For two reasons.
1. Janice has been desperate to expand upon our Christmas JibJab "tradition", so been waiting for the round of Christmas e-cards to become available. With of course the main reason being to get Logan in one!
And I think you can all agree it has been worth the wait http://www.jibjab.com/view/4len0yza95Q47UzanrJ6
2. Logan is treating us to an early Christmas present of "sleeping like a baby". Going 12 hours without waking up more than once for the last few nights AND to match that I'm actually sleeping right through too. Hence this upbeat post before I even head to work :)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
The Confusing Concierto
For something different J and I had booked to see a Guitar quartet playing music composed by Joaquín Rodrigo at the Perth Concert Hall last night.
All sounds good so far as we both like some classical music. Not "Oh darling I loved the allegro in the 3rd symphony, where the clarinet matched perfectly with the harp" kind of classical buffs, but like it all the same. And for reasons only my Dad can explain he got me into listening to Rodrigo years ago and always have had several different CD's of his concierto, not concierto's!
So we asked Sue to come over to look after Logan and proceeded to get properly attired for the occasion, which presented the first problem. As I went to put on my suit jacket (wool blend) I noticed some holes in the back of it and this is my newest and best suit (not massively expensive but still) and the bloody moths must have had a go at it, just like my one and only wool jumper!
Hey ho! Wasn't intending on wearing the jacket much and at least they didn't eat holes in the pants as well...
It was raining quite hard at the time so we decided to go into the underground parking to make it easier, but guess who had just put the mesh cage on the roofbars that day, ready for camping and all the extra gear the boy is going to need. And hadn't thought of that until I saw how low the roof of the parking place was as we are driving in. We did manage to literally squeeze underneath the height bar with only some minor scraping sounds, all the time with me hoping they do design those places with a few extra inches of clearance for the rest of the parking spaces.
A smart person would have known that it was going to be a bad night by then and just gone home, but not me!
So we get into the hall and start to relax, thinking all is good now (except for Janice telling me I REALLY can't wear the jacket at all as I look like a hobbo). And order our interval drinks and do all those theatre like things and make our way to our seats.
We paid for the reasonable priced seats and even chose the location ourselves so was a bit annoying to get into the seats on the front row of the top tier to find out that I couldn't see about a third of the stage due to the "ridiculously wide" balcony. I'm sure it was designed that way by some expert architect for acoustic reasons or something, but that "expert" obviously didn't sit in my seat! Trying to relax and think it doesn't really matter as you don't need to see the whole orchestra as you're here for the music. Oh, and I forgot to mention that only a few hours before we left I looked up the full program and discovered that the guitar quartet (note quartet as this is important!) playing Rodrigo was only on for approx 30 mins of the 2 hours - "that's not what I thought I booked, but OK!".
So the first piece was by Ravel (mother goose) and was well performed (in my vast experience) but I was waiting for the guitar concierto AND I wanted to feel "immersed" and "transported" by the music, but it wasn't really loud enough or we were too high or something....so I half felt like it was like listening to some really good music that little bit too quiet because you don't want to disturb the neighbours! This is where Janice tells me to shut up (not at the time as she isn't like that) and that it was a great sound, but she has eagle hawk hearing and I compensate my OK hearing with good eyesight.... and you're thinking Phil, why didn't you go and see a film instead if you're more visual, well I'm right with you at this point :)
Moving on to the main event!!! And the quartet come out onto the stage at the head of the orchestra, so I can just about see them all and off it starts. Oh, that doesn't sound quite right I'm thinking. Go with it Phil it's a live performance and the "award winning" quartet are just putting their spin on it. But alas, none of the 25 minute performance was what I was expecting :(
And here's the biggest incorrect information piece of the night - IT WAS THE WRONG CONCIERTO!!!!
We were listening to "Concierto Andaluz (Spanish: Andalusian concerto) is a 1967 work by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo for four guitars and orchestra" and NOT "Concierto de Aranjuez is a composition for classical guitar and orchestra by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is far and away Rodrigo's best-known work".
So I had seen a Rodrigo concierto in the magazine and "crazily" assumed it would be the most famous and the one I have listened to all my life. It was similar music being the same composer and I can't fault the quality of the "players" but just wasn't what I was expecting or wanted to hear!
We then had the interval with me wandering round trying (badly) to pretend it's all good and I'm enjoying our lovely evening out - sorry Janice!
Then after the interval the one pleasant surprise was one piece the orchestra (because of course the guitars were only there for half an hour) played by Osvaldo Goliov which was a very uplifting and powerful piece. And the Stravinsky to finish was ok in stages but I was over it by then :)
So there's a lesson there for us all - to pay attention to detail (which I normally do), because it can make all the difference.
All sounds good so far as we both like some classical music. Not "Oh darling I loved the allegro in the 3rd symphony, where the clarinet matched perfectly with the harp" kind of classical buffs, but like it all the same. And for reasons only my Dad can explain he got me into listening to Rodrigo years ago and always have had several different CD's of his concierto, not concierto's!
So we asked Sue to come over to look after Logan and proceeded to get properly attired for the occasion, which presented the first problem. As I went to put on my suit jacket (wool blend) I noticed some holes in the back of it and this is my newest and best suit (not massively expensive but still) and the bloody moths must have had a go at it, just like my one and only wool jumper!
Hey ho! Wasn't intending on wearing the jacket much and at least they didn't eat holes in the pants as well...
It was raining quite hard at the time so we decided to go into the underground parking to make it easier, but guess who had just put the mesh cage on the roofbars that day, ready for camping and all the extra gear the boy is going to need. And hadn't thought of that until I saw how low the roof of the parking place was as we are driving in. We did manage to literally squeeze underneath the height bar with only some minor scraping sounds, all the time with me hoping they do design those places with a few extra inches of clearance for the rest of the parking spaces.
A smart person would have known that it was going to be a bad night by then and just gone home, but not me!
So we get into the hall and start to relax, thinking all is good now (except for Janice telling me I REALLY can't wear the jacket at all as I look like a hobbo). And order our interval drinks and do all those theatre like things and make our way to our seats.
We paid for the reasonable priced seats and even chose the location ourselves so was a bit annoying to get into the seats on the front row of the top tier to find out that I couldn't see about a third of the stage due to the "ridiculously wide" balcony. I'm sure it was designed that way by some expert architect for acoustic reasons or something, but that "expert" obviously didn't sit in my seat! Trying to relax and think it doesn't really matter as you don't need to see the whole orchestra as you're here for the music. Oh, and I forgot to mention that only a few hours before we left I looked up the full program and discovered that the guitar quartet (note quartet as this is important!) playing Rodrigo was only on for approx 30 mins of the 2 hours - "that's not what I thought I booked, but OK!".
So the first piece was by Ravel (mother goose) and was well performed (in my vast experience) but I was waiting for the guitar concierto AND I wanted to feel "immersed" and "transported" by the music, but it wasn't really loud enough or we were too high or something....so I half felt like it was like listening to some really good music that little bit too quiet because you don't want to disturb the neighbours! This is where Janice tells me to shut up (not at the time as she isn't like that) and that it was a great sound, but she has eagle hawk hearing and I compensate my OK hearing with good eyesight.... and you're thinking Phil, why didn't you go and see a film instead if you're more visual, well I'm right with you at this point :)
Moving on to the main event!!! And the quartet come out onto the stage at the head of the orchestra, so I can just about see them all and off it starts. Oh, that doesn't sound quite right I'm thinking. Go with it Phil it's a live performance and the "award winning" quartet are just putting their spin on it. But alas, none of the 25 minute performance was what I was expecting :(
And here's the biggest incorrect information piece of the night - IT WAS THE WRONG CONCIERTO!!!!
We were listening to "Concierto Andaluz (Spanish: Andalusian concerto) is a 1967 work by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo for four guitars and orchestra" and NOT "Concierto de Aranjuez is a composition for classical guitar and orchestra by the Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Written in 1939, it is far and away Rodrigo's best-known work".
So I had seen a Rodrigo concierto in the magazine and "crazily" assumed it would be the most famous and the one I have listened to all my life. It was similar music being the same composer and I can't fault the quality of the "players" but just wasn't what I was expecting or wanted to hear!
We then had the interval with me wandering round trying (badly) to pretend it's all good and I'm enjoying our lovely evening out - sorry Janice!
Then after the interval the one pleasant surprise was one piece the orchestra (because of course the guitars were only there for half an hour) played by Osvaldo Goliov which was a very uplifting and powerful piece. And the Stravinsky to finish was ok in stages but I was over it by then :)
So there's a lesson there for us all - to pay attention to detail (which I normally do), because it can make all the difference.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
My first swimming session (by Logan)
It was a stormy Sunday afternoon and not a good day to go outside, so I told Mummy and Daddy that they should take me for my first swimming session. And thought it would make a change from my jigging around on my mat and seeing where I could be sick next (so bored with that!).
So we headed to the Terry Tyzack aquatic centre, which is a fancy name for a leisure centre with a few pools.
I wasn't quite sure if I liked it at first with all the people and noise, as you can see on the photos, but then I got into it and we had some fun.
Unfortunately even though we were told it was OK to take the camera in, another life guard said it wasn't so stopped before you could see me enjoying myself.
I really enjoyed floating around especially as I seem to be good at it at the moment with my baby blubber :)
Then wondered what was going on when I was dunked under water, but was fun and looking forward to when I can go swimming underwater with Daddy!
So we headed to the Terry Tyzack aquatic centre, which is a fancy name for a leisure centre with a few pools.
I wasn't quite sure if I liked it at first with all the people and noise, as you can see on the photos, but then I got into it and we had some fun.
 |
| Dad said he looked too bald in this photo, so styled it to fool you... |
 |
| Chillin with Mum, still not sure what's going on |
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| A funky under/over water shot |
I really enjoyed floating around especially as I seem to be good at it at the moment with my baby blubber :)
Then wondered what was going on when I was dunked under water, but was fun and looking forward to when I can go swimming underwater with Daddy!
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