Mood:
Sung by David D'Or. This version is really cool. Lecha Dodi means 'Come My Beloved'. It's a song that we sing at the synagogue on Friday night to welcome Shabbat. (In the song, Shabbat is referred to as a bride. Interesting imagery in the song itself.) It's a really beautiful song. Most Reform congregations skip a few verses. It's 9 verses long. (Plus, a chorus.) It was composed by Rabbi Shlomo Halevi Akabetz in the 16th century Ottoman Empire city of Edirne. It's also an acrostic, with the first letter of the first 8 verses spelling the author's name. There's a lot of different melodies and takes on it. Kind of fitting for a Friday post.
David D'Or's an Israeli singer, composer, and songwriter. He has a vocal range of more than 4 octaves and has won many awards in Israel. He represented Israel in the 2004 Eurovision contest. Really interesting singer.
Feeling slightly better today. Played my clarinet. Worked more on the klezmer tunes I've been going over the last few times, and added another one. Sounding better and better. I think the next few times, I'll just go over all these again. I won't add more for a while. Need to get better with these songs first.
Still had some mistakes with some. Not many, but I want to iron them out.
Read a bit more of Hetalia's 'Comic Diary'. I think it's extra comics that the mangaka posted on his blog. In a way, I think they may be funnier than the strips in the manga, because it's just stuff he felt like posting at the time. Some are just doodles or designs. It's very interesting. Anyways, I think this was one of the funnier strips. They're talking about Hello Kitty having a pet cat. (China's on the left in the top box, and Japan's on the right in the same one.) I love the culture clashes that the characters have. And, it seems that the mangaka does quite a bit of research on pop culture/traditions for a lot of the countries. He doesn't just pull this stuff out of thin air. He even talked about going through the NYC library, and how amazed he was with the wealth of knowledge there. The more I learn about him, the more I like him. He just wants people from around the world to understand and appreciate each other. I love learning about other countries, and their cultures/history. He seems to like how foods and food terms came about as well. So, there's quite a bit in the manga/blog posts on that. One of the ones I read today talked about how the words 'beef' and 'pork' came about. (Borrowed from the French.)
Oh, and the anime is coming back on January 25th! I can't wait!
Supposedly, they'll have a different look. Kind of more 'professional' looking designs. And, from what I've heard, will follow the designs more closely to the manga. So, sounds like it might be better. Probably will be their normal 5 minutes, though. I wish it was just a bit longer! They try to cram so much stuff in those 5 minutes, it's crazy!
Wrote a little bit more of Alliance. Also, trying to come up with a bar name that's not a real word or name. I might have a good candidate. I was thinking a lot about the story just before going to bed, and sure enough, I had a lot more ideas for where to take this. So, I was right yesterday.
Went over some kanji and compounds, as well. And, tried to move forward with the drawing meme. (Didn't realize how difficult drawing a side profile would be for me.
) Worked a bit on translating a You Maga article.
Mood:
By Blur. It sounds so simple, yet cool. The only lyrics are 'Jets are like comets at sunset' repeated over and over. It also is probably one of the most Gorillaz sounding songs from them. The sax solo is a bit odd. The bass is amazing. Blur formed in London in 1988. This year, they received a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. The main singer, Damon Albarn, along with the artist Jamie Hewlett, created the animated band Gorillaz. From 2005 to 2007 Blur was mostly on hiatus, and that let Albarn focus his attention on Gorillaz. (One of the members left the group from '01-'07.) This album was actually released in 2003. The sessions for it were in Marrakesh, Morocco, and in Devon back in the UK.
I'm feeling pretty crappy. It might be weird to some to read this, but I'm going to put it up anyways.(It's just what people have to deal with, so I'm not worried too much about sharing it.) My monthly friend is late, and I'm feeling worse as time goes by. If it ends up becoming 2 weeks, I'm going to see someone. I haven't had any weird ones since they gave me an IUD, so this is making me a bit worried.
They always say it could just be stress. (Also, adding more exercise and changing your eating habits can mess it up as well.) But, I don't know. Before the IUD, I went for 8 months straight with no breaks whatsoever. I was becoming very anemic. I don't want it the other way around.
I've been keeping up with my sit-ups. And, went on one of my long walks tonight. Didn't go as far as what I'm planning to do regularly. But, I'll eventually get there. The moon was bright and beautiful. Clouds were multi-layered and swirling around the moon. Really nice to see. Also, trying to keep up with my new way of eating too. It's working so far.
Cartoon KAT-TUN, on Wednesday, was interesting. They featured extra scenes from their Okinawa trip. In a way, I think it made it more interesting that it was windy and raining so much. Would have been nice if it was sunny, but they did things they wouldn't have done otherwise. Funny, when they tried to play golf in the rain. (It was like a monsoon type rain.) Also, the shops they visited were very interesting. I kind of want to visit that area now. Probably was their intention...
I already want to go to at least Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Sapporo, Kobe, and a few others. But, those are the main ones.
Didn't go to the cafe this week, because I had a psychiatrist appointment. She's so sweet. I told her I didn't like the therapist I tried last time. But, that was the last one on staff who was female. I've gone through all the other female ones. (A lot of the ones I liked have retired or transferred.) Didn't have too many good experiences with male therapists, so I want to stick with the female ones.
So, it looks like I'll be trying some in Seattle. Sad that there isn't more mental health people on this side of the water.
But, my psychiatrist said she's available if I do need someone to at least talk to. She wants to make sure I'm doing well on that front too. Not just the meds. She told me that they cut the time for patients to see a psychiatrist down to 15 minutes. Which is crazy! She always allows more time than that. And, this time it was 45 minutes. Almost the amount of time they give for a therapy session.
Finished watching Perfect Blue, last Tuesday. It was very predictable, and dragged at times. It wasn't the best, but wasn't the worst. It still had it's moments that kept me watching. Turned out Perfect Blue is a doping drug, that they experimented with little kids on a baseball team without them knowing, about 10 years ago. It had horrible hazardous affects. And, it was virtually undetectable at the time. Kayoko's father was going to expose the company who made it. He was murdered to cover it up. But, he left behind a sample of the drug, where no one thought to look. In a stuffed bone that they thought originally was a toy for Masa. I knew what was in it as soon as they showed it. Masa wouldn't play with it, because he knew what was in it, too. (He's a retired police dog. He could sniff out the drugs.)
Watched Hana Yori Dango 2, today. It was kind of annoying this time. Doumyoji and Makino were finally together again. He fell, and got amnesia. The only thing he can't remember is Makino. A girl, named Umi, who was at the hospital tried to befriend Makino. Then, once she saw Doumyoji, she kind of pushed her to the side. When Doumyoji told her that he really wants to remember, she told him to forget about it. That if he doesn't remember, it's not important. She really stepped into Makino's shoes when Makino left homemade cookies for Doumyoji and he remembered something. He said that he remembered he was in love with a girl who gave him similar cookies before, but he couldn't see her face in his memories. He said that Umi must be the person he was in love with, and she went along with it. Rui didn't like her from the beginning. I also suspected something fishy when I first saw Umi. The next episode is the finale. Then, there's a special. Hopefully, he remembers soon, because it's getting really tiring. Even Rui looked tired from it. I still think Rui's a better match.
Wrote a little more of chapter 19 of Alliance, on Tuesday. Hoping to get around to more tonight. I don't know why I've hit somewhat of a wall. I just have to think more about it. Usually my best ideas come when I think lightheartedly about the story. Like what would happen if I do this or that? Ah! I have an idea! And, then I run with it. Sometimes, I can't write fast enough when that happens.
I've been thinking about other stuff lately, so that might be why I'm having a little writer's block.
Got some more info on the New Year's Eve party. Lots of people I'll know, so far. And, sounds like there will be a lot of food. And, with me possibly bringing games, there will be a lot of things to do. Sounds like fun!
Mood:
By Super Junior. Super Junior's a South Korean boy band, with 9 active members currently. At it's peak they had 13 members. They've won many awards in Korea, and are popular worldwide. It's interesting that (as I've noticed) a lot of the big/popular Korean bands out there have a Japanese version of at least some of their songs. I actually prefer this version over the original Korean one. One of the few songs of theirs I feel that way with. Even though I do have more of a draw towards the Japanese versions, some of those just don't sound right. They're choppy, and don't seem to have the same flow. It's a cool music video, too. It seems that they're trying to appeal to people and show them what operas can be like. As one of the translated lines says: "The opera suits you much more than you think." I'm not really into opera, but I love the song.
[Full] Super Junior - Opera Japanese ver by f100000113838875
Well, to people who celebrate Christmas, hope you have a great one!
I don't, but I have many friends and family members who do. And I wish them all the best.
We were going to a local Chinese buffet tomorrow night. But, there's a high chance that this area might actually get snow, so we played it safe and went out tonight. Apparently, the closest one that we like so much, was closed for repairs.
So, we had to go out a ways. But, it's a pretty good one too. Just odd customers. I think there's a bigger selection at this one, compared to the other one. There was a bigger sushi bar, many different types of chicken, really good vegetable rolls (maybe better than at the other place), tasty bok choy, garlic green beans, salads, salmon, corn, and more. For dessert, they have a chocolate fountain with slices of bananas and marshmallows on the side for you to dip into it. Also, some banana slices in a strawberry sauce, different flavors of ice cream, cake rolls, cream puffs, etc. I grabbed tiny bits of everything I could eat. Didn't have as many plates of food as I usually do. It's a sign that I'm on the right track!
Speaking of which, I've been exercising more and eating less the last few weeks. Feeling much better already. I'm now doing 20 sit-ups when I get up, and 20 more just before going to sleep. Started with just doing 10 twice in a day. Adding 5 to both the morning and night ones each week. Actually, feel like the area around my abdomen is tightening a bit more. Trying to cut a lot of my dinners down. I think that was partially my problem. Eating too much for dinner.I tend to have half what I did before, and save the rest for another meal. Still trying to eat less at other meals too, but I hadn't worked on this yet. Went a couple of times for longer walks. Still not as long as I wanted, but it's a step. Hope to do those long walks at least once a day. But, I guess I have to work up to it. Eventually, I hope to add in riding my bike, and maybe playing basketball. (More like just shooting hoops, but still...) Those would help a lot as well. I've already lost a lot of weight from when I was at my heaviest, after coming home from college. (Last time I checked, I lost about 50 pounds compared to back then. Might be more now.) Long before I started this. Lost weight almost as soon as I started a med called lamotrigine. Which has been amazing...Depression meds made me gain so much, that was the main reason. This is a bipolar 2 med. (Originally used for epilepsy.) Doesn't work as well for type 1 people. But, that's going into something else...
Started watching Tonari Kaibutsu-kun, or the English title is My Little Monster. (But the lit. translation is The Monster Seated Next to Me.) It's hilarious so far! I love how blunt they are, and how they already know their feelings for each other. A lot of shows spend forever on the 'do I love them?' 'do they love me?' stuff. The story focuses on the relationship between Shizuku Mizutani and a boy named Haru Yoshida. Shizuku thought the only thing she was interested in was studying and planning for her future. Haru rarely attended school, and after meeting Shizuku while she delivered class print-outs to his home, he immediately greets her as a friend. Because of her, he's decided to go back to school, and sits next to her in class. He's constantly around her. He's already stated his feelings that he's in love with her, and she's realizing that she's falling for him. He's kind of a goofball. Irritated easily, curious about having a real friendship, felt abandoned before, and seems to be a bit unpredictable with his behavior in general. He now has a pet rooster that he's been taking care of at the school. Much to the dismay of his teacher. (It's very messy, and he doesn't clean up after it.)
Went through a lot of the CDs I have in my CD tower or rack. A lot of them I didn't put in my CD holder, so I forgot about them. Found one that a friend gave me before we graduated high school, called Rachel's Mix. Full of songs she thought 'suited' me. I don't even remember which one of my friends gave it to me.
Some songs I absolutely love. Some, are just plain annoying or boring. Great find, and brought some good memories back. Also, saw a CD that was made just before we graduated. It was for everyone who played in the high school band. It has recordings of some of our old performances, and pics of us. Individually and in groups. Cool to see. I looked a lot different back then.
Also, went through my Rammstein and Gorillaz CDs. I almost forgot about them. Rammstein is one of the few industrial metal bands I can tolerate, or even love. Their songs seem to really pack a punch, and can be like a wild ride. I've always loved Gorillaz, from when I first heard them back in high school. Cool beats, and a style of blending multiple musical genres. Like alternative, rock, hip hop, electronica, dub, pop, and more. I love music that brings together so many different genres. Makes it fun. They're a 'virtual' band with 4 members: 2D, Murdoc, Noodle, and Russel. I'll talk more about them when I 'feature' some of their songs. Also, looked up stuff for the band Blur. (1 of the members helped create [along with the artist/illustrator Jamie Hewlett], and provide some of the vocals and various instruments for Gorillaz.) I loved the band before, but found even more cool songs from them. Really awesome band.
Apparently, we're not going to our usual place for New Year's Eve. But, that's fine since we're pretty close with the people who are hosting it this time. The ones who usually do it will be there too. They invited a bunch of people that we know, so that would be nice. Probably get to chow down on a bunch of junk food, play some games, and watch the fireworks on TV like usual. I'm going to bring a couple of games this time. Thought it would be fun to do something different if we get bored of things like Trivial Pursuit and Apples to Apples. I'm thinking of bringing Boggle, Stratego, and maybe Rummikub. Haven't played Stratego in a long time. It's kind of like chess, only with bombs.
I love strategy games.
Watched Kamisama Hajimemashita. Next episode is the finale. I was really surprised by this one. It's really good, and I don't really want it to end.
Managed to write more of chapter 19. I'm a bit stuck at the moment, but I'm trying to muddle through it. Played my clarinet. Getting even better with some of the Klezmer tunes in my book. Practiced some kanji and compounds.
Mood:
From the Matrix soundtrack. One of the coolest songs from it. This one is actually a darker version of the original mix, called the Kurayamino variation. The original mix doesn't sound as 'epic'. It came out in 1995, but this version came out when the Matrix came out in 1999. And, was re-released as a single with new remixes in 2002. Kind of interesting. I loved a lot of the music when I watched the Matrix movies in the theater. Really set the mood, and very well done.
When I woke up this morning, everything was covered with a blanket of snow. Last time I heard, it was 2 inches in this area. But, we don't get snow that often. Most of the day its been a mix of rain and snow, so things have been slowly melting. But, occasionally, especially as we get colder, the snow flakes have gotten larger. So, don't know if it will melt all the way, or if there will be more tomorrow. They said most likely there's a slight chance of more snow in the morning, but it'll change to rain later. Funny how it only hit a few places in the area, and we were one of them.But, we're in a convergence zone, so not that surprising. I think it's beautiful and nice to look at. But, after a while, it gets old. Fun to be in for like 5 minutes at most.
Since it snowed, and looked really nasty out, I decided not to go to the cafe this week. I won't go next week either, because I have a psychiatrist appointment. Oh well. Went to Dad's support group yesterday. Didn't have as many people as we were expecting. Although, it is just before Christmas for the ones who celebrate it. So, makes sense on that front.Had a very energizing and interesting conversation there. Then, we all went to Shari's for a very late dinner. I had their cinnamon bun French toast with a caramel sauce and toffee nuts. It was huge! So, I ate half and took the rest home. I've been doing that a lot lately when I go places. It's better for me. I don't need all those calories at once.(Plus, I get to enjoy it again at some point!) Anyways, the French toast was amazing!
One of the few things I've actually really liked from them.
On Cartoon KAT-TUN, they had one of the actresses from Monsters. (This was actually a few years before that show. But, she was popular then too.) It was interesting to see her 'real' or offset self. She's very proud to be, as she said, chubby and cute. I like when people feel comfortable in their own skin, and don't want to become something they're not. Like focus so much on dieting, and being as thin as possible like some actresses do. Try to look like what society views as 'perfect'. Anyways, they also played a game of badminton against another celebrity. (They didn't really say much about her.) The celebrity won. If they lose a certain amount of times against a guest, they have to be 'punished' in some way. Usually through the 'smile' athletic events.
Fairy Tail's getting interesting with the tournament. It's at a point where an episode feels like a minute. It's one of their better arcs. Supposedly, Lucy might 'awaken' and while she sings the town will crumble. According to Carla's premonition, and hints from one of the knights watching the games. Wendy is still unconscious. Natsu managed to get some points for his team, even if he was one of the last ones. Apparently, most high level dragon slayers have motion sickness. Everyone knew about Natsu's, but Gajeel has it now too. So does one of the members from another team, Sting. I love Natsu's perseverance through everything. He never gives up. He also made an awesome speech about it, and how he wants to repay the other members of the guild for protecting it for 7 years while they were gone. Next, Elfman goes against one of the most powerful mages in the tournament.
Played my clarinet. Went over the Klezmer tunes I've been working on for the last couple of days, and a couple more. It's really interesting to hear how some play them. Found a really old recording of one of them on Youtube. It was very interesting to hear the original players for some of these songs. I could tell it was old too, because of the fuzzy record sound every few seconds. Sounded even better today.
Went over another kanji and some compounds. Thinking about having the potstickers we got from Trader Joe's recently, for dinner. I actually forgot about them. We also got some sauce to go with it. (Almost forgot about that as well.) That should be really tasty! Might throw in some vegetables on the side, too. At least make it semi-healthy.
Mood:
This was yesterday, but I like it enough to talk about it the next day.
I love it, actually. But, a little goes a long way. Canada's the largest producer of it, and produces over 5 million gallons a year. Vermont is the largest producer in the US, and apparently generates about 5.5% of the global supply. Very interesting. The Native Americans where the first ones to make maple syrup. It was adopted by early European settlers in the late 1600s.
Went to the Hanukkah party at one of the synagogues last Saturday. It was a lot better planned than last year. They actually had the tables and food upstairs, this time. Last time, they had one table upstairs for lighting the menorahs. Then, everyone had to make their way downstairs, and be crowded elbow to elbow when they sat down at the tables. There was barely room for the food, as well. But, this setup was really nice this year. There was space to sit and eat comfortably.
Plus, room at each table for their menorahs. I didn't bring ours this time, because I wanted it to be cleaned up. Couldn't really get it clean enough, even though I got huge chunks of the wax off. Thought it still looked kind of tacky that way.
Luckily, they have several menorahs they can use from their collection that's normally on display. The one we used was meant for huge candles, but all they had were the normal small ones. Dangerous, but I was able to make them stay in.
There were several dreidels, gelt, and M&Ms scattered around each table. Just for if people wanted to play some dreidel. There was also a raffle, which I sadly didn't win anything from.
But, still fun. There were a lot of different latkes, and their new thing this year was trying to get as many different types of toppings as possible. Personally, I like my applesauce just fine, thank you very much.But, they had different chutneys, a peanut sauce, sour cream, chocolate syrup, etc. (The chocolate syrup one really made me wonder...) There, sadly, wasn't any kosher Chinese food this time. But, there was plenty to eat.
For dessert, someone made a really cool cake. When they made the first cut into it, it exploded outwards on one side. Gelt (chocolate coins) came spewing out from the center. It was a chocolate cake with a little coffee in a chocolate frosting. This guy was awesome!I don't know how he made it! The gelt wasn't melted either. He wasn't sure if it would actually work. There was also rugelach (a rolled pastry that can have many different fillings), powdered jelly donuts (sufganiyot), and something else I can't remember. (The cake really made an impression. So, hard to remember what else was there.)
Met a couple of their new members. One was very quiet throughout most of the night. But, towards the end, he suddenly joined in and became very talkative. Maybe he was just nervous the whole time.I barely got to see the other new member. She didn't sit next to us, and there was a throng of people around her.
Just before we left, I grabbed a bunch of the gelt. And, we forgot to have the gelt that we bought before the holiday. So, now we have a pretty nice stash of them.It was fun being able to catch up with some of the people we knew too.
On Sunday, I drove a little. Went to Wal-Mart and our local market. Couldn't drive more than that because it was starting to become very hard to see. It was getting dark out, and there was a mix of rain and snow. Made things a bit slick, too. Apparently, we have a possibility for snow today, and Sunday. There was a very light dusting when I looked out the window this morning. They also predict that the rest of the time, it'll be a mix of rain and snow. I don't think they really know what will happen.
Got 3 new lipsticks at the store on Sunday. I'm not used to wearing lipstick, but I want to wear it more often.Most of my other lipsticks are at least a few years old. They say you shouldn't be using ones that are that old. I want to get more into my makeup. It feels good, boosts my self-esteem a little, and can be fun. I tried the Fuchsia with Blue Pearl color yesterday. It was a very interesting one, and bold. Tried the Pink Ice one today. It's a lot more subdued, but fun still. I like colors that aren't the norm. That might be frosted, metallic, changes colors, 2-toned, etc. I do that a lot with nail polish, so why not with lipstick? Having colors that are just red, for example, are boring.
I also put a 'lip dew' thing under my lipstick today. It's supposed to keep your lips from getting too dry or something. Essentially, just a lip gloss. Looks even better with it. I think tomorrow I'll try one called Breeze.
Perfect Blue is getting intense. They're finally about to find out what Kayoko's father's last words meant. (His last words were Perfect Blue.) Itoko (Kayoko's sister) was kidnapped by the people behind everything, including killing her father. Her mother and Kayoko came in to rescue her, but fell into a trap where the people that kidnapped Itoko were just lying in wait for them. They plan to kill them all in an explosion, while they're trapped inside a warehouse. Masa tried to save them, but took a bullet to his side (somewhere in between his hips and his belly). He looked like he played dead for a bit, and while they weren't looking he ran off on 3 legs trying to find help. All the while leaving a trail of blood. This dog's tough! Next episode is the finale.
In Hitman Reborn, Tsuna's father visits. Tsuna also learns a bit more about the Vongola's 7 half-rings. I got the hint that his father is a part of the mafia as well. But, Tsuna is clueless about it. Kind of sad. He thinks so lowly of his father, and yet his father just wants to kid with him sometimes, or make him stronger in his own way. The 7 half-rings are being delivered to other members of the 'family'. So far, we know for sure about Gokudera and Yamamoto. Tsuna has one, but it looks slightly different. Still don't know much about the rings, but it's interesting. There's a rebellious group of assassins that were once loyal to the 'family'. Now they're after the rings. And, plan to destroy the Vongola family.
Played my clarinet. Started getting more serious about it on Monday. Going over each piece numerous times until I get it right. Thought I had a CD that went with my Klezmer book, but I can't seem to find it.
So, I'm listening to some recordings from Youtube. Just to see what others do to the base melody. I've noticed, for some songs, they play it faster than what it is on paper. And, for some, slower. I guess it just matters on who's playing it. But, they all have that same base melody. So, it's not just their own thing. I'm already getting a lot better with some of the pieces I've gone over. Although, these are the easiest ones in the book. But, I don't want to be sloppy with them, like I was before. Even if they're semi-easy, you still want it to be clean and played correctly. Eventually, I'll 'embellish' it a bit. But, I need to perfect these pieces a bit more.
Edited a good portion of chapter 19 of Alliance. Reads a lot smoother now. Posted a chapter to the forum that's giving me some interesting feedback. One person commented saying they liked the chapter, but kind of scary to post around now. In the chapter before, there is a shooting. And, oddly about a week or 2 after I posted it, the Sandy Hook shootings happened. So, she felt it was a bit eerie. I kind of agree, but you can't predict things like that. I'm glad that people are liking my story, though.
Posted a pic of our menorah for the 7th night on FB and dA. 4 people faved it, and I gained a new watcher through it. Someone asked me if I spoke Hebrew, and that was her main language. She also wanted to talk a bit about Hanukkah, and how it went. Very nice sounding person. Some people liked it on FB, too.
Went over some kanji and compounds. Rosie, one of our cats, has been 'giving' me a lot of things today. (She's also a bit of a klepto.) Maybe something is bothering her. The last thing she gave me was our really old little pamphlet full of Hanukkah blessings and songs. She started to try and rip it up. Luckily, I grabbed it from her just in time. I think she got it, because I'm sure Mom's scent is still on it. Maybe she's having another mourning wave, like I think we all have been having. They come and go.
Mood:
Wow! It ends really soon.Kind of an odd, and definitely not a normal Hanukkah for us. But, some of it has been great!Thinking about going to the Hanukkah party that's tomorrow night. They always have a ton of latkes and interesting things to eat at this one. (Most of the time there's an assortment of kosher Chinese food! Good stuff!) Almost lit my arm on fire last year, because someone pushed me a bit while I was lighting our menorah. (I think it was an overly excited little kid.) This is at the other synagogue that we occasionally go to. Met someone who was originally from Japan, last time. Haven't seen her since. It'll be cool if she goes to it this year, and I could try and talk to her again in Japanese.Probably will be one of the better parties this year.
Went to Olive Garden last night. Had their steak gorgonzola-alfredo. It was amazing!I'm not usually that 'adventurous' there. The steak medallions had a balsamic vinaigrette glaze. The pasta's sauce had a bit of a bite from the cheese. There was spinach and tomatoes mixed in with the pasta, as well. I couldn't eat it all. In fact, I've managed to make 2 more meals from it. Probably much more healthy that way. Rather than have all those calories at once.
Not to mention having the breadsticks and the salad. I hate how they don't have an individually-sized salad. It's usually big enough for at least 3 people. So, couldn't eat all of that either. Took 2 breadsticks home, so I could have 1 for each of the extra meals from it. Or, Dad could have the 2nd one. Either way, they'll be used. We love their breadsticks. And, apparently, they have bread to-go bags. So, other people must like them as well.
Watched half of Gokusen The Movie. Interesting so far. A bit more outlandish than the actual series, but that's what makes it fun. Interesting to see Yankumi's previous students have major roles in it. This is the last of the series, so it'll be kind of sad when I finish the movie. Gokusen has been an interesting ride. Parts of some of the stories were recycled from previous seasons, but they still had something that made them different. A lot of the actors have made it big after starring in this. So, it's kind of a classic, too.
Watched Hitman Reborn. It's becoming more and more interesting! Tsuna seems to be getting stronger slowly, and maturing quickly as a person. He still has his moments, but I like that they won't have him appear as weak and unsure of himself as before. It would have been lame if that kept up. He still gets scared, which seems more 'real'. But, he doesn't run away as much. The story behind the Vongola family has been interesting so far, too.
Buster Keel actually had an update! I thought it would never have one. It's been 5 months.But, nice to see. Blue and Lovey make it into an adventurer's tournament, where the prize is a jingi. (A Jingi is a very powerful musical instrument, and no one knows what they really do. There's only a few, and Keel's group is after them. He thinks it can turn him back into his dragon-ape self, with his powers fully restored.) Keel couldn't enter, because it can only be a 2-member team. So, he searched around for another person to pair up with. He found someone, but knows nothing about him. Even his name sounds suspicious, meaning masked-man in Japanese. Anyways, he makes it through the prelims as well.
Played my clarinet. Which I haven't done in a while. Felt nice. Did some Klezmer tunes. I've decided I probably shouldn't rush through the books, without semi-perfecting the pieces. Just glossing over it is not going to help me improve.
So, I'm going to listen to some of the recordings from my Klezmer book next time, to really hear how they play it. It's different than what's written down, and the recordings are much older than the book itself. They're supposed to give you more of an idea of how to make your own style based on the old ones. Can't do that if you haven't heard it. What's written is really the base melody, and what people start off with. (Have to obviously perfect that before you can do your own thing with it.) Klezmer can be difficult that way. Also, I'll go over every piece until I get it right, and review it the next time after that. If I just keep glossing over things, I not only won't improve, but I might end up making even more mistakes. I'll try to do similar stuff with the rest of the books I have from different genres. This way it may take me a while to get through each book, though. That's ok, there's no reason to rush through it.
Wrote some more of chapter 19 of Alliance. Still getting even more exciting, and yet I'm hoping to finish this first book with the next chapter. I already know it's going to be a HUGE cliffhanger. Worked a little on that big drawing meme, that features my original characters from Alliance. Trying to figure out how to draw a side profile of 2 of them facing each other. It's good practice for me.
Went over another kanji and a few compounds. I still would like to learn new kanji and compounds. It's kind of fun. Also, translated a little more of a You Maga article.
Burned one of my fingers a little tonight lighting the Hanukkah candles.I wanted to melt the bottom of one of the candles, so it could meld into place. So, I used a flame from another candle. Turned out they had another wick at the bottom, so it quickly burned up. Luckily, I saved it (and my hand), and went about it like normal. These are apparently fast burning candles too. They didn't last more than maybe an hour. Took a pic of it lit up, because we probably will be going to the party tomorrow night. I was going to on the last night show what it looks like all lit up. But, second to last night is probably good enough. It's somehow really cool to see it all lit up. Seeing a room full of them lit up is even cooler.(Which is what will happen if we go to the party.)
