Seraphic Fire went viral

Seraphic Fire recorded an album of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 in a little stone chapel in Kalamazoo, omitting the optional giant Baroque accompaniment the piece is typically performed with. When no record label would take their album, they released it themselves and put it on iTunes.

When it got featured in iTunes, conductor Patrick Dupre Quigley took a screen capture and posted it on facebook, tagging each of the performers in the image. By the end of the day it had moved into the 18 best selling classical albums on iTunes. Within 36 hours it was number six (sandwiched between Yo-Yo Ma and the London Philharmonic Orchestra).

Here’s their album on iTunes,

here’s photos and video of the production of the album,

and here’s the story in NPR.

Brilliant.

And the best part? I have tickets to see Seraphic Fire when they come to Green Bay in January! WOOO HOOO!
If you’re interested, you can get Brown County Civic Music Association season tickets here: http://www.bccivicmusic.org/tickets/ (Individual tickets are available if you call Civic Music or buy at the door.)

See what I want to see

I couldn’t find a conference room in SS1400 today because the room numbers lead right up to and down from what I knew to be the Health Center. Every room number existed, except for the number I was looking for. Only after I asked Todd for help, did I realize the Health Center was clearly labeled 1400 and the conference room must be inside. Sometimes we see only what we want to see—sometimes at great expense to ourselves.

Oh God…I just killed a poor little bunny

I decided I’d go outside and plant my annuals and a few herbs in between the raindrops. I finished with the begonias and carried my herbs over to the small raised garden in the corner of the yard. As I approached, I noticed a commotion at my feet. A poor little cottontail rabbit—maybe just a couple months old—was flailing frantically on the ground, terrified at my approach. The poor thing couldn’t push itself upright—I think maybe its legs were broken—and so it just rolled and tumbled rapidly trying to flee. It tired quickly and laid still…panting…terrified at my proximity.

OMYGOD! The poor rabbit. I had to do something….if I hadn’t, it could have continued like that for maybe hours. I went inside to consult Brenda…asked her if I should drown it in a bucket. She suggested the shovel…and calling the neighbor. I didn’t want to trouble the neighbor. The shovel entered my mind on my way into the house—but I dismissed it, not an option. How would I hit it? The sharp way? Break it’s neck? Cut it’s head off?! Or the flat way? I called my parents on their cell as they’re headed out of town—my dad has a knack for killing things. Asked them how they thought I should proceed. Two votes for the shovel. A broad-side blow would do the job.

So I went out to the shed. My mind went blank, couldn’t remember the combination for the padlock. Had to go back inside to check where I had hidden the digits. I slowly entered the comb—the disk spinning coarsely against the corroded metal. The door, swollen with the moisture of the rain, required a tug before it relented and swung shakily open. I reached for the shovel…it looked small and I wondered if I could do it, but as I lifted it, I felt the heft of the implement in my hands and I knew it would require little momentum to complete the task at hand…it was my aim I had to worry about.

I looked across the yard to where I left the rabbit. Even at that distance, I could see he had commenced flopping again. I had to do this. I couldn’t let him continue like that. I walked across the yard. I took a few test swings. Good God, I didn’t want to miss. I told myself “Don’t miss, don’t miss, don’t miss…” as I raised the weight of the shovel over my head and brought it down with all the force I could muster. BAM! I missed. Hit the stupid landscaping log of the raised garden. I terrified the poor rabbit, again. I swung, again and again….I hit him three times, I think. It didn’t go as well as I had hoped. In the end, his scull was visibly crushed and his eyeball protruding.

I scooped him up with my instrument of death and put him in a paper bag…that I suppose I’ll put out to the road with next week’s garbage.

Sobbing, I finished planting my herbs in the rain. Dear lord, I’m just not cut out for killing bunnies.

Bike rack was an epic failure

Bike rack was an epic failure. I realized I couldn’t put it on last night because my car won’t fit in the garage with it on. I didn’t want to leave it parked outside all night. So I decided I’d do it this morning—probably my first mistake.

I couldn’t find instructions or any information about the Graber bike rack. So I got dressed. I hadn’t gotten around to doing laundry—no pants, so I put my favorite purple skirt on and went outside to put the rack on my car. I did my best—figured out how to get the rack on my car so that it felt secure.

The trouble began with getting the bike on the rack. I tried 3 times—pinched fingers, hit myself in the face with the f*cking bike, cut my lip up a little. I got it on there, but the little bungees on the rack were loose over the bike. I’d have secured it better, but my bungee cords were inside the damned trunk. So I took the whole works off and tried shoving the bike in the trunk, which didn’t fit. So I secured it with bungee cords only to realize my trunk light would be on all day if I left it in my car like that. By then I was 5 minutes late for my arrival at work, so I gave up on the bike. This is very disappointing because I bought and mounted a new bike seat, a kick stand and bought a bike lock. I put air in my tires. I was really looking forward to biking on the Fox River Trail with my “at work friend” for the first time today…she was even nice enough to loan me this bike rack. :(

So I hurried inside to grab my crap. On my way out again, slammed my skirt in the f*cking door and ripped it—damn near off my body. Went inside to change.

Having a crappy morning. I also realized this morning a new site I produced had been live for nearly a month with no tracking code, due to my own negligence…I feel really bad about that. I must not let this ever happen again.

I wonder if maybe I could borrow one of my parent’s bikes after work and ride it over to the trail to meet my new biking pals. (I always wanted biking pals.) I could get there in 15 minutes biking from my parent’s house. Maybe next Monday I could make a point of coming in to work early to scoot at 4:15, get to my parent’s house with time to dress and be at the meeting spot by 5pm.

Encouraging ‘Mindless Eating’

I have just finished reading the book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think and I can’t recommend it enough. This book is not only for anyone who has ever struggled with their weight. It gives valuable insight into what external cues motivate people to eat/drink or not. This is perfect for the household shopper and cook who wants to get their family to eat a little healthier. It’s terrific for the host who wants their guests to be impressed with their visit. It’s even great for the closet psychologist who is secretly fascinated with what makes people tick.

Not only that, it’s life changing. I’m personally invested in this book. Allow me to tell you my story…

My story…

Eight weeks ago today I, along with some 30 other participants, embarked on a weight loss endeavor to be the biggest loser among us. Upon submitting my $10 participation fee and start weight of a portly 174.2lbs (39.1% Body Fat), I committed myself to a veritable Brewsters Millions of caloric deficit and expenditure. 16 pounds and 2 months later, I feel good…but I’m getting an eerie sensation of déjà vu.

Déjà wha-?!

Over a year and a half ago I had a successful weight loss experience, I started out at around 175lbs and with the support of my friends and family I got my weight down to 150lbs. And I felt good. Then I proceeded to gain each and every blasted pound back. All within a year.

HOW!?

How could I lose weight and then gain it all back so quickly? The reason is that in my calorie spending spree, I was depriving myself of the things I loved. Passing on the things I craved. Denying myself the relaxation I desired, instead pounding away at the gym. I was relying on willpower to achieve my goal. willpower is unnatural. It’s what people force themselves to do in extreme situations. willpower is NOT sustainable! Sure, you can do it for a while, but at some point, you will return to what is natural to you. And you’ll not only return to what’s natural, you’ll compensate for all the deprivation by binging and wallowing in a sedentary lifestyle. This is not good!

The solution…

Oh, thank goodness, there’s a solution. The solution is to create caloric deficit, without feeling deprived. This is where the Brian Wansink’s Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think comes in. Through a series of studies, Brian and his colleagues found secrets to eating behaviors that their subjects were not even aware of. We all know that feeling of surprise when your fingers scrape the bottom of the popcorn tub. The knowledge that you’ve just mindlessly eaten 1,650 calories without even tasting it. This book tells you how to mindlessly eat better. I suspect this book will be the most worthwhile $10.08 I’ll spend this year. I strongly encourage you to consider reading it. You can buy it on Amazon. I’d lend it to you, but I’ve already given my copy to Liz.

Falling Gracelessly

I took a ride down the stairs last night. The previous owners of my home thought it would be a good idea to paint the stairs with high-gloss powder blue paint. This, coupled with my fondness for fuzzy socks, can make a trip downstairs treacherous. Last night’s incident was particular in that I also happened to be wearing my fuzziest pajamas, lending distance to the low-friction slide that would imminently follow, paddling my ample bottom all the way down to the third remaining step.

And really the worst part, I think was the feeling of my posterior meeting the first step, more than the slide. The thing that’s really remarkable is that my left buttock now sports a bruise that bears uncanny resemblance to the band of the Milky Way. Who’d have thought that Milky Way’s really would go straight to my ass.

Holiday Survival Tip No. 5

Don’t be sad when the holiday candies, cookies, and snacks you labored to produce run out. Be happy at the thought of all of the people with whom they were shared.

And if you ate them all yourself, it’s probably best there aren’t any more left.

Angela’s Angel: A Major Production

On the morning before my sister’s 32nd birthday we got all hopped up on caffeine at our parent’s cabin. I convinced her it would be a good idea to run outside and make a snow angel so I could take her photo in it from the loft window. I told her if the photo turned out, it’d make a really cute print that she could send out with her holiday card next year. This is made all the funnier when one considers that Angela is visiting from southern Florida, where she experienced a nearly 90° temperature change. The low temp that morning carried a wind chill of -8°.

Since I received my new Flip Video camera from Andrew for Christmas, I was looking for an opportunity to make a video, but was disappointed to find my family a little camera shy. Well…as I mounted the stairs to the loft, I decided this was the moment. Humor ensues as a frozen Angela realizes I don’t have my dSLR in hand. Don’t worry, I did get a nice photo of her…but I also got some really great video footage that I just had to share! Check it out below. Continue reading →

Holiday Survival Tip No. 4

Like clockwork, my seasonal blemish took up residence on my chin. This pimple pops up magically on Christmas morning and lasts through to the new year. This zit, zeitgeist of the Christmas season, is brought on by a combination of holiday stress and change in diet. It’s magical…like Christmas Snow. It shines brighter than Rudolph’s nose. In holiday photos, it glows redder than the red-eye. Its big, its bad, and its tradition.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who experiences this phenomena, but I’ve come to expect it, and even look forward it. It is, after all, a metaphor for the holiday season: festively colored, filled with fun, a little bit painful, and lasts about a week and a half.

And so, I encourage you to embrace your blemish. Don’t attempt to cover it up, we all know it’s there, anyway. Its just your face is wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. So listen to your face and be merry and happy or you’ll never get rid of that damn pimple.

Holiday Survival Tip No. 3

We all have one individual on our list for whom its troublesome to find a gift. If there’s something they want or need, they just buy it themselves. A gift certificate would be a good solution. However, more often than not, either you or the recipient is encumbered with holiday gift scruples that dictate that gift certificates are not an option. (The unwritten bylaw (Article II Section a1.5) states that gift certificates are lazy, thoughtless, and pretty much unethical gifts that carry about as many well-wishes as a bag of coal.)

In this circumstance, I recommend going to the store in seek of not the ideal gift for this person, instead, the most unlikely gift…to put it plainly, the item you think they’ll hate the most. When you make your purchase, be careful to include a gift receipt. Now you’re off the hook. You went into the store, you picked out an actual gift, and you bought it! Because they hate it, they’ll take the gift receipt and return it for something they really want/need!

And don’t worry about any criticism, Holiday Gift Bylaw Article III Section b.2.5 states that you must receive every gift graciously, no matter how much you hate it.