning: 

1. Sweet morning phone calls.
2. Finishing a great novel.
3. Fun and productive rehearsals.
4. Reading Oprah magazine in bed.... takes me forever to finish, but I do love it. 
5. Thoughtful friends. 
6. Clean laundry
7. Wondrous internet technology that I use every day: mint.com, dailyburn.com, ingdirect.com, gmail.com, google reader.

Wednesday delights

(Pretty little door in Lower Slaughter, England, May 2010. Check the awesome black tulips.)

Delighting me this Wednesday:

1. Seeing a potentially awkward situation magically work itself out.
2. Getting the tax credit check in the mail!  yay new house!
3. Enjoying a good novel  (Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen). 
4. Waking up and actually WANTING to go exercise. 
5. This cool new online tool: www.dailyburn.com.
6. Making great progress with the cover cast!
7. Another day closer to Houston.

Tuesday delights

(Tombstones at Holy Trinity, Stratford-upon-Avon, May 2010)

Things that are delighting me this morning:

1. Gorgeous sunny day, no humidity (thank you rocky mtns!)
2. Getting all sorts of chores done:  washing dishes, cleaning room, cleaning out car. Yay!
3. Feeling good about a stable financial outlook for the immediate future (as a freelancer, this is not an everyday feeling!)
4. Steel cut oatmeal with berries for breakfast.
5. Starting a new workout routine.

Delights return

In an effort to get back to blogging AND as a reminder to myself of how much wonderfulness there is to be enjoyed in life, I bring back the "delights" series.....  simply a list of things that are delighting me. 

Here's today's list:

1. Performances that move you in unexpected ways. 
2. Talking to interesting new people. 
3. Catching up with old friends.
4. Putting on a new top and feeling pretty. 
5. Seeing your younger colleagues succeed.
6. Delicious red wine.
7. The West Wing Season 1
8. Great lines like this one (the beginning is paraphrased)... "I go to the theatre... Not to escape, but to connect."    Thank you, Gene Scheer.

Wednesday awesomeness

what is awesome? Calling up the moving guys to book a move and finding out it will only cost $150 to have some perfect strangers haul your junk from one place to another.

I think after age 30 this is really the only acceptable alternative.
I really love living in a big city.

My little pad

So here she is.... my new little home.
I closed on this cute little duplex just last week.  I can hardly believe it is true.
Yes, she needs a little work. She was born in 1935 for pete's sake!
No, she is not in the best neighborhood, but it seems this neighborhood (Eastwood.... developed in the 30's by the same guy that developed the Heights) is on its way up.  Prices are certainly rising, and I happen to know several pretty interesting folks who live there. 
Yes, she is small.

BUT... yes, she is adorably historic!
Yes, she already has a great tenant on the other side of the wall... a lovely tenant that makes a big dent in my mortgage payment!
Yes, she has a big yard, front and back!
And yes, SHE IS MINE!!

A tiny tour....
View from front door.... den, into dining room, bedroom in back.

tiny kitchen.... higher on my "fix it up" priority list...

tiny bathroom....

Backyard... (washer/dryer in storage shed!)

close up of bedroom...

And another view of the front porch....

And that is that!  When you are tiny, tours are short. hehe
Anyway, stay tuned for updates as I get all moved in and start making improvements.  Ridiculously, I was only able to move a few boxes after signing on the place, because I had to leave town for a gig almost immediately! And now I am pretty much out of town until next August, excepting about 10 days in May.  Ridiculous, I say.  

But while we are on the subject, I am going to go ahead and take the liberty of crossing off a big one on my Ultimate To Do List:  "Live in a cottage with ivy and rambling roses."    Whoduthunkit?!

Erin Tyner on Flickr!!

Fade
Originally uploaded by Erin_T

I just discovered that Erin Tyner is on Flickr!! Not sure how I missed this before, as I am a big fan (recall my much anticipated purchase here).... in any case, see her pics in all their glory any day of the week at Flickr. com. YAY!

Wolftrap Virtual Season Launch... my little piece of the pie

HI all!  I've been sitting on a fun little project for the past week or so and AT LAST I get to share it with you.  I think this may just  be the first in a series of short interviews with interesting women. FUN, RIGHT??

OK, Let's do it...

Kim Witman of the Wolf Trap Opera Company is celebrating today’s announcement of the WTOC 2010 season by doing guest blog posts and interviews in a few places across the blogosphere.   You can see links to all the others here.   As always, WTOC is doing a wildly interesting mix of rep with some really stellar young talent.  I hope one day to join them myself, but in the meantime, let's take a peek into the mind of the lady pulling the strings.....



Is there a “typical” day for Kim Witman?

Typical non-summer day:  Corresponding with production teams, refining staff schedules and responsibilities for the season, planning special events for donors and patrons, writing supertitles, reviewing budget figures, writing and editing program books, planning workshops for the next commissioned opera, preparing preshow talks, managing databases, researching repertoire, writing artist recommendations for competitions, reviewing box office reports, remembering to breathe deeply.

Typical summer day: Whack-a-mole.  Show up and problem solve.

What is the best part of your day?

Depending on my frame of mind, it’s either a creative challenge (writing supertitles, brainstorming with artistic staff, researching repertoire for future casting) or a satisfyingly linear task with a tangible outcome (a beautifully geeky spreadsheet, a clearly-documented cut list, a well-edited bit of copy.)

What part do you dread?
      Meetings.  Thankfully, they are few.

If you had to sum up in one sentence what you want an audience member to take away from a visit to Wolf Trap this summer, what would it be?
      That they’re glad they came, for whatever reasons matter the most to them.

What is the thing you are most proud of at Wolf Trap?
      The positive regard in which our alumni hold their WTOC experience.

What is something you’d really like to see change at Wolf Trap?
      We desperately need venue renovations at our main theatre, The Barns.

What are the best books you’ve read in the last year?

The Black Swan (Taleb), Drive (Pink), The Last Lecture (Pausch), Three Cups of Tea (Mortenson), What the Dog Saw (Gladwell).  It’s not that I don’t read fiction, I do… it’s just that I haven’t really liked a bunch of what I’ve read recently.  And after I turned 50, I promised myself that I wouldn’t force myself to go any further than 50% through a book that I hated.  Life is getting shorter and shorter.

What blogs do you read every single day?

Yours, of course. 

Sadly, there are 175 blogs in my Google Reader feed.  I spend no more than 20 minutes on them a day, though, and therefore there’s lots of surfing.   About half of them are music and arts-oriented, and the rest are technology, marketing, psychology & general news and ideas. 

What are your three “desert island” bits of music?  

I am so spectacularly bad at this.  Every day I have a different answer.  Today, I will give you the 3 songs in my iPod shuffle that gave me particular pleasure during my most recent plane ride: “Slow Me Down” by Emily Rossum, a cappella version by the Virginia Sil’hooettes; “Take It with Me” by Elvis Costello, sung by Anne Sofie von Otter; and Handel’s Lascia ch’io pianga.  All kind of mellow, but that’s where I was that day.

What reminds you who you are?
      My kids and my husband.

Who are you leading? Where are you going? Does it matter?

I will lead anyone who trusts me enough to follow.  I’m trying to go in the direction of the dreams of those who trust me.  And it does matter.

What is delighting you today? 
          Feeling connected.


Hope you all are delighted with our little interview.  I know I am.... and can't wait to read the other blogs dedicated to celebrating the day!   As soon as the links are live, I will post a few over here.  Happy virtual season launch, Wolftrap, and thanks to Kim for sharing her time!