At least it was lovely weather for La Bohème last Friday. We had a beautiful 4-person friend date (two of my reenacting friends, one of their kids, and myself). Surprisingly, the 10 year old made it through just fine, but then La Bohème is a good introduction to opera for young people. Our dude friend bought the three of us wrist corsages, it was like a 30-something prom date. In our great levels of maturity, we also got in a good night of crushing the heads of some elderly folks a few rows up ("crush, crush, I crush your head!). And next season's productions are all favorites, so I suppose I better start putting pennies in my piggy bank. Tosca, La Traviata, Silent Night (the WWI story)....
(it took me a while to find my arm in this picture...because it's not. That IS my fist at the top, though. Kapow!)
All of the performers were absolutely brilliant, but Marcello and Schaunard's baritones were spot on. Musetta's soprano was also stunning, but I am a sucker for baritones. One baritone in particular....you know who....
(This picture is delicious, but I bet they can see up each other's noses).
Seriously, Benedict Cuddlebatch, I could lay my head on your chest and listen to that voice sing snippets from Willy Wonka all day. Or, you know, pretty much anything else. ANYTHING. "Nutrition facts. Serving size, 1 tbsp. Servings per container, approximately 9. Amount per serving: Calories, 60. 0% Total Daily Fat. Dextrose, sugar, malic acid"....yep, goodbye pants.
The best part of the day, however, was getting home after it was over. I was so ready for the weekend (which is now almost gone. WTF?). I was even happy to see my fabric scrap covered floor (I clean, I promise, but I'm mid-project, may as well wait till I'm done, there will be more), the ugly card table I was ironing on, and my comic books. I got my elegant pig mug out, and as soon as I was down I started to nod off like a baby on a plate of spaghetti.
By the way, that is my heel, not a big ankle. My shoe/torture device is partly off. If you want to see a big ankle, check out my OTHER ankle exactly a year ago after my sprain, in Exhibit A below. Ouch. That really hurt, Charlie.
Oh, and alright...our beautiful Kauffman Center was built last year, and it's gorgeous outside, and in the entry that is filled with light and geometry...but the main hall...I'm sorry. Every time I see it, I am reminded of a Super 8 room that hasn't been updated since 1990. I mean, really. I feel like Wesley Snipes should be in this photo somewhere.
And now that my brain WD40 has been activated by typing, I can start on my research. One of the Twitter sites I follow posted: "It's just a dissertation, you're not changing the world." That was timely, because I've been going through this disenchantment phase with it. Most grad students do, and I have no intention of stopping--I was meant to teach, and to teach history. Nay, to PROFESS history. I have to finish the PhD to get there. But I feel like I need to do something MORE, beyond donating my Coke reward points to charity. I already volunteer for a few historical organizations, but again, they aren't going to change the world. I need to get back into Harvesters food banks, my pet project.
Oh, and I'm in a funk about missing the KC Shakespeare spring acting workshops again, so maybe my brain is just pissy. I guess I *COULD* learn to use the calendar on my smarter than me phone.
Can someone tell me how this looks like a Buddha's hand? Because I'm not seeing it.
Okay, a weekend's worth of mental vomit is out, now for the history bits:
There is a great Chaucer account on Twitter, and the present day human behind it has put forth a suggestion for April 1st, to celebrate/commemorate works in old languages, even dead languages, as a way to promote and support studies in paleography, archival work, and the teaching of old languages. I believe I am going to be brave and go through some of the original Beowulf (with a modern copy handy....because). It is also interesting to note that there are some paleography schools in the summer in the US--though I still intend to attend the school in England. At some point.
Also, though I have been whining about getting out of the Midwest for a while, I should note that Mizzou and all of it's branches are wonderful schools for historians. They have a great archives, caring professors...and my branch, in KC, has a top notch medieval program, which I am still trying to tie together with my 18th century Creoles. :) Anyway, this is a post about 17th century women printers from the Mizzou Special Collections, and it is really interesting, lots of pictures.
Bet you were wondering where my Tom post was, weren't you? I didn't forget. He is going to SING in a movie about young Captain Hook. Seriously. Hook. MY character! My codfish character! Tom and Hook...it's like it was written for me. Will I be the only 36 year old in the theater without a child? No, because I will force a friend to go with me.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/03/17/tom-hiddleston-sings-like-pirate-pirate-fairy/6513689/
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