QSOC, over and done with

The opera is over and, by and large, I had a fantastic time. It was a tremendous boost to my oboe playing skills--and also to my ability to cope with nerves, since I had to play featured solos on an unfamiliar and finicky instrument. The performances were received well: Mum really liked it, the Journal gave it a favourable review, a number of friends praised the show during intermissions, and a member of the Kingston Opera Guild raved about it for something like five or ten minutes. Several people gave me compliments on my playing specifically--the most pleasing of which would have to be the one from an actual real, live oboe player.

Sadly, I took very few photos and wrote no journal entries during show week. During runs, I was too intent on either playing, counting rests (in constantly varying meters) or preparing to play (which took several seconds). During warm-ups, I was too busy stretching, practicing tricky passages and figuring out how to avoid previous oboe pitfalls. I was worried that taking photos from the pit during the dress rehearsal would distract the cast. Backstage, I knew people would think I was weird for taking photos. So, despite carrying my camera around with me much of the time, I took only three photos of the whole process. Nevertheless--and this is an awful thing to say, but I think it's true--at least one of my photos is better than the two that appeared in the Journal.

Needless to say, my academic performance is shot. I've been struggling all year with finding time to study now that I can't stay up late, so having rehearsals or performances basically every evening didn't help the situation. After rehearsals or performances, I was too exhausted to do anything, yet paradoxically too full of adrenaline to sleep. That caught up with me, of course; I slept for three or four hours at the cast party!

(no subject)

To update the rat situation: If you're a member of the ON RMCA forum, here's the background. I didn't pick up the rats on Sunday but I'm still considering doing so. More on that later.

According to the Ontario Tenant Protection Act, I'm allowed to have any pet, regardless of "no pets" clauses, unless it (in the words of the summary here):

• caused undue damage,
• caused a serious allergic reaction in another person or the landlord,
• interfered with the normal enjoyment of the property by another tenant or the landlord, for example, causing undue noise,
• acted aggressively to others – thus affecting their safety, or
• is a species or breed of animal that is inherently dangerous

Quite frankly, I don't see their justification in that for prohibiting all rodents. (I've read the original wording in the Act too.) I think that if the landlords tried to evict me for owning two rats, their application would probably not be approved by the Housing Tribunal. The manager claimed that their justification for picking and choosing which animals are allowed is in a City of Kingston by-law. This is the only Kingston by-law that concerns animals and it contains nothing relevant to the situation.

So the question now is whether I gather the legal evidence and challenge them, or give up and get a cat instead. A cat would be far less well-suited to my lifestyle but if I could find one content to live in a bachelor apartment it would probably work out. Some have suggesed I get a rat surreptitiously; personally, I don't think that's desirable or even feasible. The management might grudgingly allow me to get a rat if I argued the point, but the conflict might well ruin my positive relations with the staff.

Thoughts?

New York, New York, a helluva town, the Bronx is up and the Battery's down

The QMT trip to New York City is rapidly approaching. I've found some people with whom I can go sight-seeing, and yesterday we drew up a preliminary itinerary. It includes:

• places: Rockefeller Centre, MOMA, Times Square, Empire State Building (at night), Central Park and/or 5th Avenue (possibly including the Jewish Museum)


• shows: Avenue Q (the whole trip group is going to this), any matinee available at TKTS, attempting to get tickets to "The Daily Show"


• things others are doing that I may skip: Madame Tussaud's, Serendipity (as recommended by Oprah), the Chocolate Bar, shopping, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (17 people are going to this, which will probably not include me unless someone cancels)


• in favour of: the Cloisters, the Lincoln Centre, Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum, Washington Square Park, Grand Central Terminal, Sweeney Todd, 228 Avenue of the Americas


Any other suggestions? Geek-related stuff?

NB: Damn! I'll miss The History Boys by one week and The Drowsy Chaperone by one month!