I've also discovered a committment to perform at the Aspen Music Festival in July. Aspen in the summer. Well, I suppose it can be fun - hiking, etc. instead of skiing.
Here are the details:
Aspen Festival Orchestra
FEATURED CONDUCTOR AND ARTISTS
Aspen Festival Orchestra
David Zinman conductor
Sasha Cooke mezzo-soprano
Nathan Gunn baritone
Janine Jansen violin
PROGRAM
DVORĂK: Carnival Overture, B. 169, op. 92
JOHN HARBISON: Symphony No. 5
TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35
PERFORMANCE DATE AND TIME
Sunday
July 12, 2009
4:00 pm
Benedict Music Tent
Now don't you want to go? I know I do!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Nathan Gunn Spends Another Summer in London!
Or maybe it'll just be June. With my super NG antenna I have ferreted out his summer performance - and, of course, he's going to do a production of CAMELOT. GAH!! I would give my eye-teeth to see it, but I don't have the DeNiro (get it, denero, i.e. money) to get there. Woe is me.
Here are the details:
Royal Festival Hall
Camelot
A concert performance presented by Raymond Gubbay
Friday 26 June 2009 - Saturday 27 June 2009
Frederick Loewe's Camelot
Anthony Andrews, Emmy award-winning star of theatre, film and television, leads a superb star cast including world-renowned baritone Nathan Gunn in this rare chance to experience a concert performance of Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot. This celebrated musical of passion and pageantry which inspired an age is accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as the legend of King Arthur unfolds. With a host of much-loved songs including How to Handle a Woman, If Ever I would Leave You and I Loved You Once In Silence this promises to be a memorable evening not to be missed.
Wonder who the rest of the "superb star cast" is?
If anyone is interested in going, you'll get 10% off groups of 10 or more. I'm just sayin'. OH! Just occurred to me - his family could get a discount if they pump it up by a few more relatives! I'm sure he'll be taking his family. His extremely lucky family to be spending time in England. Sigh.
Here's the link
Royal Festival Hall
Nathan Gunn and Me in the NY Philharmonic Camelot
Okay, fine, it isn't me it's Marin Mazzie
Sheesh
Here are the details:
Royal Festival Hall
Camelot
A concert performance presented by Raymond Gubbay
Friday 26 June 2009 - Saturday 27 June 2009
Frederick Loewe's Camelot
Anthony Andrews, Emmy award-winning star of theatre, film and television, leads a superb star cast including world-renowned baritone Nathan Gunn in this rare chance to experience a concert performance of Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot. This celebrated musical of passion and pageantry which inspired an age is accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as the legend of King Arthur unfolds. With a host of much-loved songs including How to Handle a Woman, If Ever I would Leave You and I Loved You Once In Silence this promises to be a memorable evening not to be missed.
Wonder who the rest of the "superb star cast" is?
If anyone is interested in going, you'll get 10% off groups of 10 or more. I'm just sayin'. OH! Just occurred to me - his family could get a discount if they pump it up by a few more relatives! I'm sure he'll be taking his family. His extremely lucky family to be spending time in England. Sigh.
Here's the link
Royal Festival Hall
Let's All Keep Our Fingers Crossed for Susan!
Tomorrow Susan is supposed to go see the fantastic, the handsome, the oh-won't-you-be-my-baby Nathan Gunn perform in Baltimore. Here's the scoop from Susan's site:
The 49th Annual Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Lecture-Performance: Nathan Gunn
Nathan Gunn, one of the most acclaimed and in-demand baritones performing today, will be the featured artist for Goucher’s 49th Annual Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Lecture-Performance, held on Sunday, March 1, at 7 p.m. in Kraushaar Auditorium.
Free tickets must be reserved in advance by calling 410-337-6333 or e-mailing boxoffice@goucher.edu.
In addition to his performance, Gunn has offered to do a Q&A session/lecture/demonstration with interested Goucher students and faculty on Monday, March 2, from 9 to 10 a.m. in Merrick Lecture Hall. If you would like to attend, or if you need more information, contact Kristen Keener at kristen.keener@goucher.edu or 410-337-6316.
For more information about Gunn’s performance and accomplishments, please see www.goucher.edu/x29695.xml.
The reason we need to keep our fingers crossed? The WEATHER. Yes, the weather is conspiring against Susan. Her area is under a hazardous weather warning for snow and sleet. QUELLE HORREUR!
So now what I have always suspected is true. Weather is a JEALOUS WOMAN. Yes, plotting against Susan, attempting to keep Nathan Gunn to herself. You don't believe me? Just take a look at Monsieur Gunn's own performance schedule. Performance CANCELED in Cincinatti due to...WEATHER. I'm sure this has happened quite a bit over his career. I don't blame Weather, of course. If I had that kind of power, well, let's just say M. Gunn would be hanging around here, and we'd be having a GUNN show (<--ha ha) every day.
However, Mme. Weather, my friend Susan needs/wants/has to get to Baltimore tomorrow. So KNOCK IT OFF. Or I'll tell Nathan on you and he won't love you anymore. So there.
The 49th Annual Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Lecture-Performance: Nathan Gunn
Nathan Gunn, one of the most acclaimed and in-demand baritones performing today, will be the featured artist for Goucher’s 49th Annual Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Lecture-Performance, held on Sunday, March 1, at 7 p.m. in Kraushaar Auditorium.
Free tickets must be reserved in advance by calling 410-337-6333 or e-mailing boxoffice@goucher.edu.
In addition to his performance, Gunn has offered to do a Q&A session/lecture/demonstration with interested Goucher students and faculty on Monday, March 2, from 9 to 10 a.m. in Merrick Lecture Hall. If you would like to attend, or if you need more information, contact Kristen Keener at kristen.keener@goucher.edu or 410-337-6316.
For more information about Gunn’s performance and accomplishments, please see www.goucher.edu/x29695.xml.
The reason we need to keep our fingers crossed? The WEATHER. Yes, the weather is conspiring against Susan. Her area is under a hazardous weather warning for snow and sleet. QUELLE HORREUR!
So now what I have always suspected is true. Weather is a JEALOUS WOMAN. Yes, plotting against Susan, attempting to keep Nathan Gunn to herself. You don't believe me? Just take a look at Monsieur Gunn's own performance schedule. Performance CANCELED in Cincinatti due to...WEATHER. I'm sure this has happened quite a bit over his career. I don't blame Weather, of course. If I had that kind of power, well, let's just say M. Gunn would be hanging around here, and we'd be having a GUNN show (<--ha ha) every day. However, Mme. Weather, my friend Susan needs/wants/has to get to Baltimore tomorrow. So KNOCK IT OFF. Or I'll tell Nathan on you and he won't love you anymore. So there.
The Difference Between Boys and Girls (As Told by a 3 Year Old)
Last night I was babysitting my three year old granddaughter and my six year old grandson. After bath time I was drying my granddaughter, rubbing the towel up and down her legs. She told me not to be so rough, I was near her china. I said, "Huh?" And she said, "Boys have peanuts, girls have a china."
And there you have it - the difference between boys and girls.
And there you have it - the difference between boys and girls.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Yesterday is Gone - But it Was a Really, Really Nice Day!
Yesterday was the first day we've had good weather in about forever. I know for sure it's just about one of the nicest days weather-wise of 2009...high in the 60's and no wind or rain. YAY!
To celebrate, I picked up the grandkids after school and took them to the park to feed the ducks and generally just be OUTSIDE. It seems like it's been forever since they could just go out and play.
Here's the duck pond:
We fed the ducks a mixture of white bread and hot dog buns - all that I had at home before we headed out. The kids love to come here. The ducks were pretty hungry, too, and came up right away to eat:
The kids were happy just to get outside and walk around. The grandson, of course, ran ahead everywhere:
The granddaughter is pretty good about staying close, but she wants equal camera time:
All in all we had a pretty good time for about an hour and a half and I was thankful just to be outside, feeling okay and enjoying the weather.
Oh, yeah - and it was a Nathan Gunn-free day. I think my crush is over. LOL
To celebrate, I picked up the grandkids after school and took them to the park to feed the ducks and generally just be OUTSIDE. It seems like it's been forever since they could just go out and play.
Here's the duck pond:
We fed the ducks a mixture of white bread and hot dog buns - all that I had at home before we headed out. The kids love to come here. The ducks were pretty hungry, too, and came up right away to eat:
The kids were happy just to get outside and walk around. The grandson, of course, ran ahead everywhere:
The granddaughter is pretty good about staying close, but she wants equal camera time:
All in all we had a pretty good time for about an hour and a half and I was thankful just to be outside, feeling okay and enjoying the weather.
Oh, yeah - and it was a Nathan Gunn-free day. I think my crush is over. LOL
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
It's Wednesday and that can mean only one thing - It's Business Time!
Watch and enjoy. Happy Wednesday!
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Presenting Today's Eye Candy - The Fellows from LOST
Just makes everything seem better somehow. Sigh.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Movie Review - Taken starring Liam Neeson
OMG. If I beg, pretty please with sugar on top, can I please, please get those two hours of my life back? I won't even ask for a refund of the $50.00 it cost for three of us to go and eat some popcorn.
Liam Neeson's character is a former CIA "preventer". When his 17 year old daughter Kim asks him what that means, he replies that it was his job to prevent bad things from happening. If that's so, how come he couldn't prevent this movie from being made?
Liam has quit the CIA in order to move to California to be closer to his daughter. I had a big problem with the premise from the start. Unless he has been living in a vacumn for the last century, he had to know that she is going to graduate from high school soon, go off to college and there is really no need to turn your own life upside down to go be near her. Not unless you are planning to move to wherever she attends college. Then you can move to wherever she finally gets a job, and maybe you can live with her when she gets married. Come on. You don't have to live near someone to be close to them. You can visit, after all, and so can she. So if he didn't realize this wasn't going to achieve his goal, he was delusional. A delusional CIA agent. Hmm. That might be an oxymoron.
Now that he lives closer, he is visited by his former CIA buddies who talk him into helping them with a security gig. He protects a Britney Spears-type singer from a man with a knife and wins her devotion. His own daughter wants to be a singer so she gives him her vocal coach and agent's name...aww. Wasn't that sweet? Liam intends to give the info to the daughter when she asks to meet him for lunch, only to be sidetracked when she reveals that she met him (with his ex-wife Famke Jensen in tow) because she needs his signature on a passport application. The daughter wants to go to Paris with her friend for a few weeks. Since she's 17, she needs him to sign.
Being former CIA and aware of the dangers in the world, Liam is not comfortable with two 17 year olds going to Paris alone, but he eventually caves. He insists that the daughter call him on arrival in Paris and every night...and he provides the phone for her to use. She promises and off she goes.
On arrival in Paris we find that she not only forgets to call him, the cousins of her friend that they are supposed to staying with are in Spain. So they are on their own in the big city. While waiting for a taxi a young Frenchman approaches and asks to share a cab, then invites them to a party later that day. As they enter the residence and he walks away, he calls someone on his phone and gives the address.
Daddy Liam keeps calling the phone and finally she answers. When she does, she apologizes, then looks across the courtyard window to see that several men are now in the house and forcibly taking her friend. Liam gives her instructions on what to do and tells her he will find her. Then she is also "taken".
It gets weird from here. Liam gets into one insane situation after another trying to find her. He goes ape-you-know-what at the airport and although he is initially chased by police, he walks around free. He steals cars, he breaks into places and never gets a scratch. And you know what is almost worst? His hair looks like crap throughout the entire movie. The back is like crazy. Like it needs cut, for one, and it sticks out like it's never been washed, and he leaned back on something and then came back up. You know what I mean. This sort of shows the look (I couldn't find a pic from the back):
The movie ends on a WTF? moment when Dad and daughter return to the U.S. (how'd they get out of France with the police looking for him?). She diddy-bops out of the jetway into Mom's arms but it's more like she's coming home from a rock concert than having been drugged and sold into white slavery. But then again, I guess you would have had to have a brain to have psychological damage.
I read online someone having the temerity to compare this to the Jason Bourne movies. Give me a break! Those movies rock, and the situations are certainly more plausible than they are here.
One good thing, though. Liam has lost weight and I know he's going to play Abraham Lincoln in Steven Speilberg's production of Doris Kearns Goodwin's book Team of Rivals. I think he'll look like him - he has the height and now the gauntness. Sure hope he can lose that accent.
Liam Neeson in Taken
I love action movies. My family can all attest to this - I would rather see James Bond than Sophie's Choice. But when they take someone of Liam Neeson's stature and throw him in an action hero role, well, the writing and the plot better hold up. I don't think they did in this venture.Liam Neeson's character is a former CIA "preventer". When his 17 year old daughter Kim asks him what that means, he replies that it was his job to prevent bad things from happening. If that's so, how come he couldn't prevent this movie from being made?
Liam has quit the CIA in order to move to California to be closer to his daughter. I had a big problem with the premise from the start. Unless he has been living in a vacumn for the last century, he had to know that she is going to graduate from high school soon, go off to college and there is really no need to turn your own life upside down to go be near her. Not unless you are planning to move to wherever she attends college. Then you can move to wherever she finally gets a job, and maybe you can live with her when she gets married. Come on. You don't have to live near someone to be close to them. You can visit, after all, and so can she. So if he didn't realize this wasn't going to achieve his goal, he was delusional. A delusional CIA agent. Hmm. That might be an oxymoron.
Now that he lives closer, he is visited by his former CIA buddies who talk him into helping them with a security gig. He protects a Britney Spears-type singer from a man with a knife and wins her devotion. His own daughter wants to be a singer so she gives him her vocal coach and agent's name...aww. Wasn't that sweet? Liam intends to give the info to the daughter when she asks to meet him for lunch, only to be sidetracked when she reveals that she met him (with his ex-wife Famke Jensen in tow) because she needs his signature on a passport application. The daughter wants to go to Paris with her friend for a few weeks. Since she's 17, she needs him to sign.
Being former CIA and aware of the dangers in the world, Liam is not comfortable with two 17 year olds going to Paris alone, but he eventually caves. He insists that the daughter call him on arrival in Paris and every night...and he provides the phone for her to use. She promises and off she goes.
On arrival in Paris we find that she not only forgets to call him, the cousins of her friend that they are supposed to staying with are in Spain. So they are on their own in the big city. While waiting for a taxi a young Frenchman approaches and asks to share a cab, then invites them to a party later that day. As they enter the residence and he walks away, he calls someone on his phone and gives the address.
Daddy Liam keeps calling the phone and finally she answers. When she does, she apologizes, then looks across the courtyard window to see that several men are now in the house and forcibly taking her friend. Liam gives her instructions on what to do and tells her he will find her. Then she is also "taken".
It gets weird from here. Liam gets into one insane situation after another trying to find her. He goes ape-you-know-what at the airport and although he is initially chased by police, he walks around free. He steals cars, he breaks into places and never gets a scratch. And you know what is almost worst? His hair looks like crap throughout the entire movie. The back is like crazy. Like it needs cut, for one, and it sticks out like it's never been washed, and he leaned back on something and then came back up. You know what I mean. This sort of shows the look (I couldn't find a pic from the back):
The movie ends on a WTF? moment when Dad and daughter return to the U.S. (how'd they get out of France with the police looking for him?). She diddy-bops out of the jetway into Mom's arms but it's more like she's coming home from a rock concert than having been drugged and sold into white slavery. But then again, I guess you would have had to have a brain to have psychological damage.
I read online someone having the temerity to compare this to the Jason Bourne movies. Give me a break! Those movies rock, and the situations are certainly more plausible than they are here.
One good thing, though. Liam has lost weight and I know he's going to play Abraham Lincoln in Steven Speilberg's production of Doris Kearns Goodwin's book Team of Rivals. I think he'll look like him - he has the height and now the gauntness. Sure hope he can lose that accent.
Television Review - CSI After Grissom
There is no bigger fan of William Petersen portraying Gil Grissom than me. Seriously. I've watched CSI since inception primarily for the smart acting of Petersen. So when he revealed he was leaving the show I had an oh-no! moment.
I'm happy to now reveal that Laurence Fishburne is doing better than expected (by me, anyway) in the role of Dr. Ray Langston. When I heard of his casting I was incredibly skeptical. First, how dare Petersen leave? And to be replaced by Morpheus from the Matrix? Come on! I went into this situation with a huge chip on my shoulder.Turns out it has been okay. Fishburne's Langston, rather than attempting to come close to filling Grissom's shoes, has been low key and a learner rather than someone coming in like they know everything already. It is really, IMHO, giving the rest of the cast a chance to shine. They instruct him along each case and it seems to be working to let us get to know him slowly rather than having him rammed down our throats.
Of course, the show is complete crap. Not the acting but the concept. No police department has a forensic lab of the proportion shown on CSI. Not even the FBI has a lab with all those toys. And typing DNA, doing all those wonderful experiments...well, in the real world they don't exist in the same way and the results are certainly NOT instantaneous. Additionally, CSIs do not carry guns or interview witnesses/suspects/prisoners. They stick to their work and are not sworn officers. It's hard for me to watch a lot of shows due to my police experience. But sometimes, as is the case for CSI, I can completely suspend my disbelief and enjoy the show.
As I watched last week's episode I didn't once think "I miss Gil". And that is saying something.
Although Our Tango Was Sublime, We Fell Far Short of a World Record
Participants Practice Before the Event
Well, it's official. Decatur sucks. Not that I didn't know that before this event came up, but still one harbors hope. I went to more than one practice for this Guinness Record attempt and it was packed. Lots of people dancing their fool hearts out, so foolishly I assumed we had a real shot at getting this record. Bah. Once again Decatur let us down.
Where was everyone? One theory is that the weather kept them from coming. It was about 10 degrees with winds of 25-35 mph. Okay, that might have discouraged some, but surely the younger college students could have walked over and participated! It was Millikin University's idea to do this - they couldn't recruit enough people in a college of approximately 18,000 students?
I'm disappointed but not all hope is lost. Apparently we also have a shot for a record regarding the fact that everyone was doing the tango. Wow. The organizers were happy that so many showed up and felt good - I was disappointed that so few showed up and felt bad. Well, not bad exactly. We danced and we were pretty good, we had fun. It wasn't all gloom.
Afterward we all went downtown to eat some Argentinean food, just to keep in the spirit. Many of the bars/restaurants downtown had special menus to celebrate the event. We had a good time and that helped ease the sting of the no-shows.
The positives from this experience? I learned how to dance the tango. I got to spend quality time with my children and a potential future daughter-in-law. Everyone seemed to have fun. So I guess the "world record" was not important, after all.
The Spell is Broken!
Something happened to a friend of mine yesterday and she was upset and embarrassed. I won't go into detail, but what was a truly unhappy experience for her had an unusual side effect. It FREED me!
Compulsions, attractions - they are very dangerous things. They can take you down paths that you thought you'd never go. They make you feel things too deeply, they make you imagine things that aren't true. They are a sickness in the worst sense.
So by having this event occur to my friend, it helped me put my own situation in perspective. A good old fashioned dose of reality - like cold water thrown in your face - and the sleeping brain awakes to the absurdity of it all. Result - I'M FREE!
Thanks for the cold water, friend. You inadvertently provided it just when I needed it most.
Compulsions, attractions - they are very dangerous things. They can take you down paths that you thought you'd never go. They make you feel things too deeply, they make you imagine things that aren't true. They are a sickness in the worst sense.
So by having this event occur to my friend, it helped me put my own situation in perspective. A good old fashioned dose of reality - like cold water thrown in your face - and the sleeping brain awakes to the absurdity of it all. Result - I'M FREE!
Thanks for the cold water, friend. You inadvertently provided it just when I needed it most.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Nathan Gunn Wins Hottest Baritone Poll!
Thanks to you, my grateful public, Nathan Gunn won the hottest baritone poll here by the slimmest of margins over The Gunnster.
Take that, you David Adam Moore fans. HA! In your face!
Take that, you David Adam Moore fans. HA! In your face!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Trips, Trips, Trips!!
The trips I mentioned a few weeks ago are now closer to reality. Yesterday I booked the flights for Las Vegas for the May conference. YAY!! Adult beverages shall abound and now that I'm more comfortable playing craps, I shall attempt a table or two while I'm there. Won't be as much fun as if I were going with just my co-worker (taking the husband and two sons along) but it'll still be fun. I have made myself a promise to drink myself into a stupor every day and I intend to hold myself to that. No, I'm not an alcoholic, I just want to reward myself for the seven months of Hell from 2008 when I didn't feel like walking, let alone drinking anything.
The Penner-Ash Winery near Portland, Oregon
Drinking aside, the purpose of the visit is to let my daughter and grandkids see where he lives, his work, etc. They haven't been to visit before so it should be fun. This will be my 4th trip in about 3 years. I miss him and it's fun to go out there. It doesn't hurt that there is an outlet mall about 20 miles from his house. Not a cheapy one like we have around here, this has Tommy Bahama and other high-end stores. There is also a very nice mall nearby as well. He lives in the heart of Intel country and the upscale yuppie population have made the area a very nice place to visit.
We're also going to do some boring kid things, too, live visit the Portland Children's Museum and the Oregon Zoo. There is also talk of a trip to the coast to visit another child's spot the Pelican Brew Pub in Pacific City, Oregon. Okay, that last one could be a kid's dream! It's right on the ocean. Last time we took our beers outside and drank them with our feet in the ocean and watched a number of people surf. A kid would like that, right? Must remember to take along extra clothes - I can see the grandson jumping in.
Last but not least we'll either go up to Mt. Hood and eat lunch in the Timberline Lodge (the exteriors were used for the hotel in The Shining) or go up to Mt. St. Helens and let the kids take a look at the destruction the last eruption caused. We've been there before, on the west side while visiting some of my husbands relatives in the area, but I want to go to the Johnston Ridge Observatory on the east side and see the mountain close up.
It's a lot to fit into 3 1/2 days, but we'll make it. And there is no schedule, so we'll do what is easiest for the kids, I'm sure, before we do anything for the adults. We can always go into downtown Portland, too. There is an Illini bar there that my son goes to when he's not on call on the weekends to hang out with fellow ex-patriot Illini and have a few. We watched the Illini in the final four there a couple of years ago on a visit. Lots of fun, and they gave out Illini prizes, too. Gotta love those alumni.
Anyway, I have trips in April (conference in Peoria, Illinois), May (Las Vegas for 7 days), June (Portland, Oregon), September (conference in Chicago, Illinois), October (conference in Springfield, Illinois) and possibly one more trip with the family in August to Boston. I am a traveling fool, and I like it.
Music Review - Rodgers & Hammerstein's Allegro
Here's the good news about these CDs. Nathan Gunn and Audra McDonald sing on them. And they are very good, although there is a bit of dialogue that feels as if NG forced it. Not the music, never the music. But the dialogue...well, I'm still trying to understand what happened there. Feels a bit fake, feels a bit forced.I've had the CDs since their release date but I waited a couple of weeks before I would allow myself to review it. Why? I wanted to give it a fair chance. It's an old work, never done more than a handful of times, and it shows its age. By that I mean it is definitely a product of the time in which it was created.
While in high school, one of my younger sons was very involved in the drama department. The reason I bring this up is that they did a stage production of the Jean Shepherd book "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories". (Jean Shepherd also wrote the perennial favorite "A Christmas Story".) The play was done with the entire cast speaking the narrative, then the 3-4 leads would say their lines individually. No sets, just all the cast in white shirts and khakis and they moved around the stage in various configurations as the action was played out. I immediately flashed on this when listening to Allegro.
The story centers around Joseph Taylor Jr.'s life from growing up to growing wise. Sort of follows his rise and fall and then redemption, if you will. Nathan is only in a few songs and bits of dialogue and the chorus figures largely in the storytelling. Audra McDonald sounds wonderful - I can't say enough good about her songs and her dialogue.
It feels so dated that I can't imagine seeing this as an actual stage/movie production, but I suppose it would be possible. The story is as old as time - kid does good, makes it big, meets a woman who has other ambitions for him, he plays along for awhile, finally gets his head on straight, remembers where he came from and goes back there. Nothing new, nothing anyone hasn't seen before.
And now for the brutal honesty. The songs aren't that good - there is nothing catchy or memorable...due to the talking/chorus nature of the work, it's really an ensemble that has no breakout numbers. That is not to say that Nathan's voice isn't good, you know it is, but the songs he sings are not anything to write home about. Marni Nixon sings the grandmother parts and she is very much past her singing career. Sorry, Marni, you know I love you, but it is just not happening for me. (In case you don't know her, Marni Nixon did the singing for Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady and for Natalie Wood in West Side Story, among others.) Judy Kuhn, the voice of Disney's Pocahontas and a longtime stage/concert performer is good as is Patrick Wilson who sings the lead.
The lack of fire, the lack of anything memorable or catchy is probably why this piece lay dormant for 50 years, and why it probably won't go much farther. To quote Dennis Miller, that is just my opinion of course, I could be wrong.
If you are a Nathan Gunn lover, you can buy this, but if I were you I'd go to Amazon.com and download the mp3s of the tracks that he is in if you feel compelled to have them. They won't make much sense since they are not set up by the singing chorus, but you'll get to hear him and that is NEVER a bad thing. It'll cost a lot less and won't make you want to hit yourself in the face for wasting money on the two disc set.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Oh, Come On Now - Vote for Nathan Gunn!!
There are only three days left in the poll on this blog (check the sidebar, please) and Susan, devilish Susan, I'd-rather-be-sleeping Susan, is stuffing the ballot box for her favorite, The Gunnster.
Are you people going to allow The Gunnster to beat Nathan-The-Pearl-Fisher Gunn? (I'm discounting that Top Gunn thing 'cause I just borrowed it for the poll.)
Only eight votes and yet The Gunnster is pulling ahead.
I call upon all fans of Nathan-Billy-Budd-Gunn to come out of the woodwork and VOTE!! I want to shove this poll down those Moore fans at Barihunks throat!
Come on now - we want Nathan-The-Barber-of-Seville-Gunn to pull this one out!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Nathan and Julie Gunn Wow Them at Oberlin College
Nathan and Julie Gunn at the Oberlin Q&A Session February 15, 2009
Photo Courtesy of Banawoman
Okay, perhaps "wow" isn't the right word, but they would have wowed me if I'd been there. A couple of fellow fans attended, took pictures and gave their accounts of the experience. For details, and the pix, check out I'd rather be sleeping (but opera is keeping me awake). Susan obtained permission to post the images and the stories and rather than go to all that work myself, I'm gonna leech off of her. Don't worry - she's already used to people leeching, but at least I give her credit. Thanks, Susan!
There are a few things that struck me as I read the attendee accounts. First, I am squeeing here over the fact that Nathan KNOWS that I want a Broadway album. Okay, that's not exactly what was said, but to a delusional fan such as myself, that's close enough. He wants to play Billy Bigelow! (insert sad face here) Why am I sad, you ask? Well, that guy is NOT gonna get the girl, if you know what I mean. And if you've seen Carousel, you do. No HEA (happily ever after) included. And I really, really want to see Nathan in a role where he doesn't get electrocuted, or hung or banned from a kingdom or thrown overboard or whatever besides The Magic Flute.
However, I am not complaining 'cause I know he would rock that score beyond belief. I was raised on musicals and I still love them all. Oklahoma, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Kiss Me Kate, Unsinkable Molly Brown...my mom dragged us to all of them and I know most of the scores by heart. My fondest wish is to hear Nathan sing any/all of the musicals from my childhood.
I gleaned from the account that NG said he had been approached about doing a musical and that he didn't want or couldn't do the open-ended commitment that would take. I totally get that. I don't need to see him playing the parts, I just want the music. And Broadway is so risky. A play opens and closes in the same breath, and there goes all that wasted rehearsal time and your payday. He has a large family to support, I assume he wants the guaranteed money of opera, which is what I would do.
Second, I'm interested in the family talk. Again, none of my business, but the fact that they brought their oldest daughter along and she didn't lose her mind or complain that anyone could tell is fabulous. I'm not saying that she would have, but I have been around kids of that age (13-14, I think?) and sometimes they can really make an experience a chore due to boredom. On the other hand, it was only for about an hour so not much time to get too restless.
The thing that absolutely floors me in both these accounts is that they didn't ask for a picture with either/or/both Nathan and Julie. I would sooo do that. Of course that might not be proper etiquette, but I would still give it a shot.
I would also probably make a complete nuisance of myself asking JULIE questions. (You thought I was gonna say Nathan, didn't you?) But I'd want to find out about how she does what she does and maybe compare notes on parenting a large family. Especially considering his long absences. He can chime in, too, but I really want to pick her brain a bit. I'd also like to know if she sings at all.
Last, I would have to ask this - are any of the children interested in or talented enough to follow in dad's footsteps? If not singing, are any of them musical in any way? I had each of my children play a different instrument in the hope that one day they would be able to play something together. We made that goal when the youngest were in 4th grade. It was very touching and I loved the experience, but they were not destined for greatness musically speaking.
These are my burning questions, as the big O would say. (No, not *that* big O! I mean Oprah - keep it clean, kids.) Maybe someday I'll get to ask them.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Illini Hockey Game 2-13-2009
Having three Illini alumni sons, we are always attending some event or another at the University of Illinois campus. This week it was hockey.
The U of I hockey team played Lindenwood last Friday. I don't know where Lindenwood is, but the scoop in the stands was that they recruit mostly from Minnesota and Canada...bad news for our team since those kids are raised on the ice. Not to say that we don't have ice in Illinois in the winter, but we don't have a lot of frozen lakes to skate on and it's not a religion here like it is in more northern areas.
The game went about 2 hours and 45 minutes, which wasn't that bad. The bad part is that my alumni kids like to sit with the students and every single time that happens, in every single venue, it means only one thing for Mom - we're gonna stand the whole time. I've stood in the Orange Krush section for men's basketball, I've stood in the horseshoe for men's football and now I have stood in the cheap seats for men's hockey. Joy.
Standing should not be painful thing. I walk all day, I walk for exercise, I don't consider myself in horrible shape. But something about standing in the same place on concrete for close to three hours - well, it didn't feel too bad then, but today my back was telling me, hey, dummy, wassup with standing so long?
We always go early so we can walk down to Green Street and get some food before whatever we are there for. Friday was no exception. We went into Chipolte's and had a bite before the big game. I had the salad with steak and it was incredibly spicy, but very good. Their guacamole, by the way, was perfection. I would actually have loved to take some home, but couldn't figure a good way to keep it till the game was over. After eating we walked back and then is when the fun began.
The day had been pretty good weather wise - about 44 degrees, a bit of wind but not horrible. In that spirit I wore my orange Illinois t-shirt with my Ron Turner blue Illini jacket over it. I had my gloves, just in case, but I should have dressed more warmly because on the walk back it began to snow and the wind picked up, so that by the time we got to the arena I was frozen.
Once we got inside and had our tickets taken and our hands stamped, we made our way over to our seats, smack dab in the middle of the students. I'm really okay with that other than the standing. I have a lot of kids, I like kids, I feel I'm pretty young at heart and can get along with most kids. I got settled in, and then the fun began.
All around us the kids were like something from a social experiment. The kids directly beside me were more or less well-behaved, with their clothing doing the expressing for them - bursts of teal and pink and yellow from head to toe, including tennis shoes that had to have been designed by them. They didn't have a whole lot to say aloud that I could hear, unlike the kids in front and behind me.
The kids in front of me to the left, one of which had a chief headdress and blue/orange face mask on, had no problem calling the Lindenwood players pussies and (get this) fetus-munchers. It was so unexpected, it was funny. I mean who calls someone a fetus-muncher? It was crazy!
Behind me were two boys and a girl, all of whom had smuggled in rum to pour into their fountain coke drinks. There was much discussion of whether or not they had enough rum in the drinks, then discussion on who would go get more coke 'cause, man, they had used too much rum and couldn't drink it like that. Of course alcohol is forbidden at any college venue, but tell that to a college kid. The problem with these kids were that the more they drank, the louder and sloppier they got. One of the boys in particular yelled profanities at the team, and finally ended up having spittle fly out of his mouth and it fell on my glasses. I was like, huh? Is it raining in here or what? Then I started wondering if any had fallen in my hair. I didn't feel it on purpose - I didn't want to know or to come back with a hand full of spit.
A boy immediately in front of me and to my right yelled the entire time, specifically picking out two players from Lindenwood to harrass. The Lindenwood players all had their names over their numbers on the back of their jerseys except for one player. This kid yelled at him that his mother didn't love him, she didn't even give him a name. All the other kids in the immediate area thought that was hysterical. It was kind of funny, actually.
I spent most of the game watching the action, but I was constantly reminded of how very young the students were. I remember vividly thinking I was very grown up and sophisticated at that age. Now I just think I must have been pretty dumb.
I'm tired of all the stupid things that keep happening to me...and somebody had better do something about it!
A couple of weeks ago I posted about being pissed after learning I had shingles that were released in my system by the chemotherapy treatments I underwent to treat my breast cancer. At the end of the post I jokingly said "what's next, leprosy?" or something like that. Well, no, not leprosy. Just clumsiness.
A couple of days ago I was hurrying to switch clothes from the washer to the dryer and bring dry clothes up from the basement while on the way to work. As I grabbed the basket and started to make my way to the foot of the stairs, I tripped over the outdoor extension cord that was lying on the floor. I didn't remember that it was there and, of course, in my haste I just fell over. I twisted to the side on the way down, thinking I could set the basket down and possibly save myself. Instead I ended up going down on my side and hitting the back of my head on the edge of the door jamb. Hard.
I lay there for a minute, reliving the sound of the wood crunching under the impact of my head and also thinking that almost every accident I have ever had in my life (and there have been a number of them) were the result of my hurrying. When I was 18 I fell down the stairs of my apartment building and hit my chin on the concrete, causing a cut that required 10 stitches. When I was a lot older, I fell down the stairs here at home, hurrying to work again, and broke my nose on the closed door I hit when I landed on my face - that required surgery to repair. When we were moving my daughter's furniture to Chicago I hurried out the front door to get in the truck and tripped over a newspaper that had been delivered, breaking my ankle. There have been a few more, but I think you get the idea.
I got out the ice and made a pack that I left on the very large bump for 4 hours. Thanks to that treatment, the bump was very small the next day, but it is still painful. Maybe I need that as a reminder.
I...need...to...slow...down. Seriously. Before I kill myself.
A couple of days ago I was hurrying to switch clothes from the washer to the dryer and bring dry clothes up from the basement while on the way to work. As I grabbed the basket and started to make my way to the foot of the stairs, I tripped over the outdoor extension cord that was lying on the floor. I didn't remember that it was there and, of course, in my haste I just fell over. I twisted to the side on the way down, thinking I could set the basket down and possibly save myself. Instead I ended up going down on my side and hitting the back of my head on the edge of the door jamb. Hard.
I lay there for a minute, reliving the sound of the wood crunching under the impact of my head and also thinking that almost every accident I have ever had in my life (and there have been a number of them) were the result of my hurrying. When I was 18 I fell down the stairs of my apartment building and hit my chin on the concrete, causing a cut that required 10 stitches. When I was a lot older, I fell down the stairs here at home, hurrying to work again, and broke my nose on the closed door I hit when I landed on my face - that required surgery to repair. When we were moving my daughter's furniture to Chicago I hurried out the front door to get in the truck and tripped over a newspaper that had been delivered, breaking my ankle. There have been a few more, but I think you get the idea.
I got out the ice and made a pack that I left on the very large bump for 4 hours. Thanks to that treatment, the bump was very small the next day, but it is still painful. Maybe I need that as a reminder.
I...need...to...slow...down. Seriously. Before I kill myself.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
New Poll to Measure Hottest Baritone - Vote for Nathan Gunn!
Instead of contesting the results of the Barihunks poll from last week, I've set up my own. Please vote in the poll in the sidebar - we will definitely show Barihunks who the hottest baritone is, once and for all!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tango for the Guinness World Record Next Weekend!
Last week I attended my first Tango "practice" dance class. It's not an ordinary class by any means - our community is attempting to capture the Guinness World Record for the Largest Dance by Couples next Saturday, February 21st. We need 1100 couples (or 2200 people) to dance the tango for five minutes straight to win. For all the details please click this link Tango Decatur
The only bad part is that I have never tangoed and my only knowledge of the tango has been gleaned from movies, most noteable among those True Lies with Arnold Schwarzenegger. When the instructor asked the class what we knew I said "the man drags the woman across the ground at some point, right?" to which he laughed uproariously. Fine. I'm an idiot. After that faux pas I didn't dare say anything about the transfer of the stem of a rose from one mouth to another.
I did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself. We have a basic step, a step with a rocking thing in the middle and then a step that has the man swerve the side and we follow. Anyway, we don't have to do all the fancy steps, just the basic one over and over. For five minutes. I'm guessing it's going to be the longest five minutes of my life. I'll give you all the details after the event.
Book Review - No Regrets by Michele Ann Young
This book should have been titled Plenty of Regrets for buying this POS. Seriously.
Caroline Torrington is large. She wears glasses. This is mentioned in just about every breath, so no one is allowed to forget it. Sometimes she is called buxom. So you wonder, does that mean her boobs are big? Or does it mean that she's fat? Who knows? And after about 100 pages, who cares?
Caroline is the daughter of a vicar, and it is revealed in flashbacks that she has known the hero Lucas (Lord Foxhaven) all her life. Once the vicar died Caroline and her three sisters have had to go to work and the start of the book has her washing up dishes from an event in a nearby manor.
Enter Lucas. Lucas is misunderstood by his daddy, so instead of conforming to anything daddy wants, Lucas wants and allows daddy to believe the worst of him. Lucas wanted to play the piano but daddy said no, and since mommy was dead Lucas is unable to do anything he wants to do. Wahhh! Lucas even allows Caroline to take the blame once as children for something he did. What a guy.
When they are grown, Lucas's daddy says, No, Lucas, you cannot marry anyone but Caroline if you want your grandma's money. So Lucas asks Caroline who says, Oh, noes, I cannot marry you as you are cute and I am a dog. Lucas says okay and goes off somewhere to whore it up. Caroline, of course, goes home to weep copious amounts on account of she really wants Lucas but can never have him. Huh?
Time goes by. Lucas really, really needs his money. He wants to build a school for street kids to learn music. Yes, that is just what the poor urchins who don't have anything to eat and live in the street want - they want to play music. How about regular schooling, jobs, etc? But I digress. Lucas needs his money to get this school for the poor deprived musicians underway. So he takes another run at Caroline - this time he comes into a house party where she is washing dishes while on horseback. Now this might sound semi-romantic but Lucas doesn't really want Caroline - he just needs her John Hancock on the marriage certificate to get his money.
He picks her up on the horse, rides up the stairs of this manor with her and locks them in a room so she will be hopelessly compromised and have to marry him. Oh, woe is Caroline. So ugly, fat, large, buxom. So unworthy of the hot Lucas. Okay, I'll marry you but only if you provide seasons for my indigent sisters. I was surprised that Lucas didn't say, "Hey - are your sisters frustrated musicians? 'Cause I've got a deal for you". Instead he agrees and they both sign a paper that if either of them want out of the marriage for any reason it shall be so.
Now married Lucas must control himself around the fat, large, buxom Caroline. Of course this is difficult, so every now and then, just to keep her off balance, he'll sneak and kiss/feel/etc. and then reject her. So she is more convinced than ever that he is hot and she is not. Caroline figures out Lucas is going somewhere secret - the school for street urchins turned musicians, of course, but he couldn't come right out and tell her, for God's sake! - and she figures he's got a hottie on the side.
In comes Lucas's father's favorite nephew. He is the favored one over Lucas on account of he takes the father's crap and doesn't say anything (see, Lucas?!) and unknown to Lucas he really wants all the old man's money, all of Lucas's money and the fat/large/buxom Caroline to boot. Entre le conflict.
He is super nice to Caroline while Lucas blows hot and cold. He convinces Caroline to leave Lucas which plays right into his and another blackguard's hands. You see, as if this weren't a stupid enough book, we have a French cousin who comes along and tells Caroline that she is heir to a large estate in France so she should come meet her auntie. The inheritance thing is true, so cousin will have to marry Caroline to keep his hands on it. He doesn't think Caroline is fat/large/buxom, so of course she goes to France.
Meantime, the street urchin musicians have had enough and start to cause Lucas difficulty so he can't run right after Caroline.
Finally he gets free of the situation and goes to France where the bad guys are vanquished, they make up and all is well. For them, I guess, cause by that time I was ready to hurl the book. Talk about stupid. They never get it on, no one gets it on, the bad guys were transparent and the plot sucked.
This type of plot makes me crazy. One small conversation could have cleared up everything. Hey, Caroline, I don't think you're fat/large/buxom and you are worthy, and btw I have a house full of dirty musicians - wanna be house mom? Hey, Lucas, OKAY. The end. I could have saved myself a few hours and frustration if I could have just written that in the first chapter.
Live and learn. And I've learned not to read anything by this author again. Sheesh.
Another Nathan Gunn Convert!
Last weekend I was forced by my somewhat elderly mother to drive her to visit my sick cousin in Lincoln, Illinois, a small town about 35 miles away and only accessible by the dreaded two lane highway...passing cars is not a favorite occupation. 35 miles is an hour+ in two-lane-highway minutes. Sigh.
The visit was done and we were on the way back when I asked her if she had had time yet to listen to the Just Before Sunrise CD that I had given her for Christmas A YEAR AGO. (She keeps telling me that she will, she will, she's just so busy, and so forth.) Of course she replied, "No, I haven't - tell me again who this guy is?"
Well, I went into my usual dissertation. Best baritone that ever lived, a lyric baritone which is different than bass and others, not a "tree trunk Verdi baritone singer" (paraphrasing NG himself). I further tried to get her where she lived by telling her that he had played Lancelot back in May...she loves her some Camelot (the Richard Harris/Richard Burton talking versions) and she thought Robert Goulet was a GOD. Still just uh-huhs from her. So I decide to bring out the big GUNN. (<--ha ha, I crack myself up)
"Mom," I say, "it just so happens that the CD is in the player so let's listen to it now" and before she can say anything I get it going. She at first protests that it is too loud. (I like my Nathan cranked up so that when I sing along I don't hear how bad I am in his key.) So I reduce the sound slightly, but she does have a hearing issue so I keep it up a bit so she won't miss anything.
After listening to him sing The Briar and The Rose, she turns to me and says, (get this) "It's so pleasant to listen to a voice that you can tell is a MAN. It just feels like a warm hug, doesn't it?"
HOLY CANNELLONI - my Mom totally gets it! Apparently Hell has frozen over since the last time I checked.
When we completed our trip and I dropped her off at home, she was saying to herself, "Now where did I put that CD?"
Conversion complete. BOOYAH!
The visit was done and we were on the way back when I asked her if she had had time yet to listen to the Just Before Sunrise CD that I had given her for Christmas A YEAR AGO. (She keeps telling me that she will, she will, she's just so busy, and so forth.) Of course she replied, "No, I haven't - tell me again who this guy is?"
Well, I went into my usual dissertation. Best baritone that ever lived, a lyric baritone which is different than bass and others, not a "tree trunk Verdi baritone singer" (paraphrasing NG himself). I further tried to get her where she lived by telling her that he had played Lancelot back in May...she loves her some Camelot (the Richard Harris/Richard Burton talking versions) and she thought Robert Goulet was a GOD. Still just uh-huhs from her. So I decide to bring out the big GUNN. (<--ha ha, I crack myself up)
"Mom," I say, "it just so happens that the CD is in the player so let's listen to it now" and before she can say anything I get it going. She at first protests that it is too loud. (I like my Nathan cranked up so that when I sing along I don't hear how bad I am in his key.) So I reduce the sound slightly, but she does have a hearing issue so I keep it up a bit so she won't miss anything.
After listening to him sing The Briar and The Rose, she turns to me and says, (get this) "It's so pleasant to listen to a voice that you can tell is a MAN. It just feels like a warm hug, doesn't it?"
HOLY CANNELLONI - my Mom totally gets it! Apparently Hell has frozen over since the last time I checked.
When we completed our trip and I dropped her off at home, she was saying to herself, "Now where did I put that CD?"
Conversion complete. BOOYAH!
OMG Nathan Gunn - Fix It Already!!
I noticed several months ago that Nathan Gunn's page on IMDB (Internet Movie Database) is incredibly sparse and basically uninformative. No pic of our hero, unbelieveably enough, just a link to The Colbert Report and some random and somewhat incorrect filmography information.
I know, I know, he's not a "movie star" per se, but that site is for anyone in the entertainment business and I think he more than qualifies with his Met HD DVD of The Magic Flute, not to mention other TV appearances on PBS' Great Perfomances and so forth.
It's not the lack of a bio pic that has me screaming, though - it's that the link posted to The Colbert Report just goes to a Hulu.com IMDB page and the latest Colbert Report episode. It doesn't even take you to Nathan's interview on 5-6-2008 which was, for lack of a better word, interesting.
The short filmography displayed shows him as portraying Papageno in PETER GRIMES in 2008 for an episode of Great Performances. Yes, the bird-catching Papageno from The Magic Flute. He does an excellent job in that role, but I doubt that is what Britten or Mozart had in mind. How about fixing that? And did he actually play Jaws Brogan in an episode of Out of Sight in 1996? Or does that credit truly belong to Nathan Gunn Number 3 (believe it or not there are three Nathan Gunns in the entertainment industry)? What's up with listing two appearances on The Colbert Report, one in 2007, one in 2008? He might have been scheduled for 2007 to hawk Just Before Sunrise and got caught up in the writer's strike, but I don't think he made more than one appearance. Take a look if you think I'm making this up: IMDB Nathan Gunn Number 2
Doesn't this guy have a publicist? On his home page, NathanGunn.com, there is a category titled "Links" that gives information on his management, which is all over the world. Could one of those people, who no doubt take a bit of moolah from him, check this out? It has been this way for months, for God's sake. I'd change it myself if I had his permission.
How am I going to convert people and get them all rowdied up for Nathan when the info they need to fall in love with him is faulty?
I'm pleading with you, Nathan Gunn's management or whoever takes care of his publicity - fix it! And put up a pic for his bio. And fill out his bio. And list all his performances correctly. And...well, you get the idea. And if you can't or don't want to, let me!! Leave a comment here - I'll zoom over and take care of the whole thing posthaste. 'Cause I loves me my NG.
I know, I know, he's not a "movie star" per se, but that site is for anyone in the entertainment business and I think he more than qualifies with his Met HD DVD of The Magic Flute, not to mention other TV appearances on PBS' Great Perfomances and so forth.
It's not the lack of a bio pic that has me screaming, though - it's that the link posted to The Colbert Report just goes to a Hulu.com IMDB page and the latest Colbert Report episode. It doesn't even take you to Nathan's interview on 5-6-2008 which was, for lack of a better word, interesting.
The short filmography displayed shows him as portraying Papageno in PETER GRIMES in 2008 for an episode of Great Performances. Yes, the bird-catching Papageno from The Magic Flute. He does an excellent job in that role, but I doubt that is what Britten or Mozart had in mind. How about fixing that? And did he actually play Jaws Brogan in an episode of Out of Sight in 1996? Or does that credit truly belong to Nathan Gunn Number 3 (believe it or not there are three Nathan Gunns in the entertainment industry)? What's up with listing two appearances on The Colbert Report, one in 2007, one in 2008? He might have been scheduled for 2007 to hawk Just Before Sunrise and got caught up in the writer's strike, but I don't think he made more than one appearance. Take a look if you think I'm making this up: IMDB Nathan Gunn Number 2
Doesn't this guy have a publicist? On his home page, NathanGunn.com, there is a category titled "Links" that gives information on his management, which is all over the world. Could one of those people, who no doubt take a bit of moolah from him, check this out? It has been this way for months, for God's sake. I'd change it myself if I had his permission.
How am I going to convert people and get them all rowdied up for Nathan when the info they need to fall in love with him is faulty?
I'm pleading with you, Nathan Gunn's management or whoever takes care of his publicity - fix it! And put up a pic for his bio. And fill out his bio. And list all his performances correctly. And...well, you get the idea. And if you can't or don't want to, let me!! Leave a comment here - I'll zoom over and take care of the whole thing posthaste. 'Cause I loves me my NG.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Nathan Gunn...TIED?!
I am inconsolable. In spite of all my marketing, my word of mouth, my posting...Nathan Gunn TIED with David Adam Moore at Barihunks for hottest baritone with both singers receiving 23% of the vote. Sigh.
I know the truth, though. Those Moore fans padded the ballot box. It had nothing to do with his rising star, his physique, his voice. It was politics, pure and simple, and Nathan was punished for not coming out from his busy schedule to campaign.
No matter. He's still the hottest Barihunk around my universe. Take that, Mr. Moore.
I know the truth, though. Those Moore fans padded the ballot box. It had nothing to do with his rising star, his physique, his voice. It was politics, pure and simple, and Nathan was punished for not coming out from his busy schedule to campaign.
No matter. He's still the hottest Barihunk around my universe. Take that, Mr. Moore.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Nathan Gunn Whispers Sweet Nothings...
...unfortunately not in my ear, but in his wife's. Sigh.
I found this article while looking through some old University of Illinois Alumni magazines for an engineering article for my son. It leapt up and slapped me in the face - a true OMG moment. I was lucky to hunt and peck online to find it there.
Here's the link:
http://www.uiaa.org/urbana/illinoisalumni/0701_b.html
Such a nice article about Nathan and Julie Gunn. It's interesting to see that they were apparently predestined to find each other. On the other hand, if my 20 year old son had told me he was getting married...well, let's just say we would have talked quite a bit about it beforehand, then he would have done exactly as he wanted and I would have supported him, albeit hoping it was not a mistake.
It seems very young to me now, but reading the article it also seems as though Nathan was aware of that and worried a bit himself. Perhaps he has an old soul. My once 20 year old sons were more concerned with video games, football and basketball than love and I was very glad for it. That's not to say that they didn't want them some womens - it's more like they did not find "the one" in college. That might have been my fault. I did not get to college due to "love" and had my oldest daughter when I was 19. I hammered into all my children that they had time for that once their education was complete. So Nathan and Julie must have been very special to know what they wanted and not to worry about finishing school or money or any of that back when they were that age. And their parents must have been special, too, to support them through that process, which I assume they did. Good on ya, parental units!
Anyway, good article and clears up some of my questions about their lives, which, admittedly, are none of my business. It's just that I think of my six kids and our lives and the business of it, getting everything done everyday, getting everyone everywhere, let alone being an international opera singer...well, it boggles the mind. People often ask me how I did it and I think that once you're in it, and you're doing it, you just DO IT. You don't think about the how or the why and I'm often truly startled when I think of all we actually accomplished when they were young. No international trips on the scale of the Gunn family, but we went somewhere every year in the summer, lots of driving trips (couldn't afford air travel back then) and we managed to see most of the U.S. in a good way. I think (I hope) all of my kids would say they had a great time and education (even if they fought me all through the Little Bighorn National Battlefield - Mom and her stale old history). But just imagine if I'd been able to afford to do more.
Making their children citizens of the world through international travel can only benefit the Gunn kids. Tolerance is achieved through understanding of different peoples and cultures and I think the Gunn family has it going on already. Good for them.
I found this article while looking through some old University of Illinois Alumni magazines for an engineering article for my son. It leapt up and slapped me in the face - a true OMG moment. I was lucky to hunt and peck online to find it there.
Here's the link:
http://www.uiaa.org/urbana/illinoisalumni/0701_b.html
Such a nice article about Nathan and Julie Gunn. It's interesting to see that they were apparently predestined to find each other. On the other hand, if my 20 year old son had told me he was getting married...well, let's just say we would have talked quite a bit about it beforehand, then he would have done exactly as he wanted and I would have supported him, albeit hoping it was not a mistake.
It seems very young to me now, but reading the article it also seems as though Nathan was aware of that and worried a bit himself. Perhaps he has an old soul. My once 20 year old sons were more concerned with video games, football and basketball than love and I was very glad for it. That's not to say that they didn't want them some womens - it's more like they did not find "the one" in college. That might have been my fault. I did not get to college due to "love" and had my oldest daughter when I was 19. I hammered into all my children that they had time for that once their education was complete. So Nathan and Julie must have been very special to know what they wanted and not to worry about finishing school or money or any of that back when they were that age. And their parents must have been special, too, to support them through that process, which I assume they did. Good on ya, parental units!
Anyway, good article and clears up some of my questions about their lives, which, admittedly, are none of my business. It's just that I think of my six kids and our lives and the business of it, getting everything done everyday, getting everyone everywhere, let alone being an international opera singer...well, it boggles the mind. People often ask me how I did it and I think that once you're in it, and you're doing it, you just DO IT. You don't think about the how or the why and I'm often truly startled when I think of all we actually accomplished when they were young. No international trips on the scale of the Gunn family, but we went somewhere every year in the summer, lots of driving trips (couldn't afford air travel back then) and we managed to see most of the U.S. in a good way. I think (I hope) all of my kids would say they had a great time and education (even if they fought me all through the Little Bighorn National Battlefield - Mom and her stale old history). But just imagine if I'd been able to afford to do more.
Making their children citizens of the world through international travel can only benefit the Gunn kids. Tolerance is achieved through understanding of different peoples and cultures and I think the Gunn family has it going on already. Good for them.
Happy 200th Birthday Abraham Lincoln!
Abraham Lincoln has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Mr. Lincoln practiced law as part of the judicial circuit that included most of Central Illinois and specifically Decatur, where he tried cases in the Macon County Courthouse. You can't go anywhere in Central Illinois without finding some connection to Mr. Lincoln in most towns.
Living only 35 miles from his home in Springfield, Illinois, going to visit it was a yearly destination for my family when I was a child and, as I got older, for myself and my friends. I must have visited his home in the neighborhood of 100 times or more. The things I could tell you about how that area has changed since then. The house itself was always revered, but the surrounding neighborhood was full of gift and souvenir shops for a very long time. I remember parking right in front of the house to go in to tour it. This photo is from before my time, but it shows the disregard for the house with the Pepsi truck parked in front:
Then something wonderful happened - the National Park Service took over the house in the 1980s, bought out the entire area, and has restored other houses in the neighborhood to their original state from Lincoln's time. The streets are correct, the landscaping correct. It is now a joy to behold. Here's a picture of the home as it is now:
Nowadays I take my grandchildren and any and all visiting relatives, work vendors, friends, etc. This last weekend, however, was special.
February 12, 2009, is the 200th birthday for Abraham Lincoln and the entire state has been abuzz with events (an 1860s Ball, a showing of the play Our American Cousin which was what the Lincolns were watching when he was killed, etc.) and special showings/readings and so forth for the past six months. I knew that I would take my grandchildren over this weekend so that they could say that they were part of the festivities when they got older.
We started at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum:
What a great job they did with the Museum and Library! It only took about 20 years and continual political footballing for it to get finally constructed, but it is a wonderful place. It follows Lincoln's life from the time he was a boy to the time he was shot. It is very interactive and has something to please even the most techno of visitors. I was there the day after opening day and many times since (like I said, grandkids, visitors, etc.) and with the gallery area always having a new exhibit, I am never bored.
We then headed down the street to the Old State Capitol:
This is the place where Lincoln gave his "House Divided" speech in the Representative Hall, where he tried many cases before the Illinois Supreme Court and also where he borrowed books from the State Library. On Saturday they hosted area choirs, allowing them to sing spiritual music from Lincoln's time in Representative Hall. There were people in period dress all over, and they gave us pink lemonade and cookies as we toured.
After that we went over to the Lincoln-Herndon Law Office:
This is the only remaining building where Lincoln maintained a law office with his partner, William Herndon, from 1843 to 1852. The building has been restored and has the original Springfield post office on the ground floor.
From there we traveled out to the tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery:
Lincoln was interred in this tomb long after his death...in fact, for a few years after his death he was kept in a different vault, waiting for this tomb to be completed. His body was the object of a kidnapping plot before he was finally able to be put to rest here. The attempted kidnapping plot and the saga of his burial are the subject of a wonderful book by Thomas Craughwell entitled "Stealing Lincoln's Body".
On this day, though, it was more of a time to pay respect. I took the grandchildren into the tomb before the ceremony began so we could view his "sarcophagus" - a misnomer as he is actually buried six feet under the monument in solid concrete (again, read that book to get the details).
Going back outside, a combined choir sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic and Amazing Grace to honor Mr. Lincoln.
Although the grandchildren are only six and three, I know they got something from the experience. The three year old told me that she enjoyed visiting Mr. Lincoln and was especially pleased when I bought her a prairie bonnet earlier in the day so she could look like the lady in the period dress inside the capitol. The six year old surprised me with some very sage questions - he was really paying attention and that is what I wanted. I want them to enjoy and respect the history of the United States, and the special connection all of us feel to Mr. Lincoln as he lived so close by.
Happy 200th Birthday, Mr. Lincoln - I'm glad we got to be part of it!
Living only 35 miles from his home in Springfield, Illinois, going to visit it was a yearly destination for my family when I was a child and, as I got older, for myself and my friends. I must have visited his home in the neighborhood of 100 times or more. The things I could tell you about how that area has changed since then. The house itself was always revered, but the surrounding neighborhood was full of gift and souvenir shops for a very long time. I remember parking right in front of the house to go in to tour it. This photo is from before my time, but it shows the disregard for the house with the Pepsi truck parked in front:
Then something wonderful happened - the National Park Service took over the house in the 1980s, bought out the entire area, and has restored other houses in the neighborhood to their original state from Lincoln's time. The streets are correct, the landscaping correct. It is now a joy to behold. Here's a picture of the home as it is now:
Nowadays I take my grandchildren and any and all visiting relatives, work vendors, friends, etc. This last weekend, however, was special.
February 12, 2009, is the 200th birthday for Abraham Lincoln and the entire state has been abuzz with events (an 1860s Ball, a showing of the play Our American Cousin which was what the Lincolns were watching when he was killed, etc.) and special showings/readings and so forth for the past six months. I knew that I would take my grandchildren over this weekend so that they could say that they were part of the festivities when they got older.
We started at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum:
What a great job they did with the Museum and Library! It only took about 20 years and continual political footballing for it to get finally constructed, but it is a wonderful place. It follows Lincoln's life from the time he was a boy to the time he was shot. It is very interactive and has something to please even the most techno of visitors. I was there the day after opening day and many times since (like I said, grandkids, visitors, etc.) and with the gallery area always having a new exhibit, I am never bored.
We then headed down the street to the Old State Capitol:
This is the place where Lincoln gave his "House Divided" speech in the Representative Hall, where he tried many cases before the Illinois Supreme Court and also where he borrowed books from the State Library. On Saturday they hosted area choirs, allowing them to sing spiritual music from Lincoln's time in Representative Hall. There were people in period dress all over, and they gave us pink lemonade and cookies as we toured.
After that we went over to the Lincoln-Herndon Law Office:
This is the only remaining building where Lincoln maintained a law office with his partner, William Herndon, from 1843 to 1852. The building has been restored and has the original Springfield post office on the ground floor.
From there we traveled out to the tomb in Oak Ridge Cemetery:
Lincoln was interred in this tomb long after his death...in fact, for a few years after his death he was kept in a different vault, waiting for this tomb to be completed. His body was the object of a kidnapping plot before he was finally able to be put to rest here. The attempted kidnapping plot and the saga of his burial are the subject of a wonderful book by Thomas Craughwell entitled "Stealing Lincoln's Body".
On this day, though, it was more of a time to pay respect. I took the grandchildren into the tomb before the ceremony began so we could view his "sarcophagus" - a misnomer as he is actually buried six feet under the monument in solid concrete (again, read that book to get the details).
Going back outside, a combined choir sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic and Amazing Grace to honor Mr. Lincoln.
Although the grandchildren are only six and three, I know they got something from the experience. The three year old told me that she enjoyed visiting Mr. Lincoln and was especially pleased when I bought her a prairie bonnet earlier in the day so she could look like the lady in the period dress inside the capitol. The six year old surprised me with some very sage questions - he was really paying attention and that is what I wanted. I want them to enjoy and respect the history of the United States, and the special connection all of us feel to Mr. Lincoln as he lived so close by.
Happy 200th Birthday, Mr. Lincoln - I'm glad we got to be part of it!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Calling All Nathan Gunn-ites!! We Need Your HELP!!
Over at the Barihunks blog (http://barihunks.blogspot.com/) they are conducting a poll to determine the hottest barihunk (translation for the uninformed - the hottest baritone). Nathan is currently on top (oh, the places my mind goes to sometimes), but he has two other contenders nipping at his heels!
I call on you, the Nathan Gunn, the naked Nathan Gunn, the half-naked Nathan Gunn populace to wing over to the aforementioned Barihunks and vote! We can't let Nathan lose this most prestigious award...it would be criminal since he clearly is the hottest barihunk around!
We are counting on YOU! There is only a day or two left before this poll ends, so please, please don't let Nathan down. I'm sure that winning this contest will be the pinnacle of his career. Or not, but still...he deserves it!
I call on you, the Nathan Gunn, the naked Nathan Gunn, the half-naked Nathan Gunn populace to wing over to the aforementioned Barihunks and vote! We can't let Nathan lose this most prestigious award...it would be criminal since he clearly is the hottest barihunk around!
We are counting on YOU! There is only a day or two left before this poll ends, so please, please don't let Nathan down. I'm sure that winning this contest will be the pinnacle of his career. Or not, but still...he deserves it!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Nathan Gunn and One Degree of Separation
OMG. It just occured to me today that my favorite baritone, Nathan Gunn, has only one degree of separation from my celebrity boyfriend, Pierce Brosnan. How, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.
I was listening to Just Before Sunrise (see sidebar for a widget with song excerpts) and one of the songs on the CD is The Parting Glass. As I was listening for the 100th time, it finally dawned on me that Pierce sang this exact same song in the movie Evelyn! I think the reason it took so long for me to realize this is that their singing styles are quite a bit different...by that I mean Nathan Gunn is excellent, Pierce, well, Pierce is cute, okay? I loved Mamma Mia, by the way, and thought Pierce did as good as he possibly could in the role of Sam, but I didn't buy the soundtrack for that alone.
Don't take my word about The Parting Glass - judge for yourself. Watch/listen to this Youtube video of the song from the movie. Then go to the sidebar and find The Parting Glass in the Just Before Sunrise songlist. I think you will see what I mean.
Forgive me, Pierce, for putting you in this postion, but MAN. There is no comparison.
I was listening to Just Before Sunrise (see sidebar for a widget with song excerpts) and one of the songs on the CD is The Parting Glass. As I was listening for the 100th time, it finally dawned on me that Pierce sang this exact same song in the movie Evelyn! I think the reason it took so long for me to realize this is that their singing styles are quite a bit different...by that I mean Nathan Gunn is excellent, Pierce, well, Pierce is cute, okay? I loved Mamma Mia, by the way, and thought Pierce did as good as he possibly could in the role of Sam, but I didn't buy the soundtrack for that alone.
Don't take my word about The Parting Glass - judge for yourself. Watch/listen to this Youtube video of the song from the movie. Then go to the sidebar and find The Parting Glass in the Just Before Sunrise songlist. I think you will see what I mean.
Forgive me, Pierce, for putting you in this postion, but MAN. There is no comparison.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Why Does Work Have to be so Difficult?
Today work sucked. I mean really, truly sucked. Most days things go along as expected...I can't get enough done in the day and most nights I bring work home. I didn't bring a thing home today besides a HUGE headache.
A little background about me before I get into this. I started life at the police department as a dispatcher. I continued that job for 18 years when I received a promotion to the first ever dispatch supervisor in my department. I worked that position for 3 years, then the city decided to purchase a computer-aided dispatch system. I was recruited to set it all up and get it going - CAD, Records, mobile units. Somehow I just slid over into that job and I've held it for the last 10 years, in addition to being "attached" (so to speak) to the Communications Center as a consultant. Being a consultant just means that I have been there the longest, so I put my two cents in on anything I'm asked to. I usually start those conversations by saying "back in the day we...".
My job often requires diplomacy and tact, neither of which were around today. Technically I work for my city police department, but I also administer the public safety computer system for the entire county. That includes the city police, the city fire department, the county police and 26 volunteer county fire departments. Each one of these entities has an idea of how things should be run. The sad part is that I have been chronically short of tact and diplomacy since birth.
In the last year I have been dragging the fire department kicking and screaming into the 21st century technology wise. We implemented mobile computers in the apparatus in December and it has been nothing but fun since. I think I probably get about 5-6 emails a day about problems that aren't really problems. What I mean is that they are inexperienced with this technology, so when they have what they believe is a problem it is usually operator error, or easily explained.
The biggest problem is that I'd had enough today. I have what I call a bullsh*t indicator in my head and when I've swallowed enough crap from someone/something it eventually gets into the red. When that happens, I blow. Today it was all over the correct response order for fire units. Imagine that.
I have changed and retooled and changed again the order of responding units for the fire department until I'm blue in the face. In fact, I've changed it about 5 times, which is not an easy task and too complex to explain here. Anywho, I wrote an email that I'm guessing will come back to haunt me tomorrow all about how they need to make up their minds and LEAVE ME ALONE.
On the surface this doesn't sound all that bad...or I'm hoping it doesn't. The downside is that I copied the fire chief on the email...and I'm pretty sure I'll regret it. I like him, he is a great person, but I have had enough. It just probably wasn't too smart to add him to the email.
I guess we'll see tomorrow.
A little background about me before I get into this. I started life at the police department as a dispatcher. I continued that job for 18 years when I received a promotion to the first ever dispatch supervisor in my department. I worked that position for 3 years, then the city decided to purchase a computer-aided dispatch system. I was recruited to set it all up and get it going - CAD, Records, mobile units. Somehow I just slid over into that job and I've held it for the last 10 years, in addition to being "attached" (so to speak) to the Communications Center as a consultant. Being a consultant just means that I have been there the longest, so I put my two cents in on anything I'm asked to. I usually start those conversations by saying "back in the day we...".
My job often requires diplomacy and tact, neither of which were around today. Technically I work for my city police department, but I also administer the public safety computer system for the entire county. That includes the city police, the city fire department, the county police and 26 volunteer county fire departments. Each one of these entities has an idea of how things should be run. The sad part is that I have been chronically short of tact and diplomacy since birth.
In the last year I have been dragging the fire department kicking and screaming into the 21st century technology wise. We implemented mobile computers in the apparatus in December and it has been nothing but fun since. I think I probably get about 5-6 emails a day about problems that aren't really problems. What I mean is that they are inexperienced with this technology, so when they have what they believe is a problem it is usually operator error, or easily explained.
The biggest problem is that I'd had enough today. I have what I call a bullsh*t indicator in my head and when I've swallowed enough crap from someone/something it eventually gets into the red. When that happens, I blow. Today it was all over the correct response order for fire units. Imagine that.
I have changed and retooled and changed again the order of responding units for the fire department until I'm blue in the face. In fact, I've changed it about 5 times, which is not an easy task and too complex to explain here. Anywho, I wrote an email that I'm guessing will come back to haunt me tomorrow all about how they need to make up their minds and LEAVE ME ALONE.
On the surface this doesn't sound all that bad...or I'm hoping it doesn't. The downside is that I copied the fire chief on the email...and I'm pretty sure I'll regret it. I like him, he is a great person, but I have had enough. It just probably wasn't too smart to add him to the email.
I guess we'll see tomorrow.
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