She had a pretty gift for quotation, which is a serviceable substitute for wit.
– W. Somerset Maugham
The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth.
– Niels Bohr
There are some half-written posts in the queue, like the one about the Loreena McKennitt concert last week and a thoughtful post on three interests of mine that Fearsclave asked me to expound upon, but I don’t have the time to either finish or polish them. I add bits as I wait for my e-mail client to load on the home computer every couple of days, which means they should be done in, oh, May sometime.
In the meantime, here’s today’s scratch pad for posterity (hullo, posterity!).
11:15:
I’m really tired of life kicking my husband in the career, in the sense of self-worth, and in his self-confidence. It’s great that this chance was offered to him out of the blue, and horrible that it was pulled away before he got to the interview. It was awesome that they thought of him; I’m only sorry that those in charge didn’t take the opportunity to interview him, to see the potential he could have brought to the project. If our friends were in charge of hiring for everything, everyone would be doing the right thing, be paid what they’re worth, and be happy. That’s a nice utopic thought.
11:19:
“Amputate — to cut off part of the body.” But: “amputee — someone who has had an arm or leg cut off.” So… amputation includes the head, then? If so, how odd that we do not say “He’s having his head amputated” when the guillotine is being employed. (Gives a whole new meaning to *headdesk*.)
11:37:
I love how in review I change my mind about things. “No, this doesn’t need to be rewritten, no, this should be this other level, I think I’ll include this word after all, I think I’ll take this one out…” I would never finish this dictionary if I didn’t have to hand it in.
11:57:
Why is “apostacy” here, but not “apostate”? Why?
14:29:
More changing of my mind. Sigh.
14:41:
I should probably take “bastardize” out of this dictionary, as it is gunning for an all-ages rating.
14:47:
PUNCTUATION COUNTS! “A method of printing patterns on cloth, in which wax is put on the cloth before it is put in the dye or the cloth itself” does NOT make sense. Yes, we know what it’s trying to say; but it is WRONG. (Batik, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the method.)
15:07:
I am so dead. they sell Jersey Milk chocolate bars down in the cafe. These are so hard to find!
15:09:
Every time someone says “DS” in French, I think they’re saying “Goddess”. Wrong work environment. I think I can be forgiven after working in the alternative spirituality field for seven years running.
15:17:
PUNCTUATION COUNTS!!1!!eleventy-one!1!! *tears hair*
15:20
Huh. The Lipton Earl Grey tea is slightly peppery. Not unpleasant, but also not exactly what I was looking for, as I wanted to soothe an irritated and slightly swollen throat. (Apparently I have a sensitivity to Mexican red sauce.)
16:20:
I CAN START EDITING! Woo-hoo! (After I finish the self-imposed task of checking for doubles, that is.)
New words today: archimandrite, biota, birefringence.
In today’s mail: First paycheque for this contract! Woo-hoo! I could get used to this. (No, I couldn’t. Well, the regular receipt of large cheques bit, I could.)
Saturday:
Band practice: awesome, awesome, awesome. Then assorted errands.
Sunday:
Spring/Earth Day/various godfamily birthdays etc. celebrated by visiting the Butterflies Go Free exhibit at the Jardins Botaniques. I teared up as soon as we stepped into the greenhouse; there were that many tiny fragile beautiful creatures flying around or feeding or just perching on leaves. It was incredibly magical. Liam loved it.
Yesterday afternoon I practiced for a while, then picked up t! and Jan and my amp (who does not have an online journal), and went to test that electric cello. After taking about a half-hour to tune it and set it up properly (long story — suffice it to say I was moderately appalled) I played it for a while, trying out various themes and riffs from band stuff. Then I picked up my own cello to hear its sound again. And you know, I love my cello so much; I just need to be reminded of why every once in a while. The electric is missing the depth and richness of the acoustic. I’d be spending a lot of time trying to mess with amp settings to get it to sound like a traditional cello, and why do that when I already have one?
It was a valuable experience. It was interesting to feel the differences in playing, how the body of it felt in my hands and against my knees, particularly while playing. I’m not used to an absence of vibration felt in my body as I play. It wasn’t a bad instrument, although certainly not one I’d recommend for a beginner… but it wsn’t technically a cello, either. If I played a lot more than I do, and travelled, I might seriously consider it. But I don’t, and I don’t particularly want it. What I have is better in every way for what I need, and meets my desire for sound.
Heartfelt thanks go out to Jan and t! for their company and feedback (and navigation through the traffic-clogged streets of the east Plateau, despite my surprising sanguinity about it). I didn’t need to be talked out of a bad decision (be that leaving it or taking it home!), but it was good to have support with me and to hear their confirmation of my opinions.
May 19, 2007.
7:30 – 11:30 PM.
Invisible and Random Colour ride again.
Clyde’s (the old Pioneer, how’s that for a blast from the past?), Pointe-Claire Village. Private party, of course, which means exactly what it says: it’s not an open-public event. Music ends around 11:30, but the party doesn’t have to. Cash bar, as it’s a real live pub.
Last chance you have to experience Random Colour live before their hiatus.
More info? Not sure you qualify for the private party? Contact me. I’ll be sending out an invitation by e-mail; this is just a heads-up.
Thirty days…
Just as a reminder: these are more for my benefit than anyone’s entertainment, although what you’re entitled to whatever amusement you derive from reading these records of my stream of consciousness.
10:23:
I started my day with news of a secondhand electric cello being sold nearby, courtesy of the Tough Love Muse. Have just communicated with vendor for info and to negotiate a test-time, cause no way will I seriously buy an instrument without hearing it and testing out the feel of it first. It’s a staggering steal of a deal, and I am almost certain that if I pass it up I will kick myself in a few weeks. We will see what happens.
10:26:
Oh my gods, these croissants that the producer brings in every Wednesday are divine.
11:09:
I can’t get comfortable. I don’t feel quite here; I just can’t settle into my body or into day properly. I feel almost caffeine-jumpy, which is odd because I haven’t had any for days.
11:14:
What a dreadful position this cello vendor is in. She made some major life decisions a decade ago and has come up against dead end after dead end. The cello was to be her joy and solace; no time, no money, and now injury have taken that away from her. She’s had it for seven years and hasn’t done anything with it. I feel for her. She isn’t sure if she’s going to sell it or not, and I completely understand; selling an instrument when it was meant to be your personal creative expression and place of soul-refuge can feel like giving up the possibility of attaining success or happiness. In fact, I told her that I felt she wasn’t ready to sell it, and that I wouldn’t be disappointed if she changed her mind at any point as we both decide if this is right. On the other hand, if she decides that she is ready and if I think it sounds good and feels good in my hands, I will buy it from her with pleasure, knowing that the money will help her and that she may be somewhat comforted knowing that it’s gone to a good home and someone who will love it and use it.
13:45:
Lovely lunch with HRH, Fearsclave, Mellanmouse, and Mousme.
14:21:
A real definition: “Potholing: a sport which involves climbing into and around underground caves”. One is tempted to add “An extreme sport originating in Montreal.” (Can’t claim credit for all of that one; the extreme bit was contributed by t!.)
14:40:
In an IM, t! misreads “potholing” as “plotholing”. A: “Burrows made by plot bunnies?” t!: “You could feed them plot carrots.”
15:02:
Just finished the sixteenth level of the dictionary. That’s 1300+ today alone so far. Go me.
15:04:
Oi. Level 17 has 1600+ words to get through. *headdesk*
16:02:
The air conditioning keeps going on and off. When it goes off it’s remarkably quiet. One doesn’t notice how much noise it’s making until it’s gone. Warmer now, too. No, it’s back on again.
16:05:
Never ceases to amaze me how many words in the English language are actually stolen wholecloth from other languages.
16:20:
The other problem with the higher levels is that there is a denser population of longer words. I have to limit the words I use to twelve characters long. Some really great words are being cut simply due to length.
New words today: photovoltaic, graticule.
Quick notes on the Loreena McKennitt concert last night:
A huge thank you to ADZO and his lovely wife for gifting us with tickets to this concert as a gift for HRH’s birthday and Jen’s birthday, too. We had a wonderful time with them.
The best line I uttered during the concert: “LUTE SOLO!” And I meant it with great enthusiasm, too.
Ironic that the live version of Bonny Swans rocks hard (nothing like two electric guitar solos!) while the version Random Colour is doing is the quietest folksy-est song of our set. (ADZO — I remembered on the way home that I did try listening to the live recording on the Live From Paris & Toronto recording, and it was useless because it was in a different key. No wonder I’d blocked that particular irritation from my mind.)
I had the good fortune to not be disturbed any any of the audience members around me. That’s rare. Usually there’s at least one person who persists in ruing the experience for me, either by singing off-key or talking through it all or jiggling the seat. Everyone was well-behaved and made the experience that much more pleasant.
It was daring to open with what was essentially a harp solo of She Moved Through The Fair, before launching into the first song from her new album.
FOUR percussionists. I counted. They were all excellent.
Yes, there was a cello, there is always a cello, and she was set up at the front on stage left so I could see everything. But there were also electric guitars and bass and an oud and accordion aside from the piano and harp. It was a crowded stage, in a good way.
An excellent, excellent evening.
9:36 AM:
Okay — now I’m finding deliberate misspellings that are defined as “a popular misspelling of [correct spelling].” Hold me back…
11:20:
I’ve been driving through a thousand words this morning at an impressive speed, and have suddenly crashed into level 15. Hereonin things will crawl, mainly because there are three times as many words in a level thanks to the supplementary dictionary I vetted two weeks ago. Now I have to pay attention to all my markings and code them appropriately, as well as addressing the nine hundred-odd words that were in this level of the main file which I haven’t yet seen.
12:38:
It just took me five minutes to figure out where the scroll lock key was on this French keyboard. How I originally hit it, I do not know. Maybe I used a keyboard shortcut combo unknowingly. But my Excel sheet mysteriously wouldn’t move the way I needed it to move for a half hour until “scroll lock?” occured to me.
13:24:
“Caliph: a Muslim ruler” is right after “callipers”. Because I see them at the same time, for a moment I think, “Why do Muslims have their own measuring sticks?”
14:07:
GERMANIUM! Everyone grab your zone purifiers!
14:34:
Cross-eyed. Officially cross-eyed. DL 15 is wearing me down, because I’m doing three different things simultaneously.
14:40:
Overheard: “No! Fun first, learning second! We want them to learn words by accident, because they’re having fun!”
14:42:
This one’s for Liam — “Noddle: the head of a person, or their ability to think.”
14:48:
Uh-oh. Crashing.
16:46:
Almost three thousand words today. Gah. No wonder the brain is leaking out my ears.
New word(s): adumbrate, massif, meretricious, stochastic. (The higher the level of dictionary, the rarer the word, you see. So theoretically I should be learning more the higher I go.)