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Christmas Day
It is better to make a piece of music than to perform one, better to perform one than to listen to one, better to listen to one than to misuse it as a means of distraction, entertainment, or acquisition of "culture."
-- John Cage
Friday, December 25, 1998
One year ago: Yuletide
A year has gone by, and I still haven't mastered my Sony Mavica. I think I have the wrong idea about the EV (exposure value) settings. I wanted to take pictures at the open house and music circle I was at tonight, without using flash. I should have bracketed, by setting the EV up and then down. Presumably at least some of the images would have been usable, then, given computer wizardry! But they are really all too dark. Rats!
I lollygagged around during the day today, not doing such things as taking out the trash, picking out the clothes I'll be taking to SwingOut Northwest with me, or much of anything else. I'll ascribe this inertia to the cold that is afflicting me, rather than to my native bone-laziness. I'll manage to get these things taken care of tomorrow morning, along with buying a battery for my new travel alarm, selecting a few books to bring along, printing out the map of the route I'll need to take, and so on.
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I did have a good time at the open house. This was at W--- and J----'s house and is a yearly event. I gave my sister and her boys a ride over (brake problems on her car), while my brother-in-law took the bus. My film festival buddy A--- was there, along with another festival buddy, so we discussed the recent news about next year's festival. It will be held at some different theaters, which has good points and bad points. I just felt very smug, because I sent my order in for my full-series pass a few days ago, along with paying all my other bills. You know this is a rare occurence or I wouldn't mention it! I do get a substantial savings by purchasing early.
My cold made me rather groggy, and I didn't feel like participating in the singing, but I did enjoy listening to it, and to the poems and stories that some folks did. The Limbo game that I gave to my sister's family was a big hit! Everyone who tried it got applause for their efforts, whether they got down to the floor or not.
My sister told me that there were enough friends and neighbors there that they could go home with, so I didn't need to hang around. I took advantage of this and came home.
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I really wish this cold wasn't kicking my ass! I'd be much more excited (well, I am, but I'd show it more) about the dance camp if I weren't ill. I'm worried that it won't get better fast enough for me to really take advantage of the classes and instructors and new folks to dance with. Who will want to dance with me if I collapse in a coughing fit mid-dance? or spread this vile germ to all my new partners? I do have hand-cleaning gel to use between dances. But I remember how I felt at the Swing Kids Dance in October, when I had to sit out dances because my lungs weren't up to par. When I was sick in July and August, I was out of action for weeks! (But there must have been a secondary infection there.)
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