Riverside Reunion
Tonight I have a riverside (Allegheny River) reunion with the Riverside (California) clan. I'm really looking forward to it...haven't seen the Riverside folks (save Grace, Jason, and their little family) since graduation!
The annual Soil Science society of America national meetings are in Pittsburgh this year, with the theme being sustainability. Pittsburgh was chosen as the site specifically for that reason.
Labels: California, Pittsburgh, Point, research, reunion, soils
Magnificent Evening!
I received a cell phone call from Mom on the way home from the symphony: "We won the Stanley Cup. Be careful around South Side and Oakland."
By the by, the afternoon at the Three Rivers Arts Festival with Nancy was fun...we got a chocolate & fresh strawberry crepe with whipped cream. The chef was totally into the process of making it! (And we were into the process of eating it!)
Mahler's Resurrection Symphony (No. 2 in C minor) was nothing short of magnificent. Manfred Honeck conducted after introductory words by the outgoing concertmaster, Andres Cardenes. Elizabeth duShong (Mezzo-soprano) and Katy Shackleton Williams (soprano---a last-minute substitute) accompanied the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh (directed by Betsy Burleigh). The piece vacillated between piano movements which exploded into fortissimo movements. The fourth and fifth movements were sung by the women and the choir, respectively. The fourth movement was entitled Urlicht (Primeval Light), and the fifth movement included pieces "Aufersteh'n"/"Resurrection" and "O Glaube, Mein Herz"/"O Believe, My Heart." An immediate standing ovation greeted the artists, with several repeat calls.
Due to sudden street closures we ended up on the West End Bridge to the Hot Metal Bridge and in Oakland, where we heard whoops of joy. We were thinking of going to Victor's for a snack when Mom telephoned, and we had second thoughts.
Nancy handed me a puzzle/mystery, library book, and well wishes before we see each othe tomorrow.
Labels: art, dine, dining, games, Honeck, Mahler, music, Pittsburgh, Point, PSO, rivers, sports
Before the Steelers Parade
Before the Steelers Parade downtown at the Point, I walked out to Fifth Avenue about 11:25am. At the bus stops, every bus heading downtown was packed with humanity. A motorcycle police-escorted set of buses heading in the opposite direction had several "decoy" buses in the convoy, and one bus which most likely held the Steelers. My physical therapist and I discussed what I had observed about the buses later today.
Renee and I lunched together, and we enjoyed each other's company, especially since she will have a new job next week downtown.
Today I signed up for a health club (the same one Mom and Dad belong to). I'm really excited about using the heated pool and taking chair yoga!
I also ran some errands in Squirrel Hill.
Labels: diocese of Pittsburgh, excited, exercise, health, Pittsburgh, Point, pool, Superbowl, thankfulness, water exercise, Zubik
Pittsburgh's 250 Birthday; Newman First Friday Fest, October 2008
Yesterday, I worked on teaching issues after the weekly meeting. Karina and I went (late) to the Newman First Friday Fest. We met up with Fabiola there, and stopped by her practice room uptown to pick up her belongings, as well as to encourage her to play part of a piece she has been working on by Villa-Lobos, "The Countryside Party." We were moved by the piece.
Tonight Nancy C., Maureen, and I shall see a movie recommended by Doug, Going My Way, with Bing Crosby. Then, we will view Pittsburgh's 250th Birthday Fireworks celebration, which will be launched from various locations around the city. We are all really excited about it!
Labels: biology, Birthday, Church, cinema, Faith, friends, international culture, music, Pittsburgh, Point, teaching, work
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
After an evening nap, I just completed reading a novel, The Memory Keeper's Daughter. My sister and mom had recommended it to me. The book is based on a premise, a family secret held by a father from the rest of his family. The book unravels slowly, slowly embracing a character study of each of the main characters in the novel. About two-thirds into the book, the weaving of the characters' actions starts to pick up.
I look forward to Kim Edwards' next novel, set in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. That novel keeps a secret hidden from the characters, as well as from the reader of the book.
~~~
early AM, 21 June 2008
It turns out there is a television movie of the book, The Memory Keeper's Daughter. I hope to see the movie sometime this year.
Labels: cinema, family, museum, music, New York, photography, photos, Pittsburgh, Point, PSO, read, surprise, TV
Visiting--Somerville, Kim
This Monday I visited and had dinner with Kim S. and her girls, Siola and Caitlin. They are cute as can be, with impish personalities full of life, as is their mom. We had flatbread with dips and chutneys, tossed green salad with avocado and tomato, roasted chicken with stuffing, and steamed asparagus. We chatted about our families and then Kim looked up their daddy's flight arrival status. We hopped in the car and I dropped off to retire early at Julie, Larry, and Chloe's home.
It turns out my flight was cancelled twice, so I travelled to the airport (leaving Cambridge early, at 4:25 in the morning) and caught the first flight out, flying via Cincinnati. I fell asleep during the flights, nodding off. When I arrived at the airport, the same attendant, J.L., assisted me to the ground transportation. The 28X bus started steaming and beeping right by the Point, so I descended and boarded another bus to home. After lunch and a couple of phone calls, I took a looong nap before mom and dad's building celebration.
Labels: Boston area, friends, Pittsburgh, Point
