Something to write about
Went for an eye exam last Wednesday - it was past time for a checkup anyway, and I thought my prescription had changed. Everything was kind of fuzzy. I was expecting to come away with new glasses. Instead, it seems I have some issues around glaucoma - especially in my right eye. Something about the fluid behind the eye lens not draining properly, causing increased pressure which has been distorting my vision. Going in tomorrow (Tuesday) for an appointment with a specialist. They will be dilating my eyes, so I won't be able to see anything up close for about 6 hours. Good excuse for a sick day.
Went to a performance of the complete Messiah by a professional choral group based here in Austin - Conspirare - they've had several Grammy nominations. 29 singers and 26 instrumentalists playing period instruments. Beautiful singing and playing, but somehow the whole was a bit on the dull side. Maybe it was the mellower sound of period instruments, or the fact that they were tuning at the historically correct A 415 instead of the A 440 21st century ears are used to hearing. Or maybe I'm just jaded - heard and sung in too many Messiahs. It's not that I didn't enjoy concert - there were moments of technical and musical brilliance, but there was very little fire in the performance. The conductor said he was going for a transparent and luminous sound - what I experienced was a tedious sameness. Especially in the slower movements, he didn't seem able to get the ensemble to sustain the long arc of the phrases. Still it was good to go out again and respond to something.
Ended the weekend with a massage. I usually seek out a local massage school and sign up for student massages. I've been doing that here in Austin for the past 10 years. Ya takes ya chances, but for the most part I've had some pretty good massages. This was one of the better ones. It's a good thing to be touched by another human being - even if I have to pay for it.
All in all, it was a good past few days. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Went to a performance of the complete Messiah by a professional choral group based here in Austin - Conspirare - they've had several Grammy nominations. 29 singers and 26 instrumentalists playing period instruments. Beautiful singing and playing, but somehow the whole was a bit on the dull side. Maybe it was the mellower sound of period instruments, or the fact that they were tuning at the historically correct A 415 instead of the A 440 21st century ears are used to hearing. Or maybe I'm just jaded - heard and sung in too many Messiahs. It's not that I didn't enjoy concert - there were moments of technical and musical brilliance, but there was very little fire in the performance. The conductor said he was going for a transparent and luminous sound - what I experienced was a tedious sameness. Especially in the slower movements, he didn't seem able to get the ensemble to sustain the long arc of the phrases. Still it was good to go out again and respond to something.
Ended the weekend with a massage. I usually seek out a local massage school and sign up for student massages. I've been doing that here in Austin for the past 10 years. Ya takes ya chances, but for the most part I've had some pretty good massages. This was one of the better ones. It's a good thing to be touched by another human being - even if I have to pay for it.
All in all, it was a good past few days. We'll see what tomorrow brings.