hump day

I'm here in the office for a pointless four hours of blogging and blog-reading before I go up to Evanston to teach lessons for the afternoon and get a hair cut and brow wax at Art + Science = Hair. Yes, that's really the name. I totally cannot afford it right now, but if I have to spend another day with these bloody bangs in my face or look at my hideous eyebrows one more time, I'm going to explode. A good hair cut and brow wax is worth it's weight in gold (that makes no sense, but I'm tired today and thus the cliches), and I've been feeling like a troll lately, so it's going to do me a lot of good. I've learned the hard way that a haircut is not something you scrimp on. There's a reason that cranky Russian woman who can barely speak English is cutting hair at Hair Cuttery--she sucks at it. Then it's off to rehearsal tonight, which is becoming much more fun now that we are just running portions of the show as a whole -- moving onto the stage next week is going to be a different story. Four words: Seven. Hour. Re-spacing. Rehearsal. I can't get over just how MANY gigantic chorus numbers are in this show. Off the top of my head, atleast ten. Torturous as the rehearsal process has been, it is going to be a highly entertaining show. Great singing, (mediocre) dancing, beautiful costumes and sets, a duel, a dramatic death scene, flappers and soldiers and "ladies of the night" and big ball gowns. The script is absolutely absurd, but it's fun and it's entertainment. My mother is going to love it -- I think deep in her heart she always wished I had pursued a career on Broadway or something. She comes to my operas and concerts and is a great supporter of my career, of course, but whenever she sees a Broadway musical (which she LOVES), she says to me. "You could do that, Emily!" Thankfully, I did not pursue that career, as I'd be up shit creek even more than I am now. I recently read an article about the extinction of the Broadway soprano, whatwith all the pop musicals so popular in recent times. And it's true -- there's a very small number of women with legit soprano voices singing on Broadway right now. Thank goodness I stuck with opera.

And now I must do a shamelss plug for my little sister's blog, Blah Blah Blog. My sister was a journalism major and is a fantastic (published!) writer, so expect great things. No pressure or anything, Elaine. :) And to end this post, I will continue the "image profile" she included on her post today.

Place You Grew Up:


Place You Live Now:


Your Name:


Your Grandmother's Name:


Favorite Food:


Favorite Drink:


Favorite Song:


Favorite Smell:


Pics of my hair cut tomorrow. Happy Hump Day!

our apartment

For those who have not had the priveledge of seeing mine and Nick's new apartment, here are some pics to tide you over until you can come and visit!

our beautiful, tree-line street:


spread from our recent social gathering (click to enlarge!):


our bedroom (i love the color, it's so serene):


guest bedroom/office/music room:


kitchen (and Groland):


new couch shot:


full living room shot (I can't wait to get a console table for behind the couch):


I didn't have a good shot of the dining room, plus the table is so small it looks silly in the big room, so that will have to wait until we get a new table. The apartment has really grown on me, despite initial feelings of hatred (which in retrospect, was probably just residual moving anger), and I've quickly gotten used to having so much space. It's a far cry from the one room I inhabited for the past two years! We're having our first overnight guests this week (!) -- my dad and brother are coming in Wednesday night for the Cubs day game on Thursday. I'm so excited for them to come and see it (although I know they will gripe about the hefty three-flight climb). I'm going to play hooky on Thursday morning so we can all go to breakfast and I can actually spend some time with them. When my parents came for two games a couple of weeks ago, I didn't even get to see them because my schedule was so nuts. This time, I am making time.

The weekend was tremendously good, and I'm in a super mood today. Friday night's dinner was spectacular, check out my review on Yelp. I went a little overboard on the martinis, but since I was drinking expensive gin, I didn't have a hangover on Saturday, so I managed to accomplish lots of cleaning, laundry, and plenty of relaxation time. Saturday night we checked out Summer on Southport,, a street festival in West Lakeview. We ate greasy food and Dairy Queen, listened to some eighties cover bands, and perused the local shops and stands set up for the event. Around ten, as things were wrapping up, we decided we weren't tired so headed over to a movie theater to catch The Simpson's Movie. It was hilarious and lived up to our expectations. Sunday we did our grocery shopping, perused the sidewalk sale on Clark street, took naps on the new couch, and cooked a delicious dinner. I even managed to practice and make Nick read lines with me (the reality that I need to be ready to go on in the lead role in this show in three weeks has set in). So it was a great weekend, I'm in a great mood, and I'm feeling like this week is going to be a good one. I'm climbing out of my rut, there's an end in sight to this miserable job, and I have a lot of looking forward to do.

chocolate wisdom

The Dove chocolate I was eating just told me to "write a real letter, not just an email." When did chocolate become so holier-than-thou? I'll have you know, Dove chocolate, that I write real letters all the time, in fact, I just wrote one today to my cousin and his wife and their new baby, which I sent along with a package of ADORABLE Ralph Lauren baby stuff that I got so cheap at Macy's yesterday, I felt like I was stealing it. What's cuter than a baby in Ralph Lauren?

Nothing, I tell you. (This is not my cousin's baby. Unlike children in TV sitcoms, she did not age 6 months in one week and suddenly become able to sit up. Also they don't have that adorable puppy, but this picture kind of realized a fantasy of mine, so I wanted to post it so I could look at it every day).

In case you didn't know already...IT'S FRIDAY!!!!! I love the weekends. I mean, I really really really love the weekends, perhaps more than the average human. Ok, perhaps not. Tonight we have a double date and a half (my friend Stasi's fiancee refused to leave the suburb in which they now reside, so Stas is coming by herself -- Adam, if you're reading this, you're a pah-ty poopah!) with my girlfriends from high school and their affianced. We're going to Hot Chocolate in Wicker Park -- the desserts are supposedly to die for, and the entrees look pretty good as well. Oh how I do love a Friday night out on the town, especially when the whole weekend is stretched out in front of me with nothing to do! Enjoy, everyone!

thoughts on a Thursday

I'm feeling much sunnier today after my little Guffman ouburst on Tuesdee. I was able to have a fairly relaxing afternoon yesterday due to my teaching gig in Palatine being shortened (all the students are on vacay). I took to my bed for two hours (I love saying that "I took to my bed" - it sounds so dramatic, as though I intended never to get up again) with a book and a cold gel eye mask, and the results were stupendous: a much cheerier me at rehearsal, even when it took two hours to block a ridiculously simple scene. If only every day could be that wondrous! I'm working on it...the more students I have, the closer I am to quitting the temping.

In other news, my cousin and his wife had their first baby on Tuesday night!

Christina Marie was born at around 8:50 in Ft. Wayne. I'm really jealous that my sister and my mom will get to see her right away--I have no idea the next time I'll be able to get to Ft. Wayne and see her. Sometimes, I wish I lived closer, but then I remember that it's Ft. Wayne...

Lately I feel as though I've become disenchanted with Chicago. It's expensive, the time I spend on public transit in order to travel 5 miles to work is bordering on ridiculous, the "Midwest charm" and "friendly people" seems more of a myth everyday. I'm no longer looking for a life partner (found him!), which seems to be a top reason for many young people to stay in the city. Yes, I love the restaurants and the cultural life and the fact that I can get great sushi or Thai food or Sicilian pastries by just walking 200 feet out my front door. And there are lots of opportunities for me here as a classical singer. But lately I've been feeling like the cost of living isn't worth it, the 2 hours a day spent on the El isn't worth it, and that I might be happier (gasp!) somewhere else. Nick feels the same way. I don't know if Greece is the answer, or maybe somewhere in Indiana, or even elsewhere in the country, but I'm starting to think that we could be happier and live better than we do here, somewhere else. My friends are starting to migrate out to the suburbs, but I don't think I want to go there. The cost of living is still ridiculous compared to, say, Indianapolis, and we'd still probably have a hefty commute. I'm not sure if I'm ready to move back to Indiana, but the appeal is growing every day.

So I think I'll live it up for the next nine months and then see how I feel. Maybe it's just the frustrating week that has me disliking it here. Once upon a time, I loved this city so much and was certain I'd never leave it. But "time marches on, and sooner or later you realize it's marching across your face!" Not really sure how that relates, just needed to throw in a fun movie quote. Laters.

i hate you, and i hate your ASS FACE

This is pretty much how I'm feeling toward several different parties today: Blue Cross Blue Shield and fucking pre-existing conditions, the dickfaces in this office, the City of Chicago and their miserable excuse for public transit...I could go on, but I'll just leave it to Corky St. Clair:

Sometimes you've just got to say it.
(that and..."there's no swimmin' in my show!")

Maybe I could go back to the DQ in Ft. Wayne. There'll always be a place for me at the DQ. And Lord knows I can make a mean curl on a soft serve cone.


The show I'm doing now sort of makes me feel like I'm in this show:


Into every life a little Guffman must fall...

Monday meme!

I have no idea what a meme is, but these list-y things entertain me, and I don't care if you hate reading them...it's my blog! Go make your own blog if you have something better to say! (and let me know the url because I need some new blogs to read).

THE 5 THINGS MEME

5 things in your refrigerator:
1. La Trappe beer (Nick's fav)
2. Gel Eye Mask
3. leftover Greek pasta with myzithra cheese and meat sauce
4. about 5 different kinds of cheese
5. 2 liter of diet coke

5 things in your closet:
1. laundry basket
2. plastic bins of sweaters
3. clothes? duh?
4. lots of handbags
5. a red feather boa

5 things in your purse or backpack:
1. score and script of current operetta I'm rehearsing
2. Tylenol
3. entire makeup bag (woke up late so did makeup at work today)
4. Coach wallet
5. Cold-Eeze

5 things in your car:
1. lots of garbage that needs thrown out
2. Nick's extra pair of (crooked) glasses
3. wedding wrapping paper
4. dance shoes
5. a blanket that oddly folds up into a bag that i got for free while temping for the realtors last year

5 things in the world you want to see before you die:
(ONLY 5 ?!?)
1. Greek islands (soon, I hope!)
2. Japan
3. Napa wine country
4. myself as a homeowner with little to no debt
5. lots of happy, healthy children and grandchildren and nieces and nephews....

Moan-day

Once again, the weekend flew by, and once again, it's Monday. Or "Moan-day", as my friend Mark titled his email to me this morning. We've been writing really deep, existential emails back and forth because, well, we have nothing to do. Mark has been reading Shakespeare online in order to keep his brain cells from slowly dying off. I, on the other hand, have been checking up on the preppy housewife blogs, deciding what to buy my cousin from her baby registry at Babies 'R Us, and decidedly NOT memorizing the hordes of lines and music for the part I'm covering. I did, however, write two thank-you notes for belated birthday gifts and mail off a check to reserve our room at this B&B in Traverse City for Labor Day weekend. Unlike last year, the Labor Day weekend vacay is going to be much-hyped and well-planned (not that last year's vacay turned out badly, it was just very spur-of-the-moment). We've been looking at travel books and stalking the internet sites about Traverse City for about 2 weeks now. We had such a fantastic time in Door County last year that we decided to try another peninsula this year. And Lord knows we'll both need the vacation by then. I can't stop talking about the fact that I'm putting in fourteen hour days and making NO money, and I'm starting to annoy myself. My mind hasn't wrapped itself around that fact that at the end of this misery, I will not have a deliciously fat bank account. In the past, I've equated working ridiculously long hours with making lots more money and not having the time to spend it. I'm hating it a lot, if you can't tell, and I'm not going to agree to something like this again. If you're calling me to four hour rehearsals, five days a week for six weeks, plus performances, you better must be paying me atleast two months rent. And I'll stop talking about that now. Seriously, annoying myself.

lululemon

So I've actually been busy here in this office today. I know, shocker! Finishing the TPS reports...I mean expense reports, and sending out a bunch of crap via UPS has taken up pretty much the whole day. I'm now starting to get involved in the work here, for instance, the following dialogue between me and the two dudes:

Dude 1: Hey Emily, do you do yoga?

Me: Occasionally, yes.

Dude 2: Have you heard of lululemon?

Me: Why yes, indeed I have.

Dude 1: Do you think people who don't do yoga will start wearing this stuff?

Me: Ummmmm...probably?

See, I am involved in some very important market research. Apparently, lululemon is the hottest new company on the NYSE and is selling, like, billions of dollars of yoga pants. The two dudes couldn't really believe it. In actuality, I have heard the buzz about lululemon, and they make some fantastic yoga apparel that is sold at almost every yoga studio in the Chicago area these days (and all over the world, apparently). I see the relationship between lululemon's success as an direct result of more women staying home with their kids. More moms staying home means more mommies need a yoga break. More mommies staying home means more mommies choose sweatpants over power suits. So why not create a stylish, status-symbol sweat pant disguised as yoga pant?! It was ingenious, if only I didn't think of it first.

Maybe this whole "stock market" thing isn't as difficult as it seems.

near death experiences and sap

Aside from tedious expense reports and exhaustion, I am glad to be alive today. No, seriously. I drove home from Palatine last night in one of the worst thunderstorms I've seen in years. At one point, I pulled over to the side of I-90 and put on my flashers in hopes that I could wait out the worst of it, but quickly realized that this was probably a better way to get killed than actually driving. These Illinois idiot drivers were speeding along like nothing was happening, as though sheets of rain were not pouring from the sky and lightening hadn't just struck less than fifty feet away (I'm serious - a deafening clap of thunder and bolt of lightening at the same time that caused me to jerk so violently that I nearly lost control of my vehicle.) As I sat by the side of road with my flashers on, cars careening past me, I started to panic. "These cars are going so fast, one of them is going to hydroplane and strike my vehicle"! Shit, what did that driver's test say you were supposed to do when you hydroplane? Turn into the skid? Tap the brakes> Shit. Finally, I merged back into traffic and crept my way toward home. As I drove down Clark Street, all of the street lamps suddenly lost power. It was then that I drove into the nearest McDonald's drive-thru and got some burgers and fries for myself and Nick. I needed comfort, and there's nothing like scientifically engineered flavors and fried foods to remind you of being eight years old and happy.

So today I'm counting myself lucky that I didn't die and am trying to embrace life (sort of). It's almost the weekend, I had a great voice lesson yesterday, and I got some good news about a gig that (cross my fingers!) I will find out for sure about on August 1st. I don't want to say anything now to jinx it. And although I'm exhausted from this ridiculous schedule I've been keeping, my head isn't pounding like it was yesterday. And sometimes sitting at a computer doing people's expense reports is a lot better than listening to eight-year olds bang on a piano and trying to get them to play correct rhythms (which is what I was doing yesterday). What I'm trying to say is: life is good, and lately I've been taking that fact for granted. I'm healthy and happy and I have a great boyfriend and a good apartment and lots of gigs lined up. Maybe I'm not financially secure, but I'll work on it, and I'll try to buy less shoes and less lattes (even if the shoes are on sale). I will not be the asshole who rushes around like the world is ending tomorrow (97% of Chicagoans). I will be kind. I will try not to worry so much about things I can't control. I will enjoy myself.

And that is my mantra for today.

And this picture just makes me giggle.

Sherrill Milnes circa 197?

this just in:

Bored temps everywhere unite to counter soul-crushing boredom. From my friend Mark, temping over at the UBS building next door:

I just want to point out, that on my hotmail, there is an add at the top for "earn your degree online!" which is no big deal...we see that all the time, right? So there's a big list of all the jobs you can have, like, accountant, banker, engineer, social worker, and...bounty hunter. Bounty hunter? First of all, is that something you have to have a degree in to be qualified to do? "yeah, my major is hunting people down and killing them, and i have a minor in francophone cultures." Second of all, is that even legal? wtf?? is there something I'm missing out on?

If a bounty hunter makes more than $14 an hour AND gets health insurance, I'm willing to consider it.

I can't put it any better than Dan over at redactedblog when he says that Italy is better than America. Pretty much all of Western Europe and Scandinavia has it better than America. Land of opportunity, schmopportunity. So basically, what I'm saying is that you can expect me to live in this country for about another year pretending to "become an opera singer", then I'm going to go laze about the Greek islands for the rest of my days, fully participating in the drinking at lunch/followed by daily siesta. Because when it comes down to it, I'm just not as interested in toiling away in this ridiculous cutthroat consumerist society as I am in the quality of the life I'm living. And the quality of life on the other side of the pond is far better than here.

And those are my thoughts on a Monday, the week of 10 hour + days sprawling before me and the exhaustion already settled in. What do you think I should rename my blog if the Midwest Princess becomes displaced from the Midwest?**

**To any readers who may be concerned/nosy about an impending upheaval (re: becoming a resident of a different country) this post is merely a figment of my imagination and does not resemble reality. I, personally, just moved 249812987 lbs of my belongings up three flights of stairs and have no intention of moving in the near future. Thank you and Good Day.

lots of tags.

I haven't written anything yet today because:

a. I've been reading this blog. This guy is absolutely hilarious, think Jason Mulgrew but a bit cleaner, less bathroom humour and a little less alcoholism. I was an avid reader of his last blog, until he went through a bad break up and shut things down. Apparently, he's been back to blogging since last November -- which means I've had nine months of catching up to do today. I'm not sure how I feel about the new compared to the old...I still find myself laughing out loud, but maybe not as much as I did before.

b. I was lunching with fellow temps Suzanne and Mark. I hooked up all my summer job-less singer friends with the temp agency, and it's been working out splendidly for everyone involved -- they can pay their rents, and I collect $100 bucks after each of them works 100 hours. And since all my friends are competent, non-alcoholic people who can read and answer a telephone, it makes the temp agency look good, thereby making me look good. Win, win, win. (I've already collected $200 and am looking at another $300 coming to me very soon. For doing nothing. Win indeed).

c. I've also been mesmerized by the preppy housewife blogs. This one, this one, and this one come to mind. When I read these blogs about people whose biggest concerns seem to be redecorating the kitchen, whether or not to go to the country club pool, or that their child doesn't want to wear pink and green, I am a mixture of incredulity and jealousy. How delightful to while away the days going to the gym, shopping, and making crafts! Then I read more and realize that at the heart of it lies serious shopping addictions, horrid ungrateful step-children, feelings of low self-worth, and keeping up with the Joneses, and I realize that with all the lovely suburban homes and gym memberships and perfect children comes a new slew of problems and unhappiness that my twenty-five year old self can't even fathom. While having kids and moving to the suburbs may sound like a wonderful break from trying to become an opera singer, I don't think it's the solution I'm looking for at the moment. I'm not sure where in the American suburbs you can move and not find people like this...it's disheartening, but then again, there's always Europa.

I can't tell you how excited I am that the weekend is upon us. I didn't want to get out of bed something fierce today and have been dreaming all day about staying under my duvet until ten am tomorrow. Also, our new couch (!!!!!) is coming tomorrow, so we're having a li'l gathering Saturday evening to celebrate (and we finally have enough seating to respectably host guests). I don't have to work, sing, or be anywhere for the entire weekend and after a week of 10 hour + days, that thought is so enticing I could weep. And I have, just a little.

Happy Weekend, everyone!

Midwest Bookworm: autobiographies

I love reading autobiographies, particularly those of opera singers. They all seem to have led such fascinating lives, especially the older ones from the fifties and sixties and seventies - the "Golden Ages" of opera - which many people believe will never be matched by modern opera companies and singers. One of my favorites is Marilyn Horne's autobiography. Now there is a crazy life. Married to a black conductor in the height of the Civil Rights Movement, later divorced and had a long-standing affair with a married Greek (I think he was Greek - I can't quite remember) tenor. My favorite story she tells is of the party she went to where she got drunk with Judy Garland. They were rolling around on the floor singing, apparently.

Another of my favorites is Renee Fleming's. It's very inspiring, and often times when I'm feeling low about the biz, I remind myself that Renee was a temp once, too. Not that I want to have a career like hers (well, maybe a tiny part of me does), but it's nice to remember that the big guns started from nothing and got where they are because of hard work and a lot of luck, not because daddy had the cash to pay for their training and keep them from heinous day jobs.

Anyways, yesterday I picked up this little gem:

This is the first I've read from a foreign singer (she's Swedish) and so far it's fascinating. She seems to be the calmest, sanest of all opera singers I've ever read about or met. Except maybe Kirsten Flagstad, who Birgit says used to knit sweaters and drink cognac backstage before she went on to sing Isolde. I'm always hearing these stories about the crazy things people do backstage or on the day they have to sing a *ginormous* opera, like play eighteen holes of golf, or drink milk and eat cookies backstage. I guess at some point you just stop worrying yourself into a frenzy and get on with it. Can't wait 'til I reach that point.

Last, and sadly, I want to say that I am thinking about the family of Jerry Hadley, an extremely successful and famous opera tenor who apparently attempted suicide in his home in upstate NY on Tuesday evening. I met and worked Mr. Hadley a few years ago, and he is a very nice and talented man, and it is a real tragedy that the world lost a great person at such a young age.

slow news day

Sorry for the non-posting day yesterday. I know you're all really psyched that I'm back to posting every day. so I hate to dissapoint. The truth is, yesterday I spent the better part of the day chatting to my sister on the phone and laying on the floor with my head on a computer bag I found, taking a nap...I mean, I spent the day working very hard, taking phone messages (3) and...well, that's about it. The two dudes are in Boston at a conference, and I'm here guarding the office - ?

Actually, my new task that is going to fill up these work days for the next eight weeks is learning two roles in the Light Opera Works show. We had our first rehearsal Monday night, and it seems like a really great, talented cast. I'm understudying this incredible woman in the lead role, and I can't even tell you how much I respect and look up to her and hope to learn a lot from her about making it in this career. She hasn't had a conventional opera career, but she's done some really interesting and amazing things, been very successful, and has a successful marriage and two-year old boy. Plus, we share the same undergrad alma mater and undergrad voice teacher! Suffice it to say, I want to be just like her.

On top of that I have to learn my ensemble part that I'll actually be performing in the show. The character actually has a name (Gloria), and some speaking and singing lines, so I'm really excited about that! We have to do British accents, and I think I've really been honing in on it (some of you will get that joke). It's going to be refreshing to do something light and in English for a change.

The only bad thing is that I get home at 11 pm from these rehearsals, after working a full day. I'm afraid this show could take it's toll on my personal life, but Nick is wonderful and understanding, and thankfully we get to have lunch together nearly every day, so that will make up for the fact that most nights I'll be crawling into bed when he's already asleep. But the rehearsals aren't absolutely every night (atleast not in the beginning), and we get weekends off until the run begins. So I think we'll manage.

In closing, it's a sad day for humanity. The word ginormous has been added to the dictionary. WHY? There are two perfectly good words, gigantic and enormous, that can be used to describe something extremely large. Huge, big, gargantuan, massive also come to mind. WHY? If I ever say "ginormous" you have my permission to slap me. And if I hear someone say it, this is a fair warning that you might get slapped.

Good day!

Elaine's professional pics are here!

just the "tip of the iceberg" according to Elaine...
(click to enlarge)

the past month in photos

graduation eve dinner with mom, dad, gram and Nick:


shot of Julia Louis-Dreyfuss giving her address:


I did it!!!:


with Jia-Yee and Angela at her wedding in Rome, NY:


giant waterfall in upstate NY:


Nick photographing the waterfall:


first "real-meal" in the new place:


some cute new sandals (and orange pedi!):


a glimpse of the sea of people on 4th Eve:


giant hunk of red velvet cake with the most amazing cream cheese frosting i've ever tasted from this fabulous place in our new 'hood:


Enjoy! (And hope you're beating the heat...our three a/c units are cranking on full blast and it's a wonderful icebox in here...)

TGIF

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! Is it just me, or did this week seem interminably long despite the holdiay on Wednesday? I feel like I've just lived through two weeks during the one. Ah, well. The good news is that I am now legally licensed to drive in the state of Illinois. Holla! I studied for the driving test for about an hour before, and it's a good thing I did -- some of those questions were tough! The whole process took about an hour and a half, and boy did I see some interesting characters during that time. My favorite was the woman who looked fairly homeless (and braless) and was screaming loudly that "how could she pay for her I.D. when she needed the I.D. to get her money out of the bank?" There were also several people that I'm fairly certain were mentally incapable of operating vehicles, but that's neither here nor there. The important thing is that they issued me a license today, and the picture isn't even too terrible!
The weekend is shaping up to be rather uneventful, and Lord knows I prefer it that way. The past month has been far too hectic, and I'm ready for some true R&R. Tonight we're planning a BYOB sushi date, and Saturday will probably consist of further apartment repair/sprucing and general lazing about. Sunday I'm due to sing in church, since we all take a turn doing one Sunday during the summer, so I'll have to get up, but singing at church means I earn a delicious brunch afterward (maybe Ann Sather? or somewhere new in the new 'hood?). I love a warm, outdoor, summer Sunday brunch.
Hopefully I'll get to posting some pics up on here this weekend. I've got some that I've really been wanting to post, but I can't do it from work, and by the time I get home the last thing I want to do is open my laptop. We'll see.
Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!

Dancin', Dancin', DANCIN!

I've been reading through the script and score of the Light Opera Works show I'm doing for which rehearsals start Monday. It's becoming apparent that I'm going to have to do a lot of dancing in this show. Yes, danicng. One of my ensemble parts is acutally titled "Taxi Dancer." What does this mean? I have no idea. Now, I have fake "danced" in more shows than I can count -- it seems that since I'm tall and thin, people assume that I can dance -- but I am by no means a trained dancer. I took two of Debbie Grammel's dance classes for beginners while at DePauw, and I have been known to whip out the "Chinese Dance" that we learned for our final exam in Beginning Ballet when I have had too many cocktails at a party. But in reality, I am still a lanky girl who has a hard time being graceful and tends to flail her arms when dancing. But hey, if someone wants to pay me to "dance" in their show, I'll give it a go.

I just hope the costumes aren't too skimpy. Momma doesn't want to go on a diet for this show.

apartment, fireworks, movie review

I can't say it was a relaxing day and a half off, but I can say that our apartment is *almost* box-free and things are for the most part in their proper place. And I have several cuts, bruises, a burn, and a swollen toe to show for it! Our trip to Ikea proved extremely fruitful, and we now have a beautiful baby Groland in our kitchen:

We decided to go with the cheaper island sans cabinet so that we could spend $129 bucks on other stuff we wanted, like cool glass shelves (not so cool when they fall off the wall onto your foot), a kitchen rug, and a few other things. The kitchen is looking really nice, as are the two bedrooms. Our couch will be delivered on the 14th, and then the living room will be complete. All that's left are some pesky boxes in the dining room and setting up the dining room table. I'll have some pics to post soon!
In more exciting, non-apartment related news, I had my first experience at Taste of Chicago and the city fireworks on Tuesday night. Wow...I'm not sure I've ever seen that many people in one place at one time. It was a veritable sea of humantiy. It was enjoyable, but I'm not sure I'll go back -- once is enough for me. We did have some delicious food -- prime rib quesadilla and mango rice pudding with dried cranberries, a BBQ rib sandwich, and funnel cake. Nick had never tasted a funnel cake before, so we just had to get it. And some beers of course. The fireworks were quite a spectacular display; I was impressed. All in all an enjoyable trip, I'm just not that sure I'm willing to work that hard in the future to get food, beverage, and a spot to see the firewroks.
Lastly, a brief movie review: I did indeed drag Nick to the Mandy Moore movie last night, and while Nick found it "better than he thought it was going to be", I thought it was pretty dull and dry. The chemistry between MM and John Kransinski was nonexistent. Whenever I watch The Office I feel a pang in my heart for poor Jim and the way he loves Pam and the looks he gives her -- for some reason his charm just didn't translate to the big screen. Or maybe it was Mandy. Her character was rather static and annoying, and the supporting characters were really ill-developed and boring. Robin Williams did not come through with his usual hilariousity; I'm not sure if it was him or the script. The only really funny moments were the cameos from castmembers of the Office, especially the guy who plays Kevin. Rather disappointing, but ah, well. They don't make 'em like they used to.
Long day today - office boredom followed by teaching three lessons after work. Momma's gotta make the cash.

Outta here!

The stock market closes at noon today, which apparently means that whatever it is that the two guys do here in this office, they can't do it after noon, hence...I get to leave at noon (mind you, I'm not getting paid for the afternoon, but whatev). So in approximately thirty minutes, I will be free for the next day and a half to do what I please (or rather, put my apartment into some sort of liveable condition). Nick and I are heading out to IKEA to buy a desperately needed kitchen island and a few other goodies. Here is the island I'm considering:

Last night I gave the kitchen floor a good scrubbing and actually cooked a semi-decent meal for us. Linguine and store bought sauce -- but in my defense it was Pesto Sun Dried Tomato from Whole Foods -- with some Italian sausage that I cooked into it, a salad and a glass of Syrah. Easy but very satisfying -- and not Thai takeout, a miracle in itself.
Tonight we are going to try and go to the concert and fireworks in Grant Park. Three years in Chicago and I've never been to the fireworks -- shame on me! Tomorrow the plan is to sleep in late, work on the apartment, and drag Nick to this movie:

I have a bit of a celebrity crush on John Krasinski (who doesn't?) and I love me some Mandy Moore and Robin Williams.

Happy 4th, everyone!

Rest in peace, Bubbles

One of the most famous American opera singers of all time, coloratura soprano Beverly Sills, died last night of lung cancer in her home in Manhattan at the age of 78. She rose to fame in the 1950's and retired in 1980, but still remained active in the opera world. Ms. Sills was probably just about every coloratura soprano's idol, as her interpretations of all the best coloratura roles set the standard by which people now define the roles. Manon, Lucia, Rosina, Baby Doe, Violetta, and even some heavier roles...the list could go on and on. Apparently, she was also a wonderful person, and was nicknamed Bubbles.

The world will remember you always Bubbles. That wonderful, silvery, agile voice of yours will be forever listened to by aspiring coloratura sopranos like myself.

ow, it hurts.

Ouchie. I haven't been this sore and exhausted since I climbed the highest peak in the Southeastern Alps. Every inch of my body aches, along with some places I didn't even know could ache. Mark my words, readers, that is the LAST time I move myself up three flights of stairs. Next time, Nick and I have vowed that we will hire movers, no matter the cost. Nick has been hobbling along like a little old man since Saturday night -- his knee is in pretty bad shape. At one point, I was going up and down the stairs with tears running down my face -- I wondered if this is how those celebrities feel who are forced to do like four hour grueling workouts every day. Maybe they just get on the treadmill and start bawling. I know I would.

Nick's friend Alex was a MAJOR help. Without him, I think Nick and I might have killed each other. Moving day really brings out the worst in people, and we were both screaming at each other for a good part of the day. I think if you can get through a moving day with your significant other, you can pretty much get through anything. And the making up part at the end was very nice. :)

We spent the better part of yesterday cleaning out the previous renters filth. Twenty years of filth (the landlord told us the woman who just moved out had been there twenty years.) The apartment was supposedly "clean" when we moved in, but it became pretty clear that nobody had spent more than a few minutes cleaning the place. It took over an hour to scrub all the grime from the refridgerator, then I spent several hours painstakingly lining every shelf with contact paper. Nick did his fair share too; in fact, we both pretty much worked from sun up to sun down.

The end result is a somewhat workable kitchen, decent looking bedrooms and living room, and a dining room still filled with boxes. But we're getting there, and by the end of today it should be a lot better. The cable and internet is up and running, so that's a huge plus, and tonight we will be installing the three air conditioners that are now in our possesion in preparation for the hot weather coming our way. Thankfully, the weather was cool and wonderful this weekend -- if it had been a 90 degree day, I'm certain one of us would have ended up in the hospital.

My work as a day-laborer (as they call the worker people in Greece) is through. Next time I will be sitting in a comfortable chair, sipping a cocktal, and pointing my finger at where to put boxes.

And now we have a guest room! In a fantastic neighborhood! An open invite to all my friends who read this blog -- COME VISIT! We adore our neighborhood, and now we have a nice big apartment, and I'm just dying to have people over (in about a month). So give me a holler if you ever in Chicago -- you've got a place to stay.

farewell Evanston

I wanted to write a post today about my current raging at Comcast and my staffing agency, but I'm just not sure I want them to have any more of my time and energy. I've been doing pretty well lately just going with the flow (I've never been a 'go with the flow' type of person), so I'm not going to get into it. I will say that I don't understand why people don't just do their jobs. As in, showing up to install my cable and paying me on time. Is it really too much to ask?

I was having sort of an existential crisis yesterday. Sitting at a desk doing absolutely nothing for seven hours every day will do that to a person. I try to fill the days with productive personal and career related tasks, but after awhile, it feels like I'm rotting away here with absolutely no purpose. I'm trying to devise a plan for saving as much money as possible this summer and paying off my credit card, so that hopefully after this job is over I can take some time off temping for lessons and coachings and concentrating on my auditions. The current temp job is about as bad as they get as far as being boring and isolating, but atleast I'm not chained to the desk (some jobs I've done require calling someone to answer the phone while you go to the potty - ridiculous). I'm free to use the facilities whenever I want, and if the two guys are traveling, I can play the radio, sing, lay on the floor and take a nap...basically anything I want. Unfortunately they've been here the past two days. Next week I'm thinking of bringing in my computer and watching DVDs. Would it be too much to stuff a pillow in my bag and bring that, too? Maybe a small blankie?

Tonight I'm donning my rubber gloves and cleaning the hell out of the new apartment. I saw that BBC show How Clean Is Your House the other day and lost my shit. How do people live like that? Since we're moving, I haven't really cleaned the current apartment in a while,and I've become rather disgusted with it, so I vowed that before we move a single piece of furniture into the new place, I will be scrubbing every available surface until it is sparkly and shiny. Nick will be helping, of course, and afterward we will probably go for a beer and some dinner, then crash one last time in Evanston before saying goodbye to the 'burbs for atleast another year. Things I will miss about Evanston: proximity to the lakeshore (although we won't be that much further away at our new place), Merle's BBQ, the movie theater, gelato from Italian Coffee Bar, Cozy Noodles (although I'm extremely hopeful that I will find a new tasty Thai place near our new apartment, and since they are on every corner, I don't think it will be too difficult), the Evanston public library, Bennison's bakery, and being near a Whole Foods. Things I won't miss: driving up Ridge, the Purple line, crazy Nazi parking officials, obnoxious undergrads (and some grads),and feeling waaaay far away from all the fun in Chicago.

It's been a good two years, Evanston. You saw me through a lot of tough times, but now I'm afraid our affair must come to an end. I'm going back to my first and real love - the city of Chicago.

dmv update

It seems that in order to obtain an Illinois driver's license, I must present my birth certificate, social security card, and successfully complete the written test and eye tests. Looks like I won't be driving for a week or so...

You can guess what I'm up to this afternoon. Yup, studying the Illinois Driver's manual. Because it's sooooo different from Indiana's.

pink-and-green?

Question: Why do rich people like the pink-and-green color combination so much? I am a regular reader of this blog, which chronicles the life of a woman who married a very wealthy, notorious New York man thirty years her senior, thus becoming a Manhattan socialite. I guess I'm fascinated by how the other half lives. In perusing her blog, notably the comments section, I've noticed that there is a bevy of "rich housewife" blogs to be found on the 'net. And most of them have the pink-and-green as a template, title, or atleast have some mention of it in their blog. What gives? Personally, I think it's a little tacky. But hey, I'm just a struggling classical singer who comes from a middle class family in Indiana, what do I know?

T-2 days until the big move. The current apartment is in shambles, whatwith half-packed boxes piled to the ceiling and barely any room to walk around. Tonight I have to go straight from work to the new place in order to meet the cable guy. God forbid we go one day without cable or internet. I remember when Andrea and I first moved to our apartment on Southport, we didn't get cable for FIVE MONTHS. We went out A LOT, even on weeknights, and when the weather turned cold and Andrea was away on a tour and I finally caved, I remember thinking, "oh...so this is what people do -- they come home from work and watch television and make their dinner." At the time, it seemed like such a novel idea. But alas, I'm no longer a young woman of twenty-two, and nowadays I barely have the energy to push the buttons on the remote control let alone make dinner. I fear this has something to do with not eating enough vegetables or exercising, two things which I did a lot of back in the day. Goals for next week: eat more veggies, run, and get more sleep.

In about an hour I'm going to mosey over to the DMV...shudder. Hopefully it won't be too terrible. After today I will no longer have evidence that I was a resident of Indiana (except my birth certificate, I suppose). Today, I get an Illinois driver's license. Too bad I didn't wake up early enough to blow dry my hair. Ah, well.

100 things: second installment

I know you were all just dying to know fifty more things about me. (Actually, the nine of you who actually read this already know these things I'm sure.) I'll try to spice it up today a bit:

49. As a child, I sucked my thumb until I was five years old. My parents were concerned, and so took me to the dentist so he could threaten me with future painful dental procedures I'd have to have if I didn't stop.
48. I stopped, but still required 5+ years of orthodontia.
47. Ages 11-14 were rather awkward, what with the braces and some pesky baby fat.
46. Around 15, I stretched out to the height I am now and the baby fat went away.
45. Another embarrassing factoid: In high school, I was a cheerleader. I spent the better part of a year learning to do a back hand spring. I nailed it, but it's been at least 6 years since I've attempted one, so I'm thinking my tumbling days are probably over.
44. Our football team went to the state finals in 1998. I got to cheer in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. I guess that was the highlight of junior year.
43. Although the highlight of junior year may have been when I got to play a Siamese twin in the school's production of Sideshow. My other half couldn't read music, so I taught her the entire musical by rote (and we had the lead parts, mind you) -- singing her parts to her over and over again until she knew them.
42. I would really like to get a dog, but I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of commitment/sleep deprivation.
41. As Nick will tell you, I don't do well with sleep deprivation. I gotsta get my 8 hours (preferably 9.5).
40. Nevertheless, I am constantly cooing at dogs on the sidewalk and looking up different breeds online. Right now I've got my heart set on a yorkie/bichon mix - a yo-chon!
39. I am a very fast typer - 70 wpm (maybe even better now, I haven't taken the test in awhile).
38. I used to have my belly button pierced, but I took it out before a surgery and never put it back in. The hole is still there though.
37. I also have my ears pierced, two holes in each ear, thought I rarely wear earrings in the second hole.
36. I am an extremely sensitive soul. I cry easily, and am known to be a bit emotional and dramatic.
35. I love laying on the beach or by the pool with a good book, getting a nice tan.
34. One summer when I was home from college, I had a job as a nanny where I got paid to lay in the sun at a country club. It was heavenly.
33. Before I moved to Evanston to start my Masters, I spent 2 months living with my parents and worked as the "beer bitch" at a golf club.
32. I met my boyfriend while volunteering with a group called Social and Service Chicago. We were trying to get people at a Chicago Wolves hockey game to adopt dogs from the Animal Shelter. The dogs we were each holding liked to sniff each other, so I guess we can give them credit for bringing us together.
31. Nick and I have been living in my studio apartment in Evanston for the last two months. Miraculously, we have not killed each other.
30. On Saturday, we move to Andersonville - a GIGANTIC place in comparison to what we're used to.
29. We will be living around the corner from Nick's favorite beer place, The Hop Leaf.
28. They also have the greatest french fries on earth.
27. I'm somewhat of a french fry connoisseur.
26. My dream job would be to have my own show on the Travel Channel, or to write travel books.
25. Realistically, my five year plan includes building my private voice studio, auditioning for and hopefully landing a few Young Artist gigs, and performing in the area whenever possible.
24. Honestly, I think five year plans are a crock of shit. I've got a one-year plan, and that's good enough for me.
23. The things I really want to accomplish in the next five years are remaining happy, remaining a good person, and being socially and financially responsible -- actually, those are things I plan to continually accomplish for the rest of my life. And they're not as easy as they sound.
22. I drive a 2004 Chevy Cavalier, bright blue.
21. I love the color blue.
20. If I had my druthers, I'd drive a mini-Cooper. I love those cars.
19. I dislike SUVs immensely.
18. I am a Democrat. I'm trying to be better about following up on politics. I want to try my best to make things better for people who don't go the ordinary route and work for a large corporation. Life isn't easy for freelance artists like myself, and I'd like to change that by voting the right people into power.
17. They could start with better, more affordable healthcare.
16. When I was born, I had five out of eight great-grandparents living. I was lucky enough to know all of them before they passed away.
15. In 2005, while I was in Graz, Austria for a music festival in which I was singing, I climbed Hochlantsch, the tallest peak in the Southeast Alps. I consider it one of my finest accomplishments.
14. Austria is one of my favortie places on earth, and I'd love to live there again someday.
13. Once when I was abroad I got stranded by myself in Maribor, Slovenia. Luckily I was reunited with my group a short time later.
12. On a trip to the Netherlands with a bunch of classmates from Vienna, I stayed on a "boat-el" with twelve other people - basically a grungy boat docked in the canals of Amsterdam.
11. On the train back from Amsterdam, I was awoken in the middle of the night by a police officer and dog who sniffed out my bags. Luckily I didn't carry anything illegal back in it!
10. I am a good gift-giver. I love shopping for presents for people.
9. I have been to the Indianapolis 500 four times. My father has been every year since 1973, excluding this year when he had to attend a family graduation in Kansas. He was not thrilled about this.
8. My friends are all starting to marry off and move to the 'burbs. My turn will probably be coming soon...
7. But for the next year atleast, I will be staying put here in Chicago.
6. One of my finest moments was in 2004 when I was chosen by Robert Altman, out of a line-up of thirty women, to play a tiny part in his opera A Wedding at Lyric.
5. I got paid well and got to schmooze with opera stars!
4. I was an extra in the movie Stranger than Fiction. If you put it in slo-mo during the scene where Will Farrell is in the guitar store, you can see me walk by in a black pants suit with my hair pulled up.
3. I used to want to be famous, but now I just want to make a living as a musician.
2. I have a mild case of OCD.
1. I believe that kindness is the most important trait in a person. I try everyday to be a kind and good person.

There you have it. Everything you (never) wanted to know about me!

100 Things (part 1)

I stole this idea from several different bloggers (it seems to be a blogger trend), and so to take up the remainder of my afternoon here at work, I bring to you one hundred things about me:

100. I am an oldest child, hence smartest child according to this study.
99. I am the only one of my siblings to seek long-term psychiatric care (in the form of a therapist). Oldest child=smartest child=craziest child?
98. I was born at the IU Medical Center in Indianapolis. It is a teaching hospital, and my mother said she felt like a science experiment.
97. My mother is a teacher and my father is a salesman (some sort of business-y salesman, not like a used-car salesman.)
96. When I was three, we moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where I spent the next fifteen years of my life and several summers during my adulthood.
95. I have a boyfriend named Nick.
94. We have been together for one year and seven months. It is my longest relationship ever.
93. Nick is a dentist. He is also my dentist, because I don't have dental insurance.
92. Nick and I had our first date at a restaurant called X/O in the boystown neighborhood of Chicago, which is sadly no longer in existence (the restaurant, not the neighborhood-last I checked, boystown was still going strong).
91. The dinner lasted five hours.
90. The rest is history.
89. In college I was, and I shudder to say it, in a sorority.
88. In the sorority's defense however, I met my best friend Andrea there, and we lived together in Chicago during my first year out of school.
87. We had the most adorable apartment at Southport and Belmont. We loved it so.
86. Once upon a time, Andrea and I lived abroad in Vienna, Austria, and took a ten day backpacking trip throughout Italy, France, and Spain.
85. We stayed in some disgusting hostels, the worst of which was in Paris. It was called the Auberge de jeunesse, but we called it The Cave.
84. During my time abroad, I also traveled to Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.
83. I love to travel, and so does Nick. He's Greek, so I've also been to Greece (twice).
82. Maybe I'll live there one day?
81. The next place I want to go is South America (Buenos Aires or Rio), or maybe Dubai.
80. Realistically, the next trip we take will probably be to Traverse City, MI for Labor Day. We've been wanting to take a long weekend there.
79. I have Bachelors and Masters degrees in Voice Performance.
78. I haven't decided if I like singing opera or not. So bombastic. I prefer oratorio and contemporary chamber music, and I'm considering shoving my career in that direction.
77. That being said, I love going to the opera. And I have a subscription for next season. Hurrah!
76. I'm a recovering latte-aholic. I recently purchased a coffee pot and am attempting to save my three dollars a day.
75. My favorite food is Pad Thai with tofu and a side of crab rangoons, please.
74. I love pretty much all foods. I'll try anything once, as long as it's dead and lifeless.
73. My signature drink is a dirty Beefeater martini, straight up, with blue cheese olives. But then again, I'm not picky about my booze either.
72. I like art, and I like going to art museums. My favorite is the Jugenstil movement (Klimt and his colleagues).
71. I would like to go to more galleries and openings in Chicago.
70. I try not to be boring, and get out and explore the city, but sometimes I love to just curl up on the couch and do nothing.
69. I've been exploring (re: living in) this city for three years now, and I haven't gotten bored with it yet!
68. Some of my favorite Chicago things: Oktoberfest in Lincoln Square, free evenings at the Art Institute, Ravinia, walking along the lakefront, endless new restaurants and bars.
67. My favorite non-classical singer OF ALL TIME is Ani DiFranco.
66. I've only seen her once, but I have all her albums, and I think she's pretty much the greatest lyricist who ever lived.
65. I have an iPod nano, but I pretty much only use it for music-learning purposes. I don't see a need to listen to it during my commute. That's just me.
64. I love books. I eat books for dinner. My mother *claims* I started reading at age 2.
63. I read everything: classics, trashy beach novels, contemporary Pulitzer Prize winning novels, biogrpahies (mostly of singers), some non-fiction that interests me.
62. My favorite Chicago radio station is WXRT. In my opinion, it is FAR superior to every other station.
61. I'm a Cancer.
60. I don't like driving. And I don't understand why people as rich as Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie don't hire a driver. When I'm rich, that's the first thing I'm doing.
59. I'm allergic to LOTS of things that occur in nature.
58. For that reason, I don't like sleeping with the windows open. Ever.
57. I'm highly allergic to cats. Unfortunately, Nick loves cats.
56. I have a Macbook. I am highly devoted to Mac forevermore.
55. I'm a decent cook, but I'd like to be better. I make a mean lasagna from sractch.
54. I've been a Cubs fan since the day I was born.
53. Recently I gained a brother-in-law named Jerod. He's a very good cook and very handy about the house.
52. Now I would like to gain some neices and nephews?!?!
51. I want kids someday, but I'd much prefer to play with my sister's babies for awhile until I'm ready.
50. I think it will be loads of fun being preggers.

Phew! That's all I can manage today. I give you the other fifty tomorrow.
Have a good Tuesdee!

some more wedding pics

My wonderful date:


Myself and cousin Megan, fellow 'maid:


Shimmy shimmy shake:




You bet your ass I got that bouqet!

berfday

An utterly insane but wonderful weekend, and now I am part of the elite club of quarter-lifers. I rang in the ol' twenty-fifth with tequila shots at midnight with some of my nearest and dearest at a house party in boystown (a combination going-away party/pre-Pride parade party at my friend Lisa's), then had a rather stumbly-home type of evening which included at stop at Taco and Burrito Palace. As Lisa says, you know you're in trouble when you eat at a place that is named after a food and a somewhere you can live. As I say, however, late-night eating after drinking always makes for an easier time the next moring. Saturday morning I was struggling a bit, but I managed to paint two rooms of our new apartment, so it couldn't have been so terrible.

The apartment is looking fabulous, now all we have to do is move all our shit into it.

Saturday night Nick took me to Marche, a fun French-American place in the West Loop, and then we went for drinks with fifteen of my best buds. I finally had occasion to wear the bubble dress I bought in Greece in March! Loves it. Here I am with an amazingly decadent chocolate dessert that the waiter so kindly put a candle in at Nick's request.


and with my friend Julia:


Sunday we spent recovering at home (waaaaay too much liquor consumed this weekend), but managed to go out for a couple of hours to buy our new couch! It is really beautiful, kind of a milky-chocolate brown, big and fluffy! I feel like such an adult now...painting and buying furniture. Sheesh, I guess this is what twenty-five year old life is like!

the real thing

Aaaaand, I've officially come to the end of the "being amused at going downtown to 'work'" phase. I say 'work', because what I'm doing here in no way resembles work. For most of the day, I've had my bare feet propped on the desk, finishing the new Marian Keyes novel I started during our layover in Pittsburgh (I finished it a couple of hours ago, which has rendered me without reading material and therefore extremely bored). Idle work days are nothing new to me: nearly every temp job I've had included atleast 5 hours of "down-time" per day. I was thinking that maybe I should start a company where I'm a consultant who helps people realize that temps are completely unnecessary, and they are basically paying people to surf the Internet all day long. But I don't think my temp agency would like that very much, and since they've been so good to me, I'll keep my mouth shut over here and keep raking in $14 an hour for doing precisely nothing.
There's something I've been meaning to vent about on here. I've been seeing this dude non-stop on the news shows, and I hate to break it to you folks, but...he's NOT THAT GOOD. I know it's a precious little story about a down-on-his-luck cell phone salesman who became an overnight sensation but...did these people not hear him crack the high note in Nessun Dorma? There are a thousand tenors out there who could sing the shit out of that aria, who could sing this guy under the table, but the world is more interested in the British cell phone salesman who, as luck would have it, can make some vaguely "operatic noises" come out of him.
Opera singing is not something you just wake up one day and go, "hmmm, I think I'll make a hobby of singing opera." No, no, it takes years and years of formal training, not to mention the amount of memorization, in-depth study of atleast three languages, vocal stamina, and discipline that go into making a career in opera. Maybe this guy has some raw talent, and maybe if he'd started twenty years ago, he'd have had a shot at a career. But I took one look at that quivering jaw and knew that he hadn't a shot in hell of getting through an opera role, and probably not even a concert of arias.
But, Americans (and the rest of the world, I'm assuming) love a good rags to riches story, and Paul Potts is certainly that. He'll have a "fake opera" career, a la Andrea Boccelli and Charlotte Church (although, in their defense, they have pleasant voices to listen to. I didn't find PPs even remotely beautiful). He'll be rich, I'm sure. He'll sing that damn Nessun Dorma over and over and over again to screaming audiences. I doubt he'll grace the stage of any opera house, but then again, opera directors are becoming more and more shallow these days and doing just about anything to get butts in seats. But those of us who know, those of us who have put in the years and given our lives to this career, we will know that this guy is not the real thing. You dont' become an opera star overnight.
Rant finished. Thank you for listening.

HEEEEELP MEEEEE

Here I am, back in office-land. The whirlwind is over, and things are finally beginning to settle down. I have to admit, it can be kind of nice to pretend to be a mundane, "regular" person who gets on the train and grabs their coffee and goes to their office to sit at their desk (and do what? -- of that I'm not entirely certain. During my three years of temping, I've been desperately trying to figure out what people do all day. I'm not really any closer to figuring it out than I was three years ago.). The office I'm in now is a tiny one that has something to do with stocks and finance and trading. It's just me and two dudes who are mostly traveling, so...most of the time I guess it's just going to be me. Good thing I like being by myself, quietly reading and passing the time. The unfortunate thing is that their computer system has blocked all web-based mail, facebook, myspace -- all the best time wasting sites. But they haven't blocked blogger yet!!!! It's probably only a matter of time...
Let me back up a bit to the weekend. Unfortunately, I don't have any of my pictures with me, so I will have to do picture posting later, but I will begin with graduation. It was a grand time with Grandma, Dad, Mom, and Nick all in attendance. We ate at some delicious restaurants, and the acutal graduation itself was pretty enjoyable and not too boring. I'll have a pic of Julia Louis-Dreyfus to post; I took about twenty pictures of her since I was in the second row (one of my colleagues observed that they probably let the music grads sit in the front to take pity on us for most likely not having a job lined up).
Then it was on to Syracuse, NY for the wedding of my friend Angela. We had to get up at 3:30 am to catch our 5:30 am flight, but all flights were on time and we made it to the hotel by 11:00 am, and the wedding ceremony at 1:00 pm, which was certainly a miracle. The ceremony was beautiful (if not a bit long -- those Catholics do go on forever -- my sister's Methodist wedding took twenty minutes!) and the reception was wonderfully extravagant, with a four course meal and plenty of drinking and dancing. The reception took place at Turning Stome Resort, and we had a pretty swanky room on the twelth floor of the hotel, so afterward we gambled for a bit before stumbling back to our room to crash for the night. Our flight home wasn't until Monday morning, so we spent Sunday exploring upstate NY a bit -- we went to see a 167' waterfall at a National Park and attempted to explore downtown Syracuse, which we found was pretty much shut down on Sundays. We had a nice dinner at a local place and then crashed at a Hampton Inn near the airport.
Monday was a bit of a strain -- our flight from Syrause to our connection in Pittsburgh was on time, but on our flight from Pitts to Chicago, the captain informed us that we were not able to land at O'Hare due to inclement weather, so they circled over Indiana for awhile before deciding to fly us back to Pittsburgh. Gah. To make a long story short (too late for that I guess), they informed us we would not be able to get a flight back to Chicago until 5:45 pm Tuesday, which was a problem since we both had to work Tuesday, so we found a flight to Indianapolis, rented a car, and drove back to Chi from Indy, getting us in at about 1:30 am. Not fun, not fun at all. Alas, that's travel for ya, especially domestic travel.
The week hasn't slowed down much, and this weekend we begin the moving process, so it looks like I'm going going going for the rest of this month. We pick up our keys tonight, and then we are going to start painting this weekend and hopefully move in as much stuff as possible throughout the week. Saturday is my 25th birthday (hooray!), and Nick is taking me to dinner and then we're having a little "drinks thing" with a few friends. Nothing too out of control, as I am an old woman now.
Pictures to follow when I get a chance! Happy Thursday!

I'm on hold with Orbitz right now -- I came home from my interview this morning (stupid temp job interviews are such a waste of my time -- why can't they just trust the temp agency to send them someone decent?) to find that Orbitz had changed our itinerary for our flight to Syracuse on Saturday. The good people over at United Airways and Orbitz decided that instead of leaving Chicago at 6:00 am as originally planned, putting us into Syracuse at 11:30 am; we should leave at 8:20 am, getting us there at 1:50 pm. Problem with that is that the wedding is at 1:00 pm, forty-five minutes outside Syracuse. Yes, we were pushing it, but it was the only way I could attend graduation on Friday evening and get to Angela's wedding on Saturday. So I just called them up to bitch and they are putting us on a different airline that leaves at 5:30 am. Eegads. But it will be worth it to see my dear Angela walk down the aisle, plus listen to Julia Louis-Dreyfuss give the graduation address tomorrow evening and wear my well-deserved pink cape-thingie.
The 'rents get in this afternoon, which will be followed by a lovely dinner at Davis Street Fishmarket. Tomorrow is the graduation ceremony and then off to Syracuse for a three-day weekend. When I get back, I am thrust back into the land of meaningless temp job, plus teaching voice and piano privately and at The Music Room in Palatine. I just started there yesterday, subbing for a friend, and it was quite an exhausting day. Teaching takes a hell of alot more energy than temping, that's for sure -- but it also pays MUCH better, and actually uses that degree I worked so hard to get. Can't complain!