| 
Read the Goober Diary Archives
January
31, 2005: Nobody Panic
Believe it or not, we survived the ice storm,
a.k.a. "Winter Storm 2005," which they really should have named "Storm of the Century" with the way the
news anchors and weathermen on TV were carrying on. It only lasted for one day, but for that day, these
intrepid reporters did their best to show bravery in the face of ice, traffic accidents (which, in Georgia,
are not caused by bad weather but by drivers not knowing how to drive in same), and a tragic inability to find
anyone who had completely lost power. (You could almost hear the conversation in the news room: "Steve,
we've gotta cancel the heartwarming segment about the family with no power. Everybody's fine, except for
one row of mansions on Tuxedo Drive. Georgia Power's on top of it. Damn you, Georgia Power! There goes
our chance for a journalism award.")
Derik and I have ended the ice storm
with a new roommate and two extra cats. (It's temporary.) After the Great Moving Adventure, which involved
driving a moving truck through icy streets, moving furniture in the biting cold, and showing the lady on
duty at the storage facility how to operate the gate, Derik's brother is safely ensconced in our house, along
with his two cats, Midnight and Munch. Persephone is not much for sharing, and I have re-christened our
house "Dark Tails III: The Hissening." Tonight Derik and Keith's father will leave on a jet plane (we hope;
Delta is still catching up from the 1200 flights they canceled for Winter Storm 2005), and life will go
back to what we call "normal."
I had lovely holidays, and I hope you did, too.
I spent Christmas in Florida, eating, watching TV, eating, and playing cards, took a fun field trip to the Kennedy
Space Center, and spent New Year's Eve rocking out with my kick-ass band at the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern.
What more could one ask from a holiday season?
I got a lot of new CD's for Christmas. Some
I've already put in the "classics" pile; others I'm still reviewing; others I listened to exactly once,
glad I didn't buy them with my own money. One CD I really want to tell you about is Bastard Daughter by
Kelly Buchanan. I know Kelly personally, but that
did not prepare me for how much this CD totally rocks! Mac Ritchey, who
produced Tales From the Fruitbat Vat, produced this record for Kelly, and oh man did he hit it out of the park!
(I think I can tell when it's him on guitar, too; I need to remember to ask him if I'm right!)
Kelly can take the paint off the walls with her voice, and the songs on this record just simply kick ass.
I've been trying to think of a way to accurately describe this record, and all I could come up with is that if
you've always secretly been a fan of Alanis Morrissette's first album but wished she were smarter, more talented, and
a much better writer, then Kelly Buchanan will not disappoint you. (One small disclaimer: do not play this
at work. Kelly's been known to curse and to delve into mature themes, so you'll want to save it for times
and places where singing along with songs like "Asshole of the Year" is appropriate.)
2005 is only one month old, and I've already been to a wedding! None of my pictures came out well enough to post, but I'm sure
I'll have one by the time the Goober Wedding Awards 2005 rolls around. I'm working on my New Year's Resolutions.
It's hard for me to judge my progress so far. I have finished my income taxes for 2004, put all the money I received
for Christmas into savings, given some money to charity (and performed in a benefit concert for the tsunami
victims), and lost exactly one pound. Would you call that progress? It kind of is, right?
Musically, the next things to which
I'm looking forward are a mini-tour at the end of March/beginning of April and some rehearsals with the band
so that we can start adding more songs to our set list. We may try to incorporate Keith into the band
as well; he plays a mean guitar. We'll see....
We're gearing up for The Atlanta Opera's
production of La Boheme the second weekend of February (marketing hook: "the perfect Valentine's Day
date." This is also the Shakespeare Tavern's marketing hook for Romeo and Juliet. Why a drama
in which everybody is miserable throughout and then dies at the end is a perfect date, I don't know, but
it seems to work). In honor of La Boheme, I have decided to perform a public service in The Goober Diaries and
provide you with an opera glossary that, rather than teaching you about opera, will teach you how to
act as if you know about opera. Pay attention, and you'll be an opera snob by the end of your first show.
MARKING
Definition: singing below
one's normal volume (often done in rehearsal, to save the voice)
Used in a sentence: Was the tenor marking? I could barely hear him. (said with a snif)
GALA
Definition: opening night performance, often followed by a reception
Used in a sentence: Will you look at all these men in jackets and ties? It seems no one knows
how to dress for a gala anymore. (said with a sigh)
PATRON
Definition: one who donates large sums of money to the opera
Used in a sentence: I am a patron, and I am unhappy with my seats. I need to exchange these for seats
in the main orchestra. (said with confidence that the ticket staff will hop to)
CALLAS
Definition: a deceased soprano, considered by many to be the greatest opera singer of her generation
Used in a sentence: Well, she's certainly no Callas. (another popular choice: Joan Sutherland)
That's enough for your first time
out. You don't want to overdo it.
This is the time of year
when I just try to survive the cold and the lack of light, poking my head out every once in a while
to ask, "Is it my birthday yet?" Sadly, the answer is no.
What’s
in my stereo at home:
- Shonen Knife - Let's Knife
What’s
in my car:
- mix tape I made for Derik
What's
in my CD player at work:
What
I'm reading:
- Synonym For Love by Alison Moore
|
