onward

I was so brain-fogged the other day when I wrote the previous post that I didn't know what day it was. Not that it matters substantially in the greater scheme of things, but when I wrote "tomorrow," I should have written "today"--but I didn't know what day it was. The good news is that the change in dosage levels that day (Wednesday) has led to me feeling substantially better. All my symptoms have lessened and I've felt well enough today and yesterday to play the piano a little and also--here's the scary part--upload all kinds of crapola to Facebook.

This is more complicated than it sounds because it involved audio and video. Now, I have been a techno-nerd since 1982, and I build my own computers, but I have resisted joining the media blitz on the internet for years. I'm pretty much a luddite when it comes to multimedia, and don't even own an iPod. I hate noisy and blinky things in my web experience and so I use a browser that makes it really easy to turn all that multimedia garbage off by default. What this means however is that I am increasingly having to adjust the content blocker and the plugin stopper for individual websites like Facebook, and for some things I even have to switch to a more popular browser so that things will work, especially if multimedia is involved.

So yesterday I started with what I thought was a relatively simple task: figure out a way to get a certain recording off of a CD and onto my Facebook profile as an MP3. But, as always, things are never simple when Windoze is involved, and it gets worse when you throw in the nonsense called DRM [rant omitted]. I eventually accomplished the goal but it set me onto other ones: figure out a way to capture streaming video for later playback (for free); figure out a way to post other multimedia stuff to my Facebook profile. I spent most of the day today at cnet researching freeware (with a detour to the WayBack Machine at archive.org), discovering the fun at Hulu.com, and revisiting a karaoke site where I recorded a bunch of songs last summer for fun. I still haven't found the right software to capture that stream, but I did find an interface that enabled me to post my karaoke recordings to my Facebook profile.

Just in case you're wondering, I already know how to post my karaoke recordings to my blog. But don't worry, I'm not going to.

Happy Easter!

I was able to go sing last night at Easter Vigil mass, which was a great pleasure. I really miss singing, and after the EV mass the choir always goes out for breakfast so I was able to visit with everyone. Got lots of hugs. It's nice to be missed. And it's nice to know that I still have a B-flat!

This was my sixth outing since starting the Marshall Protocol January 23rd, the third night-time outing. I was really pleased to be able to manage my meds successfully so that going out was possible. Honestly I don't miss going out very much; I've always been inclined to be a homebody and the darkened confinement suits me well: I feel protected and safe, and have no trouble keeping myself amused. The only thing I find a bit disjointing is the passing of the seasons. My mental image of outdoors is one of mid-January, so when I go outside at night and see plants and trees blooming it's a bit startling. Sometimes when it is very quiet I can hear the bees buzzing in the azaleas outside my window and it takes me a moment to identify the sound.

I am tired today of course and am staying home to rest. My parents are going to the usual family gathering, which is at my cousin's house about an hour away. She (my cousin) came here on Good Friday and spent the day with me, a very nice visit. I like having her back close by (she lived out of state for 15 years). She made me smile and laugh so much that my cheeks hurt!

Best wishes for a happy Easter to everyone!

The Met

Yesterday, I went to the Met.

The Metropolitan Opera is broadcasting some of its productions live in HD at movie theaters around the world, and Beaumont is lucky enough to be on the list. For $22 ($20 for seniors, $15 for children 11 and under) you get to sit in a movie theater at Tinseltown with other opera nuts and experience some of the finest opera in the world. It is extraordinary.

The Met did this last year too, but Beaumont wasn't on the list and you had to drive to Houston for the performances, which were often sold out. Travelling even the short distance to Houston for a day trip is not realistic for me, so I wasn't able to go. But just before Christmas, I learned that the Met had come to Beaumont this season. What a Christmas present! I had missed the first one (Romeo & Juliet) but got to see Hansel & Gretel and Verdi's MacBeth.

I could wax lyrical at some length about how marvelous, how magnificent, how sublime it all is, but opera is one of those things that you either love or don't, so I will spare you of all the details; but I will say this: if you have never seen live opera, or if you have never seen a good one, you owe it to yourself to go just once. Check the links above to find out if there's a theater in your area showing the live HD theater broadcasts. It is so much better than watching it on PBS in your living room! It is like you are really there.

Afterwards I went out to eat with some others who were there to talk about the production and enjoy some good food and good company. I made four new friends and I'm really looking forward to the next show, which is in five weeks. Hopefully I will have progressed enough on the MP by then to be able to go!

On another musical note, today at mass my church choir premiered a new choral piece by our conductor. It was gorgeous. Spine tingling! And I can say that the day after going to the Met! We won't be singing but once for the next five Sundays, so I won't even have to miss singing. I have no idea how long it will be before I'm able to go back to church and sing, though I was hoping to be able to make limited excursions in about six weeks. We'll see.

anthem

If any locals are interested, I'll be singing the Star Spangled Banner (with three good friends, in a quartet arrangement) for the little league All-Stars game this Saturday night. At least, I think it's for a little league All-Stars game. I'm supposed to show up at my friend's house at a certain time is all I know for sure!

edited to add: It was the West End Little League All-Stars vs. Amelia at Henderson Field, both the 9 and 10 year olds. And we sang purty!