Long overdue update
Looking at the recent entries for lj/~phi1ip, it appears I've neglected writing here for some seven relatively eventful months. What to say? Well, I went past 12,175 days in age (that's 33 1/3 RPM^H^H^H years). IV has come and gone; I was standing in Melbourne Central a month or two later when I was asked by a total stranger whether I had anything to do with the University choirs! Turned out to be a very impressed concert-#1-goer who recognised me and had immensely enjoyed the singing. This erased the very sour taste left by some individuals whom I shan't name who freeloaded along to PCP#1 with the seeming intention of being obnoxious and rude :/
There was also an Easterfest over in Adelaide, which was extremely enjoyable, the hospitality of the Marianettes and our actual billetor being wonderful if occasionally slightly alarming! An attempt to re-establish an old friendship were rudely rebuffed in a manner I still don't comprehend the underlying reasons for, and provided one of the minor triggers for What Happened Next (no drum roll).
The beginning of semester one had been a complete shambles, as I had relied on my division to have organised certain things whilst I was on leave for IV, and came back to find nothing done, and then stressed my way through most of a semester catching up with stuff that was supposed to have been done a month ago. After getting further behind after Easter I then had a major collapse from depression, and dropped off the face of the globe for a little while; didn't go to work; didn't go to choir; didn't answer the phone or the front door; didn't leave the house if I could help it; didn't see the point of getting out of bed.
The last time this happened (about four years ago) I ended up losing my job and becoming unemployed for a year, so thankfully that hasn't happened this time (yet). Emma has been very understanding and the medication has helped: the paranoid/obsessive/secretive behaviour and temporary bouts of (partial) insanity have gone. So now I just have to remember to keep taking it. I've gradually been able to re-engage with my social life and openly talk to people, which is good.
Some of my pet projects are going along reasonably well. The Havergal Brian symphony I started last year is two-thirds transcribed and hopefully I will be able to knock over the third and longest movement tomorrow with the public holiday. HB is possibly going to be represented at a future IVCF, which involves the preparation of a new vocal score by typesetters in the UK; as a result of my agitating a copy of the old VS is being sent to me so I may proofread the new one. The e-mails I've already exchanged with the UK are already deemed worthy of refashioning into a newsworthy article, which I'll start revising when I get tired of editing notes. Other scores, like the Mozart/Berlioz/etc. mostly on hold.
I am trying to suppress my capitalistic urge to rush out and buy an iPod mini (having twiddled with my co-worker's silver model). I am still probably in official disfavour in the Lygon Street household - one night at winikoff, daharja, and dragon_winikoff's, Emma's iPod fell from my trouser pocket as I was getting into the passenger seat, and we then reversed over it. winikoff found it the next morning. It still works, but whenever the iPod needs to spin the hard disk, you hear a nice loud *whine*. Me bad.
And there is new Doctor Who on the telly. Nirvana.
There was also an Easterfest over in Adelaide, which was extremely enjoyable, the hospitality of the Marianettes and our actual billetor being wonderful if occasionally slightly alarming! An attempt to re-establish an old friendship were rudely rebuffed in a manner I still don't comprehend the underlying reasons for, and provided one of the minor triggers for What Happened Next (no drum roll).
The beginning of semester one had been a complete shambles, as I had relied on my division to have organised certain things whilst I was on leave for IV, and came back to find nothing done, and then stressed my way through most of a semester catching up with stuff that was supposed to have been done a month ago. After getting further behind after Easter I then had a major collapse from depression, and dropped off the face of the globe for a little while; didn't go to work; didn't go to choir; didn't answer the phone or the front door; didn't leave the house if I could help it; didn't see the point of getting out of bed.
The last time this happened (about four years ago) I ended up losing my job and becoming unemployed for a year, so thankfully that hasn't happened this time (yet). Emma has been very understanding and the medication has helped: the paranoid/obsessive/secretive behaviour and temporary bouts of (partial) insanity have gone. So now I just have to remember to keep taking it. I've gradually been able to re-engage with my social life and openly talk to people, which is good.
Some of my pet projects are going along reasonably well. The Havergal Brian symphony I started last year is two-thirds transcribed and hopefully I will be able to knock over the third and longest movement tomorrow with the public holiday. HB is possibly going to be represented at a future IVCF, which involves the preparation of a new vocal score by typesetters in the UK; as a result of my agitating a copy of the old VS is being sent to me so I may proofread the new one. The e-mails I've already exchanged with the UK are already deemed worthy of refashioning into a newsworthy article, which I'll start revising when I get tired of editing notes. Other scores, like the Mozart/Berlioz/etc. mostly on hold.
I am trying to suppress my capitalistic urge to rush out and buy an iPod mini (having twiddled with my co-worker's silver model). I am still probably in official disfavour in the Lygon Street household - one night at winikoff, daharja, and dragon_winikoff's, Emma's iPod fell from my trouser pocket as I was getting into the passenger seat, and we then reversed over it. winikoff found it the next morning. It still works, but whenever the iPod needs to spin the hard disk, you hear a nice loud *whine*. Me bad.
And there is new Doctor Who on the telly. Nirvana.