This Side of Lost

Today's True Internet Weirdness™ comes to you due to the fact that I added a bunch of library blogs to my RSS reader recently. But I think a wider audience would enjoy it: Here Comes Another Bubble. Warning: contains a cappella music and lots of web 2.0 buzzwords.

Things are settling in here post-Samantha's departure. My apartment looks like a real apartment instead of with boxes everywhere. The cats aren't quite as psycho (although they still tend to be attention whores every time I sit down or even stand still). I have even cooked things. Not much, but some. I have experienced two full weeks of life without my wife living with me and I think I've got how it will work figured out. Despite that, things still seem off center. But I have a feeling that's just how it's gonna be for a while. Needless to say, we're looking forward to the holidays. We're headed to Georgia this year for 8 days. So sorry, Minnesota peeps. You'll just have to visit me out here.

In the meantime, I am keeping busy -- which is easy to do for a choral singer this time of year. Rather surprisingly, though, I have not yet performed any Christmas music, and nor will I. I don't have another Master Chorale gig until next month, so I'm missing their Christmas shows. The Occidental Chorale had their concert yesterday: Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Nope, not Christmas. And my church choir has a concert this Friday, but Bach is on the program there (Cantatas 140 and 10, featuring yours truly on movements 5 and 6 of 140! I'm a solo singer? When did this happen again?).

I'm kind of in disbelief that it's turned out this way. So I've been compensating as best I can: with St. Olaf Christmas Fest. I saw their groundbreaking simulcast last weekend, which was a joy. As good as you could get without actually going to Northfield. And I've been listening to my four recordings as well. Now that it's been six years since I performed in one, they are easier to listen to -- my emotions are less nostalgic and bittersweet than they used to be when listening to them. Which is a good thing, since it's beautiful music.

Speaking of music, my current musical obsession is Sara Bareilles. I totally dig her album -- it's big, poppy, catchy, easy to listen to and not totally brainless. Good stuff -- I recommend. None of the other three CDs I bought before our trip has hooked me like this one.

Have I told you about Yelp yet? If you live in a major metropolitan area, you need to be aware of this website. We use it constantly for restaurant recommendations and it rarely, rarely steers us wrong. We even dialed up the mobile version while we were on the road last month and it totally hooked us up with some sweet pizza in Dayton, OH. It's like having a friend in every neighborhood everywhere. I think I may take some shopping tips from it soon.

14 shopping days until Christmas. Peace, y'all.