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41

MTC OOC / Re: ...Izee's Thread

« Last post by Izee on January 10, 2024, 05:54:00 AM »

https://youtu.be/mrudT410TAI?si=I4q9Kql3ZxPM9cQv

...I was insane in my younger years.  I can't BELIEVE what I did as a college student.  I was VERY angry at the girl that I got elected to be Student Body President.  I wanted to be appointed the Dean of Student Affairs, so I could have weekly meetings with Dr McCaffrey and discuss important issues.  But, the BITCH appointed me to be the ...SOCIAL DIRECTOR!!!  So, I was in charge of planning dances and such SHIT for the year!!!  And, I was a mousy little girl, never been to a dance, or such.  I almost turned down the appointment, but, I would get a half scholarship for serving, and I needed the help.  It was a very expensive college.  So, I pulled up my panties, and tried to get more 'sociable'. 

...I loved Donna Summer's music, and 'Killing Me Softly" hit me in a way that I can't describe.  I still feel a lot of anguish when I listen to it.  I am a manic/depressive, so I can over-react to things.  The song made me cry and I would go to my little bedroom, and lay in my bed for an hour.  At times, I would look over my budget, and sigh, I just couldn't afford to bring Donna to our campus.

...But...came the idiots that God above must have sent to me.  They said that they needed me to arrange a Concert for Donna in the Civic Auditorium.     I was flabbergasted!!!  But, I figured out that the City wouldn't let outsiders do a concert, but, me, as a local, could produce it.  So, well, I went along with it.  I was ALL excited, and even drove a car to pick her and her band up at the airport, and ended up driving several of her male black singers to the hotel.  They invited me in, but I just drove away.  If Donna had been in my car, and invited me in...I would have eagerly followed her. 

I didn't get to hear her sing, I was sitting in the box office clutching a shoe box that held ALL of the cash from the concert. 

I was just keeping my big mouth shut...and holding tight to the shoe box...

The idiot promotors and such were arguing over what had happened,,,the concert didn't go well...and I just sat there.  I had made sure that, since I was paying the expenses, I would get the CASH!!! 

The Cops who had been assigned to watch over me...I had hired a bunch for the Concert, and the Lt. had told two of them to stay with me...stood up, they were tired, and they hauled my butt out of the box office.  I was still clutching the shoebox.  They pushed me into the back of their cruiser, people wanted to speak with me, but they just pulled me along and got me into the cruiser, and we took off. 

I was relieved to count the money with the Finance Director, and go to bed.

And, shows how HONEST I am.  I did not take ANY of the money.  I could have easily stuffed a few handfuls into my panties and no one would have known anything.  But, it wasn't my money, so I got it all into the Student Accounts.

42

MTC OOC / Re: ...Izee's Thread

« Last post by Izee on January 10, 2024, 03:30:18 AM »

...Flying a Kestral...

I have talked before about flying 'Sailplanes'.  Some people call them 'Gliders' since they don't have an engine.  But, 'Gliders' just fly straight, our military did use Gliders to bring troops in, but those things just flew straight.  Sailplanes can rise up in a thermal, or stay up in a wave.

And, all sailplanes aren't equal.  I learned in a Sweitzer 2:34, if memory serves me correct.  I was up front, and my Instructor was seated behind me.  The 2:34 was a rather ugly plane.  The wing was on the top, and the nose was large.  The wing was at the height of my head when I stood beside it.  But, I flew one from 2,000 feet to 10,000 feet, so it could do well.  There was a cute Sweitzer 1:26, it was a single seater, and the canopy was on the top, so your head would be held high, and you could see all around you.  But...there was also...the...KESTRAL....

It was a really lovely sailplane.  Pure white, with long tapered wings, and a 'T" tail.  The tail was shaped like a 'T", with the little wings on top.  I fell in LOVE with it, and would wash it down after an experienced pilot had flown it.  It was a very High Performance sailplane, and was designed for cross-country flights, or for flying into the Stratosphere.  The cost to rent it was expensive, and the Owner wouldn't just let anyone fly it.  He required that the pilot be skilled and experienced. 

One day, I had flown the 1:26, and was hanging around, talking with the other pilots.  I was describing where I had found a wave, and stayed up.  The Owner of the Kestral was sitting, listening, and nodding at times.  The middle aged guy probably thought it was nice to hear a young woman speak so well about sailing.  I was flabbergasted when he said to me, "The thermals are probably getting very strong now, hey, take my Kestral up and see what you can find."

I couldn't believe what he was saying, but 15 minutes later I was settling into the small cockpit of the Kestral.  The Owner said, "Take an hour...if you stay up longer I will get in the tug and hunt you and shoot you down."  I laughed.  But I whooped with joy as the Tug pulled me down the runway.  I was in a very reclined position, and the nose of the plane had plexiglass all over, so I could see EVERYTHING!!!!  I settled behind the tug, and lightly played with the rudders and the joystick to get a feel for the plane, and then at 1800 feet, I pulled the tow release, and did a soft climbing turn to the right.  The tug dived to the left, so the tow rope was well clear of me.

The next hour was...well...better than my Honeymoon.  I was alone in the Kestral, and the thing could somehow sniff out thermals.  I would be flying straight, and a wing would jump up...the Kestral was saying..."Hey bitch, here is a thermal."  I would turn hard in the direction that the wing was rising, and get into a thermal, and ride it up, and then search for another one.

I could have stayed up all afternoon, but, I watched my watch, and flew back to the field, and made a nice landing in an hour.  I had to be helped out of the cockpit...I just wanted to stay in the sailplane.   

I just couldn't get the experience out of my head.  I didn't have much money, but I caddied and did everything I could to earn money.  When I helped the Caddymaster wash golfers clubs, I dreamed that I would be able to earn and save enough money to buy a Kestral.

I ended up buying 'Katherine'...my cello...

43

MTC OOC / Re: ...Izee's Thread

« Last post by Izee on January 08, 2024, 02:09:46 AM »

...Been busy, but it has been nice.  My Family and I had a nice gathering, we did not exchange gifts, we didn't have any children with us, and as I said to my Mother, "If there is anything I really want, well, I will go out and buy it."  She laughed, and said, "I do the same."  So, we just had a very nice meal, and sat and visited for a few hours, then had dessert and then broke up.  It was nice.   

I have been thinking about music for a while, lately.  My instruments are still their cases, and my electric piano is covered.  I am amazed that MUSIC is what I did for several years of my young adult life.  I even majored as a Music Performance Major for several years.  Those were AMAZING years, in many ways more challenging than Law School.  I spent hour after hour in closet sized practice rooms...(*Giggles*  Once, the door opened, and a middle class couple I had never seen before were standing there, and they asked me if they could take a picture of me playing the piano.  I agreed...I thought that maybe it was for a Publication.  After they took the picture, I asked them why they wanted it.  The man gruffly said, "Our daughter wants to major in music, we want to show her what she would be DOING for hours every day.  She needs to major in Business".  They left, and I almost fell off of the bench, I was laughing so hard.    )

I was watching a dramatic movie, and noticed that triplets were being added in the duple time frame of the music.  Most music is in duple time, and HEY, if 'DUPLE' isn't a word...IT SHOULD BE!!!  I have spoken.     But, triplets were being added.  They do add a lot of anxiety.  Beethovens 5th starts with triplets, and it is in duple time.  "Da da da...Dum....Da da da...Dum".  Those first three notes are triplets, you play THREE eighth notes when usually only TWO eighth notes occur in the beat.

Beethoven continued the triplets in the second movement,

https://youtu.be/6jroBAl3WW8

You can hear the lower strings...the cellos and bass...playing a quick triplet that lands on the beat.  The second movement starts at 16:52.  The really thrilling part begins at 21:10.  Beethoven puts together a truly thrilling and complex interaction among the musicians.  We cellos had a stamping beat we played at 23:50, and I was STAMPING MY BOW!!!!  At 25:10 my mind was SWIRLING!!!

Performing music is really an out of body experience.  I don't know how else to explain it.  I would look at the 'lollypops' on the score, but my mind was somewhere else.  I was aware that my body was moving, but my left hand was moving up and down the fingerboard, and my right had was 'shaping' the notes...not just pulling the bow back and forth. 

Well...I better get to bed, now.  and tomorrow...think about getting my instruments out of their cases...and taking the cover off of my piano.

44

MTC OOC / Re: ...Izee's Thread

« Last post by Izee on December 24, 2023, 01:33:31 PM »

https://youtu.be/6jroBAl3WW8

A very nice performance of this lovely song.  Please enjoy   

When I was younger, I was often called to play my cello in Church Performances of various orchestrations of Christmas Music and plays.  Some were very nice semi-professional compositions and plays, and we would rehearse several times and perform the work at multiple events.  But, a few times, it was just our string quartet with a piano, and we would be off to the side in a church and play the music as Parishioners sang.   My most memorable one was at a small Church, they gave me $50 and FED ME DINNER with the Members, and there was just a guitar with me.  We played very soft works, like this one, and, well...it was a very Spiritual Moment for me.  I drove home feeling very relaxed, and full, and happy to have participated in the Service.

*S*    My violist friend and I would help each other get 'gigs', if a group hired me, I would ask if they needed a violist, and get them to hire her if they needed one.  One Church liked the way I played, and they would contact me in late November, and ask me to gather the musicians they needed for their work.  She did the same, and I was always happy to have six or seven 'gigs' lined up before Christmas, I would get a nice amount of spending money to buy gifts for Family and Friends. 

We would, however, make fun of another violist...we called her the "Gig Slut".  She would seek out places to perform...and was quite skilled as a performer so she did collect a lot of gigs.  A few times, I got a panicked call from the Gig Slut asking if I had the next evening open, that she REALLY needed a cellist for a performance she had just lined up.  If I was open, I always said 'Yes, what time do I need to be there?"

But, seriously, I always enjoyed performing on my cello at such events, they were low key, no stage fright, and the audience was always happy.  Once, our quartet was in front of the Altar, and a young girl and boy wandered over and stood beside me, watching ME play!!!  I smiled, and briefly spoke to them when the service was over, and let them touch my cello and bow, and said that when they got older they could learn to play one, too.  They were most mesmerized by my bow, and I explained that it was horsehair that were the long fibers, and then took the screw off the end of the bow and their eyes got wide seeing the cascade of yellow horsehair.  I broke off a hair for each of them, and they were amazed. I do hope that one, or both of them, took up a string instrument when they got older.

45

MTC OOC / Re: ...Izee's Thread

« Last post by Izee on December 20, 2023, 05:23:16 PM »

https://youtu.be/vtV66X3S_2Q

This is one of my most favorite parts of Handels Messiah.   

I was in a small chamber orchestra in a small city, a Christian Church was performing the work.  I was happy, I was the ONLY cellist, and $150 was a LOT of money to me at that time of my life.  The Conductor just had time for one rehearsal, and me and the violist were sitting beside each other, and getting bored.  The amateur soloists were not very good, and the Chorus wasn't quite singing the lyrics properly.  Then, we got to this piece, and a very mousy looking man stood up, and I thought..."Oh HELL...he probably doesn't have the testosterone to sing this part.  So, we did the opening chord, and then he SANG OUT...

..."THUS SAYS THE LORD...THE LORD OF HOSTS..."

And we all CAME ALIVE!!!!

He had a very powerful Bass/Baritone voice, and he just took COMMAND of the work!  And...he was very soft and expressive, singing,

..."And who shall abide, the day of His coming"...

I did go up to him, after the rehearsal, and said that I was really looking forward to performing this with him.  He grinned and replied,

..."I heard you on the cello, you really did help me with my phrasing..."

I was feeling very warm when I drove back home.

It was a very intimate moment, although he was on the Stage, and I was in the Pit Orchestra.  We couldn't see each other, but we were listening very carefully to each other.  I didn't want to detract from his performance, and carefully listened to him. and modulated the sound my cello was making.  When he would end a phrase, singing, "And when He appeareth"...I was making Pavane sound very yearning.  And , when he got into, "For, He is like a refiner's fire"...I would be hammering my bow on the quick notes, not caring if I was covering him up...(I couldn't cover him, he was on the Stage, I was in the pit...and he must have had three sets of BALLS to be able to sing so loud and strong.)

The other members of the string group tapped their bows on my stand after some movements...that is how String Player applaud in a pit orchestra...

46

MTC OOC / Re: ...Izee's Thread

« Last post by Izee on December 17, 2023, 09:41:36 PM »

...Backpacking...ALONE!!!   

I just LOVED IT!  But, I was not stupid.  I did it at Lassen Nat'l Park, and would check in with the Rangers at the Head, and give them a map of where I planned to walk.  I would mark the Stations that I would pass by, and say that I would check in, and check out when I was finished.  They would nod...I looked to be in very good shape back then, and knew what I was doing...and well...I did look to be in good shape... ...but...

I was just wishing that I could pass out...I was at my first scheduled stop, and was...

...TOO TIRED TO FISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   

I mean, ever been...

...TOO TIRED TO FISH???

I was sitting by a small lake...and was too tired to take off my clothes and get in to bathe.  And...in my frame of mind...men would have just WALKED ON BY as I was in the shallows, NAKED,  and waving at them to help me get out and...PUT MY CLOTHES BACK ON!!!!

So, I kept my clothes on...

I did calm down, and heated up a nice dehydrated package I had kept in a special pouch.  I ate it, and felt very content.  I later sat against a tree, and looked at the stars as I ran a Symphony through my head...it was a muddled mixture of many...and thought of just how much fun it was to be alive.

I mean, backpacking got my mind to set into it's survival selection.  All I had to worry about was walking safely, and eating my rations with reason, and finding a safe place to sleep.  I mean, what ELSE should a female have to worry about?  I didn't have to worry about other peoples problems...how I would get Mr Jones out of the lawsuit...how I would get Ms Smith out of her suit...and so on.

I set my sleeping bag on the thin mat I carried, and set the soft part of my backpack to use as a pillow.  I NEVER carried any fresh food, it was always dehydrated.  I did NOT want a bear or a mountain lion to smell something nice...I could never smell myself...but others did and stayed away when I had been backpacking.

I then resolved to NEVER head out on a backpacking trip, alone, AFTER...

...walking up to the top of Mt Lassen and back again on the same day...

47

MTC OOC / Re: ...Izee's Thread

« Last post by Izee on December 07, 2023, 06:43:08 AM »

...Being an 'Over Educated Fool'...

I probably qualify as being 'Over Educated', I got a lot of letters after my name.  But, I like to think that I am not a fool.  I saved the Construction Company I worked for, in part, by 'plugging' the books by over $750,000 in just ONE two page journal entry.  My Staff were HORRIFIED...but I just said "Now the books are balanced after what our asshole predecessors did, I don't think I would trust them to count the number of almonds in a chocolate bar."  And, well, I got my 'plug' accepted by our Auditors, the IRS, and the Franchise Tax Board.  I can 'explain' my position very well...

I am amused at seeing all of the problems over, *gasp*,  STUDENT DEBT!!!!   

Hey, those kids signed the loans, and actually ASKED to borrow the money.  So, WHY THE HELL SHOULD THEY NOT PAY IT BACK???

My Husband and I lived very restricted financial lives after we got out into the real life, and paying off my Student Loans was FIXED in our budget.  We made the monthly payments, and lived frugally, but we were comfortable.  We had nice Apts, and ate well and had nice clothes, we just didn't go out on trips and bar hopping and such. That lasted for five years, and then I inherited a nice sum from an Uncle and we paid off the Student Loans...although I LUSTED  for a Datsun 240Z...I would have looked VERY GOOD driving one of those cute and powerful cars. 

But, Biden obviously wanted to buy votes.  I mean...if He REALLY wanted to help with Student Loans, well, WHY NOT help out those of us who paid, or are going to have to pay new loans off???  But, some kids who are graduating with basket weaving degrees will be grateful, and the ones with Business Degrees will be pleasantly surprised. 

Yanno, having to pay off the money I BORROWED was actually a good lesson in life at a young age.  I always weighed the cost of a loan when we needed to finance something, and made sure that our finances could handle it, so we always paid off our debt.  So, at a bit older age...I just have a little debt...and it was for things I bought for my Mother and my Daughter.  The terms were SO GOOD I just agreed, after all, paying off debt does help your credit rating. 

Anyway, yanno that those billions of loans being forgiven will be paid off by we Taxpayers, the Banks would fail if they had to forgive so much.  So, I hope that those kids will be very grateful.   

And...I still wonder...

...JUST HOW THE HELL CAN THE PRESIDENT DICTATE THAT CERTAIN LOANS WILL BE FORGIVEN???   SOME PEOPLE ARE GETTING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS!!!  That WE are paying for!!!!

And, the Dems say that Trump will be a Dictator if he is elected.

Well, Biden just SHOWED him what a Dictator President of the US can do...

48

MTC OOC / Re: ...Izee's Thread

« Last post by Izee on December 03, 2023, 12:39:07 AM »

This time of the year reminds me of the most heartless way a young man learned that he was going to be fired.   

I was working at the large Accounting Firm that had NINE PARTNERS, so with Secretaries and Staff Accountants, there were about 40 Members.  One year, the Partners decided that he would have the ENTIRE Firm Members pose for the Christmas Card that would be sent to the Clients.  So, we all had to gather outside the front of the Firm Building, and the Photographer moved us around so that the picture would be balanced.

Just before the picture was taken, one of the Partners called out...

..."Jack, (an Associate Accountant), Please step out of the picture."   

We Associates were all very quiet the rest of the day, and Jack didn't show up the next day.   

49

MTC IC / Pyre for the Mighty Ragnar, Ubar of Webmaze Tuchuks

« Last post by Yvonne on December 02, 2023, 11:03:33 PM »

Per the Ubar's final wishes, he received the traditional Torvaldslander funeral pyre, in the land of his birth.

Warriors from near and far, attended, to wish Ragnar well on his well earned journey to Valhalla, along with Free Women and slaves alike, whose lives were touched by Ragnar's kindness, and strength of character.

Much mead was consumed, and many stories of Ragnar's exploits were shared, as a serpent ship carried the Mighty Ubar to Valhalla on the seas that he held close to heart, as much as he held his people to heart.

Surely, Ragnar is embroiled in a brawl and laughing loudly in the halls of Valhalla.

Reports from the Commanders, indicate that the quiva are sharp, the axels are greased, and the bosk are as well as can be expected.

The Year Keepers are duly informed, that Ragnar traded his life in battle for victory over Kurii to save those He loved.   The stories of His exploits will never be forgotten among the wagon peoples, or the people of Ragnar's birth, for so long as night and day exist.

Life among the wagons continue, even as the Commanders discuss who shall take up the dais in Ragnar's succession.

Surely He would be pleased, and proud at the way His people have honored him, and honored his wishes that they would continue to live, and speak well of Him, even as they face new chapters going forward, with the same boldness and joy that He would wish them to exhibit.

Yes...  this day will be remembered well among our people... as the Day that Ragnar smiled Proudly on His People.

*finishing My journal entry and sitting back with My blackwine, affectionately ruffling the hair of My slave*

50

Announcements and Events / Re: PYRE FOR RAGNAR!!!

« Last post by kemma on December 02, 2023, 02:09:37 PM »

You are most welcome, Yyvonne.

Thank you for continuing to spread this important information.

Regards,

Kemma Fritjofsdottir
Farmer
Ulfakona's Service
Viking Landing, Webmaze