hello, moto...

am completely in love with my new cell phone - hot pink motorola razor. birthday present to myself - woohoo!

i wonder if i can get my boss's daughter (who is 11) to help me set up my voicemail????

The Beautiful Voice

I love telling the story of how I founded my Yahoo group, dedicated to opera diva, Renee Fleming... and what better time to tell it than on its 7th birthday?

In college, my roommate Cara and I had gotten into the tradition of seeing on opera to celebrate our birthdays (mine and her sister's on 11/24 and hers on 12/3). In 1999, we got nosebleed tickets to see Alcina at Lyric Opera of Chicago - on the 23rd, the day before my 21st birthday (since the opera was 4 hours long, it would actually BE my birthday by the time it was all over). We were excited to see Renee Fleming in person - we had watched her on the PBS broadcast of The Met's production of The Marriage of Figaro, and had worn out our collective tapes, watching her sing "Dov'e sono" over and over and over again.

Prior to the actual opera, we went to visit my friend Heidi at The University of Chicago, where she had discovered a lecture series, featuring the diva. She knew that I'd be interested in going, and she told me the where and the when. Cara and I, always happy to be free of our dorm room and the dining hall food, were on the next train to Hyde Park.

So, honestly, I don't remember a lot of what Renee actually talked about during this conversation. It was about gender roles in opera, specifically Alcina, and I remember she was very relaxed and composed, and was a very articulate speaker. Afterwards, we decided to hang around and see if we could try and meet her. The auditorium emptied, except for a few University notables hovering around by the stage. Nobody told us to leave, so we wandered down by the stage ourselves. Renee came back out, by herself, and stood on the stage. No one went up to her or tried to guide her anywhere else.... a few people started going up to her - just fans, not University types, so we went up on stage, too. She spent some time chatting with the others, then turned her attention to us. I don't remember who started the conversation, but it came up that we were seeing Alcina as our birthday treat, and Cara asked her if there was any part in the opera that was her favorite, or anything we should watch out for in particular and she said (direct and often quoted quote coming up) "Why don't you do me a favor and come backstage after you see it? We can talk about it."

Well, we were shocked and amazed and delighted. I had asked her to sign an Opera News ad featuring her latest cd release Strauss Heroines and she'd asked me in awed tones, "You read Opera News?" And I said yes. She asked us if we sang, and we said no, and she said, "So you just... like opera?" Yup. She took my name - heard the last name and said "Well, that explains it!" See, it's genetic. Good old "Uncle Enrico." We ate at the Medici that night and kept reliving the evening during the meal, especially the part where a famous opera singer asked us to do her a favor....

The 23 rolled around and it was business as usual - we went to class but I don't think it did us much good, we were too excited. We had class downtown at the Art Institute where we were joined by Cara's sister Susie. We ate and walked down to Lyric in the rain. Our seats were way up in the upper balcony - we could tell when Renee was on stage because of her bright red wig (and of course that gorgeous voice). It was my first Handel opera. I remember stark settings and beautiful beautiful baroque music much of which was along the "my life really stinks" vein - and I remember some of the other singers - Natalie Dessay and Jennifer Larmore in particular.

Then it was time to go backstage.... We'd never been back there before and had no idea what to do or say. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to get backstage at Lyric, so we found our way and then found ourselves waiting outside Renee's dressing room. I remember that there weren't many other people back there waiting for her. I'm not sure there were actually any other people waiting for her. We saw Jennifer Larmore go by and asked her to sign our programs, which she did, and she also graciously posed for a photo.

Renee opened the door to her room, looked at us and said "Happy birthday??" We were so surprised and amazed that she remembered this, after only having met us the once. We had brought her some small gifts (Godiva chocolates and something else... don't remember what) and she said 'I should be giving you presents since it's your birthday...' We talked about the opera "Did you have good seats?" Renee asked. We said no. "Did you have a pillow?" She asked next, since it was so long... We talked a little more about the opera, and she signed our programs (mine says 'happy birthday' on it.). She got one of the other singers (Kathleen Kuhlmann) to take a photo of all of us together, and asked us how we'd gotten there and if we'd be okay getting home. We said we would be okay, thanked her (profusely) and took our leave.

I think we were on Cloud 9 for the rest of the night - the rest of the week - and told everyone we knew (several times) about our encounter with this sweet, kind, down to earth diva. After a while, I ran out of people to tell. My friends are wonderful but aren't really into opera (although they listen patiently while I tell my stories, bless them). So I looked around online for an internet community about Renee. Surprisingly, there wasn't one, so I decided to start one.

It went from two members (me and Heidi, who I roped into joining so I wouldn't be lonely) and is now, 7 years later, close to 400 members. We have members all over the US and all over the world, and I have been lucky enough to meet many of them. Many I haven't met in person I have "met" online. I talk to some of these lovely people every day via email.

I have seen Renee many more times since that first encounter, and each time, she always surprises me by being so sweet, down to earth and wonderful, AND she's got a great memory for people, which I find just amazing, given the number of people she comes into contact with every day. So, thanks, Renee, for being the inspiration for this online community! My life has been so much richer because of you, and because of this group.

Happy 7th birthday to us!

written in the stars...

from the Chicago Tribune

Today's Birthday:
"This could be your best year yet. You're confident and good looking, the money's coming in and you speak the truth powerfully. If your closets are clean, run for office."


Well, I like the "confident and good looking" part... Jupiter, apparently, is in my sign today symbolizing good luck and abundance. So, you know, that's good. I feel really old already, although not old enough to be able to run for office yet. Too bad.

happy thanksgiving!

And now for a classic... Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving song...

Love to eat turkey Love to eat turkey Love to eat turkey
Cause it's good
Love to eat turkey
Like a good boy should
Cause it's turkey to eat So good
Turkey for meT urkey for you
Let's eat the turkeyIn my big brown shoe
Love to eat the turkey
At the tableI once saw a movie
With Betty Grable
Eat that turkey
All night long
Fifty million Elvis fans
Can't be wrong
Turkey turkey doo and Turkey turkey dap
I eat that turkey
Then I take a nap

Thanksgiving is a special night
Jimmy Walker used to say Dynomite!
That's right Turkey with gravy and cranberry
Can't believe they traded Darryl Strawberry.
Turkey for you and Turkey for me
Can't believe TysonGave that girl V.D.
White meat, dark meat
You just can't lose
I fell off my moped
And I got a bruiseTurkey in the oven
And the buns in the toaster
I'll never take downMy Cheryl Tiegs poster
Wrap that turkey upIn aluminum foil
My brother likes to masturbate
With baby oil
Turkey and sweet potato pie
Sammy Davis Jr.Only had one eye
Turkey for the girls and Turkey for the boys
My favorite kind of pant
Are corduroys
Gobble gobble goo and Gobble gobble gickel
I wish turkeyOnly cost a nickel
Oh I love turkey on Thanksgiving

and while i am at it...

anyone shopping for last minute birthday gifts for that special someone (aHEM)... I am in need of a new keychain... www.bushslastday.com

Michael Moore's Pledge...

See what happens when I have too much free time and the heart is too heavy to do work?

Michael Moore's pledge
The liberal filmmaker extends an olive branch to disheartened conservatives.
By Michael Moore, MICHAEL MOORE directed the Oscar-winning documentary "Bowling for Columbine" and "Fahrenheit 9/11." His next film, "Sicko," will be released this summer.
November 17, 2006
I WOULD LIKE TO extend an olive branch. Those of you who consider yourselves conservative and usually vote Republican have not had a very good couple of weeks. Trust me, I know how this feels.
In fact, those of us on the other side of the fence don't really know what it's like to win, so if we seem a bit awkward right now (were we supposed to vote for the majority leader the speaker said to vote for, or stick to our promise to the other guy?), forgive us.
I know you are dismayed at the results of last week's election. You've got to be freaking out about what this bunch of tree-hugging, latte-sipping, men-kissing-men advocates will do now that the country is in our hands. I don't blame you. We'd never admit it, but we secretly admire you because you know how to chop down a tree, take your coffee black and enjoy watching women kissing women. Good on you!
What I don't want is for you to drop into the deep funk we liberals have been in for two-plus decades. Yes, your Republican revolution is over, but hang in there. And do not despair. I, and the millions who voted for Democrats, have no interest in revenge for the last 12 years. In fact, let me make 12 promises as to how we will treat you, the minority, in the coming years.
Thus, here is "A Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives":
1) We will always respect you. We will never, ever, call you "unpatriotic" simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage you to dissent and disagree with us.
2) We will let you marry whomever you want (even though some among us consider your Republican behavior to be "different" or "immoral"). Who you marry is none of our business. Love, and be in love * it's a wonderful gift.
3) We will not spend your grandchildren's money on our personal whims or to enrich our friends. It's your checkbook too, and we will balance it for you.
4) When we soon bring our sons and daughters home from Iraq, we will bring your sons and daughters home too. We promise never to send your kids off to war based on some amateur Power Point presentation cooked up by men who have never been to war.
5) When we make America the last Western democracy to have universal health coverage, and all Americans are able to get help when they fall ill, we promise that you too will be able to see a doctor, regardless of your ability to pay. And when stem cell research delivers treatments and cures for diseases that afflict you and your loved ones, we'll make sure those advances are available to you and your family too.
6) When we clean up our air and water, you too will be able to breathe the cleaner air and drink the purer water. When we put an end to global warming, you will no longer have to think about buying oceanfront property in Yuma.
7) Should a mass murderer ever kill 3,000 people on our soil, we will devote every single resource to tracking him down and bringing him to justice. Immediately. We will protect you.
8) We will never stick our nose in your bedroom or your womb. What you do there as consenting adults is your business. We will continue to count your age from the moment you were born, not the moment you were conceived.
9) We will not take away your hunting guns. If you need an automatic weapon or a handgun to kill a bird or a deer, then you really aren't much of a hunter and you should, perhaps, take up another sport. In the meantime, we will arm the deer to make it a fairer fight.
10) When we raise the minimum wage, we will raise it for your employees too. They will use that money to buy more things, which means you will get the money back! And when women are finally paid what men make, we will pay conservative women that wage too.
11) We will respect your religious beliefs, even when you don't practice those beliefs. In fact, we will actively seek to promote your most radical religious beliefs ("Blessed are the peacemakers," "Love your enemies," "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" and "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me"). We will let people in other countries know that God doesn't just bless America, he blesses everyone. We will discourage religious intolerance and fanaticism * starting here at home.
12) We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and break the law. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side first. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition.
I promise all of the above to you because this is your country too. You are every bit as American as we are. We are all in this together. We sink or swim as one. Thank you for your years of service to this country and for giving us the opportunity to see if we can make things a bit better for our 300 million fellow Americans * and for the rest of the world.
Now pull yourself together and let's go have a Frappuccino

just in case you need it...

Martha Stewart's gravy recipe (courtesy of Yahoo! Food)

Recipe Provided By: Martha Stewart
See more fromMartha Stewart on Yahoo! Food
Average (109 Ratings)

Ingredients
YAHOO.Food.sprites.preload('ingredients-heading')
5 whole black peppercorns
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 small stalks celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
1 leek, white and pale-green parts only, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 quart water
3/4 cup dry white wine or turkey stock
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Nutrition Info
Serving size: 4 cups
Calories: 40 kcal

Carbohydrates: 2 g

Dietary Fiber: 0 g

Fat: 2 g

Protein: 0 g

Sugars: 0 g
Cooking Directions
Trim fat and membranes from giblets. Rinse giblets; pat dry. Add giblets and neck to pan with turkey. Roast until browned, about 30 minutes. Set aside.
Make a bouquet garni: Tie peppercorns, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and bay leaf in a square of cheesecloth. Set aside.
Make the stock: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add vegetables. Cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, 7 to 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium; add giblets, neck, bouquet garni, and water. Cover, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, uncovered, until reduced to about 3 cups, 50 to 60 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a clean medium saucepan. Keep stock warm over medium-low heat. Roughly chop giblets; shred meat from neck with a fork. Set aside. Discard other solids.
Transfer turkey to a large platter. Reserve 3 tablespoons drippings from pan. Pour remaining drippings into a gravy separator; let stand until separated, about 10 minutes. Discard fat.
Deglaze roasting pan: Place roasting pan over 2 burners. Add wine; bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits on bottom of pan. Reserve deglazed liquid.
Make the gravy: Put the reserved 3 tablespoons pan drippings from turkey in a medium saucepan; cook over medium heat until hot. Add the flour, whisking vigorously to combine. Cook, whisking constantly, until fragrant and deep golden brown, about 9 minutes. Whisking vigorously, slowly add hot stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
Stir in reserved deglazed liquid and separated pan juices. Add giblets and neck meat. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gravy has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, about 20 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve into a saucepan; discard solids. Keep gravy warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Yield: 16 servings (Serving size: 4 cups)

the old neighborhood

I grew up (and still live in) a small community outside of Chicago. I live on a busy street - when I was growing up, there were no kids my age living in the houses around me (although my kindergarten teacher lives next door to me!). A few short blocks away, though, on the street where some of my best friends in the universe live, is a neighborhood somewhere out of 1950s fiction. Kids the same age, growing up together, going to school together, parents getting along and being neighborly. They have neighborhood holiday parties and gift exchanges, and a yearly block party on the street.

Since I am friends with many people who live (and lived) on this block, I became an adopted member of what we affectionately refer to as "the Neighborhood." There is a lady I have come to think of as the Neighborhood Mom - I will call her Diane (cos that's her name). Year after year, Diane welcomed all of us into her home - the holiday party was at her house, and in the summer, the barbecues, jello-shots and pinatas of the block party were set up in front of her house (next door to my best friend's house). Diane was a warm, welcoming, wonderful hostess - a confidante, friend, and cool lady. She once went with us to an Edwin McCain show - just us girls.

Those are some of my memories of this great lady, who we lost too soon this past week to a very aggressive form of cancer. You will be missed.

Salome...

Salome last night was, well, interesting. It was one act, and lasted an hour and 45 minutes. The staging was sparse - not as sparse, mind you, as Iphigenie, although I don't think you can get any more minimalist than that. Fortunately, there was no chalk writing in Salome, or anyone throwing sponges at the walls for unintentional comic relief. The stage was big and bright and airy - there was an upper level that the cast would occasionally go running around on (and you could see it move. very creepy. when ever someone was to close to one of the edges of the suicide balcony, i held my breath....). The beginning of the opera was a little bit confusing to me - people on stage not clearly identified, a random page girl was wandering around during some of the scenes for no apparent reason, and one of the characters suddenly dropped to the stage without explanation (so I was sitting there thinking, 'wait... is he dead? how did he die?' etc).

Overall, though, the cast was tremendous. Of course, I was excited to see and hear Deborah Voigt. She came out in the first scene and looked simply stunning. I knew she'd lost lots of weight, but really? WOW. Gorgeous. And the voice was absolutely amazing, as she coveyed all the depths of Salome's youthful longing for John the Baptist. She was definitely the highlight of the production - even when she was talking to a decapitated head. Creepy.

Supporting cast were also outstanding - Alan Held as John the Baptist, Kim Begley as Herod, Judith Forst as Herodias.

Afterwards, while waiting in line in the restroom for a turn at the paper towel dispenser, a friendly patron turned to me and said "That chick was totally whack." Yes, indeed, and well summed up.

A Night at the Opera

Tonight - a trip to Lyric Opera to see Deborah Voigt in Salome. I've seen her do a recital of lieder and again as Ariadne (several years ago as one of my operatic birthday treats, as a matter of fact) and now I will get to see her do the dance of the 7 veils... Reportedly, she does not do the full monty, like Karita did in the Met's Salome a few years ago. Chicago audiences just don't do nudity - people flipped out at the thought of some topless extras in Rigoletto last season, and they had to get rid of those scenes entirely.

More to come...

Just Finished Reading....

You wouldn't think that growing up in rural Iowa in the 1950s would be exciting enough to fill a book, but Bill Bryson, author of In A Sunburned Country, Notes from A Small Island, and I'm A Stranger Here Myself, among others, manages to turn the story of his childhood into a interesting, lively, page-turning read. I finished it in about 24 hours. It is laugh out loud funny in parts, also partly nostalgic for an era long gone - a time of optimism and a feeling of anything's possible, a time of growth in this country, a time where communists lurked around every corner, and people thought teenagers were mentally disturbed due to the influence of rock and roll music. I was born in 1978 and by the end of the book, even I was sad for all the things that used to be, that the book so vividly describes.

Oh, Patti...

What can I say about seeing the object of my latest diva obsession - Ms. Patti LuPone - in concert last night at Symphony Center? Wait - I know. She was, in the words of my friend Heidi - "Like buttah." That's right. She was like "a big stick of buttah." She brought some genuine shiksa-peal to the JCC benefit - along with that powerful voice and vibrant personality and humor. Mom and I helped The Patti round out the Italian-American paesana contingent in the hall that evening.....

I dragged my mom along and we had some fairly decent seats. I had ordered "periphery" and hoped for the best - we were in the Orchestra Section Row Q, smack in the center. Not too bad! The people around us, for the most part, had no idea who Patti LuPone was. My suggestion vis-a-vis that situation is to have a poll - those of you who have no idea who she is must immediately move yourselves back to allow her fans to bask in the warm glow of her presence from your primo center seats in the first several rows. Yeah, like that's gonna happen. Whatever, anyway.

She sang all the great songs I never thought I'd get the chance to hear her sing live - Meadowlark, Don't Cry for Me, Argentina.... some Sondheim, some Stevie Wonder.... it was a great show. Wow. I mean really, wow.

And that scream of "We looooveeee youuuu, Patti!" that I heard at the end of the show? It came from my mom.

It occurs to me that I have been raking up plenty of "Patti Points" this past year - I've seen her off and on nearly every month since April (April for Sweeney, July for Sweeney, August for Gypsy, September for Sweeney and November for this). What am I gonna do without my live Patti fix?????

Cower, Brief Mortals....

She's coming.......

remembrance...

Prayer to St. Peter

Let them in, Peter, for they are very tired

Give them couches where the angels sleep

And light those fires

Let them wake whole again, to brand new dawns

Fired by the sun not wartime's bloody guns

May their peace be deep, remember where the broken bodies lie

God knows how young they were to have to die

Give them things they like

Let them make some noise

Give dance hall bands, not golden harps

To these, our boys

Let them love, Peter - for they've had no time

They should have bird songs and trees, and hills to climb

The taste of summer and a ripened pear

And girls sweet as meadow wind, and flowing hair

And tell them how they are missed

But say not to fear

It's gonna be all right

With us down here...

- Anon

There's No Place Like London...

I see a trip to London in my future!!

Patti LuPodcast...

Chocolate break! Time for a snack and listen to Patti...

http://www.metoperafamily.org/operanews/issue/article.aspx?id=1866&issueID=80

Whatever Happened to Recess??

I don't know what I did back in the day, with my teenage angst, but it never was anything like this http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/118363,school103106.article - yes, that's my alma mater, the hotbed of criminal activity. I think metal detectors can't be far behind....

Sigh. These kids today.
(now I feel old).