Andy and me

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We went to the Warhol Museum over the weekend with our visitors from New Jersey. It's not my favorite place, only rarely have I found things that interest me, but every visitor seems to want to see it. I was having a hard time explaining silk screens to one of our guests, so we all went downstairs to what they call the "weekend factory" where you can make a print from a silk screen. I also found that I could have my picture taken with Andy for only $2, a fantastic bargain considering he charged $25,000 to make your portait.

They stand you in front of a piece of green felt and you can see what the picture will look like on a monitor. The lights were in the wrong position for me, so I stood on a small stool, making me taller than Andy, but not as terrible as with the lights straight down at me. Here's the picture:

Scan2
I think it looks like some of those 19th C. photos of ghosts, or astral projections. Of course, Andy is the ghost, but he looks more solid than I do. I would pay $5 to have Andy wearing one of those wild hairpieces and both of us in focus. Well, maybe the focus is too much to ask for.

 

Japan Itinerary and a volcano

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I've been trying to plan my trip. On the second day I thought I would go to Mito, in Ibaraki to see one of the three noted gardens, which has a plum blossom festival in March. It can be a day trip from Tokyo.

Then I thought about getting on the train the next day and going to Kagoshima, at the bottom of Kyushu. Both places are supposed to be warm, which is what's tempting me. Yesterday morning I was greeted with the news of a volcano erupting in Kagoshima. It's a Mt. St. Helens type volcano, so lots of ash, no lava. Evidently ash has covered an area 5 km. around the volcano, and scientists expect the eruptions to continue for a year.

I hadn't planned to go to the volcano, but to several places nearby. I guess this will have to be a last minute decision.

Freezing rain and beautiful music

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The rain is  my excuse for staying home this morning, although I'm not sure it's even raining–just dark and dreary. Each year I'm finding it a little harder to deal with winter. It doesn't mean I'm off for warmer climes. Just more suffering. I think we are lucky here in Pittsburgh. This storm seems to be all over the country but we are seeing very little of it.

On to better things: the music. Yesterday was my first Osher class for this year, and it was fantastic. The teacher is Jim Cunningham, a host of our classical music station, WQED, who brought three members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra to introduce us to the music of Erwin Schulhoff, a Czech composer and pianist. Schulhoff worked between the first and second world wars, was classified as "degenerate" by the Nazis and died in a concentration camp in 1942. Along with many other composers and musicians of the time, his work was essentially lost and only now is slowly being brought to light. Among other works we heard his concertina for flute, viola and double bass. The music was beautiful and there is something very special about listening when you are within 30 feet of the performer.

Moving day

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for my upstairs neighbors. I had to get up early this morning and move my car out of the garage so I would be able to use it today. I had to do it Monday, also, for packing day, but I had an early appointment for my blood test, so I was gone before the movers came. Yesterday I just took the bus and left the car in the garage. Today was the aggravation, but, amazingly, I got up, dressed, moved the car and finally went to work out, all without too much pain on my part. No fighting with myself to get out of bed. I will leave for a lunch date in about 15 minutes, and that's good, too. With the front door open the apartment is getting very cold. Maybe I'll stay away all afternoon.

I've begun working on he revision of my paper. Yesterday I was able to work in the library, thanks to Google documents. Do you know about this? I attached the paper to an email to myself. Then I was able to view it from any computer where I could access my email. I got much more done than I would have here. Not so many distractions. I'll try it again tomorrow, since I don't think I'll be able to get much done today.

More snow

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I can't say I'm sorry about the snow this morning. My morning lecture was cancelled giving me the opportunity to stay in bed for another hour. I love eight hours of sleep, but somehow can't get in bed early enough to get it most mornings. I suppose the little nap at 8:30, sitting up, had something to do with it.

The mailman left a package for me this morning. When I stepped out to get it, sans coat, it didn't feel nearly as bad as they make you think. Scare tactics are the way to go, no matter the subject. I want to go out to Club One to exercise. Hope I can get out of the driveway. The snow shoveler hasn't arrived yet.

I got the paper back from my professor with lots of suggestions for improvements. I asked and was very pleased to get them. So, I guess I'll spend another large block of time rewriting the paper. I've also been spending time planning my trip. I think I will go directly down to Kagoshima, in Kyushu, where it is supposed to be warm, then work my way back north and east. Or, perhaps, I will go to Mito first, to see the plum blossoms in the number three famous garden. Right now, I'm going to work out.

Freezing rain

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I left the house in time for a slow walk to the bus, got to my neighbor's driveway and turned around and came back home. Freezing rain is much more frequent here than in Chicago where it was always too cold in winter for rain. I bought new boots at L. L. Bean, which were supposed to be good on ice; they weren't any different than my usual shoes. Can't blame L. L.; it was the sales person who made up the story.

I'll miss the Chinese landscape painting class but hope to arrive in time for a lunch date and the Japanese scroll painting class. Last week the professor said something that contradicted what I had written in my paper: that is, scroll paintings usually didn't have backgrounds. I plan to spend time in the library looking for my reference. Unfortunately, I did not footnote it.

I've started planning my Japan trip, at least to the extent of making a two-week reservation at the Palace Side Hotel in Kyoto. To my amazement I found out one of my Israeli friends will be in Kyoto at the same time. I'm really delighted. Without the blog and the internet we would have been ships passing in the night.

Waiting for snow

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Since last February's snow, which hung around in some places until May, we're all a little nervous here in Pittsburgh when snow is mentioned. The weatherman assured us we would have snow today, beginning at noon, but not more than 2-4 inches. I took the bus to my first class at 9:30, prepared to bail before the 2:30 class if the snow looked too bad. Well, it just started now, at 1, and the 2:30 was cancelled before the morning class finished. I'm happy to be home, snug, if not exactly warm. I have a space heater going right near me so it's not too bad, although thoughts of bed fill my brain. 

Yesterday, after finally getting out of bed, I went over to the fitness place and did my hour plus exercises, then ran a couple of errands and came home to find my street blocked by police cars, marked and otherwise, and handcuffed men being led to some of the cars. No way was I getting to my garage. I walked over to one of the men, told him I lived here and asked what was going on. Drug buy, now drug bust. I just walked past and went home. A little later I saw a woman walk down my driveway to the back yard, which is all fenced in with no exit. When I looked out the back she was standing and talking to four men, I assume police, but not in uniform.

Later, I heard from a neighbor that the perps (I do watch some TV, usually police procedurals) had run into the yard with the cops and a dog, chasing them. Maybe the other men were looking for the drugs, although the snow wasn't messed up enough to account for much activity. (How do you like my detective work?)

Anyhow, I'm not happy, especially since I am in the house alone most of the time. Robin pointed out that I chose to live in this neighborhood, but somehow I never thought of something like this. I just hope Earl gets a new tenant in here quickly.

It's 1:20–the snow is coming down quickly now.

Staying warm and saying goodbye

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Monday morning and I have nothing on the calendar except exercise, so I'm still in bed. It seems like the best place when the radio tells you it's 13 degrees out and your apartment has warm spots and cold spots. This is an old building; the windows should be replaced and the space around the window air conditioners should be caulked. But there is no insulation in the walls so I suppose none of it would help.

My upstairs neighbors are moving out; he got a job in Dayton. They were good neighbors and I will miss them. Earl seems to have a good record on picking new tenants, so I hope the next people will be as good. Otherwise I'll be tempted to move. 

Last week I also said goodbye to one of my ESL students, who is returning to China.I have grown fond of him and he said I was the only American friend he will stay in touch with. I hope he will. The worst part of this tutoring is when a student leaves you. Admittedly, sometimes I'm happy to see them go, but more often I am sorry.

Qing-and-Shufent

My Osher classes haven't begun yet. I'm taking two audit classes that started on Thursday: Chinese landscape painting and Japanese scroll painting, both with plenty of reading. I won't be writing any term papers this time. In fact, I won't be finishing either class since I'll be in Japan before they conclude.


One dream, big plans

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The sun rose at 7:44 this morning. The radio began talking to me at 6:59. I hate getting up in the dark, so I didn't. The radio told me it was 22 degrees out and wasn't likely to get warmer. I burrowed deeper into the covers and went back to sleep. The radio stopped talking to me at 7:59. I had a vivid dream about Marcia, a long-time friend who finally pushed the boundaries of friendship too far, and whom I haven't seen for seven or eight years. In that time, I moved to Pittsburgh and her studio in Chicago was emptied and sold. I don't know what happened to her; sometimes it makes me very sad. It's hard to lose a friend, even when the friendship had become onerous.

On a happier note: I am planning my next trip to Japan. I will leave Pittsburgh on March 22 and return on May 7. Six weeks ought to be long enough to satisfy my Japanese garden obsession, I hope.

Finally — THE PAPER

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I was determined to have it posted before the end of the year, so, I'm feeling very pleased with myself. I made the first round of revisions, suggested by Steve, and I'm much happier with what I've done. I really needed his help. You can download the paper, as a PDF file under my picture in the sidebar.  Or, you can see it online at a new blog I've started on WordPress. Visit it here. I'll be using that blog from time to time and let you know about it here.