Long Weekend Entry
Jul. 5th, 2005 06:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
av8rmikeI probably could have written about most of this stuff during the weekend, since I had access to e-mail and Web and everything from Mom's computer... but the weather was so nice at home that I couldn't bear to sit at the computer for more than a few minutes. Instead, the holiday weekend involved, as usual, a lot of cooking and eating with my mom.
The biggest reason for wanting to go home, was as I mentioned, playing the July 4th concert with the orchestra back home. Thursday night I drove home after work, Mom and I got subs from the Corner Store, and headed off to rehearsal. I got to sit third stand second violin, outside, which is pretty much where I'm used to sitting. Aside from the principals and a few other scattered people, the string section was almost entirely contracted players from around Pennsylvania, from Indiana, Altoona, and Pittsburgh. Istvan, the conductor, called my by my brother's name, but that was pretty much a given. The music was all patriotic stuff, Sousa marches, the Gounod "American Salute", a few polkas (only in PA), and the "1812 Overture", of course. There was very little rehearsing done, just whipping through everything and smoothing out a few trouble spots. I did pretty well, I think, but I couldn't decide if everyone else was doing so much better than I because they'd played the stuff so many times, or if they were just that good. "1812" sucks, though. The fast part is in six flats, which is a stupid and impossible key signature.
So, other random weekend highlights: I lounged about most of the day Friday, but I think I deserved it. Saturday Mom and I went shopping because she decided she wanted a small gas grill. After visiting three different stores, I reminded her that she'd talked about wanting a George Foreman Grill a while ago. We went over to the new Bed, Bath, and Beyond in town and found one we liked for only $60, compared to $100-120 for the gas grills. The first test was some ginger-sesame-marinated tuna steaks, which got a little overdone on the edges, but otherwise were delicious.
Sunday we did the same thing we've done for the last couple of years I've been home, go to the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival. We were only there for maybe three hours because it was pretty hot. When we came back to town we went to the new Inclined Plane Restaurant for dinner. The food was pretty good, even though I couldn't finish it all, and since we sat outside, the view was great.
Yesterday, of course, was the 4th. Mom & I were going over to a friend's for a picnic, so we baked a pecan pie for that and some cookies to take to the neighbors. The neighbors mowed our lawn without even us asking, so we had to thank them somehow. The pie was warmly received at the picnic, despite it turning out "gloppy" and not really solid. Tom, the host, gave it a glowing review by declaring that it did not "taste like copper".
Mom & I had to leave to get ready for the concert, taking place at the Point Stadium and complete with fireworks and cannons. Everything went along pretty well, even the audience sing-a-long part. I didn't pay attention to how many people stood for the "Star-Spangled Banner", but it looked like everyone stood for "God Bless America". Is it time to change it to the National Anthem already? Also, I got to play music from "Star Wars" for now the second time this year. Anyway, the howitzers went off at the right place in "1812", and man, they were loud. They also generate a lot of pungent smoke. We struck up with a few Sousa marches while the fireworks were going off, and the Army guys decided to get in a few parting shots, scaring the hell out of us.
Today I drove back in the morning, and took the rest of the afternoon off so I could get a little grocery shopping done. And, of course, a little LJ updating.
The biggest reason for wanting to go home, was as I mentioned, playing the July 4th concert with the orchestra back home. Thursday night I drove home after work, Mom and I got subs from the Corner Store, and headed off to rehearsal. I got to sit third stand second violin, outside, which is pretty much where I'm used to sitting. Aside from the principals and a few other scattered people, the string section was almost entirely contracted players from around Pennsylvania, from Indiana, Altoona, and Pittsburgh. Istvan, the conductor, called my by my brother's name, but that was pretty much a given. The music was all patriotic stuff, Sousa marches, the Gounod "American Salute", a few polkas (only in PA), and the "1812 Overture", of course. There was very little rehearsing done, just whipping through everything and smoothing out a few trouble spots. I did pretty well, I think, but I couldn't decide if everyone else was doing so much better than I because they'd played the stuff so many times, or if they were just that good. "1812" sucks, though. The fast part is in six flats, which is a stupid and impossible key signature.
So, other random weekend highlights: I lounged about most of the day Friday, but I think I deserved it. Saturday Mom and I went shopping because she decided she wanted a small gas grill. After visiting three different stores, I reminded her that she'd talked about wanting a George Foreman Grill a while ago. We went over to the new Bed, Bath, and Beyond in town and found one we liked for only $60, compared to $100-120 for the gas grills. The first test was some ginger-sesame-marinated tuna steaks, which got a little overdone on the edges, but otherwise were delicious.
Sunday we did the same thing we've done for the last couple of years I've been home, go to the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival. We were only there for maybe three hours because it was pretty hot. When we came back to town we went to the new Inclined Plane Restaurant for dinner. The food was pretty good, even though I couldn't finish it all, and since we sat outside, the view was great.
Yesterday, of course, was the 4th. Mom & I were going over to a friend's for a picnic, so we baked a pecan pie for that and some cookies to take to the neighbors. The neighbors mowed our lawn without even us asking, so we had to thank them somehow. The pie was warmly received at the picnic, despite it turning out "gloppy" and not really solid. Tom, the host, gave it a glowing review by declaring that it did not "taste like copper".
Mom & I had to leave to get ready for the concert, taking place at the Point Stadium and complete with fireworks and cannons. Everything went along pretty well, even the audience sing-a-long part. I didn't pay attention to how many people stood for the "Star-Spangled Banner", but it looked like everyone stood for "God Bless America". Is it time to change it to the National Anthem already? Also, I got to play music from "Star Wars" for now the second time this year. Anyway, the howitzers went off at the right place in "1812", and man, they were loud. They also generate a lot of pungent smoke. We struck up with a few Sousa marches while the fireworks were going off, and the Army guys decided to get in a few parting shots, scaring the hell out of us.
Today I drove back in the morning, and took the rest of the afternoon off so I could get a little grocery shopping done. And, of course, a little LJ updating.
