This weekend

anna-0097
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

Before I get to the rapper....
I had SUCH a lovely weekend! As I mentioned, I had 2 photo shoots, and here is a sample of the first one. We had a great time shooting outside on the roof-- we would shoot in short bursts and then Liz would run over and hug her with her big coat :)

I love this picture so much. There are a bunch of great ones.

I've been reading a new organization book called Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Now in general, self-help-ish books make me slightly queasy and the only reason that I read "The Secret" was because it became a kind of pop-culture phenomenon. (I liked it a little, and I frequently channel my powers of magnetic attraction to call all good things to me. Not gonna lie.)

So Drake bought this book on New Year's Day and then bought a labeler and hopped right to work organizing our house. Again, I am not telling lies! he did this! And he exulted! Drake instantly turned into an organized, task-oriented, goal setting and achieving machine! I became slightly jealous, and accused him of making a "power play" for home dominance. He thought this was hilarious, and I remain suspicious...

So I started to read the book because my responsibilities at work are increasing, and I need a system. It's great! I feel very much in control of my projects and tasks. I feel stress-free and productive! And now I will spend this weekend reclaiming some space in our file drawers to make sure I am a still a relevant participant in our home life.

What a lovely weekend!

matt-0580
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

I had 2 headshot sessions and taught 2 voice lessons. (That's Matt. We were in Babes in Toyland together. he's wicked good ;)

Drake and I work alot. Fortunately it is fun work :)

That's all that I've time for today... I think tomorrow I will write about the rapper I met on the train. I referred to him months ago (when I started my socks) and totally left you all hanging.

Hang for one more day.

First Pair of Socks! And mirror self-talk.

First Pair of Socks!
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

They're finally finished. I've been working on them since October-- of course there were many Christmas projects interspersed in between....

On the first sock, I knit the ankle/leg straight up with a picot edge, and on the second I knit it with a 3x3 rib.... liked the rib better, ripped out the other one down to the heel turn and re-did it.

I don't think that basic socks are supposed to take 3 months to knit.... I abandoned all hope on them earlier this week when I thought I lost one of them. But finished them last night during The Office and 30 Rock.

I love 30 Rock. Tina Fey is hilarious. My favorite part in the episode last night was when she caught Jack giving himself a pep talk in the mirror and was like "Oh I do that too!" and they flashed to her in front of a mirror screaming at herself and calling herself stupid. It is said that Kitty Carlisle would look at herself in the mirror every night before bed and say "I forgive you."

I very rarely talk to myself in the mirror--sometimes if I'm having crying fits I will, if only just to say "well this is ridiculous and unproductive." But then I get mad at myself for being insensitive.

I once was lost but now am found....

Drake's tie
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

Before I get to a post that's entirely unrelated to the inauguration, can I just mention that I've been crying happy tears of joy at ANY provocation? I read on people.com about how pleased Beyonce was to be able to sing "At last" for the first dance at the inaugural ball and cried. I looked through the picture albums of "Presidential First Pets" and cried then too. I watched the inauguration in a conference room at work with many bankers (my live internet feed went out) and it was torture to hold myself together!! I tried to keep my sniffing to a minimum and thereby was compulsively wiping my nose on my sleeve (which is worse?) Yesterday it seemed that everyone in the subway was wearing an Obama button or hat or some kind of flair. it was wonderful. enough of that (but then again never enough of that...)

This weekend was "Website Re-design Weekend 2009!" Drake and I hunkered down and gathered all of our production photos and sound and video clips etc and walled ourselves in to redesign the ol' websites.

I won't link to his yet, as he is doing all kinds of fancy things which include flash intros and "embedded" things.... I don't know anything about all of that. So mine is finished :)

You may notice that I also designed a new banner using an awesome font (called "sniper") by designer Billy Argel. He has some really lovely stuff and you should check it out.

So all 4 (!) of my websites are updated:
1. Singing & Opera which (finally!) has sound clips and a bonus video clip from Sweeney Todd (2003) I can't believe that I've had a website for 5 years now without any sound clips. ridiculous. For those that are interested in such things, the first two sound clips were recorded in a session this December, the Brahms was from one of my Doctoral recitals in Texas, and the Weill is from a Doctoral recital at Eastman-- It was very strange to sift through audio clips which spanned from 2001-2008 and hear the difference in my voice. (I have really good headphones now which has made a huge difference. So there you have it!
2. Photography (which receives regular updates)
3. Photoblog and
4. Texification-- which shall until further notice, or until I settle in one place for a term greater than 4 years remain thusly named. Though I thank you for your re-naming ideas :) I came up with one too, and bought the site name in case I go with it. entirelynot.com we'll see what becomes of it.

So to finally get to the post title.... do you even remember the noro kureyon self striping socks I started in NOVEMBER? My first pair of socks? They have been plaguing me since I started them, and I have started and restarted. They are really not that complicated. You'll perhaps remember that I finished the the first sock ages ago. But I then decided that I wanted the ankle to be ribbed, so when I did the second sock I ribbed it, then had to rip out the first sock (which I am about 3 inches away from finishing.

I also dropped 2 double pointed needles (dpn) into the subway tracks. Also, I lost the second (finished) sock while I was reworking the first and I threw a fit and swore off knitting forever. Then I found it in the laundry hamper, hence the title of this post.

How's THAT for getting to the point :)

(also, you'll notice that I finished Drake's tie!)

Dear Sir Obama

BarackObama
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

From NY Times

Dear President Obama,

Here is a list of the first 10 things you should do as president:

1. Fly to the White House in a helicopter.
2. Walk in.
3. Wipe feet.
4. Walk to the Oval Office.
5. Sit down in a chair.
6. Put hand-sanitizer on hands.
7. Enjoy moment.
8. Get up.
9. Get in car.
10. Go to the dog pound.

— Chandler Browne, age 12, Chicago

Plane in the Hudson!!

obamicon
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

I have to post a picture to blog when at work (thru flickr) so please don't think I'm being insensitive--

A USAirways jet just crashed into the Hudson river, and I can see it right from my desk!! it is completely swarmed with boats right now, I'm sure attempting to rescue-- the west side highway has tons of emergency vehicles---

My boss has binoculars, he can see the tail of the plane. Apparently, the pilot knew the engines were out and glided it into the water, and they're saying that they think they got out all the passengers out safely.

it gives me the chills-- hard to look away now as it's right in front of my face.

Am I a "lottery" addict?

obamicon
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

Today I attended an open call. Not my first, certainly not my last, but each one really is remarkable for many reasons. This was a call for improv actors & tumblers for the Met. You know I'm not a tumbler.... so I was working the improv angle. I had no idea what to expect, so I arrived right at the 10:00 AM call through the winding back alleys of Lincoln Center (other back alleys, not the ones that I was familiar with from Toyland) I saw an alley door closing and ran up and knocked on, and (much like in Oz) a disgruntled person opened the door with a sigh, and said "FINE, you are the ABSOLUTE last one, and I mean it. Hurry up and fill out this card"

I love when people are angry with you and you're not sure why, and will never find out...

Do you remember the angry elf who drags Ralphie up the stairs to see Santa in A Christmas story? She was kind of like that.

Anyway, I was pushed into an auditorium in my parka and arctic snow boots (it was FREEZING today, was it not?) and took a seat directly up front next to a seemingly sweet older woman who turned out to be bat shit crazy. Legitimately. she had shifty eyes, and her headshot was not a headshot, but rather a picture of herself in a bikini at a beach at sunset. This was apparently blown up from a 4x6 print... Her handwriting was like a little girl's but shaky. She was very petite. And completely crazy. (I love when I get to sit next to that person.)

We were all instructed that we would be brought in in groups of 4, and there would be 4 newspapers on the stage. We were to be strolling down the street and then notice the newspaper, pick it up and discover therewithin some shocking news. We were then supposed to spend one minute trying to convince the audition moderators to read it. (while remaining on the stage)

At that point we were shuffled out of the room. I ran into an old friend, and found a new one and occupied my waiting time with some knitting (DARN YOU, men's ties for being so deceptively long!!) My new and old friend turned out to be in the group of four with the crazy lady, and with no prompting from me, returned from their group session to relate that all she did was scream at the top of her lungs for the entire minute-- hair-tearing blood curdling screams. Apparently she ran a bit of her act by my new friend in line, got all in her face to demonstrate her rage, and asked what she thought. My friends said, "that seems great" and then hoped against hope that she wouldn't be turned into a prop in this woman's one-man show....

It's like entering the lottery, doing auditions. I went in this morning having no idea what to expect or what they were looking for, and in the end they called back 25 out of 106 people at that morning. The odds are what, 1 in 4-ish? Better chances than in the lotto, but just as random, really. One person in my group spoke Russian (they were especially interested in Russian speakers) and he was quite good, I was exultant with my news, but no one really looked my way. Apparently, in her group audition, the crazy lady mentioned that she didn't speak Russian, but should she "try out a Russian accent." Oh how I wish I was in her group! and Oh how I wish they had encouraged her to do that. I don't know that her face would have stopped twitching long enough for anyone to be able to discern any kind of accent, but that's now a question for the vaults.

Shame on me for deriving joy from the unbalance of others! But at the same time, should I not notice? I think she must want people to notice, or she wouldn't trot about with bikini pictures of herself.

She also had an offensive e-mail address-- one of those girlybunny111@hotmail.com types of things that makes you blush when you see it on your voice student's info cards, but inspires fits of hilarity and concern simultaneously when you see it scrawled in shaky pen at the bottom of a bikini-at-sunset promo pic.

Anyone want to come with me tomorrow on the next one? First time's free...