Although written for people who have hardly read any poetry and despite its suggestion to start with the massive, crusty, boring Norton's, this article by John Lundberg in the Huffington Post is at least trying to get people to read poetry, and that is never a bad thing.

Just so it's clear that I have not forgotten what this blog is about (ostensibly), here are two recent blog finds regarding editing, publishing, grammar, what have you ...

The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks

Publishing Careers

A and I got back late last night from Florida after a flight delay; we're exhausted but happy. She and I finally crossed off our life list item of seeing a space shuttle launch, and it was fabulous. I'm way too exhausted to post words, but here are some photos. Wish I had a zoom lens, but I was there to watch it, not take pictures! (I'm lucky I caught the shuttle at all since I snapped these blind while watching.)

The weather was beautiful, the water was warm, KSC is amazing ... a super trip.

Oh, this cracks me up ...

The Summer 2007 Concert Post


This summer I took R to two reunion concerts—The Police and Genesis. I say I “took R” because, although he likes music (he used to be a DJ with his own blues show), he typically gets too jumpy to sit and listen to the same group for hours.

The ticket for The Police show said the start time was 6:30 p.m., and we knew there would be two opening bands. Worried about the traffic (I have been paranoid about getting stuck in a jam and missing any part of a concert since the time my sister and I sat on the GSP for HOURS, literally, still an hour away from the Arts Center while Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe were taking the stage), we left early and ended up parking in a good lot but far from the stadium. We walked to the stadium instead of taking the shuttle (such a beautiful night but warm!) and got to our seats about 5:45.

We sat in the lower tier on the stage right half, about the 40-yard line closer to the stage. We saw both Fiction Plane and the Fratellis. Although we had heard the Fratellis before, we actually enjoyed Fiction Plane more. Perhaps we liked Joe Sumner’s voice better live, or maybe we are a bit tired of that Fratellis’ sound? Not sure, but both were good.

The Police had a great stage and sounded wonderful. I had never seen Andy or Stewart before, and they both sounded polished and more talented than I knew. Their lighting was fantastic, and the images they projected with the songs matched really well. “Walking in Your Footsteps” had an awesome dinosaur (bones!) walking along with them. Sting was, well, he’s just always Sting, which is always good.




Here is the lineup, thanks to WFUV’s Darren DeVivo:


“Message in a Bottle” (Reggatta De Blanc, 1979)
“Synchronicity II” (Synchronicity, 1983)
“Walking on the Moon” (Reggatta De Blanc, 1979)
"Voices Inside My Head” / “When the World Is Running Down, You Make the Best of What’s Still Around” (both from Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
“Don’t Stand So Close to Me” (Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
“Driven to Tears” (Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
“Truth Hits Everybody” (Outlandos D’Amour, 1978)
“The Bed’s Too Big Without You” (Reggatta De Blanc, 1979)
“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (Ghost In The Machine, 1981)
“Wrapped Around Your Finger” (Synchronicity, 1983)
“De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” (Zenyatta Mondatta, 1980)
“Invisible Sun” (Ghost In The Machine, 1980)
“Walking in Your Footsteps” (Synchronicity, 1983)
“Can’t Stand Losing You” (Outlandos D’Amour, 1978)
“Roxanne” (Outlandos D’Amour, 1978)
"King of Pain” (Synchronicity, 1983)
“So Lonely” (Outlandos D’Amour, 1978)
“Every Breath You Take” (Synchronicity, 1983)
“Next To You” (Outlandos D’Amour, 1978)


Although R and I did enjoy the concert very much, I must admit that I would have enjoyed it even more if the songs had not been rearranged as much. I know … you can’t expect them to keep them the same after all this time … how boring! But my true enjoyment comes from singing along and experiencing what I know I like as the song is being performed live at that moment, so when many of the songs were different than the recorded versions, I can say I was somewhat disappointed.

The Police talked about it in the concert program: “I think we’ve got a good mix now where the fans get the song they remember, and most of it will sound the way they remembered it. Just when they are enjoying that, they get a new twist. I think all three of us are pretty happy with the balance there” (Stewart Copeland). “The songs have to evolve. Twenty-odd years later we have to be better musicians than we were. So we’ve slowed it all down, looked at where we are, and how the songs are now happening by listening to ourselves play them” (Sting).

It was that “new twist” that just didn’t do it for me.


The Genesis tickets said 8 p.m., and I didn’t think they had an opening band, so I figured we could arrive closer to the ticket time. We left later than I wanted to, and there was lots more traffic near the stadium than for The Police, so we booked through a drive-in fast-food place on the way. We ate as we sat in tremendously slow traffic, accompanied by my ranting and pleading to just GET THERE! Once we finally parked, I made R eat the rest of his fries on the jog to the stadium and our seats, directly on the opposite side but same lower tier as for The Police.

Let me interject something here that will explain my frenzy to get into the stadium: I have had a kind of “curse” with going to see Genesis. The first time I had tickets I was in high school, and I was to go with a group of friends, some of whom were into hard partying. My parents of course forbid it, so all I got was a T-shirt. The second time I was to see Genesis, I had the chicken pox, so I sat in the tub in an oatmeal bath while they were playing, and my girlfriend took my seat; all I got was a T-shirt. Then I decided to try to change my luck and bought tickets for Phil Collins. I came down with a stomach flu days before, but determined to go (with very good floor seats), I was helped along by my good friend T as I enjoyed the show but was feeling rather ooky. Ergo, knowing this might be the last time to see them together, I was bound and determined to get there for the whole damn thing.

So, as we sat in our seats around 7:40, I told R that I was sure they would not come on much later than 8, as they would want to get the show going and then over earlier. So by the time it was 8:55, R was shifting in his seat. We were all shifting in our seats. They came on right after 9, but I was getting tired of waiting by then.


Here is the Genesis lineup:


Behind the Lines / Duke’s End
Turn it on Again
No Son of Mine
Land of Confusion
In the Cage / The Cinema Show / Duke’s Travels
Afterglow
Hold on My Heart
Home by the Sea
Follow You Follow Me
Firth of Fifth / I Know What I Like
Mama
Ripples
Throwing it All Away
Domino
Drum duet
Los Endos
Tonight Tonight Tonight (intro)
Invisible Touch
I Can’t Dance
The Carpet Crawlers



Now, R knew Police songs better than most Genesis songs, and he was worried that he would have to sit through many unknown things, but I said that I was sure that most of the songs would be the modern hits. So I was wrong, and completely happy to be wrong.

The only time I had ever teared up at a concert (strange thing to admit) before was when I heard Yes play both “Don’t Kill the Whale” and “America” the first time. I thought I would never hear them play those songs live, and they are absolute favorites. But when I heard Genesis start “In the Cage” and knew I would get to not only hear but see Tony play the incredible keyboard parts, well, I did get teary. It was amazing to hear those older pieces, and the whole night was worth it just for those.




The stage setup was one of the most technological I’d seen, including pyrotechnics and fun video. I didn't like the oval shape of the video screens, because they never seemed to be able to show enough in their narrow space. (But the quality of the images was amazingly clear!) Every band member sounded great, and the songs were pretty much the same live versions that Phil and the gang have done before (yea for the same!). Of course I wish they had done certain other favorites, but these were good, and I was excited to finally see Daryl and Chester too! The drum duet was different and very good. I could have done without "No Son of Mine" and "I Can't Dance," but the whole show was fabulous.




We sat next to a couple who sounded Australian; wish we could have chatted with them, since they seemed nice (and so normal!). The interesting part (all concerts have interesting people) was a group of eight who asked us to move forward for them so they could move back and all sit closer together (which we and the Australian couple did happily). I think they had made their own T-shirts for the concert ... you can see where I am going with that. You never know what kind of fans you’ll share space with.



I don’t know how many more concerts of this magnitude I will go to in the future (see prior concert post!) but if Floyd gets back together, watch out! :)

I am not going to ramble on about my 20th high school reunion, but I will say that everyone there was very friendly, a much nicer experience than the 10th. All of us looked fabulous, but I think this table looked especially great. :)

That's it. Seriously. I have had it with planning things during my WORKDAYS!!! *

If anyone from now on asks me to go out, visit, travel, meet for lunch, shop, hang out, or various other verbs on a workday, the answer is No! I am swamped with work but people keep thinking I can just come on out and take ENDLESS "vacation" days like I'm sitting home bored out of my cranium eating chocolate and painting my nails. ARGH!!!

[Here's the thing: I don't mind visiting a friend for an afternoon if I have not taken any time for myself for quite a while, but I have been consistently out of the house these days, and now it shows!]

So ... that is it!! Whew. Feels good to make a decree.


*This does not count the upcoming vacation I am taking, of course, as I have planned it for months, so there!

This week was incredibly busy. I'm really behind on work because of all the visiting and traveling! Oh well.

Tues. was a lunch picnic trip to NY State to visit a friend and her son. We walked the trails and grounds of the Stony Kill Farm Environmental Center, and we checked out the Common Ground Farm. It was a gorgeous sunny day, made me feel as if I were a million miles from my normal life. Chestnuts, wildflowers, cows, fieldstones, bluebird houses, turtles, milkweed pods. I realized how long it had been since I'd been out somewhere new and connected to nature like that. This connection is essential for my personal writing, and I need to make it more often. The trip made for a good 100 Words post, so that's a start.

Wed. I visited other friends and their son. K told me about her new devotion to Terry Pratchett. Her favorite of the 11 she's read so far is Small Gods. I have never read anything by him. Somehow I doubt I'll start reading him, but you never know. Stranger things have happened. Then E and I made a plan to "prep," even if only for the briefest moment, before approaching things, a la TNH's mindfulness at the sound of a bell. We think this step back, reflection, positive adjustment will keep us better aware and happier in our next move forward, help us keep things simplified and clear. It's all in the practice, and my practice has been inconsistent.

Yesterday was a day exploring the state. We spent some time wandering around two bookstores, and of course we bought books although we desperately try not to anymore. *sigh* We have no room but I can't help myself. I came away with, in order of selection

* The Disappointment Artist: Essays by Jonathan Lethem (2005, Vintage). I have never heard of this book or author, but I am fascinated by personal essays and often wish I would seriously try writing them. Probably never will, but I can wish it.

* The Year's Best Australian Science Fiction & Fantasy, ed. B. Congreve and M. Marquart (2005, Prime). I'm a sucker for Australian anything, and I'm dying to read more good SF. And I need shorter pieces for my crazy life.

* The Orion Book of the Written Word by Etiemble (1961, The Orion Press). Apparently Etiemble was a "celebrated philologist" who wrote this hardcover "investigation into the origins and development of the written word." Just looked like something I should have on the reference shelf. I hope I read it one day.

* On Writing Romance by Leigh Michaels (2007, Writer's Digest). Just felt like reading more guidelines on this stuff. I think it will help, but the point size in the book is tiny and I might be in for a long read.

* Joan of Arc: In Her Own Words, trans. W. Trask (1996, BOOKS Inc.). Of course one of my heroines; a clear, well-organized selection of her words from the transcripts.

* Dance With Me by Luanne Rice (2004, Bantam). I bought this at the last minute before leaving, thinking I wanted something that could help as an example of the level of novel I am going for. Not sure if her writing style will help.

Got home, bags in hand, then I rushed out again to meet with the madrigal group I've joined. I am so excited to be singing again, thinking about breathing, sight reading, meeting new people -- it's good to reawaken a part that's been dormant. Now if I can jostle the poet awake ...

No, I don't have time to watch television, but I do anyway. I limit myself to good things like The War and such.

But I really wanted a romantic comedy this year! So far I am really enjoying The Big Bang Theory on CBS. How can I not like it?

1. Chuck Lorre, producer, who brings us the cool vanity cards.
2. The title. You know I've gotta check out something called that!
3. Full of geeky physics references. How cool.
4. The geeks' shower curtain has the periodic table on it.
5. Penny is a slob. Yea for clutter.
6. Jokes relating to comics, fantasy, and such.
7. I'm a sucker for romance potential.

Everyone watch this show!! :)