I Am Large, I Contain Multitudes

Posting this on Monday morning (Labor Day, 9/2), but backdating to last night for consistency. :-) I am late because I was away at the Victorian Lyric Opera Co.'s 5th Great Gilbert & Sullivan Sing-Out in Rockville, MD, where I had a smashing time and whence I got back late Sunday night. Sorry that I wasn't foresightful enough to stay over an extra night and visit any of my other awesome DC/MD peeps... I do miss you, and would love to come another time soon, but I also am SO GLAD to be at home with a leisurely day today. :-}

Anyway. ( Let the Month of Yontifs begin! )

I apparently still need to unpack my paper calendar; it wasn't until I woke up this morning, checked my email, and found all my mailing-list "monthly reminders" that I went "Oh Lord, it's really August now?"

( Highlights: housewarming this Sunday evening; Bliss Jockeys gig August 10; G&S Sing-Out in MD over Labor Day weekend )

I started my Russian class tonight! It's just a 6-week mini-course, but should be enough to wrap my brain around some stuff. Tonight was all about learning to decode the alphabet. That will provide plenty of fodder for practice (the instructor suggested half an hour every day if we want to make good progress). I left with that delightful "my brain is full" feeling.

This coming weekend is my Brandeis reunion. I am going in with medium-low expectations, which I think should mean that it's a good and low-key time. (Worst case, I can hang out by myself and read/write/explore/chill, all of which are fine things, and maybe call some folks in for auxiliary socializing as needed.) I also signed up to read Torah for egalitarian Shabbat morning services, which it finally occurred to me to find amusing (because when I was there, literally half my lifetime ago, I couldn't even begin to imagine being able to read). I'm actually a little out of practice, with how little leyning I've done in the last year and a half; I'll be cramming on the bus.

Since I'm not going with justom to Santa Fe the following weekend, I am going after all to Newport with the Blue Hill Troupe. It's their "Out-of-Town Show" (one reprise performance only of this spring's Mikado production), but it sounds like it is basically a Troupe retreat, complete with beach party (oh yeah, and set build and strike), which I think is going to be smashing fun. I'm riding up with my friend Michael, who is driving, and then returning Sunday afternoon in time for the matinee of My Name is Asher Lev.

There's a G&S "Sing-Out" marathon in Rockville, MD, over Labor Day weekend. My buddy Sam is encouraging me to sign up. It sounds fun -- especially remembering what an awesome time I had at the marathon at Brown that Adorable David took me to a few years back -- but I have this nagging feeling like I might need or want to be somewhere else over Labor Day. (I need to sign up in the next 2 weeks if I want to apply for any principal roles.) Anyone have alternative suggestions? Or should I go for it?

While watching Boardwalk Empire with justom last night, I finally sat down and re-posted or adapted a bunch of work-related content to my pro blog. Going back years. A lot of years. :-) I think there's still art stuff I am missing that I need to add, but will review more later.

Off to catch the MetroNorth to do (what has become) my annual Gilbert & Sullivan performance with Robbie Harris at Temple Israel Center in White Plains (the one where the cast comprises 15 rabbis, cantors, and cantorial students, plus SCO#1 and me). I talked my friend Michael from the Blue Hill Troupe (who lives in Westchester Co. and is a great baritenorbass) into doing it, so that's going to be fun. Though of course I am also specially looking forward to hanging with SCO#1, who is on his way down from Boston right now. :-) This year, also, it's more of a "revue" format, so I get to sing a bunch of solos, trios, and duets (as well as chorus in the complete Trial by Jury). w00t!

I am going to try to get back on the wagon of posting short snippets or individual thoughts to LJ every day or two, rather than wait until I build up a "whole entry" about some more involved topic. (Three things make a post? as magid says.)

Part of the problem I have here is a natural reluctance to post more than one entry a day. If LJ or DW had an awesome "schedule post" function like WordPress has, I could pre-post five days' mini-entries in a row, and they'd be there. But it doesn't, so I don't. :-/

Facebook, OTOH, is always there for the easy link, embed, share, or micro-post. Oh, Facebook.

Anyway, so here are some thoughts I have been having ( about the Blue Hill Troupe... )

Hmmph.