Topic: AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (Read 9929 times)

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #150 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:12:20 PM »

In other news...

The New York Philharmonic open rehearsal this morning was wonderful. It started off with Beethoven's Piano Concerto, No. 3. Good soloist, good orchestral support. It wasn't as exciting as I usually like it, but I also sensed that the conductor and the soloist weren't exactly on the same page in regards to the interpretation and overall "feel". However, the Shostakovich Fifth Symphony was a total knockout. It was a true showcase of the musicianship of the Phil's players, as well as the talents of the young - 30 years old - guest conductor.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #151 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:15:14 PM »

After the rehearsal, I hung out with some friends who happened to be there too, and we watched some of the people going in and out of the tents at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week which started up today. -It's set up at Lincoln Center. -Well, we watched there outfits. One gentleman - at least we think it was a man - was wearing various pieces made out of fur, with each piece made out of a different type and color of fur. Leggings, "shorts", shirt, jacket and a hat that was finished off with two tails of some sort dangling off of it. We called him "Yeti".

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #152 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:16:20 PM »

And then I headed down to The City Bakery for the Darkest Dark Hot Chocolate. It truly was Dark and very good. And the owner even proposed a business proposition. We shall see...

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #153 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:21:26 PM »

And then my day started to take a turn for the worse... As it did for some of my friends...

One friend broke up with his boyfriend.
Another friend had a major technological breakdown today. Of course, she was gearing up for a multi-media presentation tomorrow.
Yet another friend become suddenly and violently ill at work. He was able to hop in a cab and make it back to his apartment, but that was not before he had "lost his cookies" in the middle of the restaurant where he works... As the lunch shift was finishing up.
And then my landlord texted(!?!?) me to say that it looks like they're going to sell the building.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #154 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:23:05 PM »

Oh...

And it appears that the launch of the new Verizon iPhone caused havoc with both Verizon's and AT&T's cellular networks in various parts of Manhattan. Lots of dropped calls, and lots of call that could just not get completed.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #155 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:24:05 PM »

But...

Then I finished off my day at my friend's restaurant. He needed a host tonight, so... It was fun. Good customers. And they had some new ice creams on the menu.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #156 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:25:24 PM »

Quote from: vixmom on February 10, 2011, 09:59:10 PM

just got home from work

I cannot keep this up

DR vixmom - Are you sure you can't get some sort of actual "doctor's note" to give to your boss? I hope you get some time to rest this weekend.

George · « **Reply #157 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:26:34 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on February 10, 2011, 11:21:26 PM

And then my day started to take a turn for the worse... As it did for some of my friends...

One friend broke up with his boyfriend.
Another friend had a major technological breakdown today. Of course, she was gearing up for a multi-media presentation tomorrow.
Yet another friend become suddenly and violently ill at work. He was able to hop in a cab and make it back to his apartment, but that was not before he had "lost his cookies" in the middle of the restaurant where he works... As the lunch shift was finishing up.
And then my landlord texted(!?!?) me to say that it looks like they're going to sell the building.

~~~VIBES FOR EVERYONE!!~~~

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #158 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:31:34 PM »

Quote from: elmore3003 on February 10, 2011, 08:01:00 PM

I did go to Fred's memorial service and left the GLBT Center on 13th Street in a real emotional state. There were some wonderful speakers, friends of Fred's from college, grade school, all the gay causes he worked on from the 1960s to his death, a former student from the Harvey Milk School, where Fred was the first teacher, a director of Hettrick Martin, the foundation supporting the school's creation, his brother Richard who's seven years older than Fred, and friends from the Chrus. Fred had planned this service, so he wanted two of my arrangements performed. "America the Beautiful" proved too difficult to be prepared in two rehearsals so a tape was played from its first performance from 1985. They did sing live my arrangement of the Cryer-Ford "Old Friend."

So, while the Chorus was singing this arrangement, standng in front of the Chorus' AIDS Quilt with 147 stars, each star bearing the name of one of the 147 members to die of AIDS, all these memories of friends who were dead pr no longer in touch with the Chorus, many of whom sang my arrangements in my years arranging for the Chorus from 1980 to 1998, hit me hard and I wept through the entire memorial service. At the end, a video collage of Fred's life included footage of dead friends like Jimmy Festa, who worked at City Opera, or Richard Halpern who was a former actor, and I had to leave. I was in no mood to socialize; I was wiped out and wanted to get home for a good cry.

Still, it was truly a beautiful event.

DR elmore - I had a similar thing happen to me last night before Nixon in China. The opera was first introduced to me by my dear friend, Mark Gregory, who died of AIDS a couple of years ago. -I've spoken about him before here on HHW. As we were entering the opera house last night, I remembered how Mark was a supernumerary in the Kennedy Center production... That he had had a viewing party when PBS broadcast the Houston production... And how, after he had surveyed the guests in attendance, he told me that most of the men in that room would be dead in ten years time. Sadly, that was more a statement of fact than a prediction. I just wished he had been able to sit next to me last night.

I was fine, emotionally speaking, during the opera. But as I walked from Lincoln Center down to Columbus Circle, well... I had to walk around the block a few times... $:-\$

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #159 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:35:54 PM »

Quote from: John G. on February 10, 2011, 07:51:39 PM

Where's Jose today? I had the worst ice cream in my entire life and thought he'd appreciate the horror story. It was from a Cold Stone Creamery and it was billed as cinnamon. It turned out to cinnamon roll instead. That meant the sugar level was on shrill to get the notion of the frosting in there. But they also tried to get the dough flavor and ended up with this odd texture that made you want to spit it out. Seriously, it reminded me of dried jellyfish. It made me want to rush home and cleanse my mouth with some of the organic butter pecan I have in the freezer.

Here I am!

As much as I love the whole mix-in "thingy", the amount of chemical-based flavors that Coldstone Creamery has developed over the past few years... YUCK!

*At the restaurant tonight, one of the new flavors was an Almond Milk with Apricots. The other one was a Lemon-Tarragon. Sooooo goooooood.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #160 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:36:22 PM »

Quote from: Cillaliz on February 10, 2011, 07:38:37 PM

Did that scare people away?

I dunno.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #161 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:37:20 PM »

Quote from: Laura on February 10, 2011, 06:05:20 PM

Richard Chamberlain is gay?

I thought he was just Hawaiian now?

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #162 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:38:01 PM »

That didn't really make sense, did it? -I guess I was riffing on Peter Allen's "Yes... I'm Australian" bit.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #163 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:39:31 PM »

DR Laura - Just how close were you to that bobcat? Did you feel scared? In any sort of possible danger?

bk · « **Reply #164 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:40:35 PM »

Quote from: JoseSPiano on February 10, 2011, 11:35:54 PM

Quote from: John G. on February 10, 2011, 07:51:39 PM
Where's Jose today? I had the worst ice cream in my entire life and thought he'd appreciate the horror story. It was from a Cold Stone Creamery and it was billed as cinnamon. It turned out to cinnamon roll instead. That meant the sugar level was on shrill to get the notion of the frosting in there. But they also tried to get the dough flavor and ended up with this odd texture that made you want to spit it out. Seriously, it reminded me of dried jellyfish. It made me want to rush home and cleanse my mouth with some of the organic butter pecan I have in the freezer.

Here I am!

As much as I love the whole mix-in "thingy", the amount of chemical-based flavors that Coldstone Creamery has developed over the past few years... YUCK!

*At the restaurant tonight, one of the new flavors was an Almond Milk with Apricots. The other one was a Lemon-Tarragon. Sooooo goooooood.

I tried my local Coldstone and hated it.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #165 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:40:42 PM »

bk - ~~~~~ANTI-ALLERGY-OR-WHATEVER-IT-IS VIBES TO YOU~~~~~

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #166 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:43:24 PM »

bk or DR Druxy or... - Do you know, or have you heard of Judy Savage? She's a talent agent out in L.A. who handles mainly kids and teens. She came into the restaurant tonight. A very nice woman, and a great customer.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #167 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:44:25 PM »

DR td - I hope Miss Molly and you had another good night's sleep.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #168 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:50:10 PM »

Quote from: MBarnum on February 10, 2011, 08:41:43 AM

Here is the music video that made me a fan of Robert Gorl. Perhaps it might bring back memories to some...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M95Dws35cKQ

Annie Lenox does background.

I don't think I had ever heard that song or heard that video.

Nor did I need to.

JoseSPiano · « **Reply #169 on:** February 10, 2011, 11:50:30 PM »

And speaking of sleep...

I can actually sleep in tomorrow. I hope.

Goodnight.

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Author Topic: AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER (Read 9929 times)