Fear No More

 

Happy Halloween, biscuits!!! 

Now, to be honest, I’m not really that big on Halloween.  Not really for any other reason than that I don’t like putting a costume together.  I dread being invited to a Halloween party with a “costume only” policy.  Ummm, can’t I just go as some tool who doesn’t like Halloween, ‘cause I’ve got that one in about 25 different versions.  I generally just revert to wearing a pair of orange Prada shoes I have and carrying around my orange umbrella, which worked fine in Michigan those four years because there most likely was rain (it’s Fall up there this time of year for those Texans who wonder).  Here, however, it’s currently 82 degrees and freakishly sunny outside. 

Not… amused. At Monica’s (shout out, girl!) after our “candy lock down” because we were out of it in 5 minutes

Don’t worry, it’s not like I was deprived the opportunity to dress up as a kid or anything.  Liz Kelly and I made a pretty fantastic Superman and Supergirl if I remember correctly.  I could be wrong (I was also superyoung) but I think that was the year Jenny Yates’ costume had been professionally made or something… it was all the buzz amongst the Jordan School mom crowd.

I do have one funny Halloween story from Michigan, though.  I went to several parties throughout the evening and woke up the next morning with this voice mail:

“Hey, Joseph!!! So excited to have you joining the band! Don’t forget rehearsal is tonight at 7:30… see you there!”

And then my conversation with my roommate, Drew, who had gone to the party as well:

Me: Um, why do I have this voice mail?

Drew: Oh, yeah… you heard this guy talking about ska music and interrupted their conversation: “I LOOOOVE SKA MUSIC.” Upon hearing this he said: “We’re looking for a new lead singer, interested?” “Well you’re. in. luck, because I am IN SCHOOL to be a SINGER. Plus I have, like, so many songs of ska music on my iTunes.” [I have two.]

Me: Well this should be an interesting phone call to make.

At any rate, today I thought I would share a couple of Halloween flavored items from yet another blog I frequent: i09.com.  It focuses on all things science fiction (and fact)—from astronomy to film to architecture to pretty much anything that makes you say “whoa, that’s pretty cool!” Basically it’s the perfect website for the inner fan-boy in all of us you.

 

John de Lancie reading Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven

 

 

Coffin technologies that prevent you from being buried alive <--- click for full article

   

“In the eighteenth century, rumors swirled about people accidentally buried alive when they lapsed into a deathlike state from cholera. As a result, the safety coffin was invented. Here's how it worked.” … 

 

 

And finally, a picture that probably only one person who reads this will even understand! (Yay for alienating my readers!)

Best. Jack-o-Lantern. EVAR!

 

Artist: Stephen Sondheim/ Album: The Frogs

Honey Can I Put on Your Clothes?

 

There are several websites that I check daily—I have already mentioned my love for BoingBoing.net, Etsy.com and all of my friends’ blogs.  Today I thought I would feature another site I frequent, first introduced to me by my sister-in-law, Joanie. 

Shirt.woot.com, as well as her sister sites woot.com, kids.woot.com, wine.woot.com and sellout.woot.com (is there an owl in here?) offers one item every day at a discounted price and once it is sold out, there is no other item to purchase until the next days offer.  I can’t determine if Joanie loves it because she went to Texas A&M (WOOT!) or because she loves a good deal, but I imagine it’s a little from column A(ggie) and a little from column B(argain).

Today’s shirt:

“The Last Leaf”

Although I have never bought any of the shirts I do enjoy perusing them every day! Below are some of my favorites and the names given by their respective creators.

                                “Music is Life”                                                          “Tickles to Tinkles”

 

 

                           “The Tag Along”                                                              “Fractal Tree”

 

 

                         “Don’t Call Him Mr. Coffee”                                         “The Discovery of Fire”

 

 

                           “5 Second Rule”                                                              “The Black Hole”

 

 

                           “King Conga”                                                                 “Shakespeare A-Z”

Artist: Barbra Streisand/ Album: Songbird

Fisherman’s Song

 

Tuesday night Jennifer and I again went to Houston Grand Opera—this time going to the final dress rehearsal for their production of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes.  (Click here if you want to read more on the opera.)  A friend of mine from Michigan, Stephanie, is now a coach for HGO and was kind enough to give us two of her comp ticket… and let me tell you: the offstage organ has never sounded more elegant!

 

Orchestra seats, baby!

 

Said orchestra

 

That’s me and Jennifer in 50 years

As if knowing one person in the production wasn’t already cool enough, Kiri, a friend from Baylor who is in the young artist studio, is playing the role of Prince Yamadori one of the nieces!! It really was amazing having the curtain rise and seeing her up there :)

Pictures by Felix Sanchez:

             Kiri and her “sister” in the show. They basically used Brittany and Santana from Glee as inspiration.     It. Was. PERFECT! (seriously, btw)

 

Work that runway, Peter!!!

 NO MORE WIRE HANGARS!!!!!!!!! (I’m pretty sure that’s in the libretto…)

 

I also did get a chance to go back stage and say hello to Kiri and Stephanie, with photographic evidence!

Stephanie, Joseph, Kiri 

The show officially opens tonight, so… in bocca al lupo, ladies!

And finally, if you care to watch, here are some clips from the production!

 

 

 

Artist: Carly Simon/ Album: Have You Seen Me Lately

Leader of the Band

 

I’ve seen this video floated around facebook by my opera friends and thought it was most definitely worth sharing.  Or as my sister-in-law’s sister, aka my friend Meg, put it: “I watched that and thought: ‘Did Joseph and I have a child and I completely missed it?’ “

 

Artist: Dan Fogelberg/ Album: Greatest Hits

Catalogue Kids

 

Well I’m sure you are happy to know that my extremely important issue with Pottery Barn has been a bit mollified with a fun little “easter egg” discovery on the Pottery Barn Kids website.  I was helping a customer in the store look for something online and I happened to come across this:

 

Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Coincidence?  When I saw this I thought to myself: “Wouldn’t it be funny if Pleasant had that put in the catalogue because she knew my mom LOVES plaid? Wait, does she even know my mom likes plaid?” Pleaseant—a more aptly named person I do not know—is a friend of mine from high school and is now a buyer for Pottery Barn Kids.  I know that in the past she has used the names of friends’ kids for the children’s merchandise and so I sent her this:

Me: Just so you know… in my head the plaid “Roberts” tree skirt on the pb kids website is your doing.  You know, because I’m sure you know about my mom’s obsession.

Pleasant: Totally was!!! Did you notice the Dawson [another Crockett family] in there too?? :)

How cool is that!!! I told two of my managers and their collective eye-rolls of disbelief could put even Liz Lemon to shame.

I don’t got nothin’ to prove to you Jenny/Brian!

So although Pottery Barn may not get music so much, they definitely got my mom… which I guess in the long run is better :)  THANKS, PLEASANT!!

(And no, Jan, I can’t make requests so don’t ask! lol)

Artist: Operator Please/ Album: On the Prowl

Music is the Victim

 

As I mentioned earlier this month, Christmas is already in full swing in the retail world and this past Sunday a group of us Pottery Barn crazies employees worked a 6pm-2am shift in order to partially put up the new holiday floor set.

This was one of my main contributions

 

                   

Lissa: “Where the heck did all these pillows come from?!”                     “Shhhhhh… don’t tell!”

 

Can’t see the Tori for the trees

 

                                   Lisa and Illiana                          WHERE THE HELL ARE MY REINDEER NAPKINS!

 

Mmmmm… 10:00 pizza break!!!

 

Pottery Barn: a hot bed of testosterone

 

                

                          Kirsten, our resident ginger.                     Seeing if blondes actually do have more fun

 

 

Santa, you made the pants too SHORT!

 

As often comes with doing these floor sets, one is able to see the new holiday products arriving in the store before the customer’s do.  Not to harken back to “Letter Gate 2010”, but I have a bit of a bone to pick with the Barn.  I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really that invested in the letter “I” being left off our shelves.  My last name is Roberts, therefore I’m not in any true danger of not being able to find anything with the letter “R”.  (Sorry, Jan.)  HOWEVER, as a musician I took take a bit of offense to our newest glitter candle:

   

Okay… SO. First of all, this isn’t music (unless Pottery Barn has gotten all John Cage on us). There’s no key signature or time signature, I have no idea why there is a rest in between staves, and I’m not exactly how two eighth notes equals two quarter notes. Not to mention the sharps, flats and naturals are about as slap-dashedly applied as a Real Housewives makeup.  I’m just gonna go ahead and file these under our “non-educational” product much like the re-released first episodes of Sesame Street come with this disclaimer:

"Welcome to Sesame Street Nostalgia. I am Bob, your host, and I want you to know that these early Sesame Street episodes are intended for grown-ups and may not meet the needs of today's pre-school child."

Yeah… because in the first episode you basically teach children it’s okay to follow a stranger who offers you cookies and milk to go into some bizarre neighborhood.  Anyway, Pottery Barn has a pretty strong tract record with the exception of one of our globes that unfortunately misspells the name of our neighbor to the south.

 

I LOVE “Tex-Max” food!!!

Artist: Scissor Sisters/ Album: Scissor Sisters

Turning Japanese

 

I had a weekend full of things out of the Land of the Rising Sun, so it’s time for a theme post!

Friday evening I went to a preview of the new exhibit at the John Cleary Gallery of Takeshi Shikama’s Silent Respirations of Forests.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to go to the full opening like I did last time, but knowing the person running the show doesn’t hurt.  Or as Catherine put it: “Yeah, I’ve changed his diapers.  You know… when he was younger, not recently.”

 

Mt. Chyokai 23, 2004: platinum and palladium print

 

         

      Mt. Ushigata 4, 2005: platinum and palladium print         Mt. chyokai 39, 2005: platinum and palladium print

 

Toyosawa Lake 1, 2009: platinum and palladium print on gampi

 

Sunday, my friend Jennifer and I added to the western centered weekend two fold: Sushi and the Houston Grand  Opera’s production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly!!!

Saucy Sushi (as opposed to Sexy Strawberry).  Saucy of course referring to the soy and not Jennifer’s “come hither" glance

 

… and of course I was hungry by intermission!

 

For those non-operaphiles amongst the group, the story of Madama Butterfly revolves around an American naval officer who is stationed in Japan and marries a geisha, who dismisses all of her culture in order to become a “true” American bride.  The officer leaves to go back to the States and eventually re-marries; meanwhile, Cio-Cio San waits faithfully for his return.  Three years pass and he does return (with his new wife), completely unaware that Cio-Cio San has a child from their marriage and, heartbroken, she kills herself so that her son can go back to America and have a better life.  So… you know, a regular Tuesday night in the opera world.  If the plot sounds somewhat familiar, the musical Miss Saigon is based on the same story. THE MORE YOU KNOW *shooting star*.  Madama Butterfly ranks as number one in Opera America’s list of 20 most performed operas in America.

Patricia Racette singing “Un bel di vedremo,” probably the most recognizable piece from the opera

 

Besides the fact that the opera itself is fantastic, the thing I was looking forward to most seeing was the lead soprano, Ana Maria Martinez.  I saw her first sing Liu in Turandot with Jennifer several several years ago at HGO as well as more recently as Nedda in Pagliacci at Chicago Lyric Opera.  Basically I’ve been in love with her for years and to see her sing her first Butterfly was so thrilling.

The first thing I ever saw/heard her sing.  Gotta love the high note… and Domingo conducting.

Artist: The Vapors/ Album: One Clear Day