surrounded by song

Went to my first chorus rehearsal in quite some time tonight (I didn't sing last quarter because the concerts conflicted with the BNL trip). Just stepping back on the Stanford campus gave me a thrill. Then practice started, and ah. The piece is "Ein Deutsches Requiuem" by Brahms this quarter, one of my favorite works both to hear and to sing. It's also the conductor's favorite, his "desert island music", which really adds something to singing it with him. It's so obvious how much joy he takes in the piece. And Brahms really knew how to write for altos -- it's not just to fill in the harmony, and he doesn't push the range too much. Gorgeous lines, the occasional melody, beautiful beautiful stuff.

It was also quite nice to catch up with my chorus buddies again. I've been sitting with the same group of women for several years now. We don't know each other outside chorus, or socialize in any other fashion (although one's husband used to work with T, but that's just coincidence). But one night a week, for three hours, we're a social unit -- saving each other seats, talking about our lives and the world, leaning on each other for notes and rhythms. One of the group has been missing for a few quarters, but she was back tonight, and I was so glad to see her. And they greeted me so warmly after my absence last quarter; when I walked in a little bit late, one of them happened to turn around and catch my eye, and she waved me down excitedly -- they had saved me a seat, even though they didn't know whether I was coming. It's so nice to be a part of something like that.

Singing has always been one of the greatest joys in my life. With a chorus, with friends, by myself in the car. I can't imagine what my world would be like without it.

On a tangentially related note, song meme tomorrow (or, I guess, today). Probably around 9/9:30 Pacific Time. Watch this space.

new story

The first chapter of the new Paine story is up. It's called "Salvage" and attempts to explain where she was between "The Confessional" and the game. The story is shaping up to be three chapters. The other two are drafted but need a fair amount of work, especially the third -- look for them in the next couple of weeks, if all goes well.

another day, another lyrics game

You know the drill. Guess the song from the first line. More lines will be added as the week progresses. iTunes et. al. yes, Google no. Answers for last time -- three songs unguessed (really surprised by one of them).

( Go! )

librarian quiz

( Well, I couldn't resist this, could I? )

troublemakers

These cats, I swear.

I think I may have mentioned to some of you that Tori recently decided that used tissues are the best toy ever. Back when T and I first got sick, they knocked over a trash can one night and discovered the joys of little wadded up pieces of paper. For the rest of the day, we found them scattered all over the house. Then she started stealing them out of the garbage. I would be sitting on the couch, and I would look up and see her trotting down the stairs with one in her mouth. Sort of the pinnacle of cute and disgusting at the same time. So we started making sure to throw away the tissues only in trash cans with lids. Then she figured out how to pull new ones out of the box. So we're still finding little shredded papers all over the house.

More troubling is their newly acquired habit of stealing anything that is light enough for them to move, large enough for them to manipulate, and not tied down. They've learned that knocking things off of my desk, T's nightstand, and the kitchen table is the best game in the world. Then they get them down the stairs, if they aren't already downstairs, and take them to the front door. First it was T's sunglasses (still in the case, fortunately). Today it's been the trap that we use to keep hair out of the bathtub drain. Three times today we have rescued it and put it back, and three times Lexi took it back downstairs. Finally I hid it in a cabinet. The bathtub is another thing. Cats aren't supposed to like getting wet, right? These cats don't follow that rule. The other day, Lexi actually stuck his head in the shower while I was inside, with the water running. He didn't come in with me, but he was thinking about it. And often he will rub up against my legs while they are still wet. I've never known a cat to do anything like it. Then he'll start licking the water off. (Yes, they have plenty of water in dishes. Upstairs and downstairs.) Both cats will also lick the wet shower curtain, or drink the soap scummy water out of the tub. (Ick.)

Speaking of things I've never seen cats to before. You know how cats will often jump into the litterbox immediately after it is cleaned and use it? I expect this, and even understand it -- it's a territorial thing. No problem. Except Lexi has this habit of getting in the litterbox and using it while I am cleaning it. (Ick.)

Cats are weird. I love them, but they are weird.