In tune with Inner Self?

so, while I have been doing that for a while - in the world of Aeros and Wild things are going on.
Revolving doors keep Aeros on the move, up and down, as the case may be.

Plus Endras heading back to Europe, so he can actually play!

Kuemper heading to Houston.

Now, how THAT will turn out? Your guess's as good as mine!
Hackett will just have to share his spot in the limelight.
Well, the powers that are better make sure that IS so.
After all, one does not call a very successful goalie to the team only to have him sit and rust. So as not to - hmmm - put out the nose of the Wundergoalie of last year! :-)!

Meanwhile Wellman gets HIS chance with the Wild,

Jim Mone, AP

but Peters and Prosser are back with the Aeros.

While I have been "tuning to my inner self"- very much needed, let me asssure you -
Hockey and Opera have taken back seats.
One's attention span just could not be shared, or else!

Since it feels the way to normalcy has begun,
I start to focus on other things happening, here, and in the world.
Alas, events are not inspiring to flights of  'touchy feely' sentiments.
What in the heck...is everyone going bananas?
And I do not mean bananas in a humorous way!

It's all so very nauseating!
So maybe THAT :-) was the cause of the misery of last week and the hospital stay!
Just kidding - there is at least one physical NOT just a perceived mental reason! 
And now off to Doctors' offices for follow up!

But 'nuf said!

How quickly one learns

that one is NOT indestructible.
Well, one starts life as baby.
Babbling, toothless, helpless and depending on mother.

One most likely ends like that, too.
Babbling, toothless, helpless and depending on nurses.

Except of course, a little baby is much easier to handle and dandle.
A superannuated one is much less so.
And when it comes to dandling - better forget that part!

Anyway.
My respect for the RNS and PCAs at the hospital is firmly entrenched.
And they, most of them, did it all with a cheerful smile and matter of fact attitude.

That's what it takes.
That's how it's done.

So, a Salute to the Nurses and dedicated staff of hospitals.

Thanks.

Gender Reversal

The Moon, The Sun, The Star

artandhockey: The  sun rises in Victoria, BC

But just go to German and you'll find:
DER Mond, DIE Sonne, DER Stern.
Which kinda makes sense to me.
The sun (she) is after all said to be nurturing...crops, people.
I am sure you'll have read /heard about the kids growing up with rickets in urban slums?

Venture into romance languages and you'll find :
LA Luna, EL Sol. LA Estrella.
LA Lune, LE Soleil, L(a)'Etoile.
The Moon becomes romantic as in Lune de Miel,
which the English call Honeymoon..

artandhockey: The sun sets in New Mexico

Moon and Star are feminine,
the Sun masculine in Latin based languages.
And attributes must match the gender of the nouns.
EL Sol grande, La Luna serena ...
Le Soleil chaud, La Lune claire..

But they also do in German:
Die grosse Sonne, Der kalte Mond ..
And German uses a 3rd gender the Neutral as in
DAS Fenster (the window) not to be confues with The Widow (Die Witwe) ;-)!
But, and that is confusing I admit, moonlight or sunlight become neutral too :
Das Sonnenlicht. Das Mondlicht.

Only the English stays out of the gender wars by being so non specific :-)!
The hot Sun, The cool Moon...

Interesting that.
It is a wonder that some humans get confused about which gender they are?
Ah well, just some food for thought.

Another Shootout Loss for Aeros

And the hero of this combat was.....Leland Irving, the Heat netminder!

No really, any honest hockey fan will have to concede that Irving was spectacular, he stopped all shots the buzzing Aeros threw at him... a total of 34 sogs.

While Hackett wasn't shabby either, and had two (at least) really fantastic saves.

One I just call.."if I can't stop it face on, I'll just  turn around and SIT on it" -
and so he did!

Twice McIntyre skated like the devil with the puck only to miss the net!
And on the way, or so it seemed to me, he tried hard to cause a penalty on the Heat :-)!

At almost the last 6 minutes of regulation a Heat player did his utmost best to choke the air out of an Aeros. But no penalty was called for that.
Maybe the Ref did not quite see it as that..just a brotherly hug ...
I think not!
but whatever, no penalty on Heat player was called.

Despite the  number (7 for Aeros - 4 for Heat) of PP opportunities, neither team managed to score.

Two fights broke out!
Bagnall vs Bouma (and rightly so for Bouma kneed an Aroes player) with Bagnall 'bagging' his man.
Kassian vs Ivanans was less happy-Raitis Ivanans subduing the Kassassinator.
Raitis..is that Lithuanian? Or Latvian?
But I digress.

And at the end Chenoway got in the way of some hot HEAT,
and again no penalty called - below:

Overall I found it a very exiting game.
A fluid game.
A Game of good forechecking.
Passing was better by the Heat, but Aeros acquitted themselves honorably.

 A Heat sandwiched between 2 Aeros lol?

Aeros started out furiously with 10, then 15 Sogs during the first 2 periods.
But energy levels dropped in the third to just 6 (Aeros 6, Heat 3, Sogs)
and to only 3 each in OT.

Maybe it just shows that both teams' defense was in overdrive.
And that, to me, meant the goalies did yeoman's work.



And whenever I snapped a picture there was Di Salvatore..

seemingly ubiquitous:-)

Dustin Sylvester got the winning SO goal on Hacket
and
thus ends the Aeros vs Heat Game 1-0!

Both teams put great effort forth in this the third of 3 back to back contests.

Now, I am sure adoring Kolanos fans were deeply
disappointed not to see him skate. 

For died-in-the-wool Aeros fans that may have come as a relief.

WITH Kolanos the Heat may have trounced the Aeros in regulation.
WITHOUT Kolanos, the Aeros carried away ONE piont!

Ah well. it is just a game, eh!

Aeros win 5-1 vs Stars

Cedar Park was good to the Aeros tonight,

and Dennis Endras kept the Stars to just 1 goal.
AEros had 2 goals each in the 1. and 2. and 1 in 3. Period.
Interestingly, they played more aggressively in the 2 period with 10 shots on goal.
(I always want to type gaol...)
Each Aeros goal by a different player: McMillan, Almond, Penner and Rau;
with Wellman getting 1 Goal and 1 Assists,
Di Salvatore with 2 Assists.
May the hot streak continue into tomorrow when The Heat, with  Kolanos on the warpath. is back in town.
I will attend and plan to take photos....

A Thread of Grace

Reading long into the night I recently finished "A Thread of Grace" by Mary Doria Russell.
It was fascinating.
Truly I was unable to put it down until the last word.

It's a potpourri of the last years of WW 2 in Italy.
Set in the Northwest, across the border from France, it covers different events. From a historical but also intensely human point of view!

Jewish refugees fleeing just ahead of the Nazi Occupation of France.
Italian partisan groups fighting each other but also the enemy.
Nuns hiding Jewish children, Priests and Rabbis.
Villagers and peasants from all over Italy.
Saboteurs, Collaborators.
And old and young woman fighting the occupiers in their own way!
Retaliating Nazis, rape, torture and bullets fly.
Bombs explode. Hunger and injuries.
And a couple love stories.

All sewn together like pieces of quilting with fluid prose.

here is a red thread woven through the chapters,
as the readers weaves his way through the novel.
Actually several.
Young boys and girls growing to adulthood the hard way;
Italian Jews, a flyer and a rabbi;
Priests and Nuns;
and a disillusioned, sick German Doctor.
Both Italian Jewish flyer and German Army Doctor have experienced war,
have perpetrated unspeakable horrors.
Each drinks to drown out the memories.
And somehow this binds them together.

Russell's characters grow in stature.
She does not prettify war.
Nor minimizes the toll it takes on both men and women, and especially children.

As I said at the start-could not put it down until I read the final line.
Just don't know why it took me so long to delve into it!

This JUST IN from the Wild

per Russo's rant Aeros gains two but may loose others...
The "Revolving Doors for players" are gonna be busy.
I think it IS good of Yeo to call up guys from down South to give them not just a taste but a good chance at the NHL level.
And THAT thought, guys, ought to inspire you all to play your best.
Get some wins for the Aeros down here - the fans will eat it up even as they sorrow after the losses of favorites, temporarily or permanent!

GO AEROS..

They all do IT - freely after Mozart..

Cosi Fan Tutte at Opera in the Heights was tremendous.
I apologize in advance, if it looks like descriptions having been cribbed from various articles..
which I did NOT read. Until I post here!
Then I will read them! :-)! Friends are always sending my snippets and clippings...

But having seen last night's production (11/17 Emerald Cast) what I can,
want to, say about it probably repeats others' reviews.
The cast was exceptionally well matched.

Naturally, as I favor the deeper voices (men, more - a course :-)!
Erik Kronke's Don Alfonso, was enthralling. And judging from the applause and bravos on taking his bows at the end, so felt the rest of the audience.  And it was well deserved. Bravo Erik Kronke!
BTW he will be back for Anna Bolena in January 2012!

Erik Kronke
Photo By Gwen Turner Juarez - Thank you.

The orchestra played spiritedly under the energetic baton of Maestro Carreon Robledo, with special dedication, methinks, by the strings!
Soprano Emily Newton as Fiordiligi gave a beautifully paced and finely drawn performance. Her big rich voice rang true and strong throughout.
Well matched by the flirty Dorabella of Mezzo Ann Sauder. Who, so we learn, has taken on this role for ALL performances. Brava Ann Sauder!

Both, Tenor Emanuel-Christian Caraman as Ferrando,
and Baritone Kevin Wetzel as Guglielmo sang and acted truly well.
Caraman used his fine Tenor very pleasantly.
Wetzel projected some humor (IMO) into his portrayal.

Jennifer Whalen  was a sprightly Despina, although I for one, felt her mugging and falsetto singing as the Notary a bit too Keystone Cops-ish! Just my opinion, of course!
Otherwise she was a pleasant addition to the strong cast.

The OH! Chorus, who doubled as stage hands, did it all amusingly well.
The staging's great bright lightening made the tiny stage at Lambert Hall look surprisingly spacious!
Three more perfomances.. tonight (Ruby Cast), Saturday (Emerald) and Sunday afternoon (Ruby)!
Having said all that, I now must admit, that COSI is not my favorite Mozart Opera.
It just seems too long. Beautiful and exiting music notwithstanding!

Several scenes could be easily shortened without lessening the plot,
perhaps even strengthening the satirical impact of it.

And as in Don Giovanni - which does happen to be a big Favorite of mine -
The moralizing sextetts at the end of either opera actually detract from it.
Let Don Giovanni end with the Don's fall into hell!
Just my opinion...

The Importance of Being Relevant

What IS relevant?
That depends on one's age.
And perhaps upbringing.

In this world of instant-ness any relevance is only fleeting.

Just think:
What happens a world away is instantly available via cell phones/web.
What you find on YouTube is instantly a hit for a moment, before the next one appears.
What you read on the web is instantly relevant for that hour, perhaps day.

But think again.
Every moment of instantant relevance turns into a moment of old hat.
New words turn into 'has beens' as newer phrases become the In-Thing.
The latest fashions are so dernier cri! (literally-dernier=last=past)
Everything has been done, seen, worn, experienced before.
In various incarnations.

The bell bottoms of the "Make Love not War" seventies, return as 'bootcut' style.
The stirrups, now footless, are back.
Even in jeans into which one has to shoehorn oneself!

The geometric prints which looked like artwork.
They've been back - just in different color combinations.. more clashing perhaps!

Belts come and go, thin ones, wide ones, low slung ones, under the bust ones,
chain ones, elastic ones. Just made of different materials.

Peasant skirts are around again.
Now called something else.. but still the same long skirt!
Short and shorter skirts come and go.
Flirty hems...then called Godets, now who knows what name the designers give them.
Short shorts been here, went away, came back..
And in bathing suits styles are repeating themsleves as well.

Empire styled dresses. Halter style dresses. Strapless dresses.
Waisted dresses (hello 50's).
Low waisted dresses (hello 20's)
The slinky style IS better in cling (thanks to Latex which makes it possible)
which so 'tastefully' (;-) molds every, even the tiniest, bulge: Hail to the Bulge!
Wearable art (those Bob Mackie's..just love them)-
remember hand painted material with hand embroidered designs!
Cropped jackets, boyfriend blazers, wide sleeve jackets.
Short sleeve jackets to show off your selection of  gloves in the 50'4 /bracelets now.

Glamor is back.
Funky rings (how do I love them),
gloriously glitzy costume jewellery (if one cannot afford Tiffany's).
Long and longer jangly earrings... been here, gone, came back!


The pointy toes with 5 inch stiletto heels of the late 50's showed up again lately.
This time yours truly did not even dream of teeter tottering.
Most toes are too square for those "pointies"!  And later one finally realizes that!
Or rather one's corns and bunions do. A painful reminder of those days of the high heels!

As did, and do the clunky platforms on which yours truly clomped around for a while (70'S) think herself oh, so chic! But those are even lame compared to what's being worn now.
And multiple twisted ankles later decided it was not worth it!
Lace up shoes, ala Roman gladiators, now with higher heels and glitzy attachments.

So are all these new trends relevant?
Is it that relevant to be hip with the young?
I think not.
Relevant was, is and should always be personal expressions, emotions and how one reacts to it.
And that comes with experience and - perhaps, ennui!
After all "Alles schon mal dagewesen"- all has been done, seen, heard before.
Bah, Humbug.

Monday's Blues

Just how does one top a day like yesterday?

Covent Garden's Fidelio-seen at HGO
  'Prisoners out for a taste of sunlight'!

With a moving experience at the Opera,
followed by a win by one's favorite Hockey team on a beautifully WARM
(yes, you know I like it warm) day!One doesn't.
One cannot.
But there was a touching moment and you can watch
 it all here.

Other news from here, abroad and around the world are really horrid!
Since I truly don't like to write certain 4-letter or 3 letter words -
horrid and torrid must suffice, as the case may be :-)!
The so-called official media is full of that kind of stuff anyway,
way too much of it for way too long.
I often long in my NON PC way to scream "ENOUGH ALREADY"!

Guess that makes me a less than 'modern' Millie!
Not that my name IS Millie!  :-)!
Nor can I sing like Julie Andrews!
And no, I have not been around since the Roaring Twenties,
although sometimes it sure feels that way ;-)!

Basta.. it is Blah, ahem BLUE Monday!

Wahre Liebe fuerchtet nicht!

True Love knows no fear! Fidelio - finally seen at HGO today.
And it was a tour de force by Karita Mattila, Kristinn Sigmundsson and Simon O'Neil.
Mattila did the role of Leonore=Fidelio great justice.
She sang with conviction, a vocal force with strong expression, but also lyrical softness when called for and beautifully enunciated German.

She was the most loyal wife in search of her missing husband.
Who was sung with steely clarity in good German by Tenor Simon O'Neil.

When he sang GOD! - spinning it out for ever, or so it seemed - at the first moments of the second part shivers crept down my spine!

Rocco, sung by  Kristinn Sigmundsson I truly liked very much. His voice rang out powerfully with the best German pronunciation of them all. IMO.  Unfortunately no video clips of him as Rocco.. but here as Dr. Basilio his rich bass shines.

Tomas Tomasson's baritone seemed a bit forced as Don Pizarro. But he coped well to garner boos from the audience - not for his singing but for the kind of character he portrayed, rather effectively.

Soprano Brittany Wheeler (*) successfully sang Marcelline.. her German was very good as well.
And Bass Baritone Kyle Ketelsen as the Minister Don Fernando, Tenor Norman Reinhard (+)as Jaquino  gave good accounts for themselves.
Tenor Brendan Touhy (*) sang the First Prisoner with a bell like tenor while Mark Diamond's (*) suave baritone as Second Prisoner seemed a bit drowned out by the swell of the orchestra.
Which was conducted by Michael Hofstetter (Beatrice and Benedict - you may remember his conducting of that opera) in quite a suitable manner given that much is more symphonic than most operas.
The horns were superb.

Wagner may have borrowed from Beethoven in HIS use of horns and other wind instruments.
And he could not have paid as stronger compliment to the genius that was Ludwig Van Beethoven.
(*) current studio members, (+) former studio member.
Staging was stark, effective, with tiers. Costumes updated to a non-specific modern time somewhere!
Prisoner chorus (clip below) well rehearsed by Richard Bado, HGO's Chorus master

Meanwhile at the Toyota Center the Houston Aeros have 5 goals  vs. Charlotte Checkers with 2 goals.

Aeros scored 2 in the First, 2 in the Second. 1 in Third/

SOG's by the Aeros have diminished from 12, 10 to 5

DiSalvatore with 2 goals.

Ortmeyer 1 goal.

Wellman scores an empty net PP goal!

Other AHL Action:

Rampage win vs Texas 3-2 (stopping a long loosing streak).

Hamilton 5 - Binghamton 2

Whale 3 - St. John's 4

Providence 3-Worcester 2 (Anton Khudobin stopping 47 of 49 SoGs)

Toronto 4 - Albany 3

Bridgeport 4 - Hershey 3

 OKC 2 - Milwaukee 3

Abs and Pecs and Uniforms.

Musing on various things, ideas and conceptions.
It does seem that some of us art and hockey lovers appreciate all the finer things.

Of course, with Opera it is the voice .
Naturally  :-)!   as proven in the clip below  :-)!
(Andrea Concetti with the Catalogue Aria from Mozart's Don Giovanni)

 

in singing that's where Abs and Pecs come in (lol) they support the 'air column' which gives heft to the voice.....and more, ahem!

 Tom Corbeil
and again proven here:

 Nathan Gunn in Pearlfishers.

The Visual Arts is where form is truly appreciated: right?

artandhockey photo from MFAH

Ballet: style, form..........and form :-):

Danceur Roberto Bolle

And in Hockey it has to be (uni)forms and ......... ahem, form :-):

Nolan Schaefer - Photo by Fred Trask

artandhockey photo

 

Isn't it said that women LOVE men in uniform!

 

by artandhockey Eagle Dancer

That must be it!  The Uniforms! 
Just the uniforms, eh? 

All Uniforms?  Hmm

LIfe would be soooo Good

when one can have a hockey game one day,

A GOOD save last season!

a visit to the Art Museum on the 2nd,

Flowers compliment Art!

A Party on the 3rd.

Opera on the 4th at HGO Fidelio, the one and only opera by Beethoven.

And find out about another win or, less nice, a loss by one's hockey team on the way from the opera.

Via The Voice of the Aeros: Joe O'Donnell

And a glimpse via the net - isn't that just ducky - Opera from Theatre Monnaie/Bruxelles of George Enesco's Oedipe... playing NOW?
Cool Stuff to be found everyday!

What more can one ask?
Well, of course wins would be nice.
Wins  at every game would be better.
And getting the Calder Cup would be perfect.
Being OVER there for that Oedipe would have been nice.

Starting 2012 with the Wiener Philharmoniker's Neujahrskonzert there, would be nice..


The Vienna Ball season to start early...
Actually dancing AT the Operaball in Vienna would be heaven.
But life is not perfect.. ............so we enjoy what we can : hip hop?

 ChaChaCha with humor?

Or in a serious line this