is RTO putting something in my food????

aaaargh, when i left for rehearsal tonight, i felt a little tickle in my throat, been fine all day, well, now it's a pretty good sore throat. i can't seem to be healthy for a concert this season. totally missed the beethoven 9th, did okay with the verdi requiem, missed half the christmas concerts. i may just lip-synch, but by golly i'm gonna be there. :P

kitty, kitty....

Carnival is at Mind of Mog this week.

update: oh, and there's a new Carnivale here.

apparently, outdoor lighting makes a delightful home for fire ants. they must like the view. 

thanks redun!

for the idea you left in the comments at sarahk's.

How many people have you ever seen that could manage to cry for very long if they were singing?

well, i spent some time rambling on this the other day in therapy. came across a post here (sorry, i can't link directly to it) where someone's talking about a student she had that broke down in a lesson. there were quite a few responses from people that had done so themselves. usually once i start crying that lesson is over. but i've been thinking about singing as therapy. when i lived at home, i sang a-lot and played the piano. (or at least i think i did, but of course nothing to do with my lessons) college made me really self concious about letting loose while singing, i mean it's hard to feel comfortable in a little room with just enough room for you and an upright piano. and you hear all the other people practicing in other rooms. so i wonder if that's part of why my depression got so bad. i still am not up to pre-college levels of playing and singing, but maybe it would be worth the effort.

Saturday audition

soooo auditioned for the Living Opera chorus this afternoon. wasn't sure how it would turn out. I could NOT wake up this morning, fortunately RTO went in to the office this morning and got home to wake me up in time. anyhoo, didn't prepare, didn't bother taking a resume(they've already seen it.) figured i'd just go have fun, and i did. :D they were held at the church i would go to when i went to church. so i caught up with one of the music ministers, he's also going to direct one of the productions and was the accompianist, which made it easier to relax. oh, also, the symphony chorus concert this week is going to be there. he said he was sad he was going to miss it, he's going to malaysia for a couple weeks to visit his wife's family. so other fun part, the audition notice said to have five dollars for the accompianist, well, RTO and I don't usually have cash, so i raided the change jar. so i'm leaving and go, Oh yeah! you probably want your money. um, i only have quarters. "ha,ha, you loon, just pay me later" i should have said, no, no, take it, you can go to the arcade later. anyhoo, he'd mentioned that a lot of people were recording in the new sanctuary, and i said, cool, gee i need to make a new recording. he said well, we could use the cd recorder in the choir rehearsal room, it would be much easier, it is a nice room. so, we'll see. will have to get in touch with him when he gets back.

so i come in:
RTO: how'd it go?
MK: good
RTO:
MK:
RTO: really? you don't usually say that.
MK: well, i felt pretty good about this one, not as many problems, probably the best i've ever done that one.
RTO: huh.

yes, i'm my own worst critic.

completely an accident, it was soooo dark i wasn't sure he'd even show up in the frame. but he cracks me up when he's all stretched out next to RTO in the morning. 

Who the I-I311 do you think you are?

FrankJ posted these questions, and I debated answering them, then i saw that Redun did it, so what the hey?

THE "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" BLOGGER QUIZ
1. Who the hell do you think you are?
um, i hate these kinds of questions, NEXT!!!

2. So, other than blogging, what's your job? Do you work at some fast food joint, dumbass?
despite my efforts i'm account clerking. whee! and i really wouldn't call bloggin my job, i don't get anything for this. Unless you live somewhere in the D/FW area and could use a singer and or pianist. but, then that's not really mad blog money is it?

3. Do you have like any experience in journalism, idiot?
um, no, and is that something to be proud of? RTO thought he wanted to do it but figured it wasn't for him when they asked how he'd ask somebody about their deceased (fill in the blank) and he said, "I wouldn't" ha ha, that's a good one. i feel a lot the same. oh, and i think my sister and i used to make papers when we were little, she had this fun letter stamping thing, good for headlines.


4. Do you even read newspapers?
yes, i read the dallas morning news, mainly for the comics and local happenings. okay, and reviews of some of the things i'm involved in and some who have turned me down, They'll be sorry! i've never been in anything with a bad review, lukewarm, sure, but trashing? no. (yeah the one time i got a mention by name it was something like "MK was made good use of in several numbers" what am i supposed to do with that? that's me! filler! must be all the hot dogs i ate growing up.

5. Do you watch any other news than FOX News propaganda, you ignorant fool?
only when RTO isn't here. ;D oh, and the local morning things, crud that's on fox. and the nbc local and national news, though brian williams isn't really doing it for me. (best Tom Brokaw moment, i forget who he was introducing but he said something like "blah, blah, blah, who some women would call....a hottie" i lost it, i guess you just had to be there.

6. I bet you're some moron talk radio listener too, huh?
no, for my health. though i did listen to NPR today, their monotone is relaxing.

7. So, do you get a fax from the GOP each day for what to say, you @#$% Republican parrot?
as has been mentioned by others i get an occasional email.

8. Why do you and your blogger friends want to silence and fire everyone who disagrees with you, fascist?
i only strive to silence tv ads with the tivo! as for my friends, um, a lot of them have guns.

9. Are you completely ignorant of other countries, or do you actually own a passport?
i wouldn't say i'm ignorant, but i much prefer to stay home. it's the best place to wear my pajamas.

10. Have you even been to another country, you dumb hick?
see above

11. If you're so keen on the war, why haven't you signed up, chickenhawk?
well, someone had to stay home and take care of the kitties.

12. Do you have any idea of the horrors of war? Have you ever reached into a pile of goo that was your best friend's face?
maybe, and no.

13. Have you ever reached into any pile of goo?
i prefer not to think about that one. unless you count hair gel, cause yeah, i use that most days. have you seen my hair?

14. Once again, who the hell do you think you are?!
RTO's wife, and Maggie and Carlos and Roxie's mom. the crazy guy at work's sounding board. soprano II in the symphony chorus. singin',paintin', knittin', crochetin', piano playin' hack. ph34r m3y3 m4d 5ki11z, or not, cause i probably won't ever find out, staying at home all the time and all that.

and i didn't even try to catch her with her tongue out. 

sarahk's evil twin is at it again...

are no kitties safe?

speaking of licking. i won't tell you how many pictures i took to get one with her tongue sticking out.  

trip to the vet today

took maggie to the vet, she's losing hair on her tummy. Did some looking online and figured it's probably stress, but with the whole thyroid thing last year thought we should get her checked out just in case it's something more serious. vet pretty much told me the same thing. sooooo she had to make the trip in a pillow case because the pet taxi is in OKC. was not happy about that. usually doesn't complain too much, but not today, she yelled quite a bit in the car. so I'm curious, do i have the sweetest kitty ever? or do people at the vets office say that to everyone? they're always like "yay! it's maggie! we love her, she's so pretty and sweet" so they drew some blood to test and gave me one of those sattelite dish things to put on her head when we aren't able to watch her. if her hair starts growing back we'll know it's a stress reaction, but also, she could be stressed from not feeling right. we'll see.

other stupid thing i did today...

so, i'm leaving after talking to the music minister, he says, well, it will probably be a couple weeks. I guess i have your phone and email here. I say, yep. he says, "i was a little confused cause it says it's from maggie katzen" me "oh, yeah, uh, that's how my email is set up, i don't use my real name, particularly online." i'm sure that sounded nice. he's probably thinking, What? are you doing on the internet? is it legal? *sigh* i wish gmail would give me the choice with each email. maybe it does and i haven't figured it out yet? okay, really not that jennifer white would be really easy to track down. my name might as well be jane smith, oh well.

stupid, stupid

well, second time i've used a particular song for an audition and i CAN NOT get the words right. time to retire it. for those of you wondering (mom) i auditioned for a church gig today. not holding my breath. sang C. by Poulenc, which i really should quit inflicting on pianists, it's all flats, fun chord progressions. saturday auditioning for the living opera chorus. haven't decided yet what i'll do, i think that's part of my problem, iv'e got a few things cooking but nothing really polished.

bank said it was 86 degrees F out today..

must be why this is blooming.... i think it's a chinese plum?

Carnival of the cats is up at Flying Space Monkey

what's your theme song?

had this question posed in an email.

That's right, you get to pick your own theme song. It's that song youhear when you're struttin' down the street carrying a paint can andchecking out your hair in window reflections. (yes, that was a moviereference).
- Be prepared to defend your choice.
- No fair making fun of anyone else's choices until you've posted your own.
- Picking "Theme from Shaft" will just self-identify you as a wanker. (face it, you're just not cool enough for "Theme from Shaft".
- Open up some. Don't just pick a song because you think it's funny, pick one that reveals something about yourself. Seriously.

hmmmm, RTO suggested something opera, but i thought, no that's not what plays in my head when i'm feelin' good. I figure i'd have to go with Dancin Queen, but not the abba version, some really cheesy easy listening version. cause that's me, cheesy fluff. either that, or songs i don't know the titles to, things from Hail the conquering Nero! or something Indian.


Update: think this would be my aria thing,

Io son l'umile ancella
del Genio creator :
ei m'offre la favella
io la diffondo ai cor...
Del verso io son l'accento,
l'eco del dramma uman,
il fragile strumento vassallo della man
Mite, gioconda, atroce,
mi chamo Fedeltà :
un soffio è la mia voce,
che al novo di morrà.

I am the humble handmaid
of the Muse,
who offers me the message
that I communicate to other hearts...
Of a poem, I am the interpetation,
the echo of human drama,
a delicate instrument
obedient to another's hand...
Gentle, joyous, horrifying,
they call me Faithfulness:
my voice is but a breath
that tomorrow is no more.

little project...

our couch looked kinda sad...


so we bought a slip cover. it came from Target, i liked it cause it doesn't have the little ties in the front. however it only came in one color. white. so we dyed it.


i may have to buy one for the chair in the front room too. RTO's embarrassed by the kitty damage to it. they've torn the stuffins out on the back corners, like with the couch.

real time conversation....

MK: watch'ya readin?

RTO: the history of fascism

MK: oh, have you gotten to the george bush part yet?

i paid money to find out what i already knew.....

so RTO and i have both been to see an allergist this week. he went tuesday, i went today. he thinks maybe it will help with my being tired all the time. we'll see. they did the scratch test. i may be imagining it, but i still feel a bit itchy. RTO kinda makes fun of me sometimes because i don't like to go outside, i always explain that it's because i'm allergic to everything, and low and behold tests confirm it! i've been just taking claritin everyday for a while, but now i'll be getting shots and taking allegra and some nose spray. i tried to explain to the guy that i don't like decongestants because they dry me out, i sing quite a bit and i can handle mucous-y better than dry, crackly. he didn't seem to care. grrrrrr. kept just interupting me. oh well, we'll see what happens. and then there's the kitties, he's all like "don't let them sleep in the bedroom" yeah, right. RTO said he was gonna ask if the doc would like to contribute to the trim and carpet fund, because we'd be replacing a lot of it if we try to keep the cats out of the bedroom. probably the same with the puppy. they love us, we love them, they're just making us sick. (supposedly)

super cute EDDIE!!!!!! 

upcoming..... 

this is Roxie with her new best friend, Snoopy. The neighbors gave it too her while we were in OKC. 

got out and took some pictures around the house today. 

proof that RTO doesn't know everything, despite his claims to the contrary...

RTO: WHY put stickers in the bottom of these things that are the exact same size? what company is this?ramekin? if i ever find them i'm going to beat them.

MK: uh, ramekin is the name for that little round dish. not the manufacturer.

RTO: how was I supposed to know that? who on earth would know that?

MK: oh c'mon they're all over the place. I knew what they were called and I don't even cook!

RTO: riiiiiight, you're just playing a joke on me.


backstory. mom sent a william sonoma kit for making those chocolate lava things for Valentines day. mmmmmm, she also sent the tools we'd need to make it. (mixing bowl, spatula, and a bunch of ramekins) mmmmmm.

we spent the weekend before last in Norman, so you know what that means. EDDIE!!!!!!! he is tooooooo cute. 

kinda freaky moment.....

so whenever RTO has drill in OKC sometimes i'll go with him. we usually stay with my sister in Norman. there's a little shop there called Atomik Pop. Laura found it because they have Hello Kitty stuff and RTO and i usually visit for the comics (and occasional action figure) anyway, i'm toodling around the internet, come upon a meme about 100 things i love about comics. on this page i was surprised to find the guy that's usually working at AP. (he's in the middle of the fourth row from the bottom. Rob Vollmar. huh. will have to look for his book.

a little valentine explanation....

I did this last year to send to RTO while he was in the 'stan. i actually stole the line from a card i saw in the store, but it cracked me up, and Carlos does eat flowers. RTO is a little dissapointed that instead of shooing the cats off the counters i take pictures of them. hee hee.

interesting find in the Carnival of Cats....

I left a comment there, and thought I would post the Barber version for comparison.

The Monk and his Cat

Pangur, white Pangur,
How happy we areAlone together, Scholar and cat.
Each has his own work to do daily;
For you it is hunting, for me study.
Your shining eye watches the wall;
my feeble eye is fixed on a book.
You rejoice when your claws entrap a mouse;
I rejoice when my mind fathoms a problem.
Pleased with his own artNeither hinders the other;
Thus we live everwithout tedium and envy.
Pangur, white Pangur,
How happy we areAlone together,
Scholar and cat.

tivo fascist, part zwei.....

first commercial break starts.....

MK: uh, where's the remote?

RTO: this remote? (holds remote just out of reach)

MK: (glaring)

RTO:

MK:

RTO hands me the remote. back to watching Days.... next break

RTO: WHY AM I SEEING COMMERCIALS?!?? WHY WHY WHY!!!!????? not so remote fascist now are we?

mk stops typing, picks up remote, forwards through commercials.

Okay, at this point i'm thinking, the remote is between us.... either one of us could do this, but now it's my job, just because he usually keeps the remote on his right side, i'm on the left. HELLO? oh and it's also my job to scoopy the cat boxes. i thought that was something we traded off on, and since he was gone a year he has a lot of scoopy-ing to make up for, but NOOOOOoooo. he thinks since he cooks and does the laundry oh, never mind.

yay rto!!!

he did the taxes last night and i didn't even have to ask! and we're getting a refund! yaaaaaaayyyyyyeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (note to mom, maybe you should let him do laura's taxes. ;D)

strange occurance

soooo, mom noticed the time stamp of the previous post and asked if i'd stayed up all night, cause i don't get up that early for anything, not even w*rk. nope, i just woke up about six thirty this morning. got something like three hours of sleep. didn't nap today, which is also unusual. guess i'm getting old, you know, old people don't sleep much, or so i've been told.

Florida Elections...

yay dad!

I'm onto you "history" channel

RTO: sooooo, what do you want to watch? how bout "days"?

MK: so tell me the truth, the history channel stuff on tivo is really pr0n right?

RTO: whaaaa?

MK: i mean, you never watch it when i'm here.

RTO:

MK:

RTO: um, no, ha ha, uh, they're just really long programs.....

Queen of the Backyard!!! 

note to self:

don't leave the puppy unsupervised. Here's what I found tuesday. doily i'm working on

around the corner, row counting thingy, in pieces.


going behind the couch, there's the hook


finally, in the dining room. what's left of the string, actually it was all in tact, not too slobbery.


and still at the scene of the crime. oh, and she also chewed up the tv remote.

I just dare that stinky dog to come over here.


carnival of the cats is at running scared this week

yes i'm alive

no, i'm not happy.

okay, actually today was much better, went to work blah blah blah, finally got all the string untangled (details to follow) going to OKC this weekend so probably not much posting for a while, like anyone cares. just in case...... oh, sarahk finally blogged about their trip through the metroplex and posted pics of us. I'm glowing! there's also a fun story about my paleness i'll tell later..... must make notes.