A little birding drama this evening...

There were not as many birds to look at in Central Park (NYC) this week as one might usually expect to find during the 2nd week of May--the height of spring migration. (There were strong eastern winds and fog last Friday night into Saturday and that tropical storm down in the Carolinas seems to have the birds bunched up there still.) Yesterday and today began to pick up again, though.  After the dayjob today, I walked up to the park and had seven warblers within a half-hour (Magnolia, Amer. Redstart, Black & White, Yellowrump, Common Yellowthroat, Chestnut-sided and Blackpoll) and heard another two (Black-throated Blue and Ovenbird), as well as seeing a Great White Egret and a Green Heron.  I continued to the section of the Ramble called "The Point," as I'd been told there was a Canada there, but didn't find it.  

I did find my first-of-season Swainson's Thrush... (The farther bird--the closer one is a European House Sparrow.)

I found a Robin preening after taking a bath... (giving me the stink-eye, as I was interrupting!)

And a giant, threatening cloudbank was moving in and making the light awful, so I started to head out, stopping at the Oven to look for the singing Baltimore Oriole I was hearing.

I got distracted by a Northern Cardinal, who was too interested in eating seeds to worry about me standing a few feet from him...

Although then I heard a ruckus coming from The Point--I heard a Red-tailed Hawk screeching and Bluejays and Grackles, and then saw the latter chasing the former!

The Red-tailed sat in a tree screeching at the top of his lungs, while the Bluejays and Grackles were also screeching and hopping about and harassing the hawk.  He finally decided he had enough and took off toward The Point and flew over it, with the smaller birds still in pursuit!

(I'm pretty sure from how white this bird is, that this is "Pale Male"...)

So I thought that was an exciting end to the day, and it would be time to leave, but then I heard a scolding "chick, chick."  I looked up and saw red bird fly out from the tree where the hawk had been so briefly and thought, "Oh, another Cardinal..." but part of my brain thought the sound was different than the little scolding noise than that of a Cardinal.  (It seemed a bit slower and lower.)  I looked again and realized that it was a very upset Scarlet Tanager, who had probably witnessed the hawk and the harassing thereof first hand and up close!!  He only landed for a moment before flying off (in the other direction of the hawk!!), so my only photo of him is him taking off again.

(He's right above the bushiest part of the tree--here's a close-up.)

Then I decided that the sun was getting low and it was going to take a lot to top that, so I went home.  

Verdi Requiem at the NYPhilharmonic

Verdi Requiem at the NYPhil – everyone gets to indulge me while I RAVE for a review, and this is long-winded, even for me!

First off, last September I looked through flyers of what was going to be performed where and when this season and I had a lot of “ooh, I want to hear that” reactions, and then got busy and didn’t have any expendable cash anyway, so didn’t buy any tickets.  I then totally forgot that this work was being performed this month until yesterday when one of my attorneys at my dayjob got a computer call at work from the Phil, letting him know that the scheduled tenor, Brandon Jovanovich, was indisposed and that Russell Thomas would sing instead.   (The computer continued not to be late—there was going to be no intermission and only one late seating half way through.)  I took the message and said to myself, "Oh, oh! I hope there are tickets left!" I looked online and then stopped at the box office on my way home yesterday to get a ticket for today’s show. (I thought when things started being all computerized, it was supposed to =save= people money, not charge them more!!!)

As a further preface, this is one of my favorite pieces and something I’ve studied and have been champing at the bit to sing for several years.  All I’ve gotten to do so far is the Libera me in an audition, although I =did= get a callback and compliments on my floaty high b-flat, and I’m sounding even better now, so, Universe, I make you a deal: I will learn the bits I don’t know in the next couple of months and you get me a gig. There…now it’s out there.  All this said? I’ve never heard it performed live, and neither have I sung it as a chorister, so this was truly my first exposure to it all in person.

As I’m still on the crutches for the broken toe, I chose the farthest seat house left in the last row of the orchestra, sort of under where the overhangs on the left side of the house and over the back of the house meet. (Also the seat I could afford, LOL!) Every once in a while when things were very loud, I got a buzzing sound in only my right ear, which I’m going to attribute to the acoustics of that section – I’ve not experienced it anywhere else I’ve sat in the house. (Strange…)  You could tell the audience was very excited—the fellow next to me was telling his companion that it hasn’t been performed in NYC since 2006 (disclaimer: I have not verified this, so don’t know the accuracy.)  He also exclaimed, while reading the program and seeing a picture of Verdi therein, “Verdi, what a force!! Look at that picture…”  (I had to bite my lip not to laugh out loud.)  Another person heading to their seat said to someone with him, “Have you ever seen the place so full so early?!”

As the work started, I was reminded that I am always amazed that the string sections of this orchestra are able to produce such a gorgeous, barely audible pianissimo.  The New York Choral Artists matched that quality admirably.  The soloists then presented themselves, so I’ll also take this moment to say that this is my first time hearing any of them live in the house. I’ve heard Angela Meade and Eric Owens on broadcasts, but not live.  Angela was just plain glorious throughout. Beautiful sound, fabulous high floaty stuff, very exciting to hear.  Eric Owens I felt needed a few phrases to warm up, but then sounded awesome.  The solo part of the Tuba mirum was absolutely gorgeous.  When Russell Thomas started, it sounded a very mouthy-produced sound (I much prefer a very ringy sound), and he had a piano note which he pulled the sound way back on and I was a tad disappointed, but when he got to his solo “Ingemisco,” it was suddenly like an entirely diff’t person was singing and was gorgeous!! I don’t know if he was tired and needed all that earlier stuff to warm up and find himself, or what, but from thereon out, it was a pleasure to hear him. (He gets major kudos, though, for stepping in on what I suspect is very short notice , especially if the notice for the substitution only went out yesterday!!)  The Finnish mezzo, Lilli Paasikivi, was just Amazing. A-Ma-Zing.  She has a rich, plummy sound, and I could hear every note, even the low, cut right through and over the orchestra.  And I honestly don’t think I’ve ever before heard a mezzo do the “high floaty thing” that one usually thinks of coming out of sopranos. At one point I thought, “how have I never heard her before?! I could listen to this voice sing all day long!”  When she and Eric Owens started the Lacrymosa section, the two of them made me get all teary, the first of 2 times that happened tonight.

Because it’s been used in movies and commercials, everyone knows the Dies Irae, and I think everyone looks forward to it.  The orchestra and chorus completely rocked it and I laughed because my arms and legs were completely covered in goosebumps.  (This happened about 5-6 times tonight… I honestly don’t remember the last time I had that reaction from a live performance. I could probably go through the score and point out all the sections, but each time it made me go, “OOOOH!!!” inside, LOL!) At one point in the first movement, I wished that I hadn’t put my program in my bag and my pen in my pocket because I wanted to make notes to share with you, but I don’t think I’d have taken the time to stop and write anything because it was too thrilling. Oh! And there’s one section of the Dies irae which has antiphonal trumpets, and the trumpets were in the 2^nd Tier on either side (and possibly above me, too, couldn’t see as I was under the overhang). That was a very cool effect and their fanfare was very well done.  At some point, all the strings were furiously playing descending scales and I laughed delightedly to myself, thinking, wow, they probably don’t get to play Verdi very often—that must be fun for them!  Also, later in the piece (I forget which part) there was a Wonderful section where all the low brass got to play a really complicated (and loud!) section, and that was fun to listen to as well.

The chorus sang well throughout, but really showed their stuff in the allegro section of the Sanctus.  The only word I can think to describe it is “sparkling.”  They had a great tone and took off at a galloping tempo and it was absolutely wonderful, and the double chorus was just fabulous with the orchestra just matching them in the sparkling energy.  They got to the end of it, and I really wanted to jump to my feet and yell, “Yay!!!” and applaud furiously.  Of course I didn’t because the very next thing is possibly the hardest bit – the soprano and mezzo doing the Agnus Dei a capella, an octave apart.  They =nailed= it.  It was absolutely superb.  And then the craziest thing happened… in the middle of it, 2 people walked out. And when the Agnus Dei ended, about another dozen people left. I sat there completely bemused, thinking, “How can you POSSIBLY leave NOW?!??!?!” I was shocked.  (I was also shocked at the number of people who arrived late, and as they were taking their seats, I leaned over and told the guy next to me that I’d be really mad if I’d been late and missed all that wonderful stuff—the late arrivers missed all of the Dies Irae!!!! :shakes head:…(he laughed!))

The three lower voices did a great job with the Lux aeterna (again, this mezzo was outstanding!!), but I am a complete soprano and by this point I was thinking “Libera me!!  Libera me!! Get to the Libera me!!”  OMG, Angela Meade sang it SO WELL! (LOL--Have I gotten across yet that I really enjoyed the performance?!)  I had several moments throughout the work where I just wanted to say to someone, anyone, “Verdi is SO AWESOME!” or something like that… well, they got past the lovely soft part (she nailed the floaty b-flat), and the altos started the fugue and the whole thing just moved me to tears it was so gorgeous and exciting.  The very last bit before the soft end, where the chorus and orchestra have the tutta forza “Domine, Domine, Domine, etc” and the soprano does the ascending scale to the high c is pretty much my favorite line in the whole work, and I don’t think they could have done it more perfectly for my taste-- everything in me wanted to grab the guy next to me, shake him and yell, “OMG, this is the Most F***ing Awesome Thing EVER!!!” (and you may imagine that in all-caps, and no—no worries, I did not act on that instinct!!!!  But boy, I wanted to, LOL!!)  When it ended, pretty much everyone jumped to their feet and started screaming along with clapping.  It was truly exciting.  (And I wanted to jump up and down and yell, AGAIN!!!!  Yeah, LOL…)

So there.  I’ve gushed too long… if you are in NYC and you have any money for a ticket and if there are any left, I highly, highly, highly recommend trying to go see it tomorrow night (Saturday).

An Adventure to The Pandorica in Beacon, NY

My friend Roben and I took off on an adventure today, taking the Metro-North train up to Beacon, NY to try out a restaurant there called The Pandorica.  We heard about this Dr. Who themed restaurant this summer when the internet caught wind of its existence and prompted a run on Who-vians needing to try it (and who then showed up to find it very crowded, apparently, as there were then some Yelp reviews of there not being enough tables and waitresses). We took a cab from the train station to Main Street, not knowing how far it was (not very far at all, if you're used to walking around NYC a lot as I do).  I had forgotten the street number of the restaurant, so we got out a couple blocks onto Main, figuring it couldn’t be too hard to find it, and it wasn’t. (We had actually passed it already!)

It’s a modest little place, but adorable. A weeping angel hangs on the wall near the door, and there’s a cool mural on the back wall of the T.A.R.D.I.S. swirling through space. A tv hangs in the back right corner, playing episodes (10^th Dr., while we were there).  I was amused that, although there was only other one table in the whole place with people eating at it, they sat us right next to that other couple.  (I’m used to restaurants spreading people out a bit.)  We sat and were immediately asked what we wanted to drink, and we asked to look at the menu first but did say that we would like some water (which when they bring it, you get both a glass and a bottle of chilled water for the table, so if you want more, you don't have to ask).

The menu had quite a few things on it that I’d have liked to have tried. They had some lovely sounding salads, and I was very tempted by Cottage Pie, but as it was lunch and as I already knew before sitting down that I needed to save room for dessert, I ordered a meatloaf sandwich and some Earl Grey tea.  (My decision was helped by one of those sandwiches arriving at the next table for the guy sitting next to me—it looked so good I had to try it!)  Roben ordered a turkey and brie sandwich and a chai latte.  I then excused myself to go to the ladies room.

HA! The door is the door to the T.A.R.D.I.S., and it’s actually pretty spacious on the inside (yes, bigger than it looks from the corridor). I remarked later to Roben that if I’ve ever spent a visit to the ladies room giggling to myself like I just had, it would have been after having too many margaritas. 

We didn’t have to wait very long for our beverages, and I felt oh, so British when my tea arrived in a pot with a cozy and a lovely china teacup, instead of a teabag in a mug as one so often gets while out.

The food didn’t take much longer, either, and it was yummy and a generous portion. Pretty much everyone I know feels that Their Meatloaf is the Best One Possible, but this was really pretty good for not being mine (which is the Best Meatloaf Possible, of course, LOL).  The pickles on the sandwich were an unexpected surprise (they were hiding under the meatloaf, while the lettuce & tomato were on top), but tasted liked they belonged there. (You don’t have to have the veggies on it—the guy next to me had the sandwich without them.)   Roben also enjoyed her sandwich, and remarked that she’s not a cole slaw person but that she liked theirs.

For dessert, I ordered the Fish Fingers with Custard (also available as an appetizer).  It’s not real fish fingers, but battered & fried French toast roll-ups with something sweet & gooey in the center—OMG, where have you been all my life?  They came out nice and warm, and the custard had been warmed up as well.  Roben got the pecan pie, which she said was good. (But I later learned she resented her pie for not being the fish fingers!)

”

The ladies who worked there were absolutely lovely, and we remarked after leaving that we definitely need to go back sometime.   And Beacon is a cute little town. We told the woman who did most of the waiting on us (I’m guessing she was the owner—she seemed in charge) that we had taken the train up just to go there, and she laughed and seemed delighted by that. She told us that the shops went on for a mile and a half.  We didn’t walk the whole stretch, but did pop into a few other stores. The one right next to The Pandorica is called Play, and is filled with gag gifts and humorous stuff like you might find at Spencer Gifts or stores like that. I could have easily dropped a lot of money in there, had I had a lot of money to drop!  I didn’t come home empty handed—I am now the proud owner of a “Spin and Fly T.A.R.D.I.S. (that I have yet to take out of the box and try). 

The last store we looked into was a combination ice cream shop (we were way too stuffed to eat any!) and Christmas decoration shop.  I saw something that, again—had I a ton of money, it would have come home with me, but I couldn’t see the price tag while it was in the case. I asked the owner, “How much is the pretty giraffe ornament?” He replied, “Oh! You have good taste…” I laughed and said, “Have I managed to pick the most expensive thing in the store?” and he laughed and nodded.  This cutie from Italy is $96 (!!!!!), but the proprietor was kind enough to let me take a picture of it.

We walked back to the train station—it wasn’t too hard to find again, and was downhill heading back.  It was a lovely day to be out doing this, albeit chilly, and we had great fun!

Just don't blink!!!

Actual conversation between body parts this morning

Ears: Guys....hey, guys... does anyone else hear music?

Rest of body: Mmmrph. Shut up.

Left hand: I'm asleep...

Rest of body: We all are. Shut up...

Left hand: No...that's not what I mean...

:silence:

Ears: da-da-da-da, dum-tee, dum-tee... I swear I know this song, too...

Rest of body: Shut. Up.

Lower abdomen: Ow. ibuprofin, please?

Rest of body: We are not moving. Shut up.

Left hand: I'd really appreciate it if you'd move me...

Rest of body: GO BACK TO SLEEP!

Left hand: *sigh*

:silence:

Right big toe: :taps in rhythm:...

Ears: See!? Yeah, this is where it goes to the fast part... why does it sound like it's so far away?

2 cells in brain capable of rational thought at that hour: That sounds like a song we have loaded on the iPod. Isn't that the one we use as an alarm in the mornings?

Left hand: *PRICKLE*

Rest of body: OW, wtf?!?!?

Left hand: I =told= you I was asleep...

Control center: Left shoulder, elbow! Get that circulation moving again!!

Another small part of brain: Wait... who said something about an alarm?? Yeah, that does sound far away...

Ears:  I told you so...

2 cells capable of rational thought: It might sound like that if it were buried in our purse...

Panic center: ZOMFG, what time is it?!?!?!?!

Body: all right, all right... :rummages through purse:

Eyes: Panic's over...we haven't overslept!!

Left index finger:  Initiating sequence!!! :hits snooze:

Rest of body, lying down again: Ahhhh...zzzzz....

Lower abdomen: You =could= have gotten me some ibuprofin just now, since you were up...

Review -- A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder = L*O*V*E*D it!!!!! I laughed so hard that I snorted (twice) and I am already trying to figure out when and how I can see it again.

First, an "I am an idiot" disclaimer: I have wanted to see this since it started in previews and in all this time, I had no idea it was based on the movie Kind Hearts and Coronets.Even when a friend mentioned it earlier today on my Facebook post saying I was going, my thought to myself was "what does that have to do with anything?!?" It wasn't until before the show when I was telling my friend Deb that I was really surprised that the actor who played all the diff't parts hadn't won the Tony and she said, "Oh, I was wondering if they did it like the movie..." and I said, "what movie?" "Kind Hearts & Coronets" ... Me: I don't think I've seen that... Deb: "Oh, Alec Guinness plays all the family members that get murdered..." and I had a sudden picture in my head of him as the Parson and I said, "OH. I think I =have= seen that, but it's been so long that I don't even remember it!!!" It came back to me as the evening unfolded, to a point where I exclaimed, "OH!" and threw my hands to my face, as I realized what was going to happen, LOL!!! (Another person learns I am apparently a riot to sit next to...)

Second, we sat in the balcony. Before you click "yes, I want to purchase this seat," it gives you a big disclaimer that it's obstructed view. It's not really too bad...there's a little half circle runway protruding from the stage and when people went out on it, we had to lean forward to see what was happening out on it. If that will annoy you, don't sit in the balcony. If not, we paid $50 a seat, which, while it's an "I don't do this often" splurge, it is a great price for a Broadway show, much less the one that just won Best Musical. Also? Most comfortable balcony seats I've encountered in a Broadway theatre yet--I didn't at all feel like my knees were up above my shoulders and there was some leg room, so my knees didn't hurt at the end from not moving for 2-3 hours.

The show itself is wonderful. =Clever=...very, very clever--the dialogue, the lyrics, a lot of the music and the set and effects. (OMG, the bees and the way the Vicar "falls" are just hilarious, as is the weight-lifting scene...and omg, the skating scene was, again, hilarious!!!!!!) It was SO SO SO SO refreshing to have a non-electric, only gently-amplified band/orchestra --omg, my ears didn't hurt once and I'm still having snippets of the songs running through my head. My only quibble with the whole thing is that occasionally the words were so quick and/or the English accents were so broad that I missed things and I don't want to miss a thing. (sorry if I just gave you an Aerosmith earworm...) The chorus was great--the number they top the 2nd Act with about "Why Are All the D'Ysquiths Dying?" was hilarious. I cannot say enough good things about Jefferson Mays (the Alec Guinness role)--omg, he was brilliant all around, and I still don't know how he didn't win the Tony--singing, delivery, physical comedy: he's awesome. Bryce Pinkham, Lisa O'Hare and Lauren Worsham were all wonderful (OMG, lyric voices instead of a lot of the scream-sing you hear on Broadway these days...I wanted to run up on stage and hug them all and thank them (and the producers) for that!!!). All the smaller parts were well done, too, and Joanna Glushak as Lady Eugenia was HiLARious. It's a very small part and she totally stole the scene.

I also have to give the Walter Kerr theater and the woman in charge of the lady's room "Mad Props"--we had to go down the stairs and halfway across the back of the house (and then behind 4 women who cut in front of us and were rude) because the line was so long and it didn't seem possible they could accommodate all of us in 15 minutes and they did. That was astounding, LOL.

I don't think I'm missing anything--seriously. If you get a chance to see it, I can't recommend it enough...

Well, no Triple Crown winner this year...

I haven't mentioned it on the blog yet, but I love horse racing. Back when Saratoga had a paddock tent where you could sit and have a lovely lunch and see the horses up close as they got ready, my brother was able to get tickets for that for the Travers every year -- standing birthday present for me, yay! -- and since they took down the tent, we've been in the grandstand.  I like the festivity and the fancy hats, but most of all I love to watch the horses run.  I've never been to another track, though, and have never gone by myself.  (Well, ok, when I was in elementary school, I went to Batavia Downs with my friend Debbie, to watch her father's horse run in a sulky race.  I recall he asked me what horse I liked in a race and it won. Sometimes this still happens; sometimes it doesn't, LOL!)

I think California Chrome is a fabulous horse, and I really felt he was going to win the Triple Crown. The more I thought about it, I decided that I wanted to see it happen in person, so the day before, when I read that the LIRR was going to run extra trains out to the park, I decided I was going to go.  I got my train ticket on the way home from my dayjob, and was very glad the next day that I had done this, as the lines for the ticket machines were crazy--easily 300 people waiting to use 6 kiosks at the first area at Penn Station I came to.

I didn't have to wait too long for a train, as they were running extras out to the track.  Everyone on the train was in a party mood, and everyone cheered when we started to move.  It was a short ride, although we had to wait a couple of times for other trains to go by so we could cross to other tracks.  As advertised, the train station is right next to Belmont Park -- you can see the park from the walkway over the train tracks.

I paid the general admission ($10) and got a program ($6) (this was also the first time in years I haven't gone to the track without a Daily Racing Form--I felt not only spontaneous, but unprepared!) and looked at one of the monitors to see what race was next.  I had obligations in the morning, so didn't arrive until mid-afternoon.  They were just about to start the 7th race, so I walked over to where I could look out over the seats and see the track and watched the race, after which I used the ladies room. (Train ride, etc... The lines for the ladies room were insanely long, if you ever plan to go...)

After that, I looked at the program for the next races -- the Belmont was the 11th race on the card for the day, so I had 3 races before. I don't remember who I chose for the 8th, but he lost. While watching it, though, I thought, I don't want to stand way up here--I want to be right down by the rail if I can!!  So I chose my horses for the next 3 races, placed my bets and then figured out how to get closer to the track.  Well, you really have to be there at the crack of dawn to get right by the rail!  No, seriously, while I was getting dressed around 8am, the news anchors were reporting people had been there waiting to get in since 6am-ish! But I got pretty close:

I had not brought a hat, and with the wonderful sunshine, I wished that I had one!  I liked 2 long shots in the 9th race--#11, Broadway Empire and #12, Romansh.  I don't recommend my method for choosing horses--I do go by history and sire/dam, but I'll also consider the jockey's outfit and color, the name, the look of the horse, and just my own gut instinct.  One of the fellows near me also had money on #11 and we were jumping up and down together, as the horse took off like a shot and was way in front until well after the far turn, but he couldn't hold on.  #12 came in 3rd though.  He was my win for the day.

I liked a couple of horses in the 10th, one of which was #10, Chamois.  I joked on Facebook that I expected him to "clean up" (ayuck-ayuck), but alas he didn't.  He was a pretty horse, though...

After this race, close-to-the-rail-territoriality set in.  So many people had been waiting for so long, that they weren't going to let just anyone get close to the rail, LOL, with good reason--I was amazed at the audacity of some people that just wanted to squeeze in where there wasn't any room! (For those who know I don't deal with crowds well, I was uncomfortable, but with the big open sky over me, I was ok.  Oh, and also to do with the sky--there were a bunch of barn swallows flying around and one buzzed my head while trying to catch a bug, and then I saw a pair of Red-tailed hawks flying right over the upper level, but I missed getting a picture of them!)  I had been down close to the rail long enough and was friendly and chatty enough that I was "accepted by the natives."  A little bit of photo-bombing went on and we all felt awful for the girl who had waited all day and then, 20 minutes before the big race, had to go to the ladies room. She tried to wait, but couldn't...I hope she was able to get through the crowd!!

I was really surprised that there was going to be an entire hour between the 10th race and the Belmont -- I suspect this is for NBC to sell more advertising...  (And I'll add that my feet are really feeling all the standing on concrete that I did yesterday!)  They had LL Cool J perform for everyone, but he was down by the winners circle, so we watched him on the giant-screen tv they have in the center of the track.  That's also where we saw the bugle call -- I was rather shocked we really couldn't hear it.  Finally it got to be riders up time and the horses came to the track.  Everyone cheered as California Chrome trotted in front of us:

(As you can see, everyone was taking a camera phone picture!)

The race was exciting, and people kept waiting for him to make his move and take first place, but as we know, that didn't happen.  The cheering was still thunderous as the horses raced in front of us:

I don't think I've ever heard such a loud crowd go silent so quickly, though, as it became apparent that he wasn't taking the lead.  And then there was a photo finish, with everyone questioning, "Did he make it? Did he catch up--was he one of the horses they're looking at?!"  Nope...

I'm glad I went--it was an experience I'll remember.  However, had I known what was going to come next, I might have stayed home and watched it on tv.  I didn't run straight for the trains, as I had to cash that ticket for my 3rd place horse way back in the 9th. ($7.90, woo-hoo!)  However, I went to the windows upstairs (the level I needed to be on to get to the train) and around the back and didn't have to wait too long--maybe 10 minutes?  Well, holy moly...this is what I was confronted with as I headed toward the little attached train station:

 Oh my gracious... it took me =two hours= of standing in this line, advancing with teeny steps once in a while, to even get to the train!!!!!  That is twice as long as it takes to get the 36 miles from the track at Saratoga back to Albany where we stay when we go!!!!! It took me 4 hours total to get home from the track and that was just ridiculous.  I did have an interesting conversation of all sorts of things about horses and racing with one of the writers from Horse News, but still--4 hours???? People were furious at the LIRR and at one point either some water fell from an upper level or came bursting out of a pipe and started soaking the crowd and I thought we were going to have a panicked mob, but then we were able to move forward again.  "The Desert Highway," an Eagles tribute band, was playing down on the grass where we could see and hear them from the walkway to the train, so that was a bit of a distraction, but only a very small bit.

The day seemed rather like California Chrome's run -- an exciting adventure with a frustrating finish.

Adventures in cat-sitting...March 16th edition

Scene:  I am asleep. There is suddenly one of the cats I'm cat-sitting through tomorrow on the bed, by my face.

Thor:  GET UP! GET UP!! The sun is rising!! You have to feed us NOW!!!

Me:  Oh, hell no...go back to sleep.

10 minutes later, I hear a "thunk." My iPod Touch (I use it as an alarm clock) has been removed from the nightstand to the floor.

Thor:  Seriously, woman, you need to get up and feed us.

Me, retrieving device:  You can wait another hour.

10 minutes later, there's a cat sitting on my head, licking my hair...

Thor:  I will not take no for an answer. Get up and feed us.

Me:  You will too take no for an answer. (And he gets removed to the foot of the bed.)

10 minutes later, I hear "rustle, rustle..."

Me:  What are you doing? Stop it. (rustling stops for maybe 2 minutes...)

"rustle, rustle..."

Me:  seriously, where the hell =are= you and what are you doing??! (rustling stops...)

"rustle, rustle..."

I put on my glasses, and he's trying to eat some of his owner's papers, which were under her laptop.

Me:  Will you STOP it!?!??! (I get out of bed to go push papers back under the computer...)

Thor:  Since you're out of bed...

Cleo:  YAY, YAY, YAY, she's up, it's breakfast time...

Me:  :Facepalm: Ok. You win...

10 minutes later, I was back in bed. 10 minutes later the alarm went off, whereupon I turned it OFF instead of hitting Snooze.

4 hours later...

Me:  ZOMG you guys, I was going to go birdwatching, you let me go back to sleep!!!!

Thor:  What? We ate already...but are you going to give us more food now?