A Crowning Afternoon

I promise I will get some cruise pictures up soon, just not tonight. Bob and I plunged back into work yesterday and I continued the streak today. Tomorrow I've got a date with the dentist's chair for a crown.

Yipee.

After the pain subsides I will regale you with more cruise pictures than you might want to see. Meanwhile, let me tell you about our Crowning Afternoon.

Fellow Muni Band flutist Eileen threw a surprise 50th birthday party for her husband Chris at the Crown City Brewing Company in Pasadena this afternoon.

It is important to understand one thing: Bob and I don't drink very often, and when we do drink it's not going to be beer (sorry beFrank!). We're also not much into parties.

It is a testimony to how dearly we regard Eileen and Chris when I tell you that we spent the afternoon at said establishment.

We got adventurous and rode the Metro from the Blue Line Wardlow Station to the Gold Line Del Mar Station which was half a block from Crown City. We strolled on over in plenty of time for the official "SURPRISE!" event.

My dear husband Bob is very shy in crowds (so am I, but my love of interesting conversation often helps me overcome my dread of parties. Bob lacks the love of conversation in any form which is too bad because he's really good at it). He was quick to agree to submit himself to a torturous experience just because he loves me.

True love. You can't beat it!

We ended up having a really nice time.

I'm grateful we had the courage to step outside our comfort zones for a Crowning Afternoon.

Ship Ahoy!

We had a lovely Mother's Day today.

It is worthy of its own blog post, but it's not going to happen tonight.

Why?

Bob and I are packing for tomorrow's embarkation.

Our 3rd anniversary is Wednesday and we're going on a cruise to mark the occasion.

(BTW, the 4 night cruise cheaper than the discounted 2 night Grand California Hotel stay we had to cancel when Bob had shingles earlier this year. Go figure).

I'm leaving the laptop at home, but I can still twitter and facebook every once in awhile; that is until Thursday when we'll be out of the country. Oh ya!

I'll have more blog fodder than you'll probably every want to view when we return.

Meanwhile, the packing continues!

Adios, amigos.

Easily Amused

This video (HT darleene) cracked me up:



OK. I'm easily amused.

I Need A Nap

I have some lovely pictures from our brief trip to Disneyland last week.

I've been trying to post them.

Really.

I'm

just

so

tired.

One of the problems with my line of work is it tends to crescendo to a ridiculous amount of physical and mental stress, then abruptly cease, leaving one all wound up with no where to go.

Then comes the resounding crash after several days of all revved up with no where to go.

I'm in the resounding crash portion of my experience.

What ever happened to a nice, long rallentando?

I've allegedly been done with school since last Monday, but it keeps rearing its ugly head. I've had a few unlovely issues arise that take time and emotional energy to deal with.

Then there is the issue of the REQUIRED "Respect and Esteem Training". I completely understand why I have to take this 2 hour on-line training session, I support it, and am grateful that the University provides this resource. I just wish the requirement had been brought to my attention while I was still being paid.

Poor me!

Now if kvegas911 would be kind enough to call a waaaaaaaambulance, I'll stop whining long enough to post a Disney appetizer:

A pair of passing tourists asked if I would please take their picture in front of the Matterhorn.

After I gladly obliged, they offered to take ours.

The gentleman struggled with my point and shoot.

He was saying that nothing was happening when he pushed the button.

Clearly something was happening; as you can see he caught Bob in mid-explanation of the workings of my camera:

Do I look like I'm gritting my teeth?

We decided that finding Nemo was on our agenda. We waited patiently in line under the Monorail tracks:

Little did we know, when it sailed by us as we stood in line, that the Neptune would be the sub we would embark in:

We're preparing for a longer time at sea; we're leaving on Monday for a short anniversary cruise.

That should remedy the whining.

Meanwhile, this blogging is wearing me out.

I need a nap!

"Anne Frank" Revisited

I got the official work call yesterday.

I will be revisiting "Anne Frank" with Long Beach Opera next month.

Holocaust survivor Laura Hillman will join Ani Maldjian and conductor Andreas Mitisek in the parking garages of Sinai Temple and Long Beach for performances you will not forget.

Performances are Wednesday, June 4 and Thursday, June 5 at Sinai Temple at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 8 in the Lincoln Park Parking Garage at 4 p.m.

Please park yourself with us.

You will never be the same.

I Can See Clearly Now

My eyesight took a drastic turn for the worse recently.

I wear contacts that don't correct a rather pronounced astigmatism, so I wear reading glasses over my contacts to read music and other stuff like books. Lately, my arms haven't been long enough, even WITH the reading glasses. In fact, I have been wearing my reading glasses around the house almost all the time. And reading music? Pfffft.

The last straw was on our Thursday trip to Disneyland. I just couldn't focus on anything. It was frustrating and wearying. I did not want to go on next week's cruise with a chronic case of I Can't See A Blooming Thingitus.

I went to my optometrist today, expecting that I had a bad case of geezer eyes.

Her assistant did the initial check to see what my vision correction should be (I was looking at some red barn and somehow the machine diagnosed my eye sight. Weird). He looked at me strangely and asked if I'd lost a lot of weight lately (no, OINK!) or had diabetes (absolutely not), then passed me on to Dr. Howard.

She asked me the same questions, then double checked my vision with her fancier eye things. They confirmed what the barn picture machine said: my vision had improved from 2.75 to 2.00! The reason I was having so much trouble seeing was because my contacts were way too strong. She said that it was extremely rare for vision to correct itself to that extent and had no explanation for it.

I say I've been healed!

I can see (a lot more) clearly now!

Disturbing Images

I have been jolted by some extremely disturbing images in the last couple of days.

This is not one of them:



It is no surprise to see fellow Whittier Cardinal Danny Romero forecasting the weather on ABC 7 Eyewitness News. He hasn't changed a bit since high school.

I was perusing the web page of my high school alma mater in search of the name of the current band director, however, when I stumbled upon a picture of this former classmate...

...and the announcement that Lori Eshilian was the new PRINCIPAL at Whittier High School.

PRINCIPAL???

She was a cheer leader and homecoming princess (and a wonderful, friendly young woman).

Now she's the PRINCIPAL????

Weird.

But not nearly as weird as this:

Fellow Whittier Cardinal Band member and trombonist Joe Vinatieri is the MAYOR of Whittier:

The MAYOR???????

Wake me up when it's over...