It seems I was more exhausted yesterday than I thought I was. After the rare hours of sleep, and then all that walking, by 4pm I crashed and had a few interrupted hours sleep before dinner. The trouble with napping is it makes me cranky because I loose my automatic perception of time, although it did help me last through till midnight when my eyes were too sore to read anymore.

That left today to work like the little angel I am, and I now have completed notes for the accounting midsession this week. That will save me a lot of time when it comes time for the final exam, which last year, as I remember threw me into a room with piles of notes and books to read for a few days. Maybe i’m dramatising things? Well, I had to miss the piano concert I wanted to go to tonight in favour of work, and I still haven’t done my tute questions for tomorrow.

There has been word around that Neighbours, the Australian teen soap show, will be adding its first openly gay character. Apparently its the cool thing to do - The Simpsons will also be outing a character later on. But doesn’t any remember Breakers with Vince, who later questioned his sexuality when he had feelings for the ‘alternative’ girl? (And remember how they changed the actor who played Monique’s husband right after the wedding?) Anyway, Neighbours, like the Simpsons, has a closeted character in Lyn Scully’s boss at the hair salon. In tonight’s episode it seems the storyliners are pre-empting the arrival by approaching the subject and approaching their views - particularly with the new girl who had some non-subtle lines like, “Oscar Wilde, wasn’t he just some queen?” and “Oh, someone who likes Oscar Wilde. You’d better watch out - he’ll be flying a rainbow flag soon.”

I wonder if this will do anything to change the views typically carried by young people (10 - 16) who are easily influenced by such media. It has the potential to make their parents less tolerating views seem ‘uncool’ and the new attitudes in the media be adopted by young kids. That is, of course, so long as the Neighbours writers don’t treat the new character as a hollow stereotype, but from the inkling shown by Stingray and Skye, it doesn’t look like it.

Had I gotten more than 4 hours sleep last night after going out to Greg’s abode, today might had followed a different program.

After dreaming about working with the orchestra that i’m glad to see Adam is so enthusiastic about, I started dreaming about cats meowing. I had written a part in my score for cats singing, but they were doing it badly, singing a semi-tone apart in harmony rather than the major third. I woke up soon after at who knows what time to hear several cats screaming under the floor of my bedroom. At that hour, absolutely with no grip on reality, I remember spinning around and not seeing anything because it was so dark and wanting the cats to be quiet so desperately.

I somehow woke up and ended up at uni on time for my first class. Just under 2 hours later I had decided I wasn’t going to attend my accounting lecture, despite the exam I have later this week for the subject. I missed the uni route bus, so I walked to the highway to catch one there. Then I had the idea to go op-shopping. As I walked towards the town centre (there was no way I was paying the $1.10 train fare), I paused at each bus stop still questioning whether I should go shopping at all. I eventually made it into town, grabbed something to eat (there is nothing worse that knowing you’re about to pass out and you’re standing in the middle of an op shop surrounded by old women who want what you have picked up).

While strolling I had a quick chat to Luke (he’s in the gallery somewhere) and Laura, the assistant choreographer for Gang Show. I then did the walk to the Smith Family op shop and browsed their rather small collection of LPs (half what they usually have), picking out a few that took my fancy:
* Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 (conducted by Leonard Bernstein)
* Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 (conducted by Enrich Leinsdorf)
I’d like to point out that only as I type this did I realise I bought two records of the same piece. Damn it.

* Wonder Woman starring Reg Livermore (The packaging is damaged, but fine inside.)
* Liberace - Showstoppers (the front cover has a photo of him wearing the world’s most expensive piece of fur)
* 2 LP mint set of Phantom of the Opera
* Andre Previn plays Gershwin (Rhapsody, American in Paris and Concerto in F)

The guy who served me there was so nice - what should have cost me $11 he charged me only $5. Phantom alone was marked $3. He actually reminded me a lot of Adzy.

Not even midday at this time, I did more walking on up to another op shop that I know has great vinyl. With about 5 times the vinyl from the previous store I set down my bags and worked furiously though the boxes. More gold to be found, but the service was a bit strange. In fact, i’m sure I saw one of the old women stand on my bag out of the corner of my eye. It was worth it for:

* Mrs. Mills - Non-Stop Honky Tonk Piano. (It actually is non-stop, there are no stops. Insane.)
* The Music Man - OBC. (Its pretty old and tattered, but the record is great)
* the vaugely named Jazz Concert. I don’t know.
* Anna Russell Sings? (It’s incredibly worn, and the record has a brown ring stain, but I *really* wanted it)
* Lightshine - A Youth Musical. (If I had read that its a bible story in the store, I would have put it back down. Still, someone will ask for it one day.)
* Evita - OLC (pristine. Just beautiful)
* Hungarian Rhapsodies No 1, 2 and 5 (without its real cover)
* Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2 (part of a Funk and Wagnalls series, still in shrink wrap)
* Jesus Christ Superstar - OLC (again, mint)
* Ravel - Bolero (in quadraphonic sound!)

What a score. And even though involved a load more walking carrying a now heavy bag of vinyl, I fixed up my student fees issue with the bank and put in my scholarship cheque. And all before 2pm. What a productive day!

Maybe I should skip Accounting more often?

Thinking I deserve a bit of a treat for a week of hard work, I sent off an order for a DVD I’ve wanted since long before it came out: “Sweeney Todd“. I already have the concert version with Patti LuPone, which is nice, particularly the huge symphonic orchestra playing Sondheim, but I’m aching to see Angela Lansbury perform the role with full (well, tour company reduced) staging.

When I got the other version I screened the fast forward version for friends, but with this one i’m going to make them sit and marvel and the amazing depth of Sondheim’s work. What I love, and strive for myself (or at least would…) is that no line is wasted, musically or lyrically. There is nothing in the music just for fluff - everything means something. Musical motifs iterate themes and ideas, lyrics portray immense character, yet it’s easily understood first time.

George Hearn and Angela Lansbury - what a cast!

As I was reaching for some manuscript paper in music, the extract from a piece by Mozart sliced into the side of my finger, resulting in my exclaiming, “Ow! Paper cut!”. A completely silent lack of empathy resonated around the small lecture theatre from all nearby. So as I transposed from the bass clef to the alto clef, I bled onto my paper.

I intend to watch at least one of the piled up DVDs tonight, maybe Thoroughly Modern Millie as i’m on a bit of a Julie Andrews thing thanks to the book i’m reading at the moment (borrowed from Min), ‘On the Street Where I Live‘ by Alan Jay Lerner.

As impossible as it seemed at the start of the week, I managed to get through these few days of workload hell an get everything done (well, if we conveniently forget the tute I skipped earlier this week). The last of it was completed today to be handed in tommorow - an essay comparing two texts on orchestration. I guess its a good sign that my stapler can’t get through the entirety of the essay and just crumples on th first page like I felt like doing on Monday. Here’s my diary for this week (use your mouses kids).

But I survived to live another day, and I’ll spend that day catching up on accounting and studying for the midsession exam next week. Also, Gang show is coming up soon. I’m getting excited about playing in the orchestra pit in the performing arts centre for the first time. It will also be my first time playing a grand. That’s if Adam or Alana on keyboards don’t try to break my fingers first (i’ve seen them whispering, I know they are going to try). Adam whipped up this little number the other night (its Wing of Wing Music if you don’t know). This is just part of his attack on me.

I think it’s time to get the Camelot photo of Adam out again. Poster size, this time.