Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Random Wednesday Musings
The cold weather is unbearable. We went from a 40 degree high two days ago to -37 - nearly an 80 degree difference. It was so cold they called off classes at school. Since Wednesday is my day off from my "main"job with Mediabase, it meant that I was able to sleep in until 8 - a true luxury! I had an eye appointment this afternoon - my annual checkup - and while the kids were at their music lessons at the Conservatory I picked out two new pair of glasses - one clear glass pair and one fabulous pair of Coach sunglasses. I'm a little tired of the chunky black frames that I've been sporting for the past couple of years, and went with something completely retro - pale green, small round frames for the clear glass pair. Nice & lightweight. I've been resisting getting a new pair of sunglasses because I love my prescription Ray Bans - but it's time for an update on those as well. Looking forward to the new look. Yesterday I had my hair highlighted and trimmed, too. It's time to get out of my shell and start worrying about how I look again.....you know, get out of the cave for a change......the depression over the last few months has been terrible, and I haven't cared a whole lot. I kind of had given myself until February 1 to get my act together, so to speak.....and I intend to follow through on my plan starting Friday.
Meanwhile on the home front.....it's time to look into buying a drumset for Rowan. His teacher recommends a studio kit - that's a set with a slightly smaller bass drum and toms - and finding a used kit has been a bust. But after speaking with my friend Tracey's husband - Dion - who owns October Guitars (where I also bought Rowan's last guitar) - I think I've decided on a new kit from Sonor Drums. We're going to go try them out Friday after school, and see where it goes. I know Dion will stand behind the product, and he was great with advice on what to get. Visit his website here.
As I write, the current temp in Wausau is -21. I, for one, can't wait for spring.
Meanwhile on the home front.....it's time to look into buying a drumset for Rowan. His teacher recommends a studio kit - that's a set with a slightly smaller bass drum and toms - and finding a used kit has been a bust. But after speaking with my friend Tracey's husband - Dion - who owns October Guitars (where I also bought Rowan's last guitar) - I think I've decided on a new kit from Sonor Drums. We're going to go try them out Friday after school, and see where it goes. I know Dion will stand behind the product, and he was great with advice on what to get. Visit his website here.
As I write, the current temp in Wausau is -21. I, for one, can't wait for spring.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Kids Jam Session
Kids Jam Session 1
Originally uploaded by shereenflynn
Each taking the time to practice last night, the boys decided it would be a lot more fun to practice together - so they had a little jam session in their room. Sounded pretty good!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Long Live the Green Bay Packers....
Special thanks to Chris Schauder in Colorado for providing this editorial from his local newspaper for today's blog entry:
"GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It's easy to hate the New York Yankees if you're a Boston Red Sox fan, and vice versa. The same goes for the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, Michigan and Ohio State and those originators of the shotgun formation, the Hatfields and McCoys.
But who hates the Green Bay Packers?
Steeped in tradition and often viewed through a prism of sepia-tone nostalgia, the Packers have succeeded against all odds in a tiny and remote market, in a 50-year-old (albeit renovated) stadium with aluminum bench seats, in an era of unfettered free agency and corporate greed.
OK, if you're a Seahawks fan, you're not feeling all warm and fuzzy about Brett Favre and Al Harris right about now. "We want the ball and we're going to score!" might be old news, but the sting lingers.
Really, though, do you hate the Packers?
Not if you know anything about the history of the National Football League. Not if you've seen those grainy images of the 1967 "Ice Bowl" and Bart Starr's fateful quarterback sneak on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Not if you admire the principles on which Vince Lombardi built a dynasty.
Not if you pull for the underdog.
In Wisconsin, there is no other option. You are born into Packerdom here. Your great-grandfather cheered for Curly Lambeau and Don Hutson, your grandpa for Paul Hornung and Willie Wood, your dad for James Lofton and Lynn Dickey. Every kid on your block owns a No. 4 jersey.
What makes the Packers special? Start with the fact that there are 112,015 owners, the vast majority of whom hold one share of stock. Formed in the NFL's primordial mist in 1919, the Packers became a non-profit entity four years later and remain the only publicly owned team among the major professional sports.
The most recent stock sale, in 1998, netted 106,000 new "owners" who paid $200 per share (and sent $24 million straight to the team's bottom line) for certificates that are basically worthless. The stock never pays dividends or appreciates in value. But the emotional investment is priceless. When general manager Ted Thompson signs a free agent, the fans can thump their chests and say, "I helped bring that guy to Green Bay." And it's true.
Of course, Bob Harlan, who has run the Packers for 19 years, first as president and CEO and more recently as chairman of the board, has a stake in the team. He, too, owns exactly one share of stock.
"I paid $25 for my share when I became president," said Harlan, who is retiring after the postseason. "When fans call me, they start out by saying, 'Bob, I'm a fan and a shareholder.' They always point out that they're shareholders. I say, 'Well, I am, too, so let's talk.' "
Did we mention that Harlan answers his own telephone? There is no administrative assistant to run interference, no automated maze to negotiate. You've got a beef with the injured cornerback or the price of tickets, you go straight to the top dog.
The fact that the Packers can even exist in a city of 100,000 is a minor miracle, due in equal parts to fan loyalty throughout the state and revenue sharing in the NFL. Los Angeles can't support a team but this little frozen outpost can? It's one of the mysteries of the universe.
It helps that not much ever happens in Green Bay, other than what occurs at 1265 Lombardi Ave. Lambeau Field -- notice, no naming rights -- is the city's corporate and social epicenter, its source of civic pride, its very heart and soul.
The nearest NCAA Division I football team is 2 1/2 hours away at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Milwaukee is 115 miles to the south, so the Packers are the only game in town.
Their reach extends north into Michigan's Upper Peninsula, south into Chicago Bears turf and west clear to the Dakotas (the team had a 40-year head start on the Minnesota Vikings). And that doesn't count the fans who have relocated or the ones Harlan likens to the "Notre Dame subway alumni."
"People call me and say, 'I'm a lifelong Packers fan and someday I'd love to see Lambeau Field,' " Harlan said. "They've never even been here."
On game days, the far-flung Cheeseheads converge on Green Bay and fill the Lambeau parking lot hours before kickoff. First-time visitors are blown away by the passion, creativity and dedication of the tailgaters. There's nothing quite like the smell of 10,000 bratwursts sizzling on 1,000 grills and the sight of footballs spiraling through 10-degree air.
The Packers-Seahawks game will mark the 268th consecutive sellout at Lambeau, including playoffs. That's every single game since 1960. The waiting list for season tickets is at 76,800. With an average of 70 fans per year giving up their seats, the guy at the end of the list will have to wait 1,000 years, give or take a few decades, for his name to come up.
Season-ticket holders live in all 50 states and several foreign countries, including Japan. Domo arrigato.
The obsession with the team is such that the 10 p.m. TV newscasts in Milwaukee and Green Bay are dominated by Packers developments. The long snapper has an ingrown toenail? That leads the sports report. The price of beer is going up at Lambeau? That's the top story.
Brett Favre retires? We don't even want to think about that one.
The Packers have won 12 championships, more than any other NFL franchise, and three Super Bowl titles. The team has sent 21 players to the Hall of Fame. Green Bay city streets are named after former players and coaches, including Mike Holmgren.
But it's not about all that.
It's about a unique relationship between a professional sports franchise and its fans.
It's about people feeling they're a part of something special, something unique, something good.
The Packers don't need throwback jerseys to evoke their glorious past.
In all the ways that count, it's still 1965 here. And always will be."
"GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It's easy to hate the New York Yankees if you're a Boston Red Sox fan, and vice versa. The same goes for the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, Michigan and Ohio State and those originators of the shotgun formation, the Hatfields and McCoys.
But who hates the Green Bay Packers?
Steeped in tradition and often viewed through a prism of sepia-tone nostalgia, the Packers have succeeded against all odds in a tiny and remote market, in a 50-year-old (albeit renovated) stadium with aluminum bench seats, in an era of unfettered free agency and corporate greed.
OK, if you're a Seahawks fan, you're not feeling all warm and fuzzy about Brett Favre and Al Harris right about now. "We want the ball and we're going to score!" might be old news, but the sting lingers.
Really, though, do you hate the Packers?
Not if you know anything about the history of the National Football League. Not if you've seen those grainy images of the 1967 "Ice Bowl" and Bart Starr's fateful quarterback sneak on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Not if you admire the principles on which Vince Lombardi built a dynasty.
Not if you pull for the underdog.
In Wisconsin, there is no other option. You are born into Packerdom here. Your great-grandfather cheered for Curly Lambeau and Don Hutson, your grandpa for Paul Hornung and Willie Wood, your dad for James Lofton and Lynn Dickey. Every kid on your block owns a No. 4 jersey.
What makes the Packers special? Start with the fact that there are 112,015 owners, the vast majority of whom hold one share of stock. Formed in the NFL's primordial mist in 1919, the Packers became a non-profit entity four years later and remain the only publicly owned team among the major professional sports.
The most recent stock sale, in 1998, netted 106,000 new "owners" who paid $200 per share (and sent $24 million straight to the team's bottom line) for certificates that are basically worthless. The stock never pays dividends or appreciates in value. But the emotional investment is priceless. When general manager Ted Thompson signs a free agent, the fans can thump their chests and say, "I helped bring that guy to Green Bay." And it's true.
Of course, Bob Harlan, who has run the Packers for 19 years, first as president and CEO and more recently as chairman of the board, has a stake in the team. He, too, owns exactly one share of stock.
"I paid $25 for my share when I became president," said Harlan, who is retiring after the postseason. "When fans call me, they start out by saying, 'Bob, I'm a fan and a shareholder.' They always point out that they're shareholders. I say, 'Well, I am, too, so let's talk.' "
Did we mention that Harlan answers his own telephone? There is no administrative assistant to run interference, no automated maze to negotiate. You've got a beef with the injured cornerback or the price of tickets, you go straight to the top dog.
The fact that the Packers can even exist in a city of 100,000 is a minor miracle, due in equal parts to fan loyalty throughout the state and revenue sharing in the NFL. Los Angeles can't support a team but this little frozen outpost can? It's one of the mysteries of the universe.
It helps that not much ever happens in Green Bay, other than what occurs at 1265 Lombardi Ave. Lambeau Field -- notice, no naming rights -- is the city's corporate and social epicenter, its source of civic pride, its very heart and soul.
The nearest NCAA Division I football team is 2 1/2 hours away at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Milwaukee is 115 miles to the south, so the Packers are the only game in town.
Their reach extends north into Michigan's Upper Peninsula, south into Chicago Bears turf and west clear to the Dakotas (the team had a 40-year head start on the Minnesota Vikings). And that doesn't count the fans who have relocated or the ones Harlan likens to the "Notre Dame subway alumni."
"People call me and say, 'I'm a lifelong Packers fan and someday I'd love to see Lambeau Field,' " Harlan said. "They've never even been here."
On game days, the far-flung Cheeseheads converge on Green Bay and fill the Lambeau parking lot hours before kickoff. First-time visitors are blown away by the passion, creativity and dedication of the tailgaters. There's nothing quite like the smell of 10,000 bratwursts sizzling on 1,000 grills and the sight of footballs spiraling through 10-degree air.
The Packers-Seahawks game will mark the 268th consecutive sellout at Lambeau, including playoffs. That's every single game since 1960. The waiting list for season tickets is at 76,800. With an average of 70 fans per year giving up their seats, the guy at the end of the list will have to wait 1,000 years, give or take a few decades, for his name to come up.
Season-ticket holders live in all 50 states and several foreign countries, including Japan. Domo arrigato.
The obsession with the team is such that the 10 p.m. TV newscasts in Milwaukee and Green Bay are dominated by Packers developments. The long snapper has an ingrown toenail? That leads the sports report. The price of beer is going up at Lambeau? That's the top story.
Brett Favre retires? We don't even want to think about that one.
The Packers have won 12 championships, more than any other NFL franchise, and three Super Bowl titles. The team has sent 21 players to the Hall of Fame. Green Bay city streets are named after former players and coaches, including Mike Holmgren.
But it's not about all that.
It's about a unique relationship between a professional sports franchise and its fans.
It's about people feeling they're a part of something special, something unique, something good.
The Packers don't need throwback jerseys to evoke their glorious past.
In all the ways that count, it's still 1965 here. And always will be."
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Night Sky Lecture at UWMC
On Wednesday night, Devon and I attended the Astronomy lecture at UWMC that was open to the public. Two presenters were there with two different aspects of the presentation. The first half was dedicated to astral photography, where we were treated to images taken by amateurs in the area of galaxies, nebulae, and more. It was amazing, and surprisingly simple to do. The second half used the planetarium and was all about the January night sky, and how to find the constellations easily this time of year. We learned a lot and it was fascinating. I didn't bring Rowan along because he isn't as into it as Devon is, but now I wish I had because I think he would have liked it, too. Devon amazed me with how much he already knew about galaxies in particular, thanks to his Celestia program on his computer. He left there chattering away about what he now wants for his birthday - a better telescope to attach to his camera so he, too, can be an astral photographer. I can't wait for the next lecture in the series.
Authentic Happiness
How happy are you? And what are your personality strengths? My friend Dana Greiner, who is completing her master's degree in psychology, directed me toward this great page full of interesting tests: Authentic Happiness.
There is one in particular that asks 240 questions and comes up with your five greatests strengths. Here are mine:
Your Top Strength - Curiosity and interest in the world
You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.
Your Second Strength - Fairness, equity, and justice
Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.
Your Third Strength - Social intelligence
You are aware of the motives and feelings of other people. You know what to do to fit in to different social situations, and you know what to do to put others at ease.
Your Fourth Strength - Bravery and valor
You are a courageous person who does not shrink from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain. You speak up for what is right even if there is opposition. You act on your convictions.
Your Fifth Strength - Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.
Take the VIA test and let me know how you did!
There is one in particular that asks 240 questions and comes up with your five greatests strengths. Here are mine:
Your Top Strength - Curiosity and interest in the world
You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.
Your Second Strength - Fairness, equity, and justice
Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.
Your Third Strength - Social intelligence
You are aware of the motives and feelings of other people. You know what to do to fit in to different social situations, and you know what to do to put others at ease.
Your Fourth Strength - Bravery and valor
You are a courageous person who does not shrink from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain. You speak up for what is right even if there is opposition. You act on your convictions.
Your Fifth Strength - Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.
Take the VIA test and let me know how you did!
Greiner at the Jazz Fest
Greiner at the Jazz Fest
Originally uploaded by shereenflynn
Over the weekend, the kids went on a Boy Scout camping trip despite subzero temperatures (no worries, heated cabins!) so we were left to fend for ourselves. John and I both worked but we managed to get out Friday to dinner with friends and Saturday night to attend the jazz festival at Wausau East High School, a collaborative effort with the Wausau Conservatory. My good friend (and Devon's sax teacher) John Greiner was one of the main contributors to the all day clinic which culminated in a concert featuring not only all eight area high school jazz bands, but also Greiner's SwingShift Big Band. The music was terrific and it was wonderful to see so many talented kids working so hard toward obtaining that great jazz sound. It also gave me an opportunity to really test out the features on my camera, as I sat way back in the nosebleeds in a darkened auditorium taking pictures with only the stage light. I was very, very pleased with the results. Using the digital zoom there was definitely noise to deal with but for the most part the images are crisp and clear. I couldn't be happier. Click on the photo to view more shots from the festival on Flickr.
Rowan's First Band Concert
Rowan
Originally uploaded by shereenflynn
It's been a busy week, with a lot going on. One of the big events for the family this week was Rowan's first ever band concert Thursday night. I was really happy to hear how far the kids have come in just a few short months. Rowan was excited about it and happy that the whole family came to support his efforts. Check out more photos on my Flickr site by clicking on the photo!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
NFL Notes....
Hate Tom Brady...
Hate the Patriots.
Hate them, hate them, hate them.
Have I mentioned? I am not a Patriots fan. Never have been, never will be. Would like to wipe the self-satisfied smirk off Tom Brady's face. Role model, my @ss.
Nice Packer game today, by the way - can't wait for the Dallas game tomorrow, too.
Not sure if you know, but I despise New England. Did you know? LOL.
Hate the Patriots.
Hate them, hate them, hate them.
Have I mentioned? I am not a Patriots fan. Never have been, never will be. Would like to wipe the self-satisfied smirk off Tom Brady's face. Role model, my @ss.
Nice Packer game today, by the way - can't wait for the Dallas game tomorrow, too.
Not sure if you know, but I despise New England. Did you know? LOL.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Wine Club
Today I joined the Cafe le Grand's wine club, which features two selections per month for just $25. I chose the one red/one white option, though I normally prefer all red - because I do enjoy a white once in awhile. They set me up with my membership card and my first two bottles of wine. I had gone for coffee there with Dana Greiner this week and was astounded at their wonderful selection of wines. Who knew? They had some of my absolute favorites - some I've only been able to get through my sister in California in the past. Dana's husband (and Devon's sax teacher) John Greiner works there part time, and he told me all about the wine club - great idea. As I blog, I'm sipping one of my two first bottles from the membership, the New Age wine produced by Bodega Valentin Bianchi in Argentina. It's an interesting white 50/50 blend of Malvasia and Sauvignon Blanc. Halfway through the fermentation, the process is stopped by spinning the wine, resulting in a slightly sweet, semi sparkling wine. It's often served on the rocks with a slice of lime, and that's how I'm sipping it now. Normally I don't like anything "sweet", but paired with the lime it is refreshing and wonderful. Also in the package, the 2006 Hey mambo Sultry Red from the Other Guys division of Don Sebastiani & Sons that I plan to try next weekend. I can hardly wait for February's selections, which will include the Truchard merlot, which I have heard wonderful things about.
I've never met the owners of the Cafe, but the newsletter and blog they publish are wonderful. They are extremely knowledgeable about wine and are striving to bring some of the best labels to the area. I love it - and of course, I live less than a mile away.
The folks that run the Cafe have several wine tastings coming up and I plan to attend one soon. Check out their blog at www.cafelegrand.com!
I've never met the owners of the Cafe, but the newsletter and blog they publish are wonderful. They are extremely knowledgeable about wine and are striving to bring some of the best labels to the area. I love it - and of course, I live less than a mile away.
The folks that run the Cafe have several wine tastings coming up and I plan to attend one soon. Check out their blog at www.cafelegrand.com!
The Blunders of Technology
I often pontificate about the wonders of technology on this blog. I love the fact that thanks to improvements in internet and audio programs I am now able to stay home to work, something I've been doing for quite a few years now. I work for Mediabase, my full time job, at home, and do my nighttime jock gig on WBCV - 107.9 Wausau - www.bigcheese1079.net - from home. In fact, I haven't even set foot in the studio in well over a year......maybe 2, actually. The music director sends me the music logs for each day and I know where I'm expected to talk (eight times an hour) - so I record those dry and email them to the station, where they are inserted into the studio's computer program to run the show with no one in the building. It's a system that usually works seamlessly, even if there's a live remote, because I can just throw it to the jock as I would if I were in the studio and no one knows the difference. People are always surprised to learn it isn't live, and I'm sitting at my little desk in my office with a mic and a mixing board connected to my Mac. I even recorded a week's worth when I went to Mexico and just went - with no one listening the wiser. Even severe weather is automated down to a science. It's great! That is - until something goes wrong.
Last night, someone forgot to load my tracks into the system. So, instead of NO tracks playing, the system pulled the tracks it had - namely, last week's tracks. So for three hours until someone at the station finally figured it out and made the switch, I was intro-ing and outro-ing all the wrong songs, and talking about things that had already taken place. How horrid. I just have to sit back and laugh - because what else can you do? And I'm guessing they'll be extra careful on their end in the future!
Last night, someone forgot to load my tracks into the system. So, instead of NO tracks playing, the system pulled the tracks it had - namely, last week's tracks. So for three hours until someone at the station finally figured it out and made the switch, I was intro-ing and outro-ing all the wrong songs, and talking about things that had already taken place. How horrid. I just have to sit back and laugh - because what else can you do? And I'm guessing they'll be extra careful on their end in the future!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Goodbye to my Misspent Youth
Scott St Pub Teardown 2
Originally uploaded by shereenflynn
The Scott St Pub is on it's way down. I was at the bank driveup window across the street and saw the demolition, so I snapped a few photos through the windshield. There was too much traffic to stop and take a proper photo, and I only had my old camera in my purse. There are a couple more shots on my Flickr site. I spent many, many nights hanging at the Pub when I was in my 20's - sad to see it go.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Palladian Project
While downtown today, I was happy to see that the Palladian Project is coming along nicely. I snapped a photo from down the street and you can get an idea what it will look like. The six story Palladian is being built where the former Plaza Mall used to be, on the corner of 3rd and Jefferson Streets. Part ot it is an extension of the Jefferson Street Inn, and part of it will be high end condos. Initially there had been skepticism as to whether those $250,000 condos would be marketable here in our small town, but from what I understand those properties were snapped up almost immediately. They will be beautiful - and our downtown will look even better once this project is completed this year.
Random Wednesday Thoughts
Today was my day off. I spent the morning at the neurologist's office going over my MRI findings. Nothing too spectacular to report, but it seems the reason I'm having all these headaches is from a rather large area of what they think is scar tissue on my right frontal lobe from an injury. Had to be when I tripped on the step and hit my head on the door a few years ago. Evidently I injured my brain then which is what is causing all the hoopla. The doctor said there isn't anything to do - we'll re-scan in a year or so to make sure the size stays the same since they are, after all, operating on the "most likely" scenario and not an absolute....and he said the best I can hope for is to get down to 1-2 headaches a month. I think with the Topamax we're almost there, and I'm glad there isn't damage in the temporal lobe where I'd be more likely to have seizures.
And no brain tumor, of course. :)
The afternoon was spent at Clay Corner with Julie and Dana painting stuff. I made a wine goblet, Julie made some coffee mugs for her parents, and Dana made a crazy coffee mug. Dana looks much happier in the photo than she was in real life - Julie and I pretty much dragged her there. All in all it was a relaxing afternoon, though
Meanwhile, as I look in the mirror and realize I'm hitting 40 this year, suddenly the lines on my face are appearing all that much more noticeable. Holy crap. Time to buy some supercharged moisturizer....and while I'm at it, I've decided my hair needs an update, too, so I'm getting it cut tomorrow night. I love it long, but it's hard to manage, so I think I'm going to get a couple of inches taken off and have a brand new style. We'll see.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Who Says Mr. Blackwell Is Heartless?
Fashion Critic Mr. Blackwell has put Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham at the top of his 48th annual worst-dressed list. "Forget the fashion spice, wearing a skirt would suffice! In one skinny-mini monstrosity after another, pouty posh can really wreck-em," he said in a statement.
... Missing from the list was Britney Spears, who has made it many times before. "I felt that it was inappropriate at this time to make comment, when her personal life is in such upheaval. I hope 2008 is a better year for her," Blackwell said.
- Victoria Beckham
- Amy Winehouse - "Exploding beehives above, tacky polka-dots below, she's part 50's carhop horror."
- Mary-Kate Olsen - "She resembles a tattered toothpick-trapped in a hurricane."
- Fergie
- Kelly Clarkson
- Eva Green
- Avril Lavigne
- Jessica Simpson
- Lindsay Lohan
- Alison Arngrim
... Missing from the list was Britney Spears, who has made it many times before. "I felt that it was inappropriate at this time to make comment, when her personal life is in such upheaval. I hope 2008 is a better year for her," Blackwell said.
Monday, January 07, 2008
The Color of Bad News
Have you ever noticed how the world seems to change the instant you hear bad news? Earth shattering, life altering news.....it seems to create a subtle change in the hue of the room. Everything turns just a little grayer.....sounds are different.....taste is altered. You have the almost irrepressible urge to grab the laughing teenager in the convenience store line ahead of you, demanding she act appropriately. Or to tell everyone who asks the benign question - "how are you?" the truth about your day. "Have you heard," you desperately want to say. "Do you know what happened?"
Such is the state of affairs today upon learning that my aunt - my only remaining aunt - had bad news on her needle biopsy. That lump she thought was a cyst is breast cancer.
Tomorrow she'll learn her options. Until then, I will hope they caught it early, that it can be removed and treated with radiation rather than chemo.....because I know if faced with chemo she'll choose to let it go and let nature take it's course. I'll post updates when I know.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
St. Petersburg Ballet
In three weeks, my mother and I are going with Annaluna to see the St. Petersburg Ballet perform Tchaikovsky's classic ballet, Swan Lake. I can't wait. This story is one of the world’s most popular ballets, a timeless tale for all ages to enjoy. The threat of evil looms. Young love is overwhelmed as deception and jealousy dominate in the darkness. Tragedy seems certain, but gallantry and selflessness triumph as the dawn breaks. Such is the story of Prince Siegfried, Odette, the Swan Maidens, and the Sorcerer of Swan Lake. The St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre brings modern flair to its productions while maintaining the standards that define Russian ballet. Wausau Dance Theatre is one of the sponsors, and Annaluna was kind enough to ask us to go as her guests - we had planned to attend anyway despite the high ticket price. I've never seen Swan Lake performed in person, so I am really looking forward to a great evening at the theatre!
It's Raining, It's Pouring....
This weekend was my January weekend off, and thank goodness because all I wanted to do was curl up next to the fireplace with a good book or two (or four, actually). The weather is terrible - foggy and raining, and all the beautiful snow is melting into a big sludge pile. It's like pea soup outside - you can't see down the block. The world is gray and misty, with the kind of weather that gets into your bones and just makes them ache. Friday night I took the kids out for dinner at Angelo's, and Saturday went for a martini at the Elks club, but other than that I pretty much laid low. The kids went to a birthday party sleepover Saturday night and John had to work, so I had the house to myself, which pretty much never happens when I'm not working. It finally gave me time to recover from the 2nd bout of pneumonia in six weeks and I'm feeling much better than I did last week. I re-read Dennis Lehane's Mystic River, and read Lisa Gardner's Alone, followed by Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian and David Baldacci's latest, Stone Cold. Good stuff.
The rain is disappointing - the kids are going to the school forest this week and were hoping to go cross country skiing, snowshoeing and tobogganing - but that will have to change unless we get some fresh snow. I, too, have been itching to get out on my "new" x-c skis but was sidelined with the pneumonia - it will just have to wait until the next good snowfall.
The rain is disappointing - the kids are going to the school forest this week and were hoping to go cross country skiing, snowshoeing and tobogganing - but that will have to change unless we get some fresh snow. I, too, have been itching to get out on my "new" x-c skis but was sidelined with the pneumonia - it will just have to wait until the next good snowfall.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Julie, Shereen, Dana
Julie, Shereen, Dana
Originally uploaded by shereenflynn
Here are the three of us at this year's New Year's Eve party at my house. We ate too much, drank too much, and had a good time!
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