Don't wear anything you wouldn't want to be cut out of.

Dog Training
Originally uploaded by George Eastman House

I'm going to the dentist today to have the work on my root canal finished. There is nothing in the world that I wouldn't do to get out of it and have the work magically completed when I wake up in the morning.

I never had problems with the dentist until a few years back but since then I've been a big ball of anxiety every time I have to go. A few weeks back I had a root canal, and after warning him that I'm a fainter (as it were) I proceeded to curl up into the tiniest ball as he gave me the novacaine shot. I then got a terrible cramp in my foot and despite all of my bending and stretching throughout the entire procedure, I couldn't stop the cramping. until the moment he was finished.

Which leads me to the fact that I cause myself distress for no apparent reason. Or do I do it for story fodder? Do I bring these events upon myself so that I can have a humorous self-depricating anecdote later (once I gain perspective)? Just so you know, nothing funny whatsoever is going to happen this afternoon. I will go home and change my sweater (in case I faint and the EMS needs to cut it off of me *see above*.) Then I will go to the dentist where nothing remarkable will happen.

I will get a shot, and he will fill my tooth. I will not twitch oddly while this happens, I will not trigger any involuntary muscles, accidentally punching or knocking things over is right out. I will walk home and eat a smoothie and it will be delicious. I will not even bite my tongue or cheek. Nor will I have any terrible misunderstanding while trying to communicate with anyone while my mouth is numb.

Just thought I'd let you know so that there are no expectations.

It's beginning to look a lot like....

Pink felted wool Christmas Stocking
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

.... my 30th Birthday!

Under the current blogging system, I must include a picture with every post, hence the awkward transition between picture and entry. Just putting that out there. Also, I cannot wait to get these stockings out from the hall closet and hang them back on the fireplace where they belong. They maybe my favorite things that I've ever knit. (Also my first felted project!)

Well, there is much to be said about my approaching landmark birthday. I am excited and not anxious at its approach. 30, huh? that seems great to me. I've been thinking lately about writing out some of my favorite stories from childhood, and will try for the next few days (before the trip to Florida!) to do that. Here's one that came up a few times this weekend...

When I was young, I was constantly terrified that I would be abducted. I had no reason to be fearful of this. I think that I just really took the warnings of McGruff and of The Fonz to heart when I was watching Stranger-Danger-type infomercials in the early 80s. In any case one day, mom sent her friend Jean to pick me up from pre-school. This is someone who I saw at our house countless times, and who I knew by name. I greeted her when she pulled up in the car. I waved and I smiled! But when I found out I was supposed to get in the car I refused because she didn't have a password.

The teacher called my mother and told her the situation and when they put me on the phone with her mom asked me what the password was, since we had never talked about it. Of course I couldn't tell her on the phone since that would ruin the whole point. OBVIOUSLY.

I was also frequently convinced that there were thugs circling our building. One time my cousin Christine slept over after babysitting me and was quietly listening to my only tape Stevie Wonder's In Square Circle. The sound bled from the headphones, and not knowing that she was listening to it, I woke up my mother to make her look outside. I pictured a bunch of teenagers leaning up against the wall of our house smoking cigarettes with their boom-boxes turned down low so that we wouldn't hear them.

It's funny when I actually force myself to re-imagine the people that I was afraid of when I was little. For the most part, the mental image is of the bullies in Karate Kid. You know, the ones that chased Ralph Macchio out of the Halloween Party when he was dressed as a shower? Them and the evil creatures in The Dark Crystal that sucked the life blood out of the cute little fuzzy creatures. They were a big threat, and if you get into a car without a password, they will undoubtedly get you.

meh.

Sock #1 (?)
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

here is finished sock #1 (on swollen ankle).
I finished it with a picot bind off which I love, but which rolls. Of course I haven't blocked it yet.

Thinking that I might pull out down the ankle, increase every 5 stitches and rework in a k5 p1 rib. I don't want the sock to be any smaller in the ankle/leg, but I think it wants ribbing.

Any sock-sters out there with advice?

In case you were wondering what can come up the drain in NYC

Octo-squid
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

I improvised this octo-squid (Drake says that it is neither and both) this summer. Used the leftover yarn from Lila's Tomten Jacket

Just finally took pictures of it this weekend on my first day off since September! ahhhhh.....

Work is moving along nicely on the super secret project which must not be named. Pics will be up as soon as it is shipped off to its recipient.

Let it now be made official

toyland
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

I've been sitting on this one for a while, waiting to sign a contract in the wake of what has been a pretty intense shaking of the economic world. So sad to hear that some of the regional opera houses are being forced to close their doors.

I just signed the contract today to appear in Victor Herbert's "Babes in Toyland" with The Little Orchestra Society at at Lincoln Center. This is for two performances on December 13th.

My mother has already rented a bus. I'm not kidding. She has rented and filled an entire bus. I can't even imagine the fun that will be had on the Boover-family party bus on the way too and from NYC.... I seriously can't wait to see everybody. This is an updated version, and we only did a preliminary reading of the new script, so I can't really tell yet what it's going to be like. I've met the cast and the production team, and they're all wonderful, so I'm very much looking forward to it.

I have a very special place in my heart for operetta, and I thought I'd die of happy nostalgia when I realized that I get to sing a bit of the "Toyland" song. You'll know it when you hear it. You might not know how you know it, but you will. That's the wonderful part of operetta to me it. I have no idea how some of those songs are part of my consciousness. Actually, come to think of it I have a very good idea. It has an awful lot to do with the countless afternoons spent watching old black and white movies while crocheting with Memere, and it has an awful lot to do with the songs that Pepere used to sing, and which my Mom sang to us.

I hope that my brain gets rid of all of the lyrics to "Bust a Move" and "Walk Like an Egyptian" so that my children can enjoy fond memories of the songs I'll sing to them...

Get tickets here.

Unsolicited attention

Top Hat
Originally uploaded by George Eastman House

Usually, I don't even notice, but this has been special and concentrated attention and I want it to GO AWAY.

I do everything that can to make awkward situations alright. I really try to. Go ahead, say something awkward and (when in top form) I will say something 10 times more awkward to make you feel better. Try this sometime if you haven't seen me do it! I will warn you that it could backfire-- I may inadvertently *do* something awkward that may involve breaking something or spilling. That or pants-ing someone. You've been warned. You're welcome.

So this attention comes in the form of a twice daily visitor to my office area. It started out with general lingering, progressed to awkward banter, and at this stage he walks very quickly by my desk eyes down, and then stops short and says "Oh, hello-- I'm just so busy." and then proceeds with the awkward banter. it's always very awkward.

I don't know if I can properly communicate the awkwardness verbally, since much of this has to do with the comical physicality. The strange dance of ignoring me and then noticing and then trying to figure out how to transition from "looking really busy" to "wanting to talk." This is made all the more interesting since lately I have been actively trying to discourage any talk. I have tried many things;

1. Being on the phone. This doesn't seem to help, he'll just stand there and say "Busy?" then sometimes he will wait, in order to tell me that he has no business reason to be here, and then move on. Blissfully, a couple of times I've been on the phone with my husband and said "OK, I've got to go, love you." This has had no effect.

2. Prominently featuring my wedding photo. Again nothing. It could be that he's near-sighted. We've talked awkwardly about glasses more than once. (He wears them since he has to read so much.) When I started wearing mine he noticed and asked if my eyes hurt.

3. Refusing to make eye contact. That was my tactic today. I just stared at the computer screen and when he said "Hi there" I said "Hi" without looking up. It backfired. He stopped at the desk and said "Oh, I'm sorry, were you talking to me? I couldn't tell cause you didn't look up" ACKKKKK!!! just leave me alone! (is what I silently screamed.)

I am confounded by this situation because usually I find awkward people wonderful (being one of them myself) and do everything I can to keep them around to see what will happen next. I guess in this situation the awkwardness is predictably mundane. I must do away with it somehow. I'm considering a gross prosthetic facial deformity.

Recording today!

Celia's Owl
Originally uploaded by Alta Marie

Well, after work I am off to Chelsea Studios to make a recording. Every year we need to do new ones, and the time is nigh upon me. This year's fare:

1. O mio Fernando from La Favorite by Donizetti. This is the most beastly thing I've ever sung, and by beastly I mean awesome. It has everything an aria needs. Drama and screaming high-notes abound it. I love it.

2. Orlofsky's Aria from Die Fledermaus. This is standard fare for me. I've been singing this aria since I first did the role in 2004, so much fun. Getting to play an eccentric Russian prince gives me the license to do fun and crazy things. I never get bored with this aria.

3. En vain pour eviter from Carmen. This has been my starter aria for the last couple years. It is my favorite of the Carmen arias because it seems to me to be the aria where she is most herself. In the Seguidilla and the Habanera she is totally working it. You know those girls who are totally different whenever there are men around? Carmen is one of them. It's great fun for me to sing this because it's so raw and honest and she's confronting her fate in a very defiant way. Opera doesn't get any better than this, in my humble opinion

4. Lucretia's Aria from The Rape of Lucretia. Had a great session on this this summer during my apprenticeship at Des Moines. Historically, this one has been tricky because I get too involved and when I cry I lose most of my chest voice (which is not good for this one). I've been focusing more on technique lately, and plan on singing this one with the music to avert this problem for now.

In case you're wondering what the owl has to do with this post; nothing. I just think it's super cute, and it lives with my friend Celia now. I may do a couple more for Christmas this year, although the cork elves (more soon...) do have my heart.

ALSO! Sock number 1 is finished! I'm not allowing any pictures until I at least cast on sock #2, lest I abandon them entirely and carry on through the winter with just one sock.