Thursday, March 29, 2007
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Fuzzy photo of Lupines
It was nearly dark when I took this photo, and a flash picture lost the mustard flowers in the background. So I just shot the photo hand-held, for a rather Impressionist effect. -- Rachel
Monday, March 26, 2007
Happy Birthday to Me
It's my birthday today; for far my best gifts have been an unexpected visit from an out-of-town friend, a trip to Point Reyes on Saturday (foggy but beautiful), and a great conversation with my dad this morning. We reminisced about when I had a bit part in "An Affair to Remember" as a teen viola player. (He was thinking of the film and my role in it partly because his retirement community showed it last night.) I remember playing on the sets, and doing homework with other children since all young actors had to spend at least half the day on the set doing school assignments. My trumpet-player friend Glen Sallow (sp?) was in the film with me, as was a very cute female schoolmate who played some sort of percussion instrument (cymbal?). Our classroom was the area around the fountain which appears in the film as part of Cary Grant's mother's villa.
Our best day was the first, when we found a whole village set, and we walked the streets from Chinatown to the Old West to New York all within a few steps of each other -- every time you turned a corner, you were in a different "locale". But when the studio realized we were playing in this particular set, they stopped us because the whole village was about to fall down, and they worried for our safety.
Deborah Kerr actually conducted our little scene, but she must not have had much musical training (I heard later that another singer dubbed the songs she seemed to sing); when you conduct an orchestra in 4/4 time, you move your hand in a sort of X pattern -- up for the starting beat of the measure, down for the second beat, up and to the side for the third beat, horizontally for the fourth beat, then back to the top for the start of the next beat. Kerr couldn't stay consistent even with four beats per measure, so we had to ignore her and just play in time to the pre-recorded soundtrack.
That was another interesting bit: although you saw us on screen, and we COULD play the song, the orchestra that you hear in the film is a much larger orchestra, of older children plus some adults who were added in for this single recording. We in the VISUAL orchestra rehearsed the tune to the sheet music, then for filming, we had to pretend to play in time while an LP recording of the larger orchestra started up. I had to hold my bow up above my viola strings, never touching; children playing wind and brass instruments had to pretend to blow and just do the fingering. Only the percussionist was allowed to actually play, because nobody could figure out how to fake her part.
I never did get Kerr's autograph -- she signed some one day, then said she had to leave and would be back and sign more, but we never saw her again.
-- Rachel Holmen
Our best day was the first, when we found a whole village set, and we walked the streets from Chinatown to the Old West to New York all within a few steps of each other -- every time you turned a corner, you were in a different "locale". But when the studio realized we were playing in this particular set, they stopped us because the whole village was about to fall down, and they worried for our safety.
Deborah Kerr actually conducted our little scene, but she must not have had much musical training (I heard later that another singer dubbed the songs she seemed to sing); when you conduct an orchestra in 4/4 time, you move your hand in a sort of X pattern -- up for the starting beat of the measure, down for the second beat, up and to the side for the third beat, horizontally for the fourth beat, then back to the top for the start of the next beat. Kerr couldn't stay consistent even with four beats per measure, so we had to ignore her and just play in time to the pre-recorded soundtrack.
That was another interesting bit: although you saw us on screen, and we COULD play the song, the orchestra that you hear in the film is a much larger orchestra, of older children plus some adults who were added in for this single recording. We in the VISUAL orchestra rehearsed the tune to the sheet music, then for filming, we had to pretend to play in time while an LP recording of the larger orchestra started up. I had to hold my bow up above my viola strings, never touching; children playing wind and brass instruments had to pretend to blow and just do the fingering. Only the percussionist was allowed to actually play, because nobody could figure out how to fake her part.
I never did get Kerr's autograph -- she signed some one day, then said she had to leave and would be back and sign more, but we never saw her again.
-- Rachel Holmen
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Skype toy
http://www.emtcompany.com/products/adapters/usbaudio-usb-to-audio-microphone-adapter.htm\
I'm interested in Skype, so I signed up for an account. Free long-distance calling has to be appealing. But when I located a computer headset, I realized there was nowhere on my Mac G4 cube that the plugs would fit.
The gadget above, which I ordered today, should complete the circuit. I had hoped to buy a Griffin iMic but prices were too high, even on eBay. -- Rachel
I'm interested in Skype, so I signed up for an account. Free long-distance calling has to be appealing. But when I located a computer headset, I realized there was nowhere on my Mac G4 cube that the plugs would fit.
The gadget above, which I ordered today, should complete the circuit. I had hoped to buy a Griffin iMic but prices were too high, even on eBay. -- Rachel
Fun link for the day
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/maps/realunderground/realunderground.html
Watch the intro, then click some of the links. Cleverly done.
(I _do_ hope that I can get back to London again.) -- Rachel
Watch the intro, then click some of the links. Cleverly done.
(I _do_ hope that I can get back to London again.) -- Rachel
Friday, January 12, 2007
Chinatown in San Francisco
After a good dinner, we posed for photos: me and Jason; Paco, Helen, and Andres.
I'm heading for one of my favorite restaurants in Chinatown: Sam Wo on Washington Street. I've been eating in this place a couple of times a year since the late 60s, when friends and I went in because it was the only thing open very late one night. The menu included "duck dry noodle" for a price I could afford, so I tried it. Yum -- I order it every time now. The chow fun is pretty good, too. I'm going with friends from work: Helen, Andres, Jason, and Paco. -- Rachel
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Hard Frost, Maple Leaves, Daffodils, and A Floor Furnace
It's been very cold lately; hard frost overnight. I will try to post some pictures. Yet today when I walked from downtown Berkeley back home (after leaving my car to be repaired and my dress boots to be waterproofed), there were daffodils in bloom, and a wonderful pink magnolia.
Then I puttered around the house and waited for the PG&E serviceperson to appear. By 4:30, I phoned, but they said someone was on the way. I realized I'd better replace the porch light bulb, so I got the tall stepladder out of the garage and was just finishing up the job when Joe from PG&E arrived. He looked at my heater for a while in the basement, came up and tinkered with the thermostat, then went to his truck, put on coveralls, and went down to the basement again for a LONG time. But now I have heat!! It's an old fashioned furnace, sunk into the living room floor (in someone's stroke of genius, right behind the front door); I have spent half an hour standing on it warming up my icy hiking boots and feeling the warmth rise around me.
-- Rachel
Then I puttered around the house and waited for the PG&E serviceperson to appear. By 4:30, I phoned, but they said someone was on the way. I realized I'd better replace the porch light bulb, so I got the tall stepladder out of the garage and was just finishing up the job when Joe from PG&E arrived. He looked at my heater for a while in the basement, came up and tinkered with the thermostat, then went to his truck, put on coveralls, and went down to the basement again for a LONG time. But now I have heat!! It's an old fashioned furnace, sunk into the living room floor (in someone's stroke of genius, right behind the front door); I have spent half an hour standing on it warming up my icy hiking boots and feeling the warmth rise around me.
-- Rachel
Monday, December 11, 2006
A Business Idea progresses, and I have car trouble
I've posted a new website: Firsthand Life, for my planned interviewing service. The site is very simple, but at least I think folks will be able to navigate without trouble.
Went to a lovely holiday party hosted by my quilting friends, and came home with several nice pieces of fabric, some terrific patterns, some fun Mary Mashuta stationery, and gift certificates for fabric. I'd driven through a pouring rainstorm and was glad the car wasn't acting up (Thursday morning it had refused to start, which garnered me a $36 ticket for being in the wrong spot on a street cleaning day).
But Sunday, after nicely running 2 errands, the car refused to start. Well, actually, it would start. But it would never continue to run for more than a few seconds. Luckily I was in a safe spot -- a store parking lot -- and it wasn't raining. But all you get when you call tow services on Sunday evening is answering machines. Many hours later, and $80 poorer (so much for the high-value BART ticket I had planned to buy), the car was towed home and I fell into bed exhausted.
Fuel line problems? Fuel pump going out? When I revved the engine at startup, it seemed to get extra gas. Clogged air filter? Some hiccup left over from the previous days' rain?
I tried the garage this morning and they weren't open yet; by the time I got to work (late) I was too busy to remember to even phone them again. Good thing I can commute by bus.
-- Rachel Holmen
Went to a lovely holiday party hosted by my quilting friends, and came home with several nice pieces of fabric, some terrific patterns, some fun Mary Mashuta stationery, and gift certificates for fabric. I'd driven through a pouring rainstorm and was glad the car wasn't acting up (Thursday morning it had refused to start, which garnered me a $36 ticket for being in the wrong spot on a street cleaning day).
But Sunday, after nicely running 2 errands, the car refused to start. Well, actually, it would start. But it would never continue to run for more than a few seconds. Luckily I was in a safe spot -- a store parking lot -- and it wasn't raining. But all you get when you call tow services on Sunday evening is answering machines. Many hours later, and $80 poorer (so much for the high-value BART ticket I had planned to buy), the car was towed home and I fell into bed exhausted.
Fuel line problems? Fuel pump going out? When I revved the engine at startup, it seemed to get extra gas. Clogged air filter? Some hiccup left over from the previous days' rain?
I tried the garage this morning and they weren't open yet; by the time I got to work (late) I was too busy to remember to even phone them again. Good thing I can commute by bus.
-- Rachel Holmen
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
The ONLY way to cook a Turkey
Found a turkey recipe online that I had used for the very first turkey I ever cooked, one Christmas back a long time ago.
http://sewayoleme.wordpress.com/2006/11/14/a-turkey-tale/
My oven wasn't up to the task of cooking the turkey while having its door opened every fifteen minutes for the basting required by the recipe above, so dinner was VERY late. I had invited after-dinner guests, who had to wait while I fussed with the turkey, wait while the early guests ATE the turkey, and then got to witness my drunken boyfriend sit on the lighted Christmas tree, knocking it over.
Well, it was a memorable day at least.
And knowing what I now know about alcoholics, I should have moved out the next day. But that, as they say, is another story.....
Happy Thanksgiving.
-- Rachel Holmen
http://sewayoleme.wordpress.com/2006/11/14/a-turkey-tale/
My oven wasn't up to the task of cooking the turkey while having its door opened every fifteen minutes for the basting required by the recipe above, so dinner was VERY late. I had invited after-dinner guests, who had to wait while I fussed with the turkey, wait while the early guests ATE the turkey, and then got to witness my drunken boyfriend sit on the lighted Christmas tree, knocking it over.
Well, it was a memorable day at least.
And knowing what I now know about alcoholics, I should have moved out the next day. But that, as they say, is another story.....
Happy Thanksgiving.
-- Rachel Holmen
Monday, October 02, 2006
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