And now for something completely different...
Last week I was feeling a bit down about spending the weekend alone while Hubby was out of town. But a couple emails about local events helped turn things around. Friday night I attended a four course gourmet meal, with each course accompanied by samples of 2-3 wines or craft beers, held in the decorated-for-Easter meeting room of one of my grocery stores. (which has multiple chefs on staff). The others at those dinners are always fun and friendly and some are 'regulars' so now we recognize each other. Great meal and so much more fun than dining alone!
Another email alerted me to a "flash sale" (? - perhaps they hoped to trigger a flash mob of purchasers?) offering any of the remaining seats at Saturday's symphony concert for a meer $10. Among the pieces to be performed was one that had been a favorite since high school, when my boyfriend had taken me to hear it done by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. I called and ordered a seat and, amazingly, got first row center!
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony was also featuring their percussionist Michael Pawlak that evening. He had selected a fascinating and unique Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra by Joseph Schwantner which included an amazing diversity of persussion. Pawlak had set up large arrangements of drums, xylophones, gongs, bells, triangles and other things to be tapped or struck or shook both behind and in front of the orchestra. He began the piece at the rear of the stage with incredible drumwork - I couldn't see him back there but certainly could hear his amazing percussion. But then mid-concerto he moved to the front set up, right in front of me, so I had a once in a lifetime up close and personal view of an exceptionally skillled percussionist at work. It was something else! I was wowed by the rapidity of the notes he played on the xylophone while holding 4 xylophone strikers at once (I'm sure there is a specific term for those but I don't know it!). He moved from it to drums to triangles to gongs - including one which was played while being half submerged in a plastic bin of water! So interesting and impressive!
Sunday I took myself to the Hunger Games movie which I thoroughly enjoyed. They did an excellent job representing the book (although in abbreviated form). In homage I look forward to beginning the final exams in each of my classes this semester with "And may the odds be ever in your favor!" : )
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