One more thing I DIDN'T do last week was drive to LA on Sunday to see Orpheus & Euridice at the LA opera. I mention it only because it is evidence that, in spite of the fact that I am fighting it tooth and nail, my life is constricting. It is getting harder and harder to make myself, oh, drive the two hours to LA. It is really a nothing drive, especially on Sunday, I know the way, the music center is two blocks from the freeway exit. Why not go? The excuse this time was that I don't love the opera well enough to make the effort, and, besides, rush tickets in LA are not such a good deal, only half price, making a ticket about $150.00 I get so ig angry with myself when I do (or in this case, don't do) that. It makes me feel really old.
The musicals class was, as expected, fabulous. We heard snippets of, and interviews about, Oklahoma, On The Town, Carousel, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate, South Pacific and Guys and Dolls, and ended with Sondheim's Follies (not, by the way, a big success when it opened. It did, if you remember, have a great bit by Mandy Potempkin when he was about 18... I myself like it, as I do everything by Sondheim.)
Finally managed to get neighbor Michael out for a belated birthday dinner on Tuesday night (his birthday was March 5, but he is hard to pin down). We went to Outback - his choice, not mine certainly - and had an ordinary but adequate dinner. We did have a chance for a good chin-wag, though. Both of us have been really busy this season, and I try to respect his privacy, so our paths haven't crossed much. It was a lovely evening.
Wednesday and Thursday Barb Seagram gave a seminar at the bridge club. You have heard me speak about her in these pages before, but it bears repeating; not only is she a wonderful bridge player and a great teacher, she is personable and engaged, and altogether a lot of fun.
The handsome fellow is Alex (yes, another Alex), who Barbara fondly refers to as her current husband (just, she says, to keep him on his toes....I don't know how he feels about it, but it makes me feel uncomfortable.)
Robin and I always help Barbara sell her books at these functions. This time, Robin couldn't make it (she has recently moved - more to follow), so the other Alex was my assistant this time. I am a pretty good salesman - I tell everyone who will listen that I must have had a pushcart in my history (and Barbara's Alex, coming from s shtetel in Poland not too far from my father's family, is one of the few people who know exactly what I mean). We sold a lot of books. All in all, a lovely few days, which also included....
....Dinner with (my, so to speak) Alex, his wife Vickie, other bridge instructor Angela, and her husband Tom) at Red Lobster, more my style...
Good food, this time, and easy conversation.
And on Thursday afternoon, my "wellness" exam. Although usually loathe to see anyone in the medical profession for any reason, this is one I like. Especially since I am supposed to be dead. I enjoy telling them that no, I haven't fallen this year, and no, I am not depressed, and yes I can walk without getting out of breath, and yes, I can remember those five items, and have them tell me that I am well. And indeed, I feel well. I worry (although not exorbitantly) about my kidney and liver functions, as the medication I am taking is hard on both. So far, though, both are functioning normally. The down side - I seem to have shrunk another inch in height (not in weight, heaven help me....). Oh well, if that is the worst that old age has to through at me so far, well, I can live with it.
Thursday night was another National Theater Live outing with Chaya, this time, the new production of Julius Caesar, It was interactive; the audience was part of a rock rally for Caesar (too loud for too long), and part of the battle scenes (ditto), but the acting was great, and I am always in awe that: 1) after 400 years, these plays are amazing relevant; and 2) how many of these lines have become part of our common parlance. Well, perhaps not so common, but you know what I mean.
In the not-so-successful Canadian Voices class, we discussed Stephen Leacock and Robert Service (both of whom I knew of but have not read), Margaret Atwood (who, popular as she is, I do not like much, although she does get brownie points for a recent article on the #MeToo movement), Alice Munro (whose short stories I do like. Extra credit for those of you know that she owned and ran Munro's Books in Victoria.), Margaret Laurence, Robertson Davies and Mordechai Richler (among my favourites), and others. It was the briefest of reviews, of course, but I am left with a longer "to read" list!
Robin couldn't make bridge on Friday, but asked me to come over to see her new house. I was quite prepared not to like it - too big, too posh, too too. However, it, and the complex are really quite lovely...
I,of course, would feel silly in it, but it suits Robin to a tee.
On Friday night, Desert Rose Productions, our LGBTQ theater company, put on Tennessee Williams Suddenly Last Summer. I have never seen it on stage before, and it is hard to get the image of Elizabeth Taylor out of your head once you have seen the movie, but I do like the play, and they did a reasonable job.
What else? The saying of the week is: The only person you should strive to be better than is the person you were yesterday.
And finally, the book list. I finally made it to the library, and come up with a good haul. First, Three Daughters of Eve, by Elif Shafak. She is apparently Turkey's most famous woman writer; I had never heard of her. (too many books, too little time...) The premise was The Magus, Turkish style, fascinating professor manipulates three students, one a believer, one a skeptic, and one confused. It was a page turner, and I barely put it down until I was done. Now to find the rest of her works..
Next was an accident. I picked up The Grave's a Fine and Private Place, by Alan Bradley. I picked it up because the title is one of the few lines of poetry I know (Andrew Marvell, To his Coy Mistress) - The grave's a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace.... As it turns out, it is a young adult mystery. Well, once I picked it up, I was enchanted, and just kept reading.
Aren't libraries wonderful?
Last, an old favourite. P.D. James. She has died, of course, but this was a book of six short mysteries, called Sleep No More. Great stories - I do love short stories... God, I hate it when your favourite authors die on you.....
Next week should be less hectic; everything is winding down for the season. I'll talk to you all anon.
The musicals class was, as expected, fabulous. We heard snippets of, and interviews about, Oklahoma, On The Town, Carousel, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me Kate, South Pacific and Guys and Dolls, and ended with Sondheim's Follies (not, by the way, a big success when it opened. It did, if you remember, have a great bit by Mandy Potempkin when he was about 18... I myself like it, as I do everything by Sondheim.)
Finally managed to get neighbor Michael out for a belated birthday dinner on Tuesday night (his birthday was March 5, but he is hard to pin down). We went to Outback - his choice, not mine certainly - and had an ordinary but adequate dinner. We did have a chance for a good chin-wag, though. Both of us have been really busy this season, and I try to respect his privacy, so our paths haven't crossed much. It was a lovely evening.
Wednesday and Thursday Barb Seagram gave a seminar at the bridge club. You have heard me speak about her in these pages before, but it bears repeating; not only is she a wonderful bridge player and a great teacher, she is personable and engaged, and altogether a lot of fun.
The handsome fellow is Alex (yes, another Alex), who Barbara fondly refers to as her current husband (just, she says, to keep him on his toes....I don't know how he feels about it, but it makes me feel uncomfortable.)
Robin and I always help Barbara sell her books at these functions. This time, Robin couldn't make it (she has recently moved - more to follow), so the other Alex was my assistant this time. I am a pretty good salesman - I tell everyone who will listen that I must have had a pushcart in my history (and Barbara's Alex, coming from s shtetel in Poland not too far from my father's family, is one of the few people who know exactly what I mean). We sold a lot of books. All in all, a lovely few days, which also included....
....Dinner with (my, so to speak) Alex, his wife Vickie, other bridge instructor Angela, and her husband Tom) at Red Lobster, more my style...
Good food, this time, and easy conversation.
And on Thursday afternoon, my "wellness" exam. Although usually loathe to see anyone in the medical profession for any reason, this is one I like. Especially since I am supposed to be dead. I enjoy telling them that no, I haven't fallen this year, and no, I am not depressed, and yes I can walk without getting out of breath, and yes, I can remember those five items, and have them tell me that I am well. And indeed, I feel well. I worry (although not exorbitantly) about my kidney and liver functions, as the medication I am taking is hard on both. So far, though, both are functioning normally. The down side - I seem to have shrunk another inch in height (not in weight, heaven help me....). Oh well, if that is the worst that old age has to through at me so far, well, I can live with it.
Thursday night was another National Theater Live outing with Chaya, this time, the new production of Julius Caesar, It was interactive; the audience was part of a rock rally for Caesar (too loud for too long), and part of the battle scenes (ditto), but the acting was great, and I am always in awe that: 1) after 400 years, these plays are amazing relevant; and 2) how many of these lines have become part of our common parlance. Well, perhaps not so common, but you know what I mean.
In the not-so-successful Canadian Voices class, we discussed Stephen Leacock and Robert Service (both of whom I knew of but have not read), Margaret Atwood (who, popular as she is, I do not like much, although she does get brownie points for a recent article on the #MeToo movement), Alice Munro (whose short stories I do like. Extra credit for those of you know that she owned and ran Munro's Books in Victoria.), Margaret Laurence, Robertson Davies and Mordechai Richler (among my favourites), and others. It was the briefest of reviews, of course, but I am left with a longer "to read" list!
Robin couldn't make bridge on Friday, but asked me to come over to see her new house. I was quite prepared not to like it - too big, too posh, too too. However, it, and the complex are really quite lovely...
I,of course, would feel silly in it, but it suits Robin to a tee.
On Friday night, Desert Rose Productions, our LGBTQ theater company, put on Tennessee Williams Suddenly Last Summer. I have never seen it on stage before, and it is hard to get the image of Elizabeth Taylor out of your head once you have seen the movie, but I do like the play, and they did a reasonable job.
What else? The saying of the week is: The only person you should strive to be better than is the person you were yesterday.
And finally, the book list. I finally made it to the library, and come up with a good haul. First, Three Daughters of Eve, by Elif Shafak. She is apparently Turkey's most famous woman writer; I had never heard of her. (too many books, too little time...) The premise was The Magus, Turkish style, fascinating professor manipulates three students, one a believer, one a skeptic, and one confused. It was a page turner, and I barely put it down until I was done. Now to find the rest of her works..
Next was an accident. I picked up The Grave's a Fine and Private Place, by Alan Bradley. I picked it up because the title is one of the few lines of poetry I know (Andrew Marvell, To his Coy Mistress) - The grave's a fine and private place, but none I think do there embrace.... As it turns out, it is a young adult mystery. Well, once I picked it up, I was enchanted, and just kept reading.
Aren't libraries wonderful?
Last, an old favourite. P.D. James. She has died, of course, but this was a book of six short mysteries, called Sleep No More. Great stories - I do love short stories... God, I hate it when your favourite authors die on you.....
Next week should be less hectic; everything is winding down for the season. I'll talk to you all anon.
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