Last Year's Was Better

Last year it was the rubber ducky. This year it's a baby bottle. I'm not sure if they're trying to save "Mother Earth," cultivate a Better Heritage for The Children, or just outright ban bisphenol-A. I wonder what next year's giant inflatable will be...

Weekend in Review

There is something really wrong with a girl who works every day for a couple weeks straight, gets home from session on Saturday night, and while flipping through channels, starts watching public television to see the Minnesota House debate their tax bill. Just completely, utterly, masochistically wrong. As if I don't get enough politics while I'm at work! As if I didn't spend all of Friday evening at work watching the Senate debate theirs!
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I got to see Nora this weekend! Yay! You'd think I'd see her more often since we went to law school and the same church together, she married my classmate, and more importantly, her sister is my roommate, but no. Anyway, it was great to see her and catch up a bit. (Which forced me to turn off the politics for a while Saturday evening, so thanks, Amy.)
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I have two more concerts the next two weekends, and then my symphony season is over for the year. What relief! It's exhausting going to rehearsals every Sunday night. This concert series is actually quite entertaining. Well, it is once you get over the fact that we're playing a 70-minute symphony by Bruckner (the Fourth - aka "the Romantic"). But even that piece can be entertaining. If you've ever listened to the fourth movement (here and here), you'll know what I'm talking about: in several spots, I hear Indiana Jones meeting highbrow, classical music. In a few other spots, I swear it'd be great for a Halloween concert. Or maybe that's just the way I'm playing it...

The other piece we're playing is by Randall Davidson, with narration by Garrison Keillor: The Young Lutheran's Guide to the Orchestra (read the second or so edition of the narration here, but be warned: this version has some colorful language in it that is not included in our edition of the narration, but it's the only one I could find quickly this morning). This piece is quite entertaining - it's got some old gospel tunes with hilarious narration, all along the premise of, if God were choosing an instrument to play, which would it be? Some of the best lines in the narration relate to the viola:

"The viola section is not a nice place for a Lutheran; you're just going to have to take my word for it. I know violists and they are fine people until, late at night, they start a fire in a vacant parking lot, drink a few bottles of cheap red wine and roast chickens over a pit like a group of gypsies, and talk about going to Mexico with a woman named Rita. Don't be a part of this crowd. The problem with violists is you can't hear them beyond the stage, and when people do hear them, they think they're second violinists anyway."

And the tuba player:

"The tuba player, for example, is a stocky bearded guy who has a day job as a plumber. He's the only member of the orchestra whose average bowling score is above 250, goes deer hunting in the fall, and changes his own oil. It's not an instrument for a sensitive Lutheran, and anyway, there's only one Tuba player and, well, he's it."

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Happy Monday to all.

Blessed are the peacemakers.

There are times when my job is extremely frustrating. When I start to dislike the actions of the opposition, I have to remember that, as a Christian, I am supposed to temper my thoughts and actions with love (and not just hate all Democrats like I sometimes wish I could do, but then I immediately feel guilty for even thinking such a thing, 'cause I know that's not what I've been called to do).

Ken Sande from Peacemaker Ministries visited my church last weekend, and it reminded me that, not only do I have to follow Biblical principles regarding conflict within the church, I also need to follow that mindset in my work. This is sometimes hard to do.

I highly recommend listening to the sermon (about an hour long), which can be found here, and reading the book.

Quote of the Moment: Government Encroachment

"Experience should teach us to be most on our guard to protect liberty when the government's purposes are beneficial. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greater dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding." -Justice Louis Brandeis, Olmstead v. United States, 277 U.S. 479 (1928)

So.

If you eat lunch and dinner an hour apart, does lunch really become dinner, and dinner is just dessert?

Any way you look at it is not good, since I was so busy at work today, I didn't get to eat my "lunch" until after 7, and then I just ate "dinner" an hour later, and now I have to settle in at work for the night to get stuff done for another crazy day tomorrow. Ah, the joys of changing state government...

Today, though completely insane, was a good day. One of my members made a completely brilliant motion on the floor today, and that motion has put a smile on my face all day long. It, coupled with numerous members of the opposition being forced to take extremely bad votes, will probably be the highlight of my April, and potentially a top moment in this legislative session.

After an, uh, interesting rehearsal on Friday night, Saturday's concert went okay, but Sunday's performance actually went well. And that is why I'm glad the local public access TV station chose to film Sunday's concert with the chorale.

Which brings me to another strange aspect of my life: I'm doomed to a fate of public access TV. Either because of the Legislature, or because I play a musical instrument. that's what I've been reduced to...but don't get me wrong. I'd rather not be on TV at all, to tell you the truth.

Weekend Update

This weekend's activities were not a good idea. First and foremost, I don't have enough time in the days to get everything done. Also problematic:

1. Sightreading an entire Haydn work might not have been the best idea ever.

2. At rowing practice this morning, I was switched to starboard side for the first time in a while, so now I have a huge open, oozing blister on my left thumb, right where I'll need to put my violin tonight.

3. I think I might have to break a rule I have never once broken since I started working here: I am going to have to take work home with me for after the concert tonight (and probably in between church, concert and orchestra rehearsal tomorrow - something I am loathe to do; I really don't work on Sundays unless absolutely forced into it). I have two huge budget bills coming up in committee and on the floor on Monday, and the work has to get done sometime...

Hmmm.

Still wondering what I think about chocolate mousse peeps. Interesting.
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How do I get myself into these things? I finally learned to say "no" to music stuff (only played half of the Easter weekend - have to start drawing a line somewhere), but then turned around and one day later said "yes" to playing with a chorale this weekend. Only we're not just playing a piece or two. We're playing Haydn's Creation, which I had never played before about five days ago. The rehearsal is tonight, the performances are tomorrow and Sunday. Why? Why do I do this to myself? (Oh, right: it's fun to try new music, and they're paying me.)
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Got to go out on the water last night, stroking a quad. It's so nice to be out rowing on the real water (instead of the fake kind found in tanks). Tomorrow morning it starts in earnest, with a 7am practice (instead of the leisurely 10am practice last Saturday, to kick off the season on the ol' Mississippi).
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There's my weekend: violin, rowing and working.

No, really: I'm serious!

Really, I swear it! I know it may not sound like it (especially when pretty much everyone knows how I do so love my sleep), but it's true: laziness caused me to get to work an hour early today. (Please, please; hold back your gasps of shock.)

See, the city is cleaning my street today, and by the time I got home from work at 11 last night, there was no place to park on all the surrounding streets that are not being cleaned today. So, without even a second thought, I parked mere steps from my front door (rather than drive around aimlessly looking for a spot that would most likely be blocks away) with the promise to myself that I would be off the street by the appointed hour of 7am. So, there I was, sitting in my car at five minutes to 7, thinking the only place I really want to go is back to bed, but supposing I should go to work.
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Are you ever actually happy to get a cold? I'm not happy I have one currently - I don't really have time for this! - but what I'm happy about is at least I'm no longer in that horrible stage of waiting (you know the stage I'm talking about: it's the hoping-that-using-Zicam-will-prevent-it-but-expecting-a-full-blown-cold-anyway stage) and have just gotten the cold already. I much prefer that to that awful feeling of dreadful anticipation. I'd much prefer not having it at all, but I've done well this winter, having suffered very little with the whole cold problem (at least compared to co-workers).
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Having four days off work over Easter was lovely. I mean, really lovely. In some ways it's not so good, though: it reminded me there is a life outside of work, and I really miss it. I pray that session ends on time this year. It's especially hard when it's supposed to be in the high-60s today with plenty of sunshine...

"If My Nose Was Running Money" By Aaron Wilburn

Hilarious. Thanks, Aunt Dottie.

Quote of the Moment: Useless People

"In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress." -John Adams

Gold Stars

toothpastefordinner.com

Signs You Have Had Enough at Work

-It becomes acceptable to you that your filing system consists of dumping things on your office floor
-You are so dazed that after taking a bite of an apple, you realize you have eaten the sticker on it
-You put your glasses on, not because you particularly want to see the testifiers across the room, but so you don't poke your own eyeballs out from sheer frustration
-You converse with the cleaning staff more than your own family and friends
-You pray that the committee you're covering (which is in the process of over-regulating everything under the sun) doesn't decide to also regulate the straitjacket that you will need to wear by the end of the hearing
-Your entire dinner conversation is a short quip made to your co-worker about the microwaving instructions on the side of the box encasing your meal
-You have the feeling that by the end of session, you or someone you know will suffer from Stockholm Syndrome, and there's nothing you can do about it