Saturday music

My friend Nick was amused that I managed to squeeze Mahler and Akimbo
into the same evening. At 8pm, I was onstage at Benaroya with the
Symphony Chorale singing Mahler's 8th, easily one of my favorite
choral works I've ever sung.

A quick costume change and bus ride later, i was on Capitol Hill to
see Akimbo play their tenth anniversary show at King Cobra. Since the
headliners weren't on till midnight, I had plenty of time to hang with
Nick, as well as other friends/girlfriends/parents/members (Jon & Nat)
of Akimbo. Jon's mom, in particular, was fabulous. Cheeky. And she was
selling band merch before the show!

Akimbo played a very exciting, very loud set. Now that I think about
it, high decibel levels were common to both concerts.

Is that my finger on a can of PBR?

Why yes it is. But that is not my PBR. I am not hip enough to drink
that shit. I am the owner of the vodka tonic to the right.

Working lunch

This is how I spent my lunch yesterday. Singapore Noodles with a side
of Mahler's 8th. I feel pretty good about the Symphony/Chorale's prep
work for tonight's first performance of this big work. But I'm also
reminded why I left the Chorale in the first place - too little time
for polishing pieces other than the over-performed Messiah and Ode to
Joy. I'd much rather sing Mahler every year.

The grapevine ate your baby

A couple of years ago, I cut down one of the two Orion grapevines
growing over my pergola. I thought I had cut it back far enough that
it would not regrow.

I was wrong. For two years now, Stubby has been reborn as a tenacious
ground cover. I don't really mind, except that it twines around
everything in its path. It has swallowed up my pathetic Miss Kim
lilac. It grabbed the legs of a deck chair. It attacked a dying
Arbutus unedo. And now it has pulled a flowepot off the deck.

Next year, rather than fighting it, I may let it have its way as the
dominant groundcover. Or I may come to my senses and hack it back yet
again.

Absolutely appalling

Everyone is concerned about Sarah Palin's lack of foreign policy experience, but John McCain has his own issues. He thinks that Spain is in Latin America.

Here's the full story, in Spanish:
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/candidato/republicano/compromete/ver/Zapatero/gana/elpepiint/20080918elpepiint_9/Tes

And here's a link to the audio of the interview (in English).

As someone who spent three of the best months of my life in Spain, I can just imagine the cynical glee with which our Spanish friends read this interview in El País. (Readers give the article 4.5 stars out of five.)

Teak oil

I spent part of this past weekend sanding and applying the first coats
of teak oil to my front door. I was going to just paint it. I figured
refinishing it for the third time was too much trouble. But Emily
reminded me that paint wouldn't last much longer, and the door has to
be sanded regardless. So I bit the bullet.

It's not going to look as good as the last time I refinished it. The
door has just suffered too much damage from its west exposure. It
would behoove me to extend the door frame to accommodate a storm door.

I know everyone else already knows this stuff, so back off!

I recently bought my first couple of iPhone apps. That's right, PAID
MONEY. I bought Guitar Toolkit and the SpeakEasy voice recorder. It's
amazing that there are multiple competing apps that do these things! I
expect these little apps will come in very handy with the songwriting
and the guitar practice. The latter really suffered this week, what
with Symphony Chorale, RCB and [band redacted] practice every night.
But not tonight! Must. Practice. Guitar.

I also downloaded the Remote app to control iTunes on my laptop. That
should be a very sweet app, and it's free!

Now if they will just develop an app that allows you to use the iPhone
as a video camera without having to unlock the phone, my taste for
apps will be satiated. For now. Until someone informs me of another
function my significant other is capable of (since my iPhone is the
closest thing I've got to an SO at the moment).

OZ Mania!

My RCB friends Richie and David have told me several times that I need
to see Orkestar Zirkonium. Last night I finally attended one of their
shows at Columbia City Theatre.

Wow! OZ was easily the most fun I've had at a concert in at least a
year. The musicianship was incredibly high. I felt like I was in a
Balkan bar, especially at the end, when those of us in the back of the
theater were clapping and dancing in time with the band.

The source of my best dining experience in Seattle

is moving.