Category Archives: Words Words Words

Meh

Laptop modem still not working.

My back is going “crunch” in the middle.

Still haven’t heard about an interview for those teaching posts.

Got my copy of my tax forms back from the tax guy (finally – he had the wrong phone number) and I owe $2.23 to the federal government, and am owed $43 from the provincial. No, I don’t understand either.

I practiced my cello last week (yeah, I’m pretty stunned myself) and got to the point where I could play Beethoven’s first symphony all the way through at half speed. Good thing I practiced, because we three cellos had to play through some very embarrassing bits alone over and over. I was mortified, although I shudder to think what I would have sounded like if I hadn’t practised.

I still have one more day to go before my weekend. It will be a long one.

CURRENTLY READING:
A limited edition hardcover collection of two decades of Charles de Lint’s Christmas chapbooks, all gathered into one volume “in a moment of weakness” as the inside flap says. Very good. Very, very good. Uneven, yes, as they were never intended for true publication, only Christmas gifts for his wife and then a small circle of friends. It’s called Triskell Tales: 22 Years of Chapbooks. The early stuff that I’m still in is about two of his recurrign short story characters called Cerin Songweaver, a harper, and his oak-spirit wife Meran.

I recently reread The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis too. Small print. Periods were difficult to see. Yes, I was wearing my glasses. I remember it being a lighter read than it actually was, less suspenseful, less historical. Odd, that. Then again, I read it over ten years ago. I think I prefer To Say Nothing of the Dog and Passage.

I also read A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott which is about an innocent young lady whose guardian loses custody of her in a gard game and marries her off to a dashing genleman who turns out to already have an estranged wife. When our heroine discovers this she flees in the night and he pursues her through various cities and false identities. Nice and not-brain-bending for a Monday afternoon in the sun. The word “challenging” certainly would never come up in relation to this book, but it was fun.

This weekend Ursula K Le Guin’s The Lathe of Heaven is up, as my book club is doing it on Tuesday night.

Birthday List

Things I want for my birthday:

– A good music stand. One with a solid table so when I go to write something on my music it doesn’t bend and slip off. It still needs to be relatively portable, though, so nothing that weighs a ton.
– A new cello bag. Preferable one with backpack straps as well as handles. It’ll need to be waterproof, and have at least 10 or 15 mm of padding. They’re about $100. The bag I have has been well-used for eight years by me and who knows how long before that, and is wearing through. I don’t want it to rip when it shouldn’t (like when I’m carrying it on a bus).

I’ve made an interesting discovery. A few years ago when I replaced the bow that originally came with my cello, I found that it was a 3/4 size. Looking at all the bags that other people use for their cellos at orchestra, I think my bag is a 3/4 size as well, because it barely fits my 4/4 instrument, and a full-size bow won’t fit in the bow pocket and still allow the top flap to fold over.

Just thinking, that’s all.

Editor’s note: No, you haven’t missed her birthday. She’s simply giving you a couple of months advance warning. Isn’t she sweet?

Joy!

Well, well, well.

I remember this feeling. I think it’s called “having fun in life”.

MLG not only (a) handed me a laptop with the words “Happy Birthday” on Saturday, he also (b) reminded me that I have a finished novel tucked away somewhere, and (c) by complete dumb luck managed to link some dreams I’ve been having recently with some short stories and scenes I’d scribbled down a few years ago. I spent most of yesterday loading the chapters of my book onto the new laptop, re-reading some old short fiction, and generally being impressed with myself. It takes a lot to impress me with my own work; I’m a really tough critic.

So I have all this creative writing, some ideas ready to be worked on, and a laptop. Hmm. One plus one plus one equals…

He also pointed out to me that sitting down to practice the cello is just a matter of self-discipline. Now, I’ve already been working on the self-discipline thing, doing meditation and devotions in the mornings which take up about forty minutes. That plus washing up, dressing, and breakfast (yes, I know, what a novel concept) pretty much cover my two hours of being up before I leave, but maybe I can squeeze in half an hour of practice on one particular bit of music, like the irritating staccato runs in the opening movement of Beethoven’s first symphony.

Friends like this are good to have. They prove to you that you’ve accomplished some pretty terrific stuff in your lifetime, that you’re not as much of a loser as you thought you were, and that life is pretty good.

In addition, I’ve made a pact with a friend: when our tax returns come in, we’ll buy inexpensive bows to begin some archery exercise with. Once or twice a week, nice and early in the morning, we’ll meet down at the football field and work on shooting straight. Maybe by the end of the summer we can think about using targets.

Fun stuff. Not just work. Work was pretty much taking up all the important time I had. Now, what with this application for the teaching positions (no, nothing yet), I’m starting to shift focus to other things. Things that make me happy, as opposed to taking up my time because they have to. And I refuse to obsess about scheduling. Scheduling fun time defeats the purpose.

Babies

I heard a fantastic rendition of a Beethoven cello sonata on the way home last night, and I said to myself, “I could do that” – the operative word being could, of course, not can. It simultaneously thrills me and depresses me to know that if I practiced, I could be really, really good. If I get this teaching job it will free up a lot of time, which I intend to partially fill with regular practice sessions.

I’m still awed about Devon. What will she look like when she’s six? Thirteen? Twenty-one? What will her first word be? What will be her favourite colour? What will her laugh sound like?

Debra called me the other day and said, “Are you having baby pangs?” Heck, yes. Every time I see her four-month old daughter Elspeth, as a matter of fact. I’m fairly certain it will be the same way with Devon. I even dreamed last night that my oldest friend Annika was pregnant, and she looked fantastic. We used to joke that the three of us (Paze, Annika and myself) would all be pregnant at the same time. I think my subconcious is dredging that up and throwing it at me now that Paze is non-pregnant.

Babies – wondrous creatures who require much care and feeding. I know darned well that we can’t afford one right now, time-wise or financially. I’m trying to change careers, and my husband Ron has just started work again, after all. People keep telling me that it’s never a “good” time to have a baby with a preachy, syrupy tone, and it irritates the hell out of me. If you can’t approach a life-changing decision like introducing another member into your family unit who will be completely dependent upon you for several years with responsibility (financial or otherwise), then what business do you have doing it? It drives me up the wall that dogs require licenses, but they’ll let anyone have a baby. Anyway, we don’t touch on the subject very often, because it’s a bit sensitive all around. Our own families both have their opinions on the whole idea, and I think we’re both a bit afraid of what it will do to our own relationship (which has taken a beating over the past year anyway what with all the financial trouble and job-less-ness). We’ve made a tentative date to talk about it again at the end of this year. A lot can happen in a year.

Ever seen a pregnant woman play the cello? Probably not. Go ahead, laugh. Most of the people on the cello chat board I frequent who are mothers have said they had to play “side-saddle” for the last few months of their pregancies. Women at the turn of the century used to play like this. Instead of holding the cello between your legs (so unladylike!) you sit sideways in your chair, knees together and to the left, turning your torso to the right while leaning the instrument against your left shoulder as usual. If that sounds uncomfortable it’s because it is, and it plays havoc with the physics of cello-playing as well. If it’s your only solution, though, heck, I’d take it too!

Second Chair

They put me in the second chair last night at orchestra. I like the seat; I hate the responsibility implied. Our section leader is away so they moved Walter and I up from fifth and sixth to first and second for a few weeks. Eep! Well, it will make me practice the Beethoven if nothing else. The Minuet & Trio is all over the fingerboard and quick, damn it. I can coast through anything decently except demonically fast 3/4 time…

I also tried my cello bow last night for the first time in three months. Right after the last concert in January I picked up a really cheap student viola bow for about $40 and tried playing with that instead. The frog is smaller (the handle, folks, the handle) and while it’s a couple of inches longer than a cello bow and the weight distribution is slightly different, overall it’s a bit lighter. It works quite nicely for me; it’s easier to handle, and I can create a smoother sound with it. Going back to the cello bow last night was disastrous! So it’s back to the viola bow. I’ll have to sit further away from my stand partner though, so I don’t stab him like I almost did last night. (Can’t you just see the headlines?)

Missing The Point

Just when you thought it was safe:

Michael Williams, a Republican candidate for the 5th Congressional District seat, has a novel plan to fully fund NASA: Tax science fiction.

Williams proposes a 1 percent “NASA tax” on science fiction books, science fiction comic books, space sciences books and any other space-related literature.

The tax would also apply to “space, space-related, and science fiction toys, puzzles and games,” Williams said in a listing of his platform.

Where does it end? Do we pay a science fiction tax on our Doritos because they have Episode Two likenesses emblazoned on the bags? Will they stalk the streets at Hallowe’en and slap a tax on kids wearing a collection of boxes and foil pie plates? Kids who want a telescope? Movie soundtracks? Innocent book clubs in need of refined germanium who gather to discuss zone purifiers!?

Ugh. Read the whole article and learn more about Williams’ brilliant campaign ideas, if you dare.

I don’t know whether to thank Scott or not for bringing this to my attention.

Present And Accounted For

That’s it. I have arrived.

If you search “owl” and “cello” on Google, I’m your first hit.

Oddly enough, “Autumn” and “cello” doesn’t pull me up at all in the top 100 hits. Hmm.

But if you search “Lakeshore Chamber Orchestra”, I’m the ninth hit – and the nineteenth. The LCO web site doesn’t show up at all in the top 100.

The mystical workings of search engines are beyond this simple Pagan owl worshipper…