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Gorean Roleplay => Tuchuk Wagon Camp => MTC OOC => Topic started by: Medi on April 13, 2019, 10:55:40 PM

Title: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 13, 2019, 10:55:40 PM: ...Rather than posting entry after entry on the Board, I am just gonna post my thoughts and compositions, and shares on this one thread. :) It will take up less space.

Here is my 1st... :) Windspout is loose, and she is enjoying flying as she wills. Izee' was angry that the Tarn stayed away for so long, but did slaughter several tabuk so that the huge bird could feed. ;)

https://youtu.be/UDdP5z4TSpc
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 14, 2019, 11:03:25 PM: ...Marcus, during his travels...

Marcus Hrolfson did many things during his time on Gor, he told Izee' and their children, many tales of events in his life. He told them of when he had been running a gambling casino near Thassa. He said that one evening, he sang about a 'girl' that he hoped to meet. Marcus then sang the song, with his eyes focused upon Izee'. That evening...outside of the Jungles...when they had sat across from each other at the PTJ Exchange Point...they had each found what they were looking for. :)

https://youtu.be/ByqYEzugleE

(Harve's voice is INCREDIBLE!!!! When I was younger, I told my friends that he could 'keep' me as long as he promised to SING to me every Friday night... ::))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 17, 2019, 11:14:42 PM: ...Here is a more challenging one...a work by Charles Ives...the '4th of July Suite'. It is hard to listen to, but it is short. He, actually, I have heard, was trying to recreate what he heard as a child when TWO MARCHING BANDS arrived at the SAME intersection, from opposite directions, in a very poorly planned parade!! :o

...In college, my two roommates and I prepared a 'surprise lunch' for the three guys in the unit across the lawn from our unit. Two of them were Conducting Majors, the other just played the trumpet. It was a good lunch, it was Mexican, and we hauled it to their unit, along with a jug of red wine, and a six-pack of beer. ;D We were hoping for a relaxing Saturday afternoon, and that we could get them to join us in the pool. BUT!!! They were STUDYING THIS G/D PIECE!!! :P So, we unpacked the lunch, and sat with them, eating tamales, enchiladas, chile rellenos (I made those...ortega chiles stuffed with cheese and hot sauce and covered with corn meal), listening to the piece, and sitting beside them looking at the music scores they had. ::)

...It is a VERY difficult work to follow along with the score, and by the time that we had eaten all of the food, and drank the beer and wine...we just couldn't figure out one passage...we listened to it over and over again. ??? So, on Monday, we took the recording and scores to the Professor of Music History, and explained our dilemma. He listened to it three times, following the score, and then explained it to us. ;D

He said..."It is quite clear...in this recording...the...

...NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC IS LOST!!!" :o

Here it is... ;)

https://youtu.be/x8S1aGY80Us
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 18, 2019, 12:55:09 AM: ...Izee', Marcus, Lancer, Katniss and Stefan spent an evening in a Turian cage before Keagan and Johanna bailed them out...Keagan and Johanna wanted NO part of Izee's suggestion on how to earn some coin while visiting. :o They had all learned to play some Turian instruments, and Izee' thought they could collect some coin, performing on a public street. Unfortunately, Marcus scored some very strong paga, and they all 'lubricated' themselves while performing. ::)

https://youtu.be/ZjXpUiaUreg

...My string quartet would be hired to perform Christmas music in a Shopping Mall every evening a couple weeks before Christmas. Once, I had a 'BRILLIANT IDEA!!! After we finished, I said that we needed to raise some money for a local charity. So, we 'switched instruments'...and went from store to store. We parked our butts outside of the store...and..well...'performed'. I, at least, knew which shoulder to hold the viola on, and the violist did figure out which hand to hold my cellos' bow. We sounded like Hel, and when the manager of the store came out, we asked for a reasonable donation to the Charity, and said that he could tell us which store to go to, next. ::) We raised a few hundred dollars before the Mall Manager came over, and told us to CUT IT OUT!!! >:( We did... ::)

I did drive to the Salvation Army the next day, and handed over the money...plus some more that we added. ;D

We didn't do that again...we just played the Christmas music as requested... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 18, 2019, 11:02:52 PM: ...One of the MOST powerful songs and awesome performances by John Cullen in this musical. The staging is also very moving...as he sings of slavery...the room gets darker.

https://youtu.be/IeuaTpH6Ck0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on April 19, 2019, 06:35:07 PM: Perhaps getting your ass into camp and posting there would be more appreciated than just hanging out on the boards?
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 20, 2019, 01:26:33 AM: ...Johanna emerges from her wagon in the morning, after a VERY difficult night. Her babe had had colic all night, and the stew that Johanna had eaten the night before wasn't sitting well in her tummy. :( But, Tavi and Gunnar were prepared to cheer up their older sister. The two had learned an Earth song, and had practiced it far away from everyone. ;D They proceed to serenade Johanna, as Johanna almost collapses on the bench on her porch, holding her babe. ::) The only reason that the two survive their performance, is because Johanna had not buckled on her weapons belt :P and her bow was still in her wagon.

...Izee' had stopped to listen to her sons, and had told them that even Tuchuk minstrels were expected to be expert with weapons, and had ordered them to go where young boys were trained with weapons.

Here is the very famous and expressive male opera duet. :) I tear up at it...I have seen the whole opera...and it is sad.

https://youtu.be/PV5zUa4zMnw

...PS...I heard you, Rags...I will do what I can to get back into the live r/p. But, I may not follow things too well.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 20, 2019, 01:06:16 PM: ...One of my favorite 'Buffy' episodes... :)...The Demon is causing everyone to sing and dance 'Broadway' tunes...some are better than others... :o some are very funny. But, when the Demon gets someone to dance...they dance until they burn up into ashes. Buffy had died, but Willow had gotten her to live again...and Buffy had clawed her way out of her coffin, and had dug herself out of her grave. Buffy had walked across the street from the cemetery, covered in dirt, and plopped her butt on a stool at the counter at the cafe, and quietly asked for a glass of water. ;) Buffy usually understated her challenges.

https://youtu.be/Sv8uRVLN5Dc
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 22, 2019, 11:11:12 PM: ...Marcus was very 'creative' when he courted Izee'. He admired her poise, and her skills and appreciation of the Fine Arts. :) He went with her to concerts, art shows, and poetry readings. She even dragged him to flower arranging ceremonies, and contemporary childrens' artistic improvisation performances. :o

...But...he quickly figured out what was MOST important to her...

...BACON AND EGGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

https://youtu.be/yVEJDwaTMfk
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 23, 2019, 11:51:58 PM: ...Marcus...at Turia...helping out a friend before heading back to Migration... ::)

https://youtu.be/Nw4DmUOL3mQ

((...The Typist behind Marcus and I had SO much fun. He actually was very much like this BB5 Character called 'Marcus'. He enjoyed playful r/p...at times Izee' was trying to clean up after Marcus...other times Marcus tried to clean up after Izee'...and ...other times...they BOTH just BEAT FEET and let SOMEONE ELSE try to clean up the mess!!! (The two Chars were very much in love, and always stood by each other.) :o But, seriously, Marcus always sensed when another Typist was being challenged, in RT or VT, and would step in and counsel and guide him, or her. During those times, Marcus and Izee' were focused on what this r/p was, as we understood it. We reminded the Typist that this was GOR, and not 'My Little Pony', and we did escort typists off because this was not the proper place for them. But, others rose to the challenge... ;D

So many showed up, and paid respects at Marcus's Funerary Service...

I was so proud of Him...and crying so hard at the same time...

Te adoro...Marcus... :) ))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 25, 2019, 11:29:07 PM: ...Why very few people liked to travel in close quarters with Marcus... :)...he was always 'on'...in a usually pleasurable way. When Izee' traveled with him, she usually rotated watch with him on their ship...and assigned a bond to stay with him at night.

https://youtu.be/TbQ-y589mx8
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 26, 2019, 11:03:27 PM: ...Stefan had been eyeing a lovely, young free woman, and he spoke to his Mother, Izee', about wanting to Companion, saying that the woman also liked him. ;D Izee' brought out two cups, and a bota of mead, and the two sat all night and spoke early into the morning. Izee' told Stefan, "Ye be from a verra fine Line. Yer Father was Marcus Hrolfson, who won many Honors, and died a verra fine an noble death. Ye be my son, an my Father was Haske Dasila, a verra fearsome Warrior a tha Yellow Knives...an I have also been honored at times." Izee' stroked her nose beads as she spoke the last part...

..."Tha Warriors a tha Tuchuk be watchin ye, I be sure, an they will be testin ye verra much when it comes time fer ye tae receive warrior trainin. Ye must take it verra seriously...some who get tested do nay succeed. Their bodies be burned. But, those who finish, become warriors a tha Tuchuk...even if they take up a trade."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 26, 2019, 11:16:14 PM: ...Stefan is surprised..."Momma? Warriors learn a trade, other than fighting?" Izee' chuckles, and extends her legs so that Stefan can see her fine boots. "Tha Ubar, Ragnar, made these fer me...I once healed him when he returned from a battle...he was badly wounded. When he recovered, he made me take off the sorry set of boots I had...measured my feet...and a few days later...a kajira delivered these boots tae me. They be verra strong...an I like the designs on tha sides."

...Stefan reaches out, and touches the boots, and then sits back. He mutters..."I was learning to become a Shipwright from my Father...but that will never happen." Izee' nodded..."Aye, Marcus Hrolfson will never teach ye tae build a ship...but there be those here who will teach ye tae build a wagon...even one a those large Cargo wagons...that would be a good trade tae learn."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 26, 2019, 11:33:23 PM: ...Stefan nods, and says..."When will the warrior training start?" Izee' drinks some mead, and says..."I dunna know...I canna tell ye. Tha Warriors will decide, an, one day, they will jus come up tae ye, and tell ye tae follow them. Ye will nay be allowed tae pack anythin, er bid a farewell tae anyone...ye will jus go with them."

...Stefan nods, and finishes his cup of mead...and grins at Izee'...and says..."Refill it...woman!" Izee' holds back a laugh, and carefully fills his cup...and then hers...and sets down the bota. Stefan gets very solumn, and nods to Izee', and says, "You and my Father raised me very well, I am stronger than most boys my age, and I can use some weapons very well." He grins and raises his cup to Izee'..."I can already shoot a bow as well as most warriors I see at the lists, thanks to your teaching." Izee' nods, and raises her cup, and says..."After ye finish yer warrior trainin, ye will shoot better than most."

They both drain their cups, and Izee' refills them, and hands Stefan his cup, and sits back...relaxed... :)

...Stefan drinks his cup, and refills it, and asks Izee'..."What should I do about that cute girl...she is also from a good family. Should I claim her?" ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on April 26, 2019, 11:49:24 PM: ...Izee' carefully drinks her cup of mead...she had almost had a 'spit-up'...that would have NOT been a good response to the important question. She refills her cup, and sits back...trying to appear relaxed. :P "She would be a verra fine addition tae our Family...like Tumen claimin Johanna brought his Family together with ours. But...Tumen an Johanna were older than you an tha young woman when they companioned." Izee' takes a deep breath..."Ye really should be a trained warrior, an be respected afore ye claim a mate. If tha woman ye like be respectable, she will nay want ye tae claim her until ye be a seasoned warrior."

...Stefan listens, and nods..."Ye speak with wisdom, Momma, I will concentrate on my studies,"

...Izee' nods, and finishes her mead...and smiles...and says..."As ye grow up, an become a warrior...ye will meet woman such as this... ::)...Izee' sings...

https://youtu.be/z2kc570KwUs
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 04, 2019, 10:57:54 PM: ..."Muscle Memory"...

The human body is truly amazing...and especially the way the minds interacts with it. Usually, we are telling our bodies what to do, but other times, our bodies tell our minds what to do...like..."Get some sleep...feed me...slow down, you are moving too fast"... ;)

What I find most amazing, is when our bodies do complex things, without our mind dictating each movement. Dancers do that...I have heard that a skilled man in a real fight will put down his opponent...but have no memory of how he did it.

When I was learning to play the cello, I experienced 'muscle memory', although I didn't call it that. I was young, and I had a very vivid imagination, and I just imagined that my hands were sentient beings, and I was teaching them to play the cello. I would talk to them, and scold them VERY often in the early stages. (And in my mind, they YELLED BACK at me! :o We would 'make up', and get back to work...and I would give them a nice manicure as a reward...with short fingernails...can't have long nails when you play a cello. My hands made me learn to apply 'press-on nails' when I had a date, they wanted to look elegant at such times. ::)) Learning the cello meant that I spent many hours every week, alone in my bedroom, just sawing away at the strings with my bow, and trying to get the fingers of my left hand to land in the right place on the fingerboard.

(More below)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 04, 2019, 11:30:55 PM: ...I was in H.S., and our chamber orchestra was performing a difficult work by an English Composer, it was in C# Major, and it was awkward. I was the Principal cellist, and was really struggling...I couldn't play any phrase in tune...my fingers were always slightly out of position. I brought the score to my private teacher, and asked for help. He had me play about 1/4 of the 1st page, and then stopped me, and held out his hand, and I handed him my cello. (*S* He had a very fine and expensive instrument, but he would always demonstrate a passage to me on my cello. I asked him once... 'why?'...and he said..."So you can hear what you should be hearing when you practice." ;))

...He played the 1st page, and I grumbled..."I should be able to play that, too." He looked at me, and laughed, and said..."Who do you think you are?" I argued back, "I can play a C# Major scale, and I can play difficult music." He laughed again, and then got serious. He leaned towards me, and we spoke. He said, "This is not an easy work, it looks simple, but the intervals between the notes are complex...it is not a scale." He then sat back, and said, "THIS is how you HAVE to practice a work like this." He then played the 1st note...and held it...and then played the 2nd note...and held it...and then played the two notes together...and adjusted the interval on the 2nd note. He said, "Make sure that the two notes are in harmony, if you are on the same string, just sing the interval as you play each note to make sure you have it." He then proceeded to do the same thing on each note in the first ten measures...it took about five minutes. He then did the same thing again, and handed my cello back to me, and said..."You try it." ;D

I did so...it took me longer...he kept stopping me...and saying..."No, the interval is wrong, fix it before you play the next note." I finished, and he nodded, and said, "That is how you have to practice a work like this, do each phrase five times like that, at first, don't even think about the tempo, and then move onto the next phrase." I gave him my best "ARE YOU OUTTA YOUR FUCKING MIND" expression... :o...He just laughed...he was well used to seeing THAT look on my sweet, innocent, young face...and said..."Yes, you have to do that at first with such a new work, your fingers will remember where to go next."

(Remainder below)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 04, 2019, 11:50:20 PM: ...I grumbled when I set aside the Brahms Sonata. the next evening, so I could practice the Orchestral work...but my Teacher was RIGHT! I had to calm down, and focus on getting each finger in the right place on the fingerboard (That has NO FRETS!!!)...and as the days passed...it got easier! :)

...During the Orchestra Class at school, the teacher was frustrated because our section was playing so badly out of tune. Once, before class started, I called the other cellists to me, and demonstrated, and said..."You gotta practice it like this, the intervals are very awkward." Usually, they listened to me...but this time...they ignored me...and our section still sounded like Hel. Four cellists, each playing a different version of a D# is just NOT pretty.

...The Conductor finally decided to make that movement of the work a 'string quartet' when we performed...I was happy... ;D

(Final below...)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 05, 2019, 01:24:32 AM: ...Just so everyone knows that I, too, have my 'moments' when playing the cello... :P

..."Performance" on a cello is very unpredictable. It is a difficult and cranky instrument, and the human body is not a machine. The body sometimes just doesn't want to do what we want it to, at times, and the cello can decide..."I don't like the humidity in here...I am going to let my C-string relax...and bend my neck a bit...and after I have been under those hot stage lights for a while...I am going let other things go." (The cello is just a very cranky and delicate piece of lumber. I always enter the stage early before a concert, and pretend that I am practicing, but I am just getting the instrument to adjust to the stage. That is, also, why you see the basses laying on their sides on the stage before a concert, their players leave them on the stage to warm up) That is also why, sometimes, a cellist will check the tuning between movements. ;)

...I was once accompanying a singer in a short work during a recital where there were several performers. I thought I was going to do well, but I had walked across campus in a cold windstorm, in 3 1/2" heels, my cello strapped to my back, music clutched in my arms, and had almost slipped and fallen twice. But, I arrived early, and cleaned up my hair, freshened my makeup, and let my cello out of his case so he could warm up. :) I went below the stage before the concert, and practiced my part...twice...and all seemed well...until THE G/D CONCERT!!!! >:(

...I still have no idea why it happened...I had not partaken of any mind-altering substances...and felt focused...but I REALLY SUCKED!!! :P I kept hitting out of tune notes. The singer, a very handsome Bass/Baritone, sang louder to drown me out...I kept trying to focus...playing louder...he sang louder...and I played louder...until he gave me a very "subtle" hand gesture to draw back...I did...but my playing didn't get any better. :P

...I quickly slunk off the stage...I can do a very expressive 'slunk'...(I can also do a very nice and expressive 'slink' when I am in the mood... 8))...and came face to face with the cellist who was my stand partner, and who thought he should be section leader. He grinned at me, and said, "Interesting piece, I didn't know that that Composer was experimenting with 12-tone harmony."

...Another musician quickly stepped between us...I was ready to go 'verbal panther' on my stand partner, and I was raising my bow...and the musician pushed my stand partner aside...and pushed me further into the wings...and so I just continued my 'slunk' into the wings, packed up my cello...and left...'slunking' my way back to my Apt...in the windstorm...which turned into a thunderstorm when I was almost back...and so I ran so that my cello case wouldn't get too wet.

...I opened a 1/2 bottle of wine when I got back, and sat on my bed, and drank a little while thinking. "..."P", 10% of the time, you astonish yourself when you perform, everything is SO PERFECT... 80% of the time, you do OK, you think of passages you could have done better, or a few notes you missed, but it was OK...and the OTHER 10%...well...just forget them!!!"

...I went ahead and told my roommates to stay out of the bathroom, and brought the bottle into the bathtub with me, drank it while soaking for a long time, and then went to bed. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 06, 2019, 10:34:12 PM: ...Izee' brought a Turian Minstrel Group to perform at the Main Fire. Problem was...she neglected to feed them...or pay them in advance...so they ended their performance in an interesting way. :P

https://youtu.be/kjFeDk6Kr3U

...(I played this once, in H.S....we had a BLAST being 'creative' in how we left the stage. We had a Conductor, and she was 'getting angry' as we, person by person, left the stage...and then she just looked at the audience...shrugged...and walked off half way through. I understand that Haydn wrote this as a 'hint' to his Patron that the musicians weren't being paid enough. ::))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 11, 2019, 11:08:47 PM: ...A String Quartet can be hard to listen to, unless you REALLY like 'classical music'. :) Just four players...and they don't sound very loud.

...This is one of my MOST FAVORITE works!!! ;D IMHO, Mozart almost crossed the hurdle between the 'Classical' and 'Romantic' periods in music. This movement of the "Dissonant" quartet is slow, and starts like a Classical work. But, then, it gets very Romantic...and then gets back to sounding Classical.

...(Mozart died young...and Beethoven arrived and, singlehandedly...guided music into the 'Romantic' period.)

...I am being very 'Cellist' in my analysis of the work...since I have played it several times. Again, the cello is just a 'supporting player' at first...which is usual in a 'Classical' quartet. But then...with just simple repeated 8th notes...the cello gets ominous...and the other instruments fall in line...and you can hear the 'dissonance' in the harmony which ends as they all get back into the melody. :)

...But then...the cello starts the repeated phrase several times, demanding that the other instruments pay attention. At the end, the cello just doesn't quickly get back into the 'tune'...it gets louder because the others aren't listening...and more demanding and ominous...and briefly takes over the work...and then calms down.

...Once, when some friends and I were at a cabin at Lake Tahoe, we played this work. I REALLY EMOTED as I played this movement...I didn't follow the volume markings...and the Host...the 1st violin...said..."Let's take a break." I took a glass of wine out to the porch, and slowly sipped it...the 1st violinist came out after a while, and hugged me, and said..."Hey, we have two passages to finish, and we have your favorite, the Dvorak to play." I finished my wine...hugged him...and went back inside. ;)

Here it is...and I PLAYED IT BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

https://youtu.be/GAymeSR2SIY
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 12, 2019, 01:01:26 AM: ...Izee', sitting alone...remembering Marcus... :'(

https://youtu.be/SNlMH_HyDLE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 15, 2019, 11:25:30 PM: ...The Ubar assigns Izee' to hire a 'very refined' group of Troubadors to perform at the Main Fires for an important event. Izee' finds, in her mind, a 'VERY FINE' group of Troubadors...problem was, her attention span was briefly diverted from Ragnar when a hoard of her children raced by...each clutching handfuls of tastas...pursued by the Head Camp Baker. She made her excuse, and raced after them...intending to get some tastas for herself. Izee' hadn't picked up the 'full' second word of the request. :o Izee', days later, sat, eating tastas, and wondering why Ragnar was glaring at her as the 'very fine' troubadors performed. :P

https://youtu.be/aCg6FdvTUgA

...((There was some very CREATIVE comedy in those days...my Grandparents spoke of actually seeing Spike in Vegas... :)))

...((And...this IS OOC...Izee' would NEVER not focus on Rags when He spoke to her in IC... ;)))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 17, 2019, 12:06:37 AM: ...A WONDERFUL string quartet performed by a string chamber orchestra :) It is Schuberts 'Death and the Maiden', a very poignant composition. I had never heard it performed by a chamber orchestra until now, and I am very glad to have watched the video. The moods of the work are really well expressed by the combined strings. The conductor, Seiji Ozawa, really does a magnificent job, especially with the dynamic markers...at times you can barely hear the players...other times they fill the hall. ;D

...Of course...my favorite part is at 21:00 or so. It is the sad second movement, and the cellos take up the theme, and perform a tribute to the Maiden. Once, I performed this in a quartet, and after the concert, the violist came over and hugged me, and said, "You interned Her very well." :'(

https://youtu.be/xBkLExPkOH8

...PS: A funny story about Ozawa. He was conducting the SF Symphony, and Zubin Mehta was the soloist for the Mendelsohn Violin Concerto. Partway through the 1st movement, Mehta broke a string on his violin. He immediately handed his violin to the Concertmaster, and the Concertmaster handed Mehta his violin. The Concertmaster then passed Mehtas' violin to the violinist behind him, and took that players violin. The process repeated, with the outside players passing Mehtas' violin back...and taking the others' instrument. Mehtas' violin arrived at the last stand, and after handing over his instrument, the musician pulled out a replacement string from his pocket, and fixed Mehtas' violin, tuned it...and then passed it back forward. Keep in mind that the concert was STILL going on...they hadn't stopped! ::) The process repeated itself, in reverse...until Mehtas' violin arrived at the 1st stand. It arrived JUST as the orchestra played, and held, the 5/4 chord to announce the cadenza...and the Concertmaster held out Mehtas' violin to him!!!!! :o

...Everyone in the Orchestra started laughing, and even Mehta did. Ozawa pressed his face into his stand, and...after laughing his ass off...let Mehta perform the cadenza. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 23, 2019, 12:10:52 AM: ...One of my "Finest Moments" :P

I wanted to become a professional cellist when I was in H.S. I practiced all hours of the day and night, and gave up all of my science courses...I had wanted to become a Marine Biologist. I was a bit 'manic', and didn't need much sleep...I bought a huge mute for my cello so my parents could sleep. ::)

I argued with my private teacher over the work I needed, she wanted me to do the Brahms Sonata, I wanted to do the Elgar Cello Concerto. She told me that my technique wasn't good enough for the fast passages of the Elgar, but I argued..."Well, that is how I will get better." She finally just gave in... ::)

She was right...I could barely do the fast passages, even after a LOT of practicing...but I LOVED the opening. ;D When I auditioned at the Conservatory, I announced that I would play the 1st Movement of the Elgar. I settled in, the pianist started the opening...and then...as it is written...I INTERUPPTED...and played the opening cadenza. I REALLY got carried away...and Hell broke loose when I did the pizzacatos... ::)

When strumming the strings, I would usually just grip the bow, and use my thumb...the callous there is thick. This time...I got carried away...and just extended my middle finger and strummed. :o I was too enthusiastic, and tore open my middle finger. :P I just kept playing, blood dripping over my bow and cello, and the Professors told me to stop. They thanked me, and said that I could study as a cello performance major...and I walked out. I waited until I was out of the room before I began sucking on my middle finger...the tip of my finger was torn open.

I walked down the Hall, holding my cello and bow in my left hand, and sucking on the middle finger of my right hand. For some reason...the other students didn't meet my eyes...although I was glaring... >:(

Again...one of my Finer Moments.... :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on May 23, 2019, 01:17:02 AM: ...Here is the Concerto...I also got carried away playing the slow movement. Once, I was REALLY working on it, and my husband came in, and stopped me. He asked, "Why are you making Pavane CRY so hard?" (("Pavane" is the name of one of my cellos...the other one is "Katherine"...my gamba is named "Rose"...Rose is really cute, she has six strings and she doesn't have a loud voice...she makes me hold her bow in a difficult way...and her pure gut strings easily get out of tune...and she makes me stop and tune her. She also doesn't have an 'end-pin'...I have to hold her between my legs))

...I just left, and took a LONG walk...it was late at night...I had a weapon with me...and my cellphone...My hair was bound up...and I looked like a bum.

...I pondered over the walk...I thought long over why Pavane had cried so hard...and realized that I was crying though Him...

https://youtu.be/7rVW4Z70TfE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on August 27, 2019, 11:48:20 PM: ...The Great Gate of Kiev (Mussorgski)

Here is the original piano composition by the famous Russian composer, this young lady plays it very well! :) Actually, the first part is 'The Hut of Baba Yaga', the 'Gate' starts with the slow, full chords. Towards the end, you hear all of the Church Bells ringing!!!! ;D This is just two of the movements of the work called 'Pictures at an Exhibition', Mussorgski (sp) composed the whole work in just ONE MONTH!!! :o I studied this piece when I was majoring in Music at a Conservatory, and it was REALLY HARD!!! I was NEVER able to play the work without making a LOT of mistakes. :P

https://youtu.be/eudSW4cM7qs

I got REALLY put into my place when I invited a boyfriend to visit me at my apartment for dinner. He was a Theory/Comp Major, and played the french horn and the piano. I had my small, personal upright piano in my apartment, it was old, and wasn't very good, (I only had $250 to spend on a piano). The strings were so old, that when I called in a man to tune the piano after I got it, he said that he couldn't tune it to a proper 440 'A'...something about it being too old...the strings and the internal frame could break or warp. He tuned it a half step down, so my 'A' strings were actually tuned to 'G Sharp'...and so on for all of the strings, they were ALL a half step down.

I was studying the 'Gate', and had the music open, sitting on the rack. Ken sat down on the bench, and began playing the piece...at the proper tempo...and hitting ALL of the chords. I watched for a little while...and got pissed...he was playing it so well...and told him..."You are TOTALLY out of tune, the piano is tuned a half step down." I expected him to stop, but he immediately transposed ALL of the chords a half step down, and continued without stopping!!!! :o I swatted him on the back of his head and went into the kitchen to prepare our dinner. :P >:(

Here is an orchestration of the work.

https://youtu.be/b8gs4TozJbQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on August 28, 2019, 12:09:32 AM: ...Correction...he transposed ALL of the chords and notes a HALF STEP UP!!!!! :P (It is late...I should really be in bed... :-\)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on August 28, 2019, 04:54:32 PM: ...My Soul... ::)

...I took a 'Test' this morning, before I finished my morning coffee... :(

...I better not do that again... :o

...Result

It's time to face the facts: Your soul is as dark as it gets. There's nobody with a darker soul than you, and that's honestly something to be proud of. Take pride in your darkness!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on August 28, 2019, 06:26:11 PM: My True Raziel has obviously not taken that test. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on September 10, 2019, 11:35:20 PM: ...Izee' was often involved in cultural exchanges, especially in music. She heard that a barbarian thrall had been captured fresh from Earth, and that he was a musician, and he had brought his instrument. She arranged for him to do a performance at the Central Fires, where the Ubar, Ubara, and other High Ranking Tuchuk could hear good "Earth Music."

https://youtu.be/2HlglBIiTv0

...In the days after the 'performance', as she sat in a cage and ate 3 day old gruel, Izee' told herself...

..."I gotta audition captured musicians, privately, afore I have them perform before Ragnar an the High Council."

...((This guy makes some mistakes, but this IS the cello part to this wonderful music by Karl Jenkins. I have played this many times, it is about as much fun as playing the Pachebel 'Canon'))

..."I wonder what happened tae tha thrall?"
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on October 02, 2019, 02:32:36 PM: ...Why Izee' NEVER lets Gunnar and Tavi stay alone in her summer cottage... :o

...https://youtu.be/kwedBdWIRuQ...

...Needless to say, Tiveri thought that this was the BEST THING she EVER saw !!!!!... ;D

...Tristan probably wished that HE had thought of the idea when he was a young child... :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on October 02, 2019, 05:56:12 PM: LOL I LIKE!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on October 06, 2019, 12:06:52 PM: ...Tiveri is ready for the beach at Thassa...and she hopes that Momma packed all of her fun toys...

https://binged.it/35dbO95
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on October 08, 2019, 11:33:04 AM: ...Izee' had dismissed her 'Mob' when Tuchuk arrived at Thassa, she knew that they would be more of a hindrance than help, if she insisted that they participate in setting up camp. Three of them, Tavi, Gunnar, and Tiveri went a ways down the beach, and spent several ahn doing 'something'. Later, noticing that several Or of Tuchuk children had flocked to where the three were, Izee' walked over to see what was going on.

...https://youtu.be/Sm9hgOlWwoc

...As she walked back to camp, Izee' mused..."Mayhaps tha Ubar will make tha three become 'Battle Engineers' when they grow up."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on October 08, 2019, 05:31:28 PM: ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on October 16, 2019, 12:26:58 PM: ...Izee' heard a barbarian kajira talking about 'hot dogs'...Izee' questioned the girl very closely about just what a 'hot dog' was, and how you prepare one. Izee' then ordered the girl to explain to Tavi and Gunnar how a 'hot dog' was prepared in the 'Earth Way', and she did...it took a while...

...Ahns later, her Sons told Izee' that they could prepare her a 'hot dog' in the 'Earth Way', and she watched as they did... :o

...https://youtu.be/7VODC7nFrYs

...As she ate the 'hot dog', Izee' pondered what she should do with the barbarian kajira...but Izee' just shrugged and ordered the girl to fetch her some mustard and onions, the 'hot dog' tasted better that way. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on October 16, 2019, 06:46:41 PM: Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy too much time on their hands!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on October 18, 2019, 05:06:45 PM: ...I took an online test to see what position I would play on a football team...I was VERY surprised at the result I got. *S* I answered the questions as how I handled my job, since I have never played football as an adult. When I was a child, sometimes we kids, all 100 sexes, 8), in the neighborhood would put together a flag football game. In those, I would play a linebacker on the defense, and an end on the offense...I could run pretty fast and could catch a football. :)

... Linebacker

You're a tackling machine and a highly intimidating force on the field. You bring the pain on your hits, and the opposition needs to know where you are on the field at all times. You're also a highly inspirational and motivated player who brings out the best in everyone who surrounds you. On the field, you're a total monster. Off the field, you're an incredibly kind and friendly person.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on October 18, 2019, 05:43:12 PM: Post the url just for fun sis!!!!! ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on October 19, 2019, 11:16:25 PM: ...Rags, here is where I found the quiz that said that I would be a Linebacker if I played Football... ;D

https://quizzes.howstuffworks.com/quiz/can-we-guess-what-position-you-played-football?acct=zoocom-sc&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=taboola&utm_campaign=3052293&utm_term=disqus-https-www-campusreform-org-3&utm_content=%28Quiz%29+Can+We+Guess+What+Position+You+Played+in+Football%3F&adid=2839851634&img=http%3A%2F%2Fgleaned-images.stuff.com%2Fsignals-test%2Fefbe2d6f76d8b81920c1243525944f2e6b6ad8c760092cc9f722265a&mkcpgn=87acfef36c924316877ba11cb0d4e622&sg_uid=87acfef36c924316877ba11cb0d4e622
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on October 21, 2019, 11:56:59 AM: ...During one 'visit' to Turia, the Tuchuk 'decided'...(The Ubar 'ORDERED')...to attend a very cultured concert in order to experience what City Life was like. Ragnar told the Concert Hall Owner that the Tuchuk would not understand what was going on unless Ragnar, Himself, explained the event. The Tuchuk took ALL of what THEY thought were the BEST seats, (behind the orchestra), and Arlon helped with the explanation. Several Kajirae joined the performance to encourage the City musicians to perform well. Tarl Cabot got on stage to supervise the orchestra, and MAKE SURE that the Tuchuk were NOT offended by a bad performance, and did very well. :)

https://youtu.be/MzXoVo16pTg

((Hey, this IS OOC, so do not blame the char... ;D)) :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on October 23, 2019, 03:00:10 AM: ...A really sensual work by Astor Piazzola. It is for Bandaneon and string orchestra. I was in an orchestra, and we performed this. I was Principal cello, and the Concert Mistress was a very beautiful Nordic blonde woman. (GRRRRRR...'Brunette Envy'...) I wasn't very familiar with the Bandaneon, and at the rehearsal, I thought..."By the Gods...I am performing with an ACCORDIAN!!!!" :P

...The soloist was a VERY handsome Spaniard, and he played very well, and the rehearsal went fine, and I thought that the instrument sounded very nice. It was subtle, and not obnoxious...and it could get very 'frisky' at times. :) So, I gave the work some slack. At the performance, the quick first movement went well, and then...we got into the slow movement.... 8)

...We were arranged differently than in this video, the cellos were on the right side, on the edge of the stage, from the Conductors point of view. The Soloist was in the middle, facing the audience...if he looked to his right...he was looking at the Concert Mistress...if he looked to his left...he was looking at me.

...As I said, the soloist was VERY HANDSOME, and he 'came alive' during the performance. He had the piece memorized, so he wasn't burdened with a stand. During the 1st movement he was moving in his chair, almost dancing as he played, it was very engaging!!! :) Then, we got into the slow movement, and his 'stage presence' changed. He didn't move much, but he focused on me and the Concert Mistress. :o A lot of that movement alternates with a duet by the soloist with the 1st Violinist, and then with the Principal Cellist. When he was playing with either of us, he slightly turned in his chair, and faced the woman he was playing with, and by his expression and body movements, he urged her to blend with him...he ignored the Conductor!

...I was astonished, at first, when he was just looking at me, and using his body movements to get me to blend with him...we were NOT just playing the tempo of the written notes...and I LIKED IT! He would finish with me, and then turn to the Blonde, and do the same with her. I would be starting to calm down, and then my next solo would come up, and I'd have my eyes locked into his....again... 8)

...At the end of the concert, players and audience members were teasing Lori and me, saying, "You ladies put on a nice 'threesome' on the stage with that man." We just smiled, and went to get more wine. I did have to laugh at one moment...a player asked us..."Ah, did the two of you have a 'private rehearsal' with Sergio?" I spit out the wine I was drinking, but Lori smiled and said, "No...but we know where he is staying tonight." 8) I nodded, and said, "I booked his room, #504 at the Hilton." (I was the Treasurer of the Symphony...*LOL*)

...Here is the slow movement... :)

https://youtu.be/ZsNlRN-M2Iw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on October 24, 2019, 12:04:53 PM: ...Izee' had a few words with Stefan and Katniss when she entered her wagon, and found out why the two had not been seen for a few ahn... :o

...She also sent the two out to do some REAL CHORES... >:(

...https://youtu.be/y4VJssQv_Qw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on October 24, 2019, 05:06:58 PM: :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on October 25, 2019, 04:33:07 AM: ...S'lene decides to sing to Bartu...

...Izee's Mob is very musical, they had all grown up hearing Izee' sing and play various instruments. At a very early age, they had learned to pound drums, while their Mother sang and clapped her hands, getting them to blend with the song. As they grew older, they learned to play other instruments, and to sing. They were all pretty well matched in playing instruments, but some sang better than others. Tristan rarely sang, although, when he did, ALL listened. :) Johanna was very enthusiastic...but all were relieved when she finished. :P

...S'lene was very young, but her voice was VERY clear and sound, and she sang quite often, usually just softly as she did a chore, or rode her kaiila. Izee' focused on her a bit more than the others, teaching her how to control her breath and how to shape her notes. S'lene had been inspired at her Mothers advice, until they were studying volume. S'lene had become frustrated because she could not sing as loud as her Mother, and had yelled at Izee', "MOMMA, I JUST CAN'T DO IT!" Izee' had looked S'lene in the eyes, and said..."Sing this note"...S'lene did...and Izee' said..."Now, TIGHTEN YER BUTT!!!" S'lene did...and the note got MUCH louder! S'lene stopped, and looked at her Mother, and Izee' just said..."See, ye been singin outta tha wrong end a yer body."

...((This is a TRUE story... :)...a Bass/Baritone guy I hung with in College said that his Vocal Teacher had him do that...and it WORKED!!! I tried it with the cello...but it DIDN'T work... :o))

...S'lene found where Bartu was working with weapons...and sang this to him... ???...to show her skill... ::)

...https://youtu.be/t__nMPUTLsY
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on October 29, 2019, 05:00:34 PM: ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 03, 2019, 01:01:00 AM: ...Stefan and Gunnar see that Tristan was unhappy...Isolt was angry at Him...so they try to cheer their brother up, by singing an inspirational song, that also explains how to impress women... :)

...https://youtu.be/u8Zzl_HH4XQ

...A number of years ago, I was on the Board of a Music Club, and we would help the local H.S. put on Musicals. I would play my cello in the Pit Orchestra, and get other adult musicians to play the parts that the students couldn't fill. It was a lot of fun, and the local Theatre Group would ask me to help whenever they wanted to put on a Musical, and sometimes I helped out with semi-professional productions.

...One year, a semi-professional group hired me to play my cello in the pit orchestra, and to help with the Production!!! ;D So, I contributed a large sum of money, and got friends to invest, and we put on 'The Music Man'. (I would get a share of the profits, and I hoped to make a little money on the deal, we put on 8 performances, Friday and Saturday night over 4 weeks! ;) )

...The third week, I got a call from the Conductor, he said that the string bass player was sick, and he wanted me to find a replacement. I told him, "no problemo"...I, personally, knew 6 string bass players, and was sure I could get one. :) Well, I was wrong...I couldn't get ANY of them to play...they all had OTHER GIGS!!! :P So, I pondered, I didn't want to tell the Conductor that I had failed...and...I came up with a GREAT IDEA!!!! ;D But, I didn't tell the Conductor what I was going to do.

...The Conductor entered the Pit on Friday Night, and looked over at the String Section, and there was a TUBA PLAYER sitting in the string bass seat. :o The Conductor stared at me, and I just held up my hands, shook my head, and said..."Best I could do." ::) He glared at me...and the show went on...

...It went well, I knew the tuba player, I had accompanied Him at His Master Performance Recital, and He could temper the volume of His instrument. The Conductor was VERY relieved as the show went on, the tuba blended in well. But, at the end, as I was packing up my cello, the Conductor came over to me, and softly said..."DON'T YOU EVER SUBSTITUTE AN INSTRUMENT AGAIN...UNLESS YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION!!!!!" I nodded, and apologized... :-[

...But, I was laughing my ass off so hard on the drive back home, that I had to pull over a couple times... ;D Sometimes, in r/t, I do get 'frisky'...usually... it isn't a problem. I suspect, that if I was on Gor...that I would have spent some time in a cage for that 'improvisation'. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on November 03, 2019, 06:06:37 PM: ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 08, 2019, 02:05:50 AM: ...Gonna get a bit inspirational... :)

...This is the 2nd Movement of Beethoven's 3rd Symphony...aka the "Eroica" (Heroic). ;D He had dedicated the Symphony to Napoleon, but he later removed the dedication. I LOVE this 2nd Movement, although it is entitled "Funeral March". :(

...Last night, I was thinking of Gor as I listened to this, and could imagine a challenge to the Tuchuk... >:( The first part is the Tuchuk mourning over their dead, after Turians ambushed a group. Then, at about 8:30...the Tuchuk Warriors climb on their kaiila, and head out to make things right...You can hear the Oralus mounting up, and heading out. They engage the Turians, and you can hear the Orlus entering the battle...one after the other. And, at about 10:30...the 7th Orlu attacks a spot of the Kataii at the order of the Ubar...and the battle is over! :)

...Anyway...just my vivid imagination... :)

https://youtu.be/arfHsnxE-MU
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 08, 2019, 11:19:33 AM: ...During the last visit to Turia, Izee' took Katniss into a VERY FINE eating place, they both put on fine southern clothing, so Izee' could show her daughter how to 'blend in' with the soft southerners. :) Izee' did not quite succeed...Here, Izee' is trying to show Katniss how to eat with a knife and fork... :P

...https://binged.it/2X3ysNu
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 09, 2019, 01:45:23 AM: ...A wonderful piano quintet by Brahms... :)

...Back in the old days, before TV and Radio, there wasn't much to do at night. That is when people would gather at a friends house, eat some food...and play 'Chamber Music'... ;D Major Composers, Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, Vivaldi, etc...wrote string quartets, trios, etc, so people could enjoy their music. Sometimes, the Host would bring in Professionals...but, mostly...the Host and Visitors would all take turns playing the music, and having a delightful evening. We still do that to this day...I used to...when I was more active...travel to friends houses, have dinner, and play chamber music...and then eat a dessert and talk about the music. I often would travel with others, and we would get into a rental home at Tahoe...or Monterrey...and play music all Saturday and Sunday...and get a GOOD meal. *S* At Tahoe...the 1st Violinist insisted that we cross the border and gamble...I would just put my $10 worth of quarters into a slot machine...grab a few drinks...and go back to my room and get some sleep. ::) During breakfast, the 1st Violinist would regale us with tales of how he stayed up until 4:00 am...and won $83...we all just ate, and nodded. ::)

...People who play chamber music can get very difficult...usually they are a very tight group, and are not friendly to outsiders. I experienced that, once, when I was at a chamber music retreat at a local college, that lasted the weekend. About 80 people attended, and the Organizers would put us into quartets or trios, and they would try to match the players to the same skill level. Chamber music isn't all the same...Haydn and Vivaldi can be easy to play, whereas Brahms, Mendelssohn and others are very difficult. I experienced, a few times, when a person of very low skills was placed in an Advanced quartet...and it wasn't fun for anyone. :P

...Anyway...I showed up...it was my second time in a year...and listed my skill level as 'Advanced'...but not 'Professional'. I looked at the assignments in the morning, and saw what I was going to be playing, and the room number. Unfortunately...I was NOT familiar with the Campus, and wandered about, with my cello strapped to my back, for about 15 minutes before I found the room... :o (I had barged into the wrong room a couple times...the musicians politely directed me to go somewhere else...)

...I found the right room, and apologized for being late...the others were ready...and the 1st Violinist...a middle aged Germanic Man was GLARING at me! I had to take a few minutes to unpack, and tune, and he asked me how familiar I was with the work. I told him that I had never played it before, or even listened to it, and how fast he liked to take it. His face got VERY grim, and he barely looked at me as I played my open strings against his, to make sure that we both had the same idea of what an 'A 440' sounded like. >:(

...So...we played...and he got very relieved when he saw, and heard, that I could read music and play fairly well. The pianist told me, later, that his cellist had cancelled at the end...and he was angry...figuring that he would get stuck with someone who could barely play, and music was something that he took very seriously. He was, BTW, a VERY good violinist, and he was familiar with pretty much ALL chamber music. So, here is the work we played...I REALLY like Brahms... :)

...https://youtu.be/BysbC8wKqN8

...PS...Being able to play an instrument was very important in the old days...especially for women...a well bred woman could play a piano, violin, or other instrument. :) During the "Gold Rush", Men would send for women from back East to marry and stay with them...and one of the MOST requested skills...was that the woman could play an instrument. :) I guess that after a day of panning or working a rocker to gather gold, the Man just liked to sit back, eat dinner, smoke a pipe...and listen to his wife play an instrument. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 11, 2019, 11:46:11 PM: ...Tavi, Gunnar, Aslaug, S'lene and Tiveri were told, by their Mother, to feed the vulos...

...https://youtu.be/tfMSYopTVX8 :o

...Tristan and Johanna had to step in... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 13, 2019, 02:52:18 AM: ...Izee' is in Turia...she sneaked in...she was wearing veils...and such. She had completed her 'business'...no Merchant was aware of her 'visit'...and she was loaded down, She ducked into an alley, and looked over her 'stuff', and left some behind, after changing her 'robes of concealment'..."Mayhaps these robes have some use", she muttered. She didn't usually like Southerners...although ONE had CLAIMED her...and she had born His children...

...She carefully made her way back out of the gate...but stopped...she heard music that she had never imagined. She then thought..."This be proper music fer me tae leave....

...https://youtu.be/LId7GyalXD4

...This REALLY astounding...the woman really brings out the themes, and how she gets the piano to whisper...and then YELL is amazing...and, EVERYONE will recognize a theme!!! ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 14, 2019, 10:45:30 PM: ...More CA "Woke" Culture :o Do NOT COPY!!!!

..I don't have the links, but you can find the articles that support the statements below...

...The new District Attorney of San Francisco has announced that He will not prosecute "Minor Crimes" such as littering, soliciting prostitution, and urinating or defecating in public. Also, today, a man was arrested for eating a breakfast sandwich while standing at the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station. BART has posted rules saying that you can't do that...and doing that isn't in any part of the CA Criminal Code that I can find...but the other crimes are CLEARLY spelled out!!!

...So, when you come to CA, go ahead and pee or s--t on the sidewalks...that is OK...but DO NOT EVEN THINK of eating a McD breakfast sandwich in a train station...you WILL get arrested!!! :P

...There are reports showing that the middle class is moving out of CA...those moving say that part of the reason is that it is expensive to live here...a small, average sized home will cost you over 1 million in SF...but another MAJOR reason is that 'those who know' are turning CA into a "Liberal Utopia" where we will all love each other, and live an enlightened life...but that is just NOT HAPPENING! Even in the East Bay, where I live...I now see 'street people' pitching tents on the sidewalks. Small Business Owners are folding up, because 'street people' hang around their doors, and customers just don't want to have to push them aside to get in. Also, if you steal or shoplift from a store, you will only get a citation if the value of what you stole is less than $950. So, people are stealing stuff, and if they get caught, they just hand over what they stole, and then go to another business!!!

...Those of you in other States, and who also vote in National Elections, look closely at the Candidates...there are those who want to turn the US into CA.

...*Wry Smile*...I have to stay here in CA for very important personal Family Matters...but I do want to move out when it would be OK to do so. I read, though, that people in other States are resenting the Californians who move there, they are afraid that they will try to change the State. I think, that I will first move to a State where I will stay for about a year...get my car re-registed and such...and THEN move to the State that I want to live in... :) Also, just a small request, if a 'Californian' moves to your neighborhood...give them a chance...their values may be very close to yours. There are a lot of 'Sane Californians'.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on November 15, 2019, 06:35:54 PM: Will be happy to give them a chance. If they display liberal BS aptitude, I will even give them a chance... a ten-count head start before I open fire.

*Innocent angelic look*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 16, 2019, 07:16:10 PM: ...You SURPRISED me, Bro... :o...I figured that you would open fire at "Three"... :)...with BOTH 45's

...Last comment on SF...I promise. They have posted a map on-line that shows where poop is on the sidewalks...is there any other City that does that? (OK, maybe in a 3rd World Country.) So, visitors can access it, and plan where it is safe to go...because...where there is poop...there are poopers. And, that is a given, now, since it is legal to poop on the sidewalk, the poopers will just hang around...and...believe me...you don't want to get close to one. A few years ago, I was in SF on business, and I was walking from the Courthouse to the parking garage...about 2 blocks away. And, I was downtown!!! Skyscrapers all around me, and Mercedes and BMW's driving by.

...I saw a 'street person' ahead of me, slumped against the wall of a building, a filthy backpack beside him. He had his eyes closed, so I figured that he was passed out. But, his bloodshot eyes opened as I got close...so I just walked faster. I then heard him mumble, "Hey, you owe me some money". I looked over my shoulder, and he was staggering, getting up. I walked faster...I was wearing a pair of athletic sneakers...my heels...that I wore in Court...were in my handbag. He started trying to follow me, and I just walked very fast, and used the stairs to get to my car...I didn't want to wait for an elevator.

...Now, things like that are happening more and more, since 'street people' are being attracted to S.F....Free needles...food coupons...a bed if you want...and medical care. Plus, you won't be arrested if you steal stuff to sell to buy drugs...as long as what you steal is worth less than $950. Some of them will go into a facility, and detox for 5 days. I have been helping at a detox facility, and the self-help meetings. I commented to an experienced counselor..."Drugs must be new...the older people, 50 years and above, are alcoholics...the drug addicts are in their 20's and middle 30's". She just
commented, "People who use heroin and meth don't live very long."

...So, the 'Liberals' here in CA say that we need to show 'Compassion' to street people by letting them live on the street...while the 'Liberals' live in Gated Communities and take vacations in exotic places in the World. We, the 'middle class', have to try to live with people who will sleep on your lawn, break into your car...and just laugh at you as you call the cops!!!! >:(

...*Shakes Head Sadly*...CA was once a very Great State, IMHO...the weather is nice...the geography is good...you are within driving distance of the mountains to ski, and the beach to surf and swim. It also has a lot of culture...the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is a WONDERFUL Place...an Acquarium, a Planaterium, ...a Museum of Art and other things (Think taxidermed Wooley Mammoths)...and a place that could teach you to spell... :P

...So, these 'Liberals' are destroying a wonderful society out of ignorance, or by design. Either way...watch out for 'Liberals'...whatever type they are, they will try to destroy what made our Country great!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on November 18, 2019, 05:49:25 PM: Those that break into my property, steal my property, etc, will not live long either. I have a chipper/shredder, plenty of mines and stippercuts around the area, lots of dogs, coyotes, and little black bears to rid the world of that sort of vermin. Clean up the mess, then call the PD to come and make a report for the insurance company of damages.

I may not have much, but what I have is mine. I worked hard for it. I intend to guard it with my life if need be. The idiots need to pause and think for just a moment, asking themselves if what I have is worth being killed for if they attempt to take it. I do not care what the law says about it. This is my land and my property. I will do whatever it takes to secure it. I do not steal from others. I require the same from others.

Take a shit on my lawn, I hope they brought a bib. They will need it when they are force-fed their free meal.

I am done playing with assholes. The old line, "I'm pissed off and I'm not gonna take it anymore" never rang truer than it does today.

Nobody forced anyone to be addicts. They wish to do drugs and die? Let them. Enough morons die, it solves the drug problem. Want to speed up the process? Any drugs taken by Law Enforcement should be made extremely lethal then put back on the streets. The addicts can either get off the junk and live, or stay on it and die without taking so long to do it and wasting resources on their sorry asses.

It is all about choices. I have made mine.

>:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 19, 2019, 02:50:22 PM: ...Tristan's Orlu, the 7th Orlu of the 1st Oralu, had suffered many losses in the recent battles...as did all of the Orlus of the 1st Oralu... and it was just now being brought back up to FULL STRENGTH! Tristan stood before a group of new Warriors, who had just finished Warrior Training...and SPOKE to them. Several of His Ormen stood by His side, and added their words... >:(

...https://youtu.be/V6xLYt265ZM

...They then broke up, and the new Warriors were taken off to undergo yet more training. The Ubar Commanded the 1st Oralu...and He REQUIRED that ALL Warriors be at their BEST, and that they understood just HOW the 1st Fought...Often, in ordered ranks...but, more often...doing something unpredictable to break up the Opposition so that other Oralus could enter the center of the battle. >:(

...As they ran to a new place to practice, one new Warrior said to another, "We have to learn what the Officers can teach us...otherwise we might end up laying on our backs after a battle...and looking up at the Orlumans Mother...as she holds out a knife and says..."Jus stay calm, this will hurt fer a bit, but I gotta heal ye." :o

...A few other new Warriors laughed...and ran faster to get to the training ground... :D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on November 19, 2019, 05:34:54 PM: ;) :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 22, 2019, 03:32:10 AM: ...Izee' is walking to her wagon, after a long...difficult day...of healing...Dugg had put something wrong in the children's morning cereal...and Izee' had spent all day healing the children. ??? Most of the time, it had been calming them down, pulling them off of the canopies of the wagons and off of the backs of bosks, and such, but she had had to treat many minor injuries. Dugg had just shaken his head when Izee' asked about the morning meal, and offered her some of the cereal...she ate a couple spoonfulls, and then had glared at Dugg, and said..."You gave all a tha children a SUGAR HIGH!!! We be lucky that tha Camp STILL BE STANDIN!!!" :P As she walked away, she was called over to a wagon by the children. They said, "Listen to this new barbarian play that...that...thing she is holding." Izee' stopped, and listened to the kajira, and had tiredly stepped forward, and taken the instrument from her, and said..."Go gather dung, I have heard this before, an ye be playin it WRONG!!!"

...https://youtu.be/1p2yzke_550

...I TOTALLY love listening to Itzak...but...IMHO...he is playing this wrong. He is playing it in the 'Romantic' style...not in the 'Baroque' style that Bach lived in, and who composed this. *S* I have a transcription of this for cello...and I have worked on it, but have just given up for now...it is too difficult. I have heard professional cellists play it...but it just doesn't work...playing this work on a cello is like trying to quickly navigate a shrub maze while riding on an elephant...the cello isn't as nimble as the violin. I did have a wonderful experience with the work, once. Someone transcribed the work for FOUR cellos playing at the same time...I was third cello...and we played it well...the counterpoint was mixed among us...and the 1st cellist was a World Class performer. :) But, the violin is a much more nimble instrument than the cello...the Lutiers have to harvest large chunks of lumber to make a cello, and sawing the bow back and forth is harder with the cello...the bow just floats across the strings of a violin.

...Here is what I...IMHO...think is the work in the 'Baroque' style... :)

...https://youtu.be/zgLG93uGTN0

...The counterpoint is amazing...you hear several voices. At times, they argue and one tries to take over telling the story...and at other times...they sing a Hymn. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 26, 2019, 03:14:20 PM: ...It is GOOD to be the JUDGE... ::)

...https://youtu.be/ZKr6OyXTbK4

...This was kind of like the first trial I ever observed... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 28, 2019, 12:01:23 AM: ...Leonard Bernstein.... :) :) :) :) :)

...Such an AMAZING MAN!!!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D He is well known for some of the Musicals he wrote..."West Side Story'' is my favorite, but he is more recognized as the Conductor of the New York Philharmonic. He also did a series of TV specials...back in the days when there was NO COLOR TV!!! :o I had the pleasure of visiting with a man who was the Concertmaster of the NY Phil when Bernstein was the Conductor... :)...I was driving the Concertmaster to a rehearsal with a Semi Professional orchestra I was playing in, he was going to perform the Tchaicovski with us. :D (The Board of Directors told me to pick him up at the airport, and bring him to the town.) He told me several wonderful tales of Bernstein. ::)

...The Orchestra did "Matinee" performances on Saturday afternoon, and the tickets were cheap. Once, an 'Old Folks Home' brought several dozen residents to the performance, and they were all seated in the 1st row. Partway through the 1st Movement of the Brahms 3rd, there was a smell of TUNAFISH from the audience. Bernstein stopped, and looked, a number of the elderly gentlemen had opened their sack lunches, and were eating... :P Bernstein waited until the Chaperones had gotten their charges to pack their lunches back up, and then resumed the symphony. Part way through the 3rd Movement, the gentlemen started leaving their seats to go to the bathroom...Bernstein stopped, again, and announced..."Let's take a bathroom break"...and waited until all of the guests were back in their seats...and finished the symphony... ::) ::) ::)

...This is a wonderful clip of one of his specials. It is very educational, Leonard discusses how difficult it is to bring the 'lollypops' on the pages of the music to come to life. He also demonstrates how accomplished Conductors can have different ideas of how a symphony should sound. This clip also has Glenn Gould performing a Bach concerto for piano...and...it is ASTONISHING! ;D Watch his fingers as he plays...his 'pinky fingers' are VERY long...so he can really bring out the counterpoint... :D Glenn was a virtuoso, but also suffered from a mental disorder. He gave up public performances, because he wanted his music to be PERFECT...and that just doesn't happen in live performances...and did a lot of recording. His Bach recordings are sensational...his fingers are so agile, and so precise. You will see that in his performance here, the notes are shaped very well...and with precision. Sometimes they are very short and angry...other times long and relaxed.

...This also has a Soprano...and...just watch and listen...how can a human sing so powerful and expressive. :) And, there is a treat...Stravinski conducting His Composition, "The Firebird". ;D Look up the Ballet, it is very profound...The 'Firebird' is danced by a female in the Ballet, and she is very inspirational...She goes through harsh challenges...she is caged for a while...and she emerges and helps heal all of the others. ;D ;D ;D

...Please enjoy....https://youtu.be/9Nx09pigZRI
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 28, 2019, 09:15:50 PM: (23:43:50 )
[PIC]
Izee'
Healer
MTC

[ Personal Wagons ]
At Izee's wagon
says to ALL
: ...I am feeling very happy at this time. ALL of my Family, except Keagan, were with me. I got everyone to lift a flagon of mead towards Thassa...and we all shouted..."THIS BE FOR YOU, KEAGAN!" We then drank, and settled down. Tiveri was excited, but she wasn't being difficult...she just wanted to sit with everyone for a moment...

(23:47:13 )
[PIC]
Izee'
Healer
MTC

[ Personal Wagons ]
At Izee's wagon
says to ALL
: ...I had borrowed a couple of Camp kajira to serve, and they were doing well. They were filling mugs and glasses with beverages, and offering platters of food to all. I sat, drinking mead, and chewing on a roasted vulo, and paused, for a moment...Thinking...I then smile...

(23:50:40 )
[PIC]
Izee'
Healer
MTC

[ Personal Wagons ]
At Izee's wagon
says to ALL
: ...I looked up, and waved the half eaten vulo at the sky, and said..."This be fer ye, Marcus...ye lured me outta tha Forests...an then brought me here...an worked with me tae create all a these Hellions." I grin...I could just imagine Him looking down at me, and nodding, and saying..."I would have made more with you, but, I had to move on."

(23:54:42 )
[PIC]
Izee'
Healer
MTC

[ Personal Wagons ]
At Izee's wagon
says to ALL
: ...I then look down, and close my eyes...and say a Prayer, and finish..."Ye were such a Man, Marcus Hrolfson, I was blessed tae be with ye for so long." I then feel a comfortable arm around me...I am sitting alone...and I smile...and say..."Thank ye, Marcus, My Love...I will continue an keep yer Memory alive tae all."

(00:05:17 )
[PIC]
Izee'
Healer
MTC

[ Personal Wagons ]
At Izee's wagon
says to ALL
: ...I begin eating again, and look around. I see them all...Tristan with Isolt, and their new Son...Johanna with Tumen and their new babe...Katniss sitting with Johahn...Stefan sitting with Tavi and Gunnar...Aslaug sitting by herself, watching S'lene sitting with her new Companion, Bartu, and Tiveri just visiting with everyone, holding a half eaten sugar bun. I think..."We did verra well, I believe."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 29, 2019, 10:50:33 PM: ...Another cello piece that I could play...and I DID IT AS WELL!!! Once, rehearsing with my accompanist to perform this...he stopped me...and held me for a while. I wasn't just playing the notes, I was feeling what this work is about. It is about death...and I felt the sadness, and then the anger and resentment and refusal...and I PLAYED IT!!! :-[ I calmed down in his arms, and said..."Let's do it again...tomorrow." We did perform it...and I went off the stage after we performed it...and I didn't come out for a bow...the audience was aupplauding so much at the end...but I was crying so hard...I probably would have fallen...I was wearing heels. :-\ I just love music, it hits me in a part of my body that is hard to describe. A few times, while performing...I have felt what was like an orgasm...but it wasn't messy...and I was able to keep playing the cello. ;) I just sat for a while, and left the stage...Please enjoy this...

...https://youtu.be/5kpPq0ITOs0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 30, 2019, 12:51:37 AM: ...Tavi and Gunnar get loose in Turia...Izee' had to chase them down and haul them down a back alley to avoid the 'Administers'... :o

...https://youtu.be/3yUx6Dn8yi0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on November 30, 2019, 05:48:48 PM: ...Tristan sings at a ceremony to honor the Warriors lost in the last battle. Other Warriors join, and the Women of the Tuchuk add their voices. After more honor...all Tuchuk descend on the Main Fires for a feast...there is plenty of food and drink...and Tiveri and the other young Free female children dance and sing a playful song of hope and gratitude. They retreat when they are finished, and sit together and eat sweet rolls and roasted vulo, and drink fruit juice, and chatter about the boys...the boys are sitting well away from the girls...they had been told of Panthers... :o...

...https://youtu.be/7WvHDrcA084

...((I just love this composition...especially this movement. The cellos are a 'heartbeat'...they pluck the strings during the work...and get very soft at times, and intense at others. When I performed this in the cello section in college...I was staring at the Bass/Baritone during this...I was going with Him...and I just LOVED His voice. ::)))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 01, 2019, 01:04:40 AM: ...Such a WONDERFUL work...'Pavane'...by Faure... :)

...My newer cello is named 'Pavane'...the name is on his label pasted inside. ;) My older cello is over 120 years old...I named her 'Katherine'...just 'cause I like the name...and it fitted her. I took Katherine to a Cello Congress in Arizona years ago, and we had a blast! ;D We played in small ensambles, and in a small cello orchestra. I also spent time visiting with the vendors, and bought music and such...and went to very nice restaurants and PIGGED OUT!!! I was alone, my H wasn't interested in such an event.

...One morning, I was walking with a Lebanese woman to breakfast, and she said that she was a Luthier, and had a cello she had made for sale. We ate breakfast, and I questioned her about just how you make a cello. She explained the details, as we ate eggs, bacon, toast, and drank coffee. I went to where she was later in the day, and watched Janos Starker try out her cello, and He said that He would recommend that His students buy her instruments. I stood for a while, and told her..."I would like to try out your cello." She let me take the cello back to my Home, and said, "If you don't like it, just kick the soundpost down, and ship it back to me"...She lived in South Africa.

...I played the cello for a month...and called her...and said..."I will buy Pavane." I did a wire transfer...I had only done that a few times...this was for $25K. :o I really wasn't used to spending that much money. :P But, I never regretted it...Pavane and I sat Principal cello many times in orchestras, and we did very well in quartets, and such. During my private lessons, my Teacher would take Pavane from me, and play the piece we were working on, to show me how it should sound. Once, I just sat, and stared at him as he finished, and said..."OMG...the lovely overtones I am hearing..." Pavane was ALIVE!!! Pavane just wasn't singing the note...he was adding so much more!!! The Teacher nodded, and said..."This is a very good cello, work with it...it will come even more alive." I did...I sawed the bow back and forth...and even bought a very expensive bow for him...He came even more alive, and said to me..."That is better". :) Bows are very important to a cello...for some reason...they can wake up the instrument . Once, the frog of my bow broke before a recital, and I borrowed a very expensive bow from my Teacher. I was astonished...I played as I usually did...but I sounded SO MUCH BETTER... :) Pavane liked the bow. I asked to buy it, but my Teacher said..."No".

...So, just what it is like to play a cello... :D

https://youtu.be/iTzEtJxo_N4
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 04, 2019, 01:02:36 AM: ...Izee' is sitting on the beach of Thassa, watching as Stefan and Katniss, her twins, try to catch fish, with some success, and do gather shellfish, eating about as many as they place in a basket. She smiles, they are both very unique persons. They each have her copper colored skin, and dark hair...but they have their Fathers green eyes and are built like Torvies. They are each very large, Stefan is over 7'6", and Katniss is almost as tall. Izee' briefly groans as she recalls carrying them in her womb...Izee' is a slender Red Savage who stands 5'6", and the two had been very heavy as she had brought them into the world. At the later stages of her pregnancy, Izee' had become very difficult, but insisted that she be left alone to handle her affairs, even though she could barely walk because of the size and weight of her belly. Her delivery had been talked about for a long time...she had shrieked and cussed Marcus out when he tried to comfort her while she was in labor...and he had finally just left her with the midwife. The next morning, he had simply held out a bouquet of flowers in her doorway...and had entered only after she insisted that she was sane, again.

...Marcus Hrolfson had been the most loved person in her life when they Companioned. He had lured her out of the Jungle, and she had told the members of her Lair to leave him alone, no matter what happened. They traveled together for some time...she told everyone that she was a Merchant, and that he was her Guard. Then, at Scagnar, they Companioned, and many people showed up to celebrate with them. They had several years together...but...he didn't return after a voyage. His body was on his ship when the crew returned...and he stayed on it...and sailed away in his last voyage, alone, and with the Fires of Scagnar burning on the ship, honoring him. Izee' had coped for a while, and then had brought her Family to the Tuchuk, who had treated her well when she visited. She still had warm memories of Scagnar...she had been well treated there.

...Music runs through her head as she gazes at Thassa, and watches her children...a barbarian had sung the tune to her...and Izee's mind had made a complex creation of how the tune could Honor Marcus, and the Tuchuk and Scagnar.

...https://youtu.be/NhnMd1Jl7SA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 06, 2019, 12:05:40 AM: ...Izee', her Daughters, and several other Tuchuk FW enter the Battlefield after the Tuchuk Warriors had slaughtered the Kataii...and go through the enemy remains looking for any valuables... ::)

...https://youtu.be/xeRwBiu4wfQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 08, 2019, 03:41:57 AM: ...I just love this work....I did play in the Orchestra...I played the cello solos...and sweat was dropping off of my nose at the end of the work. I was a bit stressed over my solos...but I was more concerned over the soloist...*S* I was going with Him. We sat together, after his performance, and drank some wine...and I asked Him. "How did the Composer create this?" We discussed it...and I got angry and stomped off to my apt...I did make it up to him the day after...I brought him some strawberries and whipped cream. We ate, and...made up.

...Still...just how does a human create such a work? I have composed songs, and wrote some easy works for piano and string instruments...but none of them will remain. *S* (I stole the melody on several that I wrote...but I thought I recognized one I composed in a Movie I watched...the Composer had been a classmate....and I had made up the melody...but I didn't think of suing Him...*S*...I probably would have lost...and it wasn't a big movie)

...But, just how does a human imagine such a complex work...and write it down???? To those who say that there is no God...I say that all of the religious writings say that we humans are somehow connected to a Higher Power. I like to think that some of us are Blessed to achieve amazing things, to demonstrate that we are all connected to God. The 'amazing things' can be quite different. A complex Symphony is one thing...a Nurse who saves a patient...a Warrior who gives up his life to save a squad...a person who simply tells another what he or she needs to hear...is all the same...in the eyes of God.

...Please enjoy this...

https://youtu.be/HsFsBNAmCd0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 09, 2019, 03:09:41 PM: ...Gunnar and Tavi return from a Voyage to Earth...it had been the first time that they had been PARTIALLY in command...Izee' had told Tristan that if He was going to command her Flagship, the 'Hrolfson, on the voyage...that her two younger Sons would command the 'Away Team'. Tristan had grabbed a bunch of beautiful young barbarian women who would make pleasing kajira...Tristan told Gunnar and Tavi to find and capture some cultured musicians, their Mother, Izee' enjoyed listening to complex and subtle music.

...Gunnar and Tavi returned with these...smiling...Tristan had just shrugged...and brought them all back...

...Izee' had listened...excited...wearing a Gown that had alternating colors; Red, Purple, Yellow, Blue, Chartruse, and Green stripes, her hair piled high on her head, with green, yellow, and purple flowers and feathers stuck into, what she thought, was an elaborate hairdo, at various places, eating dried beans that had been popped, and drinking fruit juice that had some paga in it...in a gourd that had three little umbrellas hanging over the side...she ALWAYS prepared, dressed, and acted in what she thought was a 'Cultured Way' when listening to good music.

..."This be REAL CULTURE" she had exclaimed..."Let tha Karians have their elegant Dancers, an such..."...and had sent out for more 'popped beans'...and more 'fortified' fruit juice.

...https://youtu.be/pLgJ7pk0X-s
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 10, 2019, 02:19:01 PM: ...This stuff was actually a lot of fun...when I was in H.S. *S* I was the 'weird girl'...kinda mousy looking, walking around with different things in my arms...or strapped to my back. The thing on my back was usually my cello, and I had various items in my arms. Once, I walked into the chemistry class holding a small rocket engine I had bought...I got sent to the Principal, and He carefully explained that the prohibition against explosives included rocket engines. I stayed after school for a week and cleaned up the Biology Lab as a punishment...I was relieved when my Parents just laughed. *G* I was one of the founding members of our school 'Rocketry Club'. We did it very well, the Higher Math Teacher was our Advisor...(He said that he got paid an extra fee for doing that...cause he never knew what we would show up with when we had a 'launch day') A few times, despite us arguing that the 'center of gravity' and 'center of pressure' were in the right places....he would just say..."You are NOT going to launch that on school grounds." We would leave...and drive out into the county, find a field, and launch it. Usually, all went fine. A few times we had to search for parts of it...a few times we just watched as it flew in a different direction than just vertical...and left...we really couldn't start a fire, we used solid fuel...but I suspect that a few homeowners were surprised at what they found in their yards. *S*

...*S* That is where I learned to respect 'higher math'. We made crude tracking stations, we would track the degrees that the the rocket flew from three different places, each an equal distance from the launch pad, and spaced out 120 degrees from each other, and we would use triganometry to calculate how high it went. Being the 'nerd'...I looked into how it was possible to calculate how high a rocket would fly...using its weight...cross section...engine size...and a number of other factors...and had my first introduction to CALCULUS. (For ALL you youngsters...we DIDN'T have hand calculators...we got our pencils and paper...and wrote EVERYTHING DOWN....it could take multiple pages to resolve a math problem.) I got pretty good at it. someone could bring a rocket to me, and I would measure, weigh, check the balance and cross section of it, find out what engine they were going to use...and predict how high it would fly, with 100' accuracy...unless the wind was bad.

...I was one of those who just didn't assemble the kits...I would get the basic parts, and carve my own fins and nose cone, and sometimes add small pieces of lead to the nosecone to get it into balance. I also liked to experiment. I made a couple that flew like a rocket going up, and then sprouted wings and glided back down. I got really excited one afternoon in math class...I would make a 'ROCKET INSIDE A ROCKET'. ::) I sketched out my idea and showed it to the teacher, and he just shook his head, and said...'Look up the effects when a rocket engine goes off in an enclosed space.' I did...and it seemed to show that the rocket inside wouldn't get out...and that the rockets launched from submarines and underground sites had assistance...but I just said...NAW... >:( (I seem to recall that it was the 'Venturi Effect')...and I built the rocket, anyway...I wasn't going to let science tell me what would work, or not work. I had imagined the nose cone of the outside rocket splitting up and falling aside...but it just didn't work. So, I decided to have the inside share the nose cone of the larger rocket. ;D

...I labored long evenings at my desk in my room, cutting cardboard tubing and carving and shaping fins...and getting one rocket to fit inside the other. That was hard...the rocket inside was the hardest...it needed large fins in order to keep the 'center of pressure' in the right place...and the outside rocket just couldn't be too fat...I was limited by local statute just how large it could be. So, I made folding fins for the inside rocket that popped out...and ended up with the STUPIDIST LOOKING MODEL ROCKET I EVER SAW!!! :P It had the HUGE nose cone of the Outside 'carrier rocket'...a VERY SLENDER body...and medium sized fins...after they extended. I painted the outside rocket so that it looked impressive...it was silver with a black nose cone...and it even had four vents at the top to get air inside, to help the smaller rocket. The smaller rocket looked stupid...I painted it yellow, and the fins silver...and put all kinds of impressive decals on it so I would look like I knew what I was doing. I checked the balance and pressure points on each...and just shrugged..."The Venturi Effect just doesn't apply here...I have it figured out."

((More Below))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 10, 2019, 03:57:06 PM: ...(Finish of the Tale)

...I then got out my 'sliderule' (Look those up, you younger people...they were the sign that you were a 'Genius' in H.S. Some 'nerds' carried them in holsters at their belt...Those sliderules were very long, and very thick, and had more than one sliding part. I was one of the first to have a 'circular slide rule'....I just stashed it in my purse. (Hey, that sounds REALLY BAD...*LOL*... ::)..) So, I spun the rims, and moved the display thing, and wrote down the numbers as I worked. (That sounds EVEN WORSE!!!! :-X )

...Anyway...back to the tale...I double checked my calculation several times...and couldn't believe it! I had made the rockets, and made sure that the fins were shaped well...and in my mind...the 1st would go up about 100'...stage...and the inside rocket would fly another 500'. CALCULUS told me that the rocket would travel 12'...stage...and the inside rocket would travel 90' feet...and THAT would be it!!! I muttered...and said..."That is just PAPER...and I am no mathemetician...but I have been building rockets for years...and have been the 'Range Mistress' several times...and I know when a rocket can fly..." So, I brought it to the Range....rockets there always traveled over 2,000 feet...we always laughed when some dork brought one that only went a few hundred feet.

...The Range Master looked it over...raised his eyebrows...and I glared at him...and I said..."I got this all figured out...it will only go 600 feet or so...but it is unusual...people will like it." He just shrugged, he was used to me and my 'posse' showing up with homemade rockets that looked strange but flew well...and let me place it on the launch pad. We did a countdown...I pressed the button on the console...and...and...and... :o

...It started moving very slow...and staged before it got off of the launch lug. The inside rocket was slow...BUT IN BALANCE...it reached about 50 feet...and the engine ran out. It fell to the ground, and the recovery parachute popped out. A very small grass fire started...and the Range Master and I ran over and kicked the fire out before the safety guy with the fire extinguisher arrived. :P I picked up the remains of my rocket...all of the parts...and told the Range Master. "I guess that I had better believe what science and math tell me, before I believe my brain." He told me, "Don't do that again, your rocket powered swing-wing gliders are one thing...but I don't want this on my Range again." He did laugh, and I just slunk away...my posse' were laughing their asses off. I just told them..."I didn't believe my own calculations...guess I better listen to my 'smart self' in the future... :P

...I was still teased by that the following years. At our meetings of the Rocketry Club, members would ask..."What new idea do you have, now? Please show us." At the launching pad, the Range Master would look over my rocket, heft it, and ask..."How many inside?" I would just glare, and say..."Let me press the launch button, so that you can find out."

...Good thing I didn't go on to major in Engineering...I might have found myself in charge of designing current rockets. The next Men launched to the moon might have found themselves landing in a pond in Point Reyes...CA *LOL*

...Oh, last tale of the 'Rocketry Club'. In H.S, at Homeroom, there would be a reading of the announcements for the day, which included club meetings. Our Homeroom Teacher was a very snobbish, always proper man. He would chuckle whenever he read announcements of the meeting of the Rocketry Club...and say..."OK, all you Rockets, meet after school." I got a bit pissed...we were a s SERIOUS group...we were learning a lot about Trig and Calculus...and were having fun building the rockets...seeing who could make the best looking and most powerful ones, etc...and he was making FUN of us! >:( So, once, after he smirked at the announcement, two friends and I jumped out of our seats, put our arms around each other, and did a short, somewhat highkicking dance, and got back into our chairs and said..."We 'ROCKETTES' just had our meeting...that announcement was for the Rocketry Club...future scientists and engineers are there...be nice to them." He did apologize, and was more serious after that when he mentioned the Club. He even came out once, on 'launch day', and I showed him how we tracked them, and he did launch a few of our rockets. He told me as he left, that he just thought we were buying premade rockets, and were just shooting them off. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 10, 2019, 03:58:23 PM: https://youtu.be/6JVMAh2U6kM

...Here is the activity I was talking about... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 10, 2019, 05:04:12 PM: Quote from: Medi on December 10, 2019, 03:58:23 PM
https://youtu.be/6JVMAh2U6kM

...Here is the activity I was talking about... ;D

I had a brief period of time with making model rockets... until my parents and teachers discovered I enjoyed combining rocketry with my home chemistry lab. I could care less about a chute opening and rocket recovery, on impact there was usually nothing left to recover. Just a nice respectable crater or burnt area. Temporary loss of hearing was also a possibility as was respiratory issues.

*Innocent angelic look*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 10, 2019, 05:29:44 PM: ...OK, On Rocketry...this was kind of funny... :)

...I was in H.S., and was doing all I could to promote rocketry...it covered a lot of subjects...math and such...and also how to make a rocket. :) We made them out of cardboard tubes and balsa wood. I was asked to help a Jr H.S. group, and had fun. I watched as they made rockets, and helped them with gluing them together, and shaping the fins. Of course, they asked me to make one on my own, so they could watch how I did so...and so I decided to 'show off'. I made a 'three stage' rocket, with elaborate fins and nose cone, and painted it very fancy.

...We went to the 'Range' and I re-examined their rockets, and made sure that they were safe, and we launched them. A Naval Air Storage Area was close by, there were no aircraft around...just underground bunkers and open fields. (Look up Camp Stoneman, CA to see what it looks like) The model rockets didn't get close to the base, they all just landed in our launch area on their parachutes. We had launched there many times before, and never had a problem, the police came by, once, watched, and just waved and left. The kids wanted to see my impressive rocket fly...and so I set it on the launch pad...stepped back, and pressed the plunger.

...As an aside...I bought different types of engines to use, all were solid fuel. There were the 'single stage' engines...they would fire...and then there would be a delay of a few seconds...and a small charge would go off in the top to push out the nose cone and parachute. Then there were the 'booster' engines...as soon as they finished firing, they would IMMEDIATELY set off the charge in the nose, and that charge would set off the next engine', and the rocket would separate and the next stage would fly faster.

...My three stage rocket probably violated a number of Federal Regulations. The 1st stage engine had little power against the rocket...the rocket was very heavy...and my rocket tipped to a 45 degree position from the vertical...and then staged...The first stage was dropped, and the other two stages headed towards the Facility. They were much lighter, and were traveling very fast when then next one staged...and the last stage soared into the base... :o

...I just told the kids..."We are done...pack up..." and we left..."

...I suspect that I couldn't do that now. As soon as they saw small rockets going off near a Military Facility...the MPs would be arriving pretty quickly.... >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...So, I didn't design any more three stage rockets...although...to this day...I believe that it SHOULD have worked...I think the 1st stage engine was weak, and didn't have the power that was advertised... I had computed that the rocket would work :(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 11, 2019, 09:40:31 AM: ...Just to let everyone know that I just wasn't always a prude in H.S. :) I had explored a nearby creek as part of a school assignment, and had actually waded out into it, and looked for what was in it. After the project was over, I kept going back, and exploring it more...and I did so at night a number of times. I had a small electric lantern with me, and would turn it on at times to look at what was making the strange sound...and sometimes just quickly move on. ??? Believe me...A small creek is a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING AT NIGHT!!! Creatures that sleep during the day, wake up when the sun goes down.... :P A guy was interested in me...I wasn't so interested...but I liked him, we did a lot of 'science stuff' together. I took him to the creek one night, and we waded down it, and I would turn on the lantern to light up the creature that was making the sound. :P One Saturday night, he picked me up, I thought we were going to get a burger, but he stopped by the creek, and said..."Let's walk it". I said, "I don't have my lantern", and he just pointed at the full moon, and said, "That is enough light". I didn't want to look like a wimpette...after all...I had demonstrated to him that I was the 'Mistress of the Creek'...so we just waded in...no boots or rubber overalls...just our tennis shoes and street clothes... ::)

...We did pretty well most of the time, the water was just up to our thighs...until we hit an area where the water was waist deep. ??? I was walking slowly, feeling my way with my feet...and I slipped and did a face plant into the stream... :o I was completely submerged for a moment...I was concerned with keeping my glasses on...but I stood up, and shook off a bit. Now, keep in mind that this was a CREEK!...not a sandy river entering the ocean. So, I had mud all over my front, and muddy water in my hair and everything else. My friend was laughing, I just cleaned my glasses as best I could, and said..."Creek walking is over." He offered to escort me to his place, where I could clean up...but I didn't trust him...I thought that this may have been a rather clumsy attempt to get me out of my clothes. I had him take me back home, and then I stood on the lawn...fully clothed while he washed me down with the garden hose...and then I said that the night was over. I also told him..."NO MORE CREEK WALKING."

...My Father came out while I was being hosed down...looked at us...and asked..."Have you two been drinking?" I just said 'No' as I walked by, and went to the bathroom so I could strip, and take a proper shower. I didn't explain much when I was later interrogated over just what the HELL we had been doing...I just said..."We were just looking at the night creatures in the creek."

...So...*JDL* that is Izee's idea of what constitutes a 'really neat and proper date'... :P :P :P :P :P :P :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 11, 2019, 03:00:33 PM: JDL ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 11, 2019, 11:38:40 PM: ...Another creek story, probably why I was fascinated by them when I got older. :) There is one not too far away from where I am living, now, and I often think of buying some boots and walking into it...but...times have changed since I was little...if I walked into the creek now, I would probably die a few weeks later from some obscure disease...so I just briefly look at it as I drive by. When I was little, we lived in a lower middle class place...our house was on the edge of a creek. I was very young, maybe 4 or 5 years old...I recall that I was not yet in Kindergarten...and I would climb up the wood fence, and get into the creek. I would catch crawdads...I learned to grab them just behind the head...but I let them go...I didn't know that you could eat them. Once, I was VERY PROUD when I carried a bucket full of bullfrogs back over the fence, and showed them to my Mother. She grabbed the bucket, and dumped them back over the fence, as I jumped up and down and cried...I still...to this day...have NO IDEA of what I was going to do with them...I didn't want to eat them...I guess that my little mind thought that I could have 23 bullfrogs as pets... :o

...But, one winter, it was raining very hard for several days, and my parents were getting worried. My friends and I would put on thick, yellow, rain gear and go out and play, and we saw no problem. It was quiet in my house, my Mother wouldn't say much. One day, I looked out the back door, and smiled...I saw the older, next door boy, sitting on the fence. I had no idea of romance at the time...I just liked it when he would join our games. So, I put on my rain gear, and went out, and climbed up the fence, and sat with him. I was astonished when I looked down...the creek...was now a RIVER!!! We didn't talk much...the water kept rising, and then my mother yelled at me to come back in. I did, and she handed me a small suitcase, and said, "Pack up your toys." I sat for a while...I had a lot of toys...and tried different ways to pack them...and I finally just placed my favorite dolls and a few other items in the suitcase. I was then hauled out...my Father came home, and we went to a motel!!! I was a bit excited, that was the first time I recall being in such a place...and we got to walk, in the rain;, to a place and eat! I liked being asked what I wanted to eat, and get it. I ate a LOT of fish. We stayed there for three days, and then came back home. :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

...It was horrible...the floor of our house was covered in mud. It was a very 'starter' house, it had been built right after WW II...the floors were concrete...and like all of the other neighbors...my Father used a hose to get the mud out... :P :P :P :P The walls were somehow cleaned, and we moved back in. To this day, I can't figure out how the walls could be cleaned...wouldn't the mildew and such destroy them? My parents had placed the rest of my toys on the top of furniture, so I just lost a few. :(

...So, now days...when I see videos of the floods that are going on...I stop, and think about what those people are going through...

...Please send them our prayers....
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 12, 2019, 08:42:01 AM: ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 14, 2019, 02:54:50 AM: ...Walking with a cane...

...I have been suffering from a mostly mental condition the past few years, that affects my body. I am a manic/depressive, that has made my life interesting. It hit me in my Jr year of HS, and I was astonished...I only needed to sleep a couple hours a night...and my mind was very active...I remembered everything I read, and schools tests were easy...and I would practice my cello from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am...and then get to bed. The depressive side was very difficult...the first time it hit, I actually sat for a while on my bed...holding a gun...and then went to bed, and didn't get up for two days. My parents got me into a facility...and took away my guns and my sharp objects...and I got counseling. I got though it...although...for the FIRST time in my life I had to REALLY work to GET A 'C' in a course...it was Cultural Anthropology...I just couldn't focus my mind. (I had to do the same, later, in 'aural theory'...but my mind was clear, I just couldn't hear intervals or take 'dictation')

...I was placed on drugs,,,they had to try several before they found out what would work...that was hard. I was in a depressive cycle when they did that...and I would take the drug every day...and they would test me on how I was doing, and I would not be well...I would sleep a lot, had no appetite...was very thin...and then the 'depression' would lift...and I would get better. The 'manic' would kick in, and I wouldn't need to sleep, I would eat a lot...while I was studying something, and practice my cello and get back into Martial Arts, and gain weight.

...It settled down a bit as I got older, and I could see what was happening. If I got depressed, I would carefully sit, and write out what was going on in my life...and if it looked OK...I would just say..."You have seen this before, don't let the Bitch kill you" and do my work, and not worry that I was depressed...and the Bitch would leave after a few months. I actually enjoyed when the Bastard showed up...I would temper my activities, so I didn't do anything too outrageaous, or spend a lot of money...Once, He came in when I had a lot of r/t challenges, and I said..."Every one...just look out!" I won several big cases, performed the 2nd Boccherini Concerto, and spent a lot of time helping with a Youth Program...and didn't let my H sleep very much. I was REALLY happy when the Bastard showed up when I was studying for the BAR exam...I did all of my work...pleasured my H...and then sat and read and studied Law until 4:00 am and went to bed.

...Our minds are amazing things

...Now, I am between cycles. I was just laying in bed for a long time, now I am more alert and going out to walk. I have a cane now, for a while I was so bad that I really needed a walker. I felt REALLY ashamed...I am not old...but I needed to get some exercise...and I just couldn't walk. If I tried without the walker, I would have certainly fallen...and that could have been bad. As I set out, each day now, I think of leaving the cane behind...but I bring it. I carry it a bit...but...most of the time...I have a rhytym. *S* Today, I walked to a Store a mile away, and walked back holding a bag of groceries, and a large jug of OJ...and did OK...the cane was tucked under my arm... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 14, 2019, 04:24:32 AM: ...Possibly the most beautiful choral work ever... :)

...I was a Freshman at Conservatory the first time I ever heard this work...and...I WAS SINGING!!! I was a music major, and I had to take Choral Class although I was a Cellist. I grumbled as I bought the score...I was an alto...when I TRIED to sing...it just didn't work. Probably just because I gave up trying to sing...because I thought that I sounded horrible...but, I sounded pretty bad at the cello at first, until I practiced, I never practiced with my voice. Once, though, at a Memorial Concert, I was singing in a chorus,,,and I realized that the other women were lowering their voices...I started to sing softer...and they got softer...I saw what was happening...and just let my voice lift... :) They did the same, and ...the men joined in. We all finished...and I was trying not to cry.... :'(

...The young man being buried had been a very good friend of mine, and everyone knew it...they allowed me to sing to Him... :'(

...This work is astonishing as it praises those who have moved on..."Requim Etarna" "Life Eternal"..."Liberate Me God, from Death Eternal" 1:55 starts the amazing chord progression. The Sopranos hold a long note..."LUZ...'light' and then the most amazing chord progression proceeds. The work climaxes at 2:50... :) When we first sang this phrase...at the end...we just LOOKED at each other, The teacher smiled, and let us settle down, and we got back to work. :) I always heard that vocal majors had a great sex life...I never understood why...although I spent hours sitting alone in a room holding a huge piece of lumber between my legs.

https://youtu.be/Rs8sMjIJ4eI
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 14, 2019, 11:55:33 AM: ...it is good to get along with the TA... :)

...I was the TA for HS Chemistry in my Sr Year. I think that I was tested for that in my JR year. ??? We had an experiment where you were handed a beaker full of liquid, and had to figure out what was inside...most had a couple substances...the assignment lasted for a week. The 'total jerk asshole' was given an easy one. He just dipped his finger into the liquid, tasted it, and said...'salt'. The teacher smiled, and said, 'You passed", and he just sat and smirked at the rest of us. I worked for two days, and identified THREE substances, and the teacher just smiled, and said..."There are more." I kept working, and found a 4th, and she said..."Keep working". I was getting very anxious towards the last day...everyone was sitting at their desks...except for me and 5 guys who probably shouldn't have been taking Chemistry. I finally figured out the last substance with about 12 minutes left... :P

...So, when I was the TA the next year, I prepared the beakers...at the most, I put three substances in, which the teacher said was the maximum... >:( and then walked while the students analyzed the liquids. I would confirm if they figured one out. There was one girl that I was carefully watching, we were friends. She played 1st violin in our school orchestra, and was a 'Grade Hog'...she was focused on getting straight A's. I was the 1st cellist, and we played quartets together a lot...but I was more relaxed about my grades...I didn't get worried if I got a ''B'. She had two substances in her beaker, and was struggling to figure out the second. I could have whispered in her ear what it was, but that would not have been fair. I just watched, and sometimes grimaced, watching what she was doing...she was very smart...but didn't have the aptitude for such an experiment...it takes a mindset that most people don't have.

...On the 4th day...I just couldn't stand it...and whispered in her ear the procedure to run. She did, and the teacher marked her off. :) In my yearbook, she wrote..."Thank you for helping me get an 'A' in the course, it was hard." :)

...So, this 'Panther Huntress' isn't always bad... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 14, 2019, 02:28:12 PM: Rags sits in the class, watches you walking around, checking out your tits, ass, and legs. Waits until I have just enough time before class ends, dumps out the shit you mixed, sterilizes the beaker and dries it off and sets it down. "Contains ambient room temperature air. By the way... great tits. See you after school." Heads out.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 14, 2019, 02:43:09 PM: ...I stare at you, and take the beaker...and watch as you leave. I tell the teacher..."He figured them all out...and I gave Him a difficult one." She narrows her eyes at me, and I shake the beaker...She asks..."What did you put in that one?" I just stand back...and say..."Water...there be hydrogen and oxygen in it, last I looked..."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 15, 2019, 12:32:42 PM: ...I am sitting in the box on the Home Side of the HS Football field...a microphone is in front of my face, and I have a Pepsi and a bag of potato chips beside me. Two of my friends are sitting with me...but,,,it is MY VOICE that the people hear...as I announce..."Stanly carried for 5 yards...2nd and Goal, Walnut Creek." I have to turn off the mike at times, and ask my friends..."Who is number 84?" They look at the roster, and tell me, and I turn the mike back on, and say "Schuman was tackled for a 6 yard loss." This goes on for the first half, and I am actually happy to sit off to the side, and let a 'bubble headed girl' announce the halftime show...she shrieks "AND HERE COMES THE CONCORD HIGH BAND!!!" I quietly say..."That is their Band"...She shrieks...AND HERE COMES THE WALNUT CREEK BAND"...I just drink my Pepsi, and eat some potato chips...

...((This did ACTUALLY happen...and I had both hands over my mouth...I was laughing so hard!!!! ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)))

...I get back in front of the mike, and get handed a note...and groan...this game is about to get difficult...

...I turn on the mike...and carefully say..."Concord has substituted a new linebacker...Ragnar...number 47."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 16, 2019, 01:48:04 PM: That would be the one wearing no helmet, dragging his knuckles, and gnawing on the shinbone of the opposing QB.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 16, 2019, 02:45:01 PM: ...And I would be announcing..."#47, Ragnar, just 'sacked' their Quarterback...There will now be a 5 minute break so that the Ambulance can get on the Field, and haul away their Quarterback...and so that their backup Quarterback can be tracked down, and hauled out onto the field...and Ragnar can be fed a raw Porterhouse...it calms him down...sometimes..." ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 16, 2019, 03:15:36 PM: ...I hold my hands over my eyes when an 'Air Head Cheerleader' brings this out to you...I turn on the mike, and shout..." I said..."Raw"...and I didn't mean 'Rah, Rah, Rah!"

...https://binged.it/2RXTyfv
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 16, 2019, 10:31:18 PM: "MMmmmmmmmmm..... fresh meat."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 20, 2019, 03:48:28 AM: ...IMHO, r/p can be like performing a work of art, like a symphony. When all of the players come together, an amazing thing happens...drama mixes with comedy, and a complex theme is explored, and changes very quickly from measure to measure, and everyone involved has fun, and many have learned in different ways of how to r/p...and about themselves. :) But, like learning to play an instrument, and then be able to perform with others, it takes work, and a certain mindset. A player has to understand what is going on, and enter the r/p, but back off so as not to hog all the time, and create cliques that exclude all others. The more timid have to enter, and add their voices...they can be heard...and can have a louder voice. The best r/p sites I have experienced, are where there is a good Moderator who lets, and encourages, all who enter to learn the Home and to participate as they wish...and guide them if they don't understand what the Home is about, so that their energy can help the Home grow. Of course, there are those who deliberately enter a Home, and seek to disrupt and destroy it...usually by attacking the r/pers OOC. The Wolves can be spotted, and good Moderators will ban them. The coyotes are more difficult, they seem to fit in, but, after a while...people leave the Home because of them...and the coyotes then slink off...leaving a shard of the Home behind them...and go off to seek another to destroy. There was a group a number of years ago, who just did that. I will add that, at times, a typist is tagged as a Wolf, and people don't want to r/p with him/her. Sometimes it is warranted, other times it really isn't....the typist may have been very creative, but entered a group that just couldn't accept his/her r/p. That doesn't mean that the typist can't do better elsewhere. Anyway, here is r/p at Scagnar...only a Torvie could write this,,, :) https://youtu.be/_9RT2nHD6CQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 20, 2019, 09:54:32 AM: ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 22, 2019, 12:41:52 AM: ...When I behaved as a bond, in college...r/t :o

...It was my Freshman year, and we were all at the Conservatory for orientation. We got the classes during the morning, telling us what to expect. We Music Majors were hanging around together, our group had 2 Men, and 6 Women...there were other groups. After the late afternoon class, we were told to drive to a park, nearby, and that there would be a BBQ. We looked around, and only ONE of the two guys had a car!!! So, we went into the parking lot...and there was a 1968 VW 'Bug!!!! He had taken the back seats out, so he could haul his stuff to college. So, we 6 girls climbed into the back, and he and his new buddy took the front seats. We women were crouched down, all crammed together, holding onto each other, and what we could grasp in the car. :P When we stopped at signal lights, and such, the people in the cars next to us were staring at us... ??? They probably thought that the two young men sitting in the seats, were REAL STUDS...to have the back of a VW bug PACKED WITH WOMEN!!! ;D ;D ;D During the BBQ, we women all found other drivers to take us back to the Campus. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 22, 2019, 01:38:34 AM: ,,,I have to add to this...I just LOVE this song. It means a lot to me,,,especially right now...

...https://youtu.be/7cWnz8sn11Y'',,,
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Medi on December 30, 2019, 04:11:57 PM: ...I don't really enjoy ballet, but this one really brings this composition by Stravinski alive. Just listening to the music, can be confusing, but the Ballet choreography brings it all to life. It is about Pagan Russia, their adoration of the Earth, and ends with a young maiden dancing herself to death!

...As an aside, Izee' had worked with bonds and thralls to dance this music during the visit to Scagnar. Unfortunately, the girl who was dancing the part of the '300 year old Woman' caught the eye of a Scagnar Merchant, and she was taken away just before the performance. There was no time to train a new dancer, so Izee' stepped in to perform the part. While all were getting ready, Izee' asked the 'Makeup Girl' for help, and the girl said..."You don't need any makeup for this part, Mistress." ::)

...https://youtu.be/jo4sf2wT0wU
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 22, 2020, 01:04:31 PM: ...Izee' stops by the tree she had planted for Marcus Hrolfson, after His death. She shares a small picnic with Katniss, and Katniss listens as Izee' sings...

https://youtu.be/Vr6S2XOfkQg

...At my old residence, on 5 acres, I planted a very small English Oak, that I had raised from an acorn, on the hillside in remembrance of the typist of Marcus Hrolfson. I carefully nursed it through the year...and it was growing well...until one of our goats got free and ate most of it. I was furious, >:( and gave the goat to a neighbor...after she promised to take the goat to the butcher. The neighbor gave me a rack of the ribs...and I ATE THEM!!!! ;D I was very worried about the tree, and did all that I could to nurse it. I also dug holes around it, and set in wooden stakes, and filled the holes with concrete, and strung several layers of chicken wire around them, so that no other animals could get in. I didn't see much happening...it was close to winter...and I just gave up.

...After Spring was well underway...I went out to see if the tree was still alive...and...it WAS!!! There were new leaves and branches all over it! I kept the protection around it, and did go out and tend to it over the years that followed...and it flourished. :) When we sold the property a few years ago, one of the last things I did was walk over and bid farewell to the tree. It was about 15' tall, and it stood very strong. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on January 22, 2020, 09:52:43 PM: ;) :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 23, 2020, 10:57:00 PM: ...Me and my big mouth... ???

...Everyone knows what I did when I was working, I was a Trial Attorney. :P Very early in my career, I was preparing a Pre-Trial Motion against the other side...and I JUST KNEW THAT I WOULD WIN!!! I had the facts, and the Law well summarized in my Brief, and KNEW that the other side had no chance. ::) We appeared before the Judge, we had filed the Pleadings, and the Judge had read them. The Judge immediately tore into the other attorney, and the attorney was fumbling, trying to explain why I was wrong. This went on for about 10 minutes...and then I just HAD to OPEN MY BIG MOUTH! :) I started making my own comments, although the Judge wasn't asking ME any questions, or asking ME to comment. After I had made a few, the Judge turned his attention to me, and said..."Ah, I have a few questions for you, Counselor". He then began peppering me with questions and comments... :o...and after 10 minutes, he said to me, "I am ruling AGAINST your Motion!" :P I slunk out of the Courthouse...my talking had gotten the Judge to rule against me! :( I did win the actual trial, but it was harder because my Motion, if I had won, would have cut the legs out from under the other side.

...A decade later, I was representing a man who was the driver of a car involved in a horrible fog-related accident on the local freeway, that involved 32 vehicles. He had no fault, as did most of the other drivers. He was in the middle of the pack, and was stopped, when the people from behind crashed into the pack. After two months of depositions, me, and almost everyone else, filed Motions to Dismiss our clients. The Motions were ALL heard on the same day. The other attorneys vehemently argued their cases, and the other side argued back. >:( When it was my turn, the Judge looked at me, and said,,,"Do you have anything to say Ms S-----?" I just shook my head, from side to side...and stepped back. :-[ I was DELIGHTED when the Judge ruled from the Bench, he DENIED ALL of the Motions to Dismiss...EXCEPT MINE!!! I took his signed Order to the Clerk, filed it, and called my client with the good news!!!! ;D

...As I was leaving the Courthouse, most of the other attorneys were standing outside, all pissed off and discouraged. One of them called out, "Hey guys, here comes that brilliant lawyer, didn't you hear her convincing argument?" Another added, "I did, I was spellbound at her verbal virtuosity". One woman said, "I am going to order a transcript of her discussion with the Judge, I want to use what she said in future cases."

...I just grinned...and kept walking.... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 23, 2020, 11:10:32 PM: ...Oh...and this was playing as I walked out of the Courthouse... ::)

...https://youtu.be/DhlPAj38rHc
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 24, 2020, 11:48:52 PM: ...Izee' is sitting on the cliffs overlooking Thassa. Tiveri's pets had found Izee', and Izee' was holding them as Tiveri was sleeping. Izee' looked over Thassa, and thought of all she had experienced since that Torvie, Marcus Hrolfson, had lured her out of the Forests and Companioned her. "An I was TRACKING HIM at the time!" she mutters...she shakes her head, thinking..."My Lair Leader would be dying a laughter seein me."

...But, Izee' smiles, her life with Marcus Hrolfson had been very rich. They had traveled all over Gor, sometimes by Wagon, but mostly by ship. Marcus had put together a nice fleet of five ships...two Drakkas...two Knurrs...and a very fast messenger ship. The Captain of the messenger ship had standing orders from Marcus..."If we get into trouble, grab Izee' and the kids and get the Hell away!" Izee' had complained, saying..."I can use a bow as well...er better...than most a ye!" Marcus had told the Captain, "If she gets difficult, just knock her down and carry her away." Izee' had bristled...but nodded...and told Marcus..."It will be as ye say, ye tell me tae leave tha Drakka, me an all a tha children will go with tha Captain." Marcus had stroked her hair, smiled, and said, "That is my Order to you My Love...if I fall, remember me."

...Izee' looks over Thassa...where Marcus Hrolfson, had last sailed...and thinks..."I could join Him if I want." She sings...

...https://youtu.be/ZDak_ehNtK4

...But, she smiles and cuddles the pet in her arms, and looks over Thassa….'I will see ye when my time comes, Marcus, My Love...but it won't be fer a long while...I got stuff tae do." She then rises, and heads back to where Tuchuk were camped...she needed to finish the fish stew she had started. Johanna and S'lene were tending it, but they didn't know to finish it...and Tristan's Ormen had been invited to dine with their Orluman.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 25, 2020, 01:02:46 AM: ...Sailing...a True Tale... :)

...As a young adult, I got interested in sailboats. I didn't want a motorboat...that was just a car on the water...I wanted to learn how to sail with the wind. I had flown sailplanes before...so I wasn't worried. Of course, I didn't buy a cruiser or a Laser...I bought a Coronado C-15...a 15' racing dinghy!!! :) It had a large mainsail, and a large jibsail...and was designed for a two person crew. One would handle the rudder and the mainsail, the other (crew) would handle the jibsail and adjust weight. The boat had a 'trapeze'... ;D it was lines that were secured to the mast. The 'crew' would be wearing a canvas diaper that had a large hook in the front, that was attached to the trapeze. There was also a handle on the trapeze. This enabled the crew to lean back very far to shift his weight...and even...to stand with his feet against the side of the ship, and lean COMPLETELY BACK...so he was horizontal to the boat!!!!! ;D So, envision the boat hauling along...the Captain is leaning back...and the Crew is laying back, legs streaght...almost in the water...with his feet on the side of the boat!!! The trapeze holding him out of the water!!! :o

...I just couldn't find people to sail like that. My husband just wanted to go out, and quietly sail back and forth for a while, and then come back to camp...he didn't like to sail. I would sail on my own, but couldn't do it in high winds, I tipped over a few times. :P I was able to get the boat back upright, and limp back to the port. :P

...One time, a guy who worked for me said that he could sail. :) I packed a lunch in a cooler, and he showed up with a larger cooler full of BEER! :o I said, OK, and we rigged my boat and set out. I was Captain, he was Crew. We sailed for a while, and it went very well. We were relaxed, the wind was moderate, so we sailed and drank some beer, and then beached and ate lunch. We got back into the water...and the wind was KICKING UP!!! I got him to put on the diaper, and lock himself into the trapeze...and we DID SOME SAILING!!! He had good balance, I knew how to steer the boat...so we were really hauling! ;D

((Finish below))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 25, 2020, 01:45:02 AM: ...I figured...or maybe it was the beer that I had drank...that he could sail...and I had always wanted to TRY ON THE DIAPER AND LEAN OUT!!! ;D ;D ;D So, we changed places, I put on the diaper and hooked myself to the trapeze. :) It went well for a while, we didn't sail hard, I told him that I had never crewed before and that I needed time to practice. And, all of the while...the WIND WAS GETTING HARDER!!! :o But, that meant NOTHING to me!!! We kept sailing... :o I finally figured that I had being 'crew' figured out, and said, "LET'S SAIL!!!" Most other small sailboats were going in...but we were hauling back and forth...and I was standing on the side...my back horizontal to the water...adjusting the jib...and shouting..."THIS IS SAILING!!!" ;D ;D ;D ;D And then...

...I never knew exactly what happened...but the boat suddenly slowed very quickly...and I didn't. :o I swung across the bow...the trapeze holding me...and looked at the jib as I approached from the lee side...and muttered..."This isn't going to go well". I landed in the jib, and the boat tipped over. I got myself loose from the trapeze, and my life jacket got me to the surface. I was pissed...I had lost my glasses...but I looked around for my friend. He was swimming towards his cooler...I shouted "BRENT!!!!" He shouted back..."GOTTA SAVE THE BEER!!!" I looked around, my boat was upside down, and my cooler was sinking...I just let the cooler go... >:( He got back to the boat, hauling his cooler...and HANDED ME A BEER!!! I calmed down, and drank it, and gave the can back to him, and said, "We got to go in, now."

…I swam around the boat, and climbed up the side, and grabbed the centerboard, and leaned back. After a few minutes, the boat got onto its' side, and I climbed onto the centerboard, and held the mainsheet, and the sails came out of the water, and the boat got back upright...as I fell back into the water. We both climbed back in, and as the sails were flapping I sorted out the sheets and checked the rigging. We got back into place...I WAS CAPTAIN!!! and we sailed back. There was no damage to the boat. :P

...Brent talked a lot about our 'voyage' back at the Office. He said, "If "P" ever invites you to sail with her, get a lot of insurance." ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 27, 2020, 11:10:39 PM: ...Izee' travels to Scagnar, and walks up the paths of the Hills, and stops before the Stone of Marcus Hrolfson. She sets three roasted vulos, and a bottle of paga before His Stone. It is clean, and glowing, and Izee' sends mental thanks to Helga...the Stone shows that her hands had done the tribute. "Here, My Love, be a dinner fer ye, share some with my True" she says as she looks over at Sa'Che's Stone." Izee' then stands back, and sings to Marcus...

...https://youtu.be/_MnEwaSdlnk

...Izee' finishes, and heads back down the path...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 28, 2020, 03:07:26 PM: ...Izee' sits on a rock overlooking Thassa...and sings. Johanna and Katniss are with her, and they add their voices... :)

...https://youtu.be/Vw_cZGrVFqw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 29, 2020, 12:12:30 AM: ...Izee' and her friends are out for a ride... :o

https://youtu.be/9S0CqdZV7Vc
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 01, 2020, 02:02:12 PM: ...Izee' was out for a ride...and then heard that Marcus Hrolfson was being threatened...she and her Lair rode to his side...and she had a few words with the other Commander. ;D ((I just LOVED this series, and D'Lenne))

https://youtu.be/UYloWBP79ro
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 02, 2020, 11:04:21 AM: ...Another accurate article of what the Liberal/Progressives have done to a wonderful city, San Francisco. As children, my brother and I were always excited when our parents would take us to the 'City' :) The Skyscrapers, the well dressed people, the GREAT FOOD ;D, and the culture. We would go into the museums and art galleries. Once, as an adult, I was in SF on Business, and one evening, after a GREAT meal at Fishermans' Wharf, I just walked along the street, and went into the small art galleries. :) The Owners were smart...they would offer you a glass of champagne as you looked at what was for sale. ;) At the third gallery...I was TOTALLY CHARMED by a young man...and had TWO glasses of champagne. I walked out...my bank account was much smaller...a nice original painting was being delivered to my hotel...and he had insisted that I take a bottle of the champagne with me. ::) I safely got back to the hotel, and saw that the painting was placed in my closet, and figured..."Oh Hell, go for it." I called my husband, and told him that I was going to stay another day. I also called the front desk and extended my stay. I then got the TV on, and rented 'My Fair Lady' to watch, and drank the champagne as I watched it. ;D Needless to say, I had a BIT OF A HANGOVER the next day, :P so I took it easy, but did do a lot of walking...I just drank mineral water with my meals. I stayed OUT
of the art galleries, and just went into the clothing stores.

…I wouldn't DREAM OF DOING THAT, NOW!!! :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ Our 'Enlightened Liberals' have destroyed SF...all the while claiming that they are more 'Compassionate' than the rest of us. What is WRONG with THEM???? ??? Can't they see the people on the streets as they drive their BMW's??? I guess that they can't. :'(

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-7956517/IAN-BIRRELL-tech-giants-turned-San-Francisco-dystopian-nightmare.html
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 02, 2020, 10:29:31 PM: Round them up and execute them quickly and painlessly.

See... I can show compassion as well.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 05, 2020, 01:02:10 AM: ...Izee' had just wanted to borrow a book from the Library in Turia...but...well...you know Izee' ::)

...https://youtu.be/NynYl5uJmCI
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 05, 2020, 01:02:33 PM: Gotta watch those due dates!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 06, 2020, 03:07:49 PM: ...Being 'ASSAULTED' in H.S. :o

...As I have said, I was the TA for Chemistry in HS. I had a RATHER INTERESTING event with the Teacher. :) He knew me well, he also taught other science classes, and I always did well. :) In our Soph Biology Class, students once asked Him if they should sign up for Chemistry...(an Elective Class)...and he said, "Not everyone should, it is a difficult course...but I will be disappointed if P----- doesn't sign up." Everyone turned, and stared at me...and I just said..."I was going to sign up for the Ceramic Arts Class, but I changed my mind." I did well in Chemistry...although he did once burst into the Lab where I was doing an Organic Chemistry Experiment...I was going to make a Sulfa Drug...and had mixed sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and benzene in a flask. (NITROBENZENE!!!!... :o). He took the experiment away from me, and gave me a safer one. :P

...Anyway, as a TA I spent most of the period, and another, preparing experiments for the students, and maintaining the Chemistry Lab. One week, He was really angry and frustrated... >:( A large spool of 'Nichrome" wire was missing. (Nickel Chromium) It was very expensive, and he would have to explain to the Administration over what had happened...and he believed that it was possible that a student had stolen it. We turned the Lab upside down searching for it, with no success. :P

...A week later, I hauled a large cylinder of oxygen into the lab on a hand cart. I had met the delivery man in the parking lot, and he had strapped it to the cart, and I pulled it into the classroom. The Teacher told me to secure it to the back of the room, against a counter, so that it would be secure. I found straps, and tied it down, and used some clamps to secure the straps. I couldn't get the clamps, that had those 'butterfly' screws to tighten them, very tight, I just didn't have the strength. I opened drawers around the area, and found a pair of needle nose pliers, and began tightening the screws. The Teacher called out..."Where did you find those pliers?" I just pointed at the drawer, and he asked..."Is there a spool of Nichrome wire in there?" I opened it, again...and saw the missing spool! ;D But, being me...I just picked it up, and stood sideways so he could see what I was holding...and I slowly said..."No, it is a spool of Nickel Chromium wire." I did emit a real shriek as a large piece of chalk bounced off the cabinet right next to me...he threw it very hard!!! :o :o :o But then, me, and two of my friends who were hanging with me, started laughing our asses off, and I walked up and handed it to him. He was grinning, and shaking his head...and he looked VERY RELIEVED!!! ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 06, 2020, 10:44:06 PM: ...When I argued WITH THE COMPOSER!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...I had been asked to sit as Principal Cello in the local UC Campus, and did very well. ;D I helped with the students, and volunteered my time to sit in small ensembles, and raised money for the Music Dept. :) One year, we played this Symphony, and I DIDN'T LIKE the 2nd Movement!!! :P It is slow, and the cellos and basses play very short notes...using the bow! That is hard...your hand and arm gets very tasked...and making EACH NOTE sound the same is hard! I was sitting at the stand, glaring at the music when we took a break, and the Conductor came over to me, and asked..."Something wrong?" I looked up at him, and said, "This whole movement should have the cellos plucking the strings...each note would sound the same...and it would be easier to play." He nodded, and raised his baton, and said..."OK, start the piece, using your bow, as written." I played about 12 measures, and he stopped me, and said..."OK, let's try it your way, put down the bow." I did, and he started me again, and I plucked the strings. He stopped me, and asked..."Do you hear the difference?" I nodded...and he said..."Mendelssohn knew what he was doing", and walked away. I set down my cello, and went to take a break...Mendelssohn was RIGHT!!! Here is the movement... :)

...https://youtu.be/6BiK2qBJL_0

…The Conductor was also a Composer, and once, we put on a Concert with several of his works. They ranged from lyrical, to very modern Atonal works...that I DIDN'T LIKE...I just like melodic works...although I do love Shostokovich. ;) I was sitting, playing my cello in an Octet he had written, and was struggling with a passage. Technically, it was difficult...and the bowings and note shapings he had marked just didn't make sense to me. I actually wrote in my own idea of how tp play the passage, and did so at a rehearsal. ::) He stopped us all, and looked at me, and said..."Play that again." I did so, using my markings, and he frowned, and said..."No, no, no...do it as I have marked it." I started arguing with him, saying that my phrasing sounded better...and the violist tapped me on the shoulder with her bow, and said..."Ah, last I looked at the cover page, HE WROTE THIS...NOT YOU!!!" ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

…I nodded, and erased my markings, and the Conductor had me play it the way he had written it...and nodded and said..."Practice it that way"...and I did.

…Another one of my "Finer Moments".... :P ::) :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 06, 2020, 11:15:45 PM: ...I do need to comment on the work...once I calmed down over how to play the thing...I listened while performing. I tear up, every time I listen to it. It is a very soft, and desolate work...just a few instruments playing at any given time. I envision a train station, in Russia, during the winter. There are two voices in the work...the violins with the high voice...and the violas with the low voice...and they alternate speaking to each other. The cellos and basses are the sounds of a train slowly moving by, the wheels echoing off of the ties. A man and a woman are bidding farewell to each other...perhaps forever...I visualize the man as a soldier. :( They speak back and forth...and then laugh a bit as they talk of things they did together...and then he is called to fall into line. :'( He does, and they do speak back and forth...and then he gets onto the train.

…Just my fertile imagination... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 07, 2020, 01:08:56 AM: ...OK...it is late...and I have been watching music videos on YouTube. Here is one I really like...a graphic of Bachs' Tocatta and Fugue. :)

...https://youtu.be/ATbMw6X3T40

...A funny story about this. I was a music major when I entered college, and was invited to join the Womens Music Sorority. Part of the Initiation was a 'Performance'. I, like the other pledges, got all dressed up, and, one by one...we were taken to the stage at the Conservatory, and would play our instrument, or sing...to show our musical skills. :) They would cut us off after a couple minutes, and grouchily say..."We have heard enough"...and we would stand on the stage as the Sisters peppered us with difficult questions...and then say..."We may talk to you later." When I went through that, I figured that I was a total failure, and went back to my dorm and cried for a while. :'( But...two days later, I was told to come to the Auditorium that night...and me and the other pledges were welcomed into the Sorority. :) We all went to IHOP and ate pancakes and drank a lot of tea. ;D

...Years later, I was the President of the Sorority, and I sat...in the middle of my Sisters...and listened to the pledges. I was in charge, and kept an eye on my watch, and at about the two minute mark...I would wait until the MOST difficult place to stop...I had the score of the music in my lap...and I would stand...and loudly say..."WE HAVE HEARD ENOUGH!!!!" I would sit back down, and my 'Lieutenants' would lead the Interrogation. ;)

…But then...a pledge was playing this work...on the huge Pipe Organ in the Hall! I was entranced...I was very familiar with the work...but had never heard it played on the Conservatory Pipe Organ!!!! ;D I just listened...and my Lieutenants were nudging me...and I just 'nudged' them back...she was playing it PERFECTLY!!!! :) :) :) :) :) I let her finish...and THEN sicced my Lieutenants on her. ::)

…She was admitted to the Sorority...and she played the Organ at my wedding years later. ;) We both laughed about her 'audition'...the other pledges had been upset over being cut off after a few minutes...and wondered why she had been allowed to perform her entire work. :) I had just been getting into the interesting part of the Boccherini Cello Concerto when I was told..."We have heard enough" …when I was pledging. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 08, 2020, 02:13:24 PM: ...Setting an example... :)

...As I have reported, I volunteered to play in the 'Phriday Phil' when I was younger. :) Every Friday, I would leave the Office at 1:30, and drive to a different Elementary School, and meet all of the Music Teachers in the District, and we would go into the school auditorium, set up, and play two short concerts to the kids. ;) When I play the cello, I am enthusiastic... ;D...I don't just slump in my chair and wipe the bow back and forth...I sit on the edge of the chair, and lean forward, and sometimes will sway side to side in a lyrical passage. :) Once, as I was leaving the stage, a teacher called out to me..."I am going to get a cello!"

…One afternoon, as I was leaving, a young black girl came up to me. She said that she had enjoyed the concert, and so I stopped and talked with her about the music. She talked about the works that she had enjoyed, and I spoke to her about how we played it. As we were finishing, she noticed that I was chewing gum, and said, "You got gum?" I nodded, and said, "You want some?" She nodded, and I took out the package, and offered her a stick. I was rather surprised when she put her hands behind her back...but understood. She had been raised to not touch hands with a stranger. I smiled, and stepped back, and said..."Here, catch, and keep it"...and tossed her the package. She caught it, and I chuckled, and walked away. :)

…Years later, when I was the Principal Cello of the Community College...a new Freshman, a very pretty black girl joined the cello section. I welcomed her, and...she offered me a STICK OF GUM! I was surprised, and took it...and she said..."I gotta pay you back." I looked at her more closely...and she told me that she was the little girl that I had spoken to long ago! ;D We hugged, and she said that watching me play the cello had made her want to do the same. ;D We spoke often during the year that followed, she wanted to become a teacher, and I gave her the best advice that I could, and she went on to attend the University. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 08, 2020, 05:09:27 PM: And she went on to become the CEO of Bubble Yum bubble gum?

;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 08, 2020, 11:11:32 PM: ...That would not surprise me, Rags, music unlocks so much of the Brain. :) When I first went to the semi-annual music retreat, I thought that I would stand out...BA, JD, CPA, Attorney at Law...and that was all that I could fit on my card...*JDL*...but I was eclipsed by so many others... :P Once, it took me a while to calm down as I sat in a quartet, and looked at the distinguished men around me...they were Scientists that we have all heard about...and they played BRILLIANTLY!!! :) That is why, when I played in the Phriday Phil, I did all that I could to get the kids to see that I was having fun playing the cello. ;D I smiled, and moved in my chair, and PLAYED REALLY LOUD when I had the melody... ;D...a lot of times, as we were packing up, the Conductor came up to me and asked me, "Didn't you see the dynamic markings?" I would just look helpless, and say, "I will watch them better next week." Of course, next week...I ignored them, and whaled away when I had the melody... ;D...I wanted the kids to hear the cello, and see how much fun it was to play one. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 09, 2020, 02:48:21 AM: 1st chair to 3rd chair AFTER dodging the baton headed your way at high velocity.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 09, 2020, 11:25:51 AM: ...I WAS ACTUALLY kicked from 1st chair to 2nd chair in the Community College Orchestra, one year. :( The Conductor said that he wanted the young woman cellist to experience being the Section Leader. She actually did play better, technically, than I did, but I had decades of experience playing the major orchestral works. I was angry for a while, and then I settled down, and freely assisted her in leading the section. :) She moved on to Notre Dame, and I got my chair back...but I was more careful about following dynamic markings. :) Sometimes, during a rehearsal, I would look back over my shoulder while we were playing, and hiss..."SOFTER!!!!!!"...the cellists behind me would comply!!! I also did the opposite...once, during a rehearsal of a Brahms Symphony, I looked over my shoulder, and LOUDLY said..."We got one of the most famous, and lovely melodies in music history...PLAY IT!!!" The Conductor stopped us, and said, "OK, lets go back to rehearsal 'C'." He looked at me, and said..."You are here to play the cello, I am the Conductor." But, he was grinning...I apologized...and we got back to work. During that passage when we performed it at the concert...the cello section captivated the audience when we all just cut loose. There was a review of the concert in the local newspaper, and the critic said that he really thought that the cellos brought out the mood of the work. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 09, 2020, 11:31:25 AM: Balance sis... balance.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 09, 2020, 04:29:54 PM: ...My outburst to the cello section was inspired by the Conductor of the semi-professional orchestra I played in. :) He was "Old School"...he was the dictator, and we did as he ordered. >:( During a rehearsal of this work...we strings did the dramatic opening...and then the French Horns just limped in... :P The Conductor stopped us, and TOTALLY chewed the Horns out!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( He said pretty much the same thing..."THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS WORKS FOR HORNS, AND MOST FAMOUS PASSAGE IN HISTORY!!! PLAY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When we started again...they BLASTED THE STAGE...and he smiled and nodded, and we kept playing.

...https://youtu.be/vHqtJH2f1Yk
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 09, 2020, 06:38:36 PM: ...I just need to tell this tale...of the "good Izee' Typist :)

...One of my careers was as the CFO of a vertically integrated road construction company. :) We owned several Corporations, that were Construction related, and we also owned rock quarries and asphaltic concrete plants. ;D If we had owned oil wells and a refinery, we wouldn't have needed to buy anything from anyone!!! I just sat on my butt in the M.O., and did the numbers every day. But, every few months, I would travel to all of the Subsidiaries, and look at their books, and walk around the facility. I did my best to be pleasant, but once I overheard a Foreman saying..."Shit, there is that brown Bitch!" I just smiled, and walked by.

...I always wanted to learn more about the business...I could keep the books better. Once, I told the Owner that I wanted to see how the Rock Quarry worked, and he smiled, and nodded. I got a call from the Manager, and drove out to the Quarry. The Manager greeted me, and gave me a helmet!!! It was BRAND NEW...WHITE...WITH THE INSIGNIA OF THE COMPANY ON IT...AND I REALLY LIKED IT! (After all, I was just a 'beancounter'...worst thing that could happen to me was to get a paper cut when I was sitting at my desk) He drove me to the quarry, and I followed him as he showed me the Men drilling deep holes into the side of the granite cliff. I was actually handed one of the explosive charges, and held it, and really wondered how such a small thing could bring down a wall of solid rock. We then got a safe distance away, and he handed me a set of earmuffs, and said..."This is very loud". Well...IT WAS!!! I swear that I felt my brain shaking inside of my skull! :P He took me back to the quarry, and we walked around for a few minutes, and then he said, "The 980's are coming in." I grabbed a piece of rock, and thanked him, and drove back to the M.O. I kept the rock on my desk...it reminded me of what we did. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 09, 2020, 06:50:51 PM: ...Being me...I just didn't feel right sitting in an office and writing numbers down on paper...especially with such an interesting company. The Owner bought me a Company Car...it was a MERCEDES!!!! He had one, too...and was a 760...mine was a diesel 240D... :P In a cold morning, I would crank on the starter, and then just sit back and get the glowtube going...and try again. It would take a while. >:( But, I learned a lot about road construction. Once, a crew was in the area where I lived...and I came home and saw that my driveway had been repaved...I had not ordered it. :) I told the crew to just relax, and drove away, and returned with a lot of BBQ ribs, and a case of beer. We all sat on my patio, and ate and drank, and they told me stories. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 09, 2020, 07:08:26 PM: ...We had a rock quarry outside of Reno, Nevada...and it was losing money. I sat in my office, and pored over the numbers...and they just didn't make sense!!! I told the Owner, "I need to go see what is going on." He nodded, and I drove to Reno. I checked into a nice Hotel...lost $50 at baccarat...and soaked in the hot tub, and went to bed. I drove to the quarry, and greeted the Manager, and walked out into the quarry. :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\

...I saw the problem, immediately...they were overstating their inventory!!! Now, think of HUGE piles of gravel and sand...in various sizes...tall as a building!!! Thing is, I had AUDITED piles of gravel...I had watched as surveyors measured them, and told me how many tons of gravel was in them. I walked around these, and then called the Owner, and said that I was going to measure them. He gave me the authority, and I hired a surveyor, and helped. I climbed up the sides of gravel, and held a staff, and then walked to where he directed me, next. It was well over 100 degrees...and I was happy to get back to the hotel. I soaked in the jacuzzi for a while, and had room service bring me a grilled sole.

...The next day...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 09, 2020, 07:42:31 PM: ...I sat with the Manager, and his clerk, and said..."Your inventory is overstated...I am writing it down to about 1/8th of what you have been reporting...that is going to cause a HUGE loss for your company," The Manager just nodded, and left. I sat with the clerk, and got a bit angry. "How the HELL did you keep reporting that your inventory was increasing????" He just said, "Hey, the managers tell me that the plant creates ...tons of gravel an hour...I just add that to the inventory...and subtract what is hauled out." I got frustrated, and said..."You do have records, each day, from the Foremans' reports of what is actually processed, don't you?" He just said, "I never look at those." ((I spent two days there, and got him to use the Foremans' reports to accurately record what was being processed.))

...During that time, I visited the Manager at his home, I asked him how he was doing. I was worried about him...he had been a good manager. He looked very tired, he was in his 60's, and he said that he was just having health problems. I looked him over, and explained the Company Health and Pension Plan...I was a Trustee of both. He took a health leave...and then a disability retirement...he had a medical condition that affected his ability to walk...and to focus his mind. I wrote a check each month to him...and the others on the plan.

...Years later, I was in the town on other business...I had changed jobs, and spotted him at the restaurant. I walked over, and greeted him...he wasn't very clear. I left, and ate a burger from McD at my motel... :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 10, 2020, 11:08:39 AM: ...Izee' finds the Manager of the Stable at the Point...and speaks to him about repairing her wagon... ::)

...https://youtu.be/1j-76eLz1hc
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 11, 2020, 12:07:09 PM: ...Izee' is called to assist an Ambassador from the Turians...she does... ::)

...https://youtu.be/s9UJOgC0Qjk
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 11, 2020, 03:59:26 PM: ...I just LOVE this work. I know that I have posted parts of it before, but this is what I think, in the past few years, when I listen to it. :) Music is alive to me...when I have left the stage after a performance...I was full of energy. :) But, I often didn't walk onto the stage feeling well. Once, during a very heavy windstorm at the Conservatory...I walked, in my heels, carrying my cello...my hair and makeup being TOTALLY destroyed...and walked slowly through a bunch of trees...thinking that it would be nice if a branch fell on me...and I could limp in and just say that I couldn't play the opening to the 'William Tell Overature! :P It is a real BITCH KITTY to play!!!!...and it is just you at the start!!!! :P :P :P :P Anyway, my wish was not fulfilled...and I played the damn thing...and was asked to stand three times at the end of the concert for aupplause directed at me!!! I was covered in sweat...and was actually using my cello as kind of a cane...so I guess that it went well. ;D ;D ;D

...Here is the magnificent work...

...https://youtu.be/sUgoBb8m1eE

...My analysis...below... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 11, 2020, 04:12:07 PM: ...The opening is very sad, Tuchuk had been ambushed by Turians...and the Tuchuk are collecting their dead. The Warriors gather at 1:30, and get ready at 2:00. They bid their farewells at 2:30, and at 3:00 they ride out to confront the Turians. At 3:45, a Warrior thinks of His woman. He returns at 4:20, and she is happy...they set out to ride. At 5:25. they come across the battlefield, and she cries, seeing the Tuchuk on the ground. 6:50 comes, and the Ubar orders ALL of the Warriors to ready...and they ride. The women are cleaning the Camp at 9:00, and at 11:00 they respectfully dispose of the dead, and comfort the children.

…(Finish later)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 11, 2020, 10:49:17 PM: ...I screwed up...here is the Overature... :)

...https://youtu.be/DVudBHoysXI
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 11, 2020, 11:19:39 PM: ...But, here is a wonderful performance of Finlandia. One of the most dramatic works...IMHO. Do notice how each type of instrument brings out a certain emotion. The Brass, at the start, are HEROIC!!! as only Brass can be! :) The woodwinds are more introspective, and thoughtful, and the strings just tear at your heart. Then, the human voices let you imagine that you can do the same. When they ALL come together...Well... :)

...https://youtu.be/fE0RbPsC9uE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 12, 2020, 12:44:54 PM: ...Here is Holst..."The Planets" :) I was in the Community Orchestra, 1st chair, when we played this. I had played it before, sitting in the section, at the Conservatory...and I just LOVED the work. I worked on my solos, and did well. ;D This video is very nice, it focusses on the young performers, and you can see that they are captivated by the music. At that age, someone interested in playing an instrument , actually 'feels' the music, and can, by their face, express what they are playing. My Father, (Bless His Memory), wasn't into classical music. Once, as He drove me back home after I did a recital, asked..."Why did you make all of those funny faces?" I just said, "I was feeling the music." and didn't say anything more.

...When we performed this, I practiced where the cellos had the melody, and tried different ways to play it. :D I mean, look at a cello...you have this blank piece of lumber, and you can put your fingers all over it...but the NOTE is in only a few places. :) You can place your 1st finger on the A string to play a B natural...or you can slide up the D string to 5th position, and drop your 3rd finger down to hit the same note. :) I tried one passage, and decided that it sounded more dramatic if I slid up the D string to hit an F natural, and marked my part. The conductor stopped us, during a rehearsal, and said...(He was a cellist)… "Just cross to the A string to hit the F, it is cleaner." I nodded...The rest of the rehearsals, I played it, and my section followed, as he suggested. :P

..And then came THE PERFORMANCE!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...I looked over my shoulder as we approached the melody...and the other cellists grinned at me...AND WE PLAYED IT AS I HAD FINGERED IT...SLIDING UP THE D STRING!!!! ;D ;D ;D The Conductor looked at me...and I just gave him my best..."I am the Leader of the Cellos" look...and we played it the same way when the repeat came up. He did have words for me, later...and I just dropped out of the Orchestra. :'( :'( :'( :'( I wanted to have fun, and figured that I should have the authority to suggest fingerings, although I always watched the Concert Mistress, and would adjust my bowings so that we cellos blended with her violins. :)

…The Conductor did call me the next year, and said..."Hey, I really need you, kids are dropping out, they say that it is no fun playing in the section." I nodded, I always tried to encourage the kids to attend and study...I would bring candy and such, to rehearsals...and actually rehearsed when to eat! ::) Once, when we had a 60 measure rest, the conductor looked at the cellos, as the rest of the Orchestra was playing...and we were ALL chewing on chocolate bars!!! ::) He continued, but said..."You do that at a Concert, and I will bust you to LIBRARIAN!!! You will just hand out the music...sit in the Wings...and pick it up,,,after the concert!!!" :o :o :o :o :o

...I did return...and He was a bit more light. I would follow His instructions on bowings...the note shaping is so different, depending on how you bow...but he let me suggest fingerings to the rest of the section. :)

…This is such a POWERFULL WORK!!!!! ;D

...https://youtu.be/be7uEyyNIT4
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 12, 2020, 05:31:23 PM: My conductors never liked my fingerings. Being a percussionist, when I threw the conductor a finger, it really was ONE finger and there was no mistaking my meaning.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 13, 2020, 12:18:47 PM: ...Funny story about the Subsidiary Rock Quarry in Reno, Nevada. :) I was there for a couple days, auditing their books and helping out. It got to lunchtime, and I invited the Office Manager to join me...it was a very friendly invitation...he was a good Manager, and I wasn't finding anything improper. I asked him where a good restaurant was, and he grinned and pointed over his shoulder, and said, "We can go there, they have a kitchen." My eyes got a bit wide...there was a very notorious Brothel just across the road... :o...I asked..."Do they serve women?"

...He laughed, and said, "Yes, they serve food, too." :o :o :o :o :o :o

...I got into my Company car and drove into Reno, and ate lunch...alone. But, I was laughing at times...and later...regretted my decision...

...I mean...How else can a respected, professional woman...see the inside of a whorehouse?????
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 13, 2020, 07:57:31 PM: ...OK. My mind has been wandering lately...I am between my 'mood swings'...that last for months. :o Again, as I have previously spoken, I can usually manage them. ;D My resume, if I show it to anyone...has a lot of nice stuff. :) When I am 'on my oats', I do a lot! When the 'black dog' is filling my head...I just plod on. :P Today, for some reason, as I was walking, I was thinking of Aliens...and TEETH! ??? I am seeing more and more articles in the papers, and reports of 'alien' things. I began thinking..."Maybe the Gov't has already made contact...and the Gov't is holding off telling us." I had also been looking at a 'Fashion' article, before I started my walk...and I started laughing... ;D ;D :o >:( >:(

…I figured that the aliens...seeing us with our sharp, white teeth...would be scared... :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...I did have to stop, and lean on my cane for a while...my lungs were heaving...I figured that the aliens would be afraid, seeing Cheryl Tiegs and her female friends approaching them...SMILING...and would take off...but I realized that Men ALSO smile! ::) I was laughing harder. ::)

…Just an example of what has passed for thought in my mind...every day...of my life...But I have learned to enjoy it. I try to tone it down, in Gorean r/p...but have had to leave the room a number of times...I get too close to what is 'prohibited'' Gorean female r/p. :-[
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 14, 2020, 10:51:07 PM: ...Learning what Mining Equipment is REALLY WORTH!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...I had audited the Inventory of a mining company when I was an Independent CPA. ;D Of course, having a degree in Accounting meant that I KNEW what 'Stuff' was worth'. ::) ( Look up the history of the 'McKesson' Oil Co...if memory serves me correct. The CPA's were looking into the tanks of the company to see how full they were...and the company was just diverting the accountants attention as they pumped the same oil into different tanks. :P) As part of this audit, I would look at what appeared to be rusting junk in the yard, and the Manager would be all excited, saying things like...as I looked a pair of thick, rusting bowl shaped pieces of metal..."These are the grinders for the crushing plant...they will be placed in the plant, later...they are easily worth $1,500. I just nodded...totally confused...but marked them down on my list...and we went to the next piece of what looked like junk. ::)

…A few years later, I was hired by the Company that owned the mining company, and other companies related to road construction. I didn't pay too much attention to the numbers of the mining company...I was busy learning just HOW you BUILD ROADS!!! :P We were getting into good condition, and I focused on the mining company. It wasn't doing well. :-[ The Owner and I spoke...and we decided to sell the mining company. We couldn't find a buyer, so we decided to just auction off the assets. :( I found an auction company, and they set it up...EVERYTHING would be sold!!! I did go into the office the day before, and took a bunch of surveying instruments, and gave them to an Engineer that I liked...who worked for another subsidiary of our company...but kept a couple items that looked really COOL!!! I left them in my office when I left the Company, and still have NO IDEA of WHAT THEY DID!!! :o

...I was present during the auction...the ONLY person from M.O....and I had a list of everything that was being sold...and I was writing down the winning bids. After the auction, I sat with the auctioneer...and we agreed on what had happened. During the auction, the Men from the companies who were buying our stuff, figured out who I was. One commented..."Their Controller is looking VERY unhappy"...as I was writing down the winning bids on a yellow pad of paper...I hadn't remembered to get a note book. ::) I was really VERY UNHAPPY when we got to the small stuff... :'( :'( :'( :'( Those 'grinding plates' that me...AS AN AUDITOR... approved as being worth $1,500 to the Bank and Bonding Company...went for $78.

…So...another 'Finer Moment' in my life... :o :o :o :o :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 14, 2020, 11:47:14 PM: ...OK...another 'taking inventory' story... :P

...I was auditing an "Egg Farm" and had no idea of what one was. ??? I was told to dress down, and wondered why, and the Partner told me that I was going to count 30,000 CHICKENS!!!! :o So, I just put on jeans, and drove to the Farm. I got out, and looked around...there were three, very long, narrow buildings. I went into the small office, and after a while a very grumpy man came in, and said..."Let's go". I followed him, and we went into one end of one building...and there were narrow rows of cages, holding hens, into THE VANISHING POINT!!! There were three layers of cages on each side...each cage holding six to eight hens. The cages were sloped to the front, and the bottom was just wire. When the hens laid an egg, the egg would roll to the front of the cage, and it would fall onto a conveyor belt, and was carried to the front, and deposited into a basket. There was also another conveyor belt that had grain for the hens to eat. :o

...My budget to count the hens was ten hours...and there was NO WAY IN HELL THAT I WAS GOING TO COUNT EVERY CHICKEN!!!! I quickly walked down one Isle, and counted the cages...and then walked down each Isle of each building...and would randomly stop...and count the hens in the cage. I was also just looking to see that each cage looked like it had the same number of hens. I finished in an hour, and multiplied my numbers, and my count was very close to what the Farm said that they had. The grumpy man was actually happy...he had been told that he would spend the day counting the chickens with a beancounter...and he gave me a case of eggs! ;D I took them back to the Office, and shared...taking 3 '12-packs' for myself. ;D

...So, I have had an interesting working life... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 16, 2020, 12:02:58 AM: ...'Panthering' :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...Years ago, when I first entered Gor, I TOTALLY FAILED as a kajira...and then as a bondmaid...and was struggling to try to be a FW. Rags told me to go to the Forests, and I met Kimba. ::) That was an INTERESTING first encounter...she is one of the BEST r/p'ers I have ever met!!! :o I sometimes remember that I was entering the Forest as a FW, escaping an arranged Companionship...but it may have happened when Izee', as a Red Savage FW just decided to join her. Kimba and I really hit it off!!! ;D (Rags knew what was best for me). I was struggling, trying to learn how to be a Panther, and making EVERY mistake you can think of. And, we were in the middle of the FE (Forest Event) that Rags was putting on...we Panthers were being forced to not only try to hunt, fish, and gather other food to survive...but to also handle every typist who wanted to capture a Panther. :o

...Sometimes, it was a lot of fun. ;D I recall that that was when I met Marcus Hrolfson...after we had r/pd for a few weeks...I was the Panther who was stalking him...and then he SNATCHED ME UP and we Companioned!!! But, then, there were also those who wanted to collar me. I would r/p, realistically, and they couldn't catch me. We had the 'two post' exit rule that made sense. You could, realistically, sense that someone was approaching, and realistically leave. I would use it if a 'hunter' thought that he could somehow 'teleport' and jump on me. That happened a few times...and I just laughed at the typist!!! I mean...Panthers are very skilled women...and they travel in packs...and I always posted...since I was a Huntress...that Scouts and Runners were around the lair when I was resting with the Lair Leader and other high ranking Panthers.

...Just my thoughts for the evening...everyone, please sleep well... :) :-* :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 16, 2020, 11:14:09 PM: ...How to play the piano... ;D

...I actually learned to play this work...and I REALLY enjoyed it!!! ;D Of course, I saw it differently than most people. :P I was in a state of mind where I REALLY believed that my hands were SENTIENT CREATURES!!! :o :o :o :o I mean, they could be so precise at times...and other times I would get angry at them because they couldn't play a C Major scale on my cello... :P...In the closet sized rehearsal room at the Conservatory...I would actually raise them up...AND SCOLD THEM!!! >:( >:( >:( And...sometimes...they would listen... :D And...sometimes...not.... ???

…I really loved learning this piece...it is really dramatic...and it took a lot of practice. :) I always memorized my works, so once I had the notes down, I wouldn't be looking at the lollypops. With the piano, I would be watching my hands...as the 'muscle memory' did what I was thinking...I was thinking about phrasing and such...and wasn't focused on telling my hands which finger to use on each note. I also thought of each hand being different. ::) "Right Hand" was usually the Boss...and "Left Hand" just supported her. I really liked this work, because the 'Hands' ARGUE at times. :P Several times in the work, "Righty" jumps over 'Lefty", saying..."HERE IS HOW YOU PLAY THAT"...and then jumps back to her usual place. :o I would actually get angry during the phrase...not sure WHICH hand I was angry at... :o :o :o :o There is another work I learned, I can't recall what it was right now...where 'Lefty' had the melody and such...and put 'Righty' in her place... ;D

...Here is the work... ;)

https://youtu.be/f0LgGt-XR8o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 18, 2020, 02:01:02 PM: ,,,...I was once accompanying a singer in a short work during a recital where there were several performers. I thought I was going to do well, but I had walked across campus in a cold windstorm, in 3 1/2" heels, my cello strapped to my back, music clutched in my arms, and had almost slipped and fallen twice. But, I arrived early, and cleaned up my hair, freshened my makeup, and let my cello out of his case so he could warm up. I went below the stage before the concert, and practiced my part...twice...and all seemed well...until THE G/D CONCERT!!!!

...I still have no idea why it happened...I had not partaken of any mind-altering substances...and felt focused...but I REALLY SUCKED!!! I kept hitting out of tune notes. The singer, a very handsome Bass/Baritone, sang louder to drown me out...I kept trying to focus...playing louder...he sang louder...and I played louder...until he gave me a very "subtle" hand gesture to draw back...I did...but my playing didn't get much better.

...I suspect that Rags can guess what the 'very subtle hand gesture' was...Rags is also a musician...and we musicians easily sense things that normal people can't perceive. On stage we stay very focused and calm, and by facial expressions and slight movements of our bodies, we signal to each other...the audience can't perceive what we are doing ::) They just hear the music getting better, and blending well. ;D Needless to say...I was sitting behind the Bass/Baritone, to his right...and he dropped his left arm down...held it behind his back so that I could see his hand...and raised ONE finger! :o :o :o :o And it wasn't the finger that says..."You're number ONE!"... :o :P :o

...I just focused on the notes...I actually had to think of EXACTLY where to place each finger...and which finger to use. :P I was devasted afterwards, and profusely apologized to him...but he just laughed...and said..."Everyone was listening to me, not YOU...and you really weren't too bad...no-one plays every note perfectly.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 18, 2020, 03:35:56 PM: ::) *Practices my new innocent angelic look*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Bio
Post by: Izee on February 18, 2020, 04:27:43 PM: ...Izee' was born a Red Savage of the Yellow Knives Tribe in the Barrens. Her Father, Haske Dasila, was a very Honored Civil Chief of the Tribe. Her Mother, Seiche, was a skilled Healer. :) Izee' was just called '4th Daughter', until she became a Woman...and after her very stressful 'Na ee ees' test...was named "Izee' Tatoke"...it translates into Gorean as 'Medicine Deer'. The Elders had tested 4th Daughter very heavily, and it was discovered that she had healing abilities...in addition to understanding how to prepare herbal remedies and other healing potions. As a child, at times she was summoned to just sit by a wounded Warrior, as the Healer chanted...and the Warrior would get better. The Warriors always told the Healer that they had had visions of a doe walking up to them, and looking at them with her huge, wise, healing eyes...and they would get better...and the doe would leave. So, after her test, as she lay, exhausted, on the furs at the ceremonial fire...4th Daughter was renamed Izee' Tatoke.

...Izee' stands 5'6" tall, and weighs around 125 lbs...depending on how much she eats...and if she is pregnant. Her copper colored skin is very healthy, and the shades are different at various parts of her body, and also how much sun she has sought out. Her eyes, like her name, are enormous, dark brown, and very expressive. When she is angry...everyone knows...but they can also sooth a wounded Warrior to calm down as she gets to work to heal. She had to flee the Yellow Knives...in disgrace...and fear for her life...which was well deserved. She had taken a life... :'( She has long, very thick, dark hair, which she wears in twin pigtails, over her ears. When hunting, or fighting, she ties it back into a braid at the back of her head.

…Izee' is very clever, and intelligent, but can be dyslexic at times. She forgets words, and will mix Gorean and Yellow Knives words in the same sentence. At times, she will just stare at the Gorean speaking to her...her mind had switched back to a Yellow Knives child...and she is not understanding what the person is saying to her. Izee' is devoted to her Family, and to her friends.

...((More Later))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 18, 2020, 09:15:39 PM: ...Izee' lived as a Panther, and a Taluna for many years. Kimba had stalked Izee' in the Forest...and Izee' joined her...and had worked her way to become "Huntress' of the Lair. Izee' became a very skilled "Huntress" under Kimbas' instruction. Izee' would take over the Lair when Kimba and the Firekeeper were away, and the women would hunt, gather vegetables, catch fish, and RAID VILLAGES. ::) Kimba also trusted Izee' enough to enter Cities with her, both disguised as FW Merchants, with full veils...but told Izee' to not speak...unless she had to. Izee' has a thick, Yellow Knives accent, and Red Savage FW are rare in a large City. Both just wanted to get in...sell furs they had collected...and slaves they had captured...and then buy weapons, wheels of cheese...and chocolate (Izee's choice) and then quickly leave before someone 'made' them. :o Izee' was a very good Panther...she was sneaky, cunning...and could move through the Forests and Jungles without being detected... ;)…and could run VERY FAST and jump VERY FAR when she needed to!!!!, leaving the new lair scouts behind. She always told new FW that were accepted into the Lair..."Do what I tell ye tae do, an if I drop what I am carryin...and start running...jus try tae keep up with me." ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 19, 2020, 12:17:45 AM: ...PRECISION ACCOUNTING!!!... ;D I believe that I have posted this event in my life before...but can't find it...so, here it is, again. :) I laugh everytime I recall it...

...My Father worked as an Accountant for a large company, and, as a P.A. (Public Accountant) also had a side business of bookkeeping for small businesses, and a tax practice. :) In Jr. H.S., I was curious about what he was doing, and, so, he taught me. :) For you younger people, we didn't have computers or desktops, we wrote everything down on paper. :P So, I learned how to post a journal, and then enter the totals into the ledger. The journal was a long piece of paper, 12 columns wide, and you would write down the check on the left side, and then write the same number down, somewhere to the right, to get it into the right expense category. My Father would doublecheck what I did on the journal, and make sure that it was correct, before I entered the numbers into the ledger. He was very precise, and, at first, I would have to completely redo the journal at times, because the numbers weren't in the right place. So, I developed a very strong sense of always getting the numbers right. :)

...A decade later, I was a C.P.A. (Certified Public Accountant) and would at times tease my Father, saying that I 'outranked' him. He would just laugh, and say, "I know what you are, CPA stands for 'Cleaning, Pressing, and Alterations'." ;D ;D ;D ;D

...In my late 20's, I was hired by a large construction company, and became their CFO. I actually 'went Panther' on a couple of the staff that were left...they were VERY sloppy. I was also bewildered by the books...each subsidiary had its own set...on the central computer...and each subsidiary did a LOT of work with each other...and the books were WAY out of balance!!! :P I fired the idiots, and hired three accountants to replace them. >:( I told the new hires, "We HAVE to get the books back in balance, analyze the Inter Company Accounts, and see what the problem is." The three worked hard...day after day...for two months...and we looked over the results. I was FLABERGASTED!!! :o :o :o But understood why the Treasurer and the Controller had quit...the books were OUT OF BALANCE BY $750,000!!! :P My staff and I looked harder, and we were able to figure out the current years problem...but...it went into past years!!!

...I sat, for about 15 minutes, after we had it figured out, and pondered what to do...I could tell my staff to go back, and analyze the accounts every year, until we figured out where they got out of balance...but that, possibly, would have taken the rest of the YEAR!!!! :P :P :P :P And...we had a business to account for!!! So, I chewed my lip, and said, "Give me a data entry sheet...I am going to PLUG THE BOOKS!!!" :o They looked horrified...when I had hired them...I had told them that I would take disciplinary action if I caught them 'plugging'...(For all you nonaccountants...that is where you just make up an entry to balance the books) So, I wrote out the entry, gave it to the Controller...and she took it down to data entry. I looked around at the stacks of paper and binders they had created, and said, "Put them in the safe...I will have some explaining to do." :P

...I explained it to the President, and also explained how it created a $350,000 bottom line loss. He just nodded...the Company was healthy...and I suggested that we also clean up other accounts, and create a reserve for the future. He agreed, and I cleaned up 'Bad Debts', Inventory, and Work in Progress, and created about $100K of hidden income, that we could pull out in future years, if we needed it. And then...CAME THE AUDITORS!!!! I knew of them...I had once been one...and I did my best to use my 'natural charm' to get them to accept my journal entry. I STRONGLY suspect that they did so...because THEY HADN'T SPOTTED THE PROBLEM IN THE PAST!!! They approved the books, as I had them. And then...CAME THE IRS!!!! That loss for the year enabled us to get tax refunds for the past three years...(Tax Loss Carryback)...so they sicced Tamio K. on me!!! Tamio was a very brilliant IRS Agent, and understood accounting very well...he and I had tangled before, when I was an independent CPA. :P

...But, I was READY FOR HIM!!! ;D I had set up an office for him, and it had a coffeepot, a nice table, and a good view out the window...and the approximately SIX FEET STACK OF PAPERWORK WE HAD DONE TO ANALYZE THE ACCOUNTS...and a shelf full of the journals and ledgers. I was dressed very nice when he arrived, in the morning, and we drank some coffee in my office, and discussed the audit of my journal entry, and I smiled, and nodded...very friendly. I then led him to the office I had prepared, and spent about 20 minutes briefly explaining what I had done, and how to trace the worksheets to the journals...and then left. ::) He came to my office, early afternoon, and said that he was ACCEPTING the journal entry, and left.

…I had NO IDEA THAT HE COULD WORK SO FAST!!! But, I guess that is the IRS.... ???

...I also told my staff, "I have been too strict on my rules against 'plugging'." I looked around at them, and said, "John, you can plug up to $159...Vince, you can plug up to $97...Pat, you can plug up to $43. But, when we need to plug over $750,000...I need to do that"...and walked out... ;D :o ::) :P

...One of my 'Finer Moments'.... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 20, 2020, 12:05:32 AM: ...I may be away for a while. My r/l daughter called me, and I said that she was welcome to come live with me and my Mother for as long as she needs...I will not speak of why. She arrived, very drawn, and went into the bedroom we had prepared. I was relieved...and honored...that she called me...and not my Ex...to seek help. I will get up, early, and get a breakfast going. I sat with my Mother for a while, and said..."We just have to stay back for a while, let her settle down."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 20, 2020, 09:02:04 AM: Is family sis, we understand. :-* ;)

Keep me informed.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 22, 2020, 04:42:28 PM: ...I am back...we had breakfast, and she drove back home. She said that it was so good to have Family to turn to, when you are challenged, and in brief despair. I told her, "Just drop by if you need to, neither of us is working, you now have a key to the house...and know how to turn off the burgler alarm if we aren't here. we won't question you, we will just welcome you, and the bedroom is always ready if you need to sleep." She is stronger now, having stayed with us...*S*...I took her out to a Ladies Night. :) When she was growing up, I would sometimes take her to a movie, and then a nice restaurant, and tell her..."A GOOD young man will do the same! We did the same thing last night, and, THANKFULLY...she said that she just needed to be away from her H for a few days...and that there were no serious problems. I nodded, during my marriage, there were times when, although we weren't fighting, we weren't speaking to each other. >:( Just the conflicts of Life. >:( One or the other would go on a "Road Trip". I went on one for 10 days, and visited Presideo TX, where my Mother was born, and also traveled up to Iowa, where my Father was born...and spent THREE DAYS IN LAS VEGAS where my Grandparents had had a ranch. Of course...the home was long gone...so I just settled at the MGM Grand, the ranch had been partly on the property...and well...what happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas. :-X (Don't worry, I didn't do ANYTHING that could get me pregnant...I just had fun...although I was very tired when I got back...I spent most of my time driving.) :P I calmed myself down the second day after I left, when I saw signs that my next destination was 8 hours away...I just set the speed monitor...and would pull over several times to stretch my legs, relieve myself, and get a burger and fries to eat as I drove. It was ACTUALLY a lot of fun...the Geography of the States is really different from State to State.

...I also had fun stopping at some 'tourist traps' I wouldn't go in, if they charged admission...but I did see some rather interesting places on the way. One was run by a very nice older couple. :) They had a small restaurant as part of it, and I had a REALLY GOOD BURGER!!! It wasn't one of those 'McD's'. I spent some time looking at the exhibits...and they looked real. I mentioned that my Mothers' Family had grown up nearby...and I GOT QUESTIONED!!! They laughed their asses off, when I described that Beverly B, and me, had gotten into a REAL fist fight when I was brought, as a very young child, to visit Presideo...Beverly had had to be taken to the ER for stitches. I hadn't scratched her...I had just punched her a 'good one' and she fell against a wooden fence. :P They told me that Beverlys' Ancestor, William B., had killed Ben L., my Ancestor, about a bridge over the Rio Grande...the Men were arguing over who owned it. The Owners said..." Ben and William were probably looking down at you two little girls, from their place in Heaven, and placing bets over who would WIN!!!

...I guess this shows that I was born 'ornery'...and I still am...even at this age...and I was WORSE when I was in my 30's !!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 22, 2020, 11:22:52 PM: ...Just to let everyone know...I am 'sneaky'. :o I studied three different styles of Martial Arts when I was younger. Problem is, you have to start out as a white belt in each school. In my second school, we did 'kumite'...that is where you put on gloves and pads over your feet...and try to BEAT THE HELL out of your opponent! :o I 'decked' a lower level Instructor in an early kumite...I was wearing a white belt...he had a green one...and I got him to start backing up! :D I kicked his legs out from under him...and he fell down. I had been a blue belt in the early school...and had some idea of how to fight. Being a female, when I was up against a male, I would ALWAYS tone down my fighting at first, and let him get comfortable...and then I would DO MY BEST! ;D I was picked up from the mats a number of times, when I was against someone who had figured me out. :P I actually nailed a new, arrogant guy who showed up, and I was pitted against him. He moved in, and I screamed, and cowered...and he moved in...very carelessly...and I kicked him in the nuts! I told him, as I helped him off of the mat..."That is how I have been taught to 'Street Fight', scream, cower, beg, drop my purse...run away if that works...but then if it doesn't work...go for the nuts and the eyes."

...But...I can ACTUALLY say that I landed a GOOD ONE...on RON MARCINI!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D He has appeared in Movies...look him up. I was studying karate at His school, and it was the third one I was studying. I had my new white belt on...He had His Black Belt...and was toying with me as we did kumite. I hit Him on the side of His head with a roundhouse style punch that a white belt shouldn't know...and..KNOCKED OFF HIS GLASSES!!! I backed off...SCARED TO DEATH!!! He just calmly picked up His glasses, looked them over...as I was apologizing...over and over...and put them back on, and nodded to me. He tested me harder, with punches and kicks...and then KNOCKED MY GLASSES OFF WITH THE SAME PUNCH I HAD USED ON HIM. I picked them up, and He calmly said, "That punch won't knock out an opponent, don't use it in a real fight." :P

...His school actually wanted me to work hard to get to Black Belt, and become an Instructor...but I lost interest in Martial Arts...I got pregnant... :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 22, 2020, 11:35:19 PM: ...This is the guy...I misspelled His name...but...I REALLY DID KNOCK HIS GLASSES OFF!!!

https://www.usadojo.com/ron-marchini
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 24, 2020, 11:33:10 AM: ...I probably should have listened to Him, forgetting my studies...and GOTTEN MY BLACK BELT!!! ;D I just might now, be sitting in a nice Home in Beverly Hills, eating pistacios, and watching a Movie about Ron...and seeing myself on the screen as the "really irritable young woman" who got herself into a lot of trouble...but could fight. I would end up in His arms...and the kiss would be real. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 24, 2020, 12:29:38 PM: *Tosses you a motel room key*

;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 24, 2020, 10:17:58 PM: ...Looks around the room...eating most of a bucket of KFC...and drinking the $2 bottle of wine I bought...AND I AM ALONE!!!! >:(

...You gave me the WRONG KEY, BROTHER!!! Or, maybe, Ron is SCARED of what I would call 'FOREPLAY'!!!! ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 25, 2020, 09:16:26 AM: Sorry sis, Chuck Norris called him up and they went for Oriental cuisine.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 25, 2020, 01:30:45 PM: ...Finishes the bucket of KFC the next morning...muttering...as I leave the Motel...

…"Ron, I could have shown you, AND CHUCK!!!!!...some 'Southwest Texas' "CUISINE"!!!!! 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 25, 2020, 04:17:09 PM: ...Here is a work that I would ask any new kids to watch. :) It is Carl Orfs 'Carmina Burana'. We all know the 1st Movement, it has been in pretty much EVERY action Movie. ;) I have had the experience of both singing in the chorus, and playing the 1st Cello Part in this work. I HAD to sign up for Choral Class as part of my Frosh year at Conservatory...but...discovered that I LIKED TO SING! ::) I wasn't very good, I had never really tried to sing...but I got better. Singing in a chorus was good, I could hear my note, and adjust my voice to blend in with the Vocal Majors. An Alto took me under her wing, and she would have me sing in a practice room, late at night, and would tell me what I was doing wrong... :P...or hug me at the end of a phrase, and say..."You got most of them right."

...I was sitting 1st Cello, when we performed this. The Soprano was a tall, blonde Nordic Woman, and she had a great voice!!! :) She had a chair near me, and would stand up, and sing her part, and I could see her...and would grumble in my mind...I was 5'6" tall, and had copper colored skin...dark hair and eyes...and had a bad case of 'BLONDE ENVY!...guys always flocked around her after a concert,!!! >:( After a rehearsal, she and I went out and had pancakes and tea, and we spoke about the work. I had read the libretto...and said..."At the last phrase...you are supposed to be having an orgasm." She just nodded, as she ate her waffle, and said..."Just watch!" :o

...At the Concert...I watched her very carefully...I had memorized my part...and was ignoring the Conductor...as we approached her final solo. I sat back, after she was finished...and well...she looked VERY HAPPY when she was done. ;)

…I got a whole new idea of what performing music was about. :)

...I get angry, these days...the liberals are ruining our schools...with REALLY STUPID ideas of how to educate our young people. Diversity this! Diversity that! Diversity some other thing!!! BRING OUR YOUNG CHILDREN TOGETHER...TEACH THEM HOW TO READ...DO BASIC ARITHMETIC...TEACH THEM THE ARTS CLASSES! The Greeks and the other wise nations understood that MUSIC is part of what it takes to become a wise being. MUSIC was part of every high civilization. But, here is CA...when they start running out of money...because they are teaching the kids how to be nice to bums, and to try to figure out what gender they really are...they cancel the music classes!

...Just a vent... :P During my life, I have seen so many young people grow up to become very responsible adults, and they were ALL involved in music. I really believe that a certain part of the brain is turned on by music, especially if you are performing it...if that part is not turned on at a young age...it will be very hard to turn it on as an adult...but...it can happen. :)

...Here is the music... :)

https://youtu.be/MPjy55Y6hWU
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 25, 2020, 11:37:00 PM: ...This is a really GREAT work!!! ;D Saint-Saens brings together a full orchestra, and pianos and a pipe organ!!! I, once, was the 'page turner' for the Organist...he told the Conductor that I was more needed to turn his pages, than to play my cello. (I was going with the Organist...I wasn't married, yet) and I was sitting 3rd Chair in the section, so the Conductor let me turn pages for the Organist for this symphony...but made it clear that my ASS would be BACK in the cello section for the second half of the concert. ::) I have actually sat in the cello section, and performed this symphony several times. ;D

...I ALWAYS get goose bumps, and such...when the Organ enters at the last movement!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D It is so Heroic!!! ;D

...https://youtu.be/ZWCZq33BrOo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 26, 2020, 01:29:05 AM: ...Why Musicians stand at the start of a Concert. :)

...It is to show respect at the start of a concert, and to thank the audience...and to give respect to the Conductor. You have always seen the Orchestra stand as the Conductor enters the Hall...AND THIS IS HOW WE DO IT...THE 1ST CELLIST STARTS IT!!! ;D

...As 1st chair cellist, I would be sitting in my chair...feeling a lot of emotions. Sometimes relaxed, knowing that I had played the work many times before, other times...worried to death because our section was having problems. I would speak to Lori, the Concert Mistress, of concerns I had, and she would nod, and we would plan on how to get the performance right. :)

…But, as the lights lowered, I would be focused straight ahead...I was looking at the right side of the stage...from my point of view As the Conductor strutted onto the Stage, I would nod to Lori...He was entering from her back...and she would stand...and the rest of us would join! :)

…One concert, Lori was sick, and a godawful RUSSIAN ASSHOLE was hired to replace her. Before the Concert, he TASKED ME about signaling him as the Conductor entered. I was REALLY TEMPTED TO JUST GIVE HIM THE FINGER...He wasn't blending well with the Orchestra...and especially in the duet we had. >:( >:( >:(

…But, being a good girl...I just smiled and nodded to him.... ::) Our duet went well, people complimented the two of us. I was thinking of getting him to get outside, and then using the REALLY HARSH ROUNDHOUSE KICK on him...but I didn't...I still had some sanity.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 26, 2020, 10:03:51 AM: Wrong, Wrong, Wrong.

If you are going to really honest about it, be honest.

The reason we stand is twofold.

One, the act of standing is loud enough to cover up all the farting we do. Get it out of your system before a quiet break in the score. There is nothing that can throw a serious mood into riotous laughter than a bar of silence, and a sudden earth quaking, ear shattering, fart that rends the somberness of the hall.

The second, is those damn dress pants keep trying to lift and separate a guys nuts. If he doesn't stand to shake things back into place, an hour long concert will be done in its entirety in roughly 33.216 seconds.

::) ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 26, 2020, 12:15:30 PM: ...OK, Rags..you caught me...but I can run very fast..don't think of putting a collar on me... ::) Here is what really happened... :)

...I would be 'gently' pulling my skirt around my legs, softy cursing under my breath, as we stood, and then would be slightly angry as I sat down...trying to get my legs covered...that is hard when your legs are widely spread...with a huge piece of lumber between them. Once, at a small recital, I just muttered..."TO HELL WITH IT! I wore my 'little black dress'...and didn't give a DAMN that my legs...in dark stockings...and dark black pumps...were on FULL DISPLAY as I performed the Sonata. I did quickly leave the reception...two guys were REALLY INTERESTED in talking about my music... :-X I just strapped my cello on my back, and walked back to my Apt.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 26, 2020, 03:23:38 PM: Most females find it difficult to not spread their legs when some "large wood" is between them. Heh heh heh...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 26, 2020, 08:06:34 PM: ...I CAN'T HELP BEING ONERY!!! IT IS IN MY GENES!!! ???

...My Grandparents, on my Mothers' side, lived in Presideo, TX. During WWII, there were soldiers stationed there. They were Cavalry, and would ride their horses into Mexico, and look for Germans... :)...that is true!!! It is easier to get around on a horse in that area, than to drive a jeep! Once in a while, a Merchant would set up a screen, and show Movies. The Soldiers would show up, to relax, and watch the Movie. :) My Mother, and her young friends, would sit a few rows behind the Soldier that they thought looked really cute. ;) They would then TOSS PEBBLES AT THE BACK OF HIS HEAD DURING THE MOVIE! ::) He would turn around, and GLARE at the children sitting behind him...as my Mother and her friends looked 'innocent'. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 26, 2020, 11:20:55 PM: Now we know you come by it honest...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 27, 2020, 02:04:48 PM: …*S* Yes, Rags, and I find it hard to control at times. :o

...As I have told everyone, I was a volunteer for 4-H for many years...teaching kids how to raise chickens. But, the State Director would HIRE ME to help put on the State Convention. :) The check wasn't all that big...and if I divided it into the hours I spent...I was getting about $1.28 an hour. :P I would get out of the dorm room at 5:30 am, shower, and get to work...and crawl back to bed at about 1:20 am. I had a LOT of energy during the day, and would do everything I could think of to keep the kids active and interested in the educational programs we had planned...that was hard... :P I was usually appointed to plan the 'social events'. I did the usual...dances...ice cream party...etc...but would come up with an idea...in the middle of the night...as I was laying on my back...in my bed...calming down so that I could sleep. I would have brief meetings with the Director every day, and would tell Him of my plans...and He would just nod...and walk away...His shoulders shaking. Often...I just MADE UP a plan...telling Him that the kids would run around the campus...CARRYING SCISSORS...and later...would swim across the nearby river...or that I had arranged to bring in three elephants...and we would have a relay race. He actually thought that I was JOKING...when I said that we would divide the kids into two teams...and have a WATERBALLOON FIGHT. :) (Thing is...one sides balloons had blue water...the other side had red water...I didn't tell him that) ::)

…I sat at a bench...I was covered in blue and red water...there was NO WAY THAT I WASN'T GOING TO PARTICIPATE...AND I DIDN'T CARE WHICH SIDE I WAS ON!!! :) I got a scolding, and was ordered to make sure that all of the broken balloons were picked up. I spent about an hour, walking every yard of the field...and picked up the broken balloons...but I was chuckling the entire time...the kids had had a BLAST!

...At His Retirement lunch...the Director hugged me...and kissed my cheek...and asked..."Do you know why I hired you for the Conferences?" I shook my head...and he said..."Because you made me LAUGH several times a day...I needed to do that!" :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 27, 2020, 03:43:26 PM: What??? No stick and ball Tuchuk style or anything?
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 27, 2020, 10:45:52 PM: ...Probably my MOST FAVORITE PIECE OF MUSIC!!! ;D ;D ;D

...It is Bydlo...by Mussorsky. (sp) It is about an Ox Cart...the cellos just keep tramping...and the other instruments add what is going on. Playing the cello, I just kept the beat steady. I had pretty much BULLIED the music teacher in HS to have us play this at a Competition...and we got a Gold Medal!!! ;D ;D ;D I read the Judges notes, and they wrote that the 1st cellist had kept a steady beat!!! ;) (That was ME!!!!...BTW...I have a metronome in my head. I can put food in the microwave, set the timer...and walk back JUST as it stops. I can also wake up at EXACTLY when I need to. Often, I will look at the clock...and groan...and the alarm goes off right away. :P)

...https://youtu.be/d-kRRd1ZEWo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 27, 2020, 11:11:02 PM: ...That is the piano part that the Genious Russian wrote!!! :) I leaned to play it...and it took a LOT out of me...once I had the notes down. I, actually, didn't play it very often. For some reason, it would make me ANGRY! >:( I liked the early part, just a gentle melody, but then it gets very omnious. I would feel my entire body getting tense...and at the big climax...I would be pounding my hands on the piano!!! :P "Righty" would be jumping, and playing octives...and "Lefty" would be HAMMERING the complex chords!!! >:( >:( >:( >:(

…Once, a Senior Piano Major opened the door of the practice room I was in...I was a Frosh...and she said..."I thought that you were a cellist." as I was playing this.

...I just sat for a moment, brushing my hair away from my face...and said...

…"Right now, I am not sure what I am." She got me to get up from the bench, and we went to the coffee house...and talked of a number of things.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on February 28, 2020, 01:56:21 PM: You know sis, I have found I can "play" pretty much anything set in front of me (percussion speaking). However, my personal best performances were when I was angry, broken hearted, desiring, or even just feeling completely separated from the entire matter. Not bored, not thinking of other things, just a sort of separation... a division as if seeing it all unfolding yet not really being there if you know what I mean.

We know, as do some others, music is every emotion in the spectrum, every combination of such as a piece or show continues. It transcends all boundaries. Races, religions, languages, all of them. It is a universal language unto itself.

I have done a two hour set that has left me more physically, emotionally, and mentally spent than some gigs of four hours. It is what is brought out that does it, not necessarily what is put into it.

We know this, I just wish everyone could experience it at least once in their lives.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 28, 2020, 06:41:55 PM: …*Smiles and nods to you* :)

...You said it better than I ever could, Brother. Real Musicians play what the music is about...or how it is affecting them as they are performing. At Conservatory, often, I would just sit slumped in my chair...as a student performed a work very well...but NOTHING was communicated. :-\ There was an excellent pianist...and she was focused on studying Bach. Many people just think Baroque music is boring, or unemotional...but ALL of us would flock to wherever she was going to perform...and sit on the edges of our chairs!!!! ;D She made it come alive...and you felt ALL kinds of emotions. There was a violinist...I envied her 'Stage Presence'...she would walk onto the stage...and I would KNOW that I was going to be moved by the music.

...People would often compliment my performances...even though I was cussing myself out...in my mind...for not playing it as well as I had rehearsed it...I was my own WORST CRITIC!!! I had a totally insane concept of what 'performance' was about. I REALLY believed...that if I practiced hard enough...that the performance would be PERFECT!!! But, as you know, Rags...things happen. :P

...One of my challenges, was to calm down, and not let my emotions get too much control. Once, performing on the cello...I actually broke the tip of my bow off...because I just SLAMMED IT on the strings. I had to stop, and get my replacement bow...and had to work VERY HARD to calm down. In addition to the emotions brought out by the music...I was TOTALLY PISSED AT MYSELF FOR BREAKING THE BOW!!! >:( :o >:(

…My piano Instructor stopped me after I finished playing this piece. "The Engulfed Cathedral". When playing it, my mind was feeling what was going on. :) The Cathedral is at the bottom of the Sea...and every once in a while...it decides to rise to the surface...but...it can't stay...and sinks back to the bottom. :'( At the beginning, the Bells chime...and the Sea says..."No, stay here". The Bells chime again...and the Sea keeps telling it to just stay in place. But, the Cathedral decides to rise, and the Bells keeping chiming...and the sea roils around it. Then, the steeple rises above the surface...and the Organ begins playing. The Cathedral gets fully above...and the spirits of the Monks come out...and sing a Rosary. But, the Cathedral can't stay above, and it sinks back down, as the Sea actually comforts it. It settles back down...and the Bells chime...and the Cathedral gets quiet...until the time will come when it will want to rise again.

...He told me..."There is "Pleasure and Pain" performing music...but I have never seen someone with so MUCH pain."

...I thought about for a while...and agreed. I changed Majors to Business Administration...but continued to study the cello and the piano. I still felt a lot of pain when performing...but...as Rags has explained...there were so many times when a musician feels exhileration, and any other emotion you can name. There was one work...I won't say what it is...where I was very "frisky" when I got back home. 8)

https://youtu.be/cVMGwPDP-Yk
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 29, 2020, 10:31:12 AM: ...Pets... :)

...I feel very sad, seeing the pictures of dogs being rescued from disaster areas. Too often, the humans just had to flee, and couldn't locate or get control of their animals. :'( I am very allergic to anything with fur, or feathers. I did raise pigeons as a child...but they were taken away from me when it was determined that they were why I was having a lot of trouble breathing at times, and had to be taken to the Hospital for a breathing therapy treatment. That was HELL...they would strap a mask to my face, and force air in and out of my lungs, and inject me with all kinds of drugs. :P The drugs were a stimulant, and I wouldn't be able to sleep well for three days. :o

...When we moved to the 5 acre parcel in the foothills, we did 'adopt' two dogs that a neighbor didn't want to have anymore. At times, I would play with them and pet them...but I would IMMEDIATELY go and take a shower. I also had my 'emergency inhaler' if needed. We buried them on the hillside, when they died...and planted an English Oak tree near their graves...as a marker.

...One of my most favored memory is of a friend, who's Father had a 'weiner dog'. The dog was very friendly, but not obnoxious. He would greet you, by 'sitting up'. It looked like the dog was 'hinged' to the floor. The front of his body would just rise up, until he was vertical...just his butt on the floor...and he looked happy. At night, when everyone was just watching TV, the Father would place a small blanket on his lap, and the dog would climb on, and the Father would cover the dog. The dog would look VERY content...and would fall asleep at times. :)

…I did have an iguana for a while...I named her 'Didelie'. Her little reptile brain was actually very clever. She, of course, ate ALL of the house plants we had. She had the run of the house. She mostly stayed in her terrarium, where it was warm and she had water, and food. But, she would climb out, and roam. She mostly would sit at the window, getting the sun...to the DELIGHT of the small children in the Complex. I bought an Arrow Plant, and placed it on an isolated shelf...figuring that she would never get to it. :) But, I WAS WRONG!!! :o It was clear that she was eating it. I sat off to the side of the room, one morning and watched. The lizard took the most amazing way to get close to the shelf...one part was to climb up the piano, and jump onto my music stand. Iguanas can jump very far!!! :o We finally just gave up on having any house plants. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 01, 2020, 10:22:05 AM: ...tropical fish... :D

...I had three aquariums of tropical fish as a child...I NEVER did ANYTHING HALFWAY! :o One was mainly devoted to growing water plants, I would move them to another tank, or give them to friends. Sometimes, I would grow a lot of a particular plant, and SELL them to the pet shop. ;D Of course, I NEVER received any money...I would just take fish, fish food, or stuff in trade. ;D The next tank was mainly for watching fish who seemed to be sick, or for placing new ones into it. My large, 20 gallon tank, was the 'fancy one'. I had rocks, nice sand, and such in it, and tried to keep a nice variety of fish in it. :) I wanted fish at ALL LEVELS of the tank. Some varieties of fish like to swim at the surface, others at the mid level, and, of course, the catfish...who stay at the bottom I always liked to have one of those very slim eels...it would bury itself in the sand...just its' nose showing. My mother babysitted at our house, and I would explain to the young children what the fish were...and see if they could spot the eel. ;)

…I will confess, that I REALLY ENJOYED feeding the fish live food. ::) Usually, it was the small shrimp you can buy. They would swim for a little while, as the fish gobbled them down. But, I was fascinated when I fed them tubiflex worms. The worms were bright red, and about as thick as a small pencil lead. Some would get past the fish, and get into the sand...but the catfish would find them. :) The little fish would toss sand aside as they dug into the bottom until they got to the worm, and then eat it. :)

…I spotted tubiflex worms in a ditch, once, and decided to 'harvest' them. ::) They are also known as 'sewer worms'...because...well...they aren't fussy about what they eat...or the quality of the water. :P So, I put on boots, and got a bucket, and a small shovel, and waded into the rancid ditch. They would pull back into the mud, if disturbed, so I had to be patient. As soon as enough of them emerged from the mud, I would quickly scoop out the mud that they were in. I had the bucket full of mud, when I left. Then, came the 'fun' of gathering the worms. I would hose down handfuls of mud, and get the worms floating in the water, and then scoop them out. I did keep the worms isolated for a week, before I fed them to the fish. The worms would gather themselves into a ball, and would need to use the hose to break up the ball, and then scoop up all of the dead ones, discard them and then gather some live ones, and feed them to the fish. :)

…I only did one 'harvest'...I decided that it was worth the $2.49 I spent to buy a bag of worms from the shop, rather than 'harvest' them myself. Heaven only knows what substances I exposed myself to, wading in that ditch. :P :o :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 01, 2020, 01:48:45 PM: ...Angelfish... :o

...I always had a lot of Angelfish in my 20 gallon tank. They are so elegant, and would swim at the middle level. Problem is, they can see OUTSIDE OF THE TANK...and are curious. ::) I would squat in front of my 'display tank', and look carefully at what was going on. I was looking for plants that weren't doing well, algae that was building up, and fish that didn't look healthy. ??? But, ALL of the darn ANGELFISH would swarm in front of my face, looking at me...and I would quickly move my head...and they would soon be blocking my view of the tank, again! >:(

…I told my brother..."Good thing that the Angelfish can't fly...I'd be walking around with a bunch of Angelfish in front of my face...STARING at me!" ::)

…Here are the beasts.... ;)

...https://youtu.be/2l3RGhd9IpU
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 01, 2020, 02:13:21 PM: ...These were also fun fish...they reminded me of my FIRST REAL DATE!!!! ::) :o ;)

...https://youtu.be/HMFrzTqohlM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 01, 2020, 10:44:07 PM: ...Izee' is a very GOOD fighter...that is why she became 'Huntress'. A few times, she was challenged in the Panther Lair...

...https://youtu.be/watzMSbA0Cw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 01, 2020, 11:18:54 PM: ...I just HAD to post THIS!!!! ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

...This is when Marcus Hrolfson first met Ragnar!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...Not gonna say 'who is who'.... ::)

...https://youtu.be/DqypaqLEfM8
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 02, 2020, 09:01:13 AM: ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 02, 2020, 01:33:21 PM: …I just LOVE this quote... :) Although War is very sad... :'(

...The reason that the American army does so well in wartime is, is that war is chaos, and the American army practices chaos on a daily basis"
-German Officer

...Perhaps that can also be said of the Tuchuk...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 02, 2020, 05:13:09 PM: Just whistles and keeps walking...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 03, 2020, 11:15:39 PM: ...I love Inspirational Songs... :)...and so many of them relate to Battle. But, music does lift ones Heart. During the second day of a youth Conference, all Counselors were sitting in the Office Lounge at about 1:30 am, and were totally exhausted and depressed. Some of the kids had snuck drugs into their rooms...and me being the Dean of Women, and Jim being the Dean of Men, (we were in charge of discipline), and had spent all day searching rooms, and talking to kids. I had had to make phone calls to parents, telling them to come and take their kids home from the week long Conference...and had had to tell them why...and had spent my day...with conscripted Counselors...sitting with the kids, and keeping them calm until their parents arrived. :P

...We had finished discussing how we were going to handle the rest of the Conference, and the State Director had agreed that we had handled it well...but I was VERY depressed...two of the kids sent home were from my Chapter...I had never expected them to do such a thing. :'( Then, one of the male Counselors...who had a BEAUTIFUL baritone voice, stood, and began singing 'Hava Nagila'...a Jewish song that we have all heard. Everyone began joining in...and started dancing an 'Hora'. :) I did join in singing...I didn't know all of the words...(I was a 'lapsed Catholic')...I would just join in when they were singing the words 'Hava Nagila'. I did let two of the Counselors pull me into the dance. ;D I just did a very corrupted quick 'foxtrot'...and jumped up and down...I didn't know the steps to the dance. ::)

…But, it WORKED!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D We all hugged each other, and got to bed. I felt OK when I got up at 5:30 am...as I showered, I told myself..."You signed up for this job, you do have to keep all the kids safe, those did a very dangerous thing, and could have harmed younger kids." :)

…Here is a VERY HEROIC SONG. Some may recognize it...

Men of Harlech stop your dreaming
Can't you see their spear points gleaming
See their warrior pennants streaming
To this battlefield
Men of Harlech stand ye steady
It cannot be ever said ye
For the battle were not ready
Welshmen never yield
From the hills rebounding
Let this song be sounding
Summon all at Cambria's call
The mighty force surrounding
Men of Harlech on to glory
This will ever be your story
Keep these burning words before ye
Welshmen will not yield
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 04, 2020, 12:54:03 PM: ...Izee' didn't always travel with Heroic Warriors...especially the time after she had born Gunnar...(pregnancy and delivery does that to a woman)... ::) But, it worked out... ;D...and Izee' got back to what she had been... ;D

...https://youtu.be/U-vqpzEypEM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 04, 2020, 11:47:03 PM: ...More 'sneakiness' ::)

...As an Advisor to a youth Conference, I did everything I could to keep things calm, and to get ALL of the kids using their minds. During a 'Recreation' period, we had board games...including Chess. ;D I had been VERY SERIOUS at Chess when I was young...I had checked out books from the Library, and studied the Famous Games, and played everyone who knew how to move a pawn. ;D I even got my Physics Teacher to raise my grade on a test to an 'A' from a 'B'...He was the Advisor to the Chess Club...I wasn't in it...I was busy playing my cello. ;) He said that there was a Competition with another school, and wanted me to compete. I didn't actually make a demand...but he had seen me beat many of His club members...and he said that he would 're'grade' my test. ::) I won my game, and that helped my GPA...and our School won the competition! ;D

...I hadn't played Chess in years, but some ideas stay in your mind. :)

…I was sitting on my butt, in the Lounge of the Conference...it was like 11:45 pm...and I wanted to get to bed. There was one of our youth Counselors who was full of energy, and he was very arrogant. He was carrying a chessboard, and confronting everyone to play him. He had beaten everyone earlier. ;) I was ready to head to my room, and he stopped by me, and said..."You want to play a game?" I decided that it would be best to just play a game, let him win, and get to bed. BUT!!!!!!!!!!!! Another kid came by, and said to him..."You want to play a game of Chess?" The 'arrogant one' said..."Yes...I will get to you after I beat her." :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...My temper rose up...and after 25 minutes...I stood up...and walked away...and went to bed...and told him..."You have NO idea of how to use your pawns, or how to take control of the center!" He was staring at what was left of his pieces...and his King was in checkmate!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...He was a bit more humble during the rest of the Conference. ;D

...The game 'almost' went like THIS ONE!!!!! ;D :o ;D ::) ;D :P

...https://youtu.be/M624T3PTggU
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 07, 2020, 12:14:32 PM: ...Just to show what 'passed for thought' in my early years.... ::)

...I learned to play this at Conservatory, although I didn't play it as fast...or as well. ::) But, it told a story to me. :) I imagined that I was trying to RUN UP A STEEP HILL...but it was slippery...and I would fall and slide back to the bottom. :P I would keep trying, and fall back. At times, I would stand, and STAMP MY FEET IN FRUSTRATION...and then run back up the hill...and fall back down. A few times, I would ponder why I needed to run over the hill...and try again! And fall back down. :P I would get to the slow passage, near the end...and think that I was just going to give up...and play it like that...but another part of myself was saying..."Just DO it!". I would actually feel energy in my r/t body as I finished...running up the hill...and running down the other side! ;D

...This video really shows 'muscle memory'...there is NO WAY that the pianist can think of which finger to place on each key. :) A few times, I would look at 'lefty', to make sure that her little finger landed on the proper note. I also had to watch over 'righty'...she would get excited...and jump to the wrong place on the keyboard... :P In the practice rooms, when she did that...I would raise her up before my face...AND SCOLD HER!!! ::) She would just stare back at me. :-\

...https://youtu.be/BV7RkEL6oRc
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 07, 2020, 12:54:23 PM: A percussionist would have looked at this, sat down in the back and had a Coke and some pizza while the rest of you did your thing. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 07, 2020, 02:18:48 PM: ...And at your recital...I would have sat...slumped in the back row...eating a large bag of fritos and drinking a LARGE orangeaid...and thinking...

…"I gotta attend the rest of the recitals...I am WAY BEHIND the required attendance...the Dean KEEPS TRACK!! And, by the way, just HOW HARD IS IT TO POUND ON A DRUM...OR EVEN TWO OR THREE???"

…*Huggers* *Kissing your cheek* :D

…*Just kidding, Brother* ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 07, 2020, 04:50:23 PM: Its not hard to be a drummer.

BUT... try being a percussionist.

;) :-*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 07, 2020, 07:50:36 PM: ...Well said...Brother... :)

...For all of you nonmusicians, a 'Percussionist' is different from a guy who just pounds drums. :) In a Symphony, I once had a good friend who was a Percussionist. He asked me to drive him to the rehearsals, and then to the Concerts. We would have to arrive early, so that he and the others would set up the 'Kitchen'...(Rags can explain what that is). :D I helped out, at times, carrying in stands, and such, and stood back as they worked out the best way to arrange all of the items. I was amazed to learn that a player would have 3 or 4 different instruments to play in some works. I had once been in the 'Percussion Section' in a Community Orchestra, and I was relegated to just banging on the Bass Drum. I had wanted to play the Triangle...but...after watching me trying to play it...the Conductor said..."NO!!!" (The Triangle can be heard over THE FULL ORCHESTRA!!! You strike it and it sounds over the WHOLE ORCHESTRA!!!). Also, percussion instruments are different from the cello. When playing the cello, my bow was always on, or near the string. With a drum...you have to pull your hand down before the beat! That is why I wasn't trusted with the Triangle. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 07, 2020, 11:06:27 PM: JDL
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 09, 2020, 03:38:33 PM: ...I may have told this one, before. ::) I need to take the time to go through my thread, and make a written list of the subject of my posts. But, this was a fun experience. :)

...A Panther Huntress can tell the difference between OIL AND WATER!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...At the vertically integrated Road Construction company that I was the CFO of...I had to learn a LOT!!! I will add...the President was ALL too happy to drive me to all of our Companies. I looked VERY GOOD in my late 20's and early 30's...but I always asked for a separate room when we had an overnight travel. I will admit...that a few times...I thought that I would spend the night with him. He was a good looking man... :) but we were both married. I liked his Wife, she would show up at the office and bring me and my staff a cake or other nice stuff. ;D I also figured that our business relationship would change for the worse if I did so. When I was sitting across from him, discussing our finances...I wanted him to listen to me...rather than thinking of how I had looked...naked...in a difficult sexual position that we had done. 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 09, 2020, 04:06:01 PM: ...So, we had a company that stored oil. :) It had 7 of those HUGE tanks, like you see in a refinery. The President was smart, when oil prices were down, he would fill them. The oil was 'semirefined'...it was still dark black, but just a little thicker than water. I couldn't figure out the books of the company...they didn't make any sense!!! I told the President that I needed to visit the facility, and try to figure it out. He nodded, and I drove away.

...I dressed down the day after I arrived, and met the manager. He INSISTED on buying me a VERY NICE breakfast. I smiled, and was polite, and he got a bit tense after I had looked over the books in the office, and told him..."I need to check the Inventory". I walked out into the yard, and climbed up the sides of the tanks, and pushed in a measuring rod...and saw how full it was. I told the manager..."They are as full as you say they are...but...bring me a crescent wrench." He had the foreman do so. ::)

…For all of you office workers...those HUGE tanks have columns of bolts going up the side. Most are there to hold the tank together, but there is another row in order to check the level of the liquid...you take one off...and the liquid runs out. I reached out, at shoulder level, and unscrewed the bolt...and out...ran...WATER!!! :o I reached higher...and there was MORE WATER!!! As we all know, oil FLOATS on water! :P

...I handed the wrench back to the Foreman, and told the manager..."I am heading back to the Office."

…That Manager 'resigned' the next month... :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 09, 2020, 05:04:39 PM: Naked... sexual positions... lubricant....

What? What was that sis? I seem to have missed the rest."

::) ;D ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 09, 2020, 06:55:50 PM: ...When Tristan CLAIMED Isolt!!! :o

...Izee' had had all of her children go elsewhere for the night, and had slept underneath the Med Wagon when her Son, Tristan, had carried Isolt into Izee's wagon after He had claimed Isolt. She knew that Tristan needed to be alone with Isolt for a while...they...well...had things 'to do'. 8)

...The sounds from the wagon were kind of like this...and Izee' just smiled and nodded. But, after Isolt emerged from the wagon, and held onto the front rails...and SANG of what had just happened...Izee' crawled out from under the Med Wagon, and shouted at Isolt…

...HE JUS BE WARMING UP...I BE A HEALER AN KNOW OF SUCH...GO GIVE HIM ANOTHER!!!!!

...https://youtu.be/SQO7QIgNvA0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 09, 2020, 11:01:53 PM: ...I may have posted on this work before...but it really is a LOVELY work for guitar. :) I was really excited when our Orchestra performed this...I was Principal Cello. I knew the work, and the Soloist played it very well. :) I did get very tearful at times...when I play the cello...I am a 'Soulplayer'...I really feel what the work is about. :) This work is very melancholy at times, but it explores many aspects of human experience. I felt, at times, despair...and other times triumphant...after getting over a challenge. :) I met the Soloist, and really thanked Him for coming to perform with us, and that I had been really moved. :) He saw that I was sincere, and kissed my cheek, and said that the cello section had done well. ;D

...I was very thoughtful on the drive back...I had the 1st Violist as a passenger...and she was trying to criticize his performance. I kept explaining to her..."Albinez"...and finally she said..."Did you notice that he had long nails on his right hand...and had red NAIL POLISH??? :o I pulled over...we were on the Freeway...and showed her my hands...(I turned on the overhead light) >:( I held up my left hand...it had short nails...and light pink nail polish. I showed her my right hand...the nails were much longer...and also painted the same color. >:( (I would either cut the nails of my right hand down if I had a 'serious' date...or apply 'press ons' to both hands... ::))

…I quietly said..."Like us, his nails are short on his left hand...he has to place the tips of his fingers down on the fingerboard, so of course they are short. His right hand has to strum and pluck the strings...and he needs long nails to do that. >:( And...he paints them for the SAME REASON THAT WE DO!!! IT MAKES THEM STONGER!!! He breaks a nail during a concert...he can't just throw a fit like Karen does when SHE BREAKS A NAIL!!!"

...I got back on the road...and as is usual with women...we didn't talk to each other for two weeks. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 09, 2020, 11:02:56 PM: ...Here is the work... :)

...https://youtu.be/KzEFQW9CXGc
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 10, 2020, 11:23:14 PM: ...https://youtu.be/MRG1UixHvos

...Izee' thinks of this song. Rags and others were at Scagnar. Her Son, Keagan, had actually transported his Brother, Tristan, and an Or of Tristan's Warriors, to accompany Ragnar, as an Honor Guard. Business was being discussed at Scagnar. Izee' just stayed behind...as a Two Time Oathbreaker...Scagnar had no use for her.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 10, 2020, 11:56:49 PM: ...Why Izee' ALWAYS had Keagan negotiate Trade Deals when the Family traveled...he was good with numbers... ::) Better than her... ::)

...https://youtu.be/xkbQDEXJy2k
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 11, 2020, 09:54:10 AM: ...My Coronado 15 looked like this one. ;D I was very careful and protective of her...even when she had tipped over...and me and my cooler were in the water. :P It is a 'racing dingy', and has two large sails...and is designed to be sailed by TWO PEOPLE!!! ::) Being me, I would take it out and sail alone a lot. A few times, I would stop at the lake, and look at the roiling water and the heavy winds...and my 'rational brain' would say..."No F...ING WAY ARE YOU GOING OUT INTO THAT...ALONE!!!" I would just turn my car, and boat trailer, around...and go back home. ;) But...many times...my "Izee' Brain" would say..."Hey, you are a skilled sailor…GO FOR IT!" ;D I would tell myself..."OK, just raise the mainsail, leave the jib in the hull." :)

…So, I would get the boat into the water, rig it, and raise the mainsail. The sailing would be a bit challenging, but I would lean back, very hard...my feet in the straps...and whoop with joy at times at the boat raced through the wind caused waves. ;D And then...my "Izee Brain" would say..."You can easily handle it...raise the jib." So, I would beach, and raise the jib...and set out again. :o I would be whooping louder...I would really be hauling...and I had my feet in the straps...leaning WAY over the side...holding the rudder in my left hand...and holding the sheets to the mainsail and jib in my left hand! ;D ;D ;D ;D

...Of course...I tipped over. ::) I would grab my cooler...(BTW...I ALWAYS wore a life jacket...you get hit in the head with the boom...that can hurt). I would get the boat back upright, and try again...whooping with laughter as the boat jumped through the waves...thinking..."OK, you figured it out"...and tip over again! ::)

…My 'rational mind' would usually get control of the 'Izee Mind' after a while...and I would lower the jib after getting the boat back upright after the last tipover...and I would sail back to the dock...load the boat on the trailer...and head home. ::)

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=8ITmfwwz&id=1E2696D6D7CAE4326BF19713FD82498EAACD9B3A&thid=OIP.8ITmfwwzqi0gjk0zeI3XOQHaHI&mediaurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sailingtexas.com%2FPicsb%2Fpiccoronado15na.jpg&exph=347&expw=360&q=coronado+15+sailboat+specifications&simid=607986580626408079&selectedindex=4&qpvt=coronado+15+sailboat+specifications&adlt=off&shtp=GetUrl&shid=999e1a08-9e98-433d-80c6-4f7bc330d595&shtk=Q29yb25hZG8gMTUgc2FpbGJvYXQgZm9yIHNhbGU%3D&shdk=Rm91bmQgb24gQmluZyBmcm9tIHd3dy5zYWlsaW5ndGV4YXMuY29t&shhk=6c2AqR%2BgL0Ht1AaFN6SSr9tpL%2BwMGDRMEECA2LbGZ2o%3D&form=EX0023&shth=OSH.luJ5j420H%252FKsM9Q4pxQ0SA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 11, 2020, 10:01:34 AM: ...The rudder was in my right hand... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 11, 2020, 11:43:07 AM: I have my Gathering Floatie!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 12, 2020, 06:02:45 PM: ...Izee' considers herself to be a Tuchuk Healer FW now...but...at times she puts on her Red Savage clothing...and takes a walk... ;)

...https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=yY8g93PA&id=578999C06B65428DF5A7D784BCA7D2056A1D4640&thid=OIP.yY8g93PAYrQxGg_UOOFjQQHaEK&mediaurl=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FPI8mf6lItig%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&exph=720&expw=1280&q=kateri&simid=607995316595853005&selectedindex=15&qpvt=kateri&adlt=off&shtp=GetUrl&shid=e08afbe9-fec7-42ce-8d3f-582dc7dc219a&shtk=U3QuIEthdGVyaSBUZWtha3dpdGhhIEZyYW1lZCBQcmludCAtIFlvdVR1YmU%3D&shdk=Rm91bmQgb24gQmluZyBmcm9tIHd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbQ%3D%3D&shhk=1LSeadr%2BwVwWoo6if4wjD0reS7Te7jQN8P6hWZErfPI%3D&form=EX0023&shth=OSH.mbLk0nkoAxO9y9RX%252FJpx%252BA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 14, 2020, 06:54:51 PM: ...How to get into a Music Sorority... ::)

...Just play the cello well...

...https://youtu.be/llB7NaWLUc4

...I did play the cello well...but...not as well as Her. *Sad Smile* I listened to Her recording of the Dvorak...and tried to emulate Her. My mood changed many times as I played this...at first...I was VERY ANGRY!!! >:( Then...I would get very thoughtful..and then...very sad. :'(

...I was in the 'thoughtful part' when I was sitting in the small rehearsal room at the Conservatory...and then...the door opened!!! >:( I briefly looked to the side...saw three women...and kept playing. :( They entered the room...and TOOK MY BOW FROM MY HAND...and got me to stand! ??? I was led out of the room...and to a car outside. :o

...I won't tell what happened the rest of the evening...but...the next morning...I was a Sister of the Sorority. ::)

…I went to the practice room...to get my cello...and was happy to see my case standing in the corner. I lifted it...and...it WAS VERY LIGHT!!! I opened it...and there was a very small violin strapped in!!! I carried the case to my 'SISTERS HOUSE'...they laughed...and gave me my cello back. ;)

…And they say that women don't have a sense of humor.... ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 14, 2020, 11:57:38 PM: ...Izee' was in a very bad mood. Tiveri had had cholic...and Izee' had spent several days tending to her. Izee' had finally smiled, seeing her youngest daughter able to breathe well. Izee' told Tiveri, "Jus lay back and relax, I will bring ye some sweet rolls." Tiveri had smiled, her face looking lovely...she would be quite a 'catch' when she became a woman.

...The two, sat, and ate the sweet rolls. Tiveri said to Izee'..."I almost died"...Izee' nodded to Tiveri, and said..."I know...I kept ye alive. I pressed on yer chest, and blew air inta yer mouth."

...Tiveri stops eating for a moment...and then says..."I almost went away...but I felt your lips against mine...and I had to stay...you felt ANGRY! I didn't want to SEE YOU ANGRY!!! I seen that before."

...I smile at Tiveri, and say..."That jus be part of a Healers Skill...We can breath air inta someone, an they get better...I will show ye how tae do that, if ye wish tae learn tae be a Healer.

...I keep quiet about my other "Healers Skills'...I had gone through a lot to lean them...and when I used them...I PAID the Gods for them...and quietly cursed myself for becoming a 'Healer'
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 15, 2020, 07:06:21 PM: ...When I was young, I always HAD FUN at the public pool on the diving board!!! ;D It was the lower one...I once climbed up to the 30' board...got VERY SCARED!!! :o and just jumped into the water, landing feet first. :P I never climbed up it again. :-\

...But, I was VERY GOOD on the lower board. :D My Father had been well taught by his brothers, and he taught me. I learned some fancy dives. ;D I would rotate in the air...turn somersaults...and land cleanly in the water. That took a LOT of practice. Early in my 'career'...I would make a lot of mistakes. :( I would land on my back, or sideways...you name it...I did it. One of the things that he taught me in the common 'surface dive', was to jump high, and land very close to the end of the board. A few times...the ends of my toes brushed the end of the board as I was coming down...arms in front...body straight.

...I had a very close call once. I had taken my three 'dancing steps', and jumped high, the back half of my feet landing on the end of the board...and...as I was rising in the air...I sensed that I was just going STRAIGHT UP!!!! No WAY could I lean down...I would have landed FACEFIRST on the board!!! :P

...I just stuck my feet straight out, and landed my BUTT on the end of the board...and it tossed me into the pool. I landed on my back...feet to the front. I swam to the side...and some guys were aupplauding. They asked me, as I climbed out of the pool..."Never saw that dive before, what is it called?"

...I just muttered as I walked away...I wasn't going to swim anymore...my mind was trying to sort out what had happened...

…" I DUNNO...I JUST INVENTED IT! I WILL NAME IT LATER" ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 17, 2020, 08:59:29 AM: The Izee Crack Splat!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 20, 2020, 10:35:56 PM: ...I am going to brag a bit...I just need to raise my spirits. ;)

...I was a very junior associate in a Law Firm...I already had my CPA and Law License...and they relegated me to very simple tasks...the Firm was mostly doing Insurance Defense. I'd sit in on boring depositions...take notes...and report to the Insurance Company. I'd tell them of what the plaintiff looked like...what was said...and what could be believed. I was astonished, many times, I would be sitting at the table with a HUGE pile of medical records in front of me, and ask the plaintiff..."Ever been in any other auto accidents?" Many would say..."No"...and I would spend several hours 'refreshing' their memory.

...But, I was trying to get a business and tax practice going...and worked hard on the side...creating Partnerships and Corporations. The Senior Partner called me into his office, two men were sitting there. I was introduced, and sat down, and he explained to me what was going on. The two owned Corporations, and one wanted to sell his Company to the other...but didn't want to pay taxes. I got the financial and tax records of both...and sat for many hours in my office...and in the County Law Library.

...I figured out how to do it... ;D...and prepared the documents. Of course, the IRS audited the transaction...and approved the handling...there were NO TAXES! The Senior Partner called me into his office afterwards...and asked..."How did you do that?" I grinned at him, and said...

…"I did a Reverse Triangular Merger"... ;D

...I was sent back to sit in on boring depositions...and then the Senior Partner told me to look for other work...the Junior Partner didn't like me. :P

...Once, the Junior Partner called me, when I was at another firm...and asked me to tell him how to do a Reverse Triangular Merger...

...I told him..."Go to 9th and Second Street at about 11:46 on Friday night, pick up the two women you see there, take them to a motel...and you will find out. And...BTW...they are Trans...you will be plugged at both ends...and your low back will get very sore"

...I REALLY DIDN'T LIKE HIM EITHER!!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

…I hung up on him...but felt better.... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 21, 2020, 01:24:41 PM: Heh heh...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 22, 2020, 11:59:08 PM: ...My shortest career... :P

...I was hired away from the Construction Company...by a Farmer in the Valley. A CPA I had worked with, recruited me, I was very unsure, I had heard that the Farmer was a very difficult person to work for...but the Farmer took me out to a VERY nice lunch as part of the Interview...and offered me a NICE AMOUNT OF MONEY!!! :D I accepted, and EVERYONE who knew me, told me that I was making a BIG mistake! But, being me, I figured that I would work hard, and earn his respect, and do OK.

...The G/D NINE MONTHS were very difficult...the Farmer had several different businesses...but I had fun a few times. I wanted to learn the business, and learn all that I could. One early Sunday, I drove to a field, and climbed into a 'Combine', and sat beside the operator, and watched as he harvested barley. :) He even let me take the controls...he was drinking beer...and after he finished each of four of the six-pack...he took over...and gave me the two remaining beers. :o I sat, and drank one, and put the other into a pouch that was hanging on the side. ::) I told him, "If the other operator ever gets sick, give me a call...This is WAY more run than pencilwork." ;D

…But, the Owner was a total ASSHOLE!!! Personal computers were coming out, and I was urging him to buy a couple for the office. He would refuse, and YELL AND HOLLAR AT ME...and I would go back and do the books...by hand. :P I would also be summoned...and be yelled at for no reason that made sense. :(

…I decided to quit...and that late afternoon...I cleaned out my desk...took my certificates off the wall...and went home. I arrived at the office the next morning...before he did...and just set my small briefcase on my desk...the lid open, to show that there was NOTHING INSIDE. I didn't speak to the staff...I just sat at my desk. >:( He arrived...I walked into his office...and complained of how he treated me. We had an argument...and I just said..."I am GONE!!! I stomped out...closed the lid of the briefcase...and walked out to my car... >:(

...I heard of how he was doing the next few years...a couple attorneys asked if I wanted to file a lawsuit over him 'not being nice'...and I refused. He was going through harsh times. We had discussed making a cheese factory to use the milk from Dairies...and I had actually visited some small cheese factories...and the Owners had given me a tour, and their accountants let me look at their books... :)…I was VERY charming during those times. ;)

...I had presented the numbers to him...and he had just yelled at me. :P

...His business didn't do as well as it could have. The CPA who had recruited me, told me, years later, that the Owner said...when they were briefly talking about me...

…"I really should have tried to get along with her..." ::) :P ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 23, 2020, 12:41:45 AM: Stay alive long enough to dance on his grave. (And do whatever else you have a mind to while there.)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 25, 2020, 12:00:20 PM: ...He passed away a few years ago...I have had outrageous thoughts...about visiting his grave late at night. I would speak to his headstone, and ask how he was doing in Hell. >:( Again, he was very cruel to people around him, the turnover in his small office was very high...and the Supervisors of various aspects of his holdings also quit after a few months. I had a lunch, after I quit, with the man who had been the Main Farm Manager of ALL of his farms. The Manager was now a Client of mine, he came to me and asked me to represent him in an unrelated legal case). He said that the Bastard treated him very poorly, too. :( The Manager was now in charge of large farms for another Owner, and was treated very well. :) He arrived, driving a VERY NICE pickup truck. ;)

…I also planned on dumping a large jar of 'personal substances' on the grave...to show what I really thought of him. :o

...But, I have held off...I still have some respect for gravesites...but...as I get older...and start to enter senescense...I just might be hauled away from the gravesite by the Men in the White Coats... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 25, 2020, 12:16:22 PM: ...OK, to change the subject....

...MUSIC EDUCATION!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...Here is a WONDERFUL lecture on J.S. Bach. :) He was really a genius...and WAY AHEAD OF HIS TIME! As the lecturer explains, Bach was exploring harmonies that we didn't hear until 100's of years, later. The openings of some of his latter choral works sound like modern 'Hollywood Movie Music'. :) Please enjoy. ;)

...https://youtu.be/kcvUHdhROrk
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 27, 2020, 01:36:06 AM: ...Izee's children ALL inherited HER STUBBORNESS and resistance to being told WHAT TO DO!!!! >:(

...At Gors end...when a wayward planet entered the solar system...and was going to collide with Gor…Tristan and Stefan took their 'weapons' to a clearing...and dared the planet... >:( >:( >:(

...BRING IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...https://youtu.be/L051v3NC0F4
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 31, 2020, 12:20:31 AM: ...VENISON SAUSAGE!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...When I was younger, I got into hunting. A guy who worked for me, liked me, and invited me to some of his Family Gatherings. :) I liked him, too, and we had a few lunches where I would share with him challenges that the company faced. We would discuss the issues...and he would counsel me as my mind raced through all sorts of ways to address the financial issues...he had been an accounting Manager for another company. Once, as I was calming down, (Planning to recommend liquidating one company into another to the President) he asked me..."Have you ever hunted?" I told him, "Yes, with my 22 and my Fathers shotgun." He said, "You need to deer hunt...get a serious rifle and scope...and get a deer license...the season starts in a few weeks, and my family has a hunting lodge." ???

…So, I went to the Gunshop he recommended...he had said..."Don't just go to Wards and point at the wall...you don't know what you really need. Hank, the Owner, will set you up. Do tell him that I sent you." I nodded...and a few days later I walked into the small gun shop...the smells were...interesting." :o

...I walked to the counter, and looked at the grey haired old man. He GRINNED at me...I was looking very good those days...and I was in a casual dress. ;) I told him that I wanted to hunt deer, and needed a rifle, scope, and a license. He smiled more, and said, "OK, we'll get you set up so that you can get your limit this season." I asked..."What is the limit?" And he winked and said "Two, but don't shoot them both on the same day...you gotta carry them back down...and you don't look very strong." ::) I just laughed, and stood at the counter as he brought out a couple rifles, and explained them to me. I told him that I wanted a 'bolt action'...I was comfortable with that...my 22 was a bolt action. He just smiled as he put away a 270 lever action, and said..."This would have been a good weapon for you." I just nodded, and we looked at the bolt action ones. I settled on a 30:06 Remington, and then I selected a scope. I smiled, and started to gather them up, and he laughed, and said..."What are you going to do?" I answered...

…"I will take them home, and place the scope on the rifle". :D He laughed, again, and said..."Hey, you have no idea of what you are doing. Even if you get the right end of the scope facing forward, it won't be sighted in. You fire a bullet...you will have NO IDEA of where it is going to land...and the scope will probably fall off." ::) I just stared at him, and he said..."Leave the rifle and the scope with me, come back next week, and I will give them back to you...and they will be 'sighted in', that is part of what I do...and...no charge. "

...I took it to the range, afterwards...and was VERY happy. I would fire a group of six...and then take my more powerful binoculars out and look downrange...and feel pleased...they all hit near the center of the target. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 31, 2020, 12:49:50 AM: ...OK...here is the recipe... :)

...https://youtu.be/_CH0XYTmNPA

...One of the things I most LOVED of going hunting with the guys was the food. I was a bit unsure, the first time I rode up to the hunting lodge. They drove to the foothills, and then unlocked a gate onto a pasture, and then they drove for about 35 minutes up a one lane dirt road/path...driving through two small creeks. The lodge was a small home, that was actually better that I expected. They had a generator, and, usually, being the only female...they would let me have the bedroom. Although, when the Grandpa showed up, I slept on a cot on the porch with the rest of the Family. :)

…The food was SO GOOD!!! And, food does taste better after you have been trudging through the foothills, carrying a rifle, and looking for a deer to shoot. We also looked for wild pigs. I once shot one...and after cleaning it...(this *Huntress* got the privilege...I gave the carcass to one of the brothers...I didn't want to carry it out...and I was ready to puke...wild pigs don't smell very good) That was also one of their rules..."You shoot it...you carry it out." :P Once, I didn't get a kill because of the rule. We had been walking for some time, and they placed me in a place, and said..."We will see if we can drive one to you." I nodded, set my butt on the ground, and got ready. I heard some shouting, after a while, and got ready...the stock against my right shoulder...and a legal buck appeared!!!! :o It was an easy shot...but...it was about 104 degrees...and uphill back to the pickup...so I lobbed three shots in front of the buck...and it turned tail and ran back from where it had been coming from. I then heard one more shot...and the sound of the impact
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 31, 2020, 01:49:48 AM: ...Back to the food... ;D

...I wasn't sure what the food would be like, at the lodge, so, the first time they brought me along with them, I packed a cooler full of sandwiches, cookies, and apricots, and had several bags of potato chips. But...I WAS SET IN MY PLACE!!!! They had brought a lot of good food with them...and dinner was SPECTACULAR!!!! (Fellow ladies...when guys go out on their own for a weekend retreat...and BBQ...Julia Child can't hold a candle to them!!! ;)) There was always a 'steak night', and Jeff knew how to BBQ. I would take my medium rare steak to the end of the table...and do my best to still look 'feminine' as I gobbled it down...it was spiced...and cooked...PERFECTLY!!!

…Once, they brought along about 30 dressed duck carcasses, and Jeff grilled them. I had, actually, never had wild duck before, and was a little unsure. I watched, wondering how he was going to get them cooked right. Sprig and Mallard are larger ducks, almost as large as a small chicken, and the other species are a bit smaller than a Cornish game hen. They were all piled onto a large, edged tray, and we gathered around, grabbed beers...and began eating. There were NO SERVING UTENSILS...so I grabbed a Sprig with my hand...I had been told that they were the best tasting...and began eating.

...I swear...I really swear...that I DIDN'T SNARL as I ate!!! ::) I just ate the meat off of the carcass as quickly as I could, and then dropped the carcass to the side and grabbed another one...and continued eating. The four guys and Grandpa were doing the same...so I just kept eating quickly so that I would get my share. :o

...There was actually one small carcass left...and we were all sitting back on the benches...letting our heads clear...

...NOW...THAT IS EATING!!!!! ;D

...I had a similar feeling when Jeff brought up a huge package from his cooler, and handed it to me...I would do some of the 'lacky' tasks to prepare meals. They had been coming up there to hunt for years, and didn't need...or want...a woman to watch over and care for them. ::) It was for dinner...and I was looking forward to a nice steak. I opened it...and...it...was...

…SAUSAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...I stared at it, and Jeff grinned, and said..."Venison sausage...I made it". ??? ::) ???

…I just nodded, and got it out of the packing, and rinsed it off. He then told me to just go and play cards with the others. ??? I focused on the card game, and thought..."Sausage is for breakfast." But, as we sat around the table and ate it...I thought..."This IS one of the best meals I have ever had." It really was...as you can all sense. Sausage is a very complex thing to make...but you get it right...there are few food types that can compare. After all, I hear that one of the most expensive features on a menu is 'Seafood Sausage'. I, once, ordered one as an appetizer...and...after eating it...my 'Izee' Mind' was saying..."Screw the flounder...screw the prawns...screw the lobster...just keep EATING THESE UNTIL WE PUKE!!!" I took a few minutes to calm down...and ordered the "Fishermans Delight". It was all deep fried fish, scallops, shrimp, and clams...and drank a beer. 'Izee' went to sleep...and I ate a chocolate dessert and then walked back to my hotel, and went to bed.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 31, 2020, 12:14:35 PM: ;) ;D :-*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 03, 2020, 01:28:09 AM: ...Why to NEVER tangle with a r/t Panther... >:(

...I was assigned a case to handle, my client was very worried...he only had a 30/50 policy, and the plaintiff was demanding 2 million. My client had a house, a family, and some savings, and was very worried. He had, just 'tapped' the end of the bumper of the car in front...there was very little damage. The plaintiff had gone through several attorneys before I was handed the case...and the plaintiff was representing himself. He was claiming that he had sustained severe brain damage as a result of the case...and had gone to every Neurologist to prove his case.

...I got all of the medical records, and found out that he was pulling the same trick in an accident before the one I was handling. I met with that defense attorney, we talked, and...after I did my best 'unsure and helpless female attorney trick'...he let me look at all of his discovery, including the two day long deposition that was videotaped. I carefully watched it three times...and took notes. I also deposed all of the MD's the plaintiff had gone to...and pretty much got them to agree that the plaintiff was just faking being injured. The Insurance company kept asking why I hadn't deposed the plaintiff, and I just kept saying that I was going to. ::)

…We got to the morning of the Trial...I had NOT deposed the plaintiff...he was representing himself...and after the Jury was selected, and the jerk made his opening statement...I made a motion for a directed verdict...and...

…IT WAS GRANTED!!!!! ;D ;D ;D

…My client was VERY RELIEVED...and a day later a large box of chocolates were delivered to me. ;D

…The other attorneys, who were handling the earlier accident, took a week to try their case...and the Jury awarded the plaintiff $2,386.00.

…I just wanted to get my client out of the case, as quickly as possible. The Junior Partner of the Firm came into my office, and YELLED at me...saying that I could have dragged a trial on for a week and a half...and the Insurance Company would have paid us a lot of money!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:(

…When practicing Law, I always put my clients' interests first. Even when an Insurance Company was paying my bill...and I was EXPENSIVE...I had a lot of letters after my name...I just did my best to get the case over as soon as possible. Most people don't like being sued, and they hear stories of people losing everything because of a small auto accident. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 03, 2020, 08:25:48 PM: ...At times...I was a VERY difficult piano student when I was in Jr H.S. I was taking private lessons...and my teacher was getting me to work on a very nice sonata for a performance with all of his students that was coming up. I decided that I wanted to perform this work, instead...and practiced it on my own. He finally gave in, and coached me on it. >:( He kept nagging me..."You have that other work under your fingers...play that and the audience will be delighted." I just nodded, and said..."I think that this fingering works well on this passage." ::) He would correct me...my 'little finger' on each hand is abnormally short...it affected my ability to play the cello...one of the reasons why I decided to not be a Music Major any more...and became an accountant. :(

…This is a very 'playful' work...but it gets intense at times... :)

...https://youtu.be/ml2YP8N8OaI
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 05, 2020, 11:20:59 PM: ...Performing Music... ;) Watch these guys...

...https://youtu.be/DbFao4M2_os

...There is no experience like performing music before a crowd! :o When I was young, I had a totally unrealistic view of what it was about. I would slink off the stage, after performing on cello, or piano...and come back out for a few curtain calls...and smile...and look like I was HAPPY...but...my head was at War with itself...saying..."Those two notes were out of tune"...or..."You MESSED UP THAT PHRASING, you worked hard on that!" :P I thought that performing music meant to get each note PERFECTLY! That attitude also caused me a lot of STAGE FRIGHT... :P...I would be fearful and unsure of a particular passage...and that would mess up the rest of the work...as I worried about it...rather than focusing on where I was in the piece. When we were rehearsing the Lt. Kije work...I obsessed over the solos that I had...I envisioned that I was Lt. Kije…and was bidding farewell to His Family, Friends, and Country...and I got emotional. :'( (BTW..."Lt. Kije" means...in Russian..."Lt Whats His Name." :o The tale behind the work is that the Czar of Russia needed good news during a War...and His counselors made up a fictitious Lt. who was winning battles. The War was over, the Russians had won...and the Czar wanted to personally meet Lt. Kije. The Counselors, sadly announced that Lt Kije had been killed in the last battle...and so they had a State Funeral for an empty casket.) ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on April 05, 2020, 11:45:53 PM: If you make a mistake, make it a big one and skmile, most will believe it was intended. *G*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 06, 2020, 09:04:10 PM: ...Mud IS FUN!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...When I was a young child, my Parents would drive from CA to Presideo, TX, so that we could visit my Mothers' Aunts. There were three of them...and I really loved Aunt Pancha. She, like the other three...were very grizzled old ladies. They could speak some English...but pretended not to. :) Pancha was the 'wild one' of the three. She would come up to me, smile, and ask..."are yoo verrry happay". I would smile back, and reply, "Si, Ia"...she would smile, and give me a candy. When I got a little older, I would speak to her in Spanish, and she told me MANY interesting stories. :)

…But...we visited in the summer...and it was over 100 DEGREES EVERY DAY! My older brother figured out a solution...and hauled two big metal drums to the adobe place. We did our best to clean them, and then stood them up...filled them with water...and climbed in. We just sat in them during the hot times. My parents have pictures of the two of us...sitting in 'garbage cans'...just our heads above the edge of the cans...we were smiling...we were happy! ;D

...But, we would get bored. A girl, my age, who lived across the street, helped us with a suggestion. We walked across the small, dirt road, and she was sitting in a mud puddle! We both tried it, and it cooled us down. :) But, being me, I led us all back to the Aunts adobe house, and turned on the hose and pumped water in an area between several trees...that was shaded. We created the 'Mother of All Mud Puddles'...and had a blast!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D We rolled in the mud...ran and slid in it...and cooled off. My friends Mother showed up...and hauled Beverly back to their adobe house to get rinsed off. My Mother was laughing very hard...she let my brother and me wallow in the mud pit all afternoon...and hosed us off after it got cooler...and we cleaned up for dinner. :) ;) :D ::) She has pictures... ::)

…Another..."My Idea of a Good Time"....
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 09, 2020, 02:11:17 AM: ...I just have to post on this work again... :)

...IMHO...put an orchestra and a pipe organ together...THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN SOUND THE SAME!!! ;D

...A guy I was briefly going with in my Frosh year at Conservatory, performed this work at the Senior Performance Major Concert. I was sitting 1st Chair, Cello...and was dreaming of the time that would hopefully come a few years later...when I would strut onto the Stage...sit my butt down...and make sure that my endpin was STUCK IN THE STAGE so that my cello wouldn't slip out from under me as I was performing the Dvorak. :o That actually happened to me, once...and I dropped my bow as I was trying to keep my cello from landing on the floor. I took a little while to compose myself, and get set up again...and called to my accompaniest…"Let's go back to the last repeat...but not repeat."

...I had listened to the Concerto...which...BTW...is subtitled..."Concerto for Organ and Timpani"..(.*Winks at Rags* That is TRUE!) I was mesmerized by it! It brought out a LOT of emotions...Poulanc knew how to write music that gets to your heart. At times...tears were on the corners of my eyes...other times I was angry...and other times I was trying not to laugh because I thought that it was so corney.

…((BTW...funny true tale of securing the endpin of a cello. I was performing a movement from one of the Bach solo sonatas...and had gotten the guy who handled the stage to go along with me. I walked out, bowed, and set my butt into the chair. I then had A LOT OF PROBLEMS GETTING MY ENDPIN TO STAY IN PLACE!!!! >:( I then reached into my purse, and brought out a small 'pistol style' hand drill...and leaned down...I was going to DRILL a hole into the Stage. The Manager rushed out...grabbed the drill from me...and gave me a 'rock stop'...and walked away. ::))

...The Dean called me into his office afterwards...and I was 'lectured' that I was being trained to behave as a Professional...in addition to being trained to play the cello well. I just nodded...pretended to be upset...and promised Him that I would never do anything similar again. :-[

…I got called back into His Office a few months later...I had persuaded my string quartet to 'have some fun'. ;) We performed a 'different' work than the Brahms...and I had added 'dancing' when a player had some long rests. :o He just shook His head...I had been elected to the Student Body...and said..."The SF Symphony won't even hire you as a RESERVE if you behave like that." I just nodded. (I have done a LOT of nodding in my life...once...I was wearing a black robe as a Superior Court Judge...(I was Pro Tem)...and the Presiding Judge said that I had not acted properly...but then he grinned...and said..."You did a good job to suggest to that new attorney that he needed to file a Motion for a Nonsuit...the kid would have never figured it out on his own...and you saved us two weeks of a trial, that plaintiff didn't have a case.")

...So, I am nodding...and going to bed... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 09, 2020, 02:13:27 AM: ...https://youtu.be/47_IPETjxTU

...Here it is... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 12, 2020, 11:20:02 AM: ...Our legal system is REALLY F---ked up at times. >:( I was handling another one of those horrible 'fog related' pileup cases. A pair of 18 wheeler trucks had collided, and stopped, on the freeway, and 23 cars crashed, or stopped, behind them. :( The truck drivers, who had stayed in their cabs...were suing ALL of the vehicles behind them...claiming that they had sustained serious injuries. My client was one of the last to arrive. He STOPPED before the pileup, and then was driving off of the freeway, expecting other cars, driving too fast in the fog, would collide with him. He was almost off of the freeway...when an idiot clipped the end of his car...and continued into the pileup. My client was NEVER part of the pileup...he got off the road...and only had minor damage to a rear corner of his car. But...

...THE TRUCK DRIVERS INCLUDED HIM IN THEIR LAWSUIT!!!! :o

...I had to sit in a lot of depositions...and merely asked the other drivers if my client had entered the pack. They all answered that they had never seen his vehicle. The driver that hit my client admitted that my client was almost off the road when he clipped him. Once all of the testimony was in, I filed a Motion for Summary Judgement...arguing that my client had not been negligent...and certainly had not caused any injury to the truck drivers. One of the truck drivers opposed my motion...saying that it was up to a Jury to decide if my client injured him. (My client only had a 25/50 policy...the combined policies of the other drivers was a lot more).

...The G/D JUDGE sided with the plaintiff...saying that it was POSSBLE that my client had injured the truck driver by trying to drive off of the road!!! :o And that a Jury should decide!!! :P

...And they say that the Men and Women who wear the Black Robes are wise? :-[

…At the Settlement Conference...the G/D Judge wanted me to offer my clients policy limits on the personal injury claim...and also...THE PROPERTY DAMAGE LIMITS!!! :o I argued that my client had never entered the 'pack'...and had therefor not damaged the trucks. The Bastard just ignored me. >:(

…I was FURIOUS!!! I told the insurance company that they should not pay any money...and that I would win the Trial, very easily...even if it was just me against the Truck Drivers. >:( I was sure, that if it was just them against me...the plaintiffs would drop their case. They would have already gotten a LOT of money, and would not want to spend a week trying to get my clients policy...since HE WAS NOT NEGLIGENT!!!!

…I was ordered to offer both limits...and get out of the case. So, my client had a mark against his license...for 'causing' an accident...and his insurance rates increased!!! :P

...Another attorney took me out for a drink after the Settlement Conference...He knew me very well...and saw that I was very upset. He just said..."The System is very broken." I had three brandies...and had a cab take me home. Driving while intoxicated and upset is not a good combination. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on April 12, 2020, 03:54:37 PM: So the prick in the robe decided your case at lunch before the case number was even called. Lunch courtesy of the driver's lawyer(s).

The system has been broken for years. The case doesn't matter, the right or wrong does not matter, the law does not matter. What DOES matter is which attorney's turn it is to win and what they offer in exchange for the win, and who buys lunch.

Status quo.

How do I know? I have witnessed how the system works. Friendships count more than justice. Personal gain to the judge far outweighs legal judgments, be it as simple as a fine bottle of scotch for small wins up to deals on new vehicles, expense paid vacations, heavy election donations, or favors and markers being called due.

Judges misdirect juries, deny disclosure motions, deny suppression motions, deny videos of events even when they do not lie or take sides. They show what happened, period. They deny witness testimony, accept assumptions, and have so many standards and applications of Laws depending on who they wish them to apply to. All men are equal in the eyes of the law... just some are more equal than others. And in some cases, some men are above the Law.

Sometimes an attorney will get lucky and pull out a win from something the other attorney or judge never saw coming, especially when they can't make a jury un-hear something something already said, but in time the audacity of fighting for your client will be remembered and the attorney will pay the price for not being as corrupt as the rest of the system.

Welcome to our justice system. Lady Justice really is blind... to the corruption taking place.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 12, 2020, 08:20:57 PM: ...That is so true, Brother, so G/D true... :'(

...Once, after I got my client out of a trial, in a multiparty case...I got a call from the Judge...he told me to come to His Chambers at noon. :o I was worried, I thought that He was going to tell me that He had decided to overrule my Motion. He just grinned as I sat down, and brought out a VERY EXPENSIVE BOTTLE OF SCOTCH! :o I was thinking..."OMG..I AM GOING TO GET HARRASED!" :P

...He just pushed it across the desk to me, and said..."One of the other attorneys sent this to me...I ruled against him. Take it and give it back to him." :P

...I went to the attorneys office, carrying the bottle, and told the receptionist why I was there. She picked up the phone, talked a bit...and told me..."He said for you to keep it, he doesn't want you in the case...you would have skewered his client." >:(

…I took the bottle home...my H was very pleased...he liked 'spirits'...I mostly drank beer and wine, when I had some to relax... ::)

…So, what Rags says is TRUE!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 19, 2020, 01:44:29 AM: ...I am busy trying to get out of a 'funk'... :P...my mind is slightly depressed...and I don't feel well...but I don't have a fever...or other symptoms. Having to just stay Home isn't helping, because of this damn virus!!! >:( I am living with my elderly Mother, and we just have to stay in the House. She usually had three friends who showed up twice a week, and they played pinocle. If one couldn't make it, I played...if all were there, I would take a long walk to the Mall...window shop...and eat junk food at the food court...I figured that the long walk would take off the calories. I play cards very well, in college, I would leave the poker table with some cash, and go and buy a little ice cream, and sometimes a small bottle of anisette. The guys would yell at me to stay, but I just made my purchases and went into my bedroom...and ate and drank and went to bed. I was VERY HAPPY! ;) I also made up a 'bidding system' in College for pinocle...and only shared it with ONE OTHER WOMAN!!! ::) We easily won EVERY game!!!

…The other two women said that my Mother and I couldn't be partners any more after we trounced them several times. But, we don't have a 'bidding system'. :) This is going to sound strange...but my Family has some sort of 'connection'...on my Mothers side. As a child, if I was having unusual problems...my Mother would take me aside and interrogate me...and I would tell her what was going on. As I got older...I could sense...when there was something wrong. :'( I would call her, or drive that night to get home, and speak to her. The worst was when I arrived Home, and asked her what happened to her Brother...Uncle Bill. She just said..."He died this afternoon." :'(

…In pinocle, my Mother and I don't give each other any signals or signs...we just look at each other...and know what to do.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on April 19, 2020, 11:56:48 AM: Join the rest of us and give it a try. If it doesn't work, they you can always sail on home again. You DO have another Son with his own ship you know...

:-* ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 21, 2020, 02:59:26 AM: ...Aye, Brother...I need to get out of my funk. If Jonas approaches me...I will scream and jump into the water...drowning would be better than what he would want to do to me. :P It would be nice to see Thor and Helga again...we had so many good times...SO MANY good times. I worked hard there...for so many years. ;D At times, I had to quickly go to the bathroom...I was drinking 7-up...with an additive...and suddenly got an urge to go and pee...I was laughing so hard...and doing so with a FULL BLADDER is not good. But, *sad smile* I also spent a lot of time studying Norse Culture, and put on Norse Events at Scagnar, even the Althings...*S*...I always got others to get involved...and sat back and watched what they did...but...that meant nothing...apparently. :'( Did I 'travel'? YESSSS!!!! That is how I got typists to come and visit us!!! I went into safe places...and...yes...went into Panther and Taluna Lairs...but...Izee' is a FULL PANTHER HUNTRESS...TRAINED BY KIMBA!!! Izee' can defend herself...she was confronted several times...and easily BEAT her opponent!!! I traveled to help the Home grow...and get typists to visit us regularly.

…I guess that at Scagnar…you can rack up years of 'Atta Girl'...but you get accused of one 'awshit'...you mean nothing to anyone anymore...so sad... :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 21, 2020, 03:26:04 AM: ...I will add this...as I was making my long leaving...many were asking me to stay...but the final words, by a Man, said to me were...

…"You aren't worth a collar"

...If I had just been tossed into a cage...I would have logged off...stayed off the computer for a couple days...and cooled down...spoken to the friends I had...and come back in...and seen what I could do to r/p myself out.

...But, we all have our limits...and we can't be pushed further...

…*Shrugs* He saw that I was r/t VERY UPSET...he could have sent me a supportive pm...so that I knew that it was just r/p...but...

...I am a 'Soul Player'...you meet me in r/t...you will see "Izee'" in me
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: siren on April 21, 2020, 08:37:52 AM: *hugs You lots knowing exactly how You feel*

well i, for one, am very happy You're in Tuchuk now, and am thankful to Scagnar for that. *huggles You again, the rt person, but then siren would, too*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on April 21, 2020, 09:14:41 AM: Sis... that is the past. Move on. At the Thing you are allowed to return again and visit. You may not be the most favorite one there, but I do not think you need fear for your life.

Marcus spoke for you at the Thing.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 21, 2020, 06:50:51 PM: ...Thank you, Brother...I will visit...and r/p in my 'minor key' mode... ::) I will not cause or add to any drama. If things get tough for me...I will just climb the Hill to Marcus's Tomb...and sit by it.

...The new 'Marcus' has been VERY supportive to me...it has actually helped me with my r/t. I am very grateful to him, it is nice to have someone who stands with you, knowing that r/t is very challenging. (*Hugs you close*...you have been one of the most helpful to me) It would be good to visit and see him again. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on April 22, 2020, 03:50:31 PM: Very good. Will see you there. :-*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 22, 2020, 08:23:46 PM: ...Why Izee' never starves...she is like her typist... ::)

...I was a 'Girl Scout'...and was very active. I especially loved the Summer Camp...although NOT AT FIRST!!!! :P I struggled, and kept off to myself a lot...and HATED THE COMMISARY FOOD the first year...and lost a lot of weight. My Mother was crying when they picked me up, the first year...I was thin, dirty, and depressed. :P

...I had mostly fed myself with fish, that I caught. I tried for trout...but they were hard to catch. Often, if I caught one, an older girl would take it away from me. >:( So, I settled on...'bullheads'...they were easy to reel in They are black catfish, about 8 inches long...and 3/4 OF THE FISH IS THE HEAD!!!! I would cut off the heads, and then just boil the body over a fire in the WWI messkit that my Grandfather had given me. The Leaders of the troop were very negligent...I was actually left behind on a long overnight backpack. They didn't keep the troop together, and my pack fell apart, and they just told me to catch up. I put it back together, and tried to follow...but there was a fork in the trail. I took one...and never saw the troop...but kept walking. I was ACTUALLY REALLY PISSED!!!

...After a few hours, a jeep with two men came up behind me, and I climbed in, and they took me to a resort. I was left there, and got a good meal, a shower, and the Owner took me out to fish. That evening, another jeep showed up, and took me back to the Camp. :) My Parents NEVER FORGAVE THE ADULT LEADERS...but let me stay in Scouting...

…A few years later, I was the Leader...and I LECTURED THE ADULTS!!!! I told them that the pack would ONLY move as fast as the SLOWEST MEMBER!!! I also said that we would stay together, although I did say that two older girls could travel ahead...as 'Scouts' (They would have tried to do so. anyway... ::)) I walked at the back of the pack, and would SHOUT at the adults..."SLOW DOWN...or...WE NEED TO TAKE A REST!"

…I would walk with the younger, and weaker girls, and encourage them, but watch them carefully...I felt that I, as the Leader of the troop...was responsible for them...and would not push them hard. I mean...we were out in the Sierras...and if one got sick or injured...it could be very bad. At camp, I did my best to stay active, and visit with everyone, making sure that everyone ate some of the dehydrated food...and would give the younger ones some candy...to cheer them up. "Summer Camp" is often not very much fun...the first time. The first week that I was there, and we were told that we could write letters home...I wrote...

...COME AND PICK ME UP AS SOON AS YOU GET THIS...

...I added more...but...they DIDN'T come and get me... :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on April 22, 2020, 10:34:20 PM: ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 27, 2020, 12:25:20 AM: ...Tristan had worked the 7th Orlu of the 1st Oralu, that Ragnar had entrusted Him to train, very hard that day. Tristan had grinned, many were new Warriors. Tristan than spoke to them...

...https://youtu.be/Z1nmYDF19ZY
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 27, 2020, 06:28:11 PM: ...OK, true story of when I couldn't control my temper in r/l... :o

...When I was working, I was a pretty good Trial Attorney. I had a high National Rating, and was undefeated in Jury trials. I was usually on the Defense...and cases usually finally settled the morning of the Trial, when I said..."That is our LAST offer". ;D My clients were very relieved. I was also not a LOUD MOUTHED BITCH LAWYER...like you see in Movies and TV. I was always calm, reserved, I would just calmly DISSECT THE OTHER SIDE. ;) I was appointed to open a new office for the Firm, and moved to a new town. It was quite an experience. ??? I was helping move my Family in, and looking for Office space. Once I found an Office, for five attorneys and staff...I got furniture brought in, and then hired staff and attorneys as the cases flooded in.

…I was working a new case, I was on defense...it was a 'Property Damage Case'...and it was BS. >:( I didn't believe a THING that the plaintiff said. My client was a Police Officer, and was worried. The plaintiff's attorney was a 'bottom feeder', and was always contacting the Dept to say that my client should be fired...the plaintiff was a CITY COUNCILMAN!!! >:( Guess what my client had done to destroy the Councilman's life????

…My client had cut the branches off of a large evergreen tree that hung over his yard, that was on the Councilmans property, right on the fenceline.. He had just cut the lower ones, because they were damaging shrubbery on his property. ::)

…I took the deposition of the Councilman, and he INSISTED that his life had been ruined...that he had enjoyed sitting under the trees...playing his guitar...while his wife lovingly watched from the bedroom window...and just couldn't do that anymore...because of the cut branches. I visited the residences...and his side of the property was not affected. I also spoke to the Chief of Police...he and I had had some positive dealings in the past...and He told me, that as soon as the Councilman found out that his neighbor was a Cop...he WENT FOR HIM!!! :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 27, 2020, 06:50:07 PM: ...So, we prepared for Trial...the Councilman wanted a HUGE amount of money...I had offered $500 dollars...and said..."Get on with your life." But...we had to do a lot of expensive discovery...they added the claim that the trees were damaged. I hired an Arborist who just laughed when he looked at the trees, and said..."Trimming a tree doesn't kill it...actually...you trim it right...it gets healthier." :)

...But...I was getting very angry every time I encountered the plaintiff's attorney. He was an Hispanic male...and...somehow...knew how to 'push my buttons'. Again...normally...I was very calm in a case. Once, the opposing attorney called me an 'Iron Bitch'...and I WAS THRILLED!!!! I actually hoped that that would be my nickname in the Legal Community. ;D

...I was mentoring a brand new attorney, 'John', that I had just hired 6 months earlier, he sat in on the depositions I took, and also when I spoke with our expert. I explained the legal process to him, and actually let him help me plan for a trial.

...John was with me at the Settlement Conference...and I was VERY ANGRY AS WE LEFT THE COURTROOM!!! The plaintiff attorney had repeatedly insulted me during the conference...and he was doing it in a very subtle way...and...for some reason...I just REALLY DIDN'T LIKE HIM!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 27, 2020, 07:53:36 PM: ...I sat in my office for 45 minutes...thinking over what had happened...and told myself..."You ARE NOT GOING TO TRY THIS CASE...you get angry in front of the Jury...and you WILL LOSE!" :P I calmed down, and summoned John to my office, and said..."You are going to try this case." :) He stared at me...and I said..."Don't worry, I will watch over you". I didn't want to sit at the table. So, the next few days, I helped him plan all aspects, every aspect of a jury trial, and sat in with our Police officer client as we explained what was going to happen. I told the Officer that I still was an attorney of record for him, and although I would be sitting in the audience, that I would counsel John...and if things went sideways...I would step past the gate.

...The Trial was VERY AMUSING... :) the plaintiffs attorney gave the longest...and worst...opening statement I had ever seen. He went on and on, painting a romantic picture of how the Councilman sat under the trees, every evening...playing his guitar...while his Wife adoringly watched from the bedroom window...and that now...THAT ASPECT OF THEIR LIFE WAS FOREVER OVER!!! :o due to what the Police officer had done!!! ???

…A few times during the opening statement, John would look over his shoulder at me...and I would give a very subtle 'hand gesture' to signal to him..."Don't object." ;) I was watching the Jury...and they were ALREADY PISSED! I mean, if you are going to sit in a Jury Box for four days...you want it to be over something important. One Juror was sitting back, and was holding a paper cup in his mouth during the plaintiffs opening statement. I told John to just make a quick opening statement...he did. :D

...The testimony in the trial was also amusing... the plaintiff attorney brought in MDs to testify as to the extent of the injuries that the Councilman had sustained. John did a good job to cross-examine them, and they all said that they couldn't find any injury...and each one of the MDs shook my hand as they left...(I had deposed them) ;) The Jurors were watching...and probably wondering..."Who is she?"

...The jury was out for about 90 minutes...and I SWEAR that I could hear laughing...

...the Councilman got zip...and the Police Officer actually had relieved tears in his eyes as he left ...the Councilman had kept telling the Chief to fire the Officer...that when the Jury found that the Officer had caused property damage...that he should be disciplined.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on April 27, 2020, 11:16:51 PM: I would have brought in an acoustic guitar with loose tuning pegs. Set it down in front of him and ask him to play something. If he couldn't... ooooops.

If he actually could play, the twanger would quickly go out of tune and sound horrible. Thank him, take it away from him, and make a simple comment to none in particular, "No wonder your wife thanked your neighbor for trimming that tree", and put it away. Ooooops...

Jury laughs, jury likes you, jury already dislikes him, win!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 30, 2020, 12:49:37 AM: https://youtu.be/bUhoirFjhw0

...Thinking about music, and life, tonite...eating a warmed up premade dinner that my Mother and I are trying out. ::) Neither of us really want to cook, so we are trying out a Government service...and the FOOD IS FREE!!! My Mother is very elderly, and we both tell the 'authorities' that I am caring for her...but she is very alert...and active...I just keep the house clean...and stay out of her way!!! *JDL* *Shrugs* It is better for her...and less expensive to the State...if I just put her into an Assisted Living Home...and sold the house and moved into an Apt...the State would be spending a lot of money. I pay the bills, and buy all of the food. Sometimes, Mom calls my brother when I am out, and gives him a 'shopping list'. My brother shows up with bags of stuff...and I write him a check...and we both laugh. ;)

(That is why Izee' can't be controlled...my r/t mind will take over...and just not go along with the r/p. I am also trying to get over my Divorce...the "Mess" I caused at Scagnar was because I was trying to accept that the r/t Man that I loved...didn't love me anymore...and wanted to take HALF OF MY RETIREMENT ACCOUNT!!! I just couldn't handle any r/p that had me being rejected...and I wasn't rational. :'( I know the phrase..."Don't bring your r/t into the room"...but you can't control how you are feeling.)

…Well, I finished the 'dinner'...actually it was a 'breakfast'...and it wasn't bad... :) I will see if I can get some sleep.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 02, 2020, 02:34:20 PM: ...Performing music...Rags and some others will understand...

...Music always hit a part of my brain that nothing else could enter, when I was performing. I would be sitting at the piano, watching my hands...I would be thinking of how I wanted to handle phrase...and they would usually do what I wanted them to. That is when my mind went 'off to a New World'... :o...I really believed that they had their own minds...and I would get angry at them when they hit a wrong note. :P The same thing happened when I played the cello...and I WAS NOT A CASUAL PERFORMER! :o I would walk off the stage, and GLARE AT THEM... >:(…I would calm down, a bit, and go back out for a few bows...but would cuss my hands out when I got back to my Apt. :P

...But, the experience of performing music is like nothing else in this World. I insisted that my children learn instruments...my daughter learned to play the clarinet well, she and I played trios with a pianist. My son didn't do as well...but he did other things fairly well.

...I have experienced many emotions when performing music...and tears would be running down my face many times... :'(

…But, Rags and others may have had this experience. My body would fill with energy, and when the cello section had a dramatic melody...I would feel what was like an 'Orgasm'...but it would just be in my mind...my body would be clean...and not sweating. I would wonder if I had been 'visited' by a Higher Power...who was approving of what I was doing.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 03, 2020, 03:31:07 AM: Why I never understood the need for musicians to use drugs. You run such highs, lows and everything in between during the entire gig. I have noticed no two people feel exactly the same thing even from the same piece. It can be compared to sex I suppose. Some shows your entire body is electrified, others not so much even though it is the same piece. Sometimes you hit a stage of near euphoria early on that you ride the entire show, sometimes it comes on later and hits like a truck and the entire earth moves. But if you don't feel anything, then you are not making music... you are just playing notes in succession.

But the real orgasms came for me after the show most usually with some chick about three rows back center with great tits and legs to die for when wearing high heels.

::) :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 04, 2020, 10:07:46 PM: ...Why I had to leave the first firm. :P I had a good friend when I was driving to night Law school...we got together a group, but they flunked out, or dropped out. So, for three years...a NAVAL AVIATOR and I drove to the classes. We would alternate driving, and at times when I was driving, he would tell me tales of when he had been in battle. I once let him drive me to the Alameda NAS, and I climbed into his Corsair, and looked over all of the instruments. I had flown gliders...and I just chuckled as he explained them to me...I said..."I flew a plane without an engine...and got to 10,000 feet." He swatted me, and took me out to a very nice lunch. ::)

…He set up a plaintiffs attorney firm...I joined a defense firm. We sparred a number of times, and would get a drink afterwards, and I would calm down. He and his wife are the 'Godparents' to my daughter...he and I were very open to each other.

…I was visiting him at his office, and he was determined. He explained an accident to me, and showed me the report. His client, that he had just signed up, was a paraplegic...(Paralyzed from the waist down)…and the cause of the accident was a guy driving a truck. I made some comments about the case. There was a 1 million policy.

…A month later, it was late at night, and I needed to stretch my legs, and walked down the hall. I found the Junior partner and a senior staff attorney sitting together. I smiled, and walked in, and asked what they were talking about. They said that they were trying to figure out to STEAL the case! :o I listened in for a bit, and went home.

…I sat FOR DAYS...trying to figure out what I SHOULD DO!!! Legal Ethics are very strict...you violate one...you LOSE YOUR LICENSE!!! I figured out that what I had heard wasn't attorney/client conversation...it was just ASSHOLES TRYING TO STEAL A CASE!!! I told my friend of what I had heard...and he got ready.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 04, 2020, 10:25:44 PM: ...The Junior partner, and the associate, did EVERYTHING they could do to steal the case. My friend would have a drink with me, and I would just nod, and say..."I can't comment". My friend mentioned that he had discussed hauling my ass into the Courtroom, to tell what I had heard. But, his more experienced friend said..."No, we have to protect our source".

...So, that is why I changed Firms...*Stealing cases*...nothing much lower... >:(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: siren on May 05, 2020, 11:28:02 AM: i'm so sorry You've gone through all you have. *huggles lots* i'm always here for you if you want someone to talk to, my sweet friend. Take care of yourself first, afterall, you were victorious in what occurred, and can hold your head up high.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 10, 2020, 01:30:39 PM: ...Performing Music... :)

...As Rags has added, performing music is no comparison to listening to music. Your mind wakes up in unusual ways, and your body is full of different emotions, Most of the time, I would be full of energy, but, other times, I would pack up my cello, and leave. It was easier when I was performing on the piano...I would just quickly slink out the back door of the auditorium, and walk to my apt. Once, my door was pounded right after I got home...and I opened it, and two of my friends said..."Hey, we arranged a reception for you." I freshened my makeup, and did my best to look happy as I circulated among the guests. They were all complimenting me. Problem was...at that time in my life...I was focused on being 'perfect'. I was just focused on the few missed notes, and a phrase that didn't go as I had wanted it...and totally forgot the passages that I had played very well. When I got back into the cello a few years later...I was more forgiving of myself. I would just chuckle when I hit a wrong note, and would focus on performing the rest of the work.

...I took private lessons with a World Class Performer... :)…and after a year I was playing better than I had been. Of course...I spent HOURS practicing every day! It was hard, but I really wanted to get back to my skill level. It worked... :)…One season, I had joined a new Community Orchestra, and was sitting LAST CHAIR in a section of 8 cellos. I had to turn the pages for my standmate…an elderly woman who couldn't see the music well. I marked our music with LARGE numbers to show easy fingerings. During a break, I was sitting and practicing the Symphony...and the Conductor moved me down to the next stand.

…I got moved up a stand a few rehearsals later. The Conductor would ask me to stay after a rehearsal, and listen as I played a passage, and we would talk about it. Then, he wanted to perform the entire William Tell overture...and the Principal and I played the solos in front of him. The Principal just laughed, and said..."I will turn the pages...so I became the new Principal. :o

...I finished the solo at the concert...and she whispered to me...as sweat was dripping off of my nose. "That is a real Bitch Kitty...I HATE playing it!" I just nodded
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 10, 2020, 01:39:49 PM: ...My favorite concerto..."The Dvorak" ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
https://youtu.be/nJSlmoXpzfM
...I actually got to where I could play this...pretty much... ;)...the emotions I would feel would be very intense.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 10, 2020, 07:17:44 PM: ...We just finished a REALLY NICE DINNER... ;) I am living with my elderly Mother, watching over her, and paying all of the bills. I just don't go out, I don't want to contract the virus and bring it back. My Brother brings us food, and I write him a check... :) He brought in Chinese food, and we sat around the table, and ate. He ALSO BROUGHT US PRESENTS! My Birthday was on May 8, and today is Mothers Day! :)

...My Mother received a package of paper towels...and I got...A BOX OF KLEENIX!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...I was laughing so hard, it was difficult to write the $73 check for the groceries and the Chinese food... :) ;D :o ::)

…I will return the 'favor' when his Birthday comes up in June..... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 11, 2020, 07:45:55 AM: LOL

Not sure about you sis, but I am soooo over this plague stuff.

I want my life to return to its normal state of insanity.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 11, 2020, 12:53:34 PM: ...Not sure that everyone knows what a 'Gamba' is... :) It is short for 'Viola de Gamba'. It is a Renaisance Era instrument, and it is related to the modern String Bass. :) Please look at it, it is shaped like a String Bass, with drooping shoulders. The cellos are of the 'Violin' Family, and have rounded shoulders. This one has seven strings, my Gamba has six strings. (My cellos have the usual four strings). I can't play my Gamba this well...but it shows what it is capable of. ;D

...https://youtu.be/z7S07C_FX2E
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 11, 2020, 01:16:45 PM: Well get you Gamba in gear Woman!!!!!

;D ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 11, 2020, 09:52:09 PM: ...I had a very emotional event the last hour. I "pulled off my wedding ring". I had kept it on, even after he divorced me. I just loved it...and men stayed clear when I sat at a Bar for a drink after a deposition. So now, both hands look the same... :'(

...It is probably for the best,
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 13, 2020, 10:00:01 PM: ...Just gonna ramble for a bit... ;)

...I had a BLAST in college. :) I was the Principal Cellist, and Glen Chin was the Principal Bassist. We got to like each other, and hung out a lot. We looked so different, he was an obese Chinese guy, I was a slender Hispanic. Often, after a rehearsal, we would go out and he would take me to 'back alley' places for oriental food. He would speak Chinese to the waiter, and I would just sit, and hope that what he ordered for the two of us was something that I could hold down. He would call me, and I would wait outside of my apt at 10:00 pm, and he would drive us into SF...and I didn't know WHAT TO EXPECT!!! His Family owned a VERY famous restaurant, and sometimes we were given a back room...and other times his Cousin came out and scolded him! We would sit at the Bar, and eat some noodles...and then go to Tower Records. Glen never told me of what his Cousin had said...I never tried to study Chinese. ;)

…I went to Law school after I graduated...and Glen went to...HOLLYWOOD!!!! He has appeared in many Movies. My Ex hates the Actor who killed Glen in a very popular movie.

…Glen did teach acting classes, and when I had a case in LA I would visit him. I kinda had fun...he would greet me in front of the students, and I would plant my butt in a chair and watch. During breaks, some of the students would come up to me, and ask..."Are you someone important?" I would just look at them, and Glen would say..."Yes, She is...get back to the stage." I guess that if I had wanted, I could have had my hotel room full of whoever I chose. ;)

…Glen died this year, and I am a bit angry at myself...

…We never got to say 'farewell'...but...He died in his sleep... :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 13, 2020, 11:49:38 PM: So long as you remember him, he is never truly forgotten.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 14, 2020, 10:53:58 AM: ...Here He is...he was quite a Man. He introduced me to so many different cultures...and places that I was scared of...I would be the only non-Chinese...and guys would be 'eyeing me'. But, Glen was huge, and they all knew who he was, so they were polite. He would test my eating capabilities. Once, he said that we were going to go to an 'all you can eat' place in Chinatown, SF, so I starved myself for two days. I was VERY pleased when I ATE MORE THAN HE DID!!! I plucked a prawn off of his plate, with my chopsticks, while he was slumped back in his chair...ate it...and said..."I won." So, he paid for the ENTIRE MEAL!

...He was a very kind man. He had studied 'Music Therapy' at UOP, and would invite me to help him. We would drive to a residential mental health facility, and get the patients to get involved in some sort of music. He could get the most ill ones to shake a tambourine, or bang on a drum. :)

…You are correct, Rags...He will always be in my memories... :'(

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Chin
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 14, 2020, 10:56:54 PM: ...Performing Music. :) It awakens parts of your brain that can't be accessed any other way. Einstein played the violin...and I became a Lawyer...*LOL*...I had wanted to become a Marine Biologist....but my Mental Health issues caused me a lot of puzzlements in my early life.

https://youtu.be/PEHGxpRoZQM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 14, 2020, 11:23:03 PM: ...I REALLY enjoyed playing this piece. I didn't know what the work was when the Professor of Piano assigned it to me. :P I labored through the first part, several times, and then got to the 'juicy' part...and stopped...thinking..."I have heard this before". I then REALLY got into the mood of the work. I would get very quiet as I approached the theme...AND THEN JUST HAMMER THE KEYS!!! ;D

https://youtu.be/tp-DeAZmKOA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 15, 2020, 10:49:40 AM: ...Here is a video of a Woman actually playing this. :) I could actually play it as well...but...it took a LOT of PRACTICE!!! :P I am starting to get out of my funk...I wonder if I had contracted that virus...I just felt tired and depressed all of the time...and slept a lot. I will try to get back into the r/p. For some reason, I just couldn't get into I/C, although I tried a number of times. I guess that they have no use for me, which is deserved...I disrespected so many when I made my exit...I had been Honored there.

https://youtu.be/tFGiD2UQSyw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 15, 2020, 02:10:48 PM: We are in the Nexi wilds on the move again.

BE THERE!!!!!

:-*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 15, 2020, 10:31:48 PM: ...Izee's Senior Recital Performance at Conservatory...why she was denied a Diploma...and went to 'Law School'... ::)

https://youtu.be/KWsXUndS22Y
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: NightStorm on May 16, 2020, 06:35:51 PM: We're back in Webmaze. No excuses.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 16, 2020, 10:36:39 PM: ...I don't think that my mind operates normally. ::) After HS, I took some Summer Courses at the Community College, so that I could get the 'Liberal arts' classes on my credentials. I took cultural anthropology and marketing one summer. The Professor of the anthropology class awarded me an 'A', and said that students should ask me for copies of my final essay for ideas of how to answer a question. (There were only two 'A's' awarded) ;D

...But, I 'cut loose' on the Marketing assignment. (My Bipolar Illness was in the 'high stage') We had to give a 'sales presentation' on something, and I looked at the list that was passed around. There were things like, shoes, shirts, and such...and I wrote down 'Nuclear Oven." ;) I had no idea of what I was going to do. :o

...But, I had a good friend, who was attending UC Berkely, and studying Nuclear Physics. We got together, and made a 'Nuclear Oven' out of a carboard box...it had dials...and blinking lights ALL OVER IT!!! ;D I dressed up VERY OUTRAGEOUS when I did my presentation, and my friend had his white Lab Coat on. I introduced him as "Dr. Fig", and got into my sales pitch. I put a cup of stuff into one side of the Oven...and there were a bunch of interesting sounds...and I opened the other side...and brought out a chocolate Hostess cupcake...I gave it to the professor. ;)

…I then got into my INTENSE SALE PITCH!!!! ;D The Oven began making unusual sounds... :o...We had a little tape recorder inside...and we had rehearsed the 'skit'. ::) I had to talk louder as more noise arrived. Dr. Fig got VERY worried, and interrupted my "sales pitch', and asked me for the cadmium rod. I pulled it out of my pocket, and started to explain what it was, and why it would shut down a nuclear explosion...Dr. Fig grabbed it from me, and went back to the Oven...and set off a flash camera we had set in there. I was almost shouting as I finished my sales pitch...the tape recorder was VERY LOUD!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 16, 2020, 10:45:35 PM: ...I was REALLY shouting at the end...Dr. Fig carried the Nookly Cooker out of the room...and there was the sound of a HUGE EXPLOSION as he exited. ;D

...I just got a 'B' in the course...but...I had had some fun. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 19, 2020, 11:08:36 AM: ...Don't get a Panther Huntress angry...when she is wearing a Black Robe... >:(

...the Presiding Judge had asked me to become a 'Judge Pro Tem', and I agreed. I raised my right hand, and repeated the Oath..."To protect and defend the Constitution of the United States"... :) So, several days a month, I would put on the Black Robe, and preside over a Court. They usually assigned me to Traffic Court, and I would have to work fast...the Courtroom was packed. I had sought counseling from the oldest Judge in the system, and he had just smiled, and said, "Just set a fair fine, something that the defendant can pay that day. You set a large fine, that the defendant can't pay right away, he will have to return again and again...and we have other more important matters to attend to. And, people need to get on with their lives, not burdened with a huge fine for just driving a bit too fast."

...The Bailiff was always happy to see me arrive, we would drink coffee in my Chamber, and look over the schedule. I would tell her that I would get through the easy ones, first...I didn't go by the list. She would smile, and nod. She was about 5'2"...but built like a fireplug...and she HAD A GUN!!!!

...I would make my 'dignified entrance' as she announced my name, and plant my butt behind the Bench, and give my usual speech about what was going to happen...and HOW I EXPECTED EVERYONE TO BEHAVE!!! :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 19, 2020, 11:37:01 AM: ...I worked fast, I would question the defendant, and size them up. If the defendant was a rich jerk...I would set the fine high. I was kind to the poor...I would ask them to show me what was in their wallet...and set the fine at $10.00. :)

...A Big Jerk showed up, once. He kept arguing with me...he had been cited for driving an old VW Bug that was in very poor condition...and had been speeding. I tried to be calm, and explained to him that he needed to just pay a fine, and fix up his car...the taillights didn't work. I kept speaking to him...and he kept arguing with me.

...But,,,HE STOPPED!!!!! ;)

…My Bulldog Bailiff had walked up to hum...and was standing beside him...GLARING AT HIM!!! I was ACTUALLY scared of her at that moment... :o

...He stopped arguing with me...accepted my Judgement...and the Bailiff went back to sit beside the Bench.

...I went onto the next case...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 20, 2020, 11:09:59 AM: ...PERFORMING MUSIC...NOTHING LIKE IT!!! :o

...I once performed this...I have been blessed...but I ALSO WORKED HARD!!!~ I would sit for hours every day at Conservatory in a closet sized 'practice room', and saw away at my cello. My "Manic Phase' hit me hard, once...and I vowed to practice SIX HOURS EVERY DAY...plus attend classes...and eat something. That lasted a month...I was thinner...and my mind wasn't quite right. My roommates set me down, and spoke with me. I asked..."Is my playing better?" They laughed, and said..."You are going to be busted from 1st chair to 3rd chair if you keep doing this...and then to playing the 'song flute' with the liberal art majors."

...They took me to Dennys, and made me eat a burger and fries... ::)

…I limited my practice to just two hours a day, and made myself take a walk, or go to the gym...and to EAT THREE MEALS A DAY! I got better...but decided to change Majors...I needed music to be a 'hobby' with me...not a Profession.

https://youtu.be/UbuHgXkEb24
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 20, 2020, 06:54:18 PM: ...I am not trying very hard to get into the r/p right now. :'( I am going through 'issues'...and don't want to make my life more complex...and sad. I had loved the r/p, and spent hours every day, getting Scagnar to become a very active and fun place. It really came 'alive', and I visited MTC and did my best to make it interesting. I planned festivals, and pm'd with typists to make them have fun. The room would fill...and I would sit back and watch. ;D But, that meant NOTHING to Jonas.

...he stripped me of a High Honor for no reason. :'(

...I was hurt...r/t...it affected my r/t life.

…I just don't want to get back into the Gorean r/p...and get hurt again.

…I will probably go into the Forests, and 'Panther' alone
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 20, 2020, 08:55:08 PM: Quote from: Izee on May 20, 2020, 06:54:18 PM
...I am not trying very hard to get into the r/p right now. :'( I am going through 'issues'...and don't want to make my life more complex...and sad. I had loved the r/p, and spent hours every day, getting Scagnar to become a very active and fun place. It really came 'alive', and I visited MTC and did my best to make it interesting. I planned festivals, and pm'd with typists to make them have fun. The room would fill...and I would sit back and watch. ;D But, that meant NOTHING to Jonas.

...he stripped me of a High Honor for no reason. :'(

...I was hurt...r/t...it affected my r/t life.

…I just don't want to get back into the Gorean r/p...and get hurt again.

…I will probably go into the Forests, and 'Panther' alone

If you are still stuck on Scagnar, indeed you DO have some issues. It has been what... 2 - 3 years now at least? A long time at any rate. What you do in another home prior to coming is is usually not my concern. This, however is, as I have very close ties with Scagnar and those in it. I kept waiting to see the effort in Tuchuk you claim to have put into Scagnar.

He stripped you of nothing. You offered the Honor to him and he accepted. That was on you. I have seen the posts.

RP affects all of us to some degree, or you are not doing anything but putting in time. Be it sadness, hurt, excitement, joy, you feel something or you would not do it.

None have hurt you in MTC, and none hurt you when we visited the Isle together for the Althing. You tend to see what you wish to see sis... not what is actually there.

If you seek to go Panthering, then I will not stop you. But know before you actually do something you may come to regret later down the road, being a Oath Breaker once is tough to overcome. Doing so twice... that is a whole new level of foolishness. That does not speak well of Gorean Honor.

Naturally if you go I wish you well, but do so fully understanding that should you decide to ever return, Tuchuk has an even longer memory than The Isle of Scagnar, especially after speaking on your behalf to make sure you would even be welcomed there for events.

You know how to reach me if you wish to talk. If you do not wish to talk, then at least think long and hard of what you are about to throw away. A home that has taken you in, stood up for you returning with us to a home you had already broken your oath to, Marcus of Scagnar standing up for you before Law Rock seeking to allow you to come and go with us, and now your breaking your oath to Tuchuk. Is this how you wish to be seen on Gor? An Oath Breaker? One not to be trusted? One whose word means nothing? Not exactly a stellar recommendation to any home you may wish to become part of down the road.

So please think what you are about to do and the ramifications down the road.

Ever stop to think that maybe Gor is not the place for you? Shelve if you must and go earlier in the evenings to visit Castle Mac upstairs. Nate is a good guy. Hartlyn is easy to get to know. Try applying yourself to their Medieval home. You may just find your niche.

But bluntly put, do not make a Gorean ass of yourself and throw away any faith or trust you have managed to rebuild.

Rags
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 20, 2020, 10:09:10 PM: …*shrugs*...ask Thor of how much work I put into Scagnar. I wasn't adopted by Him, and granted the "Golden Pearl" because I just sat around the cookfires. I worked hard. But, that meant NOTHING to Jonas. :P

...I was pushed beyond my limits... :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 20, 2020, 10:40:43 PM: Quote from: Izee on May 20, 2020, 10:09:10 PM
…*shrugs*...ask Thor of how much work I put into Scagnar. I wasn't adopted by Him, and granted the "Golden Pearl" because I just sat around the cookfires. I worked hard. But, that meant NOTHING to Jonas. :P

...I was pushed beyond my limits... :'(

Shrug off whatever you wish. It still changes nothing. What is done is done, and long ago. I was given good advice not long ago.

"Look ahead, not behind."

It has proved true.

Now it is up to you to get over what is ancient history and move on, or keep living in the past and remaining as miserable as you are.

Your call.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 21, 2020, 10:00:58 AM: ...Good advice, Rags, I have dealt well with tougher r/t issues...I was a Trial Attorney...and faced down the IRS a number of times.

...I will work on getting active back in our Home, again. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 21, 2020, 01:11:30 PM: If you need time, take time sis.

If posting the board helps... post.

But remember to talk to myself, or your True if need be. Let us know what is going on. You don't have to go through anything feeling alone. We will support you. You know I have been here for you all along. But when we see you posting, and posting, and posting, and ignore our replies to come in, we do not know what is going on.

We are family. Sometimes dysfunctional, but still family. Maybe we can help. But we certainly can't help, or do anything for you if we don't know what is wrong.

;) :-* :-* :-*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Jamiila on May 21, 2020, 05:40:55 PM: I am also willing to listen and to help if I can..

smiles your Sister
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 22, 2020, 08:54:42 PM: ...I am sitting with my elderly Mother, and urging her to eat. :) She is, and is getting better...she got the virus...and I think that I got it too. I just lay on the couch every day, and put on my mask, and drive out to get us some food.

...At times...I take a long drive ...and think of just how beautiful my life once was...

...I was a formidable attorney, and sat as a Judge many times. I played the cello very well, and raised a LOT OF MONEY for Arts Organizations. ;D i raised a LOT OF MONEY. I also played very well on the piano.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 22, 2020, 11:28:54 PM: Sis...

your life is not over. Stop feeling like it is.

Now you have time again to play your leg fiddle, play the piano. Pick up another hobby of some sort and dive in.

Life is just too damn short to sit around thinking of what you might have lost. Think and look at what you may have found instead.

Sure you are going to have moments when you look back and see what once was. It is human nature. But do NOT step backwards and become wrapped up in it. We can never get yesterday back. We can only make to morrow better.

Decide you will, and it may be challenging, but proceed to do so!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 23, 2020, 02:33:38 PM: ...Just to show how difficult it is to struggle with a Bipolar Illness. Again, I coped with it well...once I realized what was happening. I would tell the 'black dog' to stay in the back of my mind...and take the pills, and make myself eat and work. I would force myself to smile at my staff. At times, I closed the door to my office, and fought with my mind!!!! That was SCARY!!! I wasn't suicidal...I was just trying to get my mind to operate the way it usually did. When I was 'normal', I did amazing things. My Firm had never heard of a 'Letter of Determination'...and I got the IRS to accept mine...and saved a client a LOT of money.

...I also studied this...and played it...I would actually sit back...and think that my hands were sentient creatures doing their own thing.

https://youtu.be/BV7RkEL6oRc
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 23, 2020, 03:07:39 PM: You did it once, you can do it again.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 23, 2020, 04:05:40 PM: ...Again...I don't want to be hurt...again.

...I labored hard at a House...and got Gobsmacted for no real reason.

...*Shrugs* That is why Gor seems to be dying...

...You Men need to value the Women who dedicate their F/T to a home
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 23, 2020, 04:41:11 PM: what about practicing law again?
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 23, 2020, 05:24:49 PM: Quote from: Izee on May 23, 2020, 04:05:40 PM
...Again...I don't want to be hurt...again.

...I labored hard at a House...and got Gobsmacted for no real reason.

...*Shrugs* That is why Gor seems to be dying...

...You Men need to value the Women who dedicate their F/T to a home

Blinks...

Value the Women? Are you saying I do not value my sisters? Are you saying I do not value the friendships of Women outside Tuchuk?

I could rattle of a list of why it might seem Gor is dying. Not Honoring, Respecting, and caring for the Women I know is not even on that list.

I suppose offering you an ear, a shoulder, my time, are primes examples of not valuing you as a sister?

How dare you!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 23, 2020, 06:54:55 PM: ...OK...I overstepped what i needed to say...I am not well.

...*Gives you a deep bow and curtsy*

...You have always stood beside me, and supported me...and it meant so much. You got me through many r/t challenges. You also got me through v/t challenges. I recall chatting to you of jury trials I was handling...and when i was living in a little room , alone, for a year, during my divorce...ordering food to be delivered to me every three days...I ate most of it...but threw up, usually. I got hauled out, and placed in a Facility. I laid on the bed for three days...and tried to get my mind back awake.

...BA, JD, CPA, Attorney at Law, Judge Pro Tem, First Cellist...just doesn't mean anything when your mind is sick.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 24, 2020, 06:35:28 AM: events that stress us do not need to continue to shape us or our future. I have faith you can return to where you once were if you so desire it.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 25, 2020, 02:38:29 PM: ...This Day is so important to me. I studied WW2 very hard in HS, and gave a presentation of the Battle of Midway that got me a medal. I studied the battle very hard...but...I broke down one afternoon...as it sunk into my mind that MANY Men had died. I cried for several hours. :'(

...I did well in Girl Scouts...I was elected to lead the entire Troop...(I actually could have led the Troop for TWO YEARS...but I voted for my opponent...I thought that it was improper to vote for myself...and lost BY ONE VOTE!!!! I didn't make that mistake later in life)

...I got us to finish the meetings by singing 'Taps'

Day is done
Gone the sun
And the Earth and the moon and the sky
All is well
Safely rest
God is nigh
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 25, 2020, 05:22:51 PM: *Huggers*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 26, 2020, 11:34:00 AM: ...DOLLS!!!!!

...As I sit here, in the Home of my elderly Mother (That I will inherit if I can manage to live longer than her) I am SURROUNDED BY DOLLS!!!! She is a collector, and they are all over the house. I look at the ones in my bedroom, as I get to bed, but do smile at them, and bid one 'night night' as I climb into bed.

...Some are very valuable, she sold some a few years ago... and got $4,000. When I moved in with her, I told her not to sell any more, and not to worry about finances. I pay all of the bills, and have paid for improvements around the home. She wants the house repainted, and told her ::) to go ahead, I will pay for it.

...There are two, large, 'stuffy dolls' in the living room, leaning over a wood frame holding pictures of our family. One is male, dressed as a Cowboy. The other is female, wearing a red dress, and a red ribbon in her hair. I asked my Mother what that was about, and she smiled...and said..."That is you and your brother."

...I wanted to tell her..."I didn't wear ribbons in my hair"...but ...my memory might not be correct. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 26, 2020, 02:27:14 PM: ...Just to describe the extent of my insanity...when I let it loose...I have struggled with Bipolar all of my life...but i was usually able to keep the 'high' phase under control...I only once considered suicide when i was in the 'low' side. I put the gun away, and took a long bath.

...When I was a young child, I decided that my hands were 'alive'. :) I noticed that they quickly went to the plate of food set in front of me, and sat on each side, looking at the food. I figured that they were smelling it, and deciding if they would feed me with it. :) So, I named them..."Sniffies: They would grab the fork, and stuff my face full of food.

...When I began studying the cello, and piano, i would be AMAZED by them...and UPSET!!! I would actually YELL AT THEM! I would have a good practice session...and the next day...they couldn't remember what we had worked on.

...Good thing that i never named MY MOUTH!!!

...I was usually very articulate in Court,,,and when i sat behind the Bench.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 26, 2020, 03:53:09 PM: why not return to law?
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 27, 2020, 11:11:21 AM: ...I ALWAYS loved performing works by Vivaldi...on cello...or piano. He was truly an inspired genius, and could get playful at times. This is His description of 'Winter'. When I played this, I imagined myself walking, wearing a parka and snow hat, through a village...and THINGS HAPPENED!!! At times, I would stop and stamp my feet to get the snow off of my boots. ;D

...I would get back to my lodge...and be happy. Marcus Hrolfson was still alive...I would share my 'walk' with Him... and He would LAUGH. ::) Very UNUSUAL THINGS would occur when I took a 'walk'...Izee' probably has evil demons tracking her... :P

https://youtu.be/6El8B8hJ4Sg
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 27, 2020, 11:29:02 AM: sounds like a truly passionate person which is a good thing. I am sure you can return to any of those things you love like piano, cello, or law if you se desire.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 27, 2020, 04:25:22 PM: Quote from: Izee on May 27, 2020, 11:11:21 AM
...I ALWAYS loved performing works by Vivaldi...on cello...or piano. He was truly an inspired genius, and could get playful at times. This is His description of 'Winter'. When I played this, I imagined myself walking, wearing a parka and snow hat, through a village...and THINGS HAPPENED!!! At times, I would stop and stamp my feet to get the snow off of my boots. ;D

...I would get back to my lodge...and be happy. Marcus Hrolfson was still alive...I would share my 'walk' with Him... and He would LAUGH. ::) Very UNUSUAL THINGS would occur when I took a 'walk'...Izee' probably has evil demons tracking her... :P

https://youtu.be/6El8B8hJ4Sg

Evil demons? Naw..... just "Danger Urts"!!!!!

;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 28, 2020, 02:45:26 PM: ...*JDL* I remember the "Danger Urts"...Marcus and I would try to 'out do' each other over how much comontion we could cause in an evening in the House. I think that 'Danger Urtess' won... ::) She brought ALL of her kits in...and they SWARMED the place.! Men were trying to stomp on them, and the kits...and Danger Urtess, were eating all of the food on the tables. Danger Urt was just sitting in a safe place...and laughing his ass off. :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 28, 2020, 02:59:57 PM: LOL

;) :-*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 29, 2020, 11:59:58 AM: ...Performing music... :)

...https://youtu.be/inGXqq2VoAQ

I performed this with a Community Orchestra. I was TOTALLY EXHAUSTED at the end, and I was in very good physical condition. I would go out, and jog for 30 minutes, and do other aerobics. The cello isn't an easy instrument to play, you have to use both arms, and hold the hunk of lumber between your legs...I would actually limp a bit when I had a long practice session. But, as I got more experienced, I wouldn't just sit in one position. I would sway, and move the cello into different positions, and lean forward.

...But, performing music takes something out of your body,,,at times...I can't explain it...but a few times...I just dragged my cello off of the stage. The endpin was scratching the stage...and i just wanted to get back to my Apt...take a shower...eat something...and get to bed.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 29, 2020, 02:12:58 PM: If you have anything left in you after a gig sis... you did not give the fans what they paid for nor what they deserve being fans, be it orchestra, heavy metal, or a simple school concert.

Backstage hydrate, ingest caffeine, sugar, whatever it takes just to stay on your feet to meet those with passes and to get out of there.

Then, and only then, can you allow nature to take its course and lay you out.

Without fans, there is no show. As a musician, without a show, you have no purpose there. Make the music come from within, always, and you will always feel a passionate performance... be it on stage or in practice where you may only be heard by one. The "one" is your fan. Nothing short of 100% will do.

*Huggers*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 29, 2020, 07:18:56 PM: ...HUGS YOU BACK!!!!! ;D

...I didn't have ANYTHING left in me when I performed this "Jewish Prayer'...and I am a lapsed Catholic. But, as you know...performing music isn't just placing your fingers in the right place on the fingerboard. To do it right, you need to understand the work...and what the Composer is trying to communicate. At Conservatory, I composed a few works...and was always trying to 'say something'. Once, though, I composed an Oratorio...and 'partially' stole the Title from a Composer. I called it the 'Unasked Question'. ::) My 'Frisky Mind' was in FULL CONTROL...and i spent hours working on it! ::) I actually had kazoos...and wind players just blowing into their mouthpieces...in addition to a small string orchestra and piano. There was even a short, romantic poem. :o And several singers.

...I did get an 'A'...but the Professor told me to use my 'Talent' to compose a more 'Serious' work the next time. :P

https://youtu.be/bKuC84EkEDI
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on May 30, 2020, 12:00:54 AM: Tell your professor to kick rocks.

An artist puts out what they feel. If he wants it his way, tell him to go to Burger King.

Use your talents to the best of YOUR abilities. Be able to play anything, with commitment and an open mind, but pour yourself into your works be it a kazoo, or tracks from every instrument you can get a note from. Play and perform your heart out.

You have heard the phrase marching to a different drummer? Just hang with percussionists. They have such a wide range of different yet same instruments, they can put on their own show absent any other section and rock the house. A woodwind may not like it. Brass may cringe. Strings may grit their teeth, and vocalists may shudder and run off stage, but guess what sis... percussionists don't give a damn. They march to their own beat and their full physical being is used up, their mental faculties are blurred, and their soul went into what they played.

If they make a mistake, they make it a big one and make sure it is known they MEANT to do that!!!!! It takes a special kind of person to be a percussionist. Not a drummer... they are everywhere, but a true percussionist, they embody pride, emotion, and dedication to their craft. A good many of them are hard of hearing, and eventually go deaf, but they wouldn't trade it for the world. They don't have to hear it, they can feel it as if it were their own beating heart.

Anyone can strike a triangle and make a sound. Only a percussionist can strike it to coax out the sweetest, softest tone.

Anyone can strike a bass. THUD. But only a percussionist can strike it and draw out the rich tone of it.

Anyone can crash cymbals, but only a percussionist can do it in such a way as to raise and lower the tone and vibrato where they wish it to go with a single crash.

Anyone that can hold at least two mallets can learn to hammer out a technically perfect score on a keyboard. But a percussionist can make it sing and project exactly what feeling they wish it to bring.

Watch a true percussionist at work when you can. Watch their body language. Note their facial expression. Feel the passion they push out in all directions. They even breathe differently.

When practicing just to warm up, watch and smile when a percussionist moves his hands separate from his feet, how he counts while talking and chewing gum at the same time. Each part of his body can work independently of the others seemingly without effort. If they can do this warming up, imagine what they are capable of when they narrow down their focus and their very being into their score. It HAS to make the Gods smile!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 01, 2020, 01:12:42 PM: ...Very well explained, Brother, there IS a difference between a 'Drummer' and a 'Percussionist'. :)

...I started playing in full orchestras in Grammer School...and would get accepted into Community Orchestras whenever we moved to a new city. And, the percussion section was usually as you described. They just banged on their instruments, and stayed at the same volume. ::) Once, one of the members couldn't get the beat right on a set of castanets, and the Conductor stopped the rehearsal, and kept working with him...and wasn't having much effect. My stand partner leaned over to me, and whispered, "My God, a percussionist without a sense of rhythym...he has NO REASON TO BE ALIVE!" :P I started laughing.

...But, when I joined the Semi-Professional Orchestra, I heard what real 'Percussionists' sounded like. We performed a Suite based on the music from a movie...I can't recall the title...but it was an Action Movie...and expressed a lot of moods. We strings played the romantic themes, and other groups played other themes. ;D

...And then the Percussion Section had a solo, and the Composer used ALL of the instruments. :) I was mesmerized as they performed!!! ;D It was as you described, Rags, they varied the volume, and the sounds of the instruments. I had no idea that the cymbals could make so many different sounds! And their facial expressions and body movements were very expressive. There were five men, and one woman...and she kept up with them! :D She was playing the tymphany, and the sounds from it varied a lot.

...Nothing like performing music, as you know, Brother...HUGS!!! :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 01, 2020, 03:07:00 PM: ...How NOT to share!!! :o

...I am living with my elderly Mother, thankfully, she doesn't need any extensive care. She is grateful, she didn't want to sell her house and move into a Facility. So, I do all of the shopping, and pay half of the bills. I live upstairs, she lives downstairs, so we have some privacy from each other.

...We both like to eat nuts, and so I buy those tins of Planters Mixed Nuts, figuring that it would be good that we eat different types. I will open one, and set it on the small table that is between the couch and the recliner. I take the couch, she takes the recliner.

...I haven't been feeling well the last week, and haven't been eating much...maybe an egg, or two...during the day. I am feeling better today, so I opened the can...and the only type of nut left were the ALMONDS!!! :o She had eaten ALL of the cashews and other types!!! ::) Good thing that I like almonds.

...So, next time I shop, I will buy her a few cans of cashews...*JDL*

...Now that I am improving, I will see if I can get back into the r/p...I have missed all of you so much.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on June 01, 2020, 06:36:53 PM: Will be watching for you sis!!!!! We set sail for IOS tomorrow night, join us. Its all good. The lodge I built you awaits.

:-* ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 02, 2020, 10:46:25 AM: ...I am sorry, but I just have to speak of what is going on in the SF Bay Area, >:(

...We are all under lockdown...in an attempt to also stop the looting and crime. You have all probably seen coverage of what is going on in SF, and Oakland. But...it has spread into the smaller communities. :'( The small town of Walnut Creek has been ransacked by 'Protestors'. Its' Main Street has been sacked...businesses broken into, and looted. The same thing has happened to Pleasant Hill, another small town. Walnut Creek is right next to the town that I live in, and it was one of my friends and my favorite places in HS. We would go there after school, or on a weekend, and have ice cream, or sodas, and talk about music, or other classes. There was a Luthier on Main Street...an elderly Armenian man...and I would take my cello in for servicing, and my bows in to be rehaired.

...Now, at night...there are roving gangs of vehicles driving through the Bay Area...after the curfew...and they pick out businesses to target...and break in and loot. They even tried to break into the Sun Valley Mall, where there are a lot of expensive shops...but the police drove them away.

...But...(Look of disbelief on my face)...the Liberals and politicians make excuses for what the thugs are doing...and I suspect that the police are being told to stand down. So, of course, the thugs figure that there is no risk to looting.

...The scary part is...on social media...the thugs are talking about moving into the suburbs...to loot private residences.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on June 02, 2020, 01:33:31 PM: These are not protesters, this is filth, scum.

They make no effort to send a clear message other than they are half-wits and only wish to destroy or steal for their own gain.

Shoot the useless bastards. Declare open season on looters and arsonists and kill them outright right where they stand. The point they make to me is they don't care about anyone or anything but themselves. But hey... kill them. They will be dressed in the nicest stolen looted items they could lay their filthy dick-beaters on, price tags still blowing in the breeze like some trophy of accomplishment.

It isn't about race, it isn't about injustice, it isn't about this plague, or unemployment, or lack of businesses. It is no longer about the miserable state of Law Enforcement in this Country or even rallying against a government they may feel let them down.

This is about greed, stupidity, useless lazy wastes of air out to get whatever they can for themselves because they lack the dignity, respect, and moral standards to do the best they can to earn these things... to save what you can until you can afford what you want, or even having the self respect to realize that anyone with any standards or decency see this garbage for what it is... a blight, a pestilence on society that should be eradicated with extreme prejudice.

This filth has no specific race, color, religion, or gender... no sexual preference no nothing but their own gain at the cost of others.

Come... force your way into my home. I just hope you are ready to die for what you think you can take from me. I am willing to die defending it, and that is what it will take.

I am willing...

Are you, filth?
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 10, 2020, 12:07:24 PM: ...When I was a 'Decoy' for Macy's Security :o

...When I was in college, my mother and brother had the 'Break Room' food service for the Macy's employees. They called it the "A & J Havasnack"... ;) They mostly sold snacks, but my mother would make a huge pot of soup the night before, and it would all be gone by midafternoon. When she made her 'Green Chili Stew'...it would be gone before noon. :)

...One summer, I was living at home, so I went in and helped out when I could...which was a lot. I was just focused on studying the cello and piano...and there was a limit at how much I could effectively practice. It was kind of fun. I actually enjoyed entering...I would walk through the Mall to the Macy's Dept store, and ...and...and...enter the 'EMPLOYEES ONLY' door!!! ;D I would then go to the Employees Lounge area, and go to the Havasnack. I would wash, and ask my mother what she wanted me to do. Usually, it was wiping down tables and counters, but I would take my turn at the front counter. I learned to operate the cash register, and I enjoyed talking to the employees.

...A somewhat very casually dressed guy came in, when I was just starting to help, and I looked at my brother. He told me, "That is one of the Security Guys, he is dressed down to blend in." I poured him coffee, and took a couple candy bars from behind me, and he smiled, and paid. He was a regular, and he would stand and talk with me if there were no people behind him.

...One day, business was light, and I got bored, and told my mother and brother that I needed to get out for a while. They told me to go ahead, and so I went out into the Macy's area, and did some "I wish I could afford this' shopping. I was standing at a jewelry counter, when the Security Guy came up, and stood beside me. He quietly said, "Hey, walk with me, and talk...act like we are together." I said "OK", and I walked with him, smiling, and softly talking about whatever came into my mind. He would smile back at me, and reply with equal nonsense. At times, he would stop, and I would stay with him.

...Suddenly, without saying anything...he just took off...running. He disappeared into the maze of counters and clothing, and I just stood there. For a brief moment, I thought of running after him...he had asked me to WALK with him...but...he had not told me to RUN with him. ::) So...I went back to the Havasnack, and wiped down the tables, again.

...When he would come in the days after, I didn't ask him what had been going on, and he never told me. We just spoke of minor things.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 17, 2020, 01:17:25 PM: ..."Chupacabras" "AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" *Waving hands in the air*

...When my children were young, they once asked me what a "Chupacabra" was. :) I went into an immediate panic, screaming, and waving my hands in the air. They just stared at me...and I went into a very elaborate fantasy of how I had actually seen one, and been attacked by another, when I was a child, and our family was visiting my Great-Aunts in South West Texas. I was halfway through a description of what they looked like...and they started laughing. ::) I laughed, too, and said that I didn't know if they really existed. But, it became a Family Joke. Someone would say "Chupacabra", and all of us would scream and wave our hands in the air. :o

...We then would blame every misfortune on the creatures. For instance, when the kids came home, complaining of losing something, or getting a bad grade, I would look at them, and say..."Could it have been...*Pause for effect*..."Chupacabras?" We would all scream, and wave our hands in the air. I would come home from work, grumbling about the Moron Judge who had denied my Motion...and the kids would say..."Could it have been..."Chupacabras?" we would all laugh as we screamed and waved our hands in the air.

...We almost had a real loss, though. ::) We were moving into a new house, and my son and I were carrying in a Grandfather Clock that I had inherited. It stood over 6' tall, and we each had one end, and it was in a cardboard packing box. My daughter was following us, and just HAD TO SAY..."Could it have been..." :o My son yelled..."DON'T SAY IT!!!!!!!!!!!!" ::) She didn't, but I almost dropped my end, I was laughing so hard. ;D

...Anyway, here are the creatures...

...https://youtu.be/IFLihlCOXjQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on June 17, 2020, 02:42:44 PM: HOLY SHIT!!!!! We have one of those in OHIO!!!!!

My ex wife. *Shudders*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 19, 2020, 12:13:35 AM: ...Why it is VERY HARD to kill a Torvie...

...My Lair Leader had ordered me..."NEVER TANGLE WITH A TORVIE!!!" But, I was full of myself, I had captured a Southerner, in one-on-one combat...(which got me promoted to 'Huntress')...and had been tracking a huge Torvie who had washed ashore. Her instructions had been made very clear, She said..."Only way to kill a Torvie is to cut off the head...and SHRINK IT!!! And, EVEN THEN you can't be sure! Just stay clear of a Torvie, when you see one, and alert the Lair. We will pack up our Lair, and move to somewhere new."

...I had followed Her orders...until I met the Huge, Blond Torvie who had washed ashore. I alerted the Lair...but...decided to see if I could capture or kill Him. I was on Shinfaxi, and I had my bow, and figured that the odds were fairly even...if he charged me...I could fire off a few arrows, and then guide my kaiila to trample Him. But, as I looked at Him, sitting at a fire, drying off...my mind decided to speak with Him. I put away my bow, and took up my lance...I planned to gallop by Him if He got aggresive...stick Him...and keep galloping away. But, I stopped a bit away from Him, and let Him look at me...I put on my BEST Huntress face...

...He briefly looked at my face, and then looked at the rest of me...taking His time...and smiling...I was in my 'Taluna' clothing...which wasn't very much...the Jungle was very hot. I yelled at Him..."You are MY PRISONER...kneel and YIELD!" he just nodded, still sitting, and pulled a tin of candy from His pocket, and said ..."No salt water got into this." I stared at the tin...I hadn't had ANY candy for several months. I told Him, "I be a verra dangerous Huntress." He nodded, "I understand, Huntress, I will stay seated." I got off of Shinfaxi, and carefully walked towards Him, and sat across the fire from Him. He handed it to me, and I opened it, smelled it, and ate a couple of pieces. He was just sitting, relaxed, watching me, His green eyes seemed to be amused.

...((Finish later...*S*...this did happen))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 19, 2020, 01:02:39 AM: ...I asked Him what His name was, and He said, "Marcus Hrolfson, now, what is your name?" I ate another piece of candy, and pondered for a moment...I could emit a whistle...three short bursts...and my Taluna Sisters who were watching us would swarm down...and He would have to submit...or be killed. I told Him, "My name is Izee' Tatoke." He nodded, and said, "You are a Red Savage, I can see that, your name has a meaning, what is it?" I bristled for an ihn, but relaxed, He was a VERY handsome Torvie, and was not making any threatening moves. "It means 'Medicine Deer', I be a Healer, an a pretty good Huntress." I ate a few more pieces of candy, and then looked at Him and asked, "When did ye eat, last?" He just shrugged, and said, "About three days ago."

...I was feeling an attraction towards Him, He was not threatening me in any way, and seemed to be amused by what was happening. Somehow, He had been lost at Thassa, had washed up on shore a few days later...an armed Taluna Huntress was sitting with Him...and he certainly knew that I wasn't alone...that many arrows were likely aimed at Him right now. I told Him, 'Jus relax, by tha fire, I got some food." I rose, and walked over to Shinfaxi, and took several pouches out of the saddlebags, and walked back to the fire, and sat down. I opened the pouches, and laid out dried fish, bosk jerky, and four roasted vulos, along with two botas of water, and a bota of mead. "Doan eat too much all at once, Marcus, I be a Healer. Try tha vulos, first, I roasted them this mornin."

...He ate all that I had set out, and thanked me, and sat back. I pondered for a while...I really didn't know Him...and he was a Torvie! Even if ALL of my Sisters came down, we probably wouldn't be able to capture Him...he had a HUGE Battle Axe !!! I told Him, "Ye certainly know what I be, but, there be a Village not far away. I will escort ye there, an ye can go on with yer life." His brows lifted a bit, hearing what I was saying, He wasn't sure that I was speaking the truth. I got back onto Shinfaxi, and brought out my bow. I pointed to the left, and said, "There be a fishin village not verra far away. Start walking, I will follow, an signal my Sisters tae leave ye alone. But, do not think a tryin to get away, er beat me. My Sisters be watchin, and they will fill ye full a arrows if ye try anything." He just smiled and nodded, and walked along the beach. I followed, and would whistle and make hand signs to signal my Sisters that I was in control.

...We arrived at the Village, and I stopped, and told Him to go ahead, that He could find work there. I also told Him that we Talunas had a safe 'Exchange Point', where we would trade hides, dried meat, furs, and occassionally a prisoner, in return for flour, spices, and steel weapons and tools. During the Months that followed, he would often be at the Exchange with other Villagers, and at times, after the trading was done, we would sit and talk. Then...one day...we decided to travel together...and I left the Lair, and joined Him. We had MANY amazing adventures. *S*

...(Here is the clip I had been watching...*S*)

...https://youtu.be/5tzJhu20TpE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 19, 2020, 01:19:29 AM: ...Torvies EAT this STUFF...and...and...and...STILL LIVE!!!!

...In my Primitive 'Past Lives'...I probably starved the first time someone said..."Let's EAT this!"

...But, in my 'Modern Life', I will eat pretty much any seafood or shellfish. I LOVE raw oysters, and always save the 'crab butter' when I get a fresh crab. My r/t daughter was disgusted when she saw me eating the 'butter' along with a fresh crab I was cleaning/eating. She was a Frosh in Biology in College, and explained, in DETAIL, just what 'crab butter' was. I listened, nodding, chewing a mouthful of 'body meat' that I had SOAKED in 'crab butter'. I just swallowed, said, "Interesting"...and kept eating. She snorted, and walked away. I almost CROWED...I had GROSSED OUT my daughter...'Parenting' just can't get ANY better!!!

... :) :) :) ;D ;D ;D ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on June 19, 2020, 04:28:45 AM: Chuckles

But even you must admit, cool mud and cold clammy eggs left over from morning meal stuffed into the toes of your boots does make for a rather unique experience after bathing when pulled on.

::) ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 19, 2020, 02:49:02 PM: ...Rags needs to take we FW to THIS PLACE!!!! ;D

...It doesn't seem to be real, but we would have a BLAST!

...https://youtu.be/qvUAJFKduuQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 20, 2020, 11:00:26 PM: ...More on Music... :)

...When I was very young, my Parents always had some music going in the evenings, and weekends. They mostly enjoyed the 'Big Band' music, but also put on some Classical music. They had one record that I would sit and listen to, it had Russian music on it. This Composition, "Meadowlands", was my favorite. I would get them to play it several times. One thing about the Russians, they know how to write lovely, lyrical music. When I got to 4th Grade, I vowed to play a String Instrument, and started with the Violin. I briefly flirted with the Viola...but started the Cello in my Frosh year of H.S. It resonated in my Brain, and I learned to play it fairly well relatively quickly. ;D (After taking private lessons, and doing a LOT of PRACTICE!!! :o)

...I was really happy, when a Community Orchestra I was in performed this work, an arrangement of "Meadowlands". Here it is, and...I think it kinda sounds Tuchuk. :)

...https://youtu.be/T7gCJHrjtdE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 20, 2020, 11:29:26 PM: ...OK, here is the Original...this DOES sound TUCHUK!!! I can imagine the Warriors Feasting after a Battle, and singing this. :D

...https://youtu.be/lQv5Th8SnMg

...And here are the words to the Work... :)...it does sound Tuchuk....

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=9E38F2C2DF9CA2C357B79E38F2C2DF9CA2C357B7&shtp=GetUrl&shid=bb5f2d05-9c15-4909-a5e6-52081d7e3b2a&shtk=UE9XRVJGVUw6IExpc3RlbiBUbyBUaGlzIEFtYXppbmcgUnVzc2lhbiBTb25nIE1lYWRvd2xhbmRzIC8g0J%2FQvtC70Y7RiNC60L4t0L%2FQvtC70LU%3D&shdk=UG9seXVzaGtvLXBvbHllIChSdXNzaWFuOiDQn9C%2BzIHQu9GO0YjQutC%2BLdC%2F0L7MgdC70LUpIGlzIGEgU292aWV0IFJ1c3NpYW4tbGFuZ3VhZ2Ugc29uZy4gUG9seWUgbWVhbnMgImZpZWxkIiBpbiBSdXNzaWFuLCAicG9seXVzaGtvIiBpcyBhIGRpbWludXRpdmUvaHlwb2NvcmlzdGljIGZvcm0gZm9yICJwb2x5ZSIuIEl0IGlzIGFsc28ga25vd24gYXMgTWVhZG93bGFuZHMsIFNvbmcgb2YgVGhlIFBsYWlucyBvciBPaCBGaWVsZHMsIE15IEZpZWxkcyBpbiBFbmdsaXNoLiBHRVQgWU9VUiBPV04gUlVTU0lBIElOU0lHSFQgTUVSQ0g6IHRlZXNwcmluZy5jb20vc3RvcmVzL3J1c3NpYS0xMyBUaGUgbXVzaWMgLi4u&shhk=cjqIHQZdryIAzXL8SVASFYRPWmKZeV1L1XTJ4%2F3NRyo%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.2iPmw%252BJcLxgBC0SWj86TNw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 22, 2020, 10:24:31 PM: ...Aslaug and Tiveri sing to the Warriors...they join in. :)

...https://youtu.be/JW4l97lQYC0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 23, 2020, 12:38:38 PM: ...The bonds of Tuchuk sing to the Men... :)

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=92F21FFEA4F8173C288492F21FFEA4F8173C2884&shtp=GetUrl&shid=edc4b22d-6784-460f-bcc5-ed33af023b2c&shtk=VWtyYWluaWFuIEZvbGsgU29uZyAiVHN2aXRlIHRlcmVuIiB3aXRoIHNsaWRlc2hvdy%2FQptCy0ZbRgtC1INGC0LXRgNC10L0%3D&shdk=VWtyYWluaWFuIGZvbGsgc29uZy4gU29tZSBhcyB5ZXQgdW5kaXNjb3ZlcmVkIHRyZWFzdXJlcyBmcm9tIFVrcmFpbmUgLSBwb3NzaWJseSB0aGUgd29ybGQncyByaWNoZXN0IGFyZWEgZm9yIHRyYWRpdGlvbmFsIGFuZCBmb2xrIHNvbmcuIFRoaXMgZ2VtIG9mIHR1bmUgaXMgYSBsb3ZlIHNvbmcsICJhbnlvbmUgd2hvIGhhcyBub3QgZXhwZXJpZW5jZWQgbG92ZSBjYW5ub3Qga25vdyBncmllZiIgaXMgaGFuZHNvbWVseSBhY2NvbXBhbmllZCBieSBzb21lIHZlcnkgYmVhdXRpZnVsIGxhZGllcy4gRW5qb3kh&shhk=U%2BtYFT9WoIlR44zweAej6QEcNM%2FSz9bOp%2Fagg%2FmWF%2FA%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.xABuPVd1igWWuCIFsZI9%252Fw

...I think Izee' spotted a few that She knows... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 23, 2020, 02:08:31 PM: ...Luthiers... :)

...These are the Men and Women who make, service, and restore string instruments. I have dealt with several during my career as a cellist, starting in H.S. :) Always, I was very inquisitive, (and 'Charming') when I brought one of my cellos in for servicing. Usually, it was just new strings, and an 'adjustment', and my two 'performance' bows to be re-haired. There was a very fine Luthier I used a lot, His shop was in the Central Valley. He would let me visit with Him, and would show me cellos that He was working on, and I would watch for a while as He labored on making one. :)

...One year, I was going to perform a Concerto with a Community Orchestra, and my cello just didn't seem to be responding well. I took it to the Central Valley Luthier, and he found that the upper front was coming loose. He glued it back together, but 'Pavane' still didn't sound right. I called Him, and he said that he was ill, and couldn't work. He gave me a phone number to Robert C, a Luthier in L.A. I called the number,,,a Man answered...I told Him who I was, and what I wanted, and He told me to 'forget' this number. I hung up, and looked up His business number, and called again. The same voice answered, and He laughed when I said who I was, and said..."I didn't mean for you to hang up, but that was my 'private number', and I don't use it for business." I said, "I understand, I have a cello that needs some work." He said, "Bring it down."

...I had a case working in L.A., so I brought my cello along, and drove to Cs' shop during a break. He was very open, and friendly. He was a very enthusiastic Man. :) He was also very familiar with cellos. He took Pavane from me, and sat and played, exploring ALL of the registers. He said, "The repair looks OK, but you have the wrong strings, and the soundpost isn't in the right place, I will need to make a new one." I just nodded, and said, "OK, and can you give it a good polishing?" He shook His head, and said, "Your cello looks fine." I said, "I think it will look better after a polishing." He just smiled, and wrote up the work order, and I left.

...A few weeks later, I got a call from Him, saying that my cello was ready. I was really excited as I took the long drive to L.A., and entered His shop. He brought out Pavane, and the cello looked wonderful!!! He then said, "I am going to show you something. It has the strings that you had on it when you brought it in. Play it." I sat, and played the opening to Brahms 1st Sonata, and it sounded better than before. He then said, "You need these strings on the C and G." He replaced those strings, tuned Pavane, and said..."Now try it."

...I could REALLY hear the difference...the new strings had overtones and volume that the ones he replaced didn't have...they woke up the A and D strings, and Pavane sang much better. ;D I thanked Him, paid my bill, and left. Pavane really sounded great. Musicians were asking me if I had bought another cello, and said that it sounded better than my other one. I just told them, "Take your instrument to Robert C, you will be pleased."

...So, thanks to a really artistic Luthier. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 23, 2020, 05:08:24 PM: ...In my Frosh year at Conservatory, I studied the piano as hard as I practiced the cello, and I was a Cello Performance Major. I got a 'C' in Music Theory, because I was practicing my instruments more than I was studying that subject. I just took 'Piano' as a class, since it was two units. When I could play this, my Piano Instructor urged me to 'Double Major' in Piano and Cello Performance. So, I spent a LOT of my time in a closet sized practice room, alone...either sawing on my cello, or getting my hands to romp all over the piano keyboard. I did that for two years...thinking that if I could graduate with BOTH Majors...that I would cause a sensation at the Graduation Ceremony. The 'Performance Majors' would come forward, and play a short movement of a Concerto with the Conservatory Orchestra. I had visions of being called twice...to perform the Dvorak on Cello, and the Emperor on the Piano. ;D

...Here is the work I could play back then... :)

...https://youtu.be/QImFm4Y_QPM

...Rags can probably imagine how I looked after I performed that in a recital. :o I just sat, my hands holding on to both sides of the bench, letting my mind clear, and feeling my body getting some strength back...as applause filled the Hall. I had to really focus as I stood, bowed, and carefully walked out. A friend helped me drink some water, and pushed me back out for two curtain calls.

...I realized that Music just took too much out of me, that life would be Hell if I tried to make a living performing, and/or teaching. So...I became an accountant. But, I continued to play cello and piano as an Non-Professional...although I would make a few thousand dollars every year...playing in semi-Professional orchestras and wedding gigs. :)

...Music is quite an Artistic Endeavor...and there is NOTHING like it!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on June 23, 2020, 05:40:28 PM: Looked like you were rode hard and put away wet!!!!! ;D ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 24, 2020, 02:23:11 AM: ...Izee' would teach her children many aspects of what a Red Savage was...she told all of them..."Ye be HALF Red Savage, I saw tae that!" Tristan, Keagan, and Johanna would just stare at her, the triplets were pureblood Torvies...they had been adopted by Marcus and Izee'...when the three were just small children. Still, Izee' taught them Red Savage Culture, and always treated them as if they had emerged from her loins. Tiveri LOVED being half Red Savage, she liked her light, copper colored skin, and her dark hair, but she didn't like her piercing green eyes. Izee' just shrugged when Tiveri complained about her eye color, saying, "Momma, I want dark brown eyes like yers." Izee' just said, "Next time I get pregnant, I will try harder tae produce a Torvie, er a Savage." Tiveri would just shout, and walk away. Izee' would silently chuckle, and think, "That daughter gonna grow up tae be a real beauty, an no way will she accept a collar, she be verra smart, an has ideas of what her life is gonna be like. Tha Man who decides tae Companion her gonna have an interestin life."

...At times, Izee' and her children would pack up a couple kaiila with food and cooking utensils, and ride off, a ways from the Camp. They all had weapons, and had plans of what to do if Rogues tried to attack them. They would set up a Camp, and participate in Red Savage Ceremonies.

...Here is a song they would sing...

...https://youtu.be/9UglUjiJifA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 24, 2020, 03:56:13 PM: ...Izee' Missed Marcus Hrolfson very much, He had been her first 'True Love', and she submitted to Him...after she had tracked Him down in the Jungles. ::) (And you MEN think that you do the choosing...GUESS AGAIN!!! ;D) Marcus often sang to Izee', and she just sat, and listened. But, when He sang certain sings, she jumped up and danced...not caring that she may have looked like a bond at those times. Marcus enjoyed His Companionship with Izee'...she had many moods. He actually enjoyed when the 'Panther Huntress' appeared...He would just grab her by the back of the neck, and throw her down...and have fun. She would wake up before He did, and prepare a nice breakfast for the two of them, and sit on His lap, naked, as they ate. H
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 24, 2020, 11:24:20 PM: ...Izee' is a very passionate FW, although she hides it very well. She just keeps her face looking passive, the corners of her mouth turned down. Men would briefly look at her, and think, "That woman has potential, but she just looks too tired, and not very appealing." But, a Man had seen through her scruffy look, and claimed her as His Companion. She had risen to His challenge, and had become a very honored, and beautiful FW. (*G*...during that time, typists sent me many lovely Pics. I selected one, and used it...I had to change it out. It was a VERY LOVELY pic of a woman, a few times Men tried to collar me. *LOL* The pic was just TOO PRETTY!!! But, I did like it. I finally took it down, the pic didn't really look like what Izee' is.)

...Marcus had a lot of fun with me. We had a GREAT COMPANIONSHIP CEREMONY...I was rushing around, planning the Reception, and being somewhat stressed, r/t. I wanted it to be totally Gorean, and had read several books to see what a Companionship Ceremony was...*G*...you can read one of His Novels very quickly if you just ignore the..."Master, please take me" episodes. I think that Marcus sensed what I was going through, and...at the end of the Reception...a PIE FIGHT BROKE OUT!!! I was actually surprised, and confused, I, like any Bride, was planning a 'PERFECT WEDDING"...and my plan DID NOT INCLUDE A PIE FIGHT!!! Izee' ran around, VERY CONFUSED, in her Companionship Gown, and then...she just picked up a pie and threw it at the nearest Warrior. She picked up more, later, and got hit many times. Marcus carried her out at the end, and they both washed off the 'Pies', and then went to bed...and to conceive children. ::)

But, when He died, (r/t) Izee' just withdrew back into her self. Here is a nice song...

...https://youtu.be/bWcASV2sey0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 25, 2020, 12:40:31 PM: ...At times, when I was studying Martial Arts, I was called to help with teaching. :) I would feel challenged, I had my Green Belt, and the White Belts would look at me. Again, I am small, and was slender back then, and looked PRETTY GOOD. ;) One evening, after my group class...the Instructor had REALLY worked us hard!!! :o I was told to instruct the White Belts, the usual trainer was ill.

...I led them in stretching, and got them all loosed up. I then said, "Show me your 'fighting stance'...they were lined up, side by side. I then slowly walked in front of them, looking at them, and at times gently correcting one. I stopped in front of one young man, he was all "Bruce Lee'ing' me...he was crouched down, left foot in front, right foot well behind, and holding his hands in front of his face. I looked at him, and he smirked, and I grabbed his Gi, and kicked his left leg out from under him. He fell down, surprised. I walked to the next student, who was in the proper 'fighting stance', and did the same thing... :D...He blocked my hand, and kept his balance as I kicked his ankle...and then punched me on my right shoulder. (*G* He had been aiming at my face, but lowered the punch...I was wearing my glasses)

...I stepped back, and he bowed to me, and I returned it. I looked at all of the students, and said. "You are being trained in the school of two very World Class fighters. Do as they say, and do listen to those of us who they trust to help train you. You listen, practice, do as we say, and you will become very dangerous people."

...I then directed the class in VERY HEAVY conditioning exercises. I did them along with them. About 1/3 dropped out, and sat against a wall. I did the 'duckwalk', and they ALL groaned. We 'duckwalked' back and forth for ten minutes, and several just collapsed, and crawled to the wall. I would talk during that time, and say, "You need to have strong legs to be dangerous, and have good balance. If you ever get into a real fight, it will probably be unexpected." I then looked back around, and said, "Three more laps, and then we will take a break." We finished, and we were all just sitting on the mats, and a Senior Trainer came in, looked at us, and said, "Ok, let's get to work.' I just got up, and went into the back room, and changed clothes, and drove home and took a nice bath.

...*S* I could have blocked the punch, but I let him hit me...it gave him some confidence. He worked very hard, and rose to Black Belt. I would bow to him when I entered the Dojo. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 25, 2020, 11:09:39 PM: ...A real fight that I had. :(

...I had been studying karate during college. It was a Southeast style, and was very difficult. The Katas were very complex. We would do them slow, and the Instructors were VERY insistent that we did them well. As I rose through the ranks, they explained, "We really aren't watching where your arms and legs are, we are watching where you Ki is." I would ask, what 'Ki' was, and they explained that it was the energy of my mind and body. A few times, when I was being tested for the next level, they would just smile, and say, "Keep your belt." I asked what was the problem, in my mind, my body had moved through the punches, kicks, and blocks very well. They told me, "We did not see your Ki." :(

...I practiced the katas very hard, at home, and tried to let my Ki loose. :) I finally got to feel it, and let it guide my body. It is hard to explain, but when I did a kata, my mind was blank...but my body was moving in very complex motions. I would stop, and take a few deep breaths, and think of what I had done.

... :) I was really astonished when I learned the 'soft punch'. I was pretty good, at 'Yellow Belt', I could kick and punch the bag, and it would rock. Once, an Instructor pulled me out of my class, and had me help him with a group of white belts. He had me kick and punch the bag...then he pulled me away...and said..."Calm down, go back to your group." As I walked away, I heard him say, "She is just a Yellow Belt, but look what she can do, any mugger will be unpleasantly surprised.

...Me and three other Blue Belts were taken aside by Ron, and were taught the 'soft punch'. It is AMAZING!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 25, 2020, 11:53:30 PM: ...I could punch hard, with either hand. I would pull my hand back beside my right breast, and then lean forward as my clenched fist hit the bag. During 'Kumite', I would soften my punch so that I wouldn't hurt my opponent...although...once...I didn't hold back. The jerk hit me in my face, with full force, and I fell down. I waved away the people who came to me, and got up. I smiled at my opponent, and said, "Lets go". I didn't hold back, I kicked, and punched at him, with all that I had...and when I punched his face, and swept his leg...he fell down. I just walked away, and changed my clothes and drove home. ;D

...Anyway, back to the 'soft hand'. Usually, when you punch, you make a fist. The 'soft hand punch' is different. It is actually more of a 'Roundhouse Punch'. I would bring my right hand back beside my shoulder, and step forward with my right foot. I would keep my hand open as I swung, until it was very close to the target, and THEN make a fist. :o It would land VERY HARD!!! I cannot explain it. I would practice at Home, I had a bag hanging in the patio, and would punch it using both techniques. The 'soft hand' made the bag swing more than when I made a fist.

...The 'soft hand' did help me, once. It was late at night, and I was coming out of a grocery store, with three bags of groceries. A young guy was standing near my car, and asked what I was doing. I told him that I just wanted to go home, and to leave me alone. He smirked at me, and said..."I will take you home."

...I set down my groceries, and just stood there. He didn't notice that I was arranging my balance...and he smirked as he reached for me. :P

...I gave him my 'soft hand', to the side of his face, and he fell against another car, and just sat there. I was really tempted to kick him, but with my adrenalin running, I could have killed him...and he wasn't trying to stand up. I just gathered my groceries, put them in my car, and drove away.

...I insisted that my children, and other children, study the Martial Arts.

...I never bullied anyone, or tried to cause a fight...

...But I felt that I could hold my own. :) I was also taught some really 'NASTY' things to do in a real fight. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 29, 2020, 12:09:35 AM: ...Nice songs...*S*

...I liked Michael Jacksons song, "I'm Bad' He was a very talented man,

...But, liked this one better..."I'm Fat". My good friend, Glen Chin is in it. :) He is the Chinese Guy wearing the headkerchief with a Japanese symbol on it. ::) I asked him about it, and he just shrugged. "Hey it was a paying gig, and I got to dance." He then pinched me, and said, "You white people can't tell Chinese from Japanese, anyway." It got to be a challenge...I am a mixed Hispanic...(He just saw me as white...*JDL*) and we would be in S.F. or L.A....and he would point at an Oriental, and say..."OK, Japanese, or Chinese?" I missed at a lot, at first, but I got better. I would point at a white person, and say..."English or Russian?" He would laugh, and say, "All you white people look the same."

...I apologize if the post sounds racist, it was intended to be fun. Glen and I were very close, and when I got married, I persuaded my 'Intended' to have Glen as his Best Man. Glen is in my marriage album. Glen and I were very close, and I was very sad when I was told that he died. :'(

...In this lifetime, we make good friends, and people seek us out. We need to love each other, and help each other. We also really need to have a sense of humor, and not get all hurt or agitated over small events. Anyway, here is His video... :o

...https://youtu.be/t2mU6USTBRE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 29, 2020, 02:37:30 AM: ...OK, it is late...but I need to type one last description of my earlier life. ;D

...I was really planning to become a professional cellist, but, despite hours and hours and hours of practice...I just didn't have the skill. I asked my cello Professor to tell me, honestly, what my future would be if I continued as a cello performance major, when I was a Soph. He told me, "You don't have the skill to make it into a major Orchestra. You do have what it would take to get a Masters, or Doctorate, in Music Theory or Music History. You could get, after a while, a job in a College, and you could play in a secondary Orchestra, like the Oakland Symphony, or such, and teach students on the side."

...I went back to my Dorm, and cried. My mind just wasn't perceiving reality. That was a crossroad in my life, that I just can't backtrack to. I changed my major to Business Administration, and devoted my free time to Student Government. I was a 'quiet woman', I was appointed to be the Social Director, and handed a 30K budget, after I got another girl elected Student Body President. I had wanted to get elected, but everyone told me that I just didn't look right. (That was a lot of money back then... ;D) But, I really DIDN"T look like a "Social Director". I was a 'mousy' Hispanic chick, and the Manager of the Concert Hall of the City wasn't too sure that I had the ability to produce a Rock Concert on behalf of the College. I handed him the reservation check, and signed the contract. He told me, later, that he expected to see a young woman with hair dyed in different colors, and wearing very heavy makeup, that is what he usually saw from female Social Directors. (I did tell him..."Hey, if I show up like that, next time, and wearing a miniskirt, small halter top, large hoop earrings, and 6" heels...will you give me a discount? He laughed and said, "No, but I will offer to give you something else.")

...I was the only Social Director to make money on the two public rocks concerts that were in my Budget. I had presented, to the Council, that I would lose $2K on each one. They were happy, past Directors lost $3K to $5K on a concert. I just snorted,,,past Student Social Directors had been 'DAMN POT SMOKING HIPPIES' who had no idea of what a budget was, or how to plan a concert!!! I MADE about $2K on each one. I was REALLY PLEASED when the Police took me back to the Student Center, in the back of their Cruiser...and I WAS NOT HANDCUFFED!!! I was clutching a shoebox that was STUFFED WITH CASH!!! I had seen that the jerks that approached me to produce a concert for a very famous rock singer...they couldn't do it...the local City Council didn't want outside troublemakers producing concerts...but they let me...a local troublemaker do it. ::) And I didn't trust them.

...Again, I was not a 'head-turner' in college, even after my breasts finally grew in...but I sat with the City Mayor, and explained that the Artist was not a 'Rock Singer', but that she was a 'Folk Singer'. I played a few of her songs, and gazed at him with my huge brown eyes. He bought my story, and signed off on the contract. (I didn't play her 'other' songs). (Her last name was 'Fl....') Anyway, I put in the Contract, that I would get ALL of the cash, since I was paying all of the bills, and would write them a University check for the profit. The Concert wasn't very successful...the check I wrote them wasn't very much...but then the Police grabbed my arms, and I was surprised, and bewildered, and kept asking...'What are you doing?... and they hauled me into the back of their Cruiser. :P They told me, as we pulled away..."You have a lot of cash, if some of the people figured out what you were carrying, it would have got ugly. so we made it look like we were arresting you." I chuckled, and said, "Maybe you should have handcuffed me." They laughed, and said, "No, we needed someone to hold that shoebox." ::)

...The officers were nice, we talked on the way back, and they stayed with me and the Finance Director as we counted the cash. They drove the Finance Director to the bank, and I walked to my Apt. The next day, the Finance Director was furious...he had not understood that I was going to GET ALL OF THE CASH! I just shook my head...if I had let those Bastards who approached me get me to pay all of the bills, and let them take the cash and write me a check...it probably would have bounced....and my budget would have been wiped out!! With what would have been left, I probably would have just put on a few "I will play the Records" Dances.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 29, 2020, 11:50:28 PM: ...Mimes... ::) ::) ::) :-X :-X :-X :o :o :o Accents... :o

...When I was the Student Social Director in college, I just didn't put on dances, and lose money on large Rock Concerts...(I made money on the Concerts. :) I had gotten the Student Council to approve my budget, which I planned to lose $2K on each of my two Concerts...so, My Successor had $5K when he took over at the end of the Semester. He put on a huge Campus party. He hired a well known rock group, and bought a lot of good food. Everyone was saying..."Now, THAT IS A SOCIAL DIRECTOR!!" I was pissed, nobody pointed out that I had left a LOT of money in my budget, since I had not lost money on the Rock Concerts. When I had taken over, I was only left $759 dollars, and I just bought a lot of pizzas for a party as my first event. That was actually kind of fun. The Owner of the Pizzaria let me into the back, and I helped package the pizzas, and put them into the back of my Honda SUV, and delivered them to the Campus. I gave Him the check after I delivered the last load, and the Owner got me to sit down, and gave me a beer, even though I wasn't 21. ;D I didn't report Him for 'Contributing to the Delinquency of Minor'...I was just HAPPY to sit, and drink a beer. ;))

...I hired a Mime to put on a performance. I had a lot of different events, not just dances. He really cracked me up. He, and his Assistant, looked normal when they arrived. I guided them to the Dining Hall where they would do the performance. I spoke to the Head Cook, and explained what was going on, and that they needed a room to get ready in, and to rest. She was your 'Central Casting Cook'...grey haired, short, and overweight. She actually said, as she turned around..."Walk this way." The Mime looked at me, and then he and his assistant perfectly replicated the waddle that the Cook had ::) as they followed her.

...I actually had to step back, and cover my mouth...I was getting an attack of the 'Atomic Giggles'.

...I got hauled into their performance...and I wasn't expecting it. They called for a 'volunteer'...and even though I didn't raise my hand, the Assistant came over, took my arm, and hauled me to the stage. I won't say what they made me do...but I was blushing bright red when I took my bow. ::)

...The Mime contacted me a week later, and asked if I could send Him a College 'Sticker; that he could put on his trunk. I had seen the trunk, and it had a lot of Stickers from Colleges, and Halls. I was happy to go to the Bookstore. I bought a nice one, and sent it to him. He did tell me to contact Him if I was ever in the Bay Area. I lied to Him, saying that I lived in Texas...I have an unusual Hispanic/Texas accent...he just bought it. I have no idea why I have the accent. My Mother is from Texas, but doesn't have the accent. A couple of her brothers have the accent...I guess that accents can be genetic. ::) But it is a pleasant one, Jurors would stare at me as I did my opening and closing arguments, and some would compliment me on my voice. I guess that my voice is distinctive. Once, I called Rush Limbaugh, and gave a false name. ::) I was surprised when He picked up the phone, and spoke to me...and I knew that MILLIONS of people were hearing me!!! ;D Later that day, classmates were coming up, and saying that they had heard me on the radio. I gave up trying to lie, they insisted that they had heard me, and I finally admitted it.

...Well, enough babble for this evening. I will do my best to get into r/p tomorrow. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 03, 2020, 12:44:58 PM: ...I once, proudly...held the Title of 'NOODLE GIRL'... ;D

...It was when I first studied karate. I was very slim, and had a natural flexibility. The school was a 'Hard School', it emphasized physical conditioning, and kicking and punching hard. :) Later, I studied with a Chinese style of a 'Soft School', it emphasized body control, and subtle ways to defeat an opponent. ::)

...In the first school, we did a lot of stretching. The hardest one was when we would plant our butts on the floor, put our feet 'sole to sole, pull the heels back against our crotch, and lean forward. The idea was to have your knees against the ground, and the front of your body flat against the ground. :o Just try it!!!! :P

...I practiced at home, and got pretty close. The Instructors would gently push me down, to get closer, and I would relax. But, one evening, Ron M showed up, and conducted the class. We got into the position, and Ron kept commanding us to try harder!!! :P He stopped behind me, and said..."YOU AREN'T TRYING HARD ENOUGH!!!" He then stood on my knees, so that they were planted against the floor, and pushed hard on my back, so that I was flat against the floor. He shouted, "THIS IS HOW YOU SHOULD LOOK!" He let me up, and went on with the lesson.

...He did briefly speak to me at the end. He said, "I saw that you are very flexible, you just needed some help, Noodle Girl." :o

...So, that was how I was addressed the following year. We moved to a different city, and I didn't tell the Owners of the Dojo I joined, of my 'Nickname'. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on July 03, 2020, 02:13:31 PM: We would stretch the same, only either sitting straight up or lying back. Instructor would stand on our knees.

Another that really crunched was lying flat, arms straight up with fists. Contract abs and hold your heels six inches off the ground. Instructor would take a walk around the room stepping or hopping stomach to stomach. Heaven help those who allowed their heels to touch or made so much as a sound during the process. It often seemed sadistic until you actually were faced with a situation where you took a shot that just thudded into muscle, or were stretched out enough at all times to take their head off their shoulders with a kick and lay them out.

Then... you smile and say a quiet thanks to your Instructor.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 03, 2020, 07:30:58 PM: ...My mind isn't quite right... :o

...I am a 'Hetero', I love Men, and like to look at them...and enjoyed my Marriage. :)

...But, my mind will go into unusual places. ::)

...I had a good female friend in college, we both played the cello. We would go out, and eat, many times, and laugh as we spoke about the men in our lives. :o I played the cello better than she did, but we worked on duets. We had a good time. Once, we practiced hard on a romantic duet. We decided to really 'go over the top' when we performed it at 'solo class'. We dressed up, very heavy makeup, our hair up, and very high heels, and entered the stage from opposite sides. We really acted out, as we played...((The cello is a fun instrument to overdo it when you perform...especially for a woman...your legs are spread wide...and there is a huge hunk of lumber between them.)) We made 'eyes' at each other, and REALLY overplayed it. ::)

...We actually stood, hugged, and KISSED at the finish...and just left our cellos on the stage...and walked off with our arms around each other. 8)

...We both got called into the Deans' Office afterwards... :P

...He said, this is a Conservatory of Music...not a Brothel. >:(

...We both worked hard in the Music Library for a few weeks, to keep from being suspended.

...We both thought that it was worth it. Guys would come up to us afterward, and say...'THAT is how to play Boccherini!!!"
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on July 04, 2020, 09:03:39 AM: Not too sure about the kiss on stage, but I would have kissed you both after the show. Heh heh heh...

Among other things.

::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 04, 2020, 02:44:29 PM: ...Paying with 'Cash' ;D

,,,Years ago, I made some respectable money with my hobby...Playing the cello. I, for some reason, didn't want to put the pay into my bank accounts...I took the checks to a business, and cashed them. ((I just didn't want to pay taxes on the checks...I was paying a LOT of taxes on my salary...I figured that the Gov't had taken enough from me.)) So, after a few years, I had a LOT of cash. It filled several envelopes, and I kept them well hidden in my bedroom. I would take the cash out, late at night, and carefully count it. It made me happy. I did resist the urge to spread it out on our bed, and roll around in it, naked ...that was my Izee' mind... ::)...She is 'strange'... ::)

...My cello, 'Catherine', needed some heavy work, once. I had been in a bad auto accident...it wasn't my fault...the other driver was drunk, My first words to the Ambulance attendants, were..."Is my cello OK?" They cracked up as they wiped blood from my face, and got me settled down. They said, "It is still in the case" and I calmed down. But, Cathy was very banged up. :P I obtained my medical records when I sued the other driver, and chuckled. The Ambulance and ER records reported that I was more concerned over my cello, than when they sewed me up, put a cast on my left leg, and hooked me up to an IV for the night.

...When I was recovered, I drove Catherine to a Luthier, and he looked her over. He gave me an estimate, and I winced, but said, "Go ahead." :P

...I brought a bunch of cash when I came to pick her up. He presented the bill, and I asked..."How much if I pay cash?" ::) He discounted the bill... ;D...and I handed over the cash... :)

...Now, the Dems want us all to have a 'cashless' society...so...we will all pay more taxes. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on July 04, 2020, 03:48:48 PM: Fuck that.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 05, 2020, 12:11:12 PM: ...Accents... ::)

...As I said above, I have an accent...I don't speak "American". I think that it has to do with the shape of my mouth, and throat. :) I have no deformity, guys really liked me when I was younger. But, the way I pronounce words is different from others. For instance, I can't speak the word "Rural"...it emerges as "Rurrrl". :P I have a pleasant voice, but CAN'T SING!!! At Conservatory, I always enrolled in the Chorus Class, I enjoyed reading the libretto, and seeing how the singers and piano accompanist got together. But, the Teacher would always dismiss me a few weeks before a Concert, and say, "Go practice your cello." I got to see the pattern, and would bring my cello to Choral Class before a concert, so that I didn't have to go back to my dorm to retrieve it. I did confront Him, once, and said that I practiced, on my own. He just laughed, and said, "I need you playing the cello well in the Concert, rather than having your 'strange' voice in the rehearsals." ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 05, 2020, 02:53:34 PM: ...I tried to do my best to cause as much gentle disruption as I could, in the Choral Class, before a Concert. I LIKE TO SING...but I am not very good...my fingers can handle a cello or a piano very well...but my vocal cords can't be depended upon. :P The Choral Professor had told me that I would be excused from singing, IF I JUST PRACTICED MY CELLO!! and He wanted me to practice. Often, it would be just be me, in a quartet, that would accompany the Chorus.

...I would leave my cello, in its' "Hard Case", standing by the door...and plant my butt in the middle of the Altos...hoping that He didn't see me. I would try to change my appearance as much as possible...once, I put on a long blonde wig...it didn't work. :P (I am Hispanic). The Professor easily spotted me, and ordered me to go and practice my cello. The Professor would scan the Sopranos, first...once, I tried to blend in with them...the women on each side of me, and behind me, 'pointed me out'...and I walked to my case and left, and went to the practice rooms. ::)

...The Professor, did like me. I met Him a decade later in a Community Concert. He played the French Horn, and He and me and two other musicians were the soloists in a Concerto. He hugged me, and we went for a drink. We didn't do anything more, but talked about the past. He said that He had enjoyed my 'attitude'. ;D

... That is why Izee' sings...I... her typist...can't sing very well.

...I just imagine Her sitting, and singing...it comforts me. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on July 05, 2020, 04:56:41 PM: Ummm... a few Letterman would have an idea how to make sure your throat was deep and trained enough to handle it.

*Innocent angelic look*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 06, 2020, 12:39:42 PM: ...I am always passionate when I play the cello..."Cept when I am doing scales and such. ::) Often, in a practice room, I would get kinda like this. ;D I mean, playing music affects your mind in wonderful ways. But, "Shakes head"...I saw just SO MANY skilled musicians who didn't PLAY THE MUSIC!!! :P I was once judging music scholarships, and keep shaking my head at some young string players, after they left the room. They would place their fingers in the right place...but...I DIDN'T HEAR ANY MUSIC!!! :P

...I slightly growled, and stood up, after listening to a young woman who was playing the Dvorak. I interrupted her, and got her to hand me her cello. I sat across from her, and stared at her. >:( I told her, "Music is about expressing feelings, not JUST getting the notes in TUNE!" I played the opening, and said..."Can't you hear the anger and frustration?" I then played the soft part, and said, "Can't you hear the sadness, and resignation?" I then got into the faster part, and said as I played..."Can't you hear the resolution to overcome a challenge...and the EXHILERATION as you overcome it?"

...I handed the cello back to her, and she did play better. She told me, as she left..."I wish that you had been my teacher when I was younger."

...She went on to become a Music Teacher...and does send me letters and cards. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 06, 2020, 01:30:58 PM: ...Here it is...

...https://youtu.be/U_yxtaeFuEQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 06, 2020, 03:53:12 PM: ...OK, I am verbose today. I am just sitting at home... :P

..."Bowing"...that is...how you run the bow over your cello, not what a bond does when a Master enters. ::)

...It is difficult, since it involves all parts of your right arm...and they are doing different things. You also have to land the damn bow on the right string!!! In a solo, I once really screwed up...I was all 'excited'...and wanted to impress the audience...I raised my right hand high...(I was trying to capture attention...and it worked!!!!)...The bow landed on the WRONG STRING!!

...I spent HOURS in the GD practice rooms every day...they were the size of closets. I was trying to figure out how to make my arm do what I wanted it to do. It got down to where I just played open strings, and watched my right hand...my left hand was just relaxed and sitting on my lap. I got my right shoulder, and upper arm to relax...unless I needed their weight to just HAMMER THE NOTE!!!

...The 'note shaping' was much more difficult. The shoulder and upper arm can make the note loud...but the lower arm and wrist controlled the softer notes, I found. They can pull the bow away from the strings, or relax. I worked hard on how to 'shape' a note. You can drag the bow the same way...back and forth...and all of the notes sound the same. ::) I found, that the 'note shapers' are the fingers. Again, I really believed that my hands had their own minds, and I would talk to them as I practiced. It worked, I felt that they were speaking back to me. ;)

...The right hand told me that her fingers controlled the shaping of a note. I let her push hard with the first finger, and the note got louder. Then, she would relax, and press with her little finger, and the note sounded different. Again, I spent hours in the 'closet', and would just play a note, and see how much I could shape it, using the weight of my arm, and how I pressed my fingers. :) She also told me to just let her fingers do the job in a fast passage. ;D If I tried to use my wrist, or lower arm, to play a fast passage...the bow would be all over the place.

...*S* A difficult memory is when I was in a Pit Orchestra, for "Le Miz". I was accompanying the Singer in a poignant duet...and it went very well. There was a lot of aupplause at the end....Me and 'Rightykins' were shaping the notes very well, and we blended well with the Singer. ((She came up, and hugged me at the reception, and said that she had heard me, and was comforted, because I seemed to know what she was trying to get across, and she said that she sang more passionately, and got into her Char.))I looked around the Pit, and two women were crying at the end...and not because I was playing poorly. My cello, "Pavane"...had been crying...everyone heard Him. :'( "Rightykins" had made Him do it...my fingers were doing things that I was not planning...I just sat back.

...At times, at home...I would be practicing, and a member of my family would come in, and ask me why I was making "Pavane" cry so hard.

...I had no answer...

...I had to calm down

...Later, I will describe at what 'Her Leftiness' put me through. I could direct her, fairly well, on the piano...but she had her own mind, when I played the cello. I would, actually, GLARE at her as I held her up in front of me....I would SHOUT..."DON'T YOU REMEMBER WHERE TO PUT YOUR THUMB IN 6TH POSITION????" She would just nod, and stare at me. :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 06, 2020, 04:43:26 PM: ...OK, last rant... ::) :o ;D

...When I was a young woman, my family had made friends with a family who arrived who were Russian immigrants. We were told that they had been related to the 'Royal Family'. I was uncertain, at first, and went to the Library, and did research...and...I confirmed it!!! ;D I looked at pictures, and the adults looked like their pictures. I hung around with their son, for a while, but broke off...he was a self-centered Asshole. :P

...Another reason why I broke off, was because the Family didn't respect me. ::) I had noticed that when a female showed up at their House, the Father would stand, smile, click his heels, and kiss her hand. ;D

...He would just sit in his chair, and wave at me when I showed up... :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 07, 2020, 12:27:08 AM: o o o
Healer
MTC

[Tuchuk Approaches ]
If known entering the perimeter being welcomed home
If unknown, entering under armed escort
says to ALL
: ...I smile, and wave at the Outriders as I ride...

(02:41:19 )

Izee
o o o
Healer
MTC

[Tuchuk Approaches ]
Follows the most direct route to their destination within camp
If unknown, escorted to the main area
says to ALL
: ...I easily ride into Camp, I am well known. I have healed many Tuchuk...and my skin color is distinctive. I also have a very bright smile...I usually smile when I re-enter Camp...it calms the scouts.

(02:45:45 )

Izee
o o o
Healer
MTC

[Tuchuk Approaches ]
Follows the most direct route to their destination within camp
If unknown, escorted to the main area
says to ALL
: ...I am feeling good, I had gathered a lot of herbs. I had just been going on a ride to clear my head...and...TO GET AWAY FROM MY MOB!!! I told myself, "Drink Slave Wine, every few hands, EVEN IF YE GET COMPANIONED AGAIN!!! Ye can jus look sad, an say, "I know that I only be about 200 years old...but I guess that part a my body be shuttin down."

(02:52:24 )

Izee
o o o
Healer
MTC

[Tuchuk Approaches ]
Follows the most direct route to their destination within camp
If unknown, escorted to the main area
says to ALL
: ...Problem was, if I was brought to my True, the Ubara, to be examined...She would easily see what I was doing. And, I couldn't predict what She would do. She might go along with my plan, thinking, "Sis, yes, take a break." But, She might look at my new Companion, and tell me, "Drink this, Tuchuk needs more strong children. Just lay back, and let the Gods handle the challenge."

(02:58:28 )

Izee
o o o
Healer
MTC

[Tuchuk Approaches ]
Follows the most direct route to their destination within camp
If unknown, escorted to the main area
says to ALL
: ...And, I would do whatever She said...I trusted Her Wisdom...we were 'Trues". I would groan at the later stages of pregnancy, and then hold back screams as I delivered.

(03:03:04 )

Izee
o o o
Healer
MTC

[Tuchuk Approaches ]
Follows the most direct route to their destination within camp
If unknown, escorted to the main area
says to ALL
: ...But, I would be rewarded as the new child grew...watching Him or Her grow, as I taught them. I would then take long rides, by myself...and then come back and get the new babe to behave.

(03:03:57 )

Izee
o o o
Healer
MTC

[Tuchuk Approaches ]
Follows the most direct route to their destination within camp
If unknown, escorted to the main area
says to ALL
: ...Some times...I would succeed.

(03:07:17 )

Izee
o o o
Healer
MTC

[Tuchuk Approaches ]
Follows the most direct route to their destination within camp
If unknown, escorted to the main area
says to ALL
: ...Tristan had turned out pretty well, Rags trusted Him, and Tristan understood the Honor granted to Him. Ragnar could entrust Tristan to lead His Orlu into the middle of battle, Tristan is a huge Torvie.

(03:10:28 )

Izee
o o o
Healer
MTC

[Tuchuk Approaches ]
Follows the most direct route to their destination within camp
If unknown, escorted to the main area
says to ALL
: ...It was 'Interesting raising Tristan, He and Keagan and Johanna are pureblood Torvies I had adopted...and I am a slender red Savage. The three would stare at me as I lectured them...but...they heard what I had to say. I was a Panther Huntress...and understood Life.

(03:15:06 )

Izee
o o o
Healer
MTC

[Tuchuk Approaches ]
Follows the most direct route to their destination within camp
If unknown, escorted to the main area
says to ALL
: ...Tristan was still a child, when He decked me during a spar. He grinned, and gently helped me stand, again, and told me. "Just practice your archery, Mother, I will get into the training classes." I had nodded, and was VERY proud when he was accepted into the 1st.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 09, 2020, 12:59:07 PM: ...I studied this...but just couldn't play it well enough to perform with the Conservatory orchestra. (The 3rd Movement is a real 'Bitch Kitty'...I'd be sweating very heavily in the practice room if I got through it without having to stop because of too many mistakes...that was rare...and I would usually be sweating heavily every time I practiced it. :'()

...https://youtu.be/RcwWboxbkYk

...It expresses so many moods, and is a later work by Bach. But, listen to the opening... :o :o :o...Those chords sound very modern. I sat as a cellist, several times, accompanying the pianist...and I would be sweating at the end. My mind was totally lost in the music, feeling the moods. Bach certainly was a musical genius... :)

...((I really sweat when my mind, and body, gets engaged in a nice task. My Ex would laugh at me, when we were 'having fun'...he would say, "Hey, I am having trouble holding on to you." I would gasp back..."Get off me, and I will take a shower, and return". He would just do his best to hold onto me. My body does things that embarrass me... ::)))

...But, my body has also done things that makes me grateful. I did very well in martial arts, and being able to play the piano and cello has been a wonderful experience. My body was very demanding of me, though. I spent hours doing conditioning exercises, and katas in the Dojo...and many lonely hours in a small practice room.

...I counseled young people for many years, and I always told them..."Nobody is going to just give you what you want...you have to WORK for it." >:(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 10, 2020, 03:07:19 PM: ...I got an AMAZING letter today...it has my mind going into some better places.

...Perhaps there is more to this World than just waking up every morning.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on July 10, 2020, 05:29:20 PM: Quote from: Izee on July 10, 2020, 03:07:19 PM
...I got an AMAZING letter today...it has my mind going into some better places.

...Perhaps there is more to this World than just waking up every morning.

I too hope for better news than of late. It is not easy pressing forward in the face of seemingly overwhelming adversity. I am just too foolish and too tenacious to give up.

Congratulations sis!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 11, 2020, 11:46:16 PM: ...Playing a nice instrument... ;)

...In H.S., when I was studying the cello with intense discipline...I was REWARDED!!! I got a SCHOLARSHIP to the Conservatory!!! ;D I was DELIGHTED!!! And so was my Private Teacher. ;) Again, I was never a 'Casals'...I sat for hours and hours every day sawing the bow...and would get discouraged at times...and just ride my 10-speed for a few days. After being admitted, I needed to have some serious work done on my cello, 'Catherine'. I visited with my H.S. Private Teacher, and since I was now the Principal Cellist at the Conservatory, she loaned me her personal cello!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o It was an ROCCA!!! look up how expensive those things are!!!

...Other musicians may have experienced this. :) That cello really LIKED ME!!!! I was so astounded, my fingers never had a problem finding the right place. My bow always found the right place to sit on the strings, and I sounded...ETHERIAL...and had no problem sitting for hours, practicing. ;D

...I would call the Luthier, to see how Catherine was coming along...and... ::)...I would tell Him to TAKE HIS TIME!!! I mean...I WAS PLAYING A ROCCA!!! I didn't tell ANYONE what the cello was, and guarded it with my life. It was ALWAYS with me, I would haul it into ALL of my classrooms...and into restaurants when my friends and I went out to eat. I would just tell them, "I am going to the practice rooms when we are done."

...I was able to get away with my scam for about three months, :P and then the Luthier made it clear that 'Catherine' was ready. I returned the Rocca, and drove to L.A. Catherine was happy to get back in my arms, and I did play her better. I got some confidence over my ability to play...when playing that expensive instrument...and believed that I could get Catherine to sound as well. ;D

...I do have to describe an interesting 'sight picture' a guy and I once made. He was also a cellist. We had finished a late rehearsal, and decided to eat. We went into a 'Dennys', and brought our cellos with us. They were in 'hard cases', so they could stand up. We pushed aside two chairs at a table, and had the cellos 'standing' beside us, he and I were facing each other across the table. ::) My friend was slightly insane, I believe...((I am fully insane...and can pick out such people))...I just wanted to eat some eggs and a few strips of bacon. The cellos, in their hard cases, had their 'heads' close to the same level as ours, as we were sitting.

...The waitress must have understood what was going on...she put plates, cups, menus, and utensils in front of ALL of us...INCLUDING THE CELLOS!!! :o My friend ordered for ALL of us... :o...saying that the cellos wanted their eggs 'over easy'. I just sat there... :o

...I ate my scrambled eggs, bacon, and a piece of toast, and told the waitress at the end..."Package Catherines' dinner, she will be hungry later." ::) ::) ::) :P :P :P :o :o :o

...I ate it the next morning... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on July 12, 2020, 09:58:55 AM: LOL
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 12, 2020, 05:14:26 PM: ...Another cello orchestra...

...IMHO the Cello is the most expressive instrument...((Although, I will sit on the edge of my seat when an oboe or English horn is playing. Once, I was leaning way forward in my seat in the Audience, my face in my hands as I listened to a Trombone...it was very beautiful...I was moved...I had to wipe tears)) Listen to this, please... :)

...https://youtu.be/VoJIvffQYPA

...I attended a Cello Congress, years ago. I had fun, I helped with Seminars, and bought a lot of stuff. I sat with many people at the meals...it was at the College Cafeteria. A Woman liked me, and we spent some time together. (Nothing improper happened... ;)) She just wanted some company, and thought that I was funny, I was enthusiastic, and my mouth wasn't very restricted.

...It got to the last day, and we had a 'CELLO ORCHESTRA'!!!! 83 Cellos!!! You just had to pick your own seat as you arrived. ::)

...I wandered in, a bit late...and looked for a place to sit at the end of the 1st Cellos. :P I was actually setting my butt in the last stand, and I heard my name called out. I looked forward, and the Woman was sitting 1st Chair of the 2nd Cello Section...and the seat next to her was EMPTY, and she was gesturing me forward! I was DELIGHTED as I walked through everyone, and sat next to her!!!

...She told me that she had been saving it for me.

...I later learned that She was a very experienced Professional, a World Class performer. She was nice to me. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 13, 2020, 12:02:35 AM: ...v/t vs r/t :P

...I feel a need to post this. :) When I first joined the On-Line Gor, I did have some problems. I was a bond, and would get VERY UPSET, r/t, when I thought that I was being punished for no good reason. I wouldn't just log off...I would pitch a fit...and go somewhere. :'( :'( >:( It caused me distress in my r/t life, and I went to other Homes, and stayed for a while...but...I would return to MTC. I liked Rags. :D

...Rags saw what I was going through, and directed me to other Homes when I was in distress, so that I could explore, using another char. (*S* watch out for a huge, blonde Torvie FW if you ever go to a Viking Home ...she is mean, and very sneaky. She hunts, but does know some healing skills. She carefully watches over her Family, and Friends, her Father trusts her Judgement, and at times she sits in Council).

The 'Hunt' that Rags supervised at the end of the Year, brought me 'ALIVE' a few years ago! I created Izee', and thought that she would not live through it...BUT SHE DID!!!! ;D I practiced my hunting, and fighting skills, I had fun. He did a good job, He got me to extend myself, and I got through challenges that amazed me. Kimba also helped me...but...SHE LET ME DOWN ONCE! I was in a HUGE FIGHT WITH A MAN...I was hollarin and screaming...and she was just sitting a bit aways...she couldn't see me, but could hear me...and she just continued to eat her lunch...thinking that I was HAVING SEX!!! I kept screaming to her to come and help me...and she just posted...

,,,I don't want a threesome right now.... :P :P :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on July 13, 2020, 10:30:42 AM: JDL Yup.... dats Kimba!!!!!

She must have known what she was doing, you survived it.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 13, 2020, 06:25:10 PM: ...*LOL*

...That was quite an experience. I was very new to r/p, and I was very close to my Char...I believed that she was ME.

...I had been tracking the Man, and knew that Kim was close. I was planning on getting Him to a certain place, and then She and I would capture Him. She was posting that She was in the area, and sensed what I was doing. All was going WELL!!!! ;D ;D ;D

...Then, I got into a fight with Him, and was screaming at Kim to come help...

...BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...She was eating her lunch. She heard me, and kept eating her vulo, eggs, and bread... :o :o :o :o

...I was making my posts, fighting, and screaming, and She just kept eating...posting..."Izee' is having a good time right now, she found a good 'Partner'."

...((It turned out well, I was a better fighter, and captured the man. :) I lead him into the Lair...I was a MESS...I tried to explain to Kimba that we had fought...and she just laughed at me...and said..."Don't make up a story, just put him into the usual Hut, you can have more fun with him later."))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on July 13, 2020, 09:39:44 PM: JDL!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 15, 2020, 08:21:41 PM: ...Why it pays off to be 'cute'... ::)

...I was very nice looking, when I was in my late teens. Hispanic, with large dark eyes and a very BRILLIANT smile. ;D

...Me and my family was visiting Mexico, and we were in a plaza, just sitting. My parents were drinking beer, and my brother and I were drinking lemonade. Then, VERY NICE FOOD arrived. My Mother told the waiter that we had not ordered it, and the waiter just said, as He Looked at ME..."He ordered it for YOU." We looked over, and a middle aged Mexican Man, with a huge mustache was smiling. I smiled, and waved, and began eating the prawns.

...More nice shellfish arrived, and a pitcher of beer was placed on our table. We all kept eating, and asked the waiter who the Man was.

...The waiter just shrugged...

...We left, and back at our Hotel, my Mother joked..."We could have gotten a nice price for you."

...I joked back, "As long as He fed me prawns and calamari when I wanted, I would have stayed with Him."

...Again, it was a nice experience. The Mariachis were playing, and people were dancing. It was a lovely evening. The Man wasn't doing anything improper, Mexican culture is very generous. A few times, we would send a pitcher of beer and some prawns to another table. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 18, 2020, 01:47:26 AM: ...Page Turning... ::)

...https://youtu.be/osg_WmeLxQk

...I was often asked to be the "Page Turner" when a male Pianist did a recital at Conservatory. Again, I was a skilled pianist, and would know the work, and I am small. Having dark hair, dusky colored skin, and such, I blended in with the piano. I would dress in black, and not put on much makeup or any jewelry, and just quietly sit to the left of the pianist, and gently turn the pages, and settle back down again. :) Again, "Page Turning" is a skill. I would just sit, not moving, watching the music as the pianist played, and then I would gently rise, as he got towards the end of the second page, and take the top right corner in my left hand, and look at Him. He would nod, and I would gently turn the page, and get my butt back in my chair, and look at the music as He played. It always went well...I would walk off the stage at the end, and applaud Him. :)

...Once, though...I wasn't so demure... ::)

...We were putting on a 'Fun Concert', and I let the pianist talk me into it. ::) He walked onto the stage, in an overly elaborate tuxedo, and bowed. He then announced, "Oh, here is my 'Page Turner'. I minced out...I was wearing pumps that had 6" stiletto heels...at that point in my life...I wasn't used to wearing those...and was VERY careful. I was wearing a pink colored 'fun dress', and I had put on a lot of makeup, elaborate gold colored jewelry, and had my hair piled on my head in a sloppy updo. ::) I wiggled my butt a bit as I sat by Him.

...He played a Rachmaninoff work...but I didn't sense that the audience was listening. I pretended that I couldn't read music, and kept reaching for the corner of the page, and He would slap my hand away. When I would lean over to turn a page, I would let my body press against His, and He would have to lean WELL AWAY to...*Well, just imagine* :o

...At the end...I, I mean I!!!! got FIVE CURTAIN CALLS as the Pianist just stood back in the Wings... :o

...I expected to be called to the Deans Office...but wasn't...

...The Dean knew that there was no point...and I was President of the Student Council.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 21, 2020, 06:34:43 PM: ...Flying Sailplanes...(Gliders)... :D

...I was in a depressive episode, in school, and was trying to fight my way out of it. By then, I knew that I had a mental illness, Bipolar, and that medication didn't help much. So, I would search out things to do, that would distract my mind. I practiced my cello and the piano as much as I could, and would ride my 10 speed. All that helped...but at night...I was fully depressed. :'( I would fight with my mind, telling myself how much I had...people around me who loved me...finances were Ok...I was getting good grades...but I was still depressed.

...One evening, as I was trying to sleep...my insane mind came up with the answer... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...FLY A PLANE WITHOUT AN ENGINE!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...So, I took lessons to learn to fly a sailplane. ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 21, 2020, 07:04:50 PM: ...There was an airport not too far away, and the owners of the small hanger that held sailplanes were happy to see me. I had to get my MD to sign off that I could safely fly, and I was really happy to climb into the front of a two seater...until I threw up. :P I kept coming back, and my body got used to what you have to do in a sailplane. The Instructors tested me very well as I was taught...they made me do 'spins' many times...even though I was screaming during the 1st one!!! :o I got calm, after more lessons, and the Instructor sitting behind me, would say, "Spin". I would pull the joystick back to get into a stall, and then kick the right rudder to get into a spin...and LOOK AT THE GROUND!!! It was straight ahead as we spun!!!

...He would wait a few seconds, and say, "Pull out".

...I would get us out...it was a complex move...but it was nice to be sailing along again...wings horizontal to the ground. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 21, 2020, 08:05:26 PM: ...I had a memorable sail, late afternoon. The small single seat high performance HP sailplane was available. I had had a nice sail in the twoseater Trainer...I was alone in it. I had been hunting thermals during my sail, and was unhappy, and my purse was empty, I had been up for over an hour, and was frustrated, I wanted a longer sail. I sat, and drank a coke with the Owner, and spoke about the thermals and the wind.

...The Owner told me to take up the HP Sailplane, and that I could pay for the rent and tow next time.

...I inspected the HP, and helped bring it out onto the runway. The Owner told me, as I climbed in, "Look for the Wave".

...I let the Tug take me to 3,000 feet, and then pulled the release lever. I rised and soared to the right, as he dived to the left.

...I found a thermal, and got to 5,000 feet, and then...FOUND THE WAVE!!!!!

...It was nice. I just sailed back and forth, wings level, didn't need to spiral, or do anything, and stayed at that level. The air was rising over the hill. Travis AFB was just across the hill, I wasn't anywhere near their landing pattern, but some kind of HUGE plane flew over me. :P

...I guess that they figured that I was safe...I didn't get shot down...and no MP's were waiting for me when I landed.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 22, 2020, 12:11:40 PM: ...Getting ABSOLUTELY NO RESPECT!!!! :o

...I earned my J.D. (Juris Doctor) by going to night Law School for four years. (For anyone of you out there who have dreams...do what you can to pursue them...and know that it will take a lot of effort...and you will get tired, and wonder..."why am I doing this?" But...at the end...it is worth it). I was working full time as an Accountant, and 'Tax Season' was a challenge. We Associates were expected to bill 10 hours a day...but I had to leave at 6:00 to get to the School. The Partners were watching, so, I got them to give me a key to the Office, and entered at 6:00 am. I would eat lunch at my desk as I worked on a tax return.

...I worked hard at studying Law, and crunching numbers...and did well at both. The Partners would give me a raise , and a nice bonus. I studied hard at School...and...

...I was CLASS VALIDICTORIAN!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...I was THRILLED!!! I knew that my grades were good, but didn't think they were that good. I was focused on my job, and Family, and just saw the study of Law as a hobby. ;)

...So, we got to Graduation. My H said that he was very proud and happy to see me lead the Graduates, I had a set of gold colored tassels around my neck, and sat in a nice seat. The Dean called up...

...The Saluditorian...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 22, 2020, 12:34:06 PM: ...I liked the guy...he was of Greek Ancestry, and his Family owned Farms. I had driven him to School the last year, he told me that he was down on his finances. I would drive south, and pick him up, and then drive north to the School. :) I enjoyed it, he had a great sense of humor. But, he wasn't a very good student. During the drive, I would explain the lessons to him, and what a case meant. ::) He was very popular, and the students elected him Saluditorian...I voted for him, too...the Dean had reluctantly told me that I was Validictorian, just because of my grades. ;) I have no idea why the Dean, a Judge of the Superior Court, didn't like me. (Well, I do have an insight...I formed the Student Council...and demanded that we have access to the Financial Records of the College...it was rejected... :P)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 22, 2020, 12:53:58 PM: ...So, we got to Graduation. I was sitting in the 'Seat of Honor', gold colored tassels around my neck, and feeling very excited. I had spent a LOT of time writing out, and memorizing my speech. ;D

...The Dean gave a long, and very nice speech introducing the Saluditorian, he even spoke, eloquently, of how Pete had arrived at class, with dirt and mud dripping from his shoes and pants. (I knew that THAT wasn't true...I mean...I DROVE THE GUY TO CLASS...and there was no mud in my car!!! And, I wouldn't have let him in, if he came out of his house looking like that!!! >:( )

...Pete gave a rambling speech...and I led the standing ovation.

...((Pete was disbarred a few years later...I was sad. I had tried to help him, he just didn't understand how to handle clients money))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 22, 2020, 01:18:15 PM: ...So...Pete finished...and I was ready to give my speech... ;D As the Dean took the podium...I was excited...there was a LOT that the Dean could say about me!!!! ;D

...The Dean just looked over his shoulder at me, and said...

..."Here is our Valedictorian, P......."...and stepped away.

...I walked to the podium, and held it in my hands, and looked down at it for a moment. I WAS FURIOUS...AND HURT!!! I almost lost my temper...my mind was ACTUALLY ready to say, "Thank you for the flowerly introduction...I didn't deserve it." But, I didn't. I recited my speech, and smiled and waved at everyone. I even smiled at the Dean as he placed the Honors over my head.

...Keeping my temper was a good thing. The Dean asked me to become a 'Judge Pro Tem', and he would call on me to handle difficult business lawsuits. Being a CPA, the Parties couldn't confuse me with numbers...and my latent 'Panther Nature' didn't let ANYONE pull a trick on me.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 23, 2020, 10:39:20 PM: ...I just LOVE eating like this. ;D

...https://youtu.be/yXQWcwwwiRw

...I learned about it in college, and would go out with groups. I would just gobble down what was placed before me, and not pay too much attention. When I got older, my H and I found a place, and we would go with other couples. I would just gobble it down, and not pay any attention to the Chef.

...I got a client when I was practicing business law, and created a Corporation for Him. He was Japanese, and wanted to open a restaurant like this. I did all that was needed. I found a place in a large Strip Mall, and bullied the Owner to a decent rent, and got all of the permits. 'Tamio' arranged to get the furniture, and the cooking items, and the 'Teppanyaki' style restaurant was set up. :)

...It was a nice opening, I was invited, my H stayed home...and I had a blast!!! ;D I pigged out on lobster and such, Tamio told me that my money was no good that night, and I learned...to my dismay...just how powerful 'sake' was. ::)

...I had a trusted friend with me, and he laughed as he drove me home, and helped me walk to the front door. :P

...But, I had many more modest encounters. ;)

...I would sit at the sushi bar, alone, and watch the Chef. I would order a small flask of sake, and slowly drink it as I watched him prepare the food. He would notice that I was watching...and the way he prepared the food was VERY ceremonial...IMHO. His hands would move slowly, and the fish and shellfish was carefully carved. He would watch me as I took the first bite, and when I smiled and nodded to Him, he would smile back. Sometimes, He would give me a little bow...and I would return it.

...Once, I got a call on my cellphone...and was talking for a while...it was about a case...and when I hung up, and sat there, trying to figure out what I was going to do, He set a nice plate in front of me, and another small flask of sake. :) He just smiled, and looked into my eyes.

...I slowly ate the sushi, and drank the sake, while I was thinking about the case.

...The bill was WAY TOO SHORT...the items on the last plate weren't listed...or the last flask of sake!!!!!

...I left a HUGE tip for the Chef...He had not only fed me...He helped me think of what I needed to do.

...I stood, and gave Him a deep bow before I left.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 24, 2020, 12:08:50 AM: ...When I was very young, I didn't eat much. Our Family was comfortable, and there was a lot of food...but I didn't eat. I would just eat a little every day...but would go 2 or 3 days without eating. My Mother would stand over me, and watch as she made me eat something. I could hold it down, but would be angry. I was given coin to buy a school lunch, and would just pocket it. I was very thin, but had a lot of energy, and my mind was very active.

...When I decided to eat...I GORGED!!!! I would eat half a loaf of bread, and a couple sleaves of crackers. I loved the 'Kipper Snacks', and would eat a couple tins with the crackers. I would get my Mother to buy those loaves of 'French Bread', and take one into my room...and eat it.

...But...WATCH OUT IF I WAS OFFERED SEAFOOD!!!!

...Our Family was visiting my Uncle, in SF, and He took us to a Seafood Restaurant. I ate the "Seafood Platter"...and asked for another one. They ordered another one, and I was smiling as it was set in front of me. The adults were just looking at each other. ::) They figured that it would be boxed up.

...I ATE IT!!!!!

...My Mother still teases me about that. :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 24, 2020, 12:56:00 PM: These are not protesters, this is filth, scum.

They make no effort to send a clear message other than they are half-wits and only wish to destroy or steal for their own gain.

Shoot the useless bastards. Declare open season on looters and arsonists and kill them outright right where they stand. The point they make to me is they don't care about anyone or anything but themselves. But hey... kill them. They will be dressed in the nicest stolen looted items they could lay their filthy dick-beaters on, price tags still blowing in the breeze like some trophy of accomplishment.

It isn't about race, it isn't about injustice, it isn't about this plague, or unemployment, or lack of businesses. It is no longer about the miserable state of Law Enforcement in this Country or even rallying against a government they may feel let them down.

This is about greed, stupidity, useless lazy wastes of air out to get whatever they can for themselves because they lack the dignity, respect, and moral standards to do the best they can to earn these things... to save what you can until you can afford what you want, or even having the self respect to realize that anyone with any standards or decency see this garbage for what it is... a blight, a pestilence on society that should be eradicated with extreme prejudice.

This filth has no specific race, color, religion, or gender... no sexual preference no nothing but their own gain at the cost of others.

Come... force your way into my home. I just hope you are ready to die for what you think you can take from me. I am willing to die defending it, and that is what it will take.

I am willing...

Are you, filth?

...A good statement, Brother. (Hugs Rags)

...I mean, life is all about working and learning...and that takes an effort, and self discipline. I have a lot of things, right now, but they weren't just handed to me. :) I took a bus, and then hauled golf clubs all over the Country Club when I was in HS, following the golfer, and sometimes giving advice, ("Aim to the left, you will have a better approach shot to the green", on a dogleg) to earn money so that I could buy a nice cello. I would often go into the back room when things were slow, and help the Caddymaster wash the Members clubs, I just didn't like sitting, and waiting for a call. (He was careful about what he let me do when I first entered, I was watched closely, and I learned how to properly wash an expensive wood. Irons were easy, you just stuck them into a batch of hot water, and then scrubbed them clean.) Later, I spent late hours in the County Law Library, alone, to study Law and earn my JD. When I was working, I spent long hours helping my clients...and would often discount my bill. I would get enraptured reading about the issues, and would read more, to educate myself. I didn't charge them for that.

...I am going to get my guns out of the storage unit, but I won't let my elderly Mother see me do that. I briefly discussed doing that with Her, and she got upset. She was born in Texas, and her Aunts told her that "The DEVIL is in every gun." That may be true...

...But, if I hear our front door being pounded down...I WILL let the DEVIL help me try to SHOOT the thugs...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on July 24, 2020, 05:44:26 PM: 2nd Amendment sis. Exercise it.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 24, 2020, 06:17:33 PM: ...Tristan and His Orlu sing before going into battle... >:(

...https://youtu.be/uNb54rwDQJM

...Such a simple tune, but I get tearful when I hear a performance like this.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 25, 2020, 09:18:33 PM: ...Just an idea of the INSANITY that goes on at Conservatory. ::)

...I was in my Soph year, being a double Major in PERFORMANCE!!!! Cello and Piano. I was challenged by the idea...I actually thought that I could earn BOTH!!! I spent long hours, alone, in the little practice rooms, and would walk back to my dorm, the cello strapped to my back, and clutching the bag that held cello and piano music.

...My Cello Professor was gentle with me, He would call out the problems I was having with technique, and tell me what to do to correct it. My Piano Professor was NOT gentle!!! He could tell when I wasn't practicing enough, and the lesson got cut short a few times. I would leave His Office after He yelled at me, and walk into a practice room...cry a bit...and then practice.

...I was having one of those bad lessons with the Piano Professor...I had spent ALL my practice time on the cello...I was going to perform at a concert. He easily saw that my playing of a Beethoven Sonata hadn't improved from the last week, and He was making the lesson difficult. He kept making me play certain passages over and over...and quietly criticized me. I kept trying to play better...but I was losing my composure. :o I could sense Him getting angry...and then...!!!!

...THE DOOR OPENED!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 25, 2020, 09:32:50 PM: ...A young Black Vocal Major came in, and the Professor yelled at him for disrupting a lesson. :o I just stopped playing, and looked down at my hands. The guy asked the Professor how he was doing, and the Professor yelled at him. The guy said...

..."I brought you a sandwich."

...The Professor almost came unglued, and yelled at him more...and then said...

..."What kind of sandwich?"

...The guy said..."A ham and cheese."

...The Professor yelled at him more for disrupting the lesson...and then asked...

..."What kind of cheese?"

...The guy said "Cheddar".

...The Professor yelled at him more, saying..."I like Swiss."

...The Professor took the sandwich, and told me to practice more, and kicked me out as he ate.

...I walked across Campus to the other building, and sat in a Practice Room.

...I didn't get much done... :o :o :o :o :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on July 25, 2020, 10:38:09 PM: Sis... Musicians are never wrapped too tight to begin with. *G* We all tend to march to be beat of a different drummer.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 26, 2020, 12:53:52 AM: ...I don't know what to call this... ::)

...I was President of the Student Council, at Conservatory. I was given a key to the building, so that I could open it to meetings. One evening, I had been practicing cello in a practice room there for several hours, it was close to midnight, and I wandered around to clear my head. I decided to try the key on other doors...

...AND IT WORKED!!!

...I entered Professors Offices...but left...I didn't touch ANYTHING!!!

...I entered the Deans Office...and left...I decided not to seek my personal file...I may have not liked what was inside.

...When my term elapsed, I told the Dean to make a key that just opened the side door to the Conservatory.

...I had NO intention of causing damage or problems, but someone after me could have caused problems.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 28, 2020, 01:05:52 AM: ...Here is a piano work that I could play...but it was hard on me.

...For anyone who has never tried to play an instrument...I say...

...JUST DO IT!

...Yes, it is hard. You have to sit alone for long times, and get discouraged when your hands just aren't working...

...But...they can do this...
...https://youtu.be/BV7RkEL6oRc
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 30, 2020, 11:09:23 PM: ...I could play this...and my newest cello is named 'Pavane'. 'Catherine' was made in 1910...and my viola de gamba, 'Rose'...is the baby of the group.

...Pavane has her name on Her label, pasted inside of Her, by the Luthier. I had met with the woman who made Her. She, the 'Luthier', let me take Pavane home with me, and I did a wire transfer to pay for Pavane. I have never regretted my decision, Pavane and I led many orchestras. She has a loud voice, and I could lead the section...and when I had a solo...I didn't have to struggle. ;)

...I would bring Catherine when I was playing Chamber music...she has a very soft, 'woody' voice...and blends well with other strings.

...Rose is a Bitch!!!! She has six strings, and is tuned kind of like a guitar. My left hand is always trying to find the right string to press down on, and my right hand gets confused. She understands how to play on four strings...but she has problems placing the bow when faced with SIX strings!!!

...I will just start practicing Rose more... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 30, 2020, 11:10:36 PM: ...Here it is...

...https://youtu.be/q9tcHoD6r0c
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 31, 2020, 10:42:33 PM: ...Performing music...nothing like it in the WORLD!!!! :)

...I JUST LOVED IT...when I could play this!!! ;D Again, I didn't just open the score, play it, and walk away. I spent hours and hours practicing it. It is a VERY DIFFICULT work. My fingers would stumble many times, and I would play a passage very slow...and I WOULD TELL MY HANDS...REMEMBER THIS!!!! Often, they didn't...and I made them SLAP EACH OTHER!!! Sometimes it worked...my hands would focus and the work went well...but...usually...they just GOT MAD AT ME...and I would give up, and walk to the dorm. I was not going to throw them into the creek as I walked across the bridge...I did NEED THEM!!!! (And they protected each other)

...As Rags has said...we Musicians aren't wired normal.

https://youtu.be/QImFm4Y_QPM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 01, 2020, 02:03:25 AM: ...Total Insanity...Bi Polar

...It is hard to cope with, but can be done.

...I have struggled with it since HS. When my mind was alert, I didn't have to worry about anything. I got good grades, was the Valedictorian at Law School, and once I became a Trial Attorney...the other side had to WATCH OUT!!! I pulled 'stuff' out that they didn't see coming. The IRS also had to watch out...they changed a Regulation after they went after a client of mine...I got REALLY PISSED...and stood before the Federal District Court...and explained that the IRS didn't understand the Law.

...The Justices ruled in my favor.

...But, as anyone else who has this disease knows...you pay a price.

...I left the Law Firm, when the depressive cycle kicked in, heavy time. I would go home, and do my best. The last time it happened, my H just moved away, and divorced me. He took 759K, and will get half of my pension.

...So, I moved in with my elderly Mother, and we are doing well, She is happy to have me, she had been thinking of selling the house, and moving into one of those assisted living places, and didn't want to do that. That is probably good, that disease is hitting those facilities hard. So, we just stay in the house, and I clean up, and go buy food every week.

...Not the Life that I had expected...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on August 01, 2020, 10:20:48 AM: Life is seldom what we expect sis.

All we can do is face what comes and do the best we can with what we have.

:-* ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 04, 2020, 12:15:40 PM: ...I think that it is clear that I am in a 'Depressive' cycle right now, and fight with my mind every day. I take the drugs, and make myself eat and get some exercise. But, having gone through this so many times in my life, I will sometimes laugh at my mind...I mean...I have so much right now. I keep telling it..."GET BACK TO NORMAL!!!!" It isn't doing that, right now, so I just do my best to get through the day. Working helped...I would be distracted by a clients case, and would focus on that...and even though I was depressed, I would get the job done. I won several Jury Trials, even though I almost pulled my car over, and wanted to call the Court and say that I was sick. My illness is usually 'hypo', not 'hyper', so I can function fairly normally in either phase. Most of the time, my brain is normal, so that is why I have been able to accomplish so much in my life. I have explored so many things...Law...Accounting...Cello...Piano...Youth Leader...

...Backpacking alone at Lassen, I really liked that. :) I would be out, alone, for a week. I knew that it was very dangerous, if I got injured, it could be a while before aid could get to me. And, being a woman, alone, if thugs found me...well...it could have not gone well. Especially when I camped by a small lake, and got naked to bathe myself. Once, I was in a lake, and noticed two guys watching me. I figured that it would be best to pretend that I didn't see them, and continued my bath. They watched for a while, and then left. I quickly got out, dried off, and put my clothes back on.

...I was having mixed feelings as I prepared my dinner. Mostly, I was relieved, that would have been awful, to stand, naked, before two strange men...anything could have happened.,,and I looked very good back then. But, my Izee' mind was thinking..."That could have been fun, they should have joined me."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on August 04, 2020, 04:57:41 PM: SIS!!!!!

Sheeeesh...

Ummm... going to show us pics? No pics = never happened. Inquiring minds and Oprah want to know. LOL
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 04, 2020, 11:52:51 PM: ...I should have gotten their names and addresses...

...ONE DID HAVE A CAMERA!!!!

...So I guess my naked body is in some strangers album.

...Really not sure what I would have done if they came down. I was VERY skilled in martial arts, but part of the training for we females, was just, 'don't get into a fight'...men are stronger...and I was naked. My right foot wouldn't have done much, unless I landed it on their face.

...I probably would have smiled at them, and said, "I got some really good beef stew, want some?"

...If they nodded, I would have gotten it cooking, and casually talking to them while I was still naked, And gotten dressed as they ate, and gathered my pack. I would have eaten, too, and been friendly, finding out where they were heading...and then walked in the OTHER DIRECTION!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on August 05, 2020, 12:05:18 AM: LOL Well... I suppose your right foot on their face might have been effective if their head was under water. :P ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 06, 2020, 12:55:58 AM: ...Performance...nothing like it!!!! ;D

...I probably looked like this when I played this at a recital.

...https://youtu.be/U79VxvJYGdU

...I put myself to bed...rode hard, and put away wet

...Performance does that to you
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 09, 2020, 10:31:14 PM: ...Getting my chickens stolen...I may have commented on this before...

...I was the Advisor to the 4-H Poultry Project, and took it seriously, I had raised pigeons in HS. I built a chicken palace on our 5 acre parcel, and packed it with all types of chickens. There were plain ones, who laid eggs, so we had those, and I would take extra eggs into my office, and give them to my staff. There were also 'Fancy Chickens'...I would enter them into the County Fair...and often got a blue ribbon. I would trade or sell some of them to other 'fanciers', and be happy when I saw a hen sitting with a cock, and think that I would see some nice, new, chicks that I could sell or trade.

...One day, I got home from work, I had a new bag of feed, and got into my casual clothes, and walked over to the 'Palace'...and ALL of the chickens were GONE!!! My Family had no idea of idea of what had happened...and I WAS PISSED!!! I had been offered $75 for a fancy hen...and was bargaining with someone else over one of my cocks that had won a prize.

...I just cleaned put the 'Palace', and didn't raise chickens again.

...Once, when I had let THE CHICKENS LOOSE on my front yard, I was sitting with my young niece, drinking coke. We were watching the chickens, and talking about various things. A cock decided to 'have fun', and grabbed a hen and threw her down on the ground, and jumped onto her. He got off her, and just walked away. My niece asked what had happened, and I said..."That was chicken Romance."

...Pigeons were different, they are very romantic, The cock would approach his mate...Pigeons mate for life...and the cock would approach his hen with his bill opened. She would put her bill into his mouth, and they would lower their heads to the ground several times. She would then crouch down, her wings slightly spread, for balance, and the cock would jump onto her back, and DO her. He would then strut in a circle around her, looking very proud, and she would take little dancing steps towards him as he strutted.

...So, that is how Pigeons DO IT...for anyone who wanted to know... :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 11, 2020, 01:41:03 AM: ...I tried to take 'little dancing steps' to Marcus Hrolfson, after our Companionship Ceremony...I was sweating...but wanted him inside of me again.

I got backhanded....and he went to the Tavern.

,,,((Not true...we had a very nice Ceremony...and went into our room, and I made a graphic description of how I looked for everyone to see...I wasn't wearing much clothing when we went to bed,)) Marcus's typist and I had a nice pm chat about r/t issues, and then logged off. He and I never cybered, although we would leave HINTS about what we were going to do. We would go into pm, and talk about r/t issues, He had a very serious autoimmune disease...and he died. He did tell me that I had helped keep him alive for a few years. I would keep sending him pms, even though I didn't get a response. That went on for MONTHS. He said that he would look at the computer, and feel better. I would speak of my r/t, and my frustrations with v/t. He would laugh at some of the issues that had me frustrated, but...he would see me get through them.

...I miss Him so much...He and I would try to have as much fun together...

...And to get everyone in the Home to enjoy it. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on August 11, 2020, 10:06:26 AM: That is all any can do sis... make the most of what they have.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 11, 2020, 10:31:52 PM: ...A pigeon almost 'divorce'... ::)

...Pigeons mate for life, and I liked the thought when I was raising them. A cock would claim a hen, and they would be mated. They would sit together, and claim a nesting box, and make chicks.

...I had a little blueband hen, and she was the lowest on the status. Her name was Kiki, and all of the other pigeons would beat up on her. I acquired a nice cock, all of his feathers were red, so I named him 'Rusty'. The 'king of the cage' was 'Shadow', he had black feathers.

...Rusty and Shadow didn't get along, they fought a lot, and staked out parts of the coop that was 'THEIR TERRITORY'. I was happy to see Rusty claim Kiki, and they moved into a nice nesting box. Kiki was then able to get to the food, first, and sit in the water bowl to cool off. I would yell at her when she did that...I would have to take the bowl out...wash it very carefully...and put clean water in it. My 'pigeon counselor' told me that the bowl, and the water, should be so clean that I would drink from it.

...Kiki got arrogant, her status had changed...but...

...SHE ALMOST LOST IT!!!!

...Rusty was doing his 'LETS DO IT DANCE' before her, and she was ignoring him. After a few minutes, Rusty went to 'Bandy', and did his dance before her. Kiki got upset, and chased Bandy away...and let Rusty have her.

...I went to my room, and laughed my ass off...

...I figured that if I ever found a guy that I liked...

...I WOULD NOT IGNORE HIS DANCE!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 12, 2020, 11:59:23 AM: ...caddying...shows that I do have a submissive side... :)

...After a round, I would carry the Members bag up to where bags were stored. I wouldn't just drop the bag off, I would take it into the room, greet the Caddymaster, and then carefully wash the clubs. I would look at the Tag on the bag, and carry the bag to the storage place, and put it into the proper place.

...Usually, I would stay in the room, and grab the bags that other caddies had left outside, and wash the clubs, and talk with the Caddymaster...I just didn't like sitting by the golf carts, and hoping that my name would be called.

...The Caddymaster once asked me if I played golf. I said, "No, I don't have any clubs". He grinned at me, and went to a corner of the room, and handed me an iron, and said..."Now you have a club." I was excited as I washed the Members clubs, and saw 'MY CLUB' sitting off to the side. It was a wedge!!!!

...I had a blast with it when I took it home. I bought a package of those plastic golf balls, and hit them all over my parents property. I got fairly skilled with it...I could hit the plastic ball over the roof of the house into the front yard...and then hit it back into the back yard.

...BUT...there were DOZENS of plastic golf balls in the rain gutters of our house... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 12, 2020, 02:02:56 PM: ...Archery...I LOVED IT!!!! :)

...I went to an indoor range, and rented a bow, and got lessons on how to shoot. I would pull the string back, and get the fletching of the arrow against the right side of my lips, and let loose. ;D

...I bought an expensive 'compound bow', and good arrows...and practiced hard. Keeping 'score' was easy after a while. When you hit the bullseye, that is a 'ten'. I would just count when I didn't hit the bullseye, and subtract numbers from a hundred. I would be in the 90's, although once I was in the 80's...I have no idea what had happened...but I totally MISSED the target.

...Good thing that I wasn't defending Tuchuk when I fired THAT arrow!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 12, 2020, 02:39:32 PM: ...Some cute guys were watching me when I fired that arrow...I was standing very straight...my back arched...

...I got DISTRACTED!!!!

...I was lucky that I hit the wall... :P

...Once, I put an arrow into the ceiling...when cute guys were looking at me.

...The owner let me go up into the attic, I found my arrow, and I found several more arrows, and KEPT them. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 14, 2020, 09:47:49 PM: ...Flag Football... ;D

...I really enjoyed it in Jr HS. I was usually assigned to be an End, or Linebacker, and did well, in our mixed teams, male and female. But, one season, I was assigned to the Line...left guard...the Team Captain didn't like me. I yelled at him, saying, "Just LOOK at me...do you really expect me to BLOCK a guy?" He would just say, "Get into the position." I would look up at a HUGE guy, and do my best...as he grinned at me.

...I got knocked on my ass the first few times I tried to block him...he picked me up after the play...slapped me on the butt...and we lined up, again. He was easier after that, he would just swipe me aside, and go after the QB or HB that had the ball.

...That guy went on to become a Varsity Lineman at HS and College...

...I would tell my friends...

...I TRAINED HIM... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on August 15, 2020, 09:27:43 AM: LOL
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 21, 2020, 01:15:30 AM: ...Alright...another one of my 'Sterling Performances' at Conservatory. :P

...I was majoring in Cello and Piano...but messed around with the String Bass a bit. Glen Chin kept getting me to play it, when we were just 'hanging out'...He thought it was amusing to see a small woman trying to play an instrument that was much larger than her. I was also amused, and tried to use my cello technique on it...but it didn't work very well...but it was fun. My small hand got an idea of the distance between notes, and where to place the 1st finger of my left hand in the first five positions.

...I actually acted as if I was serious when I told my cello Professor that I wanted to add the String Bass to my performance instruments. He said..."I forbid it...but if you want another instrument...see if the Professor of Flutes will accept you". I told Him, "I have asthma, I shouldn't play a wind instrument, especially the flute. I can see me signaling the Conductor to stop the Orchestra in the middle of my solo passage in a Concert, so that I could suck on my 'rescue inhaler' a few times, and then get the Concert going again." He nodded, and said, "OK, how is the Brahms coming along? Let me hear you."

...I was actually a little contemptuous of "Country Music", I just listened to Classical Music, and Opera.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 21, 2020, 02:05:53 AM: ...Then I met a nice guy who played the violin. We had been assigned to the same string quartet, and got to like each other. We were never 'Romantic', although we would exchange a 'chaste kiss' at times. (Rags...that means that we kept it short...our lips closed...and NO TONGUE ACTION!!!...just that little ''pushing the lips forward" at the end :-*)

...I walked across our apt complex one afternoon, to his unit, carrying some enchiladas I had made, and a bottle of red wine that I had gotten an Upper Classwoman to buy for me, and we had lunch. I was expecting to listen to some Wagner with him...but...

...HE WAS LISTENING TO COUNTRY MUSIC!!!! :o

...I just sat, ate...and drank wine with him. I did comment, after my second glass..."Ted, why do you listen to that crap, there is nothing to it." He briefly stared at me, swallowed the enchilada he was eating, and said..."It is NOT crap!!! Let me SHOW you!!" He rose, and went to the bedroom, as I sat, chewing on another enchilada. He returned...and I almost GAGGED!!!!

...He was carrying a BANJO!!!! :o

...Just to explain, to we SERIOUS classical musicians...a Banjo is the equivalent of holding a pie tin in your left hand, and banging on it with a wooden spoon held in your right hand...at least...that is what I thought at the time. :o I just slowly chewed as he demonstrated to me how you play it, and then said..."Here are different styles, now LISTEN how a Banjo can play a melody, and ACCOMPANY itself at the SAME TIME!" I did set down my half-eaten enchilada as I listened...I had never listened to Country Music that way. He was RIGHT...my 'Music Brain' turned on, and I could hear how complex the instrument could sound. He saw that I was paying attention to the lesson, and kept playing. He then grinned and said, "I am warmed up, now...

...Here is BLUEGRASS!" ;D

...I listened...and was fascinated watching the fingers of his right hand move with precision across the strings. At times plucking one note harder than the other...to bring out the melody. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 21, 2020, 03:32:57 AM: ...So, I added listening to Country Music between Wagner compositions...it actually relaxed me from the carnage of Sigfried, Die Valkure, and other such works. I would listen to the bass lines of the Country Music, and get an idea of the chord progression. When I was playing WITH the String Bass in a practice room...I WASN'T practicing...I was just having fun...my piano music would be sitting on the piano... a Country Music song would run through my mind...and I would accompany it on the String Bass.

...Once, Ted came in, when I was doing that...CARRYING HIS DAMN BANJO!!! ::) I stopped plucking the strings...I usually plucked...bowing the damn thing was HARD. He said, "Start again, I know what you were playing." I did, and then he joined... :)

...It was FUN!!! We played a few more, and he corrected me, at times, saying, "It is a 4th chord, going up to a 6th, and then coming down to a 3rd...and then settling down. We then practiced often in the months that followed, and I learned a lot about Country Music...and...most importantly...ABOUT MUSIC!!!

...It IS the most SUBLIME Art Form there is. IMHO The 'Arts' are there to inspire, comfort, and get our minds 'THINKING'. You can look at a painting, or sculpture, and walk away...your mind thinking differently for a while. (Cooking is also an 'Art'...IMHO...you can put something in your mouth...and your 'THINKING' will be different... ::)...I have written short letters to give to the Chef over just how GOOD the food was...a few times I left most of the meal on my plate...paid the Bill...and left. My 'THINKING' was different each time. ::)) But, MUSIC lasts for SO LONG!!!

...Ted convinced me to accompany him at 'Solo Class', playing the String Bass, while he played the Banjo. I did agree...I had decided that I was going to change my Major to Business Administration. I said, "The Dean won't approve us doing that." And Ted just shrugged, saying, "We will tell Him that we are going to play a violin and cello duet the week before." Ted did tell the Dean that...but I wasn't comfortable. I had my usual weekly meeting with the Dean...I was President of the Students...we discussed the usual matters. I then shifted in my seat, and said..."Ah, Ted and I want to play a joke at the next Solo Class." He sighed, and said, "What do you want to do?" I explained it...and He laughed and said..."Let ME get into the 'Act'...I will come out at the end...yell at the two of you...and turn to the students...and explain that we are trying to train PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS."

...I laughed, and said..."It is a deal." He smiled...He knew that I was changing Majors...I had spoken to Him many times that I was realizing that Music would have be a Hobby with me...I had started the Cello and the Piano way too late in my life. He actually got me to change my Major to Music Education for a while...but the thought of being a Music Teacher just didn't grab the essence of my inner self. I mean...Music Teachers affected me much more positive than any other Teacher...but I just didn't imagine that I could do that...plus...I wasn't sure that I could handle working with large groups of TEENAGERS day in...day out...plus...every year...

...I WOULD HAVE TO CONFRONT ONE LIKE MYSELF...OR MAYBE EVEN TWO!!!! :o :o :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 21, 2020, 04:16:02 AM: ...So, 'Solo Class' arrived and we did our 'skit. The student presiding over Solo Class announced our names, and the name of the violin/cello duet we would be playing. She walked off, and then Ted and I walked onto the Stage, from opposite ends. ::)

...I was dressed very formally ;D...in my black Concert Attire...and was struggling...carrying the LARGEST STRING BASS that we could find in the storage area on my back. I would have looked VERY elegant the way I was dressed, my hair, my makeup and jewelry...but I was bent over, pretending that the hunk of lumber was too heavy for me. :P

...Ted sauntered out, in jeans, T-shirt, and carrying his Banjo...he was also BAREFOOT!!! :P

...We looked around and we set down beside each other...there were NO MUSIC STANDS!!! I got irate, and yelled..."WHERE IS THE MUSIC!!!" Ted looked around, and said, "We don't need no music." I yelled at him..."WHAT IS THE MATTER...DON'T YOU NEED MUSIC...CAN'T YOU READ MUSIC?" Ted replied...

..."Not 'nuff tae hurt mu playin." ::)

...We made a few more jokes...and then got playing. I pretended to get angry at him...and we played a few of the works we had rehearsed.

...We finished, and the Dean walked up the isle...scolded us as I twirled the String Bass...and then turned to the Students...explaining that the purpose of Conservatory was to train refined, skilled professionals, educators, and teachers...and that THIS PERFORMANCE would NOT COUNT to the number of times that we students were REQUIRED to perform. He then stomped off the stage, and I staggered off to the other side,,,carrying that HUGE STRING BASS on my back. :P

...The students gave us both a lot of compliments over our performance during the following weeks... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 25, 2020, 12:28:05 AM: ...A true, but funny tale of when I was the Leader of an East Indian Horde that INVADED a City Council Meeting... ;D

...When I was practicing Insurance Defense, and Business Law at the Firm where the Jr Partner didn't like me, I was often assigned the REALLY GROTTY matters to handle. (I should have changed my first name, so I could be called 'Dirty Harriet'. ::)) One evening, at 6:00, I was getting ready to go home, and the Jr. Partner came into my office, handed me a small file, and said "You are going to drive to L________ right now, and attend a City Council meeting at 7:30, I have other work to do. My client, Mr. Kahn, has been cited for running an unlicensed grocery out of His garage...go take care of it." He then turned and left. I quickly scanned the file, and then ran down the stairs and drove to Kahns' residence.

...I pulled up in front of his house, and there were about two dozen Sieks (East Indians) standing around, and they all stared at me when I got out of my car. I pulled out some of my business cards, and handed them around, and that Attorney D.T. had sent me to handle the matter. One went into the house, and a middle aged man came out and looked me over. (I did look fairly well in those days... :)) I just said that D.T. had another important matter, and that he had sent me. He invited me into his home, and poured me a cup of tea. I asked to see the garage, and he led me into it...and it was STACKED with large bags of rice and other grains, and large cans of stuff that I couldn't recognize, or read the writing on the labels. I did ask him...

...."Is this a store?"

...He waved his hands, and said...

..."No, no, no...it is for my Family."

...Six children, of various ages, had been following me around once I entered the Home...they probably weren't used to seeing a Hispanic enter their home. I asked him, "Why so much?" His answer was, "It comes direct from India, so I order a lot, and it lasts a .long time." I just nodded, and looked at my watch, and said, "We had better get to the Council Chamber, the meeting will be starting soon. I will meet you there, I just want to park my car close, so it will be easy for me to leave." He nodded, and agreed, and I walked out the front door.

...The group outside had SWELLED to about 50 people. I just smiled at them, and got into my car. Kahn had also emerged, and was speaking to them. I drove the few blocks to the Council Building, parked my car where I figured I could make a quick getaway...and stood outside...waiting for Kahn. He arrived shortly...and...

...THE WHOLE HOARD WAS WITH HIM!!!! :o

...They all stopped in front of me, and Kahn stood beside me. I told them, "I understand the problem, I will explain it to them, and Mr Kahn will stand with me." The Hoard grumbled, and one young man shouted..."DO WE HAVE TO WAIT OUT HERE?" I pondered for a brief moment...and my 'Izee' Mind' whispered to me..."DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!!!" I smiled at the Hoard, and said, "Of course not, it is a public meeting, come in with us, but Mr. Kahn and I need to sit at the front. So...

...I LEAD MY HOARD...(I FELT THAT THEY WERE MINE NOW)...into the Council Chambers... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 25, 2020, 01:12:34 AM: ...The meeting was getting ready to start, and the seven members of the Council looked across their podium as I lead in my Hoard. Mr Kahn and I sat up front, and the Hoard filled the remaining chairs, and were standing along the walls. Again, 'Izee' had taken some control of my mind, and while we were waiting, I opened my purse, and powdered my nose and freshened my lipstick...Izee' said that doing that would show that I was VERY relaxed. I grumbled to her that it also would show that I was VERY RUDE. ::)

...The meeting started, and the Council took care of some brief matters, and then Mr. Kahns' case was called. The podium for me was small, only one person could stand behind it. I told Mr. Kahn to just sit, and got behind the podium. I introduced myself, and gave the Clerk my card, and asked them to have the police recite the charges, and the basis for them. The Officer just said that they had received a report that Mr. Kahn was running an unlicensed store out of his garage, and having looked into the garage, had issued a citation. BTW, the Council was mostly Hispanic, with two Caucasians, and one East Indian I nodded, and thanked the Officer, and then got into the presentation that I had worked out during my short drive.

...I explained that Mr. Kahn had a large Family, and saved money buy buying food directly from India, which he would do once a year...so he had to order a lot. I also explained that he was the Patriarch of the Khan Family, and would give food to them if they needed it. I also said that Sieks, because of their Culture, liked to have extra food available, in case of an emergency or breakdown in society. (I really didn't feel that I was lying...I was just presenting what my client had told me.) I then just stood there for a while...keeping my BIG MOUTH SHUT...as...

...THE COUNCIL ARGUED AMONG THEMSELVES FOR 30 MINUTES. (By that time in my Career, I had learned that when the opposition was arguing among themselves, it could be dangerous if I added my voice...they might unite and TURN ON ME...besides...I sensed that most of them had accepted my explanation... ;D) They took a vote, it was 5 to 2 IN MY FAVOR...and the citation was withdrawn. I thanked the Council, they would send Mr. Kahn and me the paperwork ;D and I turned and walked out with Mr. Kahn...and the HOARD followed. We got outside, and they gathered around me, and I explained what the decision was, and they all smiled. A number of them came up to me, and thanked me. I shook hands with Mr. Kahn, and then he left, and I walked to my car. I was a bit introspective as I drove home...one of the compliments was...

..."Thank you for your silence"

...I guess that, in their culture, they didn't like loud mouthed women... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 27, 2020, 01:07:56 PM: ...People think that 'Classical Music' is so proper, especially Mozart. I have had people say that the movie 'Amadeus' must be total fiction, that Mozart could not have been as Hulce portrayed him. Well, Mozart WAS improper many times!!!! ;D Here is one of his Madrigals...the lyrics are..."Kiss my ass" ::) Please enjoy...

https://youtu.be/C78HBp-Youk
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on August 27, 2020, 02:15:18 PM: Kiss my ass. LMTAO!!!!! :-* :-* :-*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 27, 2020, 06:48:25 PM: ...There is another song, that is even WORSE!!! I have only heard it once, and I can't remember the German Title of the work, or the Composer. I heard it in my Frosh year at Conservatory, and I was sitting in the middle of the front row, with a female vocal major sitting on each side of me. They had accosted me when I arrived at the Hall, and brought me with them as they sat down in the front row. A Bass/Baritone was singing the song as part of his Senior Recital. When he got to the song, one of the women handed me a sheet of paper, and whispered..."Here is the translation." The translated title was...

...EVERY MAN LIKES TO NIBBLE... :o

...Included in the chorus lyrics was..."Every man likes to nibble, and the taste of a maiden is sweet." (All in German)

...The Singer really acted it out, and a few times he would leer at ME when he was singing a really 'blue phrase'..I would look up from the translation, and start blushing. One of the women nudged me, and said..."I think he likes you". I got redder, and the women on each side of me giggled. 8)

...I decided NOT to attend the post recital reception...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 31, 2020, 12:21:13 PM: ...When I was at my 'Finest'...NOT!!!!!!! :P

...I got into deer hunting when I was in my late 20's. I became friends with a guy who worked for me, and our families entertained together. :) I bought a 30:06, bolt action, and went deer hunting with him and members of his family. They had a nice, rustic cabin, and owned 600 acres in the CA coast hills. We would drive up Friday evening, and drive back Sunday afternoon. We would hunt twice during the day, the first was very early morning, and again after dinner. After the second hunt, we would sit, drink, and play Peedro. The first couple times I was there, I didn't drink much...drinking wasn't something that I did at that time. I was attending night Law School, and even one drink affected my ability to analyze a case. BUT...then came my third visit, and the School Semester was over. :) So, I decided to drink. They had beer and wine, and some spirits. Well, I started with the wine, then switched to beer, and then had several shots of vodka. From what I can recall, I was having a very good time!!! ;D

I mean, here I was, a young woman, with FIVE MEN, in a small cabin about 30 miles from civilization, and my friends brother was VERY HANDSOME! He was a big guy, he had actually received an athletic scholarship from a big college, and played Quarterback!!! :D I had NO INTENTION of getting intimate with any of them, especially since the guy who worked for me was present. But, it was nice to sit with them, play cards, and look around at them. That is probably why I drank so much...plus...they would set a fresh beer in front of me when I finished one. For some reason...I just couldn't stop drinking. (That reminds me of a Japanese saying, "The man drinks the first two flasks of sake, and after that, the sake drinks the man" :P) It got to Midnight, and we all went to bed. They slept in the covered back porch, I had the bedroom. Needless to say, I was VERY drunk, and fell asleep...BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :P

...I woke up fairly quickly, and REALLY NEEDED TO THROW UP!!! There was no inside bathroom, so I pulled on my pants, and exited the back door, and started to stagger towards the outhouse. :P I didn't make it, I just stopped by an oak tree, knelt, and started heaving. I was hoping that it would all come up at once...but...IT DIDN'T!!!!! I would vomit some liquid, and be calm for about 20 seconds, and then repeat. This just kept going on for several minutes. :P

...One habit I have, is that I will talk to myself, aloud, at times. So, between heaves I was cussing myself out...using words that I knew...but rarely spoke. I was also aware that the men were listening, I was just outside of the covered porch, and one was giving a running commentary to the others..."Wow, did you hear her really gurgle on that one?" I added cussing at them to my discourse, between heaves. >:( Then...I said as I looked to my left...

..."Oh great...here comes the FUCKING DOGS" (I am very allergic to dogs)

...I don't know why the four large dogs swarmed around me, but they made my heaving much more complex. So, I was pushing the dogs away from me, and cussing the dogs out, and the men were laughing. One told me the next morning that it sounded like this..."Get away, you fucking mutt"...*heave*..."Damn you, dog, go away"...*gurgle*..."Get out of MY FACE"...*vomit*..." This went on for several minutes, and FINALLY my tummy was empty. I staggered back to the bedroom, and fell asleep.

...I wanted to stay in bed that morning, but they roused me at 5:00 am, and made me try to eat some breakfast. I couldn't eat any breakfast, but they told me to bring my rifle. I did, but it wasn't loaded. I tried to walk, but I wasn't very well, and knew that if I walked down the steep slope into the canyon, they would have to carry me out. So, I just stayed in the truck, and dozed a bit while they hunted. When they came back in a couple hours, they opened the ice chest and got me to drink a beer. I was surprised when it helped...but I had never gotten so drunk before.

...So, on subsequent visits...I moderated my drinking during the card games. I did enjoy hunting, and could handle the steep canyons.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on August 31, 2020, 02:25:20 PM: Gotta love the way other people sound when they are hoarking. *G*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 03, 2020, 01:04:56 AM: ...OK...to CXHANGE the SUBJECT...

...((BTW, I think that the above episode of my Life when I 'puked with the dogs' was my low point...but people thought my lowest points were when I was a Trial Attorney. ::) I was very Ethical when I handled cases, never did anything that got a Judge angry at me...I mean...the Judges ASKED me to become a Judge Pro Tem...but I did plan and set traps for the other side during Trials. :) Many of them worked! ;D ))

...OK, OK, OK...here is what I wanted to share. This is the 3rd Movement of Brahms 3rd Symphony. The cellos play the theme at the beginning, and then the work develops, and the theme is passed around. I was REALLY moved the first time our section played it during a rehearsal. I wasn't a 'Classical Music' Officianado until halfway through my Jr year of H.S., so there was a LOT of music that I had never listened to when I entered Conservatory.

...The theme has to be the most 'Yearning' music I have ever heard. The phrase rises up...and then falls. It tries again...and falls. It then gets introspective. This is a very peaceful work, Brahms doesn't ramp it up very much, but it is nice. At times, I am in awe over what we Humans can do...I mean...how DID Brahms envision the work...and fit a full orchestra together to express what he was trying to say? Here it is...please enjoy. :)

...https://youtu.be/2tB2SLLnPZg
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 04, 2020, 11:56:33 PM: ...Ragnar asks Izee' to train some bonds to perform an elegant dance in the Great Hall of their Hosts. Izee' selected the dancers, and began composing a nice dance to perform. Unfortunately, Izee' got called away to work in the Infirmary at Drekalanda, and after being told of the number of Warriors...and the extent of their injuries...knew that she would be busy for several days...and would not be able to work with the dancers.

...Tiveri had been helping Izee', and Tiveri could do athletic dances, so Izee' turned the assignment over to her, and also let Tiveri design the costumes. During the following hand, Izee' lived in the Infirmary, and got very little sleep while tending to the Warriors. Izee' was feeling relaxed when all of the Warrior Patients were stabilized, and after getting some sleep, she was eager to see the Concert and Dancing in the Great Hall. She sat with Sidona, and they were both drinking ale as they watched, with approval, the performances.

...Izee' spit up her ale when Tiveri's group appeared...and kept her head kinda lowered as the Audience laughed and shouted...Tiveri was dancing in the middle of the bonds...

...https://youtu.be/YotMwwixPsw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 05, 2020, 07:37:58 AM: *Facepalms*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 06, 2020, 12:09:06 AM: ...Saint-Saens Cello Concerto #1 ;D

...This was the 1st Major Concerto I studied, I was a Jr in H.S. and LOVED IT! I imagined that I was a Storm, that the fast notes were the Wind, the short notes were Hail falling from the skies. I was totally fascinated with the 'double stops' at around 3:10. They are very difficult...you are up in 'Thumb Position', and you have to play 3 strings at pretty much the same time, so you have to get your first three fingers into the right position, each on a different string. Plus, as you can see in the video, you have to quickly change positions. Sometimes the fingers are a whole note apart, (Distance wise), other times just a half step. So, you have to shift the fingers to different distances as you move up and down the fingerboard. :P I spent hour after hour playing it very slowly, and not moving to the next notes until I had the current ones in tune. :o Muscle Memory kicked in, after a while, and so I increased the speed until I was at the proper tempo. ;)

...In my Soph year at Conservatory, I was judging private music scholarships for H.S Students, and spent the morning listening to violins, violas, cellos...and a HARP!!! I have NO IDEA of how you play a harp...I just listened to the young lady...thanked her and awarded her a scholarship...it sounded very nice. :) I was much more careful with the strings, I had played all of them at some point in my life, and could certainly spot a good performer.

...My 'Izee' Mind' emerged as I was listening to a young man play the Saint-Saens. He was very nimble, and could do the fast passages well, but he messed up a bunch of the double stops at 3:10. I had him go back, and play that part a few times...and he got worse...he knew that he was messing up. I held out my hand, and he handed over his cello and bow. I stroked the strings, and did some fine tuning as I chatted about the passage, and as I finished tuning, I said..."The problem you have is your fingering, it is too complex, and that is why you can't keep it in tune." I settled the cello into position, raised the bow, and said..."Here, watch carefully...this is a SIMPLE fingering that works." I brought the bow down...and just pressed the side of my left wrist against ALL of the strings, and just moved my whole wrist up and down the fingerboard. :o I was watching him as I played...and his expression was...interesting. ::) I finished, and said..."See? That is an easier fingering, and it sounds pretty close to what is written." He just nodded...and I started laughing...and then he did, too. I then gave him a 10 minute lesson on the passage, showing him how to properly practice it. I did award him a scholarship, he had played most of the Concerto very well. :)

...Here it is... :)

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=0C202BD70D22775857300C202BD70D2277585730&shtp=GetUrl&shid=6aec903d-e4b3-4f19-b041-7f6b945ebc88&shtk=Q2FtaWxsZSBTYWludC1TYcOrbnMgQ2VsbG8gQ29uY2VydG8gbsKwMSAtIENhbWlsbGUgVGhvbWFzIC0gRGllZ28gTWF0aGV1eiAtIE9OQkE%3D&shdk=Q29uY2VydG8gbsKwIDEgLSBTYWludC1TYcOrbnMgQmlzIDogTGVzIExhcm1lcyBkZSBKYWNxdWVsaW5lIC0gT2ZmZW5iYWNoIE9yY2hlc3RyZSBOYXRpb25hbCBCb3JkZWF1eCBBcXVpdGFpbmUgc291cyBsYSBkaXJlY3Rpb24gZGUgRGllZ28gTWF0aGV1eiBBdWRpdG9yaXVtIGRlIGwnT3DDqXJhIGRlIEJvcmRlYXV4&shhk=DJiP5wZDLYg4vewN4373GdYNMjOxoqmG16LTyFnV8YI%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.CaxAwLphub0pWO43HPGNVQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 06, 2020, 05:23:30 AM: You softie... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 07, 2020, 12:09:34 PM: ...Playing in Pit Orchestras... :)

...ALL of these are true...Me, and others, have done them ALL. (Except watching stuff on cellphones...we didn't have them back then). They should add..."Messing with another players music. If the violist left her music unattended, I would write 'comments' on her score, or place yellow stickies with rude comments in it. ;D She always got back at me. ;) Once, I turned my page, and there was a picture of a NAKED MAN on my score. I quickly pulled it off, and dropped it to the floor...my part was important to the music. If my part didn't matter, (Because we strings were being drowned out by the brass), I probably would have messed with her...and stopped playing...and just stared...slack jawed...at the picture. ::)

...https://youtu.be/wpG-uAc-WmA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 08, 2020, 01:20:42 AM: ...The Theremin... :o

...I never knew that this instrument existed... ::)...actually...I kinda wonder WHY it exists. But, it certainly has a very unique sound. Izee' has one in her personal wagon...or, more accurately USED to have one. :P Izee' was practicing it late at night, and all of the children in the Camp were getting scared. Ragnar climbed out of Dragonslair, went to Izee's wagon, and took the instrument away from her. He told her that he would let her practice it when he was interrogating prisoners. ???

...Enjoy... ;D

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=41F4ED42CBF490F5850041F4ED42CBF490F58500&shtp=GetUrl&shid=2f35b376-86c0-4c3c-8c3a-625d1dc7eabf&shtk=S0FUSUNBIElMTMOJTllJIHRoZXJlbWluIC0gV2VzdCBTaWRlIFN0b3J5IC0gTWFyaWE%3D&shdk=S2F0aWNhIElsbMOpbnlpIC0gdGhlcmVtaW4gVGl0bGU6IE1hcmlhIGZyb20gdGhlIFdlc3QgU2lkZSBTdG9yeSBDb21wb3NlcjogTC4gQmVybnN0ZWluIEFycmFuZ2VkIGJ5IFDDqXRlciBTw6FyaWsgUMOpdGVyIFPDoXJpayBwaWFubyBUaWJvciBQaW50w6lyIGd1aXRhciBUaWJvciBGb25heSBkb3VibGUgYmFzcyBBdHRpbGEgR8OhbGZpIGRydW1zIFJlY29yZGVkIGF0IHRoZSBDb25ncmVzcyBDZW50cmUgQnVkYXBlc3QsIEphbnVhcnkgMTR0aCAyMDE3IEZ1bGwgQWxidW06IGh0dHBzOi8veW91dHUuYmUvSUlqcnV6d050SzAgT2ZmaWNpYWwgRkI6IGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmZhY2Vib29rLmNvbSAuLi4%3D&shhk=RNrd8tSP4R2Tgv5bNhwNHPH0ahxsfJDZiATkThMhHxk%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.2ApU%252BwbCHowRjWPC0MKOhQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 08, 2020, 07:56:10 AM: That is strange!!!!! :o ???
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 09, 2020, 12:36:49 AM: ...Three of the most LEGENDARY players in Music History...Rubenstein (Piano)...Heifitz (Violin)...and Piatigorsky (Cello). They did a lot of performing together. In H.S., I was fascinated with Piatigorsky, and bought His recordings, and studied the score of what He was playing as I listened. I even cut school once...(Really, that was the ONLY time I did that)...and my Mother drove me to S.F. State where Piatigorsky was giving a Master Class. I was DELIGHTED when we entered the Hall, the Usher directed my Mother to sit at the back of the audience, and he lead me to the front, and I was told to sit on the floor...right in front of where Piatigorsky would be sitting. I hunkered down, and, one by one, five other young women were brought to where I was sitting, and we gathered together. We were all VERY excited to be sitting so close to the Master...even though we were sitting on the floor. ::) Piatigorsky came out, bowed to the audience, and looked down and smiled and winked at us...and we did our best to not giggle.

...He told some stories as he worked with a young Cellist. I figured that He was a character, from the books I had read, and He certainly showed that during the class. He told some funny stories about the violinist, Nathan Milstein, who He often performed with. Nathan was a bit too trusting, so the others would tease him a lot. Once, the three had performed at a very expensive Home for Old People, and when they came out to take a bow...all of the audience members were leaving. They got back to where they were staying, and Nathan asked them how the Concert went. They all told him that it had been wonderful, that the audience kept calling them back to do encores, and they finally just had to tell the audience that they were too tired to play anymore. Nathan got himself booked to perform there...and when he returned...he was very unhappy. They asked him what had happened, and he said, "I guess they didn't like my music. When I finished, I went back stage to drink some water, and cool down, and when I went out to play an encore...the audience was gone, and men were FOLDING UP THE CHAIRS!!!"

...Piatigorsky smiled, waved, and winked at us six girls, sitting on the floor in front of Him, during the class, and blew us a kiss as He finished. As we got up, I looked back at the audience, and it sure looked like there were a number of EMPTY CHAIRS. I pointed that out to the other five, and one shrugged, and said, "I guess Gregor likes having pretty young women sitting on the floor in front of Him when He gives a class." :)

...I was giggling at times as my Mother drove me home...thinking..."Gregor Piatigorsky HIT ON ME!!!!!" ;D

...Here is the Trio... ;D https://youtu.be/nxpKz4CoLPc
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 09, 2020, 09:44:58 AM: LOL
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 09, 2020, 11:23:53 PM: ...California...*Sighs*

...I was born in the East Bay Area, and lived there until I went to the Central Valley for schooling, and when I got married, we lived in the Central Valley. Several times a year, we would visit and stay with my parents, who lived in the East Bay. I am now living back in the Family Home in the East Bay, watching over my Mother.

...None of us EVER saw the skies as they have been for a few weeks, now. Today, they were clouded up, very high, with ash and those special clouds that can form when there is a large fire. At 9:30 am, it seemed like it was close to sunrise. The sky was a dark red in color, and there was fine ash all over the bushes in the yard. You couldn't see the sun! My Mother said that she had never seen anything like this, and her longtime friends said the same. I recall, when I was a child, of seeing smoke in the air when there was a brush fire, but it was NEVER this thick, and would be gone in a day or two. There are many places on the Net where you can see pictures, 'Drudge' has some articles that have accurate pictures, if you want to see what it looks like out here.

...I've been staying in the house, most of the time, but it is challenging to breathe at times. I have asthma, and am using my 'chronic' inhaler as prescribed, and do have to use my 'rescue' inhaler several times a day. The news is reporting that the three HUGE fires in the Bay Area are each 85% to 92% controlled, so the air should improve over the next week. These are the WORST fires in CA history!!!

...And, it is also being reported that this could happen again, very easily. During the past few decades, the 'Do-Gooders' didn't practice proper forestry management, so all of the forests got very heavily overgrown. So, there is still plenty of fuel for more lightning caused fires...or fires caused by idiots. A very large one was started by a couple who threw a 'gender reveal' party in the foothills...and the firework, that was supposed to just emit pink smoke, started a grass fire, that spread into the nearby forest. California is VERY dry, right now, rainfall was below average the past few years. That is VERY common. Living in CA during my life, (Except for the recent year and a half in Kansas), I experienced that CA will have 2-4 years of low rainfall, and then 1-2 years of heavy rainfall, and back again. There are a few CA politicians who are calling for increased forest thinning, and just cutting clear sections in the forests, so that a fire in one section won't spread to other sections.

...But, I suspect that the 'Namby Pamby' Liberals in the Legislature and the Forest Dept, will just replant the burned areas with too many trees, placed too close to each other, and this will just go on.

...I am reading that many Californians are moving out, some because they lost their homes, others for other reasons. My advice is, having lived here for so long...is watch out for the ones who are moving from the S.F. Bay Area, and Los Angeles. Both of those populations are generally very liberal, and can be very activist. They will bring their ideas of 'what is right' with them, and try to impose it wherever they are. Although, there are Conservatives living in those areas...my Family is very Conservative...we have never voted for a Democrat...and I know of other similar Families. People from the Central Valley and the Mountains tend to be Conservative, and just want to live in a safe place, and don't try to impose their viewpoint on others. Of course...there are exceptions.

...As the air clears, I should be able to r/p more, and better. I really miss everyone, and there are some 'tasks' that I need to get going while we are still on Scagnar. *S* I will do my best, tomorrow.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 10, 2020, 10:54:35 AM: hope all improves for you quickly. I have only visited CA and at that only once while the area and buildings are great too many liberals there for my liking and could not see myself living there bit admire you for being able to put up with them.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 11, 2020, 11:43:33 AM: ...S'lene sings at the Main Fires, as the Tuchuk feast, and think about going back to the Plains. She is looking at Bartu as she sings.. ::)

...After her performance, Izee' went over to S'lene and adjusted S'lene's nosering...and scolded her...

..."I dunna know WHAT YE YOUNG WOMEN BE DOIN...but...yer nosering MUST be in tha MIDDLE A YER NOSE!!!"

...https://youtu.be/_F8PYeDrdIk
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 11, 2020, 03:17:14 PM: I like!!!

That nose ring situation can be remedied, it can always be moved to her ear.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 12, 2020, 10:47:30 PM: ...Mozart was truly a Genius...this work sounds "Romantic"...not "Classical" It makes me sad that He died so early...what MORE music would He have written. *S* I also love Opera when Men are singing so passionately...I enjoy hearing women singing...but when Men let it loose...*WOW* When I was singing in a chorus on the stage during an Opera...I was dressed as a Nun...the male lead stood near me as He sang a passionate Aria. I wanted to grab Him, haul Him offstage...and...well... ::) I just gripped my 'Stage Pearls'...and was NOT saying a Rosary in my mind. :P

...https://youtu.be/RzQMtnjiceY
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 12, 2020, 11:11:40 PM: ...Opera...*S* When MEN sing with passion... (There are a few women who sing the aria...they shouldn't...IMHO...there are songs for Men, and for women. They shouldn't try to cross over.)

...This where the Man is singing that He will NOT SLEEP...until He finds the woman He had seen. :)

...We women have caused so many problems in History...we are just ornery, I guess.

...https://youtu.be/6R5-FXVHruQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 12, 2020, 11:31:12 PM: ...I had a BLAST performing this! It is the 'Soldiers Chorus', and I was dressed up as a 'wench'. and pretending to pour ale into the Men's mugs. I wandered around all of them...and settled down when they sang. ;D...I always stopped by the guy who was singing the Lead...and gave Him 'adoring looks'.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=EED89207B6527791E8B0EED89207B6527791E8B0&shtp=GetUrl&shid=f65b42f5-d64f-4d10-b6f3-e31bd5e4832d&shtk=SWwgdHJvdmF0b3JlIC0gU29sZGllcnMnIGNob3J1cyAoQ2hvcnVzIG9mIHRoZSBIdW5nYXJpYW4gU3RhdGUgT3BlcmEgSG91c2Up&shdk=R2l1c2VwcGUgVmVyZGkgLSBJbCB0cm92YXRvcmUgLyBBIHRydWJhZMO6ciBTb2xkaWVycycgY2hvcnVzIC8gS2F0b25ha8OzcnVzIE9yIGNvJyBkYWRpLCBtYSBmcmEgcG9jbyBGZXJyYW5kbyAtIFRhbcOhcyBDbGVtZW50aXMgQ2hvcnVzIG9mIHRoZSBIdW5nYXJpYW4gU3RhdGUgT3BlcmEgSG91c2UgLyBNYWd5YXIgw4FsbGFtaSBPcGVyYWjDoXogw6luZWtrYXJhIENob3J1cyBtYXN0ZXIgLyBrYXJpZ2F6Z2F0w7M6IE3DoXTDqSBTemFiw7MgU2lwb3MgQ29uZHVjdG9yIC8gdmV6w6lueWVsOiBHw6l6YSBUw7Zyw7ZrIEh1bmdhcmlhbiBTdGF0ZSBPcGVyYSBIb3VzZSAvIE1hZ3lhciDDgWxsYW1pIC4uLg%3D%3D&shhk=u020o2EUVM9Vpkc9jQ0dgextSqUqRwjiBXu8S%2F3b1SA%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.cdc8xrgcju%252BZde%252BBUfU76w
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 13, 2020, 12:24:15 AM: ...When my Son, Tristan..claimed Isolt to be His Companion. :)

...Izee' was trying to speak with Tristan...explaining that since He had been accepted into the 1st Oralu...that He needed to be careful about claiming a mate. "Tristan, ye be a high Stature now, ye canna jus claim any woman...ye need a proper mate." Tristan did listen for a while...and then...one evening...He walked into Izee's wagon...carrying a lovely young woman, named Isolt. "I have claimed a mate, Mother...now...leave us alone." Izee' had left, dragging all of her children with her, and all of them had slept under Sidonas wagon.

...Izee' had woken up, happy. Isolt was from a very good Family, and she was very strong and skilled as a Tuchuk FW.

...https://youtu.be/CQMQUM08mdw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 13, 2020, 10:24:41 AM: Quote from: Izee on September 12, 2020, 10:47:30 PM
...Mozart was truly a Genius...this work sounds "Romantic"...not "Classical" It makes me sad that He died so early...what MORE music would He have written. *S* I also love Opera when Men are singing so passionately...I enjoy hearing women singing...but when Men let it loose...*WOW* When I was singing in a chorus on the stage during an Opera...I was dressed as a Nun...the male lead stood near me as He sang a passionate Aria. I wanted to grab Him, haul Him offstage...and...well... ::) I just gripped my 'Stage Pearls'...and was NOT saying a Rosary in my mind. :P

...https://youtu.be/RzQMtnjiceY

Became habit forming sis?
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 13, 2020, 06:25:47 PM: ..."Chuckles":...I did wear the Nun Costume a few other times. I would wear it, and slap my boyfriends hands away from me, and scold Him. I did wear it, once, as I prepared dinner for me and my two roommates...and I softly sang prayers...and I did preach to them They grabbed me, stripped me, and threw me into the shower. I emerged, in short shorts, and a bra, and asked..."Hey, let's open that bottle of wine we have been saving, and dial in a movie." I then took off my bra.

...They did, too...it was a fun evening...they got as naked as I was...and we drank the wine and watched the movie. We ended up totally stripped, cuddled together, and kissed as we got up and went to bed. We were all 'straight', we never had sex with each other...but we enjoyed displaying ourselves to each other. 8)

...If our Boyfriends had entered...well...they would have had fun picking out which girlfriend to 'play with'...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 13, 2020, 10:13:03 PM: I would have played with all. I love puppies!!!!! ::) ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 16, 2020, 12:23:42 AM: ...Tristan was ALMOST seduced by a female troll...He remember the lesson...and was very careful around women...

...https://youtu.be/T68oHkdMNfM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 19, 2020, 11:37:40 AM: ...The neighborhood squirrel HATES ME!!!! :P I planted some large pots with succullants, and cactus...and they weren't prospering. There is a HUGE red squirrel that hangs around. It would dig around the plants...and I would find...PEANUTS...buried in the mulch!!! I guess a neighbor was feeding it. So, I set out a pan of peanuts, figuring that it would take them to another place. But...NOOOOOOOO!!! It just buried them in my pots along with the ones it collected from somewhere else.

The squirrel and I had an argument once. It was sitting on the fence, and I started yelling at it. It just sat up, and CHATTERED back at me!!! ((I suspect that any neighbors who heard us, figured that I should be in a Home for those who are deeply mentally disturbed...preferably a 'lockdown facility'.)) ::) I was pretending that I could understand it, and say things like..."No, the peanuts you left on my porch are NOT the agreed rent...I told you that I want a PACKAGE OF CASHEWS!!!"

I just got the plants back in place, and glared at the squirrel. I figured that, if I took away the peanuts, it would get VERY HOSTILE. It might even go after my underwear...I like to dry my 'sexy things' on a line. I think that the fresh air, and the sun, makes them feel very nice when I put them on. 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 19, 2020, 02:42:10 PM: A squirrel running around the neighborhood with your dainties. ROTFLMAO!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 19, 2020, 03:15:30 PM: unless the squirrel starts storing his acorns in them as they hang on the line smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 20, 2020, 01:21:46 AM: ...Chuckles...I would probably get upset as I pulled on my pink panties...and felt acorns entering both of my orrifices...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 20, 2020, 05:43:04 AM: Nature's ben wa balls. LMAO!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 20, 2020, 06:09:46 AM: lol just be happy they do not collect pinecones
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 20, 2020, 01:12:24 PM: You be happy. I would laugh even more!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 21, 2020, 10:41:55 PM: ...I think that I would have spotted a pine cone before I put on my panties...but if I DIDN'T....

...After I got out of the ER...as the Medics laughed at me...

...I would have gotten out the 30:06...and tried to blow the squirrel into a lotta pieces...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 22, 2020, 04:19:47 AM: Too much. Use a smaller caliber and you could eat your sugar daddy. LOL
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 22, 2020, 08:55:41 AM: no, no you would not want to harm your furry little friend now would you?
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 22, 2020, 11:28:25 AM: ...OHHHH...

...You are right, my friend, Nathaniel...

...I just yell at it at times, and laugh as it CHATTERS back at me.

...But, you make a good point, Rags. If I ever decide to SHOOT IT...I will use my 22...I will get a nice skin...and lunch.

... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 22, 2020, 02:37:28 PM: lol perhaps just make friends with it leave out some nuts and the like
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 23, 2020, 12:17:54 PM: ...*S*...You are right. It is a cute animal. It runs around our yard, and chatters at things, and really doesn't cause much damage. Letting it plant peanuts in my cactus pots isn't a huge problem, :)

The local human teens worry me much more. >:(

Last year, 'human' thugs painted obscene words on the side of our house...I didn't understand why...we have been living very quietly here, and this is a nice neighborhood. I got a painter to come over and remove, and paint over the words.

I need to stay here, and help care for my elderly Mother. I make sure that we take a walk three times a day, and that we eat well. I have been suggesting to her that we move to Arnold, CA, my brother has a cabin there. But, She keeps thanking me for staying with her. This is a nice, two story house...and...it is PACKED WITH DOLLS!!!! I have never been much into dolls, although...*Blushes*...I do have the 'Collector' dolls of Princess's Diana, and Fergie. They are both in their wedding gowns.

"Diana' looks very elegant..."Fergie' looks impudent...*LOL*

I will watch over the squirrel, and keep putting some peanuts out.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 23, 2020, 02:23:49 PM: sounds good on the squirrel and happy you are taking care of your mum smiles much to be admired. smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 24, 2020, 01:36:46 AM: ...Thank you, Brother,,, :)

...Being 'Family' goes many ways. My Parents raised me very well, I always felt safe. :) I was always well fed, (They bought fish for me...I could eat a lot...*S*) and I had nice clothes. They even put up with me studying music. ((Learning to play the violin, viola, cello, and piano can be difficult for the others in the house.)) They gave me an allowance when I went to College...and welcomed me when I came home for the summer. I always loved and respected them for what they did for me.

...I returned to home when my Father was dying. It was difficult. He was struggling to stay alive...but was not coherent. I was sitting with Him the last morning, holding His hand, as He was breathing very heavily. I just whispered..."Go on...I will see you later."

...I did leave, there was a very important meeting at ****...and I was a Manager of the Law Dept. I just sat during the meeting, and added what comments I needed to, and then took BART back home. I hadn't told any of them of what was going on in my life.

...He was gone when I got home...His body had been taken away...

...When I was unexpectedly served with Divorce Papers right after that...I quit my job, and I lived in a one room place for a year...but I didn't do well. I have a lot of money, and I applied for my pension...so I didn't have to worry about finances,,,but I just sat...and didn't eat...except when I would get Grubhub to bring me something every three days. I would actually get the delivery persons to carry out my garbage...I would give them two dollars. One young lady learned it very quickly, she would hand me my food, and then smile, and look around, and ask..."You got anything to take out?" A couple times, I didn't, and she looked disappointed. So, after that, I would have a bag of stuff sitting by the door, and she would smile as I handed her two dollars and she carried a bag full of newspapers to the bin.

...My Family got me into a Facility, and my mind came back. :) I moved in with my Mother, figuring that I would get my own place as I got stronger...

...But, I have assured Her that I am staying...

...My mind has returned, and I buy all of our groceries. I help pay for the utilities...and smile. I tell her not to worry about finances...

...An old, but true, tale... ;D

...I ASTONISHED the Partners of the Law Firm when I was young...when I executed a 'Reverse Triangular Merger'...and the IRS APPROVED IT!!! I saved a LOT of money for the Owners of the businesses. The Partners had never even heard of such a thing. I spent a lot of late hours in the County Law Library, figuring that one out...the Bailiffs gave me a key to the Courthouse...and would bring me coffee. ((I would put on my 'cute self'...and it always worked. I would wink, and smile as I signed their log...and then walk across to the Courthouse, and use the key. )) I would be sitting, studying a case, and a Bailiff would walk in...it was close to Midnight...and give me some coffee. We would talk a bit...I would show that I needed to keep reading...and He would leave. I guess that He was hoping that I needed a 'break'.

...I did have an interesting encounter with a female Bailiff. She would bring me snacks, along with coffee, and sit, and talk with me. I finally saw what was happening,,,She would sit close to me, smile, and the conversation got...well...improper. I finally told her that I was straight...and she accepted it. We remained friendly...but she didn't bring me anymore snacks. :P

...One evening...I was hungry...tired...frustrated...and horney...and thought...as I was reading a Treatise...

..."Well, Karen is a woman...but if she will bring me an EggMcMuffen, and a beer...I just might get naked, and roll around on the floor with her." 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 24, 2020, 08:12:58 AM: *Blinks*

:o :o :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 24, 2020, 10:41:03 AM: quite remarkable and commendable awesome on your part
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 26, 2020, 07:11:42 PM: ...Rod Serling...a Co-Creator, Host, and many times Writer of the TV Series..."Twilight Zone"...

...This event, of His r/t Life, certainly explains why He accepted, and wrote, so many scary episodes of the series...

..."Admirable Smile" He was a paratrooper in WW2...and stayed in afterwards for a while...but wasn't sitting at a desk...

..."Internships were rewarding, but they barely covered his expenses. Looking for fast cash, Serling decided to put his paratrooper training to use and took a job testing parachutes for the Army, per the AG Journal. At $50 a jump, this dangerous part-time job was an exciting way to pay the bills. One particularly dangerous test offered a windfall of $500, half to be paid before the jump and half after if he survived."

Read More: https://www.grunge.com/244450/the-fascinating-life-of-the-man-who-created-the-twilight-zone/?utm_campaign=clip

...If I EVER get handed a parachute, and get TOLD to jump...I will GRAB Serlings Spirit...and hold ON TO IT until I land...ALIVE!!!

...If I wake up in the Hereafter...because the chute didn't open...I will track Serlings Spirit down...and SLAP THE SHIT OUT OF IT!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 26, 2020, 08:30:41 PM: lol or just decline and remsin with us
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 27, 2020, 08:19:06 AM: Life and death can be a rush sis, but I suggest experiencing all of life's rushes. The death rush will come in its own time.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 28, 2020, 01:09:22 AM: ...At times...I think that I have been so blessed to have experienced SO MUCH OF LIFE!!! Up until a few years ago, when my Ex unexpectedly divorced me...my plans for the future were so nice. I had worked SO hard...He was fired as a Elementary School Teacher because he just couldn't teach the children...I told him not to worry...I was making a lot of money. But, I wasn't sitting on my ass, looking cute for the Judges and opposing Attorneys...I was up late, often, preparing for Trial...and bringing complex Motions, and harranging the IRS...(I REALLY hated the IRS!!! They are assholes. A couple times, when the Agents didn't understand what I was saying, and STILL went after the Taxpayer...I got a Congressional Intervention going. The local Congressman got into it...and the assessment was called off!!! :) )

The IDIOT JUNIOR PARTNER of the Firm didn't understand what I had done...he just didn't understand anything other than auto accident cases...I mean...I could call the Congressman and talk about Tax Issues...and the Congressman was listening. A couple times, I had lunch with the Congressman, and we talked about Tax Issues...and... :)...He didn't make a pass at me. :P (Although He did offer me a job as an Aide...I declined...I didn't want to get caught up in Politics) Rather than rewarding me for what I was doing...I was bringing in 120K a year to the firm...from my own clients...And I was being paid 40K...The Firm said that I needed to do that for a few years to 'Buy In'...I bought it... :P

I won't go into details...but the Partners called me into their Office, and said that I needed to handle a HUGE subrogation case for the Firm. They said that they would lose one of their best Insurance clients if the case wasn't worked up. I looked over the file that THEY HAD NEGLECTED for a year, and pointed out that I would be spending a LOT OF DAYS in LA...and would not be able to develope my Tax Practice...that was creating a LOT of money...I mean...word got around that the Congressman would listen to me; (I heard that the IDIOT JUNIOR PARTNER once described me as a WALKING CASH REGISTER. I didn't bring in a regular income...but once in a while I would SPIT OUT A LOT OF CASH... :D...that is what a Business and Tax Practice is like.)

I did as I was ordered...for the good of the Firm...and spent over half of my time in LA. I flew out of Oakland so many times, that the Stewardess on the Flight knew my name, and would bring me extra drinks and peanuts during the flight. The Hotel also knew me well, and I always got a nice room, in Beverly Hills, and there was always a nice robe for me to wear.

I had a blast...once...I had a classmate in Law School who had been a very decorated Naval Aviator...He had flown Corsairs off a Carrier. He was flying for United, now...and once...He was in LA when I was there. I had a day off between depositions, and he was on a layover. He said that He would come by, and take me out to dinner. I was happy, but didn't get dressed up, we were casual friends.

I was astonished when I heard a soft pounding on my door...and a voice whispering..."I got the stuff...let me in." I looked through the peephole...and recognized Him...He was wearing a dark suit, sunglasses...and was carrying a SUITCASE!!! I whispered back..."Anyone following you?" He whispered back..."I don't think so, but you better have the money." I whispered back..."I gotta see the stuff first." He whispered..."You had better open the door, they have cameras here." I whispered back..."OK"...and opened the door and got Him into my room...and quickly closed the door.

We laughed our asses off, afterwards...and then left, and drove around LA, and had a nice dinner...I drank...He didn't. I would say, "Hey, aren't you flying tomorrow?" And He would pretend to panic, and ask to drink my glass of wine...I would hold it away from Him.

Anyway...I forgot what point I was trying to make...but this is a nice memory... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 28, 2020, 08:50:56 AM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 28, 2020, 06:01:10 PM: LOL
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 29, 2020, 02:30:35 PM: ...Just to add more to my stay in L.A. :)

...I would live in the Hotel for a week at a time. I was on a kinda budget, set by the insurance Company, so I would eat modestly. Often, I skipped breakfast, and would grab a burger at McDee' for lunch. I would then have a modest dinner in the nice dinning room...I enjoyed sitting there, after a difficult day...and looking at all of the BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE as I ate my fillet of sole...and thinking..."If I can ever land a REALLY GOOD CASE...I might be sitting here...looking gorgeaous...and seeing the waitresses envying me."

...The case was a very complex "Fire Case"...millions of dollars were at stake. I hired an 'Expert' , and He was VERY expensive. He had written a book on fires...*S* (I have an autographed copy in my Library...He liked me...He signed it and gave it to me when we had a meeting.) But...He CHARGED ME A HUGE HOURLY RATE WHEN WE MET!!!

...One day, I was sitting in my Hotel room, reading a deposition I had taken, and wasn't quite understanding what the other Expert was saying. I had a copy sent to my Expert, and the next week, called Him to arrange a meeting. He said, "OK, tell me when." I pondered for a moment, and decided to try to get 'sneaky', and said, "I don't know...but...I am alone here. Want to have dinner? I will buy" He chucked, and said..."Sure". I arranged a reservation at the nice restaurant in the Hotel...and got ALL DRESSED UP! I went for my 'Elegant Professional' look...I did have my 'Little Black Dress' with me...but I rarely wore it... unless I was with my H...and wanted to 'have fun' afterwards 8)

...I met the Expert, and He looked me over, and smiled. He took my arm and we went into the Restaurant. He held my chair out for me to sit, and then settled in. He waved away the menus...after asking me if I had any food allergies...and said...

..."I will order..."

...I had no choice...I got into my 'helpless female' frame of mind...and just watched as He ordered us expensive drinks, appetizers...a bottle of expensive wine...and lobster...and lamb.

...As I ate I did question Him about the case...the food was VERY GOOD....and He did answer my questions.

...He escorted me to the elevator, and gave me a brief hug as I entered.

...I sat in my room, and wrote up notes of what He had said about the case...and chuckled as I looked at the Dinner bill I had paid for. The GODDAMN JUNIOR PARTNER would probably call me into the Office over incurring such a HUGE dinner bill...but it was WAY LESS than if I had sat in the Experts Office and talked about the case...and...

...I had eaten a nice lobster tail... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 29, 2020, 02:34:18 PM: at least you got a good dinner out of it all
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on September 29, 2020, 06:13:36 PM: At least you got to eat well and dress!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 04, 2020, 02:11:41 AM: ...Swinging your butt.... ::)

...I was very reserved in HS and College. I knew that I was pretty...but I held down my sexuality. I was actually scared of boys, but didn't want to get involved with another woman...I am Hetero.

...One afternoon, I was walking across the bridge to my Apt...my cello was hanging over my back...and I was clutching a bag full of papers. There was a another girl walking in front of me...and...I was very tired...I was trying to figure out the fingering on the cello concerto in a passage I had been practicing for several hours....but...

...I kept LOOKING AT HER BUTT!!!!!

...It was swinging in a very gentle, elegant horizontal figure 8 pattern...I watched...fascinated...wondering...

...How does she do that?

...I then wondered...

...Does my butt do that?

...I looked back down over my shoulder...but couldn't see what my butt was doing....

...*S* We woman do look at each other, but not in a sexual way
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on October 04, 2020, 10:19:55 AM: I would look at her butt also, but hope mine sure as hell didn't do that in that the way hers did.

*Busts a move singing,*

"I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can't deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face................."

::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 20, 2020, 06:34:16 PM: ...Selling peaches... ::)

...In grammer school, I learned what 'Money' was!!!! I would hand over some coins to get a lunch, and learned that I could buy things at stores. My parents gave me a modest allowance...but...I WANTED MORE!!! >:(

...So...

...I sold peaches!!!!

...We had an Alberta Freestone peach tree in our yard, and I decided to sell the fruit. I got a friend to help me, and we built a wooden display thing that we set in my wagon. We carefully picked, and washed, the peaches, and set them in the display thing, and hauled the wagon all over the Neighborhood...and people bought them. It would take a while to sell them all. I would get a quarter...since they were MY PEACHES...and we would divide the rest of the coins.

...We were delighted when a Hispanic woman said..."I will take them all." She explained that She did 'canning'.

...We were both upset a bit...

...The peach tree was pretty much empty... :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 20, 2020, 06:54:10 PM: cant have your peaches and sell them too smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 21, 2020, 11:56:20 AM: ...Yeppers... ;D

...The peaches were ALL GONE...but I had a few more coins in my piggy bank. The next year, we hauled the wagon right to Her house, first, and the sale of the crop was easier. She would buy about half of the harvest...and then we would haul the wagon around to sell the rest. It was a bit of a challenge...but my friend and I wanted to earn some coin. The residents probably bought them out of sympathy...here we were...two little girls...sweaty and not too clean...hauling a wagon around...selling peaches.

...Later, we sold almonds...my friend had an almond tree. We decided that we could sell them, easier, if they were shelled. So, we would sit for hours, shelling them, and placing the same number in plastic bags. We would be exhausted, after we finally sold all of the baggies...and she got the quarter, first, since it was HER TREE, and then we divided the rest of the coins.

...But...BEING ME...I said that it would be easier to sell them if they were BLANCHED!!!!

...So, we would get into her Mother's kitchen, and blanch the almonds...and place the same number in each baggie. We had to peel the skin off each one, it wasn't fun...and then we would place the baggies in the wagon, and head out.

...We knew, by then, which houses to avoid...they weren't dangerous...they just didn't want to buy anything. But...there were a few houses that we just walked by.

...People seemed to want to buy the blanched almonds, very quickly...and we were happy when we hauled the empty wagon back, and then counted, and divided the coins...she got a quarter right away...it was her tree.

...I wouldn't let a small child loose like that, now...but things were safer back then. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 21, 2020, 01:21:54 PM: too yrue on things being safer at the time and seems you learned quickly who to go to and who not to good business sense
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 21, 2020, 07:12:04 PM: Screaming, and running away...a 'Brown Belt' skill I learned... :P

I was very aggressive when I was learning karate...and I was very good. I have good balance, and am aggressive...I was bullied a few times when growing up, and I beat the crap out of a girl who was bullieng me. I looked around at her gang, and said, "Yay, you can probably beat me up, but...I KNOW WHO ALL OF YOU ARE...AND I WILL CATCH YOU WHEN YOU ARE ALONE!!!"

They left me alone...

I kept my attitude when I got into the higher ranks...I was actually TOO AGGRESIVE...I would keep going after my opponent after I got her on the ground...and would get hauled off. I actually beat a few male opponents...and thought...

I AM INVINCIBLE!!!!''

The Owner took me aside, one evening, and HARSHLY SPOKE to me.

"You are very skilled, but you are small, and your punches aren't all that hard. A large man would probably be amused, and just grab you, and...well." He shook His head, and said..."Don't get into a real fight, unless you have to...just run away."

I thought long and hard on what He said...and it made sense...

One late evening, I had got off of the bus, and was waiting for the next one to arrive.

An ugly, drunk guy approached me, holding his hands out, grinning...I figured that I might be able to take him...but...

I just screamed and ran away
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 22, 2020, 07:00:21 AM: best move of all if there is trouble dont be there so it was wise to leave the area. I too learned and used to teach tae kwon do but never once used it outside of sparring. size does not mean much though as I saw a small woman kick hard enough to break a man's cup once though she was disqualified for illegal move still impressive ampunt of force.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 22, 2020, 11:06:44 AM: Yes, Nate...we women were taught to avoid a real fight with a man, whenever possible...I mean...

...YOU CAN GET HURT IN A FIGHT!!!! :P :P :P :P :P And worse can happen...you can get hauled away...and be lucky to wake up, later...wondering where you are.

...The Owner took some of us higher belts aside, and instructed us on what to do, if accosted by a man, and couldn't run away.

...He told us to scream, cower, beg, look helpless, and offer our purse...and then...if that didn't work...

...We would do the 'really nasty things' we were taught...once the attacker got really close

...I insisted that my daughter study martial arts, when she got older. She studied at a Dojo, and the Instructor liked her...they later got married. :) One Christmas break, I challenged her, and we both brought our Gi's and padding to my parents home. My parents probably had mixed feelings as we sparred...they were probably rooting for her. :o

...Not sure who won...but I was surprised at times...I really had to work to block her punches and kicks... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 22, 2020, 11:38:38 AM: sounds like she learned quite well. Avoiding fights or violence is not just for women. As mentioned, outside of soarring, I have not engaged in fighting nor do I plan to. I tend to avoid such situations.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 22, 2020, 12:36:59 PM: ... :)...sparring was pretty close to a real fight.

...I would actually get scared, or angry during a spar...but would just keep punching and kicking. I would calm down, afterwards...and be surprised at myself...I mean...I usually liked my opponent...we would bow to each other before we started, to show love and respect...but for a few minutes...I was trying to KNOCK HER OUT!!! But, *Shrugs*...she was trying to do the same to me. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 22, 2020, 01:16:57 PM: you are competitive a good thing
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 23, 2020, 02:09:41 PM: ...Thank you, Nate... :) Yes, I have been competitive all of my life. Usually, the attitude served me well, I pushed myself to excel in School Subjects, and the Honors I won, and all of the initials after my name showed that I was successful. I earned a LOT of money, and cases usually settled when I told the other side..."That is my last offer". I won my Jury Trials...I even won three where my client had rear-ended the car stopped in front of them. I did very well playing the cello and the piano, and became an instructor in Martial Arts. (I also looked 'pretty good' ;)) I had to work hard to get my mind to be realistic when things didn't go the way I expected...I mean...

...THINGS DON'T ALWAYS GO THE WAY YOU PLANNED!!!! :P

...I am struggling with that, now...I didn't foresee a divorce...but, I keep getting myself to focus on what I have. I am also learning that I really need to get back into life. I made a huge mistake, after my divorce, when I just stayed, alone, in an extended stay place for a year. I didn't go out, except to buy groceries, and my body got very weak. I had to have food delivered, the last few months. My Family hauled me out, and took me into a facility, so I could recover. But, living like that does things to your mind.

...Quick story of when I was an Instructor. I was a Green Belt, and the Black Belts would have me help teach the White and Orange Belts. They pointed out that 'You LEARN by TEACHING". That was so true. Trying to explain what to do, and working on how to demonstrate, takes an effort...and you do learn. :) I had seven White Belts lined up, and was teaching them the basic 'Fighting Stance'. Our School 'Stance' was upright...you would face your opponent, slightly sideways...feet just partly apart. I liked it, I had good balance, and could kick and punch easily.

...One punk wasn't listening to me. I walked down the line, and looked at each one, and threw a few easy punches and kicks, and they were able to block me. I would smile, and bow to the young man, and go to the next one, and repeat the challenge.

...I then got to the punk...he was larger than me...and he was crouched down in some kind of exaggerated 'Bruce Lee' position, his hands in front of him...and...smirking at me. After all, I am a woman. His legs were far apart...I was tempted to kick him in the nuts...but didn't...I was teaching a class...not in a real fight.

...I just grabbed the front of his Gi, kicked his front leg out from him, and threw him to the ground.

...I went onto the next student.

...All paid attention when I taught them, during the following months. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 23, 2020, 02:25:53 PM: sounds like you were a good instructor as well using your skills to determine the best way to reach them.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 27, 2020, 12:58:46 PM: ...Learning to fight... >:(

...We Humans are not animals...we don't, instinctively, know how to fight very well. Anyone seen chickens fight? They seem to know what to do. Men learn to fight, with their games and such, we Women don't know what to do, since we usually don't fight. As little girls, when we get into a fight, we slap and pull on each others hair, until one gives up, or we get pulled apart. Little boys slug each other... :P

...So, entering Martial Arts, as a young adult, I was told, "We will teach you to fight."

...They did...

...I was amazed at what I could do after 9 months. There was one of those heavy hanging bags that we would punch, and kick. At first, the bag wouldn't do much when I punched it, and only swung a little bit when I kicked it...once it took ME down when it swung back...I was on one foot...and was out of balance. :P

...I was just hanging around, and was practicing katas, and studying my stance, and kicks as I looked at myself in the wall mirror. I didn't have much of a social life, and would go to the Dojo to study, and be around people. The Black Belt Instructor called me over, He was teaching some white belts. He told me, "Kick the bag, show them what you can do." I was already somewhat 'pumped up'...and I emitted my 'Angry Scream'...and ATTACKED THE BAG...it was swaying all around, and I kept Screaming and punching and kicking it. >:(

...He called out..."Enough"...and I stopped...breathing very heavily...and walked off to the side...the bag was swinging.

...The Instructor, looked around at the young Men, and said...

..."That is what She calls 'foreplay'...

..."If you get Her into bed...

..."Well"...

..."Good luck.."

...I just started laughing... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on October 27, 2020, 01:06:24 PM: It did not result in a trip to the ER, therefore it does not rank as great foreplay.

::) ;D

Check your IM's on this board. NightStorm sent you a message.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 27, 2020, 02:50:43 PM: if it can end in laughing, it went well
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on October 27, 2020, 05:21:53 PM: Foreplay can end in many ways, but if you think laughter is good, you need to pause and re-evaluate something!!!!!

::) ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 27, 2020, 05:53:46 PM: laughter is good
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 28, 2020, 10:13:51 PM: ...Big Sandwiches... ;D

...I was an Advisor to the 4-H Group when I was a bit younger, and the District 4-H Director liked me. He got me to assist with the County Fair, and I enjoyed it. :) I would coach the Ambassador Team, and just help out. I would wander around the Poultry Barn, and help keep the birds watered, and fed...and get hauled out because I was sneezing...I am allergic to birds. :P

...I would watch over the Ambassador Team, and coach them, and make sure that they ate and got some sleep.

...One morning, I stopped by a Deli, and ordered a sandwich. I said that I needed a big one, since I needed to feed a bunch of kids. The Owner, just nodded...He was a client of mine...I had gotten Him out of a huge business problem...and He said..."Come back at 11:00" (He was Armenian) I handed over $40 and left.

...I returned, and He took me into the back room...and there was laying...a sub sandwich that was 5' LONG!!!! Stuffed with meats, cheeses, and other things!!! I stared at it, and said..."Not sure I can get it in my car." He laughed, and cut it into four pieces, wrapped it up, and packed it into a bag. I hugged Him, and left.

...I was chuckling to myself as I re-assembled the sandwich, and set a large knife on the table so the kids could carve off slices. They were happy, they ate most of it...but there was about 6" left.

...As I was packing things up, I saw two young, Mexican kids standing, looking at at me. I called out, "Quero comer?" They smiled, and came to me, and I cut the rest of the sandwich in half, and handed it to them, so they each got a nice lunch.

...Part of me was thinking, as I left the Fairgrounds..."That would have made a nice dinner"...but...I was happy to have fed two children. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 29, 2020, 09:09:22 AM: I have seen subs like thar. I recall seeing a video of someone with a 6 ft sub trying to fit it into a 5 ft car lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on October 29, 2020, 09:39:45 AM: But the feeling you received from sharing felt much better than a full belly!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 29, 2020, 01:56:43 PM: ...The 'Baby BAR'... :P Another one of my "Finer Moments' in Life... :o

...I went to Law School at night, I was working as an Accountant, and my H just couldn't hold down a job. He was waiting tables, and working at the bar at the little pub. Those were fascinating years, my Manic/Depressive Illness made it even more interesting. Because I wasn't attending a daily Law School, I had to take a State test after my first year to see if I was 'worthy' to keep studying Law. We called the test the 'Baby Bar' since it just lasted one day. I took a Review Course, to learn how to properly answer questions...and...

...I WAS FEELING VERY CONFIDENT!!!! ;D

...My Naval Aviator friend drove us to the testing site...and I was full of energy...I just knew that I would 'ACE THE TEST'. Problem was...I forgot about 'Time Management'. There were four situations to analyze, and then write out an opinion...and the test lasted for four hours. I was fascinated at the first two situations, and thought about them, and wrote out a long analysis. I then got to the last two situations...and...

...I ONLY HAD 90 MINUTES LEFT!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...I panicked...and quickly started writing. I had about 20 minutes left for the last one...and I was sweating like a pig...and my mind was racing all over...if I didn't pass the Baby BAR...I would have to repeat the 1st year!!!! I would actually lay my head down on the table, and breath carefully...sweating very heavily...and then lift my head...and shakely write out my analysis of the issues.

...The Test finished...and I could barely walk as I handed in my papers...and then collapsed on a bench. A couple women came up to me, asking..."Are you OK?" I just waved them away. My Naval Aviator friend almost carried me to His car, and drove me home. I had to get Him to pull over, a couple times, so I could open the passenger door, and throw up!!!!

...I was very depressed the following weeks...until I got my score....

...IT WAS A 'B'...only 37 'B" s were awarded...out of several hundred being tested!!! ;D

...The next year, at Law School, people were amazed that I got a 'B'...usually only students that had attended more well known Schools got over a 'C'. I told them...

..."I think I could have gotten an 'A'...but...

..."I PASSED OUT HALFWAY THROUGH"

...My Naval Aviator friend would nod, and say..."I was sitting beside her..."

..."I had to revive her with 'mouth to mouth'."

...I would laugh, and say..."I was just trying to get you to kiss me...it WORKED!!!" :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 29, 2020, 05:09:12 PM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 29, 2020, 06:30:57 PM: Quote from: RAGNAR on October 29, 2020, 09:39:45 AM
But the feeling you received from sharing felt much better than a full belly!!!!!

...That is so true, Brother. I had food at home, and certainly could have stopped somewhere.

...I was happy as I drove home...the smile on their faces as I handed them the sandwich...was...well

...PRICELESS!!! :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 31, 2020, 08:00:19 PM: ...Foghorn Leghorn... ;)

...*S* He is one of my most favorite cartoon characters. I have a 'cel' of him, I bought it at a 'Con'.

...When I was raising chickens, I wasn't always very selective. I would keep the few, expensive bantams in a fenced off area in the coop...but just let the others loose in the coop. We would eat the eggs...and...*Shrugs*...sometimes eat a chicken. Plucking one of those things is NOT FUN...but a fresh chicken tasted very good for dinner.

...There was a young cock growing up...and I was astounded at his coloring...I mean...

...HE LOOKED LIKE FOGHORN LEGHORN!!!! :o

...I named him that, and watched over him, making sure that he was eating. He grew up, and would crow, and beat up the other cocks...he was HUGE...he was obviously a Leghorn...but I couldn't figure out which hen had added her mix.

...I entered him into the County Fair...I was one of the Organizers...and put him in a cage...and labeled it....as his species...

..."Foghorn Leghorn"...

...I got called aside by the District 4-H Director...and got scolded... He said, "We are trying to raise the youth to study hard, and not make fun of agricultural sciences." I just nodded, and pretended to get a little tearful in front of him.

...But...I was laughing my ass off as I drove home.

..."Foghorn Leghorn" got a nice Red Ribbon.

...We didn't eat him...he had a nice life.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on November 01, 2020, 11:17:33 AM: Which proves, if a guy looks good and is a big cock, he's got it made!!!!!

;D 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 01, 2020, 04:50:23 PM: ...Why Teenagers should NOT be allowed to have Chemistry Kits... :o

...I was fascinated by Science when I was growing up...then my Mental Illness kicked in...and I became a CPA and an Attorney. :P I had a nice microscope, telescope, and other things...but...I WAS FASCINATED WITH CHEMISTRY!!! I was the TA to the Chemistry Teacher in HS...and did some interesting experiments. :) Once, She had something going on, and I taught the class about Isotopes...and a number of students said that they learned more from me during that lesson than they had learned from Her. ;D

...(Probably cause I was cuter than Her)

...I built up my own chemistry lab in our garage, and stocked it with glassware, and all kinds of chemicals. My Parents saw what I was doing, and bought me a fire extinguisher, and ORDERED me to not do anything dangerous...and...of course...

...I DIDN'T LISTEN!!!!

...One afternoon, I was trying to distil some crude oil...

...I had gotten the octane out, and a few other lighter elements, and was adjusting the flask, planning on getting to the gasoline...and the flask EXPLODED!!!!

...Good thing that I was wearing gloves, and a face mask...but my dress caught on fire...so I grabbed the extinguisher, and put myself out, and then put out the fire on my 'Lab'.

...My Father was home, and quickly came in...looked over the scene...and said...

..."I am shutting down your 'Lab'...

...I nodded, and went into the bathroom. I just had a few 1st degree burns...

...The 'Lab' was gone the next day.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on November 01, 2020, 05:45:32 PM: I just enjoyed explosives.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 01, 2020, 06:01:21 PM: ah fun remembers my 1st chem set and making half the school smell like bananas one day lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 03, 2020, 03:35:53 PM: ...One of my Best Friends also had a home lab. He was smarter than me in certain ways...He earned the awards for Mathematics every year...but I was better at Biology and Chemistry. We were about equal in programming computers...but then...I decided to become a musician...and I was left behind in his dust in the Science Courses. We both did chemistry experiments at home, and he got far ahead of me. Sometimes, I would just go to his lab, and we would do an experiment together.

...WE BLEW UP HIS LAB...ONCE!!!! :o

...I can't remember exactly what we were trying to make...but it started with us heating up a bar of metal sodium in a pure oxygen atmosphere. When we went into Berkeley, and to a chemical supply company, and bought it...the Owner showed us that it was in a can of some kind of oil, and told us..."Keep it in the oil...it can be explosive." We just smiled, and nodded.

...We did rig up a container, and put the bunsen burner in it, and got a jug of oxygen going...and then used forceps to hold the sodium over it...and it started to melt...and...

...IT EXPLODED!!!!!

...We quickly put out the fire, and gathered the fragments, and put them back into the oil.

...In class, the Teacher asked if anyone had had a good weekend...and we both stood up...and recited...

..."We learned that..."

..."THOU SHALT NOT HEAT METAL SODIUM IN A PURE OXYGEN ATMOSPHERE"

...He just stared at us for a moment, and asked...

..."Is the house still standing?"

...I looked around, doing my best to look confused...and said...

..."I dunno...I jus woke up 'bought 45 minutes ago"
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 03, 2020, 03:47:53 PM: yes, sodium and oxygen do not mix lol. I was more dangerous with computers than chemistry other than as said, making the school smell like banans. I found a way to cause a firmware based operating system to crash freaking out my computer science teacher. Though all my science teachers seem to fear me lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on November 03, 2020, 10:53:27 PM: I just relocated large sections of real estate from point a to all over all other points.

Booytraps add a whole new chapter to spreading out real estate... among other things.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 04, 2020, 06:19:38 PM: ...White Teeth... ;D

...Watching all of the young women announcing the Election Results...I started focusing on their teeth...while I was imbibing some 'spirits'. ::) Their teeth were SO WHITE!!!! I started laughing, recalling a memory.

...I was waiting to depose a Dentist, and I was amazed at the teeth of the receptionist and assistant...

...I swear...they were 'glowing white'...I had never seen anything like their teeth. :o

...I got through the deposition questions I needed, and then began asking about 'teeth whitening'. (I would often do that during a deposition, asking the Expert questions on issues that didn't relate to the case at hand...my questions would usually relate to another case I had, or I would take the opportunity to educate myself). He explained how it was done, and then shrugged, and said, "Look at Sarah, my receptionist...She wants to have really white teeth." He then grinned, and said, "I could do a lot for your teeth."

...I smiled...showing my slightly discolored teeth...I drank a lot of coffee...and said...

..."I will get back to you." And left... :D

...I sat in my car for a moment, and laughed. I was thinking that if aliens landed on Earth, and saw all of the young women...with their WHITE TEETH smiling at them...they would jump back into their saucers...and take off...and leave us alone. We humans see teeth as being normal...and beautiful...that is why we women part our lips when we smile...our faces look prettier when we are showing our teeth. But, an alien with a sucker for a mouth...would get scared. :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 04, 2020, 06:26:25 PM: one would hope it would scare off such a creature but when it comes to aliens ine never knows. Therea re a variety of items out there to whiten teeth these days.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 05, 2020, 09:23:23 PM: ...I am pretty sure that I posted this before...but :) I am going to do it again.

...I needed to depose a Nuero...the other side was claiming that the plaintiff had sustained a bad head injury in an auto accident...but the medical records didn't support it. I called to setup the deposition, and I was told that it would be a two hour minimum...and I needed to pay $450 per hour for the first period. I argued with the secretary, saying that, 'It won't take over an hour...there were only five visits"...She just said..."Send us the check for $900, and we will setup the appointment."

...I did...but my ATTITUDE awoke!!!! >:(

...I was pleasant, and the depo took about 50 minutes. I then gave him my 'mean smile', and asked Him...

..."Who do you think will win the Series? I think that the Dodgers will win." He stared at me, and asked...

..."WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH THE CASE?"

...I told him, "I paid for two hours of your time, so for the next hour, we will talk about sports, movies, recipes, or anything else I can think of."

...He stood up, and walked out...

...His secretary came in, quickly, and handed me a check for $450...

...I was laughing my ass off as I drove back to the Office...

...I could REALLY be a Panther Huntress in r/t
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 05, 2020, 10:02:03 PM: not a bad way to cut a meeting short
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 07, 2020, 03:28:37 PM: ...Performing Music... :)

...As Rags will attest...there is NOTHING in Life that compares!!! Sex comes close...but sex is short...but performing a Symphony can take well over an hour. Playing the piano, and the cello did get me 'excited'...I would try to bring out what the Composer was trying to say. I wasn't a 'reserved' performer, I would sway in my seat while playing the cello, and not just sit up straight at the piano and my facial expressions would change. Sometimes, performing on the piano, I would be leaning far forward, my face about a foot away from the keyboard...staring at my hands as they romped...telling them...in my mind..."OK, you can do this...and I FED YOU OATMEAL THIS MORNING...and I will get some FISH FOR DINNER." I believed that part of being a performer, was to let the audience know what you were feeling...otherwise...*Shrugs*...I could just record the work...and let them hear it...as I was at the 7/11...buying a slurpee. (Strawberry, of course... ;D) and fish for my hands.

...I performed the second movement of the Dvorak at a concert...and people said that they had tears in their eyes when I had finished. I also had tears in my eyes...but my body was full of energy at the end. Several people said that they were watching my face...and they saw it get very sad and despondent...and then...COME ALIVE!!!

...I wasn't acting...I was just letting my body do what my mind was feeling...

...I thanked my hands...and...

...Bought them a nice slice of salmon...but

...They made ME eat it!!!!

...*Sighs*

...Not much I could do to resist... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 07, 2020, 03:50:29 PM: misic has a way of touching the heart like little else can.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 07, 2020, 10:45:12 PM: ...So true Brother...so true... :)

...Here is the Dvorak, 2nd Movement, performed by Jaqueline Du Pre...she died way too early in life.

...Why does Nature take away so many of our best...while they are still young? :'(

...My face probably looked similar to Hers, as I performed this...

...https://youtu.be/yEGK3lDAs4o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 08, 2020, 06:05:10 PM: I wish I had an answer on why the young but I do not think anyone does
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 08, 2020, 11:44:33 PM: ...Yes, Brother...we humans just don't have the answers to questions like that.

...I have no idea of what happens to us when we pass from this life...but there seems to be so many credible tales from those who briefly died, and returned...so it seems very possible that we go on. I am not sure how I would do as an 'Angel'...sitting on a cloud...playing a harp...and singing for all Eternity.

...I think that we humans just can't comprehend what happens to us when we die.

...Many think..."Well, it was a nice time...but I am gone."

...I kinda like the idea of resurrection...that we sit in the Cafe of Eternity, drink some coffee and eat a cinnamon roll and talk about what our life was like...and then God calls out...

..."Izee', you are going to be a South African slave this time."

...I would groan, but go to the place where I would lay down...and my essence would be sent down into a new body.

...I would wake up as a newborn baby...but have no idea of what I was...or any memory of past lives.

...I would experience that life...

...And then wake up in the Hereafter...and go to the Coffee Shop...and tell the Barrista...

..."That was an INTERSTING ONE...please put some rum in my expresso."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on November 09, 2020, 06:49:20 AM: I am becoming more aware of where I have been, and of where I am going. I have been, and will be again in fine company.

It holds no fear for me. I am in no hurry, as time has its own way about things, but when the time comes it comes. I welcome it and what lies ahead of me.

Nothing lives on forever. All things come and go. It is what we make of our time and what we leave behind that matters.

When your time comes, go as you have lived. Go boldly, or fall like a sheep. The choice is yours. But it will be echoed on. Remember that.

I came into this world kicking, screaming, covered in someone else's blood. I have no problem going the same way. I surely do not wish to just sleep peacefully away. That is not my way. I will battle right up to the end.

Odin grant me strength...
Thor guide me...
When my end comes, Freyja lift me up and heal my heart and make me happy once again. Show me life renewed so I may be joyful until Ragnarok if that be the will of the Gods.

My life belongs to the Gods. I am simply borrowing it for a time.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 09, 2020, 09:10:10 AM: As a Christian, I follow the Biblical view of what happens when we die. But over all, yes we do go on beyond this life.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 09, 2020, 04:53:54 PM: ...Jury Duty...

...I just got a Notice to report on 12/10...in RICHMOND!!! That is a difficult drive from where I live...plus...

...There is NO WAY THAT I WOULD EVER BE ACCEPTED BY BOTH SIDES!!! I have a lot of letters after my name...and was a Trial Attorney for 30 years. I NEVER let an attorney stay in a Jury when I was selecting the Jury...you just can't TRUST what they are going to do!!! ::) They make up their minds, early, and don't listen to the evidence. Plus, during deliberations, other Jurors will listen to them, as they explain the case THE WAY THEY HEARD IT!!!

...I am trying to figure out how I will dress when I appear...

...I could be VERY elegant...and glare at everyone...and scare them off...one side would dismiss me...

...Or, I could dress very sloppy, my hair in a mess...lipstick crooked over my mouth...

...and the Judge would tell me to go home. ::)

...I DO have my 'Sane Look'...I will probably do that, and watch what happens. It will be more fun than sitting at home, and taking a walk in the back yard every three hours. and...maybe...since I am not working...

...I WILL GET ON A JURY!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 09, 2020, 05:23:20 PM: the sane look is probably best. nods
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 10, 2020, 06:43:48 PM: ...This is a wonderful Song...it is being performed by 1,000 HS kids... :)

...https://youtu.be/X3r52djSFVo

...I like that they didn't segregate the voices...you see Sopranos standing beside Basses
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 10, 2020, 07:47:34 PM: ...My Rooster that I entered in the County Fair...I was hoping to get the 'BLUE RIBBON'...but..

...I walked away with the RED one

...He was healthy, and had good coloring for a Leghorn...but...

...He had an ATTITUDE!!! :o

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=6905D42E805EDA80CE5C6905D42E805EDA80CE5C&q=foghorn+leghorn&shtp=GetUrl&shid=bd0304c2-ef8d-4afb-bb86-473a970394fc&shtk=Rm9naG9ybiBMZWdob3JuIEJlc3QgTW9tZW50cw%3D%3D&shdk=Qm95LCBJIFNheSBCb3khIEFsbCBhdWRpby92aXN1YWwgY29udGVudCB1c2VkIGluIGNyZWF0aW9uIG9mIG91ciB2aWRlb3MgYXJlIHNvbGUgcHJvcGVydHkgb2YgdGhlaXIgcmVzcGVjdGl2ZSBvd25lcnMsIHByb2R1Y3Rpb24gY29tcGFuaWVzLCBkaXN0cmlidXRvcnMsIGFuZC9vciBhaXJpbmcgbmV0d29ya3MgKHMpLCBpZiBhcHBsaWNhYmxlLiBGdW5idWNrZXQgYXQgdGhlIE1vdmllcyBjbGFpbXMgbm8gb3duZXJzaGlwIHRvIGNsaXBzIHVzZWQuIFdlIGFyZSBiaWcgZmFucyBvZiBhbnkgc3ViamVjdCBtYXR0ZXIgdXNlZCBpbiBhbnkgY3JlYXRlZCB2aWRlb3MgYW5kIGFyZSBtYWRlIHdpdGggbG92ZSAuLi4%3D&shhk=fIaI1XAW02%2Fx0fkLkOfMY5JYCtxkK%2FQ2kV7twFQVONU%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.7Y0dvdfH5YtwP%252Fn8VrBzdw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 10, 2020, 08:19:09 PM: at least he placed smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 11, 2020, 01:43:09 AM: ...Another indication of the DEPTHS OF MY INSANITY!!! ;D

...I was a cello/piano Performance Major for two years at Conservatory. I spent a LOT of time alone, in the little closet sized 'practice rooms'...making my hands romp over the keys of a piano...or telling 'righty' to hold the bow properly...and yelling at 'lefty' to get into the right position on the cello fingerboard, and move her legs faster. I especially scolded them when I practiced the piano...I would think that we had a passage figured out...and then they would stumble over each other the next day.

...I went TOTALLY INSANE one evening...I was exhausted...and had heated up a TV dinner, and had set it on the counter beside me...and asked my left hand..."Should I eat this?"

...She 'woke up'...and walked on all fours...(The middle finger was the head)...and 'sniffed' at the food, and turned around and nodded at me. I almost passed out...I was laughing so hard...but...I felt that I had TWO FRIENDS who would always be with me, and watch over me. I named them 'Sniffies'...since she had 'sniffed' my food. I ate it.

...My music got better...I got to regard them as having their own ideas of the music...and when it was time to stop practicing. I would buy salmon, cook it...and they would look it over before they put it in my mouth. Any observer would think that I was TOTALLY INSANE seeing me...sitting there...my hands on each side of my plate...my hands on all fours...my middle fingers pointed at the food...but...

...THEY WOULD FEED ME!!!!

...Just a 'gentle insanity'...IMHO
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 11, 2020, 09:18:20 AM: nah, just self entertaining smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 11, 2020, 04:22:03 PM: ...Musical Instruments... :)

Like all musicians, I have a close relationship with my instruments...I was actually very upset during my divorce when my piano was taken away from me. (The jerk just sold it) But my two cellos, Katherine and Pavane, and my gamba, Rose...stayed with me. I was actually SERIOUS when I told him..."You come after them...it will NOT go well...I can fight, yanno...and I know where you are living with that BITCH." I agreed that he could take half of our savings, and half of my retirement account if he just left them alone.

I am watching over my elderly Mother...and Katherine, Pavane, and Rose are in their hard cases...in my Study. They sleep in their cases, and I take them out and look them over.

I am especially fond of Katherine. She is very old, and has a nice, soft voice. Pavane has a loud voice...in small groups, I have to calm Him down. Rose...*Shrugs*...has six 'gut strings'...and I can't predict how she will sound. The humidity affects Her strings...and playing six stings is difficult. "Righty' can get the bow around four strings VERY well...and 'Lefty' can jump from string to string . But, they get confused when there are SIX strings.

Often, at Conservatory, I would practice in the small practice rooms for hours at a time. I would start crying...because the music was speaking to me of what my life was like...like every young woman...it was confusing at times...

I would just hug Katherine...and she would calm me down...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 11, 2020, 05:51:47 PM: most musicians form such bonds with their instruments. I do hope you still play and sorry about your piano.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 12, 2020, 01:37:12 PM: ...Panther Girls CAN be very honest... :)

I made a good friend in HS...by being brave and honest.

I had signed up for the 'Wordworking Course'...I wanted to have a break from all of the other courses I was taking. I enjoyed cutting on a piece of wood, and shaping and polishing it into a vase, or box, or just something interesting. A new guy arrived, one day...and if you called 'Central Casting" for a 'Nerd"...they would have sent him to you. As usual, in HS...nobody reached out to him.

One day, at the end of the period, the teacher told all of us to sit on the tables, and said...

..."Mike says that someone stole His coat. Did anyone see him wearing a green coat when he came in?"

Everyone was silent...but I just couldn't...I had seen one of the class "Thugs" leave the class...and I had seen Mike wearing the coat that morning...we shared a lot of classes. I raised my hand, and said..."Yes, he was wearing the coat when he came in." The Teacher nodded, and said,

..."OK, we will all just stay here, until the coat is returned."

We all sat for about 10 minutes...and then the 'Thug' left the room, and returned with the coat. He glared at me...and I glared back, and clenched my right fist. He looked away...everyone knew that I was a Blue Belt in Karate. I was a cute young woman, and that was one of the reasons I studied Karate...if someone attacked me, or tried to rape me...they would HAVE TO WORK FOR IT!!!!!

Mike and I became good friends, and did a lot of 'Science Things' together. I went to Conservatory to become a musician...He went to UC Berkeley and became a Nuclear Physicist. :)
'
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 12, 2020, 03:06:27 PM: good on you for standing up for your friend, that is excellent. my senior year, I became the antibully, any time I saw someone being picked on by a bully, I targeted the bully. It got to the point that they were looking around corners before picking on anyone to see if I might just be coming.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 12, 2020, 05:57:13 PM: ...Getting on television... :P

I got on TV News a number of times, usually as part of a case I was handling. But once...I was taken by surprise. ::)

My H and I had our two young children with us, we were going to see a G rated movie at the theatre complex...and a TV Crew walked up to us. We stopped...and my H stood BEHIND me...my two children got on EACH side of me...and PUSHED ME FORWARD. >:( I gave the crew permission to interview me, and they asked me some very intense questions...about minor children seeing R rated and X rated films. I said that I didn't believe that a theatre would sell such tickets to a minor...but did shrug and say..."It is difficult to control what children watch...they can go to a neighbor...and pull out a VHS Cassette...and watch ANYTHING." I did explain that we were doing our best to raise our children so that they would not want to watch such films.

The news clip ended, showed my H opening the door to the theatre...and my children and I entered.

My Boss and co-workers were excited for me...they said that I looked, and spoke very well. I said...

..."They should have given me 20 minutes to 'Freshen Up' before they questioned me. I wasn't wearing my best shade of lipstick" ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 12, 2020, 06:27:04 PM: lol on the appearance but sort of defeats the purpose of on the spot reporting. Good response though now it is even more difficult to keep minors from such movies and the like.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 12, 2020, 10:49:19 PM: ...I guess that I must be 'photogenic'...or maybe people can sense my 'Attitude'

I got on TV in Japan. I was chaperoning kids in Tokyo, and a TV Crew came up to me. They had an interpreter...I just knew about 15 Japanese words...and they quizzed me about US/Japan relationships. Things were a bit tense at that time. I answered their questions, and pointed around at the kids around me, and said, "We are enjoying our visit here. You have a wonderful culture...and...I LIKE the food."

The Japanese chaperones gave me a nice gift a couple days later...they said that they had seen me on TV...and approved of the way I spoke. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 12, 2020, 10:52:30 PM: ...I WAS wearing my best shade of lipstick in Tokyo... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 13, 2020, 12:13:02 AM: ...Thinking back...I should have walked into the US Embassy while I was there...and asked...

...Got any openings?

I probably would have ended up being the Ambassador....

...After I learned to read THREE different ways of writing... ???
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 13, 2020, 06:42:44 AM: you probably would be good as an ambassador. there is obviously something about you that attracts the media which is a good thing.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on November 13, 2020, 05:48:25 PM: Not with her temper...

:o :-X
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 13, 2020, 05:59:28 PM: ...WHAT?????????????????? Brother???????????????

Are you ACUSSING ME of having a....

...TEMPER?????????????????

>:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 13, 2020, 07:51:57 PM: ...Desert Tortouses... :) (sp)

I had two, when I was a child...they were for sale in pet shops when I was young. They are a 'Protected Species' now, I believe. I took good care of them. I had the female, "Lilly", first...and she owned the back yard. She roamed all over, and ate my Mothers petunias. My Mother would get angry at me when Lilly did that. I would give Her some of my allowance to buy more. I then bought 'Mr. Thomas'...I was hoping that they would breed.

I, in my romantic juvenile frame of mind...put Mr. Thomas and Lilly side by side...and put lettuce in front of each of them. I figured that they would eat, and then look at each other...and...well... 8)

Mr. Thomas walked over and...

...ATE LILLY'S LETTUCE.... ::)

She just stared at Him, and then walked away.

I saw that my career as a turtle breeder wouldn't come to fruition. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 13, 2020, 09:03:06 PM: sorry it did not work out for your turtle business but one can rarely predict what animals will do
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 13, 2020, 09:42:45 PM: ..One of the times when...

I LOST MY MIND!!!!!

I was in college, and we were doing a fun concert. There was a guy I REALLY liked...and he was going to sing a Frank Sinatra song. I was in the pit orchestra...and brought a bag in with me...

...IT WAS FILLED WITH PANTIES...

As He sang, I kept throwing them at Him...I had heard that women would throw panties at Sinatra during his concerts.

Needless to say...the Conductor...

WAS NOT HAPPY...

But, *Shrugs*

The singer was pleased...but He said that it was hard to sing...because he wanted to laugh so hard...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 14, 2020, 05:58:44 AM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 14, 2020, 09:03:41 PM: ...My Mother and I are watching "West Side Story". :) Natalie Wood was SO lovely in the movie. At the beginning of the movie, when She puts on the white dress, with the red belt...my female friends and I were gasping with envy...I mean...She DIDN'T have a waist!!! :) Natalie couldn't sing very well, so the sister of the Woman I studied cello with in H.S., did the singing for her...Natalie just mouthed the lyrics, and they dubbed Marnie's voice into the movie. :)

..."Te Adoro...Natalie"
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 14, 2020, 09:39:46 PM: a coomon practice in film and tv to have someone sing for the actor who cannot sing but cool that ypu knew the singer
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 15, 2020, 07:43:57 PM: ...Watchng the football game on TV...it is raining very hard. :P

In H.S....I did the P.A. announcing at the football games...and one evening...it was raining like Hell. I was happy to be in the covered area of the Stands...but had my warm coat on. I had to get my two friends, who I called my 'Spotters', to help me figure out who had done what to whom...the mud on the field covered the players numbers.

Several times...I just announced...

"Smith was tackled by the interior of the Concord High Line."

On Monday, I asked our Star Linebacker....

"How the Hell do you play in deep mud????"

He laughed, and patted my head, and said...

"Nothing more fun than playing football in deep mud."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 15, 2020, 09:53:41 PM: sounds like a football player response lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 15, 2020, 11:06:53 PM: ...Voices... ::)

I guess that, to a certain extent...our voices are what are in our genes. :) Boys must go through a tough time when their voices change...we girls would laugh when a boy was talking...and his voice changed from a boys voice...to a mans voice in a sentence. I have been told that I have a nice voice, and an unusual accent. My Mother is Hispanic, my Father is German.

That must have confused me as a young child...

So, I STUTTERED!!!! I do have memories of just saying..."ts, ts, ts, ts," Over and over again in kindergarten. So, I got sent to a room where a therapist worked with us 'stutteres." She worked with us, and made us repeat certain words, and phrases, over and over again. It did work. :) In Girl Scouts...I recited...from memory...a long tale...as my group acted out the play...and my voice was clear...and I wasn't nervous...as I sat cross legged...at the side of the stage...wrapped in a blanket...wearing a Feathered Headdress and some 'War Paint'...looking at the audience. :D

(Good thing that I wasn't facing the stage...I had gotten my older Brother to play one of the roles :P ...and He shot one of my 'Sisters' in the crotch with the small bow and arrow...it had those rubber tips...if I had seen that...I would have given up being the Narrator...and SWARMED HIM!!! :o)

I believe that the speech therapy I took helped me, a lot. I speak clearly, probably why I was asked to announce at sporting events. In my work as a Lawyer, people would listen, and I would get some compliments on my voice. :)

So, to anyone who has a child who stutters...get him or her into Speech Therapy... :)...it WORKS!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 16, 2020, 07:53:13 AM: I am happy you received the speech therapy needed and that it was successful. I too have an accent, Irish/British which confuses people in the US who are teying to sort out where I may be from. smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 17, 2020, 10:41:30 PM: ...Wearing feathers in my hair... :)

As a child, I enjoyed wearing feathered combs, and pinning feathers into my dark hair. I just thought that they made me look pretty. I raised pigeons, and they moulte. So, I would gather the feathers, look them over, and select the ones that were intact, and carefully wash and dry them...and pin them into my hair. I got a bad teasing at school, once, I was wearing 'Bluebar' feathers in my hair...(Bluebars are the trashy pigeons you see in Parks.)...So, I just wore red or white feathers after that. I owned a cock that was red, and another that was white.

At times...when my feathers had worn out...I would be sitting in front of my coop...carefully watching the two cocks...and saying...

..."C'mon...get into a FIGHT!!!" >:(

As an adult, I sometimes wear a feathered ornament...

But, the feathers are not from pigeons... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 18, 2020, 12:20:01 AM: ...OK...One more... :)

Marcus sang this with His Orlu after He encountered Izee'.... ;D

...https://youtu.be/3scgW-aghr4
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 18, 2020, 07:49:40 AM: nothing wrong with liking feathers. smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 18, 2020, 09:58:23 PM: ...St Pauls Suite...

This is the work that I was always DELIGHTED when the music was handed out. ;D During the 1st Movement, I would be dancing in my chair...that is a challenge when your knees are clutching a large piece of lumber...(My Cello)...but I did it. ;D ;D

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=0F1AB64806A244921B410F1AB64806A244921B41&q=st+paul+suite&shtp=GetUrl&shid=7b82392d-358a-4d26-9b23-375c71056d79&shtk=SG9sc3Q6IFN0IFBhdWwncyBTdWl0ZQ%3D%3D&shdk=R3VzdGF2IEhPTFNUOiBTdCBQYXVsJ3MgU3VpdGUgT3AuIDI5IE5vLiAyIEkuIEppZyBJSS4gT3N0aW5hdG8gSUlJLiBJbnRlcm1lenpvIElWLiBGaW5hbGUgQ29uZHVjdG9yOiBTYXJhaC1HcmFjZSBXaWxsaWFtcyB3aXRoIFRoZSBNZXRyb3BvbGl0YW4gT3JjaGVzdHJhIFNwZWNpYWwgdGhhbmtzIHRvIEpvaG4gQiBDIEltYWdlcyAtIFRNTyBPZmZpY2lhbCBQaG90b2dyYXBoZXIgYW5kIFZpZGVvZ3JhcGhlciAoMjAxNykuIEZvciBtb3JlIHZpZGVvcyBieSBKb2huIEIgQyBJbWFnZXMsIHBsZWFzZSB2aXNpdCBBcnQgU3RyZWFtIE11c2ljIGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL2NoYW5uZWwgLi4u&shhk=b%2B%2FukRzXERATo7XzuG2zqIk5%2Bttg1gRmV8bUEPe0i%2F0%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.VDvncgRSqFqEbV%252FGIRmK1Q
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 18, 2020, 10:31:58 PM: ...I would really want to dance during the last movement...but my hands would tell me...

..."KEEP YOUR DAMN BUTT IN THE CHAIR...WE NEED YOU THERE!!!!!" >:(

...I did what they told me...

My hands kinda dictate what I can do... :P

*Whispers* "they are mean"...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 19, 2020, 11:54:31 AM: well it is rather difficult to dance while playing a chello. lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 20, 2020, 12:07:36 AM: ...I just LOVE this performance...by...

THE RUSSIAN RED ARMY!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

When I was in Grammar School, we had all kinds of drills...Fire Drills...etc. The one that I kinda liked was the Nuclear War Drill. We would all leave the classroom, and find our siblings. I was DELIGHTED to walk up to my older brother, and take his hand. He wasn't happy...but that was part of the drill...older kids would take the younger brothers and sisters by the hand...but...

I WAS GRABBING HIS HAND...I KNEW THAT HE DIDN'T LIKE IT~~~~

After the Teachers accounted for all of us, they would release us, and we would walk home. He would pull his hand off of mine when we got around the corner, and I would giggle.

But, part of me was wondering why we were doing this. SF was just about 30 miles away, and the Naval Weapons Storage place was in the foothills about a mile away. I was smart enough, at that tender age, to figure that both would be hit.

I REALLY wondered if just going home would save us... :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 20, 2020, 12:08:55 AM: https://youtu.be/uNb54rwDQJM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 20, 2020, 01:43:13 AM: ...Performing Music....I just can't explain it...your body does things that astonish you...

I believe that SOMETHING enters your body...and guides you...

I usually had very nice feelings when I played music, it spoke to me, but I tried to not let it take me over. Once, I was having coffee with a very troubled man, who played a bass guitar in a rock band, he was a client, and had a DUI that I was handling. I was talking to him about that evening. and he said that he just got upset and angry after performing and got into an accident. I had the police report...He had had a few...

His music had deranged him...IMHO

Performing music DOES take something out of you, or places something in. At times, I would be filled with energy...other times I would be looking at the music, playing the cello, and actually thinking,,,"OK, Lefty...put your left paw on the G#" She would, and then I would tell Righty..."We are going to the D string for this...I know that it is easier on the A string...but this is what we are going to do." She would...

Performing on the piano was harder...both hands were romping all over the keys...and I wasn't telling them what to do...they just romped!!! There was NO WAY that I could plan where to place each finger...I just looked down...and watched them romp.

And...THEY DID ROMP!!!

https://youtu.be/QImFm4Y_QPM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 20, 2020, 11:01:07 AM: I agree performing does add more than it takes, the same can be said of acting. I have done concertos on piano and stage acting though it has been a long, long time since. I was clasically trained on piano and did comwdy acting also taught tae kwon do for a time, 1 of 3 styles I learned.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 20, 2020, 11:26:07 PM: ...I performed this work a few times...I was playing my cello...but I was also softly singing... :)

https://youtu.be/UMwaiA581AQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 21, 2020, 09:24:54 AM: smiles you have many talents.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 22, 2020, 12:10:43 AM: ...I REALLY enjoyed playing this work...I spent many hours in the practice rooms studying it. A few times, I was given a key to get into the Main Conservatory, and would get on the stage, turn on the light to the grand piano, and play. The audience would be dark...but once...I got aupplause when I finished this. A few of my friends had followed me in... :o

I almost pooped my panties...I was REALLY startled...I hadn't seen them...and my mind was somewhat disoriented...Music can do that to you... ::)

...https://youtu.be/U79VxvJYGdU
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 22, 2020, 12:57:35 AM: Thank you for reading, and commenting on my thread, Nate...*HUGS*

My Ex just didn't 'feel' music. I would come off the stage, my cello in her case, or just clutching my piano music, my mind all wound up...over what I had tried to express to the audience. I would be quiet as he drove us home, and after we got in, he would ask...

"What is for dinner?"

I would stare at Him...but...say...

"Let me see what we have."

I would cobble something together...

A few times he would look at what I had 'cobbled together', :P and call a delivery service

I would be relieved...KFC tasted better than my 'cobble' ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 22, 2020, 07:40:54 AM: it takes a bit to shift feom performing to thinking of other things those who have not performed do not realize this.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 25, 2020, 12:24:05 AM: ...That is so true...Nate... :)...performing music is unlike any other thing that we humans do...I performed this, and that is when I believe I became TRULY insane...I REALLY believed that MY HANDS...(I named them Sniffies)... were sentient creatures that had been stuck on the ends of my arms!!! I would scold them as I practiced the piano, or praise them...and buy them some prawns, or crab, for dinner when I had a good practice session. (I would eat it...that was just my excuse for spending more than my budget ;)) Usually, they did what I was telling them to do....but a number of times I just gathered my music, and walked out of the practice room. A few times, I tried to PUNISH THEM by making them do scales...and they just stumbled all over the keyboard...and I took them home...and ate some fish...they liked it when I ate fish.

Yes, Nate, people who have not performed music, simply cannot understand what performing does to your mind. ;)

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=668E48429CDDD7A07C33668E48429CDDD7A07C33&q=Beethoven+Moonlight+Sonata+Third+Movement&shtp=GetUrl&shid=22ce6b1e-bbfa-4a9f-ba29-e15920409b4a&shtk=QmVldGhvdmVuICJNb29ubGlnaHQiIFNvbmF0YSwgSUlJICJQcmVzdG8gQWdpdGF0byIgVmFsZW50aW5hIExpc2l0c2E%3D&shdk=UmVjb3JkaW5nIGluIEJlZXRob3ZlbnNhYWwsIEhhbm5vdmVyIEdlcm1hbnksIERlYyAyMDA5LiBXaWxoZWxtIEtlbXBmZiByZWNvcmRlZCBCZWV0aG92ZW4gY3ljbGUgaW4gdGhlIHZlcnkgc2FtZSBoYWxsLiBCZWV0aG92ZW4gMzIgU29uYXRhcyByZWNvcmRpbmcgVm9sIDEgaXMgYXZhaWxhYmxlIGZvciBkb3dubG9hZCBodHRwczovL211c2ljLmFwcGxlLmNvbS9ydS9hbGJ1bS9iZWV0aG92ZW4tMzItc29uYXRhcy12b2wtaS8xNTA2MjAzNzk0P2w9ZW4%3D&shhk=dmVVg%2FqVKzBtbGZO%2FB78LaPNrzaB0JrRZhAjcvc2Nhw%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.9T%252ByPR63r6kfzWrsywJvxA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 25, 2020, 07:00:55 AM: performers are usually a little different, nothing wrong with that, comes from being creative.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 25, 2020, 12:16:46 PM: I just LOVED playing croquet!!! :)

In HS, I set up a regulation course in our back yard. Usually, I just hit one ball around the rickets...but...sometimes...

MY MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES CAME OUT...and

I hit ALL six balls around the course...and each ball fought the other!!! I did love it when I placed my left foot on one ball, (Amanda would giggle, and Janice would be angry) , that was up against another, and I swung the mallet, hard. The other ball ended up in the bushes, and I would haul it out, and put it back on the lawn. I spent hours practicing.

Later in life, when I was chaperoning a 4-H Event, the kids nagged me into playing a game. I said that I didn't understand the game, and held the mallet VERY clumsy as I stepped to the first wicket.

I won the game...I had spent most of the time aiming at their balls, so I could send them into the bushes. >:(

But, my green ball hit the end stake...

FIRST!!!!

They didn't invite me to play, again. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 25, 2020, 01:38:12 PM: have never played croquet so know I would lose.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 25, 2020, 08:41:08 PM: ...Looking forward to tomorrow...

...TURKEY GUTS!!!!! ;D

I like the taste of turkey, but we are not going to have the family gathering, CA has said we can't do that. So, my brother is going to drop off a dinner for my mother and I. I asked him if the dinner would have the turkey 'GUTS'...and he said...."NOOO" I yelled at him, and he hung up! ::) I always enjoyed eating the liver, and the heart, and would chew on the gizzard...and swallow it.

In R/T, I am barely civilized... ;D

Opposing attorneys quickly found that out... >:(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 26, 2020, 10:05:37 AM: had sliced turkey here smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 27, 2020, 01:12:22 AM: ...Gonna jus ramble a bit...but...our dinner was nice. The turkey and stuffing came out nice...and I just ate my 'Midnight Turkey Sandwich" It tasted SO GOOD!!! I am actually thinking of getting another one, but I won't...my Mother might want one...and that would be difficult, if, late at night, we were arguing over who got what. I will let her eat what she wants for lunch, tomorrow...and then...I will...

MAKE A SANDWICH!!!! like NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN BEFORE... :o

And somehow get it into my mouth, and chew. ;D

I watched this video of the Brahms...I could play it, by memory...and when I performed, I was kinda like this woman. I would lean close over the fingerboard at times, and GLARE at my hands, telling them, in my mind...

"DON'T FUCK UP THIS PASSAGE...WE REALLY WORKED ON IT!!!" >:(

https://youtu.be/U79VxvJYGdU

Usually...they cooperated... ;)

But, as any musical performer will attest...you do have your 'bad days'.

Probably had to do with my body. Sometimes my mind was very clear and focused, but my body was messed up, and my hands didn't do what I wanted them to do. Other times I would feel slightly confused, but my hands would romp all over the piano, or my cello, saying, "Don't worry, Mommy, we got this".

That was when I decided that my hands were 'alive'...and had their own ideas of how to live life.

I buy them fish, and crab, when they want it. ;D

((I eat it... ;)))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 27, 2020, 09:19:57 AM: happy dinner was good and the left overs as well. hands can be troublesome at times trick is getting them to behave.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 28, 2020, 11:39:33 PM: ...This was always a hard symphony for me to perform. Tears would be running down my face...and it was good that I wasn't a singer...my throat closed up. I would come out of the theatre, and hand my cello case to my H, and stay quiet. At first, after certain performances, he would try to get me to talk, and I would just croak out a few words. So, after a while, he could tell, by looking at my face, if I could talk. He would just leave me alone, and give me some herbal tea when we got home.

I would slowly drink it...spitting up most of it the first hour...and my throat would open up...and I could talk again...

https://youtu.be/2tB2SLLnPZg
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 29, 2020, 07:34:06 AM: the mark of a passionate performer. and why most perforners, actors, etc avoid the public for a time after a performance.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 29, 2020, 12:39:00 PM: ...Thank you, Nate...you understand what it is like to perform music...you put your body, heart, and soul to express what the notes mean to you. And your body does respond. I would usually be full of energy as I performed...but a few times my body got very warm...and my mind seemed to go somewhere else...but my hands were doing what the music called for. Once, when that happened, I just sat at the piano after I finished...my body was very weak...and my mind was confused...but...I WAS GETTING A LOT OF AUPPLAUSE!!! I had to hold on the side of the piano as I bowed, or I would have fallen. The next performer helped me get off the stage, and set me onto a couch. I just sobbed...I had played well...I knew that...and the audience had shown their appreciation...but, at that moment...

The MUSIC had taken something out of me...or...maybe

I had sent something of MYSELF out to the audience...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 29, 2020, 02:09:28 PM: you put your energy into the music smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 01, 2020, 12:30:34 AM: ...Fingerings... :)

As a string player, you will write which finger of your left hand will play a note, in complex passages. When I was the Section Leader, I just wrote in my score what was comfortable to me...I didn't consult with my stand partner...or the rest of the section. In lyrical passages, I would tell the rest of the section to use my fingerings...we needed to sound the same.

One season, I got very ill, and didn't play for two months. When I returned, I sat third chair. We were playing a Brahms, and the 'fingerings' didn't make ANY SENSE TO ME!!! 'Lefty' was romping from string to string, and getting stressed out, and was having trouble playing in tune...her 'little foot' was quivering with exhaustion. I stared at my stand partner, and asked..."Is this the 'fingering' our section leader wants?"

She just shook her head, and said..."The violist suggested them".

I looked over, and the Principal Violist was grinning at me... ::)

I took the score home, erased the fingerings...and wrote in my own...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 01, 2020, 07:41:58 AM: well a violinist would have no knowledge of fingerings as they use a bow
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 03, 2020, 07:32:08 PM: ...How to REALLY fuck up a Concert, and. I DID IT!!!! :o

I usually sat 1st chair, or 3rd chair in an Orchestra, so I was sitting on the edge of the stage, and my stand partner would turn the pages. I didn't want to turn pages...and...I thought that I looked cute...and wanted the audience to get a good look at me. ;) But. once, in the Semi-Professional Orchestra I was playing, I got ordered to sit second chair at the First Stand...the work called for a cello duet during the work, and I played better than the woman sitting 2nd chair. So, I grumbled, but did so.

I turned pages for the Principal Cellist...I didn't like doing it...but I liked and respected her. I would stop playing a few measures before the page turn, place my left hand at the top of the page, and look at her. She would nod her head, and I would quickly turn the page, and get back to playing. I never had a problem with music that was bound, like a magazine.

BUT!!!!!

Once, we were performing a modern work, by a local Composer, and the music was on sheets of paper, xeroxed....there were about thirty sheets of paper. Rags can probably guess what happened... ::)

I reached to pull a sheet of paper to the other side of the stand...and...

DUMPED ALL OF THE MUSIC ON THE FLOOR... :o

We had to stop the concert, as I gathered up the sheets of music, and sorted them out, and got them back on the stand...

I got BANISHED back to 3rd chair after that concert... :P

I was happy...I HATED to turn pages...

When there was a two cello solo after that...I just kept my butt in 3rd chair, and carefully listened to the Principal as I accompanied her.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 03, 2020, 08:02:29 PM: could have happened to anyone particularly with such a disconnected lengthy set of copied papers
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 03, 2020, 09:44:06 PM: ...Fabric... ;D It means a lot to we women...it feels nice on our skin...since...at times we are out in public...not wearing very much. 8) Damn Men...who get us to dress up like that. ::) But...*Shrugs*...I enjoyed going out in public when I was young, in a minidress, high heels, nice makeup, and seeing the men looking at me.

Later in life, we had a young Russian woman living with us for the summer. She was a cute blonde, an exchange student. She could speak English fairly well, and got better as we talked. I brought her with me, when I was shopping for fabric, I wanted to make a dress. I was fairly skilled with the sewing machine, and I just liked putting on a dress I had made. We looked at all of the fabrics, and I found the one that I thought I would look good in...but noticed...she was looking and touching a bolt of fabric.

She gave me a nice kiss, and a hug when she left our home. The bolt of fabric was in a shipping case, and I told her that I would ship it out, I had bought it for her.

She sent me a picture, later. She, and two other young women, were smiling...they were wearing dresses made from the fabric. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 04, 2020, 07:01:49 AM: smiled happy she got to enjoy the fabric and her time with you.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 04, 2020, 05:46:27 PM: Pssssssssssssst... sheet protectors and a notebook solves loose sheet music issues.

;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 08, 2020, 06:55:08 PM: ...Presiding over traffic court... ::)

...I did that a number of times, I actually enjoyed hearing my name announced, by the Bailiff...with 'THE HONORABLE' title in front of my name. I would do my best to look dignified, in my Black Robe, but thinking..."Is my hair OK"..."Did I put on my good shade of lipstick"..."Damn, I didn't paint my nails". I would settle my butt on the bench. and settle down, and get to work. I was quick, I worked for a company that handled auto accident cases, so I was very experienced in reading accident reports.

Once, I was having trouble deciding a case, after hearing the testimony. I looked over the Courtroom, half were police officers, the other half were the defendants. I called out, "OK, he said she ran a red light, she said it was a yellow. Who believes what he said?" All of the officers raised their hands...the other side kept their hands down.

I ruled in favor of the defendant, muttering to myself..."They can't tell me what to do."

I got banished to preside over Small Claims...although the Presiding Judge did call me to handle complex business matters.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 08, 2020, 07:36:34 PM: cool. I always liked caught in providence the judge on there always mansged to see through the hogwash.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 09, 2020, 11:23:08 PM: ...An amazing performance...and I bet that all of the men weren't just listening to her voice... ;)

Such a yearning song, and she does it very well...

https://youtu.be/OMO-E4dSuoE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 10, 2020, 09:04:06 AM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 14, 2020, 02:27:05 PM: ...Izee' and her children are loyal, and committed members of the Tuchuk, now. Tristan is a trusted Officer of the 1st Oaralu, and is devoted to protecting the Tuchuk. At times, Izee' and her children do go out a ways, camp for a few nights, and return. While they are out, they celebrate their ethnicity. At times, the males sing, and Izee' and her daughters play instruments. They all return, refreshed, and ready to perform their duties to the Tuchuk...the Tuchuk is their Greater Family now. :)

...https://youtu.be/9UglUjiJifA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 16, 2020, 07:59:01 PM: ...Eye Contact... ::)

I was a pretty good Trial Attorney. The only case I lost was when I had offered $1,500, and the Jury awarded $5,500. I was VERY UPSET when I got back to the office. My Boss later called me, and said, "Don't worry...the Company will survive."

I calmed down...after all...the Company was on the Stock Market... ::)

I enjoyed Jury selection. I would have the biographies of the potential Jurors, and would carefully read them. I would set the sheets into three piles...the ones I wanted...the ones I didn't want...and the ones I wasn't sure about. During questioning I would look into their eyes as I asked certain questions. Usually they looked back at me, especially the men...(I was cute, and imposing at the same time.) If someone didn't look back at me, I crossed them off my list.

I mean, when I did my closing argument...I wanted to look into each Jurors eyes...and...

See them looking BACK AT ME!!!

Once, I did get passionate...I was angry about the BS case...and got emotional...I finished...and looked at the Jury...and...

A young woman was smiling and nodding at me...when I looked into her eyes...she looked back...I won the case...

But, I never saw her again. I mean, I am Hetero, I will have meals with another woman, and give her a nice kiss...but it ends at that.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 17, 2020, 09:01:19 AM: most of our language is not based on words it is based on eye contact, facial expression, and body language do it makes sense that eye contact would aid in such instsnces.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 20, 2020, 01:26:37 AM: ...OMG...this Organist has THREE HANDS~~~~ :o And, please, I am just making a late night 'fun post', I am not trying to make fun of people with deformities.

I have, at times, when my mind went into strange places, wondered what it would be like to have an extra arm and hand. (I had read a SF book where the Aliens had three arms.) That was usually when I was sitting 2nd chair, 1st Stand. My extra left hand could turn the pages, while my other two hands kept playing. Plus, it would be easy to read a book as I was eating dinner. Although, it might be more fun to have two right arms and hands...holding them out to shake hands would be interesting. Either way, my sexual partner would have had a lot of fun. ::)

https://youtu.be/y3AiGw8mkq0

((And, I can see that he really DOES NOT have three hands))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 20, 2020, 07:36:34 AM: such could come in, pardon the deliberate pun, "handy" smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 22, 2020, 06:50:03 PM: ...It is good to know the Judge... :)

I went to Law School at night, three nights a week, since I was working full time as an Accountant, for four years. A few weeks into the 1st year, a guy named Rick invited me to join a 'study group'. I agreed, and the five of us would meet during the week, or on a weekend, and study the cases, and discuss the Professors. It helped all of us, we would take sides in a case, and argue with each other, and learn what a case meant. Sometimes we would just socialize, drink some beer or wine, and just visit with each other. We all graduated, and I was the Valedictorian!!! ;

Later in my career, Rick was appointed to the Bench, and after a few years became the Presiding Judge.

I appeared before him often, when he was handling Law and Motion Court. He was very professional, and treated me like any other attorney. But, it was a lot of fun for me when I went into his Chambers to handle a complex motion, or a Settlement Conference. We would shake hands, but not hug, and he would take off his robe, and ask me, "Hey, P......., how are things going?" I would address him as 'Rick'...I had been addressing him as 'Your Honor' in Court. We would briefly talk of mundane things, as the opposing attorney just watched...and then we would get to business. ;)

I usually won the Motion, or the case settled within my authority. The other attorney would throw in the towel.

Rick respected me, I had usually conducted our Study Group in Law School, and often explained a case to the class. For four weeks, when we were studying Business Law Finance cases, the other students often didn't understand a case. The Professor would call on several to explain it, and they couldn't. I would be waving my left hand in the air...I mean...I was already a CPA...so cases like that were easy for me to figure out. ;D The Professor would sigh, and call on me, and I would explain it.

Anyway, it was good for me to know the Presiding Judge...

He appointed me a Judge Pro Tem...and so I got to put on a Black Robe and sit at the Bench a few times a month...

I got $150 for each session. I would cash the check, and hide the money from my H. When I accumulated enough, I would buy myself something nice. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 23, 2020, 06:38:26 AM: sounds like quite the experience
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 24, 2020, 01:56:59 AM: The late Glen Chin, (A musician and an Actor...) and I were very good friends in college. We never had sex, we would just nestle as we watched a movie. Plus, if he had climbed on top of me, he would have crushed me, he weighed about 300 pounds, and I weighed about 125 pounds. We did a lot of musicals together. I would be in the pit, playing my cello, and he was behind me, playing the bass. We usually did well. BUT ONCE!!!!

I have no idea what happened, but I had a solo in a musical, that I enjoyed...but...MY HANDS WEREN'T DOING WHAT I WANTED THEM TO DO...and I...

GOT WHACKED WITH HIS BOW OVER MY SHOULDER!!!

I looked back over my shoulder...He was glaring at me...and HISSING...I glared back at him...and stopped playing.

He would take me to SF at times. Sometimes we would eat at a VERY FANCY restaurant that his family owned. That was nice, we would get a nice table, and Glen would order. I didn't have to pay for anything, and the food was somewhat predictable. Other times, he would take me into a 'back alley' place, and speak Chinese to the waiter. I would look at the food, as the waiter seemed to be deciding to hand me chopsticks. Glen would switch to English, and tell the waiter...

"She can handle them"

I could, and ate the food. (*S* when I chaperoned a group of kids in Japan, the waiters would often compliment me on my use of chopsticks. I could easily eat rice with them...I had had a LOT of practice.) Glen would order nice tasting food...but I learned to NOT ask him what it was!!! (He told me what one was once, after I asked) I just ate it...and figured that I would throw up when I got back to my Apt.

I miss him so much. He was only a few years older than me...and...He died in his sleep.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 24, 2020, 06:50:04 AM: what a blessing to know someone like thst and have thise cherished memories
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 26, 2020, 02:22:38 PM: ..."Bow" vs 'Curtsy"

We women can do either, after performing music. I would usually bow, holding my cello, or the side of the piano. I would bend at the waist, not too deeply, but keep my upper body straight, so I was looking at the ground for a moment, and would straighten up. Some women would bend at the waist, but keep their heads and upper body upright, as they smiled at the audience. While I was looking at the ground, I was getting my mind back to normal, and could smile when I straightened up.

I did do a VERY DEEP CURTSY ONCE!!!! :o

It was part of my initiation into the Music Sorority. ::)

I was scheduled to perform a Brahms piano work in "Solo Class"...that was a class that all of we music majors HAD to attend, and many other people and students came to the Concert Hall to hear good music.

My 'New Sisters' had dressed me up in a VERY FRILLY pink dress, and a ridiculous pink wig...students were laughing at me as I entered...I was normally VERY reserved in the way I dressed. I REALLY was embarrassed, but figured..."Go along with it...have some fun." ;) (Even at a young age, it was hard to offend me...probably why I became a Lawyer... ::))

So, I pretended that I was having trouble just sitting on the bench...I just couldn't get the hem of the silly dress calmed down.
A male stage hand came out and helped me sit down. I calmed down, and performed the work...and then was having trouble getting off the bench...that DAMN DRESS was REALLY HARD TO WEAR!!!!

He came out, again, and got me off of the bench...and...

I did a VERY DEEP CURTSY to the audience. Half were applauding...half were laughing...

I was voted in as President of the Sorority a year later...I think that they liked my attitude. I watched over the finances very well, and planned Events to put together with the Music Fraternity. But, I always liked to have fun. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 26, 2020, 03:12:16 PM: Should ripped the skirt off and awed the crowd!!!!!

::) ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 26, 2020, 05:15:34 PM: ...I thought about it, but they had made me take off my panties... 8)

...The Dean probably would have summoned me to His Office...

...And it would have not gone well... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 27, 2020, 02:13:21 AM: Depends on him. It may have gone very well. :-X ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 27, 2020, 09:44:54 PM: ...*LOL* ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 27, 2020, 10:43:28 PM: ...Russian Greetings... :)

When I was in grammar school, I would play with a boy who had emigrated from Russia. I liked him, he had pale skin, and white hair, and a nice face. He could speak English pretty well. My Uncle got to know the Family, and said that they had been Russia Royalty who had fled Russia during the Communist Revolution. "Nikki"...that is what I called him...told me tales of those times. I really wasn't sure if I believed him...they were living in a very MODEST house. I figured that if they had been 'Royalty'...they would have brought a lot of valuables with them. Although, maybe they did, and just wanted to live 'Under the Radar'.

As a child, the Father would just nod to me when I entered their house, and then ignore me. It didn't bother me, I was there to play with Nikki.

Our family moved across town, so Nikki and I didn't get together much after that. He would ride his bicycle to my house, and I would get on mine and we would ride around, but not go to his house. This went on for years, so I grew up...and became a woman. Nikki was happy to have me with him as we rode our bicycles. :) One day, he insisted that we ride to his house, he said that there was a picture that he wanted me to see. So, we did so, it took about 1 1/2 hours, but, it wasn't difficult. The ground was level, and it was kind of cool. So, when we arrived, my cheeks were red, my face was glowing, my hair was nicely disarranged...and the breasts I had grown were pushing up against my blouse.

We entered his house, and his Father looked at me, smiled at me, and got out of his chair. He walked over to me, looked me over, and then stood straight, and...CLICKED HIS HEELS TOGETHER...and took my right hand, kissed it, and said.."Welcome P--------."

I didn't know what to do, I just nodded my head, and said..."It is good to see you again."

Nikki rode with me back to my house, left, and I sat in my room, a bit dazed. I had never had a man greet me like that, and began to believe that they actually might be Russian Royalty, that were just living very modestly. I tried to cultivate a relationship with Nikki...but the school BITCH claimed him...and we didn't ride bicycles together anymore.

I actually did encounter Nikki, later in life, in a complex business case. He owned one of the companies that I was suing...it was worth a LOT of money. I took his deposition, but was gentle. We briefly hugged and spoke in a side room, and talked a bit about the past...but I had to cut off any contact after that.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 28, 2020, 09:08:20 AM: sorry you lost contact with your friend.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 28, 2020, 12:04:15 PM: ...Yes, Nate...I should have been more AGGRESIVE in my pursuit of him...but I was always low key when I dealt with men at that age. I mean...if I had LANDED HIM...I could have called myself a COUNTESS!!!! That would have been a BLAST!!! I might have even gotten the Judges to address me as that. That would have been amusing...the Judge addressing the opposing attorneys as Mr or Ms...and me as 'COUNTESS'...

The Jury would probably just look around, wondering what the HELL was going on... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 28, 2020, 02:27:44 PM: lol on the jury
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 29, 2020, 02:29:35 PM: ... :)...Looking for work as a pianist... :P

When I graduated from Music Conservatory, I sent tapes of my playing to places to see if I could get some work, or gigs.

Rags responded, saying that I would get $7.83 an hour, and that I could keep half of my tips. He also said that I could sleep in the storage room, and get a cheese sandwich for lunch, and a can of spam for dinner. He also told me that I would have to be able to perform Ragtime works.

It was the best offer I got...it is hard to make a living as a pianist...so...

I went to Law School...

Not sure if I made the right decision... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 29, 2020, 03:13:25 PM: you did
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 29, 2020, 05:01:54 PM: Hey... Spam is pretty good!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 29, 2020, 10:27:52 PM: ...If you had offered TWO cans of spam...I would probably still be at your place... ;D Playing Ragtime... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 29, 2020, 11:49:47 PM: ...Singers...

I was a very accomplished cellist, and always did my best to express the music. But, it took a LOT of effort, trying to get my left hand into the right place on the fingerboard, and my right hand to use the bow as I wanted. For all of you non-string players, you just don't saw the bow back and forth, you use your fingers to shape the note. I would press with my first finger when I wanted to play loud, and let the full weight of my right arm land on the bow. When I wanted to be more silent, I would hold the bow up a bit, and use my little finger to control the movement. My fingers usually cooperated...that is why I was granted a scholarship to the Conservatory.

I was always amazed at the singers, especially the men. *Shrugs...I wasn't admiring the women*

I mean, they just stood on the stage, and sang...nothing around them...it was JUST THEM!!!

Here is a wonderful singer...if I had been in the orchestra...and he had invited me out for a drink...

I WOULD HAVE HAD THREE...

And not cared where I woke up... ::)

https://youtu.be/qRQA9HeXcpI
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 30, 2020, 06:53:14 AM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 30, 2020, 10:50:51 AM: Quote from: Izee on December 29, 2020, 10:27:52 PM
...If you had offered TWO cans of spam...I would probably still be at your place... ;D Playing Ragtime... ::)

I may have upped the offer to two cheese sandwiches, but two Spam... nope. Not even for Artie Mathews, Fats Walder, or Blind Blake.

;) ;D ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 30, 2020, 11:22:42 AM: ...DAMN!!!! *Stamps foot* >:( I really think that I am worth TWO cans of Spam a night...but...

What cheese would you have put on the sandwiches? ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on December 30, 2020, 05:25:55 PM: Fumunda.

::) ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 31, 2020, 12:50:47 PM: ...I had to look that up...

EWWWWWWW!!!!!

Although, since I have engaged in oral sex a number of times in my life...I have probably tasted it... :P

Now I know why I washed it down before I brought my mouth to it... 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 31, 2020, 05:10:56 PM: ...Dogs... :)

When we were living in the CA foothills, we adopted an Akita dog named 'Buck'. We were on 5 acres, and figured that we needed such a dog for security. We couldn't let him in the house, I am allergic to dogs. So, he lived outdoors, but his doghouse was under our patio cover, so he didn't get wet, and we had blankets in the doghouse.

Buck did watch over our property, I would see him watch any cars that entered the dirt road that passed by our lot. He was probably hoping that the car was...MY PARENTS CAR!!!! :) I didn't know that dogs could recognize a car...

When he saw it, he would run down the driveway, and run beside it, barking as my Parents entered our lot. He wasn't angry...

My Parents ALWAYS brought him treats! ;D...

My Mother said that they always stopped at a place on the way to our house, and would buy Buck a nice bone, or something else. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 31, 2020, 06:00:05 PM: dogs are quite smart like that though cats are still smarter.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 01, 2021, 02:08:03 PM: ...You got that right, Nate, cats are smarter, or more sneaky.

We had a semi-feral female cat that hung around our house on five acres. We fed her, after my kids pointed out that she was catching and killing gophers. I kept saying that we needed to catch her, and get her neutered.

Nobody listened to me!!! >:(

She was away for a while, (We called her 'Rita', after a cartoon character). One day, I was at the side of our house, and looked at our back door, and Rita was sitting there...WITH FIVE KITTENS!!!! I went into the house, and said, "Rita brought her kittens to us!" My two children raced out, and captured the kittens. :P

So, we had to buy more cat food. The kittens got to trust us, it was kind of nice. Rita would lay down in her bed, and the kittens would swarm around her, and she would bat them away. >:(

My daughter arranged for 'adoptions', she would take a kitten to school, and give it to a friend who wanted it.

We did get Rita 'fixed'. We kept two of the kittens, they were males, with jet black fur and huge yellow eyes. They were tame, since we fed and played with them. But... :)

They were ALSO HUNTERS!!!!

We didn't have anymore trouble with gophers or ground squirrels...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 01, 2021, 04:04:31 PM: cats are expert hunters nods
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on January 01, 2021, 05:02:16 PM: Cats smarter than dogs?

Tell that to my pit and shepherd... they had a name for cats... LUNCH!!!!!

SO much for cats being smarter and better hunters, especially when they become the hunted.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 01, 2021, 05:49:40 PM: ...*LOL*...you have a point, Rags, but cats are 'sneaky'... ::)

Our Akita, Buck, was chasing a cat across the dirt road, and my kids and I started cheering him on..."GET THE KITTY" we yelled. Buck stopped, and looked back at us, and the cat jumped on his back, clawed him...and then took off. Buck spun around, confused, and then took off after the cat, but...he didn't seem to be putting as much effort as he had, before.

The cat jumped a fence, and got away... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 01, 2021, 06:11:17 PM: as said cats are smarter lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on January 02, 2021, 12:33:38 AM: And dogs are patient. They can bide their time and they never forget.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 02, 2021, 09:12:04 AM: same with cats
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 02, 2021, 03:54:23 PM: ...How Marcus Hrolfson made a living when we visited Earth... :o

That is why Izee', Johanna, and Katniss supported the Family by shoplifting, and petty theft... ::)

Fetching...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 02, 2021, 04:14:15 PM: ...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=4369D95BCB9161877DE54369D95BCB9161877DE5&q=rodney+dangerfield+singing&shtp=GetUrl&shid=bcabc283-e384-439c-a066-6fa686e65d03&shtk=U2luZ2luZyBFeGVjdXRpb25lciBHZXRzIE5vIFJlc3BlY3Q%3D&shdk=Um9kbmV5IERhbmdlcmZpZWxkIHRha2VzIG9uIHRoZSByb2xlIG9mIHRoZSBMb3JkIEhpZ2ggRXhlY3V0aW9uZXIgaW4gYSBuZXcgc3BpbiBvbiB0aGUgY2xhc3NpYyBvcGVyYSwgVGhlIE1pa2Fkby4gQWZ0ZXIgYSBsaWZldGltZSBvZiBubyByZXNwZWN0LCBSb2RuZXkgZmluYWxseSBnZXRzIGV2ZW4gd2l0aCBhIGhlY2tsZXIsIGhpcyBkZW50aXN0IGFuZCBhbiBvbGQgZmxpbmcuIE9yaWdpbmFsbHkgYWlyZWQgYXMgcGFydCBvZiBSb2RuZXkgRGFuZ2VyZmllbGQncyAxOTgyIFRWIHNwZWNpYWwsIOKAnEl04oCZcyBOb3QgRWFzeSBCZWlu4oCZIE1l4oCdLiBTdWJzY3JpYmUgdG8gY2hhbm5lbDogaHR0cCAuLi4%3D&shhk=0hFKlfQzjGT3A8AOl%2BAS5QEjMWxK3GjrvIN%2BVXl9S1Y%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.1dFsgQfsXUmsN8xNTKArPA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 04, 2021, 01:04:05 AM: ...A fun work... :)

Rags was hired to perform it , when he was young, but he forgot to bring his drums. So...

He just beat on his chair... ::)

https://youtu.be/Fnx4E0QAcbA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 04, 2021, 08:39:55 AM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on January 04, 2021, 08:54:07 AM: After performance I killed the two guys with their own instruments and showed the female a percussionist can keep rhythm all... night... long!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 04, 2021, 02:13:48 PM: ...Izee' sings to the memory of Marcus Hrolfson... :'(

...https://youtu.be/VG84qrx0oMg

...He was such a good r/p'er. He made me laugh a lot, and a few times I just logged off and cried. (I knew that he was dying of an illness). We had a lot of fun, we roamed all over Gor, and did our best to amuse typists, and to get the players involved. Once, at one Home, the Jarl assigned me to plan and supervise a Festival. I thought that I had it all worked out, but Marcus had been working behind my back. ::)

...The Festival was a DISASTER...NOTHING WENT WELL!!! :o

...I got 'caged' for three days...but I was laughing my ass off in r/t. Marcus had gotten the other typists in on the plan. The Jarl grabbed me by my hair, and THREW me into a cage, and scolded me for not planning, better. I just held the bars, apologized, and crawled into the furs in the corner. :o

...*S*...I was his 'Companion'...but, during the next three days...he r/p'd having fun with the bonds...as I sat in the corner of the cage and ate oatmeal...and watched him. ::)

...We would pm during those times, talking of r/t issues...

...I miss him so much... :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 05, 2021, 09:28:16 AM: sorry for your loss
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 05, 2021, 02:07:22 PM: ..."Singing vs Performance"

...I don't know why I always loved this singer. His voice is VERY gravelly...but...

...HE PERFORMED!!!!

...He always gets my focus when I watch a clip on youtube, and once I did attend a concert where he sang. He had a 'stage presence'...when he walked out...you just focused on him. (*S*...I was told, at Conservatory, that I had a stage presence. My mind would be focused on what I was going to perform, and students said that they would sit up. A girlfriend said, "You always look pissed off when you enter the stage." I was surprised, I was just thinking about the work I was going to perform...I wasn't trying to look pretty for the audience. I didn't want to be one of those useless airhead girls who walked out, with a big smile...and then mangled the work. I did smile when I took my bows...a couple times...I curtsied ...and the audience laughed...I was laughing, too. I had performed well. Curtsying beside a piano is easy...but...

...JUST TRY DOING IT WHILE HOLDING A CELLO... :P

...https://youtu.be/6wRYjtvIYK0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 05, 2021, 03:48:25 PM: big difference between a singer and a performer. smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 08, 2021, 12:23:42 AM: ...Izee' leads Rags and the few members of the group to the wrong place. Izee' was holding the map upside down...and they burst into a lodge FULL of warriors...they had been planning on grabbing a few bonds...and leaving. So...

...THEY PRETENDED THAT THEY WERE SINGERS!!!!

...Rags sang very well...

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=BC6A46A53B8C4FDB8000BC6A46A53B8C4FDB8000&q=in+taberna&shtp=GetUrl&shid=d239db6a-f7b1-403d-bcb2-05a65d836a5f&shtk=IkluIHRoZSBUYXZlcm4iIChJbiBUYWJlcm5hKSBvZmZpY2lhbCBtdXNpYyB2aWRlbyBieSBUaGUgQ1JBSUMgU2hvdw%3D%3D&shdk=XCJJbiB0aGUgVGF2ZXJuXCIgKEluIFRhYmVybmEpIG9mZmljaWFsIG11c2ljIHZpZGVvIGJ5IFRoZSBDUkFJQyBTaG93LiBUaGUgRW5nbGlzaCB2ZXJzaW9uLCB0cmFuc2xhdGVkIGFuZCBhcnJhbmdlZCBieSBEYW5pZWwgTydSeWFuIGFuZCBwZXJmb3JtZWQgYnkgVGhlIENSSUFDIFNob3cu&shhk=LU%2BpgcTfCQlaMjhZChSet8dkpQyG0uLBZXdvAtOWHQ4%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.brHcm7KAjlThRGIandGKug
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 08, 2021, 08:43:06 AM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 10, 2021, 01:59:07 AM: ...Izee' and her squad have a relaxing evening...

...https://youtu.be/rDZxRdP3mrE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 12, 2021, 01:59:24 PM: ...High School Grades... :P

...I did pretty well in HS, my GPA was a 3.56 at graduation, which was high back then, I was #14 in a class of 236. (Grades seem to be expanded these days...when I was judging music scholarships and doing 4-H Counseling a few years ago, I was astounded at the number who had 4.0 GPA's.) I ALWAYS got a 'B' in Phys Ed, but I enjoyed playing the sports, and getting out of the classrooms.

One semester, I was DETERMINED to get 'A's in ALL courses...(My 'Manic Phase' of my mental illness had kicked in)...so I put a LOT of effort into PE...

...I got ANOTHER 'B'... >:(...I walked into the Coaches room...I was angry...and I said to all of them...

..."What does it take to get an 'A' in this class? My partner and I won the badmitton tournament...my volleyball team won the tournament...and I placed 'Second' in the handball tournament..." >:(

...I got ANOTHER 'B'... :o

...I think that the coaches had me pegged as fairly athletic...but...I hadn't signed up for any after school activities. They kept wanting me to play Field Hockey, I could run fast, and was very competitive, and had good coordination. I was busy learning the cello, and my friend and I did science experiments after school.

...I just settled for 'B's in PE,,, ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 12, 2021, 03:03:11 PM: biased coaches perhaps
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on January 12, 2021, 05:24:08 PM: Or unbias PE teachers that looked at the class as a whole. The best athlete being the 100% in the class, and the worst being a failure. Everyone else would land in there somewhere. Kinda hard for a female non-athlete to warrant the same grade as say a guy lettering in 2 - 3 sports unless the female was doing the same in some way.

Would be like a guy athlete that can do PT all day long then lift before actually competing vs some couch spud that gets winded just standing up off the couch. Do both deserve an A? Hell no.

No more than the football starter that can hear the band at halftime deserving an A in music because he listens.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 12, 2021, 11:15:31 PM: .. :)...I think that you called it accurately, Rags, although you may have a point, Nate.

...People who got 'A's in PE did do after school sports...

...I got 'A's in music because I practiced hard and performed in the Community and Honor Orchestras... :)

...I didn't do that in PE...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 13, 2021, 09:07:04 AM: well the music is qhere your passion is.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 29, 2021, 12:37:49 AM: ...One of my MOST favorite movies... :)...but...

...I cry at times... :'(

..."Resurrection" with Ellen Burstyn and Sam Shepard...and a number of other great actors.

...It is about a woman who has a near death experience, and when she wakes up, she develops the ability to HEAL, by placing her hands on the affected area. I won't describe much more, but at the end of the movie, she leaves society, and runs a small gas station in the Mohave Desert. In this ending clip, she heals a young boy who is dying of cancer...but she doesn't tell the boy or the parents of her gift of healing.

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=5F3A6985353C478E77125F3A6985353C478E7712&q=resurrection+1980&shtp=GetUrl&shid=04143c88-f01c-4b21-abc6-57656726d8a1&shtk=UmVzdXJyZWN0aW9uIDE5ODAgUHQgMTEgRmluYWw%3D&shdk=RWxsZW4gQnVyc3R5biBleHBlcmllbmNlcyB0aGUgYWZ0ZXJsaWZlIGZvciBhIGJyaWVmIHRpbWUgYWZ0ZXIgYSBjYXIgYWNjaWRlbnQgdGhhdCBraWxscyBoZXIgaHVzYmFuZC4gQXMgc2hlIGJlZ2lucyBoZXIgbG9uZyBwcm9jZXNzIG9mIHBoeXNpY2FsIGhlYWxpbmcsIHNoZSBkaXNjb3ZlcnMgdGhhdCBzaGUgaGFzIHRoZSBhYmlsaXR5IHRvIGhlYWwgcGh5c2ljYWwgaW5maXJtaXRpZXMuIFdoaWxlIG1vc3QgcGVvcGxlIHNpbXBseSBhY2NlcHQgaGVyIGdpZnQsIGhlciBsb3ZlciAoU2FtIFNoZXBhcmQpIGJlY29tZXMgbWVudGFsbHkgdW5iYWxhbmNlZCBhbmQgZGFuZ2Vyb3VzIGJlY2F1c2Ugc2hlIC4uLg%3D%3D&shhk=wRIOvlC6MdS7DJgzL%2Fqd254zZ4cMfBajybO4Nu07amU%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.egJdc%252FXiMMlJDATjTHUCCw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 29, 2021, 05:20:40 AM: ...Passing as FRENCH!!!! :o

...I DID IT...in PARIS!!!! ::)

...When I was a Junior in H.S., my Parents arranged for me to go on a "Study Trip" during my summer vacation. (They probably just didn't want me to STAY AT HOME WITH THEM THE ENTIRE SUMMER... ::)...and they signed me up for a trip to France and Spain...I would almost be on the OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANET...and so it would be difficult for me to bother them... :P) I was happy, I like to travel, and experience new things. I was also very fluent in Spanish, because of my home learning, but only knew a few basic words in French.

...I went out from the Campus on my own a lot, especially in Paris. I would locate Music Shops, and take the Metro to near they were, walk a few blocks to the shop, and go through the sheet music that was being sold, and buy Ethnic cello and piano music, and walk around, and go into Art Galleries, and marvel at the paintings. Young men would try to flirt with me, but i just kept walking and ignored them. (Good thing that I didn't go there as a teenager when times were like this...I probably would have found myself thrown into a van...and ended up...who knows where? But, times were better then.)

...I really LOVE bread, as a young woman I ate a lot. I would make a 'dinner' out of a loaf of French bread, some cheese, and sometimes add salami. My roommates didn't like it when I did that...my breath was pretty foul for the rest of the evening...but...I DIDN'T CARE!!! So, in Paris...I was in 'Bread Heaven'!!! There were BAKERIES all over the place. I would buy some loaves after I did my music shopping, bring them back to my room in the dorm, and eat them in a day, or two.

...I also studied French Fashion, at that time the clothing looked very cute on a young woman. The 'student chaperones' helped me, and I bought some clothing, and they advised me on my makeup and my hair...and I FELT that I looked French. So, I put on my French clothing when I shopped, and spoke Spanish. I even went so far as to buy a French/Spanish translation book, and would study a word or phrase when I needed to speak to a shopkeeper. ::)

...One afternoon, I was fully dressed dressed as 'French'...(wearing the cute Beret I had just bought...I liked it)...and was holding two loaves of bread in my left arm...my right hand was clutching a bag that had sheet music had bought. I saw an obvious middle aged American woman ahead of me...she was stopped...and was leafing through one of those 'translation books'. I just kept walking, and when I got to where she was, she waved at me to stop, and asked...

..."Oo eh el metro..."

...That was one of the French phrases that I was very familiar with,,,it means..."Where is the Metro?" I had used it a lot. :P

...I was tempted to reply, in English, "Go down two blocks, take a left, and it will be ahead of you...(Which was true...that is how I got to this area...) But I jabbered very fast, in Spanish...I just threw one word after another...a Spaniard would have been rolling on the ground...laughing...but I did point in the proper direction. I then just walked away...I wanted to eat some bread.

...So, I guess that I have to share some blame for why Americans think that the French are SO RUDE!!! :-[
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 29, 2021, 08:44:34 AM: sounds like quite the experience. I am sure you loved it.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 31, 2021, 01:32:45 AM: ...At Conservatory, we Music Majors were expected to perform at 'Solo Class' twice each semester. If not performing, we were expected to be in the audience. They actually would register us when we arrived, and not attending the class could have consequences. The Dean explained that the purpose of the Class was to expose us to music that we probably had never heard, and that we would become better musicians. ::) It was also intended to get us to perform music on a stage, with an audience, so we could decide if we really wanted to perform music.

...I usually played my cello, or piano, and would perform 6 or 7 times each semester, often at the request of the Dean. He would tell me that not enough students had signed up to perform, and ask me if I had anything ready. I would always say 'Yes', and go into a practice room...and play my cello...or the piano...and come up with something that I could perform the next Thursday. ::)

...Once, though, I said 'Yes'...but I was between works...and there was NO WAY that I could get the music up to 'performance level'. I sat, dejected, in the closet sized practice room...and then...I heard...

...A Soprano SINGING!!!! ;D

...My mind was in FULL BLOWN LUNATIC mode at that time, and I walked into her practice room, and explained my problem, and just how grateful I would be if she and some other Vocal Majors helped me out. She did...and got two Men to join us. I had picked out the work...and would sing the Alto part. We rehearsed, and got it together. My singing voice wasn't up to theirs, but I could sing in tune ;D

...We walked onto the stage in solo class...the program notes said that I would be performing the Brahms on the piano...but here was a vocal quartet. The other three singers were much taller than me, and the stage hands had set out a box for me to stand on, so my head was at the same level as theirs. :P We sang this Madrigal, playing it as seriously as we could. I did hear laughter when we got to the 'Oy Veh' chorus...but we kept serious looks on our faces

...We finished...I was helped off of the box...and we bowed...and left.

...The Dean did tell me that he would accept the performance as one of my required...even though I wasn't a vocal major.

...Here is what we performed, but we were just a quartet... ;)

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=6B930140355AF1B2D89A6B930140355AF1B2D89A&q=the+queen+to+me+a+royal+pain+doeth+give&shtp=GetUrl&shid=3602e11a-74ba-4c64-bfa7-fb1877564657&shtk=IlRoZSBRdWVlbiB0byBNZSI%3D&shdk=VGhlIEdyYW5kIENhbm9uaWNhbCBFbnNlbWJsZSBzaW5naW5nICJUaGUgUXVlZW4gdG8gTWUgYSBSb3lhbCBQYWluIERvdGggR2l2ZSIgYnkgUC5ELlEuIEJhY2gu&shhk=TJBYcenYTrlMNoMqDufyNt0eT6l5%2BD9z7NZGeN%2Fn3EY%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.hKHtOvoa%252BAFS%252FX%252B6sH%252BvWw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 31, 2021, 08:44:06 AM: sounds like quite the positive experience smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 01, 2021, 03:05:36 AM: ...Izee' and Marcus traveled all over Gor, together...so...they had to earn coin somehow. They weren't very good at fishing...Izee' could hunt, and would bring back a tarsk she had killed, so, at least Marcus, she, and her children didn't starve. But, Izee' wanted more COIN!!! >:(...She saw that there was coin to be had in 'entertainment', and so she started writing an epic tale, and made a play out of it.

...It earned coin...but...Izee' wondered why the audience kept laughing...

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=420D0952213645DDEF92420D0952213645DDEF92&q=pdq+bach+1712&shtp=GetUrl&shid=c09d678f-6bb4-454a-bcf8-41ec735fd1cf&shtk=UC5ELlEuIEJhY2ggIlRoZSBBYmR1Y3Rpb24gb2YgRmlnYXJvIiAtIEFjdCBJLCBTY2VuZSBJ&shdk=T3BlbmluZyBzY2VuZSBmcm9tIHRoZSBHcmFuZCBPcGVyYSwgVGhlIEFiZHVjdGlvbiBvZiBGaWdhcm8uIENvbXBvc2VkIGJ5IFAuRC5RLiBCYWNoICgxODA3LTE3NDIpPyBCdXkgdGhpcyB3b25kZXJmdWwgb3BlcmEgYXQgaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc2NoaWNrZWxlLmNvbS9zaG9wcGUvZmlnYXJvZHZkLmh0bS4%3D&shhk=SL59waO6jRppIOfW%2BjTA%2BAo2Fado3OCaQClbBMdml3A%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.I7kR8KJQsZwBztmswwZEzQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 01, 2021, 09:18:00 AM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 03, 2021, 12:09:19 AM: ...This symphony ALWAYS hits me HARD!!! Music just doesn't hit my ears, it resonates through my whole body, especially if I am playing my cello. Holding the cello between my legs, and against my breasts, is very intimate. Playing the piano was different...I would get into the music, and bend low over the keyboard, but wouldn't have the same physical sensations. ::) Time runs different when I listen to music...I will listen to selections...and be AMAZED when I look at the clock...HOURS HAD PASSED!!!

...https://youtu.be/eW-7S9fjyfU

...My mind also goes into strange places. ;D In my Frosh year, I was sitting 1st chair in the cello section. The work called for a duet between me and the tuba player. We rehearsed together, and got to talk and learn about each other. For some reason, we were talking about carrots. My mind went into the stage that I always tried to keep it out of...but...

...I FAILED!!! :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

...The tubist would leave his instrument on a stand before a rehearsal. When he returned this time, there was a 5' long fabric 'carrot' stuffed into the bell of his instrument. (I had done some sewing over the weekend) He left it in, until the Conductor stopped us, and asked the tubist..."Who did that?" He just shrugged his shoulders...but...

...EVERY MEMBER OF THE ORCHESTRA WAS POINTING AT ME!!!!!

...I just handed my cello to my standmate, and walked back and pulled the carrot out of his tuba. I walked back to my chair, and set the carrot at my feet, and took back my cello.

..someone took the carrot as I was packing up my cello. It appeared at various times and places during the semester. Some people were very creative. I would just look at it, when I came across it, and continue my studies,

...It was left on my chair, at the end of the semester...and I took it home...it had had a lot of fun... :D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 03, 2021, 08:52:36 AM: lol on the carrot smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 03, 2021, 10:13:33 PM: ...In College, I once had custody of a garbage can full OF BOOZE!!!! :o I was the Student Social Director, and was producing a Rock Concert. I met with one of the Police Chiefs, to plan security, since the Event would be open to the Public. I had a map of the area. and had placed red crosses where I thought an Officer should be stationed. The Chief made some changes, and I agreed. I signed the retainer check, and handed it to him.

...The Chief showed up as the Band was setting up, and he led me through the area, and introduced me to his Officers. He told them, "She is in charge...don't let her fuck up." I just smiled... ::) He then left.

...All of the audience had to get through the police to get in. The police were confiscating any alcohol, since this was on a College Campus. They would just place the bottles into a garbage can...it got VERY FULL!!!! I was walking around most of the time, tending to problems, but a few times the police asked me to watch over the booze. I didn't drink at that time in my life, I was focused on my studies, and even one drink hurt my ability to play the cello, or the piano.

...I was standing by the barrel of booze when the Bands Manager came by. He was a very scary guy...a 'no-neck' Hispanic male, with a lot of tattoos. I handed him the final check for the concert, he smiled at me, and looked into the barrel. He asked..."What is that?" I told him that it was booze that we had confiscated. He grinned at me, rummaged through the bottles, pulled out a couple of 5ths, and left.

...The Chief arrived at the end of the Concert, and asked me how it had gone. I told him that there were no problems, and that his Officers had kept everyone calm. I than asked about the barrel of booze..."What are you going to do with this?" He grinned and said, "We will DESTROY it." :P

,,,My roommates weren't happy with me, when I told them about it. They said, "You should have CALLED us!!! We could have snuck it away...and partied EVERY Saturday night!!!!"

...I am sure that the Chief and his Officers DESTROYED the safe bottles of booze. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 04, 2021, 08:43:54 AM: lol I am sure it was put to good use by the officers
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 07, 2021, 12:48:12 AM: ...Brushes down skirt...

,,,A man sang this to me,,,

...https://youtu.be/aEnW8b88izE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 12, 2021, 12:11:17 AM: ...Rags is distracting the Turians...as we women pillage the shops... ::)

...https://youtu.be/CglhQzAIOvE

...DEFINITELY one of the best performances I have seen!!! ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 12, 2021, 12:41:56 PM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 14, 2021, 01:22:07 PM: ...Thorarin knows that the Turians are going to invade Scagnar, and speaks to the Council. :)

...https://youtu.be/skrdyoabmgA

...Only a few Turian ships reach Scagnar...and those that did...

...REGRETTED IT!!!! ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 16, 2021, 01:06:37 PM: ...Battle at Guadacanal...God bless the Marines...

Japanese - "we outnumber you 3 to 1."
American - "let's recount tomorrow"

There was a HUGE fight during a moonless night...and the Marines won. The Japanese had to withdraw, with heavy losses, which disrupted their plans to invade other areas and countries.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 16, 2021, 07:13:37 PM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 17, 2021, 10:34:04 PM: ...OK...a CONFESSION!!!! ::) My BF and I once snuck booze into an outdoor rock concert. ??? I had had experience in producing rock concerts, and had seen all attempts to get booze in. We didn't want to get snockered, we just wanted to get relaxed and serene.

I think we planned it well... ;D

I was wearing a long dress, and the two small flasks were hidden. (Not saying where...but they were NOT inside of me!!! ::)) He had a trench coat, and was holding a large bottle of beer underneath. They made him open his coat, and took the beer, as I scolded him...saying..."I TOLD you NOT to try to sneak THAT in!!!" >:( I continued to make a mild scene, and...they just let us in. We found a nice place to set out our blanket, and took sips from the flasks during the concert. We didn't get intoxicated...we just got relaxed. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 17, 2021, 10:52:45 PM: lol sneaky
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 19, 2021, 05:42:20 PM: ...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...*Runs around, waving my hands in the air*

...I am DOOMED AGAIN!!! :o The IRS is AFTER ME!!!! :P

...I got a formal letter, saying that there were problems with my 2020 Tax Return...and they were assessing ME... :-[

...$6.39... :o

...If I were in my younger days, and in good health...I would file an appeal...and bring out my experience and knowledge of Tax Law...and my Trial Attorney skills...and have some fun. After 6 months, I would probably lose, and write a check for $10.74...as I was explaining to the Tax Court Judge that I really shouldn't be doing some time in the Federal Prison. :P

...I will just write out a check for $6.39, and send it in...but feel comforted. The U.S. Govt is certainly watching over it's finances. (Although, think of the expense to the Gov't to check my return, find a problem, send out the assessment, and process it when they get my check. But, Biden will crow when He hears that I gave in. ::) )
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 20, 2021, 08:58:38 AM: at least it is only $6 smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 21, 2021, 05:35:27 PM: ...S.F. Cable Cars... :)

...They are a lot of fun to ride. I always stood on the side, holding onto a rail...but I was very healthy, and had good balance. The part I hated, was standing in a VERY long line at Market Street, and waiting for 20-30 minutes to get on a car. But, a middle aged Black Man showed me how to get on a car very quickly.

...I had arrived at the end of the line, and groaned with frustration...it would be a LONG WAIT!!! :P

...A Black Man came up to me, and said, "I can show you how to get on the car more quickly." I looked him over, he was clean, and dressed fairly well, and so I said..."OK". (I would have carefully looked over any man of ANY race who made such an offer to me, I was a fairly attractive young woman back then, and was alone) He led me up the road that the cable car was running, and spoke of minor matters, and I relaxed. We stopped after walking three blocks, and he said, "The car stops here, and you can get right on." There were a few people standing nearby, and there was a sign that had a picture of a cable car on it.

...The cable car did stop, and there was room to get on. I handed my 'Guide' $2.00 as a voluntary "Guiding Fee", thanked him, and got on the car, and rode it to the end. ;D So, whenever I needed to ride a cable car, I would walk to the 1st stop, and climb on right away. ;D

...So, if any of you are going to visit S.F. that is a tip. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 21, 2021, 08:27:09 PM: cool tip though never been on a cable car
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 22, 2021, 12:25:47 AM: ...Another nice song... :)

...I would probably be laying back in my chair after he finished singing...

...And have to be carried out... :)

...https://youtu.be/ZKKJh2eueJY
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 22, 2021, 08:35:53 AM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 22, 2021, 02:55:45 PM: ...Ordering off of the menu... ;)

...I was in S.F., taking depositions...they went on all week. :P

...The last day, I staggered back to my Hotel, exhausted and frustrated. The case had gotten more complex, and perplexing. I wrote up notes, and then laid on my bed, letting my mind process what I had heard...and getting more frustrated. I had thought that I had the other side in a corner...but I would have to do more work. :o I just laid on the bed for a while, and then got up, cleaned myself up and put on my 'night evening' makeup, and went to the dining room.

...I was escorted to a small table, and handed a menu. I looked at the items...but my mind was too unfocused...I was thinking about the damn case!!!! A waiter came over a couple times, and I just said that I hadn't decided. I then made up my mind, and told the waiter...

..."You decide, I have no food allergies, and I like seafood."

...I was then served one of the BEST MEALS I have ever had!!! ;D

...He brought me a nice assortment of dishes, one after the other...there was just one item on each one...I think that the Chef was having fun...the food was VERY good. I gobbled it down, and sipped the wine that he brought me.

...I handed over my personal credit card for the meal...and handed the waiter a nice sum of cash. I told the waiter, "Share this with the Chef, please." He pulled back my chair, and I smiled at him as I walked back to my room.

...I suspect that the waiter and the Chef enjoyed that evening. I did look cute back then, and I was eating whatever was set in front of me...and none of it was on the menu. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 22, 2021, 05:09:25 PM: happy the evening turned out well smiles and as a witness and a plaintiff, I am an opposing attorny's wort nightmare. had one going in circles for hours and getting nowhere to the point that they called the deposition over on account of lateness of day and I never broke my answer lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 24, 2021, 10:44:43 PM: ...Izee' composed an Opera...and she and Johanna sang the leads... :)

...They both did some 'cage time' after the performance... :P

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=A9125571CA5BB5DEFED7A9125571CA5BB5DEFED7&q=P.D.Q.+Bach+The+Stoned+Guest&shtp=GetUrl&shid=791a962a-e1a0-4461-9e3b-60a273643ba5&shtk=UC5ELlEuIEJhY2ggKFBldGVyIFNjaGlja2VsZSkgLSAiVGhlIFN0b25lZCBHdWVzdCIgLSBOby4gMS4%3D&shdk=SSByZWFsbHkgd2FudGVkIHRvIHVwbG9hZCB0aGlzIHBpZWNlIGZvciBxdWl0ZSBzb21lIHRpbWUgbm93LCBpdCdzIGp1c3QgdG9vIGdvb2QgdG8gbWlzcy4gU2NoaWNrZWxlIGlzIGFuIGV4Y2VwdGlvbmFsbHkgdGFsZW50ZWQgY29tZWRpYW4gYW5kIGEgcXVpdGUgZ29vZCBjb21wb3NlciB3aG9zZSBlbmpveWFibGUgcGllY2VzIG1ha2Ugb25lIHJlYXBwcmVjaWF0ZSB0aGUgYmVhdXR5IG9mIGNsYXNzaWNhbCBtdXNpYy4gT25lIG9mIGhpcyBmaXJzdCBwYXJvZGllcyBvZiBjbGFzc2ljYWwgb3BlcmEgd2FzIHRoZSBwcmVzZW50IHBpZWNlLCAiVGhlIFN0b25lZCBHdWVzdCIuIEluIHNwaXRlIG9mIGl0cyAuLi4%3D&shhk=jomjDWSM0u8wGP%2BWF3gc6YQFTiUjET9kHSe3U44r9Ao%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.FKL2WKV4tOuEf8ojJKZpIw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 24, 2021, 11:23:59 PM: the stoned guest
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 25, 2021, 08:59:30 AM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 26, 2021, 12:33:37 AM: ...I played in the pit orchestra for the semiprofessional performance in this musical. I was a bit disruptive...I would go to the bar during the halftime...(I was still in H.S.)...I would tell them that I was in the Orchestra...and they would give me a large jar of orange juice. and some cups. I would get back into the pit, and hand out the cups, and the jar. We would drink it all down, and would have more energy for the second half. I wasn't charged for the juice, or the cups. I guess that my 'Natural Charm' worked...I was pretty cute back then, and knew how to use my talents. ;D

...My private teacher was sitting 1st chair in the pit...I was sitting next to her...and she would laugh when I entered the pit...holding the large jar of orange juice...and cups...and I would pour one for her. I would pour one for myself, and hand the jar to the violin section. ;D

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=009FDAEB681C0489D7BA009FDAEB681C0489D7BA&q=you%27ll+never+walk+alone+carousel&shtp=GetUrl&shid=9a366e02-ac89-4b54-b0a7-873de5c7f643&shtk=KEhEIDcyMHApIFImSCAiQ2Fyb3VzZWwiLCBZb3UnbGwgTmV2ZXIgV2FsayBBbG9uZSAoRXh0ZW5kZWQgVmVyc2lvbik%3D&shdk=VG8gd2F0Y2ggQmlsbGllL0p1bGllIER1ZXQgLSBJZiBJIExvdmVkIFlvdSBodHRwOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP3Y9RGRvMWdVUEU3VzggVG8gd2F0Y2ggQmlsbGllJ3MgU29saWxvcXV5IGh0dHA6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g%2Fdj11cTBVQWR2R2RJSSBNeSBlYXJsaWVyIENhcm91c2VsICJZb3UnbGwgTmV2ZXIgV2FsayBBbG9uZSIgdmlkZW8gaGFzIGJlZW4gYmxvY2tlZCBpbiBteSBob21lIGNvdW50cnkgKFVTQSkgYnkgSU5HUk9PVkVTIHdobyBob2xkcyB0aGUgY29weXJpZ2h0IHRvIENsYXJhbWFlIFR1cm5lcidzIHNvbG8gb2YgWW91J2xsIE5ldmVyIFdhbGsgQWxvbmUuIEkgLi4u&shhk=Nm3gKMN8oyLaHXriCWL7B%2FYFB8TOYle6gszEsWC%2B%2BGo%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.Y1fOf4s8WkI7q0JXATKT8Q
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 26, 2021, 08:51:41 AM: that added bit of sugar helps get one through to be sure
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 26, 2021, 03:29:45 PM: ...When I pretended to have Lesbian tendicies... :o

...I was playing in the pit orchestra for Kismet, and at the beginning of the second act, a VERY lovely 'Belly Dancer' did a slow, sensual dance across the stage, while the curtain was still down. I was still in High School, and my private cello teacher was sitting beside me. I memorized the part we were playing...and I just watched the dancer...my mouth open. My teacher would tap me on my shoulder with her bow, or just tap the music...and growl. She later told me...

..."I am a bit worried about you..."

...I just giggled...

...She was relieved when I invited her to my wedding...the groom was handsome

...Everyone, please don't see this post as looking down on gay people, I was the Student Social Director in college, and I produced the first Gay Dance, and gave funds to the Lesbian Clubs. I had gay and lesbian friends, and loved them.

...And, I MARRIED a MALE...and birthed two kids. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 26, 2021, 03:51:40 PM: lol on the fake out of the teacher
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 27, 2021, 11:58:29 PM: ...Izee' and her friends celebrate a birthday... :)

...https://youtu.be/SVVEZrbLal8
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 28, 2021, 08:57:03 AM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 01, 2021, 08:15:06 PM: ...The words to the Merry Widow Waltz... :)

...I fell in love with the melody in grammar school. I sounded it out on the violin, and later on the cello. When I needed to comfort myself at Conservatory, I would play it on my cello, in the little practice room. I would cry, but feel better.

Love unspoken, faith unbroken,
All life through.
Strings are playing, hear them saying,
"Love me true".
Now the echo answers,
"Say you want me too".
All the world's in love with love
And I love you.

Young lovers all awake,
Night brings you waltz time
And the moonlight sings in waltz time.
All the lanterns are swinging and burning low,
Where are the fond couples clinging
As round they go?

Young lovers all take heart,
Bright, siren beauty
Play your part now, do your duty,
Let your heart sing this refrain!
For it's waltz time once again.

Come away, come away to the ball,
Where the dreams that you dream will be true.
For the strings as they play seem to call,
Beckon and call to you.

Come away, come away to the waltz,
Float along on a lilting refrain.
To the land of desire where no heart can be false,
And the world shall be young again.

I hear the music play,
It carries me away.
All sorrows will have flown
When you are mine and mine alone.

I hear the music play,
It carries me away.
All sorrows will have flown
When you are mine and mine alone.

All mine alone.
All mine alone.
Mine alone.

Love unspoken, faith unbroken,
All life through.
Strings are playing, hear them saying,
"Love me true".
Now the echo answers,
"Say you want me too".
All the world's in love with love
And I love you.

When you are mine alone,
All mine alone
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 01, 2021, 10:56:12 PM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 02, 2021, 01:47:15 PM: ...Here is one performance of the 'Merry Widow'. It is very introspective, and sedate. Andre plays it very well. The same melody can also be very playful, if bowed at a faster tempo. I experimented a lot with this melody...for some reason it hit my heart. I actually did some slight changes, I would raise or lower some notes a half step, depending on what I was trying to express, and how I was feeling. When played quickly, in a major key, it was very entertaining and uplifting. I would imagine couples dancing, holding each other...and smiling...thinking of what they would be doing...later...in the bedroom. When I played it slowly, in a minor key, I imagined the couple just sitting together.

...Oh, to speak of 'keys'...in music it is the basic scale...and the distance between the notes vary. Once, when I was the Principal Cellist in the 'Phriday Phil', the brass section suddenly didn't remember how to read the 'Key Signature' in the William Tell Overture. :o

...I was astonished, we sounded like Hell, and I kept looking at the music, and then at my left hand, seeing if my fingers were on the right string. The brass corrected after about 6 measures, and the work went well. Our Conductor was very even tempered, but he was GLARING at the brass section. (He played the French Horn...so he understood brass)

...We repeated the concert for the next group of kids, and the conductor read off what we would play...when He announced the William Tell Overture, one of the brass players called out..."In what key?" The Conductor shouted back...

..."DOESN'T MATTER!!!!!"

...I almost peed my panties...I was laughing so hard. ;D

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=171D3255C9AADABE16AB171D3255C9AADABE16AB&q=merry+widow+waltz&shtp=GetUrl&shid=229a9a86-d0ac-4b4d-a198-2c001fd1e0bd&shtk=QW5kcmUgUmlldSAtIFRoZSBNZXJyeSBXaWRvdyBXYWx0eiAyMDAz&shdk=QW5kcmUgUmlldSAtIFRoZSBNZXJyeSBXaWRvdyBXYWx0eiAyMDAzICgnTGlwcGVuIHNjaHdlaWdlbicgYXVzIGRlciBPcGVyZXR0ZSAnRGllIGx1c3RpZ2UgV2l0d2UnIHZvbiBGcmFueiBMZWhDIXIgZnJvbSB0aGUgb3BlcmV0dGEgJ1RoZSBNZXJyeSBXaWRvdycgYnkgRnJhbnogTGVoQyFyKQ%3D%3D&shhk=uA%2F619%2FQHTgrasQgFlXBnE6TrIUubisv93qszZhtnuk%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.qnWU5SliEvzPMq6MeZKHPw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 02, 2021, 03:16:56 PM: lol on the william tell
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 03, 2021, 03:35:45 PM: ...https://youtu.be/dKLX5D4Aq5g
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 03, 2021, 03:39:49 PM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 04, 2021, 02:15:50 PM: ...A nice encounter, today. :)

...It is 'garbage day', and we pull the containers to the curb. We have three...one is garbage, the other is recycling, the last is garden waste. The garden waste can is large, and this day, it was FULL...I had arranged to have a lot of work done in our back yard. The two smaller cans were easy to get to the curb, but my elderly mother and I were struggling with the garden waste can. It has wheels, but it is very heavy. We got it out of the back yard, and were struggling to get it down our driveway, the driveway is sloped, and long. >:(

...We were surprised when the young mailman rushed up to us. He set the letters in his hand down, and took the can from us. He got it down the driveway, and beside the other cans. He handed us our mail, and we thanked him as he walked down the driveway. :)

...I was relieved, I figured that we would have dropped the damn can and dumped all of the contents over our driveway, and would have spent a few hours reloading the can...and probably dropped it again. :P

...So, there are many good people out there. I will contact the Post Office, and complement them on their people. And, when the Holidays come up...he will get a nice tip. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 04, 2021, 03:47:28 PM: quite helpful smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 04, 2021, 08:48:21 PM: ...Dogs understand languages... :D

...My Grandparents, on my Mothers side, only spoke Spanish. My Mother speaks English, but at times spoke Spanish to me. So, I learned basic Spanish, I always got an 'A' in the Spanish class in H.S. My Grandparents had a little Chihuahua. At times, I would care for her. It did get frustrating, I would try to clean up, and would yell at the dog in English...(Her name was Chiquita Banana)...and she would ignore me. :P

...I would call up my Spanish vocabulary...and then she would pay attention to me. ::)

...She especially liked it when I called out..."Quero comer?"

...I would feed her, and her tail wagged... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 05, 2021, 08:20:44 AM: dogs learn sounds and associate their meaning by responses such as treats rather than understand language per se so whatever language was used to train them they will respond to the sounds of the commands in that language. many police dogs and military dogs are trained using german to throw off someone who may try to command them other than their handler.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 05, 2021, 01:05:02 PM: ... :)...That makes sense, Nate. Especially training dogs in a different language. Last thing you want, when confronting an enemy, is to have him shout "SIT"...and your dog settles his butt on the ground. A Police Officer once told me that he had unusual words to command his dog. The dog was friendly, but the Officer told me that if he said a certain word...that I would be on the ground, feeling my left arm being bit. :P

...I was VERY POLITE as I took the Officers deposition, as the dog sat beside him. The Officer, although friendly, clearly DIDN'T LIKE LAWYERS!!!

...The dog smiled at me, and got me to pet him at the end. ;)

...I was relieved to get back to my office... :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 05, 2021, 01:40:32 PM: ...Rags...about halfway through the Gathering... ;D

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=FF38E183B11759DFD23CFF38E183B11759DFD23C&q=looks+like+I+speant+the+wrong+week&shtp=GetUrl&shid=4cea35db-c3a7-4976-a50b-df32eeb5ba90&shtk=TG9va3MgbGlrZSBJIHBpY2tlZCB0aGUgd3Jvbmcgd2VlayB0byBxdWl0Li4u&shdk=TG9va3MgbGlrZSBoZSBwaWNrZWQgdGhlIHdyb25nIHdlZWshIDop&shhk=nk4FXN8R0kTKfPaRJsWfznMIe7E676a3Cf%2FILqDZxGI%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.PbyNzQlfgOrKGWzOiYDjxw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 05, 2021, 03:38:24 PM: excellent on the dog and officer smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 07, 2021, 12:04:42 AM: ...Being a golf caddy... ::)

...When I was a child, I wanted to earn MONEY!!! I realized just what you could do with it!!!! So, being a small female...I ruled out being a babysitter or running errands...and went to the Country Club...and

...Became a Caddy!!!!

...The first year, since I was small, and not very strong, I was lucky to get out once a day. Later, as I grew, and became stronger, I would get out once a day, and at times, twice. I learned the course, and began to understand what golf was about. My submissive nature grew...I would carry my golfers clubs to the clubhouse, and wash them after the round. I would usually stay, and wash other clubs, and talk with the Caddymaster. He was happy to have me there, I was very rigorous about washing the clubs, and would wipe down the bags, and carry them to their place in the racks.

...I also got to be more helpful on the course. I recognized the yardage signs...most were just shrubs and small trees, and I could help a golfer figure out what club to use.

...I had a brief argument with my golfer, once. It was very hot, and I was tired, and just wanted to get back to the bus stop, and go home. We looked at the lay, and he said..."8 Iron." I looked around...and thought of how he had been shooting...and said, "Sir, I suggest a 6 Iron." He grimaced at me, and held out his hand, and I handed him the 8 Iron.

...His shot landed well short of the green, and rolled into a sand trap. He just walked away...and I quickly followed him...and handed him the Sand Iron. It took him two tries to get out of the trap, and he triple putted.

...He just gave me half of the basic fee for carrying his bag. Usually, I got a nice tip, since I was cute, and knew the course, and could counsel the golfer.

...I walked down to the bus stop...I had $2.75 in my pocket...and the ride cost $1.00.

...Not one of my highest earning days... :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 07, 2021, 08:50:54 AM: he should have listened to you
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 07, 2021, 06:18:04 PM: ...My elderly Mother enjoys telling me tales of when I was a child. I have no recollection of most of them, I was just a baby. ::) She told me one, this afternoon, which probably explains why I became a Lawyer. ::)

..She nursed me when I was very young, and so I had never seen a bottle. She was babysitting a boy, that was a bit older than me. She put us both in the crib, and then gave the boy a bottle of milk, since he was hungry. He laid down on his back, and began drinking. I watched him for a little while, and then crawled over, and TOOK the bottle AWAY from him, and examined it, as he cried. :P She separated us, and gave him back the bottle.

...So, I AM GUILTY of taking MILK FROM THE MOUTH OF BABIES!!!! :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 07, 2021, 07:16:32 PM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 09, 2021, 10:54:20 PM: ...The High Council of Turia meets, to discuss important matters... >:(

...https://youtu.be/c-WO73Dh7rY
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 10, 2021, 12:06:08 AM: ...One more for the evening... :)

...This was a hard work for me to perform...not technically...I could easily play all of the notes. It raised emotions in me that could get difficult. I have never been a performer who just tapped on the piano, or stroked out the notes on the cello...and then gave a charming smile...bowed...and left the stage.

...I would place my mind and body into what the work was about...and express it. If it was a gentle, or fun work, I would smile at the end...and sometimes give the audience a cute curtsy. ::) They would laugh...we females didn't curtsy back then...we just gave an elegant bow. But, at times the music was intense...and my entire body would get involved. I would sit for a few seconds at the end, and then carefully stand. I would give a careful bow, and then get off the stage.

...My mind would be IN A MESS!!! The music had taken something out of me. My friends would take me to an asian restaurant...and after eating a bowl of shrimp won ton soup...I would recover...I hadn't eaten the day before...I believed that I would play better if I had a an empty belly.

...That is why I changed Majors in College...I sensed that 'Music' would eat me alive...and so I delegated it to being a hobby. I did play in Community Orchestras, and had a very skilled string quartet. It went very well... :)...I made money, and enjoyed my hobby while I had a nice job.

...(More later)

...https://youtu.be/N0PpTPvbr-4
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 10, 2021, 12:39:13 AM: ...I was an Accountant... :P....that is why I went to Law School three nights a week... :P

...https://youtu.be/JrsB1RfksEA

...I flew planes without engines...but NO MONEY doing that... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 10, 2021, 06:50:54 PM: that is the reason for practicing so much so when your mind is being affected, your body continues playing as it is supposed to
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 10, 2021, 08:36:06 PM: ...Being a caddy... ::)

...I actually enjoyed it, I would be walking on a lovely course, and just focus on my golfer. I had a strip of cloth tied to my belt, and would wipe the clubs as we did the round. I would carefully watch where the ball went...and guide my golfer to where it was.

...The Caddymaster ALWAYS assigned ME to carry the bag for an elderly Scottish golfer, who would show up at 7:30 in the morning, and just want to play 'solo'. The Caddymaster would look down, where we caddies were gathered...and call out MY NAME!!! :P I would climb up the stairs, pick up the bag, and walk to the first tee. The golfer was a bit gruff, he was old, and didn't play golf well at all. Plus, he was cheap, he didn't pay me much, and when a ball landed in the rough, he would expect me to find it. :P

...Sometimes, I couldn't, and he would be very upset...and I would keep searching.

...So, I came up with a plan. We caddies would find balls all of the time, I had a bucket of them at home, and so I would have 3 or 4 balls in my pocket when I caddied for him. When his ball went into the rough, I would do a quick search, and come back to him, and say...

..."I couldn't find it, but I found these." I would hold out the balls to him...and he would...

...TAKE THEM ALL!!!! ::)

...We would get through the round, and...

...I would $2.75!!!!! :o

...I grumbled to the Caddymaster, once, as I was washing the the golfer's clubs. He laughed, and told me...

..."You are carrying the bag of one of the Founding Members of the Country Club."

...My submissive side came out, and I was always pleasant to the old man. I also made sure...

...THAT I HAD A FEW GOLFBALLS IN MY POCKET...when I caddied... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 10, 2021, 10:13:31 PM: always pays to be nice to the owner of the place you work at
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 13, 2021, 11:05:27 PM: ...Tristan gets loose from Izee' at an early age... :o

...https://youtu.be/xTJYNq4GQAE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 14, 2021, 06:32:17 PM: ...Eating Shrimp Heads... ;D

...I like Japanese food, and like going into a Sushi Bar. I sit, and watch as plates of food go by, and grab the ones that look good. I was very conservative, at first, but then would eat raw fish and such. I liked it, and would go in for lunch. At times, I would take my daughter in for dinner...we would GORGE...and then go watch a movie. :) The Owner would greet the two of us when we arrived, and get us settled into chairs. ::) We would run up a large tab, I would pay, and we would go watch a movie. :) He would smile as we left, and say, "Please return soon."

...One time, during lunch, a guy was sitting beside me at the bar, and ordered 'sweet shrimp'. He ate the tails...and then apologized to me as he ate the heads. I continued eating, but could see him eating the fried heads.

(More later)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 14, 2021, 10:36:06 PM: ...I thought about it, and realized that the chefs weren't preparing the heads as a decoration. So, the next time I was in SF, and ordered sweet shrimp...I ate the heads. ;) They were actually very good. They were crunchy, and had a nice taste. The Chef smiled at me, as I made my next order. He was probably not used to seeing a 'Gajin' eating the whole shrimp. ;D

...I was on a business trip...and I was one of those a__holes who was on a cellphone a lot.

...I leasurely ordered more plates of food...and ate them...while I was talking on the phone...I was just 'killing time' for the rest of the afternoon...I would be in Court the next morning, and wanted to make sure that my staff had all of my exhibits ready.

...The Chef actually brought me plates that I had not ordered. We just smiled at each other...and I ATE THEM!!!!

...I smiled, and nodded my head to the Chef when I left...I didn't try a bow. My daughter, who had lived in Japan for a year, told me not to bow to a Japanese native. She said that 'bows' were VERY selective, and needed to be used properly. She told me that a deep bow, could be seen as a mocking gesture...and a shallow bow could be seen as an insult.

...He gave me a nice bow...I was happy... :)

...So, a tip. When you order 'sweet shrimp' at a Japanese restaurant...eat the head...it tastes good. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 14, 2021, 10:40:56 PM: never tried sushi but good tip if I do
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 15, 2021, 02:03:59 PM: ...Caddying during a tournament... ::)

...I would be very careful when doing this. I believed that it would be fair, and would just sigh when my golfers ball landed in the rough, or in a sand or water trap. But once...I cheated. I liked the golfer, I had carried his clubs many times, and he played well. Usually, I would walk behind the golfer, but during this tournament, I would quickly walk to where the ball was, and look at it. If it was in a divot, or something like that, I would look around...to make sure that nobody was watching...and then use my left toe to nudge the ball into a better position. :o

...The golfer gave me a very generous tip at the end. He had probably noticed that his ball had just missed a divot, or gopher hole.

...*S* This wasn't a Professional Tournament, it was just the Country Club.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 15, 2021, 02:09:25 PM: shame shame cheating lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 15, 2021, 05:02:52 PM: ...I can't imagine this happening at a PGA Tournament... :o

...The first year I caddied at the Country Club Tournament...I was surprised when everyone backed up at the 10th tee. When our foursome teed off...I found out why. ;) There was a HUGE hedge of blackberries along the fairway. We ALL stopped, and ate some, and THEN went to the balls. ;D Fresh blackberries are SO GOOD!!!

...When I would walk back, down to the bus stop, I would look to see if there was a foursome on the tee...and if there weren't any, I would run down from the road, and eat as many berries as I could, and then run back onto the road when I saw golfers arriving at the tee. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 15, 2021, 06:55:04 PM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 17, 2021, 03:54:22 PM: ...I have a slight 'deficit disorder illness' :P

...I have been able to control it...I was a very formidable trial attorney...and a Judge Pro Tem...but I did have to focus on what what going on. But...it was difficult...when...

...I CADDIED!!!! :P

...I would greet my golfer at the first tee, and hand him his driver. I would then walk with the other caddies, about half way down the fairway, and watch...and...

...I COULDN'T RECOGNIZE MY GOLFER!!!!! :o

...I would ask the other caddies who their golfers were, they usually cooperated. But once, an older caddie said that he was confused...he was lying...I knew it... >:(

...I walked to the ball who I thought was my golfers...and the golfer waved me away...and another golfer called me over... :P I walked over to him, and took his driver, and handed him the 5 iron. ::) Not a good start to the round. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 17, 2021, 08:22:04 PM: ...When I did a 'closing argument' in a case that I was not handling... ::)

...I was ordered to appear to become a Juror...and did so. It was a civil law matter, and I just sat and watched as other people were quizzed. It was a serious civil case, and I sat with a man, and we talked when we could. We were both relieved when the Jury was selected...and then...a juror said that he could not serve. The Judge told the clerk to pull out another name, and I nudged the guy sitting next to me, and said..."Oh shit...just watch..."

...My name was called... :P

...I went through the brief questions by the Judge, and then the attorneys laid into me. :P But, being an attorney, I gave it back to them. >:( They quizzed me about the 'burden of proof'...and I got tired. I told them that the judge was holding a bucket, and if the plaintiff couldn't fill it up over halfway with evidence, then the defense would not have to do anything.

...I got dismissed... ::)

...Later, I appeared before the Judge in my case, and he laughed. He said that each attorney had brought a bucket when they did their closing argument, they demonstrated how to fill it, or make it look like it was filled.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 17, 2021, 10:20:52 PM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 18, 2021, 08:25:08 PM: ...Dancing... ;D

...My friends and I signed up for a 'Ballroom' dancing class in HS.

...I did very well, I had good balance, and my sense of music made it easy for me to hear the tune, and to step with the beat. I also could let my partner lead me, and enjoyed feeling his arm at my hip, and his hand grasping mine.

...I was bored with the 'foxtrot'...we just swayed back and worth. But then...came...the...

...WALTZE!!!! ;D ;D ;D

...I whispered to my partner, "Let's dance...or I am TAKING OVER!!!"

...He DID. He was a good dancer, and he and I covered the floor. He took control, and made me follow him. He made me spin, and do other things. I was actually challenged, but was happy.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 18, 2021, 10:43:50 PM: happy you enjoyed the experience smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 19, 2021, 10:33:32 PM: ...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=F8F14CA8B8DD987C3E19F8F14CA8B8DD987C3E19&q=gregor+piatigorsky&shtp=GetUrl&shid=bddb7fe4-d75b-4eaa-8c38-8d199a2c5796&shtk=QW4gQWZ0ZXJub29uIHdpdGggR3JlZ29yIFBpYXRpZ29yc2t5&shdk=QSBkb2N1bWVudGFyeSBmaWxtIGFib3V0IGZhbWVkIGNlbGxpc3QsIEdlZ29yIFBpYXRpZ29yc2t5IERpcmVjdGVkLCBwaG90b2dyYXBoZWQgYW5kIGVkaXRlZCBieSBTdGV2ZSBHcnVtZXR0ZQ%3D%3D&shhk=lD2xfdHJm%2B0MMqE0Isp7m3%2FYkCCf%2F0mrwqygtHzVEWk%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.8S3cSnj9PP6tWFDetu5ALg

...When I got serious about learning to play the cello in HS, I would go to the Library, and check out records, and listen to all of the professional cellists. For some reason, Gregor's music spoke to me. I would check out all records that he recorded, and I found books about him...and bought an autobiography he had written. I was REALLY excited when I read that he was giving a Master Class at UCSF. I pestered my mother to drive us there...(I was cutting school... ::)).

...The usher placed my mother in the seats, but guided me down to the front of the stage...and had me sit on the floor. He brought other young women to sit with me. We were all excited when Gregor entered, he smiled and winked at us...and gave a very insightful lesson on technique...and musicianship.

...Again, I think that Gregor enjoyed seeing cute young women sitting on the floor in front of him.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 20, 2021, 02:22:02 AM: ...Izee' wanders into a band rehearsal...she had drank some paga with dinner... :o

...She was confused, and so was the Conductor...she had her cello hanging on her shoulder, and was carrying a trumpet.

...She started to unpack her cello...but then realized that this was A BAND!!!! And took her trumpet out of the case. ::)

...https://youtu.be/pcG9vcb3VUI
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 20, 2021, 08:42:56 AM: on gregor, he probably did and on the band lol. love your stories btw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 21, 2021, 01:19:16 PM: ...Thank you, Nate...*Hugs*... :)

...When I was raising pigeons, I had a 'Modena'...he looked like this. He was a very PROUD bird.

...https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=BpDc+f6u&id=955E89B251307843C9697B29623DD088EB30C5C6&thid=OIP.BpDc-f6uoY3KKUk75_SHZgHaHp&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR0690dcf9feaea18dca29493be7f48766%3Frik%3DxsUw64jQPWIpew&riu=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F_rY7HiV-yKzo%2FS9cqZ2GdVmI%2FAAAAAAAADns%2FQV2yk8ADY_s%2Fs1600%2FGazzi%2BModena%2BPigeon%2B22.jpg&ehk=dMoNdCxoxyAyRD0FJzr0XduWfqWUAXdHBhIwife%2BRvc%3D&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&exph=500&expw=484&q=modena+pigeons&simid=608043532390382718&ck=F8459B9691D455CB944FED2A4E7A8A9E&selectedindex=0&form=EX0023&adlt=off&shtp=GetUrl&shid=4c362d29-a65c-4219-a31f-6c74bc18d8ec&shtk=R2F6emkgTW9kZW5hIFBpZ2VvbiBQaWN0dXJlcyB%2BIEVOQ1lDTE9QRURJQSBPRiBQSUdFT04gQlJFRURT&shdk=Rm91bmQgb24gQmluZyBmcm9tIHBpZ2Vvbi1raW5nZG9tLmJsb2dzcG90LmNvbQ%3D%3D&shhk=MYMtXVqZ1HapWfKtn9BlH6HrhbIkhdYIxBiEF8HENG4%3D&shth=OSH.my%252BWmFbZYvgdi9ur0VXzDA

...He was a very beautiful bird. He claimed the best perch in my coop, and would eat first, when I set out the food.

...One day, it was very hot, and my friends and I had a 'squirtgun fight'. Our parents were probably amused, seeing us running around, in bathing suits, and 'shooting' each other with water. When the 'War' was over, I went into our back yard to rest. But, being a kid, I walked over to the coop, and began 'shooting' my pigeons. They were out in the sun area, and they all went into the coop...except...

...RED WING!!!!

...He let me shoot him for a while, and then squatted down and raised his right wing...I guess he was saying..."Clean out my pits". I just shot him in his pit for a while, and then he turned around and raised his other wing...and I emptied my 'gun' on him. He then shook off, and went into the coop,

..In the weeks that followed, at times I would bring my squirt gun out, (It was a small one, and you had to pull the trigger to fire a shot), and Red Wing would usually let me shoot him.

...Pigeons like to bathe. At times, when it was hot, I would let them all loose, and get a small sprinkler going on the lawn. I would look out the window, and see them taking a shower. They would then go to a place to dry off, and then go back into the coop.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 21, 2021, 08:14:40 PM: ...I also had a couple of these..."Pouter Pigeons'

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=GhaclPCX&id=6530D46319314E5444DD4B2C0E81C078C7D9A865&thid=OIP.GhaclPCXUIZrkiLHb1-NbAHaG8&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR1a169c94f09750866b9222c76f5f8d6c%3Frik%3DZajZx3jAgQ4sSw&riu=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F_rY7HiV-yKzo%2FS-q2rMwvoiI%2FAAAAAAAAEjc%2Fq9HBqG9NJpI%2Fw1200-h630-p-k-no-nu%2FGaditano%2BPouter%2BPigeon%2B16.JPG&ehk=3PhyfQxY0ZHFQ3dpsEdVLY35fyqrIKJQawkVE7q9kQ8%3D&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&exph=500&expw=533&q=Pouter+Pigeon&simid=607989149525570526&ck=922E20C868AF7DC6A1047F2EF9185995&selectedindex=0&form=EX0023&adlt=off&shtp=GetUrl&shid=b7c64440-f6f6-4ebb-bfe6-6e4e78d26dff&shtk=R2FkaXRhbm8gUG91dGVyIFBpZ2VvbiBQaWN0dXJlcyB%2BIEVOQ1lDTE9QRURJQSBPRiBQSUdFT04gQlJFRURT&shdk=Rm91bmQgb24gQmluZyBmcm9tIHBpZ2Vvbi1raW5nZG9tLmJsb2dzcG90LmNvbQ%3D%3D&shhk=pQu4cSenC9qyTxhaiP3yy0mc41ff17Ht5U6SIcp%2BeVw%3D&shth=OSH.hayRgDdeN0kK9TC%252Fd4nHqw

...They looked normal, usually, but then the cocks would puff out their chests. They would do it around the hens...but then...

...They did it AROUND ME!!!!

...I guess that I look attractive to a pigeon...but I suspect that the real reason was...

...I FED THEM!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 21, 2021, 09:45:40 PM: probably was that you were the care taker nods smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 21, 2021, 11:03:28 PM: ...Rags had words with Izee', after the High Choir performed this... :P Izee' was the Conductor

...Izee' just took it...but grinded her teeth...she would have words...with...

...TIVERI!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...Tiveri had slipped in her own composition without Izee' knowing it.

...https://youtu.be/LlsP6zZgjT8
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 22, 2021, 02:19:55 AM: ...A Military Funeral...

...One of my favorite Uncles, Joe, had me prepare his Will. He was getting very ill, and had no children, and his wife had died, He had been a very decorated Officer in WW2, and had arranged to be cremated, and then entoumbed in a military cemetary . When he passed, I took a leave of abscence from my job, and helped my Mother...he had been living with her. (My Father had passed from brain cancer.) We got his wishes in place, and then the two of us flew to the cementary. I had the cremains in my handbag, and kept them close.

...I drove us to the cemetary, and looked at the schedule. I saw which grave he would be deposited, and drove there. I carefully brought the urn to the place, and we sat. After a while, a Military vehicle drove up, and 8 soldiers got out. The Officer walked up to me, and scolded me. He said, "You were supposed to stay there, and we would guide you to here."

...I just said..."I didn't understand".

...He made me carry the urn back to a place, and then his group took over, and the urn was placed in the wall...and they fired a salute.

...I am pretty sure that Uncle Joe was laughing...or...when my time comes to pass...

...HE WILL YELL AT ME!!!!

...But, the Officer handed me the Flag that they had draped, and made a nice speech as he did so.

...The flag is folded, and in a small display case in our house.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 22, 2021, 09:12:58 AM: .ilitwry funerals are done by a protocol as is everything in the military surprised no one has come up with a military manual on the proper protocol for using the latrine yet but am sure it is just a matter of time.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 23, 2021, 03:00:52 PM: ...Being Family... :)

...I was blessed to have a nice family, growing up. There were a couple of cousins, on my Mothers side, that I didn't like...they smoked and acted up, and dropped out of H.S. But, we were tight. We celebrated Holidays together, and my cousins were always hoping that my Father would make a meatloaf. At his memorial service, when I invited the guests to speak, one of my cousins said..."He made very good meatloaf." Once, my Mother and I were nagging my Father to make a meatloaf, and he refused, saying..."Bill and his mob will show up." But, he got tired of us nagging him...and made one...and...

...Bill and the mob showed up. (I suspect that my Mother called Bill... ::))

...I handled the Estate of my Uncle Joe, I had prepared his will, and I was the Executor. When he was still alive, but very ill, I spoke to my brother, and my two cousins on my Fathers side. I explained what was going on, and since their Father and mine had passed, that we would get the inheritance. They asked about my Mother, and I explained that she wasn't in the will. They wanted her to get something, and so I wrote out a check for $100,000 from Joe's account, and deposited it into her account. When Uncle Joe passed, I divided his Estate into four equal shares, and sent out the checks.

...My Mother was surprised, but happy when she got her bank statement.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 23, 2021, 05:43:46 PM: happy they wanted her included smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 25, 2021, 09:22:31 PM: ...Not sure if I will ever r/p again. :'(

...I worked very hard at a site, and did well, I think. I attracted other players, and planned and oversaw events. I loved the site, and enjoyed the r/p. I did everything I could think of to help it grow...and it did. :) I was awarded a very high honor...but it meant NOTHING to a man. I was stripped of the honor, for no real reason, and I just left.

... I cried...r/t

...I suppose that I could have remained, and did my usual tasks and such...but I had worked hard for years...that was how I earned the Award.

...So, I guess that we just have to see r/p as a game
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 25, 2021, 10:37:22 PM: one cannot let others ruin your fun in rp or rt. it is on the person to make the rp what they want it to be.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 25, 2021, 11:16:39 PM: ...Problem is, other typists affect your r/p. I served very well in the Home, I believe, and was respected and awarded honors. I worked hard, and would travel to approved sites, and invite the typists to visit us. I planned and supervised Festivals, and fun events.

...But...I guess that I wasn't doing enough...and was disgraced...

...There was no reason for me to log on. anymore...

...I cried...r/t
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 26, 2021, 08:54:03 AM: I can understand being upset and have had incidents in rp that upset me rt as well. At those times one can run or double down and keep going to show them they were wrong.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Kemma on March 28, 2021, 11:02:00 AM: Izee,

It is also perfectly acceptable to calmly walk away, when it’s best for you to do so. It took me a long time to make that choice for myself and it felt good when I did.

Life is short. Find more moments of happiness, wherever you can.

Kemma
VL/WM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 28, 2021, 02:03:19 PM: true Kemma but one cannot let others make that decision for you, unless of course you are asked to leave by the room owner etc.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on March 28, 2021, 02:07:59 PM: Izee... get it straight. You were not stripped of the honor. You tossed it back in the face of those who awarded it to you. Too many know the truth of what happened for you to keep spouting your version of it. Shut up, accept what was of your own doing, and come to grips with it.

Everything we do has consequences. Everything we do has its rewards. Know which one your actions will bring before you do something you may regret.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Kemma on March 28, 2021, 04:10:13 PM: Nate,

It’s as simple as this: You gave Izee two choices. I gave her another one. That’s all, nothing else.

Kemma
VL/WM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 30, 2021, 11:04:54 AM: ...I wish to thank everyone who commented on my last post, you all pointed out issues that I needed to really think about. I do intend to stay at Tuchuk, and will do my best to add to the r/p, and not offend anyone. I will also try to add some amusing posts, when appropriate. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 30, 2021, 01:31:11 PM: happy to hear of your decision smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 02, 2021, 02:31:18 PM: ...Marnie Nixon... :) :) :)

...https://youtu.be/8gHWroo5F84

...She was the woman who actually sang the music for many famous actresses. The actresses would lip sync, or Marnies voice would be dubbed into the movie as it was being edited. She didn't receive a credit in the movie, because the producers wanted the audience to believe that Natalie Wood, and others, could sing.

...I met her several times, she is the sister of the woman that I studied cello with in High School. :) There is a picture of my cello teacher in this clip... :) There is a picture of the family...and A____ is about 6 years old...but she is holding her cello very properly. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 02, 2021, 03:19:10 PM: very cool smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 03, 2021, 04:03:23 PM: ...This AWESOME!!!! They are building a LARGE Drakka!! ;D

...https://youtu.be/eQ3u0jjWCkc

...Izee's first Companion was Marcus Hrolfson, a Shipwright at Scagnar. Izee' maintained the financial records of the Shipyard, and would arrange to have food and drink delivered...but...

...She always had something else to do when they could use another hand to pound stakes, or sand. ::)

...The precision shown in building this thing is AMAZING. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 03, 2021, 05:44:38 PM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 07, 2021, 01:25:32 AM: ...Tavi and Gunnar get loose from Izee', in Turia, and find an instrument they had never seen before. ??? But, being Tuchuk, they figure out how to play it. ::) (At least Tavi does...Gunnar just pounds on it... :P)

...https://youtu.be/3yUx6Dn8yi0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 07, 2021, 08:54:08 AM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 09, 2021, 11:06:33 PM: ...Aslaug wanted to perform music at Turia. She hoped that a cultured Tuchuk would appreciate her skill and Musicianship, and she would get claimed by a Tuchuk Warrior of High Rank. ;D Aslaug got all dressed up, and went to the stage. Problem was, S'lene, her Accompanist, was having 'fun' with her Companion, Bartu. Aslaug then played both instruments, sometimes at the same time. She thought that she was getting by, but wondered why the audience was laughing at times. :-\

...https://youtu.be/YnsyxQ3I8JU

...Aslaug complained to her mother, Izee', about not feeling appreciated. Izee' comforted her, and said..."Here is a bit of wisdom, daughter, it is...There are NO cultured Tuchuk." ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 10, 2021, 07:51:06 AM: ...Some good, personal news! :) :) :)

...For the past two years, I have been suffering from a chronic illness that leaves me tired, weak, and irritable. Izee' has expressed my r/t feelings at times, although I try to keep my r/t out of the r/p. My Doctor ordered a CT scan of my torso, to examine my internal organs, and...I received an email from her stating that it was essentially normal. :)

...I think that my problem is psychological, a lot happened during the past two years. I am getting help, a Psych sees me every month, and I am on meds. Problem with the meds, is that they make me tired and irritable. I am also going to group meetings, almost every day, which is helping.

...I will try to get back into Gor r/p...but if I am feeling too tired, or irritable...I will stay off, or leave the r/p. I really don't want to be disruptive, I still feel guilt over the way I left Scagnar...there were many there who liked Izee'...but my r/t challenges were at an all-time high, and I just couldn't control my reaction. I probably should have just logged off, and returned in a few days, when my r/t had calmed down.

...I am very grateful to Rags, he has always supported me, and forgiven me when I got out of line, and helped me with my r/t issues.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 10, 2021, 09:17:35 AM: happy the psych and therapy is helping you. smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 12, 2021, 12:21:57 AM: ...During a stay in Turia, Rags had an idea of how to 'acquire' some coin... :)...but he needed to have the Turians distracted. His first thought was to have the kajirae dance, that would distract the Turians, but then, he and the Warriors would have to protect them, and would not have the time to arrange the 'loan'. He briefly thought of having the FW dance, :o but when the Turians began laughing, the FW would pull out their quivas, >:( and the Tuchuk Warriors would have to forget about the 'loan'...and haul the FW away. :P

...Marcus and Izee' were traveling with the Tuchuk, and the two of them came up with an idea. They presented it to Rags, and he grinned and rubbed his hands together and flexed his fingers. "Good idea, Marcus and I will perform, and Jonas will 'take out the loan.'"

...They set up the 'Concert'...and proceeded to perform. ;D Jonas arranged for the 'loan', and baskets of gold and silver coin were quickly taken to the wagons. The Turians were watching the two and didn't notice the 'loan' until days after the Tuchuk left.

...(Here is the performance, not saying who is who... ::))

...https://youtu.be/acO_0Ly74G0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 12, 2021, 08:52:52 AM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 12, 2021, 09:26:40 PM: ...The 'Talking Stick'... ::)

...I was very active in Girl Scouts when I was in H.S. :) I was invited to join a GS County Honor Club, and was TRILLED!!!! ;D only one other girl from our Troop had ever been invited. All of the 'Invitees' had to come to a large public park on a Friday night, and the Initiation would be over Sunday at noon. There were eleven of us, and the Active GS explained the rules. We would spend the days working on cleaning the Park. We were divided into three teams, and two Actives commanded each team. We were told that we would do whatever an Active ordered us to do, and we could expect to sweat a lot and get dirty. We were fed very little, and chewed on crackers and peanut butter as we watched the actives eating chicken, eggs, ribs, and other nice food. The worst part was...

...WE COULD NOT SPEAK!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o

...They did have the 'Talking Stick' if we really needed to speak on something. They told us not to gesture for it, unless we needed to speak of a serious matter. The Talking Stick was a branch from a tree, that was about the size of a baton, and it had ribbons tied all over it.

...On Friday night, we were each given a piece of soft wood, about 12" long, and 4" wide. We were told to carve it into the shape of an arrow. Needless to say...the skill level in carving was quite different between us. The Actives approved the arrows, and we were told that we had to keep them with us at all times. They also explained that the arrows were to be used to record the times when we messed up. So, for instance, if an Active caught me talking, or not doing what I was told to do, or just slacking...she would carve a deep notch into the arrow. They also said that if a Candidate got seven notches, then the Actives and the Adult Leaders would decide if the girl should be allowed in the Club. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 12, 2021, 09:53:05 PM: ...I did fairly well, I had two notches in my arrow on Sunday morning, and I felt that I could keep my big mouth shut until noon, I had gotten caught talking. I am capable of staying silent...but it has to be in a proper setting. :) I rolled up my sleeping bag, and then walked to the latrine. I was walking back to our camp, and passed by a table...and...

...THERE WAS THE TALKING STICK!!!!!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o

...I looked around, and did not see any Actives...so I thought, "Just DO IT!!!" I picked up the Talking Stick, and continued to our camp. As I got closer, I started singing, and greeting the Actives...I was holding the Talking Stick behind my back. They stared at me as if I had gone mad, and one shouted..."YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE TALKING". I kept singing, and when I got close, I said, as I pulled the stick out from behind my back..."Sure I can...

..."I GOT THE TALKING STICK"

...It got snatched away from me, and I got TWO notches carved into my arrow.

...I did finish the Initiation, and one of Adult Leaders said that that was one of the funniest things he had ever seen. ;D ::) :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 13, 2021, 08:54:33 AM: lol smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 14, 2021, 01:51:00 PM: ...At times, I got ornery in H.S., it was usually when the 'manic' part of my illness kicked in. Normally, I was the 'quiet girl' in class, I didn't talk, and would only speak when the teacher called on me. Once, we had a Substitute teacher for two weeks, in our English class. My manic phase had kicked in, and I was working hard to keep it under control during class. One day...I failed. :P

...I arrived at the classroom 15 minutes early, there was no one else there. I figited for a few minutes, and then walked to the blackboard. I let my mind loose, and drew silly pictures, and wrote short, silly poems. I finished before the teacher arrived, although students had arrived, and were laughing at my 'Masterwork." I then pulled a screen down, and my work was covered, and I got back into my seat. :)

...The Sub arrived, frustrated, she was 10 minutes late. She greeted us as she set down her teaching materials. She started the lecture, and then turned to the blackboard, and pulled the screen back up. She stared at my masterpiece, and then turned to us, and quietly asked..."Who did this?" >:( We were all quiet, at first, and then the other students started laughing, and pointed at ME!!! :o She walked over to me, and asked..."Did you do that?" I nodded, and she handed me an eraser, and said, "Get it off my board." I got up, and erased it. As I was walking by her, she muttered...

..."They TOLD me to WATCH OUT FOR THE QUIET ONES." ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 14, 2021, 04:07:11 PM: it is always the quiet ones
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 15, 2021, 01:33:10 PM: ...Elgar Cello Concerto... :)

...I know that I have posted on this work before, but just wanted to comment on it, again. Plus, I just watched the video of Yo Yo Ma performing it. :) :) :) https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=67877BE63AAEE1339D9667877BE63AAEE1339D96&q=elgar+cello+concerto&shtp=GetUrl&shid=8ba00e6b-d9a0-46a7-badb-80f171c1234e&shtk=RWxnYXLvvJpDZWxsbyBDb25jZXJ0byDvvI9DZWxsbzpZby1ZbyBNYSDvvIgxOTk077yJ&shdk=RWxnYXLvvJpDZWxsbyBDb25jZXJ0byBpbiBFIG1pbm9yIE9wLjg1IENvbmR1Y3Rvcu%2B8mkRhdmlkIFppbm1hbiBCYWx0aW1vcmUgU3ltcGhvbnkgT3JjaGVzdHJhIENlbGxv77yaWW8tWW8gTWEgMTk5NC4xMS4xMSBMaXZlIGluIEphcGFu&shhk=07519tKXlLwo65xPGDvsNjdK%2FZGupzOssF6e0W5gqck%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.CrdZJw3W0gI%252FK%252FPt0Stn%252BA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 15, 2021, 02:45:10 PM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 15, 2021, 03:24:50 PM: ...Elgar's last major work. It was right after WWI, and Europe was in a bad state of mind. They all knew that the future would bring a Europe that would not resemble what it had been. This concerto does express how Elgar was feeling at the time. It expresses a whole spectrum of emotions. It is unique, in that it begins, and ends, with the same notes and double stops performed by the soloist.

...I LOVE watching Yo Yo Ma perform, he is so ALIVE!!! ;D He doesn't just sit woodenly in the chair, he moves his body, and he moves the cello into different positions...and NONE of the positions are in any instructional books. ::) When I was active, I kinda did the same thing with my cello. The Conductor told me to 'tone it down' when we performed...I did...and felt that I wasn't playing as well as I could, and wasn't expressing the mood of the piece at times. :(

...A brief comment on 'vibrato'...that is where the left hand seems to vibrate as a note is played. Yo Yo really does it well. When I started cello, I wanted to learn vibrato, and, at first, thought that it was just wiggling the fingers. I was briefed by the Conductor, and watched videos of cellists. I soon saw that you don't 'wiggle the fingers'...you actually just plant the finger, and then the forearm moves up and down the fingerboard, and that rocks the finger on the note. Problem was, my wrist wanted to move the hand, and the result was 'interesting'. I tormented my family when I practiced at home. So, I would tape a ruler to the underside of my hand, with the other side taped to my forearm, so I couldn't move my wrist. It WORKED!!! and I developed a nice, deep vibrato. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 15, 2021, 05:25:25 PM: impressive indeed
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 16, 2021, 05:12:30 AM: ...Gunnar was going to perform music at the High Council meeting. He had mastered a barbarian instrument, and was eager to play a complex work. ;D Unfortunately, Tiveri's pet urt got loose, and it tried to help Gunnar. :P

...https://youtu.be/E1JKd1C7izQ
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 16, 2021, 08:35:10 AM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 20, 2021, 08:44:22 PM: ...Vocal Songs... :)

...It is truly amazing how much impact a song can have on our minds. I guess because it has two components, the music and the lyrics. Music affects us, even when it is just instrumental. A poem, or a song that only has voices, can also inspire and move us. Then, there are the songs where the music and lyrics fit together, and those are marvelous!!! :) When you first hear one of those type, that speaks to you, it is a wonderful experience. When I first heard this one, I was at work, analyzing a huge F/U by one of our contractors...and when it came on...I just set down my pencil and listened. The hair at the back of my neck was rising...and the left corner of my mouth was twitching. (That means that something is moving me...when the right side of my mouth twitches, it means that I am getting angry... ::))

...https://genius.com/Bonnie-tyler-total-eclipse-of-the-heart-lyrics
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 20, 2021, 09:11:54 PM: very true sbout music nods
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 04, 2021, 03:48:11 PM: ...Cutting up in Class... ;D

...I was usually the 'quiet girl' in school. In grammer and jr hs, I just sat in my chair, and answered questions that were put to me. I came alive in H.S., and got active in all my subjects...I LOVED being able to elect my courses, and take what I wanted. The teachers really helped me, especially the Math and Science teachers...I was especially interested in looking at the 'fringe' aspects of subjects. Once, a math student came in with a handout that explained a very bizarre way to solve a math equation, but he couldn't figure it out. The teacher looked at it, and said...

..."Give it to 'Crazy P-------', she will explain it next week."

...I struggled with it over the weekend, and figured it out...it involved filling out a series of matrices. So, I showed up in a nice, navy blue dress, and was covered in chalk dust, after filling three chalkboards with matrices. (I will confess that I was making a 'Production' of my presentation). I was almost coughing chalk dust as I said...after I solved it...

..."There is an easier way"...I solved the equation in 4 lines...and sat down.

...A few times, I had it in for substitute teachers, usually in Orchestra. We would all switch instruments, and we would sound like Hell. I would be trying to play a clarinet, while the guy struggled with my cello. We would straighten up after we had made our joke, and get back to our usual places. One time, we were all sitting in our usual places, and the substitute explained that she was happy to be with us, she had heard that we had won awards in competitions. We started, and sounded like Hell. :P She stopped, and then had each section play a few measures. She got to the cellos, and stared at us after we played. :o I was looking at the music, chewing my lower lip, and then I brightened up and said..."I see the problem." ;)

...I turned my music so it was pointing up...(It had been upside down on the stand...I had stolen that joke from a Marx Bros. Movie)...and the rest of the cellos followed...one stand had the music sideways. We sounded OK, after that.

...The Sub just got back to work. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 04, 2021, 04:14:43 PM: loves the pranks smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 04, 2021, 08:55:58 PM: ...Why I became a Lawyer...and not a Police Woman... :P :P :P

...in Jr HS, I was coming alive, and wanted to try different things. I was a musician, a scholar, a ballet dancer...but...

...I WANTED TO BE A BADASS!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...So...I became... ;D ;D ;D ;D

...a GOLD CAP!!!!!! :D

...I would get to eat lunch early, and then would go to a room, and four of us students were issued gold colored berets. We would then go out, and maintain order. We had citation clipboards, and would nail the other students who were acting up, or dropping garbage. After a while, the teachers assigned me to watch over the exit route. It was boring, I would watch the students, and write up any student who cut across the lawn, not following the concrete path. It was boring, usually, I would just yell at a student who started to cut across, and he or she would get back on the path, and I would just ignore them.

...Once, though, the school 'BADASS GIRL' cut across, and wouldn't stop when I called out to her. She pushed me out into the center of the playground, and we started punching each other...students were all around us, watching, yelling "CATFIGHT, CATFIGHT, CATFIGHT!!!" :o (Guys like to watch a REAL catfight)...Teachers pulled us apart...I was using my clipboard very well...to block her punches...and to hit her on the side of her head with it...(I should start a Martial Arts class in 'Clipboard Fighting')

...She got detention...I was just told to keep things calm...so I would glare at her and hold my clipboard up when she exited the dining hall. She would laugh...and so would I.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 05, 2021, 08:50:03 AM: lol add besides lawyers make more money
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 06, 2021, 11:20:23 PM: ...Fighting 10 guys at once... ;D

...https://youtu.be/Kv9ygN2B8WU

...In Karate class, six guys and I put on a fun demonstration for the Dojo. I walked out onto the mat, wearing a casual dress, and carrying a brief case. The Sensei announced that I was a brown belt, and was walking down a dark alley, late at night. Six guys came out, and surrounded me. I then emitted my best 'Charlene Morris attack scream', dropped the briefcase, and beat them all up...I was jumping up and down, whirling. punching and kicking...and SCREAMING as loud as I could. >:( The Sensei looked at the female students, and said, "Some of you Ladies may think that you will be able to do this. But, watch this...this is a more realistic and likely outcome." ::)

...I entered the mat, again, and dropped the briefcase, and got into my 'attack stance' as the six entered, and screamed my 'War Whoop' They looked at each other, and then descended onto me, and ALL SIX punched me in the face at the same time...I fell back...ass over teacups...and the Sensei commented...

..."Ladies, you will become dangerous creatures when you get to her level...but stay out of alleys...and run if you get the chance." :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 07, 2021, 08:56:39 AM: love the demonstration though I think if they all tried to punch at the same tome, duck and let them hit each other lol. also could use the briefcase as a weapon, anything can be a weapon if used properly. smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 14, 2021, 01:42:24 AM: ...How to GROSS OUT a H.S. biology class :P...

...I was the Chemistry T.A. in High school, but also helped out with the Biology Class...I taught it a couple times ::)

...The class were dissecting 'Sea Urchins', those spiny balls of shell. I was walking around, and coaching the students, showing them where the beak was, and such, and helping them cut the shells in half. They were then instructed to identify the internal organs, and I pointed them out to the students. ::) The teacher pointed at the yellow bags of pus looking structures, :P and said, "Those are the egg sacks, the Japanese people eat them, raw." :o (The 'uni' sacks) The students all groaned, and made comments...and I said..."Really?"...and picked one up...and ate it. I commented..."Not bad".

...(I had eaten 'uni' in restaurants before, so I wasn't afraid of it.)

...A number of the girls screamed, and I just looked around, with my best "What the F.... is the matter look" on my face. ;D

...And...I always wondered why the guys didn't ask me out for a date...although I was cute back then... ???
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 14, 2021, 09:05:51 AM: lol our adv bio class skipped urchins went to worms, then frogs in adc bio 2 it was sharks
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 23, 2021, 04:00:04 AM: ...Izee's Mother... :)...Khutulun, the Mongolian Princess...

Now back to our heroine of this essay - Khutulun. She was the greatest wrestler (female or male) that the steppes ever produced. She was the great-great granddaughter of Ghengis Khan and the daughter of Qaidu Khan. Given her genetic inheritance, one wouldn’t expect the girl to be a lightweight. However, she earned a postgraduate degree in toughness by being raised with fourteen brothers. Khutulun learned early on that it was either shove or be shoved. She chose the former and quickly rose to local celebrity by pushing harder than everybody else.

Mongolian wrestling has some interesting rules, or rather, very few rules. There are no weight classes, so there is no such thing as being fairly matched by size. Also, the bout has no time limit. It lasts until any part of the body other than the wrestler’s foot touches the ground. This means a contest could be over in no time or it means the reverse. Two people grab each other around the waist or shoulders and tug and push till one of them falls down or they both die of old age.

Maybe the wrestlers’ tenacity was fueled by the size of the prize they competed for. They didn’t fight for money. They fought for horses. To steppe nomads, the size of your herd was equivalent to the size of your wallet (only bulkier). During Khutulun’s years as a wrestler, she managed to amass quite a flock of fillies. Legend has it she owned more horses than the emperor of China.

Now, her success as a wrestler (and warrior) was all very well and good, but her parents wanted her to get married and settle down. She agreed, with one proviso. Khutulun said she would only marry a man who could throw her in a wrestling match. Suitors came from far and wide, ready to wager whatever horses they had on the off chance that Khutulun might be having an off day. She never did. They went home broke, and she added more hooves to her herd.

Eventually, a wealthy prince showed up and wagered a thousand horses that he could beat the princess. Her parents sat her down for a little chat. “Look,” they said. “This is the deal of a lifetime. He’s rich and handsome and would make a good son-in-law if you don’t break his neck first. For the sky god’s sake, throw the match! Take a fall!”

Khutulun wanted to make her parents happy. “OK, then,” she answered laconically and sallied forth to do battle with her fiance.

The bout went on for quite a while. They pushed and pulled each other all over the Gobi Desert. The guy was pretty good. But in the end, he was no match (pun intended) for Khutulun once her competitive instincts kicked in. With one mighty shove, she sent him flying into the dirt.

“Damn!” said her parents. “She was so close!”

She smiled sheepishly and shrugged. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

The marriage project was put on hold for a while so that Khutulun could ride into battle beside her father and terrorize the various enemies of their tribe. The princess specialized in targeting an enemy soldier, chasing him down like a frightened deer, and dragging his carcass back to daddy. There wasn’t much tactical advantage to her activity, but it did scare the compost out of the other side. Largely due to her efforts, the western Mongol provinces never came under the control of cousin Kublai Khan and his Yuan Dynasty.

When Khutulun finally got around to revisiting the topic of matrimony, it was evident that she’d mellowed a bit. A cute soldier in her father’s army had caught her eye. She walked up to him one day and said, “Here’s the deal. I like you. You don’t annoy me too much. So, I’m gonna make this easy for you. Let’s get hitched. No wrestling required. What do you say?”

He scratched his head and thought about the consequences of saying no to the queen of steppe federation wrestling. “I guess so,” he answered timidly. They were married shortly thereafter.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 23, 2021, 09:18:55 AM: love your stories smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 28, 2021, 09:37:12 PM: ...Tiveri and her 'Mobbettes' had stumbled into a cave that had belonged to a Sorcerer. He had passed on...and the protective spell had fallen, and they had spotted the opening. They were bewildered by what was inside. There were crates of small stretchy bags, and metal cylinders lining the walls. Most amazing, were three small bags that were floating in the air. They took the floating bags down to the Village, and showed them to their friends. The Village girls then followed them to see the cave, for themselves.

...The girls explored the cave, finding strange objects that they just placed in their pouches. Lilith spotted a sign on the wall, and got excited, she was the only one in the group who could read. She told the others, "I can read that, but I don't know what it means." Arnlief said, "This is a strange place, you should not read it, we don't know what it means, it could be a curse, or evil spell." Lilith snorted, said "What could possibly go wrong?"...and proceeded to read it out loud. :o...

...."Ille confutundis explaboation procrustian elbomationer"

...The metal cylinders began hissing, and the stretchy bags began expanding, and floating in the air. The shear number of the bags pushed the girls out of the cave, and a hatch opened and millions of bags floated into the sky.

...The girls saw 'what could possibly go wrong'... :o :P ???

...https://youtu.be/FZmTPk0_4UA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 29, 2021, 09:17:59 AM: love your stories smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 29, 2021, 05:35:24 PM: ...Why you CAN'T TRUST H.S. kids with a croquet set... :P

...In H.S., my three closest friends were the 'Brain Trust' of the school. They all earned Doctorate Degrees in difficult subjects at U.C. Berkeley. One was a Entymologist, (We called her the "Bug Doctor"), another became a Nuclear Scientist, the other was an Economist at B of A. (I was the 'pet dummy', of the group...I became a Lawyer. :P). We all got interested in croquet, after taking it in P.E., and bought several sets. We would meet at someone's house, setup the court, and play for hours. We all got pretty good at it...but I WON most of the games. ;D (I practiced a LOT on my own, I had a court set up in my backyard, and would play by myself, all seven balls against each other...I was lonely as a child.)

...Anyway, one evening, while her parents were away, we were playing croquet at Marcia's (The Nuclear Physics Girl) house, and I got way ahead, and got bored, and decided to liven things up a bit. ::) So, when Marcia was standing, 'a bit zoned out', I snuck behind her, and set a sprinkler head behind her. I then turned the faucet on... ::) Marcia actually looked up, first, to see if it was raining, and then she looked behind her, saw the sprinkler, and ran away. ;) ;) I was clapping and laughing my ass off. I turned off the faucet, and we got back to playing croquet. After a while, I heard someone shout...

..."P-------!!! LOOK OUT!!!!"

...I looked over my shoulder, and saw Marcia running towards me holding "The Mother of ALL WATER BALLOONS!!!!"

...I dropped the mallet, and raced onto the pouch, intending to run into the house. In my excitement, I thought that the screen door was open, and didn't slow as I sprinted towards it. Unfortunately...it was closed and I smashed right though it. :P I came out, a bit dazed, with the screen door hanging around my neck, and just stood there. Marcia just stared at me for a moment, and then screamed my name...and 'gifted' me the water balloon...it broke against my face.

...We tried to fix the door, but it was all twisted up.

...I came by the next day, and told her father that I would pay for a replacement, but he just waved me away. I guess he figured that if the WORST that could happen, when his daughter invited friends over, was that one would run through the screen door...well, then things were OK. :-[
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 29, 2021, 06:00:29 PM: lol can think of worse things that could happen with a croquet set smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 30, 2021, 01:08:14 PM: ...Memorial Day...A Day for calm contemplation, and for Prayers for the Fallen and Their Families

I have attended several Military Funeral Services for Members of my Family, and as a musician for others. They were all very moving, and inspirational.

At one, I had flown from CA to a base on the East Coast. It was for one of my favorite Uncles, he had been a well decorated Captain in the Army during WW II. My Mother came with me, and I held the box that held His Cremains in my lap during the flight. We had scheduled the graveyard service, and had contacted his friends and other relatives. We all met at a place at the Cemetery, and a Military Escort led us all to His Gravesite. A Soldier took the cremains from me, and escorted all of us to the stone wall where the box would be interred. The Leader of the Soldiers took my arm, and led me to sit in a certain seat, since I was the closest Blood Relative present

The Chaplain gave a nice Tribute, and then a Seven Gun Salute was fired. The Leader then ceremoniously presented me with the folded American Flag, and recited a short speech, looking into my eyes during the time. I was also handed a plastic baggie that held the spent shell casings from the salute. I was tearful during the time, partly sad, but also proud of my Uncle and appreciative of the Honor given Him by the Military.

I then gave a short speech, describing his life, and how he had been with our Family. The group all chuckled when I described how exited my brother and I had been, as children, when he visited. He always brought us nice toys. He was married, but had no children, and was nice to us and our cousins. (He even let me beat him at chess when I was young. I learned, when I got older, that he actually played chess VERY WELL...I rarely won a game against him, and I had been urged to join the Chess Team in H.S.)

I had spoken with one of his friends before the service, and I invited all of the people to join us for a nice brunch at a restaurant, as guests of my Mother and I. The restaurant opened a back dining hall for us, and we had a nice time, a lot of people attended, and a lot of them described their times with Uncle Joe. :)

I will say prayers for my Father and Uncles, they all served in the Military, and prayers for everyone else who served our Country.

..."Libera me, Domine, de Morte Eterna. Libera me, Domine"...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 30, 2021, 03:37:31 PM: my condolences on your family members and we owe much to those who gave their lives in service to defend this country
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 01, 2021, 01:02:52 PM: ...A nice, and true tale of an occurrence during WW II. :)

...As I have reported, all of my Uncles on my Fathers side enlisted in the Military. Joe was in the Army, Guy was in the Marines. My Father, and other Uncles did cover the Army Air Corp and the Navy. Frank flew a Corsair off an Aircraft Carrier, and did become an Ace.

...Joe was a Captain, and led men fighting in Europe. One day, the Unit had stopped outside of a city, after defeating the Germans, and camped. I can't remember if it was in France, or another country, but the city had a Cathedral. Joe went into the Cathedral, and stopped before the Altar, to say some prayers. While praying, he heard a voice behind him, saying...

..."What the HELL are YOU doing in here?"

...Joe looked over his shoulder, and the man standing behind him was...

...His brother...GUY!!!! Joe didn't know that Guy was in the area. .

...Both men told me about the encounter, it moved me, but I am sure that it moved those two Warriors much more. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 01, 2021, 05:28:33 PM: wow such a coincidence that they would both be in the same town during a war
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 02, 2021, 12:31:29 PM: ...Oh man!!!! I am beginning to think that we are in the latter days, reading news from around the globe. :P

Scientists in Europe did create a human/monkey embryo, and it was living and growing until they terminated it. However, looking at our politicians, I think that was done years ago. I live in the Bay Area, and S.F. and Oakland went along with the 'Defund the Police' insanity, and...GUESS WHAT???? CRIME IS SKYROCKETING, and illegal aliens are SWARMING the State. Gee, who could have predicted that... :o :P >:( The Dem politicians are now, openly, saying, "Yes, we are coming for your guns." (Of course, they have private guards, either hired, or provided by our Gov't. We Citizens are being urged to report on our fellow citizens who we believe could disrupt our society.) Police Officers are resigning, retiring, or moving to other States, and enrollment in the Police Academies is way down. The idiot mayor of S.F. just made a public plea for Police Officers to return, and for more young people to enroll in the Academies...after she insulted the Police and placed severe restrictions on what they could do. The Dems want to eliminate the "Qualified Immunity' that Officers have, so, any criminal who thinks he was 'roughed up' during an arrest can sue the Officer PERSONALLY.

...(More of a rant, later, I have to take my CPAP Machine in for testing. Since returning to CA, I need it. When I was living in Kansas, I didn't need it, and could walk for an hour at a time)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 02, 2021, 05:56:53 PM: ...OK...I am calming down...I ate a HUGE chunk of chocolate cake. ;)

...But, when my familial situation here in CA gets resolved, I think that I will move to Kansas...I liked that State. And...

...I will BUY THIS HOUSE!!!! ;D

...https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/503-N-2nd-St-Atchison-KS-66002/122704190_zpid/

...I am thinking of the clothing that I will HAVE to purchase, so that I will blend in well with the mood of the house...and I have a bizarre imagination.

...The neighborhood kids will refer to me as "The Insane Witch who lives in the Crazy House." (And who drives the SHOCKING PINK Porsche 911) Might as well go insane, and demonstrate it in public. I don't have to support a husband and children, now. ;D :o :o :o ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 02, 2021, 06:28:51 PM: the rant was justified and largely agrees happy you calmed down at least smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 06, 2021, 01:59:13 PM: ...We are being ruled by ABSOLUTE IDIOTS...I really mean it...they are ABSOLUTE IDIOTS!!!!! >:(

...In addition to opening our borders, thereby letting drug dealers move more of their poison into our country, they now want to send Billions of our taxpayer dollars to South and Central America. They claim that those Governments will use the money to 'provide for the poor', so that the poor will not want to come here. I have very high class and educated relatives in Mexico, and they all say that most of the money gets diverted, and ends up in the Swiss bank accounts of the wealthy and the politicians. Our "Rulers" must be as naive as a 5 year old, or they are getting kickbacks.

...Now, they REALLY want to take our guns. The new guy, Chipman, who will run the ATF, was asked to define what he means by an "assault weapon". He couldn't do it, but said that the AR-15 is one, and is in favor of confiscating them from the public. Ah...I have a bit of information to impart to Chipman...many 'Sporting Rifles' are more powerful than an AR-15, and some are semi-automatic. (Mine is "bolt action"...I don't know why, but twisting and pulling the bolt is part of what firing such a weapon means to me). I have hit a deer with a 180-grain 30:06 round, and the wound was ugly, and the inside was even worse. But, the meat tasted very good. We hunt to gather food and to socialize...looking back at our history, humans do that. Also, judicious hunting does keep the deer herds healthy.

...I am sure that, as it currently stands, that Congress won't pass a law confiscating 'assault weapons', despite what those 5 damn Dem Bitches are trying to do. But, Biden has been issuing some very Unconstitutional 'Executive Orders', so I wouldn't put it past this senile old man to sign such an order. Damn...why couldn't the Dems come up with a more qualified candidate? Also, I think it is clear that Biden & Co are favoring China over us Taxpayers, Xi must be rubbing his hands together at the prospect of sitting across a table from Biden. Our young children will be taught Mandarin in Elementary School, rather than Spanish.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on June 06, 2021, 07:50:00 PM: just figuring out we have shit leadership? ::) ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 06, 2021, 08:09:11 PM: no arguments from me
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 06, 2021, 11:51:19 PM: ...Yeah, but both of you know me...I can be brilliant at times...but other times you need to point out the difference between a spoon and a fork to me. :o My mind goes off on it's own, a lot. Usually, it is just fun to sit, and 'observe', but I need to be in a quiet place, and be alone. I will start crying, or giggling, or laughing , and an observer would get worried. But, I am doing a lot of all three lately...watching our GD Gov't. Now, Biden and the MSM are announcing that they are sending the semi-literate bitch to solve the Border Crises...but...she isn't even stopping at the Border.??? :o :o :o She is taking BILLIONS of our TAXPAYER dollars and handing them over to the thugs in Guatamala. Gee...guess where that money will go...she will retire as VP worth tens of millions of dollars, I predict. Somehow, she will get a $10,000,000 advance on a book..."The First VP of Color"...that will sell about 68 copies. >:( If I was VP. and handed the assignment, I would have a helicopter fly me along the border, and land at places where I saw Agents, so I could see the border and the wall, and then ask the ACTUAL AGENTS, who are protecting us, just WHAT TO DO...and then DO IT!!!! Just HOW did the MSM decide that the bitch is a diplomatic genius now, who will stop the swarm of people, when she only got about 3% of the democrat vote in the primary? It was clear, right from the start, that she is way over her head. When she was assigned the task, she had no press conferences for several months, and now she is flying to Guatamala with a plane packed with 10 Billion dollars. :P

...The Gov't and MSM thinks that we are all idiots, they think that we will believe that sending Billions of our TAXPAYER dollars South will stop the flood. Hell's Bells...if I was a politician there, I would pocket my share of the billions, and then load more buses with our poor, (And pocketing 5K to 7K from each), and drop them off at the US Border, and wait for more billions of dollars to show up, and grab my share.

...I am certainly not advocating ANY sort of violence, but we sane people need to vote the Dems and idiot RINOS out, and get responsible Leadership. I am gently working with my elderly mother about the idea of moving. Her friends are passing on, and California is getting dangerous. We live in a nice area, but we don't even go shopping at the grocery store after it gets dark. I walked a bit further in our nice neighborhood this afternoon, and passed several cars, parked in front of nice houses, that had the passenger side window broken. When I was living alone, in Kansas, I felt safe, and a few times I drove to IHOP at 11:00 pm and had some pancakes and scrambled eggs...'cause I like pancakes with scrambled eggs. ;D I keep showing my Mother pictures of houses in Atchison KS, especially the photo I have posted, and at times she talks about moving...but it is a passing thought.

...She is happy, now that I am living with her. She feels safe, and I keep assuring her not to worry about finances...I have some coin in the bank, and I insist on writing her a nice check each month for our utilities and groceries, she enjoys depositing a check. At first, I would shop with her, but she would get obsessed over what "she" bought, vs what "I" bought, vs what "we" bought. So, I let her shop, and just hand over a check at the end of the month. I feel comfortable about living like this, I need the companionship, and I am not 'sponging' off her. So, I will stay and support her, she wants to stay in this house that she and my Father had built. She stays on the ground floor, and sleeps in what was my bedroom, and has the downstairs packed with her collector dolls and things. I sleep upstairs, in the master bedroom, and have a study where my desk and exercise bike is. So, we will stay here, as we are, and just see what Life has in store for us.

...*S* I did see the house being built. I was in H.S., and had a "touring" 10 speed. I made friends with a guy who also liked to ride. We didn't get sexual...he came out as gay later, but we did "make out" a few times...and I let him fondle me...I liked it. ::) We rode our bikes at very high speeds all over the County. When the house was being built, we would ride to look at it during the weekends. We would walk around, and were excited when the stairs were installed. We would get up on the half constructed top floor, and look around. He asked if I would have my bedroom there, and I said I didn't know. (I selected the large bedroom on the ground floor...I was at that age where female hormones...and my personality...were developing...and so I needed to be kept away from civilized people. ::)) My Parents and Brother lived upstairs. There are some 'things' in the walls of this house that only I know about...I stashed them when it was being built. One is a small bag of silver dimes...but I CANNOT RECALL WHERE THEY ARE!!! So, I suppose that, in a Century or two, a worker involved in the demolition of the house will be very pleased. (But he will hear my voice, shrieking from above..."THOSE ARE MINE...MINE...MINE!!!!" ) Or, perhaps, in my dotage, I will be hauled off to an assisted living place, and the newspapers will report that the inner walls of my house had been mostly pounded away, and I was carried off, holding a hammer, screaming "I KNOW WERE THEY ARE...I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE!!!"

...Anyway, enough of my Free Association rant this evening...see everyone on the morning... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 07, 2021, 02:54:53 AM: ...I am alone right now, listening to this... :(

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=ADE36E90F5D6F76F7ED5ADE36E90F5D6F76F7ED5&q=gotterdammerung+orchestral+performance&shtp=GetUrl&shid=25941d6a-d7eb-4b5b-8257-12763baaa1a7&shtk=SmVycnkgSGFkbGV5ICYgQWxhbiBUaXR1cyAtIFRoZSBQZWFybCBGaXNoZXJzIGR1ZXQgLSAxOTg2&shdk=VGhpcyBpcyBKZXJyeSBIYWRsZXkgaW4gaGlzIHByaW1lLiBKZXJyeSBIYWRsZXkgKEp1bmUgMTYsIDE5NTIgSnVseSAxOCwgMjAwNykgd2FzIGEgc3R1ZGVudCBvZiBteSB0ZWFjaGVyIGZyb20gMTk3OCwgYWZ0ZXIgZ2V0dGluZyBoaXMgbWFzdGVycyBkZWdyZWUgaW4gbXVzaWMgZnJvbSB0aGUgVW5pdmVyc2l0eSBvZiBJbGxpbm9pcyBpbiAxOTc3LiBIZSB0aGVuIHN0YXJ0ZWQgdGVhY2hpbmcgYXQgdGhlIFVuaXZlcnNpdHkgb2YgQ29ubmVjdGljdXQuIEEgMTk5MyBhcnRpY2xlIGJ5IE5vw6tsIEdvb2R3aW4gaW4gT3BlcmEgbWFnYXppbmUgc3RhdGVkLCAiQWZ0ZXIgMTUgeWVhcnMgSGFkbGV5IHN0aWxsIC4uLg%3D%3D&shhk=uaJzoE61A7FuGAHm3AJt34zBhdtwKRdv%2FW9DutshEB4%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.0NACHshTL%252B5o2P01Epy%252FPw

...I had listened to this Opera, "The Pearl Fishers", and just loved the music. The theme of the Opera is simple, two best friends become enamored of a woman...and she loves them both. In this, they sing of their love for her, but that they will remain 'Brothers'. I was excited when our orchestra was going to perform this...I was the Principal Cello...and I led our section...and watched the singers. There were a few parts where I was accompanying the Baritone. I knew the Baritone, we had performed together in many productions, and had gone out with others for a couple drinks after a performance. I would get teased, because everyone else left, but he and I were talking of various subjects. We did kiss a few times, but they were the "I like you" kisses...not the "Haul me away and throw me onto the bed kiss".

...I was crying as we performed this part, but my hands were steady...I had memorized the part. He sang the part better than I had heard before. I tried to keep my eyes lowered, but my standmate got me to look up...and he was smiling at me. He later told me...

..."Forget the bitch on stage...I was singing that to you."

...Nothing like performing music...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 07, 2021, 09:01:34 AM: a lovely memory to be sure
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 10, 2021, 02:35:43 PM: ...Back when Izee' was a Panther, she would lead her Lair all over Gor. Somehow, she made it to Scagnar, but she had been "half civilized" by a Man. She and her Lair, however, were never successful in an ambush, the prey, somehow, heard them preparing for the attack... :o

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=44136372BB7161A6592E44136372BB7161A6592E&q=ride+of+the+valkyries&shtp=GetUrl&shid=e7b949c5-04fd-4900-a427-30927c563351&shtk=TWV0cm9wb2xpdGFuIE9wZXJhIE9yY2hlc3RyYSDigJMgV2FnbmVyOiBSaWRlIG9mIHRoZSBWYWxreXJpZXMgLSBSaW5nIChPZmZpY2lhbCBWaWRlbyk%3D&shdk=V2FnbmVyJ3MgUmluZyBwcmVzZW50cyB0aGUgdWx0aW1hdGUgY2hhbGxlbmdlIGZvciBhbnkgb3BlcmEgY29tcGFueSwgYW5kIHRoZSBOZXcgWW9yayBNZXRyb3BvbGl0YW4gT3BlcmEncyBuZXcgcHJvZHVjdGlvbiBvZiBEZXIgUmluZyBkZXMgTmliZWx1bmdlbiwgdW52ZWlsZWQgYmV0d2VlbiAyMDEwIGFuZCAyMDEyIGFuZCBzdGFycmluZyBzb21lIG9mIHRoZSBncmVhdGVzdCBXYWduZXJpYW4gc2luZ2VycyBvZiB0b2RheSwgaXMgYW1vbmcgdGhlIG1vc3QgYW1iaXRpb3VzIFJpbmcgc3RhZ2luZ3MgZXZlciBtb3VudGVkLiBBbHJlYWR5IHNlZW4gYnkgb3ZlciBhIG1pbGxpb24gcGVvcGxlIGluIHRoZSAuLi4%3D&shhk=Xfp8ceZk2Pz8gb%2B9FsjI6tPg6OuwoZ3NaC91SOtQ%2FOM%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.DMBuKMrHJYJnqN7cmA1X%252Fw

...I never could understand how the vocal majors could sing so loud, and clear. My alto would turn into a screech when I got enthusiastic, except once. The Sorority I belonged to were singing at a memorial service, and I was subdued...but my voice was very clear...and they let me lead. (I was elected President of the Sorority the next year. To a Music Sorority, an aria is a campaign speech, I found out.)

...I am watching Fox News, I kinda like it, and I am also having a nice snack. I am kinda laughing, the three women are wearing TALL STILETTO HEELS!!! :o :P :o Those DAMN things do turn men on, I found out. A roommate in college got me to put on a tall pair, and pointed out how they made me push my low back forward, for balance, which pushed me breasts forward and my butt backwards, which made me look 'sexy and elegant'. The 'soon to be boyfriend' REALLY smiled when I minced out. He was happy when I took his arm, I needed it for balance. ::)

...Later in the year, I practiced walking on the damn things, my ankles got stronger, and my sense of balance improved. So I got where I could spend an evening in them, with little discomfort, but I would quickly pull them off when I could.

...Sometimes, my H would want me to wear the tall heels when we 'had fun'. I usually went along, but had to be careful with what I did with my feet...I tore the hell out of the sheets, once. ::) Another time he was laying on his back, beside me, face up, and said "That was great, how was it for you?" I was laying face down, and grunted,,,"It was OK, now, GET THOSE DAMN HEELS OFF OF MY FEET." >:( ::) >:(

...He had bought them for me, cute black pointed toe pumps with 6" stiletto heels, and they were a size TOO SMALL!!!!

...I had lied to him about my shoe size... :P :P :P

...I NEVER let him buy shoes for me, again.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 10, 2021, 06:12:58 PM: love your stories and life events
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 10, 2021, 06:38:20 PM: ...Rags did this to me...I thought he was going to make me the UBARA!!!!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

How to Derive the Maximum Enjoyment from Crackers in Bed
Mason Williams, 1964

Speaking man to man the most important element in deriving the maximum enjoyment from crackers is the choice of a companion to help you enjoy them. She must be someone whom you admire. A beautiful woman, elegant and accustomed to sophistication, a woman whose company is a challenge to enlist, a woman that’s hard to get.

In approaching the companion that is going to help you enjoy the crackers, it is best not to tell her of your intention; let it be a surprise to her. Be charmingly mysterious, saying only that you are going to do something currently different. If she accepts your invitation, proceed in making the following arrangements.

Reserve two hotel rooms for the same night in two different hotels; one a single room in a skid-row flop house, and the other, a suite of rooms in the finest hotel in town. If you do not own an expensive car, make arrangements to have one at your disposal for the evening.

On the day of the occasion, a few hours before you are to pick her up, purchase several heads of lettuce, romaine, endive, fresh spinach, etc.; several pounds of fresh ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, olives, green onions, and so forth. In other words, whatever ingredients you would choose to make an attractive salad. Finally, you must also purchase five gallons each of the following dressings: Roquefort, French, Russian, Thousand Island, and Vinegar & Oil.

Take these ingredients to the room at the skid-row hotel. Pull back the covers on the bed and make a four or five inch layer of salad that covers the entire surface of the bed, tossing the salad well with your hands. Pull the covers back over the salad and re-make the bed. Be sure there is no salad on the floor. Place the twenty-five gallons of dressing in the closet.

With the above accomplished, proceed to dress for the evening. Dress as though you were a waiter or a wine captain in an expensive restaurant, but leave doubt as to whether or not this is what your attire really suggests. The doubt is, of course, a personal matter. When you are dressed, and all of the necessary arrangements have been made, proceed to pick up your date.

When you call for her, create an air of wistful mystery. however, try not to make your mystery dark and ominous; keep it light and taunting. If she asks you what is planned for the evening, it is very effective to look into her eyes, smile faintly, but say nothing, and then look away.

Drive casually to the flop house. Make interesting conversation; keep her wondering; answer her questions about what you are going to do with only, “You’ll see.”

When you arrive at the flop house, take her quickly to the room you have rented. Once inside the room, ask her this question: “By the way, what salad dressing do you prefer?” When she has told you, go into the bathroom and drape a small hand towel over your forearm (a la fancy waiter). Return to the room and pull back the covers on the bed to display the crisp green salad.

One of the high points of the evening is now at hand. You must coax her to lie down in the bed. She may possibly reject such a notion at first, and may even attempt to leave. Reason with her adroitly. One of the finest points of argument to convince her is that it is perfectly all right is “salads are good for you.” If she is still hesitant, you can even go so far as to chide her for not being adventuresome. Whatever you do, get her in that bed; get tough if you have to, but get her in that bed!

After she is in the bed, go to the closet and take out the five gallons of her choice of dressing, and with great flair, pour it over her entire body. She will probably make some remarks like: “What is the meaning of this ridiculous tableau? Are you mad, you crazy son-of-a-bitch!” Enjoy them.

When you have emptied the entire five gallons of dressing on her, snap your fingers and say “Crackers!” Begging her forgiveness, explain that you have forgotten the crackers. Tell her that you will have to run to the store, and for her not to move a muscle.

Race out of the flop house, drive swiftly to a store and buy a small box of saltines. Do not buy fancy crackers. When you have purchased them, drive to the fine hotel in which you have rented a suite of rooms. Go directly up to your suite, place the box of crackers on the nightstand beside the bed, take your clothes off, and get into bed. Turn the lights off, settle down, and nibble on the crackers one by one. You will derive a maximum enjoyment from them.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 10, 2021, 08:20:03 PM: quite the elaborate plan there
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 10, 2021, 10:04:30 PM: ...I didn't have much fun, Nate... ;D But it was one of my most interesting 'Dates'...I did have a few others...but WON'T TELL

...One challenge I have in life, is that I don't just do what I am told. In school, I did what interested me, my elementary school grades were not very good, because I just didn't care. If a subject interested me, I would delve into into it, and screw what the Teacher expected. We had an assignment about 'rocks' in 4th grade, and my Grandfather on my Mothers' side helped me. I showed up in class wearing a filthy hat, a rockpick, and samples I had gathered, of the basic types of rocks...Sedentary, Igneous...etc. I got cut off very quickly...I was ready to lecture for an hour over where I had found them, and what they were.

...I did somewhat of the same thing in Jr H.S. For some reason, although I was placed in the higher level, I sat last chair in the class. The teacher announced that she would rank us where she thought we should sit. So, I sat in the last chair, and some other girls teased me, and I got depressed...but angry...

...One of the assignments was to memorize a poem, and recite it. I looked through the book, and thought about what the Teacher thought of me. She had spoken of a girl, a few years earlier, who recited a long poem, and got aupplause. I memorized 'Casey Jones'...it is a very long poem, and is about the legendary Engineer. I got up, last, because I was sitting in last place. The others had recited poems of about 16 stanzas...and I had snorted under my breath.

...I got called up, and stood in front of the class...and my mind went blank...The girl sitting in the 1st chair, who had the book open, recited..."Come all you rounders"...

...My mind woke up, and I continued..."If you want to hear, a tale about a brave engineer"...I kept going, I was relaxed and recited the poem...and then I got to the chorus part that was between several lines...there was a song about it...and so I sang and danced as I recited...

...Casey Jones, gonna reach Frisco
...Casey Jones, or we'll all be dead
...Casey Jones, gonna reach Frisco
...Casey Jones, or we'll all be dead

...I finished the entire poem from memory, sometimes standing and looking at the class, other times singing and dancing around.

...The teacher just STARED at me as I walked back to my last seat in the class...and...after the class aupplauded, I did recite "Hark, hark, the dogs do bark, the beggers are coming to town. Some are in rags, some are in tags, and one is in a velvet gown." That was the poem that would get you a pass in the class.

...I placed very high in H.S., and NONE of the people that that teacher thought were smarter than me were ahead. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 10, 2021, 10:46:42 PM: good memory and quick thinking
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 11, 2021, 12:50:00 AM: ...Changes last line to...

..."Gonna reach Frisco, but we'll all be dead..."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 11, 2021, 03:16:08 AM: ...Another nice memory... :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

...I got to be able to play the cello very well in HS...my 'manic' stage of my illness kicked in...and I practiced for hours every day. (And attended school, earned A's and ate and washed every day). I was hired a few times to play my cello in musical pit orchestras. That was a BLAST!!! ;D We were below the audience, and so we dressed comfortably, and shared food. The intermission was kind of fun, there were always young children who would run from the audience, and lean over the rail and look down at us. I would be chewing on a bisquit, and look back up at them...As 1st cello I was sitting to the right of the Conductor...so the kids would look at me and ask questions. I would have fun, and ask them what was going on at the stage. ::) They would be surprised, and ask me..."Don't you KNOW?" I would shake my head and say, "I don't know...I can't see what is going on." They would proceed to tell me the story, and I would nod, and gently ask questions at times. I would thank them as the lights dimmed, and settle my cello back between my legs.

...During one series of performances, I wouldn't stay in my seat, I would exit the pit through the back entrance, and come back with a full bottle of O.J. that I got the Confectioneers to give me, and share it with the string section. (I was very 'cute' at that age, my big brown eyes could say a lot) I was falling in love with the male lead...he was much older than me...but I DIDN'T CARE...I JUST LOVED HIS VOICE!!!! :D :D :D :D :D

...One performance ended, and I walked out of the pit, and came face to face...WITH THE LEAD!!!! :o :o :o :o :o I said how much I enjoyed his singing...and he smiled, and looked at the bottle of O.J. I was holding...it was about 1/4 full...and smiled at me and said. "I am very thirsty." I handed him the bottle, he kissed my cheek, and took it with him as he walked away.

...If I was older...and on B.C. Pills...I might have said...

..."I got more O.J. if you want..." 8)

...Not really, I have been chaste, before, and after, marriage.

...Here is the music...

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=BFB84A03A9A3C0127D37BFB84A03A9A3C0127D37&q=carousel+musical&shtp=GetUrl&shid=2add2d54-3088-4bc9-86c2-42c64feed1ec&shtk=Q2Fyb3VzZWwgLSAxOTU2IC0gU29saWxvcXV5&shdk=VGhpcyBpcyBvbmUgb2YgR29yZG9uIE1hY1JhZSdzIGZpbmVzdCBtb21lbnRzIG9mIGFsbCB0aW1lLiBUaGlzIHNob3dzLCB0cnVseSwgd2hhdCBhIGZhbnRhc3RpYyB2b2ljZSBoZSBoYWQsIGFuZCBpcyBzdWNoIGEgdHJhZ2VkeSB0aGF0IGhlIGNvaW5jaWRlbnRseSBkaWVkIG9mIG1vdXRoIGNhbmNlci4gVGhpcyBpcyB0aGUgcGFydCB3aGVyZSBCaWxseSBoYXMganVzdCBmb3VuZCBvdXQgdGhhdCBKdWxpZSBpcyBwcmVnbmFudCB3aXRoIGhpcyBiYWJ5IGFuZCBoZSdzIHByZXBhcmVkIHRvIHRha2Ugb24gbGlmZSB0aHJlYXRlbmluZyBkZXNjaXNpb25zIHRoYXQgY2hhbmdlZCBoaXMgbGlmZSBmb3IgZXZlciAuLi4%3D&shhk=Kb8DE05ZUwBJOOHVgWsjcyI3FjO91LrkjmLutdKBkBA%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OSH.zadVi7SX0XE3NgMFhEfncA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 11, 2021, 09:25:12 AM: cool. you have so many wonderful memories
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 11, 2021, 12:49:34 PM: ...Discovering GOLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...My Grandfather on my Mothers' side was an amazing man. He had been in the Army, and the Navy, and had many interesting tales. He took an interest in me, since I was very interested in science. He would buy me kits that introduced me to various aspects of Chemistry, Biology, and other subjects. He was a Mining Engineer at the time, and would prospect in the US and Mexico for gold mines. I later learned that he was a HORRIBLE businessman, he would find a good claim, but would lose it because of bad decisions. (DAMN!!! If he had kept what he found, my Mother and I would now be living in a mansion on the Coast, and eating lobster and steak every day).

...Once, he took me to a mine that was being worked. I was excited, I had to put on a helmet and some kind of protective coat, and we went in. It was LOUD, they were drilling, and rock was being carried out on a conveyor belt. I saw the rock crushers, and the stuff that came out. :) Later, we walked around the property. He told me what the rocks were, and which ones could possibly have gold. I found an outcropping of quartz, and chipped at it with the rock hammer he had given me. My eyes got wide as I broke off a piece, and I licked it to clean it off, and saw veins of gold running through it!!! ;D ;D ;D I ran to my Grandfather, and he looked it over, and said, "You can keep it, but this area is part of the Claim they are working." I wanted to go back and 'work my claim', but he took me back to his car, and we left.

...That piece of quartz is still with me, in with all of my stuff that is in a storage facility. When the time comes for me to fully move into this house, I will empty the storage unit, find the rock, and put it in a small glass case, and tell everyone that I discovered a gold mine...and that a skulldugger took it away from me. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 11, 2021, 07:47:02 PM: love what you tell everyone about it lol I lived in arkansas for a time and found many pieces of quartz there
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 12, 2021, 01:18:13 AM: ...My Grandfather would leave 'science toys' for me. ;D

...I was in grammar school, and I woke up early and saw a small box sitting on the bed stand beside me. I looked at it, and closed my eyes and went back to sleep. I woke up again, opened one eye, looked at it, and went back to sleep.

...I wandered into the kitchen in the morning, in my bedclothes, wiping my eyes , and holding the box. I asked my Mother who left the box, she just shrugged and got me to sit and eat my oatmeal. I opened the box...and...it was...an experiment in...

...RADIOACTIVITY!!!!!!!!

...There was a piece of cardboard that had 'stuff' on it. I made a 'cloud chamber', and wanted to do further experiments, but we didn't have the money to buy what was needed.

...Again, Grandpa helped raise me
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 12, 2021, 09:29:37 AM: loved those old sci3nce kits they still have something similar where one can order a monthly kit for kids
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 15, 2021, 06:01:35 PM: ...Welcome to California.... ??? ??? ??? :P :P :P....PLEASE OPEN A RETAIL BUSINESS... :'( :'( :'(

...On the Bay Area local news station, they showed a tape of a man in a CVS Pharmacy store who was filling a large plastic garbage bag with items from the drug Isle. He had a 10-speed with him, and he rode out carrying the full bag. The Store Security guard made a half hearted attempt to grab the bag, but did nothing else. This is happening all over the Bay Area. It is because of INSANE laws passed by our Liberal politicians. For instance, if you get caught trying to carry out merchandise that is worth less than $950, the police will just take it away from you and give you a citation. Criminals just toss the citation away, and go to the next store. If they aren't stopped, they walk a couple blocks away, and sell the stuff they stole. The Idiot Politicians say that they have to pass such laws because the Police arrest too many people of color. So, GUESS what is happening???????????? :o :o :o

...Businesses, including large Dept Stores, are closing down because they are losing thousands of dollars a day, and Liberal politicians are saying that poor people ought to be allowed to shoplift in order to support their families. Gee, last I looked, we have welfare, food stamps, and a lot of charitable organizations that provide food, clothing, and housing for the poor. Also, these policies are killing minority owned businesses that are in the poorer areas.

...When I was growing up, I had a few classmates who went to Juvi Hall for trying to steal a candy bar. A number of years ago, I set off the alarm when I was exiting a Dept store, and two large men descended on me. I handed them the bag, and walked back and forth through the detector to show that I wasn't carrying anything. They checked through the bag, and located an item that had an alarm that hadn't been deactivated by the cashier. They were polite, and I went on my way. I am sure that if that item wasn't on the sales receipt, I would have been detained, and charges pressed.

...Car burglaries are going through the roof, the SAME YOUNG MAN was caught and ARRESTED SIX TIMES...in ONE day for breaking into cars by breaking a side window. Word has gotten out among the Criminal element, and the young immature people who see theft as a game to play, that nothing will happen to you. They don't care if businesses shut down, owners who spent their lives and personal finances starting a small business go bankrupt, and people who need and want jobs can't find one.

...When family matters allow me to move, I will get out of this State, with the type of people the Liberal politicians are importing, it won't get any better...and with the future things the IDIOTS want to do...it will get worse. >:( :o :P :'(

...I think that I will move to Las Vegas. ;D My Fathers side of the Family had a Ranch and Dairy outside of Las Vegas, and a major street is named after them. I am one of those women who didn't adopt my H last name, so it will be kind of fun to live on a street that has my name. If people ask me if I was somehow related to Vegas, I will get grouchy, and say "Yes, we did own all of this area until the Mafia came in...they made my Great Great Grandfather a deal that he couldn't refuse."

...So, again, all of you people who live in sane States, do carefully look at Californians who move near you. I suspect that most will be like me, just wanting to live comfortably, and minding our own business, but there are those who really believe that their ideas of politics and how to live should be adopted by everyone else. I once advised a school board on legal matters, and I couldn't believe the things that teachers and parents insisted we do. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 15, 2021, 07:05:36 PM: I agree with you on liberal politicians sad state of affairs when laws are not being enforced and poloce are insulted while criminals are celebrated.

Though your experience with the store alarm thing going off reminds me of an incident when I was about 16 or so, I was in a store and had purchased a telescope. It was too big to fit in a bag so the cashier taped the receipt to the side of it and sent me in my way. I stuck it under my arm to make it easier to carry and headed for the door. Upon reaching the door, a security guard grabbed the back of the telescope thinking I was stealing it. I turned around and let him see the receipt taped to it. He just waived me through as if nothing had happened. A day or so later, I was working at the local sheriff office as a cadet in full uniform and on my way home had to stop at that store, walking through in full uniform, the same guard was on duty and I swear his face turned white seeing me in a police uniform possibly thinking he should have apologized the day before but I just walked past him ignoring his reaction.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 16, 2021, 12:33:52 PM: ... ;D...That must have been fun, Nate, walking in wearing your uniform, and paying no attention to the guard. His thoughts were probably very interesting.

...Building a short-wave radio... ::)

...I am going to date myself, again. In grammar school a couple friends and I got interested in HAM radio. I didn't have any money, and my parents managed my fathers salary very well, but there was very little for indulgences. I would buy a catalogue from Allied Radio and lust over the electronics. I would show certain items to my parents, and comment how much I could learn from them. I especially wanted a short-wave radio, so I could listen to broadcasts from all over the World. I was surprised, and delighted, when one Christmas, I opened my present, and there was a radio...the 'STAR ROAMER'...the one that I REALLY WANTED!!!! One thing, though, it was a kit, with about 250 parts.... :o :o :o :o :o :o

...But, I had a BLAST building it!!! :) :) :) My father didn't trust me to be alone with a soldering iron, and he wanted to double check to make sure that I put the correct resistor or capacitor in the right place, and correctly soldered wires. So I would build it as he watched, and he only let me work on it an hour a night, so I wouldn't get tired. I learned to read the ratings on the capacitors, and the colored stripes on the resistors, in order to make sure that I had the right one before I tied the wires to the contact points, and then soldered it. I got it all put together, and plugged in the seven 'vacuum tubes'...(Look those up, you youngsters)...and turned it on. It lit up, but no sound came out. :( :( :( :( :( I was devastated, my father and I had no idea of what to do. My mother called her brother, who was an 'electrician' for the Air Force, (I am pretty sure that he was a spy, he was always being sent to Pakistan for a few months, and he refused to tell me what he did), and he came by. He briefly looked it over, and flipped a switch on the back, and IT WORKED!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...I spent hours listening most nights. Reception was better at night, and it was interesting. I was really excited when I found 'The Voice of America'.

...I took a HUGE risk when I setup a wire antenna. I couldn't afford a metal one, and my parents didn't want another antenna on the roof. So, I climbed up on the roof, with a roll of copper wire and some items in my pockets. We didn't have a ladder, so I climbed up onto the wooden fence that butted up against the house, grabbed onto the rain gutter, and then swung my legs up onto the gutter. So, for a moment, I was horizontal to the ground, and the fence was below the middle of my body. If the gutter had given way, I would have landed on the fence on my right side, and would have fractured ribs and Heaven only knows what else before I landed on the ground. I secured the wire to the chimney, threw the roll of wire onto the ground, and then, JUMPED OFF THE ROOF. I finished by climbing up the sycamore tree in the front yard, and secured the other end of the copper wire high up in the tree, so I had a wire antenna about 60 feet long. My parents certainly noticed the antenna, but they never asked me how it got there. Since I was walking around, and had no broken bones, they didn't choose to make an issue of it.

...(Shows that young children, even those with a smattering of intelligence, do the STUPIDIST THINGS. It is a wonder that the species still exists)

...I REALLY wanted to get a transmitter, but there was no money for such things. Also, back then, at the Novice Level of HAM radio, you had to communicate in Morse Code for most frequencies that you were allowed to use. I got to be able to transcribe Morse Code at the Novice level, but was astounded when I would listen to HAMs communicating at the Amateur Extra level...it was so fast. An experienced HAM told me that at that level, the brain doesn't hear dots and dashes, it hears letters, numbers, and words. :o

...I listened to a lot of interesting things. I also located the frequencies that CB (Citizen Band) radios operated on, and they spoke of things. A few times a year, there would be an International Field Day, and HAMs all over the World would get on at the same time. I bought a log, and would document the call signs and information on the HAMs I located.

...That was an interesting and fun time in my life. :) ;D ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 16, 2021, 07:14:31 PM: while I did build a crystal radio set once, I never built a full on receiver as you did but understand the basic concepts from working in IT for 20 years, I did have an all band receiver that could pick up most every type of public access frequency, sw, lw, am, fm, mb, etc. I also set up my own copper wire antenna connecting it into a tree and from there to a small shed I used as a makeshift lab of sorts at the time.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 18, 2021, 01:52:22 PM: ...How to bribe a bully... ::)

...I grammar school, we had a kid who would bully us girls. We would get out on the playground, and he would shove us around, and we would run to where the Yard Supervisor was, and complain. She would lecture him, and he would just look down, and the next recess, would start in again. One morning, I was sitting at my desk, and thought, "We have to get him to stop, we can't play our games." I looked over at him, and, realized, "Hey, we are bigger than he is." (Girls get their growth earlier than boys, yanno). So, I gathered four of my larger girlfriends, and we went way out to a corner of the playground. He followed us, and began pushing us around. I shrieked, and grabbed him by his hair, and began swinging him around. The other four also started shrieking, and punching and kicking at him. He fought back, but he was outnumbered, and, well, we were not fighting 'fair'. Kids ran over, and watched, and cheered, (not sure for whom), and the Yard Supervisor ran over and broke us up.

...We all got sent to the Principal, and he listened to us. Of course the boy lied, saying that he NEVER bothered us, and that we had gotten him to follow us out to the playground, and then began beating him up. We were VERY excited, and angry, and we told our side of the story. I believe that I saw the Principal look down a few times, and the corners of his lips turned up, but he was serious when he looked at us, and reminded us that fighting on school grounds was forbidden. We just nodded. We all had to write a 500 word essay on why fighting was bad, and the Principal probably told the Yard Supervisors to carefully watch if they saw the "Juvenile Female Assault Gang" gathering again.

...The bully did calm down, he left us, and others, alone. One time, during lunch, he walked over to where three of us were sitting, and planted his butt in front of us. The three of us had school lunches, which included a piece of pumpkin pie, he didn't have anything. (He was from a disadvantaged home, and, back then, the schools just didn't hand out free lunches). We hadn't eaten the pie, we had tried it in the past, and didn't like it. He made small conversation, as we just looked at him, and then he asked, "You gonna eat the pie?" We all said, "No", and he asked if he could have it. (In the past, he would have just taken it off our trays). We said that he could have the pies, and, he ate them in a way that I HAD NEVER SEEN!!! :o :o :o :o

...He would just pick one up, tilt his head back, and drop the whole thing into his mouth!!!! He would chew and swallow, and then eat another one in the same manner. He thanked us, when he was done, and walked away, while we were collapsing with a major attack of the 'giggles'.

...I didn't inter-relate with him after grammar school, we were placed in different classes, he wasn't very good in academics, but was a fairly good athlete. He was on the football team. The year that I was the Announcer at the football games, I'd introduce the starting team members of each side. I'd feel tempted to say, when I introduced him, "Hey Johnnie, remember when my girlfriends and I beat you up? Do play with some skill and aggression tonight." ::) 'Cept, he was certainly stronger than me, then, and probably would have run up to the booth and beat the crap out of me.

...Ah, to be young and foolish again...I am getting old...but still retain my foolishness, as many have seen. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 18, 2021, 02:26:40 PM: love your stories and he may have simply been seeking attention or was lacking domething from home and thus behaved as a bully not that this is an excuse for poor behaviour but helping him with food or showing other types of attention helped it seems. I was an antibully my jr and sr yr in high school the bullies were afraid of me lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 21, 2021, 03:35:11 PM: ...OK, time to COME ALIVE since I am alone...and have some coin in the bank.

...FUGGETABOUT the SUV, and driving the quartet to gigs. I'm gonna get me one of THESE!...

...https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=KOSxXvIR&id=1AAAD162FE033E77EA24269CB4626F55C22543E8&thid=OIP.KOSxXvIRvt8COMLnhE5YxQHaD4&mediaurl=https%3A%2F%2Fd39a3h63xew422.cloudfront.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F07%2F23000408%2Fwould-you-park-maserati-s-modern-supercar-in-your-garage-1476933849809-1200x628.jpg&cdnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fth.bing.com%2Fth%2Fid%2FR28e4b15ef211bedf0238c2e7844e58c5%3Frik%3D6EMlwlVvYrScJg&pid=ImgRaw&exph=628&expw=1200&q=maserati&simid=608050245466609954&ck=A8A72F38841DCDE03FCC71AD3FEF181E&selectedindex=17&qpvt=maserati&form=EX0023&adlt=demote&shtp=GetUrl&shid=df9733f3-8dcf-4495-91e9-0fd1f54e56e7&shtk=V291bGQgWW91IFBhcmsgTWFzZXJhdGnigJlzIE1vZGVybiBTdXBlcmNhciBJbiBZb3VyIEdhcmFnZT8g4oCiIFBldHJvbGljaW91cw%3D%3D&shdk=Rm91bmQgb24gQmluZyBmcm9tIHBldHJvbGljaW91cy5jb20%3D&shhk=H3TGAN32RLNoXIyBdguO1zXPSf1V2dLe1C5%2BlfPtkAU%3D&shth=OSH.6vuexbwKoUeUGOoyO6Wv%252Fw

...and roll into the area. I will be dressed 'to kill;, and will drag my cello behind me in the cart. I will play the gig, and then cut in front of the buffet line, and...EAT ALL OF THE SHRIMP...and then take off.

...Wonder how many gigs I will be invited to ? ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 21, 2021, 04:50:06 PM: smiles go for it
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 26, 2021, 04:09:51 PM: ...I invented skateboards...BUT NEVER GOT CREDIT!!!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...When I was little, my friends and I rode our bicycles all over town. We were very active, physically, and were also very experimental. We made 'scooters'. We would nail some roller skates to the bottom of a 2x4, and nail another board to the front, so that we had a handle. We would ride those all over the neighborhood, making a lot of noise. A few times, a couple of my girl friends and I would ride them into the center of town, have some ice cream, and ride them back.

...Once, the handle of mine broke off, so I just held the handle under my arm as I pushed myself on the 2x4. Some guys were watching us... ::)

...Later, we would see the guys, they had just nailed roller skates to the bottom of a board, and were moving very fast.

...I was 'moody' as a child, but teachers seemed to like me. The 8th grade math teacher addressed me as "Crazy P---------" (Don't think that a teacher could do that, now), he would 'assign' me extra tasks to report to the class. "Hey, Crazy P-------, see the footnote on negative integers? Look them up and report to the class next week." I would do so... :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[

...He assigned me a task on Friday, and I got very moody...I was having trouble understanding it. I didn't get much sleep, and skipped breakfast. I tried to understand the manner in which the equation developed, but couldn't. I decided to ride my bike...and rode for two hours...I was at a large shopping mall. I pulled my bike into the ice cream store, and got kicked out...they took my order outside. I sat at a table, and ate my ice cream. It calmed me down, and my mind focused on the equation, and I figured it out. Ice cream gets we female minds focused. ;D I did grumble as I left...it would be a long ride back home.

...I went 'Full Panther' in my Senior year at H.S. I was obsessed with playing the cello, although I was still taking the full range of subjects. The English teacher assigned us to write an essay on rock music, and I didn't want to do it, since I didn't listen to rock music. (But, a few years later, I produced two large rock concerts in the large city concert hall.) I asked if I could write an essay on classical music, and he said 'NO'. I went to my Counselor, and asked just HOW MANY units did I need to graduate. We figured it out, and I dropped English, and a bunch of other courses. I was simply NOT going to write an essay on rock music. Although, looking back, I think I could have written an interesting essay comparing rock music to Beethoven.

...I hung around the school, after my few classes were over, usually in the Chemistry Lab. I would prepare the experiments for the Juniors, and do my own experiments. I came close to blowing up the Lab, once, but I was following a formula handed to me by the teacher. (Nitro-Benzine). I was told to THINK about what I was doing in further experiments. (My mind didn't obey, I set the enclosed lab area on fire a few times...the teachers didn't know that...I cleaned up and kept my mouth shut)

...I did graduate, with high honors, and had two nice scholarships
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 26, 2021, 10:38:18 PM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 02, 2021, 07:47:41 PM: ...Cereus Cactus.... :D

...https://youtu.be/G3x6XES_sJk

...We have three of these in our back yard, and they JUST BLOOMED!!!! ;D I had been watching them the last week, and a few hours ago, there were just the stalks of the flowers. I just took my Mother out for our evening walk, and THERE WERE FLOWERS!!!! :) We looked at them, and then my Mother said that she would get some vases ready. I just shrugged, the plant only blooms at night, and then the flowers die in the morning, so I carefully clipped them off and brought them in. The flowers are in our living room, they are large, twice the size of my hand, and they smell nice.

...It will be interesting to see how long they live, and we will enjoy looking at them, and hoping that we get more next year. The cactus only blooms once a year.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 03, 2021, 06:42:56 AM: ...Bumper Cars...only AMERICANS understand them...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...During H.S., my Parents sent me to Spain one summer. They said that it was so I could visit another Country, and experience another Culture. (They probably just wanted to get me out of the house, and sending me onto the other side of the Planet would keep things calm at home.) They were correct, my 'Catalan Spanish' improved, and I ate a lot of nice food. I was roaming a Museum when another American joined me. (We got married a number of years later...I have mixed feelings on that...we recently divorced..it WAS impressive, in my mind, when people asked where we met...and I would answer "El Museo del Prado")

...Anyway, in Madrid, I got another girl to sneak away with me to an amusement park. We rode the Metro, and got off and had fun. We ate nice snacks, and rode rides. I was the one who grabbed her arm, and we climbed into a two seater electric ''bumper car'. I was surprised when the ride was turned on, everyone else were just driving around the rink, it was boring. So, I started bumping the other cars. :o Many were surprised... ::) This went on for two terms, and then the Spaniards realized what 'bumper cars' were. A few just wanted to go round and round, and my friend and I would ram them... >:( and turn them in other directions.

...During the last round, my friend and I were getting slaughtered...we were hammered from ALL directions... :P When the power went off, we got out, and walked out of the ring...we were laughing...we had had fun. ;D Our friends were also laughing, they said that at the last session, ALL of the Spaniards were going after us, shouting....

...GET THE AMERICANS...GET THE AMERICANS...GET THE AMERICANS!!!!!!

...We weren't carrying a flag, and we were wearing clothing that we had bought in Madrid...but...

...I guess we just stood out... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 03, 2021, 09:57:40 AM: they learned fast it seems lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 03, 2021, 07:55:22 PM: ...A TRUE occurrence...I swear!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

...Years ago, when my children were young, my H and I got involved in a Japanese exchange program. We would get a high school aged boy or girl, and the student would live with us for two months. It was fun, the guest would get better at English, and we would take them to places in CA. They were always excited when we took them to Disneyland. :) There were always a few 'cultural misunderstandings', though. We took a young man to a drive in theatre, and he left his shoes outside of our car, and we drove away. (Japanese don't wear shoes in their homes, it is a cultural hygiene issue) The funniest was when I had two girls in my car, and we were on a freeway, I was doing 65, and we passed by a drive in. They pointed at the huge screen, and asked, "What is that?" I said that it was a screen, and at night, movies would be shown. They then talked quietly, in Japanese, and then one said...

..."They must be very short movies"...

...I almost went off the road, I was laughing so hard. When I calmed down, I explained what a drive in was. That weekend, we took both of them with us to watch a movie at that drive in, so I could prove that I was telling the truth. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 03, 2021, 08:03:13 PM: lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 05, 2021, 06:13:32 PM: ...Izee' was traveling with Marcus Hrolfson...

...https://youtu.be/tihmQmPqSdM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 05, 2021, 07:34:55 PM: smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 07, 2021, 02:18:08 PM: ...Playing the Piano....

...At my prime, I could play this. I was a cello and piano Performance Major at the Conservatory. ;D
It is the Great Gate of Kiev, by Mussorsky. (sp)

...That is when I became slightly insane, I couldn't believe what my hands were doing. I was just watching them. the work was in my head, and my hands were romping all over the piano. At the development, I was looking at 'Lefty', She had the theme and was also sounding the bell of the Cathedral, and 'Righty' was up the keyboard, I couldn't see her, but she was sounding the celebration bells, and I swear, she was having fun! I took a quick look at her, and she was jumping up and down, landing on different feet. I then looked back at Lefty, she needed me to coach her. We finished the piece, and I just sat for a while. The two were in my lap, sleeping, and I had to wake them up, so I could get some water.

...I did descend into full blown irredeamable insanity, later...I became...a...

...LAWYER.... :o :o :o :o :o :o

...The IRS had to rewrite a Regulation, it had a loophole that I used to get a Client out of a huge tax assessment. The IRS supervisor was glaring at me, and I just smiled at him...(It was my 'mean smile')...and I told Him, "See you in Tax Court". I left, and got a letter saying that they were accepting my position. An Agent sent me a copy of the new Regulation, and said, "Good job". :) He had taught a Continuing Education class that I had to attend to keep my licence, and he liked me.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 07, 2021, 03:20:14 PM: rare to be so accomplished in 2 fields
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 08, 2021, 03:26:16 AM: ...Libera me, Domine, de morte eterna...

...The Faure Requiem, that work REALLY caught my attention. I was a Frosh at Conservatory, and had to take the Choral Class, although I didn't like to sing. I have a strong Alto, but it has strange overtones, and is not predictable. At times, it is pleasant, other times it is cringworthy when I sing. My voice does attract compliments, I have an unusual accent, and I pronounce my words very well. I was sent to a special class when I was young, I lisped and slurred my speech, and I had to do all kinds of exercises so I could speak clearly. I guess that all of the training and practice I did helped me later. I would do my closing argument in a Jury Trial, and all of the members of the Jury would be looking at me...and NOT because of my clothing.

...I stood in the alto section during the class, and would sing, just enjoying the work. The Professor kicked me out of the class a couple weeks before the concert, and told me to practice the cello part. I was the Principal Cellist, and the work is all about the lower strings playing the music. I would drag my cello into class, and wait until he kicked me out, and I would go into a practice room and work on the music for an hour. :P But, I would also go into the music 'Lab', strap on headphones, and study the work and softly sing the alto part.

...The concert came up, and I was ready, I KNEW the work, and the alto parts. We started, and the Professor was surprised when I was singing, as I played. I had the cello part, and the alto part memorized...and I was just being difficult. (Part of the way I have lived my life, I don't blend in at times).

...I was quiet when the Bass/Baritone sang "Libera Me". I joined in singing the chorus...and the hairs on the back of my neck rose, and I didn't have to work hard to keep my throat open. "Dies ire, dies magna, et amare, amare val de" (sp) My voice was full, and the Conductor looked at me...but he couldn't stop me...I was swiping my bow across the strings, and was leading the section.

...We got to the last movement, and I was exhausted. At the very end, the cellos finish, and I got some energy, and lead my section...we alternated the ending phrase, and finished....and...

...I kept my bow on the string...the rest of the section followed me...and we sat there as the work was over...our bows on the stings. The Conductor just looked at me, he had been directing us, and I just looked back into his eyes. He then turned away, and set down his baton, looked at the score, and then turned and looked at the audience....we still had our bows on the string.

...The aupplause began, and we set our bows down.

...It was hard for me to walk off the stage...

...I had left part of myself on the stage. One of my roommates drove me back to our apt, and I sat and cried for a while, and then went to bed.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 08, 2021, 09:40:26 AM: one always leaves a bit of themselves behind after a good performance
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 08, 2021, 03:28:34 PM: ...Getting my 'bones' back... ::)

...After a performance as I described above, I would fall into a deep depression. :( I really had left part of myself on the stage, and I didn't know where it was. I wouldn't eat, unless a roommate stood over me. I would choke down a KFC chicken breast...they both knew that I liked KFC...and I would struggle in classes. I would wonder what had happened to me, and tell myself "Give up the cello and the piano." B
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 08, 2021, 04:08:53 PM: ...But I would get back to the lonely practice rooms. Spending hours, every day, alone in a closet sized room affected my mind. I would sit, and my mind would go all over, and it went into strange places. I would come up with amazing thoughts. One led me to sitting in the back seat of a police car...and I was holding a shoebox full of cash. I had produced a Roberta Flack concert, and I had ALL of the cash, it was a little over 20K. The cops hauled me out of the theatre, threw me into the back of their squad car, and drove me back to the campus. I had called the student Financial Director, and he met me at the office, and we counted the cash as the police watched. They then took him to the bank, to make a deposit, and I wandered back across the bridge to my apt.

...(Shows how honest I was...I was a starving student...and I could have grabbed a few hundred dollars...and no one would have known. I went back to KFC, and Ramen noodles...and stayed a starving student.)

...The President of the University was surprised, student Social Directors always LOST a lot of money producing a concert. I had a HUGE surplus in my budget when my term was up...and I was FURIOUS!!! My successor put on a HUGE party on campus, and people were commenting that THAT was what a director should be doing. When I had taken over, I had $431 in my budget from the last director, I put on a dance and pizza party. My successor had over $4K and he did put on a nice party, with a professional rock group and lots of food.

...I ate my full share of the food, and a friend gave me wine to drink. I walked back across the lonely bridge, the Bastard made a short speech, and he didn't thank me or acknowledge that I had left him with a nice surplus to put on the party.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 08, 2021, 06:05:33 PM: ungrateful producers what can one say. but you show all signs of a great performer
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 08, 2021, 11:00:02 PM: ...My GREATIST trial objection...it SHOULD be in the books. ;)

...i have an unusual last name, it is a common word, and at first I didn't like it. I was actually thinking of changing it when I was a child. My Father comforted me, saying, "Yes, our name is unusual, but people will remember it." I just learned to live with it, and would laugh when people asked me to spell it. It is only 5 letters, and is a common word.

...I was handling a Jury Trial, and I REALLY didn't like the other attorney. He was rude, and seemed to think that because I was a woman, he could think better than me. But, I had him set up. I did my 'bewildered female' act during discovery...(I was good at that)...but I got all that I needed. He was toast... ::)

...During the trial, he saw the 'REAL' me, and I took him to the woodshed. Two of his witnesses were excluded, and documents weren't allowed to be introduced. I left the 'bewildered female' back home, and brought out my 'relaxed professional' personna, and the Jury listened to me. He got very frustrated during the trial. During the closing arguments, he began using my last name in very insulting manners. I sat for a while...and then got angry...I stood...and shouted...

....OBJECTION, YOUR HONOR...HE IS MAKING FUN OF MY LAST NAME!!!!!!!!!!!!

...The Judge and opposing attorney stared at me, and I could see members of the Jury holding back laughter.

...I just sat down...the Judge didn't rule on my objection...I just planted my butt back into the chair.

...I did win the Trial... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 08, 2021, 11:59:41 PM: always said lawyers have to be sneaky lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 09, 2021, 01:41:50 PM: ...Eating offal... :o

...When I was young, I was a very finickey eater...I didn't like fat, or anything that was tough. I wouldn't eat a chicken drumstick because of the tendons, and if I had to eat a thigh I would carefully dissect it. But, that changed when I was invited to hunt. ::) I would be the lone female, with five bearded guys, and we would stay in a cabin in the foothills. I tried to dress down, in jeans and a flannel shirt...but a couple guys did invite me to sleep with them. I refused, two of the men worked for me, and I figured that they would lose respect for me if they saw me shacking up. Plus, I could only imagine the conversation if I gave in. One coworker really watched over me. He kept the others away when I bathed in the creek...although I suspect that he did sneak a peek. I mean, a man out in the wild, knowing that a naked woman was nearby, would probably want to take a look.

...Anyway, Jeff got a deer, and I helped him clean it. I put the heart and liver in the cavity...and he added the kidneys and some intestine. I got a bit green. We got back to the cabin, and Jeff cooked. I helped a little bit...but...I truly believe that ONLY MEN KNOW HOW TO BBQ!!! It must be genetic. He made a GREAT dinner, and we sat around the table and ate. Their Grandpa was present, he was too weak to hunt, but he enjoyed being at the cabin, while we young people hunted. (He also cheated at cards, but we just let him... ;))

...We were eating dinner, and Grandpa got frustrated at me. I was carefully carving a lean piece of meat, and he carved parts of the organs, and placed them on my plate. He gruffly said, "Now, THIS is good eating." The other men were holding back laughter, wondering what I would do. I looked at the old man, and smiled...and proceeded to eat everything. I didn't like the texture of the organs, but I just kept chewing, and swallowed. I was telling myself..."Don't throw up...don't throw up!"

...Grandpa and I were partners in the pinocle game after the evening hunt. When I won the bid, he wouldn't pass me the regulation four cards, I would get 7 or 8. I would pass him back the same number, the other players pretended that they didn't see anything.

...Those were nice times... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 09, 2021, 06:11:19 PM: only had venison once but enjoyed it but never went hunting myself, though I know many who go every year. has been years since I played pinochle but remember getting double aces around one time immediate game win.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 09, 2021, 10:23:51 PM: ...Once, when I WASN"T a HUNTRESS... ::)

...We were deer hunting, at the section of land that a co-worker owned. We all gathered at the cabin...and...well...drinking occurred that evening. I wasn't used to drinking, but I tried to keep up with the guys. I fell asleep, and they had to shake me to wake me up in the morning. I tried to eat the scrambled eggs and bacon, but could barely hold down some coffee.

...They loaded me into the pickup, and drove to a place. They directed me to go sit at a spot, and said that they would drive the deer towards me. I settled in, and then my rational mind woke up. I unloaded my 30:06, and went to sleep.

...They were laughing when they woke me up, they said that several 8 pointers had walked near me, and I was leaning back against the tree...fast asleep...my rifle laying across my lap. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 10, 2021, 09:37:11 AM: lol though I have never tasted alcohol, I can relate to being that tired.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 11, 2021, 07:01:30 PM: ...When I left my job, when I briefly moved to Kansas, the female secretaries cried. I was an 'interesting' boss. I held myself to high standards, and expected everyone else to perform well. I mean, we were usually defending people who had been sued over an auto accident. Many would be afraid that they would lose their house, or their life savings. I would get the cases over as quickly as possible, the GD Junior Partner of the firm would get angry at me. Once he came into my office, shut the door, and shouted at me. I had gotten my client out of a huge case, by paying the other side $250. The Insurance Company was relieved, and my client was very grateful. She sent me a large fruit basket that I shared.

...He yelled at me, saying that we could have charged the Insurance Company $2k a day, and the trial was scheduled for two weeks. I just said, "Last I looked at Legal Ethics, my job was to get the client out of the case. There was a possibility for a large judgement against her, and no one wants to sit in a Courtroom." He just walked out... :P

...I was then assigned every 'shit job' that came up, even though my business and tax practice was taking off. I could collect $450 an hour for a complex tax case, but I had to turn down clients because I was getting up a 6:00 am, and driving across the state for an OEX. (Order of Examination) An Insurance Company had a judgement against a person, and I would quiz him about his finances. I would have the person hand me their wallet, and look though it. If there was cash, I would take it, although a few times I looked into the eyes of a tired woman, and would just hand the wallet back, with the cash still inside.

...I got depressed, and realized that I had no future in the firm. I mean, I wanted to practice tax and business law, and I would actually get excited when a complex tax case came in. A number of times, an IRS supervisor just went through the motions of an audit, and then dropped the assessment. Numbers 'speak' to me...(My Father trained me well, as a child, in bookkeeping)...and I just don't give up.

...I went to another firm, and did well. My name became the second on the letterhead.

...The secretaries and I had a nice lunch, on my last day...several were crying as we parted...and I sat in my car and cried before I left.

...And I don't cry, easily.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 11, 2021, 07:09:53 PM: always good to work at a place where you aee that well liked
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 11, 2021, 10:59:38 PM: ...Having my usual challenging evening...my Mother will be going to bed, soon.

...She is very alert, but at this time of the evening, she likes to tease me. She reminds me of things I did as a child...(I mean, we ALL do stupid things as children). I get tempted to tease her back, but don't. She is old, and I don't want to hurt her feelings, and I am happy when she comments that she is grateful that I am living with her. So, I am just drinking my tea, and will get to bed in a while.

...But, part of me wants to get out, live life, and perhaps attract a man. I couldn't bring him home, my mother made it clear that I can't bring home a 'boyfriend'. But, she would have to accept if I said that we had gotten married. But, we would have to live elsewhere, and I would be worried. Once, she was calling my name, and she was laying down in the living room. I asked her what had happened, and she just said that she was tired. I helped her up, and got her settled down.

...So, I will stay with her, she keeps saying that the house is mine. I just nod, only her name is on the title, and when the time comes, my brother and I will have an equal share. He has said that I can live in it, he is rich, and I have coin in the bank. So, I guess that I can put on my red dress, and haul a young hunk back for a night. (Just kidding...the only man I have ever had sex with was my Ex.)

...Life is so challenging, and interesting. I have experienced youth, going to college, attracting a man, bearing and raising children, having a profession, performing music...and when I spent two weeks, alone, hiking Mt Lassen. The Rangers told me not to go into a certain area, especially since I was alone...but I did. I walked along the thermals, smelling sulfur, but got to a lake, stripped, and bathed. I did stop at campsites, and checked in with the Rangers, so they knew that I was alive. I would sit at a table, alone, and eat a can of spam, or some other crappy food I had in my pack. Children would stare at me...and I would glare and growl. ;D I was the forest 'wild woman', and I played the part to them. One young girl actually came up to me, and offered me a bisquit. I could see her parents closely watching, and I thanked her, and ate it. I then headed back into the forest, my pack on my back.

...I was a total mess when I finished, I had lost weight, and had scratches all over my face and body, and my hair was a mess.

...I couldn't do that again, I am older, and not in good shape.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 12, 2021, 09:33:33 AM: none of us are getting younger lol. I get tsking care if your mum but you need a life too, perhaps find a balance.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 12, 2021, 01:54:10 PM: ...You do have a point. Nate, and my Mother has said that she would like to see me get out, more. I don't need to work, and I don't want to go back to practicing Law or Accounting. The IRS would be unhappy if I activated my license, I would probably come up with a more creative idea, than the "Reverse Triangular Merger" that they had to figure out. I just sat on my butt, and stared at the Agents as they tried to understand my paperwork...I was NOT helpful. (And there was a LOT of paperwork. I had loaded it with EVERYTHING I could think of, even how the weather could affect a decision.) They just signed off on it.

...My brother has suggested that I become a 'Greeter' at Walmart...but I would probably only last a couple days...

...I would SCARE people away...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 12, 2021, 05:42:31 PM: ...When a deposition went sideways... ::)

...I was deposing a Chiropractor, and I do respect the profession. One fixed my shoulder. But I wasn't sure about this one. I got ornery, and addressed him as "Mister". He got upset, and said that he was a Doctor. I took some time, looking at his CV, and said, "I don't see a Medical Degree here." He got angry...right where I wanted him. I told him, "I have a Juris Doctor degree, so I will address you as Doctor, but you need to do the same to me."

...The other attorneys joined in, saying that they also had JD's. So the deposition was INSANE..."Objection, Doctor. What is the basis, Doctor? Don't answer the question, Doctor. Look at the record, Doctor."

...The case settled...if we had had to read the transcript in open Court...the Judge probably would have adjorned, and hauled my ass into the chambers.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 12, 2021, 08:12:35 PM: I do not think you would scare people at wal mart but would love to see you reactivate your license and scare the irs, they need a good scare.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 12, 2021, 10:07:20 PM: ...Eating a pigs head, I am Catholic, not Kosher... :o

...We were visiting Family in Mexico, and they were having a feast. My brother and I were excited, we ran all over, and ate what was set out. It was VERY good...then...they bought out a roasted pig head. We stared at it, and the women descended on it and tore meat off it with their hands, and ate. My friend hauled me to it, and got me to pull meat off, and eat. That was hard, the eyes were still in the head, and I tore meat off the cheeks and the back of the head. I ate it...

...So, I guess that I am, officially, a barbarian. ::)

...Fuggetabout all of the initials after my name.... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 13, 2021, 09:51:12 AM: some dishes are made to be eaten with the hands. smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 14, 2021, 02:26:28 PM: ...When I blew up a mountain... :o

...I really enjoyed working for the vertically integrated construction company. I was the chief beancounter, (Treasurer/Controller), and I kept the books of 12 companies. I would go out, and visit the companies during the year. I would help their accountants with their records, and try to learn about the business. There was ONE business that I would not enter...it was a house of 'ill repute' in Nevada. (Blush) Back then, you could speak more freely, and tease each other in the workplace, and not worry about being sued. The manager would tease me, saying that I needed to learn more about the business, and so I should spend a week working with the girls. I told him, "If I did that, I'd get so popular, that I would take the girls and open my own place and drive you out of business."

...But, back to the mountain. We had several rock quarries, and a few times a year they would blast a side to collect the rock. I told a manager that I really wanted to see that done. He contacted me, and I drove to the quarry, with my helmet on my head. I was excited to have a reason to wear my helmet, the President of the Companies had given me a brand new one, it was white, with the Company logo on it. Sometimes I would wear it in my office. My staff would ask me why, and I would say..."I am preparing, and making up, the tax return for the company...and the Gods might collapse my office." They would quickly leave.

...The manager deposited me into his pickup, and we drove to the quarry. We walked along the front of the side as explosives were being inserted, and wired. I briefly held one, and quickly handed it back to the Engineer. We then drove a distance away, and I just sat as the manager spoke on a walkie talkie. He then nodded, and pointed at a box that had a big red button, and said, "Put these in your ears, first." I stuffed pieces of sponge into my ears, and then, after he nodded, I pushed the button.

...There was a HUGE EXPLOSION...and I just stared as the wall collapsed. I could feel the ground vibrating under my feet. We just went partway back into the quarry, the manager said that more rock could fall. I could hear, and see the Cat 980's revving up, and we left. I had pieces of rock in my purse that I gave to my staff. I told them...

..."Don't make me angry, you won't like me when I am angry, I just blew up a mountain."

...I was holding back laughter as I left the room, one woman was saying...

..."None of us like you, anyway."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 14, 2021, 03:31:43 PM: would think they would all like you smiles. lol on the quarry though
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 15, 2021, 01:45:07 PM: ...Learning to control my 'poker face'...when I was facing the IRS... >:(

...I will have to admit that most of the Agents I faced were fair. There was one guy I really liked. I would be sitting at the table, a list of the deductions they were contesting, and I would have a pile of paperwork besides me. He would make some small talk, as I just stared at him. We would start to go down the list, and I would defend each one. After a few, he would sigh, and say, "OK, I'll give you every other one." I would smile, and say, "OK, let's start here." I hadn't prepared the return, and I knew that the deductions would be hard to defend. A few times, he bought me a drink after the audit, and I would think...

..."Wow, I am drinking with the IRS." We would have an honest talk, I would acknowledge that we all had to pay taxes, and he would admit that some IRS supervisors didn't give a damn if they destroyed businesses and bankrupted individuals.

...There was one agent who was a total asshole, he was a bully. I would be defending a person for free, and would argue that there was no way that the lower middle class woman could pay the assessment. He was racist, and would say, "Those people can come up with cash, when they need it." I would lose my sedate 'poker face'. I usually was able to get the case resolved, when the supervisors got involved. One time, I was handling an audit of one of the Firm's big business clients. I was sitting with the Senior Partner of the Firm, and we were listening to what that Agent was asserting against our client. I was losing my 'poker face', and I felt a hard squeeze on my left wrist. The Partner had seen my expressions, and was signaling me to 'stand down'.

...He actually told me to fetch coffee, and I went to the breakroom, calmed down, and returned with a tray of coffee and sides.

...I just listened as they spoke, sipped some coffee, ate a few cookies...and kept my thoughts to myself. My 'poker face' returned.

...I did 'win' the audit... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 15, 2021, 07:36:47 PM: every citizen needs a defender like you against the irs
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 16, 2021, 02:24:08 AM: ...Why I had to leave the one Law Firm... ::)

...I was doing well, but the Junior Partner didn't like me. It was because I wouldn't 'suck up' to him. He thought that he walked on water, and the other associates praised him, and told him how wonderful he was. I just don't 'suck up' to superiors...(Unless it is r/p on on a web game)...so he didn't like me. He was a real idiot, the 'Hollywood Arrogant Attorney', I tried to get to help him. He was the 'Boss from Hell', I got assigned the shit jobs. I drove all over CA, trying to collect $150 from a widow, when I could have sat in my office and collected $450 an hour from men who could afford it.

...I came into the office on Sunday, and gathered all of my 'stuff' and took it home. I had decided to quit, and I wanted to make it quick...and I did. On Monday, I just walked into the Senior Partners office, and said that the job wasn't working out, handed over the office keys, and drove my personal car out of the designated parking spot.

...It is amazing how personal dislike can affect a business. If I was a Partner in a Law Firm, and an Associate was bringing in $180K a year, I would give her bonuses, and not care that I didn't like her.

...That firm did break up about a year after I left. I heard that the Junior Partner had to be hauled out of the Courtroom because he was shouting and hollaring during the dissolution hearings.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 16, 2021, 10:08:31 AM: one person can make or break a company. perhaps you could have started your own firm.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 16, 2021, 09:46:41 PM: ,,,So true, Nate. Later in life, when I was in Management...I didn't care if I liked, or disliked someone below me...I just looked to see if he or she were doing their job. I would smile, when I sensed someone coming after me, they had NO idea who they were tangling with. The Boss trusted me, I had gotten him and the Company out of problems with the IRS, and the Bank and Bonding Company accepted my quarterly reports. I would just assign the jerks the 'shit jobs', and sit in my office, and do the high level finances. Once, I needed to take a private plane to look at a subsidiary, and the Boss bought a 'key woman' insurance policy on me, and told the pilot to take care. The pilot let me fly, most of the trip, but I took my hands off of the wheel, and my feet off of the pedals as we landed.

...I then had to unload my calculator, and my right hand pounded the keys as I checked through the records. I also walked around the quarry, looking at the piles of rock and sand, and the equipment. (I was wearing my white helmet)

...I got back to the airport, and just slumped in the co-pilots seat, and declined to fly the plane. I mean, I was a female accountant,,,but...

...I could see what was going on in the rock quarry...

...We had to liquidate the company

... :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 16, 2021, 11:42:52 PM: sorry you had to lose the secondary company hopefully it did not affect the parent company where you worked.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 17, 2021, 04:19:56 PM: ...Can use some good thoughts. My daughter had a bad fall, she fractured the tibia and fibula of her left leg, and is in the hospital. Thankfully, she didn't hurt her head.

...Being a Lawyer, I told her H to take lots of pictures of the scene...and of her and her leg.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 17, 2021, 05:28:14 PM: hopes she heals quickly and sorry to hear
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 17, 2021, 06:10:59 PM: ...I just spoke to her, she was slightly sedated, but seemed clear headed. They were about to take her in for another surgery, and we had to stop when the Nurses arrived. It will be a couple days before we can talk again. Her H said that he will let us know when we can visit. We spoke seriously, but being me, I told her to 'milk this'...get a walker...moan and groan...and get her H to bring her lots of snacks. (He was laughing, we were on a speaker phone)

...I know that ANY operation is serious, things can happen...but the attitude of the patient is so important. I deposed a NeuroSurgeon, and asked why some people got through a complex operation, and discharged quickly. He said that he could tell. If the patient was happy, and smiling, the results were usually good. If the person was depressed, and just staring...well...it wouldn't go well.

...So, I had some fun, when my gall bladder went bad. ::) I was in deep pain, and the MD examined me, and said, "I hope that you aren't fond of your gall bladder." I pretended to start crying, and said..."no, no. no." He got a worried look on his face, and then I laughed...(It hurt)...and said..."Just put it in a jar, so I can visit with it...and don't leave a big scar." He laughed, and patted my head. "You will have three small scars, but I am not going to give it back to you, it will be in small chunks."

...My head cleared quickly after the operation, and I ate the food they brought me. I also took the bedpan and other stuff that was on my bed when I checked out.

...I had actually enjoyed the anaestheliologist. (sp) I was laying on a gurney, in the hallway, and he stuck the needle in my arm, and adjusted the flow. I was relaxed, and we spoke of various things. Then, the drug was affecting me, and I was having trouble speaking. He asked me, "Are you feeling the drug?" I mumbled back, (I wasn't in my 'Professional' frame of mind), "This is dynamite shit, give me more".

...I woke up after the operation, and was feeling fairly good...and my gall bladder was gone.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 18, 2021, 06:23:17 PM: agreed any surgery is serious, lol on milking it but do hope all goes well
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 18, 2021, 08:18:58 PM: ...Death and the Maiden....https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=1311C53AA5132EE942551311C53AA5132EE94255&q=schubert's death and the maiden music&shtp=GetUrl&shid=a23f2755-bbec-4200-9ce6-796f82c98efb&shtk=U2NodWJlcnQ6IFN0cmluZyBRdWFydGV0IE5vLiAxNCAiRGVhdGggYW5kIFRoZSBNYWlkZW4i&shdk=U2NodWJlcnQ6IFN0cmluZyBRdWFydGV0IE5vLiAxNCBcIkRlYXRoIGFuZCBUaGUgTWFpZGVuXCIgSS4gQWxsZWdybyAwOjE1IElJLiBBbmRhbnRlIGNvbiBtb3RvIDEyOjA1IElJSS4gU2NoZXJ6byBBbGxlZ3JvIG1vbHRvIDI3OjAyIElWLiBQcmVzdG8gMzE6NDAgTWVyaWRpYW4gRW5zZW1ibGUgU3RyaW5nIFF1YXJ0ZXQgRG9taW5pa2EgRGFuY2V3aWN6LCB2aW9saW4gSSBKb2hubnkgQ2hhbmcsIHZpb2xpbiBJSSBXaGl0bmV5IEJ1bGxvY2ssIHZpb2xhIE9saXZlIENoZW4sIGNlbGxvIFZpc2l0IHVzIG9uIGh0dHA6Ly9tZXJpZGlhbmVuc2VtYmxlLndvcmRwcmVzcy5jb20vIEF1ZGlvL1ZpZGVvIC4uLg%3D%3D&shhk=ceY%2FQv92OlS8C47IP%2BL0MZMpVbelAub5zzYRpoXkAdw%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.Y-HEmGfxSbWUM9AHJqyM0QHgFo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 18, 2021, 08:40:34 PM: ...Performing music...I can understand why it is so difficult for professionals. I was what they called an accomplished amautuer, but it always took something out of me. We performed the above work at the funeral service of a cellist. We got into the second movement...and I played the cello solo for her. The other players held back, I was leading the quartet, using my arms to signal what to do. (Although the 1st violinist said that my face was speaking...he said that he got a bit concerned. At times, I was very sad, a few tears in my eyes...other times I was gritting my teeth, almost snarling...as I was angry at death.)

...It is hard to explain, sitting and listening to music is one thing...but holding an instrument against your body and playing it is another.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 19, 2021, 09:49:36 AM: I quite agree, the same is true of all art forms, book writing, painting, acting, etc.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 19, 2021, 03:20:24 PM: ...Hells Bells...shit...you name it...(Looking at the stock market)

...I guess that I am not a millionaire anymore... :P

...I will get out while I still have some cash, and buy some crates of spam. Me and my mother do like spam, when I was a kid I ate a lot of it. I liked it just out of the can, and in a sandwich. I would also fry it, and add an egg.

...SPAMALOT!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 19, 2021, 05:01:25 PM: ...Playing the cello....

...It is such an intimate instrument...I mean, you wrap your legs around it, and hold it against your breasts...and it VIBRATES!!!! I have two, 'Pavane', a lutier made him for me, and 'Katherine', she is over 100 years old. I treat them both very well, they are safe in 'hard cases', and I don't let anyone touch them. They are strapped to my back when I go out. Once, I was eating lunch, and Katherine was sitting next to me. Some children came up, and patted the top of her case, and I smiled and answered their questions. I told them that I was a traveling troubador, and I could see their parents laughing.

...I was dressed in my 'Concert Black', and after I ate, I strapped Katherine to my back and walked to the concert hall. I cleaned up, and tried to tune Katherine...she was cranky...it was difficult. Those hunks of lumber called 'cellos' are tempermental.

...But, it went well
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 19, 2021, 07:21:01 PM: yay in went well and the market is always volatile on stocks
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 19, 2021, 08:45:47 PM: ...Just gonna rant...cause this is my thread...and I am in a mood to rant...

...I worked very hard at another Home. I came in every night, and afternoon, and did my best to greet everyone. I planned, and put on festivals. I researched the culture, and even traveled to the r/t Island, so I could see it. But, a guy didn't like me, and humiliated me, and disgraced me. I should have put on my 'big girl panties', and stared him down. I think that many were expecting me to do that.

...I just left...I was crying...r/t...my r/t life was difficult...it was bad timing. I wanted the Net to be comforting, and fun...and I was crying.

...Gor can be so cruel...people can see when you are open and sad...and go in for the kill...and...

...THEY DO!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 20, 2021, 09:53:19 AM: sorry to hear of that happening. not all will take advantage some will try to offer comfort and to help.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 20, 2021, 05:35:29 PM: ...Thank you, Nate, you are correct that most typists are supportive. Rags has really been good to me, he saw what I was going through, and went out of his way to help. Other typists would chat with me, and comfort me. Just too many things happened at once, and I was alone in a different State...just divorced...no job...no friends...in a one room extended stay place. I was so physically weak that it was hard to walk. I would have to REALLY use a cane, and I devolved to where I needed to use a walker. I would fold it up, and grasp the the railing to carefully get down the stairs, and then I would unfold it, and stagger around the facility. I would have food delivered, and give the person a dollar, or two, to take my garbage down the stairs, and dump it. One young woman was very friendly, she would actually enter my unit, and look around for garbage to take out. I would put together a bag of newspapers, and such, so she would have something to carry out if I didn't have anything else.

Thor was also helpful and encouraged me to just stand up, get involved in some r/t events, and he gave me a High Honor.

...*Sighs* We all have limits. I was just pushed past mine. My plans for the future blew up in my face, I wanted to sail, get back into martial arts, do some volunteer work, and get back into the Church. I am thankful that my finances are fine, and my mother and I get along. She still teases me about silly things I did as a child, and I just nod. I was a precocious kid, and often didn't think ahead when I would do things. Once, I was riding my 10-speed in a field, and came home with blood all over my face and head. I had gone over the front, and landed on my head. I was dazed, and told my parents that I needed a shower.

...They hauled me to the hospital, and part of my head was shaved, and I got a bunch of stitches, and had to follow a concussion protical. My father would come into my bedroom at various times during the next three evenings, wake me up, and ask me simple questions. I would answer them as best I could. I was excused from PE for two weeks, I would just walk around the pavement, and watch the other girls playing soccer.

...But, I think that I recovered from the head injury, (I did become a Green Belt, and have a lot of initials after my name.)
although if I feel around the area, I will feel the raised area around the scar. I can't remember if my skull was cracked, or fractured...but that might explain why I behave as I do.

...We humans are pretty well designed. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 20, 2021, 06:35:40 PM: yes, we are very well designed to be sure. I am too am no longer able to return to martial arts. I think many have been hit with a shock of some sort that derailed plans and caused us to have to shift our plans.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 20, 2021, 11:54:39 PM: ...Being the 'sneaky bitch'... ::)...opposing attorneys were often surprised.

...I don't look very imposing, I am a small hispanic female, and my face looks innocent...large dark brown eyes, full lips, and high cheekbones. I actually practiced putting a confused and bewildered look on my face. I also practiced my voice, it could be higher pitched, and I would increase my accent and slur my words a bit. The secretaries in the office would laugh when I pulled that off in the office. I would do that during discovery, and the opposing attorney would relax during a deposition.

...BUT...came the TRIAL!!! ::)

...A Jury Trial is like putting on a play. I would carefully plan when to call my witnesses...I would put a strong one on at the start, and finish. I would also plan the cross exam...and, a few times...I would just look bored, and say "No questions" when they finished. (The guy had gutted me, but I didn't show it. I knew that if I questioned him, he would just repeat the testimony, and I just wanted to get his ass back into the Court parking lot.)

...I won all of my Jury Trials. An Insurance Adjuster was observing a trial. We were having lunch, I was just eating a bowl of yogurt, and he was worried. He kept saying, "I am going to settle this case." I stared at him, and said, "Just wait until I unload." He actually called his supervisor, and was told, "Call me in the afternoon."

...I defensed the case...when I was on my oats...I was VERY difficult...I would argue with the Judge. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 21, 2021, 09:44:43 AM: just be cautious when arguing with the judge so as not to get a contenpt charge. I tend to frustrate opposing attorneys when I am on the witness stand or in depositions as no matter how many times they ask the same question or rephrase it they get the same response. I had one going for hours the frustration showing on his face. another the judge basically told him enough, move on or end this.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 25, 2021, 03:00:25 AM: ...Sand fleas... ::)

...The past few years, I have wondered if those things are edible. I like to dig in the sand at the beach, usually because I like to build sand castles. :) My daughter and I would build a large one, and I would come across them when digging in wet sand. I just set them off to the side, and they would quickly dig down. I came across this video...and I am not sure I want to eat one. :P

...https://youtu.be/K5q9y1k6rTM

...But, I am an adventurous eater, I will eat the fried heads when I order 'sweet prawns' at a sushi bar. They actually aren't bad, they taste like shrimp, and are crunchy. When I was in Japan, I would order 'interesting' appetizers, in order to see what they tasted like. A few times, I took a mouthful of sake, and swished it around in my mouth, to rinse out the taste. (Problem with that approach, the sake would take over my sense of Judgement, and I would order another 'interesting' dish) :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 25, 2021, 10:08:01 AM: I like to try new dishes as well, however, never deceloped a desire for sushi, or as many I know call it bait.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 27, 2021, 01:01:21 AM: ...This is a pretty good song...when my children were young, and living at home, I often felt like this...

...https://youtu.be/famImCPJhZw

...On another note, a more serious note, CA is turning into a 'Mad Max' State. >:( There is an increase in gang violence, and random shootings. A woman with her daughter and an infant was driving on a freeway near where I live, and some people drove by her and shot her and the older daughter. She was not affiliated with a gang, or anything like that. She died, the older daughter is in critical condition, thankfully the baby wasn't injured. Shoplifting has gone through the roof. Every night, in the news, they show tapes of a criminal walking into a Dept store, carrying a large garbage bag, who then proceeds to fill it with expensive items (until the value approaches $950)...and then just walks out. Often, you can see a 'Security Guard', who just watches!!!!! :o Our brilliant Governor released thousands of prisoners on his first day in office, saying that there were just too many people of color. Well, if a Jury convicts a criminal, I don't give a damn what color his skin is.

...They did ask the Store Manager why nothing was done, and he just says, "If I called the police, they probably wouldn't come, and if they did, the thief would just get a citation." Security guards don't dare lay a hand on a thief, they, and the store, would get sued for everything the scumbag lawyer could think of. So...guess what is happening....

...STORES ARE CLOSING, PERMANENTLY...

...A similar thing is happening to self defense. The Republican Assembly passed the "Stand your ground" act a few years ago , which meant that if someone came at you with a knife, or club, and you had a gun...you could shoot the bastard. But, the Dems want to repeal it, saying, "Well, if you can retreat, that is what you should do." So, that is why CA is shrinking in population. The decent people are leaving, and the small business owners are moving to Texas and other sane states.

...Now, some of the politicians are begging Police Officers to return, the Bay Area is over 200 Officers short, and they aren't returning. The Mayors of major cities have cut Law Enforcement Budgets by 100's of millions of dollars...("Defund the Police" is very popular here)...but then they spend millions of TAXPAYER DOLLARS to hire private security for THEMSELVES!!!!

...The Dems are also introducing bills to eliminate the "Qualified Immunity" that Officers have. It is a Law that Officers MUST HAVE!!! If they are arresting a thug, and the creep is fighting them, the Officer can do what is necessary to put the thug down so he can be cuffed, and not worry about getting sued. If that Law is repealed, then EVERY thug would complain that excessive force was used, even if he was fighting, and could sue the Officer...PERSONALLY...and go after the Officers savings, house, etc...if he got a judgement. And, you better believe that there would be attorneys, or their runners, hanging around the jails.

...CA's only hope is for the citizens to wake up, and vote those GD politicians and mayors out of office, and install sane people.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 27, 2021, 09:43:48 AM: sorry to hear but that is what happens when the politicians go liberal abd listen to blm, antifa, and the woke movement sighs
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 28, 2021, 10:56:26 AM: ...BERSERKERS ARE ON THE WAY!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...I am a true Sci Fi fan, and a huge portion of my library are Sci Fi novels and short story collections. I am always amazed to see things the authors wrote about in the 50's and 60's coming true now. Personal computers, cellphones and such seemed to be improbable, but here they are. In HS, we, members of the 'Computer Club', just saw computers as glorified adding machines, we had no idea that they would be doing what they do now. ;D

...I am reading articles that report that the military is working on war machines that have AI, that they can send into a battle, so humans won't have to risk their lives. A Sci Fi author, Fred Saberhagen, wrote novels and short stories back in the 60's that involved 'Berserkers'. They were self replicating machines, that had been built by an unknown race, who were simply programed to destroy all life. They could range in size from a small animal, to a moon. Saberhagen was a very creative writer, he also wrote fantasy novels involving Dracula, and Medieval times. He also had a very good sense of humor, one short story involved a newly built Berserker, the size of a moon, that hadn't been programmed to know what 'Life' was, or how to destroy it. It captured an eccentric human, and questioned him, and, well, as the Berserker was being destroyed, it launched a mile wide cream pie at the attacking ships. :D

...If you enjoy Sci Fi, and haven't read Saberhagen yet, I recommend that you give him a try. The first book was simply entitled 'Berserker'. After reading it, I eagerly found more works about Berserkers, and also read many of his fantasy novels.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 28, 2021, 07:10:01 PM: cool on the book. I write a variety of genres 8 of my books are on amazon and kindle presently I am working on a 9th.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 01, 2021, 02:51:48 AM: ...'Bones' acting up... ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=D3D70FF194914288053BD3D70FF194914288053B&q=youtube music funny songs&shtp=GetUrl&shid=3e9ba543-1751-48fb-beb5-37de51c6fe83&shtk=QmVzdCBPcmNoZXN0cmEgSm9rZSwgdGhlIGZ1bm5pZXN0IHRyb21ib25lIHNlY3Rpb24sIFdBSVQgRk9SIElUISE%3D&shdk=TmV3IFZpZGVvOiBodHRwczovL3lvdXR1LmJlL2drUllWV1BVSzM4IEJlc3QgT3JjaGVzdHJhIGpva2UsIHRyb21ib25pc3RzIGZyb20gRWd5cHQgYW5kIFNwYWluLiBXYXRjaCB0aWxsIHRoZSBlbmQuIFRyb21ib25lczogTW9oYW1lZCBHYW1hbCwgSnVhbmpvIFBlbmFzLCBKb3NlIEFudG9uaW8uIFR1YmE6IEpvcmdlIFZpYW5hLiBDb25kdWN0b3I6IEdpYW5sdWNhIE1hcmNpYW7DsiBUaGUgYnJpbGxpYW50IGlkZWEgb2Ygb3VyIGFtYXppbmcgb2JvaXN0OiBMaW5kc2V5IEpvIEtsZWlzZXIgI29yY2hlc3RyYSAjdHJvbWJvbmUgI2Z1bm55ICNqb2hud2lsbGlhbXMgI3JvbWVvYW5kanVsaWV0LiBNdXNpYyAuLi4%3D&shhk=BCV0yK8CkhXRUHB%2B592gK4G1uwMZSuVnNYkA8ZNaOgM%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.hXsAM_JnH5DsOqz3mQSUEwHgFo

...Next to the cello section, the trombones tend to be the most disruptive section in an orchestra. :o We play in the same register, and often, we are just playing simple notes, while the violins and woodwinds have the melody, and are having fun and showing off. At times, we have long rests. Once, during a 'Pops Concert', I was sitting second chair, and was bored out of my mind. I had actually asked to be placed in third chair, I would be sitting on the outside, (where the audience could see my outfit), and I WOULDN'T HAVE TO TURN PAGES!!!! >:( So, we got to a place where we had 52 measures rest, and we were performing in a slow 4/4 time tempo. I was zoned out, and then the Principal leaned to me, and whispered, "How many more measures do we rest?" I whispered back, "Hell if I know, I stopped counting". She briefly GLARED at me, and signaled to the Conductor to cue us in. :P He did, as I was trying very hard not to laugh. I had studied the piece, and knew when we would come in, just by listening to the other sections. Later in my career, when I sat second chair, I MADE SURE to pay attention, and not rely on the Principal. A few times, sitting second chair, I brought the section in, when the Principal had lost count during a long rest.

...I also cut up, when I was the Principal. We were performing the entire William Tell Overture, that has the bitch kitty of a long cello solo at the start. Thing is, in my deranged mind, I thought that the melodic part sounded like a popular folk song at the start. So, during a rehearsal, I played the opening introduction...and when I got to the melodic part, I started playing, "I've been working on the Railroad." The Conductor stared at me...and I stared back...and kept playing until he cut me off. The Orchestra were laughing their asses off. He chuckled, but said, "Don't do that again, or I will transfer you to the percussion section, and you can hand stuff to the players."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 01, 2021, 03:15:04 PM: sounds like you had fun lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 02, 2021, 11:32:30 AM: ...Atonal music...(And NOT following the Leader)... ::)

...A challenge I have had in my life, even as a child, is that I often do not follow the Leader. I always look at the situation, think it through, and then do what I think is right. I am certainly NOT a rebel, if the Leader has the situation figured out, and leads well, he or she will find me at their side, doing all that I can to assist. (Of course, at times, because of an Order, or because I do not want to be disruptive, I will follow the Leader even when I disagree with his/her actions or approach).

...This is an example of "Atonal Music"

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=368F0507BD5056053945368F0507BD5056053945&q=atonal music&shtp=GetUrl&shid=056aa21d-321b-469d-b694-ab05109b1626&shtk=VGhlIEJFQVVUWSBvZiBBVE9OQUwgTVVTSUMgKHBlcmZvcm1hbmNlKSBTY2hvZW5iZXJnLCA2IFBJQU5PIFBpZWNlcyBPcC4xOSBbQUJTVFJBQ1QvRElTVElMTEVEIE1VU0lDXQ%3D%3D&shdk=MDowNyBJLiBMZWljaHQgMToxNyBJSS4gTGFuZ3NhbSAyOjIwIElJSS4gU2VociBsYW5nc2FtIDM6MzkgSVYuIFJhc2NoLCBhYmVyIGxlaWNodCA0OjEzIFYuIEV0d2FzIHJhc2NoIDQ6NDIgVkkuIFNlaHIgbGFuZ3NhbSBGb3IgYW4gYXBwcmVjaWF0aXZlIGFuYWx5c2lzIG9mIE5vLjEsIGNoZWNrIGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP3Y9UUQ1T0t4TzFXYmsgU2hhcGVzLCBnZXN0dXJlcyBhbmQgY29sb3VycywgbGlrZSBhbiBhYnN0cmFjdCBwYWludGluZyBpbiBtb3Rpb24sIHRoZSBtb3JlIG9uZSBwYXlzIGF0dGVudGlvbiB0byBpdCwgdGhlIG1vcmUgb25lIGdyb3dzIGludG8gaXQgYnkgLi4u&shhk=FvWCdY2%2BJYkjnE%2Fey7FrN8V7psXc%2FUnSFds8qSYun10%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.Wwzs1yV8LvALAEFVQSCMUAHgFo

...I have never liked such 'music'. To me, music exists to stimulate our minds, to activate our emotions, to inspire us, to entertain us, to affect us at our basic levels. Music doesn't have to be songs and melodies. I used to attend Drum and Bugle Corp Competitions...I was a co-founder of such a youth group...and just listening to the drums was inspirational. I still recall when, decades ago, a group briefly split the percussion section from the rest of the formation, and they performed a complex and quick passage, for almost a minute, and I was entranced. :) But this atonal stuff leaves me cold. :P

...An 'interesting concert'. At a community orchestra, we were performing an atonal work written by a college professor. He and I were good friends, I was a director in a charitable organization he had formed, and I would play music he had composed. Usually, it was melodic, although 'modern', and some was very good and got published. He composed the atonal work for full orchestra, and I asked him, privately, "Just what the HELL are you trying to express in this work?" He just smiled, and said, "Can't you hear the relationship of the 'tone rows'?" I snorted, and said, "No, I am too busy jumping my left hand all over the neck of my cello to hear what is going on." He just laughed. ::)

...We performed it, I was sitting third chair, and was furiously counting the measures in my head. The tempos also changed, very often. We would be in 4/4, then suddenly switch meters...3/4...6/8...3/16...4/5...etc. :o The cellos had a 37 measure rest, with the meters during the rest constantly changing, and I was sitting there, counting in my head...and with the fingers of my left hand. I then saw the Principal cellist raising her bow, and shook my head...she was coming in 3 measures TOO EARLY!!! I kept my bow down, and the three stands of cellos behind me followed my lead.

...So, I brought the rest of the section in where I believed we should be, three measures behind the first stand. The Conductor looked at us, and shook his head at the Principal. She stopped, and listened, and then came in with the rest of us. We all ended the piece at the same time, so my fingers had not let me down when I was using them to keep count during the rest. ::)

...But, I am sure that the audience had no idea of what had happened, since the 'music' just sounded like a bunch of random notes, played at random tempos, in a random fashion.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 02, 2021, 08:13:32 PM: sounds fun smiles lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 03, 2021, 01:45:56 AM: ...CA is downright DOOMED after 12/31/21!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...On 1/2/22, I will probably be putting out an all points request for bacon, ham, pork chops, and other meats that you get from a pig. New Ag Regulations will take effect next year, and CA farmers will probably not be raising market hogs anymore. One of the Regs requires farmers to greatly expand the room that market hogs have in their pens. Farmers have protested, saying that they will not be able to raise enough hogs to make a profit, since there will be much fewer hogs in a pen. I have toured a hog farm, when I was an accountant, and the pens are in a building, like a quonset hut, so the animals won't be exposed to the elements. (I had to throw away the jeans and flannel shirt I was wearing during the tour...I couldn't get the smell of the hogs out of them...a hog barn is quite 'fragrant'). So, the farmers can't just build more pens. Furthermore, the Regulation prohibits CA businesses from buying hog products from out of state facilities that don't comply with the CA Reg regarding pen size, and such. Farmers in Iowa, who provide a LOT of our pork products, have said that they will NOT comply with the CA Regs :P , so they will not be able to sell pork in CA.

...When I heard of this, I researched where the Regs were developed, and what Law they were based upon. I figured that our 'brilliant legislators' had come up with the Law. But...I was WRONG!!!! :o It was an Initiative, drafted by some citizens of CA, and it was passed by almost 2/3 of the CA voters. The Initiative was sold by the writer as being more 'humane' to meat animals, and so, every CA liberal signed onto it. Please don't get me wrong, I don't support cruelty to animals, but meat animals are not raised as if they are pets. The profit margin is very low, so farmers have to raise as many as they can, and keep the expense down.

...I did a little more research, and the proponents of the Initiative were PETA, and a group that wants all of us humans to become vegetarians. They figured that it would be good for pigs if we stopped eating them. I do recall voting against the Initiative, I am pro-business, and almost always vote against Laws that stifle business. A healthy, and vibrant economy helps everyone, Trump demonstrated that. Minorities got good paying jobs, and were buying houses and encouraging their kids to get educated. Now, under the current Democrat Governor, and Legislature, CA is going down the tubes. Taxes are being raised, and the wealthy and businesses are leaving the State. The Dems opened the Southern Border, and illegals from all over the World are coming in, and crime and murder rates are much higher than they were 2 years ago.

...My elderly mother and I are being very careful, we don't leave the house when it gets dark, and only leave when we have to buy groceries. My mother always enjoyed going to the Mall, or K Mart, just to shop, and get some exercise, and to just get out of the house. Certainly, COVID has been a factor, but not very much. I think that we are in a 'lockdown' right now, our beloved Governor has said that we all must stay at home, unless we REALLY have to get something. Well, I went out, today, to get some Mex Food, and there were cars ALL OVER THE ROADS. I asked the clerk how business was, and he just shrugged and said, "We can't have people sit inside to eat, but they can sit outside, and we do a lot of takeout and delivery."

...Now, I predict that the Dems will try to shut down the chicken farms, and the cattle feedlots.

...Mother is starting to talk about moving to another State, and I am cautiously showing that I would support such a decision, and would pay the costs of a move. I have to be careful, she is elderly, and in her mind she is still the 'Mother', and I still am the young, foolish 'Daughter'. She still lectures me on how to handle my finances, even though, as Treasurer of a construction company I approved bills, and placed my signature on checks with six, and seven, digits, (Not counting cents... ;)) and have some coin in the bank. I just nod, and say, "Yes Mom, you are right." If I tried to manipulate her into agreeing to a move, she would see what I was doing, and get stubborn. My brother and I talk, and agree that if she loses her cognitive abilities, that we will arrange to have her placed in a facility in another State, and I will move to be close with her, or have her live with me.

...OK, enough of my wandering thoughts for this evening. When December arrives, I will buy hams, and that pre-cooked bacon, that will last a few months. I will then make trips to Nevada, with the back of my SUV loaded with coolers, and return with more bacon and a some hams. ;D I will probably have to get in a long line of other Californians who are doing the same.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 03, 2021, 09:42:04 AM: I heard about that initiative with the hogs in ca shakes head but I suppose it will be good for business in the states that border ca that is lol. I would not blame you at all for moving.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: RAGNAR on August 04, 2021, 06:47:12 PM: It will not even help neighboring states as commiefornia demands them meet their standards. We need the remaining good people to abandon the state, set charges, blow them, and let the mess slide into the sea.

New beachfront properties, booming construction business, rising economic growth, far less commies and libtards to have to deal with.

It just works for me.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 04, 2021, 07:42:42 PM: fortunately ca cannot force neighbouring states to comply simply ask, though allowing ca to float off into the ocean to somewhere far far away is appealing
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 05, 2021, 01:50:59 AM: ...DISRUPTING THE DINING HALL... :o ::) ;D

...Thank you, both, it is so true what the Libs have done. Normally, I would get involved in the politics, and do what I could, and even go door to door. But, here we have a GOVERNOR who is announcing to the World, "C'mon in, if you want, no need to apply for a green card or a residency permit, and we will give you an apt, food, and some spending money." Hells Bells, if I was a Mexican peasant, I would be heading North as quickly as I could. So much for Biden and the Dems taking an Oath to uphold the Constitution, and protect, and defend the United States. Last I looked, it is ILLEGAL to enter the U.S. without some official papers.

...On a more pleasant note, and a change of subject, here is "Asturias". also known as "Leyenda", by Albinez. It was originally composed for piano, but you often hear it on guitar. :)

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=335DAC2C98A2916A725C335DAC2C98A2916A725C&q=albinez leyenda&shtp=GetUrl&shid=c4a669b8-32f9-45ab-8bc1-0cac4f61f7e9&shtk=QWxiw6luaXogLSBBc3R1cmlhcyAoTGV5ZW5kYSkuIMOBbHZhcm8gR2FycmlkbywgcGlhbm8%3D&shdk=UmVjb3JkZWQgaW4gQXVndXN0IDIwMTQuIHd3dy5waWFuaXN0YS5lcw%3D%3D&shhk=KTB3Fp0TbxpDbySupCmFTmpWYS4vCqxkvNC7hBuc89A%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.19K_ctrecpJ8J2UMSIy0JQHgFo

...At Conservatory, I toyed with this, on piano. I REALLY liked it, it 'spoke' to me, and I could feel it in my entire body. Once, I was practicing it, and the door to my little practice room opened, and two young Hispanic women entered. They just smiled at me, and I smiled back and kept playing. When I was done, they briefly clapped, and said that I played it well. They then explained that there was a Professor at the Raymond College, who was teaching some of her students Flamenco Dancing. They asked if I could come to their next class, and play 'Asturias' for them. I did, and it was fun. The Professor danced to it, and asked me to play parts, as she instructed the class in the steps that went into each section.

...During the weeks that followed, one of her Star Pupils asked if she could practice the dance with me. I agreed, and we would go into the large practice room, that had a grand piano, and I would play, and she would dance. Afterwards, we would get some snacks to eat. One evening, we had been practicing until 10:00 pm, and I went back to her dorm with her. She and a couple of her female friends had scored a couple bottles of wine, and I drank with them. I wasn't used to drinking, and when I woke up the next morning, I had no idea of where I was. :o But, she came in, and helped me get dressed, and fed me some coffee and breakfast...we were at a private residence. She was amused, but assured me that nothing had happened, that it had just been us women at the house, and no-one had tried to 'play' with me. 8)

...She was a character, and when we both agreed that she had the dance down, and that I had learned enough of her dancing style to follow, she said that we should perform our work. I spoke to the Dean, asking if we could use the Conservatory stage, but he said, "No, if I let you two do that, then everyone on Campus will demand that they get to perform, too. The Stage is JUST for members of the Conservatory." I grumbled, but accepted it. The Dancer had an easier solution, she just said, "Let's perform at the Raymond Great Hall, when it is set up for dinner." I just nodded, and said, "Okay". ::)

(Finish Below...)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 05, 2021, 02:51:28 AM: ...So, one evening, we walked into the Hall, it was setup for the dinners for the Students, and it was packed. There was a small stage, that had a piano on it, and I walked over to it and sat down, and began playing the Bach Prelude and Fugue to warm up. Students often would play the piano during meals, and whenever I ate there, I would get irritated and want to shout..."SHUT THE F--- UP...I AM TRYING TO EAT!!!" (Usually, the players were obnoxious amateurs who were seeking attention, and didn't play very well, at all. >:( ) The background talk got a little quieter as I played...after all...I WAS a MUSIC MAJOR at the time...but it was still pretty loud. I smiled, and nodded to the audience, and then watched as my new friend came onto the stage. She was a very beautiful Hispanic woman, and she was wearing an appropriate costume. The audience quieted down when they saw her, many knew her, since most of the Diners were students at Raymond.

...She struck the opening pose, and then nodded to me, and I began playing 'Asturias'. ;D She began dancing, and we were into it. She had placed herself so I could easily see her, I just had to lift my eyes from the keyboard to watch her. I had the piece memorized, so music wasn't in the way. I was actually mezmerized by her dance, she was telling a story. The way she used her feet, how she moved her body, and the expressions on her face made the story as clear as if she was speaking. The Hall was completely silent as she danced. :) During the fast passages, she had to follow me, since I needed to keep the beat steady, but she was in command during the slow, elegant middle section. I was watching her, very carefully, and she would give me subtle signals with her hands, and her head, so I could follow what she was doing. I then got back into the fast section, and her feet were thundering on the stage...her shoes had metal in them.

...We finished, and she just held her final pose, my hands were resting on the keyboard. The Hall was silent, until she dropped her arms, and, well...we GOT APPLAUSE!!! ;D She was very nice, after taking a bow, she came over to me, and pulled me off of the bench, and had me take a bow by myself, as she applauded, and then we held hands, and took several bows together, and hugged when the applause was over. ;)

...We stayed friends, and would do things together, or with a group. We did perform a few more times, usually simpler, and shorter works, but a couple times we did perform 'Asturias'. Once, it was at a formal dinner that the University President had arranged for Alumni, (He was getting them to contribute more money), we did request a reasonable fee, and dinner, in return. We didn't get as much money as we had asked for, but the steak and lobster dinner was a real treat for we starving students. We actually sat at a table with some of the Alumni as we ate, but left as soon as we finished dessert. Those 'dirty old men' were delighted to have two pretty young women sitting with them, although their wives didn't seem to be very happy to see us when we sat down with them. ::)

...We were just together for that one year, she was a Senior, I was a Frosh, and she went to study in Europe the next year, while I stayed on the Campus. We corresponded by mail for a while, but since we were each making a new life, we gradually stopped. But, I still have very fond memories of her, as you can see, that was a very educational experience for me. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 05, 2021, 09:44:27 AM: love those types of memories and we all have people we were close to once that we have since lost touch with but enjoyed the times we had together and the memories of those times.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 06, 2021, 02:31:08 AM: ...Movies that Stay with you for YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!!!! ;)

...When I was young, I enjoyed going to the theatre with friends, to watch movies. When we got older, and could drive, four of us would pile into a car, and go to a drive in. We would pack snacks and soft drinks, and park, watch, and eat. We would usually end up with cars packed with guys on either side of us...I mean...here we were, four cute young women sitting in a car, so the guys tried their luck. They would try to get a couple of us to get into their car. I always refused, I was very wary of men that I didn't know, and they would often brandish alcohol at us, and I didn't drink at all at that age. :P My more 'adventurous' friends would sometimes go into a car, and return at the end of the movie, smelling of alcohol, and we would stop at a convenience store and buy stuff so they could clean up.

...One evening, when I was in College, I went by myself to watch a movie. I had had a difficult week. I was realizing that I couldn't, and didn't want to, make a living by just playing the cello, and a guy that I had really liked broke up with me. I was FULL of teenage Angst. >:( I walked into the Complex, and looked at the movies that they were showing. I picked "Resurrection", it had two of my favorite actors, Ellen Burstyn, and Sam Shephard. I had no idea of what it was about. Here it is... :'(

...https://youtu.be/ohjvxz9ZXpg

...The movie captivated me...I wasn't thinking of anything else...I was focused on carefully watching it. In addition to the story, and the actors, the music grabbed my attention. I am a Romantic, when it comes to music, I love full harmonies coupled with a simple melody. Tears of different types were running down my cheeks during the movie...Sad...Happy...Relieved...and more. I went back and watched it two more times, and then bought the VHS tape, and watched it many many times. I actually wore the tape out. ::)

...Sometimes, I just watch the opening, it almost seems to have been designed to move me. The opening credits are simple. The music plays, and there are pictures of a hand in different poses, and in different lighting. When I first saw the movie, I was developing a bizarre World View. I had decided that my hands were 'Alive'...and that they had their own minds and would do what they wanted to do. In my mind, that explained why, one evening, I could play the cello and piano very well, and the next evening, my hands would stumble all over the instrument. Also, they would hide objects from me, I would find what I was looking for in an unexpected place, and had no memory of placing it there. :o I would actually scold them, at times...other times I would buy them food that they liked. (There were a LOT of leftovers, so I ate, too. ::) )

...Anyway, just another insight into what goes on in my mind.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 06, 2021, 10:14:00 AM: movies can be quite memorable, though, in my case, I have this tendency of near total recall of a movie after seeing it once. a well written movie though, like a well written book, can cause you to ide tify with the characters their emotions, etc. and draw you in to it.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 07, 2021, 01:14:22 AM: ...Craftsmen, Artisans, Weapon Makers.... :)

...Often, I will watch videos like this one...https://youtu.be/VV7RDC4lxzs...I am fascinated, watching as the man takes pieces of metal, and creates an ornate, and functional, weapon. Marcus Hrolfson, who was a Blacksmith, made one like this for his daughter, Tisiphone, but Izee' had to take the weapon away from the three year old. Tisiphone was having problems differentiating toys from weapons, and the girl had a temper. (Wonder who she inherited that from? ::) )

...On a real note, I am slowly recovering from my illness, and can walk better now, but have to keep the walks short, only about 7 to 10 minutes, but I can do four of them a day, now. A month ago, I could only do one short, 5 minute walk, and I had to hold onto a walker. My appetite is returning, and I eat more than I was.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 07, 2021, 10:04:22 AM: happy to hear on your recovery. Yes it is interesting seeing people make things it is an art form. there is a tv competition series called forged in fire where they make knives etc that have to meet certsin specifications to advance.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 09, 2021, 12:53:16 AM: ...The Great Leap Forward...

...I am actually getting a bit concerned about the direction that our Country is going. A University in Wisconsin moved a large rock from the center of Campus, and placed it in a more remote location. The rock, "Chamberlain Rock", was named in 1925 for a President of the University. But the 'whiney Students and do-Gooders' of today say that the rock was a symbol of racism because once, in 1925, the University Newspaper referred to it as "N-Word" Head Rock. There are no reports of it ever being called that, again.

...I have studied the Communist takeover of China in the 1950's, and one of the first things they did was to destroy History books, and they destroyed Artwork and such. The children were taught a false history, that fed into what Communism was about. And, of course, they murdered millions of people, especially the educated class. I had the educational experience of speaking with an adult Chinese woman, who had been a child in China during that time, and she confirmed the above, and also said that the children were taught that China had the highest standard of living in the World, and that Americans were actually very poor, except for the very rich that oppressed the rest. She was very shocked when her family moved to the US, and she saw the neighborhoods, and the supermarkets.

...So, that is happening here, right under our noses. CRT is rewriting US history, and it is saying that our country was founded on Racism, and is teaching our young that the Races of Humans are genetically wired to be racist oppressors, or victims of racism. Educators are telling our children WHAT to think...not HOW to think. They are taking away advanced math classes, including Geometry, because it isn't 'fair' that some children can't understand them. Here, in CA, responsible parents are taking their children out of public schools, and paying for a private school, or educating them at home. That is also one of the reasons families are moving out of CA. So, if a CA family moves near you, give them a chance. If they talk the way I do, you have nothing to worry about, they will be grateful to be in a sane, and safe, State.

...So, the schools are rewriting history, just as Winston, in 1984, did in his job in the 'Ministry of Truth'. This really is scary. The Dems and Liberals say that it needs to be done, because children are hurt and frightened when they read history. But, it is OK to tell white children that they are genetic oppressors, and black and hispanic children that they are genetically programed to be oppressed. Those people are evil, they are working hard to split the races, when we have been working hard to eliminate racial discrimination, at least as long as I have been alive.

...If a teacher had told me in grammar school, to not bother to study science, math, and read the Classics, because, as a hispanic, I wasn't capable of understanding them, I would have hit her alongside her head with my hardbound copy of 'Gone with the Wind', and gone to the teacher who was helping me understand a series of calculus equations I was studying to learn how to calculate how high a model rocket would fly.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 09, 2021, 10:09:25 AM: I completely agree with you. fortunately some states are banning crt and 1619 project teaching. I wish all would however, I do think there will be more pushback against it as people begin to see more of what it is about.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 11, 2021, 01:20:19 PM: ...One last rant...and then I will just post funny stories, or tell of amusing events in my life...

...Is the U.S. going to go the way of Venezuela? It sure LOOKS like it, and the Democratic Party is advocating such. Here are some recent observations.

...The Chair of the Minneapolis Democratic Farmer-Labor-Party wrote that the rioters that burned down the 3rd Police Dept Precinct HQ in 2020 performed an 'act of pure righteousness'.

...An Oregon H.S., in a Democrat city, with Democrat Administrators, eliminated the 'Essential Skills' test that students had to pass in order to graduate. So, the students don't have to prove that they have a basic proficiency in math, reading, and writing. The excuse is that the educators want to develop more 'equitable' requirements because 'minority students don't test well.' So, they are creating a permanent underclass by not educating our young. So, we will have a large population of people who are essentially illiterate, and an upper class composed of people who could afford to attend a private school.

...Venezuela went from a rich, healthy country, to a poor one, that people are fleeing, because of the impossible welfare programs that required the Gov't to raise taxes very high. Democrats, in the U.S., are not satisfied with the 1.5 TRILLION dollar budget that they just added to the current multi-trillion dollar budget, and want to add ANOTHER 3.5 trillion that is full of social welfare programs, in addition to making the MILLIONS of illegals in our country citizens. And 18 RINOs JOINED THEM!!!! When asked if they would raise taxes, they readily said "Yes, on the rich". I have heard that one, before. The middle class ALWAYS are considered to be 'rich'.

>:( Anyone else seeing or experiencing this? CA is really going down the tubes, with the liberal politicians we elect. Decades ago, I really didn't get worried if a Democrat won an election for Governor, or Senator, or Congressman, They always voted in a way that benefitted the country. When the time comes when I can move, I will pull up stakes, and get out of CA, even though I will inherit a very nice home in a good neighborhood. (Or, maybe, I will get a couple heavily armed HUNKS to move in with me, in addition to being protected, I will have some fun! ::) 8) :o Just joking,) At least, I will go to a sane, Mid West State, and will leave my 'Californist' behind. My values are conservative, and I don't talk politics in the groups I socialize with...especially classical musicians. The vast majority are rabid Dems, and I have dropped out of groups, in my life, because I just got tired of being surrounded by a bunch of libby liberals during a break in a rehearsal, while they lectured me that I had no 'compassion' for people. I told them that I had a lot of compassion for the citizens and legal immigrants of the U.S., but that the other Countries had the duty and responsibility to provide for their own citizens.

...I may actually explore moving to Canada. I have no criminal record...although I was a Trial Attorney... ::)...and I have coin in the bank and a very nice pension. I won't be a burden on the Country, and I am still young enough to contribute my skills and experience in mentoring the young.

...OK, the ranting is over, not much that I can do. I will post educational, and amusing items on my thread, from now on. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 11, 2021, 03:10:02 PM: I agree with your assessment nods
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 11, 2021, 08:48:22 PM: ...How I learned about sex... 8) :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...I was very young, still in grammar school, and knew that boys and girls were different. I had seen a picture of a naked man, and had grimaced at the penis, I thought that it was ugly, but I didn't link it up to why I had an opening on that part of my body. My mind doesn't operate normally. At times I can solve very difficult and complex problems, or perceive and understand things that others can't...and other times I have a blank look on my face when confronted with a simple challenge. A number of times, in my career as a business litigator, I would get confused going through documents, and would have to to take a break. I would walk, and go get some chocolate, and when I got back, the problem was easy to solve. In early grammar school, the teacher showed us drawings of eggs and sperm, and said that the two had to combine to make a baby. I nodded, that explained why there were 'boys' and 'girls'...but I almost raised my hand, and asked,

..."Ahhh, just how do the sperm get to the egg?" ???

...Good thing that I didn't do that, if I encountered a classmate, even now, they would probably still be laughing. 8)

...Anyway, back to the tale. I was raising tropical fish, guppies and swordtails, and was watching them one afternoon. A male guppy was chasing a female, and he had a thin fin by his anus, that he would stick out, and try to poke the female, near her anus, with it. I had heard the word, 'mate', and understood that it was a term that was involved with reproduction, and figured that the male was trying to mate with the female. I was pondering what was going on, and thought, "That fin is kinda like the thing that guys have between their legs." My 'brilliant' mind then told my 'idiot' mind,

..."Hey, they are having sex, when you grow up and get married, your husband will STICK his 'THING' into YOU." :o :o :o

...I almost puked...I laid down on my bed...and kept saying..."NO, NO, NO!!!!" :P :P :P :P :P

...I had no idea that it could be pleasurable. But, when I got married, I did enjoy it. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 12, 2021, 06:29:07 AM: amazing how one can figure such out evem without instruction
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 12, 2021, 09:01:23 AM: ...JDL...Yeppers, as I said, at times my mind is 'brilliant'.... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 18, 2021, 12:12:42 PM: ...I get my news from sites that are all over the web. I am Conservative, but I also look at Liberal and Progressive sites. It is interesting to see how they report on the same event. I think that the Conservative sites usually report with more accuracy than many Liberal sites, but one really does need to be skeptical of both sides. Journalism has been corrupted by politics, Liberal sites actually said that they NEEDED to put a negative angle on most news, and to blame Trump for the problem. They are still doing that, even though Biden's group has been in charge for a while.

...Anyway, the Daily Star had a scary article. Scientists have a piece of a human brain in a dish, and it is GROWING EYES!!!! :o :o :o :o :o This reminded me of 'IT', the evil ruler of a world, in Madeline L'Engle's book, 'A Wrinkle in Time'. When the Heroine, Meg, is brought to the Ruler of that world, she looks down from a balcony, and sees an enormous human BRAIN at the bottom of a pit. :P Somehow, 'IT' could control all of the humans in the world, even to the point of making the children bounce a ball the same way, in unison. So, if, in the years to come, and I feel a compulsion to go outside, and bounce a basketball, and see all of the other adults doing the same...well...I will know that 'IT' was created by our enlightened scientists. ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

...I am recovering from my illness, I walked for 15 minutes today, just holding my cane, and felt OK, except for sore legs. Months ago, I had to lean on a walker, and could only walk for 3 or 4 minutes. My appetite is back, and my mind is clearing up. Up to recently, when I woke up, I would have to search the home to find my glasses and coffee cup, I couldn't remember where I put them. I would walk into the kitchen, and forget why I had wanted to go there. (And I used to be able to plan, draft the documents, and execute a Reverse Triangle Merger of three Corporations) I was also very irritable, and avoided my family when I felt on the edge, and would go into the bedroom upstairs and stay there.

...That is also why I don't R/P. Gor is a harsh place, as it should be, the books contain a lot of casual brutality towards women. I over-reacted at another Home, that I had really loved, when I received what I thought was an unwarranted punishment, when I was in a similar frame of mind. (My H had just served me with divorce papers, and I was alone in an extended stay place. We had just moved to Kansas).. I hurt the feelings of a woman typist that I loved by leaving, but I had received a harsh P/M from the man who was punishing me, and I went over the edge. As an aside, if he had said something along the lines of, "Hey, play along, you and I are friends in R/T. You will work through this, and since you are a high ranking woman, it will be a good example for the new women typists." I would have calmed down, and maybe gone ahead and finished leaving, but I would have returned, begged forgiveness, and done my best to get back into the active R/P. I still miss that site very much, but, I have to live with my actions. :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

...I will try to get back into R/P here, but I get very tired after 5:00 or so, and it is very easy to irritate me. I will just stay off, when I am in that mood, and if something happens during a R/P that puts me near the edge, I will log off, and return when I feel that I can deal with the situation. Again, I am sorry for not being supportive of this Home, which has been good to me.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 18, 2021, 03:02:31 PM: ...When I was discriminated against...BECAUSE OF MY AGE!!!!!

...I was in my late 20's, and felt that the World was MINE!!! I had a lot of letters after my name, and was an accomplished CPA, and a skilled Trial Attorney. A man, in his late 60's, was escorted into my office, by the receptionist, and she said, "He needs to make a will", and left as he sat down.

...I smiled at him, I always liked meeting new clients, and asked him general questions about his financial condition, and family matters. He just stared at me as I explained the various types of wills, and trusts, and finished by telling him what I thought suited him best. He just looked at me, and said, "I will think about it." I asked him if he needed more explanations, and he just said, "I need someone who has some grey hair." I said, "Hey, I am really smart", and he just stared at me. I told him, "Let me see if Mr. B----- is available, (Mr. B----- was the first name on the Firm Letterhead, and he had a full head covered by thick grey hair.)

...'B' was available, and I led the client to his office, closed the door, and sat off to the side. I explained the client's need, and financial condition, and then 'B' got into a relaxed conversation with the client. Mr 'B' was very charming, and smart, and was a top rated Trial Attorney...but he only had a basic understanding of Estates and Trusts. He would have me, or his paralegal, prepare such documents. He repeated what I had said, and the client calmed down, and agreed with my recommendation, after 'B' suggested it.

...I prepared the Will, and met the client when he came in to sign it, and escorted him to 'B's office, and sat off to the side, as it was signed.

...Of course, at that age, I figured that there was also some sexism involved. ::) Back then, I did believe that many elderly men didn't believe that young women were capable of understanding complex Law and such. So, after that, after the free initial consultation, if I sensed that a prospective business or estate client was uncomfortable because of my age, or sex, I would arrange a follow up visit with 'B', after explaining the situation with 'B'. ::) And then, after 'B' landed him, I would do the work, and tell the client that 'B' was monitoring what I was doing. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 18, 2021, 06:07:32 PM: I recall IT from a wrinkle in time nods. we seriously need to go back to news reporters simply reporting events without spin or agenda like walter cronkite did. sorry to hear on those who would discriminate against you for age or gender.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 24, 2021, 09:07:04 PM: ...Insanity, after studying too long at night...

...My girlfriends and I would sing this song...when we were motivated. (Usually when some jerk dissed one of us) Sometimes we would improvise dances as we sang, and we took turns doing the 'nasty singing'. People would stop and watch... ::)

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=6D08A476C83FDFEC14EA6D08A476C83FDFEC14EA&q=Boot to the Head Song&shtp=GetUrl&shid=4b0d36dd-183a-4786-ad50-a319548edeb9&shtk=Qm9vdCB0byB0aGUgSGVhZCBTb25n&shdk=Um9mbC4gSSBqdXN0IGZvdW5kIHRoZSBmaWxlLiBJIGRvbnQga25vdyB0aGUgZ3JvdXAgdGhhdCBzaW5ncyBpdCwgZm9ydHVuYXRseS4geEQgSSBkb250IG93biBhbnkgb2YgdGhpcy4gSSBqdXN0IHVzZWQgbXkgc3dlZXQgdGltZSB0byBwdXQgdGhpcyB0b2dldGhlci4%3D&shhk=ker9fkuB%2F8HcMCKk6MaS8auShYrbxKM7yZM88RO5hg0%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.deWwl4jft8cFewE5nSWdaQHgFo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on August 25, 2021, 09:54:39 AM: well at least it helped reduce stress etc smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 02, 2021, 12:20:23 AM: ...California Lawmakers...I am MOT MAKING THIS UP!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o

...They just passed a law to stop shootings. ;D Here is what they will do, they will...

...PAY CRIMINALS TO STOP SHOOTING PEOPLE!!!!????????? :o ??? ::) :P

...Gee, we will be able to let half of our LEO's off, and close Courts, they should have come up with this solution YEARS AGO!!!

...I wonder if I can get in on some of this graft. It may be as simple as signing a piece of paper, saying that you have given up shooting people. When people ask me what I do to support myself, I will just say, "I don't shoot people anymore, and I get a nice monthly check from the Government." ;D Of course, sane Lawmakers will try to repeal the law, and me and others will march on the State Capitol holding banners and yelling, "DAMN YOU LAWMAKERS...WE WILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO SHOOTING PEOPLE TO SUPPORT OUR FAMILIES!!!!". California...*sighs*

...Again, I do plan to move out of CA when Family Duties allow. I will probably just rent an apt in Nevada or Arizona, and establish my new residency, and get a new car license. After about a year, I will move to where I want to live, buy a house, and get along with my new neighbors, and deny that I ever lived in CA.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 02, 2021, 01:02:03 AM: ...Here is the reference. https://thefederalistpapers.org/us/ca-city-to-pay-residents-1000-month-not-to-shoot-people I went to College and Law School in Stockton, it is a very violent place in some neighborhoods. I had many Asian friends, my Maid of Honor at my wedding was Chinese. I also didn't have much common sense at times. Sometimes, after studying until after midnight, I would go with three or four male Asian students, and we would drive into downtown Stockton, the Southeast side, which wasn't a 'refined location', and eat Asian food. I felt somewhat safe, we were all studying martial arts, and being 1/2 Hispanic, I figured that my dark hair and light brown skin wouldn't attract attention. ::) I also felt that my cute face and body wouldn't be noticed. ??? ??? ???

...Once, when we arrived at the door to the diner, there were three rough looking young Asian men standing nearby, twirling nunchucks, which were illegal. We figured that it would not be good to act as if we were scared, (it was about 1:30 am), so we walked over to them, and watched. They did their best imitations of Bruce Lee, and we applauded, and said that we were studying Gung Fu, and were learning the spear, the sai, and the nunchuck. They laughed, and handed us one. We took turns showing them what we could do, and they grinned as they watched me, and said to my friends, "You have tamed a Tigress, don't turn your back on her." We all laughed, and I handed the nunchuck back to them, bowed to them...they bowed back...and my friends and I went in to eat.

...My hands were shaking when we sat down, it was just sinking into my mind that the encounter could have gone quite differently. My friends ordered me a beer, and it calmed me down, and I was able to eat. I did stay in the diner when we finished, and they brought the car to the curb, opened a door, and I ran into the car, and we left. Thereafter, they would pull to the curb, and one of them would escort me into the diner, and we would leave in the same manner.

...Oh, to be young again... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 02, 2021, 10:25:07 AM: we all knew ca had gone nuts long ago get out while you can smiles. sounds like you handled the situation well with the 3 asian blokes smiles. long ago I could use most any martial arts weapon quite well and had a vast collection of them. while I was ranked as assistant instructor at the time, I would only teach hand to hand and bo staff ad it was impractical to teach any of the other weapons simply because one is rarely going to have access to such on the street.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 03, 2021, 02:34:51 PM: ...This piece, https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=2ECA5A2D8828DB3299BF2ECA5A2D8828DB3299BF&q=streets of laredo johhny cash&shtp=GetUrl&shid=ea03318e-02cc-4dd9-8af9-f0cddc428a68&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.bQE4CECv6keEH8Jv4MWkWAHgFo, gave me one of the most profound musical experiences in my life. :)

...I was playing with the Stockton Symphony in college, it is a semi-professional orchestra, we all got paid, but not enough to make a living, :P, but we played major orchestral works and soloists from around the World would join us for a performance. Once, we were performing a concert with a country singer, Michael Martin Murphy. Our usual Principal Cellist couldn't play the concert, she had a family matter going on, and so I was VERY excited to sit as Principal, and lead the cello section. (I also tried to give advice to the Bass section, but their Principal took me out a side door of the Hall, and told me that HE would lead HIS SECTION...and if he saw me looking back over my shoulder at the Bass section again, I would feel something HARD hit the back of my head when I looked back at my music. :o (He could be a real grouch))

...Michael had a quartet that traveled with him...percussion and a wind player and two other guitarists. His group setup in front, we were in an arch around them. I was sitting on the outside, and was actually right beside one of the guitarists, and Michael was about 10' away, in front of his group. We were dressed more casually, Michael didn't want us to be in 'Concert Black', so I wore my long, red gown. I always wore a dress or skirt that was loose, and was floor length...a woman, playing the cello, while wearing a short skirt doesn't look very 'professional'. (Or looks like a 'Professional' in an ancient profession. 8) )I made that mistake, once, and was blushing when I took my bows, several young men were standing, applauding very heavily and declaring..."THAT is how Brahms SHOULD be performed!" I got summoned to the Dean's office, and was scolded, and was told to dress 'properly' in the future. "We are not teaching 'Burlesque' here", he declared. >:(

...I was really enjoying the concert with Michael, the arrangements of the songs brought out the meanings, our orchestra added a lot of depth. A few times, after finishing a song, Michael would gesture back to us, and say, "See how that work really needs an orchestra to help bring out the meaning?"

...We got to 'Laredo', and he sang it very well. It is subtitled "A Cowboys Lament", and he made it a memorial. He took a slow tempo, and his expressive voice painted a picture of what was happening. I was focused on the work, because only the Principal String players accompanied him...and a few times...it was just ME playing while he sang. I ignored the Conductor, and looked at Michael, and shaped my notes to fit in with the mood of the passage. I wasn't nervous, although the Hall was sold out, I was in that musical 'trance'...the ONLY thing in my mind was the music, and my hands were doing what I willed them to do, although I wasn't thinking of what to do. The first finger of my right hand would apply gentle pressure to bring the note out, and relax to make the note softer. My left hand was finding the right spot on the neck of the cello, and she varied the speed of the vibrato to express the mood of the note. All of the time, my mind was just in the music, and it was hard to breathe and I could only see the music in front of me...the rest of my vision was blurred. :'( My body was warm, and my mind was somewhere else...at that moment I felt that I WAS THE CELLO...and I was performing with a gifted singer.

...I had to just sit for about a minute at the end of the concert, I was very weak, and my head was unfocused. I then saw a dozen members of the audience walk up to the base of stage, where I was sitting, and they complimented me, and shook my hand, saying..."You were wonderful, when it was just you and Michael, I almost cried, it was so beautiful." I smiled, and thanked them for coming to the concert, and then carefully walked off the stage. At the reception, one of the members of his group came up to me, and patted me on the head, and said, "Michael mentioned that we should kidnap you, and your cello, so you could play in all of our concerts. You would also look good, sitting in the middle of us." I laughed and said, "Tell me where you parked your travel Van, I will be waiting, with my cello and a suitcase."

...Rags has had many similar experiences, I am sure, a 'Musical Experience' while performing is unlike anything else a human can encounter. There you are, physically playing the instrument, your mind is focused on the work, and you can hear what is happening. :) The cello is particularly unique, the entire instrument vibrates, and you are holding it between your thighs. It vibrates even when you aren't playing, it reacts to sounds around it. During a rest, "Katherine" and "Pavane" vibrate as other instruments play. And, I am NOT exaggerating, when the percussion section lets loose, they vibrate with those sounds in addition to what they are expressing. I have actually felt "Pavane" JUMP when the cymbals clash, he is very sensitive, and he produces wonderful 'overtones' as I play a note. After a performance of 'Carmina Burana', I told the percussion Section Leader, that I was going to send him the repair bill for my cello. I scolded him, saying, "You guys overdid it, I felt my fingerboard come loose at measure 583 when the damn cymbals crashed." >:( He just laughed, and bought me a glass of wine. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 03, 2021, 06:04:07 PM: always love hearing about your experiences smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 06, 2021, 02:42:59 PM: ...Sailplanes... ;D

...My Bi-polar illness manifested itself when I was a Junior in H.S. I had no idea of what was going on. The 'Manic' phase hit first, and it was kind of fun. I didn't need to sleep over an hour or two a night, and I was very alert. When the 'Depressive' side hit me for the first time, I was bewildered. I kept looking at my life, trying to figure out what was going wrong...but my life was very good. I ended up in an Institution for a few weeks, when I was talking nonsense around my parents, and the Mental Health Councilors explained the illness to me, and placed me on medication and I got follow-up counseling. The Depressive side landed hard, during the summer after my Frosh year of college, and I was trying to think of an activity that would distract me. Playing the cello wasn't a solution, although I practiced for hours every day, the cello can be very melancholy. (That is why you ALWAYS hear a cello playing during a sad part in a movie. :'( ) I thought, and thought, and thought, and...came up with a solution...I was going to...

...FLY AIRPLANES THAT DIDN'T HAVE AN ENGINE!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :o :o :o :o :o

...There was a small airport that had sailplanes about an hour away, and so I drove there and spoke to the Owner. He told me the cost of a tow, and the hourly rate to rent a sailplane, and also said that I would have to have an Instructor with me until I earned my 'Qualified' rating, and what that would cost, and that it would take about 10 hours of instruction before I could solo and get my rating. I agreed, signed the 'Waivers of Liability', and started my course. I actually got airsick, and threw up the first couple times, but then my body must have adjusted, and I didn't get airsick, even when the plane was bouncing around. I really enjoyed flying, and could handle spins, but I HATED 'slack line' practice. When being towed, it is possible for the sailplane to move faster than the tug, and the towline gets a lot of slack in it. It can then tangle with your wing, and...you are going down...the wing can be ripped off.

...So, the way you practice, is that during a tow, you point the nose high, and climb above the tug, and then dive down on it, :o and level off beside it. Lengths of the towline are behind you, so, you gently bank to the side, let the towline get tightened, and then settle back behind the tug. I just didn't like seeing the tug underneath me, and having to dive so steeply, but I learned to do them. :P I was surprised, and delighted when I soloed after just 5 1/2 hours of instruction. The instructor just climbed out of the plane, and said, "OK, do your solo. Nothing fancy, release at 1000 feet, circle a bit, and then land." I did, and after that I flew alone. A couple times, the Owner suggested a take a lesson, in order to learn more about flying. I did so, when learning to 'ridge soar', that is where you fly back and forth, at a low altitude, downwind of a ridge. A wave can form, if there is wind blowing in from the other side, but it takes a LOT of concentration to ridge soar.

...(Finish below)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 06, 2021, 04:40:23 PM: ...It was my second solo, and I almost went down. I took a tow to 3000 feet, so I could relax, released, and then searched for a thermal. There was a lot of wind, and I was being blown south of the airfield, and I just wasn't finding rising air. I would start rising, and get into a steep bank, and circle, trying to stay in the column of rising air, but would start losing altitude. I would level off, and go searching more. I lost my focus on what was going on, unfortunately especially where I was, but came wide awake when I saw that I was about 200 yards south of a radar station. The instructors had BEAT INTO MY BRAIN, "Do NOT get below 1500 feet when you are above this station, you won't make it back to the field." Well, I was at about 1200 feet!!! :P :P :P :P :P I turned around, and headed back towards the field, cussing myself out. (By the way...I didn't have a parachute, or a radio). I kept losing altitude, and realized that I was in a valley, and the hills were higher than I was flying. I aimed at what appeared to be a low area in the hills, hoping that if I could squeeze through, I could land in the farmland on the other side. But, the top of the hill kept getting higher.

...I then figured that I was going to crash, and so I tightened my harness, and reviewed what I had been told to do during a situation like this. "Keep the nose level, if you raise it, you very likely will stall, and go in nose first, and you won't survive. Keep the plane level, crash into the branches of the trees, and you have a good chance of not being badly injured. But, you will have to PAY TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE PLANE" my Instructor had told me. I was grinding my teeth, and tensing my body, and then...

...I felt a HUGE PUSH FROM BELOW!!!!...

...I turned the plane on its' side, and began circling. It was shaking and shuddering, but the 'rate of climb' instrument was pinned to the top, and the altimeter showed that I was rising. :) I stayed in the steep bank...when I looked to my right...I was looking almost straight down. (Thermals are columns of rising air, so you have to do a tight circle to stay in it, so that is why sailplanes roll onto their sides while thermaling). The air settled down as I got higher, so I relaxed the bank a bit, and regained my composure. My instructor had a temper, he had yelled at me a few times during instruction, I could just IMAGINE what he would do as he helped haul me down the hill to a waiting ambulance, and the mangled sailplane was wrapped around a tree. :P

...I rode the thermal to 10,000 feet, and could have gone higher, but I didn't have oxygen. The cockpit wasn't pressurized, and all the Instructors told we students not to get above 10,000 feet. "If you pass out...you will wake up in the Hereafter" they said. I had a relaxing flight, just kept the wings level, and didn't worry about altitude. My mind went into my 'Izee' mode for a while. Lake Berryessa was a few miles away, and I thought of going there...but...if I lost altitude and had to put it down...the Owner and my Instructor would be very unhappy. Travis AFB was across the other hills...but the Instructors said that it was against the Law to get too close to it...so I settled down and just enjoyed flying. The airfield was near the landing pattern of Travis AFB, and a number of very interesting planes flew over me. One was a four engine turboprop plane, that had ALL KINDS of antennas and stuff poking out all over it. I suspect a crew member was saying to the others as they looked at screens, "Hey, check out the young babe flying that glider." ::)

...I landed after being up for an hour and a half, which was a VERY long time. They had actually sent the tug to look for me after an hour, since it was only my second solo. The tug pilot told them, when he landed, "She is at about 8000 feet, she certainly found something."

...I flew a dozen more times during the summer, but never had another 'close call'. I was actually more conservative in my flying, and stayed at a safe altitude at all times. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 06, 2021, 05:05:34 PM: you live such and exciting life love hearing about your experiences so amazed at your resilience.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 07, 2021, 06:15:16 PM: ...When I argued with my FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR when we were 2000 feet high...in a sailplane... :o

...I have an aspect of my personality that is helpful, but also gets me in confrontations. ::) I tend to question authority. (Perhaps my R/P shows this) This doesn't mean that I am disruptive, or won't follow orders...when I need to support my team, I do what the Leader directs me to do. I just always want to understand a problem, and will express my concerns when I don't understand a decision, or believe that the Leader has overlooked something. My attitude has convinced higher authorities to reverse a decision, or cancel or change a State program a number of times. (It has also caused me to slink away a few times...with plenty of 'slunk'...and lick my wounds.)

...That aspect makes me fully explore a challenge, or a hobby, when I take one up. When I decided to learn how to fly sailplanes, I bought every book I could find that discussed the activity. One book was the "Joy of Soaring", and I read it several times, and studied certain sections very closely. I read, and re-read, the chapter on "Towing", which is where a small plane tows you up, and you release. Being towed is perhaps one of the most dangerous aspects of flying a sailplane. If you get tangled in the towline because you didn't maintain a proper position, you could possibly pull the tug down with you as you crash.

...During my initial lessons, I was taught to follow in line with the tug, which meant to stay at the same altitude, and point the nose of the sailplane at the tail of the tug. When I was reading "Joy of soaring", a writer said that it was best to point the nose of the sailplane at the outside wingtip of the tug during a turn. He pointed out that in doing so, you were making a wider turn than the tug, which would help keep the towline tight. Turning inside of the tug could lead to a 'slack line', which was very dangerous. So, that is what I did when I flew solo, and the tug pilot never said anything to me.

...I had been away for several months, and the Owner said that I should take a short flight with an Instructor, just to show that I still knew how to work the controls of the sailplane. I did, and would point the nose of the sailplane at the wingtip of the tug during a turn. The Instructor told me to keep the nose pointed at the tail, and I argued with him, describing what I had read. He finally said, "As long as you fly our planes, you will point the nose at the tail. If you want to fly differently, then buy your OWN plane." So, I did point at the tail, although that is the main reason why I took up caddying at the Country Club...I wanted to buy my own sailplane. ::) But...as is usual with me...I wanted to go 'overboard', and to buy a high performance sailplane, so I could fly cross country, and very high. The model I lusted after was the "Kestrel". It is glossy white, with long tapered wings and a 'T-tail', and then cost about 5K, which was a lot of money. I gave up on the idea of buying one, I looked into the cost of storage and insurance, and maintenance. Since I knew that I would soon be a 'starving student', owning such a 'toy' wouldn't make any sense. :-[ I bought a cello, instead. ;D

...I think that I will add 'Soaring' to the possibilities of what to do, since I don't want to work anymore, and did save some coin when I was working. There is one idea, that keeps entering my 'Izee' mind...(She is insane...she has shown that)...and that is to...

...BUY A CORVETTE!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...That would be kind of cool, to tool around in a red convertible. But, thanks to our Dem Gov't, crime, especially car highjackings, are very common in the Bay Area. I mean, the Dems say that non-violent criminals should be rehabilitated, not locked up. But the criminals just keep committing crimes. One thug was arrested FOUR TIMES in one day, for car burglary, and was just cited, and let go. The Dems don't give a DAMN about the effect on the victims. The victims lose possessions, have to have their car repaired, have their lives disrupted, and their Insurance rates go up. The Dems have been taken over by the 'Progressives', who say that criminals shouldn't be incarcerated for 'property damage' crimes. They also say that you shouldn't be allowed to use 'deadly force' to defend your property, that the life of a criminal means more than your possessions. So, you should just stand by and watch as thugs steal your car, or enter your home to steal your property.

...So, that is why 'sane' people are leaving CA, they are opening their businesses in other States, and people are relocating to less expensive States. I will do that when Family duties permit. For what I will clear selling the 3 bedroom, 2 bath home I live in, I could buy a huge MANSION in most other States...and roam the streets in my red Corvette. ;D

...It probably wouldn't be very difficult to land a boyfriend... ::) 8) :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 07, 2021, 06:46:29 PM: we all have a tendency to resist authority at times lol. do not blame you on wanting to leave ca and waiting to get a nice car until you do.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 24, 2021, 02:27:58 PM: ...How NOT to execute a H.S. Dance.... :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P

...In H.S. I was the 'nerdy girl', I would walk the Halls with a cello strapped to my back, and my arms clutching binders and books, and a full sidebag hanging over my shoulders My glasses would be hanging off the end of my nose, and my hair and makeup weren't in a very good style. I was totally focused on scholastics, and practicing the cello. I did a lot of chemistry experiences after school, I did succeed in making a sulfa drug!!! ;D There were other things I wanted to make, but the teacher forbade me, saying that it was too dangerous. I talked the 'Brilliant Friend' of mine, 'Mike', to help me perform some experiments with his home chemistry set, it was better equipped than mine, and we did several, and only set the counter in his garage on fire three times. ::) We only had one significant explosion, but the thick plastic barriers we set up contained it...we never heated metal sodium in a pure oxygen atmosphere again. (We NEVER told our parents what we were doing). We never made any illicit drugs, we weren't into mind-altering substances, and didn't want to get in trouble with the police.

...We were also into programming computers. I was right up with him in writing programs in Basic and Fortran, but he left me behind when he learned Cobol. He went on to earn a Masters Degree in Computer Science at UC Berkeley, and went to work at General Electric. We had a reputation in H.S. as being the Science Nerds, and other students would turn to us. I was the TA for chemistry, and would tutor students in Algebra and Geometry. He actually got passkeys to enter relaxed security areas at Lawrence Livermore Labs, and we would go there late at night and run our complex programs. (That was EXCITING...they actually issued us ID Badges that had our pictures on them, but Security made it VERY CLEAR where we were to enter, and which rooms to stay in. One was the cafeteria, and we would always have some coffee and cookies, and look around at all of the 'Big Brains' around us.) The 'night shift' programmers liked us, they encouraged us to earn college degrees in computer science, saying that computers would develop into more complex and interesting things.

...The Sophomore Class approached us, they wanted to put on a dance, and they wanted to put together students that had common interests. So, they asked us to write a computer program that would do so. The students would fill out a simple questionnaire, and we would put the data on punch cards, and then get a printout that matched up the students. I was amused when we got the cards, there were THREE TIMES as many GIRLS than boys! Mike and I got distracted with other projects, and waited until the last moment to write the program. I then spent the afternoon typing out the punch cards, Mike insisted that he was the 'Chief Programmer', and laboring over a key punch machine was beneath him. (I think that he was also being a bit 'sexist', but didn't call him on it. ::) )

...The night before the dance, we showed up at the Labs, and it was busy. The Manager said that they were running a big job, but that we could have access to a computer for half an hour. We put our cards in the hopper, and hit the execute button, and...the program WASN'T RUNNING...there was a glitch in our programming. We frantically worked on fixing it, but then the Manager came over, and said that the computer was needed for the Companies project. We sat for about an hour, hoping that a computer would come free, but that didn't happen. So...we used the....

...EYEBALL TECHNIQUE!!!! ??? ??? :o :o :P :P

...We stayed in the Lab, and would hold a guys card to the light, and place girls cards, one after the other, behind it, and see how well the holes in the cards matched. (That was my solution to the problem...Mike went along with it...but wasn't a happy camper) :-[ We then made sure that each guy got three girls, some guys matched a lot of the girls' cards, a few didn't have ANY matches.

...We did get paid for the job, and thanks, but we kept that evening a secret to ourselves.

...Later on, the Programmers at the Labs would tease us. We would walk in, and they would say that the computers were busy, but that they REALLY needed our help. They would hand us a box of punch cards, and say, "Run this program for us". We would sit, and hold the cards, one by one, up to a light so we could see the punched holes, and make up a silly answer when we were done, or say, "You need to redo the program at lines 32 to 46, the integers don't match, and one of the lines opens the safe in the Presidents Office."

...Those were fun times... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 24, 2021, 03:54:11 PM: Lol. Sounds fun. Sort of like me figuring out how to crash a firmware operating system in my computer classes.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 25, 2021, 09:19:07 PM: ...California will probably become a new Country, IN OUR LIFETIME!!! :o :o :o :o :o

...Our Governor just signed a series of new bills that radically affect immigration.

...The bill, was one of a number of bills that Newsom’s office described as "expanding the state’s humane immigration policies by protections and support for immigrants" and included a law ending the use of "alien" to describe non-citizens.

Included was a bill that amends California election code to allow what Newsom's office described as "aspiring citizens" to be appointed and elected members in a county central committee. Proponents have specifically mentioned "DREAMers" or recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) -- which protected illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children from deportation.

The bill says it will "permit a person who is not a United States citizen, but who would be eligible to register to vote if the person were a United States citizen, to serve as a member of the committee."

Those committees are governing bodies of county parties and involves budgetary matters and other business at county level for those parties.

...Note the verbiage..."...who is not...but who would be...if the person were..."

*Sighs* Last I looked, entering the US without a Visa or some kind of work permit was a crime, now the Dems want the invaders not only to vote, but to direct our finances and local laws. I JUST WONDER what sort of things they will do here in CA. Everyone just watch, if what the Dems are doing is good, then CA will prosper. But I predict, (Because it is already happening) that CA will have increased homelessness, crime, and such. My H and I were educated, and had some money, but if we invaded and dragged our children into even a friendly country like Canada, and demanded to be allowed to vote and sit on Committees that spent Albertas' money, we would be shipped back to the good 'ol USA...after paying a fine, I suspect. Having BORDERS AND LAWS are what DEFINES a Country, and CITIZENS of the Country are granted rights that Foreigners don't have. Also note that they are eliminating words, like 'alien'. Look at history, changing the vocabulary of the citizens changes the way they think of matters.

Orwells' book, '1984' described what CA is starting to do. Humans think in words, and eliminating words limits human thoughts. Ever have the experience of trying to express a thought, but you didn't have the word to express it? I have.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 26, 2021, 06:17:24 PM: I agree with you completely and often debate about such things with my brothee who seems caught up in the liberal mindset ugh.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 28, 2021, 07:28:42 PM: ...Serious Scholastics... ::)

...I get easily bored, and have to occupy my mind in some way when alone. I had a lot of time alone every day in H.S. as the Chemistry TA. Usually I was preparing the chemicals and equipment for the class, and would do tasks the Teacher assigned. She knew me very well, and would assign me complex things to do when I was alone so I wouldn't go off on my own. A few times, when I was in the chemistry class, she walked in on me when I had a disaster experiment winding down, that wasn't in the book, and I would say..."Ahhh, I can explain this." :D I especially enjoyed grading tests. She would give me the answer sheet, and I would grade the short exams. Once, she let me tease the Star Student, I marked most of his answers incorrect, even though he got them all correct. She then lectured the class on the need to study better, and pointed at him and said that she expected more from him. He was bewildered...he knew the subject very well, and couldn't understand how he could miss so many questions. I then entered the room, and said, "Sorry, Mrs. T-------, I gave him the results I GOT on that test last year." I then handed him his 'A', and everyone laughed. (Things were much better back then, IMHO, school was more relaxed, although we were all taught to study hard and earn good grades.)

...Anyway, at times I was sitting in the next door classroom, which was empty during that period, with NOTHING to do. So, I made up a pass time to develop my skills...I christened it...

...RUBBER BAND GOLF!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...I setup a 'course' in the empty school room, and would shoot a rubber band. I had placed plates on counters and desks, and it would take 2 or 3 shots to get close enough to land the rubber band in the plate. I would circle the classroom several times to complete the circuit. If the rubber band landed on the floor, that was a 'one stroke penalty'. So, I would need to land the rubber band on a counter, or a desk several times before landing it on the target plate. Several of my friends had 'Study Hall' during that period, and they started coming to the Chemistry Lab. They were also science nerds, and the Teacher assigned them tasks and experiments to work on. But, we didn't feel like studying all of the time, so, we...played...

...RUBBER BAND GOLF!!!!!! :o ::) :P ;D

...We refined the rules a bit, and made the course more complex. Once, the Physics Teacher commented to us..."I know that you guys are doing SOMETHING in that room during the 3rd period, I can see you through the windows, but I have NO IDEA what it is."

...We never told him... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 29, 2021, 03:37:19 PM: ...I take back ALL that I have said about CA!!!!!! I GONNA STAY...SO THAT I WILL BE SAFE!!!!!

...The Commercials they show tell us to NOT ATTEMPT!!!!

...There is a graphic car wreak advertising insurance, and they say, "Staged event, do not attempt."

...An elderly woman is laying at the bottom of stairs in an add selling stair elevators, and they say..."Do not attempt, graphic event only."

...Gee, if I want to cause a car wreak, or fall down my stairs, I guess I better move to Iowa, I hear that they are very tolerant of insane people.

...(I have Family Members there... ;) )
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 30, 2021, 12:12:08 PM: ...Practicing a spin... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...I hated spinning in the sailplane, there I was, looking straight down at the ground as the sailplane was rotating...but I held it, and then pulled out. My right hand pushing the stick forward, it had been held between my legs...and my right foot stamping on the rudder. The spin would stop, and I was JUST FLYING STRAIGHT DOWN...SEEING THE GROUND...and I would gently pull the nose up and get back to flying level.

...But, I had to know how to do a controlled spin with the sailplane, the Instructors said, "You might find yourself above the clouds, and since you aren't cleared to fly on instruments...and you have no instruments, you will need to spin down. If you try to fly through them, you may get into a 'flat spin', and you won't be able to recover." (A 'flat spin' is what it sounds like, the plane is level to the ground, but spinning. The rudder and the ailerons can't do much to help. That is when the pilots bail out.) I had found a nice thermal, and rode it up to 8,000 feet, and told myself..."Do a spin!!!" I grumbled...and DIDN'T DO IT!!! I just blissfully flew back and forth, and was fat, dumb, and happy. ;D

...I then saw a cloud below me, and thought, "Just fly through it." I settled down, I figured that as long as I held the plane steady, I would emerge on the other side...fat, dumb and happy...and so I lined up. As I entered the cloud, my rational mind shouted at me...THAT IS A ROTATOR CLOUD, A ROTATOR CLOUD, A ROTATOR CLOUD!!!!!!

(Those damn things form downwind of a wave, and, yes, they are rotating.)

...I emerged from the other side of the cloud, I was upside down, and my glasses were not on my nose...(I had to hunt them down when I landed, they were in the back of the cockpit)...and my mind was fuzzy. I got back level and blinked my eyes, back then my uncorrected eyesight was very poor. I flew back and forth for a while, and my head cleared. Amazingly, I did think of practicing a spin, but in my bewildered state of mind, I would have woken up, looking at St Peter, and holding the broken joystick in my hand, and asking..."How many centuries in Purgatory?" He would have not been merciful, because of my stupidity, and would probably laugh at me.

...I have never come so close to death, in this life...

...But...when I do go...I would like it to be in 'Style'... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 30, 2021, 06:20:44 PM: I love hearing of your adventures and can imagine the fear at the glider spin yikes. I have no fwar of speaking negaricely about ca, I have a brother there but hey he seems to like newsom so eh he can deal with any fallout lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 01, 2021, 12:57:13 AM: ...Doing a 'Display' on the Lake... 8)

...When I was young, I LOVED to backpack. I got friends to join me, but, often, I was alone. They didn't like walking for hours, and then choking down dehydrated food. I was used to difficult situations, as a child we had had to leave our home because of a flood, and I was happy to sit in a corner of the motel room, and eat cheese and crackers, and hoping that my Parents would let me watch the movie on the TV. So, I enjoyed backpacking, even alone. That was dangerous, but I always checked in with the Rangers, and gave them a map of where I would walk, and camp. I would check out when I was done, so they didn't have to worry about the 'Brown Bitch' walking alone in the volcanic park.

...One day, I was happy, I had walked up the side of a cinder cone, scaring the day tourists...one child whispered..."She is carrying a pack." I walked down to the campground...sneering at the people trying to walk up the cinder cone...they were carrying snack packs...and settled in the Campground. I looked, and smelled, awful, and I opened a can of spam, and gobbled it down. (I am very classy, normally...but I was having fun.) I looked around, my eyes narrowed, and people stayed away. No one would believe that I was a BA, JD, CPA, Attorney at Law, Judge Pro Tem...but I just looked like a wastrel. I dumped some trash, and left, heading to a lake that I had picked out.

...It was a short hike, and I found a small beach. I couldn't see anyone around, so I decided to take a bath. I set my pack in a place, and then stripped, and got into the Lake. I swam, and rinsed off, and then laid on a smooth rock area to dry off. I became aware that some young men were looking at me, they were behind some trees. I thought, "Oh, to Hell with it." I let them get a good look at me, I shifted positions as I dried off, so they saw ALL parts of my body, and then I sat up, got dressed, and picked up my pack and walked.

...So, I gave some young men a thrill, no one was tracking me, and I had a nice outing.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 01, 2021, 03:13:55 PM: ...Sailplanes...I LOVED flying them. There I was, in a small plane that didn't have an engine, and I was using my WITS to stay up in the air. I would release from the tug, and pull the stick back, and bank to the right. The tug would dive to the left, so the tow rope was taken well away from me. I would circle, a few times, and then get to flying. The thing was noisy, I mean, I was always losing altitude, and the cockpit was loose, wind would rush in on me. I would search for thermals, or waves...they CAN'T BE SEEN...although, a few times, I saw hawks circuling...I flew over to them, and joined, in a deep bank, and grinned as they flew around me. A few times, one would fly beside me, looking at me, probably thinking...

..."If I can break those wings, I will have a nice dinner." Or maybe, it was thinking, "How are you staying up? Your wings aren't flapping."

...It was SO NICE...I mean, I was just staying up in the air, and was using every sense I had to find thermals, and then do a deep bank and ride it up. I couldn't think of real life, the bills, the job, my H...I was just focused on staying up, and planning how to get back to the Field, and land. I would find a wave, and settle in. I kept the plane level, and the wave kept me up. I just flew back and forth, it was silent...and my mind went to an amazing place. I would look from side to side, and the Earth was 3,000 feet below, and I would look up, and dream about getting a high performance sailplane, and strapping on a pressure suit, and putting a mask over my face, and sailing the damn thing into upper atmosphere...with NO ENGINE!!!! But, as I have said, the highest I got was 10,000 feet.

...Landing was always fun. I would come to the field when I was at about 1,000 feet, and carefully look around. There was no Control Tower, so I had to look for other planes. I few times I circled away, because a saw a Beechcraft approaching. I actually had the right of way, since I didn't have an engine, but I didn't want to take the chance of tangling with a weekend pilot, who was probably thinking of the meal he would have at the fancy restaurant a couple miles away. I would then circle back, and land. :) A few times, I got some extra money, because the people in the Beechcraft wanted to go to eat. I would load them into the back of my VW bug, and take them there, chatting about the weather. They would take pity on the poor, starving student, and I would get some cash.

...The Owners liked me, and I helped them with their business. I knew bookkeeping, and would post their Journals, and maintain the records for the planes. I would also go out, and wash the planes and check the pitot and such. I would lust over the white, Kestrel, and they would let me fly it a few times. Once I got loose from the tug...I FLEW!!!! ;D I did deep banks, and spiraled...my head was above the fusilage, the cockpit was clear, and I just saw the Universe. I would have to land the Kestrel, they only let me have it free, for an hour, in return for the work I did, and I couldn't afford to rent it for longer. But, I could have been up for hours. I was a pretty good sailplane pilot, I would land, after being up for a long time, and see other pilots complaining about the weather. It is hard to explain how I did it, I would look at the ground, the birds, the clouds, and my altimeter, and the rate of climb tube. My butt also helped, it would signal me when I was in a thermal...I actually felt it pushing up at me. I would say, "Thank you, Buttikens", and would bank and ride the thermal.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 01, 2021, 04:46:03 PM: ...When I almost tangled with a B-52... :o

...I was flying the Kestrel, and was having a BLAST...I sailed back and forth, and found a thermal, and rode it up, and spun down, and found it again, and flew back up. I was near the landing pattern of the AFB, but was not causing any problems. The Owners of the Field had told me to stay below 5,000 feet when I was near the field, and I did. I saw military planes approaching, and landing. I was flying level, and saw a B-52 approaching, I was near the landing pattern, but was well below the legal limit there. I turned around, and as I looked over my shoulder, and saw it coming up behind me...I WAGGLED MY WINGS!!! I was just saying, "Hi".

I almost crashed, I was laughing so hard, as the HUGE BOMBER flew over me, it WAGGLED IT'S WINGS!!!!

...The Pilot was probably telling the Crew, "Let's give that Babe a Thrill."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 01, 2021, 06:10:36 PM: Soubds like both were fun adventures. Ay least you remained mostly with the limits of the law.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 01, 2021, 10:51:01 PM: ...*S*...Yes, I usually have tried to keep within the 'Law'...but...I am a Lawyer, and my view of 'Law' is flexible, I like it when it supports me, and KNOW that it is WRONG when I don't like it. I did stand before a Federal District Court, and looked at the Justices, and explained that the IRS didn't know the Law. (I have an 'attitude problem', probably why I am now divorced, but have some coin in the Bank). I won the case, and the IRS rewrote a Regulation. My Mother keeps telling me to get back in 'Action', joining a gym, and such, and a guy might find me interesting. I am still in pretty good condition, and if I rolled in, in a red Corvette, guys might look at me.

...I have assured my Mother that I am watching over her, she asked my Brother to pick up a new vacuum cleaner for her. I paid for it, and tease her, saying, "You missed a spot." She laughs, and we go out onto the patio for a walk. She will start sweeping with a broom, and I let her, but watch her. I know that when the Elderly just sit in a chair, and watch TV, life won't go on.

...I pray that I will live into my 90's, and be able to drive and shop, and play music. I will tool up, in my red Corvette, and grab my walker and stagger into the rehearsal Hall, and tell the 1st cellist to move over, and settle my butt in the chair.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 02, 2021, 07:44:08 PM: I can see you doing so at that age too lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 06, 2021, 12:19:30 AM: ...Well, it is TIME to get out the "Party Clothing" I wore when I was young...and head into S.F. because....

...IT IS FLEET WEEK!!!!!!!!!! ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

...Yeppers, the ships are coming in, and the Sailors and Marines are hitting the town.

...When I was in my early 30's, I did go into S.F. one Thursday night, during Fleet Week. I was with 3 of the Firms Secretaries, and a Paralegal. The Paralegal and two of the Secretaries were veterans of Fleet Week. I had asked them, what it was like, and they teased me, and then challenged me to go with them. They said that it was just a big party, parts were fairly tame, other locations were NOT so tame. So, after they shamed me, saying that they expected me to be more adventurous due to the stories I told about my backpacking and martial arts activities, I agreed to go in one evening with them. :o ::) ::) ;D

...We rented 3 rooms that had adjoining doors, and prepared to go out. They helped me dress, I ended up wearing a short dress and more makeup than I usually wore. I was nervous when we left the rooms, but they said to relax, that it was just a cocktail party that covered 8 city blocks. I had a drink at our rooms before we left, to calm down, and thought, "OK, five cute young women...in SF...in the evening...THOUSANDS of Service Men looking to get drunk and have a good time...I mean...

....WHAT could POSSIBLY go wrong??? ;D

...Actually it was a lot fun at first. We stuck together, and we didn't have to buy a drink, and the guys bought us nice snacks. I danced with some guys, but kept some distance, and chatted a lot. We went to several different Bars, and had fun. They treated us well, and were happy to have us sit with them and drink with them. Well, I noticed that some women would go away with a man for a while, and return with another man. The men, well, being men, started getting more 'familiar' with us as it got to the early morning hours, and I was getting uncomfortable having a mans' arm around me. My addled mind came awake when I found myself kissing a stranger, and after I gathered my wits, I said that I needed to go to the Ladies Room. The guy patted my butt as I left, and I found a side exit and left the Bar. I quickly flagged down a taxi, and got back to our hotel. I got into one of the rooms, and locked the doors. I sat on the bed, thinking for a while, as I drank some wine, (I had snagged three of those little wine bottles during my escape), and then started laughing. I told myself, "You get all dolled up, and roll into town during Fleet Week, and go into a Bar where there are a bunch of sailors, and you expect that they will just want to LOOK at you?" ::) ::) ::)

...The next morning, as we choked down some breakfast, the girls talked to me, saying, "That Commander that you were sitting with left us right after you left the table, and didn't return. You could have left WITH him, and we wouldn't tell anyone, what happens in Fleet Week, stays in Fleet Week."

...I just kept eating, and said, "Bet I scored a higher Rank than any of you did." They nodded and laughed, and said, "You sold yourself short, a Captain was looking at you, and we bet that SHE would have given you a nice present." I nodded, and replied, "I saw her looking at me, if we had gotten together, I just might have enlisted and become her Aide, she was imposing."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 06, 2021, 07:52:31 PM: Lol. Having worked on an army base for 10 years after 4 years army rotc etc. can only imagine the craziness at s port town during that time.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 07, 2021, 12:33:50 AM: ...Practicing looking 'Stupid'.... :o

...In my real life, as an Attorney, Counselor, Politician...and Mother and Parent...I learned that looking 'stupid' often got me what I couldn't get if I rose up on my high heels and tried to intimidate the other side with my imposing expression...and I had a GOOD ONE!!! (Both an "imposing" one, and a "stupid" one. ;D ) My usual 'look' was relaxed, I wasn't a 'looker'...but was cute.

...I spent a lot of money, and attended a two week intensive 'Jury Trial' Seminar when I began practicing Trial work, before that, I just created Corporations and Businesses...and got the IRS to rewrite a Regulation...a lot of businesses jumped on the loophole I discovered...and the IRS audited me for three years. The IRS was pissed. Anyone who thinks that the Gov't is fair needs to wake up. (I hired an Attorney to represent me...I would have LUNGED across the table at the Examiner...and probably landed a 'good one' on him, but would have had to pay a fine and spend a week in jail...in addition to taxes. I did write our beloved Governmental IRS a very small check, as I discussed above...for all they worked. *Shrugs* "Taxable Income" has a variable meaning to me. I was raised by an Accountant Father, and a Hispanic Mother, so I have an attitude, and numbers 'speak' to me, and they 'dance' when I want them to.)

...Anyway, back to looking 'stupid'. During the Seminar, I was filmed as I practiced Direct and Cross Exam, and opening and closing statements. I would sit with an experienced Attorney Coach, and he would comment on how I conducted myself. Several times, I would look at myself, and think..."I look REALLY STUPID!!!!" My eyes would be wide, and my jaw was relaxed...but...I WASN'T DROOLING!!!!

...I had a number of drinks with the rest of the 'Student Trial Lawyers' that evening, after gobbling down two prime ribs...I eat to console myself...and thought about what I had seen. I was being complimented, a lot, I had won my Moot Trial...but I kept thinking..."You looked really stupid."

...I calmed down over the rest of the weekend, and after drinking some wine, I thought, "What the Hell, you can't control your face very well, just try to speak well."

...I went on to have a very successful career as a Trial Attorney, and didn't think if I looked 'stupid' at times. The Senior Partner of the Firm had me assist him in a complex, month long Jury Trial. I made sure that I prepared the Exhibits, and would take copious notes. I handled the smaller direct exams of our clients, and would assist with the important witnesses. There was a TV crew during the closing arguments, and I helped the Partner prepare, and sat off to the side as he argued. He was very eloquent, I had gotten him to accept some lines I wrote. The TV showed parts of the Trial, we won, and parts of his closing argument. He looked very Professional as he spoke, and there I was, in the background...

...LOOKING STUPID!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...I almost died of laughter when I read the report that the Trial Reporter sent us, he had interviewed the Jury. Several actually said that what affected them most, it was a close trial, was seeing me, looking 'sad and worried' (That expression is very close to my 'stupid' expression), during the closing arguments.

...But, that was an important lesson to me. A Coach had told me, "Your MOST important witness is YOU!!!! If the Jury likes and respects you, you will win unless the case goes completely off the rails...and NEVER try one if that has a good chance of happening. Trials are expensive, you lose, your client is out of a lot of money and a business might close. Just settle those close ones, no shame in that."

...I was subpoenaed to attend a Mediation, the Firm I had left was breaking up, and both sides wanted me to be a witness. I didn't like either one, that is why I left...and they didn't want to pay me a witness fee...so I just said very little, and looked "stupid" as they raged before the Mediator. But, I was ROARING with laughter inside. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 07, 2021, 01:05:15 AM: ...Making numbers 'Dance'...

...There is a joke that runs around CPA's, (Certified Public Accountants), and Attorneys.

...A man goes into the CPA's office, and asks, "What is two plus two?" The CPA answers, "Four". The man leaves.

...He goes into the Attorneys office, and asks, "What is two plus two?" The Attorney answers, "Four". The man leaves.

...The man then enters a CPA/Attorneys office, and asks, "What is two plus two?" The CPA/Attorney closes the door, shutters the windows, turns down the lights, and whispers..."What do you want it to be?" ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 07, 2021, 03:23:25 PM: ...i need to be placed into a locked-down facility, for my OWN protection. ::)

...I just got back from a walk, and I had had an ugly encounter, with...

...A CAT!!!!

...I am a very formidable woman, even in my weakened condition, so I don't put up with any disrespect. Teenagers stay clear of me, any thug who tries to snatch my purse or my bucket of KFC will find himself on the ground, as I call the Police and chew on a wing, with my left foot on his neck

...I was walking back from the convenience store, holding a bag of 'goodies', and chewing on a candy bar...life was good. *Sighs* Then, came...

...THE CAT!!!!

...It was a big fat yellow tabby, and it curled up, and hissed at me, twitching its' tail, its green eyes narrowed...it was only about 6 feet away. I stopped, and looked at it, and it hissed again.

...I swallowed my mouthful of chocolate, cleared my throat...and...

...HISSED BACK AT IT!!!!

...It sat up, and ran towards a fence, and tried to crawl through a hole. It was slightly stuck, and I shouted at it...

..."GET YOUR BUTT THROUGH, OR I WILL KICK YOU THROUGH... >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...It got through, and I pulled another candy bar from the bag and chewed on it as I resumed my walk.

...I IGNORED the man who was laughing his ass off...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 07, 2021, 06:19:06 PM: Onr lpok can change the course of a triel to be sure. Lol on tje cpa attorney. As for the cat, he was mot on his own territory and was trying to bluff you, your hiss showed him he could not do so, so he retreated. I had something similar with 2 dogs that approached me as I was at the end of our drive, they growled at me. Something inside told me to tell them this is not their home and to leave. I did so, they looked at me confused for a moment then I said go home and they took off. Same basic principle. They were trying to bluff me and I called them in it so they retreated.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 07, 2021, 07:34:36 PM: ...Thank you, Nate, :), I think you explained the cat. I was chuckling as I ate the candy bar and thought, "No cat gonna push me around."

...Here is a wonderful piano work that I could play, it was the first Debussey work I studied, and I didn't like French Impressionist music. The English title is 'The Engulfed Cathedral', and it tells a wonderful story. I could play all of the notes, and my piano Professor actually grabbed my right shoulder during a lesson, and hauled me off of the bench, and set me aside, and shouted..."WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU...THIS MUSIC TELLS A STORY!!!! YOU AREN'T TELLING THE STORY...YOU ARE JUST POUNDING THE KEYS!!!! EVEN A MONKEY CAN DO THAT!!!!' He then played the work...and it sank into my mind...and I got a lot of applause a few weeks later when I performed it at 'Solo Class'.

...https://youtu.be/cVMGwPDP-Yk

...((A Cathedral is sitting on the floor of the ocean, it decides to rise, and chimes its' bells. The sea roils around it as it rises, chiming, and then...the Cross of the Steeple rises above the waves...and the organ begins playing, and the Cathedral gets above the waves. The Cathedral settles down and stays above the waves, and then the spirits of the Monks emerge, and sing a plainchant. When they are done, and enter their chambers, the Cathedral Bells ring...and the Cathedral slowly sinks back down...the sea comforting it. It settles back down...the bells chime...and it gets quiet until it is time to rise again.))

...I broke a rule I usually had when I performed, I explained what the piece was about before I sat at the piano, and composed myself, and played the work.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 07, 2021, 11:01:22 PM: ...A Class Action Lawsuit...and...I FINANCED IT!!! ;D

...Seriously, as a young associate, I was tasked to assist the Senior Partner with a complex lawsuit, there were about 60 different sides, and so there was a 'shitload of attorneys...and...well...I guess that I counted as one, although I wasn't working the case. The Senior Partner had me come with him to the Settlement Conference, and I listened closely to understand what was going on, but I was just a 'Go-fer'. The Courtroom was filled with clients, all of the Attorneys were in the back area. I sat near my Boss, and listened. He would send me out to fetch items from our Office, it was two blocks away, so I would walk through the Courtroom where the Clients were, carrying my little briefcase, and return, carrying my little briefcase, and the Bailiff would let me into the back rooms.

...This went on all morning, and into the afternoon...I kept leaving the Courtroom, and returning, always carrying my little briefcase. In the Mid-afternoon, the Clients were getting tired, and one asked me when I walked in, carrying my little briefcase, "Hey, just who are YOU???" I stopped, and looked at him, and said...

..."I am the Bag Lady"...

...and I let the Bailiff open the door to the back rooms. The Bailiff had heard me, and was trying not to laugh too hard as I walked through.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 08, 2021, 06:24:47 PM: Anyone can learn to play the notes, one needs the spirit to actually play music. There is a definite difference. Lol on the courtroom pays to be in on the action. Always smile it makes people wonder what you are up to. As a witnesd and plantiff in a number of lawsuits, opposing attorneys hate me the ones on my side love me lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 09, 2021, 12:32:17 AM: ...When I was, briefly, a 'Big Shot'... ;D

...I was building up a very lucrative business and tax law practice as a young associate attorney. Being a Lawyer, and a CPA, gave me an advantage. There were only a few of us in CA at that time, the two professions are different...and you have to pass two difficult tests to get both licenses. I planned and created businesses, advised them, and stood in Tax Court and presented my cases. I was charging my time at $450 an hour...and collecting it! :) Once, I was advising a businessman who was building a large community in the foothills, near Lake Tahoe, and I would drive up there from my home in the Valley. Once, though, he called me, and said that I needed to meet him and others in Tahoe. I told him, "Be there in about four hours." He snorted, and said, "Get to the airport, I will send my helicopter." :o

...I drove to the little terminal at the end of the local airport...there was a larger terminal where the passengers on jets would stay...parked my car, and went in. I sat for about ten minutes, and then...A HELICOPTER LANDED!!! ;D A man in the terminal escorted me to the helicopter, the blades were still running, and I climbed in, and the pilot made sure that I was strapped in, and that my briefcase was fastened down, and we took off.

...Those damn things are NOISY, so I had large headphones strapped over my ears, and a mic was in front of my lips. I spoke to the pilot a bit, but, mostly, I was looking around. We landed about 40 minutes later, and my client was waiting with his Mercedes, and took me to where the meeting was.

...We got the deals done, I saw why he wanted me there, important decisions were being made, and I was reading ream after ream of documents, and advising my client. He signed the contract late in the evening, as I watched, and then he took me to a resort nearby. We had a good dinner, with wine, and he said that he would have the helicopter take me back in the morning. I am a normal female, and my hormones ACTED UP...I mean, here I was...away from my H...I had done a good job...and my client wasn't bad looking...and I had had some wine. ::) But, I stayed true to my marriage vows, and went into the room my client had rented for me, and slept alone.

...We had breakfast together...I did drink a little champagne...and the helicopter took me back home. I was thinking, as I drove home, "You are going to bill a lot of time at $450 per hour for this, not a bad two days, the Firm will be pleased." I expected that the Partners would encourage me to generate more business like that, word would get around, and more businessmen would seek my counsel...at $450 per hour.

...But, that GODDAMN JUNIOR PARTNER didn't like me. I was assigned every 'shit job' that came up, and spent most of my time driving all over CA trying to collect judgements that goddamn INSURANCE COMPANIES had against little people. We would just take a percentage of what we collected for that work, so my 'collections' went down the toilet. The Senior Partner would yell at me, telling me that I wasn't bringing enough money into the Firm. I would yell back at him, saying, "Let me work on my business and tax practice, I can collect a lot of money, as you saw, give the shit jobs to the new guy." He would say, "We will lose our biggest clients if we don't try to collect those judgements, you are helping us retain those clients." A number of times, after quizzing a person in a court ordered OEX, I would just walk out...I wasn't about to take what little money they had. I had one OEX that I laughed about, on the drive home. It was a late middle aged man, who was a retired military NonComm. One line of questioning I had was about weapons, CA Law does state that a person can keep a shotgun and a rifle, but anything else can be collected to satisfy a judgement. He described his weapons, and then looked at me, and said, "If you want to take my weapons, well, bring a Strike Force with you." I laughed, and said, "I will tell the damn Insurance Company to leave you alone." He laughed, too, and tossed me a $50 bill, and said, "Don't bother me again."

...I thought, "Screw the Insurance Company, and SCREW THAT GODDAMN JUNIOR PARTNER." I bought myself a nice bracelet with the $50, and resigned from the damn Law Firm.

...I have never had a helicopter come to fetch me and take me somewhere on business, since then. But, that was a blast...

...BEING A BIG SHOT... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 09, 2021, 06:19:16 PM: Should have started your own firm and ran them out of business.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 10, 2021, 01:38:36 PM: ...I think that you are correct about that, Nate, I might be sitting on my yacht in Monterrey Bay now, if I had had the confidence to start my own practice. I could have worked out of my home until I built up the Practice, and then opened my own office and hired some smart kids to help me make money for me. :)

...Hey, an insight into attorneys...most of them ...

...DO NOT LIKE TRYING CASES.... :o :o :o :o :o

...Trials are expensive, and unpredictable. There you are, in a very formal setting, trying to persuade 12 strangers to see things the way you want them to. And you can never be very sure about what a witness will say, and you have the JUDGE watching your every move. (Also, your client has some interest in what is going on). We women have it worse than guys, we have to dress and do our hair and makeup in a way that makes us look dependable and professional. Trial Coaches have always said that Jurors talk about the appearance of attorneys, as much as they talk about the evidence in a case. One female juror asked me, after a two week trial, if I had more than two trial outfits. I just smiled, said that I was poor, and just starting out, and would buy more clothes later.

...During my practice, I was surprised to see how many Plaintiff Attorneys would fold up their tent and accept my last offer the day before a trial was set to go. I would have my briefcase packed, witnesses had been subpoenaed, and I had coached my client on what to expect. I will admit that I was very nervous the first couple of Trials I had, but after that, any nervousness would disappear as soon as I walked through the little gate and sat at the table. My mind would retreat into a space in my mind where the only thing I saw was the Trial, and my nerves were under control.

...I also learned to 'size up' attorneys, and knew which ones would actually try a case, most would just settle. There was one very distinguished Plaintiff's Firm that I respected, and they seemed to respect me, too. Their offices were in an old, historic Mansion downtown, and it was well decorated. We would tangle during discovery, but never did anything 'borderline' to each other. We would get the facts out, and then settle, I KNEW that they would go to Trial...and they knew that I would, too. :) They hired a young attorney, and he was VERY aggressive during discovery, and was a bit rude to me. We got to the Pretrial Conference, and suddenly, he calmed down, and accepted my offer. Years later, the young attorney and I were having a drink after a Settlement Conference, and he told me that the Senior Partner had ordered him to accept my offer in that old case. He laughed, and said, "Frank told me that you would kick my ass, and that the offer was very fair, and there were other things I could work on."

...So, if you ever need an attorney, especially in a personal injury case, be careful over who you select. Most just want to settle a case, quickly, and may leave a lot of money on the table.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 10, 2021, 07:41:23 PM: Too true on lawyers not wanting to try cases. Only been in a courtroom 3 times and an arbitration oanel once.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 13, 2021, 03:29:56 PM: ...Fucking Law Firms!!!! :P :P :P :P And MY NAME was SECOND on the letterhead of a very large firm. :o

...My first career was as a CPA, and we had to fill out 'Daytimers' every day. It was a preprinted sheet, with the times of day, and we would fill it out by writing in the clients name, and the time we had spent on an assignment. The Bookkeeper would then use them to prepare the bills. The Partners would review them, and a few times I was called in to explain why I had billed 2 hours on an assignment that should have taken 30 minutes. I would explain that I had never seen the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principals) that applied, and had had to do some reading. He would 'write down' my daytimer, and usually say, "Good, at your level, make sure that what you do is correct, trying to fix something that is wrong is expensive, and it makes the Firm look incompetent." He then winked at me, and said, "If you know that you will be getting an assignment that involves accounting that you haven't seen before, spend some time in our Library, after hours, and weekends, and read, on your own time. We have to be fair to our clients." So, I did so, and even went to the County Law Library late at night, and educated myself. :) That is when I decided to become a Lawyer, and spent 4 years going to night Law School, and was the VALEDICTORIAN!!!! I would drag myself to the County Law Library late at night... :P...sign the Register at the Sheriffs Office...and use MY OWN KEY to get in. The Sheriffs liked, and trusted me, and loaned me a key to keep on my keychain. I had to turn it in when I changed Law Firms.

...When I joined my first Law Firm, we had to use daytimers. The first few days, I filled them out as I had when I was an Accountant. I got called to the JUNIOR PARTNERS OFFICE, and he told me to sit, and waved my daytimers at me, and demanded, "Do you have any idea what you are doing?" I bristled, and said, "My times reported are correct, I have a clock on my wall, and on my desk...and a wristwatch... and I note when I start an assignment, and when I finish."

...He sneered at me, and said, "Let's see...10 minutes here...20 minutes there...and, and, oh look...you billed A FULL HOUR to this client!" I was getting angry, but was also a little scared, if I got fired for tangling with a Partner, word would get around, and I would never find another job at a reputable firm. I would have had to join a 'back alley' Firm, and spend my days walking back and forth between the Office, the Courtroom, and the Jail...and working out Plea Bargains. (Although that could have been MORE INTERESTING than reading the new IRS Regulations every month... :) ) He took out clean daytimer sheets, and rewrote my time, handed them to me, and shouted, "THIS IS HOW YOU BILL YOUR TIME!!!" I looked them over, but nodded, and left his office and handed my 'New and CORRECT' daytimers to the bookkeeper. I walked back to my office, my head troubled, I had just billed FOUR DAYS for TWO DAYS WORK!!!!

...I stayed for a few months, I REALLY needed the job, my H had lost his job as a data entry clerk, he kept making a lot of mistakes, so he was back at trying to find work at Bars. I interviewed at three different Firms, and all three offered me jobs. Two were in Business Law/Tax Practice, they were interested in my skills, and, well, despite my r/p, I am a nice, outgoing and calm person. But, I was too run down to accept two of those jobs...I kept thinking that a Partner wouldn't like me, and my career would be over, regardless if the other Partners liked me. I mean, when I left that Firm, several Partners took me to lunch, and said that I was doing very well, but, if the one Partner didn't like me, I would never reach Partnership, so the other Partners decided that it was best to urge me to leave...(One actually said..."We will fire you if you try to stay on, it would be more merciful"...it sunk into me, and so I left...and became a Partner in another Firm)

...I was actually smirking to myself, when that Firm broke up a few months after I left. The JUNIOR PARTNER had broken it up, bragging, "We took the best, and left the rest." He had had to be hauled out of the Courtroom, because he was shouting, hollaring, and yelling so much.

...That Junior Partner had a screw loose, he wanted EVERYONE to suck up to him, even the Senior Partner. He had a 'lap dog' Associate that he favored, and pampered. That Associate couldn't 'Motion himself' out of a toilet stall, the GD JP (Junior Partner) would task me with helping the guy. I would do the work, he would put his name on it, and the JP would brag how much he had found this person, and mentored him to become a formidable Trial Attorney. The 'lap dog' encountered me years later, I filed an Answer to a complaint he had filed, and he called me, and said..."Let's talk settlement, my client likes your client, let's not make them spend a lot of money." I just said, "We made our one, and ONLY offer, and he is ready for a trial...which will be expensive, but he has a LOT of money...and I haven't had a Jury Trial this year, I need to stay in practice."

...The 'lap dog' accepted our offer the next morning.

...Again, there are JP's and 'lap dogs' all over the Law Community. Most are nice people, but are out of their depth. They will talk big, but fold when they get challenged. That JP LOST a lot of cases and Motions, despite how much he bragged. Late at night, I would be in my office, working on a Tax case, and I would hear the JP in the Senior Partners office. The JP would be shouting, and ALMOST SOBBING as he described how he wasn't getting his way in a trial. I was astounded...I mean...he was an adult, and if you want to be a Trial Attorney, well...get ready to be 'F----d'. The other side isn't going to play fair...a witness will go sideways...and the Judge WILL rule against you at times. I would get back to my office when my Trial wasn't going well, close my door, and drink a small glass of wine to relax, and think, and then open my door and get coffee as I planned for the next day. I never walked into the Senior Partners office and whined, if he asked me about my trial, I would tell him what was happening. A few times, I did ask for counsel in a difficult situation, but I wasn't whining...I just knew that I was in a Trial...and 'Things' would happen. We would sit, and discuss what to do, and I would go back to my office.

... :) So, that is why, when I advised 4-H, I just listed my CPA on my applications...NO ONE wants an attorney speaking to the Youth.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 13, 2021, 05:06:15 PM: ..."Robocop" is UPON US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...Robot dog Officers will be let loose on us, by the beloved Liberals....

...https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/42717/robot-dogs-can-now-have-6-5mm-assault-rifles-mounted-on-their-backs

...I will walk across the 'Stay off this grass' section in the local park, and when one of those 'dogs' pads up to me, and says, "Human, get off the grass", I will say, "Go eat the pile of tin cans at your kennel"...and get BLASTED INTO 837 PIECES!!! I will appear before St. Peter, TOTALLY CONFUSED, and say,

..."Not sure how to explain this..."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 13, 2021, 06:36:42 PM: ...Liberals...*LOL*...They should ALL just be placed in an enclave, and be left to fend for themselves.

...SF, the Home to 'Defund the Police', and 'Do not prosecute Criminals', is losing six Walgreen Stores. The stores can't stay open, because thieves walk in, fill shopping bags with stuff, and just walk out. They can't be arrested, because it is just a 'Property Crime'. The Mayor is now begging the stores to stay in SF, but they are leaving. Shoplifting is VERY common in small businesses, and they are closing. When I was younger, shoplifters were arrested, taken to jail, and had to post bail to get out. Now, the Police just hand over a citation, and release them. So, the criminals just laugh, and find another store to steal from.

...Liberals are MORONS!!! They claim to be compassionate, and that they understand people better than we 'Unwashed'.

...Well, the Liberals have NO COMPASSION for the man or woman who have their life savings invested in a small business, and have to go bankrupt because of the criminals. The Liberals also have no perception of the 'criminal mind'. A criminal will smile, and speak well, and cry over the state of the poor, and then laugh as he lifts your wallet, or steals a pouch of money that is meant for the poor.

...So, the residents of SF will have to find other stores to buy what they need, and poor people who were getting discounts on prescription drugs will have to try to find somewhere else to get what they need to stay alive.

...But, *Sighs*, the people of SF voted the politicians in, and they were the 'Privileged Group' who live in gated communities or high class residential areas. So, the 'middle class' are moving out, they can sell their houses for a LOT of money. Every day, there are articles in the Bay Area newspapers about long time businesses closing, and the drop in population. The TV News also show poor women crying, because they are losing their jobs and/or have to find somewhere else to fill their prescriptions.

...Liberals....

...BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 13, 2021, 07:59:23 PM: I agree with you on thebliberals ugh. Uet my brother living in the oc loves newsom. Shakes head. Never heard about the robodogs new one on me hope they all short out in the rain lol. Each firm has their own rules and always office politics.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 14, 2021, 12:35:31 AM: ...Last thing that a few Warriors saw...when they were hunting...

...IZEE"...

...https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=kKfjgN63&id=72070C219BD4B96975ABBDA94A42EE2A795641AA&thid=OIP.kKfjgN63H1R9Sxb0Nkmy2AHaLH&mediaurl=https://i0.pickpik.com/photos/738/220/998/forest-bow-lady-beauty-preview.jpg&cdnurl=https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.90a7e380deb71f547d4b16f43649b2d8?rik=qkFWeSruQkqpvQ&pid=ImgRaw&r=0&exph=1092&expw=728&q=images+of+women+with+a+bow&simid=608005208489794084&form=IRPRST&ck=4118150AED4B06BA64475E8C65BE655B&selectedindex=10&qpvt=images+of+women+with+a+bow&adlt=demote&shtp=GetUrl&shid=326c6633-7be8-4149-963b-8bedb67dd370&shtk=Um95YWx0eS1GcmVlIHBob3RvOiBXb21hbiBob2xkaW5nIGJyb3duIGFuZCBibGFjayBib3cgYW5kIGFycm93IHwgUGlja1Bpaw%3D%3D&shdk=Rm91bmQgb24gQmluZyBmcm9tIHd3dy5waWNrcGlrLmNvbQ%3D%3D&shhk=A3ohYGR5ETg0BD33qJ%2FKih%2BAPNhgLCOPkZm8kdMeCBs%3D&shth=OIP.kKfjgN63H1R9Sxb0Nkmy2AHaLH
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 14, 2021, 01:51:54 AM: ...The US Marines...what WARRIORS...and such Battle Poets, in the Battle of Bealui Woods in France...

..."Come on, you sons of bitches. Do you want to live forever?"

..."Retreat? Hell, we just got here!"
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 14, 2021, 01:03:33 PM: ...Performing Music...

...At my Prime, I did perform the first movement of the Dvorak. I didn't play it as well as Yo Yo, but, I did pull it off. ;D I got a lot of applause.

...I walked onto the stage, and settled my butt in the chair, and stuck the endpin of my cello into a hole in the floor, and shook myself loose. I looked over at the Concertmaster, and smiled, and nodded...and then looked up at the Conductor, and nodded. I then hung my head down during the long introduction, I was getting over the brief stage fright, and I was starting to get angry. I actually felt that the Orchestra was TAUNTING ME!!!! ??? ??? ??? They were saying, "Hey, Bitch, can you match what we are expressing to the audience?"

...At the reception, a few members of the audience said that they were amazed at my facial expressions, and body language during the opening. I looked sad and frightened at first, and then retreated into myself, and just disappeared. And then, I sat up, and my face was grim...and then my eyes came alive as my entrance approached. I was thinking, "OK, Orchestra, you did your best, now, I AM GOING TO SHOW YOU HOW TO PLAY THE MELODIES!!!!" >:( And, I did.

...The rosen was flying off my bow as I hammered the strings as I started...and I didn't let down...I was grinding my teeth as I expressed what I believed the work to be about...a repressed Country coming alive and expelling the oppressors. My face was covered with sweat when I finished the opening, and let the Orchestra reply. I wiped my eyes, and caught my breath. At the section at 9:40, I had more moisture on my face...tears were running down my cheeks...as I was comforting those who had passed. I then got into the part I loved the most, I was just lightly running my bow over the strings, playing arpeggios, and listening to the flutes as they sang the melody.

...But then, I got excited, and pushed the bow down, and got loud...and then I came unglued...and YELLED my anger. through the cello...and finished with a triumphant run up the strings...my thumb on the D and G strings...my second finger on the A String...and did pull my bow back over my shoulder at the end...(I was relieved that I got the notes right)...and let the Orchestra finish.

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=6347F678892B09CAB9B26347F678892B09CAB9B2&q=dvorak cello concierto&shtp=GetUrl&shid=fe853b46-f71b-4449-a467-d7fa88f47449&shtk=WW8gWW8gTWEgUGxheXMgRHZvxZnDoWvigJlzIENlbGxvIENvbmNlcnRv&shdk=WW8tWW8gTWEgUGxheXMgRHZvxZnDoWvigJlzIENlbGxvIENvbmNlcnRvIGNvbmR1Y3RlZCBieSBLdXJ0IE1hc3VyIGluIDE5OTUsIENvLVByZXNlbnRlZCB3aXRoIExpbmNvbG4gQ2VudGVyIGF0IEhvbWUgSSBoZWFyZCBoaW0gcGxheSB0aGlzIGluIDE5OTUgYXQgSW50ZXJsb2NoZW4gbXVzaWMgY2FtcC4gSSBhdHRlbmRlZCBldmVyeSByZWhlYXJzYWwgSSBjb3VsZCBvYnNlcnZlIGFuZCB0aGUgbWFzdGVyY2xhc3MgaGUgb2ZmZXJlZCB3YXMgdHJlbWVuZG91cy4gTm90IG9ubHkgYSBncmVhdCBtdXNpY2lhbiBidXQgcGVyc29uIG9mIHRyZW1lbmRvdXMgaGVhcnQgYW5kIGdlbmVyb3VzIHNwaXJpdCAuLi4%3D&shhk=csl10c9JvPGWCjSUaYeEAVPlCMw9GgcScaHG%2B7Sd29Y%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.HMin2WYkyyrNTb4splCYCgHgFo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 14, 2021, 06:44:11 PM: A passionate performer is a good performer.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 15, 2021, 12:38:52 AM: ...When I SAVED a concert... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...I was sitting Principal Cello in the semi-professional Orchestra I got paid to play in. It was a very good orchestra, we actually did some recordings. Soloists from all over the World would come and perform with us. I was also the Treasurer of the Symphonic Group that raised money for us, and advertised our concerts. That was fun, as Treasurer, I would hand the guest soloist the check for his or her performance. Usually, it was backstage, but a few times I emerged from the wings during the intermission, and handed the soloist the check as he was being interviewed by the President of the Symphony. I actually tried to convence the Manager to let me play a joke... :)...the Soloist would come on stage, but then refuse to play, saying that he had not been paid...and I would rise from my stand, hand my cello to my standpartner, and walk over and hand him the check. But, for obvious reasons, my idea of a joke wasn't accepted. ::)

...Anyway, when practicing, or performing on the cello, I would place a handkerchief over the left shoulder of the instrument. It was to protect the lacquer, when you get into 5th position, which is very common, the bottom edge of your left hand rests on the shoulder of the cello. So, after a period of time, the lacquer gets worn off. My old, over 100 year cello, Catherine, doesn't have ANY varnish in that spot on her shoulder. I wanted my brand new cello, 'Pavane' to keep his varnish clean, and not wear any off. He would look prettier that way. ;)

(I paid $20K to purchase him and drove him back home to California, (he sat in the back of my 1974 VW Bug), from Arizona...that was a fun trip. There I was, a broke young woman in an old car, leaving the International Cello Congress, with a $20K cello in the back seat, crossing the Mohave desert, with NO air conditioner. My H was NOT HAPPY WITH ME WHEN I ARRIVED...but, I refinanced our home, and got the money so I could wire transfer the cost to South Africa)

...Back to the concert... :) We were performing the Mendelsohn Violin Concerto, and a brilliant soloist from Russia was the violinist. He was a very good violinist, and did actually help us to understand how he wanted us to accompany him. At the concert, there is a medium rest for the soloist in the first movement, I think that the Composer wrote it in, so the soloist could have a brief rest, while the orchestra developed the work. We got there, and the soloist was sweating VERY HEAVILY...the stage was hot, and he had been playing very passionately. He was searching his pockets, as we played, for a kerchief. He looked at the Conductor, and the Conductor shook his head, he didn't have a kerchief. I saw what was going on, and stopped playing, and pulled my kerchief off of Pavane, and handed it to the soloist. He wiped his face down, and kept it, and used it during the rest of the performance.

...The soloist did thank me, and returned the kerchief at the reception. I briefly thought of keeping it as it was, but washed it, he was not a World Recognized Soloist. I actually regret washing it, I should have placed it in a frame, with a guilded label stating that it saved a concert. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 15, 2021, 02:16:41 AM: Izee' Tatoke
[ Main Locations ]
at/on the practice field
says to ALL
: ...I am standing at the lists, practicing my archery.

(06:53:03 )
Izee' Tatoke
[ Main Locations ]
at/on the practice field
says to ALL
: ...I was very good, having lived as a Panther for many years. We needed to hunt, to stay alive in the Forests, and Jungles, and we also used them to defend ourselves from Preditors. The saying to hunters was, accurately, "The first notice you will have when a Panther Girl is nearby, is when you feel an arrow hit your back."

(06:55:59 )
Izee' Tatoke
[ Main Locations ]
at/on the practice field
says to ALL
: ...I briefly smile as I let the fingers of my right hand relax...I NEVER jerked my fingers from the string...it would affect the flight of the arrow. I grunt with satisfaction, as the arrow lands where I was aiming.

(06:59:41 )
Izee' Tatoke
[ Main Locations ]
at/on the practice field
says to ALL
: ...Some young men laugh, and tease me as they walk by. "Hey, woman, at least you hit the target." I just nod at them, and say, "That is why I am practicing." They laugh more, and say, "Practice more, but if we get attacked, just hide under a wagon, and let us defend you." I nod, and say, "It will be as you say, young men." They laugh, and walk away, as I gaze at them with my dark eyes...

(07:03:48 )
Izee' Tatoke
[ Main Locations ]
at/on the practice field
says to ALL
: ...They had missed that an arrow was in the center of the target, that was the first arrow I had fired. I had then aimed all over the target, so that I wouldn't break arrows, or tear off fletchings with my shots. As a Panther, I had landed my arrows on men, and I had been active during the last raid. I was on the porch of the Med Wagon, firing arrows at the attackers, and had taken a few down.

(07:11:00 )
Izee' Tatoke
[ Main Locations ]
at/on the practice field
says to ALL
: ...((True tale, I was a very good archer a few years ago, when we lived on five acres. I set up an archery range, bales of hay stacked up, and I would stick a target on them, and fire away with my compound bow. I actually got where I needed to fire just one arrow at a target...if I fired two at the same target, I would tear off a fletching of the first arrow. Once, the second arrow bounced off, and when I went to the target, I had ACTUALLY hit the end of the first arrow. *G* If I was REALLY on Gor, I would be a Panther Princess, and would lead a very ferocious Lair. *G*

(07:12:24 )
Izee' Tatoke
[ Main Locations ]
at/on the practice field
says to ALL
: ...Gonna go to bed, hope to r/p tomorrow...*S*
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 15, 2021, 02:28:58 AM: ...Looked like this when I practiced...REALLY!!!!

...https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=N4ol/w4/&id=67BE6E8A4C16545BAB77C07E3A6DBA6B134C592C&thid=OIP.N4ol_w4_IBTzlwY05aL46QHaEM&mediaurl=https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/5dbe7787233974ebb6d1c15a953e2066a4d574f3/c=0-50-534-352&r=x803&c=1600x800/local/-/media/2017/04/13/USATODAY/USATODAY/636276824794668369-636274409263749793-4.10-footarcher16-BP2.jpg&cdnurl=https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.378a25ff0e3f2014f3970634e5a2f8e9?rik=LFlME2u6bTp%2bwA&pid=ImgRaw&r=0&exph=803&expw=1420&q=pictures+of+women+firing+a+compound+bow&simid=608044013514274903&form=IRPRST&ck=F34C879E2C4EEB78C92F926FE85873A2&selectedindex=19&qpvt=pictures+of+women+firing+a+compound+bow&adlt=demote&shtp=GetUrl&shid=4b4fe4c2-ecfd-4d9f-a4a6-517c98e0f185&shtk=V2F0Y2ggYXMgdGVlbiBzaG9vdHMgYm93IGFuZCBhcnJvdyB3aXRoIGhlciB0b2Vz&shdk=Rm91bmQgb24gQmluZyBmcm9tIHd3dy51c2F0b2RheS5jb20%3D&shhk=oNwjXuqwKOPh%2FsQ0wskdMa4bt4yNOWFkcRSp2V%2F%2F5ao%3D&shth=OIP.N4ol_w4_IBTzlwY05aL46QHaEM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 15, 2021, 07:00:13 PM: Wow on saving the concert and good idea to protect your cello. Nods.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 15, 2021, 09:14:09 PM: ...When I almost lost my job, with the SCHOOL DISTRICT... :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

... :) I actually had a Teaching Credential, although I rarely set foot in a classroom to educate our young. I had to get it so that I could perform in the Phriday Phil. The music teachers in the district would gather every Friday, and go to different Elementary Schools, and perform for the kids. The idea was to get them to hear a live orchestra, and decide to try playing an instrument. They didn't have any very good cellists, and so they asked me to join. :) And I was just a bloodsucking Lawyer and a part time Judge. So, I would leave my office, and drive to a school, and greet the teachers and settle my butt in the 'cello chair'. I enjoyed the break from the practice of Law, and liked the little check I got. I would cash it, and when I accumulated enough cash...well...I would buy myself something nice. My H didn't know that I was getting paid for what I did. ::)

...We would play simple works, that had melodies that the kids would recognize. Halfway through the concert, we would break, and the Conductor would explain each instrument, and one of us would play it so the kids could hear what it sounded like. Usually we would just play the melody of "My Country Tis of Thee", and then stop. But, one afternoon, I was ornery. My mind was racing over a case that I was handling, and when the Conductor said, "Now, here is the cello." I went insane, I just didn't play the melody, I stood, and held up my cello so they could see all sides of it, and waved it around, and then sat and played the cadenza from the Dvorak cello concerto, including the final run where my thumb was over the D string, and I pushed my hand all of the way to the bottom of the fingerboard. I sat back, waving my bow as I finished...and the kids BLEW UP!!! All of the musicians were laughing...

...The Conductor DID speak to me afterwards, he said..."Don't do that again, others might get ideas." I actually thought of arguing with him, if we each cut loose, the kids would REALLY hear what the instrument could do, but I didn't, and I didn't act up again. When he would say, "Now, here is the cello", he would be staring at me...and I would nod my head, and play "My Country tis of Thee." ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 16, 2021, 07:09:09 PM: He should have let everyone cut loose may have inspired more future musicians
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 20, 2021, 02:14:54 AM: ...When my Daughter emulated her Mother (Me)...I WAS SO PROUD!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...I had a fine time raising my children. We were on five acres, the house was nice, and we raised chickens and goats. My kids would pester us about setting in a pool, but my H and I denied the request. Pools are expensive, and require a lot of maintenance...and we would have EVERY KID IN THE FOOTHILLS gathering at our house. I have a strange sense of humor at times, and enjoyed making up stories to confuse my children. I will not explain one, but my teenage son wouldn't speak to me for a week, even though I was very nice during the time. My daughter picked up that side of my personality, and her friends sometimes didn't understand her jokes.

...Our chicken coop was NOT a coop...it was a PALACE!!!! ;D Being a shyster and a beancounter, who stayed in an office all day, did not equip me very well to handle outdoor projects. When my daughter was going to raise chickens as a 4-H project, I said that I would DESIGN the coop. My H just stayed clear, by then he knew that when I announced that I was going to do a project, he just did what I said, otherwise I would argue, and, well, we women have a genetic talent in 'argument'. So, I picked out the spot on the hillside, and drew the plans on paper. We then built it...it took some time...and...well...I overengineered it. :P It was as big as my daughters bedroom, it was on stilts so water flowing down the hill wouldn't get into it, and had a nice roof and a sun area. The neighbors thought it was a childrens playhouse...not a chicken coop.

...I even ran electricity to it so we could have a light, if necessary. During the winter, I had an infrared lamp in the ceiling, so the coop wouldn't get cold. The chickens were 'Show Chickens', some were expensive, so we wanted them to stay healthy. (We also had some leghorns, we would eat their eggs...and sometimes a chicken). The infrared lamp created a red glow, so, at night, red light would emerge from the seams and around the door of the coop.

...Once, the neighborhood kids asked my daughter, she was in 5th Grade, why there was red light at night in our coop. She got a scared look in her eyes, and then leaned close to them, and whispered....

..."It's the chickens...we don't go up there at night."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 20, 2021, 04:05:29 PM: ...Sailplanes...AGAIN!!!!... :)

...I love the damn things, I really should get back to flying them again. I have some coin, and flying would give me a good incentive to get healthy again, and STAY healthy, despite the personal issues I have faced the past few years. And...I might even buy one. ;D

...As a young woman, I learned to fly. I went up with an instructor in a tandem two seater...I was in front...the instructor was in the back...and I did what he told me to do, until I learned to read the instruments...and listen to what was going on. There was no radio, just the wind rushing around the canopy. My first solo was short, just a 'fly around', my second was one of the most memorable experiences in my life. One moment, I was sure that I was going to crash into some oak trees...I had let myself get too low...the next moment...I was at 10,000 feet, and could have gone higher. And...I had not turned on an engine...I had gotten the damn plane to find thermals, and had spiraled up...looking at the ground as I looked over my right wing.

...I flew the two seater trainer alone several times, and did well. I stayed up as long as my money allowed...I was a starving student...and I could work for the Owner a bit, washing the planes, to buy air time, but I would usually just hand over my cash for 30 minutes and the tow, and land right as my time ran out.

...One day, I had actually spent the afternoon washing the planes, and helping with the bookkeeping, and I was sitting outside, drinking a coke, and getting ready to drive my old, VW Bug back across the bridge and go home...and the Owner came out, and said..."Hey, go ahead and take the 1-26 up for an hour, you earned the time." I was REALLY excited!!! I mean...I had flown the trainer, and did well...but this was a high performance...single seater sailplane!!!! I finished my coke, and went to the restrooms to pee...and actually freshened my lipstick...I wanted to look GOOD for the sailplane!!! ::) I walked over to it, and the Owner helped me push it onto the runway, and watched as I attached the tow hook. He then said, "Have fun, you have an hour."...and walked away.

...I stood for a moment, looking at the plane. The trainers were bulky, the wings were above my head when I stood beside them, and I REALLY had to CLIMB into the cockpit. This plane was below me as I stood beside it...the edge of the canopy came up to my waist. It was glossy white!!!...(I had washed it earlier)...and the long wings tapered at the ends. I did walk around it, inspecting it, pulling on the wings and rudder, making sure that they were connected, and then climbed into the cockpit. It was different from the trainers, in the trainers, I was sitting upright, like in a chair, in the 1-26, I was laying down with my upper back help up. I pulled down the clear canopy, and locked it into place...just my head was poking out of the canopy.

...I checked the few controls, and looked over my shoulder as I waggled the rudder, briefly, and saw it move, and did the same with the elevator and the ailerons. All looked good, so I took a few breaths, and then waggled my rudder with my feet, again, to signal the tow pilot that I was ready. ;) He waggled his, to let me know that he had seen my signal...and we took off. I was good, I carefully stayed behind him, although I did test my controls to get a feeling for them. They were more delicate than the trainer.

...((Finish below))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 20, 2021, 05:43:43 PM: Lol on the red light. Smiles and as much as you love the sail plane yes do go back to it. Nods
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 20, 2021, 05:44:44 PM: ...He towed me to 2,000 feet, and I released, turning and climbing to the right, as he dived to the left. When he was clear, I circled a couple of times just to settle down, and then got level, and flew. The wind wasn't very loud as I flew, the plane and the canopy were streamlined, and I had great visibility as looked around, my head covered by the canopy. I was in 'hog heaven'...here I was...a late teen girl...in a high performance sailplane. I did dive, and did sharp turns just to feel how it handled. I was actually doing an 'Imaginary Dogfight' against an imagined enemy sailplane. People on the ground probably thought that there was a maniac at the controls. (They were correct... ::) )

...I then settled down, and searched for thermals. I found a couple weak ones, but got out, looking for a better one. I did find a nice, strong one, and flew it up to 6,000 feet, and then searched for a wave. I was downwind of a ridge of hills, so a wave can form. The air will rise as the wind hits the hills, and then it will continue to go up and down downwind of the hill. Riding a wave is how some sailplane pilots have flown into the upper atmosphere, they caught a wave that formed downwind of a mountain. The 'wave' can actually rise higher than the hill or the mountain. Those pilots had pressure suits and oxygen, and the sailplanes were specially modified. I just had a headband holding my hair out of my face, and a water bottle full of Tab Cola, and the canopy had a small leak.

...I did find the wave, and rode it to the higher level, and then just flew back and forth, downwind of the hills. I would get to the radar station that I have mentioned, and then circle back, and ride the wave back to just past the field, and turn, and repeat. I stayed at the same altitude, I didn't have to work, I just held the joystick steady, and it was QUIET...ABSOLUTELY NO SOUND!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o The wave was holding me up, my nose was level, so I wasn't losing altitude.

...During that part of the flight...I was well...overwhelmed by many emotions. I mean, here I was, 4,500 above the ground, in a cramped, small cockpit, my head was in the canopy, I was flying...and...THERE WAS NO SOUND!!! My mind went into many places, what my life was, what my life had been, and what I wanted my life to be...and I was flying a plane. Clouds were around me, I could look to either side, or in front, and see far away...and when I looked down, the ground was far below.

...I did head back to the field, after 50 minutes, I felt that it wouldn't be safe to stay up any longer, my mind wasn't focused on flying. I lazily spun down to get to 900 feet, and then entered the landing pattern, and pulled on the wing flaps on the downwind leg. I then got into the base leg, turned, and made the final approach. I brought the sailplane in to a good landing, we didn't bounce, and I rolled for a bit, and then turned off of the paved runway and then onto the grass edge and stopped. I sat for a moment, and then popped the canopy, and unhooked my straps as the Owner and a kid came up. The Owner held out his hand, and I grabbed it, and climbed out of the plane, and stood away as they pushed the plane to the parking area.

...I did return, and flew the trainer a few more times, and helped wash the planes, and then I had to get back to school.

...Oh, one last note...doing a SIDESLIP!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D I LOVED THOSE ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

...That was a thing you would do if you had to land in a heavy crosswind, or lose some altitude. I would kick the right rudder with my right foot to the floor, and hold it, and then push the joystick with my right hand against my left thigh. The rudder would push the plane into a sharp right turn, and the ailerons would turn the left wing to the ground...so...I WAS FLYING SIDEWAYS!!!! :o :o :o I would look out the side of the cockpit to see where I was going, and the wind was VERY LOUD...I mean, the slick, clean plane was flying SIDEWAYS!!!!

...I did that once, during a landing, the wind had kicked up, and my downwind and base leg approach weren't going well. I didn't have a radio, so I couldn't ask what was happening...I just looked at the wind sock when I could see it. I got into the side slip to stay on my final approach, and grinded my teeth as I approached the runway...I had to get this right, I couldn't just circle around and try again. I did release my harsh handling of the controls, and landed OK.

...The Owner was grinning as he helped me push the plane to the parking area...he had seen my landing...and asked..."Hey, you really did a lot today, want to go up for another hour?" I just nodded and said, "I gotta get back, I have a babysitting job. I will take that hour next week...after I look at the wind sock."

...We both laughed, and I thanked him for the good training he and his staff had given me...that was a difficult landing. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 21, 2021, 06:14:08 PM: Yoy should go back to fyling smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 21, 2021, 09:50:32 PM: ...When I 'torpedoed' a Class Action Lawsuit... ::)

...I won't go into the details, but 4 people were suing a lot of companies and people over a personal injury claim. I was handed the job of representing one of the defendants, and the GODDAM JUNIOR PARTNER told me to MILK the deal. An Insurance company was paying our bill, so he told me do do a lot of discovery, and we would collect a LOT of money from the Insurance Company, and even more during the trial. We defendants met, several times, and a High Jaded Guy, who's name was on the letterhead of a famous firm, took control, and told us what we should do.

...Well, I have NEVER reacted well when TOLD to do something, unless I agreed with the decision...(And except when I tried to be a bond on Gor...the Master killed me off...I guess that men just don't like my Chars)...and so I analyzed the facts of the case, and spoke to my client. He was SCARED STIFF...he was a small businessman, and hadn't done ANYTHING to hurt the GD plaintiffs. He was worried about losing his business, and his house and savings. I did my best to calm him, but my usual phrase, "Don't worry, this is now MY problem" didn't work. He smiled, but his shoulders were slumped as he left my office.

...We finished discovery, and the GD Junior Partner told me to prepare for trial. I listened, and nodded...and went into my office. There was no F----ing way that I was going to put my client through a Trial, just to make money for the Firm. >:( I called the plaintiff attorneys, and reached a settlement...my Insurance Company would pay...would pay...would pay...$750!!!!!! The Insurance Company was delighted, and my client was relieved. I had to get the Court to approve my Motion for a 'GOOD FAITH SETTLEMENT'...and the Court did. The other DEFENDANTS opposed my motion, arguing that my client wasn't paying a 'fair share'. I just stared at them as they argued against me. I was chuckling as I carried the signed order, that got my client out of the case, to the Clerk, got it filed, and gave a copy to my client.

...The other defense attorneys 'milked' their clients, taking more depositions...one was of MY CLIENT...(As a WITNESS!!!! :o :o :o :o :o)...and I sat beside him and gave my 'baleful look' at them. The Court Reporter told me, after the deposition, that I 'scared her' with my eyes. I am usually described as soft, and dollish, but I guess that 'Chucky' entered me at that time. I was REALLY pissed off!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...And, the GD Junior Partner didn't congradulate me for doing a good job for our client...our CLIENT was the man who had his LIFE SAVINGS invested in a business...who could continue, and NOT WORRY about a GD lawsuit taking everything away from him...and not the INSURANCE COMPANY who would send me $250 for every hour I billed. The GD Junior Partner yelled at me for not milking more money from the Insurance Company.

...Anyway, another thing I have done in this life. ;D The client sent me a fruit basket on my birthday for several years....I always took it home, it was delivered to my office...and I DID NOT SHARE IT WITH THE GD JUNIOR PARTNER!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 22, 2021, 01:59:05 AM: ...I just had to add this... >:(

...Decades ago, MEN WERE MEN!!!! They FOUGHT to defend our countries, and protected we women...and they didn't whimper and get embarrassed if some high class Bitch or Bastard called them out for being IMPOLITE because they said a bad word, or were...impolite. :P In the USA, the wimps have taken over our education, and they are teaching our boys that they need to be 'sensitive', and not 'offend' anyone. ::) Hells Bells, boys run into mud puddles, beat each other up, cuss, and throw things around...and they turn out to be fine young men, and go on to become businessmen, doctors, scientists...and many other things.

...I like to think that we were designed by God, and men and women were designed to be different. I, actually, have difficulty comprehending 'evolution'...I mean...how the HELL did some single cell creatures appear?...and they were ALIVE!!!...stuff can exist...but LIFE is unique...and then evolve into we humans?, and the plethora of animals, plants, and stuff that is on our planet? And then decide that creatures had to have sexes?...I mean...animals are male and female.

...And, among we humans, there are those that stand out. We ALL play a part in this World, and I believe that ALL of us have a Center Stage, at least once in our lives. It is when we help another human, or ourselves to exceed. Of course, there are diseased humans, who kill and do unmentionable things, but, we are all alive.

...This is a Man that I admire very much. The PC Idiots in our time put him down, and try to bury his History...but...he was a Historical Figure who helped save his Nation. I have spoken to survivors of WW2, who lived in London. One women described how, when she heard the sirens, she and her family would RUSH into the subway tunnels and stations, and hear, and feel, the bombs dropping around them. They would emerge, and pray that their homes and businesses were still standing. She said that listening to "Winnie", gave them hope and courage to hang on, and believe that they would win. And...they did WIN!

https://youtu.be/Kx3W4F80L04
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 22, 2021, 02:13:03 AM: ...I sobbed my eyes out...watching this... :'(

...https://youtu.be/vPi8CkQZTRE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 22, 2021, 03:04:27 PM: ...When I called off the Campus Police... ::)

...I was the President of the Music Sorority, and it came time to 'indoctrinate' the Pledges. I really didn't like planning the event, part of the night long event was to humiliate the Pledges...challenge their knowledge of music...and themselves...and then after they were sitting alone, in practice rooms for an hour, we would bring them out onto the stage, and welcome them into the Sorority. We would then take them to IHOP, and pig out on pancakes.

...Part of the event was for them to perform their music, and we would jeer and laugh at them...it was fun. That one year, two of the Sisters were overseeing the event, and well...they pretty much undressed themselves as they stood over the Pledges, and directed them. They were wearing just a little bit of trashy underwear, and were painted like whores, and they minced all over the stage and teased the Pledges. I was sitting in the audience, closing my eyes at times...what they were doing wasn't something that appealed to me. But...I recalled that the same had been done to me. I had been sitting in a chair, facing the audience, trying to play the 3rd Bach Prelude on my cello, as two Sisters danced around me, wearing very little clothing.

...I was nudged by the girl beside me, and I looked over my shoulder, and TWO CAMPUS COPS were standing at the back of the Hall, looking at the stage. I had used the key, that I had been entrusted with to just enter the practice rooms, and I had led the female mob into the closed Hall at 3:45 am. I stood, and walked over to the Cops, and introduced myself, as President of the Sorority. They looked at me, and asked..."How the Hell did you get in here, this Hall is shut down at 11:00." I held up the key, and said, "I sorta had permission. Don't worry, we are initiating the girls, we will leave in an hour, and I will lock up." They looked back at the half naked girls who were dancing, and said, "Well, OK." They did have me pull out my Student ID, and wrote my name and Student ID number on a pad, and then they left.

...I was having trouble eating my waffle, later. I figured that an 'interesting' event would be attached to my personal history records that the school maintained. My resume' would read...

..."BA, JD, CPA, Attorney at Law, Purveyor of female flesh'...

...Well, even we studious and serious students have to have a 'hobby'...mine was a bit more colorful than most others... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 22, 2021, 06:35:31 PM: Lol and now I know why I was never part of greek life
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 22, 2021, 08:49:31 PM: ...*Just cracks up*...you be correct, Nate I heard that the Frats did worse.

I walked back to my apt, after my initiation. I was leaving pads in my prints, and was trying to see myself back home. They had taken away my glasses, and I had my left eye shut...I saw better out of my right eye. I barely made it down the deep path...usually, I walked/slid down it...this time I fell onto my butt, and rolled over a few times. I laid at the bottom, and laughed.

I got myself back up, and closed my left eye, and looked towards the apts where I lived.

...I made it back, and my two roommates asked me what had happened. I was a mess, covered in dirt and my eyes were confused. I drew myself some coffee, sipped it, and said...

...'Talk about it on tha morrow'...I went to bed...and slept
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 23, 2021, 06:33:13 PM: Sounds like me coming home from an all night rp marathon lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 27, 2021, 06:31:31 PM: ...Performing on the cello...(Psst...the piano is easier)...Note Shaping... :)

...The great pianist, Glenn Gould, was a MASTER at shaping musical notes. You would think that the piano is easy, just pound the right key, and the note comes out. But, the way you use your fingers, your hands, and your arms makes the note sound so different. Just watch one of his videos, they often show his hands, and they enrapture me. At times the fingers are just dropping down, other times they just caress the keys...sometimes they pounce...other times they ATTACK!!!! (Hey, I think that I just described a sex act... 8) ::) :o ). Anyway, back to reality. I did the different strokes when I played the piano. I would sit in the closet sized practice rooms for hours, at a decreptid upright piano, that was slightly out of tune, and try all different ways to shape a note. Once, my Professor of Piano stopped me...saying..."That was so beautiful". I was playing a Brahms rhapsody, and my hands were doing well. I had come down from a passage where, at times, I would raise my hands to my shoulders, and POUND the keys...and had wound down to where I was leaning over the keyboard, my face just above my hands, as they gently stroked the keys, my hands were just above the keys, only the fingers moving.

...The cello was WORSE...my cellos were VERY DEMANDING in order for me to get the proper note out of them. The left hand has to hit the note, and the amount of pressure you put on your finger makes the note sound different. And, of course, there is the damn VIBRATO!!! You need to use it, just holding the finger on the note may be in tune, but there is little beauty to it. People accused me of being too theatrical when I performed on the cello...but...that is just me. At times...I would just play a slow passage without vibrato...it sounded very stark. I would then rev up my vibrato afterwards, so the music sounded different. And, my vibrato, once I kinda mastered it, was varied. I could move my forearm quickly, and the vibrato was vibrant, and alive, or, I could move my arm slower, and the vibrato was dark, and sad. But, then, there was...

...THE GD BOW!!!!!

(Finish below)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 27, 2021, 07:30:38 PM: ...For all you non string players, the bow of a string instrument is as important as the instrument!!! It is NOT just a piece of wood with some horsehair on it!!! A good quality bow can cost tens of thousands of dollars...and it is WORTH IT!!! I have never owned one that expensive, but I experienced using an expensive bow for a month. I had broken the tip of my Performance Bow during a concert...(I got carried away, and wanted to hammer the note...but landed wrong). My private teacher loaned me an expensive bow...and I was astonished!!! I sounded so much better, and it seemed that they bow was coaching my left hand. It was also working with my right hand. Holding a bow isn't simple, just where you hold it makes the instrument sound different. When playing loud, and dramatic, I hold it at the 'frog', my fingers close together. When playing soft, I will hold the bow above the 'frog', and spread out my fingers...I can shape the note by pressing on my first, or little finger. And, a bow will fall in love with an instrument, or vice versa, or it is mutual. ::) ::) For some reason, the bow will get the cello to resonate better, than another bow. I have bought bows several times, and after trying out several, the Luthier let me take three of them home, and I tried them all out, and picked the one that made my cellos sound the best. I would return the other two, and pay for the one I kept.

...I spent more time practicing the cello, and so much of the time was playing a passage slow, and looking where to place my left hand, and adjust my fingers, and looking at my right hand.

...And, Oh...a confession!!!! :o We string players usually don't agree on what a note should sound like!!! REALLY!!!! I mean, think of it...you have a blank piece of lumber, and you have to place your finger down where the note needs to be. Plus, our fingers aren't all the same, some people have fingers that taper at the ends, others, like me, have FAT FINGERS, they are pretty much the same circumference from the base to the tip. So, when I plop my fat beasts down where I think a D# should be, it will sound different than where the 5'2", eyes of blue, kootchy coo, little woman places her dainty, tapered finger. That is why you really need three cellists playing together to get a wonderful sound. When they each hit where they think a B natural should be, the slightly different sounds are rich, and pleasing. Plus, I will intentionally slightly vary the note, depending on what I am trying to express. Just playing a passage 'perfectly' in tune sounds stark, and soul less. Playing it sharply sharp, or flat, gives the notes some character. I was coaching a high school cello section, and they were having trouble with a lyrical passage. I demonstrated how different it sounded, depending on how you shaped the notes.

...They then ALL tried to shape the passage. I listened, and then I just packed up my cello...and quickly left when the Period was over... ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 28, 2021, 01:45:55 AM: ...I gotta find out where I can buy some of these, because...

...I HAVE LOST MY MARBLES!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...Perhaps my r/p shows this. ::)

...https://youtu.be/1cXy7gxUtbU

...I was a lonely child as a young girl, we moved a lot, and I spoke a bit different than the people in CA. I had an unusual accent, and was sent to speech therapy in grammar school to get me to speak more normally. I was very reserved, and shy, and didn't mix well with the other kids. I would try, and usually get chased away and laughed at. (Probably why I became a good trial attorney...I would gather up all of my old resentments...and aim it at the other side. I wasn't a mean, yelling bitch...I just set traps for the other side, while smiling...I mean...the other kids would smile at me as they set me up for some sort of humiliation...and I would run away, crying. I would just smile when I got the Jury Verdict, and wave at the other attorney as I walked away.) Anyway, back to the marbles. ::)

...I got a pouch of those little, glass marbles as part of the goods in my Christmas stocking. I had actually read about playing 'marbles' in some youth novels I was reading, and so I practiced, by myself, in the back yard. There are all kinds of games to play with marbles, I got bored shooting them into holes in the ground, and tried other games. I made up a few, and after one particular game, by myself, I would spend a while hunting all 50 marbles down. I had shot them all over the back yard. I had divided them into five teams, by colors, and well, they DECLARED WAR ON EACH OTHER!!! ;D I actually developed some calluses on my right hand from shooting the marbles.

...Well, I actually got delinquent in grammar school. ::) The teachers said that we could not play marbles on school grounds, and if they caught us with some, they would scold us and take them away. So...we would go WAY out to the edge of the playground, and recover our marbles. We had them hidden in a hole near a tree. If we saw teachers approaching, we would hide the marbles and play some stupid game. We would then get back to playing when the teacher left.

...We usually played the simple game. We would draw a circle in the ground, and we would each put five marbles inside. We would then take turns, using our 'Shooters', to hit another persons marble out of the circle, and then keep it, and shoot again. When all of the marbles were out, the person with the most was the winner, and we would sort them out, and get our marbles back.

...One time, we were playing, and a 6th grade guy walked up to us. There were six of us, 3rd grade girls, and he watched, and laughed. He said, "You girls have no idea what you are doing." He joined the game, and was good...but he wasn't as good as me. Even at that young age, I came up with a great idea, and held back my skills. He beat us all, and laughed, and said, "You girls are no good, you should play 'Keepers'. " We stared at him, and asked what that was, and he said, "Well, it is simple, you keep the marbles that you shoot out of the circle. But, you are all too chicken to play that." He looked around at us, challenging us, and my friends shook their heads, "No". He looked at me, and I looked down, and said, "I only have these marbles." He laughed, and said, "Are you chicken, come on. we each put 10 marbles in, and if you shoot one out, you shoot again." I swallowed, and said..."OK".

...Well, he and I played three games...and I walked away with ALL of HIS marbles... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...But, a teacher caught us as we were leaving, and I handed them over to her, and got a lecture... :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 28, 2021, 05:07:31 PM: There is a technique to the piano as well, hiw hard the key is pressed and timing affects the sound. Though, yes one has more control over the sound with stinged instuments as I played piano when I was younger and learned guitar but never mastered it. It is like the difference between an automatic transmission and a manual in a car.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 28, 2021, 09:41:44 PM: ...Here is a picture of my cello, 'Pavane'. The man playing it is Janos Starker, a very famous Concert Cellist, who performed all over the World, and made many records and other recordings of his works. I can't quite remember the date, but it was a few decades ago. I was attending the International Cello Congress, and had brought my cello, 'Katherine' with me. I was staying in the same dorm as the woman who made Pavane, Dawyne Haddad. She and I walked to breakfast together, and she mentioned that she was a Luthier, and had a cello for sale. I stopped by where she was, and looked at the cello, and tried it out, but said that it was a bit out of my price range, ($20K). My H and I were just starting our lives together, and only had about 1K in the bank. My private teacher, Ariel, was with me, and she knew Dawyne. Word got out that Starker liked the cello, and would recommend that his students buy her instruments. Ariel insisted that I should buy it, that it was a good investment, and I would sound better when I played. I fought with my mind for several days...my 'responsible mind' was saying, "You don't really need another cello, wait 10 years, or so, when you are established, and then buy an expensive instrument." But, my 'Izee Mind' was saying..."BUY the damn thing...we will figure SOME WAY to pay for it."

So, I drove back to Fresno, from Phoenix, with Katherine strapped in the passenger seat of my old VW Bug, and Pavane was strapped down in the back seat. My H didn't quite 'welcome' me when I got home...but...I got a 2nd Mortgage on our house, and paid for Pavane. We did well, I sat Principal Cellist in several Semi Professional Orchestras, and did perform in a Chamber Orchestra, and several Quartets.

I believe that I have told this tale before, but this is a slightly different rendition. I didn't stop on the drive home, I just didn't want to be seen hauling two cellos into a Motel 6. I left in the early morning, and arrived when it was dark. So, there I was, a broke young woman, just starting a professional career, with $22K worth of instruments in an old, VW Bug, driving across the desert, with the windows down. (The VW didn't have air conditioning... :P ) And I only had $1K in the bank.

I did giggle at times, driving back. I mean, here I was, on the Freeway, holding a Big Mac in my right hand, and chewing on it as I drove very safely with my left hand, and praying that the old car would not break down...and trying to figure out how I was gonna explain this 'impulsive purchase' to my H. He was NOT a musician, and had no idea of the close relationship that a musician has with her instruments. (Plus...we REALLY couldn't afford it...but I made it work. ;D ) I did promise him that I would discuss any such expensive items with him, BEFORE I signed a contract.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 28, 2021, 09:43:16 PM: ...http://www.dawnehaddad.co.za/html/gal15_pic.htm

...Here is the picture... ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 28, 2021, 11:29:09 PM: ...https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=carnivorous+plants&ufn=carnivorous+plants&stid=ba8dc47f-6361-6a0f-7cd6-09dacf6a3ba5&cbn=EntityAnswer&cbi=0&form=IARRTH&first=1&disoverlay=1

...I know that I am babbling, but I am in that mood. And, there is no activity in the r/p sites I like.

...I was a 'special child' in grammar school. I didn't ride the short bus, but was monitored by the adults. I was sick a lot, and missed a LOT of school. I had asthma, and would get very bad attacks, and would just stay home for several days, trying to breathe. Both of my parents smoked, very heavily, in the home, and they didn't understand that cigarette smoke would affect my lungs...and my Mother would smoke MORE when I was home, worried about me. However, I LOVED to read, and read all kinds of books. I read novels, and a lot of science books. I was very unpopular in grammar school, and would be bullied. When I was one on one...I could hold my own...and was usually pulled off of the other girl. I got hauled to the Principal when I decked a guy...I hit him on the chin with a focused fist, and, like the movies...he fell back on his ass. I was standing over him, kicking him, and screaming..."GET UP...GET UP...GET UP!!!"...I REALLY wanted to land that punch on him again. The Yard Supervisors hauled me off to the Principal. I just sat...and stared at him. He sighed, and said, "Don't get into a fight, again, or I will have to suspend you." I just nodded. So, the other kids called me "The mean girl".

But, *shrugs*...bullies go in gangs...so I would be faced with 5 or 6 girls...and would have to run away, after getting a good pounding. I would get home, and usually not cry...but get angry. And the next time they came after me, I would pound the shit out of the first girl, and then run away. They would usually chase me down, and I would get home all bruised and bloodied. As we all got older, that physical brutality stopped, but the verbal abuse rose high. So, in H.S., I was a nerd, I didn't date...although there were guys that I wished would ask me out...and I just focused on scholastics, and playing the cello. I just stayed away from everyone. I was used to someone being friendly to me...and then leading me to where I either got beaten, or humiliated.

Anyway, in 4th grade, the teacher was teaching about plants, and told us all to grow some, and bring them in. The boys and girls brought in flowers and vegetables. I emptied one of my 10 gallon aquariums, and put in layers of sphagnum moss, and planted carnivorous plants. I had flytraps, sundews, and several different types of pitcher plants.

I carried the aquarium to school, and put a label on it...

...CAUTION!!! THESE PLANTS WILL EAT YOU...THEY LIKE MEAT!!!

The school did call my parents.

I just did my 'Big Innocent Eyes Act' when they asked me what was going on.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 29, 2021, 05:52:42 PM: Nods people who do not play do not get the bond to an instrument to be sure. As for bullies, by 11th grade the bullies in my school feared me as anytime they picked on someone, I invariably showed up and put a quick end to it.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 29, 2021, 09:50:31 PM: ...You are SO correct about the bond that a musician has with his/her instrument. Lay people don't understand that an instrument is alive, and that it DOES form a bond with it's Owner. My cellos love me, and play very well for me. I had two experiences with other cellos that may explain this. :)

...As I have described above, I actually hauled a ROCCA (Worth about $150K at the time) all over the campus at my Conservatory. My cello, Katherine, needed a new neck, and my private teacher, Ariel, entrusted me with the Rocca, since I was the Principal Cellist. The Rocca sized me up...I SWEAR THAT IT DID...and it would say, "OK, girl, calm down, just put your fingers here. " It almost played itself, it had a very sweet sound, and I didn't have to work to perform. Hard to explain, but my fingers would find the proper place on the neck, when I was just staring at the music. I LOVED it back...but didn't have the funds to come close to buy it. I did cry, on the drive back home, after returning it. :'(

...I had another experience with another expensive cello. My 'Shrink', who was a so so cellist, bought an old Amati that hadn't been played much. He was busy with his practice, and loaned it to me. I was excited...it was an AMATI!!!! (sp)...that Luthier is right up there with Strad and the other great ones. I took it home, tuned it, and started playing it...and...it was DEAD!!!! No overtones, or anything. But, I worked with it. I would sit at night, watching the news, and polish it and talk to it. I also played it a lot, and got excited when a GOOD note came out, and patted it...and cooed..."OK, wake up, you have business to do." For all of you non-musicians, a string instrument just doesn't just play a "note"...I mean...a sound at just one frequency. There are 'overtones'...octaves...fifths...thirds...and other notes that emerge...but they are soft and just add a richness to the note that you have your finger plastered upon. It woke up, and I would being it to the Orchestra we played in. I was Principal, he sat beside me. He noticed that the cello was sounding better...but I KEPT telling him..."I gotta work with it more." I mean...it was an AMATI!!! And I REALLY liked playing it!!! After about two months, after I played a solo in a concert, he gently TOLD ME to give it back to him. ::) I did...but refused to talk about the cello when I would have my weekly appointment with him.

Another story, below...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 29, 2021, 10:51:47 PM: ...Selling my old piano... ::)

...I inherited stuff from my Grandfather...my Mother didn't want anything. :) Most of it was 'Science Stuff', he had prospected for minerals in the South, and in Mexico. But, he was also a scientist, and did stuff for the Military in WW2 that he didn't talk about. I have a picture of him, he is looking at some documents, and an Admiral and a three Star Army General are looking over his shoulder. He liked me, and gave me 'Science Stuff', and a very nice rock pick. :) I took it to school, to show it off, and during recess began breaking up rocks all over the playground. The Yard Supervisor took it away from me, and the Principal told me, at the end of the day when he gave it back to me, to not bring it back. ::)

...One of the items was a HUGE upright piano. The top was about 5'6" tall. I was astounded, watching the tuner take the front off, as he tuned it. The inside looked like a huge harp. I practiced hard on it, and got to where I could play complex works. I lived in a dorm during my Frosh year...and HATED IT!!! I was harrassed, the other girls would sneak boys in, and try to get them into my room. ((They did succeed a few times...and I just sat on my bed...and stared at the guy...not saying anything...and...and ...and...holding my pair of scissors. The guy would leave...)) I would actually place a wedge under my door at night, so they couldn't open the door, even if they unlocked it. So, in my Soph year, when some upperclasswomen let me share an apt with them, I was relieved.

...I declared that we NEEDED a piano in our apt, and they agreed, but we were starving students, and couldn't afford to buy one. So, when I was home, I looked at the old, huge piano...but there was no way that I could bring it to our apt...it was huge...all solid wood...and I couldn't think of where I could place it in our apt. So, I spoke to my parents, and said that I wanted to sell it, and that I would buy a smaller piano and take it to our apt. (And, bring it home during the summer break.) So, I placed an ad in the local newspaper, and quickly got a call. It was a young woman, she said that she was a student, and wanted a piano, and that the price I had placed sounded good. So, I was happy, and told her to come by to look at it. The next Saturday, the doorbell rang, and there was a nice, casually dressed young woman standing there, and she said that she wanted to look at the piano. I told her to go to the garage door, and I would open it, and she could come in and look at it. The piano was sitting against the wall that was right against the garage, so she could enter, and not have to walk through the house. She smiled, and nodded. So, I went to the wall, and hit the garage door opener...and stood back...a bit worried...and...

...About 5 bearded HIPPIES rushed into the garage, asking about the piano...and so I held the door open, and they came into the house. :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

...They quickly found it, and talked, excited, "Dude...what a piano" and other such statements. I stood back, my parents were in the kitchen, looking worried. I just stood between my parents and the hippies...I figured that I could run for cover if things got weird. :P They pounded on it, a bit, I was relieved to see that at least one of them actually ran his fingers over the keys with some skill. One of them then dickered with me over the price, and when we reached an agreement, he counted $20's into my hand, and then he and his mates hauled the piano out, and put it into the back of an old pickup truck. I stood and watched as they drove away, one was in the back, playing the piano as the pickup went down the street.

...I used the money to buy a small, upright piano, and my father and brother brought it to my apt.

...I did NOT sit in the bed of the pickup and play the piano during the trip...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 30, 2021, 01:53:24 AM: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=1FACA042B809B3DE49CA1FACA042B809B3DE49CA&q=albinez&shtp=GetUrl&shid=0f9a7476-92d5-42b5-88b9-ab95cee2d787&shtk=QXN0dXJpYXM6IElzYWFjIEFsYmVuaXo%3D&shdk=SGVsZW5hIEN1ZXRvOiBCYWlsZSBNaWNoZWwgR3JpemFyZDogR3VpdGFyZQ%3D%3D&shhk=Upat6g1NgXs45jP9IkSpMv%2B9pI7sA9nF3OoMrP1Vwhs%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.69uyTvsgu8XoYLrqirbq3QHgFo

I actually cried, watching this...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 30, 2021, 02:43:12 AM: ... ;)...When GOD created Men and Women, He certainly wanted our lives to be interesting. Men can't dance with such elegance , and we Women can't dance with the ferocity of a Man. I celebrate our differences, and enjoy them. I really have NO USE for those troubled people who think that we should all be the same...some kind of 'unisex' existence. Imagine how BORING such a life would be. But, the Liberals say, "That would be wonderful, because then we would all be 'equal'.

...Hells Bells...since when did being 'equal' be something to be sought after? Certainly, as humans, we are all equal. An Alien Society looking at us would see that we are in different colors, and such, but we ALL have two legs, two arms, and all of the rest. But, I like to think that I am different from everyone else...after all...that is what being 'Me' is...and I enjoy seeing how different others are. My difference is what goes on in my mind, and what I do, and have done. There is something profound, at least in my mind...in that expression. Of course, I don't always like the behaviors of others, but I have been delighted, when I traveled, to experience other Cultures. There were several moments, when I was in Japan, that I was very moved over what, at times, were simple things that they did.

...The problem is, the word 'equal'. Liberals think that it has to mean that we are all the same. I am having a moment, where I can't think of a word to express what I am trying to say. So, watch out for those GD Liberal Word Police...they want to remove words from our vocabulary...by doing so...they will dictate how we think. Anyway, I DON'T WANT US ALL TO BE THE SAME!!! I like seeing different people, and people who think differently, and act differently...our World prospers when that happens. Things happen, both good, bad, and mostly just..."well, OK." To me, the idea of 'equality' means that we all have the right to live our lives the way we want, within certain limitations, of course, we have to be civilized. We don't have to become mindless pieces of flesh, like some Sci Fi movies show...where we all dress the same...look the same...and just wander the Halls and look for our next ration of 'Soylent Green'...and salute Big Brother.

...OK, I think I finished my rant...I should have done it in r/p at Isle of Scagnar...but Thor would have had me impaled.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 30, 2021, 06:20:26 PM: Sorry you had to sell the large piano but hope the hippies who bought it teated it well. I can imagine how you felt having to return the cellos particularly after bonding with them. As for equal, I agree equal does not mean bei g the exact same. Each is created to do something others cannot. Thus is true in regard to the differences between men and women as well.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 30, 2021, 08:31:46 PM: ..."Wolf Tones"... :o

Another discussion of string instruments. Those hunks of lumber are cranky, and tempermental. For some reason, they all have a 'wolf tone' on one note. A wolf tone is where the note is in tune, but it is dead, no overtones. So, you can be playing a lovely, lyrical passage, and you hit the wolf tone, and even if you are still handling the instrument the same, a dead note emerges. My cellos had a wolf tone on the F natural on the G string, and I STUDIED just how to eliminate or reduce it. I have wolf tone eliminators on my cellos, it is a small brass cylinder that is screwed on the G string, BELOW the bridge. I had to work hard, to find out just where to lock it in. If it was a half inch below the proper position, it didn't work. But the 'wolf' was still there, but not as bad.

I read every book I could find written by cellists, and they would all mention the wolf tones on their Strad or Amati. Gregor Piatigorski wrote about waking up an old Strad...it had a name...I can't remember it. It had a bad wolf tone where my cellos have one, and Gregor said that he minimized it by squeezing the sides of the cello with his knees. I guess that it changed the shape of the cello, so the accoustics were different. I tried that on both. Katherine ignored me, she just sounded the same, she said, "Hey, Kid, relax. I am not going to exert myself." Pavane liked it, he would say, "Hey babe, squeeze me harder", and the wolf would go away.

So, part of the reason why I was a little unsteady when I stood after a performance, was that my legs REALLY ACHED!!! ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 31, 2021, 09:22:08 PM: ...JDL... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

There is a new commercial they show on TV here in CA, it shows an elderly woman falling down stairs, and then goes on to promote health insurance. At the bottom of the ad, is a disclaimer in small print, it says...

..."Do not attempt, this was a dummy that we threw down the stairs."

Gee...after seeing that commercial, the FIRST thing I want to do is run up to the top of my staircase, and then throw myself down it. (There are probably those out there who wish that I would... :P) It seems that the people making commercials believe that all of we Californians are TOTAL IDIOTS, and need to be cautioned not to do stupid stuff.

...But, look who we elect to govern us...Feinstein, Boxer, Grey Davis, and such. So, they are probably right...

...We Californians...ARE...TOTAL IDIOTS!!!! ::) :P :-[
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 01, 2021, 01:15:04 AM: ...((My Hispanic Mother was born and grew up in Texas...so I guess that I am not a TOTAL waste of flesh and protein...although I was born, and grew up in CA))

Music...again...one of the finest of the fine Arts. It unlocks our brains, it can elevate, and stimulate us...and...also pull us into insanity!!! :P I saw that when I went to college. These fine young people would be sitting in a dorm, smoking pot, and listening to 'In La Gada De Vida" (sp) over and over, again. I listened to it once, but didn't smoke pot, I did have a glass of cheap wine...I mean...we were starving students...and thought..."Oh, OK." They kept telling me that pot was cheaper, and didn't cause a hangover. But, I was stubborn, and sat in a corner and nursed the bottle of wine all by myself, and woke up in the morning with a HORRIBLE hangover...and swore off all alcohol. ::) But, I did repeat the event a few more times. Good thing that I didn't have a serious boyfriend at the time, I might have not liked what I saw, and looked and felt like, the next morning. I woke up with one of my girlfriends, and we just smiled at each other, and then got out of bed and fixed some breakfast.

Here is the Faure Elegy...

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=862C5F01E672C102FC2E862C5F01E672C102FC2E&q=fuare elegy&shtp=GetUrl&shid=377e0ddc-61df-496f-9fab-1d9c8ce5b6a1&shtk=R2FicmllbCBGYXVyw6kgLSDDiWzDqWdpZSBmb3IgY2VsbG8gYW5kIG9yY2hlc3RyYSBPcC4gMjQ%3D&shdk=SW5mbzogaHR0cHM6Ly9nci5hZml0LnBsIFBvbGlzaCBOYXRpb253aWRlIE11c2ljIFNjaG9vbHMnIFN5bXBob25pYyBPcmNoZXN0cmFzIENvbXBldGl0aW9uLiBTenltYW5vd3NraSBTY2hvb2wgb2YgTXVzaWMgU3ltcGhvbnkgT3JjaGVzdHJhLCBXcm9jxYJhdyAoV3JvY2xhdywgQnJlc2xhdSwgVnJhdGlzbGF2aWEpIFBvbGFuZCBBbm5hIEdyb25kYWxza2EgLSBjZWxsbyBNYXJjaW4gR3JhYm9zeiAtIGNvbmR1Y3RvciBPZ8OzbG5vcG9sc2tpIEtvbmt1cnMgT3JraWVzdHIgU3prb2xueWNoIFN6a8OzxYIgTXV6eWN6bnljaCBJSSBzdG9wbmlhIDIwMTMsIE9ya2llc3RyYSBTeW1mb25pY3puYSAuLi4%3D&shhk=kmtkpVnugkpcWg7xo4OvfBKGQtxdQD9QzahoIFoVVz0%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.Bv-MWcFtHJ3ECOV8Yyel-wHgFo

It was a piece that I performed several times, usually, with just a piano. But, once, the semi-professional orchestra I played in asked me to perform it. That was one of the most DEMANDING challenges I have ever faced. Standing in front of a Federal District Court, and arguing that the IRS didn't understand Tax Law was NOTHING...compared to what I was feeling when I walked onto the stage, and settled my butt and my cello in place. (I won my case, the IRS re-wrote a Regulation...and I got AUDITED for the next three years. They didn't find anything, and I brought a motion in the Federal District Court to make the IRS stop...and they did. ;D Don't mess with this Bitch, she is very very unforgiving!) Well, back to the music... ;)

I was scared OUT OF MY PANTIES as I walked out onto the stage. The music isn't all that difficult, although certain passages are demanding. The challenge, like in all music, is for the performer to express the meaning to the audience. I had been coached on how to express it, and my private teacher was in the audience. I sat for a moment, looking at the floor, as my mind was in a whirlwind, and then I calmed down a bit, and looked over, and nodded to the Concertmaster, and then to the Conductor, and sat up, and arranged Pavane between my thighs. I had thought of using Katherine, but she had a soft sound...and I wanted to do something more this evening...Pavane had a loud, strong voice, with powerful overtones.

Well, I thought, "SCREW YOU, MY PRIVATE TEACHER"...and performed it the way that I WANTED TO DO IT!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

I played the opening very strong, and when the phrase repeated...I got VERY soft...it was probably hard for the audience to hear me, but they were all leaning forward. I was nice in the lyrical section...and then...in the middle, angry part, I just let it all loose. I wasn't sitting, prim and proper in the chair, smiling at the audience...I was leaning forward, grinding my teeth, and shutting my eyes...and bowing very hard. I got to the section where my fingers were just racing over the fingerboard, and let them loose. I actually felt that I had two small animals on the ends of my arms, that were doing what they wanted, racing around, on errands that I just couldn't understand. I WASN'T thinking of where to place my fingers, I just had the music in my head, and was trying to let it loose on the audience. >:(

I finished, and just let my bow caress the open C string at the end, and stopped, the end of my bow was still on the string.

I just sat for a few seconds, and then lowered the bow and looked up....

I got a lot of applause, and bowed several times...and left the stage.

I did drink some wine at the reception, but didn't want to mix with people. I had left a lot of myself on the Stage, and those parts would somehow find me, and get back in. I didn't sleep well, that night...I swear...I could feel those parts somehow making their way from the City I had performed in...60 miles away...and they had found the dirt road that led to our home...and they crawled back into me.

Once they were all back...I fell asleep...and was happy. I had played well.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 01, 2021, 06:37:41 PM: Wait, yiu said they threw a dummy down the stairs hhmm what a way to treat gov newsom smiles. Happy the concert went well and any good performer leaves a bit of themselves on the stage or canvas or whatever their art form may be for that matter. When acting I was much the sane coming off the stage not wanting to interract with ithers and needing time to rest a bit.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 03, 2021, 09:09:55 PM: ...Yes, I believe that you probably leave MORE of yourself on the stage when you act...or...maybe you are searching for what you left offstage in the wings. I have never acted in a play, the closest I came was being a Tavern Wench in the Opera 'Il Trovatore'...I just hung with the other wenches as we sang...although one 'Spanish Soldier' would always come over and put his arm around me as he sang. We left together at the end...and I was blushing the first time...it was clear that he was taking me to bed. But, then...I got into my char and would hug him back and give him my best theatrical..."Hey, Handsome, let's get to know each other" smile. Nothing ever happened, in r/t, though...he was very handsome...but gay.

...The Leads were as you say, they would all go into the 'Green Room' after a performance, and the rest of us would mill around, and find places to take off our costumes and makeup, and get back to normal. I also noticed, a number of times, when an actor was very quiet after a performance. I was told, by other actors, to leave them alone. I understood...I mean...I was usually fairly normal after a full orchestral performance...but there were many times when I was just quiet, and stole off to my dorm or apt.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 03, 2021, 11:11:56 PM: ...*G*...In other acts, I was a Nun...I put on a different costume and makeup and sang differently. Chorus Members perform many different parts. The guy I was going with was a Soldier, with a sword and all. The two of us kept our costumes on, one evening after a performance, (I kept on my Stage Makeup), and went to dinner at Dennys after a performance. I was wearing my 'tavern wench' costume, (which was low cut), he was a Feudal Soldier...with a SWORD!!! People did look at us. I ate my favorite, the huge 'pancake sandwich'...and gobbled down three pancakes, with bacon and sausage in between the pancakes, and drank a lot of root beer. ;D If I had been wearing my 'Nun' costume...I would have had a cup of tea and two slices of toast...with NO BUTTER!!! ::)

...Oh, what you can GET AWAY WITH when you are young!!! ;D If my Ex and I had tried that nowdays, we would have been stopped, and refused admittance. :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 04, 2021, 12:48:13 AM: ...My God...what MEN have gone through in War.... :'(

...https://youtu.be/FoQqOPGpzZk

..."And when I died...
..."They washed me out of my turret with a hose... :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 04, 2021, 03:31:13 PM: ...Music tells a story...you don't look at it with your eyes...you listen with your EARS!!! :) Although, I suspect that male viewers of this...will be listening with their eyes... :)

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=433ED7598363FB8188D8433ED7598363FB8188D8&q=albinez&shtp=GetUrl&shid=a3d83a56-e9a8-48e8-bc99-ebb2b664aab9&shtk=U2hhcm9uIElzYmluIFBlcmZvcm1zIEFzdHVyaWFzIGJ5IElzYWFjIEFsYmVuaXo%3D&shdk=U2hhcm9uIElzYmluIHBlcmZvcm1zIEFzdHVyaWFzIGJ5IElzYWFjIEFsYmVuaXogbXVzaWMgdmlkZW8gcHJvZHVjZWQgYnkgU3VzYW4gRGFuZ2VsLiBUaGUgbXVzaWMgaXMgZmVhdHVyZWQgaW4gaGVyIENEIFNIQVJPTiBJU0JJTiBcdTAwMjYgRlJJRU5EUzogR1VJVEFSIFBBU1NJT05TLCBcdTAwMjYgdGhlIHZpZGVvIGlzIHBhcnQgb2YgdGhlIG9uZS1ob3VyIGRvY3VtZW50YXJ5IG9uIGhlciBsaWZlIGFuZCB3b3JrLCBTSEFST04gSVNCSU46IFRST1VCQURPVVIsIGF2YWlsYWJsZSBub3cgb24gRFZEIFx1MDAyNiBCbHUtcmF5IHcvIDMwIG1pbnV0ZXMgZXh0cmEgcGVyZm9ybWFuY2VzOiBodHRwOi8vd3d3IC4uLg%3D%3D&shhk=IqBefcKIZCYC3W6RKB5aK4aC4WFhZTNXSk8rCWGTS1w%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.LF02U88BOC4Z9ehTcJlDOgHgFo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 04, 2021, 05:49:48 PM: Music can be all encompasing starting with the ears but quickly goes to the heart
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 04, 2021, 06:01:48 PM: ...Sad to see Buster Posey retiring. :'( I actually saw him when he was in the minor League. We would go to watch the games, and Buster was the catcher for our Home Team. We all started shouting..."BUSTER, BUSTER, BUSTER" when he would come to the plate with a bat in his hand. :D He did well, and we were all happy when he moved up to the Major Leagues. They are showing clips of him playing, and a few are when he 'Tagged out' men rushing into home base. :)

...I did a 'Buster Posey' on a guy when I was playing mixed sexes softball. I was a nerd, I was good at Martial Arts, but I couldn't run and chase down a ball, or hit well, so, I was relegated to be the Catcher. Being a Catcher in softball is kinda like just laying on a couch, and throwing a toy to your pet cat. The ball would land on the plate, or near it, and I would pick it up and throw it back to the pitcher. There is NEVER a play at Home, in softball, so I just watched the others play. But..ONCE THERE WAS AN IMPORTANT PLAY AT HOME!!! :o :o :o

...I was standing, watching the guys running the bases, and was flabergasted when the guy rounding third kept running. The second baseman threw me the ball, and I caught it, and looked at the runner. I was in front of the plate, and figured that he would just give up. But...NOOOOO...he ran faster, and lowered his shoulder, and grinned as he ran at me. I quickly figured that he intended to knock me over, and if I dropped the ball...he would be safe. But...he didn't recognize that he was...

...CONFRONTING A PANTHER HUNTRESS!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...I settled down into my 'attack squat'...I wanted to look helpless...and I looked scared. He grinned as he lowered his shoulder...and then...

...He was ASS OVER TEACUPS ON THE SIDE OF THE PLATE...face down... ::)

...I had gotten my center of gravity in position, and my balance...and as he ran into me...I sprang with my legs, all of my 'Ki' focused, my hands clutching my glove, with the ball...pushing it against him...and he flew through the air and landed a few feet away from the plate! I was actually SNARLING as I stood up. I walked to the side, the inning was over, and sat my butt on the bench.

...My team was surprised, I mean, I am a small woman, and look helpless most of the time. They figured that I would have had to be carried off, and into a car to be taken to a hospital for facing the guy down while blocking the plate. I mean, I WAS blocking the plate, so I was 'open season'. I could have taken a few steps forward, and just tapped him with my glove as he passed by, and he would have been out. He was much larger than me...but...Martial Arts do teach you how to focus your 'Ki'. The 'Ki' is very powerful. Plus, my 'Fuck you, you big jerk' attitude went over the top...I couldn't control it.

...My 'attitude' went into overdrive in that moment, and I was thinking..."You big 250 lb jerk, you are NOT getting through me."

...He didn't... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 04, 2021, 11:52:03 PM: ...I may sound, at times, as if I am bragging about my life. And, yes, I am sharing some of the high points of my life. I have hinted of my recent low points, which, in my mind easily eclipse all of the good things I have done. When the man you love, just decides to divorce you, with no warning...you are left in shambles and bewilderment. I must have done something to him, that I didn't realize. But, I am, slowly, getting better...but it will take a while, I think. If we had been arguing and fighting before he filed, I would probably be relieved. But, he pretended to love me, until I decided that I didn't want to work anymore, and he took off with half of what I had earned...money that I had earned, and SAVED...staying up late at night in the office, and weekends, and laying awake when I was in a Jury Trial...thinking of what I was going to do the next day.

...But, one of my low points. :(

...I had joined an Athletic Club, and would go there often, and work out in the weight room, and then sit, naked, in a jacuzzi with other women. We would talk of things, and then get out, shower, and get dressed and leave. I would ALWAYS show up for the Wednesday lunch, it was PRIME RIB!!! I would gobble one down, with the fixins, and then go sit in the jacuzzi, I actually believed that sweating in the jacuzzi would offset the calories I took in by eating the HUGE lunch.

...They had softball, and I signed up, I wanted to do something after work, and playing softball sounded like fun. I thought that I would do well, I was very athletic, due to martial arts and such, but I ended up being the Catcher for our team, and my batting average wasn't very good. Twice, I did hit a triple, because the fielders had come in so close, looking at me. I stared at them, and got angry, and hit the shit out of the ball, it went over their heads, and I ran fast.

...I did stop playing. I had been elected Treasurer of the Club, and when I was going through the books, I saw a list of the Softball Draft. The team leaders would pick out the names of the people who signed up to play. I looked down the list, and...and...and...

...I WAS DEAD LAST!!! THE LAST ONE PICKED!!! Out of SEVERAL HUNDRED PLAYERS!!!

...Good thing that it wasn't done 'in person'. I would have stood in the middle of several hundred people, and watched as everyone else were picked, and stood alone, looking around, and a team Captain would have said..."OK, I got her, I guess." :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 05, 2021, 07:01:10 PM: Love your description of how you got him out. Reminds me of the peter paul and mary song right field. Nods on learning balance in martial arts used to teach long, long ago. Learned 3 styles and picked up a few techniques from others along the way as well. Only did really well in 2 of the 3 but still the learning was good. We all like to replay the highlight reel rather than the blooper reel. Facebook, twitter, twitch, etc are all good examples of people's highight reels and few blooper reels. As a therapist, I had a client come in who was a recent divorcee. Her husband had dropped divorce papers on her with no warning, the divorce had been finalozed for 6 months when I met her, she was still a bit in shock and upset. She was only thinking of the highight reel of their relationship the good times. I began asking her questions about what he did when they went on trips, who wanted the new bigger house, who it was that wanted the expensive clothes, and one by ome the dominos fell, she saw him for the self centered jerk he was, by the end of the 1 hour session, she said why would I ever want him back and left renewed and happy to be rid of him. Sometimes a change of perspective is needed which is what this did for her.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 05, 2021, 11:26:14 PM: ...One of my 'triples'... >:(

...I was in a very complex, and difficult Legal case, there were many sides. I was working hard, to defend my client, and he was worried. He did have a lot of insurance, but was worried. I kept assuring him that I would get him out of the case, or settle the case well within the policy limits. The Lead Attorney on the other side, thought that he was a huge jock. I was a member of the same Athletic Club, and he was very dismissive of me and treated me as if I was just a 'person who needed help'. I signed up for softball, and, as I said...I played as Catcher...and often for only three innings. The rules were that every player of a team had to play at least three innings, and so, usually I would play the first three, and then sit and watch as others finished the game.

...That 'Lead Attorney' found out what I REALLY was...at least as an attorney. My ATTITUDE awoke in the case, and I wasn't about to let men, with grey hair, TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!! I set traps, during discovery, (The Practice of Law is often more like hunting at night, when there is no moon), and I just looked innocent...until I sprang them. Motion after motion followed, and my client was dismissed from the case...he didn't pay anything...since the Insurance Company was paying my bill. Other defendants saw what I did, and followed suit. The big "LAWSUIT" that the guy had put together, that would give him Millions, fell apart. (Oh, BTW, these new lawsuits, where illegal invaders will get $450K EACH are meant to enrich attorneys...and those goddam Gov't people who will retire, worth MILLIONS!!! The Invaders will be handed $50K, or so, and be happy when they go back. Ever wonder just how middle class people enter Gov't, and then retire in 10 years worth MILLIONS???...on an annual salary of $100K, or so???)

...I hit one of my triples, when I saw the Bastard in center field. He had walked in, standing not too far from 2nd Base, and I got angry. I unloaded, and hit it over his head, and ran around the bases. Two runs scored, and I stopped at 3rd base. He was a bit generous, as we all drank beer after the game, he said..."That was a good hit". I told him, "You pissed me off, and if you had been playing where you should have been, you would have caught it."

...I went off, and nursed my beer with a couple girls who liked me.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 06, 2021, 06:08:20 PM: Sounds like you enjoyed toying with him. As a witness, opposing attorneys always hate me, I stick to the facts given and do not waiver despite any curve ball they throw during their questioning. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 08, 2021, 12:13:48 PM: ...Being a 'Strikebreaker'... >:(

...A couple decades ago, I was the Principal Cellist in a Semi-Professional orchestra, and being an Accountant, of course the Board of Directors also elected me to be Treasurer of the Organization. That was fun, I sat in all of the Board and Officer Meetings, and reported on finances. After a concert, I would sit in the back of the Box Office with the President and Secretary, and count all of the cash and checks and such, prepare a deposit slip, and then drive to the Bank and push the large envelope full of cash into the night deposit box. A few times, I was very tired, after all, I had performed, and then sat in the Office and counted money. That is actually BORING!!! Unless, of course, it is YOUR CASH!!! (I would be wide awake, and attentive when I had a significant amount of MY CASH to count. (I would, always, be tempted to lay it out on my bed, and then strip, and roll around on it, naked. So, that is why you need to be careful when handling cash...people do STRANGE things).

...Anyway, back to the subject. ::)

...God had created an total fool for practice, and then he created the people who became the Board Members of the Orchestra at that time. Non of them were musicians, I was only on the Board because the musicians elected me, the By-Laws specified that the Board had to have one member elected by the musicians. The idea was that there would be more trust by the Orchestra in the Board, if a musician was reporting back to them what was going on, financially, and on other matters. There were a few times when the Board went into Executive Session, and I was told to keep everything confidential, or not attend that meeting. I would not attend the meeting if it involved personnel matters. One of my theories of life is that 2 people can keep a secret, but three or more can't. I didn't want to be suspected of leaking sensitive personnel matters, and figured that the Orchestra really wasn't entitled to know of such deliberations. If it became public knowledge, well, we would all know.

...We were having sold out concerts, and even recorded for a local composer. It didn't hit the 'Top Ten', but I had a CD of us, and at one point in a Concerto Grosso, I was a soloist. That was SCARY...he had my cello 'miked'. He was also very dramatic in conducting, he waved his hands around a lot, and his facial expressions were very expressive. Once, the Orchestra wasn't blending well, and he BLAMED ME DURING THE CONCERT!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o He leaned over to me, grimacing, and used the 1st two fingers of his right hand to point at his eyes, and then turned back. (That is the 'subtle hand sign' that a Conductor uses to say, "Hey, you dumb B----h...WATCH ME!!!") I was having trouble keeping a straight face, it should have been directed at the Principal Violist, I just KNEW that she was half a measure off. BTW, the Viola Section are the butt of EVERY joke in an orchestra. When the trombones miss a passage, they blame the violists.

...(Finish Below)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 08, 2021, 01:41:07 PM: ...He was usually polite to the Board, but would get angry when they got involved in planning the music for a concert, or where musicians should be seated. He believed, that HE, as CONDUCTOR, had the sole right to select what works to perform. We had lunch, and I calmed him down, saying, "The Board Members are all very active in the Community. People probably tell them what works they would like to hear, and the Board does raise the money to pay you, and us." He calmed down a bit, but there was still friction. I got the Board to create a "Performance Committee, and it had the Conductor, Members of the Board, and Musicians on it. I was asked to be the Leader, and did. So, we would actually go on a weekend retreat after the end of a season, and discuss how the year had been attended, and discuss, and select the works for the next season.

...The Board decided to 'TERMINATE' the Conductor for obscure reasons. I was arguing against it, their reasons seemed to be that he was RUDE to them, and didn't take their suggestions of what to perform. I did a slide show of our finances, and showed that we were bring in so much money, that we were actually paying for private lessons for young people, so that they could develop their skills to play at our level, and awarded scholarships to those who went to college to major for music. The discussion got very heated at times, and once I overheard some businessmen saying that they should never have allowed a musician to be on the Board. "She just doesn't understand business" they remarked. I almost went Panther, but didn't, I just ignored them. I had a Financial and Law degree after my name, and two professional licenses, and budgeted and put my signature on checks for seven figures for the business I worked for. But...in their minds...

...I was female...and just a cellist...I should just stay home, practice my cello, and walk barefoot into the kitchen every evening and cook cornbread and pork chops for my family. :-[ Actually, looking back, that could have been nice...I REALLY LIKE cornbread and pork chops. I always bought those thick, meaty pork chops, I tried the thin ones, but they just didn't have the taste of a big pork chop. I did walk barefoot in the kitchen at times...(My Ex and I had a fun 'sex game' we played...not gonna spill the details... 8) 8) 8) )

...The Board did fire the Conductor, and he consulted me, wanting me to sue the PANTS OFF of the Board. I told him that I couldn't do that, even if I resigned from the Board, it would be unethical. So, the Orchestra went on strike, and we had a concert coming up in two weeks. I told the Orchestra that I thought that we had an obligation to perform, since tickets had been sold...but they disagreed...and I was voted out as President...and became the VP. The strike was going to continue. I was split in my emotions, I was very fond of the Conductor, he even included me in a couple family outings to his seaside property in Vancouver, but I didn't want to destroy the Orchestra. Of course, the whole thing was in the local newspapers...I ducked all of the calls that came into my Law Office, and just stayed home.

...I did speak, privately, to a number of musicians, and...we planned a concert. I resigned from the Board, and as President of the musicians, announced that we would perform a concert. The Board said that they wouldn't pay for it, and would want a refund of the $150 they had paid to reserve the Hall. I paid the deposit out of my own funds, and did an interview for the newspaper saying that the Orchestra disagreed with the Boards action, but that some us would would perform a Chamber Recital for those who had bought tickets. I then went "PANTHER BITCH ATTORNEY" on the Board, and told them that we wanted ALL of the proceeds from the Concert, that we would pay all expenses, and that I would look over the accounts after the Concert, and if funds had been withheld...we would sue ALL OF THE DIRECTORS...PERSONALLY!!! They were all big shots, and tried to dismiss us, saying, "What Lawyer would take such a case?" I snorted, and said, "Talk to the Judges in your town, they all know me. And, at times like this, I work for what I can collect from the other side...and my hourly billing rate is very high. After we get a Judgement against ALL of you, I will be happy to spend a day, with, EACH OF YOU, going over, in detail, your personal finances, and will decide which bank accounts I am going to levy upon. And, I will think about the cute little sailboat that I have been wanting to buy, and think about how nice it will be to get it out onto Lake Tahoe."

...We performed our Chamber Concert, and...IT WAS SOLD OUT!!! There were a lot of interviews by local TV and newspapers of those musicians, and they said that they disagreed with the Board, but felt an obligation to the audience. One actually had said, "If you agree that "D" should no longer be the Conductor, then don't attend our recital, that will show the Board what you, the paying customers think, and we won't take any offense. If the public really wants "D" out, then we will just sit out the rest of the season, we all have other obligations in our lives."

...Half of the Board resigned, after the SOLD OUT concert, and the newspapers reporting on what the musicians thought.

..."D" did resign two years later. The Board was still in an uproar, and even me, as a Mediator, couldn't fix it...certain businessmen hated me as much as they hated "D". I handed off the legal issues to an attorney who I usually fought. (He was a plaintiff attorney, I was the defense), but we respected each other, and liked each other, personally. But, we attorneys are actors at times, and anyone seeing us in the Courtroom would think that we hated each other. He would insult my intelligence, and I would calmly tell the judge that he could handle a simple 'rear-end auto accident case', once he got someone to help him figure out which front of what car had hit the rear of the other car, but just couldn't comprehend the subtle aspects of business law, and should take a remedial course in business law at the local Junior College. He would raise his voice at me when I did that, and the Judge would pound the table.

...(Finish below, promise...I should have written this essay, before starting to post it... ::) )
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 08, 2021, 06:01:23 PM: Love how you stood up for your principles, though, were it me. I would have told the board up front at the stsrt when elected as treasurer, that I was a lawyer and had a business degree which may have given you more clout with them in decision making. I know lawyers are just performing theatre in the courtrooms, have seen them go toe to toe in the court room then turn around and tslk about families and such as friends upon leaving the room.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 08, 2021, 08:52:01 PM: ...My little group performed this, my FAVORITE string quintet by Schubert. Whenever I attended a retreat, and we musicians would make up our own groups, I would always wave my arm, and call out, "Let's perform the Schubert!" I would easily get people to join. ;D But, the first time I attended the retreat, nobody knew me. I wandered around with my cello that evening, and had dinner and talked, and then wondered what to do. Someone came up to me, and said, "They need a cellist over there." I walked into the room, and looked around, and there was a quartet sitting there. I apologized, and started to walk out, and the 1st Violinist called out to me, and said, "We are doing the 'Quintet'." I had NO IDEA of what he was talking about, but came in, unpacked my cello, sat, and settled it between my legs, and opened the music. It was the FIRST PART for the Quintet, and I had never laid eyes on it before. :P

...The Germanic violinist tightened his bow, and asked me what tempo I liked. I just stared at the 'lollypops', my mind was reading the music, but I had no idea of the tempo. I just looked at him, and said, "I have never played this before, you tell me." He grimaced at the other players, and they frowned at me. I just looked down, and used the 'fine tuners' on the tail of the cello to finish my tuning, and then looked up.

...We got into it...

...https://youtu.be/Dc3iX7x73JY

...The 1st opened his eyes as I repeated the opening, and I briefly frowned, and glared at him as I played it...very well. (I mean, I CAN read music...but...NOT 'NOUGH TO HURT MY PLAYING!!!). We finished the 1st, and then got into the second movement. In my mind, it is about dying. The music is soft, and the 2nd cellist is the heartbeat, as the person reflects on the nice parts of Life...and birds are singing, very soothingly. Then...at 25:27...the person RAGES about the challenging aspects of Life, the opportunities lost, the mistakes, the betrayals, and more...and NOT wanting to leave. :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

...But then, Heaven comes in, and whispers..."You are well. You served well, now it is time to rest for a little while, and then come on to what what you will be doing, next."

...The DAMN Germanic 1st Violinist was looking at me as we finished the second movement...and...

...He was SMILING...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 09, 2021, 01:24:42 AM: ...GODDAMN FUCKING LAWYERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...And, I was once one...but...I didn't pay my dues the past year...didn't want to...so I don't have the license anymore. I just put JD..."Juris Doctor" after my name now.

...Biden is SUPPORTING giving EVERY ILLEGAL ALIEN who tries to enter our country $450,000 dollars!!!!!! :o I read that the reason is, because the Trial Lawyers, have said that they will file a lawsuit to defend EVERY illegal INVADER the right to STAY IN OUR COUNTRY...AND GET ALL OF THE BENEFITS OF A CITIZEN. They claim that it will just be cheaper to pay the illegal $450K than to defend a lawsuit.

...Hells Bells...I would order EVERY Attorney General to defend each case, and put the God damn illegal attorney assholes through EVERYTHING that they could think of...Motion after Motion...and then a Trial. And, when they LOST almost all of their cases...they would stop. Making a threat is easy. As a defense attorney, I had those Goddamn plaintiff attorneys tell me that they would make my life miserable by bringing a long lawsuit. Well, they just slunk away, very quickly, as I said, "Bring it on, I have time on my calendar. And this is why I went to Night Law School for four years." Those Goddamn illegal alien attorneys threaten, saying, "I will get several million from you when I win, so pay something now." In a settlement conference, I once slid a $50 bill to the opposing attorney, and said..."Take it...or leave it." He should have taken it...I went after his client for my costs, $2,500, when I won my case...and his client wasn't happy. The jerk attorney paid me $1,000 to drop my case...his client was suing him for malpractice.

...GODDAMN ATTORNEYS!!! We ALL SWORE to PROTECT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. Last I read, it doesn't say that illegals could enter our country, and GET BENEFITS!!! Up to $450,000 when they got caught!!!!

But, I also damn Democrats, who voted those Traitors in. I guess that they want to see illegals overrun our Country, steal from our businesses, rape our women and young girls. And, I know that that attitude is TRUE!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o

I had a debate with a 'friend' who was a Liberal, and I was pointing out all of the things that Grey Davis was doing to destroy California. Davis was impeached for what he was doing. She supported him, and finally just yelled at me...

...I DON'T CARE IF CALIFORNIA GOES DOWN THE TUBES, AS LONG AS THE DEMOCRATS ARE IN CONTROL!!!!!

...So, that is what we are dealing with, mindless idiots who will just pull the lever for ANYONE who has a 'D' after their name, and not care what happens.

...And yes, I am a registered Republican, but I have voted for Dems and Independents in the past

...I did vote for THAT guy, a few years ago...because I was disgusted with the Dem and the Repub candidates.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 09, 2021, 04:26:57 AM: ...Touched by God...

...I read an article, a few days ago, I lost it and can't find it again, that said that a HUGE proportion of the American public have said that they were 'Touched by God." I sat back, puzzled, I have never felt that, and only a few of the people in my Life claimed to have met, or been influenced by, something that they called 'God'. I have been thinking about it, I am approaching the age where I will be described as 'Elderly' in a few decades >:( But have never had such an experience. But, as I pondered, I wondered what it would be like. I do have the Hollywood Idea of what it would be like...I would be on my knees...in my bedroom...surrounded by light...and feeling a commanding voice in my head.

I have never had ANYTHING approaching that.

...But, in my Frosh year of HS, I was sitting LAST CHAIR in the second violin section...and deserved it...I didn't play the violin very well. The Conductor looked around, there was only one cellist, and he asked..."Anyone want to play the cello?" I sat, and thought, and a voice in my head did say, "Go ahead, volunteer." So, I did, and sat by myself in a practice room during orchestra practice, and tried to teach myself to play the damn piece of lumber. After two years...I still sucked...and sat last chair in a section of eight. But, I loved music, and wanted to play, but was discouraged. I listened to the voice in my head, and finally got my parents to pay for private lessons, and I focused my practice better. I had just been sawing the bow back and forth, but had no idea of what I was doing

...Something told me to focus on music...and I did. The Private Teacher taught me what I needed...and well...before the end of the year I was sitting 1st chair, and played better than the girl who had been taking lessons from the same teacher for five years. I ended up with a scholarship to a University that had a Conservatory of Music...and...well...ended up as an Accountant and an Attorney. I did well as both...made a lotta money...and a few of my cases made it into the books. (And I MADE the IRS change a Regulation...I do have a problem with 'Respecting Authority')

...Looking back, I really believe that the voice that told me to change to the cello changed my life. I mean, I was unhappy sitting last chair, 2nd violin...wasn't doing much, and had no plans for the future...but I then went on. I worked on the cello...and I REALLY LOOKED AT LIFE!!! ;D When I looked at a new activity...martial arts...solo backpacking...flying sailplanes...running for political office...playing music...counseling youth groups...and many more...I just thought...

...Well, TRY IT OUT!!!!...

...And, I did...and have had many wonderful experiences.

...I am glad that I just didn't stay sitting last chair, 2nd violin...it would have impacted my entire life. Had I done so, well now, I would probably still be a mousy woman sitting off to the side of an office, doing mundane tasks. But, instead...well...I did a LOT.

...ONCE, The Police HAULED ME OUT OF A ROCK CONCERT (I had produced it in college) AND THREW ME INTO THE BACK OF A SQUAD CAR...I adjusted myself, I was holding a shoe box that had $30K in it...and I had EARNED IT for the University. They were polite after that...they said that it would be best if it looked like I was being arrested...rather than being escorted while holding $30K. That was a LOT of money back then...and we were not in a 'polite' area of town. If certain types knew that I was carrying that much...they would have gunned down the Cops...and me...and grabbed the shoebox.

...Oh, life is to be experienced, and challenged
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 09, 2021, 05:10:32 PM: I agree, the government should fight tooth and nail, not just cave in and offer that much money to ilegals. You should have paid your dues and kept your license never know when it may come in handy besides you worked for it. I pay dues to 2 professional organizations and shall soon have dr in front of my name and a set of initials after. As for being touched by God, I have seen and experienced blessings, healings, and was given insight beyond my own many times so have no doubt of God's existence.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 09, 2021, 09:52:25 PM: ...I read your comment, Nate...and have been seriously thinking over what you said. I mean, I need to do SOMETHING to plan for the rest of my life, and just sitting on my butt on the couch, eating chocolates...(And I can afford those expensive ones...although I do like to just sit back and chew on a Nestles 'Crunch' ) would not be much of a life. St. Peter would GLARE at me, and ask, "Just what did you accomplish during the last 20 years of your life?" And, I would look down, and respond...

..."I ate a case of Crunches in one day..."

...I would be sent to Purgatory...and probably be sentenced to MAKE THE DAMN THINGS...AND SEND THEM TO HELL!!!!!

...But, you are correct. I think that I will pay my past dues, and get my Law License back to retired status. And then, go ahead and take the continuing education classes that I will need to activate my Law and CPA licenses, and THEN...

...Sit on my butt and eat Crunches... ::)

...I will also get back and active into life, and who knows what will come up?

...I just may get the IRS to rewrite another regulation...and stare the Federal District Justices down again...

...I have a good 'Stare'...my mind is whirling...but my face and eyes are blank
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 10, 2021, 02:26:53 AM: ...Being..."COOL"... ;D

...There was a bass/baritone guy I hung with for a while in college. We never had sex, I was very uptight at that time, but I would sit and with kiss with him, and let him play with my breasts. 8) 8) I DIDN'T play with his 'privates'. ::) Anyway...

...We would listen to music together, and walk over the Campus and talk of many things. His sense of humor was very close to mine, and, well...things happened when we were together. Once, during a recital, ALL of the toilets flushed in the Hall, right when the performer had a dramatic pause. (Not gonna explain how we did that... ::) ) People were stifling laughter as the pianist started again.

...But, we focused on being "Cool". That meant something back then. To us, it meant that we would lounge against a wall, wearing sunglasses, side by side...and not speak...and ignore everyone. We would walk around, with our sunglasses on, look at people, and announce if they were cool...or not cool. Once, a pianist screwed up a passage in a recital...we were sitting side by side in the audience, and we looked at each other, and he said..."Not cool." I just agreed...the people sitting around us were holding back laughter.

...People learned to understand us. Once, we were being Cool...standing side by side...and leaning against a wall...and a Frosh came up and tried to speak to us. We just ignored him. He was bewildered, and an upper classman took the Frosh aside, and said,

..."Don't bother them...they are being 'cool'."

...The kid looked at us, and then walked away.

...We just stayed being 'cool'
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 10, 2021, 06:48:43 PM: Happy to hear on you renewing your license. Smiles. I hope you can go toe to toe against the irs and win again that would be umm cool lol. Standing around and being cool as sort of lost its luster in todays society it seems.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 13, 2021, 09:44:14 AM: ...Playing in Pit Orchestras... :)

...That is, actually, my favorite way to perform on my cello. For some reason, I get 'stage fright' when I am on the stage, playing the cello...but I have no fear of public speaking. I argued before Juries, and gave speeches at other events, and my mind was calm. Once, a speaker didn't show up at a 4-H event, and the Director asked me to come up with something, and I spoke for 30 minutes on an amusing topic that I just made up. I wasn't nervous, looking at the Crowd of about 800, and was actually trying to make eye contact with as many people as I could. But, when I sat to play the cello, looking at the audience...with the damn hunk of lumber between my legs...I would get scared. I guess that it has to do with how I perceive my body. I, at times, have trouble controlling my hands and fingers...but I have NO trouble CONTROLLING MY MOUTH!!! ::)

...Being in a pit was relaxing. The audience couldn't see me, so I didn't have to worry about how I looked. I would have some fruit juice and snacks around me, and would be EAGER when I had a solo. I would have the plot of the Musical in my mind, and would play to express it. I would be 'wild and crazy' if that is what the scene was about...or very quiet and introspective in a sad or introspective scene. A few times, in a sad scene, when I had REALLY expressed the music...(Both of my hands were focused, I was using the 1st finger of my right hand to shape the note with the bow...and my left hand was modulating the pressure on the string and the vibrato)...the string players around me were waving their bows in applause, as the singer got the applause from the audience.

...Carousel was my 1st Musical...it was semi-professional...I was still in HS and was excited. The singers were very skilled. I actually cried, on my own, at times when things happened on the stage. Anyway, here is a clip of a song that I just LOVED! I actually felt what the Char was singing about...I mean...how do you feel when you know that you are going to become a parent? And, *shrugs*, I was still a virgin and in HS.

...https://youtu.be/uq0UAdvGdII
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 13, 2021, 05:29:59 PM: Smiles love your stories
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 13, 2021, 11:21:50 PM: ...Finding Gor... ???

...I have always been an avid reader of Sci Fi all of my life, and I signed up for subscriptions. I had a bookcase that just held Sci Fi books, and two others that held Novels and other stuff. The bookcases are gone, because of the move, divorce, and other crap that I have been through...but there is a storage unit FULL of MY STUFF...my Ex took what he wanted from our house. Sometime soon, I will go see what is in the storage unit. My son has checked it out, he has said that it is full, and that the 'Metate' is there. I almost don't care about anything else I have owned in my life...but the Metate has part of my soul in it. It is a beautiful 'grinding stone'. It has come through my Family for centuries, the Craftsman who created it was an artist. I like the idea of 'Heaven', where we will meet ancestors, and such, and I would like to meet him. But...WHO KNOWS...maybe I will learn that the idea of reincarnation is true, and that I MADE THE METATE in an earlier life.

...Anyway, I read all kinds of Sci Fi and Fantasy Novels. And, I do have a submissive side to myself, and seeing the covers of the Gor novels did stimulate me. I don't like the idea of being a slave, and such, but I did get my H to indulge me in r/p when we were intimate. I won't go into details...but I enjoyed the physical sensations of being tied up, or strapped down...and then he could do what he wanted with me. I would complain, and beg him to stop, but we had a 'safe word', or a 'safe gesture' I could use if I was gagged . We would hug and kiss when we were done, and I would stagger away and take off whatever I was wearing, and get into the shower and clean off.

...When I learned to get onto the Computer chat sites, I visited many. There are several that I am a member of, and we speak of current events and such. I found this site, and entered Gor. Rags will testify that I TOTALLY fucked up my first attempt. I didn't understand what was expected of a bond maid, and I was killed off. I limped away to another site, and failed as a medieval servant. I then went to a Panther site, and met the 'feared KIMBA!!!' :o :o :o :o :o :o :o Of course, we hit it off, and she took me under her wing, and taught me how to r/p. ::) She actually beat me a few times, but, always, we had a GREAT time. I was happy to be online with her, we did things, and I got comfortable in being 'Izee'. I was at Scagnar for years, but...I fucked up. It was a combination of r/t affecting me...I was alone, unemployed, getting divorced, and should have just thrown my computer into the garbage bin. But, I came on, and got angry, r/t, and my r/p expressed it. I threw away ALL of what I had learned, and earned, at Scagnar, and I know that I hurt, r/t, a typist that I loved.

...So, I limp in at intervals, when I am feeling strong, and think that I can r/p without offending anyone.

...Perhaps, I will come back with all of the passion and love that I once had for Gor. Marcus Hrolfson was a typist that I loved, r/t, and I sent him gifts when he was in his last days. He loved me, too...I laughed, hearing of his response to his roommates when my package from Omaha Steaks arrived..."Hey, hands off, that is from my online Wife." I cried, r/t, when he passed, and one of the things on my 'bucket list' is to visit his grave. I will leave a chicken pie beside it...Izee' would make vulo pies for Marcus, and he would eat a handful, and complain, or praise her, and Izee' would respond. ;) We did have an online clue, he was much more accustomed to Gor than I was. He would 'flick' the tip of Izee's nose, and I would back off from whatever I was doing.

...Anyway, Gor can be so fulfilling, Rags has always run a very good house, and I am honored that, at times, I did well here.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 14, 2021, 05:10:40 PM: I am a sci fi fan as well. Gor was never my forte more of a fantasy buff but have ventured into gor once in a while. I loved emsine when it was here. U quite understand how rl problems affect one's rp though nods.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 14, 2021, 11:41:28 PM: ...Dancing with...Cockatoos....(I couldn't find a wolf... ::).)

...When I was in college, my Grandmother on my Mother's side had an illness, and was in a hospital for several months. My Mother took over her finances, and arranged for a company to watch over my Grandmothers house. But, she didn't know what to do with Grandmas' pet Cockatoo, so she brought it into our home. She placed the perch and cage in a corner of the living room, and it seemed to be happy when I visited. I would feed it peanuts, and marvel how it could hold things in its' foot. It spoke Spanish, so I would talk to it. Sometimes, it was almost like holding a conversation. "Hola, como estas?" "Estoy bien" "Quero comer?" "Si, frijoles."....and such. It would also imitate what I was doing. I could sway from side to side, or bend at my knees and go up and down, and it would do the same.

...One afternoon, I was reading a book, and was listening to "Salsa". I was swaying, and nodding my head, and then I looked over, and the Cockatoo was doing the same. I set the book down, and turned up the volume, and began dancing in front of the bird. It watched for a moment, and then it began dancing, too. It was swaying, picking it's feet up, turning around, and raising and lowering the yellow crest on it's head, and squaking. We danced together for a while, and then I stopped. My Mother had been watching, and she just shook her head and muttered something to me as she walked away. I was laughing...

...I did dance with the Cockatoo when I visited. I suspect that I was actually doing a 'mating dance' in front of it...so I guess that I am guilty of bigamy...being married to a human and a Cockatoo. ::) :o 8) ::)

...https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=cockatoo&id=CFEF0768163A4D2ADF34B65ADFC73AFB3F0239C9&form=IARRTH&first=1&tsc=ImageBasicHover
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 15, 2021, 05:47:14 PM: Well birds of that type mimmick what they see and hear so it may have just been copying you
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 18, 2021, 01:53:47 AM: ...I just LOVED when we played this...especially when I was active in Gor. :D

...https://youtu.be/Lb4Asov1eKY

...When I play music, I try to tell a story, even when just playing beat notes...I mean...they set the mood of the piece...and I got the cello section to sound REALLY ominous. I would lean over the left side of my cello, the scroll beside my right ear, and narrow my eyes at the 1st violin section as they played the melody. I would relax later, and, as I have said, I would sway and move my shoulders, and sometimes lower my left thigh so that the cello was aimed at the audience. The rest of the section would follow suit...except for some older people...who just followed the textbook pose...and sat straight...and just sawed the bow back and forth. A few tried to 'Counsel' me, saying that, as the Section Leader, I needed to tone down.

...I ignored them...I have a problem with 'Respecting Authority'...that is why I am pretty much shunned on Gor...with exceptions...I LOVE RAGS, and THORARIN and their families.

...I lead the cellos in the Semi-Professional Orchestra in the County for a few years, and the audience grew...the Conductor and I challenged each other, and the Concertmaster was replaced, because he just couldn't lead the violins with what we were trying to do. I gathered contributions from everyone I could, and wrote the checks to the members of the Orchestra...I didn't take a check...(I was OVERLY THEATRICAL during a Board Meeting...anyone ever see me do that?...when the checks for the musicians were passed around, I had to sign each one, since I was the Treasurer of the Board...and I VOIDED mine and scratched out the signatures. The VP was amused when he received the checks, he looked through them, and laughed when he got to mine, and showed it to the Board. I just muttered..."I have a Day Job.")...and I added my personal funds to put on a Concert. But...they brought in a new Conductor. He let me stay 1st chair for a season, and then kicked me back to 3rd chair...he had ANOTHER orchestra that he was conducting, and so he brought in his players from the other orchestra to replace us. So, I just left...

...That 'NEW AND IMPROVED' Orchestra folded in two seasons, and it hasn't risen, since. The GD Board of Directors had lost TOTAL FOCUS of what a COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA IS!!!! The audience wants to see their neighbors, their teachers, and their children on the stage...THAT is why they donate money and buy tickets. They do NOT want to watch a bunch of outside, sullen Armenians who can't speak English, and who just drink all of the alcohol at the Reception, and then leave. You want to see sullen Armenians, just go to Oakland or SF. You want to see your neighbors, teachers, children...well...you won't find them on that neighborhood stage...the HIGHER UPS in the Community decided what is best for you.

...Anyway, enough of my rant for tonight...there was actually a point that I wanted to make...but...I lost track. I will re-read what I posted...blush...and curse myself...but won't delete it...like my r/p...I just live with my posts.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 18, 2021, 05:17:28 PM: Good music should tell a story. Nods. And agreed on a community orchestra being of by and for the locals
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 19, 2021, 12:47:36 AM: ...My MOST FAVORITE CONGERTO GROSSO... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...I fell in love with this work in H.S., at times it was just me and the harpsicord playing with the solo violins, and one of the soloists was a guy I was going with. I pretty much bullied the Conductor to letting us play this at a competition, the two violinists were very skilled, and I could keep the beat steady on the cello. He agreed, and we refined it. :)

...However, I liked to RIDE MY TEN SPEED ALL OVER TOWN...and another guy would ride with me. We were those two idiot kids who raced cars on streets, and turned off and headed down the neighborhoods. The day before the music competition, we were riding around a construction site. I had my 10 speed, he had one of those bikes that had the 'bananna seat', and high handlebars. We rode around, and then found a place where there was a large dirt pit, and what looked like a ramp at the bottom. Well, we rode our bikes down the hill and onto the ramp, and briefly flew, and landed on the ground. Well, being kids, we rode back up the hill, and rode down the ramp, and briefly flew through the air, and landed. Of course, we got competitive, seeing who could land the furthest away, and I gave up. I was riding an expensive 10 speed that I had bought from the money I earned by being a caddy at the golf course, and didn't want to damage it. He laughed at me, and I got my 'attitude' up, and said that I could land further than him, but I wasn't going to do it on my 10 speed. He handed over his 'bananna bike', and said..."Go ahead, show me." Well, being me...I accepted the challenge, and briefly rode the bike to see how it handled...and then...

...I pedaled HARD down the hill and pulled at the handlebars to get as high as I could...and...and...and...

...The DAMN HANDLEBARS CAME LOOSE...and I flew over the front of the bike...and landed ON MY HEAD...(I didn't HAVE A HELMET)

...I was laying on the ground, dazed, and sat up...blood was running down my face from a deep cut in the top of my head. We both tried to staunch the bleeding, and I just plastered my hair over the gash, and pressed, and it seemed to stop. I then got onto my 10 speed, and he fixed the handlebars of his bike, and we rode back to my house. I walked in, and told my Mother that I needed a band-aide...she looked at me...my face was covered with blood and my hair was a mess, plastered over the wound...and she hauled me to the ER.

...They cleaned me up, and stitched the wound, and my Parents were given a guide to monitor me, since I had had a concussion. I was also excused from PE, which upset me, I wanted to play volleyball...and so for a week I just walked around the field as the other girls played. (I still have the scar from the wound, I can feel it if I run my fingers through the right top of my head... :P )

...But, as I said...we played this Concerto Grosso the next day...and I did well. We got a 'Superior' Rating, and one of the Judges wrote that 'the cellist kept a steady beat, she kept the ensemble together'.

...So, even with a serious head injury...

...I CAN play music... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 19, 2021, 12:48:11 AM: ...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=6BA4F9AD6AFC4E37FE6E6BA4F9AD6AFC4E37FE6E&q=corelli concerto grosso&shtp=GetUrl&shid=9b9d7007-36ce-4b96-94be-fc126257f718&shtk=Q29yZWxsaTogQ29uY2VydG8gZ3Jvc3NvIGctTW9sbCBvcC4gNiBOci4gOCAowrtXZWlobmFjaHRza29uemVydMKrKSDiiJkgaHItU2luZm9uaWVvcmNoZXN0ZXI%3D&shdk=QXJjYW5nZWxvIENvcmVsbGk6IENvbmNlcnRvIGdyb3NzbyBnLU1vbGwgb3AuIDYgTnIuIDggKMK7V2VpaG5hY2h0c2tvbnplcnTCqykg4oiZIGhyLVNpbmZvbmllb3JjaGVzdGVyIOKAkyBGcmFua2Z1cnQgUmFkaW8gU3ltcGhvbnkg4oiZIEFuZHLDqXMgT3JvemNvLUVzdHJhZGEsIERpcmlnZW50IOKImSBLb256ZXJ0IG9obmUgUHVibGlrdW0g4oiZIGhyLVNlbmRlc2FhbCBGcmFua2Z1cnQsIDEwLiBEZXplbWJlciAyMDIwIOKImSBXZWJzaXRlOiBodHRwOi8vd3d3LmhyLXNpbmZvbmllb3JjaGVzdGVyLmRlIOKImSBGYWNlYm9vazogaHR0cDovL3d3dy5mYWNlYm9vay5jb20vaHJzaW5mb25pZW9yY2hlc3Rlcg%3D%3D&shhk=Q3c6qkHQdxPD%2FO%2BroRPywqy5TIPjtHcq5yVJQv5JZQo%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.Pdpw6y44B1QMH415FKftQAHgFo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 19, 2021, 02:55:21 AM: ...Riding in the back of a Police Car... ;)

...As I posted above, I wasn't being arrested, the Cops that I had hired hauled me out of the Rock Concert that I had produced, and threw me into the back of their car, and drove me back to the College Campus, so I could meet with the Finance Director, and count the cash, and prepare a deposit slip. They were VERY ABRUPT as they hauled me out, they explained that it would be safer if it looked like I was being arrested, rather than being escorted...since I was clutching a shoebox that held a LOT of cash.

...So, as we drove away, I settled in, and looked around...I had NEVER been in a police cruiser before. There was a clear shield between me and the front, so, I couldn't claw my way into the front seats. I wasn't strapped in, seatbelt laws were a bit looser then, so I just settled my butt in and relaxed. I KNEW about how much money I was carrying, and was happy that the Police were watching over this poor, dumb, music major. I did notice, that when we stopped at signal lights, that people were LOOKING AT ME!!! :o :o :o :o :o They were trying to figure out just, what kind of CRIMINAL I was. I did lower my head, at first...but then my 'Izee' mind woke up...and I sat straight up in the seat. When we would stop at a signal light, I would narrow my eyes, and look around, and if people in the car beside us looked at me...I would look back, and snarl a little bit...and do my best..."DON'T MESS WITH THIS FUCKING BITCH" look. >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...The middle aged people would quickly look away...

...But a carload of young men looked back at me...and I was relieved as the Cruiser left them away.

...The Cops did bring me to the Student Center, and the Financial Director and I counted the cash, and made a deposit slip. I walked and slid down the embankment to get back to my apartment, and the Cops took the Director to the Bank to make a deposit.

...I know that NO OTHER Student Social Director did what I did. The rest didn't try to produce a Rock Concert with World Famous musicians...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 19, 2021, 06:19:22 PM: Sounds like quite the adventure with the police car and excellent on playing the cello despite the injury.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 19, 2021, 06:32:59 PM: ...Being 'CUTE'... ::)

...Like any young woman, when I began realizing that I was a woman, I started looking at myself in the mirror. I did like my face, and my small body was filling out very nicely. I began to get a bit self concious when my breasts grew in, THEY really changed how I looked...I wasn't a 'girl' anymore. I began playing more with makeup, and my hair, and buying nice jewelry, and went through the pain of having my ears pierced...but after they healed, it was more comfortable to wear earrings...those 'clamp-on' things were uncomfortable. Funny how we women are expected to wear earrings all of the time...I just place gold studs in my ears most of the time, but I do have nice hoops and dangling things when I want to look glamorous.

...I was with my sorority, and we were having our pictures taken for the book that we made every year. I was feeling happy, I was the President, and so they took a few extra pictures of me sitting, standing, and such. I just looked at the photographer, and smiled. When he finished, he patted me on my head, and said that I was 'cute'.

...I sat back, afterwards...and my mind was whirling...I mean..."CUTE" is how you describe a pet animal...I mean...a kitten is 'cute'...a puppy is 'cute'...and now...

...I WAS CUTE???????

...I got over it... ;)

...But, opposing attorneys didn't think that I was 'cute'...even though I was smiling...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 20, 2021, 05:22:52 PM: Can imaginr the opposing attorneys saw you more as a threat
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 20, 2021, 11:32:54 PM: ...I am softly sobbing...watching Fiddler on the Roof...she is singing "Here at the Home I love"...

...Being a cellist and a pianist...I am not strung very well together. But, I am half German, so that part of myself is the part that doesn't respect authority...and the IRS had no fear for me. I took them on, every chance I could, defending people from harsh assessments. Of course, our 'lovely Government' sicced them on me for three years...but I beat them, I figure that at the end, our Respected Government had paid ME about $8.73 more than I had sent in. But, I had to let the Government idiots look at all of my bank accounts, and such. Of, course, I was VERY HELPFUL... ::) Suddenly, I had the IQ of an institutioned sick person, and had trouble understanding what they wanted. I would present them with a jumble of papers and such, and give them my 'happy smile', asking if they wanted anything more. I am very good at pretending that I am just a dumb female, and they would buy it. I would wear my 'bewildered face' as they asked me questions, and keep asking them what they meant.

...One IRS Agent had bothered to check me out, and when I tried my 'Bewildered Female' act, he just chuckled, and said, "OK, Miz Attorney/CPA, you know what I need to see, let's get this over with."

...I dropped my 'dumb act', and brought him what he requested. ::) But, I didn't bring him everything. ;D

...I honestly don't believe that I cheated the US out of my fair share of taxes...but...I have NEVER wanted to pay them more that I have to.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 21, 2021, 12:03:59 PM: ...I did perform this work, several times, usually just with a piano accompany, but I was privileged to have an Orchestra with me, once. I was excited, walking on out to the stage, briefly shaking hands with the Concertmaster and the Conductor, and then planting my butt into the chair, and finding a hole in the stage to stick the end of my tailpin in. I always liked to have my cello planted directly into the stage, I thought that those endpin holders affected the vibration of my instrument. I wanted Pavane and Katherine to vibrate as much as they could, their lovely overtones would emerge. :)

...https://youtu.be/NQ8bwd0EQGU

...I finished, and had to just keep sitting as the audience applauded...I was feeling very weak...I had definitely expressed the work. Performing music wasn't always predictable for me. Sometimes I would be grimacing, my fingers just weren't hitting the right place. Other times, like this time...it actually felt like my body was possessed...I was hitting each note correctly, and my bow hand was doing things that I later tried to figure out. I was shaping the notes so well.

...I was on my SECOND glass of wine at the reception, and an elderly, bearded old man came up to me, and looked me over. (He probably liked what he saw, I had a good body and a nice face back then, and I was showing some cleavage in my gown.) He smiled, and said, "You aren't Jewish, are you." I took a drink, and said, "No, I am Catholic." He smiled, patted my shoulder, and said..."You should think of converting, you really were saying our Prayer up there," and he walked away.

...I got a THIRD glass of wine, and sat off to the side, thinking. A GF drove me home, and I was quiet as we rode.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 21, 2021, 12:31:37 PM: ....OK, here it is...but...I wish that I could sing as well as she does. *S* Izee' does sing very well, she has a nice contra alto, so when she is singing, people to kisten.

...https://youtu.be/8mgaICZS79Y
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 21, 2021, 01:50:52 PM: ..."People do listen"...

...I do have typos at times... :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 21, 2021, 05:45:30 PM: No one wants to pay the irs lol. Happy you were able to beat them at their game. Love your concert stories amazing how talented you are. Your understanding of oure numbers mist be amazing as that is the basis of music, pure numbers ansld emotion in harmony with one another.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 21, 2021, 06:54:28 PM: ...Getting my picture in the paper... ;D

...I was in H.S., and was playing my cello in the semi professional orchestra. I was very happy, and content, we were playing major works, and I could play all of the notes. (I did wear my fingers down to the bone, PRACTICING...I was never one of those 'gifted souls' who could just look at the sheet and play the 'lollypops'. I just practiced for hours every day.)

...We were performing a harp concerto, and I really enjoyed it. We did our concert, and then the next Sunday, my parents showed me the Arts Page...and...I WAS ON THE TOP HALF OF THE PAPER!!!! The photographer had been taking pictures, and he took one where he was shooting through the harp, and I WAS FRAMED by the harp!!!

...I actually looked pretty good...I was CUTE back then...and I was looking at the music, my eyes wide open and my lips parted, and my bare arms were holding the neck of the cello and the bow.

... :) :) :) :) :) :) I actually saw how the Editor said, "OK, put this girl on the page."

...*Shrugs*...I looked pretty good.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 21, 2021, 11:00:55 PM: ...I will probably be sentenced to Hell for this event. ???

...I was singing in the chorus of Il Trovatore, and was either a tavern wench, or a Nun. I had two different costumes that I would change in and out of during the performance, and would adjust my makeup to reflect what I should look like. A Nun doesn't wear bright red lipstick, I let the 'wench' wear it...the Nun had pale pink lips.

...One evening, I just kept on the Nun costume, and walked back across the Campus to my Apt. I wanted my roommates to see how I looked. Being me, I REALLY got into character, and was carrying a Bible and a Rosary in my hands. I stayed silent...I was in Char...and would just nod at people as I walked by.

...I then came across an ill looking young man, he was drunk, and retching. I was concerned, and walked over to see how he was doing. I got him to sit up, and held his shoulder as he threw up more. He looked at me, and said, "Mother, please help me." I put the Bible and Rosary into a pouch that was in my costume, and got him to stand, and held his arm as we headed towards the Infirmary. I kept talking to him, and he kept addressing me as 'Mother'.

...I got him there, and watched as he was taken into a room. I did report on what I had seen, and then walked out . The Staff were slightly entertained, I mean, it was very clear that I was a Student, and not a Nun.

...I was quiet when I got to my Apt, my roommates were amused at how I looked, and I smiled...

...But, I was quiet all evening...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 22, 2021, 06:25:05 PM: Cool on your picture in the paper. Happened to me twice, once as I was in uniform presenting the colors at an event as I was the honor guard commander at the time and when I was in the fire dept cadets during a practice with ambulance and sheriff cadets for a mass casualty drill.

Though you may habe not been an actual nun, you certainly filled the role for the drunk person in aiding him.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 25, 2021, 12:01:04 AM: ...Shrimp heads
...Shrimp heads
...Rolly Polly Shrimp heads
...Shrimp heads
...Shrimp heads

...eat them up...YUUUMMM

...I took a shrimp head
...To the Movies

...I didn't have to pay
...To get it in

...Shrimp heads....
...(It goes on...)

...Anyway, most of you probably heard the lame joke song. ;D

...But, I have eaten shrimp heads. I may have told this tale before, but I don't want to go back and read all of my posts. I should probably get out a notebook, and write down all of my postings, and before I post again, look through them, and say..."Oh, I already posted about being tossed in the back of a Police Car in College while I was holding a shoebox that held $30,000...and I had not REALLY STOLEN IT...I had just PRODUCED a Rock Concert. But, the assholes who had tried to set me up to pay all of the bills, and then let them have the cash...didn't get their way. I HAD THE CASH!!!! And I got the Police to get ME the HELL away from the Hall. And I deposited ALL of it in the University account...I didn't even slip out a few $20's, although I was a starving student. I mean...it wasn't MY money. ::)

...Anyway, back to shrimp heads.

...I love oriental food, and enjoy going to a sushi Bar and eating what they have. I had the afternoon off, depositions had been completed, and I was sitting at the sushi Bar, and eating raw salmon, and other things, and drinking sake. I was on my phone, being the 'Ugly American Bitch', people were calling me and I just had to speak to them, but...I was EATING!!! :) I ordered 'sweet shrimp', and the Chef kinda smirked at me as he set a plate that had the tails, and the fried heads on it in front of me. I quickly ate the tails, and then, I gave the Chef a smile and ate the fried heads. They were very good. The Chef smiled and gave me a slight bow as he took away the empty plate.

...I had a nice meal, I didn't ask for anything, the Chef recommended other things that I should eat, he was just giving others what they ordered, but he would set a plate in front of me, and say, "Eat this, kudasai." I just sat and ate what was placed in front of me, until I was full, and finished a 3rd flask of sake.

...I carefully stood, after I paid, and left a NICE tip, and gave the Chef a deep 'Japanese Bow'...my daughter had lived in Japan for a couple years, and had shown me how woman bow. The Japanese people do bow to each other, we Westerners just wave. A bow, in Japan, says a lot, and you have to be careful how you do it. Do it wrong, and it is a taunt or an insult, do it right, and it is accepted with pleasure. I was doing my, "I respect you very much, and the food and the skill you showed was very good" bow.

...He smiled, and bowed back to me...I sensed that it was the "I appreciate that you liked my food, and you were polite" bow.

...I then left, with a full tummy...and a bit of a buzz...sake sneaks up on you. I didn't feel the first flask, and as the Japanese say, "the second flask drank the first flask, and the third flask drank me."

...I did sleep well that night.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 25, 2021, 05:13:08 PM: Love the story but happy it was you eating it not me lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 02, 2021, 03:18:52 AM: ...Pops Concerts... ;D

...https://youtu.be/gLKSDT_2zPA

...Nuthen like them...!!! :D :D :D :D :D

...I just loved playing Pops Concerts in an outdoor setting. Sitting on a small stage, just after it got dark, and playing popular music was SO MUCH fun! ;D The Semi Pro Orchestra did one every year, and, one year, I was REALLY involved in the Production. I was the President of the Musicians Association, and was Treasurer of the Orchestra Association. (I had to pile hats on top of my head, and at times wished that I had THREE HEADS...so I would have one to take care of myself...but my one head had to multitask. ::) ) I would scout out the venue and make sure that the stage and such was in good shape, and then sit with the City Manager, and plan the concert and dicker over the costs. He had me pretty much over the barrel, I could threaten that we wouldn't do the concert...but...if I had done that...he would have just laughed. It was an annual event that went back decades. I did agree to pretty much all he 'recommended', but I did save a few hundred dollars by pointing out some double charges. I then wrote him out a large check...he would write one back to me after the concert, that would reflect the ticket sales.

...The Orchestra would always 'picnic' before the concert, and I was a bit pissed...my H didn't want to attend. So, I stopped at a 'Lucky's' on the way to the park and bought some fried chicken, and a bottle of water. I arrived, later than the rest of the Orchestra...I was NOT in a good mood...and wandered into the area, my cello strapped to my back, and holding a plastic bag that held my 'dinner'. I was NOT a 'happy camper', and figured that I would just sit off by myself and eat. The Orchestra wouldn't formally gather, they just grouped themselves with families, or friends, so they were spread out all over the park. I thought I saw the family of a violist that I liked, and started to walk towards them, and then I heard a familiar voice call out, "Hey...P--------, over here!!!" I turned and looked, and it was the Conductor, and there were others with him.

...I felt relieved, and was happy as I saw the President of the local Arts Association, and other Financial Supporters...(Including a very prominent Attorney that I had clashed with...and WON!!!)...and the Soloist. The Conductor had a VERY NICE spread of food set out, he took my chicken away from me and got me to sit down with them, and poured me a glass of red wine. I sat near the Russian soloist, and talked with him and the others sitting around the feast, and had another glass of wine as I ate stuff that I had never tried before. I wanted to just stay and 'picnic the night away'...but,,,we all had to stop, clean up, and gather at the Stage to prepare for the Concert.

...It was a fun concert, I was relaxed, and lead my section and played my solos well, and the Conductor gave me a bottle of some kind of a Russian brew to take home after the concert. I REALLY didn't want to go home, I was still pissed off at my H. I always did my best to attend events when he wanted me there, but he wasn't any kind of an artistic performer. It was usually just some kind of business associated meeting. I was performing in Orchestras, Musicals, Chamber Music, and such...and he rarely attended any of them.

...I stopped at a Hotel on the way home, checked in, and ordered a nice Room Service dinner, and opened the bottle of the brew after the Prawns were delivered. I took a couple sips of it, and screwed the lid back on. I think, if I had drank it all, I would have laid comotose on the floor for a couple days.

...Anyway, NOTHING like a good Pops Concert. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 02, 2021, 07:22:33 PM: Other than the issue with your ex sounds like a bery positive experience.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 02, 2021, 08:48:45 PM: ...Receiving 'Flood Relief'... :)

...As a young child, I grew up in a lower middle class area. Our house was right next to a creek, and as a 4 and 5 year old...I LOVED IT! I would climb over the back fence and get into the creek and look around and dig to see what was there. I never killed anything, if I caught a frog or a crawfish, I would examine it, and then let it loose. I really believe that the mental stimulation helped me develop. We were flooded out of our home twice, I can't recall the 1st time, I was very young, but I was about 5 years old the second time. As I posted above, I packed my favorite dolls and stuffies into a little suitcase, and we went across town, and lived in a Motel for three days.

...We got back, and my Father and the other men helped clean out all of the houses, and we moved back in, but it was awful...the smell was bad and we were trying to clean the house back up. But...we had a wonderful moment!!!!!!

...Me, and two of my girlfriends were playing in the front yard, and a Cadillac drove up, and stopped by us. A middle aged woman got out, and hugged us, and then opened the trunk of her car, and gave us EACH a HUGE EASTER STOCKING...yanno...those net stockings that held candy and small toys...and they were the HUGE ONES!!! It was almost as tall as I WAS!!!! ;D (The flood did occur near Easter, so those stockings were for sale). I ran into our house, waving mine...I WAS EXCITED AND HAPPY...and my Mother, and the next door neighbor, just started laughing...and crying at the same time.

...They were glad to see me happy, but had mixed feelings over us being seen as victims...I mean...being flooded out was awful, but we all got the houses cleaned up and life got normal again.

...I was happy, though, taking the stocking apart. I looked at the toys, and sorted them into my existing toys, and ate the candy over the course of a week.

...To this day, I still send prayers of thanks to the woman...she tried to cheer up we children. As I was heading into my house with my stocking, I saw her stop where other kids were playing, and she handed them stockings. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 02, 2021, 11:03:23 PM: ...Here is a clip from the musical, 'Kismet', it was the 1st musical where I was in the pit orchestra. I was about 16 years old, and was very excited to be being PAID to play my cello. ;) I did report, above, that I would leave the pit during the intermission, and return with a large bottle of OJ, and a bunch of cups...I 'charmed' the Concessionaires into giving it to me, I explained that I was in the pit orchestra, and we needed some OJ to keep our energy up. (Which was true...at least that was the story that my Private Teacher, who was sitting 1st cello, told me to relate when she sent me out to fetch refreshments for the string section... ::) ). So, we would drink the juice during the break, and get back into position for the second half.

...As I said, I fell in love with Hajj, the male lead, his VOICE was so beautiful and commanding. So, when I came face to face with HIM after a performance...and I was holding the jar of OJ that was 1/3 full...and he gazed into my eyes, and said that he was thirsty...well...I...just...gazed back...and...

...handed him the jar... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=367F1BA71D43856E6BBC367F1BA71D43856E6BBC&q=kismet sands of time&shtp=GetUrl&shid=225d6ac0-e8b2-431a-b2e2-58b6b600ac14&shtk=RmluYWxlIC0gS2lzbWV0&shdk=TXVzaWMgVGhlYXRyZSBvZiBTb3V0aGVybiBDYWxpZm9ybmlhIC0gT2N0b2JlciAxOTk0IEhhamogLSBCb2IgTGF1ZGVyIEpyLiBNYXJzaW5haCAtIEFubiBXaW5rb3dza2kgQ2FsaXBoIC0gSXZhbiBSdXRoZXJmb3JkIE9tYXIgS2hheXlhbSAtIEdhcnkgR29yZG9u&shhk=CsxuIzybFew7AfSdLvlwHWBKUlFTtYvIrdBQALSBujs%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.fdTmUMf5e3pVAQ95aErCcgHgFo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 03, 2021, 05:34:05 PM: Happy thst easter turned out well for you despite the flooding. Getting thr oj for the orchestra sound like it had an added benefit for you thst night smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 03, 2021, 11:30:40 PM: ...Cats...I just LOVE THEM...but they HATE ME! :o They know that I am allergic to them, and so they ALL try to get close to me, because they want to KILL ME!!! ::) As I reported above, a kitten wandered into our HS Spanish Class, we were seated in a circle, and it walked around the circle, looking at us, and then...IT JUMPED INTO MY LAP!!! :P I carefully put it down, and then ran into the girls room and washed my hands and arms, and brushed down my skirt.

...This is a funny clip. The cat seems to be bored, but I KNOW what it is thinking about the pianist. It is thinking, as its' nap is disturbed...

..."If I had another 30 pounds, or so, I could TAKE YOU!!!!!"

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=73E3524A79B8CD52F51573E3524A79B8CD52F515&q=bach prelude&shtp=GetUrl&shid=50aee486-8760-4f33-b786-b2e12e283679&shtk=RnVyIEVsaXNlIFBpYW5vIE1lb3dzc2FnZQ%3D%3D&shdk=UGxlYXNlIExJS0UgYW5kIFNVQkNSSUJFIGlmIHlvdSBsb3ZlIHRvIHNlZSB0aGlzIGNhdCBhZ2FpbiAhISBTb21lIG9mIEhhYnVydSdzIG1vc3QgZmF2b3JpdGUgc29uZ3M6IC0gVGhlIGJlc3QgbHVsbGFieSBmb3IgY2F0IChNZW93c3NhZ2UpOiBodHRwczovL3lvdXR1LmJlLzlsYmhTeU1MUi1NIC0gUHJvdWQgb2YgTUVPVzogaHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9QYzEzZkRadlE1ZyAtIEJyYWhtcycgTHVsbGFieSBmb3IgTWVvdzogaHR0cHM6Ly95b3V0dS5iZS9UelZGelNlZGlRYyAtIEFsd2F5cyB3aXRoIE1FT1c6IGh0dHBzOi8veW91dHUuYmUvM1V4cUloWmR0N1EgLSBNYXN0ZXJwaWVjZSBNYXNodXAgZm9yIC4uLg%3D%3D&shhk=NwK4GnJ8N1YNFZdm07t%2FpQgcmkoJY6TVILr31fnJ19U%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.hCOtCO2r1pHDforb_GiUeQHgFo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 04, 2021, 07:02:57 PM: I love cats as well. Just remember cats are attracted to those who appear to ignore them
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 06, 2021, 03:26:38 PM: ...Student 'Social Directors'... ::) ::) ::)

...I was very subdued when I entered College, I had been the 'nerdy cello playing girl' who nobody asked out in H.S. I only got to the Prom because a girlfriend told a guy that she would 'clean me up', and...I DID look pretty good. A few guys socialized with me afterwards. So, I decided to just be 'ME' in college, since only one other person knew me there, and she was my best friend. I played hard on the cello, and was the Principal in the Conservatory Orchestra, and let my sometimes strange sense of humor loose. During the hour long 'Solo Class', where students would perform for the rest of the students, I got my quartet to pretend that we were having problems. It was the Dvorak, and I played the opening theme...and TOTALLY MESSED UP the last few notes. The other players glared at me, but then they all started making mistakes, and we all glared at each other. I was trying VERY hard not to giggle...our coach, who was also Professor of Cello, who I took lessons from every day...was looking down at the floor. We really MANGLED the ending, and stood, and started arguing among ourselves, and so the Stage Manager, who we had enlisted into the joke, came out and shooed us off of the Stage.

...I was surprised to become 'Popular', I was invited to come to parties by professors, and it was nice. We would all eat a nice dinner at their homes, and talk and listen to music. The ones I attended were very safe, the wife of the professor was present, so we students stayed in low key. I was ASTONISHED when, at the end of my Frosh year, I was elected to be the PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT CONSERVATORY!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D I would oversee a budget of a few thousand dollars, and was a member of the University Student Council, and would vote the interests of the Conservatory. I had fun, and did a good job...and that was when I began to have doubts about just playing the cello for the rest of my life. In my Soph Year, people urged me to run for a University Student Govt' position, so I ran for the 'Two Year Student Senator' position...there was only one such office. I worked hard, going to every place where I could make a speech...some Fraternity guys...and one Sorority girl...wanted to get to know me better. 8) I declined all of them...so they probably didn't vote for me. I won the Office!!!! I had a LOT of fun, the President of the Conservatory would often give me his Proxy to vote on the University Council, so, when my name was called...I would hold up two fingers, and chant either..."Two Aye"...or..."Two Nay". There were only 14 votes on the Council.

...In my Junior Year, I switched to Business Admin as a major, but kept Music as a Minor. I still took some music courses, and continued to take lessons on cello and piano, and played in the Orchestras and ensembles. I actually wanted to run as Student Body President of the University, but people cautioned me, saying that I wasn't well known...even though I had won the Two Year at Large position. Plus, my 'boyfriend' was getting serious with me, and wanted me to be around, so I helped get a woman elected...I made an impassioned campaign speech to the Conservatory, and spent many hours sitting with her at her Sorority planning her campaign, and comforting her at times. (And feeling a bit pissed...I had REALLY WANTED TO BECOME STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT!!!! That would have shown the assholes in my old neighborhood that I WASN'T a small, weak nerdy girl!!!!!!)

...((Finish below...gotta calm down... ::) :P ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 06, 2021, 05:30:35 PM: ...As an aside, when I was with her at her Sorority...I would wonder why no Sorority...other than the Music one...had invited me to join. I mean, I really wasn't too bad looking...was the Principal Cellist...got good grades...had won a University Level Election...and was on several University Committees. I must have PISSED OFF some girl early in my career. *Stamps Foot* That could have been interesting, living with 30 or 40 other young women, all from important families...who knows where I would have ended up...I would have brushed off the guy who was chasing me...who I married. (But, we did have a lot of good years, I should focus on those memories)

...When the girl I supported won the Presidency, she was VERY grateful, she knew that I had pulled in a lot of votes for her, and I had sat with her and her best friend at night and helped plan her campaign, and kept her spirits up. I wanted to become the Student Academic Director...I would attend meetings of the University Faculty Meetings...and would have access to the University President. I had had access to Him as President of the Conservatory, and enjoyed sitting with Him and speaking of Student matters. But, she knew better...she appointed her best friend as the Academic Director...and...I was appointed...

...STUDENT SOCIAL DIRECTOR!!!!

...Me, who had NEVER attended a dance or many University wide social events...would now have a $35K budget...(That was a LOT of money back then)...and would have the responsibility of planning dances, and other social events. :P I WAS NOT VERY HAPPY about the appointment, and ACTUALLY GAVE SERIOUS THOUGHT to declining the position. I mean, I still felt like the 'nerdy girl', although I had campaigned and won a University level position. But, I accepted it...and spent that summer at the Campus, and sat in MY NEW OFFICE...(It was just a desk with an old chair, and a poster of the SF Symphony I tacked on the wall and a two drawer file cabinet)...and figured out how I was going to spend $35K in a way that the Student Body would appreciate. A dance would only cost $200 to $400, and I planned two dances a month...so...I had some money left over. I planned some concerts with professionals who would come on the campus, and still had money left over. My first event was a 'pizza party', and I spent the late afternoon driving back and forth to Shakeys Pizza, and hauling back boxes of pizza...eating a couple slices...and driving back to the Parlor. So, I looked at what past Directors had done...and decided to put on two PUBLIC ROCK CONCERTS at the Civic Auditorium.

...I looked at the files of the past Social Directors, of Rock Concerts that they had produced, and saw that they had lost around $5K and $7K per concert...and they had booked a popular act!!!! :o The President told me to be careful, he didn't want me to cause a 'problem' at the University, and reminded me that I had to stay in my budget. I looked closely at the Contracts...and laughed. The 'side benefits' that the Promoters had wanted for the performance were outrageous!!! Potted Plants...a buffet for the band...alchohol...you name it...it was in it...in addition to the cost of the band. So, I shook my head...I was a performer of classical music...and ALL THAT I NEEDED was a green room, that had lemonaide, to rest in during the Intermission.

...I booked the Civic Auditorium for two concerts, and planned my first concert. I won't tell the name of the Band, they were very popular, and had a lot of recordings. Their Road Manager sent me a contract, and I carefully read it, and shook my head when I finished...they had loaded it with ALL SORTS of goodies. I called the manger, and said that we couldn't do the concert, that I was NOT going to pay for lodging of 'assistants' and such. He argued with me, and I said, "I will modify the contract, to show what I will pay for." I hung up, and carefully went through it, keeping in mind a 'REALISTIC' view of the proceeds, and sent it back...with comments. The Manager called me, later, arguing with me, saying that I should be paying for the extras, and I said "No, I am on a budget...but...tell you what...I will pay for what I indicated, which will get the Concert advertised and ready, and I will just take 20% of the profit...rather than 80%...since I am producing it." He yelled at me, and I hung up. I ignored his calls for several days...I was studying...and felt that my grades were more important than the DAMN CONCERT...and then I got a call from the PERSONAL MANAGER of the Band. He was a bit exasperated, he said that the Band REALLY wanted to do the concert...I gathered that it fit their schedule, and a little extra money was good. I said that the other manager wanted me to pay for stuff that I wasn't going to pay for, and that I really DIDN'T NEED TO PUT ON THE CONCERT!!! He just told me that he would talk to the Road Manager.

...The Road Manager called me a day later...and HE WAS FURIOUS!!! He declared that I had broken ALL KINDS OF RULES by talking directly to the Personal Manager, I just said, "Oh, OK." He then said, "Sign the last Contract I sent you, or you ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE YOUR CONCERT...WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!" I just calmly replied, "OK, I am just a Student Social Director, I am not doing this for a living, I will just put on more dances or hire "T.........o..........P" to do the Concert." He hung up on me!!!!

...I later got a call from B----- G---- who said, "I looked into this, and modified the contract the way you wanted, will you produce the concert?" I said yes, and after I carefully read it, I assured the Hall that the Concert was on, arranged for radio and newspaper advertising, hired security and the PD to oversee safety, and then the Concert went on. I sat with the BG Manager after the concert, and he wrote me a check for about $2,500, my share of the profit. (After the band costs, and a separate check to me for my costs.) The University President was impressed when I reported to him...I had budgeted that I was going to LOSE $2,000 in my approved budget.

...*Sighs* I was astounded after that experience. I mean, those popular, bearded long haired pot smoking 'Social Directors' got their asses handed to them, and me, this mousy, glasses wearing, frumpy clothed girl, (Although I also had long hair), somewhat beat the other side down. Actually, I should have gotten the 80%, since I was paying and promoting...but I just wanted to assure that I would get my costs back, if the concert failed, and was happy to be the first Student Social Director to make money on a concert. That experience taught me a lot about promoting concerts...so...at the next one...after paying all of the expenses...I walked out of the auditorium with a Police "Escort"...They were holding my arms, making it look like I was being arrested...while I was holding ALL OF THE PROCEEDS... $30K in a SHOEBOX...I have always had a sense of the 'Dramatic' and went along with it. I kept my head high, and my eyes narrowed, telling everyone with my expression..."Hey, it took TWO OF THEM to subdue this Bitch!!!")... ::) I made money on that one, too. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 06, 2021, 06:24:10 PM: You have a good head for business to be sure
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 07, 2021, 11:19:15 AM: ...I listened to this today, and honored those who died at Pearl Harbor, and those who fought to make us prevail over the enemy.

...https://youtu.be/x3dwsRSA6KE

...I have played this Suite several times, and always got choked up, even as a teenager. My Father, and all of my Uncles on both sides served in WW II, with distinction. My Father was held back from active combat because he was the youngest of six brothers, and the War Dept didn't want a repeat of the Sullivan Brothers. At 7:08, I imagined that we were describing Pearl Harbor, and I would actually get angry, and just HAMMER the bow at the climax!!!

...But I had tears of pride at the end, imagining how the people must have felt, knowing that the War was over, and that Fathers, Brothers, Uncles, and Sons could come home and get back to a peaceful life.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 07, 2021, 06:38:28 PM: An increidble time in history both good and bad. Bad for the losses but it was one of the few times the entire country stood together.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 08, 2021, 04:45:16 PM: ...There is an article about camel 'Beauty Contests', that is having problems, owners are modifying the animals to make them more 'Beautiful'.

...
Dozens of camels barred from Saudi beauty contest over Botox
yesterday
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi authorities have conducted their biggest-ever crackdown on camel beauty contestants that received Botox injections and other artificial touch-ups, the state-run Saudi Press Agency reported Wednesday, with over 40 camels disqualified from the annual pageant.

Saudi Arabia’s popular King Abdulaziz Camel Festival, which kicked off earlier this month, invites the breeders of the most beautiful camels to compete for some $66 million in prize money. Botox injections, face lifts and other cosmetic alterations to make the camels more attractive are strictly prohibited. Jurors decide the winner based on the shape of the camels’ heads, necks, humps, dress and postures.

Judges at the monthlong festival in the desert northeast of the Saudi capital, Riyadh, are escalating their clamp down on artificially enhanced camels, the official news agency reported, using “specialized and advanced” technology to detect tampering.

ADVERTISEMENT

This year, authorities discovered dozens of breeders had stretched out the lips and noses of camels, used hormones to boost the beasts’ muscles, injected camels’ heads and lips with Botox to make them bigger, inflated body parts with rubber bands and used fillers to relax their faces.

..Hells Bells, sounds like what I would pretty much do to myself, as a teenager, when I had a 'hot date'. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 08, 2021, 05:19:06 PM: Think they will ever ban such enhancements for the miss usa contests? Nah lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 09, 2021, 12:03:56 AM: ...I often listen to this, when I need some inspiration. :) A wonderful leader, with such an inspiring voice, and such a way with words.

...https://youtu.be/Kx3W4F80L04

...Tonight, I was thinking about what happened in WW II. Especially about the 'Devil Dogs', the US Marines. I mean, think about what it must have been like. There they were, packed into a transport ship...(I have toured one, and it wasn't like the Suite on the Cruise Ship I was on.) And then, they had to climb down rope ladders into those small landing ships, circle around for a while, and then head into the island. The boat would stop, the ramp would drop, and then they would run up the beach...bullets landing all around them...and head into the jungles to fight...while their friends and teammates were falling around them. But, the Marines kept fighting, and took ALL of the Islands they invaded. The Japanese Officers would urge their men to follow Bushido...and if they did so, they would prevail. But...the Devil Dogs always won...even when their Brothers were laying dead, on the sand, or washing ashore...and there was blood in the water.

...Yes, the Devil Dogs did fight on the beaches, the forests, the jungles, the cities...and...

...They always won...

...A quick tale of one of my Uncles, he was a Marine NonCom, they wanted him to become an Officer, but he refused...he just wanted to lead the men as best he could. He saw a lot of action, I cleaned out his Apt when he died, and I brought home, and still have, a metal box with his medals. There are two Purple Hearts, and a Silver Star. They made him a DI, and he would work with the new recruits. I am pretty sure that he was like we see in the movies...he could SCARE ME when I just looked at him across the dinner table. But, he quit, and became a construction worker. I asked him, once, why he didn't stay in. He actually sighed, and said, "The young men aren't what they used to be." He then explained that he had heard that some recruits were out on the town, and they all just stood and watched as 'Town People" beat up one of their group. That recruit was a bit smaller than the rest of the recruits, and they didn't like him...and they just let the 'Towners' beat him up.

...He shook his head, and said..."We Marines watch over each other...when we fight...it is to protect the guy beside us. And, I knew, when I was fighting, that the guys beside me, were fighting to protect me. These new men don't feel the same."

...God willing, the current Marines have the old mindset...that is what makes them Warriors. I kinda sensed that when I engaged in 'kumite', when I was actually fighting an opponent...we had padding...but we could get hurt. I was a pretty fierce opponent, and decked a number of women...and a few men. My mindset, was what made the difference...a few times I just laid on the mat...and climbed up, holding my tummy, or my head, or a leg...or all of them... :P I would sit, and drink some water, and think over what had happened. I learned, that if I visualized that I was fighting to protect my children, or my girlfriend, I would win...my body acted on itself. If I visualized that I was just in a dual, my body acted differently. I would have to actually THINK about what was happening, and THINK about what to do...

..."Right hand block...half step back...right hand turn...left hand punch...left hand downward block...step to the left...right foot kick...pull leg back...block with right hand...roundhouse kick with left foot..."

...My roundhouse kicks were pretty good, I had good balance, and could control where I landed it. I landed it on a few Instructors, and I did land a roundhouse punch on Ron Marcini...He should have invited me to join him in one of his movies...I would be the Evil Woman who was taking over the World...laughing as Govt's fell...and gorging on rich food and liquor...and various sexual partners...and then...we would face off...and well...I would hiss at him as I died...

..."Gonna get you in the next life..."

...And, he would mash in my face... ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 09, 2021, 07:20:36 PM: Sadly I think the marines have slipped even further than when your uncle quit with the influx of wokeness into the military. Even the green beret are not what they once were sighs, time was it meant something to be a green beret, you had to be a ranger first, then test for green beret after 2 years of proving yourself as a ranger, less than 5% of those who tested passed. Now, deals are made with rangers to move them to the green beret. The green beret were the best of the best, now they are largely diplomats arranging deals behind the scenes for the locals to help the rangers sighs. Nothing like it was. I was trained by a lt col who had been a green beret in korea and viet nam. He would turn ober in his grave at what the beret have become.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 10, 2021, 02:23:22 PM: ...Counting Chickens... ::)

...I described, above, when I counted 30,000 chickens...but I left out how I started. ::)

...I followed the grumpy old man into the first building, and stared at the lines of cages...and ...decided to have some fun. ::)

...I asked a few questions of the Manager, (The Grumpy Old Man), and then carefully took out my pad of yellow paper, and wrote some nonsense down, and then walked to the edge of the row. I counted the chickens in the first cage, and wrote it down on the pad, and asked the Manager if he agreed on the number of the hens. He just stared at me, and I counted the next cage, and asked him if I had counted it right...he just stared at me... ::)

...I did the same thing a third time...and I REALLY SENSED that he was about to grab me by my ponytail, and THROW me out onto the field...and I just laughed, and said,

..."Sorry, I have a strange sense of humor."

...I then did as I described, and we got the count done pretty quickly.

...He was laughing, too, at the end, and gave me a case of eggs when I was done.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 10, 2021, 04:50:36 PM: Hooes your count was accurate smiles. Just think of it had been in the 50s or so, those checkens may have been wearing rose coloured sunglasses, they used them to keep chickens from attacking and killing a wounded chicken the colour masked the colour of blood.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 10, 2021, 06:10:41 PM: ... :)...I did certify to the Bank that there were 30,000 chickens...but, in another audit, I certified that a pair of rusted metal bowls were worth $1,500. I later saw them auctioned off for $83. ::) Like any beancounter, numbers spoke to me, I could 'do things' with them, but get me out onto a road construction site, (with me wearing my brand new, shiny white helmet...I did keep it clean and polished it before I put it on)...and I had NO IDEA of what was going on. The Foreman would tell me to stand back, "The 980's are coming in." and I would look around, wondering just what the HELL a '980' was. I did quickly learn, and scampered away when I saw a HUGE FRONT LOADER heading towards where I was standing. So, when I really needed to go out into the 'Field' to look at what was being done, or speak to a Manager, or take inventory, the President would send a worker with me, with clear instructions..."Keep her the HELL AWAY from ANY dangerous areas, and make sure that she wears the red vest and the HELMET! She does things on her own, at times." One of my character traits is curiosity...when I see something I have never seen before, I want to get close, and look at it...and a few times I didn't realize what was going around me. I once walked through an assembly plant yjay I was auditing, looking at what was going on, and making notes on my pad of yellow paper...and got YELLED AT by a Foreman.

..."YOU DUMB BITCH!!! YOU COULD HAVE GOTTEN HURT, AND I WOULD BE BLAMED!!! NEXT TIME YOU COME HERE, STAY IN THE OFFICE, AND WAIT UNTIL I HAVE SOMEONE WALK WITH YOU!!!"

...I bristled, but nodded and apologized. :( I didn't get upset over being called a 'bitch', my skin can be thick at times, and I was working for a construction company, all of the people, including the President, had a very colorful vocabulary. In the later years, when I visited ANY site, I carried my clean, white helmet, and put it on when I got out of my car. I also wore it when I was preparing the Companies financial statements...my staff asked me why...and I would respond, "I am doing some very creative fiction writing...the Allmighty might frown, and collapse my ceiling."

...I acquired helmets for my 7 staff members, and a few times, the President would look into my office, and see ALL of us sitting around my desk, wearing helmets, and he would ask. "What is going on?" I would reply, "We are planning for this years audit, and we have some ideas that the Allmighty would have trouble approving." He would just nod, and say, "Good, carry on," and leave.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 11, 2021, 05:09:24 PM: Love the sense of humour with the helmets though, there is a certain psychlogical benefit to wearing them while working on projects related to the industry, sort of keeping your focus on the type of business you are doing the paperwork for. Smiles. I had to tour a few factories on occasion as well, part of our function as volunteer firefighters was safety inspections of factories and the like in the area.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 11, 2021, 10:21:18 PM: ... :)...You are right about having a helmet. I mean, here I was, the Controller of a Construction Company, usually wearing my business dress, and sitting at a desk and looking at computer printouts, and writing numbers down on long sheets of paper, and preparing the financial reports for the Bank, the Bonding Company, and the Owners. I would actually look at the helmet, it was on a corner of my desk, at times, and smile...it did make the numbers come 'alive' for me. We were building roads and other complex projects, and the helmet made me appreciate the business. When I left, I actually asked the Owner if I could keep the helmet. He smiled at me, and said, "Sure, and you will be back." I took the helmet, along with some other personal items, and wondered what he meant. I was going to work at a Law Firm.

...I was at that Law Firm for a year, and left...they were idiots...and I wasn't being paid very much. I joined, after an invitation, the Law Firm that handled the Construction Company that I had worked for. So, I moved my helmet to the second floor of the building...I had been in a corner office with LARGE WINDOWS on the top floor of the building...when I worked for that Company.

...So, the Owner of the Construction Company was right...I would be up in his office a number of times every month...often, he would summon me, and we would discuss legal matters that I was handling for him, or new matters that were arising.

...And, my helmet was in my office... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 12, 2021, 01:20:52 PM: ...One of the most POWERFUL songs, and scenes in Musical Dramas.

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=F899DC48FC5C97417198F899DC48FC5C97417198&q=john cullum 1776 bibles to rum&shtp=GetUrl&shid=2ab992d8-3908-4d54-aa4c-0bd4ce5033ad&shtk=MTc3NiAtIE1vbGFzc2VzIFRvIFJ1bQ%3D%3D&shdk=MTc3NigxOTcyKSBzZXQgdG8gU2hlcm1hbiBFZHdhcmRzIE1vbGFzc2VzIFRvIFJ1bSBwZXJmb3JtZWQgYnkgSm9obiBDdWxsdW0gLUl0IGlzIGZhaXJseSBzYWZlIHRvIHNheSB0aGF0IE1vbGFzc2VzIFRvIFJ1bSBpcyBvbmUgb2YgdGhlIG9ubHkgc29uZ3MgZXZlciB3cml0dGVuIGFib3V0IHRoZSB0cmlhbmdsZSB0cmFkZS5UaGUgcG93ZXJmdWwgc29uZyBub3Qgb25seSBkZWx2ZXMgaW50byB0aGUgaG9ycm9ycyBvZiB0aGUgc2xhdmUgdHJhZGUgYnV0IGFsc28gYWRkcmVzc2VzIHRoZSBoeXBvY3Jpc3kgb2YgdGhlIE5vcnRoZXJuIGNvbG9uaWVzIGJ5IGNhbGxpbmcgYXR0ZW50aW9uIHRvIHRoZWlyIC4uLg%3D%3D&shhk=xpt8BtAn4kepy7dHWCC6iEVS%2FnWt9uX9EO%2Ft04N%2Fzz0%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.xPqcxF1VuRo-qaf33FblVQHgFo

...I was in the pit orchestra a few times when we performed this. I LOVED the Musical!!! I would giggle and laugh a few times, as I sawed on my cello, listening to the dialogue and singers. During this one...I was silent...just carefully moving my bow, to shape the notes. It made me think of our history...but to realize that life back then wasn't what it is, now. We can't judge them by our modern standards...but the GD simple minded Libs are doing that!!! They are pulling statues down, all over the US, because they want to 'protect the children.' DAMMIT!!! My parents wanted me to be EDUCATED!!! And so I read history and looked at Family Artifacts. I have an ancient dagger, that my Aunts in Texas said belonged to Pancho Villa. They were highly respected as historians, and healers. I also have an old doll that they gave me, it is named 'Santo Nino'. It is said to have 'healing properties.' When people got sick, they would come to my Aunts, pray with them, and then take the doll with them and set it beside the ill person...and...often...the person would get better. :) People in Mexico would send for it...my Aunts let them take it...and they would bring it back after a month, or two, and give them some coin.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 12, 2021, 06:16:56 PM: Agreed on the liberals. The statues serve as a reminder of history. History is not there to be liked or disliked, it is there to learn from. Cool on the music and helmet.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 14, 2021, 11:13:42 PM: ...Almost getting the crap beat out of me in the Courthouse... :P

...I was representing the Plaintiff in a large business dispute. He made a good choice of Lawyers...ME!!!!...also being a CPA...I could understand the financials, and follow what their expert witness was saying. I didn't have to ask for a brief recess so I could consult with my expert, I just stood and WORKED OVER their Expert in a Trial or a deposition. After all, I had lived with the case for months, or a year, and looked at ALL documents and Financials that I could grab by subpoena...or by my claws. >:( Their Expert just had what they gave him, and since Experts are expensive, they never got EVERYTHING!!!

...There was a CPA that the other side had hired, and he really thought that he was the Man who had invented numbers, and his Lawyer was just as bad. I did my perfected 'Bewildered Female Act'...(You Men just have NO IDEA OF HOW WE OPERATE!!! You think that you are tracking us down to marry us by following the breadcrumbs we leave, or to have a nice weekend, or an afternoon...and... we aren't just leaving breadcrumbs...we are tossing loaves of French Bread behind us as we slowly meander down the trail.)

...I did my 'I don't really understand numbers act' during discovery, and they hadn't bothered to check my profile. I just had 'Esq' after my name on my letterhead, and on my business card. They bought my act, and as I sat during the Trial, pretending that I was having trouble sorting my briefcase back into order...(I had loaded it with unrelated stuff, including makeup), at the end of my Cross Exam...they were VERY UPSET!!! I had torn the CPA into mini bytes...he hadn't seen the documents that I had been digesting...and I made him look like a store bought discount expert. The Jury was smiling at me when I was done.

...I headed towards the elevator after I was packed, and saw that the Expert, the Plaintiff and his Attorney were in it. They were glaring at me...and I figured that if I got in...it could get ugly. I didn't want the elevator to stop in the basement, and I would be laying against a corner of the elevator...barely concious. So, I just smiled and waved at them and said, "I use the stairs, gotta keep my figure." I was very familiar with the Courthouse, I was a Judge Pro Tem, and used my key to get me into the back area, and used the private stairs to get out a side entrance. I did see the three standing, looking back at the Courthouse. Maybe they wouldn't have assaulted me...but I really didn't want to get into a yelling contest. I was doing my best to generate a respected business law practice...and the Partners would be VERY UNHAPPY with me if I was verbally brawling in public.

...But, I was chuckling...driving home. My 'Act' had sucked them in, and they weren't prepared for the Trial. I had spent late evenings going through 'stuff'...and digesting it. At times...my dreams would be about me reading the documents. A few times, the dreams did help me. I would wake up, groggy, because my mind had been awake all night, and as I had my cup of coffee and a couple breakfast pastries...the dream would meld with reality...and I had a new insight on how to proceed with the Trial.

...I would feel confident as I drove in, planning on what I WAS GOING TO DO TO THEM!!! >:(

...I wasn't worried about what they would...*yawn* TRY to do to me. ::) ::) ::)

...(What goes on in a Trial Attorneys mind...or...what 'passes for thought'.) :P :P :P :P :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 15, 2021, 05:22:01 PM: Sounds like you had fun in the trial. My weapon against attorneys opposing ne while on the stand has always been the same tell the truth and be consistent with answers no matter how many times they reword and reask the question which has always driven them bonkers.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 15, 2021, 09:50:24 PM: ...*G*...I encountered Experts, but very few, like you.

...I would rage and do my best to trip them up in a deposition, and it usually worked. The other side would call me, and we would work out a settlement that I LIKED.

...But, I would encounter an Expert like you describe, and sit in my Office after the deposition, and write up my notes...

...I would call the client, and simply say,

..."We HAVE TO SETTLE THIS CASE...if that guy gets on the stand...all is LOST!!!!

...They usually respected my advice, but a few times, and goddamn INSURANCE ADJUSTER would order me to proceed with the trial.

...A few times, I just kept my butt in my chair, and didn't write any notes, and just said....after the Expert testified...

..."No questions, your Honor."

...I just wanted to get their Experts ass out of the Courtroom as soon as possible. I had MY WITNESSES lined up...

...And they were better... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 15, 2021, 10:01:17 PM: ...I felt that keeping my butt in my chair, and not taking notes, showed that I didn't care what the Expert was saying...and I hoped that the Jury was watching me and thinking the same thing. ;)

...Putting on a Jury Trial was like putting on a 'Play'. I would make up a 'Theme'...and do my best to produce it and sell it to the Jury...

... ;D I was VERY GOOD!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 16, 2021, 12:41:54 PM: ...OK, OK, OK...CLOSE to TAX FRAUD!!! :o

...But, the Statute of Limitations is LONG over... :)

...I was a very conservative accountant, my Father had taught me to keep books, and showed me the ways that you could make numbers 'dance' when I was a teenager. Later, I went to night school and got my JD...(Juris Doctor)...and passed the Bar Exam on my first try. But, I was watching over the books of the Vertically Structured Construction Company, and sat in my office, late at night, and into the morning hours, looking over the numbers, and making Journal Entries that I would give to the Computer People I supervised to enter into the records.

...I was sitting, late at night, drinking a Tab...and struggling. The annual audit was coming up, and I needed to close the books for the year...and...

...WE HAD TOO MUCH INCOME!!!!! :o

...But, we had very little cash... :P

...I sat, and pondered, and finished the Tab...and then opened my drawer...and took out the small bottle of wine...and drank it.

...I got an inspiration...and wrote out the Journal Entry...and left it in the basket as I went home and got to sleep.

...I had 'written off' a 980 Front Loader...it should have been placed in 'Fixed assets', and depreciated...but I just buried it in the costs of a job. I was happy, we didn't pay much in taxes that year. I did tell the President of what I did, and he just nodded...he didn't like paying taxes. either.

...We had our usual audit by the Bank and Bonding Company, and the IRS. I sat with them, did my best to look innocent and charming...I ordered nice pastries and such for snacks, and made nice conversations and smiled, giggled, and laughed a lot.

...They MISSED what I had done... ;D

...The 'Power of a Pencil' is true...I could steal more from the Gov't with my Pencil than a crook entering a bank.

...But, I didn't see it as 'theft'...I was just doing what I could to keep the money in the hands of the people who EARNED IT!!! >:(

...OK, I finished my confession...I will go and kneel at the Altar, and say a LOT of Our Fathers, and Hail Maries...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 16, 2021, 08:20:36 PM: No one likes paying taxes we all look for any deduction we can get lol. Good play on more or less ignoring the expert and moving on in the trial and yes, a trial is much like a play with the jury as the audience.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 16, 2021, 08:29:45 PM: ...The Baby Bar... ;D

I have been reading that a celebrity is delighted...she passed the 'Baby Bar' after FOUR TRIES!!!!

It is a test, in Ca, that you have to pass after your first year of Law School, when you are attending an uncredentialed Law School, or studying on your own. I had to take it...I was accepted into several credentialed schools...but could not attend them. I would have had to quit my job, so I enrolled in an uncredentialed school. I drove to a nearby city after work, three days a week, the school was an hour away, and would get home around 11:00 pm. I did well, and was not too worried about the 'Baby Bar'...I had passed the CPA exam on my first try...that was a three day test...and figured that one day would be a breeze.

Problem was...I forgot about 'time management'. There were four questions in the afternoon, that required an essay answer. I approached them as I did in school...I would first write out an outline, and then write out my formal answer, and fill in the facts to support my analysis, and my answer. I did a deep analysis, and wrote nice summaries of the first two tasks...but I only had 70 minutes to complete the second two. that portion of the test lasted 4 hours...and I had not monitored my time. I started to panic...and quickly analyzed the next case, and wrote out my answer. I then looked at my watch...and I just had 25 minutes to answer the last case.

I panicked, and almost fainted a few times. I would read the question, and carefully write what I could, and then lay my head on the table and try to breathe. I would pick it up, blink my eyes, and look at the case, and what I had written, and carefully write out more...and lay my head back on the table. I just sat for a while, after the Monitors picked up the tests, and laid my head back down...and then stood, almost falling. My friend had to help me out of the Hall, and load me into his car, and drove me home. I had to get him to pull over a few times, as I opened the door and threw up.

I was TOTALLY DEPRESSED for a while...I figured that I would need to repeat my 1st year...but...I got my score...and...

...I GOT A 'B'... ;D

EVERYONE was impressed...almost everyone got 'C's'...only a handful of people got 'B's and 'A's' were unknown.

Back at school, the students and professors were impressed, and complimented me. I laughed and said...

..."I could have gotten an 'A'...but I passed out halfway through."

My friend, and others, put on a play about me taking the exam. The 'me' was sitting, face down on the table, and they were slapping me, and saying, "You know the Rule against Perpetuities...just WRITE IT DOWN". The 'me' would sit up...scribble some words down...and put my head back down.

...I did laugh...but I wasn't having any fun during the actual event...that was actually what I was doing... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 17, 2021, 03:16:28 AM: ...I played this musical a few times. I enjoyed this song...we were playing a waltz...and the ConcertMistress was playing the solos.

The man playing Jefferson was a natural redhead, and was a Lawyer that I often tangled with. Once, I just walked out of a deposition...I WAS FURIOUS...and so was he!!! He called me later, and we met in the local park...he brought me ice cream. (Really...he DID!!!) I ate it, and we talked about the case, and calmed down. We agreed on certain issues, and the case did settle.

Litigation was always amazing...I would bully the other side, and get what I wanted...and fight the other side.

But, that was the only time that I was bought off...

...BY ICE CREAM!!!!

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=E254F4A4A056616CA219E254F4A4A056616CA219&q=john&shtp=GetUrl&shid=56d3b4c1-5f9d-471d-b667-fcb33dd9b2a6&shtk=MTc3NiAtIEhlIFBsYXlzIHRoZSBWaW9saW4%3D&shdk=RnJvbSB0aGUgbXVzaWNhbCAxNzc2IGNvbWVzIHRoaXMgbWVtb3JhYmxlIHR1bmUsIFwiSGUgUGxheXMgdGhlIFZpb2xpbi5cIiBJdCBpcyBoZXJlIHN1bmcgYnkgdGhlIGltbWVuc2VseSB0YWxlbnRlZCBTYW5keSBUYXlsb3IgYXMgTWFydGhhIEplZmZlcnNvbi4gQWNjb21wYW55aW5nIGhlciBpcyBEYXZpZCBDYW50b3IgYXMgSm9obiBBZGFtcyBhbmQgTWljaGFlbCBLcm9sbCBhcyBCZW5qYW1pbiBGcmFua2xpbi4gVGhlIHByb2R1Y3Rpb24gaXMgc3RhZ2VkIGF0IEVkaXNvbiwgTmV3IEplcnNleSdzIFBsYXlzLWluLXRoZS1QYXJrLiBEaXJlY3RlZCBieSBHYXJ5IENvaGVuLCBDaG9yZW9ncmFwaGVkIGJ5IC4uLg%3D%3D&shhk=BzRQmnK%2BlAeVg%2Fer6lkDfvT2pt2Q%2BYiDfdSisDN2kZQ%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.Ec0OZeWEOK-QeGU4zhqWaQHgFo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 17, 2021, 06:03:51 PM: Cool how you passed the exam. I am studying for my board exams now for full licensure now that I habe my PhD.

Ice cream is an incredible incentive. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 19, 2021, 02:56:35 PM: ...*S*...Congrats...Nate...on your PhD. :) Or, I guess that I should address you as 'Dr. Nate' now. (I will, if you will address me as Dr. Izee'...I have the JD, "Juris Doctor")

...When I studied for the BAR Exam, I took a 6 week review course. ;) I moved back in with my parents...let my H watch over our Apt...and studied. I especially worked on my physical Health...I had neglected it when I took the Baby Bar. (But I did pass it the first time...it didn't take me four tries...although it felt like I had sat for it six consecutive times when I was helped out of the Hall.) So, I prepared differently. The classes were in the evening, so, I would wake up at 7:00 am, and go out for a 30 minute walk, and then come back, and have breakfast, and then study. I would make myself take a break every hour, and then have a nice lunch, and play my cello. I would study again, eat dinner, and then go to class. I would stay up until midnight, rewriting the notes I had taken, and organizing them, and then go to bed.

...So, the BAR Exam was easy. I was relaxed, I had my Grandfathers pocket watch in front of me...I sensed that he was saying..."Go on, Grandchild"...it calmed me down, looking at it. I just did a VERY Brief outline, and then wrote down my answer, and let my alert mind add details as I wrote...and then...would put THAT question behind me, and focus on the next. There were a few answers that I felt I had answered well...but not with my usual BRILLIANCY!!! I mean, the Con Law Prof at the school said that my answer to a 'Substantive Due Process' test question was the best he had ever seen. I knew that I had passed...and when I hosted some friends at my home for a dinner...I burned ALL of my notes from the course. They were horrified, saying, "if you don't pass, won't you need them?" I just laughed, drank some wine, and said...

..."If I don't pass, I guess that I will see if I can just stay home, and let my H support me...in the way that I have supported him."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 19, 2021, 06:00:42 PM: Exams like your bar exam and the board exam I will be taking certainly require a lot of study and preparation to pass. I am taking a exam prep course at present.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 19, 2021, 07:31:19 PM: ...I will, and am sending you studying thoughts, Nate. Preparing for such a test takes a lot of self discipline. But, I see why they have those tests to get a Professional Certification and License to practice. My life really came alive when I passed my tests, and had a more interesting way of making a living...and made more money. I practiced Law and Accounting, and saved money. They want people who have shown that they can handle challenges...and we bought a new house...saw it being built. I would go in and pick up ALL of the scraps on the floor on weekends (I ignored the 'Do Not Trespass' sign...I mean...they were building MY HOUSE!!!), and pile them in a pile, and pile them into the trunk of my car...and take them to the Apt...FOR FIREWOOD...I MEAN...I HAD PAID FOR IT...SO I WAS GOING TO USE IT!!!! >:( >:( >:(

...Just a bit of a rant... >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...I encountered people who had graduated from Harvard, Stanford, and other top Law Schools in Trial. They would be dismissive of me, seeing that I had graduated from a night Law School...but...

...I KICKED THEIR ASS...EVEN IN THE LAW AND MOTION ASPECT!!!!

...(Law and Motion is a part of setting the rules of the Trial...I would get their papers...and send them MINE!!! They would be astonished...me...from an unaccredited school KICKED THEIR ASS!!! They would scramble, filing more motions, and I would reply. I would sit at the table...ready for a TRIAL!!!! I had shut down some of their motions, and excluded some of their witnesses. I just sat, calm...but the 'Panther Huntress' was ready...with Her bow aimed. If they tried something...I shot it down...usually. So much for about a 'calm' Jury Trial.)

...But I was calm, I did dress well, and did keep a small smile on my face...unless I thought that the other side was off the rules...and I would frown, and make an objection. I would also frown, at times, and rise, and make a borderline objection, and not care how the Judge ruled. I was putting on a play, and the Asshole with the Elevated Degree (The guy with the Harvard Degree) was trying to show how important HE was!!! I was always trying to get the Jury to feel sorry for my CLIENT!!! I would just thank the Judge, and sit down...regardless of how He or She ruled. (And hide a smile...I saw the Jury glaring and frowning at the other attorney. I always tried to get the Jury to SMILE at me...and would relax, after my closing argument, if some smiled at me. I almost melted down, after a large class action lawsuit...and I had gotten INTENSE...and three women looked at me...smiled, and nodded. I comforted my client as I drank a little bottle of wine back at my office, and said..."I think that you are out...we will let the others fend for themselves.

We got the verdict, and he drank some wine, and I called his Family to take him home.

My client was dismissed

The others were hit for millions.

The plaintiffs thought that they were facing an 'Undereducated Foolish Panther Girl'...they had NO IDEA of what they were facing.

...I was sitting, late at night, in my wrinkled skirt and blouse...in my drab little office...

...And...

...I was SMILING

...They weren't, the next morning...

...*Shrugs* ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 19, 2021, 10:36:31 PM: ...I was sitting in my Office...wrinkled dress and such...but...

...I had been working full time as a CPA and Treasurer of a Large Construction Company...and signing checks for MILLIONS of dollars...

...Just 'cause I was a frumpy night school grad didn't place me below the polished Harvard Grads.

...They had NO IDEA of what they were tangling with...

...Just shows that 'Overeducated Fools' could be taken down by an 'Undereducated Fool'

...I would take my win to the Clerk, and file it...and SMILE!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 19, 2021, 11:12:07 PM: ...Watching 'Sound of Music'...and tears are in my eyes...

The music is so nice...but the scene that makes me cry is at the end...

...The Leads are fleeing, in a car, and the Nazi's climb into two cars, and try to follow...but thier cars don't start...

...The 'Mother Superior' is watching, and turns to two of Her Sisters...and the two are holding...

...The 'Starters' of the cars...

...We Catholics have never worried about getting grease on our hands...Those Nuns crawled under the cars and unlatched the starters...and crawled back out
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 20, 2021, 07:59:27 PM: Sounds like you learned to use and master trial science where as your opponents did not understand the basics and instead relied on the name brand of their university.
I habe seen sound of music many times and nods on the nuns being ready to do what was needed. An interesting note about the movie, however, is the direction they were headed over the mountain at the end would have actually taken them into nazi territory the real von trapp family headed the opposite direction. Smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 21, 2021, 01:04:39 AM: ...I didn't catch that, Dr. Nate... :)...I have no idea of the geography of Europe...thank you. ;) Dr. Izee'

...Yes, I did approach Law differently than most. The Partners at the CPA Firm, and later in the Law Firm, handed me ALL of the nasty jobs. My mind doesn't work like most people. I would stare at a pile of paper that was brought to me, and get it organized, and go through it and make my 'first approximation.' Early, I would get scared, and walk up to the Partners Office, and tell him..."Mr X lost a lot of income...his debts far outweigh his assets." I was told to calm down, and I would go back to my cubicle, and finalize my analysis. I would write up the report, and prepare the financial statements. They would be approved, and I would sit and just post the journals of a supermarket client that I had acquired...that was easy...and then I would get another 'nasty job'.

...I walked up to the Partners office when I got one, and waved the box at Him, and said...

..."Damn it...you want me to figure out just HOW MANY SHARES the 50 people have in this Corp? Shouldn't that have been done YEARS AGO?"

...He just smiled, and nodded, and said, "Yes, this account was neglected, now...FIX IT!"

...So, I slunk back to my cubicle, and pondered. I actually thought of just making up journal entries...but my Fathers voice entered my head, and said...

..."That isn't how I trained you, daughter."

...So, I worked long hours, every day, just on that account. I traced the investments back to when the Corp had been created, and found where shares had been traded, and sold, and where an Owner had died, without a will, and checked the Probate Court to see who the Heirs were. I finally came up with a pretty good analysis...but there were...

...127 Shares that I COULDN'T ACCOUNT FOR!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...I sighed, and started again...and found them...they were buried under 'Options'.

...A month later, I sat off to the side, as the Partner presented His report to the Stockholders, and watched as HE was congradulated for fixing the problem. I just watched, and left as the Owners took him out for drinks. I did laugh when I got into my car, after all, he HAD fixed the problem...

...HE MADE ME DO IT!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 21, 2021, 06:59:37 PM: Sounds like most upper management, task iut what they do not like then take the credit for the results of the work of others.

On the sound of music movie, there is a commentated version where the von trapps make comments about their take on the movie, a couple of things if note were that maria did not fall in love with the captain but married him out of conveinience, like many marriages of the day, they did not habe a huge house like the movie shows, their house was taken ove by the nazis hence why they never returned to it, and the direction they took at the wnd of the movie being wrong plus a few other things they pointed out. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 22, 2021, 07:44:00 PM: ..."Perfect Pitch"... :o The ability to hear a note, and know what it is.

It is a very rare gift, only a few humans have it. I had a very good ear, I could tell if a note was out of tune, but I could hear a note, and have NO IDEA of what it was...except "A 440"...I tuned my cello to it, so by pure forced and repetitive self programming, I could recognize it when I heard it. I attended a Conservatory, and met 100's of musicians during the time when I was active, and only met a handful who had perfect pitch. I once tested one.

I was a Frosh at Conservatory, and a guy who sat beside me in music theory said that he had perfect pitch. I said that I didn't believe him, and he said, "Well, let's go to a practice room where they have a good piano." I had a key to a large room that had a Grand Piano in it that was always kept tuned, since I was a Piano Performance major, so we went into the room. He stood by a corner, facing the wall, and I stood, and played a note, and he told me what it was. He was correct. I randomly played more, and then began playing intervals, and then chords, and he named each note. I got frustrated, and impressed, and just played random combinations of notes, and he never missed one.

I, finally, shook off the sandal on my left foot, and planted all 10 fingers on random notes, and raised my left leg, and planted the toes on notes in the bass area of the keyboard. He laughed, and said..."I can visualize how you are doing that...hold it...I want to see." He then named all 14 notes. (I have very short 5th toes, they usually just hide against the 4th toe beside them.) He laughed more when he turned around, and saw me in the rather unusual position. I didn't have my heel on the piano, a la that rock pianist, I had my knee raised very high, and my toes were on the keyboard. My martial arts training made my body very flexible.

As an aside, word got around that I was flexible, I did demonstrate it at times. Some of my girlfriends told me that some of the guys REALLY wanted to get me to BED!!! >:( They would imagine the fun positions they could put me into as they screwed me.

I did enrage my Piano Professor, once. I was playing a slow work, where I had to quickly move my left hand down, hit a very low "D", and then get my hand back. I practiced, and when I played it for him during a lesson, I played the "D" with my left big toe. He had been listening for the melody, and was watching my right hand, and heard me play the "D", but my left hand was up beside the right hand. He sat back...and stopped me when I did that again...and did start laughing. He said, "The Composer does have suggestions for 'fingerings', in the score, but didn't put in any 'toeings'. Don't do that again."

I did...at a 'fun' concert...everybody was laughing as I crawled off of the piano...I had added the low "D" in the final chord. ::)

I was teased for having such a small toe a few times. Once I was at a pool, and a guy was asking if I had had them shortened...(BTW, my little fingers are abnormally short, too. They only come up to just past the 1st joint... >:( ) He had very long toes, including the 5th toe. I told him that he had 'Ape Toes', almost as long as his fingers, and could probably pick things up with them, feed himself with them, and hold a pencil. And, THEREFORE, having short toes, I was HIGHER UP the Evolutionary Scale than HE was!

He and his friend picked me up and threw me into the pool. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 23, 2021, 08:01:51 PM: Never met anyone with the ability to discern notes like that, impressive. Lol on being thrown into the pool. Only ever had one instance of someone trying to throw me in a pool but they failed smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 24, 2021, 01:01:37 PM: ...California Desert Tortoise's...they are SMARTER than they look...

We had one, decades ago, when they were actually sold in pet stores. They are a State Reptile, now, so they are protected.

My H and I were living in the Fresno area, it actually is very close to being a desert. I bought a large desert tortoise, it was about 10" across. It was male, and I named it 'Tommy'. My mother had grown up in SW Texas, and was surprised to see the reptile in our back yard. We had very sturdy fences, and I would check them every day, looking for signs of digging, and fill in any I found and place large rocks over the area. She wouldn't call him "Tommy", she called him "Mr T". (LOL...I should SUE the actor...he probably overheard us talking about Mr T...and decided to STEAL the name!!!! >:( >:( >:()

We had a mulberry tree in the yard, and Mr T liked how they tasted. So, when me, or the kids would go into the back yard, Mr T would walk to the tree, and look at us. We would walk over to where he was, and pull down some leaves and set them in front of him, and he would eat them. My mother was visiting, and she walked onto the back porch, to get some air...(To smoke a cigarette...I made it clear that she couldn't smoke in my house...I have asthma, and am allergic to such smoke...probably why my mental development was crippled...I SHOULD have had a LOT MORE LETTERS AFTER MY NAME!!! (Just joking)) Anyway...

I walked out, and my mother asked, "Why is Mr T looking at me?" I looked over, and Mr T was under the tree, looking at us. I said, "He wants some leaves, go pick a couple for him." She did, and was astonished that he began eating them. "That turtle is a begger" she claimed. I just laughed, I had tried to explain to her that Mr T was a tortoise, but to her, ALL creatures with large shells were 'turtles'. I just agreed...but he could also ISSUE ORDERS!!! :o

We would bring him in during the winter, it was too cold and wet to leave him outside. We just let him loose in the house, but kept most doors closed, we didn't want to have to hunt him down, and find him in a place that we didn't want him to be in. He wasn't very messy, and it was fun to sit and watch as he walked. We kept the back patio doors uncovered, so he could sit and get sunlight. He quickly learned the layout. We had a flat dish where we would put lettuce and other vegetables so he could eat, in the kitchen, and a shallow bowl of water. BTW...tortoises can hold a LOT of water. He wouldn't drink very often, but when he did, he would almost DRAIN the bowl. I would watch, and marvel, and wonder how he was holding so much water in his body. He soon learned where the food would be set out...and...

...WHERE IT WAS KEPT!!!!

I would be reading a book in the living room, and he would walk over, and BITE MY TOES!!! Tortoises don't have teeth, so it didn't hurt. I would look down, and he would amble over to the fridge, look at it, and look back at me. I figure that he was saying...

...HEY HUMAN...I CAN'T TALK...BUT...I AM HUNGRY!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( FEED ME!!!

I would get up, apologize, and go over, open the fridge, get out lettuce, and add other vegetables, and make him a nice meal, and set it in the dish. He would walk over, and eat.

... :'(...He was stolen from us.

...We all searched for him one morning, and couldn't find him, and there were no signs of digging..

We figured that word had gotten around, and so some kids probably decided to steal him.

At that time, I REALLY WISHED that I wasn't allergic to dogs. It would have been nice to have an Alsatian in the back yard. Although, once my brother brought his over to visit, it walked around, sniffing, found Mr T...and...

...PEED ON HIM!!! >:( :o :P

...I got the dog away, and washed Mr T down.

Pets have interesting challenges, and it is fun to watch them.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 24, 2021, 05:22:39 PM: Never had a tortise but he sounds like most animals able to find the food and communicate their needs much like my cat lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 24, 2021, 07:11:47 PM: ...Izee' with Tavi, Gunner, Aslaug, S'lene, and Tisiphone.

...https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=erOyRG22&id=76B3F968FD31D2E8F4B83CD6C1A21E0DEED61F3B&thid=OIP.erOyRG22so5FXz5bUILotgHaE8&mediaurl=https://store.artwolfe.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2014/11/ZBOOAF1_00072.jpg&cdnurl=https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.7ab3b2446db6b28e455f3e5b5082e8b6?rik=Ox%2fW7g0eosHWPA&pid=ImgRaw&r=0&exph=1600&expw=2400&q=cheetahs+and+cubs&simid=607991825418517676&form=IRPRST&ck=8255F0D03E19DCCDF8D61C2C8F1060F1&selectedindex=12&qpvt=cheetahs+and+cubs&adlt=off&shtp=GetUrl&shid=b39cdb2f-0e1f-4271-b2f9-ee9897756a1a&shtk=Q2hlZXRhaCBhbmQgY3VicyAtIEFydCBXb2xmZSBTdG9yZQ%3D%3D&shdk=Rm91bmQgb24gQmluZyBmcm9tIHN0b3JlLmFydHdvbGZlLmNvbQ%3D%3D&shhk=Wpti1tkowkt4kCof%2FTYXBPOVNYdWPBAf7YJulTVn3r0%3D&shth=OIP.erOyRG22so5FXz5bUILotgHaE8

She is telling the Hunter/Observer either, "Get the Hell AWAY from my kids"...or...(running away)

..."Kids, first test...TRY TO KEEP UP WITH ME!!!!"
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 24, 2021, 11:04:12 PM: ...Being labeled an "IGNORANT FLATLANDER BY CALTRANS" (The California Dept of Transportation)

...I had had a LOT of dealings with Cal Trans, on the Financial Side. The Company that I was the Treasurer/Controller of...(The double title meant that I was an Officer of the Company, and had a vote on the Board...the other meant that I sat in my office and labored over the numbers.)...needed me to get to Reno, we were helping build the MGM Grand, and there was an issue over the numbers. (Not gonna tell the details) But, I really WAS needed to sit in the meeting, and explain. So, the President and I sat late the evening before, and then I sat in my office and prepared documents, loaded my briefcase, and then got into my Company Mercedes 240D (Diesel) and headed up the Freeway.

...Problem was, it was Winter, and it had been snowing all week. I checked the CalTrans channel, and the Freeway was open, so I decided to take a chance, and drive over the Sierra Nevada mountains at 1:00 in the morning. I had stopped at a Lodge, just below, to get some coffee, and could have stayed the night, and drove the next morning, but I figured that I should try right now...it might snow or storm again...and I wouldn't make it to the meeting. So, I climbed into my diesel Mercedes...and rumbled up the road. It was lightly snowing.

...The road was OK, at first...I was the ONLY car on the road, and I kept it at 40 mph, and watched the road very carefully. I got to a sign that said, "CHAINS RECOMMENDED"...and just drove through...I did have tire chains in the trunk, but had never used them, and...had NO IDEA of how to put them on tires. I arrived at a blinking sign that said, "CHAINS REQUIRED"...and slowed to 30 mph...thinking that that would be OK. Again, I was the ONLY car on the road...and it was about 2:30 am. Well, I started sliding on the road, so I pulled over, and pulled on my fancy gloves, pulled up my frilly hood, opened the trunk of the car, and opened the box of the chains, and looked at the instructions. :P

...I will spare you all the details, but for an HOUR I was trying to get the chains on the tires. I laid them out, and tried to drive so they were under my tires, but they were twisted to the side. I draped them over the tires, and tried to just roll forward, and had to pry them loose from the fender guard. I was squatting after another try, cold, figuring that my frozen body would be found in the car in the morning...and then...

...CAL TRANS showed UP!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...They were in a pickup, two men got out, asked me what the problem was, and I simply said..."I can't get the tire chains on."

...5 minutes later, the chains WERE ON! And my ENGINE WAS RUNNING!!! :)

...I offered them some money, but they waved it away, and watched as I drove away. They followed me until I got over the summit, and then headed back west, as I carefully made my way east. I made the meeting...good thing that I didn't need much sleep. The meeting went well, the MGM continued to get built, and I stayed in the Thunderbird for a night. I liked the T-Bird, it was a very noisy, raucous place to stay. I did put on one of my sexy dresses, and ate a nice dinner, drank, and sat at Baccarat for a while...and won. Of course, a few guys tried to pick me up, but I just smiled, and went back to my room, undressed, and went to sleep.

...Driving back was easy, it was clear, and it wasn't at midnight, I got over the summit, got back to the Office, and reported to the President.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 25, 2021, 12:15:42 PM: ...This guy explains my favorite cello concerto very well.

I practiced, practiced, practiced it...and practiced it. I would leave the little practice room, feeling very weak. Once, walking back to my Apt, at 2:30 am, I looked down at the dirt path that I would usually just slide down...and the levee path that I could walk, and then carefully get down the rocks...and looked at the road, about 300 meters away. I walked to the road, and walked to my Apt, crying. My cello was slung under my right arm, trying to comfort me.

People who don't play an instrument, are missing out on a real life experience.

A hunk of lumber, or a tube of brass or wood, or some drums, awaken a part of your brain that just sleeps. You struggle, learning to play the damn thing, and then...it PLAYS YOU!!! It says, "OK, Bitch, you can get those fingers into the right place, most of the time...now

...PLAY SOME MUSIC!!!!!

...And...

...you DO!!!!!!

And, you don't slide down the path, you don't want to fall, and possibly hurt her "Cellikins"..

When I was in the bad auto accident, (Not my fault, guy pulled from a side road right in front of me), the Paramedics were happy, when my first words to them, was...

...Is my cello OK?

They assured me that my cello case was in good condition, and I relaxed, and let them do what they needed to do to me. If they had told me that my case was in several pieces, I probably would have fought them away, and tracked down the other idiot driver...and...well...

...It would not have been nice...

https://youtu.be/Scba4avQ-t0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 25, 2021, 01:06:55 PM: ...I REALLY grieved when Jacqueline Du Pre died. She was an inspiration to me. I practiced hard on the cello in HS, and got so skilled that I got a scholarship to a Conservatory. But...I wasn't good enough to do much more than teach Music History and play in a second tier orchestra...and...I accepted it. I became a Lawyer, and a CPA, but did play in several orchestras.

...When Jackie died, a part of my heart went with her. The semi professional orchestra had an interesting performance...

...NO cellist sat FIRST CHAIR!!!

...I started it, I was sitting 3rd chair, and I banished the rest of the section behind me. I look meek and mild, most of the time, but when I get my hormones raging, people watch out, so I sat 4th chair, third chair was open. The first stand looked back at me, and I said, "Jackie should be sitting with us." They looked at each, and nodded, and slid back to 2nd and 3rd chair, leaving 1st chair open.

...The Conductor looked at us, nodded, and explained to the audience why the 1st chair was open...and we did the concert.

...I cried very hard, getting back home...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 25, 2021, 06:59:48 PM: Sorry for the loss and leaving the chair empty was a good tribute to her.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 26, 2021, 11:16:53 PM: ...Izee' led a very ferocious Lair when she was a Panther. Villagers would just set out food, and some toys, so that the Panthergirls would leave them alone. Izee' would honor the arrangement, but a few times, when some hot heads tried to snatch her girls when they went in to gather the food, and bring it back to the Lair, Izee' led a raid into the village. They would return with food, snacks, and a few high ranked women. The captives would be trained to be slaves, and would be sold off. A few did work hard, and were accepted into the Lair.

...The Panthers had a dancing circle, and after seeing men, Izee' would lead the Lair there, and they...

...DANCED...

...Kind of like this...

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=08C0B5B179557373BB0408C0B5B179557373BB04&q=albinez&shtp=GetUrl&shid=019d025e-d1b7-4901-9ad1-f47eb3c694ee&shtk=QmFsbGV0IEpvc8OpIFJhY2VybyAiQXN0dXJpYXMgKExleWVuZGEpIiBkZSBJc2FhYyBBbGLDqW5peg%3D%3D&shdk=Y29yZW9ncmFmw61hIGRlbCBCYWxsZXQgZGUgSm9zw6kgUmFjZXJvIHNvYnJlIGxhIHBpZXphIDUgIkFzdHVyaWFzKExleWVuZGEpIiBkZSBsYSBTdWl0ZSBlc3Bhw7FvbGEgT3AuIDQ3IGRlbCBjb21wb3NpdG9yIGVzcGHDsW9sIElzYWFjIEFsYsOpbml6LiwgU2kgcXVpZXJlcyBkaXNmcnV0YXIgZGUgbcOhcyBjdWx0dXJhLCBzdXNjcsOtYmV0ZSBhIG51ZXN0cm8gY2FuYWw6IGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL2NoYW5uZWwvVUNRQTFNZlhlb2lDQXZJQlZHanY0b1JRIFkgdGFtYmnDqW4gcHVlZGVzIHNlZ3Vpcm5vcyBlbiBudWVzdHJhcyByZWRlcyBzb2NpYWxlczogLSBGYWNlYm9vazogaHR0cHMgLi4u&shhk=6CONznYX%2BVsK%2Fk9Yk5zIHE1WUUgqApvj6IqvpGoB%2BXw%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.78LjKvEQQPEWWshOQu447gEsDh
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 27, 2021, 01:14:41 AM: ...The 'Orange Juice' guitar concerto... ;)

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=A5998D61516D354298F7A5998D61516D354298F7&q=albinez&shtp=GetUrl&shid=6c17db9b-b79b-4ae1-9ee8-fcf6adb31ab4&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.JpArwJ2zSyAebqrxeKSRgQHgFo

...I was in the Orchestra, a few times, when this was performed. Once, I was sitting 1st chair, cello, and was leading my section well in this movement. We followed dynamics, and such. But...a few measures into this movement...my Mind WAS STOLEN!!! I don't know how else to explain it, but my vision narrowed to where I was just seeing ONE MEASURE AT A TIME!!! :o I couldn't see ANYTHING else! I was blind to everything else!! I wondered if I was having a stroke, or something worse, but my mind was active, and my hands were moving very well. I just COULDN'T SEE more than one measure at a time. I tried to look up at the conductor, but all I saw was blackness, and I looked back at the score, and could see the measure that we were playing.

My eyesight returned when the soloist played the cadenza. It is a very ANGRY cadenza, and I could see the conductor, and lead my section into the angry pizzacato that was in the cadenza. I was spooked, and my mind was a bit confused at the end. I was REALLY worried that something had happened to my brain, so I did the normal thing...I drank THREE glasses of wine at the reception. I got the violist to drive me home, my H and I returned the next day to get my car.

That never happened again, but I do have a mental illness that makes life interesting. I will just sleep for days, other times, I don't need to sleep, and...

I DID STARE DOWN THE JUSTICES OF THE FIFTH DISTRICT APPELLATE COURT...and the IRS rewrote a regulation...I wasn't gonna let the Justices tell me what the Law was...I taught it to THEM!!! And I thought...TO HELL WITH THE IRS...they are messing with the MEAN BITCH!!! >:( And she is having the PERIOD FROM HELL!!!!

I have gotten my Law License and CPA License back to 'Inactive'. (Cost me about 2K...Bastards). Now, I need to take some Continuing Ed Courses to activate them. That will be good for me, to get out of the house, and socialize. Who knows, maybe some hunk of a Lawyer will check me out, like what he sees...I have no wedding ring...and, well...who knows. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 27, 2021, 06:47:28 PM: Love the desrciption of your panther lair rp smiles

An unusual reaction on the music performance, happy it resolved. Do you by chance habe issues with low blood sugar? That may explain it as the wine would have raised it back up fast.

Always good when someone wins against the irs lol.

Happy you have the inactive license back and hope all goes well with the ce courses.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 28, 2021, 02:47:43 AM: ...Cats...again...

I am POSITIVE that they are intelligent ALIENS that just come here to visit and torment us. I mean, look at THIS one...it is making the human entertain it, as it acts BORED!!! I mean...THINK OF IT!!! If I was laying on a ledge, and little hammers were rising and hitting me in the head, and my body...(Sounds like a sex game my Ex and I used to play...I usually lost the dice roll, and got naked and laid down and got hit...not gonna say what with...but...it didn't hurt... 8)...I would get up and walk away. But this kittie gato just stays where it is

https://youtu.be/k5mRmbiJ5l4.

Cats love me, I don't know why, but one female persian REALLY loved me...I would feed her when her family went on vacation. I would pull the hidden lever to get in through the gate, and then use a key to get into the playroom, and she would look at me. She was always laying on a couch, and would gaze at me, and when I walked to the cabinet that held her food, she would get off the couch and come over. She would rub against my ankles, no doubt trying to kill me, she KNEW that I was ALLERGIC to cats, but I would prepare her bowl of food, make sure that the bowl was clean and scoop the food into it, and wipe the rim, and then set it down. I would wash out the water bowl, clean it, and add clean water, and set it down. I would pet her before I left, she would purr, she was happy...a human was serving her, and she was eating.

I would have to scrub my arms and hands when I got back, but at times, if I stayed too long, a rash would develop and last for a couple days.

One afternoon, I was tearful, and unhappy, I was having a number of problems, and well...puberty wasn't easy for me. I was sitting on the ground by our peach tree, a half eaten Alberta Freestone sitting beside me...I couldn't eat any more, and I was softly crying. I then heard loud purring, and the persian and two other cats I had never seen before were looking at me. I held out my arms, and the persian crawled into them, and I held her. The other two cats settled around me, and...

...I got relaxed and happy...I mean...kitties are comforting...I stayed with them for a long time...

...But...I had to get into the bathroom and shower, and then got HAULED INTO THE ER...to get a shot and a breathing treatment...and stayed in the hospital overnight. I had had the MOTHER OF ALL ASTHMA ATTACKS!!!

...Damn kitties ALMOST killed me...but...I survived.

I was very careful around kitties after that, I would just use my right palm to pet one, and would wash right away.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 28, 2021, 05:27:41 PM: I am sure they were just trying to comfort you. Cats are quite smart and very intuitive. Smiles. Mine is usually an attention hog wanting to be petted most of the time.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 28, 2021, 08:51:36 PM: ...*Grins* I agree, Nate, cats like me, and like sitting around me, I will bring them treats. A few times, I would bring out a can of tuna, open it, and feed it to the cats. The persian wasn't fond of 'kipper snacks'...I love them, and would sit outside eating one. She would come over, sniff, and take a bite as I held a morsel out, and then walk away. The neighbors liked to hire me when I was a kid, to watch over their pets when they were on vacation. I was very careful, and made sure that the food and water was clean, and would visit with them. I would hold the neighbors guinea pig when I fed her, and walk around, carrying her, and then let her loose on the lawn to feed. I would sit by her, watching her, and take her back to her cage when she was full. She actually got to recognize me, I guess by my smell...and would make that whistling sound when I entered the garage. She was a nice animal.

We had pet rats when we lived in an Apt. We had three males, once, I didn't want a mix of sexes...didn't want to have 837 rats running around...so we always kept the same sexed animals. They are VERY smart animals. We would open the door to the cage, and let them go in and out as they wanted. We 'Ratproofed' some cabinets and doors, didn't want them to go in there. One male was a bully, I would hear squeaking, and one of the other rats would run across, the floor...and JUMP into my lap. Rats can jump very far, probably one of the reasons that they are such a successful rodent. I would hold it, and the 'bully rat' would run up, look at me...and the rat that I was holding, and probably think, "I wanna beat up that prick, but don't want tae tangle with a human"...and waddle away. They would calm down.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 29, 2021, 05:54:19 PM: Animals are a good judge of character. That they like you says a lot.

Lol on the bully rat but at least the others knew where to go for protection.

One night my cat came charging in the bedroom, jumped from about half way accrois the room and landed in the middle of the bed then ran to me, waking me up. I put one arm around her and started petting her with the other hand she was obviously scared of something. She slowly calmed down as I was petting her and started purring, eventually falling asleep next to me. I never found out what scared her but she knew where to go for protection.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 29, 2021, 07:25:58 PM: ...My girl scout troop would sing this at the end of a meeting...I insisted. We would raise our right hands, and lower them, and hold them up at the end. I just thought that it was a tribute to others before us, and that it signaled that whatever had occurred during the day was over. But, it calmed us...

https://genius.com/Daniel-a-butterfield-taps-lyrics
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 29, 2021, 09:24:14 PM: ...I am going to post this work, again...I had a mental 'orgasm' when we performed it, once. At the end, the cellos set a beat, and maintain it. I had my 3rd finger on the note, and was staring at the conductor, moving my bow in cadence with his baton. My section was following me, I could hear them. (The outside players said that they watched my bow, and moved theirs the same)...I got louder, and louder, HAMMERING THE BOW...and they DID TOO!!! ;D

...I did briefly black out...but my hands were playing well...and my vision came back...at the end...that was scary, my mind was alert, and I was moving my arms,,,but I was blind for a while. I sat, and got off of the stage, and was...confused. I had no idea of how playing music would cause me to go blind...but it did.

https://youtu.be/bKFRXjv2Bjs
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 29, 2021, 11:55:36 PM: Sailplanes, gotta get my ass back in one... :D

I LOVED flying them. I mean, here I was, a young woman, sitting in a small cockpit, in a plane that did NOT have an engine. I didn't want to fly regular airplanes, I mean, they were just like driving a car, just turn on the engine, fly around, land, and turn off the engine. I was having some personal challenges, so sitting in a plane that didn't have an engine...BY MYSELF...made me focus my mind. I usually didn't have a radio, so, I was ALONE!!!

I enjoyed the tow, it was relaxing...I would waggle my rudder at the tow pilot, to let him know that I was strapped in, and ready. He would waggle his back, and take off. I would waggle my rudder as I picked up speed, to stay directly behind the tow, if I got off to the side, I could crash him. Also, I had to stay below him, if I rose up, he could be forced into the ground. So, we pilots trusted each other. I stopped my waggle, when I got off the ground, and focused on his tail. I kept directly behind him, and didn't get too high, or too low. He would take me towards the foothills, thermals were there, and I would watch my altimeter. I had paid for a tow to a certain altitude, and would pull the lever that attached me to the towline when we reached it, and bank hard to the right. The tow would dive to the left, so the towline was far from me. I would circle a few times, just to get settled down, and then...

...FLY!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

A few times, I lost too much altitude, and flew back to the field after about 20 minutes. I was PISSED when I had to do that...I had paid for an HOUR!!! But, I lost the extra, that was part of the rules. If you landed too early, well, welcome to sailplaning...if you landed later...well...better have some cash. When I was up for an hour and a half, I landed because I didn't have anymore cash on me, and promised the Owner that I would pay for the 30 minutes, the next week. He just laughed, patted me on the head, and said, "We were worried that you had crashed, it was only your second solo, don't worry about the extra fee." He then questioned me about where the thermals and waves were, and I described them, and he told other sailplane pilots about them.

I was very relaxed, flying the Kestral, a high performance sailplane. I also figured that I looked good in it...it was bright white, and I am a mixed anglo/hispanic, so my dark hair was nice. I also did my makeup well, I wanted to look nice for the Kestral. (I also dressed up for my cellos...once...Catherine wasn't responding well...so I refreshed my lipstick, and she sounded better.) So, I flew the Kestral, he liked the way I looked, and we flew well, together. I freshened my lipstick before we took off...if I spiraled into the ground, I wanted to look good as I screamed.

I could have stayed up for hours, the thermals and waves were very strong, and I rode one thermal to 12,000 feet, and got out. I sailed around, feeling very happy. There wasn't much sound, and I turned off the radio, no need for me to talk to anyone. We were near the Naval Air Station, and I stayed clear of their landing pattern when I was that high, didn't want to see a sidewinder missle heading at me. That would have been uncomfortable.

I flew, and did soft spirals to keep below 10,000 feet. I did spin, a few times, for practice, and gritted my teeth as I looked straight down at the ground...and pulled out.

I turned the radio on, and told the base that I was alive, and would be back. I was too high on my downwind approach, and got into a sideslip to lose altitude. I was flying sideways, and looked out the left side of the cockpit to see where I was heading.

I landed well, and petted the plane as I got out, and it was taken away to be checked and serviced.

I checked online, and 1-26's are for sale, and I can easily afford one. I flew one before, and did well. A Kestral is VERY expensive, and the hanger fee and such would be a lot. I should really find a field, and take lessons, and get my Qualified license, and buy a 1-26. I could just pack it into it's trailer, and bring it home after flying it.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 30, 2021, 12:30:43 PM: ...Landing a sailplane...

I enjoyed landing. I mean...it had to be done right...THE FIRST TIME...I couldn't circle around, and try again. I would tell myself, as I headed towards the field...

..."At least you won't CRASH AND BURN...you will just crash...flip around the field, and your parents will be sent a bill for the plane."

I would get into the downwind leg, and look at the Eucaliptous trees to the left. I would see how high I was, and I would look at the wind sock. I would check my airspeed, and pull the airbrakes up a little, if necessary. I would bank hard, to the left, to get into the base leg, and level out, and check my airspeed, and look around for any other planes. There was no control tower, and no radio, so my eyes had to serve me well. I banked hard, again to the left, and lined up on the runway. I would pull the airbrakes up full, and the plane got VERY noisy...but I was ignoring the sound, and just looking ahead. I would touch down, and push the stick forward...there was a thick piece of wood on the nose, so I would skid to a stop. I would quickly pop the canopy, unstrap myself, and climb out. I mean, I was on the runway. I would grab a pipe that stuck out of the nose of the plane, push it down to raise the tail of the plane, and push the plane off the runway. Sometimes, I would push the plane to the parking area, but usually, some men would want to help this small girl, and they would take the plane away from me, and get it back.

I would buy a coke from the machine, and sit for a while with the other pilots, and talk about my flight. They would talk about theirs, and I would listen, and learn.

One guy liked me, he was an old man, much too old for me to get serious, but he took me up in the 2-32. I sat in the front, he was behind me, and we flew. I piloted the takeoff, and the release, and flew for a while. He then took over, and I placed my hands in my lap and watched. He was an AMAZING PILOT...I learned a lot. We had the same instruments in front of us, and he would call my attention to them as we flew. We both laughed when the left wing was pushed up...he banked, and circled, and got into the thermal. We circled and talked. I was looking at the ground when I turned my head to the right. He asked how I flew, and I spoke of how I watched the instruments, I added that my butt flew the plane, it would push up at me when I was in a thermal, and the left and right buttcheeks would signal if I was approaching a thermal. I would get into a deep right bank, when right buttikins pushed up at me.

He laughed, and said that his butt also helped him fly.

So, when you get on a plane, ask the Pilot how his butt feels. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 30, 2021, 03:50:23 PM: Love your stories. On the flying have heard one uses all of their senses to pilot a plane, so..... lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 31, 2021, 08:59:19 PM: ...Being a GOOD MOMMY!!!! ;D

Yesterday, my daughter mentioned that she and her H needed to buy a car, one of their cars has become undependable, and she does a lot of driving. They asked if I would co-sign on a loan, since my credit was better, and I agreed. We went to the Kia dealership, and I sat in the lounge, and surfed the web, until I was summoned to the Finance office. I sat, and listened, and looked at documents, and then...

...I BOUGHT THE DAMN CAR!!! It is a cute, Kia Sorento, bright red. :) My interest rate was very low, based on my credit, theirs was much higher. They will arrange to have the monthly payments taken out of their checking account, so things should be OK. They both have jobs, and live modestly, and are responsible. And, I do believe that parents should help out their children, mine helped me. (And I am helping my Mother, now... :) ) I told them that if they missed a payment, I would show up and take the car. It wouldn't theft, legally, I am the OWNER!!!

So, an interesting day.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 01, 2022, 06:08:02 PM: Happy you were able to help them just do make sure it is only registered in their name otherwise you become liable in any accident they may get in or if they get parking tickets your car can be booted etc if they do not pay them.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 02, 2022, 08:35:48 PM: ...As a very young child, I helped TEAR APART A REAL MILITARY BASE!!!!

A Naval AF Base was up for auction, and the next door neighbor bought an office building. My parents let me go with his family after title and such was transfered, and we children SWARMED THE BUILDING!!! We opened all of the doors, and opened the desks of drawers, and found a LOT OF STUFF!!! There were no weapons, but we found packs, canteens, maps, and other such items. We hoarded them all, I took a map into 'show and tell' in my school, and the Principal called me in, and asked me where I had gotten it. My parents had to confirm my story.

We played 'Army' back then, I don't think children do that anymore. I declared that I was a 'General'...since I had REAL ARMY STUFF!!! I had a helmet, a backpack, two bandoleers, and an ammo belt around my waist. I had a realistic looking Colt 45, and a kid stole it...I was upset.

The neighbor brought back stacks of lumber, and set them in the open field beside his home. We kids explored the stacks, and made 'forts'. There was a large, open area, inside a stack, that was my headquarters. My 'Men'...mostly girls...would meet with me as we planned an attack. But...

I had found a small place, deep inside a stack, that I didn't tell anybody about...

I would just sit there...alone...it was dark...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 03, 2022, 07:56:38 PM: Sounds fun. We used to play army as well in an open field or forest near where I grew up. Did not have any real army gear though just plastic versions lol. Though in rotc we were at a competition one year and they had set us up in a general's office. During my part of the competition, the onez who stsyed in the office apoarently got a bit rowdy just as the general came to his office for something. He took ine look around and just said OUT.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 04, 2022, 02:00:44 AM: ...I was executed...playing 'Army'

I was the general, and we lost the game. The bastards hauled me out into the field, and made me stand. I looked at them as they pointed the plastic weapons at me, and they made gunshot sounds, and I fell down. They left, and I got up, and walked back to my home. I was very unhappy for a long time. I mean, I was playing an act, and figured that we would all laugh, and I would get up, and we would get back together...but...they just walked away.

That event affected my whole life...I mean...we were playing a game...and I thought that we would have fun.

But...they MEANT IT!!! They went through the event, and were happy that I was dead. NO ONE CAME UP TO ME AND COMFORTED ME!!!

I stayed very clear of ANY relationship after that...I was scared of being taken in, and discarded.

I stayed off by myself as I mastered the piano and cello, and earned a Doctorate, and made the IRS change a regulation. I made much over the 2.5 million that I saved...I made a LOT more for others. But, my Ex took off with half, as I was calming down, and figuring out what to do, next in my life.

I had a long walk, today, using my WALKER!!! I am in fairly good health, but my legs are weak, and my balance isn't good. I walked in the back yard, first, holding my cane, but was unsteady, so I brought my walker. Last thing I wanted to do, was to call a cab to take me the 1/2 mile back home. I was chuckling at times, people, seeing me, probably thought that I was a crippled lady, on Gov't assistant...but I can buy a Mercedes Benz...with what is in my checking account...and not touch my savings...and see my checking account grow next month.

My planning for the future was financial...I wanted to be comfortable...and my H could only hold down a job in the food service industry. But, I fell in love with him in college, and just 'stayed friends' with the Heir of the Olympia Beer Company. Bad choice, on my part...I could have lived up North, in a mansion, and had nice beer whenever I wanted.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 04, 2022, 07:59:16 PM: Sorry to hear on how they ended the game quite odd indeed ours usually ended upt with everyone being friends after.

Though getting kicked out of tge general's office during the rotc event was a bit annoying.

Sounds like you made quite a bit out of the hand life dealt you. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 05, 2022, 04:51:16 PM: ..Thank you, Nate... :)...Life has dealt me an interesting hand...but...as I walked an hour ago, holding my walker...I felt a lot of gratitude...I have so much.

I mean, think of it. Some religeons say that we were created from dust, Scientists say that we evolved out of the mud.

In HS, I spent a LOT of time looking through a microscope, and drawing what I was seeing. I was FASCTENATED watching as a sea urchin sperm entered a sea urchin egg, and it...BLOSSOMED!!! I mean, it got a little larger, and some kind of a membrane grew around it. Some guys teased me, saying that I liked watching sea urchins fuck. I just waved them away, as I kept looking into the microscope..."Go watch the rats, they fuck kinda like you will when you grow up...and don't bother asking me for a date."

I wasn't asked out for dates, I didn't put out.

I eagerly 'putted out' for my H on our wedding night. I mean, I had talked about sex with girlfriends...and I was excited, laying on my back on the bed the first time, naked, my legs spread, and watching what he was going to do to me.

I was happy, as I laid on my left side when he finished, feeling his semen dripping out of me...

I was happy, afterwards, that I had put out...and putted out whenever he wanted me. I also would kiss him, and drag him into the bed, and urge him to make me put out for him. I mean..

I REALLY needed to be 'putted out'

Putting out is a nice pastime... 8)

Okay, no more X-rated posts... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 05, 2022, 05:32:40 PM: Lol on the eay you descirbed it but am sure it was worth the wait. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 05, 2022, 08:19:14 PM: ...LOL...I was in my frisky mood when I posted that, Nate, my Friend...

...But I REALLY DID LIKE BEING GET PUT!

I would do my hair and makeup in a certain way when I wanted to be 'put'. He would sigh, looking at me, and take me to the bedroom...

...AND PUT ME!!!

I would climb out of the bed after I was 'put', smile, and bring him a beer...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 06, 2022, 07:13:47 PM: Sounds like you were having fun smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 06, 2022, 10:57:32 PM: ...Life is so much FUN!!!!

It does have it's truly horrible moments, history and my personal experiences does show that. But I often sit, and wonder, as I look around our back yard...

How did Life come to exist?

I sit and think of what I have done. I am a CPA, and an Attorney, and a very good musician, and I went after the GODDAMN IRS. Often, an audit of some poor guy was stopped, when I made my appearance. I would look at the agent, and a nice deal was worked out, or the case was dismissed. So, the goddamn IRS came after ME!!! And the Federal District court dismissed the case. I was angry, and stared at the IRS attorneys...they were wimps!!! I BEAT THEM!!!!

NEVER TRUST OUR GOVERNMENT!!!

I suspect that most are good people, but, they have Supervisors who are assholes. They sic their people on us.

But, I wonder about life.

I simply can't believe that we evolved from mud. I mean...what is life? We humans can think, reason, and need to eat and defecate to stay alive. And why are there so many things that we like to eat? On a business trip to SF, I would sit a wharf, and gobble down as many shrimp as I could hold. As a young woman, word got around that I wasn't a 'cheap date', I would eat and drink as much as my date could afford. I would kiss and fondle him, and let him play with my breasts, but didn't fuck until I was married.

I mean...did I evolve from some things that grew from the mud?

Perhaps, as humans grew, we did evolve...to a woman who plays the cello, piano, stares down the IRS, and stuffs herself silly with fried shrimp.

I don't believe that we just evolved. Our Creator is probably looking at me...

...AND LAUGHING!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 07, 2022, 05:22:37 PM: I agree with you on all points, life can be fun indeed and challenging at times. And yes never trust the government. If I ever need a lawyer to go after the feds, I will call you to be sure. Smiles.

I also agree that we were created bit do continue to adapt which is a gift given to us by our maker.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 08, 2022, 09:35:46 PM: ...Life can be a REAL blast...I try to r/p with imagination...but I expressed a lot more interesting sides in the privacy of our home...well...before we had children...then we had to go out on a 'business trip'. Sexually, I am very submissive, and very adventurous. We were in another city, and during the day, I was in my SERIOUS business suit dress, standing at the table, and presenting a case in the Federal District Court, very solumn, wearing my glasses and modest makeup, and my H was back in the hotel room.

...In the evening, I was giggling before my H, dressed as a somewhat sultry slut, while we had dinner. We were r/ping that I was a high class prostitute, and I was dressed up and acting like one. I had been chuckling, at times, during dinner, I didn't look like an Appellate Attorney, and I was having fun seeing men looking at me as I ate and drank some wine, I was showing my nice cleavage. At our room, I was dickering with him, over my "price", and showed him one of my boobs, and said..."The rest will cost you much more."

He had actually offered me two bits, earlier...and I got 'angry'

...He laid a $10 bill on the table, and I squealed with pleasure...

...Not gonna describe what happened...

We were both laughing and cuddling at the end...

He did tell me, "DON'T YOU EVER DRESS LIKE THAT IN FRONT OF ANY OTHER MEN."

I told him..."Give me another $20, and I won't."

I was laughing as he called me a whore, turned me over his lap, and spanked me...I did enjoy being spanked...I would squirm, and curse...but kept my butt steady

I mean, I was earning over $180K a year, had a company Mercedes, plus other benefits...and I was ALWAYS fully clothed...

I was a lawyer...pretty close to being a whore...

I certainly looked like one, as I was spanked...

I would laugh, later, undressing, washing my face, putting away the trashy wig and jewelry...and putting the $20 bill in my purse.

I would rub my red butt as I climbed into bed, and tell him...

"Don't call that slut for a couple weeks...I need to heal...I will be standing a lot, or sitting on a pillow."

He would laugh. He liked that I was submissive, adventurous, and had a high pain tolerance.

We kissed, and went to sleep.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 09, 2022, 05:51:10 PM: Hhmm for a high class one, would have to add another 0 to that 20 lol. We have not done much rp play but have been umm adventurous at times back when we were younger. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 09, 2022, 10:21:01 PM: Thank you, Nate, I should have charged my H MORE for the r/p. That could have been fun, he would have had to go to an ATM and withdraw more cash...

...FROM MY/OUR BANK ACCOUNT!!!!

And...I COULD SPEND IT AS I WISHED, once he handed it to me...and I would COUNT IT!!!! then do whatever he wanted me to do. 8) One of our agreed rules was if I 'earned' money from him as a 'whore'...I KEPT IT!!! We kept careful accounts of our coin, and we agreed that neither one of us could do impulsive spending. That is why we saved so much, and the bastard walked away with about 1 million dollars when he divorced me. So, I stashed the 'whore' money he gave me in a place, and bought things when I wanted, and didn't have to tell him about it. He would laugh, seeing me with new earrings and such, and ask me where I got them, and I would just say, "The bitch bought them...and she would like you to visit her again."

I would be laying back, at the cheap motel, eating snickerdoodles, and hoping that my H got back before the Manager knocked on my door. I had paid for two hours, and was somewhat excited. It was a fun game.

I would be dressed as a somewhat high class whore, and tell the manager that I just needed the room for a few hours. I would also say that a Big Shot was going to visit me, and not to have other men knock on my door.

My H would knock on the door, I would let him in, and we would have a nice hour. We made love, and talked about things, and then he would leave.

I would be trying not to laugh, as I minced back to the manager, and handed him two twenties...part of my arrangement was that I would give the manager 20% of my earnings. He would scowl, and say, "Work a few more hours, and CHARGE more, you are an attractive bitch." I would nod...

But, my H was waiting in the parking lot, watching to make sure that I drove away...and he would follow me home.

I would be laughing...I mean...no one got hurt...my H fucked me, but that is one of the reasons I married him, I wanted him to fuck me...

OK, gonna calm down. I am alone, just entertaining myself...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 10, 2022, 04:41:38 PM: Nothing wrong with a married couple enjoying such adventures. Can only imagine what the hotel manager thought but that is on him lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 12, 2022, 04:54:57 PM: ...Cooking for a Gourmet... ;D

We had an interesting pair of neighbors. ::) The H was a wonderful, generous, and kind man. (Not gonna describe the wife...we often tangled) I would let him take my motorcycle for the weekend quite often. (Not sure why I bought a motorcycle....my mind was in a place that it sometimes goes. I was thinking..."OK, gonna ride a REALLY POWERED BICYCLE on the Freeways...what could POSSIBLY go wrong??? Freeways seemed to be safe, but riding in town was dangerous. Riding in the foothills was fun :D) Anyway....

He was a chemist and an official 'TASTER' for a very famous wine making company. Dining with him was an experience. He would describe each dish, and point out tastes that I simply COULD NOT SENSE!!!! I guess it would be like describing a symphony to a partially deaf person. I would chew, listening to what he was describing, he would call out terms, flavors, textures, and I would just nod...and KEEP CHEWING!!!! I had NO PERCEPTION of just what he was describing.

My H invited them over for dinner, and asked me what I could prepare that they would enjoy. I thought a moment, and said, "How about my cioppino?" He smiled, and agreed. I didn't make it very often, it was expensive, and we were on a budget, but it was very tasty. My H said that he and the man would be away the day of the dinner, but would be back at 6:00 pm. I nodded, and said, "OK, I will prepare the meal, set the table, and such".

That day, he left with the man, and I told the wife that I didn't need any help. I did prepare the cioppino, but did so on that back porch, so there was no smell in the house. I greeted everyone around 6:00, and I looked elegant, I had done my hair and makeup very nice, and the table was set for four with our nice china. I had decantered a nice red wine, and poured everyone a glass, and said, "OK, let us eat". I then bought out a platter...and

...dropped a boiled hot dog, a boiled turnip, and two slices of white bread on their plates...

I sat down, and began carving up my hot dog, smiling...and asking, "Anyone want mustard?"

My H and the man's wife started to boil over, but the man had a wonderful sense of humor. He tasted the hot dog, and said, "No this earthen taste, with the complex taste of the East, needs no additive." I dipped my hot dog in mustard, and said, "I disagree, the hot dog has a spoiled taste, like a piece of chicken that has been left out in the sun, the mustard covers it up". We commented on the turnip, in a similar manner, and my H and the other W were silent, but getting angry. I figured that the joke had gone on long enough. So I started laughing, I stood, and picked up the plates...the man pretended to protest...taking another piece of the hot dog.

I placed nice bowls in front of everyone, and then ladled cioppino into each one, and added a nice chunk of sourdough bread...

My H did ORDER ME...later that evening...to not play such jokes...again... >:(

I DISOBEYED...a number of times... ;D

Probably one of the reasons he divorced me... :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 12, 2022, 05:15:26 PM: I am sure he enjoyed the joke and probably future ones as well, besides, a bit of disobedience is fun smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 13, 2022, 12:02:56 PM: ...A REALLY NICE performance of the Brahms 1st cello sonata.... :)

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=597D368DA11EF9B93846597D368DA11EF9B93846&q=brahms cello sonata&shtp=GetUrl&shid=c1b8fe3d-87c1-4528-bc54-4172b5d6cf29&shtk=QnJhaG1zIC0gQ2VsbG8gU29uYXRhIE5vLjEgRSBtaW5vciwgT3AuIDM4&shdk=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuamJsYW5jaHByb2R1Y3Rpb25zLmNvbSBDaHJpc3RvcGggQ3JvaXPDqSBpcyBhIGNlbGxpc3Qgd2l0aCBpbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsIGNvbmNlcnQgYXBwZWFyYW5jZXMuIEF0IHRoZSBhZ2Ugb2YgMTcsIGhlIG1hZGUgaGlzIE5ldyBZb3JrIGRlYnV0IGF0IENhcm5lZ2llIEhhbGwsIHdoZXJlIGhlIGhhcyBwZXJmb3JtZWQgb24gc2V2ZXJhbCBvY2Nhc2lvbnMgc2luY2UuIEhlIGFsc28gYXBwZWFycyByZWd1bGFybHkgaW4gZnVydGhlciB3b3JsZC1yZW5vd25lZCBjb25jZXJ0IGhhbGxzIGluY2x1ZGluZyB0aGUgVG9uaGFsbGUgWnVyaWNoLCB0aGUgVmllbm5hIEtvbnplcnRoYXVzLCB0aGUgLi4u&shhk=HvHVTJicYYYNlFLMaW4r7RdRJohXswuxoq44zoBrWRE%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.tN1d3SyYEi81Cc8cXjgdGgIIDe

I LOVE the way that it is presented. The work is not just a cello playing, with the piano just in the background, it really is a duet. So, the person who made the video does a wonderful job of highlighting both performers. (The guys will like looking at the pianist). You can see that both are involved, and working together to express the work.

You also get a sense of what it is like to play both instruments. I could play both at that level at my prime, and I wasn't physical with the piano...I mean...the DAMN THING was LARGER AND HEAVIER THAN ME!!! I would just lean close and coax it. ::)

The cello was different...I was sitting there, my legs spread, holding a chunk of lumber between my legs...left hand on it...and I did...

...GET PHYSICAL!!!! :o

I would grip it with my thighs, hold it close, and run my fingers up and down the fingerboard. Bowing was also fun. Do notice that his bow is not just going back and forth on the same place...it is all OVER the place below the fingerboard. That is because a note sounds different where the bow is placed. If I wanted to express a soft, intimate sound, I bowed very close to the end of the fingerboard. If I wanted to be loud and angry, my bow was very close to the bridge. If I was lazy, I bowed between the two positions.

OK, finished my lesson on music pedagogy... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 13, 2022, 05:55:50 PM: Love your descriptions and the sensuality you show in doing so with the instrument.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 14, 2022, 05:10:45 PM: ...Sticking it into the Junior Partner... ;D

The Junior Partner (JP) at the first Law Firm I first joined didn't like me. Part of it was just chemistry...yanno...ever walked up to a stranger, and didn't like her, even though she looked fine? We humans do have senses that we don't understand. I once left the County Law Library, even though there were cases I wanted to locate and read, just because of the way I was feeling. A few hours later, a gunman was in the Law Library, no one was injured, the Cops talked him down. (He wasn't one of my clients...my clients usually just carried knives. They would show them to me, and I would open a certain drawer, and show them mine.)

Anyway, I took an instinctive dislike of the JP, and the feeling was mutual, I believe. I was handed nice assignments by the Senior Partner, and won many motions and assisted him in complex trials. The JP didn't like me being successful, even though I was making money for the Firm, and instructed the Secretaries to assign me every 'shit job' that came up. So, in the morning, I would drive for an hour to a remote Courthouse, and try to collect $683 from some poor person for a large Insurance Company. I would drive back, maybe with $23 in the file. If I had stayed in my office, I could have billed almost $2,000 for what I was capable of.

The JP had his "Lap Dog" LD...that he favored. The LD just sat in on depositions, and dictated reports to the Insurance Companies...and billed $90 per hour.

One day, the LD came to me, and asked me to help him with a case. I nodded, and listened to what he said, and asked to be able to read the file. He left it in my office, and I spent the morning going through it, organizing it, and reading it. It was a complex business dispute, and I saw a way...TO CUT THE LEGS OUT OF THE OTHER SIDE!!! I spoke to the LD, explaining what I saw, but he wasn't understanding what I was pointing out. I just said, "OK, I will prepare the Motion for Summary Judgement". If granted, our client would be out of the case. ;D

I stayed late, a few evenings, and into the morning hours, preparing the motion. My H was used to me doing that. And got the damn thing written out, and dictated it, and gathered and marked the exhibits. I revised it a few times, after reading it, and then approved the final papers. The signature at the bottom of the pages, was the damn LD. I had not been authorized to work on the file.

He filed it, and it WAS GRANTED!!!

At a meeting of the Firm, the damn JP was crowing about how brilliant the LD was, and saying that all of the new attorneys should study the Motion, and learn from it. I sat, silent, and STARED at the LD. He squirmed, and said, "P------- prepared it."

The JP calmed down, and said...

..."Just a simple motion, LD probably prepared it during his lunch break."

I laughed my ass off driving home, and began making plans to leave the Firm.

((This is a true tale of my life... :)))
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 15, 2022, 05:08:00 PM: Have had places where I made suggestions for improvements etc only to habe someone higher up take the credit while the ones immediately ober me were saying focus more on your work not other suggestiins yet the ones taking the credit were getting recognition for what I suggested. Seems a common business practice.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 17, 2022, 03:21:20 AM: ...Dancing...I REALLY loved it!!! And NOT those stupid things that young people do now...They just stand away from each other, and wiggle and jump up and down!!!

HELLS BELLS...just do that in your bedroom, and then go to bed! ::)

...I wanted to be in the arms of a man, and look into his eyes as we danced...my left hand on his shoulder, my right hand gripping his hand as his other hand was on my waist, guiding me as we danced. In HS, I took ballroom dancing classes, and did well. This one guy and I would be called out to demonstrate to the others some dance steps. We did well...I LOVED when we WALZED!!! It may sound corney, but it is the most beautiful dance. There you are, a man holding you, and you swirl around in 3/4 time, and you can swirl and do all sorts of elegant moves.

...A guy that I didn't really like, danced well together with me. The teacher would tell us to demonstrate the waltz, and I would be uncomfortable, at first...I mean...he was HOLDING ME!!! He was gripping my right hand, and his arm was around my waist...he would actually drop it so that he was holding my hip...I would pull it back up so that it didn't drop down to my thigh...but...WE DANCED!!! I let him direct me, and held him close as we danced, and he would gently push me away, and hold my hand up, and I would swirl, and he would gather me back.

...When I danced the waltz with a boyfriend...I didn't pull his hand back up when it dropped to my hip... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 17, 2022, 05:56:59 PM: Slow dancing was how I learned to dance as well. Not one for the modern styles either lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 19, 2022, 01:50:39 AM: ...Being ornery while performing music... ::)

...I am JUST ornery...can't help it...

...We were performing a concert with the semi professional orchestra, and after the brief rehearsal before the concert, they gave ALL OF US cute bouttioniers. (sp) It was a yellow rose, and they expected all of us to wear it on our lapels. I tried it out, but I didn't like the way that it looked on me, my face was a bit uncolored, I had been working hard in a trial. So, before we went out, I scored some tape from the back room, and stuck the rose on the left side of the scroll of my cello. I was sitting Principal, so the left side of 'Catherine' was exposed to the audience.

...I led the Orchestra rise as the Conductor walked in...I could see stage right, and I would get a big smile on my face and nod to the Concert Mistress, and she would stand, and the rest of us would. (He was approaching behind her, so I would signal her when he entered the stage)'

...He got on the podium, and bowed to the audience, and looked us over...and STARED AT ME...seeing my yellow rose on my cello, and not above my right breast, where all of the other women were wearing theirs.

...The concert went well, I played my brief solos, and the rose stayed on Catherine's scroll.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 19, 2022, 05:37:05 PM: So you were a rebel but then always got that sense from you lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 19, 2022, 09:24:21 PM: ..Performing music...it just drains me... :-\

...I mastered this work, on cello, but it was difficult. It has complex melodies, and chords, and I had to sit alone, in the closet sized practice room, and carefully work out each passage. I was long past the level where I would apply tape to my fingerboard, I just had to find the place to plant my fingers. :) I am gradually coming back to life, and I took Pavane out. and looked him over. I chuckled, looking at the back of his neck...there were several rows where the varnish had been worn off. My fingers would settle into the positions I needed, to play, and so my thumb wore off the varnish at certain levels on the neck. (Stupid thumb...I would hold her up, and scold her, and she just looked back at me...she couldn't give me 'the finger'...she doesn't have one.) I was kinda happy to see that, it showed that I KNEW where to plant my fingers.

...I was happy, for a moment, holding Pavane. I had driven back home, from AZ, with him in the back seat of my VW bug, and 'Catherine' was strapped in the seat beside me, worrying about how I would explain, to my husband, that we needed to get a 2nd Mortgage on our house so I could wire transfer $20K to South Africa.

...I performed this, and got a lot of aupplause. I was not one of those cute young women, who walk onto the stage, smile, play, and smile and walk back.

...I walked out, scowling, holding my cello, and settled my butt into the chair, and found a hole in the stage to stick my tailpin in, I had to move my chair a bit. I believed that my cello sounded better when the tailpin was in the stage, rather than being in some kind of a rockstop. I checked the tuning of my cello, adjusted the D string with the fine tuner on the tail, and nodded to the pianist. We performed this...At 4:40...I was actually VERY ANGRY...and was snarling...I just sat for a moment, after we finished, and carefully rose, and looked over my shoulder at the pianist, and blew a kiss.

https://youtu.be/9XiYrzsgWto
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 19, 2022, 11:07:17 PM: ..Once, when I got PUT INTO MY PLACE!!! :o

...I was very competitive as a young woman, especially in playing music. I was good at the cello, and the piano, and would bully my way to sit first chair in a Community orchestra. I would challenge the first chair, or just sit back in 5th chair, and play better...AND LOUDER...than the cellos before me...and the Conductor would kick me to 1st chair to just shut me up. ::)

...A friend showed me an event, where classical musicians would meet for a weekend, and play music. We would rehearse, and practice together, and perform our quartet, or whatever, on Sunday afternoon. I looked at the register, on Saturday, and saw that I was assigned the Shubert Quintet...but...but...but...

...I was assigned to play SECOND CELLO!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

...I entered the room, grouchy, and greeted the other performers, and set the SECOND CELLO PART on my stand...and looked at it. I was familiar with the work, and had always played FIRST CELLO!!! I had never played second cello. I tuned up, and played with the others, but my mind was unfocused...I kept on thinking..."I should be playing first cello." The coach came in, and listened to us, and made a few comments. He then called a break, and took me to the side, and asked why I wasn't showing any interest. I replied, "I play better than that guy, I SHOULD BE FIRST CELLO!!!"

...He slapped me on my butt, and said...

..."Music takes everyone to perform, you can't just pout because you don't have the first part. The second part is as important as all of the others. So, get back in, and play as well as I have heard you."

...I did, at the performance, and we got a lot of aupplause. I looked over, seeing our Coach, and nodded, smiled at him...and...

...Rubbed my butt...

https://youtu.be/-FEODPzkKSw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 20, 2022, 12:18:25 AM: ...In the music link above, the young woman is playing the second cello part. You can see how important the part is... :)...it adds excitement and such while the others play in unison. Also...you get to pluck your strings. ;D I always liked to pluck my strings, I used my middle finger, my first finger was gripping my bow, and telling the other two to hold onto the frog. Once, during a hard strum with my middle finger, I tore it open, and blood landed on my cello. I walked off of the stage, sucking on my middle finger...not exactly a dignified exit...I didn't come out for a stage bow, there was a lot of aupplause...I wouldn't have looked very dignified, sucking on my middle finger as I did a bow, or a curtsy. My friends liked to see me curtsy...it was a deep one...bending my knees...and smiling. There were probably some who would have been delighted, seeing me curtsy, and sucking on my middle finger.. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 20, 2022, 05:17:28 PM: I can see your competitiveness it shiws in both your talking about playing in orchestra and as a lawyer. Ouch on the finger being cut while playing. The coach was right about all members being equally important in any performance though interesting the method the coach used to get the point accross lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 21, 2022, 01:36:12 PM: ... :)...The Coach saw that I wasn't listening to him, so he slapped my butt to get me to focus... ::)

...I am really grieving this day, "Meat Loaf" died...I ADORED HIS MUSIC!!! He looked like a big fat slob, but the PASSION he put into his music was increadible. In HS I just listened to classical music, and was a cello performance major the first two years of college. I was elected to a University student position, and helped anyway I could, and was assigned to help plan dances...and HAD to listen to rock and folk music. Later, I was appointed to be the STUDENT SOCIAL DIRECTOR, and was REALLY PISSED!!!! I wanted to be the STUDENT ACADEMIC DIRECTOR...it fit my personality better...I was a shy young woman.

...I was captivated by "Two out of three ain't bad", and began listening to CD's of Meat Loaf. (In between a Bruckner symphony...the librarian was amused when I checked out CD's...I would have a mixture of classical works, and really sleazy rock music and such. I told her that the sleazy stuff was for my roommates...but I put on my headphones, and listened to them). I wanted to produce a concert with Meat Loaf, but his schedule wouldn't fit, so I just did 'Tower of Power' and Roberta Flack...and the police hauled me out because I had a shoebox FULL of cash.)

...Such an Entertainer, and poet. I read that he helped compose his songs, and would come up with the lyrics, some are very thoughtful. And...HIS PERFORMANCES!!!! He left ALL of himself on the Stage. :) This is a nice one..."Bat out of Hell"...the way he moves his body really makes the lyrics come alive...he expresses the pain.

...I will pray for him, every night, and thank him for his artistry. I am sure that...

...He is not in Hell...

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=F9C1F35B96815C1C6E61F9C1F35B96815C1C6E61&q=meat ;oaf bat out of hell&shtp=GetUrl&shid=ffe4f200-bc03-4386-afc2-4d298ca29fc8&shtk=TWVhdCBMb2FmIC0gQmF0IE91dCBvZiBIZWxsIChQQ00gU3RlcmVvKQ%3D%3D&shdk=V2F0Y2ggdGhlIG9mZmljaWFsIG11c2ljIHZpZGVvIGZvciBcIkJhdCBPdXQgT2YgSGVsbFwiIGJ5IE1lYXQgTG9hZiBMaXN0ZW4gdG8gTWVhdCBMb2FmOiBodHRwczovL01lYXRsb2FmLmxuay50by9saXN0ZW5ZRCBTdWJzY3JpYmUgdG8gdGhlIG9mZmljaWFsIE1lYXQgTG9hZiBZb3VUdWJlIGNoYW5uZWw6IGh0dHBzOi8vTWVhdGxvYWYubG5rLnRvL3N1YnNjcmliZVlEIFdhdGNoIG1vcmUgTWVhdCBMb2FmIHZpZGVvczogaHR0cHM6Ly9NZWF0bG9hZi5sbmsudG8vbGlzdGVuWUMveW91dHViZSBGb2xsb3cgTWVhdCBMb2FmOiBGYWNlYm9vazogaHR0cHM6Ly9NZWF0bG9hZi5sbmsudG8vZm9sbG93RkkgLi4u&shhk=r0O4UqnYRrmkXJcrkKWVW4nlF3u4Co%2FsCX4Jbx8t7tU%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.wSxzEc91brXMw-FxyhOw5AHgFo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 21, 2022, 06:11:33 PM: ...A shoebox full of cash... ::)

The graduate student Financial Director was surprised when I called him late at night, and met him at the Student Center, escorted by two cops. He knew that I had used Student Funds to produce a concert with Roberta Flack. The cops had held my arms as they got me out of the auditorium...I was clutching the shoebox...I had forgotten to bring my pouch, it was thick fabric, and had a lock. I found a shoebox, and stuffed ALL of the cash into it. I was happy to get out, the road manager and personal manager were arguing, and I just sat off to the side...

...HOLDING THE CASH!!!!

I wrote a very small University check to them, and the cops hauled me out...

...I wasn't ABOUT TO LET THE MEN TAKE THE CASH FROM ME!!!

The cops knew that I was the promoter, the Sergeant had introduced me to them, and said, "She is in charge, don't let her fuck up."

The two cops had watched, as the argument went on, and I sat off to the side, silent, clutching the shoebox, and they said, "We have to get this student back to campus, it is getting late."

...They took my arms, and led me out. They had a real worry, it was late at night, and if certain types thought that I was carrying cash...well...it wouldn't go well...

They hauled my ass back to campus. They watched as we counted it, and took the financial director to the bank, and I walked, and slid down the bank, to get to my Apt.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 21, 2022, 07:39:55 PM: Other than the songs he wrote for bonnie tyler and celine dion, I never listened to meatloaf but could hear his words in the songs they sung. He was quite talented indeed. I was never a hard rock or classical fan, more folk, modern country, bit of disco, and soft rock/easy listening, despite being trained in classical music on the piano so while I am familiar with motzart, brahms, etc just not my listening tastes lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 22, 2022, 09:06:16 AM: ...I love Bonnie Tyler, too. I would be mesmerized listening to "Total Eclipse of the Heart", and her video of it was amazing.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 22, 2022, 07:17:02 PM: I completely agree. I ised to jabe a sword kata to that song
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 23, 2022, 06:21:01 PM: ...Being the "Ball Girl" in H.S.

...I was a wimpy, cello playing girl in H.S. "Cept when I was practicing karate.

...In my Senior year in H.S., I sat in the booth at home games, and announced the games over the loudspeaker. I would travel with the team at 'away games', and be the 'Ball Girl'. It was my assignment to stand with the team on the sidelines, and hold a football in a towel and keep it clean. That was actually important, when it was raining, or cold. So, I would be standing, the football creadled in my arms, wrapped in a towel, the hood of my coat over my head, and I would hand out the dry football to a referee, and take the wet one and dry it off.

...At first, I REALLY didn't like being called the 'Ball Girl'...I felt that it had sexual overtones. Especially since the Varsity players would address me as 'Ball Girl' in the hallways of our school.

...But, I laughed when I attended a dance, we all were issued nametags, and mine said...

..."BALL GIRL"

...I wore it... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 23, 2022, 07:40:12 PM: Lol love your stories. I was a member of the honour guard, later honour guard commander so had to present the colours at various games or other local events so can relate to being at such events but not being part of the game oh, and honestly, unless I am a participant, like in martial arts, I tend to dislike sports lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 24, 2022, 07:50:23 PM: ...The goddamn piano... :P

I was a piano performance major for a couple years, and had a piano in our apt and home when I was married.

...Performing Music got me 'hot'...the cello was the worst...it was between my legs...but the piano was also difficult. I would be moving my hands, looking at the keys, and gritting my teeth. I would finish working on a piece at home...and sit...staring at the keys...and my H would haul me off of the bench, throw me on the bed...

and...FINISH me off... 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 24, 2022, 09:07:45 PM: Smiles sounds like you and he had fun often
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 27, 2022, 12:04:38 AM: ...Trying to ride my ten speed up to the top of Mt Diablo...BY MYSELF!!! It is very high, and is some sort of Geographical Measure Point in CA. ::)

...My mental illness, bi-polar, kicked in during my Jr Year of HS. I didn't need to sleep, school was easy, and I practiced for long hours on my cello and piano. I also caddied at the Country Club, and saved a lot of money. I bought a very nice 10-speed bicycle, and rode it all over town. Our house...(Where I am living, now, helping my elderly mother)...is about 10 miles from the base of the mountain. As a child, I would sit in the back yard, drink a coke, and use my binoculars to see radio antennas, and some kind of building on top.

...So, one morning in my Jr Year, I was sitting in the back yard, eating my pancakes, and thought...

..."WELL, WHAT THE HECK, RIDE UP THERE AND SEE WHAT IS THERE!!!"

...For most of my life, I have had good judgement, that is how I earned the letters after my name, and earned money...but...

..."I was a KID...in the throes of Bi-Polar...

...So, I finished my pancakes, and showered, and put on my riding clothes...(No helmet...we didn't wear them back then)...checked over my 10-speed, and dropped a bottle of Tab into the holder. I didn't tell my parents what I was going to do...and headed out. I was excited as I quickly rode the level ground, and got onto the road that led to the top. It was a somewhat rustic two lane road, and a few times I just pulled over to the side, and stopped, so the cars that were backed up against me got by. I recieved a few rude comments, but didn't respond...I was getting winded.

...I had to pull over a number of times when I was about half way up...I had my gear set in 1st...and was slowly spinning my feet...and would pull over when I heard cars coming up behind...MY BIKE DIDN'T HAVE MIRRORS...I didn't want to be distracted, seeing my opponents in a race behind me. I actually got off, and walked the bike to a side road, and then rode my bike into a cheap little lodge. I had seen the lodge when I had driven by...and...and...and...

'''THEY HAD A POOL!!!!!

I greeted the Manager, and asked to buy a coke. He took pity on me, and handed one to me and waved off the quarter. I drank it, and got revived a bit, and said, "You have a pool." He smiled, and nodded, and said, "You can use it if you want." I said, "I don't have a bathing suit." He smiled, and returned with a cardboard box that was half full of women's bathing suits. My eyes got a bit wide, but I was very hot and tired, so I sorted through them. I just pushed the two pieces to the side, and pulled out a brown one piece that looked like it would fit me. I asked, "How much?" He laughed and said, "Give me the quarter, and you can rent it." I did.

It fit fairly well, and I went to the pool, and looked in, and it was clean. I jumped in, and swam a bit, but mostly relaxed. I was in the pool for about an hour, and then got out, feeling much better, and dried myself and got back into my clothes. I gave him back the bathing suit, and sat...he gave me another coke...he was probably amused by my arrival. (I was very lucky, that he was an honest man, I suspected that he had been watching me...not for the wrong reasons...but...I did look good back then...but he was probably astonished to see a teenage girl this far up the hill, on a 10-speed...by herself!!!)

I told him that I had wanted to ride to the top of the mountain, and he just nodded, and said..."Next time you want to try, get with an organized group that does that. They have cars and trucks following the cyclists, in case someone needs help." I finished my coke, and said, "Good advice, thank you."

I planted my butt on the bike and just coasted down the hill, back to home. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 27, 2022, 12:49:48 AM: ...Here is the Mountain... :o

...https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=B+YMcYRN&id=EA997727C37C8F2977F9A875E24EB037D8D41CE1&thid=OIP.B-YMcYRNoUh8ntAKrpnoggHaEu&mediaurl=https://www.cardcow.com/images/set837/card01132_fr.jpg&cdnurl=https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.07e60c71844da1487c9ed00aae99e882?rik=4RzU2DewTuJ1qA&pid=ImgRaw&r=0&sres=1&sresct=1&srh=799&srw=1253&exph=383&expw=600&q=mt+diablo+from+concord&simid=607993036598360838&form=IRPRST&ck=2767A444EC2C3876FEF966AA47679B54&selectedindex=21&qpvt=mt+diablo+from+concord&adlt=off&shtp=GetUrl&shid=3c557b00-b412-4c01-b4cf-df9fdb79b868&shtk=TXQuIERpYWJsbyBhbmQgY2l0eSBvZiBDb25jb3JkIEFlcmlhbCB2aWV3IENhbGlmb3JuaWEgUG9zdGNhcmQ%3D&shdk=Rm91bmQgb24gQmluZyBmcm9tIHd3dy5jYXJkY293LmNvbQ%3D%3D&shhk=SQElZQwFPjkUaguZpGalW%2Bujk0lW3GFNfw3uc%2F7prVY%3D&shth=OIP.B-YMcYRNoUh8ntAKrpnoggHaEu
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 27, 2022, 05:33:30 PM: Quite the adventurer you are smiles. I had a single speed bicycle only power it had was how hard the rider pedaled lol. We were in a forest on 3 sides of the house and a street on the other (only street in and out of the area). One could not ride a bicycle through the forest as the brush was too thick but as there was no park, playground etc in the area our playground was the forest. We knew those woods like the back of our hand and could navigate them even in the dark but if one were to take a city slicker and drop them in the middle of that forest it was large enough to take them days to find their way out lol. The only place to ride the bicycle was on the one street in and out from the main road about 2 miles away and the only thing there was a gas station lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 27, 2022, 11:24:39 PM: ..this is the song by Meat Loaf, that put me into tears...it still does. :'(

...I never attended a concert of his, my boyfriend probably would have had to almost carry me out.

Performing music, properly, isn't just about singing the notes, or playing them in tune. A Performer, has to...

...EXPRESS WHAT THE MUSIC IS...He did it...

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=D633A5847BEF17899701D633A5847BEF17899701&q=meat&shtp=GetUrl&shid=ff578dc8-9933-45c5-a873-82306dc9b7c1&shtk=TWVhdCBMb2FmIC0gVHdvIE91dCBPZiBUaHJlZSBBaW4ndCBCYWQ%3D&shdk=dmlkZW8gY2xpcA%3D%3D&shhk=guTTod5KwDetpXUh2vLpeykxvY5X5wF%2FbM6FFjTyxTI%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.bkeOnndO7lLzcNIMYnE3EQEsDh
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 28, 2022, 07:44:37 PM: I agree on a singer habing to express and portray the passion and emotion in the song not just sing them on key. This is why there is a difference between a singer and a performer. I much prefer a singer.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 30, 2022, 10:53:08 PM: ...All You Can Eat Buffets..... :(

...In college, there was a Chinese Restaurant that my (not romantic) girlfriend and I would often go to eat lunch, and dinner. It was a buffet, and so we would grab a plate, and bypass the salad and some other Western dishes, I would always grab some chicken and ham, and get to the trays that had Chinese food. (I mean, I DIDN'T come there to eat potato salad and green beans...I would head a few doors down the alley to do that). We would carefully take an assortment of items, and get to a table and order some tea. There was a table that we claimed when we could, it OVERLOOKED the dining area, and we felt like we were the Empress, and Her Attendant dining. (We did a game, before we entered, to decide who was the 'Empress'...I was happy when I won, she would have to get up and bring me another helping of rice, or such, when I wanted more, but I fetched for her when she wanted when I was the Attendant.)

...One afternoon, my Attendant and I were dining, and a group of young men came in. They took a table, and then proceeded to devour what they had placed on their plates. They had gone to the end of the buffet, and their plates were piled high with shrimp, prawns, duck, and ALL of the expensive items...all protein...no carbs. I looked over at the line, and serving trays were empty, and people were standing back, holding their partially full plates, waiting for more food to be brought out. They waited a while, but I saw people just set their partially filled plates on a table and leave.

...The business failed, other restaurants were doing fine. I figure that those young men, and others like them, came in and ate ALL of the expensive stuff
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 30, 2022, 10:56:50 PM: ...To end the above post...

...Why return to a restaurant, when there is no food??? :(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 31, 2022, 09:41:40 AM: ...Frozen Iguana...no mustard, please... ;D

...Seeing the news speaking of iguanas falling from trees back East made me a bit sad. They are actually nice reptiles. Early in our marriage, we had a female iguana named "Didly" (I come up with unusual names for pets). I believe I have written about her before, she ate ALL of our house plants, and would go through amazing problem solving ways to get to them. We, finally, just gave up on having house plants. She would sit in the window sill to get sun, and children in the Apt Complex would flock around, and look at her. She probably liked being admired.

...One late afternoon, it was a Saturday, I had had an Orchestra rehearsal, and was horrified when I got home. My H had left the front window partially opened, and Didly was half way up the screen...ALMOST FROZEN!!! It was Winter. :o I carefully pulled her off...her claws were in the screen...and she wasn't moving at all...and she was COLD :'( But, I decided to try to resuscitate her, and closed the window, and placed her on a towel. I got out my hair dryer, and sat on the couch, and set the dryer on 'Low', and began running warm air over her.

...My H came home, and looked at me...here I was...watching TV...and Didly was laying stiff in my lap, and I was moving the hair dryer back and forth over her. I said, "I think Didly died because you left the window partially open"...and kept running warm air over her. He just stared at me, and then went to get a beer. I wasn't angry, I was just being 'informative'.

...I actually was astonished when Didly began moving, so I kept warming her up, and her eyes fully opened. She moved more, and stretched her legs, and then looked up at me, and TOOK OFF!!! ::) I was laughing so hard, my H came in and asked what was going on. I pointed at Didly as she was climbing back into her terrarium..."I guess she recovered." He laughed, too.

...Didly liked my H more than she liked me. Once, we were having a minor argument, and I was holding Didly in my lap. Didly was looking back and forth, and then...

...She BIT ME...and jumped away. ::)

...That put an end to the argument, I told him..."You won".
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 31, 2022, 09:47:59 AM: ...Kinda reminds me of that strange line in a movie that I can't remember the name of, the Hero is speaking to his group, who are going to defend a village, and talks about the need to keep fighting even if shot or cut, and says..."And if you get killed...

...Just Walk it Off..."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 31, 2022, 06:49:25 PM: Lol on the walk it off in the movie. Sort of like in babylon 5 when one of the characters was thought to be dead and returns to the station. They said we thought you were dwad, he says I was but I got over it I am better now.

Reptiles do go into shock from the cold but if warmed back up in time will recover. Have to remember they are cold blooded creatures.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 31, 2022, 11:13:24 PM: ... :)...I kinda remember that line, too, Nate. Was he that 'cop kinda' guy who was around, making trouble? Or that guy who was an Eternal, and who would manifest himself in amusing costumes at difficult times. I adored BB5, I have the discs...I identified with the mean #2 in command...Ivanova. I was kinda like her at work. I kept things going, but at times things happened. Hey...I was a lawyer, handling personal injury claims. Once, the cops came into our office building, and got us all outside. I was the Manager of our offices, and after we got outside, and I saw some Firemen enter the building, I asked the cops, "What is going on?" They wouldn't tell me. I told the staff to go home, and told the attorneys to go to the County Law Library, and study..."You guys still don't understand how to introduce a document as evidence in a case."

They ALL went home. I stayed with a cop, I told him that we had important papers in our offices, which was true, and watched the building, I would have to report to Main Office why I shut down our office. The cops were wearing helmets, and I asked if I could have one. My white, construction helmet was in my office. They declined, and kept me well away from the building. I walked to the 7/11 and bought one of those HUGE cups of Coca Cola, came back, they waved me away, and I planted my butt down and watched. I wasn't trying to be difficult, we had files on accident cases, and some involved very prominent people in the Community. I mean, I had read medical records of some very important people, and they HAD to be kept private. If the building blew up, I would be the first to run in, and search the wreckage for certain files.

After three hours, the Firemen left, and the cops told me that I could go back in. I did, burping from all of the coke I had drunk, and there was no sign that they had entered our suite of offices. I sat, and called the homes of my staff, and said that things were fine, and to come back tomorrow. I also called M.O., and told my Manager what had happened. He said. "OK, go home." I said "OK", hung up, and stayed for six hours...I had work that needed to be done.

The next day, I spoke with the Manager of the building, and she told me that it was a bomb scare...some idiot had called, and said that he had planted a bomb in the office that had Plaintiff Attorneys. I shook my head, and left...thinking...

..."It was probably the idiot Mr S.....I defensed his case last month. He is blaming his attorney, he should have blamed ME!"
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 01, 2022, 05:30:02 PM: As I recall, it was the captain who said that whwn they introduced the eternals into the show and he was with one of them shortly after detonating the nuclear bomb on the shadow base.

One of my office had to be evacuated due to fire alarm. I was the office manager and has to secure the computers and files on the way out. Turns out it was just a smoke detector set off by someone who accidentally burned some popcorn in a microwave lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 03, 2022, 04:38:24 PM: https://youtu.be/Qp62CN8X30k

This Artist is AMAZING, truly AMAZING!!! :D

I was laughing, and actually crying at times. Music hits me in a place that affects my whole body. That is why I would be exhausted, or full of energy after performing. I would slink off to the green room, load my cello up, and walk to my Apt, or dance around in the green room, wanting to get back onto the stage. And, it didn't depend on how I performed...I would be called out for curtain calls...and be horribly depressed because I missed a few notes or didn't play a phrase EXACTLY how I had practiced it. Other times, I would bow, and laugh as I did a cute curtsy...my Cello and Piano Professors scolded me when I curtsied...they said that women didn't do that anymore. I would look at them in the audience, wide eyed, and nod...and go out and curtsy. ;)...even though I missed some notes. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 03, 2022, 04:57:45 PM: ...We performed the Canon at a fun concert. I actually had a 'page turner', even though I was playing the same 8 notes, at the same tempo, over and over again. I would pretend to get panicked, and look up at him, and he would turn a 'page'...we had 50 of them on my stand...and I would breathe with relief...and continue to play the same notes. He dropped the pages, and I was looking down at the floor, my mouth wide open with concern, as he pulled up a page, and held it out to me, and searched the floor for the next page.

I laughed my ass off, when I received the music for a wedding. The Canon was in the list...but the music wasn't there. There was simply a note that said...

..."If you haven't memorized this by now, call your Alternate."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 03, 2022, 05:40:36 PM: Music whether performing or listening to it has a way of affecting the emotions of those involved. When I was acting on stage, I was often left drained and needed to be alone for a bit after to recover so can relate.

Lol on the same 8 notes for the song and the note left for you for the performance smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 03, 2022, 11:24:16 PM: ,,,When I ALMOST gave up playing the piano... :P

I was a cello performance major in my Frosh year of college, but I could play the piano fairly well. The Professor of Piano I was assigned...not gonna say his name...but he was also a Composer...encouraged me to major in piano, too. I eagerly accepted the challenge...at that age...like everyone...I was up to any challenge, and figured that if I worked hard enough, I could major in both Instruments. I envisioned Graduation, the formal ceremony had the performance majors perform a work, and I thought that it would be GREAT if I came out, and performed on the cello, AND the piano. Nobody had ever done that before. ;D

I was assigned this work, and had no idea of what it was, I had never heard it before. I walked the three miles, downtown, to the music store, bought the score, and walked back. I was sweating like a pig, it was hot, and so I just tossed the package on my bed, and went into the communal shower in the dorm and got cleaned up. I then drank a Tab, and laid on my bed, and then opened the package and looked at the music. My eyes got wide...I would turn back to the 1st page, and look at the meter marker, and my watch, and get an idea of how fast it needed to be played. :P

I actually thought..."Fuck this shit, gonna just stay with the cello." But, I laid on my bed, and read the music, envisioning what fingers to place, and where...and groaned.

I did steal into a practice room, late at night, and at about 2:00 am decided..."I just might be able to play this."

I practiced it at night, no one else were in the practice rooms, until I got it partially under my fingers, and then practiced it during the day.

I did perform it, and Rags can imagine how I looked, holding onto the side of the piano, nodding my head, and just wanting to get back to my Apt...although I did play it well...and the audience gave me a lot of applause.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=2BBF60BA9B5F2393159F2BBF60BA9B5F2393159F&q=beethoven piano somatas&shtp=GetUrl&shid=e7641590-f328-4601-be40-b512d6627e85&shtk=QW5hc3Rhc2lhIEh1cHBtYW5uIHBsYXlzIEJlZXRob3ZlbiBQaWFubyBTb25hdGEgTm8gOCBpbiBDIG1pbm9yIE9wIDEzIFBhdGhldGlxdWU%3D&shdk=QW5hc3Rhc2lhIEh1cHBtYW5uIHBsYXlzIEJlZXRob3ZlbiBQaWFubyBTb25hdGEgTm8gOCBpbiBDIG1pbm9yIE9wIDEzIFBhdGhldGlxdWUgKiBJLiBHcmF2ZS9BbGxlZ3JvIGRpIG1vbHRvIGUgY29uIGJyaW8gMDowMCAqIElJLiBBZGFnaW8gY2FudGFiaWxlIDk6MjEgKiBJSUkuIFJvbmRvOiBBbGxlZ3JvIDE1OjAxIE1hcnJ5IENocmlzdG1hcyB3aWxsIGNvbWUgdmVyeSBzb29uLiBUaGFuayB5b3Ugc28gbXVjaCBmb3Igc3VwcG9ydGluZyBtZSB3aXRoIHlvdXIgc3Vic2NyaXB0aW9ucywgY29tbWVudHMsIGxpa2VzIGFuZCB2aWV3cyB0aGlzIHllYXIsIHlvdSBtYWtlIG1lIHNvIGhhcHB5Ie2gve24gyBBcyBhIC4uLg%3D%3D&shhk=hIBvHnhfG4XKU2aM9pehOCe4oUwXSZqZAmm%2FOC%2FBK74%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.-FQKub7CbLpigPUm-4EEpAHAD-
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 04, 2022, 01:37:08 AM: ...Pissing off my private piano teacher in H.S. ;D

I took private piano lessons starting in my Soph year of HS, and got pretty good. I was also studying the cello. I didn't have any close friends, and didn't like just hanging out and talking...I would get bored. So, I would go into my room, and practice the cello, and go into the living room, and practice the piano. (And I wondered WHY I wasn't asked out on a date... :P). My private piano teacher would have a recital of his students every year, and his Star Student would play last. I played early, and as my skills got better, I waited to play. In my Sr year of HS, the teacher said that I would play last, and we worked on a Haydn Sonata. I asked if we could work on a transcription of Rhapsody in Blue, by Gershwin, that was for solo piano. He said, "No, your technique isn't up to that level."

I got pissed...I get pissed, easily... >:(

I worked on the Haydn, but worked on the Gershwin on my own. I went to the County Library, and strapped on headphones, and listened to it, as I followed the score, and practiced hard on my insights into the work.

At the recital, I was called last...I was ALL DRESSED UP...after all...I was THE STAR STUDENT!!! ;D He introduced me, and said that I was going to perform the Haydyn. I smiled, and curtsied, and set my butt on the bench. I moved it back and forth a few times, holding my hands over the keyboard, and got everything set right, and looked down at my hands for a moment. Righty was saying, "OK, we know the Haydyn, just let us loose." Lefty was saying..."Go Girl, Go Girl, Go Girl!!!" I let lefty loose, she started it, and I played the Gershwin.

I did it well, at times my face was just above the keys, other times I was straight up, bringing my hands down hard.

I stood at the end, the audience was very happy, and my teacher was GLARING AT ME!!! >:(

I looked at him, and said...

..."I forgot the Haydyn"... :P "Best I can do"

I went on to the Music Conservatory... ::)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-5vrQKWBbg
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 04, 2022, 05:31:37 PM: At least the audience liked it even if the teacher didnt lol. You are very multitalented to be sure.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 06, 2022, 01:16:54 AM: ...Almost SCARED TO DEATH in a commuter train... :o

...I had an interesting experience one morning. I had a Court Appearance in a city a ways away, and just didn't feel like driving, plus, I wanted to study the file. I knew that the train station was close to the Courthouse, so, I parked my car, bought a ticket, and got into the train. I am not very socialable when alone, and so I went into the rear of the train, and sat in the back. The back had a curved bench, and so I plopped my butt in the middle, and did my best to exude an evil aura, so no one would want to sit near me. It worked...people took other seats forward, and I was alone...I was happy, and was reading my file.

...Then, a rather weird looking guy came in, and set a trunk beside me, and ignored me. I moved over a bit, not wanting to be close to the trunk, and he opened it, and took out some rope and cloth. I was beginning to get VERY WORRIED as he strung the rope across the car, and then attached the cloth, hiding us from the rest of the car. I put my file down, and moved over a bit, figuring that I would need to rush out. :P

...He reached into the trunk, and brought out TWO, VERY CUTE HAND PUPPETS!!!

...He then put on a puppet show for the rest of the riders, he held them above the curtain, and had them speak, and do things.

...I almost had an attack of the 'Atomic Giggles'...I ignored my file as I watched.

...He got me into the act, he gestured at the trunk, and I pulled out a hand puppet, and joined the show. I stayed on the train, after we passed my stop, I was having so much FUN!!! Plus, my appearance was in the afternoon.

...He offered to share the tips with me...I did take a dollar...I mean...I had WORKED for it!!!!

...*Shrugs* I have always worked during my life, caddying, waitressing, accounting, musician, being a lawyer...but...I also earned money...

...As a PUPPETTER

...When I can earn money, I GO FOR IT!!!! I have no sense of dignity...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 06, 2022, 07:19:16 PM: If it is fun. Is it really work though. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 07, 2022, 10:59:13 PM: ,,Being a starving student.. :o

At times, I wasn't responsible with the check my parents send me each month, in college, for my food. I would cash it, and go to the grocery store. I would carefully buy what I needed, and eat healthy during the month. But, at times, my "Izee" mind would take over, and I would buy salmon, steak, and other things. I would run out of money the last week.

I would live on crackers and cheese for a week. I would actually go to the place that had food for starving students, and pick up a sack of crackers, and some cheese, and thank the people. I especially liked a bakery, and would buy 3 day old rolls...sometimes...the owner just gave them to me...when I had money, I bought the crossants.

...*S*...That bakery was later a client of mine, I got the Owner out of a dispute. He was amused, I had been a starving student, and now I was an Attorney, and getting him out of a lawsuit.

He gave me a sack of fresh crossants, when the case was over.

...I ate them...with cheese
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 08, 2022, 05:51:38 PM: Kindness often returns upon those who have shown it. He helped you and later you ended up helping him. Smiles. I just completed the PhD and am preparing for board exams hopefully to take them by end of next month.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 09, 2022, 02:15:04 PM: ...Performing music...can have so much PAIN!!! :'(

...I am a soul player, I don't just look at the notes, and stick my fingers down on the keyboard, or the neck of my cello. I try to bring out the music, and don't CARE how I look. I will look down on my hands on the keyboard, and SNARL at them. I will look at lefty on the neck of the cello, and glare at her...she was off tune in a note. I also glared at righty, she was holding the bow, and needed to use her 'paws' to shape the note. First finger made the note loud, and strong, fourth finger made the note expressive.

I would leave the stage, and be unhappy, although I got curtain calls.

My piano professor pointed it out to me..."Music has so much pain and pleasure, but I have never seen someone at your level who has so much pain."

I went into a practice room, and opened the music I wanted to practice, but then just laid my head on the keyboard...and cried.

I changed majors...and didn't cry as a CPA and an Attorney, and a Judge Pro Tem.

But, I do cry when I take out my cello, or sit at my piano...and can't play well.

I need to just practice, more...and put the past behind me.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 09, 2022, 06:05:13 PM: The word for that is passion and it can be a good thing
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 11, 2022, 01:31:43 AM: ...I got Katherine, Pavane, and Rose out of their cases today, and polished them, and tuned them. I also opened my case, that holds eleven bows, and looked them over. I searched my room, and found my cake of rosin in a desk, and got the bows ready. (Usually, my rosin was in a tab in my cello case. :P) Two failed, the horsehair fell off as I tightened the nut. Katherine is 112 years old, Pavane is 41, and Rose is the baby...Katherine and Pavane are cellos, Rose is a Viola de Gamba, and the Luthier made her especially for me. The grumpy old man had me play Katherine for him, and said, "You have NO IDEA of how to play a Gamba." I said, "I am studying it," and hauled a borrowed Gamba into his shop the next week, and sat, and played as best I could. He snorted, but said, "Let me look you over." I was a little nervous as he had me sit, and stand...he didn't touch me...but said, "OK, I will make a Gamba for you." I wrote him a deposit, and signed the purchase agreement...and GOT THE HELL AWAY!!!

...I practiced on the borrowed Gamba as much as I could the next month, waiting for a call.

...I was a bit nervous when I drove back, I had deposited money from my savings into my checking account to pay for the instrument...it was $6,000.00 ...but I hadn't seen the Gamba, yet. I did my best to smile, when I entered, I was VERY NERVOUS...but the nerves left when he opened the case, and ROSE was standing...and I SWEAR she was smiling at me!!! I squatted in front of her, and admired her...the laquer glowed, and the wood and ornamentation was lovely. There were also TWO bows in the case. I untied her, her neck was strapped in the case, so she wouldn't fall out, and picked her up, and looked her over. I asked, "Is she tuned?"

...He laughed, and said, "I did my best."

...I held her between my thighs, and ran a bow over her, and he remarked..."You are playing better." I just smiled and nodded, and played a sonata.

...I wasn't upset when he asked if we could do a wire transfer of the $6,000.00, I called my banker, and he got his on, too, and the money got into his account. I had actually thought of bringing cash, but, being a young woman, I figured that I would just hand over my purse if accosted...but didn't want to have $6,000.00 in it...and the idea of stuffing that much money into my bra and/or panties just didn't fit my idea of dignity. I didn't want to be screaming, and cursing a mugger, who ran off with my purse, while my 'naughty bits' were stuffed with cash. But...I got the gamba, and called a friend to get me home.

...So, we got Rose home. She has a red, hard case, which suits her. I would walk into the concert hall, the bright red case hanging on my right shoulder, and other musicians, would smile, and call out...

..."Hello Rose, good to see you"...

...They ignored me... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 11, 2022, 12:36:10 PM: ...I performed this work several times...it really resonated with me. I could play other works, and smile and leave the stage, and feel OK. When I performed this, well, I got hot. I entered our Apt, after a concert, all wet, it was raining, and set my cello in her corner, and looked at my boyfriend, and said..."Upstairs" I had walked across the campus, and decided to take the longer, paved path to our Apt. Usually, I would slide down the dirt levee, and walk across the field...but I didn't want to slip and slide down, face first. I had done that once...and my boyfriend was highly amused. My face and front of my body were covered with mud...I just shrugged at him, and said...

..."I got gang raped, I need to clean up...they held me face down." He just laughed, and said..."Hope you held something back for me."

...Well, i got naked...and he did me. I was listening to this, in my mind, as I was did. 8)

...https://youtu.be/nioKJNp8ADE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 11, 2022, 05:45:13 PM: I love the bond you have with your instruments and admire your passion for music. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 13, 2022, 11:20:34 AM: ...I was a Speaker to Pigeons... ::)

I raised pigeons in grammer school, and studied them very closely. I got the Merit Badge for raising pigeons in Girl Scouts. I listened to their coos, and tried to imitate them, and got pretty good. Each pigeon has his/her own coo, it is usually just four or five notes. The males have deep voices, the females are upper pitched. I was able to reproduce the coos, except for one female. She had a very unique coo, it was a short note, then followed by eight 16th notes, and two quick coos to finish. I tried to imitate it, and she looked at me, with pity. At times, I would walk to the coop, it was quiet, and I would start emitting long, soft coos...and they would join. We would all be cooing, in unison. The next door neighbor complained to my parents, and I was told to not sing with the pigeons, anymore.

I ignored the order...I do that, often...and sang with the pigeons. I would explain that they were singing to me, when I stood before the coop. My voice did sound like a pigeon when I cooed. (I would coo to my Ex, when I wanted some 'attention'...and would usually get it...sometimes it was just an order..."SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!" ::) I would coo a couple more times, and shut up)

Anyway, in grammar school, they took us to SF, and we were walking around the Academy of Sciences. I saw a flock of pigeons sitting in a building, and walked over, and looked at them. I started cooing to them, and they turned their heads around, looking at me, and then one male joined my coo. The rest joined in, and so there I was, a 5th grader, standing in public, singing with the pigeons. People stopped, and watched.

A teacher grabbed my arm, and hauled me away. "Stay with the group" she commanded.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 13, 2022, 07:00:07 PM: Amazing how we can mimmick animals if we get to know them well enough and those who do not do so cannot understand it. With me it is cats. I meow to my cat, she looks at me, tilts her head and stsrts puurring. A friend I used to skype with lived with 2 other people, they each had cats. I would meow on the mic, the one cat my friend had meowed back, then the other 2 would join in and start lookong around for the new cat lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 16, 2022, 01:40:30 PM: ...I just sat with my Gamba, "Rose" for a few hours today. She is a LOVELY instrument, very elegant, a nice scroll. I looked over her bridge, making sure that it was straight, and tightened a few strings. The body has 'flames', the Luthier was skilled with what he did. The back of her neck is pale, the frets are tied down very tight. Her back is exciting, flames horizontal across her back.

...I cried, several times, upset that life didn't go as I planned...

She comforted me...I thought of bringing Katherine and Pavane down from the second floor...but just kept my butt on the couch...and stopped crying.

...She actually told me, 'You have a nice house, relatives that love you, some coin in the bank...now...

...GET THE GODDAMN BOWS OUT OF THE CASE...AND PRACTICE!!!!

...I put her back into her case...but was laughing...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 16, 2022, 03:56:00 PM: ...This is a nice one... ;D

...https://youtu.be/Lb4Asov1eKY

...and my h was always wondering why I was so 'HOT' after performing...

I would wiggle as he drove us back home, and quickly put my cello into her corner...and then...

...Well... 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 16, 2022, 06:41:14 PM: Did you spend some time playing her as well. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 20, 2022, 03:50:13 PM: ..."The Old Castle"...Mussorsky piano work from "Pictures at an Exhibition"

... :D...The Composure is expressing what it would be like to enter an Art Museum. The first movement, "Prominade", is what it sounds like. You walk into the Museum, eager, and then get ready to look at the paintings. Each movement, and there are many, describes the painting. and then there is a short "Prominade" as you walk to the next one. Some are very playful, describing children playing, others are active, "Bydlo" describes an Ox Cart. When I performed it, I envisioned a fully loaded Ox Cart, with two oxen, pulling a heavy cart up a hill. They struggle, it is steep, and their owner shouts and whips them. They lean into the harness, and their hooves pound the payment as they pull it up. They get to the top, and are allowed to rest.

...This is simple to move the keys, not too difficult...the challenge is to EXPRESS the work. We have seen that in all aspects of music. An Entertainer can sing a dramatic, and popular song, and you just sit back and yawn. Another person can sing the same song, and you sit on the edge of your seat, and watch and listen. This guy does a pretty good job. When I performed it, I imagined an old, abandoned castle on a hill. It was starting to fail, but there was still things inside, weapons, armor, paintings and such. And...the Spirits of the past occupants were present...

...https://youtu.be/mGPsAP01z7k
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 20, 2022, 05:44:21 PM: That is the difference between somekne who knows the technical aspects of music and one who has a true passion for it. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 20, 2022, 10:20:28 PM: ...Here is "Bydlo"...I would be sweating very heavy at the end. Like I have said, when I performed music, I just didn't want to just be a cute girl who smiled, performed, and walked off smiling. I wanted to be exhausted, breathing heavy, even though I was smiling. I mean, I didn't just want to play all of the notes, I wanted to EXPRESS the work...and myself. But I didn't want my girlfriends to get worried over me. One 'special one' would be with me in the Green Room, and help me with my makeup, and greet me when I came off the stage.

...As an Attorney, I didn't sweat in the courtroom...I had a lot of powder on my face...but mostly...I wasn't too worried. Performing the cello or the piano required me to use my arms...and my thighs with the cello...it had an F natural 'dead note' on the G string...and I would squeeze the sides of the cello with my thighs...and it would wake up. But, in a Jury, or Court Trial, I was often described as "The Cold Bitch"...NOTHING could get me angry.

...https://youtu.be/PAlWEbp7868

...I almost got angry as a very young child. We were visiting our Aunts in Presideo, TX, and it was summer, and about 115 degrees. The Aunts lived in an adobe house, no air conditioning. My brother came up with a solution, he found two GARBAGE CANS...and we cleaned them out, and filled them with water...and just sat in them during the day. There is a picture of us, in the garbage cans, just our upper faces above the rims. Beverly B walked over, looked at us, she was my age, and jumped into my garbage can. We were small kids...I laughed...and we settled down and just relaxed from the heat.

I did yell at Beverly, but we just sat and stayed cool.

Our Ancestors were probably looking down, and laughing. One of hers had killed one of mine...over a dispute over who owned a bridge over the Rio Grande...

I didn't carry grudges...life was different, then. That is why I get upset over the GD PRISSY LIBERALS tell us of how horrible things happened. YES...THEY DID!!!!

But life was so different back then. I mean, I was in a small town that hadn't changed from the 1880's., I had lived there at times..Whites and Mexicans lived together...and well...things happened. I went on a solo road trip years ago, and traveled to Presidio. It was larger, but when I drove down the adobe road where my aunts house was, it, well...looked the same. I stopped in front of the adobe house, and looked at it...and drove back El Paso...and got back into my hotel. But yelled at myself, I should have gone to the cafe, and had a meal. Maybe it was still owned by the family of the girl I played with who owned it back then. I didn't have to pay for food, they fed me nice cheese enchiladas...and I pigged out...and so did Sotero, the girl I played with.

I wasn't carrying a grudge...

And, maybe...I would have seen Sotero...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 20, 2022, 11:51:11 PM: ...Getting searched at the Texas Border... ::)

...I was on that long solo road trip, I have described. Things had kinda fallen apart in my life, I did my 'road trip'. I was just driving, and would stop driving at about 6:00 pm, and find a motel, and check in. I would quickly go and find some fast food...and a couple of beers...and get back into my room, and eat. I would devour the food, I hadn't been eating, maybe just a small burger during the day. I would lay on the bed, and drink the beers, and feel sorry for myself. I did drive to Presideo, TX, and visited the old neighborhood, and looked at the adobe house that I had stayed in at times. The Aunts were dead, so I couldn't visit. I drove back...

...The road back was a two lane pavement, and the Border Patrol waved me over. I stopped behind them, and got out. They asked me for my ID, and I showed them my CA DL, and also my CPA License and my BAR card. I expected to be just waved on, but they had me stand away, and SEARCHED MY CAR!!! And it was a recent BMW!!! Probably why they searched it. ::)

...I stood back, worried, wondering if they were going to SEARCH ME!!!! I wasn't carrying anything...but just didn't want a stranger to touch me!!!!

...They let me go, and smiled. The older guy led me to my car, and said...

...It was a training exercise...

...I WAS REALLY PISSED OFF AS I DROVE AWAY!!!!

...OK, OK, OK...I elaborated the story...but I was really pulled over...and the guy talked on his radio...and I was allowed to leave...

...They probably thought that I was smuggling drugs... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 21, 2022, 05:11:34 PM: Agreed on liberals ugh. Also, I dislike the stupid 50 mile from border laws allowing searches just because one is that close to a border shakes head. I know they just talked in yiur case but just as easily could have seaeched it, probably your bar card prevenred it. Your music passion shows through a lot as does yiur passion for the law. Smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 25, 2022, 11:34:35 AM: ...Performing music... ;D

...This is a nice work, I have performed it a few times. It also shows how we musicians inter relate as we perform. Janine is very expressive, the 1st violinist does lead, and by her body movements, and facial expressions , she is directing the group. Once, when we were performing this, I was distracted, I was playing the notes, but part of my mind was contemplating an accounting problem that I was working on. I actually heard a growl, and looked over my stand, and saw our first violinist GLARING at me!!!! :o

...I dropped the accounting problem out of my head, and just focused on the music...

...She scolded me back stage, saying, "I could see that you weren't focused, you weren't blending well with us. Don't do that again when we are on stage."

...I promised to just focus on the music in the future...and...I DID!!!

https://youtu.be/eFMV63zy-Xk
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 25, 2022, 02:18:18 PM: ...Fucking Russians gonna get a LOT of dead bodies shipped back to them, FOR NO FUCKING REASON!!! Ukraine is not a threat to them, that asshole Putin is trying to remake the USSR. Yes, the Russians are powerful, but I pray that the other European Nations come to Ukraines aid. I understand why we have to stand back, Ukraine isn't part of NATO, and we shouldn't get involved in wars that don't involve our Allies. I would cry very heavy, and be angry, if the body of my son was shipped back to me over a war that I couldn't understand. But, this music expresses what the Ukrainens are...let the Russians try to take the Great Gate of Kiev...

...https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=0C46ECEB091E1AC6C5CB0C46ECEB091E1AC6C5CB&q=great gate of kiev&shtp=GetUrl&shid=a5941d3b-975c-4254-b437-bea0e1faf0e9&shtk=TXVzc29yZ3NreTogUGljdHVyZXMgYXQgYW4gRXhoaWJpdGlvbiAtIFRoZSBHcmVhdCBHYXRlIG9mIEtpZXY%3D&shdk=TXVzc29yZ3NreSBUaGUgR3JlYXQgR2F0ZSBvZiBLaWV2IGZyb20gXCJQaWN0dXJlcyBhdCBhbiBFeGhpYml0aW9uXCIgKFBpYW5vKSBTb2ZpeWEgVXJ5dmF5ZXZhIExpdmUgTWFyY2ggMjAsIDIwMTEgU3RlaW53YXkgUGlhbm8gR2FsbGVyeSAtIEJvY2EgUmF0b24gaHR0cDovL3d3dy5zb2ZpeWFtdXNpYy5jb20gTXVzc29yZ3NreSBUaGUgR3JlYXQgR2F0ZSBvZiBLaWV2IGZyb20gXCJQaWN0dXJlcyBhdCBhbiBFeGhpYml0aW9uXCIgIQ%3D%3D&shhk=zsmqkizDg%2FcuNgj6KjdMqN4lF2n3oTPhX%2F0UMpF8%2FkE%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.RGi0avF0nxshBQBVB4Jl5AHgFo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 25, 2022, 06:14:27 PM: Cant multitask like that when playing music.

Agreed on putin wanting to rebuild the ussr former kgb ugh. We should have had troops on the ground in ukraine before the olympics and tod him back off, one attack there hitting our troops will be trouble. His threat to use nukes is a bluff he knows nothing would be left if he did but it is working to scaee the world off of doing anythinf sughs.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 28, 2022, 12:06:33 AM: ...I came across an old picture of me, back when I was still a teenager. I am standing beside the cockpit of a sailplane, and I am smiling, my hair all mussed, wearing aviator sunglasses, and holding a barf bag. I had a good male friend who was an organist...HE PLAYED THE DAMN PIPE ORGAN...NOT ME!!!!! Anyway...We would talk about activities, and he counseled me in student politics. That was a real turning point in my life. I mean, as young people, we have to make VERY important decisions...I was lucky and blessed to have good friends, and Counselors. So...I ran for offices in student governments, and played music, and joined nice clubs...and...

...I flew airplanes that didn't have an engine... ::)

...He was curious to see me fly, and so I drove us to the airfield, and introduced him to the Owner, and showed him the sailplanes. He sat in one small cockpit, and looked around, and asked..."Is that all you need to fly?" I gave him my best 'bewildered female look'...(I was still working on it...I was young...and was practicing a lot of expressions in the privacy of my bedroom. I figured that they would help me later, in r/t life. ;) They did.) I got him out, and the Owner and I pushed the plane out to the runway, and I attached the tow rope, and waved at my friend as I was hauled away. I just did a short, 20 minute flight, and landed. I offered to take him up in the two seater, but the Owner said, "No, you don't have enough hours to take up passengers."

...I taunted my friend...and he agreed to let the Owner take him up...and I smiled, and waved as they took off...

...He was puking his guts out when they landed. Flying a sailplane isn't like flying a Cessna...I mean...you don't have an engine, and you have to search for thermals and waves...and you CAN'T SEE THEM!!! Sometimes, hawks will show you where a thermal is, they are circling in a column of rising air, so you just join them, and turn your plane on it's side and circle. And, well, it isn't very comfortable at times. Sometimes, it was serene, and was a WONDERFUL experience...there you are, a few thousand feet off the ground, in a plane that doesn't have and engine, and you are RISING!!!! Other times, the plane is shaking and shuddering, and once I hit my head hard on the canopy, I hadn't tightened my straps down well, and wasn't wearing a helmet. I got out of the thermal, and flew level a while, until I was sure my head was clear, and got back to the field. There was no control tower, I would have to carefully look around for other sailplanes, and powered planes, and then make my landing. I mean...I only had ONE CHANCE TO DO IT RIGHT!

...He made me pose beside the sailplane, holding a new barf bag...I refused to hold his 'used one'...

...He showed the picture to others, and said, "If P------- invites you to fly with her, just refuse...unless she just wants to visit you at night in your room..." 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 28, 2022, 10:27:00 AM: ...Producing a Rock Concert...I did three pretty big ones in college...

...Me, a mousy music major, who later became a business admin major, was appointed to be the Student Social Director in my senior year of college. (And yes, back then, and even now, I am described as 'mousy looking'. I guess it is because I don't put on a lot of makeup, unless I want to, and my face is not glamorous by itself. I was told that I was 'cute'...but that isn't the same as being beautiful. ::) ) I kinda suspected that it was a joke, I wanted another appointment, as Student Academic Director, but the bitch I got elected as Student Body President appointed her girlfriend to that position. I can take credit for getting her elected...I planned her campaign...and made speeches all over campus in support of her...and sat with her in evenings and comforted her and counseled her what to do next in her campaign.

...The first was Tower of Power, and an associate of Billy Graham was actually doing it, I was just the 'Front Girl', the city didn't want outsiders doing rock concerts. One had gotten very bad, a person was killed, but for some reason, the city let me, a student put them on. :o I guess the city officials figured that a college student could keep order over hundreds of people. I learned a lot, sitting with the associate, I had to sign all of the permits, and such, and I wanted to UNDERSTAND what was going on. The concert went well, no problem, and I brought a check back to the student Finance Director. He was relieved, past Social Directors would lose $3,000 to $6,000 per concert.

...Then came the idiots who somehow, had a connection with Roberta Flack, and wanted me to produce a 'double performance' for her. I was VERY EXCITED...I loved her song, "Killing me Softly"...and well...I was a college student and wanted the experience. I rented the Hall, and advertised on TV and radio and the newspapers, and would go out after class and drive around town and post flyers wherever I saw people. I went into some areas of town that I would usually stay clear of...but I was promoting A ROCK CONCERT!!!

...But, I had learned from watching the associate of Graham, and so I made sure that the contract specified that I would get ALL OF THE CASH, and would write a University check for the profits. I told the promoters that I would pay for the concert, but that I would get my costs back, and they could keep ALL of the profit. They were delighted... ;D

...But, I was more delighted as the police threw me into the back of a patrol car, and hauled my ass back to campus. I was clutching a shoebox stuffed with cash, and I had written a University check for a little over $1,000 to the promoters.

...A lawsuit developed...and I just did my 'Dumb Student Act' when I was deposed...that was kinda fun. I mean, I was a Business Admin Major, with a concentration in Accounting, and my Father, an Accountant, had taught me to keep books, so I understood numbers very well. I used my 'Bewildered Female Expression' a lot, and they finally kicked me out.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 28, 2022, 05:01:51 PM: My bewildered look came naturally lol. Yes, I used it when needed like when being deposed for a lawsuit like what was it yiu just asked? Or thought I already answered that etc. Drove more than one attorney batty. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 01, 2022, 12:09:27 AM: ...Passing gas... :o

...I am a classy woman, other attorneys were wary of me when I entered the courtroom, and was a classy young woman in college. I was invited to join a Sorority, and did join, and was elected to University wide positions. But, I also had my difficult moments. :P I cooked my recipe for 'Green Chile Stew' for my roommates, it was handed down from my grandmother. It was mostly BEANS, with some meat and chiles. I thought it tasted GREAT, they just ate a small bowl, and I ate ALL of the rest. :)

...I was sitting in Music History Class the next morning, and well...the beans decided to sing...

...I emitted the most melodious fart in my life out of my butt...I mean...

...It covered several octaves, and almost made a melody... ::)

...I did my 'bewildered female look', and looked around at the students sitting around me, glaring at them. >:(

...the Professor, stopped his lecture, and looked around...and I just put on my 'Why look at me" look, and he got on with the lecture.

...I actually thought, because i wasn't a good singer, "Ye be singing out of the wrong end of yer body"
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 01, 2022, 07:05:43 PM: Lol well it is just a natural bodily function but your use of the innocent me look I am sure was priceless smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 02, 2022, 11:41:01 AM: ...For the people of Ukraine... :-*

...Those goddamn Russians, no need to do what Putin has ordered. I read that most of the Russian Soldiers were told that they were just doing a 'training exercise', and now thousands will come back in body bags. The Ukrainians are fierce fighters, just look at their history. They aren't going to just hand over their country to Putin. I pray that some Russian kills Putin, and maybe things will settle down. Here is the "Gate" I think that anybody can see why I was weak and somewhat confused when we performed this, especially when I was sitting 1st cello. I would move my body to help lead my section...if I crouched down a bit, putting my head near the shoulder, it meant..."Be soft and elegant"...if I sat straight up, it meant, "Just play the notes"...if I snarled and leaned forward, it meant "Don't leave anything behind, POUND THOSE BOWS!!!"

...I POUNDED my bow during this work... :)

https://youtu.be/kZkoW1Ta3ew
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 02, 2022, 06:06:37 PM: I agree on putin and russia and thing thebeu and us are cowards for not stepping in to help ukraine.

Nods on body postion and bringing the passion to your playing. Many musicians have a tell for when they are putting their all into the performance
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 04, 2022, 02:09:21 AM: ...Another Bitch Kitty... :P

I performed this solo several times in community and semi professional orchestras. I would be sweating during the drive to the Hall. I was used to playing solos, I mean, at Conservatory, I did recitals, and would just focus on the music and shut the audience out of my vision. But, this one, tasked me.

It is difficult, technically, but the hardest part is expressing what it is about. There is a simple tale about William Tell, but the total story is more complex, and I had studied it, and it captured me. The solo is very melancholy, as is the true legend. When I perform music, I just don't play the notes, unless I am sick...or once...had a couple glasses of wine with the dinner before the performance. I was young, and wasn't used to alcohol, and never drank again before a performance. (OK, OK, OK, I did it a few times later, but it was a 'fun' concert, I didn't have to really use my skills to play the works. ::) Just playing quarter and half notes was something I could easily do...but I needed my mind clear when I played 16th and 32nd notes, and was running my left hand ALL OVER the fingerboard)

As Rags has commented, true musicians do their best to express what the music is about. And, we express how we are feeling. I have performed the Brahms Sonata several times, and expressed it differently, depending on what was going on my life. I am human, not a machine, and feel emotions, and my mind changes. I could walk out on the stage, and be happy, or angry, or frustrated...or scared...and the music I produced sounded different. I have read biographys of many of the most respected musicians in the World, and they all say the same. They are not machines, and each performance is different. Sometimes they are excited, other times depressed.

Here is 'William Tell Overture'

https://youtu.be/H_6_71G7xyM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 04, 2022, 06:05:48 PM: Music is a combination of the technical and the emotional. Anyone can learn the technical but putting in the passion and emotion takes someone special. Yes each performance will bary based on emtotion which is displayed in the playing.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 05, 2022, 06:10:57 PM: ...A really lovely song... :'(

...https://youtu.be/aaOChwNPg5o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 05, 2022, 06:12:37 PM: Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 05, 2022, 11:50:19 PM: ...The DAMN CELLOS!!!!...

...I have two very nice ones, I spent ALL of the money I had earned as a caddy in H.S. to buy Katherine when I was in H.S., and later took out a second mortgage to buy Pavane. That was a very interesting drive back home from Phoenix, I had Pavane in the back seat of my VW bug and was trying to figure out how to explain to my H that we needed to raise $20K...right away. I was running over explanations in my mind...one worked. He wasn't happy over more debt, but I was earning a lot more money than he was, and I figured that I could buy an expensive toy when I wanted. I was careful with our money, and saved as much as I could...I didn't buy expensive cars...except...when I just HAD to have the BMW 528i...it was CALLING OUT TO ME!!! I loved it, took good care of it, and drove it all over the western U.S. As I have reported, the Border Patrol pulled me over in TX, and briefly searched my BMW...they probably thought I was running drugs.

...I worked goddamn hard as an Attorney/CPA, and the other side often accepted my last offer before the trial, or wrote me a nice check for me and my client. My Ex couldn't hold down a decent job, and was a waiter, at best. I should have worked harder on getting a mate that was similar to me, and I wouldn't now be living with my mother. She would be living with me and my H, in a nice mansion. But, I am not living off her, I have coin in the bank, and buy groceries and pay the bills, and give her money so she can do what she wants.

...I was living upstairs, but took what was the library on the first floor, and sleep there. My clothing is upstairs, so I go up there to shower, and change clothing.

...My two cellos STARE at me as I walk by them...

...Damn Cellos...or...Damn Me...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 06, 2022, 05:07:30 PM: Simple play them more often. Smiles I am sure your mother values you being there for her so perhaps it did work out for the best
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 06, 2022, 11:24:51 PM: ...If I was performing this right now, I would probably just lower my bow, and hang my head down, and cry.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?view=detail&mid=7A492FFBB8704AEFA5BB7A492FFBB8704AEFA5BB&q=great&shtp=GetUrl&shid=3ada463e-52e6-4928-a5c7-3b0e9f533d29&shtk=TVVTU09SR1NLWSBQaWN0dXJlcyBhdCBhbiBFeGhpYml0aW9uIChUaGUgR3JlYXQgR2F0ZSBvZiBLaWV2KQ%3D%3D&shdk=T3JjaGVzdHJlIFBoaWxoYXJtb25pcXVlIGRlIFJhZGlvIEZyYW5jZSBNeXVuZy1XaHVuIENodW5n&shhk=MRdXKrWme%2BK5EmD5HouFOHJMoFfYcX%2Bt5MVXFpJ3Vbg%3D&form=VDSHOT&shth=OVP.d5lID4o2vdUA-dLDD-mhgAIIEp
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 07, 2022, 12:09:25 AM: ...You make a good point, Nate, perhaps life isn't about just doing what you want to do. You are right about my Mother, she was looking into assisted care places, but when I moved in with her, she is still active, and she is old, and she is happy. I am depressed, but I think that part of it is my mental illness...the same mental illness that had me playing the cello and piano at a high level, and facing down the IRS and making them change a regulation. I explained my 'Reverse Triangular Merger' to the Justices of the 5th District Court, and one nodded at me as the GODDAMN IRS ATTORNEY tried to explain why I was wrong. I REALLY wanted to kick him in the ass as we walked out...but I wanted to show some dignity. (I should have just pushed him up against the wall and SLAPPED THE SHIT out of him.)

...Anyway...I have other stories to tell of my life. I have been blessed, with a nice family, and a fairly good brain, and a coordinated body. And, I had no fear, I went into all activities with curiosity...even when I pulled the lever on the glider, and I was 2.000 feet above the ground, in a plane that didn't have an engine...and I was loose...and turned hard to the right, and circled, and wondered..."OK, now what?"

...I rode it up to 12,000 feet, or so, and flew back...seeing jet planes from Travis AFB flying above me. The control tower was probably telling them, "That bitch, in the glider, doesn't have a radio, just stay clear, she is harmless, you hit her, she will go down."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 07, 2022, 09:38:11 AM: ...Backpacking...I LOVED it!!!

...I went with a guided group at Lassen, but didn't quite enjoy it. They were all happy, and talking, and drinking at night, and I just sat of to the side. I wanted to experience the park, and they were very distracting. So, in the years that followed, I backpacked alone. I would check in with the Rangers, and give them a map that showed where I planned to camp each night, and promised to check out with them, so they wouldn't have to search for me.

...I camped beside a lake every night, and stripped, and swam and bathed before I made a dinner and ate. I know that some men saw me, naked, but they just kept walking. We backpackers had a sense of dignity...I wouldn't oogle the naked guys...but I am sure that I was oogled...I had a nice body that deserved to be oogled. When I was standing ankle deep in water, brushing water out of my hair, naked...well what sane man wouldn't want to oogle me. 8)

...I would dry myself off, and put my clothes back on, and then get my little heater going, and fix dinner.

...I would feel very content, just slowly eating the food, sipping some water, and looking over the lake...

...And enjoy being alone...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 07, 2022, 06:16:00 PM: Baclpacking alone in the woods can be an awakening experience being one with nature and listening to it talk to you in the sound of the wind, the water, the animals, etc. On the depression, do make sure to get plenty of sunlight, eat properly, get proper sleep, and try journaling about triggers and what helps reduce the depression to try using those methods in future.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 08, 2022, 10:59:25 AM: ...Being naked in the forest... ::)

...I took two of my girlfriends backpacking. I had met them at the Dojo, one was an Instructor, and they had never backpacked. I went with them as they bought boots, and other items, and was a bit surprised when they bought the backpacks, sleeping bags, and other things. I made sure that we had enough dehydrated food, and a medical kit, and we set out. All three of us were in very good condition, and did well. We walked up the side of a cinder cone, and glared at the tourists walking up the path on the other side. We entered a campground, and claimed a table, and ate a dehydrated lunch, with narrowed eyes and frowns on our faces. Men looked at us...but didn't approach.

...We arrived at a lake, not too far, and decided to camp there. Cindy put down her pack, and then began taking off her clothes, and said, "I am going to swim." I looked at Alice, and shrugged, and began taking off my clothes, and she did the same. We got into the lake, naked, and swam a bit, and cooled off and washed. We then set out towels, and laid down on our backs, naked, side by side, and dried off, and enjoyed the sun.

...We then heard the sound of male voices. I started to sit up, but Cindy pulled my arm down, and said..."Just let them look at us. If they come down and try something, they will get a surprise...You are a Green Belt, I am a Brown Belt, and Alice is, well, a formidable Black Belt."

...Alice had her eyes closed, and she just emitted a soft chuckle...

...I settled back down, and relaxed...

...And let them look at me...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 08, 2022, 05:53:09 PM: Am sure both yoy and the gawkers had fun lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 10, 2022, 12:18:50 PM: ...*Blushes* I will admit that it was kind of fun to lay on my back, naked, between my two girlfriends. And knowing that men were looking at us. They didn't approach us...we just got oogled...backpackers have a code of conduct. We stayed naked for a while...and got oogled more, and then got dressed and set up our camp. We did giggle as we ate, we all had advanced college degrees, and we had just displayed our naked bodies to anyone who walked along the trail. I muttered to them as I ate my dehydrated chicken, "Forget the initials after my name, I am just a slut, at heart." Alice laughed, and said, "I guess that I am one, too." We looked at Cindy, and she just chewed, nodded, and said..."Slut".

...We zipped our sleeping bags together, that night, and briefly kissed, and caressed each other...and went to sleep...we were naked, again.

...Good thing that the wrong type of men didn't come across us that evening...they would have been delighted...seeing three naked, cute young women in one large sleeping bag. But...

...We would have quickly packed up...and left them on the ground...

...We were fierce fighters, and didn't fight fair. Alice had taught Cindy and I to always look scared, and just hand over our purse, and then run away...but...

...She also taught us some really NASTY TRICKS... >:(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 10, 2022, 09:35:49 PM: One should always know a few tricks of one sort another. Lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 10, 2022, 11:38:27 PM: ...Eating eggs... ;D they are one of my most favorite foods... ;D

...I entered an egg eating contest, and Cindy, my best friend joined me. I starved myself for two days, and showed up at the County Fair, looking healthy. She did too. ::) we ate the boiled eggs that were set before us, and chuckled as men and women dropped out. We were martial artists, and our bodies didn't operate as normal people. We could starve for a day or two, or gorge like Philistines at times. The Owner of the "All you can eat" Chinese Restaurant would charge us extra when we showed up, we smiled and paid it, and feasted. He tolerated us, we brought our 'normal' friends in, so he made money.

...(He was later a client of mine, and let me eat ALL that I wanted when I showed up. I heavily discounted my bills, and at times would sit with him and discuss a business dispute, and not charge him.)

...Cindy and I ate the eggs that were brought to us, and smirked as the others dropped out. We looked at each other as we held up another egg, and she bit it in half and swallowed. I looked at my egg, and said, "You won." I quickly walked to the women's latrine...and puked. I emerged, pale, hearing Cindy puking in the other stall.

...We went back to my Apt, and laughed, but didn't kiss...our breath was very bad

...We often kissed, women can do that with each other, and it isn't sexual...it is just friendly... ;D...and fun...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 11, 2022, 03:49:56 PM: ...This made me cry...DAMN RUSSIANS!!!

...https://youtu.be/jBGL41teVq4
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 11, 2022, 09:10:52 PM: Too many eggs will do that to be sure but suspect ypu still had fun.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 11, 2022, 11:21:23 PM: ...A wonderful lulliliby, I would softly sing to my babes as I nursed them. A few times...I just shut up...and let my son drain me...he would get angry as I sang. I played the cello and piano with a lot of skill...but my voice was unpredictable. :P I never practiced singing, and I couldn't decide if I was an Alto, or a Soprano. I would stand in the chorus at the Conservatory, and sing the Soprano part as I was standing in the Altos. The Instructor would glare at me, and tell me to go practice my cello, and kick me out of the class.

I would grab my cello, and leave...and wonder why I got a 'C' in the class. :P

...This is true...I got kicked out of chorus class... ::)

https://youtu.be/84Nw1BtP0oY
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 12, 2022, 05:59:23 PM: Juzt like any instrument, the voice needs to be tuned to play properly smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 12, 2022, 08:02:30 PM: ...Flying in the Landing Pattern of a US Naval Air Station... :o

...I was a very good sailplane pilot, and could find thermals and waves to rise, or stay up. I once found a wave that carried me up to 10,000 feet, and just flew back and forth, fat, dumb, and happy. There was no sound, sailplanes are very noisy, since you are always descending...but a good wave just keeps you level. Travis AFB was just over the hill, and some jets flew over me as I just meandered. My mind was in a nice place.

...I turned around, and looked over my shoulder, and saw a HUGE Bomber coming up behind me. I checked my altimeter, I was at 10.000 feet and wasn't climbing. I looked back at the Bomber, and it was well over the horizon, so it was higher than me. Plus, I knew the Regulations...since I didn't have an engine...

...I HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY!!!!

...I just kept my course, and watched the Bomber fly over me... :o :o

...I had a similar attitude in Court...and in R/P...

...I won my cases in Court, but got kicked out of several r/p sites... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 13, 2022, 08:09:15 PM: Well rp is different from life hence the rp part of it lol. Sounds like you want to return to sail plane flying?

I rp in a panthfinder group every sunday basically d&d style rp as a divine sorcerer and some rps on secondlife as well a nice break from rl.

I am expecting to take my board exam for full licensure in mid may.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 14, 2022, 12:06:26 AM: ...Sailplanes... :D I LOVED THEM!!!!

I would talk to the tug pilot before we took off, describing where I wanted to be released, and how high I wanted to be. (Sounded like I wanted to be fucked) and he towed me up, and I pulled the lever, and got released, and I was on my own. I always circled a few times, looking at my instruments, but feeling my butt. My butt flew the plane. It told me if I was rising, or falling. Screw the rate of climb thingy, and the altimeter, I relied on my butt.

My butt once told me 'Keep Circling', and I rode a thermal to 12,000 feet, and got out...I didn't have oxygen...and my butt yelled at me.

It was saying...

...WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN TO 15,000 FEET!!!!

I yelled at it...

...AND WE WOULD HAVE SPIRALED INTO THE GROUND WHEN I PASSED OUT...

...It muttered at me..."Get some oxygen"

...I muttered as I got into the landing pattern, "I will stick the tube into you, if I do.,,
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 14, 2022, 02:10:05 PM: ...Study hard. Nate, and eat well and exercise. My BAR exam wasn't hard, I was feeling very healthy...and...well...I looked good. ::)

...If I failed it...I wanted to look lovely as I walked out... ;D

...I looked lovely...and passed it...with Honors... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 14, 2022, 07:16:26 PM: I lobe the oassion you have fir all of your interests, law, music, sail planes and your instinct for it.

I am studying and plan to all the way until the exam. It is a 4 hour 180 question multifaceted exam, I just got the date and time for it I have 2 months to prepare. The hardest part so far is the theories and keeping them straight.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 15, 2022, 11:37:04 AM: ...My Law School made me pose for a picture, smiling, holding up my test results. I had been the Class Valedictorian, so I figured that I had a duty to inspire people. I was a bit pissed at myself, I was #14 out of 264 in the BAR exam...I REALLY WANTED to be in top ten. But, I was working full time as a CPA, and had a husband to service. I would be naked. letting him do what he wanted with my body, but my mind would be pondering a case that I was studying. I would call out. "Oh yes, there, there, there...and HARDER!" But my mind was thinking over the Rule against Perputrities. (sp)

I was naked, once, and my mouth was full of a certain part of his anatomy, and my mind lit up...THAT IS HOW TO DO IT!!! I thought. I pondered the "Reverse triangular Merger' as I serviced him, and he was pleased. I kissed him after he came, and quickly walked, naked, to my desk, and wrote down my thoughts...still tasting his semen.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 15, 2022, 07:12:35 PM: It is odd you would think of the law cases while doing that given what many think lawyers do to people lol winks
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 20, 2022, 07:31:55 PM: ...My 'strange' musical talent. ::) At Conservatory, I could play the cello and the piano very well, and was a Performance Major in both, my first two years. (I changed Majors in my Junior year, I didn't want to become a 'Starving Musician', it is VERY DIFFICULT to make a living as a performer of music, only the VERY talented can do that. ) So I became a ' Blooksucking Lawyer. I had a good ear as a musician, and could tell if a note was out of tune. But, I couldn't improvise, without a lot of work. If I heard a tune that I liked, I would try to play it on either instrument, and it would take me a lot of effort, before I had it figured out, and then I could write it down.

One morning, in 'Music Theory', the Professor explained how important it was for every musician to have basic idea of the keys on a piano, especially when we composed. So he asked several students to come up to the piano, and play "Happy Birthday". I was the third one summoned...and I sat at the piano...and stared at it. I started just playing the melody, and BUTCHERED IT! :P I kept hitting the wrong note, and trying other ones, and the Professor grabbed me by my shoulder, and hauled me off of the bench. The class was laughing, and he said..."I thought you were a piano major" I looked at the class, and loudly said...

..."Well, that is the way that I learned it"

He pushed me back to my desk, and the laughter got louder, and two guys were almost falling out of their seats, laughing so hard. ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 21, 2022, 06:25:41 PM: One can only play the songs they actually know without hesring it many times and expirimenting or using sheet music. I learned to play the entire theme song to close encouters of the 3rd kind by trial and error and repestedly listening to the song.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 25, 2022, 01:22:03 PM: ...Liberals, Liberals, Liberals...IDIOTS!!!!!

...They are enacting a NEW way to decide if a film can compete for an Oscar...it has nothing to do with quality. It is all about "INCLUSION???" So, you can finance, produce, write, and direct a movie that the Public and Critics love...But if you miss the quota of LGBTQ particiants...INCLUDING THE CREW...you can't compete.

Have you heard about Aperture 2025?

It may sound like a Roland Emmerich sci-fi movie, but it’s actually more frightening. And much more controversial. It’s the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’s latest initiative to make Hollywood more equitable and diverse—more woke—by changing the rules by which films are eligible for Best Picture nominations. Here’s how it works: Starting in 2024, producers will be required to submit a summation of the race, gender, sexual orientation, and disability status of members of their movie’s cast and crew. If a particular movie does not have enough people of color or disabled people or gays or lesbians working on the set—and what is “enough” will be determined by a knotty tangle of byzantine formularies—then that movie will no longer be eligible for an Oscar.

Gee...here I am, a college student, majoring in Movie Production, and an Assistant comes up and questions me about my racial background, sexual background, and disabilities. I would reply, "I am 1/4 German, 1/4 Dutch, 1/8 Apache, 3/8 Mayan, and 1/4 Basque...take your pick. Sexual Orientation? If it can fuck me, I will give it a try, haven't decided what I am yet. Disabilities? Well, I used to wear braces on my teeth, I easily get boils, and I get a headache if I try to run more than 300 yards."

...*Shakes Head* >:(

...And we wonder why life is getting more difficult, when we have IDIOTS like this in positions of authority. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 25, 2022, 06:45:22 PM: I had heard they were doing something of this sort and I find it horrible. If a movie is good that should be enough period. The whole woke thing has gone way too far.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 27, 2022, 03:07:42 PM: ..."Tinkling" a bottle... ::)

...Even as a very young child, my mind wouldn't operate well at times. I was at the MD's office, getting a physical...I think that it was because I was just entering Kindergarden. After the MD looked me over, he left, and the Nurse handed me a small bottle, and said, "Go tinkle in the bottle." I walked into the bathroom, and tried to figure out just what the test was about. So, I set the bottle on the sink, and began flipping it with my middle finger, making a "Tinkling" sound. ;D I looked around, as I was Tinkling the bottle, totally confused...wondering..."Just what is this test about?" :o We used another word for Urinate at home, I had never heard the word Tinkle used to describe the act. I stopped, after about a minute, and picked the bottle up and looked at it. I was able to read the words "Urine Sample" on it, ::) and I started laughing. So, I sat on the toilet, pulled up my gown, and filled the bottle.

I said, as I handed the bottle to the Nurse..."Here is my Tinkle" ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 27, 2022, 06:18:17 PM: Lol smart even in kindergarten I love it. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 04, 2022, 09:35:09 AM: ...A CRAFTSMAN!!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

...https://youtu.be/VHNkw6kT8ek

...I am in TOTAL AWE of people who can craft things like this! The sheer Artistry to plan such a work, and then the skill, sense of precision, and patience to create it is very rare. My hat is off to this man. If I had a significant amount of excess money, I'd contact him and see if I could commission a work.

...BTW...Izee' posed for this, along with Hugnn and Windstorm. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 04, 2022, 06:33:45 PM: I admire all artisans their craft is needed and enjpyed. The only art I have is writing books (8 publisbed works), and being a therapist bit building or crafting something that will last and last is truly art.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 16, 2022, 07:45:55 PM: ..I was crying my eyes out as I watched this. :'(

...https://youtu.be/dJ0AkP_BFhs
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 17, 2022, 07:52:39 PM: Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 19, 2022, 12:05:36 PM: ...Rags will understand this... :)...the bond that forms between a musician and the instrument. I will go out on a limb, and say that there are things that we just do not understand in this world.

...There I was, a Frosh in HS, sitting last chair, second violin section, and was very despondate. I loved music, but didn't play the violin very well. There was only one cellist, and the teacher asked if anyone wanted to play the other cello that was laying on the floor. I looked at the instrument, laying on it's side...and...it was calling out to me. I stood, and walked to my case, and put my violin away, and picked up the cello.

...Of course, I sucked for two years, I barely knew how to hold it. But I loved it. I finally got my parents to pay for private lessons, and I bought a new cello. I practiced hard, and my mind focused on my school subjects. My mind woke up, and I did well in the science classes, and became the TA in chemistry. I got better at playing the cello, and was sad when I sold my cello, but was happy when I bought 'Katherine'. She is an old cello, and she loves me. She sized me up, and said, "Practice, girl, you won't regret it." I didn't regret it, I was a cello performance major for two years at Conservatory, and we played major works.

...Somehow, she focused my mind, and school was easy. I played and practiced, and she could get mean. I would practice, and sound horrible, and she would laugh. I would set her on my bed, and glare at her as I looked over the fingerings of a passage. But, that exercise taught me self discipline, and so I could sit, late at night, in the County Law Library and study, when I became a Lawyer.

...'Kathy' is in a 'hard case', and is in a corner of my bedroom. I need to get her out...and play again. :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 19, 2022, 05:29:18 PM: Do get her iut and prsctice and yes a bond forms between play and instrument to be sure
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 22, 2022, 11:23:48 AM: https://youtu.be/Hef-hTWgFiA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 22, 2022, 06:38:34 PM: Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 26, 2022, 08:38:51 PM: ...This work almost made me pee my panties, ;D

...I was very active in college, I played music, coached HS kids, and was very active in student politics. I also did pretty well in Academics. In my soph year, I moved in with two older women. It was nice, they watched over me, and kept me safe.

...One evening, we were sitting on the couch. I was between them. We listened to this, and cuddled. We women can do that, and it isn't sexual.

...I was happy... :)

...https://youtu.be/YO80W49WvXU
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 27, 2022, 05:55:11 PM: A lovely memory and you were quite the active one in school lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 28, 2022, 11:47:18 PM: ...this work really means a lot to me, i just marvel at what going through beethovens mind when he composed this. :)

...https://youtu.be/KbNGklNz8Yk

...i am typing with my right hand, my left hand is damaged, so i can't hit the shift key. i tripped and fell, and landed on my left hand, palm down. i just lightly hit the left side of my head. and i am having trouble walking, but my mind is clear, and my appetite is good. i have damaged my body many times in the past, i practiced martial arts, and once was taken to the er after i got knocked down, i was very unsteady. :P next kumite, i held off on the bitch after i kicked her legs out. >:( she was laying on the ground...and i was in my r/t panther girl mode. the instructor pulled me away...i was waiting for her to sit up...so i could kick her in her face...the instructor saw that. ::) and pulled me away.

...i got lectured, and was told that kumite was just sparring, and to not try to really damage an opponent. i dropped out of the martial arts, after that, i saw that i really wanted to fight, in kumite...and didn't want to hurt someone...or get hurt.

...i listen to this work...and it fills my mind. i have composed music, and i wasn't just calmly sitting at a piano. i was having a war in my head! i would try out themes, and harmonies...but...but...but...i was trying to get across an idea or story in my mind. that isn't easy...

...beethoven must have been going though a lot of mental torment when he wrote this.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 29, 2022, 12:11:00 PM: ...just how i tripped... :P

...i was going to shop, and backed my car out of the garage, parked...and looked for the garage door opener. i couldn't find it, so i walked back into the garage. the button to close the large door was on the back wall. i looked at my car, and my sane mind said, close the door, go back into the house, and walk out the front door. but my izee' mind said,

...oh, go for it!

...i hit the button, and raced towards the garage door...as it was closing... ::)

...i didn't make it...and got off of the floor...rubbing my head...the huge door was bumping up and down on me..

...so, i live my r/t life like i rp. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on April 29, 2022, 06:42:13 PM: Ouch on the injuries and hope you recover quickly. Advice, next time, run, drop to the floor and roll under the garsge door before it closes ala tom cruise in mission impossible etc lol. As for a battle in the mind while composing etc can only imagine it to be similar to me when writing a book visualizing the dialogue and such smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 04, 2022, 10:33:53 AM: being 'recused', as a Judge. :P

...i was a judge pro tem when i practiced law. so, as a lawyer, i would go into the back entrance of the courthouse, and settle down, and then emerge,,,wearing a BLACK ROBE! ;D i was in charge...and it was interesting. i usually presided over small claims, or traffic court, but the Presiding Judge would have me handle settlement conferences in the Superior Court.

...one time, i chuckled as i looked at the docket...a former employer was on the list. i had mixed feelings, he had treated me well, he sold his BMW to me for a small price. But, he had fired me...i was going through personal. and mental health issues, and he gave me my papers.

...i called his case, and smiled, and said, "i am going to recuse myself from this case, i worked for this man for four years, i just can't hear this matter.'

...he grinned, and said, "I would have recused you, too, your Honor."

...i laughed my ass driving back to my office... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 04, 2022, 06:50:46 PM: Smiles. And valid reason to recuse yourself. One thing I like about my career is I get to tell lawyers with a subpoena sorry but I am invoking privledge and unless they have a court order too bad lol
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 15, 2022, 10:30:45 PM: ...Powerful Music...

...https://youtu.be/Ioc9shJa_lI

...Don Giovanni is meeting a ghost of a man he had wronged... :) :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 16, 2022, 12:37:39 PM: ...when izee met marcus hrolfson...

...https://youtu.be/C6jmc-qY9Rw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 16, 2022, 06:52:06 PM: Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 16, 2022, 10:41:25 PM: ..working at a machine shop... ::)

..in HS, I was going with a guy who's Father was the foreman at an assembly plant. The guy and I got accepted into the Conservatory of Music, and I was worried about my finances, I had two scholarships, but my family wasn't very well off. :'( He spoke to his Father, and....I GOT HIRED AT THE PLANT FOR THE SUMMER!!!! ;D ;D ;D

...I showed up, the first day, expecting to be led to an office, and file papers, answer phones, and such...but...

...I WAS ESCORTED TO THE FACTORY FLOOR!!! :o :o :o :o :o

...So, for three months, I assembled roller belts, and made parts...I got pretty good with the standard drill and other hand tools...one old guy offered to teach me to use a lathe...but I declined. That would have taken too long, and I was just a short termer, I needed to do whatever work I could perform.

..One day, I was dressed up a bit, the guys liked it...and I was drilling holes in pieces of metal...and...the three other members of my quartet showed up! ;) We had a gig, and all of the men looked at the cute young women...one was the foremans daughter...I took off my work apron, and left with them.

...I had arranged it with the boss...I said that I could work half a day...but would have to leave. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 17, 2022, 06:39:08 PM: You certainly have a wide range of experiences, quite impressive.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 21, 2022, 12:40:27 AM: ...I have been in orchestras that performed this several times. Everyone will recognize the main theme... :)

...https://youtu.be/Cxj8vSS2ELU

...Technically, it is very difficult, even the cello section are playing fast notes, but i LOVED playing the THEME!!!! :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 21, 2022, 06:07:15 PM: Smiles sometimes what may seem simple can be quite complex.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 24, 2022, 09:13:54 PM: ...In Girl Scouts, I pondered over how to end a meeting. Just saying 'Night night' or 'See you tomorrow' didn't seem right. I wanted to end on a thoughtful note, I didn't see us as the little cute girls who show up every year, at your home, selling candy and cookies, I saw us as future Mothers, Scientists, Teachers and such. So, I came up with an idea... :)...we would sing "Taps" at the end of a meeting at my house.

...Day is done...
...Gone the Sun...
...From the Earth...
...From the Moon...
...From the Sky...

...All is well...
...Safely Rest...
...God is Nigh..

...We would stand in a circle, our left hand on the shoulder of the girl beside us, and would raise and lower our right arm as we sang...pointing at the sky, the ground, and at the horizon. It calmed us down, especially if the meeting had been contentuous.

...When my family moved, the next door neighbor, an old guy, hugged me, and said...

..."I will miss hearing you girls sing 'Taps'..."

...He was a Veteran of WW2...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 25, 2022, 12:07:35 PM: ...This is pretty much how I negotiated when my Company bought out another one...

...The President would have me sit off to the side, and order me to keep my big mouth shut... ::)

...https://youtu.be/G_Sy6oiJbEk

...Once, though, I got him out of the room. When we came back the next day, the deal was better. When the Contract was being signed, the other guy looked at me and said, "Are you an Attorney, I am not going to sign ANYTHING in front of an Attorney." I was an Attorney/CPA at the time, and I just said...

..."I am his Accountant, I am a CPA."

...He signed it...

...My client laughed his ass off as he drove us away...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 25, 2022, 05:13:56 PM: Cool on singing taps and lol quick thinking on the are yiu an attorney question
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 28, 2022, 01:28:26 PM: ...I was the President of the Musicians organization for a couple years, in the semi-professional orchestra I played with. So, I would socialize with as many musicians as I could. We would have a rehearsal on Saturday afternoon, and then we would grab a dinner, and then perform in the evening. I would track down groups, and ask to have dinner with them, to discuss items of interest. I quickly learned to NOT go to dinner with the percussion section...they went to places that scared me...plus I was the only female. ::)

...I was with the wind section one afternoon, and we were performing this work. I laughed as the oboist scolded the clairinetest...(sp)...He wanted to play that amazing opening...as the player slurs the long note at the front. The other player just laughed...and at the performance...he...

...REALLY SLURRED THE NOTE...

...I almost fell out of my chair...I was holding back laughter... ;D

...https://youtu.be/6SvWzWQxres
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 28, 2022, 02:30:08 PM: ...Probably why I was destined to become a Trial Lawer....

...As a young child, I quickly understood what money was, and I saved it. My piggybank was full, and I got another one, in the shape of a rocket. That one was fun, I would place a coin in the 'launcher', and a spring would shoot the coin into the nose cone, and the coin would fall into the rocket. I am easy to entertain, so I would empty the rocket, and spend some time shooting the coins back into it.

...I tried to figure out how to earn more coin, and figured out that I could sell things. My friend and I would pick the huge Alberta Freestone peaches from my tree, and place them in my wagon, and go door to door, selling them for a nickel a piece. One Hispanic woman bought all that we had...she did canning...and asked if we had more. We went back to my house, and climbed into the tree and picked all of the ripe ones, and came back, and she bought them. We bought candy and jerky at the neighborhood store, and decided that commerce was 'good'.

...So, we combined commerce with larceny. We tied a fishnet to the end of a long bamboo pole, and stole apricots from the neighbor. We would fill the wagon with apricots, and go door to door, selling them. We would buy more candy and jerky, and agree that 'commerce' was good.

...When i got older, the neighbor laughed, saying that he had seen us stealing the apricots...but just left us alone. He couldn't eat them all...and was actually happy that we were stealing them...they didn't rot on the ground. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 28, 2022, 05:01:51 PM: Lol on the wood section of the band. And a business person at a young age not to mention one with ingenuity smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 29, 2022, 11:22:49 PM: ...Performing Music...

It always drained me when I performed in a major work. I could play the piano, or my cello in a string quartet, and be fine at the end, and joke with the other players in a minor work. But, with something like this, I just sat in my chair, and gathered my strength and walked off of the stage, using my cello as a crutch. Once, the 3rd cellist handed her instrument to her stand partner, I was the Principal Cellist, and she took my cello from me, and got me off stage. She got me into the green room...and i just sobbed. She packed up my cello, and slung it over her shoulder, and took my arm and got me to my Apt. I got more alert, and asked about my cello. She told me that the performance went well, and my cello was safe.

Same thing when I had that horrible auto accident. I was semi concious after it...it wasn't my fault...and my first question to the Police Officers, as the Ambulance arrived, was..."Is my cello OK?" The officer smiled, and said, "The case is intact." I pressed the question, and he brought the cello to me, and opened the case, and I calmed down, and was relieved at seeing him intact. They put the cello, in it's case, next to me as i was taken to the hospital, and brought it into the room with me.

Next morning, when i woke up in the hospital, I demanded that they bring a breakfast for my cello...it was in a corner of the room. I told the attendants..."She eats like a pig."

...I ate the extra breakfast... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 29, 2022, 11:23:24 PM: https://youtu.be/dJ0AkP_BFhs
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 30, 2022, 12:14:45 AM: ...I performed in pit orchestras for this musical many times. I would be sobbing after this part...I always got into the theme of the musical...plus...I knew what would happen to Billy. Tears would be running down my cheeks...and I wouldn't speak to anyone at the end...I just packed up my cello and left. And sat in my car until I calmed down. I would stop at a 7/11, and the guy would hand me my smoothie, and not bother with the cost. I would show up, later, the next day, when i was calm, and pay for the smoothie. i would explain that I was a musician, and wasn't very sane after a performance. He would laugh, he liked me, I bought a lot of stuff from him, and he knew that I was good for the bill.

...https://youtu.be/IVqoc_GOH-0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on May 30, 2022, 07:12:52 PM: Happy those around you understood. And the response shows the passion you have for your music smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 05, 2022, 01:17:00 AM: ...This was a very hard piece for me listen to. I was raised a Catholic...and the Nuns scared the HELL out of me. They would say, "Miss a Mass...and you are going to Hell...eat meat on Friday...and you are going to Hell...tell a lie, and you are going to Hell."...They would say, "Go to Confession, and you will be absolved." I would go out, pale with fear...after Confession...and kneel and say a lot of prayers. But, my Parents weren't devoute, I would ask about Mass...and we would just stay home. My Mother only wanted to go on Christmas Eve, and Easter Sunday. When I got old enough, I would walk the two miles to the Church, and feel relieved as I sat. But be confused as I walked back.

I mean...I thought about God...who created the Universe...and wonder...if I lived a good life...helping others...that I would really be sent to Hell because I missed a Mass.

...If the Catholics are true...I will spend Eternity in Hell. I haven't been to Mass in a long time...it has been several years since I made a Confession...I didn't have much to say...I was divorced, and not seeing a man, and ate shrimp on Friday, and was nice to everyone. I just didn't go to Mass.

https://youtu.be/Gg__yDK-0rk
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 05, 2022, 06:36:26 PM: ...Being President of the Conservatory Student Union... :P

...I was astonished when I was elected President of the Student Union...my sense of self worth was tarnished because 6 people voted against me...but 247 people voted for me. Back then, i didn't really like myself. But, I got to work, had weekly meetings with the Dean of the Conservatory, and spoke openly of things we wanted to do, and carefully listened when he suggested things. I was also on the University Student Council, because of my position, and worked hard to get student funds handed to me so we could put on Cultural Events. I became a 'friend' of the Leader of the Japanese/Chinese Student council. We would argue about budgets...but he was pleased when I moved to have $1,200 assigned to his group to have a feast.

...I showed up, but stayed in the background as people from the Community arrived, and students had fun, and put on shows...but I would sneak into the tent where the food was being cooked...and talk to the cooks. I would emerge, with a plate full of prawns, chicken teriaki...and other items...and watch what was going on. The people cooking...knew who was paying them... ME!..::)...so they would fill my plate with the good stuff.

...That was a fun time in my life. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 05, 2022, 06:50:38 PM: Sounds like you enjoyed the perks and fruit of your work.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 06, 2022, 11:57:16 PM: ...The damn cello... >:(

...I swear...they are living beings...and they latch onto us. When there is a happy moment in a movie, the violins play. When there is sadness, and despair...you hear a cello. I performed in a lot of pit orchestras when I was younger, for musicals...and at times the people around me would pat my shoulder after I played a solo with a singer. I had a duet with a female singer in a musical, Le Mis...and we connected. We couldn't see each other...but we blended. I could sense how she wanted to phrase the song...and I would urge her in other parts. We would finish, and the audience aupplauded...and the string players around me were waving their bows...that is how they aupplauded.

...I would sit...my eyes closed...taking deep breaths...and get ready for the next part.

...She sought me out, at a reception...I was drinking wine and stuffing myself silly with strawberries in cream...and she hugged and kissed me...and said that I inspired her song.

...I kissed her back...and said that she had a lovely voice, and that she made me want to express the song... :D

...Good thing that we were both straight...I would have let her haul me to her Apt, and done whatever she wanted me to do... 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 07, 2022, 06:46:40 PM: Yes, insturments have a soul particularly when played by someone who excels at that instrument. There is a song about a violin at an auction, initially no one really bids on it until a violinist steps forward and tines it then plays a song masterfully on it, the bids jump into the thousands because of his touch. And sounds like you and that singer were in synch with one another and the song itself.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 09, 2022, 10:49:05 AM: ... :)...Yes Nate...I believe that you are correct. I will re-tell my tale of the Amati cello that I had for about nine months.
'
For all of you non-musicians, Amati was a Luthier who's skill was right up there with Stradivarius, and his instruments are just as valuable, and sound so wonderful.

...MY Shrink sat beside me in a Community Orchestra, but I played a lot better, I was the Principal Cellist of the Orchestra. I think the Conductor thought that we looked good, together, so he had the best female student sit third chair. I comforted her, saying, "Hey, everyone will get a good look at you, and you won't have to turn pages, and you will play the more interesting part when we have a divisi." She agreed... ;)

...He showed up one evening with a VERY OLD CELLO...and I was thrilled to learn that it was an AMATI!!!! ;D

...But, it didn't sound very good, and I figured that it was just cause the Shrink couldn't play very well. One evening we talked, and I was astonished when he handed it, in it's case, to me, and said..."Wake it up." I drove home VERY CAREFULLY . I opened the case when I got home, and excitedly explained to my H what it was. He just sipped on his beer...and nodded. I went to my practice room...and the Amati was dead...or asleep...no overtones. You could make a cello out of plywood, and it would sound the same. I sawed my bows over it...I wondered if the problem was a bad match with the bow...but the cello was dead.

...I never give up on challenges that are worth pursuing, so I played the cello for hours every day. I would slowly play four octave scales, and talk to the cello, saying things like..."Wake up...we want to hear you...you've been sleeping too long." Well...one Saturday....

..."IT WOKE UP!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D

...I played hours everyday, delighted...even when it was 1:00 am...and I needed to get up at 6:00 am.

...My Shrink noticed that it was sounding better,,,but I kept telling him..."Let me keep it for a little longer, the lower register is still a bit dull, and I haven't worked on the higher register very much."

...Finally, after a concert where I played several solos, I stood in the parking lot...and watched as he drove away. He had the Amati in his car...and I had no cello. (Mine were at my home) and I sighed and drove back into the foothills... :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 09, 2022, 06:16:19 PM: Smiles you woke it up which was all it needed and you still had your cellos waiting for you.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 10, 2022, 09:02:50 PM: ...My cellos were happy when the Amati left.

...I swear, Katherine, my 1910 cello scolded me as I practiced...

..."Nice that the Bitch is gone..." >:(

...Pavane was still a baby...but was happy when I got him out of the case, and placed him between my legs, and practiced...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 11, 2022, 06:35:12 PM: Have to keep the insturments happy by playing them often.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 18, 2022, 06:59:23 PM: I have been blessed to have had a nice life, so far. Accountant, Attorney, Judge, Cellist, Pianist, Wife, Mother...and...

...GOLF CADDY!!!!!

I wanted to earn money in Jr HS....but I didn't want to babysit, or do a paper route. So...on weekends, and during the summer...

...I CARRIED A BAG OF GOLF CLUBS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY CLUB!!!!

I would trudge all over the course, the bag hanging over my shoulder, and get to the ball. I would look around, if it was in a bad spot, and use my toe to push it into a better lay...I had no sense of honesty...I just wanted my golfer to do well...I would get a better tip if he had a nice round. Later, as I began to understand golf, I could suggest a club, or point out the wind. Usually, the Caddy Master assigned me to carry a light bag, but a few times, I was exhausted as I carried the bag up the stairs...the bag was HUGE AND HEAVY!!!!

I always washed my golfers clubs after a round, the other caddies just left the bags, but I wanted his clubs to be clean after a round...in my mind...that was part of why I would get five, or six dollars. So, I would soak the irons in hot water, and scrub and then dry them, and then wipe down the woods...and then take the bag to it's place. Often, I just stayed, and washed more clubs for an hour, hoping for another loop, but would leave, and walk to the bus stop, and get back home.

Once, the guy whos clubs I was carrying, could hit the HELL out of the ball. I was thrilled, but he didn't know the course...he was new.

We walked up to his ball, the hole was a sharp right dogleg, and he grunted, and said, "Give me the 9 iron, I need to get back on the course." I took the cover off the three wood, and pointed towards a tree, and said..."This will get you over the hedges, aim at that, you may land close to the green." He stared at me...but took it...and I took the club back after he hit it

, and we walked around the hedges.

The other golfers balls were around the place...my golfers ball was on the green...

I LOUDLY said as we walked up...

...HERE IS YOUR PUTTER, SIR!!!!!

He took the club from me...laughing...

I got a nice tip...if I was older...he probably would have taken me out to a good dinner...and then fucked my ass off in his hotel room...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 19, 2022, 06:35:44 PM: Must say being a caddy is one job I have never done but then, I am not a sports fan and know little to nothing about golf or any other sport involving a ball lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 19, 2022, 09:42:11 PM: Cheating at golf.... ::)

When I caddied, I would get the bag from the Caddy Master, and carry it to the first hole, and look through it. I would take a couple balls, and place them in my pocket, and hold one in my hand. I would smile and hand my golfer the ball, and the Driver, and walk down the course, with the other caddies, and watch. I would put the balls back in the bag, at the end...unless he LOST one. I would search for it...but I had seen it go into a water trap...and would take a ball out of my pocket, place it in a nice place, and shout...

..."HERE IT IS, SIR!!!" ::)

An older caddie walked beside me, when I did that once, and said..."I will report you to the Caddy Master if you do that again."

I don't deal with threats very well... >:(...we were searching for his golfers ball...I spotted it...and pushed it deep into the rough with my heel...and pushed moss over the area. His golfer had to drop a ball, and take a one stroke penalty.

I am a vindictive BITCH!!!!~ >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 19, 2022, 11:13:30 PM: We performed this, once, at a Pops Concert. The Soprano, and me, I was the Principal Cellist, bullied the Conductor, last thing that a Conductor wants is two ANGRY FEMALES at a concert...so he added it to the list. ::) I was softly sobbing at the end... :'( But we performed it well...

...https://youtu.be/maQ8t8mJkTM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 20, 2022, 07:17:45 PM: Lol on the caddy incident. Am sure was the last time he threatened you. Nods on adding the song smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 23, 2022, 11:01:56 PM: ...Here is the song, again. I was first cello, and went ahead and memorized the work. I have been gifted with a good memory...and the BAR and CPA exams were simple. I read the question, and let my mind loose for a few minutes...and then wrote down what came into my mind. I had to watch my watch...I would want to write more. ;D

This song enters my heart, and mind...and I am always solumne at the end when we performed it. My standmate would grab my elbow, and get me to stand when I was the Principal Cellist. I would stand...slightly dazed...and smile at the singer...we had done very well.

Once, I couldn't stand...music always took something out of me...and I had not eaten dinner...I was nervous about this work.

The auplause stopped...and I just sat.

The Principal Violist and the 3rd cellist took my cello and bow from me, and led me offstage....

I laid on the couch in the Green Room....and wondered if I had had a stroke.

My H almost carried me out, and strapped me into the passenger seat. I started crying as we drove back...and...and...and...he...

Pulled into a McD's....

I was happy...eating a Big Mac and chewing on fries as my mind woke up ...

I can be a complex and difficult woman at times...but...hand me a Big Mac....

and I am easy to get along with... ;D

https://youtu.be/pUCuEd1tjCg
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 24, 2022, 06:37:56 PM: Food makes most things better lol. Love your passion for music and so many other interests you have. Not to mention your intellect, the cpa and bar exams have been known to make people cry from their difficulty. I was so happy to get the results of my board exam that I passed and will not need to repeat that experience lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 24, 2022, 10:55:25 PM: ...Congrats, DOCTOR NATE!!! :) Happy to hear you got through that. Getting through professional tests aren't easy. They make them difficult. The CPA exam was the most difficult...I just ate chocolate as I rode the subway when I did the three day BAR exam. And thought..."Give me a difficult question." I was an arrogant Bitch...and when I got my results...I could add JD...(Juris Doctor)...after my name.

I never use the word 'Doctor' in front of my name...unless I want to eat at a fancy restaurant.

I will get led to a nice table, and get some wine, and shrimp...and well...pig out... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on June 25, 2022, 07:06:13 PM: Thank you smiles. And I agree professional exams are definitely not easy at all. I have heard stories about the cpa and bar exams. One person in my study group has failed the board exam twice. So not easy at all. Lol on using dr in a restraunt smiles. Enjoy the meal next time you do it.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 09, 2022, 11:49:31 AM: Always bring a 'Pet' with you, when you sell door to door. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

In grammer school, and jr. High, my best friend and I earned money by selling stuff door to door. The 'stuff' was peaches, apricots and almonds from the trees in our back yards. We would pick ripe fruit, make sure that there were no worms, and wash the fruit, and then put it into our wagon, and go door to door selling them. The peaches and apricots went fast, but the almonds were harder to sell, since the subdivision was built in what was an almond orchard, so most houses had an almond tree. One time, we cracked open the almonds, and placed the meat in baggies, and they sold a little faster, but there were still baggies left in the wagon. We pondered what to do, and my mind came up with an easy solution...

...LET'S BLANCH THEM!!!...

So, the next week, we were sitting on the back porch, holding nutcrackers, and looking at the two large baskets that were full of almonds. Nancy's little sister, Mollie, was sitting a bit away, also holding a nutcracker, and smiling. Usually, we kept her out of our commerce, she could be a pest...and we just wanted to split the proceeds in half. But, there was a LOT of work to be done. So we said. "Come over, Mollie, and help." She asked, "If I help you prepare, and sell them, how much of a share do I get?" I thought, and figured that she didn't understand math very well, and said..."You will get 10%." She laughed, and said, "If I do as much work as you do, I should get a THIRD!" Nancy and I looked at each other, and said, "OK, if you stay with us, and do as much work as we do, you will get a third." She sat down, and with her help, we got the nuts shelled.

Then came the hard work of blanching them. We would boil a batch in water, and then dump them into a colander, and start boiling a new batch, and peeled the skins off the boiled ones. We then laid them out on cookie trays, salted them, and roasted them. We then bagged them, and had a LOT of baggies. Mollie had been working right beside us all of the time.

The three of us then went out to sell them, and we came up with a use for Mollie. She carried a bag, and a spoon, and when we made our sales pitch, we said that they could taste one, if they wanted, If they did, Mollie would scoop out an almond with the spoon, and drop the nut into the customers hand...beaming with delight as she did so, saying, "I helped make these."

We sold them all, very quickly, people would buy three or four bags at a time. We brought the wagon back, and Mollie carefully watched as we stacked the coins into three equal shares. There were two dimes left, we gave Mollie one, and I took the dime and gave Nancy a nickel.

We figured that Mollie had really helped us sell the almonds, the customers had all smiled back at Mollie...they just wanted to help this little girl. ;) ;)

It is sad how times have changed, especially the problem with drugs. I wouldn't let my young children sell door to door, and I don't buy when a child shows up at my door. Or, if I do, out of a sense of compassion, I just throw the fruit away. I mean, police officers are getting poisoned when they touch an object that has fentanyl on it. And there is so much fentanyl out there. Here, in the Bay Area, they caught two illegal aliens who were carrying enough fentanyl to kill hundreds of thousands of people. Our 'wise' DA set bail at $15,000 each...they handed over $1,500 each, and both were let out, and given citations ordering them to appear in August. Gee, I am SURE that when their case is called, they will stand and walk to the tables with their attorneys. ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 09, 2022, 07:26:21 PM: Excellent sales tactic smiles. I agree with you om not wanting kids going door to door or trusting those that may do so times have changed unfortunately.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 22, 2022, 03:07:22 AM: ...Beethoven...WHAT a MAN!!!!! :) :) :) :) :)

Someone who can compose music such as this, His 3rd Symphony, "The Heroica", is certainly not like us ordinary mortals. When he composed it, he initially dedicated it to Napoleon, but when he saw what Napoleon was doing, he dropped the dedication. It then became known as the "Heroic" Symphony. I have been blessed to have performed this several times, and this movement, the second, was always challenging for me. Technically, it has some difficult passages, but the simplicity of the opening theme, and then the development, just captivated me. My mind would go into an interesting place. Rags and other musicians know what I am speaking of. The 2nd movement is describing a funeral. The opening is a slow march, and around 6:02, the most dramatic music emerges. I envision the soul of the deceased raging against death, wanting to stay on this Earth...but accepting and moving on.

I would always be exhausted and sweating at the end...but would have to quickly recover for the fast movement that followed.

https://youtu.be/P4l8ah2Rvm0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on July 22, 2022, 08:04:52 PM: It helps bring more meaning to the music knowing the story behind it and eithin it. Nods.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 11, 2022, 07:44:36 AM: ...An amazing work of the musical Arts...a single Soprano vs EIGHT CELLOS!!! :)

The theme is exqusite, so yearning and longing. The 1st cello and the singer are in unison at times, other times alone...while the rest of the cellos are doing a frantic pizzicato adding a sense of urgency to the work...as if the soloists MUST express the languid theme in the proper time, or exotic things will occur.

https://youtu.be/pUCuEd1tjCg

I did perform in this work once...the index finger of my right hand was stiff and sore the next day from all of the plucking, but I had LOVED performing it. The singer had a wonderful, expressive voice...and she was a lovely woman. The 1st celiist had an AMATI cello that was in good condition, and the audience was silent for several seconds after we finished...silent with respect...the best compliment that can be paid to a performer...IMHO. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 11, 2022, 07:54:00 AM: ...What the above musical work is expressing...

Ária (Cantilena) (lyrics by Ruth V. Corrêa) (Later arranged for solo soprano with guitar accompaniment by Villa-Lobos). This Aria is Villa-Lobos' best-known work.[2][8] English translation:
In the evening, a dreamy, pretty cloud, slow and transparent, covers outer space with pink. In the infinite the moon rises sweetly, beautifying the evening, like a friendly girl who prepares herself and dreamily makes the evening beautiful. A soul anxious to be pretty shouts to the sky, the land, all of Nature. The birds silence themselves to her complaints, and the sea reflects all of Her [the moon's] wealth. The gentle light of the moon now awakens the cruel saudade [nostalgic or melancholic longing] that laughs and cries. In the evening, a dreamy, pretty cloud, slow and transparent, covers outer space with pink.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 11, 2022, 08:05:41 PM: Very cool and a description of the wong worthy of poetry
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 20, 2022, 12:22:49 PM: ...87,000 new IRS Agents...who are expected to be able and willing to use force...to...

...AUDIT THE RICH????????????????????

Biden and the Dems think that we are all idiots. There aren't 87,000 REALLY RICH people...and those people hire Attorneys and Accountants when they are audited, who make it tough on the IRS Agents. I know, as an Attorney/CPA I represented people against the IRS, and I was a TOTAL PAIN IN THE ASS! I didn't agree on ANYTHING...and the Agent had to work hard to squeeze some coin out of the taxpayer. Once, an Agent who had tangled with me before, sighed when he walked into the room and saw me sitting with the taxpayer with my "Let's Tangle' expression on my usual relaxed, (and pretty), face. He told me to come outside the office, and whispered, "Tell you what, I'll give you every other one." I spoke to my client, and said, "That would be a good deal, you have some very 'creative' deductions that I probably won't be able to defend, and you won't have a big bill from me." He agreed, and I told the Agent, "OK, we agree, but...I GET TO DECIDE WHERE WE START." He just said, "OK", and the audit was over in two hours, including the computation of the taxes due. My client was happy, he was afraid of getting a huge assessment, with penalties and interest added...and the MOTHER OF ALL ATTORNEY BILLS from me.

But, the IRS came after me. I wrote a letter to the Editor in the local newspaper, explaining that our Dem Congressman was totally wrong on a bill he was proposing. He sicced the IRS on me, and I got audited for three years. I ended up paying NOTHING...and they wanted to audit me again. I threatened to bring an action in the Federal District Court to stop them...their own guidelines say that they can't audit you, unless they can show a good reason, if they didn't find anything significant in three audits. So, they dropped the 4th audit, and I haven't been bothered since.

So, we all have to get ready, those new agents are coming after the middle class. Most middle class citizens, especially now, can't afford a Tax Attorney to represent them, and just pay the IRS assessment. :P >:( :( And some IRS Agents, especially new ones...can be total JERKS...denying clearly legal deductions. One such agent would introduce himself, seriously, to my clients by saying, "I am George -------, from the IRS, WHERE IT IS." I would just look down, and sigh.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 20, 2022, 06:20:59 PM: We do not need more irs agents, we need a simpler tax code and fewer laws and regulations, so people can understand what they are supposed to pay with fewer loopholes in the system. Love your experiences and enjoy hearing about times the irs lost lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 21, 2022, 01:48:03 AM: ...Amen to the idea of simplifying the Tax Code, Nate. Years ago, the Law Firm I worked for sent me to a two day long seminar to discuss a new series of Tax Codes. We were especially concerned about how Congress, in their infinite wisdom, passed many Statutes that affected Pension Plans. We advised several Companies on their Pension Plans, and I was a Director on one Plan. If memory serves me correct, the new Codes were called ERISA, which we practitioners decided stood for "Every Ridiculous Idea Since Adam' after reading the damn thing. But, many provisions were very unclear. Not correctly advising a Plan could result in severe penalties to the Company and the Retired Employees, so we needed to understand them.

The Seminar was in San Francisco, at an expensive hotel, the only nice part of the event. I ate a good dinner both nights, and then drank several glasses of wine as I watched movies in my room, and pondered over the event.

Now...please keep in mind that the six panelists were highly regarded National Experts on Pension Plans, and several had written articles and books about them. But...

...EVEN THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT A LOT OF THE SECTIONS OF THE LAWS MEANT!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

A typical exchange was..."Irving, I believe section 4.783b means...*gives explanation"" The reply from Irving would be, "I don't know, Paul, you could be right, but I think it means...*explains* What do you think, Pete?" Pete would say, "Both of you might be correctly interpreting it, but I think it could mean...*explains*"

Nobody learned ANYTHING during the seminar, the panelists concluded by saying, "The IRS will watch how taxpayers are handling the Laws, and then the IRS will issue Regulations that will explain the sections, and will use the interpretations that generate the most taxable income. ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

I went back to the Firm, and said, "I am resigning as a Director of the Plan that I am on, and I recommend that we stop advising Pension Plans until the IRS has issued Regulations. We don't want to get our asses sued because we didn't interpret the Law correctly. I am pretty good at interpreting Tax Law, and I don't understand these new Laws...but if the Nations Specialists don't know what these Laws mean, I am in pretty good company."

...I resigned...explaining to the Plan Administrators why I was doing so, and recommended a large San Francisco Firm to take over their account. The President of the Company laughed his ass off, "P-----, this is the first time you have EVER said you didn't understand a Law...even when you have been wrong a few times." I just bristled, and went back to my office and closed my door, and put on Rach's 2nd Symphony as I drank a small glass of brandy. (It was after hours...so it was OK. ;) )
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on September 21, 2022, 07:10:46 PM: Love your interpretation of the erisa abbreviation, which basically applies to most any bill congress passes btw. Do not blame you for resigning from the panel, I would have ran as fast as I could. Of course we all know poly=many and ticks=blood sucking insect hence the word politics. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 02, 2022, 07:59:52 AM: ...Ginzu Steak Knives.... ;)

...I have a set, I got fascinated by the name, and went to one of those sites that advertised them on TV, and ordered them. My H was HIGHLY amused when they arrived. I was excited, and explained to him what they were...he just nodded...he knew that making fun of them. or me. would ignite my short Hispanic temper...and my tongue could be sharper than the knives. >:( >:( ??? ??? ::) ::) I actually just kept them in their box, they are still there, and the box is in my dresser...I don't want to actually use them. I mean, they are...AUTHENTIC Ginzu Steak Knives!!!! ;D ;D ;D

...I had a female cellist friend who competed with me for who would be the Principal Cellist of a Community Orchestra. We loved each other, and were nice to each other...unless we were competing for a chair in an Orchestra. We took meals together, and gave each other little presents. I helped her with her home accounts, and she would teach me how to groom and arrange my hair. I was a 'Plain Jane' in College and Law School...I focused on studying...and didn't care how I looked.

...She won 1st Chair in a nice Orchestra. and requested me to be her standmate. I wanted to be 3rd chair, if I couldn't be 1st..I would sit in the outside chair where the audience could get a good look at me. (She just wanted to see me have to stop playing, and turn the page when she nodded her head.) We were going to perform the William Tell Overture, that has the lovely, and technically challenging cello solo at the opening. I taunted her, saying that she would screw up at least one passage, and we made a bet.

She performed it beautifully, and stood alone at the end of the Overture to get special applause from the Audience...and I was also applauding. I also handed her, her win from the bet. It was a set of...

...GINZU STEAK KNIVES... :P :P :P

I had the box under my chair, and handed it to her when she stood for applause...the Conductor just stared. But, he didn't say or do anything. By then he was used to my strange antics, and did need me in the section. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 02, 2022, 07:26:07 PM: Lol love the competition though sorry you lost your set of knives
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 04, 2022, 06:50:21 PM: ...Carrying a 'Piece'... >:(

...Gee, I wish I was younger, I would apply for one of those new 87,000 IRS auditor positions, because...

...I WOULD GET TO CARRY A GUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

...(Me...during an audit...saying to a taxpayer...after drawing and pointing my 38 Special...)

..."Show me the support for that deduction...or..."

...I am starting to get fearful of our Government, tax auditors WITH GUNS????!!!! :o I mean, what could POSSIBLY go wrong? One of the things I read that they want to do is to make the use of CASH illegal!!! :o It makes sense to them, if we had to use Government vouchers on-line for commerce, the Government would know EVERYTHING we were doing, and would be able to tax the crap out of us.

...But, we citizens are to blame, we elected those idiots and crooks into office. Idiots voted politicians into Office who promised to 'Defund the Police', ...and guess what is happening in CA? Violence and gun crimes are at historic highs...SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!! The City of Oakland is now pleading to Officers who left to return, (because Oakland Officials were making their jobs difficult and impossible)...and the Officers, who have new jobs in States and Counties who appreciate them...are giving Oakland the middle finger. S.F. and Oakland are losing population, because people are moving away because they are fearful. So, Oakland is losing Federal Funds, losing funds gets the Officials attention, they don't give a damn about the citizens.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 04, 2022, 07:00:13 PM: There is no reason for auditors to have guns. I agree with you on the wrong people being elected more so in places like CA which is what prompted the song.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ApfBvkql0lI

Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 10, 2022, 04:01:26 PM: ...Music... :D

...It is so wonderful that we were created, or evolved, to have EARS! So we can listen to music. ;D At times in my Life, like everyone, I have faced very challenging and difficult personal and professional challenges. Listening to music helped me get through them. On the way to the Courthouse, I would put on a CD of inspirational classical music, and it would help me focus and not be distracted by nerves, uncertainty, or distractions. I often would listen to the 1st movement of this work, which is also the last movement. Orff was a percussionist, and surely had a knowledge of orchestration. In this work, this movement is describing 'doing it', and the Soprano does have an orgasm at the end of her solo. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) I have sang in the chorus, and played my cello several times in the orchestra for this work...(Once, I was doing BOTH during the dress rehearsal, and the Conductor told me at the end..."OK, you had your fun, but I will have you leave the pit if you do that at the performance."...)and I SWEAR that I had an 'unmessy' orgasm in the last section. My mind had the experience, but I didn't have to clean up afterwards. ::) :P ::)

https://youtu.be/XZZEYoZQJTA
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 10, 2022, 07:07:32 PM: I think most are happy that we have music and yes music can definitely habe all sorts of effects on us from calming to arousing. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 16, 2022, 06:50:38 AM: ...Firebird...

https://youtu.be/kd1xYKGnOEw

This work has captured my mind, lately. I have played it, and it is very difficult. Stravinski LOVED to challenge musicians, and didn't give a DAMN if his music was difficult/impossible to play. I had to go into 'Thumb Position' in the 1st four registers to perform this...I have small hands...I should have stuck with the violin rather than taking up the cello. :P (Thumb position is where you pull your thumb away from the back of the neck, and lay it crosswise across the strings. It operates as another 'finger', and it hurts like Hell until you develop callus across the side of your thumb. Normally, you only get into thumb position when you are past the shoulder of the cello, and there is no neck to hold onto. Early in my studies, I met Yanos Starker at a recital he was giving, and when I told him that I played the cello, he grabbed my left hand and felt the outside of my left thumb, and sternly said, "Young lady, you aren't practicing enough." I didn't wash that hand for two weeks... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D).

As I played, I envisioned what I believed the music what was about...

Villagers are in a huge battle with Invaders...
It is difficult, their protector, the Firebird, is hibernating...
You hear the calls of horns, and skirmishes...
The Villagers are defeated, and retreat...
They bury their dead, and sing dirges..
They travel, slowly, to escape the Invaders...
They stop, exhausted...and...
A little girl runs out...and calls for the Firebird...
It hears her, and wakes up, rustling its feathers...
It stretches its wings, and takes off..
The Firebird attacks the Invaders...
Hurling balls of fire, and attacking with it's claws and wings...
It defeats the Invaders...
It shrieks in victory...
And the Firebird flies away...

Just my interpretation. I always cry with relief at the end...I did cry when I performed it... :) ;) :D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 16, 2022, 08:38:16 PM: Nothing touches our being like music the better the somg the more it touches us
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 22, 2022, 07:39:58 PM: ...I just finished a wonderful dinner. I bought and baked two cornish game hens for my Mother and I. There were potatoes, and carrots on the side, and I stuffed the hens with cooked brown rice. I finished by melting butter, and pouring it over them, after applying salt and pepper. Cooking for 2 hours at 325 degrees in a covered container was right. They were properly done, and very tender and juicy, and didn't need seasoning. I put a bit of skin on each piece, and they tasted great. :) Once, I was a Counselor at a Girl Scout camp, and one of the Counselors...you all know the type...was saying that we shouldn't eat the skin. Now, I do understand that some people need to monitor their intake of fatty foods. But, I said, "What is the POINT in eating chicken if you DON'T eat the skin?" A number of women agreed with me, and we calmed down, and ate our chicken, skin and all.

...Hey, I can safely, and honestly say, that I had NO HAND in making this video...

https://youtu.be/ubZhS-0l4wk

...One nice thing about living with and watching over my elderly mother. She likes my cooking, and is appreciative, but DOESN'T TRUST me to clean up. I guess just dipping the pans, dishes, and utensils in cold water isn't good enough. So, after we eat, and dispose of the garbage. she sends me out of the kitchen, and cleans up. ::) ::) ::)

...One thing I have learned in life, is that 'creative incompetence' sometimes pays off. You get chased away, and someone else does the task. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 22, 2022, 08:08:47 PM: ...This is the video I meant to post above...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNJnOfyhweo

...I was listening to the other one, as I r/p'd Izee traveling. She misses Marcus Hrolfson very much. They traveled all over Gor, together, and did attract other traveling companions. We typists had a r/t relationship. I sent him food and snacks, he sent me a nice wool scarf when I was typing that Izee' was freezing while traveling in the North. He was a very kind man. I saw him comfort others, on-line and in r/t, and he was suffering from a disease that had no cure. He lived longer than expected, and people said that r/p kept him alive even when MD's said that he would only live for a few more months.

Te adoro, Marcus...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 23, 2022, 01:15:20 PM: ...Grading Musical Compositions... ::)

...In several classes at Conservatory, we had to compose music. Those assignments were usually in Music Theory, often the assignment was to just compose a tune. The most difficult was assigned in Counterpoint Class, we had to compose a complete fugue. That is not easy, fugues are very complex. You end up with several independent lines of music that have to fit together to develop the theme. Composing a melody, and adding accompaniment is easier. As usual, I went way overboard when I had to compose. I would return to my dorm at 3:00 am for several nights, after I was at the Conservatory Building composing a fugue...they are DIFFICULT!!! It was kind of fun being in the building, I took to doing late night practice there, often I was the only person in the building, except for the Janitors at times, and would walk the three stories and basement and Stage when I needed a break or wanted to ponder the work and NOT have the DAMN PIANO KEYBOARD in front of me!!! My hands would be itching to get on the keys, and play SOMETHING...didn't matter what...if I was sitting at a piano, they would want to do something.

When we were assigned to compose a melody and accompaniment, I went insane. (Anybody ever see me do that?)

...I composed an Oratorio when we were assigned to just compose a song. It was entitled "The Unasked Question"...I had been listening to Ives "The Unanswered Question"...and was inspired. In addition to a piano, singers and string quartet, it had a woodwind ensemble, and several brass players. I gave the sousaphone a nice part, he appreciated it. The work was somewhat unorganized and disjointed, and mixed different styles of music, that really didn't mix very well, and included reading and acting out an overly dramatic poem while a string quartet played a tragic passage. (I also composed the poem.) I was telling a story of unrequited love...I believe that other Composers have attempted to do so...and I was TOTALLY PISSED at my latest boyfriend who had found a new girlfriend...so I was inspired. There was one section where I needed to link two songs together, and I labored, and labored, and labored over a tune that would blend the two songs...and settled on having the Tuba and Trombone players just blow into their mouthpieces...that weren't connected to the instrument...while a Soprano sang a brief, tragic, song. I thought that part was neat...but the Professor just wrote question marks all over my manuscript. He wrote, at the end, "OK, you get an "A", but next time use your genius to compose something serious."

...The Music Theory Professor would use brief comments to grade and critique a composition. "DTB" meant "Doubling the bass line:, and he had many others. He wrote "UGH" over a portion of one of my works, and I had never seen that abbreviation before. I raised my hand, and asked him what UGH meant, and he said...

..."It means "Ugh"...like...Ugh, this soup tastes horrible."

I just wrote the explanation down and nodded and said..."I actually thought "UGH" after I wrote the damn thing."

It did get performed, once, at Solo Class. Some musicians needed to perform something, and decided that my work fit the bill. It lasted for a reasonable amount of time, and wasn't very difficult, technically. At Conservatory, we musicians were required to perform at least four times in public, and 'Solo Class' was created. You had to attend it, or your grades would suffer, but it wasn't graded and there were no credits. The idea was that students would get the experience of performing, and the students would also be exposed to music that they wouldn't normally listen to. A wind player might not be a fan of opera, and who, but pianists, are familiar with all of the great piano works? I was called to the stage at the end, to receive my own applause for composing the damn thing. Most of the audience were laughing...

...That is when I began to seriously consider changing College Majors... ::)

...So, I did the usual...I changed from an interesting and challenging Major to...

...Business Administration...

...UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! :P :P :P :P :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 23, 2022, 08:13:20 PM: The meal sounds great. Next timr invite me lol.

Wow on compsing music. I remember being in the computer lab in the library until they closed at midnight then going home and logging into the school computer for another 2 hours writing code for assignments not as artistic as music but an art form of its own while in college.

And I agree on ugh to business admin lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 24, 2022, 11:59:23 AM: ...Not only Business Administration...but a concentration in...

...ACCOUNTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :P :P :P :P :P

That was the first time the University offered a degree in accounting. I did well, and was the FIRST graduate to pass the entire CPA Exam. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I sent a copy of my test results to my Professor. He posted it on the "Official" Announcement Board outside the Main Office.

Intermediate Accounting was the MOST DIFFICULT course I have ever taken. In business school, it is what Organic Chemistry is to Med Students. It is INTENDED to weed out the wimps. I spent many late nights studying the book, and trying to understand bizarre methods of depreciation, amortization, and other such concepts.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 24, 2022, 07:04:44 PM: I was never one for accounting then, most computer sci majors are not. But I understand what you mean by a weeding out class, for us it was calculus lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 24, 2022, 10:00:51 PM: AHHHH...Calculus... ::)

In all of my early life, I just KNEW that I would become a scientist. My hobbies were all science, except for music. But I believe that music and science are intertwined. Einstein played the violin, and I can testify, from personal experience, that many scientists and Doctors play, or played, musical instruments. I was at a Chamber Music gathering, and got placed in a string quartet with three older men. I was CONVINCED that they were professional musicians, but they were all scientists! :o :o :o :o :o (I was the dumb one..being a Lawyer... :P ) We all had lunch together...and if they had asked...I would have eagerly become a mistress (sex partner) to ALL of them...if they took care of me, fed me well, and bought me cheese pockets when I asked, and played chamber music with me...but they were all married.

Anyway, back to calculus. I was placed in advanced math classes all through school...there were 11 of us students that they picked out for that. There was only one other girl...and I WAS PRETTIER...so they should have asked me out, but she was more popular. I suspect that she 'put out', but have no proof. In our Senior year, they created a calculus class for us. I was PROUD...I would get college credit for it...and it could help me get into a good college. I wanted to go to the University of the Pacific (UOP), they had an advanced program in Marine Biology...which I loved. I wanted to major in Marine Biology, and focus on fish farming. I LOVED shellfish, and wanted to work on how to raise them on a commercial basis.

But, came CALCULUS...and I had a SENIOR MELTDOWN!!! :P I suddenly decided that I could make a living playing the cello, and dropped out of all math and science classes, except Physics...I liked it. They made me the TA for Chemistry, to try to get me back into the fold...but I was insane. So, I did get accepted into UOP, as a Music Major. For some reason, I couldn't integrate what calculus was. It is different from Algebra and Geometry, or maybe my juvenile female brain was distracted trying to sort out reality with what I was feeling inside.

I do believe that I made a mistake when I changed majors after my Soph year, when I was still a Music Major. My Counselor said that I should change to Biology, but that it would take me three years to graduate with a B.A., I would need to take the courses that I would have taken in my Frosh and Soph years if I had started as a Biology Major. My 'Muscle Head' insisted that I get a B.A. in four years, not five...and my 'smart self' didn't think it through. What is an extra year? And I did have the wonderful experience in immersing myself in Music for two years.

;) I probably would have met Jacque Cousteau, with me as a Marine Biologist...and with my winning charm...I would have traveled with him on his ships. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 25, 2022, 07:25:13 PM: I agree once one is past explicit differenitation, calculus is a different animal from algebra etc. Partocularly if one skips matrices and linear algebra along the way lol. Wow on the interest in marine biology. And yes, music is basically all math and science acoustics, soundwaves, wave length etc. So makes sense scientists would also play instruments. Btw my brother is looking into being a physics major and said not much calculus is used in it largely trig, algebra and linear algebra. I took trig based physics but was more interested in computers at the time.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 30, 2022, 02:18:59 AM: ...I am VERY easy to entertain... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I watch this channel a lot...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPJ6NCmHOI4
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 31, 2022, 01:41:02 AM: https://youtu.be/Uar6hcucwrA

When I was a teenager, some guys and I would set up a 'spooky home' at one house on Halloween. There were oak and walnut trees all over, and the porch got very dark at night. Back then, EVERYONE Trick or Treated, and every house would stock up on candy. When we were young kids, we would get a parent to drive us to where the rich people lived, and leave us there for an hour. Rather than just getting our bags full of bits of candy, we would get full sized chocolate bars and packages of good candy. ;D

Anyway, we would set up all sorts of spooky things around the porch, and it was dark, with just a few pumpkins with candles in them. And the faces on the pumpkins were scary. We would hang scary dummies all over the porch, and one of us would be in the walnut tree near the porch, and scream and drop a dummy near the visitors. I would hand out the candy, to those brave souls who made it to the door, and hand out nice candy. I would dress up as a REALLY UGLY witch, or a female cadaver...and scare the parents of the kids. Once, some friends saw me as the horrible, gross witch, and when I asked them how they liked my costume, they asked "What costume?" I tried to hit them with my broom, but missed...I was using my 'golf grip'...doesn't work on a broom. >:(

Now, there is no Trick or Treating. People are scared of letting their young children out at night, and who knows what is in the candy? That damned fentanyl is so toxic, that a few grains can kill you, and there are so many sick people out there, now.

I used to like to walk late at night. It was so quiet, not many cars, and it was restful. I did try a walk a few months ago...but I was constantly turning my head to see around me, even though we are in a nice neighborhood. I couldn't relax my thinking, so I quickly went back home. Back when I was a teenager, living here, I would take VERY long walks, sometimes into the early morning hours. My parents were asleep, and my brother did the same, so I could do it. One time, there were reports of a kidnapper being in town, and my brother would sneak out with me. He told me that if he got into a fight, that I should just run home. I lied, and said that I would, because I carried a small knife... :o...if someone tried to kidnap me...he could be in for a surprise. My Dojo had taught we females to act scared, frantic and uncoordinated if approached, and then to unload when the attacker was somewhat out of balance. Stomping on a kneecap was a suggestion, you could cripple him, and it would hurt and you might be able to squirm free and run away. We were taught really ugly things to do...like 'go for the eyes'. Even if you don't pluck them out, your attacker will be hurt, and will have trouble seeing you as you sprint away.

Times are so different, now. At my age, I have noticed that each generation is different. I wonder how this generation will be. They are facing situations and challenges that I never had. For instance, socializing. When I was young, and we went to eat or have a soda, we talked and jabbered about all sorts of things. Now, you see a group of young people, and they all have their PDA's in front of their faces, and don't seem to be interrelating with each other.

By the way, on a different note, I am seeing more and more 'homeless' people in our nice area. The news sources tell us that they are the refugees that are crossing our border...they do not speak English. Last I read...and I am a Lawyer...it is ILLEGAL to enter the good ol USA without some authorizing papers. That is true of EVERY OTHER NATION in the World. If I just walked into Canada, I would politely be asked to show I was Canadian, or had papers, and when I said I was from the good ol USA and just wanted to live there, they would, politely, kick my trespassing ass back into the USA. And I am cute...and have a nice personality...and am pretty much educated...and have some coin.

What is that old curse? "May you live in INTERESTING times." :P :P :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on October 31, 2022, 07:43:08 PM: Lol on yiur spooky hoise decor. We never went to that extreme but did hand out candy. Trick or treating is still done here, sounds like you may need to move out of liberalville to a more normal state smiles.
I agree on young people not knowing how to socialize and being too attached to their devices sighs.
As for the borders, we desperately need to get the liberals out of office and back to sane people in place who will enforce the laws.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 03, 2022, 07:29:38 AM: ...I am just FASCINATED by this Bach Piano Concerto... :)

https://youtu.be/9ZX_XCYokQo

At Conservatory, I was captivated, and a little scared of this work. A piano performance major was going to perform it, and I was leading the cello section as principal cellist. I was distracted by other things going on, and actually didn't look at the work until the first rehearsal. My standmate opened the score...and I STARED at it...thinking WTF? It is in a difficult key signature, and the motif is strange...not elegant. Bach's works are usually so elegant, that is why they are performed in elegant chambers, as Royalty struts around and sniffs snuff...and other 'stuff'. I mean. the motif is very abrupt, and not melodic. Compare it to the Brandenburg concertos...those are happy works...you can almost sing them. But this work???? (Clears throat and sings...)

...buda bah bit bit but bah...but BAH butta BAH butta BAH butta bah BIT...butta bah BIT...butta bah BIT...butta bah bit bah bit bah bit bah bit bah bit bah bit bah bit...butta bah BIT bah BIT...BAH...BIT...BAH...

...THAT'S THE GENIUS BACH????? :o :o :o :o :o :o

Once I got over my shock, I was grabbed by the work. "buda bah bit" ran through my mind, constantly, even through an exciting lecture on Generally Accepted Accounting Principals. (Hey, I was always on the edge of my chair during lectures on Accounting...oh my...oh my...oh my...What will come NEXT???? Amortization??? YAYYYYYY!!!!!)

The Counterpoint is astounding, and so many emotions are expressed. Bach almost crossed into the Romantic Period of music when he wrote this. Some of the later Bach works are difficult to listen to, they don't feel Baroque, IMHO. The Genius was probably evolving his works as he aged. And, of course, ANY WORK performed by Glenn Gould with Leonard Bernstein would be astounding. :) I understand that Glenn was a character, in some of his writings, he said that Mozart died 'too late' rather than 'too early'. (Mozart died at age 35) The clip is fun to watch, Glenn's fingers are so expressive. I envy him his 4th finger...it looks almost as long as his ring finger.

My hands are strange, my little finger only comes half-way up my ring finger, and I have short fat thumbs that curve out, away from my palms. Nail polish and press-ons don't do much to make them pretty. (I was thrown out of the office when I auditioned to become a 'Hand Model'. I am told that I have a cute face, but my hands are mutants.)

Anyway, please enjoy :D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 03, 2022, 07:34:30 PM: Smiles always enjoy your recollections of your performances and classes etc. Though not a fan of the 3b's honestly. Motzart is more melodious and relaxing to me in the classic genre of music.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 04, 2022, 09:55:23 AM: ...You do have a good point, Nate, Mozart did write really relaxing and pleasant music. From what I have read of Mozart, Tom Hulce's portrayal of Mozart in Amadeus may have been what Mozart was really like. I have looked at a number of photographs of his musical compositions, and they do look like he was just taking down dictation. Contrast that with Stravinski...they are messy...whole sections crossed out, notes written over each other. ::)

My all time FAVORATE work by Mozart is his "Dissonance Quartet". I fell in love with it when it was assigned to our quartet at Conservatory, and wanted to play it all the time!!! ;D At Chamber Music retreats, I would ALWAYS grab the work from the Librarian...I would track her down and ask for the music...and write on the announcement board that I wanted to play it during the relaxed time after dinner. The other three parts would fill up very quickly with good players. I would be a bit of a bitch when we played it. 'Shushing' everyone when we approached a 'pp' marking...(That is where you play REAL soft)...and POUNDING my bow and saying "Come on" when we had a 'FF' marking...(That is where you play real loud). I would be sweating and my arms would be very tired when we finished.

Whenever we performed it, the audience would be very appreciative, because we put our hearts and souls into it.

Here it is.... ;) ;) ;)

https://youtu.be/f3oK4XVMARs
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 04, 2022, 10:56:43 AM: ...Funny story...

My Professor of Piano was a cranky old man who didn't care much for the 'sensibilities' of his students. He actually kicked me out of my weekly hour long lesson a few times, because he could tell that I had not practiced enough. ONCE, I tried to explain that I was studying for Finals, and was campaigning for a University wide student political position, and...boy...

...DID I GET YELLED AT!!!! :P :P :P :P :P

He was FURIOUS...he told me to just drop the piano if it meant so little to me, and stop wasting his time...and kicked me out of the lesson. I walked across the hall, and locked myself into a practice room and just CRIED for half an hour. :'( But he was also very encouraging. I had almost mastered a Brahms Rhapsody, and had gotten through an exciting and fast portion of the work, and then slowed and used the pedal and softened the touch of my fingers on the keys to get into the quiet introspective section. He had been sitting with his eyes closed, and I actually thought he may have dozed off...but he kept his eyes closed and whispered..."Thank you, that was lovely"...

I just kept playing, and finished the work, but I felt my shoulders and arms glowing...don't know how else to explain it... :)

Anyway, one day I had organized a recital across campus at a large dining hall, that was also used as an auditorium. It was for free, and I just wanted to give Conservatory Students a chance to perform. I did print flyers advertising the concert, and posted them all over campus. About an hour before the event, I was in my Concert Black 'little dress'... ::)...(I could safely spread my legs on stage since I had a large chunk of wood between them...my cello...although the audience did get a good look at my legs on each side of the cello)...and was moving a full size harp to the hall. The harpist couldn't find the time to move it. So, there I was, walking in high heels, my cello strapped to my back, in a little black dress, pushing a full size harp on a rolling stand across campus. I came across my Piano Professor, and he gave me a puzzled look, and asked, "Which one are you going to play?" I told him, "Both, and the piano. too. I have three chairs set up, and will move from one to the other during the work."

He just grunted, and moved on. I looked for him in the audience, but he did not attend.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 04, 2022, 11:03:33 AM: ...Here is the piano Rhapsody... ;)

https://youtu.be/U79VxvJYGdU
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 04, 2022, 08:20:15 PM: Lol on the professor's response with you and the 3 instruments. But I can see his passion in how he responded to practicing and how you played. Smiles on motzart and particularly the movie amadeus. Motzart had an understanding of music not seen in any other composer.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 07, 2022, 04:19:05 AM: ...Live TV...and dirty jokes

I am going to date myself a bit, but when I was a very young child there would be local, live TV. Usually, it was news, and stuff, but there was a show called "Mayor Art'. He dressed up in a Top Hat and Tails, to look like a formal Mayor. He would have about 20 very young children sitting behind him, on a raised stage with tiers, so you could see all the kids, and they were his 'City Council'. He would do stuff, have them vote, and show cartoons so you weren't staring at him and the kids during the hour long show. Amusing things would happen, since it was live, so if something didn't go as planned, well, the show had to go on.

One thing he always had was "Jokes". So he would ask the kids if they had any jokes, and when they did, he would hold the large microphone in front of their faces, and they would tell their joke. They would then get a little prize, like a baseball or board game. Of course, once in a while, a child would tell a dirty joke, and it couldn't be bleeped or erased since the show was being broadcast. Of course, the child was too young to understand what he or she was saying, so the screen would go blank, and a cartoon or commercial would be played. When Art came back live, the child would be gone. ::)

Once, and I was watching, wishing that I could get on the show, Art put the microphone in front of a child, and the following occurred...

Art..."What is your joke?"
Child..."Why does your underpants have a hole in it?"
Art...(After a long pause, and speaking softly)..."I don't know, why?"
Child..."Because how else could you get your legs through it."

Art started laughing with relief, and kept saying, "That is a good joke". He gave the child the usual small prize, and then kept adding more prizes, including a bicycle, as he kept repeating, "That is a good joke".

Art was probably wishing that he could track down the child's parents, or older siblings, and beat the crap out of them for putting him through that. Obviously, the child didn't make up the joke. the child looked quiet and confused.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 07, 2022, 07:05:54 PM: Lol cute joke and can only imagine ehat was going through his mind at the start of the joke. Smiles. They did something similar on the howdy doody show asking the kids in the audience of they had a joke or a riddle.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 13, 2022, 05:12:17 AM: ..."I did it MYYYYYYYYYY WAYYYYYYYYYYYY"... Izee' finishes her last song...and is led to her Limo....where she chugs a bottle of champagne. ;D

Here is how it is done... :)

https://youtu.be/JuLMHLLq2ms

Such an amazing artist Elvis was, this piece shows clips of Elvis from the movies he made. I know that a lot of people make fun of him, but he brought so much to so many people. Many of his softer songs are true treasures. This song is so powerful, it makes me cry when I play it in my head. I have some kind of music recorder inside my head, I can sit and play a symphony inside my head. Maybe I am not human...Izee' the Alien cheesecake eater. I LIKE cheesecake, but chocolate cake is always my favorite. During orchestra performances, I wouldn't count measures of rest, I would listen to the music, and KNOW when the cellos were supposed to come in. Once, I was sitting second chair cello during a performance, and we had a 50 measure rest. I was just sitting, listening to the music, and the Principal cellist leaned over to me, and whispered..."How many measures have we rested?" I replied, "Don't know, I'm not counting, but I know when we are supposed to come in." She GLARED AT ME...and I ignored her, and then raised my bow a couple measures before the rest ended, and then placed the bow on the string a measure before we entered, and looked up and nodded at the conductor as I began to play. He briefly looked at me, and the Principal and the other cellists followed me. ;D

A similar thing happened another time. I have problems following Authority Figures...has to do with my childhood. I was bullied very badly, and so I have difficulty following other people. People that I thought were friends turned on me, so I grew up with very few friends, or social activities, except music. (By the way, I feel that I have made many good friends here, and on other sites. :) ) Anyway, I was sitting 3rd chair in an orchestra, so I was seated right behind the Principal. We were in the middle of a symphony, and had a long rest, and I saw the Principal getting ready to come in 6 measures too early. I waved my bow at the stands behind me, and held my bow up, even after the Principal and her partner entered. I listened to the music, and brought my bow down right when we were SUPPOSED to come in, and the others followed me...and WE were in the right place. The Principal bumbled around, turned, and glared at me, and I scowled back at her. She then realized that she was in the wrong place, and got back to where we were playing. The symphony sounded a bit dissonant for a while, with the cellos playing in different parts of the score. :P But I was laughing inside..."Think you can make ME come in at the WRONG TIME? Well, BITCH, you are WRONG!!!" >:(

...She didn't even thank me at the end... :o :o :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 13, 2022, 07:12:17 PM: You have an internal sense of timing and know the music well enough not to count a natural talent smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 14, 2022, 03:22:48 AM: Bizet: L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2

Another of my favorite works for a small orchestra. Bizet was a real genius, we all know his "Carmen" suite. :) In H.S, one of my best Girl Friends was named Connie, but I called her Carmen, which is the Hispanic equivalent of Connie. (At least I BELIEVE it is...so it MUST be correct). Anyway, she put up with it, she thought it sounded classier than 'Connie', but other people would ask me why I called her Carmen, when her name was Connie. I pretended to be bewildered, (I can do that very easily, since I am bewildered most of the time), and insisted that her name was Carmen.

The piece that starts at 5:50 is truly interesting. The orchestra makes several loud introductions. When I performed this, I felt that we were angry about something that had happened, and we were YELLING for an explanation. And the work calms down, and a SAXAPHONE plays a very benign and soothing passage, telling us to just calm down. The last movement is a BLAST to play. Bizet just has the orchestra play ALL of the themes at the SAME TIME...different sections play different themes, and I imagined a bunch of young children running loose, with parents trying to corral them. ;)

Here is the work...

https://youtu.be/OorFiRFVjoM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 14, 2022, 04:32:12 AM: ...Why I had to work REALLY REALLY HARD to get an "A" in playing the cello at the Conservatory, even though I was a Performance Major. :P

I can have a big mouth at times, and at times people don't appreciate what I think are good attempts to be humorous. :-\

At Conservatory, I VERY strongly resembled my Professor of Cello. People thought that I was his daughter, and we both explained that there was no family relationship. I would be his Stand Partner at chamber music concerts, and at the reception audience members would tell me that they enjoyed hearing my father and I play. At times like that, I just smiled and said, "Yes, Dad got me started early on the cello." But in my Frosh year, the other students kept asking me if we were related, and I would tell them "no". He also taught music theory, and once I came to his class early to pick up some music that he wanted me to study. So, I was standing next to him at the front of the classroom, looking at the music and discussing it with him, and a girl said very loudly,

..."Look at them, they do look alike"...

We looked at each other, and I announced...

..."That's 'cause I've been sick, very very sick..."

There was nervous laughter, and then the Professor turned to the class and said...

..."Well, guess who just flunked the cello..."

I PROFUSELY APOLOGIZED...and slunk (Slink, slank, slunk) my hiney out of the classroom as there was more laughter... :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[

I did earn A's...but never tried to pull a joke like that around him, again

Another funny event with the cello professor. I was having a difficult lesson...I HADN'T practiced enough...and he was getting irate...and I was beginning to sweat. (I had decided that Student Politics were more interesting than sitting alone for 3-4 hours a day in a closet sized practice room. ::) ) It was getting to the end of my hour long lesson, and I WAS sweating, and then the door opened and the other three members of my string quartet came in...holding ice cream cones!!! :o They handed one to me, and one to the professor, and we all ate ice cream and socialized. The professor also counseled us on playing string quartets, so after eating the ice cream, we got out the quartet music, and worked on that for an hour with him. :D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 14, 2022, 06:32:15 PM: Sounds like you had fun both in class and performing even ehen others did not quite get it lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 16, 2022, 04:14:50 AM: https://youtu.be/cdtSoBv6R-I

A most lovely and moving duet from West Side Story. Leonard Bernstein did a MAGNIFICENT job in composing this work, IMHO. :) I've played this in the 'Pit Orchestra' several times, and had a lot of feelings over it. Part of it was nerves, when Maria sings, the cello has a very difficult obbligato to perform with her. It ranges all over the upper register. and in the most exposed and moving area, you have to go, if memory serves me right, from a G natural to a D natural on the A string, so you have to slide your hand up the neck to 10th position for one beat, and then get back into 5th position. :o I did try to finger the work on the D string in 10th position, so I could just cross my bow to the A string to play the D. But, it didn't work, since I needed to be in 1st position on the D string at the start. (Sounds like the positions my Ex would put me in during a certain sex act... :-[ :o ??? ??? )

And, I was always caught up in what was going on, one the stage, although I couldn't see them. I mean, the Start Crossed Lovers marry themselves, and vow to stay together, even after death. "...only death will part us..." then ..."even death won't part us, now..." :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Music ALWAYS awakens my emotional self. I was trying to explain a Ralph Vaughn Williams work, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, to my Ex as we listened. He was quiet, and then just snorted and walked away, saying, "You hear music differently than I do." My voice, facial expression, and body language was changing, dramatically, as I listened and explained it to him.

I envision a great debate, on a monumental decision that the Celtic Gods have to make. The question, and issues are laid out. Then there is tumultuous discussion and debate by ALL of them at the same time. Then, a small group of the leaders meet, and they are concerned, and talk about what everyone is missing. They return, and the debate begins again...and there is ARGUING. A decision is then made by the Gods...and the smaller group is concerned...but the decision holds.

Here is the Vaughn Williams.

https://youtu.be/ihx5LCF1yJY
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 16, 2022, 07:00:40 PM: Everyonr feels music differently to be sure but those who play or have played habe a much closer connection to it and can more deeply understand the passion involved. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 22, 2022, 03:44:22 AM: ...A composition by a MADMAN!!!! Or maybe the Borscht went bad in his tummy... ::)

https://youtu.be/m8Y5x1N_aIg

Our Conductor selected this work a few times, and I really enjoyed it. It starts out very serene. I envision a quiet, green hillside, and a boy is watching over the sheep and goats, and he plays a tune on his flute. A horn answers him, and they play a gentle duet. Then, he goes into the Village where they are preparing to have a feast. The villagers drink as they are preparing, and, well...things happen. There is a wild dance at the end of the work, and it is a BLAST to perform. The cello part wasn't very difficult, we were mostly doing the beats, but the violins go insane...they are supposed to be expressing gypsies who have partaken a bit too much of the potables.

Also, the Conductor, Celibidache, is interesting to watch. Do notice that he just doesn't wave the stick...in fact...often he isn't 'conducting' at all. He is urging the players to perform as they rehearsed, and is using body movements and facial expressions to do so. At Conservatory, we loved to watch films of him

Speaking of Conductors, it is AMAZING that they live to an old age. Often, every musician in the Orchestra has harbored thoughts of 'taking care' of the Conductor, it is an interesting relationship. Although, even as Section Leader, I got along well with the Conductor of the Semiprofessional Orchestra I played in. He even took me with him, and a couple other people, to Vancouver in his private two engine plane, and we stayed in his little house on the beach. We caught, dug, and ate fish, crabs, clams, mussels and other nice stuff. I told my H what we did, he didn't go along, but I left out the fact that we swam and sunbathed naked. :-[ :-[ :-[ Once I got over my modesty, (two beers helped that ::) ) it was fun. I even smiled and waved at the people who drove by in speedboats. Maybe it was just being in Canada, and being around Canadians. I hear that they aren't as uptight as we in the USA.

That Conductor wasn't very precise in his conducting, and waved his arms around a lot and almost danced on the podium. When I first became the leader of the cello section, I was having a HELL of a time bringing my section in the opening of a work. Watching him closely, I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHEN THE DOWNBEAT ENDED!!! Usually, at the start of a piece, the Conductor will bring the stick down just a few inches, and when he stops, you start. This guy would bring his hand above his head, and then pull it down to his knees... :o I couldn't figure out in that time when we were supposed to start. I spoke to the Principal Violist, she was also his wife, and she said to just watch the Concert Mistress...(The first chair violinist)...and start when she did. I did, as did the other Principals, so we all started at the same time. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 22, 2022, 07:34:36 PM: At least you got on well with the conductor and his wife was able to advise on when to come in. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 27, 2022, 09:33:40 PM: ...Dogs, I really wish I could have one, but I have a deathly allergy to anything with fur or feathers...and pollens and other such things. When I first went to summer camp as a young child, I was hauled to the local ER in the middle of the night because of a bad asthma attack. The blanket was made from wool. So, I was one of those 'special kids' that brought her own sheets, blanket, and pillow to summer camp. As a child, I had to get injections every week, one in each arm, to help me cope with allergies and asthma. To anyone who doesn't have asthma, it is a scary disease. If I just TOUCHED a dog or a cat, or stayed close to one for too long, I would get a bad asthma attack. Those were scary. My lungs seemed to close up. I would open my mouth wide, and pull on my breathing muscles to try to get in air, and only a little bit of air would get in, and I would gasp again. My lungs seemed to fill with fluid, and I would cough up lungful after lungful of green and yellow fluids. My parents would call our MD, he lived and had an office nearby, I played with his son, and a few times he came by and gave me an injection and put a mask over my face that forced air in and out until I recovered. But, I would be very weak for the rest of the day.

I must have an aura that attracts animals...dogs and cats always walk over to me, and want to be friendly...or...they know I am allergic and want to torment me. My allergies have improved a lot, so I can pet a dog, or hold a cat in my hands for a little while, but I have to wash my hands right away, and I do keep my rescue inhaler close if I know I am going to be around animals. My daughters' rats loved me. (At least something loved me... :-* ) I would set a towel on my lap, and feed one tidbits and pet it, and it would go to sleep after a while.

Rats grind their teeth when they are content, guinea pigs chatter their teeth when they are angry. We had 'pigs' (We left off guinea when we talked about them). It was easier to just say, "You won't believe what the pigs did today" than to include the extra word. Our Mother was very frugal, she grew up in a small town on the border with Mexico, and we didn't have much money when my brother and I were little. So, rather than buying lettuce and cabbage from the supermarket, she would go in the back and ask for free scraps of vegetables for the animals. She met a new clerk, and asked him for lettuce for our 'pigs', and he was bewildered, saying, I didn't know pigs ate lettuce, and we just have a few scraps". She laughed, and said, "I mean for our little guinea pigs." She always came home with bags of 'discarded' vegetables. I would go through the bags, alone, and pull out what look fresh and good, and eat it myself.

I figured that rats had similar mannerisms, and once my daughter was holding a large male rat in her arms, and it started grinding its teeth. I said, very softly, "A-----, stand up carefully, and gently put the rat back in the cage, it is getting angry...it is grinding it's teeth." She did, and we were both puzzled, it stood and looked around when it was back in the cage, it was calm and wanted to be picked up again. She read a small book about domesticated rats, and showed me that they grind their teeth when they are content, it is a rat's version of 'purring'. So from then on, around our household, the kids would call out "Mom, a MAD RAT" when a rodent was content. I would call back, "Put it down, carefully, and RUN!!! Don't panic, just RUN!!!"

...I just re-read what I wrote...and boy...what a ramble. I had a great insight on dogs that I wanted to make...Sounds like one of my "Opening Statements" I made in Court. Not really, I was always short and precise when I presented a case. I would hide a smile when the plaintiffs' attorney made an hour long opening statement in a simple case. I could see the Jury getting bored and irritated. I would take 10 or 15 minutes, and talk about the case, and leave out the crap about how wonderful the Jury System was and how appreciative we were that they were serving. I knew that they had been 'drafted', and just wanted to get their service over.

Better finish...I started to ramble again. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 28, 2022, 06:05:37 PM: Nothing wrong with rambling smiles. I too have allergies and asthma so can relate.most of my allergies are to dust and pollen more than animal fur but oddly I am very very allergic to orange tabby cats, no other breed, jist orange tabbies, cannot even be in the same room with one or I go into an asthma attack. Typing this with my own tuxedo cat laying next to me. We have had many animals through the years, dogs, rabbits, a guiniea pig, cats etc. So am used to various animal behaviours smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 29, 2022, 09:11:17 AM: ...Never heard of an allergy limited to Orange Cats, Nate, when you can have a Tuxedo Cat in your house. Sounds like an excellent reason to have a study, you ought to see if Biden will give you a $25,000,000 Grant to study the phenomenon. When you get the Grant, send me $5,000,000, after all, it is MY IDEA, and you can call it a 'Consulting Fee. (Please send it all in cash, and don't make a record of it, so I can just stuff the green into my pillowcase, and sleep with it and not tell the Revenooers about it. ;D )

I like Tuxedo Cats, there was a male that lived next door, and he would come over and visit when he heard that I was in the back yard. He wasn't very demanding, he just wanted to get a short pet, and then he would sit or lay down on the grass, and just look around. I would feed him when his family went away for a while, so I guess he saw me as some sort of family member. Plus, often I would be eating something that was OK for cats to eat, and he would get a snack.

When my personal obligations allow me, I do plan to move out of CA, the State in INSANE!!! I kinda laugh when I hear that TX, AZ, and NV are worried that migrating Californians will bring their pinkish commie politics with them, and try to change their States into CA. Believe me, when I arrive in a new State, I will be relieved that I am not having to deal with CA politics, and probably won't vote in local Elections until I understand what is going on. The people I talk to in CA who are going to move, or already did move, have the same mindset as me. We are SICK of open Borders, lack of support for the Police, and the GENERAL STUPIDITY of our politicians. I hear that the Politicians are upset over the lack of Minorities as Air Traffic Controllers, so, they are talking about lowering the Standards to become one. Isn't that just INSANITY??? If I was a Pilot, I would just want the most qualified people to be the Controllers, and wouldn't give a DAMN about their Race, Sex, or Sexual Orientation. I believe that the passengers would feel the same, although I suspect some IDIOT LIBERAL passengers would be upset because their plane wasn't being guided in by a half blind lesbian Lebanese crossdressing Anarchist. Modern day Liberalism is REALLY a Mental Disorder. I did once speak here of a very intelligent woman friend who was a liberal, and we had a spirited debate at a time when the Liberals controlled CA, and the State was in a downward spiral because of insane Laws and Regulations being passed by them. I brought the Laws to her attention, and showed how everyone agreed that they were bad for CA, and were causing the downturn, and asked her how she could support such politicians. She finally just shouted at me...I mean...she really did shout "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF THE STATE GOES TO HELL, AS LONG AS THE DEMOCRATS ARE IN CONTROL!!!" I stopped discussing politics with her after that, there was no point. Our Educational system is controlled by the Dems, over 90% of teachers are registered as Democrats, and they are really INDOCTRINATING the children, NOT educating them. Private and Religious Schools are flourishing. Responsible parents are sending their children to them, even though they have to pay, rather than have their children ruined by the Public Schools.

Now, Biden and the Dems have opened our Borders, it is predicted that when Title 42 lapses on 12/21, we will have 20,000 illegals A DAY trying to cross the border. The Criminal Cartels will see to that. They are bringing people from all over the World to the Border, and charging them $10,000 to get into the USA. There are HUGE camps of illegals camping out on the South side of the Rio Grande who will swarm across on 12/22. I can testify, from personal experience, that the Rio Grande has MANY areas where the water is mostly waist deep. When I was a child, and we visited relatives in Texas in a town that was on the border, my Brother and I easily waded, and swam a few yards to get across the river. There was a nice rock on the Mexican side that had a deep pool beside it. So, we would cross into Mexico, climb on the rock, and dive off, and then wade back into the good ol USA. (Gee, I just CONFESSED to illegally entering another Country. I also did eat the wild berries I found in Mexico, so that is probably another Felony. ::) )

Thing is, I just can't blame the illegals. If I was a poor peasant in South America, and was told that if I made it into the USA that I would be given a place to live that had floors and a roof, and a bed, and I would be given food, clothing and medical care and a chance to get a job, I would EAGERLY agree to pay $10,000 as I earned it and do what they told me to do. And, I would probably let the Cartel members fuck me if they wanted to.

What a mess the Dems have gotten us in to. I will be TOTALLY pissed if the Republicans, when they take over the House don't try to do something to close the border again. No other civilized Country in the World would allow this.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on November 29, 2022, 07:02:19 PM: Lol on the research idea and while I am certified to perform research involving human subjects, this is not my field and I do not think the government would fund such a limited scope research project, although they do pay people to count mosquitoes in florida so who knows. I do knoe I cannot be anywhere near an orange tabby though but all other cats are fine. Smiles on you and your neighbours cat.

I agree with your desire to leave ca and do not blame you. I do not agree with the liberal policies of the dems and it only seems to get worse year by year sighs.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 01, 2022, 10:42:41 PM: ...Oh, how times have changed... ::)

My elderly Mother wanted to watch the Dolly Parton Christmas Show this evening, so we put it on...but changed the channel pretty quickly. Mom was hoping for a soft, uplifting show that celebrated this time of year, with nice singing of Carols and dancing. They were signing Christmas related and referenced songs, but the one that we changed the channel on had, as a recurring lyric....

..."Go to Hell"...

"Go to Hell" in a Christmas Song???? On a show during prime time by a reputable entertainer???? :o :o :o :o :o

Now, don't get me wrong, I am pretty jaded and can tolerate, and instigate, very improper things that I believe are funny. But, this was a bit too strange, even for me. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 02, 2022, 07:15:17 PM: I agree and no idea how anyone vould think that is acceptable for a Christmas show. Sighs
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 03, 2022, 01:09:14 AM: ...*Shakes Head*

Switzerland is anticipating a very cold winter, and due to the paucity of electricity, is going to forbid the use of Electric Vehicles unless absolutely necessary. They need to use their electricity to warm homes and such, and won't be able to charge EVs.

The Libs and Dems here are urging ALL of us to get EV's, and we already have shortages of electricity here in the good ol USA. They talk about rolling blackouts here in sunny CA, and I read that other States are counseling citizens. So, when we ALL get EVs, we will just sit at home during the winter, and only drive to the store to buy food. Or probably sit at home during the summer, too, since the AC's are running. But, but....WAIT!!!! I have the ANSWER!!! ;D

We will stick a wind farm propellor on top of all of our cars, and it will rotate as we drive and create electricity!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 03, 2022, 07:40:41 PM: Lol on the windfarm on the evs. And yes the dems have not thought out tue ev concept properly not to mention at the same time wanting everyone to switch to evs they are getting rid of coal and natural gas based power plants thus lowering the amlunt of electricity generated. Shakes head
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 04, 2022, 05:21:40 AM: ...Gabriel Faure'...what a COMPOSER!!! I will need to buy a biography on him, his music is so inspirational. We all know 'Pavane', it is very commonly played. IMHO, his Requiem truly was inspired!!! :) I have sang, and played cello in the work several times. We performed the Requiem at Conservatory in my Frosh year, and the choral Director would kick me out of the Choral Class, and tell me to practice the cello part since I was the Principal Cellist. (And hurt my GPA by giving me a "C" in the class. I might have hit Summa Cum Laude except for that damn "C" >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( )

This section, "Agnus Dei", is so soothing...and has, IMHO, one of the most BEAUTIFUL chord progression starting at 2:18. This is the section where, in Choral Class, we all just stopped and stared at each other in amazement during the first rehearsal. I had a 'mental orgasm' during that first time, the music just locked into a portion of my brain, and my body got hot and I felt very weak when we finished. I was able to maintain my composure more when I was in the orchestra, but I would still get very warm.

Amazing what our brains can do to our bodies. :) :)

https://youtu.be/q1FKoPO-S2w
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 04, 2022, 08:01:14 PM: Music has a way of youching many parts og our being invoking responses like nearly nothing else can
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 04, 2022, 10:09:37 PM: Watching a concert on PBS, they are performing 'Le Miserables'...and I am in tears for so much of the time. Watching live performers who are acting the part is much more moving than just listening to the music.

Reminds me of playing in Pit Orchestras. You would NOT BELIEVE what can go on in the Pit. The audience, and the Performers, couldn't see us, so we just did what we wanted. We would pass food around. Once we passed around a jug of wine...the Director YELLED AT US after the show for doing that, so we apologized...and brought in little bottles and hid them from him after that. In Pit Orchestras, I was often set at the very edge of the group, on the far left of the conductor, the string bass behind me, so I was alone. I often knew the bass player, and we would pass snacks and rude notes to each other. He would slip porno Pictures in my part, I would turn a page and see a large ----, or a gaping -----, and just turn the page and stumble through the next few measures. I told him that I would KILL HIM if he ever did that to one of my solos. He did once...I did OK, I always memorized my solos so I could focus and blend with the singer. So, I came in early to the pit one evening, and wrote very insulting and rude notes all over his part. He spent the intermission erasing, cussing me out...as I giggled. ;)

We all wore pajamas one time, and the cast were laughing at us at the end. They said that it was hard to stay in Char when the orchestra was looking like it just got out of bed.

I often gave a 'cue note' to a singer. This would happen when there was a long dialogue, and then the Char had to start singing at the same time that the orchestra came in, or before the orchestra started. The cello is the instrument closest to the human voice, so I would softly play the first note of the singers song, and hold it for a moment, so he or she could adjust their voice. Once, I was distracted, and didn't play the note right away, and I heard a throat clearing from the stage, and looked up, and the Bass/Baritone was standing on the edge of the stage looking down at me. I quickly started playing the note, and he started singing. The Conductor did tell me to FOCUS during a performance. It happened during a light moment, and the song was comic, so my mistake didn't ruin the storyline. I actually thought of proposing that we add it to the musical, but the Director had no sense of humor.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 05, 2022, 07:28:26 PM: Directors never seem to have a sense of humour have been in a few theatrical troupes and found the directors always are too serious
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 12, 2022, 06:47:29 PM: ..."Going for the eyes"..... :P

I really enjoyed studying the martial arts, and did study in different schools. My first was a Japanese School, and it was a 'Hard Style'. It emphasized strength and endurance, and sometimes the hour long group lessons were just calisthenics, people would drop out or just lay on the mat after 15 or 20 minutes. At first, I could only handle 30 minutes or so, and at times got an asthma attack. I experienced a 'healing' once when I was sitting on the floor, in my Gi, trying to breathe, and I didn't have my inhaler. One of the Owners came over, he was a late middle aged Japanese man, and he helped me stand, and then put his arms and hands around me, and squeezed me in certain places, and my lungs cleared, and I felt very good after 23 minutes. I asked him what he had done, and he just said "I directed your Ki to heal you", but wouldn't say more. I mentioned the healing to my allergist, and She just shrugged and said that I must have just been having a minor asthma attack. Sometimes the Instructors would speak about Ki...I understood it to be a certain vital life force that very few of us can control. But, "Ki" explains why people can do amazing physical things when motivated, like pick up the front of a car, or run through flames without getting burned

When I got up to Blue Belt, I was learning a very advanced 'Kata'. A Kata is almost like a dance, you are doing a series of punches, kicks, and other moves. There was one move where you extended your right hand, with the first two fingers extended at the level of your head, and then twisted your hand when your arm was fully extended. I asked what that was about, and the Instructor said, "You are plucking out your attackers left eye." I got a bit nauseous driving home, thinking about it, but I figured, "If some guy is going to try to beat me or rape me, I guess doing that would be in order." I did think that even if I didn't pluck it out, the nails on my right hand would hurt if they landed in the eye socket.

I did have an amazing experience doing a long, 3 minute Kata. I was off to the side at the Dojo, the group class was gathering, and I did the Kata...but my mind was BLANK! I had no idea of what I was doing...one moment I was just standing there...the next moment I was standing in the same spot and was sweating and my arms were tingling. An Instructor had been watching, and he said, "You almost have that one down, I could see your Ki shifting, keep focusing."

I was talking with one of the Owners about a current event, and asked him about Ki. He just smiled and said, "Everyone has Ki, but few learn how to focus it. And, sometimes Ki will take control of the body, and your mind is set aside. All of those difficult and repetitive things we make you do is not only to make you stronger and more limber, but also to get you to recognize your Ki, and to be able to focus it. When you learn to call up your Ki to help you fight, well, you will become a very dangerous woman."

I pondered that, and realized that he had explained how seemingly small and weak people can disable a larger opponent.

I asked him if Ki was also mental and intellectual...and he just smiled...and wouldn't speak of Ki any more.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 12, 2022, 06:49:19 PM: ...That was '2 to 3 minutes'...not 23...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 12, 2022, 07:30:15 PM: Ki is difficult to explain and needs to be experienced. Once you learn it, yes, it can be powerful but one cannot teach you how to do it, you have to learn your own way to do it.
I studied 3 styles of martial arts when I was younger as well. When you can do a kata or other technique without even thinking of it you have usually mastered it. There is an old saying a punch (or any other move) is just a punch until you have done it 1000 times then it becomes more you begin exploring the subtle nuances of it until you have done it 1000 times then it just becomes a punch again.
One key part of all martial arts is full body control. It took decades for experts to learn the secret of Bruce Li's famous 1 inch punch but it was eventually discovered based on films of him demonstrating it and it had to do with perfect timing of all of his movements to direct as much force into that 1 inch as possible.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 13, 2022, 01:43:49 AM: ...*S*...Yes, Nate, you understand what I mean when I try to explain 'Ki'.

One of the short, 5'3" Owners, the Japanese Shifu, was scary. He was very mild mannered, and you could spar with him, and he wouldn't hit you very hard, or break your wrist when he blocked a punch. During a group lesson, he was explaining that punching and kicking involved getting every muscle in your body to work together to focus all of your bodies energy to your 1st two knuckles, or the front of the sole of your foot. (The area behind your toes) We practiced barefoot, so when you kicked a bag, or another student, you had to curl your toes back to expose that part of your foot. I developed a thick callus on that part of the soles of my feet from kicking the heavy canvas bag full of sand, it was hard to wear my sexy spike heels when the callus got too thick. I would sand the callus down at times. I also hurt the sh-- out of a few toes when I didn't curl them back far enough.

Anyway, he called me up front, I was a yellow belt and was thinking that I was getting pretty good at karate. (They said that the yellow belt was the most dangerous one, because by then you knew a number of techniques, but had no real control, but...you THOUGHT that you did) I stood in front of him, about 2' away, and he put his open right palm on my chest, between my breasts, and all of a sudden I felt a HUGE push and I flew back and landed on my butt, about 8' from him. I looked up at him, and his hand was still in the same position. He helped me up, and explained that although his hand had only moved a couple inches, that his Ki and every muscle in his body was working together to focus on the base of the palm of his hand.

We can all learn to focus like that, through practice and repetition. On afternoon, I had left work at noon, and went to the Dojo and put on my Gi and my yellow belt, and was practicing on my own. A couple large young men came in, they were well over 6' tall, and probably weighed about 250 ibs. They explained that they were on the College football team, and wanted to get more limber. They were waiting for a private lesson, and were punching and kicking the hanging sandbag. It didn't move much when they punched it, and rocked back a couple feet when they kicked it. They commented to the Instructor, when he came up, that they could kick and punch pretty hard, and demonstrated. The Instructor stroked his chin, and said, "Well, I guess then that we can't teach you very much here." He then turned to me, and said, "P-----, please come over here and punch and kick the bag."

I walked over, all 5' something of me, and bringing all of my 125 lbs, and stopped, and looked at the bag. I let out my screeching high pitched Ki-aye, and kicked the bag with my bare right foot, and it swung halfway up to the ceiling. I stopped it after it swung a few times, and steadied. I then shrieked again, and punched it, and it swung back, but not as far as the kick. I was breathing heavy when I steadied the bag, and the Instructor dismissed me. The two 'studs' just stared at me as I walked away...I swayed my hips a bit just to taunt them.

The Instructor said, "She is just a yellow belt, but will test soon for Blue. I suggest that you don't piss her off. You won't like her very much if you piss her off."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 13, 2022, 07:07:51 PM: Yes, I do understand about ki and the need for control and directing all of one's energy into one spot like the 1st 2 knuckles etc. The movement you described your sensei doing is the 1 inch punch Bruce Li was famous for. It can be very effective.
I love the demonstration your sensei had you do for the football players lol. The muscle bound ones often think force and muscle is enough but it is not technique and control does so much more.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 18, 2022, 11:03:40 PM: I am watching "Sound of Music", and sobbing most of the time. I am such a crybaby. "Sister Sophie" in the film is Marni Nixon, the sister of my H.S. Private Cello Teacher.
Good thing that I played the cello, I could play even when I was gasping for breath with tears running down my cheeks during a musical. I could keep my hands doing what they needed to do when playing, but would almost drop my bow when I finished. I would quickly wipe my eyes with the cloth that I always draped over the left shoulder of the cello to protect the varnish from my sweaty hands...and then wipe the front of my cello. I would drop tears on it while performing.

I wasn't a cellist that held the instrument in a proper upright formal position, and sat straight. I would lean over the front...or push it slightly way from me and turn it to the right...or slump back in my chair and stick the tuning peg for the C-String into my left ear (I could hear myself when I was with a bunch of loud brass)...and other unapproved positions. But I usually played pretty well. During the Season, I would have so many invitations to perform that I had to turn down some. I HATED TO DO THAT!!!! Some weekends I would play in the morning, and then grab a lunch and drive to a different city and play another performance. Those were FUN DAYS! And I earned a lot of cash. *S* So, in H.S. I earned money by carrying golf clubs around the Course...and playing the cello in Churches and Halls.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 19, 2022, 06:44:52 PM: You are very passionate about your playing which is a good thing. As for positioning, many times it is those who use unortjodox methods or positions who excel. It is good to be in demand. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 25, 2022, 06:23:46 AM: ...Landing a sailplane...you only get ONE chance!!!! :o :o :o :o :o

https://youtu.be/rQjNK4zOQnQ

I made a landing, once, in a sailplane, kinda like the one above. I drove to the Field, and it was VERY windy, and the Owner told me that there probably wouldn't be any steady thermals to ride, and since I hadn't done a lot of ridge soaring, I ought to just go home. But...I WANTED to FLY!!! It had taken me 45 minutes to get to the Field, and I had had to pay a $1.00 Bridge Toll >:( and I had some cash in my purse, and I was 17 years old, and I was female...so...I WAS going to fly!!! ;D I checked over the medium performance sailplane, and the wings and the tail seemed to be attached to the fuselage OK, so I pushed the plane to the side of the runway, and found the tug pilot and told him where I wanted to be towed, and the altitude I wanted to be at when I pulled the release lever. He listened and nodded, and it seemed that he wanted to speak to me about something, but he just shrugged and taxied the tug out onto the runway, and I grabbed the tow rope and attached it to the glider.

I sat my butt in the small seat and strapped in, and then pulled the canopy closed, and looked around, and waggled my rudder to let the tug know that I was ready. So, we took off, and headed towards the ridge. It was a bumpy ride, but by then my body was fairly used to the damn sailplanes, so I didn't get nauseous or throw up. I was going to release at 2,000 feet, but the air was so unsteady, that I rode the tug up to 2,500 feet, and then pulled the release lever.

I did my usual climbing turn to the right, as the tug dived to the left to get the tow rope away from me, and I had a rough time circling twice, and then I straightened out and searched for thermals. I found several, but as soon as I started circling, the wind blew me out of the column of rising air, or the column broke up...either way...I was losing altitude. I dropped down to 1,200 feet, and decided to go back to the Field, I didn't want the wind to blow me too far away, I wouldn't be able to get back and would have to try to land on a farmers crop or some homeowners large lawn.

I had good altitude, and did my approach and downwind, and then my base leg, and then lined up on the runway for my final. Problem was, the wind was coming in from my right, so I was being blown to the left. So, I kept turning into the wind until I was flying straight towards the runway. Problem was...I was almost flying SIDEWAYS...really, I was!!! the nose of my plane was pointing into the wind!! I was looking out the LEFT SIDE of my canopy to see where I was heading. :P

I have a screw loose in my brain, at times I don't perceive the entirety of reality very well, I just perceive and register a little bit of what is going on. I was calm as I dropped lower and lower, and I was lined up with the runway. Problem is, you CAN'T LAND SIDEWAYS!!! The sailplane I was in just had one wheel under where I was sitting, and it was secured so it pointed straight and half of it was inside the fuselage, anyway...so going in sideways would certainly result in a crash...just a crash...no crash and burn... since I didn't have an engine and didn't smoke.

So I entered above the runway flying sideways...and when I figured that I was just a few feet off the ground...I turned the nose so I was pointing straight down the runway. The wind did push me to the left...but I pushed the joystick forward and got my wheel on the ground and was able to steer the plane with the rudder to the right, and got off the runway. I just sat in the plane for a minute, as my brain processed what I had just done. And I thought..."Just keep your sphincter tight, you can let loose in the Ladies Room."

The Owner and another man came over, and I opened the canopy and loosened my straps, and they helped me get out of the cockpit. "Interesting landing P-------," the Owner said. "If the wind had stopped, with the direction you were pointing, you would have flown over the fence and onto the Freeway." I just shrugged and said, "Visibility was a bit better out the left side of the canopy, I need to wash the front of it. And I would have lined up with the slow lane to land."
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on December 25, 2022, 06:36:15 PM: Wow sounds like a harrowing experience but happy you came through it in tact and had a good landing.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 08, 2023, 04:00:39 PM: Our 'Lovely Government' is hiring a small Army to go collect more taxes, and Biden says that they are going to go after the 'Rich'.

...Yeah...RIGHT!!!!...

From my personal experience as a Tax Attorney I can assure everyone that the Gov't is LYING THROUGH THEIR TEETH!!! I handled over a hundred tax cases, and the vast majority were after lower middle class taxpayers. The rich people who hired me would turn me loose, and say, "Get them as best you can" and I would unlock my 'Izee' mind' and go crazy. I only volunteered what would help my client, and my IQ dropped a hundred points when the IRS spoke to me...I had difficulty understanding what the Agent was asking for. That often worked, I would wear my 'charming smile' and they would lose interest in the accounts or deductions they were contesting, and I would steer them into the safer areas where my client wouldn't get hit too hard. My favorite was when I got an Agent to miss where my client wrote off the purchase of a D-9 Dozer, (It should have been depreciated over seven years), I distracted him by getting him to look into another account. Again, I didn't lie...I just 'diverted his attention'...that was fair...wasn't it? If he had looked into 'that account', my client would have had to pay more taxes. I know that we all have to pay taxes...but as his attorney it was my job to minimize the assessment...not call the IRS's attention to improper deductions. (Just like attorneys who say their client didn't commit a crime when it is on film)

But, I did a lot of 'pro-bono' work for people. One middle aged hispanic woman was being audited because her husband, who had abandoned her, didn't file a tax return to report $36,000 he earned from a construction company as an independent contractor. They were living apart, but hadn't gotten a formal divorce. With interest and penalties, the assessment was about $7,000. They came after her, because he had fled back to Mexico. I fully exposed her financial condition to the Agent, and had him meet with her...I paid for an interpreter...I figured that he wouldn't trust me to interpret...but he insisted that she had to pay the taxes. When I pressed him, pointing out that she had squat, his response was...

..."Those people can come up with money when they need it..."

The IRS is fully aware that small taxpayers will just somehow come up with a few thousand dollars just to get the IRS off of their backs, rather than pay a Tax Attorney thousands of dollars to contest the assessment. And they know that most people will just pay a bill from the Gov't rather than contest it.

I told her that I would defend her for free, but she just disappeared...I suspect that she, also, returned to Mexico.

I just pray that the Republican House, who control the budget, delete the budget item for 87,000 new auditors...or...with my background....

The IRS just might HIRE ME!!! Even though I am getting long in the tooth...that would be fun!!! I might even be made a Supervisor and...

...GET A BADGE!!!!!

...(Bodges? HA!!! We doan need no stinkin bodges!!!)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 08, 2023, 07:53:28 PM: Good on the diversion tactic with your client. I agree much of what they do will be going after the middle class as the know the rich can afford attorneys to fight it while middle class usually cannot.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 09, 2023, 06:29:36 PM: ...Being a Hollywood 'Bigshot'...

A nice memory of my late, very good friend, Glen Chin.

We were VERY close in college, but not sexually. (A few times, I did neck with him a bit and let him stroke me, but never got undressed). Our relationship was platonic, we did speak of innermost feelings that we never mentioned to anyone else. We went into 'bad areas' in Stockton at midnight to eat ethnic foods. People thought we were a couple, and sometimes we played along with the idea.

After college, I pursued a Law Degree and practiced Accounting and Law, Glen went down South to L.A. and studied acting and played music, his primary instrument was the string bass. (Funny how, in this context, 'bass' and 'base' are pronounced the same. 'Bass' is pronounced differently when referring to a fish...just an observation). He did appear on TV and in movies, Woody Harralson killed him in 'Natural Born Killers', and he was the Boss of a crime family in a TV Movie...and got killed. He just commented that the director didn't let him do an intense 'death scene' either time, although he did overact, IMHO, in NBK.

I would visit him at times, sometimes I would be in L.A. on business and would make sure to have lunch or dinner with him. Once, a deposition ended early, and I met him for lunch...(I bought lunch...but he picked a place that had GREAT food that was cheap). He invited me to observe him as he taught a class, and so I drove my rented Cadillac (That was the only car that was available at the rental place) to a modest area of L.A. and parked. I was still wearing my business outfit, and I sat at the back of the hall, and watched him work with young people. During a break, a couple came over to me, and asked if I was someone 'Important'...I just said "Yes"...and Glen hustled them away saying that I was a friend from college and that I was 'very important' in the industry.

So, I watched, and had some fun. I took my notebook out of my purse, and pretended to take some notes. A few times, when someone finished a part, I would call out, "What is your name, young man?" and write in my notebook. I waved at Glen when they finished...a few followed me out and saw me drive away in my rented Cadillac. I know that if I had wanted...I probably could have gotten one...or several...(Blush)...to go back to my room with me, and...

Glen and I had dinner, and Glen laughed. "You saw them wake up and focus more after they thought that you were an Agent or Someone." I laughed, too, and said..."If I ever need to have a sexual thrill, I will contact you and observe your next class, and say that I am in the business."

Glen would sneak me into paying gigs. I would carry his string bass, he would carry his electric bass guitar. He would tell the Security that I was 'with the band', and I would follow him in. Security never asked how a small woman could play a full sized string bass. I stayed backstage, and listened, and ate and drank some of the food that was in the Green Room.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 09, 2023, 06:58:32 PM: Amazing what people will do when they think someone is an agent etc in the film industry to get them to notice.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 14, 2023, 05:02:05 PM: ...Another of my favorite string quartets...Antonin Dvorak's "American Quartet"... ;D

https://youtu.be/HrqgMrwG4i0

Dvorak was very impressed when he visited the USA, and listened to our music. He especially liked the Black Soul Music, and took notes. Back in Czechoslovakia (I had to use 'spell check' to write that word) he wrote the quartet and dedicated it to the U.S. I studied it at Conservatory, and our quartet performed it. The 1st Movement is very exciting, and the themes just sound so 'Western'...I always imagine watching a Western Movie when I listen to it. Our violist LOVED IT!!! She started the dramatic theme, and had a lot of fun. The 2nd Movement is VERY sad...it uses the cello a lot to express the theme...and the cello is the most melancholy instrument, IMHO...and the opinion of many. In the 2nd Movement you really hear the 'Blues'. The theme is very chromatic, and I really got into it.

When we performed it, a number of people said that they were crying during the 2nd Movement...and not because I was missing notes. :'(
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 14, 2023, 06:59:15 PM: I agree with you about the cello being able to be used for meloncholy sounds but it can also have a deep rich sound too which compliments many other types of song.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 15, 2023, 05:05:03 AM: ...HELL NIGHT at a Girls Sorority...*Bwaaa Haaaa Haaaa" ;D ::) :P :o

I was invited to join the Women's Music Sorority at Conservatory, and did rise to be the PRESIDENT in my Junior year. The Office lasted until the second Semester of my Senior Year. ;D I ALMOST was voted to be President in my Soph year, so I could have been the second girl in the Sororities history to serve TWO terms as President...but I lost the election BY ONE VOTE!!! (And THAT vote was MINE!!! I voted for the other girl because I thought at that time in my life that it was improper to vote for myself...don't know how that concept entered my mind. :P But I got OVER that habit after losing that election BY ONE VOTE, and always voted for myself as often as I could after that loss.)

Anyway, the Initiation period lasted for about a month. One of the things the pledges had to do was to wear their Pledge Pins at all times!!! Unless they were naked while taking a bath or shower, so I would wear the pin in my pajamas at night when I pledged. During the Xmas vacation, an Active unexpectedly arrived at my house early in the morning. My parents woke me up, and said there was a girl at the front door. I wandered down, in my pajamas, and the Sorority Active said that it was good that I was wearing my pin. I went back to bed after she left. The initiation ended with a Hell Night. >:( We would take over the Conservatory building after it closed at 10:00, and keep the pledges up all night doing various things to test their knowledge and commitment. Of course, we did everything we could to humiliate them and give them unfair tests. They would later be confronted with just how poorly they had performed musically...(They were given instruments to play that they didn't know. Me, a cellist/pianist, was handed an old violin that had no chinrest and was told to perform well on it.) The written tests had difficult questions on obscure musical topics and compositions, and nobody ever got above 12%-15% correct. They would also get verbally tested on their musical knowledge, and it was always unfairly difficult.

When I was President, we invited one girl to pledge who was a musical genius. She played the piano at the professional level, and knew almost all major classical works and the history of music and musicians and composers. During Hell Night, I was wandering around looking in at all that was going on, and making sure that things were moving well, and at times pulling the Actives back when a pledge was getting too upset. Crying was common, and we would back off a bit, and then get back to work when the girl calmed down. I walked into a room where the genius was being verbally questioned, and the Actives were concerned...because she kept KNOWING THE ANSWERS!!! I went out, and found an Active who was a brass player, and loved Jazz and Modern Music. I hauled her to the pledges room after I told her "Ask the pledge all about Jazz and such, she knows a lot about Classical Music and Composers." Sandi did a GREAT JOB...the poor girl kept stammering that she didn't know an answer to a question. I observed for a while, and sighed, theatrically, and said, "Oh, so you ONLY focus your studies on music that interests YOU. This is a Music Sorority, and we honor and study ALL music that is in Europe and America. You may not fit well with us, the Sorority eagerly seeks to educate all of us in ALL music", and walked out.

The highlight was the recital. We would turn on the stage lights, and the pledges would perform on the instruments we handed them, and try to sight read complex and confusing scores. We would catcall and jeer them.

During the recital when I was the President, a couple of the Actives got on the Stage to conduct and help the pledges...and...well...the Actives took it upon themselves to wear scanty clothing and do a burlesque strip dance while the pledges played. I was sitting in the Audience...embarrassed for them, and wondering who had come up with the idea. About halfway through, an Active nudged me, and said,,,"The Campus Cops are here." I looked over my shoulder...it was like 3:45 am...and the two night Cops were standing at the back of the Hall. :P :P :P (The Conservatory Building was kept LOCKED after 10:00 pm)

I got up, and went to them, and showed them my Student ID, and explained that this was an Initiation Ceremony for the National Women's Musicians Sorority, and that I was the President, and that I had been given a key to the Building by the Dean, and that we would be leaving, soon. They listened...as they WATCHED the stage.. the Actives were topless...and then the Cops told me to keep it quiet, and make sure the Building was locked when we were done, and then they left.

I questioned the Actives later, and they just laughed. "Hey, we were distracting the pledges...and they were afraid that they would be told to undress, too. And, it was fun, getting almost naked on the stage." I chuckled and said, "The Campus Cops were ready to arrest you, and me...or throw you dollar bills. I took the bills and said I would give them to you, but I bought myself some ice cream." We cracked up.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 15, 2023, 03:46:50 PM: ...Being a 'BEER GIRL'... ;D...so much more fun than playing golf... ::)

I arrived for the Golf Tournament, carrying my 'hardly used' set of golf clubs, and wearing my newest 'Golf Clothing'. ;D I looked pretty good in the very short skirt, and cotton top...and I thought that the sun visor was very cute. It was a Tournament for Insurance Executives and such, and they always invited we attorneys, because, well because...they didn't want we attorneys to get PISSED OFF at them!!! >:(

I walked to the Registration Table, and the two guys looked me over, and said, "P-------, you are not going to play golf today, you are going to drive a cart that has refreshments." I stood, astounded, and said..."You mean, you want me to be a 'BEER GIRL'?" :o They nodded, and said, "We got calls from two girls who said they couldn't be here today. So, you are assigned to Cart #3." I opened and closed my mouth a few times...I mean...I was an ATTORNEY and my name was ON THE LETTERHEAD!!! The 'Beer Girls' were always Secretaries or Receptionists. But, they gestured me away, so I took my clubs back to my car, and went and found Golf Cart #3.

A receptionist from another Firm was there, and she smiled at me, and said, as she held up the keys, "They put me in charge of the cart, so I will drive." I thought of 'pulling rank' on her, but figured that the men in charge would not look on me with favor...they never did, anyway, in the Courtroom...so I just smiled, and set my butt on the passenger side.

She handed me a little map of the course, and 6 holes had ben circled, and she said, "We are responsible for those holes, so we will drive around, and offer beer and Pepsi, and potato chips and snacks. Keep a watch on the cooler, and let me know when we get low. We don't want to show up low on supplies to a group." I just nodded, and said, "Yes, Ma'am." She giggled, and we set off.

It actually was a fun afternoon. We drove ALL OVER the Course, and offered beer and snacks to any golfers we came across. We even handed a couple beers to some guys who were just out jogging. And, of course, we would take a break and park in a shady place, and eat chips, and have a beer. As we drank our 3rd beer, I commented, "Better hope we don't get pulled over by the cops, our BA is probably above .08." She snorted, and said, "They'll NEVER catch us, we have the fastest cart." I burped in approval, and looked around for golfers.

The golf was pretty wretched. The Golfers were all rank amateurs, and they were drinking beer, too.

The afternoon finished with a BBQ dinner, and awarding of the Prizes. I was chuckling when we six 'Beer Girls' were called up, and each of us was given a little present...especially when the Announcer said, "And, let's give all of the cute little beer girls a hand, they really helped us stay cool and refreshed."

I did have my H come and pick me up when I was ready to go home.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 15, 2023, 07:28:43 PM: Hearing your initiation story makes me happy I never joined a frat lol but sounds like you had fun as a member of your sorority. Also surprised they would ask you to be a bar girl given your position in the company by you seem to have made the best of it and had fun.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 16, 2023, 01:40:45 PM: ...Daymmmm...What BRILLIANT people we elect... :o

The City of San Francisco is considering a proposal for reparations to black people. (Last I looked, CA was not a slaveholding State...except for Native Americans and Hispanics, they were slaves at times. I don't believe that CA was even a State until after the Civil War)

The Committee on Reparations wants to give EVERY black person over age 18 five MILLION dollars, and forgive ALL of their debt, including credit cards, and give them monthly income to make sure that they earn at least $97,000 per year for the next 250 years!!!

I wonder if the proposal will apply to Willie Brown, Mayor London Breed, and all of the successful black businessmen, lawyers, doctors, and other wealthy black people I see all of the time?

I wonder where the money will come from...

Sorry to get political, but this just grabbed my attention. :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 16, 2023, 05:47:20 PM: ...Aslaug helping Izee' cook little lobsters...

https://youtube.com/shorts/anbWR0BwAlg?feature=share
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 16, 2023, 06:49:42 PM: I saw that article too and think it is insane at best. I have no idea how they think they can pay for it.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 17, 2023, 11:54:05 PM: ...I have to say that this clip kinda shows how men, with their greater physical strength, can play the cello with more dramatic expression than a woman can... :)

Take it from me...who has TWO nice cellos...and has easily accumulated thousands of hours playing the chunks of lumber...the cello is physically challenging to play. It is large, and you are sitting there holding it between your thighs, and the upper part is resting against your chest. I had an ugly callous on my left breast that wasn't fun for my H to fondle. I tried various types of padded things that would hang over the shoulder of the cello, but I felt that the thick ones affected the tone of the instrument, so I just draped a thick piece of cloth over the left shoulder of the cello, and tried not to clutch the cello too hard, or pull it against my body. But, when playing...I would forget about my concerns and just grip and hold the cello as I needed to in order to express the sound I was trying to put out.

Here is Bloch's 'Schelomo', a work for cello and orchestra. I studied this, and did perform it, but with just a piano accompanying me, not an orchestra. This performer does show the difficulty in playing the cello. You have a fingerboard that is about 3 feet long, and you have to run your fingers all over it. Plus, you are working your right bowing arm very hard. I had a physical in College, and the MD asked me what I did. I asked why he wanted to know, and he said "Your right shoulder is much more developed than your left shoulder." I got very self-concious after that, and didn't like to wear spaghetti strap gowns, or a bikini, because I thought that my body was lopsided. (It was, but not by very much... ::) ) Please enjoy...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schelomo

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=schelomo+cello&docid=608029316560081710&mid=BA921EABB40E75A246C9BA921EABB40E75A246C9&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 18, 2023, 06:20:53 PM: I would suspect, given the size and complexity of the cello, it is difficult for either gender to play. I only learned piano and a little about guitar and know better than to try the cello which takes a person dedicated to the instrument to play, which I admire.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 20, 2023, 02:16:14 PM: I ran a fairly relaxed Law Office when I was the Manager. I did insist on working hard and being busy during the day, we had a LOT of clients to watch over, and in litigation, you never know what might happen. During my decades of practice, I thought that I had seen it all...but...a few times a month...my jaw would drop when I was working a file over just WHAT my client or the other side had done. I would have weekly 'lunch meetings' for my staff, we would send out for nice sandwiches and fixings, and spend a couple hours eating and just talking about what was going on. It helped the new attorneys, they could present a new challenge in a relaxed setting, and get advice from everyone in an informal way. I did tell everyone to not charge any time to their clients during such a meeting.

Attorneys can be total IDIOTS and be borderline honest when it comes to charging time. A client once YELLED at me for charging him an hour and a half for a half hour meeting. I was confused, and said I would fix it, and went to the bookkeeper and looked at the accounts. Turned out that the SENIOR PARTNER had added an hour of HIS TIME to the account, although he had NEVER met the client. Boy, was I PISSED!!! I got the partner to remove the hour, he said that he had just made a mistake. I didn't call him out, but I suspected that he did that to all accounts...bumping up the hours spent so the client would be charged more and the firm would make more money.

Anyway, I enjoyed teasing my staff at times. We got a new receptionist, and she was one of those 'politically correct' fascistic people. We all began walking on eggs, because she would threaten to call M.O. if she thought we weren't being 'proper'. We ALL hated that. So, we would push her as much as we could without actually doing anything improper. I did a fun thing... ;)

I bought one of those 'Singing Bowls', yanno, those lovely large brass bowls that emit a marvelous tone when you strike them with a soft wood striker. She asked why I got it, and I said that I was starting a new system, I didn't like calling out someones name when I needed to speak to them, and so I would ring the bowl when I needed someone. She stared at me, and I rang it twice, and my Secretary poked her head in my office and said, "Yes, P-------, you need something?" I requested a file and she brought it to me. I looked at the receptionist, and rang the bell four times, and said, "That is your call, you hear four rings, just come into my office." She GLARED AT ME...and I started laughing, and explained that it was just a joke. She stomped out, not laughing, but the other people in my office were cracking up.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 20, 2023, 07:10:52 PM: I love the lunch meetings to discuss cases and share or debate waus of handling it. Apart from the lunch part it is sort of like the weekly meetings we had during my internship and residency with the supervisor. We would present a case and toss out ideas on how to help the client and debate them. Two one year internships and a two year residency of such meetings.

I have heard of some odd things happening in the legal system and with or between lawyers.

I love the prank with the singing bowl on the receptionist lol.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 24, 2023, 11:42:18 PM: ...I CAN'T WAIT to get the HELL out of CA. >:( These Progressives (Democrats) have fully taken over the State and are running it into the ground. We pay the highest taxes of any State, and our roads and such are falling apart, and the education our Public Schools give our children is PATHETIC!!! The Educators are actually getting young children in Kindergarten to question their gender. A boy has a doll, they tell him..."You may really be a girl"...and then they counsel him and actually cut off his genitals while he is still a child!!! I have read, and believe, that our rains aren't really functional until age 24 or such, and so a child that age does not have the wisdom to decide what gender they want to be. And, you read all the time of people who wish they hadn't gotten the gender reassignment surgery. As a young child, I liked to run and play sports, so they may have tried to turn me into a boy!!!

So many rich people and businesses are leaving CA now, that Newsom wants to TAX THEM even after they leave the state. He argues, "You made your fortune here, so it is only fair that we can tax you after you leave." I guess CA reality is getting to become like that Eagles song, "Hotel California"...

..."You can check out any time you like...but you can NEVER leave."

I have read that thousands of people are moving out of CA, but so far, I haven't heard that they are trying to turn the Civilized States into CA.

I will move when my personal commitments to my family have been satisfied, and will make NO ATTEMPT to change the State I move to. I might move to Las Vegas, the air would be good for my asthma and allergies, and my Fathers Family had a diary there, and a large road is named for our Family. It might be fun to live on a Street that has my last name and is named for a grandfather.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 25, 2023, 06:26:44 PM: I do not blame you for wanting to leave lala land one bit. The liberals have gone way over the line and keep pushing it further. I quite agree with you on the gender with young children as well it is crazy at best.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 30, 2023, 02:15:04 PM: I just LUV the San Francisco Board of Supervisors!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o

One has suggested that paying $5 million to EACH black resident in reparations as has been proposed just can't be done, their budget isn't large enough. So, they're trying to figure out how to raise the money. Obviously, they want to solve the challenge by raising taxes, and they have even proposed re-instating a Cannabis Tax that they used to have, but that would only raise $10.75 million, enough for TWO people, so they need more. So, on the table is...(Bet you can't guess...)...

...DEFUND THE POLICE!!!! :P

Gee. Crime is increasing in the Bay Area because of the elimination of cash bail. After all, it just isn't FAIR that some people have to stay in jail because they can't afford to post bail...(How 'bought they just DON'T COMMIT A CRIME?)..so, just getting rid of the Police Department will certainly not affect anything, right?

Man, I've heard the term "that person has shit for brains"...I think I know where we can find a lot of fertilizer. And not to mention the a-holes who vote them in. Well, S.F. Liberals, you will have a nice experience with very little police. They just won't bother to show up when your home is invaded. But, and it IS HAPPENING...the rich hire their own police, with automatic weapons, to patrol their neighborhoods. Many businesses are doing the same.

And to think, when I was young, I could walk from my Office on the interior of S.F. to the Embarcadero or Fishermans' wharf and feel safe. A few times, at night, I even walked from the Wharf to Market Street to get to BART. (That was probably stupid, even back then. I had to walk by Polk Street and a few 'Establishments'. *Blush* The Doormen at the Establishments would quickly open the door as I approached, and invite me in. I probably wouldn't have been able to get out for a few days if I had accepted their offer. They would call out that I would get free shrimp and lobster and drink... 8) )
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on January 30, 2023, 06:39:44 PM: I think all of ca as far as their "leaders" go have lost their minds. Happy not to live there. Hope you can move out soon.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 01, 2023, 03:02:22 PM: The "Woke" Politicians are now saying that the $5,000,000 "Reparations" will not be paid to ALL black people, but only to those who are descended from slaves. (Although CA wants to include ALL black people, in order to make up for the years of discrimination in housing and such that occurred after the Civil War. So, I guess the people who have recently moved in from foreign countries don't have to worry.) Although, there has been an interesting debate over just who is a 'descendant' of a slave? I am sure that there are plenty of people living now who appear to be white, hispanic, or asian, who do have a black slave in their ancestry. I have read that in the past in certain parts of the Country that you were considered to be 'Black' if you were 1/16th Black. My mind isn't processing math very well right now, but I guess that means if you had a great-great grandparent who was Black, then you were Black even if you had a fair complexion. So, I predict that we will have a HUGE Industry devoted to finding a Black Ancestor for people who do not appear to be Black.

So, what about the Irish and other Ethnicities who were discriminated against?

I am loving what is happening to Biden and the Top Secret Documents. ;D The Dems and the MSM went after Trump, because they raided his house and found some sensitive documents. They were actually publishing articles that Trump had committed a crime, and would even end up in jail. Now, they found EVEN MORE in Hunter Bidens and Joes possession, and the FBI is SEARCHING THE HOME OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE US!!!! (Of course, they informed him that they were going to search and let him have the weekend to clear things out before they went in). I just LOVE that film clip of Biden driving his classic Vette into his garage, and there are cardboard boxes along the wall that we are being told had Top Secret Documents in them. I have read that real Top Secret Documents can't be removed from the room that they are kept in, so the U.S. Nuclear Missile Codes are probably not in Bidens garage, that is a relief.

So, of course, the MSM is saying that the documents that Hunter and Joe had were really 'not all that secret', or simply 'used to be secret'. And they are claiming that the Gov't marks simple stuff as "Top Secret". And, the MSM isn't talking about the documents any more. (But, the Docs must have been considered 'Secret' when Joe and Hunter first saw them.)

Part of the problem is that they went after Trump, and thought that he would behave as a 'Politician', and profusely apologize and drop out of the public eye. But, Trump behaves as a 'Businessman', and doesn't give a damn of what people think of him. He just got pissed, and gave it back to them, and has a lot more in store, I am sure.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 01, 2023, 06:31:57 PM: Many ethnicities were discriminated against, enslaved, or outright murdered in the US such as native americans, chinese, japanese, irish, etc., in addition to the african americans so where is their compensation? Would also add, ca was not one of the states that allowed slavery to begin with.
The gop has formed a committee to investigate the weaponization of the dept of justice against conservatives citing disparate treatment in how trump's case vs biden's was handled, and pta parents being treated like criminals for speaking out at school board meetings etc.
Will see what happens.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 02, 2023, 03:14:05 AM: https://youtu.be/evNi4_2qHPY

When the Tuchuk begin R/P again, Izee' will introduce this 'sport' to them. (I cracked up, r/t) ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 12, 2023, 05:17:40 AM: ...I am up late...(Or out of bed REAL EARLY)...just couldn't sleep. I am watching "Exodus". Man, they really knew how to make impressive films back then. An Epic Storyline, great Actors, and imposing music. The main theme is so compelling, thoughtful, and Heroic.

We had an arrangement of the music from the Movie in H.S., and me and a few of the other Principal players 'persuaded' the Teacher to have us play the work at a Concert. I was a bit apprehensive, there was a long cello solo in the most dramatic and sensitive movements...and...for some reason...it GOT to me! I would be erratic in how I played it in rehearsals, and in the Dress Rehearsal...I actually BOMBED!!! I messed up a lot, and just sat in my chair after I finished and tried not to cry.

I am a Performer who expects 'perfection' when I play the cello, or the piano, and I am devastated if I miss a note, or don't phrase a passage as I think it should go.

On the drive to the concert, I kept wishing that I would get into a minor auto accident, so I wouldn't have to play the concert...I had a HUGE case of the 'nerves'.

As we started the work, my nerves settled down a bit...they usually did...but began to rise again as the solo approached. I got scared stiff and was having trouble holding the bow and placing the fingers of my left hand on the right place on the fingerboard. :P :P But, the music settled down as we got to my solo...and I started it...

...AND PLAYED THE ENTIRE PASSAGE AS I HAD ENVISIONED IT!!!...People later complimented me on it, saying that it really moved them...

I was thrilled as I got into it...my nerves steadied...and my hands relaxed and I shaped the notes better than I had ever done before. Here is an arrangement of the music...

https://youtu.be/NNjtieGQzRw
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 12, 2023, 08:21:17 PM: You worked all the bugs out in rehearsal which is what rhearsals are for. If one practices enough regardless what it is, one can perform through nerves or other problems. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 15, 2023, 06:02:16 AM: ...Seeing all of the news about UFOs, and Biden sending the USAF jets up to fire four $450,000 missiles to shoot down balloons reminded me of a fun event in H.S.

We were outside, in P.E., the guys were playing soccer, and we girls were playing volleyball, and a large hot air balloon appeared. The County Fair was going on, and someone was giving balloon rides. I looked up, saw the balloon, and was INSPIRED!!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

There were reruns of a comedy Western on TV called "F-Troop". As I recall, Larry Storch was in it, and it was about a Fort of US Cavalry that was stationed near an Apache Village. It was mostly slapstick comedy, of the type that the poor sensitive clay-footed thin-skinned humorless Liberals would protest these days. The actors playing the Indians spoke incomplete English, and at times were bewildered over the Soldiers technology. It really was amusing, it made fun of both sides.

Anyway, one episode had an Easterner who brought in a hot air balloon to the Fort, and when the Indians saw it flying in the air, they went berserk and kept chasing it and shooting arrows and shouting "IT IS BALLOON!" But, the way the actors pronounced it was "EEET TIS BALLLOOOON!!!" ::)

So, that episode of F-Troop had just been broadcast that week, and it was a very popular program, EVERYONE watched it. So, when I saw the balloon, I started jumping up and down, waving my arms, and pointing, and SCREAMING..."EEET TIS BALLLOOOON!!!"...over and over again. The other girls picked up on it, and soon about 47 young women were jumping up and down, screaming "EEET TIS BALLLOOON!!! and pointing. The Coaches, male and female, came running over to see just what the Hell was going on, and even the guys stopped playing soccer. ??? ??? ???

The adults calmed we females down, having NO understanding of what had happened...they hadn't watched F-Troop...and we got back to volleyball...but we kept laughing
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 15, 2023, 07:26:58 PM: Lol on f troop and the balloon. Have heard of f troop but only caught glimpses of it here and there. Smiles. A lot of comedies from the 60s and 70s would set off the liberals of today like all in the family, sandford and son, the jeffersons, etc etc. They even get upset ober pepe le pew because of his chasing the fenale cat and elmer fudd because he carries a gun ugh.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 19, 2023, 02:29:26 AM: ...Rach 3... :) That is how people who love classical music refer to Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #3 :D (And, I am VERY proud...I spelled Rach...etc all by myself!!!)

I was really 'gobsmacked' the 1st time I really listened to the Concerto, I had to listen 'cause I was leading the cello section. We did the very ominous opening in rehearsal, and a thrill ran through my body. When I was walking back to my Apt after the evening rehearsal, it was like 10:00 pm, with my cello just strapped on my back...the work was running through my mind. I even wasn't watching where I going, and I took my usual way, back along the river levee. It was a beautiful evening, and my mind was in another place. I even didn't think much as I slid down the levee to get to the field that I would walk across to get to the Apt complex I could see. Normally, I NEVER slid down the levee when I had my cello. It was very steep, and I had to crouch down to maintain my balance on my feet, and if I fell with my cello it could be bad.

It is really worth the time to watch this. The guy really explains the work, and more, he demonstrates the passages on the piano keyboard so you can really appreciate just how difficult the work is. The concerto is performed at the end of the discussion, so you can immediately apply what you learn.

Watching this, and listening to the work made me reflect on life. It kinda reinforced my thinking that 'we' are all not really here on Earth. I mean, just how can a lump of protein in our heads do so much? I have held animal brains in my hands, and cut them apart, and looked at them under a microscope, and have seen human brains in jars, and they don't look all that impressive. But they do so much, not just keeping our bodies alive, and capable of doing such a difficult task as performing this...but composing the work. At times I feel like just 'part' of "ME" is here, the rest of "ME" is somewhere else. Maybe that is what happens when we pass on. The "ME" that is here goes back to the real "ME" that is in some other important place. I've been reading that some scientists believe that we are living in an 'Alternate Reality', maybe that is the concept that I am stumbling with.

If I am correct, the "real ME" is probably laughing its' ass off at what "ME" is doing here...

Rach 3...

https://youtu.be/owfrXIaIwz4
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 19, 2023, 08:00:21 PM: Philosophers and psychologists have been trying to sort out the distinction between the brain and the part of is that actually does the thinking and creativity for more than 2000 years. The idea that the mind and the brain are 2 different things is quite old. I too have seen theories suggesting we are in some sort of simulation rather than reality but as we are part of it we would never truly know.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 20, 2023, 12:34:14 AM: ...Herr Mannelig...a Nordic Folk Song :)

This is a VERY EERIE arrangement of the song, which probably suits what it is about. It tells of a mountain troll who disguises herself as a lovely princess, and begs the Knight, Sir Mannelig, to marry her. She promises to give him all sorts of valuable items if he will, but he refuses, saying that he knows that she is a troll. The last stanza has her wailing that she really is a princess, and marrying him would have released her from the spell. :)

https://youtu.be/CfFEJN8JrAY
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 20, 2023, 07:12:01 AM: When I was younger, I used to go deer hunting every season. John, a guy who worked for me liked me, and would invite me to go with him every weekend during the season. His Family had a little cabin in the foothills, there was no running water, you hauled water into the cabin from the hand pumped well outside. We would arrive, and two of his brothers and an uncle would also be there, and we would all hunt. We would also stay up late every night, drinking and playing Peedro. Once...I didn't hunt...I hadn't paced myself drinking the night before. :P I wanted to just stay in bed, but they hauled my ass out of bed, made me choke down some eggs, and when we arrived at the hunt site, I THREW ALL OF MY BULLETS into the creek, and said..."This bitch ain't hunting today"...and crawled back into the pickup and went to sleep.

One evening we were playing Peedro, and a pair of pliers like the above were on a nearby table. I had never seen one before, and I picked it up, and turned it around, and asked, "What does this do?" They just kept playing, Jeff, the older brother said "Maybe we'll show you some day." I just nodded, and got back to playing cards.

A couple weeks later, I was VERY familiar with what the piers did. I was dripping in sweat, it was 110 degrees, and I was helping the brothers repair and maintain about a mile of barbed wire fencing. The pliers were clever, you would set the curved side against the fence post, and you could pull the strand of wire very tight, and then hammer a bracket over the wire to hold it in place.

Jeff was a VERY serious hunter, and ALWAYS got his two deer during the season. I asked him for half of a deer, once...I had fired at it, but missed, and it turned and ran over the hill, where Jeff was, and he shot it. I mentioned that I should get a share when he was cleaning it, and after he had stuffed the heart and liver into the cavity, he motioned at the pile of guts and said..."There, that's your share." I did make a half-hearted search for the kidneys, I had heard that they tasted OK, but when I found them I just kicked dirt over them. NO WAY was I going to eat those ugly things.

We also did duck hunting. They had little 'missile silos' in a large Ag pond. There were little islands in the pond, and you would wade out in waist deep water, and pull the cover off a thick aluminum tube that was buried vertically in the ground on the island, and climb in. The tubes could hold two people...but you had to be 'friends', your bodies were almost touching all of the time. We would put a camo net over the dog, and he would watch for ducks. He could see them as well as we could, and when we shot one, he would see where it fell, and then swim out and get it. One outing, John and I missed several times, and the dog looked back at us and growled. I asked why he had growled, and John said, "Buster is pissed 'cause we keep missing".

One duck hunting morning, John called me, and said that he was ill, and couldn't hunt, but that Jeff would pick me up. So, Jeff, this huge, bearded man who had had a football scholarship at AZ State as a lineman, picked me up. It was just he and I hunting, so when we waded out to the missile silos, I thought that I would get my own tube, but he climbed in with me. "Need someone to talk to as we wait" he said. I just nodded and settled in, I wasn't afraid that he would do anything improper, and anyway, I didn't look very inviting in rubber waders that came up to my shoulders. and a thick woolen coat covering me. Plus, I had absolutely NO MAKEUP!! I had started to apply my foundation, but thought..."You are going Duck Hunting in the rain!!! You are nor heading to the Restaurant!!"

We had a nice start. He brought out a 5th of E&J, and took a swig, and handed me the bottle, and said, "Here, it will help keep you warm". I rarely drank at that time in my life, but I thought, WTF, and took a sip. He said, "No, have some more". So, I gulped some more down, and handed him the bottle back. Together, we finished the bottle pretty quickly, and I was a bit affected. I did get three ducks...the limit was five...so that wasn't too bad. I shot the first one...it was a very long shot, and the duck landed very far away. The dog wasn't present, and so I hoped Jeff would be a gentleman, and go get it for me, but he just said..."Go get your duck." I climbed out, and waded to it, and I still had my shotgun, and it was loaded. Jeff had told me to reload, "Another duck might come by," so I did.

I was NOT a happy camper, it was drizzling a bit, and I was wading in deep water, I was cold, I was cursing the very concept of duck hunting, and holding my 12 gauge side by side double barrel blunderbusket, and vowing to MISS every shot after that. I got close to the duck, and Jeff shouted..."P-------!!!" (my name)...I slowly turned completely around, I didn't want to lose my balance, and looked back at him, and he just waved me away. When I returned, I asked him what that was about, and he just said, "Didn't you see that flock of seven ducks? They flew right behind you when you turned around!" I just muttered..."Didn't see no ducks."

The next Monday, at work, John was ribbing me. He said that he and Jeff had talked on Sunday, and John asked how I did on the hunting trip. He said that Jeff shook his head, and said, "You would NOT BELIEVE the things she did!" John said that he just chuckled, and said, "Oh, I don't know...try me." :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on February 20, 2023, 08:34:33 PM: Have never been hunting but know people who do so. Sounds like you had quite the adventure in doing so though smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 03, 2023, 01:18:11 PM: ...Helping your breasts... 8)

I am at that age where I need to buy bras that have steel beams in the low part of the cups to hold my breasts up when I wear a cocktail dress that is low cut. I tell myself, "Hey!!! Be happy!!! You still have the same cup size as you had when you were 21!!!

That reminded me of a story that a Beauty Queen told me, she was in Mrs America, not Miss America, so she wasn't a teenager. She was having the same challenge that I described, and she noticed that some of the other contestants were using DUCT TAPE to wind around their chests to push and hold their breasts up, and push them together so that they had a sexy cleavage. So, she summoned her husband, and when he arrived at the door of the dressing room, she told him to go fetch her a roll of duct tape. But, she wasn't very clear in her request, and he was probably confused. (You MEN have to have an errand SPELLED OUT TO YOU IN CAPITAL LETTERS to enable you to get it right!!! >:( ) He returned, and handed her a...

...dispenser of SCOTCH TAPE... :-*

Scotch Tape wouldn't hold up her tits, so she was the 'Runner Up' ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 03, 2023, 06:56:14 PM: Oh my on the duct tape. One would think that is cheating. Though marilyn monroe once accused a costar of using tape to umm enhance her appearance.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 07, 2023, 05:16:48 AM: A nice string trio.... :D

https://youtu.be/l1QU3rOR4ek

I studied this at Conservatory, and the Professors said that we should perform it at the Monthly evening concert. Once a month, the Professors would select groups, or soloists, to perform in a formal evening concert. It was to get us Students to have the experience of performing more formally than just being on the stage during the day. We students considered it to be an accomplishment to get selected, and so there was a lot of competition to get selected. We were also expected to dress as if we were performing at a Public Concert where the people would be CHARGED ADMISSION!!! :o

So, I wore a gown VERY MUCH like the cellist in this trio is wearing. My parents didn't know that I had such a gown like that, a girl had given it to me in college, she was rich, and just didn't want to wear it again. :) My parents came to hear the concert...for what they were PAYING each year for my education, they wanted to see if it was doing any good!!! ::) They were quiet at the reception...I wasn't...I was excited because we had played well. I asked them if there was something wrong, and my Father quietly said..."Where did you get that dress?"...and my Mother asked..."Why did you wear THAT on the stage in front of everyone?" :-[

I just said that I had to borrow it because my black Concert Gown, that was cut high and had long sleeves, was at the tailor because it had gotten ripped... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 07, 2023, 07:13:51 PM: Good excuse lol I presume they disapproved of the dress as it was too revealing in some way. Smiles
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 08, 2023, 04:15:59 AM: https://youtu.be/JI7AsZGnyi4

Swan Lake...that Theme has been running in my head for several days now. I've played Orchestral Arrangements many times, and it ALWAYS causes the little hairs on the back of my neck to stand up during the climax. I wonder what that means? ::)

I rarely watch Ballet, but I have been in pit orchestras for several Ballets.

This ending raises a lot of different thoughts in my head. There is the self sacrifice of the swan and her lover to stop the Curse...and the sacrifice also kills the Sorcerer. Interesting that the Costumer made him appear to be the Devil. Then, there is the Swan Chorus...so MANY lovely women....and so talented as dancers.

The insistent thought in my head is how different it is to be in a chorus, vs a solo. Like most musicians, I try to hog the limelight when I play and JUST LOVED having a solo in an Orchestral Work. Looking at the dancers here, you can sense that if one dancer couldn't make it, the performance wouldn't be affected. But, having everyone on stage does make a real artistic impression...so many dancers...and they are all doing the same thing very well. A few times, when the cello section had the theme, and we were ROARING it out...I was REALLY moved...thinking..."I am NOT standing out, no one can say that they hear MY CELLO...but...I am adding to this!!!

I had a wonderful experience when we were performing the 'Nutcracker', and we were having a final rehearsal with the Dancers. We were playing the scene where the Snowflakes dance, and there were about a dozen young women dressed in white, and they were dancing very well. As you can hear, the music is very soft and soothing at first, and the dancers are very graceful, the snowflakes are just falling. Then you get to the section where the cellos take over, and play a more strong and vibrant passage. I always envisioned that the wind kicked in, and was blowing the snowflakes around...so...and I was leading the cellos...I HAMMERED IT...and got the rest of the section to do the same!!! I wasn't just pulling the bow back and forth across the strings...I was pulling my right arm down with my elbow and raising my wrist up to put more weight on the bow, and pushing the bow down with my first two fingers to play louder. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Then, the Dance Director shouted "STOP...STOP...STOP..."and the Conductor stopped us. I thought, "Oh Shit...I am going to get scolded, the Conductor wasn't signaling me to play real loud." :P (But the score was marked fff...fortissisimo.."triple forte"...that means "PLAY REAL LOUD") >:( The Director then shouted at the Snowflakes, "COME ON!!! DIDN'T YOU HEAR THE CELLOS? THE MOOD OF THE DANCE CHANGES AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED. DANCE HARDER!!!"

...They did...*giggle*... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 08, 2023, 04:35:07 AM: ...Here is the Nutcracker...it is the Waltz of the Flowers...not the Snowflakes... ::)

https://youtu.be/LKcZL8q1eBw

The wind was blowing the pollen out of the flowers...or something like that... :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 08, 2023, 07:17:19 PM: Lol on the dance harder part. And performances are often not solely about one person as everyone has a role to play even the ones controlling the lights and curtains.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 09, 2023, 12:29:38 AM: Gonna share this yet again...I am in tears... :'(

Luciano Pavarotti...what a MASTER MUSICIAN!!! Again, I am astonished at just how different we humans are from each other...and how some of us with a natural gift will work HARD to develop it. Pavarotti didn't just get up one day, and become one of the best Tenors in History...he spent hour after hour after hour working on his voice. I never realized just how delicate the voice was until I spent two years in the Conservatory. There was one Soprano, who was lovely, and was one of those who did make it professionally as a singer. She told me once, that her Teacher said she would drop her as a student if she sang in any more musicals. I was astonished..."Musicals are different on the voice than an Opera?" I asked. I figured that it was just the words and lyrics that were different. She tried to explain it to me, and finally just said, "The vocal cords are used differently. You can actually ruin them for Opera if you constantly sing popular songs." I once peeked through the little window in the door of a practice room, and watched her practice for a while. She later told me that she saw me, but practiced as she usually did...but added a bit... ;) I did the same when I sensed I was being watched as I practiced...I played something challenging that I knew very well to show off. ::) Anyway, most of the times she was just singing slow notes, and holding a small mirror in front of her face so she could watch her mouth. You need to have good control of your lips, cheeks, and tongue to sing very well, I was told. I needed nimble fingers and strong arms and shoulders to play the piano and that hunk of lumber I held between my legs.

Here he is...what a Master!!!!

https://youtu.be/-pgLwj4ueSw

BTW...when I was feeling unsocial, which was often, I would tape a piece of paper over the little window so no one could peek in on me. But...it didn't work on the cello. People couldn't tell it was me when I played the piano, but all of the regulars knew the sound of my cello. Once, after I had practiced a soft sonata for an hour, I opened the door to go get a coke and some fresh air, and three young women I had never seen before got up from the floor outside my door and left. One smiled at me...there were tears on her face...and she whispered 'Thank you." I never saw them again...I wanted to talk to them...but they just left. I was in a quonset hut :P on the edge of the campus...the University had practice rooms there...so the girls might not have even been students...there were no locks on the doors. (And I would practice alone, at 1:00 or 2:00 am, for a few hours in those rooms. I certainly would not think of doing that now, even if the doors were locked! And I would walk back to my Apt, along the river levee, or across a field, all alone at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. And, a few times, I watched the sun rise as I stood on the levee...my cello strapped to my back, the top of the case peeking over my right shoulder, and say, "Isn't that lovely, Katherine?" And my cello would sing back..."Yes"...)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 09, 2023, 12:41:28 AM: I just listened to it again, and it is notated that it was his LAST performance. I wonder if it was planned to be his last?

Can you imagine what it would be like for a gifted performer to know, that for some reason, that THIS would be his LAST performance? And that it would be the last time he performed a work that he loved so much?
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 10, 2023, 06:33:36 PM: ...I just love this, I know that I have posted it before...

This is my favorite movement of the Requiem, it is so soothing at first, a soft prayer..."Liberate me, Lord, from Eternal Death"...and later so exciting..."Light, Eternal Light"...This is the piece I heard for the first time when I sang with the other Altos in the chorus...and I had GOOSE BUMPS when we finished!!! And this is ALSO the work that got me KICKED OUT OF CHORUS CLASS!!! :o :o :o :o :o The Professor looked around when the concert was approaching, and spotted me in the back of the Sopranos, (I was going to sneak back to the Altos), and told me to get out and practice my cello part...so I did. My friends had fun. They would point me out to people who didn't know me, and say, "That is the girl who got KICKED OUT of the choral class." I would growl, "Yes, the Professor wanted me to go practice singing the Aria from Aida" and walk away. (I suppose that Aida has an Aria, or two, but I have NO IDEA of what it is...but the phrase sounded impressive.)

I would softly sing the Choral Part as I was playing the cello part in this...I just couldn't help it. And, the guy I was going with was singing the Baritone Solo... :D

https://youtu.be/7WvHDrcA084
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 10, 2023, 07:04:36 PM: I agree pavoratti was a master to be sure. Cannot imagine what it would be like to perform knowing it was my last time. Lol on your explaination on having to leabe the choir practice.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 12, 2023, 10:17:36 PM: ...When I was REALLY creeped out!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

I was living with two other women in college, we shared a nice two level Apt. The two bedrooms and a bathroom were on the top floor, the kitchen and living area and another bathroom were on the first floor. I am not very social when I want to sleep, so I took the little one bed bedroom that had a little window, they stayed in the large bedroom that had two beds and a large balcony. One evening I was in my room, studying accounting, and was tired, and frustrated. It was "Cost Accounting" and I was having trouble understanding it. My roommates were downstairs, and started playing a tape of this work...I had never heard it before...

https://youtu.be/VtLjlsPdR7A

I was mesmerized...the soft chanting and the strong beat got into my head...I was listening hard...trying to make out the words...and then...

...The LOUD PART came on and I literally jumped in my chair and dropped my pentel...I really WAS SCARED!!!

Then it got soft again...and I focused on trying to understand it...and I actually felt like I was POSSESSED!!! That DEMONS were chanting CURSES at me!!!...

...And I almost jumped out of my chair when the loud part repeated...

I was breathing very heavy and my vision was blurred when the movement ended, and I just sat, limp, looking around and things got a bit back in focus. (And I had NOT consumed any alcohol or any kind of drugs that week, and had eaten and slept fairly well). It took me several tries to stand up, and my legs were weak and my head was confused. I came down the stairs...I just sat down on the top step, and carefully scooted down, step by step, with my legs in front, and stood when I got to the bottom step. I walked to my roommates, and carefully asked..."What the HELL was THAT?" They handed me the jacket for the record, and I was able to focus on and read it, and handed it back to them and sat down. They got a bit concerned, and asked me if I was OK.. I said, "I think so, but, could I please have a small glass of wine?" They brought one to me, and I sipped it, and recovered more, and explained what had happened.

I can't recall much more of that evening...

Music CAN be very powerful...

Thankfully I didn't get all worked up when I was performing this composition...but I would be weak and sweating when we were finished.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 13, 2023, 06:31:30 PM: Some music certainly has a hypnotoc effect to it and can cause a trance like state.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on March 18, 2023, 06:47:24 PM: ...Here is the Verdamnt "William Tell Overture"... >:( (Hope I spelled Verdamnt right)

I was the Principal cellist in a Semi-Professional Orchestra, and we were going to play this. I turned pale when I heard...

I actually contacted my Professor of Cello at the Conservatory, and made an appointment for an hour and a half lesson so I could get the opening solo right. Everyone knows the fast section, it is the theme to the "Lone Ranger", but the slow, introspective opening is rarely played. The cellos perform it, and the solo is a bitch kitty to play. You can see that it is ALL OVER THE ENTIRE FINGERBOARD...all THREE FEET OF THE FINGERBOARD!!! And the intervals between the notes can be very far apart. This is one of the works that I wished I could trade chairs with the second chair for this work. (*Giggles*...once I walked into a rehearsal for another orchestra where I sat third chair...and the first cellist was sitting in my chair. She just pointed her bow at first chair when I walked up to her, and when I sat down in the First Chair...I saw why. This Verdamnt piece was open on the stand!!! >:( :o :P )

But, I played it...and was soaked with sweat when I finished the solo. I just pretended that I was playing the fast orchestral part, and my legs were shaking when I stood at the end for a round of applause directed at me.

My Professor told me, after I told him how nervous I was to perform this, that he always felt the same when he performed it.

https://youtu.be/f2YW5f1hv9E
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: MageNathaniel1 on March 21, 2023, 08:02:55 PM: You are definitely passionate about your playing smiles.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 02, 2023, 03:05:27 AM: People just don't get my sense of humor at times, especially when we are hunting.

We were deer hunting in the CA foothills along the Coast, it was in August and it was hot as Hell. There were three of us, and we were crammed in the only seat in the small pickup truck, and we were traveling along a small dirt road on the side of a hill. There was only the front bench seat, and I was in the middle, all 125 ibs and 5'3" of me. The huge guy, Jeff. who had had a scholarship to play football at AZ State, was driving. His brother, who was as large, and who was an Accountant who worked for me was on the other side of me. Needless to say...our bodies were touching. We were talking about various things, and then a bright green grasshopper, that was about 2" long, landed on the windshield wiper. It just sat there, and Jeff pointed at it, and said...

..."I bet that guy could catch a good 5 pound bass..."

I looked at it, and burped...I was very ladylike sipping a beer...(It was legal, we were on private property)...and said...

..."Yes, I bet he could, but you would have to get him a really itty bitty rod and reel..." ::)

Jeff stopped the truck, looked at me, and took off his hat and...

...Began beating the crap out of me with it... :P

I screamed, and ducked my face and covered my head with my arms...and protected my beer... :o

His brother...who WORKED FOR ME!!!...just sat and laughed as his brother 'hat beat' me... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 06, 2023, 05:57:20 AM: https://youtu.be/rOjHhS5MtvA

We are not all created equal...and that us SUCH A GOOD THING!!!

We humans are so different. Our bodies are certainly the same...a trunk, two arms, two legs, a head...but what we do, and want to do, are so different. And so wonderful. Just think, if we ALL had the same intelligence, same bodily health, and we ALL were qualified to become an MD and we ALL WANTED to be an MD...we could not have a society. And, if we were ALL genius Composers, and just HAD to compose music...who would build the houses? Farm? Run Hospitals? But, I am so grateful that we do have genius Composers.

Beethoven was a driven man, I have read. And, think of it. The most important sense to a Composer is Hearing! He had to be able to hear what he writes down. And, Beethoven went deaf when he was fairly young, and very vigorous and driven to compose. He finished his last symphony, the 9th, while he was deaf!!! Just HOW did he do that?

I have been paid to help perform his 9th Symphony several times, and the last movement, which starts at around 52:30 in this recording is a BLAST for the cellos!!! *S* I actually led the cello section once when we performed this, and I told the section..."Hey...we cellos are ANGRY!!! We do the brief opening, and we are asking the Orchestra for a theme for the last movement. Well, they start playing the 1st Movement, and we JUMP IN and tell them to stop, and try again. They then start playing the 2nd Movement, and we YELL at them to stop, that we ALREADY played that! Then the 3rd Movement is started, and we LOSE IT! and YELL to try again. They then start the lovely, serene last movement, and we shout YES!!! Then, we start the last movement and play the theme very quietly and with introspection and thoughtfulness...and the rest pick it up. *G* At the post concert reception, people asked me what had gotten into the cellos, why we were so angry! And, a few members of the Chorus said our opening helped inspire them to really let loose when they sang.

This is another work where it was hard for me to stand up when we finished...Pavane was a cane for a moment...not a $50K cello. *S*

Beethoven 9 - Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Riccardo Muti
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 07, 2023, 02:50:39 AM: ...Elgar...Such an Amazing Composer...

Some Composers will express their lives, and what they are going through in their Compositions.

Now, every composition has SOME sort of inspiration, that is true. My Magnus Opus, "THE UNASKED QUESTION" was inspired by Frosh Anxiety, a very recent breakup with the guy of my dreams, and the onset of my Manic/Depressive Illness. I was emerging from the depressive side...I had turned myself into the Campus Clinic because I was afraid of what I might do...and after a month or so of counseling and taking the most DREADFUL antidepressants , the Manic side kicked in and I didn't need to sleep more than 30-40 minutes a night, and I was clearheaded and full of energy and I spent a lot of all nighters composing it. It was an Oratorio, and it told a story, and I expressed all of the feelings and emotions I had gone through. The Theory/Comp Professor told me that I had doubled the bass line a few too many times in some of the pieces...I just told him that I was a cellist...so I LIKED BASS LINES!!! ??? He still gave me an 'A', and did compliment me on one of the songs I had composed, and asked if he could have it. I sold him my manuscript for $50, and asked for royalties...he gave me the $50 and said as a Frosh that I didn't deserve any royalties...so I just accepted it. I was HAPPY...$50 was a LOT of money back then. He did use the theme of a very nice song I composed. It was very woody, a bit dark and introspective in one of his symphonies. I only heard the work played once, and shivered...it made me relive what I had gone through.

Later in life, I was invited to join the Phriday Phil by the Local School District. I was practicing Law, but every Friday I would drive to one of the Elementary Schools, and join the Music Teachers in a small orchestra. I played the cello better than the teachers, so I sat 1st chair. It was fun, we would put on two short concerts. Halfway through the concert, the Conductor would stop, and then have each Principal take turns playing the theme of 'My Country Tis of Thee' so the kids could hear how each instrument sounded. Once, I was really bored...and was thinking that I should be at my office...an important deposition was going to start in an hour...and I DIDN'T think that 'My Country..." deserved me having anxiety over my real work...so when my turn came, I played the opening to this work, starting at about 1:30...

https://youtu.be/lNVe_1Eb5dw

After the concert...boy...

...DID I GET YELLED AT BY THE CONDUCTOR!!!!

He ORDERED me to never improvise again...I told him that I was playing part of a famous work...and it REALLY showed all of the noise that a cello can make...and, well, he did laugh. He did, a bit more softer, but very insistent, order me not to do that again.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 10, 2023, 04:23:58 PM: The Phriday Phil was simply a blast to play in!!! I personally knew most of the players, they were all music teachers, I was the dummy of the group. I just had a Classified Credential...so I could assist. A few times, since I did have the Credential, I was called in to teach a school orchestra, and was always happy. I would do what I could to show the kids how playing an instrument was fun, and...if you put in the practice...it was more fun!!! I sat as the Principal Cellist in the Phil, and did all that I could to show that it was fun. I would move around in my chair, and lean forward, and get the instrument in all sorts of positions. I wanted to express that playing was FUN!

At the start, the Conductor would introduce the instruments, and the Principal would hold his or her instrument up so the kids could see it. The Tuba player sat in the back, and would hold his Tuba above his head with both hands and wave it around, and the kids would laugh and applaud. Well...I was NOT going to be upstaged by a Tuba...so when the cello was called on, I just didn't just pivot it so it was facing the kids. (I was seated on the edge of the stage, to the right of the Conductor). I would pick my cello up, and hold it sideways so it faced the kids, and wave it up and down. They would laugh and applaud...and so would the Tubist. ;D

The Conductor never spoke to the Tubist or me about our antics...he knew that there was no point...we would just find another way to act up.

I had to stop playing in the Phil. The Partners at the Law Firm gave me more complex matters to handle, and the Court started setting Settlement Conferences on Fridays, so I reluctantly retired from the Orchestra.

The private string teachers told me that there were fewer young children taking private cello lessons after I left. Maybe there were other reasons, but I do believe that a single person, by what he or she simply does, can inspire a young child to try something. That is one of the reasons why I had always supported Boy Scouts, to rise through the ranks, the kid had to earn merit badges. Each badge represented a single subject, and the child had to study it very thoroughly to earn it. The younger Scouts would see the older ones with sashes full of badges, and want to be like them. So the child developed some skills in a lot of different things. There were basic subjects like cooking, household accounts, scholarship, and such, and more exotic items.

I just felt that I was there to introduce the kids to the cello. And just sitting straight with a dour look on my face, and simply pulling the bow back and forth would not be inspiring. But, smiling...or frowning...and moving in my chair would make a child think, "That looks like fun, I should try it".

A funny tale...I was invited to play in a community orchestra that needed cellists, and was placed in 1st Chair. The woman who sat beside me was also 'loose in her chair', and we bumped elbows a few times. But we gradually worked it out, and could move freely and not hinder the other player. The Conductor laughed after a concert saying, "The two of you were swaying in unison a few times."

We thought about working up a routine where we would 'dance in our chairs'...but decided against it. After all, he purpose of the Phriday Phil was to introduce the kids to the instruments in an orchestra, and not for a couple of female 'Hambones' to show off. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on April 28, 2023, 02:53:40 PM: Oh, the times we are living in... :'(...this used to be such a wonderful Country, the good 'ol USA.

Dr. Gal Luft, the 'whistleblower' who was going to testify on the Biden dealings with China, that included millions of dollars going to our beloved senile President, has MYSTERIOUSLY disappeared. His abandoned car was found, and no trace of him. And now, tens of THOUSANDS of 'migrants' are massing at our borders, ready to SWARM across when Title 42 ends, as Biden wishes it to. The Border Patrol says that there is NO WAY they can control that. And, what can they do? Under our current Laws, an illegal just has to say that he is fleeing 'political persecution', and the Border Patrol gives him a notice to appear in Court in a year, and then loads him onto a bus and drops him off deep in the USA. And how many such people actually appear later? NONE!!! So much for our "Borders", I don't believe that ANY OTHER COUNTRY allows such nonsense.

SF is starting to re-think their idea of being a Sanctuary City. Why, you say? Well, crime is out of control because of the 'catch and release' policies the Liberals imposed upon us. After all, it was 'unfair' that too many minorities were being charged for crimes such as theft and assault, so as long as you don't try to shoplift more then $950, you just get the stuff taken from you, and a 'notice to appear' in a few months. A small shopkeeper who was on the news, said that she has had people walk in and steal all they can carry so many times that she is just closing up. She said that she called the police, but they didn't arrive until about 30 minutes after the thief left. Liberals say that such thieves should not be prosecuted since they 'need' the stuff to sell to live on, and that no one is hurt, and it is a form of 'reparations', because businesses have insurance. Ah...liberals....ever hear of a 'DEDUCTABLE'? Deductibles are usually high for businesses, $!,000 to $5,000, so you just need a few thefts and there goes your profit for a few months. Now, in CA, businesses are locking their doors. I walked to a small shop I frequent, and the door was locked, but it was open. A salesgirl looked through the glass at me, and then pressed a buzzer and the door unlocked.

Also, it is not safe to walk the streets in SF, not even in the business or tourist areas. You will get robbed and/or mugged, and then your car will be stolen.

So, businesses are closing down in SF, including large Dept stores because of theft losses and fear of injury. There was a clip on TV showing a large, young black male with a knife beating and threatening a shopkeeper, and the elderly man got to his gun and shot the thug. So, guess who was charged with a crime? The SHOPKEEPER!!! The liberal DA said that the man should have just backed away and not tried to defend his shop. But, thankfully a lot of public outrage was raised, and Gov Newsom dropped the charges...he wants to run for President...so he wants to be perceived as tough on crime. Security Guards are usually ordered to just try to persuade a thief to stop, because if they try to restrain a thief, the store then gets sued by a liberal lawyer for discrimination or battery. Or, the liberal DA steps in and THEY get charged with a crime!! Gee, I have always thought that the guards could grab you and put you in handcuffs if they caught you stealing. But, thank you liberals...you are turning the USA into a third world.

And SF is becoming a place you do not want to go to.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 24, 2023, 03:40:11 PM: I am a natural born 'Cat Lady'... :D

But, I am very allergic to ANYTHING with fur or feathers!!!! :( :( :( :( :(

Cats gravitate to me. I believe that I did tell the tale of when a kitten walked into our H.S. Spanish Class, and it walked around the room, looking at all of the students, and...IT JUMPED UP INTO MY LAP!!! :o

Cats also drop off their kittens at my home. When I was living in the foothills, we would feed the feral cats, because we wanted them to eat the mice, rats, gophers and ground squirrels. (They did...all of the neighbors had problems with the rodents...but we did NOT!) So, a few times, we found a litter of kittens at our back door, their Mama had left them. We did take care of them, and got them spayed and found people to adopt them. That also happened to me when I was living alone a couple years ago. I was in a Condo we had bought, and I fed a cat that hung around. It was semi-feral, at times I could touch it, but it did not want to be picked up. Well, she got pregnant, and was away for a couple weeks, and then...

...I found 5 kittens at my front door... ::)

I took them in, and fed them and kept them clean, and had to wear gloves and use my antihistamines a lot. I did find homes for them as they got older, and one of my friends called me the 'Crazy Cat Lady' after that. ;)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 28, 2023, 06:29:23 AM: ...Poetry... :P

I am somewhat indifferent to poetry. Some really moves me, others are just tedious. I have been told that I can write acceptable and amusing stories and tales, but I just can't write poetry. ???

I was a bit of a cut-up in Jr. H.S. Hormones were raging in me, asthma and allergies kept me exhausted, and my manic/depressive illness first entered my life. I was in a slight manic mode when our English Teacher assigned all of us to memorize a poem, and then recite it to the class. The poem had to be at least 8 lines. She then waxed lyrical, saying how a truly gifted girl had memorized 'Annabel Lee', a long poem, and the class had clapped when she finished it. She said that it was so wonderful that the class applauded.

I looked over Annabel Lee, and didn't particularly like it, and so I looked through the poetry book. I found 'Casey Jones'...and was DELIGHTED!!! In the schoolyard, sometimes, we would sing that short popular song about Casey Jones...

...Casey Jones, gonna reach Frisco
...Casey Jones, but we'll all be dead
...Casey Jones, gonna reach Frisco
...Gonna reach Frisco
...But we'll all be dead

The version of the poem I found, which starts, "Come all you rounders, if you want to hear, the story of a brave engineer" was very long, longer than Annabel Lee. In between the narrative paragraphs, it had a 'chorus' which were the lyrics I set out above. So, the chorus repeated itself about 15 times, there were a lot of paragraphs. So, I studied, and memorized the entire damn thing.

So, came the day of the recitals, and I just slumped in my seat, I was a quiet kid back then and didn't talk much. (I changed as I got older... ::) ) I didn't raise my hand when the Teacher asked for volunteers. So, everyone else recited their short poems, and then the teacher called on me. I walked to the front of the class, and nerves got to me...and I COULD NOT remember the opening lines. I asked for the first line, and the Teacher just shrugged, and read it to me, probably thinking that the next few minutes were going to be difficult.

But...thank goodness...my nerves left me...and I remembered the poem, and began reciting it. After the third stanza, after I had repeated the 'Chorus' three times, my mind let loose, and I began singing the Chorus instead of just reciting it when it came up...and added a little dance as I sang. I finished the entire poem, without missing a line or leaving out a word, and finished by singing and dancing the Chorus. one more time. ::)

The class cheered and applauded, and the Teacher...

Gave me one of the 'dirtiest looks' I have ever received...but gave me an 'A' for the assignment. >:( She just HAD to...I DID memorize a poem.

I got over it... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 01, 2023, 04:38:06 AM: ...Liberal Cities.... :o 8) ::)

San Francisco is running a series of TV ads saying that it is such a wonderful city that everyone would enjoy. They show pictures showing very clean areas, and nicely dressed people having food and drinks.

Talk about ABJECT MISINFORMATION!!!! >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

They don't show the small tents and large boxes that are all over the place, even in the financial district and the Wharf, and that it is not safe to walk the streets at night. They don't show the 'Street People' who are swarming all over the place, shaking people down for money. A few years ago, I was in the nice area on business, and a, well, a bum was laying on dirty blankets on the sidewalk, and he held out his hand and asked for change. I kept walking, and he said, in an angry voice, "Hey, you owe me some money!" He then got up, and began staggering after me. I walked VERY QUICKLY to the first office building I saw and went in, and alerted the Security Guard when I was in the lobby. The bum started to come in, but staggered away when the Guard approached him.

I am always VERY SCARED of Street People. I studied Martial Arts, very seriously, in three different schools, and achieved high ranks, and I can hit and kick very hard and with precision. But, the Instructors ALWAYS said to avoid a fight with a Street Person. They said, just walk fast, or run, if you have to, but DO NOT try to stand your ground. They explained that the lifestyle the Street People lived was very harsh, and the ones that were able to do it were usually physically very strong. He also said that they were deadened to pain, either due to damage to their nervous system, or the drugs they were on, or because they just didn't give a damn. So, they all said to just stay clear, you could break a couple of their ribs, but they would keep coming after you. An Instructor at one Dojo drilled me in a way that could work, if I was cornered. It was a downward kick, almost a stomp, on the kneecap of my opponent...but he would be very close to me. It could actually break the knee, and would probably disable him enough that I could run away, but if he already had a hand on me, I would have to do more. He said, "Just let your Bitch Kitty loose...scratch, bite, go for the eyes...and SCREAM...do WHATEVER you can."

Liberals!!! They say that they are showing 'compassion' to Street People by letting them live on the Street, and not making them live a healthier lifestyle, and be contributors to society. Since when is letting people live in cardboard boxes and defecate in public...(Lovely S.F. has 'poop maps' tourists can get that show where poop is left on the sidewalks by bums)...and take illegal drugs and eat who knows what a compassionate act?

Decades ago, when S.F. WAS a TRULY WONDERFUL city to visit, they handled the Street People properly. They got them off the street and evaluated them. If it was someone out of their luck, or had an injury or illness, they were treated and guided to places that could help. If they were addicts or alcoholics who just couldn't control their needs, they were Institutionalized. If they were criminals, they went to jail. That kept the City safe, and many people have testified that such an approach saved their lives. Getting treatment, or staying in jail for a few months, caused many people to actually see the errors in their life style, and they recovered and became very good citizens. That sounds more like 'Compassion' to me.

But, those 'Ivory Tower' Liberals in Academia and seeming every other Profession, think that just mouthing off nice thoughts is 'Compassion'. Compassion means you actually get involved in helping people, not just giving lip service.

*G* I just now saw a new clip that showed a couple "Climate Protestors' running onto the stage while a couple was on the stage in a live, televised, ballroom dance competition. A cameraman swung his huge camera, that was on a long and heavy support boom at them, aiming at the banner one was holding, and knocked him over. Security rushed on stage and hauled the idiots away. And...the couple just held on to each other and kept dancing through the whole thing!!! ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 04, 2023, 10:40:24 PM: ...H.S. Flag Football... ::)

Sometimes the guys would let we girls play flag football with them. Being small, I wasn't of any use on the line, but I could run fast and catch a football. I was also good at running rather convoluted routes, and often could lose the person covering me. So, I would play an end or halfback on offense, and linebacker on defense. Once, though, after I mouthed off a bit to our team Captain, he placed me on the line as a Guard. I would line up, and look at the guy I was supposed to block, or get by. It was Steve P., who was on the Varsity Football team and made it to college on an Athletic Scholarship. He was gentle, I did have to get off of the ground a number of times, but he didn't do any really rough stuff to me.

One thing I would do, and I often got away with it, was to join the OTHER TEAMS huddle. I would let my hair cover my face, and keep my face down, and a number of times...I GOT AWAY WITH IT!!! ;D I would quickly pass the word to my team, and ignore what I was supposed to do, and just run to where the guy who was going to get the ball was. Of course, I only got away with it a few times, their QB would be describing the play, and would see me, and kick me out. A couple times I got away with it by standing NEXT to the QB in the huddle, but word got around about my antics, and the other team would watch to make sure that I didn't join their huddle.

Once, I actually lined up as fullback with the other team after the huddle, and when the ball was snapped, I ran to the QB and snatched his flag... ::)

...I thought I was clever... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 12, 2023, 06:11:42 AM: ...Playing the Cello...

I performed this work a few times when I was young, I got a very high mark form the Judge at a Music Competition. I also performed this at a couple Catholic Church Services. It always took a LOT out of me, even practicing at home, it is a very introspective work. Being a Catholic, I am not familiar with Jewish Prayers or Services, but I think I experienced what they are about when I performed this. I did try to express a 'Prayer', and that is what was running through my head. IMHO, this is a work that can only be properly expressed by the cello. The cello is very close to the human voice, and the melancholy overtones that those big hunks of lumber can emit are so complex. When you play a note on a cello, you don't just hear the one frequency of the note. You hear 'overtones' that relate to that note, and many are not that note. I was always amused when I was paying a 'C' with my fourth finger on the G string...the open C string next to the G string would also vibrate.

Please enjoy this...

https://youtu.be/rTso0wYH4f4
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on June 30, 2023, 04:17:22 PM: A friend of mine had a daughter who had musical talent. We invited her to play the violin or the viola in our string quartet, and also got her admitted into the Community and Semi-Professional Orchestras we played in. She became very skilled on the viola, and was accepted into the S.F. Conservatory of Music as a Performance Major. (You have to audition to be accepted to be a Performance Major at the Top Conservatories. I had to audition at the Conservatory at UOP, and was accepted as a Performance Major. :) ) She came home one break, and told her parents that her string quartet had gone into the local park, and played music, and got a lot of dollar bills dropped into an open violin case. Her Father was the Administrator of a large Hospital, and wasn't all that happy about her majoring in music, he hoped she would go into science. When he heard that she had performed in the park, he referred to her as "My daughter, the street performer". I would tease him, saying, "Good deal paying the school 30K a year to train your daughter to become a street musician." He would just growl at me.

But, we are all very proud of her. She did become a respected classical violist, and has performed at Carnagie Hall and other venues and made a nice living as a musician.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 02, 2023, 11:57:06 AM: https://youtu.be/KvGC8hZC29U

How I am feeling right now. I had to call an Ambulance for my elderly Mother, she was having a 'spinning head' sensation and couldn't sit up. I didn't try to carry her , I tried to get her to sit up, but she couldn't. So, I called an ambulance, and then pulled on a long shirt and drove to the Hospital. (It was 5:00 am). I got to the E.R., and she was very uncomfortable, and kept saying that things were spinning. The MD's gave her some injections and an IV, and I sat by her, but didn't try to get her to converse...she was coherent...but very weak. She improved, and was coherent, but kept complaining that things were spinning. The MD said that it could be an inner ear problem, or something in the brain. My brother arrived, and sent me home...I had been awake for all night long. I have fallen into keeping nocturnal hours. I go to bed at 6:00 am, and wake up at 2:00 pm. I just got an e-mail from my Brother who said that she is better, and tests indicated an inner ear problem. But, she will be getting an MRI to check for any brain disruptions. I have been up for a long time now, but can't sleep until I hear more. My brother said that they will send her home if the brain scan is normal.

This work is one of my favorites to perform...but I dread it at the same time. Again, I am not some cute blonde girl who sits with her legs spread around her cello and smiles as she plays. I GRIP the DAMN PIECE OF LUMBER with my legs to control the DAMN THING!!! The notes sound different as how you hold the cello, and where you aim the f-holes. When playing the cello, I move the instrument...I will hold it away from my body so I can hammer the bow without hitting my knees, or cuddle the woody thing in my arms and against my breasts as I play a soft work. Playing this, I was always on the outside chair of the cello section, and I FELT the eeriness of the opening. Just 4 notes, then 4 notes...then 4 notes...and then FOUR NOTES!!! But...it takes off. You can hear the four note motive repeated in different ways, and the work is very uplifting and serene at times...and then just a BATTLE at the other times. When playing this, I would imaging armies fighting...or worse...a fight inside one's own mind. I had a LOT of those battles...in my own mind. Campaigning for Political Office, arguing a case before a Jury, presenting a case before the Federal Appellate Court...and taking on the GODDMAN IRS was NOTHING compared to went on with my mind with what would be going through my mind when playing the cello.

I was a good performer, I would get the music out of the lollypops on the sheet, and not just play a perfect 'C' or 'A' or such. At times, I would purposely play a note slightly flat or sharp in order to get across the mood of the passage. Playing the 'Elegy' left me almost ready to be described by the piece. I would be focused on getting my fingers and hands to get across what I was hearing in my mind, and any Romantic work needs to have the notes 'tempered' to really get across the feelings.

:) We musicians NEVER agree on what a note should sound like. Once, the Conductor asked each of us cellists to play an f natural, separately, and each note was slightly different. We were embarrassed, I was the ONLY ONE who INSISTED that I PLAYED IT IN TUNE!!! And the rest of the orchestra laughed. So, that is why string sections sound so wonderful, we are ALL playing the note slightly out of tune, but heard at the same time, it is very rich. That is why, whenever I was invited to play in a Chamber Orchestra, I ALWAYS made sure that there were at least three cellos. Three sounded wonderful, two clashed...especially when they tried to tune each others note with the other.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 02, 2023, 12:57:54 PM: More about playing out of tune...

I was asked to take on a very good private student when my friend, who taught him, was going to be away for several weeks. "He is very good, but needs to be coached, keep his bi-weekly lessons and you can keep the full fee his parents are paying. And, they pay CASH!!" Well, no-one had to tell Me, "Ms always needs cash to buy nice snacks", to accept the student, I REALLY LIKE CASH so I asked what he was working on so I could get familiar with it. He was working on pieces I had performed, so I felt comfortable teaching him.

He showed up, and was a very neat looking boy, and his Mother looked like a vulture and SHE DROVE A LARGE MERCEDES!!! i WANTED IT...but I was somewhat poor at the time. She looked me over, and insisted in looking into my studio, and commented that I needed to straighten things up, wondering how I could find my music. I also had several bows sitting on tables and three cakes of rosin on the floor, and a broken student cello in the corner, and I just said "Been busy".

He played a slow movement from a Brahms, and I carefully listened. Every note was PERFECTLY in tune...and I was left empty...there were no emotions of feelings communicated. He sat back and grinned..."I have this one mastered, we can work on something else." I sat for a moment...and almost gave up. I would select something new for him to work on. But, I actually LIKE getting someone to look at things differently. I told him, "Play the first 16 measures again". He did, and it was just as dank and empty. I said, "Here, listen to this..." and I played it, modulating the notes to help lead to the next note and to get color in the work. He stared me, and I said, "Play yours again". He did, and I played mine, and said, "We played the same notes, why do they sound different?" He stammered, and said, "We were not playing the same notes." I nodded, and said, "Let's play it together". We did...and clashed. I asked him, "Which did you like better?" He nodded, "You played better."

I chuckled as he sat, confused, and said, "You are almost at the level where you can begin to temper your notes. I was playing my notes slightly out of tune, but they were 'tempered'...not really out of tune,,,and they better expressed the work. Listen carefully to the Masters...they temper their notes all over the place. That is why it is so difficult to put together a string quartet. You get Musicians who don't temper the notes the same, well, they just play out of tune."

The Teacher called me later, and said, "He is much more enthusiastic about playing the cello, and he isn't just sitting in his chair and sawing the bow back and forth. He is listening to the sound he is producing, and working on changing it. What did you do?"

I replied..."I played out of tune" and hung up on her...giggling..

His parents contacted me, wanting me to take him on as a student, but I had to decline. I was a busy trial lawyer, and only had three students, and HATED when I had to cancel a lesson because I got a new case, or a case I thought I had control of grew fangs and tried to stomp me into the ground.

I should have married the Business Admin guy who chased me in college, when I was cute music major. He did well, and his wife had nice stuff and a cute little Mercedes. I could have remained a cute music major and done my best to remain a cute music performer.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 02, 2023, 06:48:46 PM: I may have discussed this piano work in the past, it is the third movement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Everyone knows the first movement, it is slow, and romantic, and is heard in many movies. The First Movement is, technically, easy to play. But...to express the MUSIC and EMOTIONS in it is very difficult. That is where the pianists hands do the work. You can pound a key on the piano, or caress it, and the sound is different. Most amateur pianists I have heard play it play it too fast, and it just sounds like an Etude. But this, the THIRD MOVEMENT, is a different creature. Beethoven was obviously struggling with heavy emotions when he wrote the Third Movement, and it is very expressive, what do you think? I hear anger, frustration, and a lot of challenging emotions in it.

https://youtu.be/BV7RkEL6oRc

I did learn to play this at the Conservatory, and at the speed in the clip. My mind works very strange at times, and early in my life, when I played the violin, viola, cello and piano, I would get frustrated at my hands. I mean, I could play a work the way I wanted in practice, or a performance, and other times my fingers would be stumbling around or doing something I couldn't figure out. (And, I didn't drink or ingest any drugs at that time of my life.) So, to explain the problem, I decided that my hands were independent intelligent creatures stuck on the ends of my arms, and in return for me feeding, cleaning, and applying nice nail polish on them they would usually do what I wanted them to do. But, being independent creatures, they would do what they wanted to do at times, or were angry at me and were trying to frustrate me. For some reason, I called them 'Sniffers' in my mind, and when practicing, I would yell at them..."Left Sniff, land on that D...Right Sniff, you can play that faster"...and so on.

So, in this work, I decided that the Sniffers were trying to run up a hill, but would slip and tumble back down, and try and try again...but still tumble down. They would STAMP their feet with frustration, and speak to each other about the problem. The melody does shift from hand to hand, so it made sense to me. Then, after a final tumble, and they are ready to give up...they gather their resolve and run up the hill and down the other side and leap with delight.

Just the interpretation of a deranged mind... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 02, 2023, 10:35:41 PM: ...This young man has 'Sniffers'...he just calls them 'hands'...and does realize that they work hard to play the piece as he just sits on his butt. ;)

He plays it very well, and his comments are VERY amusing, and REALLY DO reflect what goes on in a pianists mind while playing Beethoven

https://youtu.be/xzrt_6VCwVo
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 05, 2023, 05:08:19 PM: Joseph Haydn had a sense of humor. Critics were commenting that people in the audience were getting bored and would fall asleep during the slow movements of his symphonies. So, he wrote the "Surprise Symphony' in response. The first movement is standard Haydn, and the second movement starts slow and very quiet. The first repeat is actually marked 'ppp'...which is short for 'pianimismo' (I think I spelled it wrong) which means 'play VERY soft. Then, the next chord is marked 'fff" which means 'play VERY loud!!!' He said that he placed the loud chords in it to wake up the old people who would fall asleep during his works.

I have played this several times, and the Conductor has a BLAST!!! The Conductors I was with would overact getting us to get quiet...leaning forward and down, moving his hands very slowly, and making 'shushing' motions with his lips. Then, we would all just HAMMER the loud chord. The audience always laughed.

Those were very nice times in my life. Working hard as an Attorney and an Accountant, and playing music in several orchestras and string quartets. My male friend and I enjoyed the weekend retreats. It would just be the two of us, we left our spouses at home, and stayed in a nice hotel in separate rooms and would have WONDERFUL meals and play music all day and into the early evening. We would even stay up late, and watch a movie in my room and sip some wine. We never got intimate, I insisted that I would have the bed, and he would have the armchair, although a few times we both sat on the bed. That was, I admit, ('blush'), kind of fun. I would be wearing my long robe over my nightgown, and he would be in casual clothing. We would prop ourselves up with pillows, and lay side by side and pass wine and snacks back and forth. A few times my 'frisky' mind said..."Hey, babe...just wear your cute little babydoll, the one that gets your husband all excited, and see if he will keep his hands off of you!" 8) But, I never did anything close to that. As an Attorney, i would hear from clients how their nice marriage broke up over a similar event that went too far. I certainly did not want to risk that, for either of us.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 05, 2023, 05:12:54 PM: https://youtu.be/VOLy6JxEDLw

Here is the symphony... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 06, 2023, 06:20:03 PM: ...*Sighs*...Glad that I retired as an Attorney... :P

The CA Legislature, in it's infinite wisdom, is passing a law that REQUIRES attorneys to report on other attorneys if they see what they consider to be unethical or illegal conduct. That does occur, I did report to the D.A. an opposing attorney who I could see was stealing money from his clients. That was decades ago, when the refugees from Viet Nam were arriving. They had no idea of how the system operated, and unethical attorneys had runners chasing down any refugee who was involved in an auto accident. The attorney would arrange for thousands of dollars in medical and chiropractic treatment...one asshole got his client to go to a Chiro EVERY DAY for six months, and had a $20,000 chiropractic bill and demanded $100K for a lightly strained neck injury. They would settle a case for $30K, and the attorney would pay the Chiro 1/3rd of what he billed, and give the client $1,500, and keep the rest. The refugee would be happy, thinking that that is how America operated. I actually became friends with the Vietnamese interpreter, and asked him to tell me how much the client got when a case was settled.
That was ethical, I figured, there is no Interpreter privilege, and the Interpreter was happy to get feedback from me on if the settlement was fairly handled. And some attorneys got investigated and charged because they really were stealing from their clients. The usual fee was 1/3 of the settlement.

(*G* I got a HUGE dressing down when I briefly worked at a firm that dabbled in personal injury claims. I took $350 out of a $15,000 settlement because I felt sorry for my client , his case was worth a lot more than $15,000 but the other side was destitute, and I had only made two phone calls and got the others sides $15,000 policy limits. The Partner SHOUTED at me that I should have received 1/3...$5,000. I pointed out that $5,000 translated to about a fee rate of $25,000 per hour...which I thought was a bit high...but I still got my ass chewed and was ordered to not settle any more personal injury cases on my own, but always get the partner involved in settlement discussions.)

But I held off if I just suspected something, I figured that it was up to the client to handle his own attorney, and stepping in was actually interfering with the Attorney/Client Privilege. That privilege is SO important, a client and an attorney need to be able to openly speak to each other about ANYTHING...as long as it isn't conspiring to commit a crime.

I was kicking the other sides ass in a business dispute, and they made up a story and reported ME to the Bar Association. They investigated me, and found nothing wrong. I was FURIOUS, and the Partners just laughed and said, "Hey, the Bar Association says that you are not a crook, you should be pleased." I was a lioness at Trial, I refused to settle the case, and the other side got squat from the jury.

So, now with this new Law, the Bar Association and Court System is going to be BURIED with claims by attorneys against other attorneys. I mean...think it through. If I even just SUSPECT that the other attorney is acting unethically to his client, then I CAN BE CONVICTED OF A CRIME if I don't report it. So, if I see or hear something that is suspect, then I will NEED to report it in order to cover my own ass.

Just what California needs...more lawsuits...some attorneys like to file lawsuits...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 07, 2023, 03:52:50 PM: ...Cocaine at the White House... ::)

...Explains why things are going the way they are...

I think it is pretty clear who brought it in. If it was a staff or a visitor, they would have publicly arrested that person by now. And, they can't find a loyal staff member to take the fall...the staff has probably said that they will tell all they know about other illegal and unethical conduct by the Bidens if the Bidens falsely accuse them.

Boy, if this happened when Trump was in office, that is ALL we would hear from the Newspapers and TV Newscasters. The Dems would also be insisting on criminal charges so they could impeach Trump. I mean, they are trying to impeach Trump for allegedly mishandling 'confidential' documents. The Honorable Nancy Pelosi AND Biden argued as a Senator that the Law establishes that 'Presidential Papers' belong to the President, and he can decide what should be done with them. But, that was back when people were questioning how an Ex-Dem President was handling his 'papers'. The News says that the papers discuss...*GASP*...INVAIDING IRAN!!! Sheesh, I am sure that we have a boatload of documents on invading pretty much EVERY hostile Country in the World, and THOUSANDS of people know about them.

All of this crap about Trump is just an effort by the Liberal NEWS MEDIA to keep Trump from running again, as are the baseless criminal charges levied by the Biden Justice Dept. This is scary. That is how 3rd World Countries operate. The people in charge levy criminal charges against political opponents and lock them up...or 'disappear them'. This is the U.S. It was designed so that the PEOPLE would decide who would rule us. But, the early Members of our Government did warn us about what would happen if we devolved into just having two powerful political parties. They would want to maintain power, and would enact Laws and do other things to maintain their power. And, why????

Well...explain to me how a Rep can be elected having a net worth of a few thousand dollars...and then leave ten years later worth $20 Milliion...on a salary of about $125,000 a year. Decades ago, I was hired by the local House of Rep Member to handle a business dispute, and...boy...did I learn a LOT!! She actually wanted me to become part of her staff, but I wanted to live a quiet life and play music in the local orchestras, so I declined. Shit....biggest MISTAKE of my life. If I had accepted, I may have had a chance to become wealthy and seen a lot of interesting things. Or, since I was also cute back then...I would have just been a 'playtoy' for the Movers and Shakers. That could have also been 'interesting'... 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 16, 2023, 09:30:54 PM: ...OK, OK, OK...I confess...in College I...

...could NOT be trusted to count the votes in an election... ::)

I was very active in Student Government, and held a number of elected positions in the Conservatory, my Sorority, and University wide positions. I don't really know how I did it, I guess my cute face, nice smile, and winning personality won the day. ::) When I ran for the University Senator at Large Position, and won it...(I was proud...I wasn't beholding to any group and could VOTE AS I WISHED) I spoke to the people who had counted the votes. One winked, and told me, "You are the only one who actually WON your election." I was confused, but the next year when I was one of the vote counters...I saw what they meant.

There were several people on the ballot, that we, the ballot counters, did NOT want to win the election. There were no independent observers, so we 'interpreted' the ballots as we wished. If a candidate, who we didn't like, name was misspelled as a write in, we would toss the ballot. Ballots that were invalid because they had too many choices made were determined to be votes for the people we wanted. And, well... ::)...sometimes we just couldn't make out how a ballot was marked so we threw it out. Plus, ballots were 'lost'. "I thought I saw a box of ballots over there, but it must have been moved." The one thing we did NOT do was to manufacture ballots in favor of the people we wanted to win...with what we were doing...we didn't have to resort to that.

So, as it has been said, "It really doesn't matter who votes, what matters is who COUNTS the votes." That is why the idea of voting on a machine or a computer really bothers me. With paper votes, and ethical independent Observers of the vote counting, an election can be true. But, when machines are involved, the people programming and controlling the machines decide the outcome.

Ah...ALL of the above was just a story...NONE OF IT REALLY HAPPENED!!!! ;D ;D ;D :o :o :o 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 17, 2023, 04:33:35 AM: ...Hogging the Votes in College... ;D

As they say, when there is an election, vote as often as possible. :o

The University Student Council had twelve voting members. One from each college, one at large, and five members of the student government had votes. I got on the Council as a Soph, when I was elected President of the Conservatory...and I got a huge case of the 'Politicians' Disease'. I wanted more power to vote, and to be one of the unseen influencers. I got elected to the two year Senator at Large position in my Junior year, so I had a vote, and since I was very close to the Conservatory, although I had switched to the School of Business, their President often gave me his proxy to vote. That was fun...when the vote was called...I could hold up two fingers and say "Two aye" or "Two nay". With twelve votes total, having two of them gave me some power. But...it got BETTER!!! In my Senior year I was appointed the Student Social Director, which was a voting position, so since I was still a Senator, I had two votes of my own now...and the Conservatory still often gave me their proxy...so out of twelve votes...I had THREE of them!!! ;)

Needless to say, I became somewhat popular. Groups would seek me out when a bill that affected them came up, and I let them talk to me, but they needed to buy me some ice cream at the campus cafe so I could carefully listen. And, I did have a weekly meeting with the President of the University... ;D mostly to discuss what I was plotting as Social director...he didn't want ANY surprises over a band or act I would bring on Campus, but he also wanted to hear what the Council was discussing, and provide me with his thoughts. It was kind of fun when I had three votes. To show just how powerful I was, in my juvenile mind, I would reserve my votes until everyone else had voted, and then cast my three votes. I ESPECIALLY loved it when the vote was two ahead on one side, and I would cast my three votes for the other side and my side would win.

Once, I got very snarky when I had three votes, and the vote was tied, and I announced, "Me, as Senator vote aye, me as Social Director vote nay, and me as President of the Conservatory abstain." ::) I almost got punched out, so I changed my vote to three nay. >:(

Ah...Politics...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 21, 2023, 06:19:51 AM: Getting 'escorted' by the Stockton P.D. ;D

As I have reported before, I was the Promotor of several large Rock Concerts in College. Me, a mousey little Accounting Major who played the cello and the piano, did actually book the Civic Auditorium and hired Well Known Groups and put on the concerts. My signature was on all of the contracts, and I could have LOST MY ENTIRE BUDGET as Student Social Director if a concert didn't sell well. I'd be sweating bullets as I monitored ticket sales during the days before the concert, and not getting much sleep.

The City of Stockton placed a hold on outside promotors coming in and putting on concerts, because of violence...but let me do them. I guess they figured that a College Aged Girl, who was a Blue Belt in Karate, could control the masses. (More likely, it was because I would go to the Police Chief when I was planning a concert, and give him all of the details, and accept his recommendation on how many Police Officers I should hire.) So, my concerts didn't have any violence, although there were always drug arrests...there were a lot of blue uniforms present. There would always be a large barrel that the cops brought that they would place the confiscated alcohol in. I asked the Seargent what they would do with it, and he grinned and said, "We will destroy it". I am sure that they did destroy any open bottles or containers, but the sealed bottles probably ended up with the attending Officers. I didn't drink back then, if I had, I could have stashed quite a selection in a suitcase and brought it back to my Apt.

The Officers always watched over me, there was usually one near me wherever I went, they didn't want this ditzy kid to mess up, and rock concerts attract some people that aren't very nice. The one concert that I fronted for outside promotors, specified that I got ALL of the cash proceeds. I had paid all expenses, so I had the contract specify that I got the cash. The Concert was a bust, and the Promotors were trying to get me to hand over the cash, and said that they would send me a check for my expenses. Well, my Mother didn't raise a total fool, I just sat in a chair and clutched the shoebox with $30K in it very firmly in my lap. The cops watched for a while, and then told the idiots that I needed to get back to campus, and grabbed me by my arms and pulled me out of the box office. They held on to me, one muttered, "You are holding too much money, things could get tough if people thought you had money in that shoebox." So, they acted as if they were ARRESTING ME!!! I went along with it...I didn't struggle or complain...I just had a mean look on my face as they THREW me into the back of the Squad Car.

On the ride to the Campus, I kept my head down, at first, I mean...I was in the BACK of a Police Car. But then I thought, "Hey, hopefully this will be the only time you get to do this", so I sat up, and sneered at people who looked at me...they quickly looked away. Although, a car full of guys smiled and waved at me...I was cute back then...and they probably wondered why I was in the back of a Police Car at midnight...or maybe they didn't wonder. 8)

The Police stayed with me as I met our Finance Director at the Student Offices, and watched as we counted it and made a deposit slip. They then drove the Director to the Bank and I walked to my Apt.

I had tried to get the police to give me one of those Police windbreakers, but they refused. Probably because it would be a crime if I wore it, because it would appear that I was impersonating an Officer. Although, once they let me wear one when I was supervising the ticket takers, that was fun.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 28, 2023, 01:13:09 AM: ...Blacksmiths... :)

https://youtu.be/I3JmOuJ37VA

I LOVE watching videos of things like this, and cooking shows. I especially love the inclusion of the point in the project where it is just UGLY...and bears no resemblance to what it is going to be. (Like when I make a cake, my H at times looks and says, "Just go out and buy a box of Hostess Cupcakes, they will be better." I DO go out and buy the cupcakes, but HIDE THEM and eat them all by myself over the course of a week.) But Blacksmithing!!! What a Profession! Those guys have to be strong as Hell, but artistic. And, it makes me REALLY appreciate the Old Timers, who worked steel and iron before there were machines.

I still miss Marcus Hrolfson very much, I was genuinely devastated when he passed away, and was very depressed for several weeks. His Char was a Blacksmith, and Izee' would ask him to make things for her and her Pantherbabe Sisters. We had such a great time in r/p. And, this is true, when we were alone in our Wagon and not participating in the r/p, we were discussing r/t issues. He was such a compassionate and truly brilliant man, and faced his congenital terminal illness very bravely.

I sent him one of those Hickory Farm samplers that had real steaks, ham, chops and such, in addition to beef jerky and snacks, and he was unexpectedly taken to the hospital before it arrived, it was supposed to be a surprise. His roommates were astounded when it was delivered, it was one of the big packages. They told him about it when they visited him, and they said that he got more awake and got animated and raised his voice, and said, "Hands Off!!! That is from my virtual time wife."

But, he didn't get to eat much of it, they did bring him a few of the lighter snacks, but the Powers Above decided that it was time for him to come home.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 28, 2023, 02:01:52 AM: ..."SAUCERMAN!!!!"... :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

I was EAGERLY looking forward to today, the news was saying that the Govt's Investigation to UFO's would be made public, but I just saw some people talking. They say that 'non-human' beings were discovered, but...NO PICTURES!!!

Yanno, if it was true that non-terrestrial beings in their out worldly craft were discovered, that would be one of the MOST IMPORTANT discoveries in human history. That would certainly have a HUGE impact on us.

When my children were in grade school, I was showing them any articles I could find about 'flying saucers' to entertain them and get them to think of unusual things. They created an imaginary being that lived with us that came from the flying saucers, and we called him "Saucerman". We would blame unexpected problems on Saucerman, and threaten each other with Saucerman. "Saucerman burned the chicken"..."I am going to tell Saucerman that you didn't do your homework"...and so on.

If Aliens are visiting us, then there is a LOT we need to learn about science. Traveling at the speed of light, it would take hundreds or thousands of years for them to get to us. Alpha Centauri is 4.37 light years away, but the others are much further. So, they must have a Warp Drive. But, how could Aliens that have that technology crash much more primitive stuff on Earth? They say that we are reverse engineering what we are finding in their wrecks, which is how we can put THOUSANDS of transistors on a little piece of plastic the size of our thumbnail.

I still kinda like the idea that the Aliens are actually here, and that we are their 'pet race' that they created, and they are observing us, although that would complicate the idea of GOD, the Creator, made us. Genesis says that we were created from dust, which IS supported by Science. Modern Scientists tell us that we are all 'Star Stuff' that has cooled down, and then somehow come alive. And archeology and fossil study seems to indicate that we evolved, although I think that they still haven't found the 'missing link, the humanoid that appeared between Apes and Humans. But, I think that I heard an article that says that Humans and Chimps share 96% of the same genes. ??? I wonder how they determined that so many genes were the same? But it does explain the people who rule us. ::)

We are all 'Star Stuff'...what a thought. That once, the stuff that makes up my body once glowed with thousands of degrees of heat, and could be seen for light years!

I do believe in GOD, the Creator, but I don't believe that we humans have what it takes to TRULY understand the Universe, and why we humans are here. We do have religion, which guides us on ways to properly live. I also don't believe that we can truly comprehend the Hereafter, we don't have the intellect. Sitting on a cloud and playing a harp would get tiring. Some Sci Fi writers have written that we actually live in another dimension, and we just send part of ourselves to experience Earth in various ways.

Just musing, in this early morning...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 28, 2023, 08:05:43 PM: ...Damn Liberal California... :'(

It was such a wonderful State, back then. When I was growing up, it really didn't matter which Party Governed, the Republicans and Democrats wanted, essentially the same thing, for the State to be safe and prosper, they just had slightly different ideas of how to achieve it. So, of course, the Politicians would predict doom and gloom if the other side won, to try to scare the public into voting for them. But, as the damned Government allowed the demographics to change, the Parties now have different platforms. The Dems want open Borders, lower voting ages, and even a PROHIBITION on speech that is 'hateful'! Of course, 'hateful speech' is anything that the Dems don't like. So, they want to charge citizens who speak out against open borders with a crime, that can result in jail and a fine!!!! :o They say that such speech is Racist, and MUST be prohibited so as not to offend anyone.

...(Uncharastic and Creative cussing on my side of the screen...)

The 1st Amendment was passed to ALLOW open debate and speeches against the Government, or ANY Organizations by the citizens of this Country. The Framers had experienced the British prosecuting them for criticizing the King and the British, so they had a Revolution, and specified in the New Constitution that such speech was ALLOWED! And, hey, where in the Constitution does it say that I have a right to not be offended????? We humans are so different, and have such diverse life styles and life experiences, that we have different ideas of what is proper. So, a proper persons idea of what is OK, could offend another proper person.

But, open debate on controversial topics is what helps our Culture survive, and improve. Having to be confronted with an idea or concept you find offensive is educational. Sometimes, you find out that your closely held belief is improper or actually false, and can become a more educated person for changing it. Now, the Dems just want to prohibit speech and concepts that they believe are improper. They say we need to do so to protect the children.

This is actually how despots and other such rulers behave. They know that you can't change the fundamental beliefs of an adult, or it is very difficult to do so, so they say, "Give us your children." I see that the Covid epidemic had an interesting side effect. Parents got involved in schooling their children, and saw just how slanted and wrong many textbooks were. Many didn't teach the inspirational and good aspects of our history, because 'children just don't need to know'. They even got into mathematics, saying that math lessons should teach 'Social Justice' and such, and forget about teaching 1 + 1 = 2. So, here in CA, people are homeschooling, or setting up neighborhood schools. Of course the National Educator's and such are saying that such will lead to a generation of uneducated people, but...how much education do we actually retain? I cannot recollect all of Countries of the World and such that I learned in grade school, but I do recall how to do mathematics and how to read.

People are fleeing California, and I can testify that the friends and acquaintances I had who left will be productive citizens of the States they move to. They will make NO attempt to Californiaize another state, and will be grateful to be clear of this mess. The Old Time Dems are as horrified as I am. Their Party is being taken over by self-proclaimed far leftist people, and with all of the uneducated 3rd World people being smuggled in, there really is no turning back. Yes, the illegals cannot vote, although local California Governments say that it is only fair to let illegals vote because they pay sales taxes, but the children they have here will be able to vote. And so, California public schools are teaching children WHAT to think, not HOW to think. "It hurts children to be exposed to 'bad thoughts'"..."Our children must be raised with 'pure thoughts'" our beloved educators say.

When my family obligations are fulfilled, I am going to grab my bank accounts and valuables and beat feet for another State. And, I promise...I won't vote in local elections until I understand where I am living, and which politicians will support my Conservative values.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 30, 2023, 05:56:53 AM: ...Mendelsohn's Octet... ;D

https://youtu.be/AigSohuDy_c

This is a BLAST to play...each part is different...and each is equally important. Although, as is usual in most Romantic Compositions, the 1st Violin has the melody most of the time. This clip shows just how much NOISE four violins, two violas, and two cellos can make. What is also nice about this clip, is that it shows how performers interact with each other. They are making brief eye contact, and moving their bodies to cue each other.

Once, as an experiment, my quartet played a work, and we sat back to back. We could hear each other very well, but couldn't see each other. Well, even playing a work that we were very familiar with, there was a lot of discord, and a bad blend of volumes. We laughed our asses off at the end, and got into proper positions and practiced.

Playing quartets is very challenging, and can be very restful, but it does require full concentration. You can actually be a little unfocused in an orchestra, and think about other things as you just blend in with the section. But when you are the only one playing your part, well, mess up and the entire work suffers. I was a very intense performer, and would listen to everyone, and not just blend in with the quartet, I would urge everyone to express the music, and to properly shape the notes. I would see somebody slacking off, and glare at them and jerk my chin to say, "Hey!!! Play with US!!!" I would even lean over and shush someone who was playing too loud. That was one of the reasons that the people playing the 1st violin at conferences would seek to get me into their quartet.

On a violin, viola, or cello you can 'shape' a note to sound so different. Where you place the bow, how fast you pull the bow, how you hold the bow makes the note sound so different. My right hand and wrist became very skilled at shaping a note. Pressing the bow with my first finger affected the tone differently than if I pressed down with my ring and little finger. If I wanted to be obnoxiously loud, I rotated my hand anti-clockwise a bit, and that put a lot of pressure on the bow. Raising and lowering my right elbow also affected the sound. String instruments can express so many emotions. They can be very stern and commanding, and very sad and despondent. One of the most moving violin solos, IMHO, is Isaac Stern playing "Little Havila" in Fiddler on the Roof. Tevye is singing over losing a daughter, Havila, because she married a man outside of the Jewish Community. In the Movie, Stern plays the song, when there is no dialogue, and his violin is WEEPING!!! IT REALLY IS!!! :'( I went with several other string musicians to see the movie, and we were ALL very tearful and wiping our eyes at the conclusion of that song.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 31, 2023, 02:12:51 AM: ...Here is the clip... :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

https://youtu.be/juuhx884ylM
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 31, 2023, 11:51:26 AM: ...Sound of Silence...

https://youtu.be/relfz3ZFsZA

This is a nice rendition of the Simon & Garfunkle song, and I like that the lyrics are also stated, sometimes I have trouble understanding what a singer is saying. It is a song that, when properly done, always captivates me. Too many performers play it too fast, or too loud or with too many instruments...although...when it gets to the part...

..."And in that naked light I saw..."

The mood of the lyrics do change, and, actually, adding more sounds does bring out the proper mood. I do imagine sitting alone at first, and then suddenly placed in a stark outdoor stadium, and FEELING the powerful lights shining on me and seeing THOUSANDS of people looking down at me.

There were so many wonderful songs written in the 60's and 70's. Partly because artists were more open and expressive in their lyrics, possibly because of "p..p...p...POT" and other drugs, and because the Boomers had very little self-restraint and weren't worried about offending someone.

Speaking of lack of self-restraint, my son was the Senior Patrol Leader of his Boy Scout Troop. When the troop camped, they would sing songs around the Campfire at night. Some of the 'proper parents' who were along, complained to the Scoutmaster that some of the songs had dirty words or too many improper lyrics, and were not appropriate for young boys to sing. The Scoutmaster, who played the guitar, told my son to fix the problem. I was actually present...we were camping in a small local park...and I slept in our Station Wagon. He had the Scoutmaster start playing a popular song, and then he and the rest of the Scouts began singing the lyrics along with the tune, and the lyrics were the single word "Fuck" sung over and over and over again. All of the visiting adults were horrified, and my son said,

..."Mom taught me that song"...

The offended adults looked at me, and I just shrugged and said, "I made the song easy to memorize" ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on July 31, 2023, 06:49:28 PM: ...Leyenda...

Those Spainards KNOW how to compose music!!! I spent a summer in Spain during the summer vacation between my Junior and Senior year and did travel. Staying with the Basques in Northern Spain was my favorite. They were very open and friendly to me, especially since I could speak Spanish, although I spoke a cross between Mexican and Castilian dialects. My Mother grew up on the Texas border with Mexico, and the Spanish taught in H.S. was Castilian. The Basques have the MOST WONDERFUL FOOD!!! They eat a lot of shellfish, which is my favorite fare, so I porked out. I also learned to take it easy on the wine. There is no age restriction on purchasing alcohol in Spain, so me, a minor, was thrilled to be able to buy a bottle of wine for ten cents, American. I learned to make the bottle last for several days, unless my friends and I drank it all while playing cards. The Travel Organization was based in SLC, so the Mormon Adult Counselors and Chaperones were horrified seeing we Catholic kids imbibing, but they couldn't stop us. They did pass a rule that you couldn't get 'blasted', so we got 'wasted' in a place that the adults weren't aware of. ::)

Isaac Albeniz was a Master Composer, and could also play the guitar fairly well. :D This woman plays "Asturias" very well, the work, I believe, is also called "Leyenda". It is a real workout for the guitar. Again, like most instrumental music, one can play all of the notes perfectly, but not communicate any MUSIC!!! She does tell a story as she plays, and she varies tempo, volume, and phrasing very well. She also hides the 'busy notes' well, and brings out the simple melody, letting the quick notes provide an urgency to the work. Often, after listening to this at Conservatory, I would decide to add the guitar to my cello, piano, and viola de gamba. I did buy a fairly good guitar, but I don't know where it is, now. So much has happened the past few years.

I need to get my butt off of the couch... :P

https://youtu.be/inBKFMB-yPg
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 02, 2023, 03:36:34 AM: ...The Glass Harp... :D

An instrument that us VERY RARE! But, the sound is unlike any other instrument. It is actually a very old idea. There are ancient ones that were glass bowls mounted on a horizontal rod, and the bowls were tuned to different notes. The bowls would be partially immersed in water, and they would rotate. The musician would gently touch the bowls as they rotated, making the sound heard here.

https://youtu.be/gDm4IphrlYg

Good thing that we never tried THIS version at Conservatory. Some of my less sober Sisters would want to use wine to fill the glasses, and would get wasted 'tuning' the glasses as they set up the instrument. And, while playing the damn thing, I would probably get BLASTED re-tuning the glasses when there was a key change in the work. "Hmmm...how many sips do I take from this glass to change it to a 'C-Sharp" from a 'C-Natural?"

Peter Schickele did Concerts, and a Recording, of P.D.Q. Bach's "Concerto for Horn and Hardhart" The Hardhart was a bank of little windows that held an instrument behind them, and food, There was also a large bottle of wine that needed to be tuned by drinking bits out of it during the concert. He would get 'intoxicated' during the concert drinking the wine and eating all of the rich food, and would pass out before the end of the performance.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 09, 2023, 06:41:23 AM: ...The OCCULT... :-[

There ARE forces out there that we do not understand, and we need to be very careful with.

In College, I had a brief affair with Tarot Cards. I had been visiting my cousins for a few weeks during the summer, and they had a deck of those very colorful Tarot Cards that you can find for sale. We were into making up skits and short plays, and we made up a silly one that we performed for the other young people in the Apt Complex...whether they wanted to see it or not. I would dress myself up as best I could to look like an old Gypsy woman, and they would act like a married couple. They would come to me for a reading, and I would lay out a spread. For the 'Wife', I described a very nice future. For the 'Husband', I looked at the spread, and pushed it off the table. They asked me what it had predicted, and I would refuse to say, and they kept pestering me, and I finally croaked out..."It...says...DEATH!!!"...and then I would press my hands over my chest and 'die'. We thought it was funny. ::)

Well, I had never looked at Tarot cards before, and so back at home I bought a deck, and a book that explained what each card meant. But, that wasn't enough for me, and I went into an Occult Store in Berkeley and bought several 'serious' books on the Tarot. One was very captivating, it just explained the Major Arcana, the cards that had meanings, the 'Face Cards', and didn't discuss the Minor Arcana, the ones that just had a number of the symbols. (Like the 'Hearts', that has ten cards in it.) That book was very difficult to read and was very complex. So, I studied it hard, and as it recommended, meditated on it. I began having unusual dreams, some were very disturbing.

Anyway, my friends at College were sometimes interested in seeing me do a reading, and I would accommodate them, and it was just fun. I did my nest to interpret the cards as best as I could, based on the serious books, and didn't make stuff up.

One afternoon, a guy that I somewhat knew showed up with my roommates. He was a musical Genius, he understood music and knew a lot of the history of classical music, and played the piano at the Professional level. He wanted to become a Conductor. He had gotten a bad case of a disease that affected his muscles, and it really ruined his hands, and he couldn't play the piano very well. He brought a jug of wine, and we visited and drank, (We did NOT get drunk) and talked of campus life and other people, and then he said that he had heard that I read Cards. I briefly explained that they were Tarot Cards, and that I used a very much unknown deck that were Egyptian, rather than French or Italian. In my studies, I learned that Tarot had started in Egypt, so I read a very complex book that used Egyptian cards. He asked to see them, so I went up to my room, and brought down the deck and showed it to him.

The Egyptian deck was just black and white, and had stick figures and unusual objects on them, they weren't the very colorful artistic decks you see for sale. He then asked me to do a reading for him, and he wanted to know if he would regain the use of his hands to the level they had been before they were crippled. I said OK, and told him how we would do the reading, the Book had taught me the proper way to prepare to do a layout and reading.

First, we both took five deep breaths together, and focused on the question, and then he picked up the deck with his LEFT HAND, and shuffled them three times, and we took three deep breaths together between each shuffle, focusing on the question. Then he handed them to me with his left hand, and I took it in my left hand, and then laid out a seven card reading in a certain pattern, and then put the deck down, and I looked at the cards, and interpreted what they said in my mind.

Usually, that procedure was so easy for me and the subject, no unusual feelings or whatnot, and I would calmly and rationally explain what each card meant. But this time was TOTALLY DIFFERENT. We were BOTH out of BREATH after I laid out the reading, as if we had run for a mile, and my mind was fuzzy for a moment. Then, as I caught my breath, and my mind cleared, I got a feeling for what the entire layout was saying, and I wasn't focusing on each card. I sat for a while, looking at him...he was also gasping for breath for a while, and then he calmed down. I shook my head, and said,

..."It is actually pretty clear. Yes, you will regain your skills in playing the piano, but it won't matter."

He looked relieved, but confused, and asked, "Why won't it matter?" I just shook my head, and told him "It doesn't say any more, just that you will play again, but it won't matter." I then chuckled, and said, "Most people just believe Tarot is just a parlor game, like reading a crystal ball, so don't take it seriously." He laughed, and agreed.

Well, in the years that followed, he did get back to his level of piano performance, but it really didn't matter because he also became the Assistant Conductor of the S.F Symphony, one if the Worlds most premier orchestras and was the Conductor for several other professional orchestras. And...

...unfortunately, he died young...

...So it just didn't matter...

I had put away the decks of Tarot cards after his reading, I was having more disturbing dreams.

The dreams stopped a few months after I placed the cards in a deep drawer in my desk.

So, I REALLY don't know if I was tapping into something outside of normal human experience, or if my interpretation just gave the young man inspiration to just continue practicing and studying music, and to not worry about the level of his performance, or if I had received an insight into the future. Either way, the Tarot Cards became real things for me, and I just did NOT WANT to delve more into them. I actually got scared over where they could lead me. I mean, what if I could ACTUALLY get glimpses into the future. That might be very disturbing, and life might become difficult.

Part of the fun of life is it's unpredictability. One can prepare for months and years for an activity of event, and then 'things just happen'.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 14, 2023, 02:53:36 PM: ...Turn out the lights...the Parties over... :'(

The people running our country are IDIOTS!!! Look at what is happening domestically, and in Foreign Relations.

We do NOT have a Southern Border anymore, people are being brought in from ALL OVER THE WORLD by the Mexican Drug Cartels, who are now making more money than when they were smuggling drugs across the Border. (And they are still doing that). They haul a 3rd World person to our border, and get paid $10,000, and tell them to walk or wade across, and we take that person in, give them a Summons to appear in Court in a year to explain why they should be allowed to stay, and then we turn them loose into the good ol USA. They are then provided with lodging, including being allowed to stay in YHREE STAR HOTELS at USA Taxpayers expense. I believe I saw a report that there were 40,000 'encounters' in a two week period last month! And, by an 'encounter', it means an illegal who was allowed to stay, and not turned back.

Here on the good ol West Coast, small businesses are closing up, because shoplifters are PILLAGING the stores! Thieves just walk in, grab stuff, and walk out...right past the SECURITY GUARDS...and the worst that can happen is that they will be asked to just set down what they are carrying. A mob of about 50 people rushed in and ransacked a large Dept Store in a MAll, and they all just ran away with TENS OF THOUSANDS of dollars worth of stuff. A clerk yelled at shoplifters, and filmed them as they loaded TWO SHOPCARTS full of stolen stuff into their car, and the CLERK GOT FIRED!!!!????

And here we are spending BILLIONS to support Ukraine, but leaving our borders open. And, grow up, Ukraine is NOT a lily white clean Country. They have one of the most corrupt Governments on the face of the Planet, and the hoodlums in charge are stashing BILLIONS of the dollars we send them into their personal Swiss Bank Accounts. But all we see on TV are poor women and children pleading for more aid to be sent to them.

The Democrat Liberals said 'Defund the Police' and everything would be fine...but are they saying anything now that Crime is through the roof? San Francisco and Oakland used to be lovely places to shop and visit. Everything you wished was there...Restaurants, Art Galleries, Museums, Shopping, Culture Centers...now they are all shutting down because of crime, and because people don't go out at night...your car will be broken in and/or stolen and you will be robbed or assaulted. Our Government says to just accept a theft crime without any concern because "That is just the way things are now."

But...*Shrugs*...we keep voting in the Liberal Democrats, so this will continue. Many actually do WANT a revolution to start, because then the Police and Military will be turned loose on the Citizens, and then they will REALLY be in control. They will live very well in gated communities, and we will be cowering in our homes, and just venturing out to get some bread and soup.

I keep praying that the Old Time Democrats will regain control of their Party, but that will never happen. There is simply too much money to be made being voted into an office. Just how DID Biden become a multi-millionaire on a salary of about $150K a year?
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 15, 2023, 05:47:17 AM: ...OK...Something that I will NEVER DO!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

https://youtu.be/aPC_h9Vmlxw

I am a fairly adventurous person, I like to try different and new things. I have backpacked alone, flown sailplanes, studied karate, played the piano ::), and done other dangerous things. But SKYDIVING? WITHOUT A PARACHUTE??????? FERGET IT!!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 21, 2023, 10:59:46 PM: We played this work in H.S., and I 'persuaded' the Conductor at Conservatory to include it in a Concert. ::) (And I didn't have to go into a FULL BLOWN POUT!!!...just a 'minor' low key pout). It is a BLAST to perform, the last movement is simple INSANITY, it is so quick and there is so much going on.

But, what I loved most was the Sarabande. It is what I really visualize a Sarabande to be. It has such a barren, longing theme at first...then there is a brief "RAGE" against the World...and then back to acceptance.

Please enjoy...

https://youtu.be/gIAV4eUO7C0
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on August 22, 2023, 04:05:23 AM: I attract animals...REALLY...I do! :P Anything with fur or feathers wants to get close to me. :P And, I am CERTAIN that it is because they know that I have a heavy allergy to them...and they want to KILL ME!!!! :o When I visit people in their homes, their cats and dogs want to sit on my lap. The people comment, "That's interesting, Fluffy doesn't like strangers." I think I mentioned the time a kitten came into our Spanish class and walked around the entire room, and then it jumped into my lap!

But, the funniest one was when I was signing up for some Summer School classes. I drove to the J.C Campus, and parked my car and walked to where the Admin Building was. There was a VERY long line of students outside, all waiting to be let in to sign up. Well, I got in line, and got ready to practice patience until I got to the front. There was a pond nearby, and a HUGE grey goose swam over, and got out and shook itself dry, and then it waddled over and STOOD BY ME!!! I ignored it, but it stayed beside me, and followed me as the line crept forward. People would ask me if it was my pet, and I would say, "No, he is signing up for Chorus and Calculus." I then proceeded to talk to it as if it was human...about the weather, sports, movies, restaurants, people I knew. It would just look up at me at times, but it didn't honk. It stayed with me the entire 40 minutes that it took me to get to the building, and wanted to follow me in, but people shooed it back into the pond.

I looked for it after I signed up, I had bought some crackers from a vending machine inside, but it gotten back into the pond, and I couldn't tell it from the others. I just fed the crackers to the geese that came over to me.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 01, 2023, 06:57:01 AM: ...Amazing...CA Democrats are TOTAL MORONS!!!!

The CA Legislature is going to vote on a Bill that would make Owners of Businesses subject to an $!8,000 Fine if they try to protect their Stores. One provision of the Law is that Owners CANNOT try to stop or confront shoplifters!!!! ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? The Owner must just call the police and stand aside as a thief walks in, picks up some valuable stuff, and walks out. The Morons say that it is to protect employees from having to confront potentially violent thieves. Well, nowdays, a thief who tries to steal goods that are valued under $950 will just be told by a Police Officer to set it down, and will then receive a citation to appear in Court a year later. When this new Law is passed, an Owner must just let the thief walk out without being confronted, or, the OWNER gets fined $18,000!!!! :P

Well, here in CA stores are closing up, because they just can't afford the huge theft losses that are happening, and that includes the Big Box Stores! Shopping Malls in CA are starting to close down because they have no Merchants. This really hurts the Public, especially elderly people who rely on the large Drug Stores near them to get their medicines. The Dems say that such a Law is necessary because Minorities are singled out for observation when they enter stores, and are harrassed as they leave, and so they feel 'uncomfortable'. A local TV News Station sent a team to interview a small convenience store about theft, and as they spoke to the Owner, THREE THIEVES walked out with stuff!!!!

Well, shit decisions like this is a major reason why people are fleeing CA. But, we ELECT THOSE ASSHOLES to govern us!!!!

From my own personal experience, the people I knew who have left CA were very upstanding people, and were as upset with the people who Govern us as I am. But, I am sure that many Californians will leave because of economic reasons who are weak minded people who are very liberal. They can't be reasoned with... :P I had an amusing argument with a Liberal who moaned and asked why couldn't the USA just be 'another country' and not the most powerful Nation on Earth. I asked her if she would like China or Russia to rule us, because if they became powerful, they would seek to impose their will on us, and take everything that wasn't nailed down. She had no rational reason for her desires, she just thought that the World would be a calmer place.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 05, 2023, 06:13:58 AM: Another one of my MOST FAVORITE movements of a String Quartet. It is the third movement of Haydn's 'Emperor Quartet'. Everyone will recognize the theme, Germany adopted the Theme as their National Anthem, 'Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alise', and it was sung a lot during WWII. If one can put aside any linkage of this to WWII, it is one of the most beautiful and subline works IMHO. The work is divided into 'Variations', and what is truly wonderful about it is that each player gets to play the theme during a variation. This is a work that I recall the first time I played it. There was an elderly German Jewish Man who was an MD who lived in the city where I lived, and when my technique developed to where I could play difficult music, he invited me to join his personal social quartet. We rarely performed in public, but we got together every Tuesday evening at his house, and his wife would prepare a dinner for all four of us. We would eat, and I was introduced to many German dishes that I had only heard about, and then we would play music for three hours. We would take a few breaks to rest and drink some wine...and eat any leftovers...He did speak about this work the first time we played it. I was sitting, my head a bit unfocused when we finished, I didn't know that Haydn had written the theme decades before Nazi Germany, and playing the theme was a very emotional experience for me. Again, it was one of those works that just captured me, and performing it took a LOT of focus and attention to what was going on. You can hear just how soft and introspective it is, and watching the performers, you can see how much attention they focus on each other. In playing quartets, you HAVE to listen to the others, and fit the volume of your playing with everyone else. If you are playing a supporting part too loud, you destroy the performance because the theme is covered up. The MD mentioned that he had to shut his mind down to be able to play this work, he had been in Germany before WWII started, and his family moved before the genocide of the Jewish people had started, and sometimes he would just sit out this movement of the work, but play the others.

Here it is, please enjoy. :)

https://youtu.be/mBmCcSz6HWw?si=7rbU_uUdkoO5Hr6f
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 13, 2023, 04:25:20 AM: Playing the cello...the Left Hand... :o

I have discussed bowing the cello with the right hand, now I will comment on the left hand. That poor appendage has a VERY DIFFICULT JOB!!! :P :P :P :P :P

There you are, sitting there, with your legs spread apart and a big hunk of lumber between your thighs, and you look down at about a yard of dark wood that has no frets or ANYTHING on it to mark anything, and the note you need to play is SOMEWHERE on it. So, your left hand has to know where the notes are...and it has to get RIGHT ON THE 'fingerboard' in the RIGHT PLACE!!! If you are even a fraction of an inch off the right place, the note is out of tune. Plus, the distance between the notes change as you move your hand down the neck of the cello to play higher pitched notes. The distance between whole note steps can be about an inch and a half in first position, so there is space between the fingers. But get into the higher positions, and the distance gets less and less, to where your fingers are right beside each other playing whole note steps further down the fingerboard, and you have to pivot your fingers and just lay down the tips in the higher positions. And, again, there are no markers so finding a note in the higher positions is quite a task. There was a famous asshole Conductor who, when he was auditioning violinists, would tell the person to play an E natural in 7th position, and if the person didn't just drop his finger in the right place on the first try...well...Adios... ::)

So, there you are with your hand on the neck. The thumb is behind the neck, and the fingers are sitting above the strings, and you drop your fingers to hit the notes. So, that is why string players sound so bad at first, their fingers have to find a note and learn the distance between the notes, and that takes a LOT of practice for the muscle memory to kick in. PLUS, sometimes a note is marked to be sharp or flat, so you have to drop the finger above or below where the 'Natural' note is. Or, because of the Key Signature, you just have to know which notes are sharp or flat because they aren't marked.

Then, you have to condition your fingers and wrist...they get tired at first when you take up the cello, and can cramp. Also, you MUST develop thick calluses on the tips of your fingers, soft mushy fingers can't hold the note steady. You also, when you get advanced, develop a large callus on the outside edge of your thumb, because you lay your thumb across the strings in the upper positions to hold the hand steady, and to act as a 'nut' if you have to play a lot of notes. My calluses were so thick that I could pick up VERY HOT objects with my fingertips and not get burned or feel any pain. Also, it was HELL getting my daughters hamster off my left first finger when it bit me...it's long teeth got caught in my callus. I actually had to just tear the callus to pull the little rodent off of me! >:(

Then, there is...VIBRATO!!! :o :o :o :o :o That is where the note gets very rich because the finger is rocking on the note, slightly varying the pitch. It looks like the cellist is wiggling her fingers, but that is NOT what is happening. Actually, the finger in planted on the note, and the HAND is moving up and down, parallel to the fingerboard. That takes a LOT of practice...to learn vibrato. Also, there are various sounds you can produce with vibrato. Holding the finger down and moving the hand slowly produces a very deep and dark sound, lightening the pressure and moving the hand quickly makes a more frivolous sound. And, you have to hold your hand and wrist steady, if the wrist gets loose the sounds get very interesting. As a beginning student, I actually strapped a ruler to the back of my hand and my forearm, so my hand wouldn't start something on it's own. That did work, the hand and wrist learned to stay together when playing the cello.

Then there is the pressure on the fingers. I was always inclined to stamp my fingers down hard, to settle the note. That works when playing slow, but you have to just lightly touch the string when playing fast. Like when you sprint, you don't stamp your feet, that slows you down.

The BIGGEST challenge is deciding how to 'finger' a passage...that is...which finger do you use to play a note? You have four of them, and ANY finger can play a note. In difficult passages, I would actually write a number above a note to remind me which finger to use. Usually, I would just write the number '1' to show that I needed to play the note with my first finger, but often I would write the numbers 1 through 4 to mark a complex passage so each finger knew what to do. I picked that up from the Private Teacher I had when I re-started the cello when I hadn't played for years due to my work requirements. He was an Englishman who had a terminal case of OCD, and he would always mark EACH NOTE with the finger he wanted, and whether he wanted to do an up-bow or a down-bow. When we were stand partners in an orchestra or a musical, I would spend a few hours carefully erasing ALL of the fingerings and bowings he marked in the part before returning the part to the Librarian. Once, I didn't do that, and I got a HUGE scolding from the Librarian AND the Conductor, and went to the office during a lunch hour with a truly humongous eraser and fixed the problem. ::)

So, there you are, with a cello between your legs, and each hand is doing a totally DIFFERENT THING, and they have to do it TOGETHER!!!

And 'Lefty' has to find the notes on the blank fingerboard...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 14, 2023, 05:20:27 AM: ...Flirting with the Soloist... :o 8) ;D

I was the Principal Cellist in a Semi-Professional Orchestra when I was younger, and we were going to perform a Violin Concerto. I forget which one, I think it was the Brahms, anyway, there was a very amusing exchange between me and the soloist during the performance.

There was a soft interlude in the First Movement that occurred after the Soloist had performed a really challenging and dramatic passage. He had a brief rest as the Orchestra calmed the situation down, and then the Principal Cellist, me, introduced a short new theme. It was just nine notes, they were 8th notes so they were quick, but very soft. The Soloist would repeat them, and the Cellist would play them again in a different register, and the Soloist would follow. This would occur six times, getting louder and more vibrant each time, and then the Soloist would take off and the Cellist would get back into the section.

I was very enamored of the Soloist, he was a very Handsome and Formidable Russian, and he played like a God! During the rehearsal, I was just focusing on getting the notes of my solo with him correct, and wasn't focused on expressing the music. Again, as I have said, ANYONE can play the notes of a musical score, but only an ARTIST can EXPRESS what the music is about. So, we got to the Performance.

When I perform, I make up a story in my mind at what the music is trying to say. I then try to shape my notes to get across real emotions, and not just musical notes. I can make my cellos sound angry, scared, demanding, or, well...intimate. 8) During the Performance I was actually imagining a battle, an ancient battle where the men used swords and such. I was all worked up as the Soloist 'fought' during the fast and dramatic passage, and then we got to the calm passage. I then imagined that I was a Nurse who was 'caring' for a wounded Warrior, and was having an 'intimate' moment, and saying at the end, "OK, now get back out!"

The Soloist was just looking out at the audience as I played the first part, and then he softly replied. I repeated, and he actually turned towards me, and leaned down a bit and aimed the F-Holes of his violin at me, and spoke. We then did the repeats, getting louder and more animated, and then he turned away and got back into a dramatic section. I was actually 'glowing' a bit as we finished, and felt a little weak, but I got back into leading my section.

At the Reception after the Concert, some musicians and members of the Audience came up to me and said that they really enjoyed the part where the Soloist and I well, 'did it', and I did blush a bit. That is actually what was running through my mind as we played that part. ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 18, 2023, 02:41:24 PM: ...USAF to me as I walk in the Park...

..."Hey, uh, if you happen to see an F-35, please give us a call"...as I get handed a card. :o

Our Military...is it just me, or does it appear that it is getting sloppy? A pilot has to punch out of his F-35, and I hear that those planes cost a few bucks, and they can't find it and say that it may have gone into 'Zombie Flight'. So the plane could be pretty far away. Don't they have some kind of devices on their aircraft so that they can track them? And, if it went down, wouldn't it leave some kind of evidence? Well, not much that I can really say, just being a civilian. But, I will keep my eyes alert when I take my walks.

Maybe it will have a 'soft landing' in a Park, and the children will have a new 'Jungle Gym' to play on. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 19, 2023, 07:04:31 PM: ...California... ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

S.F., Oakland, and the Bay Area are losing population because of gang activity and the decrease in the quality of living. One problem, is graffiti. Businesses and Govt Buildings are being covered with graffiti, and it looks horrible and very scary. There was a news clip on TV where the problem was being discussed. And, only in CA, they state that 'real artists' do graffiti, and it should be protected. So, businesses are having some problems. So, Joe who owns the corner convenience store, wants to remove the horrible graffiti on the side of HIS BUILDING...and he has to get PERMISSION from the Gov't, because the sloppy paint job may have 'artistic value'. :o

Can you imagine such a thing in a sane society? First of all, if an 'Artist' wants to paint something on a building that he doesn't own, well, why shouldn't he be required to GET THE OWNER'S PERMISSION FIRST??? And, of course, local statutes must be honored. Maybe a community doesn't want stuff painted on a building that does not fit the plan for the community. They certainly have a right to have their community be as they wish. Why the HELL should 'street artists' be allowed to deface a building with crap that they call 'Art'???

But, this is just a step to what the Liberal Democrats want...which is anarchy. They argue that the feelings of street artists are 'hurt' if their masterpiece is painted over. Well, shit o dear, let the street artist vandal GET PERMISSION...or do their 'masterworks' in a place that is set up for that? But, the Liberals would rather see Owners Property defaced and it's value drop, and for people to stay away so the businesses...that serve people and provide jobs...lose money and have to close up. Some very long time businesses in the Bay Area are closing up because they just can't afford the costs that vandalism creates.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on September 20, 2023, 03:14:02 AM: ...On a MUCH happier note... :D

Georges Enescuo (sp...Sigh...) was quite a Composer. I have played this a few times, and it is a BLAST, although it is very tiring. I have said that it is possible to 'doze off' a bit when you are in a Section of the Orchestra, you just gotta make sure that you fit in. In this work, you CANNOT doze off, It is a very complex work, and the mood of the work changes from measure to measure. It also speeds up about 2/3 of the way through, so you have to watch the Conductor, and listen to the people around you to make sure that you fit in.

This is a very complex composition, it isn't just a melody with accompaniment, it has little melodies and frills all over it.

The quality of the recording isn't the best I have heard, need to wear headphones to get it all. It is also very fun watching the Conductor, Celibidache. He conducts in a unique way, and is very expressive. He doesn't just wave the baton...at times he isn't even swinging it or moving his arms in tempol...but he IS conducting the Orchestra. He is getting the Orchestra to EXPRESS the music, not just play the notes. IMHO, THAT is what a Conductor needs to do, to get the musicians to EXPRESS the music, and not just stand there and wave the baton like a metronome. His facial expressions are very amusing, and he does look like he is having fun.

https://youtu.be/m8Y5x1N_aIg?si=Aqne_e_uBYmiLplE
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 01, 2023, 06:52:26 PM: ...Here is Thomas Tallis again, Vaughn Williams, IMHO, REALLY composed a Masterwork. The staging of the String Orchestra is different than you usually see. It demonstrates that there really are TWO string Orchestras, and a string Quartet performing it. The Conductor did a truly WONDERFUL job, in getting group to vary the volume of the work and showing the complexity. Once, I was in the small orchestra, and playing the solo cello, and the Conductor had us set up in the BALCONY!!! So, his back would be towards the audience when he conducted the large group, and then he would turn around and direct us!!! The audience was a bit surprised to see us sitting in the Balcony. A child actually came up to us, and asked, "Why aren't you down there?" and pointed at the Stage. I pretended to get scared and worried, and told the group, "Oh Hell, I MESSED UP!!! We are supposed to be with the rest!!!" We started to get up as the audience laughed...and then we sat down and I told the girl..."Oh, you will see why, it is kind of fun." The child giggled at the end.

Once, the Conductor put a full Brass Section in the Balcony when we played the 'NEW WORLD SYMPHONY'. They stayed silent until the last movement, and then stood when he turned around and conducted them as they played that Famous Theme with the rest of the Orchestra. The people in the main seats were very startled to hear music coming from BEHIND THEM!!! I liked it...but...I ALWAYS love drama!!!

https://youtu.be/e6pEIHtffqQ?si=LTgHbjAMswlkgUBG
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 03, 2023, 12:59:10 AM: ...Covering for an Adulterer... 8)

Back when I was practicing Law, I was at that horrible firm that wasted my education and talents. They had me cover depositions taken by Insurance companies, and I was paid $55 per hour. My usual rate for Business Clients was $250 per hour, and I was WORTH IT!!! This Over-Educated Panther Huntress caused a lot of problems for the opposition in cases. But, sitting in on the depositions was boring as Hell, and all I was , was a note taking clerk. I would just report to the Insurance Company what went on. But, when I had a business client, my training did amazing things...plus my natural 'Pantheress' Instincts could be very creative and sneaky.

Once, I got a call from a business client, and he said that he had request for me. I said, "Sure, what is it?" Well, he told me to bill him for a three hour in person conference with me, in my Office, for a day that was three weeks in the past. I said, "I don't recall that meeting". He just said, "Don't worry, just bill me for that meeting, and use your high rates", and hung up. I sat for a moment and wondered why he wanted me to charge him for three hours that occurred between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. Then, I giggled, as my 'real mind' figured what had probably happened. So, I made out the bill, and did place my highest billing rate on it, for a Complex Tax Consultation and Analysis, and sent it out.

A few weeks later, my client's Wife called, and asked about the meeting. I said that I couldn't discuss the details very much, but since she was his wife, I made up a story about how the consultation fit in with his Businesses. She grumbled, saying that she thought that he was stepping out on her, and I did get irate, and asked, "Are you accusing me of having an Affair with your Husband?" She quickly backed off, saying that she knew that I was married, and certainly wouldn't have sex with a client, and just wanted to confirm what he had told her where he had been on that day, and I said, "Yes, you bet that I wouldn't do that." She said, Ok, and hung up. I did start laughing ...

I never brought up the issue with my client, he did pay my bill, and we had our usual attorney/client relationship.

So...I had covered up for an adulterer... 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Yvonne on October 03, 2023, 02:05:00 AM: Quote from: Izee on October 03, 2023, 12:59:10 AM
...Covering for an Adulterer... 8)

Back when I was practicing Law, I was at that horrible firm that wasted my education and talents. They had me cover depositions taken by Insurance companies, and I was paid $55 per hour. My usual rate for Business Clients was $250 per hour, and I was WORTH IT!!! This Over-Educated Panther Huntress caused a lot of problems for the opposition in cases. But, sitting in on the depositions was boring as Hell, and all I was , was a note taking clerk. I would just report to the Insurance Company what went on. But, when I had a business client, my training did amazing things...plus my natural 'Pantheress' Instincts could be very creative and sneaky.

Once, I got a call from a business client, and he said that he had request for me. I said, "Sure, what is it?" Well, he told me to bill him for a three hour in person conference with me, in my Office, for a day that was three weeks in the past. I said, "I don't recall that meeting". He just said, "Don't worry, just bill me for that meeting, and use your high rates", and hung up. I sat for a moment and wondered why he wanted me to charge him for three hours that occurred between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. Then, I giggled, as my 'real mind' figured what had probably happened. So, I made out the bill, and did place my highest billing rate on it, for a Complex Tax Consultation and Analysis, and sent it out.

A few weeks later, my client's Wife called, and asked about the meeting. I said that I couldn't discuss the details very much, but since she was his wife, I made up a story about how the consultation fit in with his Businesses. She grumbled, saying that she thought that he was stepping out on her, and I did get irate, and asked, "Are you accusing me of having an Affair with your Husband?" She quickly backed off, saying that she knew that I was married, and certainly wouldn't have sex with a client, and just wanted to confirm what he had told her where he had been on that day, and I said, "Yes, you bet that I wouldn't do that." She said, Ok, and hung up. I did start laughing ...

I never brought up the issue with my client, he did pay my bill, and we had our usual attorney/client relationship.

So...I had covered up for an adulterer... 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)
That's one way to make a guy pay for letting his little head do the thinking for his big head. ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 07, 2023, 07:49:16 PM: ...Promoting Classical Music Concerts... :o 8) ;)

When I got back into the cello in my late 20's, I took private lessons at the local University of California Music Department. The Professor of Cello let the Head of the Music Department know that he had landed an Adult Student who had some free time. So, I got invited to join the Music Society that Al, the Head of the Music Department ran. It was a Non-Profit Organization, and would put on high level music performances with Professional Musicians. I got heavily involved, and raised money for the Organization, and helped plan concerts. I also promoted the Concerts, and as Treasurer paid all of the musicians involved. I would read the music journals that reported on performances by traveling musicians, and bring some to the attention of Al and suggest that we book them.

One of the most memorable was the Slovak Symphonetta. (sp) They were from the European Country of Slovakia, which had been part of the USSR. They were too expensive for our Organization to fund, so Al talked me and my Shrink into sponsoring a concert with them. I was scared stiff, that would cost a lot of money, and if tickets didn't sell, well we would be out of a lot of personal money. So, I did extra advertising on the Event, and in a brief spark of sheer genius, wondered if there were any Slovakians in the area. I did find that there was a local Club of Slovakians in a Church, and spoke to their President, and told him about the concert, and said that we would have a reception afterwards, and that anyone from his Organization would be welcome to help plan. the concert and reception Well, he and a few other Slovakians were DELIGHTED...and we planned a VERY extensive and EXPENSIVE reception. I had an expensive keg of Slovakian Beer brought in, and all sorts of other drinks. The Slovak Community brought an incredible assortment of wonderful food, so we had a real FEAST available after the concert. I had bought a bunch of little Slovakian Flags, and had them all over the reception hall. The musicians asked if they could take them with them at the end of the reception, I said 'yes', but kept one for my Office. They ate and drank with great gusto, and mixed with the locals very well, and would point out their hometowns on a large map of Slovakia that I had put on the wall.

The musicians were WONDERFUL, they were VERY skilled, and played all of the music very well. I was also very pleasantly surprised that there was a large turnout, especially from the local Slovakians. They had contacted fellow Slovakians in CA, and people from all over came to the concert. The appearance of the musicians was interesting. Their Principal Violinist, the Concertmaster, looked like an ugly Actor who played an Eastern European Thug who laughed as he tortured people, but he played like a God. I mixed with all of the musicians as we set up the for the Concert, and fetched things that they needed.

After the Dress Rehearsal was over, the Concertmaster invited me to have a 'snack' in his room and talk about the music. Well...I smiled...and declined of course. He found someone else. Some friends had watched, and asked if he had made a pass at me. I, very casually, said, "Well, of course he did. Those traveling musicians do need company at times." My friends laughed...I chuckled, too.

I mean, if a traveling Eastern European Musician would NOT make a pass at me at that time when I was young and very cute, I'd better have my estrogen levels checked, or something... 8) 8) 8)

One of the very nice side effects was that the local Slovakian Community became more active. They invited me, a mixed breed, to Dinners and events they put on, and were wonderful people. They did say that the Concert brought them together, and that they met more fellow Slovakians that they didn't know about, and were much more active now.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 09, 2023, 07:33:28 AM: ...Opera... ::)

I have posted that I do not particularly care for Opera, but...I do like this one. See what you think, it isn't very long.

https://youtu.be/s9-nd_CXhu0?si=muey6yESgf0vgk8n

At Conservatory, we did a fun concert, and I picked one of PDQ Bach's works for my friends and I to perform as one of the groups, but I can't find it on Youtube. It was scored for Harpsicord, Cello, and two Sopranos. I dressed up 'Overly Ornate' and slinked onto the stage, in Ultra High Heels, and sat my butt down in the chair, and stuck my endpin into a small hole on the stage. The Sopranos also were Exotic/Erotic, the male Harpsichordist was a dull creature, dressed in black, and he just set up. I started the work, with a slow dirge...it was a tragic song...and I kept a 'sad face' on my, well, sad face. The Sopranos then started in, and alternated singing very tragic lyrics , with sad faces, with my tragic dirge, and the Harpsichordist, well, made the damn Harpsichord do what that piece of furniture can do. (I think that he also had a sad face, but my back was to him.)

Later performers in the concert were, well, as tragic... ::)

I got summoned to the Dean's Office, and got a scolding, and was told that the Conservatory was training serious musicians, not 'Entertainers', and to get the Drama Dept to let me do further such productions.

*Looks furtively around, shading my eyes*...I didn't follow his Order...i have trouble following orders...we had more Productions. ::)

But, he was a good sport, he actually wrote me a strong letter of recommendation for me to become the Assistant Manager of a professional Orchestra. I did get an offer, but I also got an offer from an Accounting Firm. I decided that it would be best to take the Accounting job, it paid a LOT MORE, but, thinking back, being involved in the Music Business would have been an experience. *Giggles* I probably would have left with a lot of money and a Hunk of a Husband, or been serving soup to people in a line so that I would get to sleep in the same bed at the group home in the Salvation Army.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 10, 2023, 12:21:59 AM: mmmmmmm....BACON!!!!.....MMMMMMM ;D

I am up late, and got hungry. I ate hours ago, and am going to stay up for a while, so I need to eat something. I am watching the version of "Dune' that is on TNT. I like it, and I got hungry. I thought of making myself a full breakfast with some eggs , toast, and shredded potatoes to go with the bacon, but thought...HECK with the other stuff, I really just want the BACON!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

So. I put EIGHT pre-cooked slices of bacon into the microwave, and am eating them now. They taste REALLY GOOD!!! If I stay up for another couple hours, well, I will add a couple eggs to the next eight slices of bacon. I read an interesting article about Vegetarians a few years ago. The people who became Vegetarians when they were adults were asked what food they missed the most, and most said "Bacon". :o

Funny how those little strips of very fatty pork belly taste SO GOOD! I know that a lot of it is how it is prepared, but bacon REALLY tastes good!!!

So, I gotta remain a lapsed Catholic...other Religions don't allow you to eat bacon... :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 17, 2023, 05:47:04 PM: ...Earthquakes...

I had what turned out to be an amusing event when I was working for the large Construction Company. We built roads all over CA and NV, and our Home Office was on the top floor of a 10 Story Building we owned. I was the Chief Beancounter, and had all sorts of Titles after my name, we had 15 different Companies we owned, and half were Union, half were Non-Union. The Big Boss was the President of all of the Union Companies, and I was the President of the Non Union Companies, and was the Treasurer of the Holding Company. I was in his Office, and we were on the phone with our Insurance Broker, we were discussing a Bond we needed for a large job. We were talking, and then an EARTHQUAKE started under us, and the building began shaking. I was ready to jump under the desk, and the Boss calmly said to the Agent, "Harry, do we have earthquake insurance on our building?" The Agent said, "Yes, why do you ask?" The Boss replied, "Because we are having one right now."

Thankfully, the quake stopped without causing any damage, and I just laughed for 5 minutes, I couldn't stop.

I did show some real cowardice one afternoon. I was the President of our Trucking Company, and had NO IDEA of what the company did. I did know how to drive a stick shift car, but if I was placed in the cab of a large truck I wouldn't know how to start it. ::) I was in my office, and the Receptionist said that there were SIX Truck Drivers that wanted to talk to me about problems they were having with the Manager, who REALLY ran the Trucking Company. I told her to tell them that I was not available, and I quickly walked down the back stairs and emerged in the alley between the buildings, and beat feet for the nearest Denny's, and got into a booth in the back. I stayed there for an hour, and came back when I was told that the men had left.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on October 31, 2023, 01:53:04 AM: The Washington Monument... ;D...I hope that I got the name right...it is that Tall spire of white rock in DC.

Anyway, my family drove from CA to the East Coast, back when cars did NOT have AC...so I was a VERY happy pre-teen during the trip. (NOT!!!!!!!!!!)

We were touring DC, and my parents said that we just HAD to go up to the top of the Monument. Well, in my RIGHTOUS frustration, I looked at the line we were in. It was VERY long. So, I walked to the front, and looked in, and saw the elevator, it could hold about 10 people. I walked back, and told my parents that it would be about an hour long wait. They just nodded, and we stayed in line. I played jacks for a while...I always had a set with me...and then got up and said that I was going to WALK to the top. My parents just nodded, so I gather up my jacks and put them in their pouch...and...

...WALKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was in very good physical condition, and just needed a couple rest stops, and I got to the top. I walked and looked out all of the windows, and then WALKED back down. There was a long line to get back to the ground at the elevator. I rejoined my Parents, they were about 20 minutes from the door, and said that it was neat up there. So, I stayed with them, and rode the elevator to the top. We all looked around, and then looked at the long line for the elevator. I spoke up, saying, "Hey, the steps aren't all that bad, and you are stepping down ALL of the time."

My Parents bought my story, and we all walked down...

...Mom had to stop a DOZEN times to rest her feet, and I just stayed on the next landing below... ::) Dad was NOT happy with me...

I was VERY quiet the rest of the trip, and my parents didn't believe ANYTHING I said... :o
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 05, 2023, 07:44:55 PM: I ranted a while ago about how it seemed that the Gov'ts in SF and Oakland are encouraging anarchy by their 'catch and release' policies and reclassifying Felonies as Misdemeanors or mere Infractions. So people and businesses are fleeing the Bay Area, leaving what used to be valuable properties behind. Well, guess what is happening?

Those vacant buildings are being purchased for very cheap prices, and then being turned into nice housing and locked up boutiques. I spoke a while ago about going to a women's clothing store I liked, and it was marked 'Open', but the door was locked. A clerk walked to the door, and looked me over, and then pressed a button and I was let in. The door was locked behind me. So, the News and other Programming Facilities speak about 'Gentryfying' the ghettos. Hells Bells, those places were NOT in a 'ghetto'...until the businesses left because of the crime and shoplifting. And, the 'Enlightened Rulers' say that a Shopkeeper can't use a weapon to protect his store. So, of course the THUGS are just going to walk in, and walk out with ALL that they can carry.

I studied Law, and it is legal, according to English Common Law, to use Deadly Force to protect a business. And, OF COURSE IT SHOULD BE!!! I value human life, but a person who tries to pillage a business is asking for it, if they resist. I am not saying that we should shoot children who pocket a candy bar, but when a man is facing a mob intent on stealing everything that isn't nailed down, well...that is another thing! People back off when someone is holding a gun!

So, it kinda looks like there was a plot to temporarily devalue property values for a while, by letting thugs run wild under the guise of 'Compassion'...and now that the devalued properties are being bought up...the thugs are being locked up and the Mayors are calling for 'Law and Order'.

So, as they say...

...I shoulda gotten in while the gettin was GOOD!!!

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now that the businesses are being re-opened, the Police are being told to enforce the Law. The Mayors of SF and Oakland are calling to crack down on crime!!! It is because the Rich People came in and bought all of the properties, and are telling the DAMN Politicians to enforce the Laws.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 06, 2023, 03:55:24 AM: ...WAFFLES!!!! Just gotta talk about WAFFLES!!!

As a young child, I was VERY fussy about what I ate, so I didn't eat very much. So, I was very skinny, the School Nurses would look me over to see if I had a problem. Mom would pack me a healthy lunch, and I would just eat the carrots and celery and throw the rest away. I was always looking forward to Wednesday...the school lunch was a HAMBURGER!! I would eat the hamburger, and throw away the rest. I would feel ashamed, Mom would scold me about how grateful I should be over having nice food, but being a child...it just didn't register on me.

But, on weekends, Dad would make WAFFLES!!! I would get up early and wait in the kitchen, in my pajamas, and be happy when he brought out the waffle iron. I would sit, and offer to help, but he wouldn't let me do much. So, I just watched.

The first waffle was for the birds, back then you had to put oil on the iron so the batter wouldn't stick, and the first waffle wasn't very good. But, I would help peel the second waffle off the iron, and set it on my plate. Butter and syrup followed, and well...nothing more was needed. Mom would say I should add fruit and jellies, but NO!!! Butter and syrup was enough...I eagerly ate the waffle. So, I always had a nice breakfast on the weekends.

Dad was well aware of my love for his waffles, so, when I came home from breaks at College...I got waffles. :) It even extended to when I got married, and visited with my H and my children. He would pull the waffle iron out, mix the batter, and make waffles for me and my family.

... ::)...He tried to teach me to make waffles, and I even carefully watched him, and wrote out a recipe. I made them for my roommates in college, and they LOVED them...but I didn't think that they tasted quite right. So, I was ALWAYS happy to visit, and get a waffle. I seriously think that we don't perceive reality. I think that there is an 'energy side' of us that registers things that our blood and muscle bodies just can't sense. And, we can transfer that energy, and receive that energy from others. So, Dad was putting HIS energy into the waffles. That may explain Chefs...they can fix the same dish with the same ingredients...but some taste MUCH better.

A dear memory to me...

Dad got brain cancer, and he stayed at home. I visited as much as I could...but...not as much as I wanted to. I had a family, and lived in another town, and was a busy Trial Lawyer, and very active in Classical Music and 4-H. So, the weekends got far apart. I could see him failing...he was VERY strong, and refused to go into a Clinic, and was busy in the house.

Then, came that last weekend. He was very weak, and didn't talk or visit much. But...on Sunday morning...

...He brought out the waffle iron. He waved me away when I said I could make it, and I just sat, and watched. And...

...He made me a waffle!!! :)

I was delighted, and put butter and syrup on it, and ate it, and hugged and kissed him, and cleaned things up.

I cried when he passed...and part of it was because he wouldn't ever make me a waffle again.

Waffles...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 08, 2023, 01:24:15 AM: ...'Fingering' the cello... ::)

There you are, with the chunk of lumber between your legs, and you have to figure out which finger on your left hand to use to play a note. So, for instance, on the A String you can play a B, C, and D naturals in the first position. You just drop your 1st, 2nd, and 4th finger. You can also slightly move a finger to make a note sound sharper or flatter. To play higher notes on the A string, you have to move your hand down the neck of the cello. The most common higher position is 5th Position, your thumb is at the base of the neck, and the bottom side of your hand is actually touching the shoulder of the cello. Then, comes "Thumb Position", where you move your whole hand onto the fingerboard, and lay the side of your thumb on a note, often the A natural, and the fingers can do their stuff.

But, when playing a passage, which finger do you place on a note? That is where you have to figure out how to 'finger' a passage. And, being cellists, we need to be reminded of how to play a passage. So, we would write the numbers from 1 to 4 above the note to tell us which finger to use. In fast passages, you REALLY had to plan what to do, because you wanted to get the notes in tune, and also to keep that hand in the same place on the neck of the cello so you just didn't wander away into 'Out of TUNE LAND'.

Once, I was feeling very ornery. I knew that my Private Cello Teacher, Alan, who was the Professor of Cello, would sit with me at a Concert. I was the Principal Cellist, but the Conductor would bring Alan in to strengthen the section. I agreed with his decision, the other five cellists were rank amateurs who didn't practice enough. So, on a Respigi Overture, I wrote in the most RIDICULOUS fingerings I could think of. ::) He came to the Rehearsal, and we got into the work. The Conductor stopped the Orchestra at times, to work with a section, and Alan STARED at me. "Ah, are you REALLY playing those measure like that?" he whispered. I smiled, and whispered back, "Yes, I think it sounds more expressive." It was a bunch of 16th notes, in a quick tempo, so you really didn't hear them, you just heard some noise.

*SIGHS* ??? He 'PULLED RANK ' on me, and took the music with him and wrote in more correct fingerings. I pretended to have trouble with how he had fingered it, and he just growled..."You need a two hour lesson on this work, and I will charge my higher rates."

I followed his fingerings... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 12, 2023, 06:11:47 PM: ...Soaring with the Eagles!!!! ;D

When I was flying sailplanes, I was ALWAYS very attentive to what was going on around me...especially when I was in the trainer. The cockpit was in the nose of the fuselage, and the big honking wing was on top, so you couldn't see behind you. There actually were mirrors, but I just didn't like them. The little HP sailplane had the cockpit on TOP of the fuselage, and the canopy was clear, so you could see ALL around you. I was in the trainer, and had found a good thermal, and got up to 8,000 feet. The thermal then wimped out, and I straightened out from circling, and looked around. I was watching for other aircraft, and also looking for hawks and eagles. They find thermals very easily, Scientists actually think that they may be able to sense or actually see them. Seeing birds like that circling means that they found one. Next time you see hawks or eagles circling, watch them...they are not flapping their wings...but they are staying up. They are in a thermal.

So, I spotted a pair, about 1,000 yards away, and flew towards them. I only lost about 500 feet of altitude, and entered the thermal. In a sailplane, you know when you enter a thermal, even without looking at the rate of climb meter. If a wing enters it, thermals are tight columns of rising air, it gets pushed up, and so you turn the plane on it's side, and turn towards the rising wing, and circle. If you blunder straight into a thermal, well, you butt tells you, you feel a HUGH push from below, and you can turn in either direction. If you turn away from the thermal, you immediately know, the air flows down around a thermal, you feel it and the rate of climb meter lets you know, so you haul on the rudder and the joystick and do a hard turn in the other direction, and usually you can find the thermal.

Anyway, I settled into a gentle circle, not banked too steep, and after a few turns, the eagles joined me. I guess they were curious, or wondering if they could get to the 'snack' inside the big white bird. That was a wonderful moment...we circled for about five minutes...and they left. They were right beside my cockpit while we soared, I smiled and waved and spoke to them as we flew. Soaring was so much fun.

Later in life, I let a client talk me into letting him give me flying lessons in return for my legal services. That didn't last too long...quite frankly...I did NOT enjoy flying a little single prop plane. It was noisy, and you had to wear a set of headphones and hear chatter, and you just flew straight. I got scolded a lot when I first started doing turns, I did a turn like I was in a sailplane and turned the plane on it's side, pointing the wing at the ground as I pressed on the rudder. My Instructor SHOUTED...

...HANDS OFF!!!!... >:(

And so I let go, and pulled my feet off the rudders. He straightened the plane out and asked me..."What the HELL were you doing?" I was nervous, and I said, "Turning the plane". He calmed down, and said, "We are not in a dogfight, this is how you turn", and did a very gentle turn, the wings were almost level. I said, "OK", and after that flew that way. But, as I said, it was boring, so I told him that I did not want to get a flying license.

Good thing that I never became a Commercial Pilot...flying a Boing 747 like a Schroeder 1-26 would have gotten me thrown in jail... ::)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 27, 2023, 06:39:58 AM: ...Cutting up... ::)

At Conservatory, I was a bit of a cut up...and...I was VERY PERSUASIVE. I hauled anyone I could to 'help me out'. (I figured that spreading the blame would take attention from me.) So, as I reported, I did get the members of my String Quartet to participate.

But, playing the piano, I was LOST! I mean, I always set my 'cut ups' to appear that it was someone other than me AT FAULT!!! I mean, I was a GOOD GIRL, when strange stuff happened, well, don't point your finger at ME! But, when it was just me sitting my butt on the stool in front of the piano, there wasn't much that I could do.

But, after watching a Marx Bros Movie...I got an inspiration. ;D

I was going to play a Rachmaninoff Rhapsody...it is a difficult piece. It was going to be at 'Solo Class', a no credit Course on Tuesday afternoons that we Music Majors HAD to attend. Looking back, it was a brilliant idea by the Dean. We Music Majors really did need to hear music and instruments that we were not familiar with in order to learn, and being a Music Major was more than just sawing on a cello...a Graduate should be familiar with ALL SORTS of music...and what different instruments sound like and what they can do. The Trombone can be a very eloquent and expressive horn when played well.

So, I walked out in my 'Major Performance' gown, and stood by the piano, and curtsied. After the applause and howls of lust from the men stopped...my gown was very low cut...I settled in...and immediately...

...I SUCKED!!!!!!!! The music sounded like Hell. I stopped, and tried playing again...but...I STILL SUCKED!!!

Then the 'Old Concert Hall Maintenance Guy' (He REALLY WAS an old man) emerged from the wings, and walked over to me. He reached, and turned the music score in front of me a half turn, and set it back in the rack. (The music had been upside down on the piano... ;)) He then walked off...

I looked at him, and then at the musical score, and played the work well.

I got 5 Curtain Calls...I think the guys wanted to see my cleavage as a curtsied...No way could I bow in my gown...my tits would have fallen out. I would have been summoned to the Dean's Office again. :P

The Professor of Piano, who gave me my private lessons...was NOT AMUSED!

The Dean did tell me that he was sorry to see me leave as a Music Major, but I did stay and played in Instrumental Classes. He said that he was always trying not to laugh as he scolded me over something.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on November 28, 2023, 02:05:46 AM: ...Pavane... :)

My main cello is named 'Pavane'. She was made by a really 'madwoman' in South Africa. I met her at an International Cello Congress in Salt Lake City. I was a struggling accountant, but I got my Husband to let me drive and stay for the week. So, I drove from the SF Bay Area to SLT in our old VW 'Bug'. No air-conditioning, so I was a total mess when I arrived at the College Campus. We didn't have much money, so I signed up to stay in a Campus Dorm Room. My cello 'Catherine' was with me.

I settled into the little dorm, bringing back memories of when I was a student, and I worked with the other women on the floor to use the shower and such.

My Private Teacher from H.S. was there, she stayed in a nice hotel, and we attended a lot of the events together. We would go to the area where people were selling stuff, and I bought some music and a REALLY NEAT FOLD UP STAND. So, that exhausted my spending money. I ate the rather lousy food that the Event provided, and would steal rolls and cupcakes for my breakfast.

But, my teacher kept getting me to look at a cello that a woman from South Africa was selling. She was a 'luthier', she had MADE it...and it was pretty. I tried it out, but $25,000 was WAY BEYOND my budget. :P Plus, it didn't sound all that good. But, my teacher kept pestering me to look at it, and I did borrow it for an hour to play with a Quartet. I heard that YANOS STARKER had tried out the cello, and liked it, and said that he would tell his students to buy her cellos.

So, at the end of the Event, I drove back home, with my cello strapped down in the back seats of my VW bug, and the new $20,000 cello strapped in the front passenger seat. I had got the Luthier to lower the price a bit.

I had a bit of explaining to do when I got home... ::)

But, Pavane woke up as I played her. Once, during a private lesson, my Teacher took Pavane from me, and played part of a Sonata we were working on. He told me, "That is how you need to play this." I was sitting, slack jawed, and asked, "Did you hear all of the Overtones my cello was making?" He stopped, and nodded, and carefully handed Pavane back to me and said, "This cello is developing very well."

Once, the Manager of the local Symphony called me, and asked to borrow Pavane. The visiting Soloist's cello had had an accident, and he needed a good cello to play. So, I brought Pavane to the Hall, and handed her over to the Guest Artist. He played the Dvorak very well...and I giggled as I drove back from the Concert. My CELLO had played that wonderful work...I tried to get up to that level of performance.

So, D. Haddad did a wonderful work...cutting and shaping wood...and "Pavane" was born.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 03, 2023, 12:39:07 AM: This time of the year reminds me of the most heartless way a young man learned that he was going to be fired. :P

I was working at the large Accounting Firm that had NINE PARTNERS, so with Secretaries and Staff Accountants, there were about 40 Members. One year, the Partners decided that he would have the ENTIRE Firm Members pose for the Christmas Card that would be sent to the Clients. So, we all had to gather outside the front of the Firm Building, and the Photographer moved us around so that the picture would be balanced.

Just before the picture was taken, one of the Partners called out...

..."Jack, (an Associate Accountant), Please step out of the picture." :o :o :o :o :o

We Associates were all very quiet the rest of the day, and Jack didn't show up the next day. :-[
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 07, 2023, 06:43:08 AM: ...Being an 'Over Educated Fool'... :o :o :o :o :o

I probably qualify as being 'Over Educated', I got a lot of letters after my name. But, I like to think that I am not a fool. I saved the Construction Company I worked for, in part, by 'plugging' the books by over $750,000 in just ONE two page journal entry. My Staff were HORRIFIED...but I just said "Now the books are balanced after what our asshole predecessors did, I don't think I would trust them to count the number of almonds in a chocolate bar." And, well, I got my 'plug' accepted by our Auditors, the IRS, and the Franchise Tax Board. I can 'explain' my position very well... ::)

I am amused at seeing all of the problems over, *gasp*, STUDENT DEBT!!!! ::)

Hey, those kids signed the loans, and actually ASKED to borrow the money. So, WHY THE HELL SHOULD THEY NOT PAY IT BACK?????????

My Husband and I lived very restricted financial lives after we got out into the real life, and paying off my Student Loans was FIXED in our budget. We made the monthly payments, and lived frugally, but we were comfortable. We had nice Apts, and ate well and had nice clothes, we just didn't go out on trips and bar hopping and such. That lasted for five years, and then I inherited a nice sum from an Uncle and we paid off the Student Loans...although I LUSTED for a Datsun 240Z...I would have looked VERY GOOD driving one of those cute and powerful cars.

But, Biden obviously wanted to buy votes. I mean...if He REALLY wanted to help with Student Loans, well, WHY NOT help out those of us who paid, or are going to have to pay new loans off??? But, some kids who are graduating with basket weaving degrees will be grateful, and the ones with Business Degrees will be pleasantly surprised.

Yanno, having to pay off the money I BORROWED was actually a good lesson in life at a young age. I always weighed the cost of a loan when we needed to finance something, and made sure that our finances could handle it, so we always paid off our debt. So, at a bit older age...I just have a little debt...and it was for things I bought for my Mother and my Daughter. The terms were SO GOOD I just agreed, after all, paying off debt does help your credit rating.

Anyway, yanno that those billions of loans being forgiven will be paid off by we Taxpayers, the Banks would fail if they had to forgive so much. So, I hope that those kids will be very grateful. :P

And...I still wonder...

...JUST HOW THE HELL CAN THE PRESIDENT DICTATE THAT CERTAIN LOANS WILL BE FORGIVEN??? SOME PEOPLE ARE GETTING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!!! That WE are paying for!!!!

And, the Dems say that Trump will be a Dictator if he is elected.

Well, Biden just SHOWED him what a Dictator President of the US can do...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 17, 2023, 09:41:36 PM: ...Backpacking...ALONE!!! :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

I just LOVED IT! But, I was not stupid. I did it at Lassen Nat'l Park, and would check in with the Rangers at the Head, and give them a map of where I planned to walk. I would mark the Stations that I would pass by, and say that I would check in, and check out when I was finished. They would nod...I looked to be in very good shape back then, and knew what I was doing...and well...I did look to be in good shape... :P...but...

I was just wishing that I could pass out...I was at my first scheduled stop, and was...

...TOO TIRED TO FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :o

I mean, ever been...

...TOO TIRED TO FISH???????????????

I was sitting by a small lake...and was too tired to take off my clothes and get in to bathe. And...in my frame of mind...men would have just WALKED ON BY as I was in the shallows, NAKED, and waving at them to help me get out and...PUT MY CLOTHES BACK ON!!!!

So, I kept my clothes on...

I did calm down, and heated up a nice dehydrated package I had kept in a special pouch. I ate it, and felt very content. I later sat against a tree, and looked at the stars as I ran a Symphony through my head...it was a muddled mixture of many...and thought of just how much fun it was to be alive.

I mean, backpacking got my mind to set into it's survival selection. All I had to worry about was walking safely, and eating my rations with reason, and finding a safe place to sleep. I mean, what ELSE should a female have to worry about? I didn't have to worry about other peoples problems...how I would get Mr Jones out of the lawsuit...how I would get Ms Smith out of her suit...and so on.

I set my sleeping bag on the thin mat I carried, and set the soft part of my backpack to use as a pillow. I NEVER carried any fresh food, it was always dehydrated. I did NOT want a bear or a mountain lion to smell something nice...I could never smell myself...but others did and stayed away when I had been backpacking.

I then resolved to NEVER head out on a backpacking trip, alone, AFTER...

...walking up to the top of Mt Lassen and back again on the same day...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 20, 2023, 05:23:16 PM: https://youtu.be/vtV66X3S_2Q

This is one of my most favorite parts of Handels Messiah. ;D

I was in a small chamber orchestra in a small city, a Christian Church was performing the work. I was happy, I was the ONLY cellist, and $150 was a LOT of money to me at that time of my life. The Conductor just had time for one rehearsal, and me and the violist were sitting beside each other, and getting bored. The amateur soloists were not very good, and the Chorus wasn't quite singing the lyrics properly. Then, we got to this piece, and a very mousy looking man stood up, and I thought..."Oh HELL...he probably doesn't have the testosterone to sing this part. So, we did the opening chord, and then he SANG OUT...

..."THUS SAYS THE LORD...THE LORD OF HOSTS..."

And we all CAME ALIVE!!!!

He had a very powerful Bass/Baritone voice, and he just took COMMAND of the work! And...he was very soft and expressive, singing,

..."And who shall abide, the day of His coming"...

I did go up to him, after the rehearsal, and said that I was really looking forward to performing this with him. He grinned and replied,

..."I heard you on the cello, you really did help me with my phrasing..."

I was feeling very warm when I drove back home.

It was a very intimate moment, although he was on the Stage, and I was in the Pit Orchestra. We couldn't see each other, but we were listening very carefully to each other. I didn't want to detract from his performance, and carefully listened to him. and modulated the sound my cello was making. When he would end a phrase, singing, "And when He appeareth"...I was making Pavane sound very yearning. And , when he got into, "For, He is like a refiner's fire"...I would be hammering my bow on the quick notes, not caring if I was covering him up...(I couldn't cover him, he was on the Stage, I was in the pit...and he must have had three sets of BALLS to be able to sing so loud and strong.)

The other members of the string group tapped their bows on my stand after some movements...that is how String Player applaud in a pit orchestra... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on December 24, 2023, 01:33:31 PM: https://youtu.be/6jroBAl3WW8

A very nice performance of this lovely song. Please enjoy :)

When I was younger, I was often called to play my cello in Church Performances of various orchestrations of Christmas Music and plays. Some were very nice semi-professional compositions and plays, and we would rehearse several times and perform the work at multiple events. But, a few times, it was just our string quartet with a piano, and we would be off to the side in a church and play the music as Parishioners sang. My most memorable one was at a small Church, they gave me $50 and FED ME DINNER with the Members, and there was just a guitar with me. We played very soft works, like this one, and, well...it was a very Spiritual Moment for me. I drove home feeling very relaxed, and full, and happy to have participated in the Service.

*S* ;D My violist friend and I would help each other get 'gigs', if a group hired me, I would ask if they needed a violist, and get them to hire her if they needed one. One Church liked the way I played, and they would contact me in late November, and ask me to gather the musicians they needed for their work. She did the same, and I was always happy to have six or seven 'gigs' lined up before Christmas, I would get a nice amount of spending money to buy gifts for Family and Friends.

We would, however, make fun of another violist...we called her the "Gig Slut". She would seek out places to perform...and was quite skilled as a performer so she did collect a lot of gigs. A few times, I got a panicked call from the Gig Slut asking if I had the next evening open, that she REALLY needed a cellist for a performance she had just lined up. If I was open, I always said 'Yes, what time do I need to be there?"

But, seriously, I always enjoyed performing on my cello at such events, they were low key, no stage fright, and the audience was always happy. Once, our quartet was in front of the Altar, and a young girl and boy wandered over and stood beside me, watching ME play!!! I smiled, and briefly spoke to them when the service was over, and let them touch my cello and bow, and said that when they got older they could learn to play one, too. They were most mesmerized by my bow, and I explained that it was horsehair that were the long fibers, and then took the screw off the end of the bow and their eyes got wide seeing the cascade of yellow horsehair. I broke off a hair for each of them, and they were amazed. I do hope that one, or both of them, took up a string instrument when they got older.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 08, 2024, 02:09:46 AM: ...Been busy, but it has been nice. My Family and I had a nice gathering, we did not exchange gifts, we didn't have any children with us, and as I said to my Mother, "If there is anything I really want, well, I will go out and buy it." She laughed, and said, "I do the same." So, we just had a very nice meal, and sat and visited for a few hours, then had dessert and then broke up. It was nice. :)

I have been thinking about music for a while, lately. My instruments are still their cases, and my electric piano is covered. I am amazed that MUSIC is what I did for several years of my young adult life. I even majored as a Music Performance Major for several years. Those were AMAZING years, in many ways more challenging than Law School. I spent hour after hour in closet sized practice rooms...(*Giggles* Once, the door opened, and a middle class couple I had never seen before were standing there, and they asked me if they could take a picture of me playing the piano. I agreed...I thought that maybe it was for a Publication. After they took the picture, I asked them why they wanted it. The man gruffly said, "Our daughter wants to major in music, we want to show her what she would be DOING for hours every day. She needs to major in Business". They left, and I almost fell off of the bench, I was laughing so hard. ::) )

I was watching a dramatic movie, and noticed that triplets were being added in the duple time frame of the music. Most music is in duple time, and HEY, if 'DUPLE' isn't a word...IT SHOULD BE!!! I have spoken. >:( But, triplets were being added. They do add a lot of anxiety. Beethovens 5th starts with triplets, and it is in duple time. "Da da da...Dum....Da da da...Dum". Those first three notes are triplets, you play THREE eighth notes when usually only TWO eighth notes occur in the beat.

Beethoven continued the triplets in the second movement,

https://youtu.be/6jroBAl3WW8

You can hear the lower strings...the cellos and bass...playing a quick triplet that lands on the beat. The second movement starts at 16:52. The really thrilling part begins at 21:10. Beethoven puts together a truly thrilling and complex interaction among the musicians. We cellos had a stamping beat we played at 23:50, and I was STAMPING MY BOW!!!! At 25:10 my mind was SWIRLING!!!

Performing music is really an out of body experience. I don't know how else to explain it. I would look at the 'lollypops' on the score, but my mind was somewhere else. I was aware that my body was moving, but my left hand was moving up and down the fingerboard, and my right had was 'shaping' the notes...not just pulling the bow back and forth.

Well...I better get to bed, now. and tomorrow...think about getting my instruments out of their cases...and taking the cover off of my piano.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 10, 2024, 03:30:18 AM: ...Flying a Kestral... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I have talked before about flying 'Sailplanes'. Some people call them 'Gliders' since they don't have an engine. But, 'Gliders' just fly straight, our military did use Gliders to bring troops in, but those things just flew straight. Sailplanes can rise up in a thermal, or stay up in a wave.

And, all sailplanes aren't equal. I learned in a Sweitzer 2:34, if memory serves me correct. I was up front, and my Instructor was seated behind me. The 2:34 was a rather ugly plane. The wing was on the top, and the nose was large. The wing was at the height of my head when I stood beside it. But, I flew one from 2,000 feet to 10,000 feet, so it could do well. There was a cute Sweitzer 1:26, it was a single seater, and the canopy was on the top, so your head would be held high, and you could see all around you. But...there was also...the...KESTRAL.... :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

It was a really lovely sailplane. Pure white, with long tapered wings, and a 'T" tail. The tail was shaped like a 'T", with the little wings on top. I fell in LOVE with it, and would wash it down after an experienced pilot had flown it. It was a very High Performance sailplane, and was designed for cross-country flights, or for flying into the Stratosphere. The cost to rent it was expensive, and the Owner wouldn't just let anyone fly it. He required that the pilot be skilled and experienced.

One day, I had flown the 1:26, and was hanging around, talking with the other pilots. I was describing where I had found a wave, and stayed up. The Owner of the Kestral was sitting, listening, and nodding at times. The middle aged guy probably thought it was nice to hear a young woman speak so well about sailing. I was flabbergasted when he said to me, "The thermals are probably getting very strong now, hey, take my Kestral up and see what you can find."

I couldn't believe what he was saying, but 15 minutes later I was settling into the small cockpit of the Kestral. The Owner said, "Take an hour...if you stay up longer I will get in the tug and hunt you and shoot you down." I laughed. But I whooped with joy as the Tug pulled me down the runway. I was in a very reclined position, and the nose of the plane had plexiglass all over, so I could see EVERYTHING!!!! I settled behind the tug, and lightly played with the rudders and the joystick to get a feel for the plane, and then at 1800 feet, I pulled the tow release, and did a soft climbing turn to the right. The tug dived to the left, so the tow rope was well clear of me.

The next hour was...well...better than my Honeymoon. I was alone in the Kestral, and the thing could somehow sniff out thermals. I would be flying straight, and a wing would jump up...the Kestral was saying..."Hey bitch, here is a thermal." I would turn hard in the direction that the wing was rising, and get into a thermal, and ride it up, and then search for another one.

I could have stayed up all afternoon, but, I watched my watch, and flew back to the field, and made a nice landing in an hour. I had to be helped out of the cockpit...I just wanted to stay in the sailplane. :o

I just couldn't get the experience out of my head. I didn't have much money, but I caddied and did everything I could to earn money. When I helped the Caddymaster wash golfers clubs, I dreamed that I would be able to earn and save enough money to buy a Kestral.

I ended up buying 'Katherine'...my cello...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 10, 2024, 05:54:00 AM: https://youtu.be/mrudT410TAI?si=I4q9Kql3ZxPM9cQv

...I was insane in my younger years. I can't BELIEVE what I did as a college student. I was VERY angry at the girl that I got elected to be Student Body President. I wanted to be appointed the Dean of Student Affairs, so I could have weekly meetings with Dr McCaffrey and discuss important issues. But, the BITCH appointed me to be the ...SOCIAL DIRECTOR!!! So, I was in charge of planning dances and such SHIT for the year!!! And, I was a mousy little girl, never been to a dance, or such. I almost turned down the appointment, but, I would get a half scholarship for serving, and I needed the help. It was a very expensive college. So, I pulled up my panties, and tried to get more 'sociable'.

...I loved Donna Summer's music, and 'Killing Me Softly" hit me in a way that I can't describe. I still feel a lot of anguish when I listen to it. I am a manic/depressive, so I can over-react to things. The song made me cry and I would go to my little bedroom, and lay in my bed for an hour. At times, I would look over my budget, and sigh, I just couldn't afford to bring Donna to our campus.

...But...came the idiots that God above must have sent to me. They said that they needed me to arrange a Concert for Donna in the Civic Auditorium. :o I was flabbergasted!!! But, I figured out that the City wouldn't let outsiders do a concert, but, me, as a local, could produce it. So, well, I went along with it. I was ALL excited, and even drove a car to pick her and her band up at the airport, and ended up driving several of her male black singers to the hotel. They invited me in, but I just drove away. If Donna had been in my car, and invited me in...I would have eagerly followed her.

I didn't get to hear her sing, I was sitting in the box office clutching a shoe box that held ALL of the cash from the concert.

I was just keeping my big mouth shut...and holding tight to the shoe box...

The idiot promotors and such were arguing over what had happened,,,the concert didn't go well...and I just sat there. I had made sure that, since I was paying the expenses, I would get the CASH!!!

The Cops who had been assigned to watch over me...I had hired a bunch for the Concert, and the Lt. had told two of them to stay with me...stood up, they were tired, and they hauled my butt out of the box office. I was still clutching the shoebox. They pushed me into the back of their cruiser, people wanted to speak with me, but they just pulled me along and got me into the cruiser, and we took off.

I was relieved to count the money with the Finance Director, and go to bed.

And, shows how HONEST I am. I did not take ANY of the money. I could have easily stuffed a few handfuls into my panties and no one would have known anything. But, it wasn't my money, so I got it all into the Student Accounts.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 14, 2024, 04:14:39 PM: ...Shopped today, with my Mother. :) It is fun, I get her a shopping cart, and then grab one for myself, and we briefly separate. She is very elderly, and moves slowly, but her mind is fully alert, and she can safely walk if she has support. So, I quickly grab the items I need on my list, and then fall behind her and stay with her. I will reach for heavy items or stuff high on the shelf. When she has gotten all she has on her list, and is getting tired, we wheel our carts to the stand, and checkout. I then PAY for it all. :)

...I dunno what Biden and the Dems are babbling about what a wonderful economy we have. They point at the Stock Market...but...we are paying almost $100 more each week for what we usually buy. The prices on all items are HIGHER that they were a year and a half ago!!!

...This next Election will be very important, no doubt. Biden is senile, they were showing him at various locations, and he always had a blank confused look on his face, and his Wife or an Aide had to direct him what to do. If he gets re-elected, well...Those that are BEHIND HIM will make ALL of the Important decisions. And, well, we don't know WHO they are or what they want. The Dems say that Trump is going senile, but he is always very vigorous at Public Appearances, and can correctly respond to questions. He does say things that 'Politicians' usually don't say, but Trump is a Businessman and doesn't care if he offends people.

...*Sighs*...The Politicos and Dems are now saying stupid things like "DEMOCRACY WILL END IF TRUMP GETS ELECTED!!!"

..."Shit"...Even IF Trump said "I am now the Dictator!!!"...ah...you IDIOTS!!!! We have Congress, the Courts, and the Military who would say..."Ah, think again".

...Trump did say that he would issue a lot of Executive Orders on his first day, but they would be to REVERSE Executive Orders by Biden.

...After all, Biden DID publicly say to the World..."Hey, come in here if you want a better life." and he issued Executive Orders to accommodate them. And when the News shows that illegals get housing, food, job opportunities...well...what third world peasant wouldn't want to come here?

...And Biden IS sending our VETS out of homes so they can make room for ILLEGALS!!!

...Countries HAVE to have borders...or then they aren't countries. I am afraid that it is already too late. MILLIONS of illegals have come in, and they are having babies here, who under our Laws are American Citizens. So, the Dems argue that Families have to stay intact, so illegals easily get in, and they set up their own ghettos and such, and demand that WE accommodate their cultures. So, those Barbaric Third World people say that we have to accept child labor, women just being property, and such. If we don't...well...we are just RASCIST and intolerant of other cultures.

...Shit, you want such Barbaric customs...STAY THE HELL IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY!!!!! People used to come here to have an opportunity to get an education, and a better standard of life for their children, and they did what they could to adapt. Our History is replete with uneducated people who came here, worked hard, and their children became educated and went on to become Doctors, Lawyers, and Scientists. But, the Dems say it is OK to haul children out of school at the 6th grade, and then make them become semi-performing adults.

...Trump has promised to execute the LARGEST deportation program in US History...but...WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE???

...Biden and the Dems ENCOURAGED the LARGEST illegal invasion in US History... >:( And, well...it WORKED!!!!

...Next generation...the good ol USA will be a confused combination of places trying EVERY culture in the World...and won't be a nice place to live in.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 14, 2024, 05:46:19 PM: ...Learning to not trust the creek... >:(

As a very young child, there was a nice creek behind our house. I would climb over the back fence, and get into it and explore. Sometimes, it would be deep, and I would have to just walk along the banks, other times it was shallow and I could wade in it. I was too young to understand 'tides', the creek emptied into the Bay Area, so the Ocean Tides did affect it. I studied the creek very much, and collected plants and creatures, and put them in an aquarium. The plants survived, but I learned to not place crawdads and other such creatures into it. The creek was fun, and I would wade as far as I could in each direction. It would pass under a military fence in each direction, and I stayed on my side. I was afraid that if I crawled under the fence that I would get shot by the sentries. Once, though...I did quickly crawl under and scurried to a ball that was on the other side, and grabbed it and crawled back onto my side. It was a basketball...probably thrown over the fence by a kid.

But, as I once described, my parents were scurrying around, and I was told to pack a little suitcase with my favorite toys. "You can't take them all" my Mother had said. So, I did, and looked out the back window and saw the boy next door sitting on the fence. So, I put on my raincoat, and climbed up beside him...and the creek was now a RIVER!!! I was amazed...it was flowing VERY fast...and it was very deep! NO WAY could ANYONE wade in it or even swim. My Mother yelled at me to get back, and we drove across town to a Motel.

When we got back to our home three days later, the floor was covered with mud. I was happy that my good toys were sitting on cabinets, Mom had seen to that. So, Dad washed out the house with a hose...the floors were concrete...they were cheap homes built after WWII...and they were able to wash the walls and get us back living in them. And... :)...we children had the nice experience of the woman who drove by, and handed us each a HUGE Easter Basket full of candy and sweets.

So...I had a different attitude towards the creek after we got flooded out two times...
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 15, 2024, 09:30:21 PM: ...Badges... ::)

..."HA!!! I doan need no stinkin bodge" I snarled to Security. The man just nodded, and pointed, "Go over there" he said.

...He had probably heard that lame response before. (BODGES??? HA!!! WE DOAN NEED NO STINKIN BODGES!!!...one of my favorite Movie quotes)

I walked in my high heels to a desk, and showed them my Company ID card, and was told. "The rules have changed, everyone HAS to wear a badge, even the Big Boss does." I sighed, and calmed down and sat in a chair for a few minutes. I was then called back into a small room, and was told to stand against a white wall. I could see the HUGE camera, and knew that my picture was about to be taken. So...I quickly freshened my lipstick and put on some powder...and then took the position they instructed me to. I briefly thought about how I should arrange my face...Should I be sullen...dull...resigned...or with a huge smile on my face? I just did a small smile, barely turning the corners of my mouth up. That is what I did when I was trying to appear friendly. It usually did NOT work. ::) My face is naturally in a rather stern expression, the ends of my mouth are downturned, and my eyes don't appear to be friendly. I was bullied VERY badly as a child, and learned to not trust anybody, so my usual expression is very passive...I don't want to be looked at. My face is expressive...I could SCARE witnesses when I didn't like what they were saying.

They took my picture, and I was told to sit back down. I did, and then in about 10 minutes, I was handed MY BODGE!!!!

I LIKED it!!! I didn't look too bad, and it had all sorts of stuff on it. I was told, "This will get you into every floor of the building, except the top floor. Someone will need to escort you there." I just nodded, I had a corner office below the top floor, and never really WANTED to go to the top floor. That is where decisions were made that I did NOT want to be associated with. So, I clipped it to my collar and got into the elevator. I had to use my new bodge to get it to take me up.

All of the Bodges had colored borders, mine was blue, and I didn't see many others with blue borders. I was told that since I was a High Level Manager, I had a blue border.

Hey...I LOVED IT!!!... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I could strut through the Building, and people would know that I was IMPORTANT!!! Even though they had NO idea of what I did.

Again...I am easy to entertain... :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 17, 2024, 01:06:59 AM: ..How NOT to prepare for a Court Hearing... ::)

As I have written, the asshole Jr Partner of a firm I worked for did NOT like me. Probably because I wouldn't kiss his shoes and tell him...over and over...how WONDERUL he was. (I Did kiss my Ex's shoes and tell him how wonderful he was in a sex game we played. :o But I would grab his shoes before we started and wash them... :P )

Anyway...He would tell the Secretaries to assign me ALL of the shit jobs. :P

So, one winter day, I drove up to a remote Court in the mountains, it was snowing a bit, and I was very careful. It was an assignment from the Jr Partner...I had NEVER worked on the case. I found the Courthouse, it was a small one room structure, and I sat in my car for a while. Then...a CAT jumped on the hood of my BMW...and I quickly got out and pushed it off...it was scratching me hood.

As I was doing that, a very elderly man came out of the place and called to the cat. I glared, and he glared back...and the cat ran up to him.

I got back into my car, and watched the clock, and when it was 8:30...I quickly got into the Courtroom...and...

...The elderly man...was THE JUDGE!!!! and the cat was sitting by the bench, drinking some milk..

...I lost my Motion... :P
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 18, 2024, 01:34:55 AM: ...Washing the Golfers clubs... ;)

I guess that this activity does show my submissive side, it is just not a part I play in a sexual R/P.

When I was caddying, after I learned how to handle the job, I would usually get out on an early loop. Two of the golfers would have a riding cart, another pulled his bags on a small cart, and I would CARRY a bag for my golfer. It would last the morning, and I would carry my golfers bag into the storage area, and carefully wash them, and place them in the reserved spot. There would ALWAYS be other clubs brought in, and so I would stay and wash them. The Caddy Master would watch over me as he ALSO washed clubs!!! :o I had thought that the Caddy Master was some sort in important person at the Country Club, but...he would wash clubs.

I thought it was better to stay in the Caddy Shack and wash clubs rather that sit by the golf carts below and wait for my name to be called to caddy. That was a rather unique experience when I sat with the other caddies. We would stay quiet, many of the caddies were middle aged men, and didn't want we kids to carry on. Plus, the Caddy Master watched over us, and if you made trouble...well...you would not get out on a loop. So, I just sat, as a female some guys wanted to talk to me, but I just brushed them away.

But, I actually enjoyed washing clubs. I would bring the bag to the sink area, and pull the irons out and set them in hot water...just the heads were in the water...I was always VERY CAREFULL to not get water on the grips. The irons would soak as I examined the woods...there was usually only three of them...and they could NOT be soaked in water. So, I would wipe them down, and use a tee to scrape any dirt from the indentions on the front. The irons often needed a scrubbing with steel wool, but the clubs would be nice and clean, as if they were new. I would then carry the bag to it's spot and put it away, and then go back and pick up another bag and get to work.

I earned a lot of money carrying clubs, and saved it all. I put it in the bank, and later, bought 'Katherine'...my 1910 cello.

Hey, performing such work as a young woman led to me going to college and getting a BA, JD, CPA, Attorney at Law, and I am SURE that many other people had menial jobs at an early age. A good friend who had a paper route became a PhD in Entymology...a BUG DOCTOR!!!!
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 18, 2024, 03:22:03 AM: ...Just have to re-post this...
https://youtu.be/Kx3W4F80L04?si=4qQuabAVenkioLa4

Winston Churchill...what a Historic figure!!! :) I interesting how famous men in WWII had such names. Churchill *Church on the Hill* Stalen *Steel worker" Eisenhour, *Iron Worker*, I guess Patton just had to rely on his own name. What a job they had...guiding men into War. My son was a Marine Medic, and they wanted him to become an Infantry Officer. I asked him why he didn't...he was home from one of the Iraq Wars...and he replied that he did not want to order men to attack knowing that some would be killed.

That is something to ponder. I mean, the Officers do issue such orders. There was a situation in WWII, where the Allies had the Germans in a bad position, and the Colonel called the back HQ, and asked what to do, and the reply was...

...ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK...

So, they ATTACKED...and won...

But, they also lost men.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 18, 2024, 04:09:30 AM: Just a passing thought...washing the clubs... ;D

Probably why I ALWAYS got an early loop at the Country Club. The Caddy Master KNEW that I would bring my golfer's bag to the place, and wash them and put them away. And, being me, I would wash ALL the other clubs that were brought up. It was more FUN than sitting on my ass in the caddy area.

So, HE didn't have to wash them and could whatever else he needed to do.

Once, he asked me if I played golf, and I said "No, I don't have any clubs". He smiled, and walked into a back room and brought out a club and set it on the counter. "Well, now you do, that club is yours."

I almost peed my panties, I was SO excited. So I finished washing the clubs, and then picked up MY CLUB and walked to the bus stop and got back home...I had been staring at the club as I washed the other clubs.

It was a very old pitching wedge, and I bought a few dozen plastic golf balls and hit them ALL OVER our house. I would have to climb onto the fence, and pull myself into the roof, and seek the balls out in the rain gutters, and jump down and then hit them all over the house again.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 21, 2024, 06:38:59 PM: A conversation I had with the Partners of that AWFUL Law Firm before we parted company... >:(

As I have reported, the Junior Partner didn't like me, and had the Secretaries assign me every SHIT job that came up. So, I would spend the morning driving up to a remote Courthouse for an OEX, (Order of Exam), and grill some poor person about their finances so I could try to collect $853 for a goddamn INSURANCE COMPANY for non-payment of premiums!!! I could have stayed in my office, and billed $550 an hour for complex tax advice, and COLLECTED IT!!! I would drive back with NO collected money. (I just left their money in their wallets. in an OEX I could get them to hand over their wallets and go through them, and take any currency. I would be alone, and not want to confront some ugly guy as I tried to take the money out of it. :P )

The GODDAMN Secretaries also followed his orders, and I would try to handle THREE court appearances in one morning in THREE different Cities. Once, I was very late for the second hearing, and after the other attorneys got away from me, the angry Judge asked me where I had been. I was NOT in a very good frame of mind, and I just told him that I had been in another Court. He got VERY angry, and asked why I was so careless as to schedule TWO different Court appearances so close together. I decided, "Hell with the Firm", and I explained that I was just an associate, and did what I was told to do. And if the Jr Partner wanted me to appear in two different cities an hour apart...well...I would try to do it!!!

The Judge sat for a moment, and said..."I will speak to your Boss, they should respect the Courts more. and not assign an associate an impossible task." (The Goddamn Jr Partner had just sat in his Office a block away from the Courthouse that I was late to). I got back to the Office, and a bit later, I was summoned to the Boss's Office, and both were there. They had received the call from the Judge, and demanded why I had spoken the way I did. I got angry, and said, "I was assigned an IMPOSSIBLE task, I HAD to explain what had happened to protect the CLIENT!!!! To protect the CLIENT!!! If I lost the motion because I was late, the CLIENT would have been hurt!!!! If D----wants to assign me an impossible task, well, that is on HIS fucking back!!!" I then got up and left the two idiots, and began to pack my office stuff up. I left a week later.

A funny follow up. When I became a Litigation Manager at a large Ins Co, the Partners at the old firm invited me to a very nice dinner at a Conference, and suggested that I refer cases to them. I ordered Steak and Lobster, and had three glasses of wine...and ate and I drank it all as I listened, and stood up...and...

...Told them BOTH to go to HELL!!!... >:(

I giggled a LOT when I got back to my room... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 22, 2024, 02:38:09 AM: ...OK, Yeah. Yeah, Yeah... >:(

Izee' usually has this toy hanging over her shoulder...and she wonders why she never gets asked out on a date... :P

https://youtu.be/d82ORj4FjUs?si=hG38IhBl2K52JOUI
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on January 24, 2024, 12:41:27 AM: ..Ode to Joy... :)

https://youtu.be/Ah__4g01y_M?si=G9J-2KoNMLXEL4Tj

A wonderful performance, and you can see why it is so difficult to perform. I would be wet after playing this, and would sop my face with the kerchief I placed over the shoulder of my cello so my hand wouldn't wear off the varnish. (Didn't work...I forgot my kerchief a few times, or maybe my hand sweat soaked the kerchief, Playing the cello is a PHYSICAL demand,,,I would be very physically tired after a performance.)

But...WHAT A WORK...

Beethoven did know how to go out in style... ;D
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 25, 2024, 05:21:24 PM: When I first started my career as an Accountant, there was a little sandwich shop around the corner that I would go to when I saved up some money. The sandwiches were handmade as you watched the man slice turkey, ham and beef from large roasts and a full turkey. A guy liked me, and would often go with me.

One day, we had placed our orders, and filled our cups with coke, and were sitting, waiting for our order. The guy making the sandwich, "Sandwich Man?", would call out the items on the order, and you would walk up and present your receipt, and take them back to your table. One time, the guy called out...

..."Two Turkeys"...

The guy with me said, "Hey they are calling us names!"...

I laughed my ass off, we had both ordered meat sandwiches.
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 26, 2024, 04:13:37 PM: Hotel California... :o

I think that I actually stayed there, in Monterrey, when I was working.

I had a case in that County, and someone suggested that I stay there. So, I drove, and parked my car in a garage, and pulled my suitcase down the street. It was in an old area of the town, near the wharf, and it looked safe. I stopped outside, it was an old Mansion, and was clean. The door was locked, so I rang the bell, and a woman opened the door, and smiled at me and invited me in. I followed her in, but my mind was racing...

She was a late 30 something woman, and she was lovely, and dressed up in 18th Century clothing. She spoke very softly, and the check in was easy. I just handed over my credit card, and she processed it, and then handed me an old KEY!!! Not a card. She smiled more, and said, "Your room is on the third floor, and it has a balcony, please enjoy."

I got into the elevator, it was very small, and rode up, and pulled my case to the room, and opened the door, using the KEY!!!

The room was small, and there was a small bathroom on the side. It was all decorated in an Elizabethan style, a lot of white lace all over the place and a lovely canopy bed. I did walk to the balcony, and it overlooked the harbor. I unpacked, and got the HELL out and went to do some window shopping! I was scared, for some reason...

That evening, after I had had dinner, I brought a bottle of wine with me, and sat on the balcony and watched the lights of the ships in the harbor...

I finished the wine, and sat for a while...not sure if I wanted to get into the bed... ::)

I did, and woke up feeling good, the bed was very comfortable.

If I ever go back to the city...I will see if I can get back in, again. It was a very nice period place... :)
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on February 27, 2024, 06:02:18 AM: The 'Talking Stick'... :D

I was very active in Girl Scouts when I was young, and was delighted to be invited to join an Honor Group in the County. I would get to wear a lovely sash over my uniform, and there would be other activities. They had an Initiation Event that took a weekend, the Actives would test us Initiates mentally, and physically. The physical aspect was that we camped in a Public Campground, and we Initiates did a lot of cleaning and other chores. An Active was always watching over us. One of the rules for we Initiates, was...

...We could NOT SPEAK!!!! :o

So, we had to gesture, or do other things to communicate. But, they had the 'Talking Stick' that you could get if you needed to speak. There was a gesture you would make, and an Active would hand you the Talking Stick, and you could speak. :D

At one point, I had been in the kitchen, washing the dishes, and when I was dismissed, I headed back to where the group was. As I walked through the Campground, I saw the TALKING STICK on a table!!!!

Well, I grabbed it and headed out...an Active was in a restroom, and had left it out...

So, I sauntered to where the group was, singing, and spouting all of the nonsense I could, and the Actives stood, and shouted...

..."YOU CAN'T TALK!!!"..,

I shouted back..

..."YES I CAN, I GOT THE TALKING STICK!!!!"...and held it out...

They took it away from me, and I did extra chores.

The Adult who was watching over us told me, later...

..."I wanted to laugh so hard, but I couldn't"
Title: Re: ...Izee's Thread
Post by: Izee on May 06, 2024, 02:55:46 AM: I was a college Frosh, a 17 year old girl, and I was going to try to join the Music Sorority. I was a cellist, and walked onto the stage, and looked at all of the Members who would Judge me. I held my cello, as they just quietly looked at me...I was going to perform a Brahms Sonata. But...something inside of me took over, and I looked over my shoulder at my piano accompanist, and whispered..."On my Own"...She looked at me, and I grimaced and nodded...She then changed the music on her piano...and the introduction to the song started...

I looked down at the stage as she played, holding my cello, and then when the introduction finished, I very quietly sang...

..."On my own..."

I then raised my voice, holding my cello as I looked up at the audience...

..."Pretending he is with me"...

I then sang louder as I sang the next phrases...

I then became animated, swinging an arm with alacrity. My eyes became very alive, a few in the audience said that it looked like they were glowing. My voice filled the auditorium as I sang...

..."A World that is full of happiness that I have NEVER KNOWN!!!"

I then drew into myself, as I sang...

..."I love him...I love him...I love him...but only on my own..."

The audience was totally silent ...I just stood...and then a friend came out of the wings, and took my cello away from me, and took my arm and led me off of the stage. I just collapsed on a couch in the green room, my head all unfocused. I could hear the applause...but there was NO way that I could get up and walk.

My cello Professor told me, at my next lesson..."You may want to add, or change, your Major to Vocal Major."

I changed to Business Administration...