::monday's music pick::

some years ago, when i was excited about having one of those handspring-daytime-thingy-mobiles, i made a note about this composer on a scratch piece of paper, then on my handspring, then synchronised with my computer, which resulted in a permanent sticky note which has not been unleashed until now. the note reads:

marc andre hamelin--
nickolai demidenko
alkan

and i still have not deciphered it entirely. through many google searches, i ended up here. and one of the samples just sold me completely. (the link i wanted didn't really work out for me, but please Listen to "Etude No.2: En Rythme Molossique". the sample i heard was the windows media version, other media players' selections from the piece vary. and, windows media, incidently, had the best sound quality) i suppose i should be more detailed in my reasons for absolutely loving that snippet... maybe i'll think of some and write them for you later.
thank you to charlie brand in the classical music department at the local tower records for that one.
enjoy!

::saturday funnies::

fun with audioblog
way too hilarious to pass up, this is what i got when i searched on google with audioblog's phone number:

credit where credit is due, read/listen @ your own risk

also

got pets? (my favorite is the cat house cleverly named "bau house"!)

i love 3 day weekends!

::dreaming::

i dreamt that a friend was getting married. it seemed to be a justice of the peace type wedding, but there were a lot of people in the auditorium. she walked down the aisle in a strappy pretty-in-pinkish dress holding a wire basket. an attendent came forward to put flowers in the basket (purple status) and she started to get upset. then, the actor from 24 who plays david palmer (the president) came forward and gently took the basket from her in a gesture to help. when he returned, the flowers were beautifully arranged and he had added some gorgeous lavendar roses to the mix. everyone was happy. then i woke up.

now, where on earth did that come from???

::happy sunday::

ummmm....sushi!

::sightreading::

i am admittedly frustrated at the poor audio quality that occasionally cuts in & out due to the fact that i use my cell phone because of all the free nationwide minutes i have, but it's a start at the least. my first audio post did not record at all, the second had too many blank spots in the audio (i think that mostly happens during the quiet parts). so you'll have to bear w/this unrehearsed rendition of bach's (very simple)prelude.

and, scared as i am about it, my hopes are that you "all" will keep me accountable as i announce it formally here on furiousmuse: sara is going back to school. soon. hopefully this fall, but there are some factors i need to account for and so, i will leave it at that. thank you to all who have inspired and ecouraged me of late. some of you have been life-long friends, and some with whom i have recently reconnected after 2-13 years. i'm finally feeling up to the challenge. thank you.

::odd, isn't it?::

well, this week at work has definitely been a strange one. monday was the afternoon of never ending lines to the door which made me forget get my days in retail completely. tuesday, i made a grown man cry as i discussed the various aspects of vintage drum sets and ebay. and just yesterday, a simple question let to an invitation for josh and i to come visit hell's kitchen, along with a full-blown history behind the bar from one of the cooks who works there. yesterday was my all-black-sydney-bristo-suit-wannabe day, so perhaps i was lookin' like a biker chick. sometimes being friendly just gets me into trouble! but today is friday, so we can all breath a sigh of relief.
last night i finally conquered the toilet room in our master bathroom with a gallon of "bison brown" semi-gloss. it's a small bathroom, so i have a lot left over. anyone itching to paint something a shiny, chocolate brown??? painting makes me happy.

::random::

according to the wonderful world of itunes, these are the top 25 most played songs as of late. enjoy!

1. the scientist, coldplay
2. clocks, coldplay
3. a thousand beautiful things, annie lennox
4. wonderful, annie lennox
5. erased, annie lennox
6. tiwsted, annie lennox
7. when i see you smile, bic runga
8. get some sleep, bic runga
9. precious things, bic runga
10. pictures of you, the cure
11. you and a promise (demo), howie day
12. bitter pill, annie lennox
13. something good, bic runga
14. madrigals (demo), howie day
15. brick, ben folds
16. she left on a monday, bic runga
17. beautiful collision, bic runga
18. listening for the weather, bic runga
19. bunnies (live), howie day
20. counting the days, bic runga
21. gravity, bic runga
22. don't panic, coldplay
23. ghost mix 6, howie day
24. sorry so sorry (live), howie day
25. fair, remy zero

it looks like i'm going to have to change it up a bit here! bear in mind that these are the songs i hear on the computer, not in my car. i think it'll be a while before the #1 song gets knocked out of its post though: it has 16 plays!

i am convinced that my former classmates are dorks based on the postings i've read on classmates.com. including one question from a former student on whether or not a particular teacher was gay. evidently they must've been one of those students who never left their high school mentality behind.

::asking meme::

in true copycat fashion, and because i am indeed duly intrigued by the idea seconded by kidchamp, i bring you this:

an asking meme, this time from douglas (adapted for the 'champ)(...and now furiousmuse):
If you're reading [furiousmuse] today or tomorrow, I'd like you to ask me something. Up to three questions, and anything goes--literally anything you want my answers to. I promise not to take offense at any questions, and to answer every one (either onsite, within the comments box, or by private mail) as well and honestly as I can.

emails can be directed to me through the link at the top, left hand side of this page (where it says email). or just use the comments box, cleverly entitled "curious thought(s)".

::fcc'd::

so what's with the fcc, really? i'm really starting to get irritated with this whole issue. it started with janet jackson's costume malfunction (uhHUM, oh REALLY?) and now suddenly the fcc is deciding to retroactively enforce its brand of morality. like a sleeping giant awoken, it promises to retrofit our airwaves & cable televisions with all the purity of the 1950's. but what business ever turned down the idea of earning a little extra cash for the books? is the fcc a publicly traded company? sign me up!

fortunately i am not a fan of howard stern, and no i didn't watch the superbowl this year, so perhaps that makes me less informed than the average joe. but hasn't howard stern been toting his schtick for quite some time? and only now is the fcc coming down from the sky to lay forth its judgment? when will people take responsibility for what they watch and listen to? and for what they allow their kids to be subject to? even without the incident at the superbowl, what did you expect? a couple of hot, sexy rock stars on stage to behave themselves? to not tote all their goods in front of an audience of millions? to behave like "proper, god-fearing folk"?

allow me to clarify myself a little more here. while i often feel as though most movies i see these days could do without the gross amount of profanity and still manage to be extraordinarily brilliant and funny, (eg. the ladykillers and the big lebowski) i usually know what i'm in for before i subject myself to the content. and i won't blame the fcc. so why don't we just change the channel if we don't like what we see? or turn to another station if we don't like what we hear? why don't we take the responsibility for the content we allow in our lives and not allow the government to decide for us? see anything familiar here? while i wouldn't read some of those books based on the title alone, most of my generation read "to kill a mockingbird" and "the adventures of huckleberry finn" in high school! is this really where we want to go with all other mediums of communication?

"[I]t's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers." - Judy Blume

::impromptu audioblog i::

just some random thoughts.

c.2004, poor audio quality and all. all musical ideas are the sole property of furiousmuse.com so please do not use without permission.

::uga uga::

so i recently joined both friendster & classmates.com in hopes of doing i don't know what yet. emailed a couple of people who i think i would like to get back in touch with (and who will, with any luck, be interested in hearing from me!). it's way too late right now for me and i have to get up early tomorrow for work (sort of) so i've honestly no business in blogging right now, but here i am.

after finding all the friends i have (plus some) on friendster, i'm still not sure what to do with it. what am i waiting for? well, maybe there's just something reassuring about the page that, say, when i click on josh's picture (yet to be uploaded, it currently sports a giant "?"), says "josh is your friend". wow! really? i'm so glad that friendster can be so reaffirming. cause, you know, i wasn't sure. since we're married and all. well, what can i say. the sarcasm is flowing freely tonight...but i'm just being silly & a smart alec.

today is officially josh's birthday. right now. he's 28. wow. so OLD. (grins) well, aren't we all these days. happy birthday josh!

::banking and beyond::

Misunderstood bank phrases from misunderstood bank tellers

Do you want to put me away?
Is the top-half on?
Do you want to go check each other out in the vault?
Will you lock my bottom?
That’ll be good for you because it’ll make your little monkey work! (Linda)
We’re going to take one of these puppies and one of these puppies….
Do you stagnate your weekends? (customer)
I have to do my little scooby-doo thingy first. (paraphrased from Linda)

::is this thing on?::

::songs of my life::

I didn't hear you leave, I wonder how am I still here,
I don't want to move a thing, it might change my memory
Oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want, but I can't hide
I won't go, I won't sleep, I can't breathe, until you're resting here with me
I won't leave, I can't hide, I cannot be, until you're resting here with me
I don't want to call my friends, they might wake me from this dream
And I can't leave this bed, risk forgetting all that's been
Oh I am what I am, I'll do what I want but I can't hide
I won't go, I won't sleep, I can't breathe until you're resting here with me
I won't leave, I can't hide, I cannot be, until you're resting here with me.
--dido, here with me

3 years ago, my cat, monty, ran away. i was devastated. i came home from work to discover the weakened screen in my roommate's bedroom was pushed aside. heart sinking, i walked outside into the darkness & called for him. the street lights blinked their silent testimony: he was no where to be found. and, it is amazing how songs, or albums, seep into your memory in such away that hearing them again. i heard dido's song recently and it threw me back in time to that very moment.

that night, i slept fitfully. on the floor in front of our screen door, i composed a makeshift bed of sofa cushions and waited for his arrival. josh had photoshopped a nice poster for me to distribute and i was at kinko's close to 6am to make copies. my eyes were red, puffy, & dry from lack of rest. my lunch break involved a trip to the animal shelter & very little, if any, lunch. after work was door-to-door visits throughout our neighborhood, to which i received a wide variety of responses ranging from indifference to heartfelt empathy. then there was an elderly lady who glanced at my stack of papers and, without allowing an explanation, exclaimed "i don't want any!" and slammed the door in my face. crushed, but relentless, i think i managed to leave one tucked somewhere in her doorway in hopes she might give me a second try. as the sun set that night, time stood still, my heart pooled up somewhere in my stomach. my first cat of my very own was gone. and i was so sad. so. sad.

that night, exhausted, i returned the cushions to their proper post on the couch and slept in my bed. the window was wide open. i kept my bed pushed against the wall by the window which looked over the stairs which led to our second story apartment. and, somewhere in the night, i awoke suddenly, imagining the soft meows of monty in my dreams. bug-eyed, i opened the front door and looked down the stairs, calling out for him. heart skipping and slipping into disappointment, i shut the door and stumbled into bed.

seconds...minutes...an unknown passing of time bore another meow.... blinking hard, awake, heart jumping in my chest, i flew softly out of my bed a second time and opened the door. to find. my precious, wonderful kitty! monty had nearly reached the halfway point up the stairs and i calmly called for him. i was so relieved. i hugged him tenderly, offered him food, and called josh to let him know. i think it was 2am. i was the happiest girl in the world at 2am.



and now i have two cats! meet mango & monty.

::approved, with conditions::

well, as much as i absolutely freaked out when i opened the envelope from our association last night, it is a relatively small scale issue that we have to contend with and one with which i am trying desperately to forgive. say it with me: f-o-r-g-i-v-e. of the hundreds of landscaping plans they review every month, they manage to overlook one small issue which will require a FORTH submission for final approval and more work for them. a condition which, had they looked closely enough, is already satisfied. on the otherhand, i must admit that i have been thinking about planting something different in place of the box-leaf euonymus. so, perhaps it's not so bad after all.

i would like to have something profound to say here on mother's day, but i'll leave the thoughts for conversations & cards.

::saturday funnies::

Cat Quiz

Humans:

Your cat waits and miaows at the front door when you arrive. Is it saying:
a) Welcome home
b) The phone rang twice while you were out
c) Feed me, NOW

Your cat miaows at the door when you go out. Is it saying:
a) Please don’t leave me here all alone
b) Goodbye
c) But what if I get hungry while you out?

Your cat digs its claws in your leg. Is this:
a) An unsupressed primal instinct
b) A sign of affection
c) A demand to be fed now

Your cat scratches at the door after being fed: Is it saying:
a) Lemme out - I need to use the garden
b) Wanna go out and play
c) Wonder what they’ve got to eat next door?

Cats:

Your human walks into the kitchen. Does this mean:
a) It’s hungry
b) It’s lost
c) You’re hungry

Your human puts down a bowl of food for you. Is this:
a) supper
b) something to keep you going till supper’s ready
c) inedible junk to be scorned in favour of what the human’s got.

Your human removes you from the top of the television. Does this mean:
a) You’re in trouble - better not do it again
b) Nothing - humans do this from time to time
c) The human wants to play, so climb up again to amuse it.

Staircases are for:
a) Getting up to the human’s bedroom at 4am
b) Lying in wait in the dark at the top of
c) Walking down just slower than the human in front of it.
d) all of the above

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

also funny, but way too large to post, the CAT user manual. hee hee!

::wire-less::

i must blog. because right now is a blogging opportunity which promises not to show itself again for a very long time. as i type this, i am currently at a salon, freshly encased in purple hair dye which promises to be a nice shade of red when the process is completed. and, i am LIVE on the WEB on josh's powerbook g4 (go apple!). how stinkin' cool is THAT? while i doubt the salon has given any thought to clients jumping on their wireless internet port, it's after 7pm and i just want to have fun.

work was better today. i've been experiencing a mild sort of irritation with certain policies which appear to stand only at the convenience of certain management people (person), i have to realize that where i was 6+ months ago would not be affording me the kind of freedom i am being allowed. although it involves giving up a few hours pay, i've got the afternoon off tomorrow which is extremely sweet. i am finally going to see my girlfriend whom i haven't seen for over 2 years. and, i am ridiculously excited about it. the guacamole @ taco loco doesn't stand a chance!

on the other side of the goings ons in my life, the committee meets today about the landscaping plans & we are praying for a final approval. we are, sadly, at their mercy. there are only a few more steps until completion, and i'm counting down to the day we can drag the bbq out (thank you, michelle-of-former-employer. i dedicate my first grilled steak to you).

in addition, we've recently booked our trip to new york city, much to the alarm of my parents. i'm exaggerating, of course, but admittedly nyc is much more intimidating than san francisco in my mind, and we've got that city down...so long as i can continue to avoid being run over by passing cars at crosswalks! your travel tips/experiences are welcome (hint hint).

oh! and it has recently been brought to my attention by one of my readers that they do not understand the concept of the "comments" area on furiousmuse. below each post, you will see the words "curious thoughts? / # curious thought(s). if you click on it, you can leave your thoughts. the webpage/email fields are not required. ... there you have it! time to go & play...

::all in a... yeah, whatever::

two very disturbing phrases spoken to me today at work by customers who really should know better, but don't.

pushing 100 degrees today, our office was a nice reprieve... but according to one lady, "as soon as i get home, the clothes are coming off!" uh HUM. i really didn't need to know that. thankyouverymuch!

and, after a very simple transaction which left me swimming in circles pondering the exact grasp i have of the english language and wondering what business i have trying to help people, she closes her checkbook, looks at me, and says, "so, what are you going to do with the rest of your life?" uh, really? what? stammering out a few polite remarks which satisfied her curiousity, she eventually deplaned from my teller window leaving me completely stupefied.

::saturday funnies::

worst songs ever

what's YOUR vote?