Rowing sacrifices

Early Saturday morning rowing. I get there early, and we have 10 people show. That’s a full coxed eight and one left over. Everyone is eager to row. I look around at all the bright happy faces, and I think about the admonition to stay off the water a bit longer and give the stitches a rest, and I make the sacrifice. I sit out and let them go out. I hung around and pottered at the boathouse till they came back, and they looked good. We had one of our most experienced rowers stroking and willing to coach, so it was great for everyone to get out and get a solid training session. I regret not doing it myself, but hey, they enjoyed it and my stitches get a break.

Alone again, naturally

Anne’s gone to South Carolina for a few days conference. I am alone again, and can party. But wait, I have a cat now. I have to make provision for the cat. I have to be responsible. Sigh.

Changes to eyes

I continued with the health checks. Yesterday a skin growth was removed. Today it’s an eye checkup. Some mornings I wake up and the whole world is blurry and I have trouble focusing. Maybe it’s a hangover? But it’s time for my regular eye checkup, and wonder of wonders, my eyes have not changed in the last two years. So little change that it’s not worth getting new glasses or new lenses. I’m happy with that. The deterioration is slow.

Skin thing removed

I’m Australian. I’ve been in the sun in my youth, and I’ve been sunburned. I have a fear of skin cancer. So anything that looks suspicious gets checked out. I had a freckle on my arm. Over the last two months, it grew to about an inch long and three-quarter inch wide. Then the colour changed to black, and then grey and then it started to flake. I felt a lump underneath it. Uh-oh, time to get it removed and checked.

I went to a well recommended local dermatologist. He looked at the thing, said he thought it was fine and no cause for alarm but he would remove it just in case. And then he gave me a full body examination. His expression was “lots of wear and tear but the tread is still good”. Nothing is cause for alarm. Good. My arms look awful, but nothing looks specifically dangerous.

Then the assistant came in and sliced out my little skin thing. While she was cleaning up, she told me not to do anything strenuous, no heavy lifting, no exercise for two weeks until the stitches could come out. I mentioned that I do crew. She sighed and said “I know you people. I’ll put some extra stitches in, and try and stay off the water for a couple of days at least.” And she did. I thought that was very sensible, to accept the inevitable and make provision for it.

Basement Cat match on Craigslist

I advertised Found Cat on Craigslist couple of days ago. Got three emails today – we have a match. They posted a Lost Cat on Craigslist too, and I looked at the photos. Yep, spitting image. Looks like we have found the owners. I phoned them, they live nearby, and they were so happy to hear the news they came over immediately.

I told Anne, and there were a few tears. She’s adjusted to him. She’s bonded. She’s upset that he’s going.

They come quickly and bring a cat cage. But wait, he doesn’t recognise them. And they say “He looks bigger than I remember. How much did you feed him?” and we get into strong light, and he looks like their cat, only bigger, but he doesn’t recognise them. And then we start going over the facts, and he was at their home till Tuesday. But this cat was stray around here last Friday. He can’t be their cat.

So we say sorry, and they go to keep looking for their cat. And Anne is sad, but also really happy.

Sigh.

Basement Cat posters

The cat is still with us. Anne says “He’s such a good boy.” and there’s probably a family out there who has lost him and is missing him.

I take photos of him. This proves very difficult. He is jet black. Getting a photo is very difficult. I have to pull out the big guns and do things with ISO and flash-fill and a light background, but eventually I get a photo and pass it over to Anne. She makes a FOUND CAT sign and goes out and puts one on every signpost in the neighbourhood. If someone has lost this cat, they are going to see these posters.

I suspect that he’s not lost. I think he’s been dumped. We’ve checked him for the microchip and there isn’t one. We’ve gone through Craigslist for the last few weeks and there are a lot of lost cats but he’s not reported. I got really depressed reading Craigslist. So many cats and dogs being offered, and so few get taken and the animals get destroyed.

One thing that shocked me was how suspicious people have become. Especially owners of small mammals like guinea pigs and rabbits and hamsters. They want to do a home check before they let the beasties go, because so many get given to “a good home” and then they get turned into snake food.

So we have posters everywhere and we are waiting for a phone call. I don’t think we are going to get one. Reality is setting in for me and Anne. Anne is moving back into worry mode. “Where is he? I can’t see him.” and she has to find him. He’s taken to sitting so he can look outside. He’s very independent. He likes a good cuddle, but he likes to look outdoors and see what’s happening.

I’ve reached another understanding. Old habits die hard. I am asleep. Cat squalls at me about 5:30am. I get up, half asleep, go into the kitchen, get out the cat bowls, feed the cat, get back into bed. Then sit up an hour later and think “What did I just do?” Gone back to old habits. And it’s easy to tell who gets the benefit in the human-parasite relationship. The human gets up and feeds the parasite.

New resolutions in the warmth

It’s Monday, start of a new week. And it’s March. Rowing will start soon. The weather is getting warmer. And I am an old fat slug. I got sick over winter, didn’t erg all through winter, started liking alcohol all over again, and I gained weight. I haven’t exercised in ages. I don’t feel good.

It’s time to do something about it. I’ve started walking at lunchtime again. This will get me started. Then back to erging. And then back to on-water rowing. I’ve got to start feeling better.

Roof repairs

We had our roof replaced last year. Got a good price from a relative of a co-worker. It was mostly a good job, but was a little unfinished. The skylights leak and we have problems with leaks and the chimneys. The original roofer won’t come back and fix things.

Okay, the price was really good. The job is paid and it’s over. It needs a little extra work to finish it and make it a perfect roof that will last us another 20 years. I am willing to spend a little more and get it fixed. My co-worker has a second relative who is a roofer. Danna and her relative arrive early Sunday morning to check it out and see what can be done. He gets up on the roof and finds the problems. He makes temporary fixes which he says will last a few years. We’ve got rain coming again next week so it will be a good test.

But I don’t want the temporary fixes. He will come back in April and make permanent fixes. We’ll pay him, and the roof will be good for 20 years. That’s all I want. I want the job done well so I don’t have to fuss about it for a very long time.

Basement Cat edges in a little bit further

We get home from the concert and Anne lets Basement Cat out of the garage for a while. Bit of food, bit of warmth, bit of cuddles. At bedtime, she puts him back out and locks him in the garage.

I stay up a bit later, and I check on the cat before I go to bed. Oh wow, it’s below freezing outside, and it’s about the same in the garage.

I don’t want the cat to get it too good. I don’t think we should absorb another pet because of our status. But it’s below freezing.

I unlock the cat flap that hasn’t been used since Redrum died. I grab the black cat and push him through it both ways so he knows how to use it. He’s a bit thick. Uses his paw and gets a pad pinched. I free him and stop the yowling. When I am satisfied he can get back out for the kitty litter, I leave him inside and go to bed.

Anne wakes up and says “I can hear him purring. You let him in, didn’t you?” I say “It was below freezing in the garage.” She says “Huh” and goes back to sleep.

Damn cat.

Virginia Chorale and Ears Wide Open

Went to the Virginia Chorale concert – Ears Wide Open. Chorale music by women composers. Big night with a lot of singers. The Virginia Chorale was augmented by a women’s choir Bellissima, and with singers from the Young Singers Project.

Started with In principio omnes by Hildegard von Bingen,. then Abendlich by Fanny Mendelssohn, and At the round earth’s imagined corners by Williametta Spencer. Then we jumped to more modern pieces – Snow by Faith York, Whitman Intelude by Deborah Mason (and the composer was in the audience and took a bow), Adonai roi by Judith Shatin, and Regina Caeli by Cecilia McDowall. Then two international pieces – Sakura, Sakura by Chen Yi, and Hope there is by Clare Maclean. The last one had a lot of interest for us. New Zealand born composer, setting music to a poem by Aboriginal poet Oodgeroo Nunuccal. The poem starts “As tribal elders sit, their tribal thoughts tie their tongue, We the foreigners in this, our land, …”. The poem was sad, especially for me, the vocal setting was very interesting. Sounded Philip Glass like. Anne said she didn’t like it much, probably because of the minimalist techniques used. Ah, that’s why it sounded like Philip Glass.

After intermission, we had Come, come whoever you are by Giselle Wyers. The composer was in the audience and took a bow. Then a short Requiem by Eleanor Daley. Another song by Giselle Wyers – Goodbye – and this time she stepped up and conducted the choir. Lovely song. We ended the night with Hark, hear the harps eternal, arranged by Alice Parker.

There were five pieces premiered tonight.Three regional premieres, never performed hear before. And two world premieres, first performance anywhere. I had a good night. I always enjoy the Chorale concerts. I love vocal music, and they have never disappointed me. The music selection was fine. Hildegard Bingen is always going to be a fine addition to a night of singing. There was a lot of new music tonight, music I had never heard before.

My only complaint is that the music is not recorded or broadcast. It’s too ephemeral. I can’t listen to a single performance of new music and grasp it. I need to listen to it again and again, read about it while I listen, listen some more. If only the Chorale concerts could be recorded and broadcast on WHRO. That would give me the chance to absorb all this new music. But failing that, record each performance and release a CD. The Chorale only does four concerts a year, and I would buy a CD of all four concerts. Even rough recordings would be welcome.

There were several sad notes to the evening. One of the choir had died in the last two months. I remember her voice. She had a powerful, controlled voice, with lovely earthy tones. I enjoyed hearing her sing. Sadly, we won’t hear that voice again. And Scott Williamson said they lost another choir member. I am unsure whether the singer left the choir, or left the world. And then one of the male singers was wheeled in on a wheelchair and he performed from the wheelchair. What’s been happening?