"Time won't let me....oh no..."

Well, the song actually says "wait that long" but my problem is more like "let me do what I want". *L* I apologize for not posting again - It's been a busy past two weeks and if it has slowed down at all it's not by much.

Last weekend we were in OKC since Eric had Small School All-State Honor Band on Saturday. On Sunday morning he was flying out for Vision Weekend at Rice, so we decided to just spend the night down there. We had a really good dinner at the Red Lobster right near the hotel, did some shopping, dropped him at the airport Sunday morning, and spent the rest of the day shopping at Penn Square Mall. Then on Tuesday he flew back into Will Rogers so Laura and I made a trip after work to get him. That pretty much blew Tuesday night. The rest of the week was work and the Y and then I had to work for a few hours Saturday morning. Phew...I'm REALLY glad today is Sunday. Except for doing laundry, I'm catching up on emails and basically being a slug.

Oh...okay...well...I fibbed a bit. Apparently we are also going to clean the aquarium. *L* I have a choice of now or later so I'm sorry dear Sisters...I believe I will choose now so that it's over with. The remaining fish - Daemon the angelfish, Blueberry the fruited tetra, Glowee the orange glo-fish, and Albert (Algae algae eater) will thank us. Hey! It's just about the only way I get near water around here! *LOL* Well, aside from shower water anyways. So, gonna go and make the fishies smile. Love ya's!

"With the echo of Mendelssohn's tune...."

And it's a pretty good echo! *L* The concert began with the ESO playing Mozart's "Symphony No. 41 in C, K. 551". Very pastoral and very nice. I freely admit that I did snooze a few times but hey...I've been up since 6 am so cut me some slack! *G* Next we had a brief intermission and then our competition winner. The music was Mendelssohn's "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E Minor, op. 64".

Marat Gabdullin is a very nice looking young man who was born in Russia and began studying the violin at age 5. By age 7 he was a soloist in a performance of the Vivaldi Violin Concerto in A Minor with the Ufa Chamber Orchestra in Russia. My ears, especially when it comes to violin music, are completely untrained, my brain, however, is NOT...and Vivaldi at 7 years old is pretty doggone good!!!

Not only did he play the entire performance (approximately 40 minutes of music) from memory, he also showed a presence and sense of performance you don't generally see in someone in their early 20's. The violin was no more and no less than an extension of his arm. If you watched his face as he played you could actually see love for the music and love for the mere sound of the violin flow across it. In fact, it appeared that his love of the music was so great that, when he received a standing ovation, he almost looked embarassed - as if to say, "I'm just the vessel but isn't this music awesome????" *L*

Marat won the 1st prize of $3000 and apparently the competition was quite stiff. They introduced the second place competitor and, for the first time ever, awarded a second place prize because this young man was also so good. Doug Newell, our Maestro, explained about getting some pretty well-credentialed adjudicators to judge the performances and he was really glad that he didn't haveto make the final decision - the three finalists were all that good!

All in all it was a very enjoyable evening - David and Marilyn have excellent seats! *LOL* I'm generally up for taking their tickets any time they offer them. They have front row in the balcony and since it's such an intimate venue they are probably among the best seats in the house. Aren't connections wonderful sometimes?? *G*

"But I'd be done seen about everything..."

You may not know this, but Oklahoma has a minor league hockey team, The OKC Blazers. And as I'm sure you know, sports teams have fan appreciation nights. Well, I'm not sure if it's only in Oklahoma, or only in the midwest, but I'm pretty sure it's only in America. The Blazers are teaming with the FFA, 4H clubs, and the American Farmers and Ranchers for "The Blazers Give Away The Farm Night". Yes...you heard me correctly....and yes...it means what you think.

Tonight the Blazers host the Colorado Eagles at the Ford Center and will give away nearly $4,000 worth of livestock after the game. Student members of 4-H and FFA who attend the game and register at the AFR booth will be eligible to win a hog, a goat, a lamb, or an Express Ranches heifer. And this is in the 'big city'!!! Oh my God!! *LOL* What is this place I've moved to????? Attend the game....and win a farm animal! Geez.

Now mind you, in the MUCH smaller town of Enid, Laura and I will be attending the symphony tonight. Her boss and his wife have season tickets but they are out of town this weekend so she and I will be seeing:

Mendelssohn in Leipzig
Felix Mendelssohn's 200th birthday party alla the Leipzig Gewandhaus,
featuring the winner of the ESO's 2009 Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Competition for Oklahoma Young Artists ~ Marat Gabdullin

I hope this young man is as good as the paper is touting him to be and I REALLY hope I can stay awake through a concert of soothing violin concertos. *LOL* We'll see if I make it. Hey...at least nobody is trying to give me a goat! *ROTFLOL*

"Whoa oh ohhhh, listen to the music..."

Okay...I was inspired by Life In A Lovely Heart to research the #1 songs on my birthdays (I have just a few more than you, Puddy-Girl) and then to make a list of songs I like that might surprise you. The results of this inspiration are as follows:

#1 on my birthday - August 7th

2008 ... "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry
2007 ... "Beautiful Girls" by Sean Kingston
2006 ... "Promiscuous" by Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland
2005 ... "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey
2004 ... "Slow Motion" by Juvenile featuring Soulja Slim
2003 ... "Crazy in Love" by Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z
2002 ... "Hot in Herre" by Nelly
2001 ... "Bootylicious" by Destiny's Child
2000 ... "Incomplete" by Sisqó
1999 ... "Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera
1998 ... "The Boy Is Mine" by Brandy & Monica
1997 ... "I'll Be Missing You" by Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112
1996 ... "Macarena [Bayside Boys Mix]" by Los Del Rio
1995 ... "Waterfalls" by TLC
1994 ... "Stay (I Missed You)" by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories
1993 ... "Can't Help Falling in Love" by UB40
1992 ... "This Used to Be My Playground" by Madonna
1991 ... "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" by Bryan Adams
1990 ... "Vision of Love" by Mariah Carey
1989 ... "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx
1988 ... "Roll with It" by Steve Winwood
1987 ... "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2
1986 ... "Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera
1985 ... "Shout" by Tears for Fears
1984 ... "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker, Jr.
1983 ... "Every Breath You Take" by The Police
1982 ... "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
1981 ... "Jessie's Girl" by Rick Springfield
1980 ... "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John
1979 ... "Bad Girls" by Donna Summer
1978 ... "Three Times a Lady" by The Commodores
1977 ... "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" by Andy Gibb
1976 ... "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Elton John & Kiki Dee
1975 ... "Jive Talkin'" by The Bee Gees
1974 ... "Feel Like Makin' Love" by Roberta Flack
1973 ... "The Morning After" by Maureen McGovern
1972 ... "Alone Again (Naturally)" by Gilbert O'Sullivan
1971 ... "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" by The Bee Gees
1970 ... "(They Long to Be) Close to You" by The Carpenters
1969 ... "In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus)" by Zager & Evans
1968 ... "Hello, I Love You" by The Doors
1967 ... "Light My Fire" by The Doors
1966 ... "Summer in the City" by The Lovin' Spoonful
1965 ... "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" by Herman's Hermits
1964 ... "A Hard Day's Night" by The Beatles
1963 ... "Fingertips (Part II)" by Little Stevie Wonder

Uhmmm...yeah. I pretty much lost the train of music after 1996, although I have heard "I Kissed A Girl". I don't believe I've heard most of the songs in between though. *LOL*

As for songs I really like that might surprise you:

"Straight To Number One" by Touch and Go
"Disturbia" by Rhinannon
"Kryptonite" by 3 Doors Down
"1985" by Bowling for Soup
"Between Raising Hell and Amazing Grace" by Big and Rich
"Smooth" by Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas
"Glamorous" by Fergie
"House At Pooh Corner" by Loggins and Messina
"Panama Red" by New Riders of the Purple Sage
"Baby Doll" by Pat Green
"Somebody Loved" by The Weepies
"Waterfalls" by TLC
"Get Right With The Man" by Van Zandt

I am also a major "Parrothead", a frequent visitor of the "Martini Lounge", and a "Zydeco" fan. I'll listen to Big Band, Swing (country and regular), Broadway, some Metal, and even an occasional Rap song though I totally dislike hardcore and 'gansta' Rap (think "Wild Thing" by Tone-Loc, NOT NWA's "Straight Outta Compton"). In short - if it's good music, good lyrics, or a tiny bit odd - there's a chance I'll listen to it at least once. If I like it I'll listen more. And if I love it I'll listen for the rest of forever. As Nietzsche said, "Without music, life would be an error."

So come on....'fess up....what are YOU listening to??? *G*