Cautious Optimism

I've been trying very hard to tone down my expectations and to remain realistic, but optimistic. In my opinion, President Obama will inherit a more complex and difficult situation than any president in my lifetime, and the solutions to these problems will require a long, difficult course of action. Things are very likely to get worse before they get better. It's taken us 28 years to dig this hole and we won't be out of it quickly.

My tone of caution, however, was shattered this morning when I was on my way to work, listening to NPR, and heard a children's chorus singing "God Bless America," and I realized that maybe, just maybe, this was MY country again. I've been in tears ever since. The 8 year nightmare is over. I hope, oh how I hope, a time of reason and thoughtful action is here.

"But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America."--President Barack Obama

Nothing is more important to the future of our nation or the world than understanding that we cannot put off unpleasant decisions any longer. We've lived for too long as though we thought our past assured our future. We've used limited resources as though they were endless and we've rung up debts that our grandchildren will struggle to pay, all without keeping our house in order. We have to face some years of struggle and sacrifice. There will be those who will tell us that our struggles are foolish or that our sacrifices are not needed. These people are liars.

The Pearl Fishers

Some of you who were paying attention may have noticed I endorsed opera as an interest, but that I hadn't posted any entries about opera. Well, I'm about to remedy that. Today, I went to see The Pearl Fishers (Les pêcheurs de perles) by Georges Bizet by the Seattle Opera at Marian Oliver McCaw Hall.

This is a wonderful opera, the music is outstanding, particularly the duets and the choral pieces. You have to give a pass to the weak attempt to be exotic by setting the story in Ceylon--about which Bizet clearly knew nothing. That kind of thing is common in opera, though. Madame Butterfly is hardly evocative of Japan, and La Fanciulla del West is the worst western ever, but a great opera.

In The Pearl Fishers, the motif for the female lead, Leila, is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. It repeats and is used in duets and even used in variation in a minor chord when the death sentence is announced in Act III. The soprano (Larissa Yudina, Leila) in today's performance was wonderful, and the baritone (David Adam Moore, Zurga) was very powerful. Sadly, the tenor (Brian Stucki, Nadir) was weak. His voice barely left the stage. When he first appeared, I thought someone else was singing offstage for him, his voice was so muted. He couldn't hold his own in the duets, which are the best part of this opera.

As in any French opera, there was a lot of dancing. The dancers in this performance were great. The choreography was athletic, a lot of tumbling going on, and it really worked pretty well.

I was with Gary and Sarah, and they enjoyed themselves. We went out for dinner afterwards, to the Bhan Thai on Roy Street. I had scallops in a curry sauce, very spicy and cooked to perfection, with an excellent Gewürztraminer from Washington.

Zackery's First Birthday

Believe it or not, Zack is now one! We had a birthday party for him, Becky made an amazing cake and we all had a great time. Zack had a small cake of his own, which he reduced to powder before starting to eat. He got great presents (a zebra he can ride!). I was lucky to get a picture of him wearing the crown. He is obviously a Democrat, and uncomfortable with the trappings of royalty, as he would quickly take the crown off his head and throw it to the ground whenever we placed it on his head.

Post-Christmas Christmas with Becky

On the Saturday after Christmas, I went up to Whidbey Island and spent a day with Becky and Mike, and Lukas, Emelia and Zack. They were having a great Christmas, and had just gotten back from seeing the Wizard of Oz at the Seattle Children's Theater. We had a great time together, and the kids didn't seem half holiday-ed out. Well, with the one gift, maybe Zack was a bit past his prime, but it was late and he'd been sleeping in the car for quite a while.

I love to watch Becky and Mike interact with their kids. They're such great parents, with patience I certainly never had, and those are such great kids.

Becky's big smile is for their gift--two tickets to see Swan Lake at the Pacific Northwest Ballet in April. That's a long time to wait for Christmas, but Becky is a real ballet fan and she hasn't been to the new McCaw Hall in Seattle, and Swan Lake is such a classic, it just seemed right.