Saturday, October 17, 2009

Got my glee back!

Yup, I've definitely emerged from my grump. Phew.

Today I was up way earlier than I needed to be (in hindsight) and as it was a sunny day, I decided to walk to my sewing class in North Melbourne. It was only about 5kms in the end. It was a little chilly, but fine and there were rowers on the river and more people than I expected in the city, possibly due to the Caulfield Cup (big horse race...as in a major event, not large horses).

The sewing class was great. Our teacher was a guy! That was unexpected. Yes, he was gay and also very entertaining.

Importantly, I didn't suck at the sewing. In fact, when we were winding the bobbins and threading the machines, it all came back to me from my high school textiles classes. Well, hazily, but I didn't feel like a total novice. We made this:



It's a wallety/clutchy kinda thing. Yeah, I know my thread doesn't match. That's not the point, people (I'm not actually going to use it).

My friend Anna and I were so pleased with ourselves we signed up on the spot for the second module, which is next Saturday. Button holes and zips. This could test us... We're both excited about the class where we'll be making an A line skirt. I even went to Lincraft on my way home to have a look at fabric (I have to say fabric, rather than material, now that I can sew).

I had lunch and a chat with Anna afterwards (oopsie, diet fail) and then I decided to walk home. I'm the peripatetic version of Forrest Gump. Walk, Frisky, waaaaalk!

I stopped in at Queen Vic Market (not the food bit) and bought myself a self-heating gel heat pack that's shaped especially for your neck and shoulders (I've had a major pain in the neck this week, which didn't help my mood). You press a little metal disc inside the heat pack and - voila! - it gets hot. Toasteeeeee.

I also adopted another member for my giraffe family. That's him rear left.

By the time I walked all the way home, I'd covered just over 12kms. Whew.

Then tonight I walked up to Hamer Hall to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. It was an experience and, in the interests of trying new things, I'm not sorry I went, but the music for the most part was just a bit...well, noisy. I won't be buying the CD (yes, there is one). I think if I go again I'll stick with the classics or the pops series, rather than contemporary stuff.

But the conductor was fun to watch. I actually laughed when he first started spasming and twitching about. I wondered if he deliberately keeps his hair floppy so he can flip it about while conducting. And I also pondered how the orchestra bosses select the person who clangs the cymbals. Would there really be much separating the talents of one cymbal-clanger and the next? Most of the time tonight the cymbal dude just sat on his stool, waiting to clang. Oh, and gong. He had one good bong of the gong.

Imagine if you're the clanger/gonger and you meet an attractive lady at a party and she's all, "So, what do you do?"...

Clanger/gonger (swaggery): "Well, I'm in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra actually."

Attractive lady (with interest piqued): "Oh, really? A musician! And what do you play?"

Clanger/gonger: "The cymbals. And also the gong."

Attractive lady: "Oh? Oh. Well. If you'll excuse me..."

I imagine that's why the term "percussionist" was invented, though personally I prefer clanger/gonger.

Anyway, it was a night out and now I can make out like I'm cultured because I've seen the MSO perform.

4 comments:

a work in progress said...

*snigger* at clangers/gong bongers hehehe

i would love love love sewing classes...i've borrowed a machine lately and am (slowly) attempting a couple of projects, but to be honest i am,well..., crap. ha. :)

no more glumpy is great to hear :)

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe how many kilometres you walked. How many hours was this?

The instruments a percussionist plays depends on the music.

Abbeysmum said...

your clutch "thingy" could be used for keeping your best stockings, bras or undies from running around loose in your drawer....or for any of the above when you pack your luggage.
I travel a bit and have a small zip bag for just that, it is so easy to find the bra & knickers you need for the day.

chrome3d said...

I have no idea what is the status of clanger/gongers out there but I´m glad I didn´t choose that to do! Although they have it fairly easy compared to string- and horn-sections...