Stuff On Top

June 2 - 11 p.m.

   First off, my evening was just great. I spent it alone, totally and completely alone.  I left work at a normal time and went downtown where i caught a matinee showing of "the Big Kahuna."  this movie was incredible.  It left me stunned and thoughtful and unable to talk or move.  But this was ok because i was not in the mood to talk to myself.  It is basically one big long stretch of dialogue that should make you examine just about everything about yourself.  if not...well...you suck.

   After i came out of the theatre i had an hour before the start of the symphony. My original plan had me at this point going and having a pita-wich or something for supper.  As i departed the theatre i realized that i was not hungry at all.  I had a few alternatives...i could go and wander through some bookstores...but cash is a little tight right now and that would just not be a good idea.  Or i could sit in a cafe...again...spending money on something i wasn't into at the moment.  Then i hit upon it, the thing that i absolutely love to do but never find myself doing.   I would buy a card and write it to someone.  I would sit in a cafe...or on a bench and do this and write while i felt the world went by around me.  So i did this, avoiding the cafe, i went to the art gallery, took up station amongst all the skaters and wrote my card.  To my girl, of course.  (oh, if you are reading this, as i am sure you are...not the surprise i was thinking it might be...but...the contents are going to be).

   Then i get to the symphony. i actually go to the symphony alone rather often, i like it alone.  I dont' really know why, just the ability to focus on nothing other than the music. To lose myself.  I take my seat and wait.  The concert is going to be announced as they go along, it is a member of the pops series so they are going to play modern stuff.  I am ready to enjoy.  And they played some really fine stuff.  But...well, things were almost ruined by the lady beside me.
   I should have figured that with it being Pops that there was a greater likelihood of the people there being novitiates.  And this turned out to be true.  The lady who sat down beside me, a woman of about 50-55 was new to it.  The concert started and things were fine.  Until we got a little ways in and they started 'Mr. Saturday Night,' the most famous clarinetist in the world doing a solo for it (ok, ok, like i know this, that's what they told me) and i am listening and pretty much in awe. I am being carried away...it is amazing.  You know, what i wait and hope for when i see one of these things.  And all of a sudden my musical reverie is destroyed by the sound of this woman beside me humming along to the music, both loudly and badly.   At first i was like...well...i am sure she will stop soon, she is just being carried away.  And then i think...what the fuck...as she continues...every time i get into the music again, you know the sound wafting out from the stage and surrounding me all of a sudden it is broken up by this lady beside me.  I am thinking...how do you do something about this, i am pretty sure i am not allowed to drive my elbow into her side.  And then i glance over, sizing up whether an evil look is going to work.  And i see that she is wiping tears from her eyes.  All of a sudden i am calmer, thinking that this was a special song to her and that maybe her husband had died and this was their song or something.  I would ignore her humming and try to think of it as being sweet or something.
   And that worked, i could at least enjoy the semi-ruined song again.  And then the next song comes along and she is doing the same thing.  i was...annoyed.  to put it rather more gently than i thought it at the time.  All of a sudden though, things got better, because they started playing songs that she had never heard.  She stopped humming along. I chose to enjoy the concert again and ignore her.  Until the next song along, her daughter was reading about the world famous clarinetist in her program and the woman beside me said something out loud, something, 'oh, that's the right page.'  If it hadn't been for the older lady in front of her who turned around and gave her an old biddy glare.  She...well, mostly shut up for the rest of the show.  Until the near the end of the concert.  You know....this was the world premiere of this piece of music, there is no way she could have heard it...it was AMAZING, it was bleeding amazing. Guess who hummed...guess...go ahead...guess...
   I enjoyed the symphony very much for the most part...i just wish...she had been turned into a heap of charcoal before it started.  On a side note, i watched her pushing her way rudely through crowds of old ladies on her way out.  And whining at her daughter that this was the last show of the season because she wanted to see more.  Poor, poor bloody symphonic enthusiasts who get to sit beside her.

   On a separate note, we passed 3500 emails yesterday.

   On another separate note, is any one of my readers going to believe me when i say, 'will probably go up tomorrow' ever again?  As i look down at my movie reviews.  Ok, i declare, i am not allowed to go to another movie until i have reviewed all the ones that i have done so far.