Blogolini

Walking to work today and trying to keep in the shade of the buildings downtown I noticed a wonderful cool spot.  On the corner of Third and Howard, right in front of the W Hotel there was a breeze and the sun was blocked by our building across the street.  Ah.  Perfect.  Another place that's always cool no matter the temp outside is my kitchen pantry.  Not too much to do in there, though.  I just re-organized the wine glasses by size a few weeks ago.  Hope you're managing to keep your cool in this crazy heat.  Remember, classical is cool!

One of the great by-products of this week's KDFC World Tour is the response we're getting from listeners around the world.  In my early days in radio, I would never have dreamed that my show would be broadcast anywhere in the world.  We have a stack of international "shout-outs" in the studio, with folks thanking us for just being there on the internet.

From Gerard in Frankfurt: "To me, KDFC is the voice of the America that I love"
Guy in Ottawa, Canada: "Your station is one of the best, if not the best, classical radio station on the internet."
Pekka in Finland: "I and my wife are listening to 102.1 in the city of Oulu, Northern Finland.  It's like to be back in San Francisco!"
Jorge from Mexico:" Just a note to thank you for the way you present the great music of the world."
Michael in Australia: "Really enjoying your program in the office here in Sydney."
Horia from Romania:"I listen constantly to your radio station.  It is great.  Thank you."

I could go on and I know we'll continue to get e-mails from the far reaches of the internet universe during the World Tour (through Friday) and beyond!

This week marks the return of our popular World Tour.  But this year, instead of visiting a different country each hour, we'll be making at least three stops every hour!  Keep track of our various destinations and you may qualify for the grand prize, airfare for two to any place in the world! Now that's a great question.  With KDFC picking up the tab for the plane tickets, where would you go? I'm very predictable.  I always say Italy but maybe I should go someplace even further away like China or Japan.  Or, if I could stand the long flight, Australia or New Zealand.  So many amazing places to see. Below is just one of them.  Let's get going!

  Iguazu Falls in South America

Trivia buffs, it's time to test your knowledge. Here are my questions for this week's Lunch Box and this morning's Commuter Quiz.  (I filled in for Hoyt.)  Scroll down  for the answers.

Monday-
 Cinco de Mayo: Tequila is made from what native-Mexican plant?




Tuesday-
  What baseball-great once said, "Everytime I look in my pocketbook, I see Jackie Robinson."?




Wednesday-
   The famous American painting "Arrangement in Grey and Black" is better known by what name?

Thursday-
   What does the "S" in Harry S. Truman stand for?




Friday-(Commuter Quiz)
    On the TV show "Murphy Brown", what was the name of the fictional news magazine?  (Candice Bergen's birthday)





















Answers:

blue agave
Willie Mays  (77 years old)
Whistler's Mother
nothing
FYI

This is always a special day for music lovers.  May 7th is the birthday of both Peter Tchaikovsky and Johannes Brahms.  Makes me wonder about May 7th.  Something unusual about that day?  I mentioned on the air that I had seen a photo of Brahms as a young man that had changed my whole image of him.  Here is that picture:



And how about equal time for the young Tchaikovsky, also a looker:

I have memories from my childhood of hanging out with my dad while he did chores around the house.  Always with his transitor radio nearby,  Lon Simmons calling the baseball game on a summer's afternoon.  The names from that era are etched on my brain:  Willie Mc Covey, the Alou brothers, and of course, Willie Mays.  I have to confess that I'm not a huge baseball fan.  Literally a fair-weather fan.  I like sitting in the sunshine at the ballpark with a beer.  The part about the sunshine means I don't attend the Giants' games very often and most night games at the Coloseum are too cold for wimpy me.  But there's something about the memory of Willie Mays and the laid-back sound of the game on the radio that makes me nostalgic.  There's no such thing as "dead air" when you're announcing a baseball game.  The warm ambience of the ballpark crowd is just enough audio to keep listeners glued to their radios. Happy Birthday to the Say Hey Kid and here's to 77 more great years.

 Jim and I attend a healthy number of fund raisers each year and we know a good one when it comes along.  One of the highlights of our fund raiser calendar for the past 5 years has been "Chase the Blues".  It's a fund raiser for the Oakland Children's Hospital trauma services, of which Jim's ICU is a key component. The event takes place at the most awesome house in Piedmont, if you like that English Country Manor thing, which I do.  The focus is on great blues music, good eats, and a full bar including each year some cool blue creation in a martini glass. There's also the requisite silent auction with lots of can't-buy-it-anywhere-else items.  Somebody on the committee has Hollywood connections!  And the dress is casual with blue jeans suggested.  If only I could fit into mine!  Hope I see you there this Saturday.

Now I'm wondering if he did it on purpose, that is, arriving late to our special pre-show reception.  "Where's Lang Lang?" everyone whispered.  The attendees had to make do chatting with me and the rest of the KDFC gang for an awkward 20 minutes.  But just when we thought his plane from Berlin had been delayed, in he strolled. I guess a star knows how to make an entrance.  Looking, I must say, great.  Adorable.  His spiky black hair not quite as spiky as in his photos, 501 jeans, Adidas tennis shoes with gold stripes along the sides.  As soon as he entered the party, the buzz was palpable.  Everyone wanted a photo and an autograph from the 25 year-old Chinese piano sensation.  He obliged them all with a smile and a laugh.  If he was jet-lagged, I couldn't tell.  And when we took our places on stage for the judging of the 1st annual KDFC Classical Star Search, he dug right in with insightful comments and a few pointed criticisms (heard only by me!). He added so much to our event.  An event that was a mere twinkle in Bill Lueth's eye just a few months earlier.  Could we pull it off?  With the good-natured participation of one of classical music's biggest star, we did it!  Check out our winners on the Star Search page at www.kdfc.com.  BTW, Lang Lang kissed me on both cheeks when we said good-bye so that's it, we're bonded for life.

Go ahead.  Call me a copycat.  John Evans had the great idea of posting his Prize @ 5 trivia questions and answers each Friday.  Sounded good to me. Here are this week's Lunch Box trivia Q's and A's.

Monday-

What European monarch is also Paramount Chief of Fiji?




Tuesday-

Which US city is the most literate according to a recent study which surveyed bookstores per capita, books sold, and library card holders?




Wednesday-

In his will, Shakespeare left his "second-best" what to his wife?  Hint: It was a piece of furniture.




Thursday-

James H. Billington is the head of what American institution that houses a Gutenberg bible and several Strad violins?




Friday-

What is the distinction of basketball player Chuck Cooper, drafted by the Boston Celtics on this day in 1950?












Answers:

Queen Elizabeth  (82nd birthday)
Seattle
bed
Library of Congress
He was the first African-American player in the NBA.

I can now reveal what I'll never tell my daughter Monica which is that I knew it all along.  I knew she would end up at UC San Diego from the moment she set foot on the campus and breathed a big sigh of "yes, this is what I had in mind for college."   'Course it's taken months of applications, essay-writing and the waiting, oh the waiting.  You'll see from an earlier posting that that wasn't the end of it all. No, the deciding became a painful phase all its own.  But I'm happy to report that the check is in the mail, literally. I'm not sure how a creature that is half-man, half fish , a triton, is supposed to hit a home run or make a basket or score a goal, but, particulars aside, Go Tritons!

You should have seen them in their powder-blue tuxes or their burnt-orange polyester disco shirts, very tight-fitting.  I'm talking about the 1978 Cal Men's Octet.  The Octet's 60th reunion was Saturday night and although no one was able to fit into those old 70's favorites any more,  it was still a nostalgic celebration of close-harmony a capella singing at its finest and at its used-to-be-finest. This is where the nostalgia came in.  There's nothing quite like the Parade of Octets throughout the ages.  Beginning with the oldest founding members (1948) wrapping up with the current Octet, the night was replete with Cal songs,  standards,  Broadway hits and even rock and roll.  My husband's group from the late 70's sounded pretty good but there was no denying that their prime had past. Kind of sad.  But on the flip side, the "actives" were so awesome that there was no doubt the tradition was in good hands.

Spent the last couple of days in D.C. visiting GW University with my daughter Monica.  We arrived on the red-eye flight at 6:45am.  Years ago I had sworn never again would I take a red-eye but here I was and it was every bit as bad as I remembered.  Fortunately, our hotel allowed us to check in a little early so we were able to nap. Well, I'm here to report, Washington is a great town!  Although we managed to just miss the cherry blossoms (boo-hoo), there were lots of tulips in bloom and the blue skies made everything look bright and fresh.  In addition to the school itself, we visited the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial,  the Vietnam Memorial, and the newish FDR memorial.  I was particularly moved by the Vietnam Memorial, it being the war of my own lifetime.  I told Monica that it was such a given in my childhood that I thought it would never end.  So with a May 1st deadline looming, Monica needs to decide on a school soon. I had secretly hoped this visit would eliminate GW from the list of possibilities but, in fact, she really liked it.  Oh no!  I'll keep you posted.


 

Wow, what an incredible day!  Warm and lovely and more of the same for the weekend.  Enjoy it, whatever you're doing.  Could be you're planning to come by Stanford Shopping Center and hear the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra perform tomorrow at noon.  If so, be sure to drop by the Music in Schools Today table and say hi to moi.  Bring an instrument to donate if you have one.  I'm off next week, Monday through Wednesday.  Taking Monica to visit George Washington University in D.C..  Here's hoping the Cherry Trees are still in bloom and that I survive the red-eye flight! 

Just for fun, here's this week's Lunch Box Trivia:
(scroll down for answers)


Monday-

The Electric Slide, the Hustle, the Macarena, and Swamp Thang are all examples of what?


Tuesday-

Charlton Heston starred in what 1968 cult classic and had a cameo in the 2000 remake. 


Wednesday-

Today 80 people will carry the Olympic torch through the streets of SF including which former SF mayor?


Thursday-

Name the Egyptian-born actor who happens to be one of the world's best known bridge players.


Friday-

All proceeds from the sale of this James M. Barrie classic were bequeathed to the Great Ormond St. Hospital for Children in London.






Answers:

line dances
Planet of the Apes
Willie Brown
Omar Sharif
Peter Pan

 Why is it that even the most minor household project has a way of mushrooming into something major?  It could be the nature of owning an older home (built in 1927) or is it just bad house karma?  So the dishwasher wasn't draining.  Pretty yucky.  Our first call was to the appliance store where we bought it almost 5 years ago.  "Oh, I bet it's just something caught under the bottom sprayer."  No such luck.  My husband risks life and limb rummaging around but finds nothing.  Next call is to the friendly appliance repair guy.  He was really friendly but detemined the problem was in the original installation plumbing.  So we get hold of the plumber.  His visit produces some results but he determines that the electrical set-up is faulty, even dangerous!  Along comes the electrician for an extended stay under the sink.  And, with the dishwasher pulled out from under the kitchen counter, it becomes obvious that the subflooring on which it usually sits is rotting away.  Agrh!!  In the meantime, we're doing the dishes by hand which is the real tragedy of this whole story!  Stay tuned for dishwasher updates as they become available.

Just back from a quick but refreshing weekend in the Phoenix area where my son Tommy is at ASU.  Nothing like lolling poolside with a margarita or two and a good book.  But first I had to earn it!  My husband dragged me up the highest peak in town, Camelback Mountain.  So- named because it kind of looks like a two-humped camel in a sitting position. (see photo below)   Tommy's only advice, "bring water!" The 1.25 mile trail is described as strenuous on the trail marker but really that's an understatement.  It starts out ok and I'm thinking, "I can do this".  But then, there's a very steep section that requires the use of a handrail embedded into the rock.  I experienced a moment of panic halfway up this part, thinking about what would happen if I fell.  I soldiered on and, although the rest of the hike was extremely taxing, it wasn't actually scary.  Relentless would be a better word.  Basically it's bouldering.  You have to pick your way up a steep, very rocky trail.  Up, up, ever higher.  When I reached the sign that read 1/2 mile mark, I nearly tuned back. Only 1/2 mile!  This is when the serious whining began.  My poor husband.  He tried to convince me I would be sorry if I gave up and that reaching the top would give me a great sense of accomplishment.  Imagine my response to that as I cut my hand on one of the rough-edged boulders.  Anyway, when we finally "summited", it was a pretty great feeling and a terrific view.  'Course, then we had to go back down.  Much easier on the heart but technically tricky, as you attempt not to slip and fall off the edge of the mountain.  Long story short, I made it and for the rest of our time there, I could look at Camelback Mountain with amazement and pride.  Another margarita please.

           

Our poor mailman.  I practically knocked him over this morning as he approached our house. I explained that we were waiting to hear from the last college on Monica's list and had been expecting the acceptance/rejection letter since Monday.  At this point, I don't think Monica really cares if she gets in to this particular school.  She just wants closure!  It all began last fall with the application process.  Endless writing and re-writing of essays, the incredibly onerous financial aid requests (3 years of tax returns!), and, of course, the application fees.  Monica probably over-did by applying to 9 schools but 5 of them were UC's, so a single application for those.  And now here we are, having heard good news and some disappointing news from 8 of the schools.  ( I'm sworn to secrecy so I can't tell you where's she's looking.)  She has to make a decision by May 1st so there looms the promise of closure at the end of the tunnel.  In the meantime, pity the mailman!

So again today I filled in for "the vacationing Hoyt Smith".  (I'm looking forward to being "the vacationing Dianne Nicolini" very soon! )  Anyway, I set my alarm for 4:10am and then a second alarm for 2 minutes later.  As usual when I work for Hoyt, I don't get that deep REM sleep thing going so I'm usually awake and staring at the clock well before the alarm can go off.  Along about 4:08 I turn the alarm off so I don't wake Jim.  Then I tiptoe out of the darkened room and into the bathroom next door.  A good hot shower is the only thing that seems to get me more or less awake.  A bowl of grape nuts and I'm out the door.  It's amazing to me to see all the folks already on the road.  They can't all be disc jockeys, can they?  I look forward to seeing the smiley newspaper guy at West Oakland BART where I buy the Chron for a quarter. Almost all the riders around me are asleep.  This I wouldn't dare.  I might wake up to find myself at SFO and late for work.  Walking from Montgomery BART to Howard Street at 5:00 am is a mix between go-getters and sleeping homeless bodies in doorways.  Thank goodness for the cheerful kids up early at our Starbucks.  "Make that a Vente!"  By the time, I come into the studio I'm almost human and there to greet me is one of my favorite humans, Betsy O'Connor.  Couldn't do it without Betsy leading me through the obstacle course that is the Morning Show.  Much more complicated than my usual 11 to 3pm.   So right now, we're in the middle of the "Blend at 10" and all I can think about is eating and napping.  Sometimes life is so basic.  Talk to you tomorrow at 11:00 and not a second earlier!

Of course, I totally jinxed it by saying out loud that I hadn't had a cold in nearly a year.  That was it.  That's what caused me to wake up Tuesday morning with a sore throat.  That's always the first sign for me, a painful sore throat.  That's how I know it's a cold and not just hay fever.  So, to medicate or not to medicate?  This time around I'm going a la natural.  That means lots of hot tea and as much sleep as I can manage.  'Course, it's difficult to sleep when you can't breathe!  Enough whining, already.  I'm so lucky to be only mildly under the weather.  And I should be apologizing to you and all our KDFC listeners who have to put up with my snotty stylings on the air.  Sorry about that.  I'll be better tomorrow. Unless I've just jinxed it again!

The combination of one of my favorite pieces and the SFS debut of the world's most celebrated young conductor was an occasion not to be missed.   Friday night I was thrilled to be front and center at Davies for Stravinsky's The Firebird led by Venezuelan conducting sensation, Gustavo Dudamel.  So after all the hype, was he the real thing or did the emperor have no clothes? First of all, Firebird was the perfect vehicle for Dudamel as he guided the SFS through the mysterious slow passages and the dramatic big statements. This is a piece that really shows off almost all the principals of the orchestra.  And they shone!  Bill Bennett haunting on his oboe, Tim Day going to town on flute, Stephen Paulson on the bassoon and Dave Herbert brilliant as always on timpani. Alexander Barantschik's solo violin was key.  And Dudamel is fun to watch as he conducts.  His curly mop of hair reminiscent of a brunette Harpo Marx,  bouncing in time with the music.  Based solely on the reaction of the SFS musicians after the performance, Dudamel's a keeper.  The players have a tradition of tapping their bows against their music stands and stomping their feet for the guest artists they really like and the musicians were going crazy on Friday night.  It's difficult to believe this guy is only 27!  Can't wait for his return to San Francisco.

My Lunch Box trivia question today hit a chord with listeners who fondly remember hours spent coloring inside and outside the lines with Crayola Crayons.  The question had to do with the re-naming of a few of the colors.  Apparently, Crayola has only done this three times in its history.  In 1959, they changed Prussian Blue to Midnight Blue because nobody remembered what "Prussian" meant, especially not children.
For reasons that seem obvious to me, "Indian Red" became "Chestnut" but shockingly not until 1999. And my question today had to do with the color formally known as "Flesh".  What was it changed to in 1962 when the company acknowledged that not everyone had the same skin tone?

The answer coming up but first some thoughts on crayons.  My winner today, Jenine Betshart, waxed poetic about the smell of crayons, "Like opening a box of spring".  I got a call from a listener who has a magnet on her fridge which reads, "Every morning is like a new box of crayons."   Remember that feeling?  All the points of the crayons nice and sharp!  Just yesterday I was attempting to describe the color of a new dress and I said, "Purple. Not lavender or magenta but real purple, the purple of a purple crayon." 

Did you guess the name of the crayon formally known as flesh? 




Peach.