We had insommnia last night, but we spent the time profitably, watching an old version of "Pride and Prejudice". I consider myself a huge Jane Austen fan, and I found myself particularly amused and in need of Lady Catherine de Burgh, Mr. Collins, and the unfortunate Mrs. Bennett.
I woke up this morning and entered another song in the ccmixter.org contest, creating a noise track for a vocal track through mincing and dicing of a recorded "accompaniment" to a song.
We ate chicken pho and spring rolls for a late lunch, and then went to Lenscrafters to get my lenses adjusted.
A fellow at the ccmixster site wrote a nice review of my Halloween Cuckoo, which I felt a kind of kindness, while another fellow wrote a nice note about Robot Breakfast. I got a kind e mail from the cellist I sampled, replying to mine pointing out my track. She liked the idea of the Slicer software, and intends to go acquire it for her own use. I tried to record myself singing tonight, but that odd Anthony-Newley histrionicism with which I sing defeated me. I may have to reach into my native dialect to sing, as when I put on my Arkansas accent, which is so natural to me I no longer know if it is the "real" accent or not, I don't mind that I sound like a hick.
I reviewed pop songs at garageband.com, hearing one in particular I liked, with a cinematic flair which reminded me of old 10cc songs. I am much better at reviewing music than at making it. My reviewer rating after 95some-odd reviews is 109% out of 110%. I always think that people want detailed critiques, and I am a much better listener than anything else, when it comes to music.
A kind musician from garageband.com wrote me to say that he had put one of my poems into a song--something I had hoped to encourage with a bulletin board post on their forums. I am eager to hear the mp3 of "Thorncrown Chapel", which I originally put over in
gurdonpoems.I took our dog Ted for a Sunday evening walk by Glendover Pond. Her attention riveted on distant Italian greyhounds at play, but I had her continue her deliberate march to the pond. She gets so much joy from a simple walk. We did visit briefly with a kind retriever yearling dog. Swallows dive bombed the pond for insects.
Crape myrtles are everywhere, and most of them are in bloom now. The day's heat feels wilting for everything and everyone else--but unlike our friends to the north, this is the weather we always have, not a "heat wave".
We finally decided on our place to stay on the lake for our vacation next month in Virginia. It looks like we're going with a nice townhome.
Next Saturday I intend to swim at the natatorium. That's perhaps the only thing I set out to do that I did not get done this weekend.