...Izee's Thread

[Izee]

...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

[MageNathaniel1]

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.

[Izee]

...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!!!!

[MageNathaniel1]

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

[Izee]

..."Perfect Pitch"...    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.   

[MageNathaniel1]

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.

[Izee]

...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!!!   

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!!!   

...I got the dog away, and washed Mr T down.

Pets have interesting challenges, and it is fun to watch them.

[MageNathaniel1]

Never had a tortise but he sounds like most animals able to find the food and communicate their needs much like my cat lol.

[Izee]

...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!!!!"

[Izee]

...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.   

...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!!!!!   

...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.

[Izee]

...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

[Izee]

...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...

[MageNathaniel1]

Sorry for the loss and leaving the chair empty was a good tribute to her.

[Izee]

...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

[Izee]

...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!!!     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.