Who Comes Up With This Garbage?

I saw this on Facebook today and nearly wretched:

I can't remember who posted that drivel, but I'm pretty sure it was someone older than 12. Don't people realize that garbage like this trivializes their beliefs and makes them look mindless and infantile?

The Great Debate: Baseball or Football?

With the Super Bowl fast approaching, it's time to examine a critical question: which sport is better - football or baseball? I've enlisted Bill Maher and the late George Carlin to assist us in our deliberations.

First, we'll hear from Bill Maher.

Next, George Carlin will offer his opinion.

Now, it's time for you to decide. Which do you prefer, football or baseball?

Friday Funny

This is probably not real, but it's sort of funny anyway.

The Corner Store Gig

A little over one week after our performance at Blues Alley, the Capital City Voices sang at a cool little place called The Corner Store. This is a little neighborhood home/arts venue that used to be, you guessed it, a corner store. Since I only had my iPhone with me, and I was busy singing (and eating and drinking), I only got a few shots of our performance.

The first photo shows our musical director, Peggy Stern, playing the piano and our executive director, Jeff Antoniuk, playing saxophone. There is a drummer behind Peggy who pitched in to give all of us some additional rhythmic accompaniment.

Here's another photo of Jeff really getting into his music.

 And here's a photo of the Chamber Choir (I'm in the Jazz Chorus) singing.

The two choirs sang independently for a few pieces each, and we also combined for a few numbers. We also gave the audience some opportunities to join in a Christmas-themed sing-along. Our hosts provided great refreshments throughout the evening in a fabulous rustic kitchen and dining room. This was a great venue for meeting people and enjoying music together. I hope we get to sing there again.

UPDATE: I've got a photo of me singing (courtesy of the CCV Facebook group). I'm the 4th person from the piano - gray pants, red shirt, Santa hat.

Happy Boxing Day!

I'm obviously a day late with a Christmas post, so I'll trust that everyone had a Merry Christmas and wish you all a Happy Boxing Day.

Since Friday, Saturday and Sunday were very busy days - shopping, cooking, cleaning, walking dogs, etc. - I'm pleased to be spending today just relaxing. The only cooking I have to do for the next couple of days is to re-heat leftovers: Sausage & Cheese Breakfast Casserole, Chili, Turkey dinner, and make fresh pots of tea.

Joshua worked a day shift at Target on Christmas Eve. When he got home, we had chili for dinner. He left later that night to play in an ensemble at an 11:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service (not a Salvation Army event). He got home about 1:00 a.m. So he said. The rest of us were snug in our beds and didn't hear him when he came in more quietly than St. Nick.

Christmas morning was quiet at our place. We ate some of the above-mentioned casserole, then I got ready for Jonathan, Maggie and Ally's visit in the afternoon. I got ready by preparing food. Everyone else got ready by resting up for the big event.

Darwin, the Beagle who thinks he's a lap dog, began the day by sleeping on Dave's lap.

When he got tired of Dave's lap, he switched to Joshua's.

Hypatia, the Beagle who thinks she's a cat, slept on the back of the easy chair. 

She took a turn up there with Josh and Darwin down below, 

and she also took a turn sleeping solo.

The afternoon was not quiet. The menu consisted of cookies, brownies and wiener bites. Simple prep and cleanup. The afternoon was enjoyable. And exciting. The dogs had a great time opening presents, trying to eat the people food (Hypatia jumped onto the table once to get at the wiener bites, but Josh and I shooed her away before she got into anything), and gobbling down doggie cookies. They also got the last three wiener bites - one for each dog. The people had a great time visiting, opening presents and gobbling down food (minus the doggie cookies). Everyone was pleased with their gifts. Even the dogs, each of whom got squeaky toys and stuffed toys (from which they promptly began removing squeakers and stuffing). 

After Jonathan, Maggie and Ally left to have Christmas dinner with her family, I prepared our  dinner: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, gravy.

In the evening, Darwin, Hypatia and Dave napped on the couch, 

while I watched something or other on TV.

Now it's Boxing Day. I hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday season: Boxing Day/After Christmas sales and, of course, New Year's.