Sunday, November 11 2007
22:46
Lots to write about. . .let's see if I can do this in under 30 minutes.
Friday: Another productive-feeling work day. Got into something I'd hoped would improve performance on one type of server. . .managed to get a couple instances propped w/ that code before leaving work. Results are inconclusive so far. . .or maybe they are strongly suggesting that nothing changed. Oh well.
Got a call from CF in the evening – the Seattle Harmonic Voices were performing at the Good Shepherd at 8. Ah, glad to get that info. So, headed out to that. Met CF and IB there, then also SA, chatted with him for a bit. First time for me in that space. . .very interesting. CF pointed out that it's somewhat like our Trinity space – it's a room on the third floor of some church, kind of hard to find without signs. But that's about where things end. This is a large space, with a very high ceiling, though also two columns breaking it up.
The performance was very good. It included a variety of things – harmonic singing, Javanese gamelan (though a "home-made" set that was apparently the first Jarrad Powell built in the early 80s, with surplus aluminum beams from Boeing! The gongs were wonderful – actually still long aluminum bars, but with large resonator box-tubes, they produced pure clean tones that resulted in amazing beats when played in intervals, very rich overall), some traditional Javanese singing, and also the introduction of trumpet as one "voice" in SF's long, multi-section harmonic interval lattice composition. That worked pretty well. It sounded good, better in that space than the PONCHO hall where I last heard them. Still, there were a number of times when I could just ever so slightly hear some of the overtones, and I don't think that was intentional – it would have been better to my ears if they were out and strong at those times.
Home after that, and a goodnight phone call to MB, who was home from dancing and very sleepy. Then, stayed up later than I should have, looking at furniture and art online, and reading the new Dune book.
Saturday: Up at 7. A harm. minor arpeggios for calisthenics. A good sitting, for me, a little less distracted than usual. Lots of wonderful circulation work during rehearsal, then at the end some bootcamp for the cascade players in IMR. Listened to that from the center a bit, not something I often get to do. When it's on, it sounds wonderful.
After that – walked down to a local furniture place, of Scandanavian type influence. Some promising things there sofa-wise, but nothing quite right. Either the wrong shape, or the wrong fabric, or the wrong color. Though they had some wonderful barstools, I'll probably get some of those. So, back home to reconnoiter for a bit, then downtown for more shopping. Some SNAFU getting where I wanted to go – first, forgot that the Market interrupts Western, so had to go around, which was a pain. Then, overshot the address for Kasala, and ended up quite a few blocks south, though that's where a number of other stores are, including Dania. Went in there. . .some promising sofas but again they didn't quite match what I was looking for. One was extremely comfortable – maybe too much so, but too big and too black leather. Another, the right size and still pretty comfy, but the wrong shape, and a bold color that maybe would be right, but maybe not.
Went in to some of the fancy-pants stores around there, where prices were mixed from "ouch" to "more than my car" and reception to my presence was mixed from indifference, to a wary ". . .hello" then indifference, to a fake smile then indifference, and finally (at the most expensive place actually) a very polite guy that asked if I had any questions, then sincerely said "thanks for coming in" when I said I was out of my price range, then did answer a question I had on one piece after that.
Anyway, finally made it to Kasala, where they were having a big sale. Again, nothing quite "perfect" jumping out at me. One sofa that was the right size, but so-so comfort-wise and not the best colors. That was right about six, closing time, so I came home to chew / sleep on the subject.
Grabbed dinner at Than Bros, where MB called and we chatted for a bit as I slurped my noodles. Then home, reading more of
Sandworms of Dune (past what seems to be the climax. . .a few open questions though. . .not quite disappointing, how things go in the story, but then also a bit weird / unsure about it), chewing on furniture ideas.
Posted many ads on craigslist, most for "free" for the larger items that aren't worth much, then a few bits of electronics or nicer pieces of furniture I attached a price. Email started pouring in immediately for the free items.
MB called again, very sleepy after a long day of packing. Went to the store and got some snacks and some ice cream. Replied to some of the ad inquiries, then deleted the ads responsible for most of the input, as I had plenty of interested parties already. Then to sleep fairly late.
Sunday: [btw I'm passing that 30-minute mark now] up at 10, against all impulses to sleep for several more hours. Did some more ad-related emailing, setting up appointments for this afternoon for people to come by the old place and pick things up. Then hit the road for furniture shopping. I had almost made up my mind to get the super-comfy black leather sofa from Dania. . .but, turns out they didn't have the slightly smaller arrangement (it's a sectional) in stock. So, nixed that idea. Went to look at the other option there again. . .actually, the configuration they do have (extension w/ ottoman on the right side facing) maybe works better. . .yes, I think so. And, the bold color will work. So, got that, and also an accent chair that may or may not have been an impulse buy. I think it'll work but I didn't give it much time to sink in. We will see.
Then down to the old place, for a flurry of cleaning / trashing / recycling / boxing / moving stuff out of the way of things people were coming by to get. Asked my Dad to come down w/ a hose and help me drain the old waterbed. After a few false starts and much fiddling, we got the water flowing pretty well. People came by to take away an old amp head, some old half-broken speakers (they were interested in how hard it is to fix the foam surrounds on the woofers, but I didn't get the idea they were the types to have any luck fixing the non-functional midrange. EG glue and foam yes; circuit tester and soldering iron, no. Anyway, also a guy came by and took away my old homemade (and extremely front-heavy) bass cab. The guy for the Ikea twin bed was a no-show. No email or anything. Someone was interested in the V-Bass, but then also bailed (with a nice phone call to say so, however).
The bed was all drained by 6:45, then I loaded a few boxes into my car and returned the hose, staying to chat with the folks for a bit. MB called while I was there, from the restaurant where she had a gig. Home around 9, unloaded the car, made some dinner, ate that and did email stuff (not much new on the craigslist items, but a couple bites). Bought some art – a couple things I'd had in mind for a few days now, then one new one that jumped out at me. So, I have a few things to hang on the walls, or will in a week or so, anyway.
Then, this. Now, to finish up the Dune book and then to sleep.
music: Miles Davis -
On the Corner; The Cure -
Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me; Modest Mouse -
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
