Sunday, July 21, 2013

Summer of Heroic Love

Started a late morning with Peach-Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Brunch With the Beatles. The psychedelic "Summer of Love" in 1967 was in the spotlight today. They mostly played songs from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour. A smattering of singles released around the time like "Penny Lane" and "All You Need Is Love," the latter written for a live show broadcast around the world, were mixed in.

Called Mom around 11:30. For once, I got her right away. Skylar was playing games in the living room; she'd just come from working in her garden. We discussed the hot weather, how neither of us like to mow the lawn, and the boredom I felt yesterday. She says yes, talk to Stockton...but try to connect with other people more. She's not really good at connecting, either. She also prefers to work alone (one of the reasons she quit Michael's a few years ago), and like me, she spends much of her time alone and doesn't get out much.

I just don't know how to connect with people my age. The few people I met around here who were anything like my age and lifestyle seem to have disappeared, likely to other parts of the US or world that are more open to young singles. I don't feel like I fit in here. If there are so many people having the same problems I am, why don't I see them? Where do they rent books? Where do they grocery shop? Where do they eat lunch? The only people I see who are my age are either married or have kids or both.

I'm going to look for more opportunities to volunteer. Studio LuLoo on West Clinton next-door to Leo's Yum-Yums is the closest thing to a recreation center in any of the local towns. They do art, yoga, and music programs for adults and kids, and they do accept volunteers. I'll try talking to them tomorrow or sometime this week. I'll try to do yoga at home again, too. It's too hot for me to run off to Yogawood, and I kind of lost interest in them once Karin left and the newer teachers either weren't as fun or were too hard for my (low) level. It's a pain in the rear end to have to change into workout clothes and run all the way there and all the way back, too.

I finally let go of Mom and headed to work around noon. Work was steady throughout the day, not too crazy or quiet. It was apparently busy early in the day, but by 12:30, it had slowed to something more manageable. I guess everyone must have either come back from their vacations or left for them in the morning. I was in and out with no problems.

When I got home, I made Brown Rice with Mushrooms and leftover Chicken Parmesan for dinner. Ran two CDs that related to both Lois & Clark and last night's Let Freedom Ring as I cooked. The Scarlet Pimpernel has long been my favorite book. In 1998, the musical version debuted on Broadway, with Douglas Sills as the dashing title character, Christine Andreas as his lady fair, and Terrance Mann as the dastardly Chauvelain. Frank Wildhorn's show wasn't popular with critics (none of his shows are, for some reason), and it's been heavily revised so many times, there's at least two other versions out there on CD. This is the original, and it's long been a favorite of mine, with gorgeous numbers like Chauvelain's "Where's the Girl?" and the rousing "Into the Fire" for Sills and his men. If you love this story, the original is the only one you need.

There's more options for what's more-or-less the same story in North Africa, The Desert Song. I have two studio versions, one on CD with Kitty Carlisle and Wilbur Evans, and one on LP with Dorothy Kirsten and Gordon MacRae. Neither have anything resembling the complete score (the CD one is bundled with a Decca studio recording of New Moon), but of the two, the Decca Evans/Carlisle is a bit more dynamic and gives you slightly more idea of what this romantic show is all about. (I've seen a TV version with Nelson Eddy on DVD out there as well.)

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