Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Blogpost 2/1/2012 point 2: on assignment


I've been handed the torch of telling you all 10 honest things about myself. I am then to pass it on to four others. Or, you know, not. So, if I die tomorrow, never find true love, develop some strange and debilitating disease, or suddenly become a Ute fan, you'll know that curses really do come from not passing on chain mail.


1)I am a good musician, mostly, but I have a really hard time hearing pitch in some contexts. I actually used to have a hearing aid. I understand theory, I dictate well, but intervals or major/minor (etc) can be very difficult for me, especially out of context. I also don't play the piano. I group these facts under one umbrella of "I'm not the kind of musician people think I am sometimes."

2)I love to cook, but have a really hard time doing dishes. I love washing dishes, but I'm terrible at loading dishwashers, and I hate putting away dry dishes. Also I hate shallow sinks. This often translates into dishes being procrastinated, and everyone (including me) getting frustrated.

3)I really, really, really, really, really like hugs. Unless you are Voldemort-level awkward about it, or there are other extenuating circumstances, it's probably a good idea.

4)I love dancing, and often when I'm home alone I like to turn up my music and dance around by myself, and/or sing along as stylized (and loud) as I want. It's awesome. This habit was only slightly dampened by my moving in to apartment-style housing, many with "fish-bowl" windows.

5)I have a lot of friends, and I'm very social. I like to throw parties, and they are stinkin' good ones. But what people don't know is that almost every time I organize, put on, or am in charge of an event, I always worry that no one will show up. Even ward events, like Sweet Swap/Dessert Night, or events with hundreds of people invited, like a dance. Even ward choir! I just constantly have this little voice in my head that says no one will show up, and I'm always desperately relieved when someone does.

6)I am allergic to a lot of different flowers. But I love getting them. Cognitively, I am not quite sure how killing a bunch of beautiful blooms and shoving the dying plant carcasses at someone properly demonstrates affection. But somehow, it does. As I've grown older, I have been more and more willing to accept such barbaric demonstrations of emotional connection.

7)As before mentioned, I love to cook.  Again with the allergies, though--between personal allergies/medical intolerances and the Word of Wisdom (a religious health code, similar in concept to Jewish Kosher law or the Islamic law of Halal [حَلَال], preventing certain food and drink, especially alcohol) I can't eat a lot of the food I am asked to work with as an aspiring chef.  As an adaptation measure, I tend to cook by smell and sight, rather than taste. Many people around me reap the benefits of this, however, as important occasions (weddings, parties) require a veritable army of willing taste testers.

8)I used to love singing soprano, but I loved the harmonies and sound of the lower vocal parts, so I would usually volunteer for alto parts. However, as I grew older, a plethora of biological and medical phenomena resulted in my voice deepening quite a bit, and now I feel most consistently feel comfortably singing the lower tenor or baritone line. On some glorious occasions, though, my Soprano 1 voice comes back. These occasions often see me singing above the treble staff and solidly inside the bass clef in the same hour; sometimes within the same song. I love the unique opportunities for musical training and coaching that this presents.

9)I really, really don't like the sound of insects buzzing past my ear. This sound will often result in face twitching, sudden jerky movement of the upper torso, and occasional shuddering or rubbing my ear against my shoulder to get rid of the sensation of the sound.

10) When I saw this video, this rendition of this song instantly became a huge favorite:
 (I swear, this week's blog posting are not sponsored by Vocal Point; I just happen to really like their music)

Anyone else have a blogpost assignment for me?  Always welcome.

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