Business first. I heard from a number of you, for which thank you. Apparently, they have not made it any easier to join so that you can post comments directly on the blogpost. Email it will have to be, then. Which is fine by me. I have never understood why we needed Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Twitter (good god, especially not twitter....) when an email would do. It is an extra step for you guys, but I'm worth it, no?
Back to the chronology, so I can bring us up to date, and start a new year of adventures.
To back track a bit, to the last week of October, 2017. Friend Geoff B (I just realized I had not distinguished between this Geoff and the other Geoff, spelled the same way....to be clear, I most deliberately have never referred to friends with last names attached. Unlike a teenager, I am quite aware that none of us wants to be followed on the Internet...) was visiting from Palm Springs (where it was still over 100 degrees Fahrenheit), and we had quite the cultural week. Not only did we go to the Vancouver Art Gallery (Geoff wanted to see the Emily Carrs), we saw the play King Charles III at the Stanley (well done; we both liked it a lot, as a remember from this distance). Then we had a chamber music adventure out in White Rock. Also good. A friend had moved out of the jurisdiction, and had willed me his tickets - there is a two year waiting list for season subscriptions, so it was quite the score - so to speak! The concerts are performed in a small church, with glorious acoustics. So, altogether a pleasure.
Finally, we saw Turandot at the Vancouver Opera. I have been more or less off the Vancouver opera for some time, but, well, you know, guests and all..... In any event, it was a pretty spectacular performance, in more ways than one. The sets were the old David Hockney sets refurbished, and I adore David Hockney in all his incarnations. The princess was pretty spectacular herself - she must have weighed in at 300 pounds. But most important, the voices, while not big names, were quite good. All in all, a wonderful evening at the opera, and especially nice being with someone who appreciated it.
A note on all this "culture". Those of you who know me well know that I live for this stuff. But why? Well, I have been puzzling over that. Part of it, of course, is upbringing. Even my deaf father loved the theater - as you know, I was named after the heroine of Ibsen's The Doll's House - and my stepmother took me to my first opera when I was 6 years old. We had no furniture in the living room when I grew up - or not much - but we had a baby grand piano for my mother to play (my father was prone to that sort of gesture - I guess I come by my fondness for excess honestly!). And books, of course, lots and lots of books. I mean, some Jews escaped Europe with trunks of cash, or maybe jewels. No, my father escaped with a trunk of books.
So there is my heritage. But also, it is how I try to make sense of the world (theater and books), and live large, at least vicariously (music and opera). I don't go to the theater to be entertained (hence my dislike of comedy, unless it is the sophisticated talky kind) but to be moved, or to understand.
So, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.... Besides, as bad habits go, it is not too terrible, albeit a bit pricey in some of its incarnations.
Back to planet Earth. On the way to Palm Springs, I stopped to visit friend Arlene in Seattle. The excuse, if I needed one, was the Andrew Wyatt exhibit at the Seattle Art Gallery. Wyatt has never been a favourite, but everyone has raved about the exhibit, so.. Actually, it was an amazing exhibit - too much to take in at once - and hugely increased my idea of the artist, and the man - he was, apparently, much more than - what was her name, Helga? - and I was sorry I wouldn't have the chance to go back and study the exhibit further.
And, final bit of "northern" culture - saw a performance of Arthur Miller's The Crucible put on by the theater company with which Arlene is involved. Wow. It must be thirty years or more since I had seen the play, and I had forgotten how powerful it was (although they performed View from the Bridge in recent memory at National Theater Live, and that too was wonderful). It wasn't National Theater of London, but it was a small venue with young, enthusiastic and talented actors. And serious. Boy was it serious. My kind of theater.
And, finally, on to Palm Springs, out of the rain and into the glorious sunshine. My place, as always, was well taken care of, so, a few hours updating car insurance, going grocery shopping and making sure the Internet was up and running, and my other life is underway.
It was all very well timed, of course, for the start of fall classes at the Osher School of Lifelong Learning (fondly known as Ollie to its fans). My lineup this fall was:
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, a course about assassinations in history. The instructor called the title "click bait", and it was. However, as it turns out, a good choice. I would sign up to hear this man reading the phone book. He is knowledgeable and funny and outrageous - everything most of your instructors in college were not. You'll hear more about him in the winter session.
Lost and Found; the Moral Compass in Film. It is California; have to take at least one film class, don't I? This one is taught by another quirky instructor - half Jewish and half Catholic (can you imagine knowing that about your professors?) so you can just imagine the guilt. Films include Elmer Gantry, The Swimmer (based on a short story by John Cheever), Munich, Master and Commander, and two others which I couldn't make it to. The format includes a brief intro to prep us for the film, the film itself, and discussion afterwards. I have taken courses with this guy before, and will again, weird as he is. Discussing morality in film - imagine!
New Paradigms. Again, I have taken courses with this guy before (America and Islam, Plato and the Lost City of Atlantis). This one is not as much to my liking as some of the others, but interesting nonetheless. The premise is that we all have paradigms - basically, a way of seeing the world, really - and they are often unacknowledged and by definition, then, unexamined. The gist of the class is that we should try to be aware of these paradigms, and be open to changes in those paradigms based on changes occurring in the physical and spiritual world. Pretty heavy, huh? No idea how much of this stays in my pea brain, but it can't hurt, right?
The above are six week classes. Add to that a couple mini (3 week) classes (Hemingway and The Wall Street Crash), plus movies and live theater and the Palm Springs Art Gallery activities (which are myriad), dinners and Scrabble tournaments), and, of course, the gym and zumba - well, you get the idea.
What movies, I hear you asking? Two I'll mention. Victoria and Abdul (charming, but I wasn't as taken with it as most people - a piece of fluff), and, more recently, Three Billboards, which I loathed (sorry, Jack). Stupid, stupid woman, fights with her daughter, feels guilty about the daughter's subsequent rape and death, and instead of acknowledging her responsibility - or not - has to make everyone else's life miserable. I know, I know, she is a great actress, but really, couldn't she find anything better?
More culture - The Exterminating Angel, a new opera broadcast live by the Met (based roughly on the Bunuel movie). It was an incredible piece of theater, and while to say I liked it wouldn't be exactly right - it was too difficult to watch for that (adults trapped at a dinner party after the opera, can't get out, revert to animals - Lord of the Flies with adults and high A's), it was, again, my kind of thing - I left the theater thinking.
Finally, although I am not sure everyone would call it culture, National Theater Life simulcast Steven Sondheim's Follies. Again, I hadn't seen a production of this for a million years - it was with Hank, as I remember, on Broadway - and I absolutely loved it! Again.
Almost there....
As most of you remember, David's birthday is December 9. I have found a new place to celebrate, called Bernie's (my former venue, the appropriately named Davie's, closed). It reliably has prime rib and a good selection of bourbons, Davie's two favourite food groups, a great atmosphere, and no raised eyebrows about me ordering two bourbons and communing with my dead husband. It is no longer painful, but I still feel the need to say thank you, for his continuing care in watching over me - how else could my life continue to be so benign?
Mid December, 2017, I played in the Palm Springs Regional Bridge Tournament, with a variety of my usual partners. Made a few points - not many - but it was good bridge. Saw a lot of old friends, too,
More live theater - Venus if Furs at the Coachella Valley Rep. Again, I saw it first with Hank on Broadway,where it won a Tony. They did quite a creditable job with it, and I am pleased to be starting to get into the live theater scene here (did I tell you about Southern Baptist Sissies? Next Time.)
Last "culture" of the season - neighbor and friend Michael treated ourselves to dinner at Sammie G's, my new favourite Italian place, and the Gay Men's Chorus Christmas concert. A little too much of the silly gay boy stuff for me - Michael felt the same way - but the voices were wonderful, and it was a delightful evening. Michael is the perfect date.
Friend Peter arrived from San Francisco for his annual Christmas visit. Highlight this year was our visit to the Annanberg Estate, including a tour of the house (I have been to the grounds several times). You've no doubt heard of it - every president since Reagan (barring the current one) have visited on multiple occasions. It is truly glorious - a collaboration of architect, landscape designed and decorator - Hollywood Regency meets Mid-Century Modern - unparalleled in my knowledge. It is very difficult to get tickets for the tour - again, Kudos to Peter for having the perseverance - and we were just thrilled.
We also did a lot of cooking - Peter provided an encore of his infamous gorgonzola risotto - and a lot of talking and a lot of drinking (or as much drinking as I do nowadays) and some eating out - altogether the best visit ever.
So, off to Zumba, which I still find uplifting and fun, not to mention great exercise. I will bring you up to date with my emotional state, and into the new year, next time. Thanks for sticking with me.
Back to the chronology, so I can bring us up to date, and start a new year of adventures.
To back track a bit, to the last week of October, 2017. Friend Geoff B (I just realized I had not distinguished between this Geoff and the other Geoff, spelled the same way....to be clear, I most deliberately have never referred to friends with last names attached. Unlike a teenager, I am quite aware that none of us wants to be followed on the Internet...) was visiting from Palm Springs (where it was still over 100 degrees Fahrenheit), and we had quite the cultural week. Not only did we go to the Vancouver Art Gallery (Geoff wanted to see the Emily Carrs), we saw the play King Charles III at the Stanley (well done; we both liked it a lot, as a remember from this distance). Then we had a chamber music adventure out in White Rock. Also good. A friend had moved out of the jurisdiction, and had willed me his tickets - there is a two year waiting list for season subscriptions, so it was quite the score - so to speak! The concerts are performed in a small church, with glorious acoustics. So, altogether a pleasure.
Finally, we saw Turandot at the Vancouver Opera. I have been more or less off the Vancouver opera for some time, but, well, you know, guests and all..... In any event, it was a pretty spectacular performance, in more ways than one. The sets were the old David Hockney sets refurbished, and I adore David Hockney in all his incarnations. The princess was pretty spectacular herself - she must have weighed in at 300 pounds. But most important, the voices, while not big names, were quite good. All in all, a wonderful evening at the opera, and especially nice being with someone who appreciated it.
A note on all this "culture". Those of you who know me well know that I live for this stuff. But why? Well, I have been puzzling over that. Part of it, of course, is upbringing. Even my deaf father loved the theater - as you know, I was named after the heroine of Ibsen's The Doll's House - and my stepmother took me to my first opera when I was 6 years old. We had no furniture in the living room when I grew up - or not much - but we had a baby grand piano for my mother to play (my father was prone to that sort of gesture - I guess I come by my fondness for excess honestly!). And books, of course, lots and lots of books. I mean, some Jews escaped Europe with trunks of cash, or maybe jewels. No, my father escaped with a trunk of books.
So there is my heritage. But also, it is how I try to make sense of the world (theater and books), and live large, at least vicariously (music and opera). I don't go to the theater to be entertained (hence my dislike of comedy, unless it is the sophisticated talky kind) but to be moved, or to understand.
So, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.... Besides, as bad habits go, it is not too terrible, albeit a bit pricey in some of its incarnations.
Back to planet Earth. On the way to Palm Springs, I stopped to visit friend Arlene in Seattle. The excuse, if I needed one, was the Andrew Wyatt exhibit at the Seattle Art Gallery. Wyatt has never been a favourite, but everyone has raved about the exhibit, so.. Actually, it was an amazing exhibit - too much to take in at once - and hugely increased my idea of the artist, and the man - he was, apparently, much more than - what was her name, Helga? - and I was sorry I wouldn't have the chance to go back and study the exhibit further.
And, final bit of "northern" culture - saw a performance of Arthur Miller's The Crucible put on by the theater company with which Arlene is involved. Wow. It must be thirty years or more since I had seen the play, and I had forgotten how powerful it was (although they performed View from the Bridge in recent memory at National Theater Live, and that too was wonderful). It wasn't National Theater of London, but it was a small venue with young, enthusiastic and talented actors. And serious. Boy was it serious. My kind of theater.
And, finally, on to Palm Springs, out of the rain and into the glorious sunshine. My place, as always, was well taken care of, so, a few hours updating car insurance, going grocery shopping and making sure the Internet was up and running, and my other life is underway.
It was all very well timed, of course, for the start of fall classes at the Osher School of Lifelong Learning (fondly known as Ollie to its fans). My lineup this fall was:
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, a course about assassinations in history. The instructor called the title "click bait", and it was. However, as it turns out, a good choice. I would sign up to hear this man reading the phone book. He is knowledgeable and funny and outrageous - everything most of your instructors in college were not. You'll hear more about him in the winter session.
Lost and Found; the Moral Compass in Film. It is California; have to take at least one film class, don't I? This one is taught by another quirky instructor - half Jewish and half Catholic (can you imagine knowing that about your professors?) so you can just imagine the guilt. Films include Elmer Gantry, The Swimmer (based on a short story by John Cheever), Munich, Master and Commander, and two others which I couldn't make it to. The format includes a brief intro to prep us for the film, the film itself, and discussion afterwards. I have taken courses with this guy before, and will again, weird as he is. Discussing morality in film - imagine!
New Paradigms. Again, I have taken courses with this guy before (America and Islam, Plato and the Lost City of Atlantis). This one is not as much to my liking as some of the others, but interesting nonetheless. The premise is that we all have paradigms - basically, a way of seeing the world, really - and they are often unacknowledged and by definition, then, unexamined. The gist of the class is that we should try to be aware of these paradigms, and be open to changes in those paradigms based on changes occurring in the physical and spiritual world. Pretty heavy, huh? No idea how much of this stays in my pea brain, but it can't hurt, right?
The above are six week classes. Add to that a couple mini (3 week) classes (Hemingway and The Wall Street Crash), plus movies and live theater and the Palm Springs Art Gallery activities (which are myriad), dinners and Scrabble tournaments), and, of course, the gym and zumba - well, you get the idea.
What movies, I hear you asking? Two I'll mention. Victoria and Abdul (charming, but I wasn't as taken with it as most people - a piece of fluff), and, more recently, Three Billboards, which I loathed (sorry, Jack). Stupid, stupid woman, fights with her daughter, feels guilty about the daughter's subsequent rape and death, and instead of acknowledging her responsibility - or not - has to make everyone else's life miserable. I know, I know, she is a great actress, but really, couldn't she find anything better?
More culture - The Exterminating Angel, a new opera broadcast live by the Met (based roughly on the Bunuel movie). It was an incredible piece of theater, and while to say I liked it wouldn't be exactly right - it was too difficult to watch for that (adults trapped at a dinner party after the opera, can't get out, revert to animals - Lord of the Flies with adults and high A's), it was, again, my kind of thing - I left the theater thinking.
Finally, although I am not sure everyone would call it culture, National Theater Life simulcast Steven Sondheim's Follies. Again, I hadn't seen a production of this for a million years - it was with Hank, as I remember, on Broadway - and I absolutely loved it! Again.
Almost there....
As most of you remember, David's birthday is December 9. I have found a new place to celebrate, called Bernie's (my former venue, the appropriately named Davie's, closed). It reliably has prime rib and a good selection of bourbons, Davie's two favourite food groups, a great atmosphere, and no raised eyebrows about me ordering two bourbons and communing with my dead husband. It is no longer painful, but I still feel the need to say thank you, for his continuing care in watching over me - how else could my life continue to be so benign?
Mid December, 2017, I played in the Palm Springs Regional Bridge Tournament, with a variety of my usual partners. Made a few points - not many - but it was good bridge. Saw a lot of old friends, too,
More live theater - Venus if Furs at the Coachella Valley Rep. Again, I saw it first with Hank on Broadway,where it won a Tony. They did quite a creditable job with it, and I am pleased to be starting to get into the live theater scene here (did I tell you about Southern Baptist Sissies? Next Time.)
Last "culture" of the season - neighbor and friend Michael treated ourselves to dinner at Sammie G's, my new favourite Italian place, and the Gay Men's Chorus Christmas concert. A little too much of the silly gay boy stuff for me - Michael felt the same way - but the voices were wonderful, and it was a delightful evening. Michael is the perfect date.
Friend Peter arrived from San Francisco for his annual Christmas visit. Highlight this year was our visit to the Annanberg Estate, including a tour of the house (I have been to the grounds several times). You've no doubt heard of it - every president since Reagan (barring the current one) have visited on multiple occasions. It is truly glorious - a collaboration of architect, landscape designed and decorator - Hollywood Regency meets Mid-Century Modern - unparalleled in my knowledge. It is very difficult to get tickets for the tour - again, Kudos to Peter for having the perseverance - and we were just thrilled.
We also did a lot of cooking - Peter provided an encore of his infamous gorgonzola risotto - and a lot of talking and a lot of drinking (or as much drinking as I do nowadays) and some eating out - altogether the best visit ever.
So, off to Zumba, which I still find uplifting and fun, not to mention great exercise. I will bring you up to date with my emotional state, and into the new year, next time. Thanks for sticking with me.
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