High School Talent Show

I walked into the school theatre on Wednesday evening, looked around, and thought: what a motley crew of young people. It was a bit of a freak show. Shame on me for judging.
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I had just found a good seat for filming Jaclyn's performance when the leadership teacher (an old college friend) approached me to warn that the first two acts were going to be very loud and I might want to join him in the hallway until battle-of-the-heavy-metal-bands was over. It was good advice: we could hear the music just fine from outside. It turned out, though, that the bands were in fact acts 2 & 3. Later I was sorry to discover I missed the one-man skit of the life of a raindrop. I have to give credit to the panel of students who oversaw the selection process at the talent show auditions: they certainly opted for variety. (As best they could - Jaclyn had warned me - there was a lot of guitar.)
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Jaclyn was the only classical music act in the show, and it was certainly different from her usual venue. More audience participation than I've ever seen at a piano recital.
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Jaclyn introduced her number, then after I hit the stop button on my camera a boy from the audience shouted out, "That's my favorite song!"
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They were a very appreciative audience. Again, shame on me for judging them. Here's her performance (don't feel compelled to watch the full 6 minutes) of Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique 1st Movement. You'll hear a small hoot of audience participation at about the 42-second mark, and then the crowd really got into it at around 1 min 30. I should have turned my camera on the boys sitting in front of me who started banging their heads to every chord Jaclyn put her weight behind. Perhaps Beethoven is the original head-banger music.

Law Day

I wasn't completely confident when I wrestled Jaclyn out of bed this morning and twisted Steven's arm that it was going to be fun. Law Day, that is.
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Which is probably why I let the kids talk me into taking the train downtown instead of driving - I was worried Law Day would be a bust, but I knew at least the travel time could be entertaining. So I spent $13.50 in transit fare there and back rather than park downtown at the weekend rate of $2.00.
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But it was fun! Getting handcuffed by the courthouse sheriff (Sheriff Linda and I went to high school together - what are the chances?)
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Chloe consulted with her lawyer, Steven.
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The prison transfer vans were a tight fit for little girls, I can't imagine some big burly guy in there.
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My Lord, Carmen: Queen's Bench Judge.

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We are so terribly polluted by American television. I did know before we attended the mock trial today that lawyers as well as judges in Canada wear robes. I didn't know we address the judge as 'My Lord' rather than 'Your Honor' or that the opposing lawyers refer to each other as 'Friend' in court as a reminder that though the are arguing opposite sides, they are not enemies.
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Just as we were leaving we got the chance to meet a money-sniffing police dog. I know he's good because he showed absolutely no interest in sniffing my bag whatsoever.

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Five for Friday

1. I've bought weird facial tissue twice in a row. The first time I bought patterned tissue (accidentally) which everyone seemed to find mildly disturbing. I didn't like it either. I made sure that I bought plain white tissue the next time, but still, I did not pay enough attention to the packaging.
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I bought Puffs plus lotion plus Vicks. When you put it up to your nose it clears your sinuses as you breath in. This might be an appreciated action if we were sick with head colds, but we're not. I didn't even realize I'd bought medicated tissue until Ken went to use one for the first time. Let me just say that Puffs plus Vicks would make a terrific April Fool's joke.
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2. We survived a ward boundary change last Sunday. A new ward was created which our ward significantly contributed membership to, including much of our leadership. I fared well, losing only 2 YW board members, but it was difficult to lose some of my girls. As an apparent ripple effect, Ken found out on Wednesday night that he is being released as High Priest group first assistant ,which is making me think I might know who the new Relief Society President (or maybe one of the counsellors?) is.

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3. Ken is a casualty of the ward shake-up, but thankfully not a casualty of the latest work-related shake-up. The COO (Chief Operating Officer) at Ken's company was fired late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning. This change will have Ken working longer hours through the weekend and next week. I have no idea of what it will mean long term.
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4. I imported a new hair dryer from Target via Kelly and my parents. Hillary (private blog, not gonna hyperlink it) blogged about it and the spiral curling attachment, so I thought I'd give it a try.
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It's working for me! I'm using a curl enhancing hair product on my wet hair first, and then when the spiral *dreadlocks* are all done I'm leaving them for an hour to let the curl set before I comb my fingers through. Chloe wants to try it out this Sunday.

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5. A hygienist from my office is moving to Ontario to live closer to her family and I took on the job of buying her a group farewell gift. We collected $140 which was enough to buy her some accessories to match her Coach purse. After I bought the gifts I paraded my Coach shopping bag around the mall for an hour looking for a new jacket for Steven, and didn't get a single look from anyone. (Unlike walking down the mall after buying 24 gold helium balloons for New Beginnings. I was a super star with the balloons.)

I'm a Lady of Leisure

I even have time to take in a matinee at the opera.
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I love Little Red's vibratto in the phrase, "What big teeth you have!" (for fear)

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Carmen was the costume designer/provider (thanks Aunt Christy), writer, composer, director, and star of the 4th grade opera project. And why not with a name like that?

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She was in her glory, and I sincerely hope this has made up for her having to stay home sick when she held the coveted role of the Gingerbread Boy back in 1st grade.