February 6, fourteen years ago, David died. He is remembered always, but particularly now. This year, no prime rib, just a candle in his honour. And, of course, a glass of bourbon. He changed my life so much for the better; so long as I am able to remember, I will keep his memory alive.
But life has gone on, of course, including from when we last spoke. I am continuing to enjoy my classes (The Broadway Musical, Shostakovich and Pokofiev, and Economics of Work), with homework including A Fine Mess, by T.R.Reid (subtitled a Global Quest for a Simpler, fairer and More Efficient Tax System) and The Second Machine Age (Work, Progress and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies). (While we're talking about books, I'll throw in the lighter fare on my bedside table as well, Gun Island, by Amitav Ghosh, A Better Man, by Louise Penny, and Quichotte, by Salman Rushdie. They are all very different books - and perhaps not really light, as no novelist can ignore the perceived end of days), but I was enchanted by all three, recognizing that the Indian writers, at leasr, might not be to everyone's taste.)
Well, it's true, I live mostly in my head, but real life does intervene. There was dinner at Bonta (German, decent but not fabulous) and the theater with new friend DeAnne. She is older than I (84?) and lives in the Desert full time. She's well connected with the arts (she was the one who convinced me to join the Opera Guild), and has a smile that lights up the room. A great new addition to the roster. Anyway, we saw Ballroom, an old Broadway musical revived by one of our local theaters, Coachella Valley Rep. It was delightful! Broadway it wasn't (the staging and sets were creaky), but the voices and the dancing and the choreography were all fine - and it was all old(er) people doing it. Altogether charming!!
Lots of dinners this week, Tuesday at John and Tom's home, followed by "kitchen bridge"; Wednesday with friend Geoff at Sammi's, a local Italian restaurant (food and service both fine, ambiance a bit lacking - it is in a strip mall, after all), and Thursday with friend Michael (henceforth to be known as Michael #2, to differentiate him from the previous Michael, my neighbor, who you have been hearing about for years) at The Emperor Buffet. It was a fun evening - having gotten together via Facebook after a 53 year hiatus, and having lots in common, there is always lots to talk about - but the food was "eh"! Serves me right for breaking my rule about not eating Chinese food in the Desert!
Friday was an all-day outing organized by my adult education group. We had a bus of 51 people, off to LA to the Broad Museum. I was thrilled to be able to go; the museum opened not that long ago, and there have been long lines any time I have been in LA, We stopped at Olivera Street, a replica of an old Mexican/California market (just like Mexico but without the flies - good food, though), and then off to the museum, for a personal tour, I must say, I wasn't terribly impressed. The museum was a lot smaller than I expected, for one. However, our tour guide himself was an artist, and very knowledgeable about the collection (which included some Jeff Coons, Mark Bradford, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Cy Twombly, Anselm Kiefer and more), and the special exhibit of Jean-Michel Basquiat was interesting, if not totally understandable. (We had a film about his life and work on the busride in to LA) Altogether, a worthwhile outing, although the three hour ride back (even though I wasn't driving) made it a long day.
Yesterday was Met at the Movies, with Porgy and Bess. I found it was glorious, much to my surprise. I had actually never seen it before, I discovered, and the Met outdid itself in this production. Eric Owen was a great Porgy, Angel Blue a heart-breaking Bess, and Sportin' Life, Crown, and the rest of the supporting roles were all well cast. And the Gershwins' music - what's not to like? If you get a chance to see it, do. Friend Sue, who now joins me for a lot of these outings, also joined me for dinner at the always reliable Sherman's Deli, and a long talk about life and the meaning of the universe, as well as the production, of course. All in all, a lovely week, full of friends, and theater and music. Oh, and the weather was glorious,lots of sun and warmth. What more could a body want?
Well, maybe that I could work out how to upload my pictures. I will keep trying. Hopefully, by next time....
But life has gone on, of course, including from when we last spoke. I am continuing to enjoy my classes (The Broadway Musical, Shostakovich and Pokofiev, and Economics of Work), with homework including A Fine Mess, by T.R.Reid (subtitled a Global Quest for a Simpler, fairer and More Efficient Tax System) and The Second Machine Age (Work, Progress and Prosperity in a Time of Brilliant Technologies). (While we're talking about books, I'll throw in the lighter fare on my bedside table as well, Gun Island, by Amitav Ghosh, A Better Man, by Louise Penny, and Quichotte, by Salman Rushdie. They are all very different books - and perhaps not really light, as no novelist can ignore the perceived end of days), but I was enchanted by all three, recognizing that the Indian writers, at leasr, might not be to everyone's taste.)
Well, it's true, I live mostly in my head, but real life does intervene. There was dinner at Bonta (German, decent but not fabulous) and the theater with new friend DeAnne. She is older than I (84?) and lives in the Desert full time. She's well connected with the arts (she was the one who convinced me to join the Opera Guild), and has a smile that lights up the room. A great new addition to the roster. Anyway, we saw Ballroom, an old Broadway musical revived by one of our local theaters, Coachella Valley Rep. It was delightful! Broadway it wasn't (the staging and sets were creaky), but the voices and the dancing and the choreography were all fine - and it was all old(er) people doing it. Altogether charming!!
Lots of dinners this week, Tuesday at John and Tom's home, followed by "kitchen bridge"; Wednesday with friend Geoff at Sammi's, a local Italian restaurant (food and service both fine, ambiance a bit lacking - it is in a strip mall, after all), and Thursday with friend Michael (henceforth to be known as Michael #2, to differentiate him from the previous Michael, my neighbor, who you have been hearing about for years) at The Emperor Buffet. It was a fun evening - having gotten together via Facebook after a 53 year hiatus, and having lots in common, there is always lots to talk about - but the food was "eh"! Serves me right for breaking my rule about not eating Chinese food in the Desert!
Friday was an all-day outing organized by my adult education group. We had a bus of 51 people, off to LA to the Broad Museum. I was thrilled to be able to go; the museum opened not that long ago, and there have been long lines any time I have been in LA, We stopped at Olivera Street, a replica of an old Mexican/California market (just like Mexico but without the flies - good food, though), and then off to the museum, for a personal tour, I must say, I wasn't terribly impressed. The museum was a lot smaller than I expected, for one. However, our tour guide himself was an artist, and very knowledgeable about the collection (which included some Jeff Coons, Mark Bradford, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Cy Twombly, Anselm Kiefer and more), and the special exhibit of Jean-Michel Basquiat was interesting, if not totally understandable. (We had a film about his life and work on the busride in to LA) Altogether, a worthwhile outing, although the three hour ride back (even though I wasn't driving) made it a long day.
Yesterday was Met at the Movies, with Porgy and Bess. I found it was glorious, much to my surprise. I had actually never seen it before, I discovered, and the Met outdid itself in this production. Eric Owen was a great Porgy, Angel Blue a heart-breaking Bess, and Sportin' Life, Crown, and the rest of the supporting roles were all well cast. And the Gershwins' music - what's not to like? If you get a chance to see it, do. Friend Sue, who now joins me for a lot of these outings, also joined me for dinner at the always reliable Sherman's Deli, and a long talk about life and the meaning of the universe, as well as the production, of course. All in all, a lovely week, full of friends, and theater and music. Oh, and the weather was glorious,lots of sun and warmth. What more could a body want?
Well, maybe that I could work out how to upload my pictures. I will keep trying. Hopefully, by next time....
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