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Far Beyond These Castle Walls
Mar. 6th, 2004 06:03 pmWow. I just noticed the deliberate breathing resting below the music at the opening of Styx's "Far Beyond These Castle Walls".
God, they're good.
God, they're good.
Mar. 6th, 2004
So, Saturday before last, I went to the housewarming party of one of my Chinese-American coworkers. It had been a long time since I'd done laundry, so I was in a skirt, and I had no matching socks. Aha! I thought. I'll just wear my Jedi boots--they're tall enough to cover up the mismatched socks.
Alas, I had failed to consider the possibility that he would be one of those people who make their guests take off their shoes.
We walked down to the shore of the Bay (once re-shoed), and en route, we picked some lemons. Once there, we got to tossing the lemons around like softballs (since really, what else are they good for?). Lemonball leaves your hands nicely scented... And it was very fine to get out and toss things. Been a long time. Eventually, the lemons popped, and we chucked them into the Bay.
***
Last Saturday, I went to the housewarming party of another of my Chinese-American coworkers. Cleverly, this time I wore easy-on, easy-off boots, and nice socks. Pleasingly, this time I got to keep it all on.
Our Filipino-American coworker brought a karaoke machine, a microphone on a long cord that plugs into the aux plugs on a TV, so the TV will play midi songs and show the words coming up. I was kinda psyched--I love singing, but I don't have anyone to do it with. After a beer, I took my first crack at karaoke.
Apparently, the trick is finding a song in your voice range. For me, the Animals version of "House of the Rising Sun" is great, since even if I'm scared spitless, the waver in my voice just sounds like I'm adding bluesy color. "Help" also worked splendidly. The "I'll bet you think this song is about you" parts of "You're So Vain" were slightly above the range in which I can happily belt music out, and I had to switch into my falsetto... Do I get a falsetto, as a female? Are there really people who can sing richly in a soprano? I can scarce credit 't.
I came away with the conviction that I would buy myself a karaoke machine on eBay. I wonder if there are any that will tell you whether you're flat?
However, I think as a birthday present for myself, I'll get a set of "Music of the Spheres" windchimes. I first came across these in a shop off I-80 in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming... Hanging from the peak of the ceiling was a set of windchimes with pipes I could have poked my arm into, and several smaller sets.
The thing with "Music of the Spheres" is that they actually tune their chimes. You wouldn't think it's hard--it's in the high school physics book, the formula for length vs. pitch. But my dad and I tried to make windchimes once, and found it's a lot trickier than that. I wouldn't be surprised if the blend of metals that make the pipes, the diameter of the pipes, the location of the string holding the pipe up, all had a part in the tone of the chime. Making a truly beautiful windchime must be only slightly less tricky than making a truly beautiful bell.
Anyway, the "Music of the Spheres" chimes are gorgeous in sound, and I've been hovering around them for years, now. And today it's my birthday... Fortunately, I've run out of Chinese-American coworkers who presently have the wherewithal to buy houses, so all I did today was lie on the sofa reading with the sun falling across my legs.
I was thinking about throwing a party, but as you can see in the background of the socks photo, there are parts of my house that are shamefully messy. Also, I don't have the guts to throw a party. ;)
Alas, I had failed to consider the possibility that he would be one of those people who make their guests take off their shoes.
We walked down to the shore of the Bay (once re-shoed), and en route, we picked some lemons. Once there, we got to tossing the lemons around like softballs (since really, what else are they good for?). Lemonball leaves your hands nicely scented... And it was very fine to get out and toss things. Been a long time. Eventually, the lemons popped, and we chucked them into the Bay.
***
Last Saturday, I went to the housewarming party of another of my Chinese-American coworkers. Cleverly, this time I wore easy-on, easy-off boots, and nice socks. Pleasingly, this time I got to keep it all on.
Our Filipino-American coworker brought a karaoke machine, a microphone on a long cord that plugs into the aux plugs on a TV, so the TV will play midi songs and show the words coming up. I was kinda psyched--I love singing, but I don't have anyone to do it with. After a beer, I took my first crack at karaoke.
Apparently, the trick is finding a song in your voice range. For me, the Animals version of "House of the Rising Sun" is great, since even if I'm scared spitless, the waver in my voice just sounds like I'm adding bluesy color. "Help" also worked splendidly. The "I'll bet you think this song is about you" parts of "You're So Vain" were slightly above the range in which I can happily belt music out, and I had to switch into my falsetto... Do I get a falsetto, as a female? Are there really people who can sing richly in a soprano? I can scarce credit 't.
I came away with the conviction that I would buy myself a karaoke machine on eBay. I wonder if there are any that will tell you whether you're flat?
However, I think as a birthday present for myself, I'll get a set of "Music of the Spheres" windchimes. I first came across these in a shop off I-80 in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming... Hanging from the peak of the ceiling was a set of windchimes with pipes I could have poked my arm into, and several smaller sets.
The thing with "Music of the Spheres" is that they actually tune their chimes. You wouldn't think it's hard--it's in the high school physics book, the formula for length vs. pitch. But my dad and I tried to make windchimes once, and found it's a lot trickier than that. I wouldn't be surprised if the blend of metals that make the pipes, the diameter of the pipes, the location of the string holding the pipe up, all had a part in the tone of the chime. Making a truly beautiful windchime must be only slightly less tricky than making a truly beautiful bell.
Anyway, the "Music of the Spheres" chimes are gorgeous in sound, and I've been hovering around them for years, now. And today it's my birthday... Fortunately, I've run out of Chinese-American coworkers who presently have the wherewithal to buy houses, so all I did today was lie on the sofa reading with the sun falling across my legs.
I was thinking about throwing a party, but as you can see in the background of the socks photo, there are parts of my house that are shamefully messy. Also, I don't have the guts to throw a party. ;)