195

[voxwoman]

Now that I'm past the house selling anxiety excuse, I am back on the diet train. As you can see from the title of this post, I've taken several large steps backwards. I was up to 198 earlier this month, and earlier this week, after my bout of possible food poisoning, down to 192.

195 was yesterday's weight. Today I'm at 194. And I'm starting the record-keeping again.

In other appearance-alteration news, I have decided to go gray while I'm losing weight (and stay gray). I'm debating whether I'm going to cut off most of my hair for my 50th birthday or keep it more-or-less shoulder length until all the black dye is out of it. If I live to be 100 or so, like my grandfather, I will have non-black hair for half my life. That's a strange concept to me. Also that my grandchild (and subsequent grandchildren) will never really know me except as a gray-haired granny.

This time on the diet,  I am going to do the accompanying exercize regimen. I really must stay on top of that if I'm going to maintain my mobility throughout the second half of my life.

I've officially joined the Little Opera Company as of last night as a singer. I'm singing second soprano/alto because they need those. We're doing an English version of Der Fleidermaus, and the first song the chorus does is in Act 2, and 40% of the lyrics are "Let's be gay!". With the new connotations of the word gay, this causes a lot of titters among the teenagers in the group. I'm one of 4 adults besides the directors and staff. I bring this up because the organization needs to raise $30,000 dollars to do this production, and keep it "tuition-free" - and they hope do do most of that fundraising through ticket sales. So if you're local to me, expect me to sell you tickets. We are doing 4 performances the weekend of November 11. The principles in the cast are professional opera singers; the kids (and me) are in the chorus.

I don't know this opera very well (I don't really know any opera really well), but I've heard that even if you don't like opera, you'd like this one.

This weekend is likely to be the last Music for the Goddess gig for a while - like 5 years or more. We are going to a festival tomorrow in Pennsylvania, and I'm doing a solo act - I have to "pad" out the set with some spoken-word stuff; I'm going to read the prose that got turned into "Round and Round", The Cat Who Walks By Himself by Rudyard Kipling (from his Just So Stories - that should suck up 15 or so minutes!), and The Witch Next Door by Bridwell (the fellow who writes Clifford the Big Red Dog) with a strange, almost Yoko Kanno-esque musical background. The reason this is the last gig for a while is because I have the uncanny knack of scheduling something I want to do (this gig was booked, a fucking year ago) to conflict with something the kid really wants to do. In this case, it's Rahway Band Day, on Sunday, when we will be en route back home after spending the night at the festival. It's also Mabon, but we can forget about family religious practice. That's always secondary to school events, unless its "can I stay home from school today because it's Samhain?" All I've been hearing from her for the past week is how sad she is that she's missing Band Day, and I really don't want to hear about it when I'm trying to get ready for a gig. The whole point of us sleeping over there (and costing the festival an extra 150 dollars) was because it was going to be too late to drive home from PA after the drum circle that Rich has to lead. But he can't say no to her, so I'm expecting that I'm going to be roused from bed slightly before dawn to pack the van and sneak out of the festival like thieves in the night. I have half a mind to leave the kid home when we go to Philcon in November.

Deep breath.

OK, I will not assume the kid will be a thorn in my side all weekend, and instead expect her to be supportive and pleasant. And who knows? If the gig actually goes well, I may be inclined to leave early enough for her to attend her thing on Sunday...

Comments

Congrats!

[saminz.livejournal.com]

On the singing, the gigs, the weight-loss resolutions, but most of all the deep breath and new resolve not to let yourself be driven bonkers by the little lady ;-)!

Now, the only way I can relate to your problems there is of course not from any experience as a mom, but from my memories of being her age, so it might as well be of little help ;-).

Still. At 13, getting up and to school on time should definitely be possible without help. (If one absolutely needs to get up earlier to ruin ones wonderful curly hair, so be it - but certainly not on mom's time! My own mom would have given me one look about things like that - one that used to shut even me up :-P.)

I still remember her speech once I got sent home back then (Age 13and half). She made sure this really was what I wanted - to stay in town and live with her, namely.
This would be allowed IF: 1 - I would finish basic schooling. 2 -I was perfectly aware that she had to work and would not be available for any whim any time. 3 - I was prepared to be of use around the house and take care of my own schedule. In short: I would grow up about RIGHT NOW and take my share of responsibility.
In return, I would be treated as an adult and get as much freedom as I could handle, as long as I kept in touch and did my chores.

Could you possibly consider forming such a pact with A...? She seems a pretty sensible sort, but might not yet have gotten it figured that parents are their own people, at least as much as as hers :-).
You might be underestimating, possibly under-challenging her in this respect.

Maybe, just as an exercise, you could also try imagining her as some boarder in your house, an exchange student, or something. What would you expect of the girl? And what would you not do for her - ot TO her, even, such as taking responsibility for her waking up in mornings...;-)?

I really think all you two need is a little more distance to get closer... Make any sense ;-)?

Sorry if I sound all too auntie-ish...
Please feel completely free to tell me that I have no idea. Because I probably don't, really :-P.
But you two are just too cool to not get along... I have SO enjoyed your company, and have big respect for both parties (despite that rather disturbing hair issue, even :-P).