I lub dis song. And I'm testing out imeem's embed features so maybe you can learn to love it too.

Music and stuff

First things first: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMO!!! Not that she reads this. But you know, it's out there now. :)

Then I wanted to talk about this uber-cool website for music-type people. It's got the typical cool stuff that any e-commerce site should have: a wishlist (that you can save and even send to other people), recommendations, etc. But the cool thing is the product. As most of you from anything smaller than a major metropolis know, it can sometimes be hard to find good sheet music. Most stores have pretty small collections, esp. if you want more than simple, or classical, or movie music, or anything using different instruments. But MusicNotes.com has just about EVERYTHING (except much female barbershop music. Sigh. Nobody's perfect). You put in what you play, how you want to play it, and it will find music for you. PLUS, one of the nicest things as a contralto vocal performer, I can TRANSPOSE almost everything I buy to a key that sounds better with my voice. Sure, I can get up to the E above middle C if I have to, but I don't sound too good up there. However, give me something that gets to the E BELOW middle C, and I actually sound halfway good! So I transpose it, I can hear a sample, I can see a sample, and I buy it and I get it immediately right off my printer. It's so nice. So go and check it out and buy something. And no, I don't get any commission. ;P

Barbershopping

I don't know if I've mentioned this here (and I'm far too lazy to look it up in the archives) but I sing bass in a barbershop group and I LOVE it. It's just four ladies from church with a smidge of musical talent and training and we get together and sing songs put together in the barbershop style (usually we buy them from Sweet Adelines, the female branch of SPEBSQSA). It's hard, because the harmonies are not your typical 'thirds' and you're always singing a cappella and we even try to memorize and add in a little theatrics every now and again. But ding-dang it's FUN!!! Something about the way those harmonies hit, and being able to perform without accompaniment, just thrills me to my core. I would join Sweet Adelines myself if it weren't for the fact that they are so expensive. I know we're not a perfect group, and I don't know all the rules for 'proper' barbershop singing. But there is something to being able to put something together that sounds good to the average ear. I'm utilizing my talents. I'm putting something good in the world. Hooray!

Happy Birthday to me!

Well OK my birthday was officially yesterday, but it was still a fun day. I went and had Thai food for the first time. 37 years is too long to go without Thai food. While I will admit I wasn't daring, it was TASTY and I'm going to have to go back again soon. The place we went -- Pad Thai restaurant in West Boise -- had great food, good prices and good service but the cooking was a bit slow. I'll chalk it up to a bad night because the food was so great I definitely want to go back there.

Otherwise, it was a great day. Everyone seemed to remember my birthday! From my neighbor/walking friend to both of my college roommates to church members to family members, I had a great day! It's not about the presents -- though admittedly I am a great sucker for gifts -- I just really really love having one day a year that is mine. I share it with other people in the world, sure, but for the most part the day is mine and I can be special. And if I explain it to myself that way to keep myself from adding a candle to the cake every year, so be it. :)

It's brought out a lot of the hobbyist in me again. I'm such a dilettante, it's very frustrating to friends and family who never know what to expect from me or what to get for me. What's my hobby of the week? Well this week it's knitting and music. I have been evil and increased my yarn and needle stash yet AGAIN while I work on at least 3 hats and plot evil things like shawls. It frustrates me as well as anyone, because I would really like to get so many things knitted and really increase my skill. However, I can't seem to banish the lusts of my eyes towards things like music, knitting, cross stitch, writing, great gardens, amazing baked goods, scrapbooks, and, upon rare occasion, ceramics. Many of those projects require so much endurance of time that I inevitably fail; gardens die as my interest wanes, ingredients go stale as my focus is distracted. But I just can't commit myself to a single hobby. I love them all.

Speaking of hobbies, I mentioned that this week has also been music week. I have been voraciously bidding on oboes on e-bay, trying to revive a high school bit of fun that has been nagging at me for the past few years. Well my brother suggested I try Craigslist once again and lo and behold, there was an oboe for a deliciously cheap price! So my other birthday present will most likely be an oboe that I will pick up tomorrow. I am delighted, though it is only a cheap plastic student thing. It's still an oboe! If you hear any delightfully ducky music wafting through the air, it may just be me. :)