It is that time of the year...

We went to the Botanic Gardens to see the spring tulips today! But I think you know that.

Critical Driver's Test Update

I was ready. I had studied, spent the time and knew, par example, how deep the tire tread needed to be on the tires (1.5 mm!!!!) and, yes, it is six meters from the roundabouts that you can park if there is no yellow-dash line (which means no parking allowed). I was READY.

READY, re re re READY!

BUT

It turns out that as of September 1 of this year, persons converting overseas licenses don't have to take the test... sigh.

Driver's Test

My US driver's license is expiring on my birthday which is coming up shortly. I have to pass a written test to get my NZ driver's license like now. I have waited and waited and procrastinated until I like have to pass this test NOW.

NOW, now now now NOW.

So this afternoon when I should be crafting prose about the wondrous intricacies of late-Roman manhood, I am worrying about how many f@#$%^ meters I can park from a f%^&*O( roundabout. Let's hope I pass before my birthday, or, going for the gold, even on the first try tomorrow. Otherwise, after my birthday I will have to stop driving until I do pass.

If I drive after that day and have a mishap, can you imagine how happy our insurance company will be? I so don't want to see or hear the faux-concerned smirk.

Juliya Lezhneva! Again!

Well, if you check to the left you will see that I have installed this counter thingy and I am now aware that people actually visit the blog a little more often than I thought. It is/will be a spur to getting a little more engaged. Anyway, it tells me where people are visiting from and I noticed that I got a visit from Moscow. That is where the heroine of this very post you are reading hails from--- and I suspect the Moscow visitor might be someone she is related to because he, if it is he, sent me the nicest note when I posted on her before. (Go here for the previous posting.) Anyway, Moscow Visitor got me to thinking about Juliya some more. And so I searched and I found her singing the Louise aria, Depuis le Jour! As I hit the play button, I wondered what I was going to hear--- I mean she is good with the Rossini and all--- what will happen here with the ineffable Gallicness of Charpentier's line, the floating high notes, and all the baggage that I, as a consumer of this aria for years, will bring to a listen? Let me say that I really really. so really, liked what I heard. She has nice spinto heft in her lower registers and the high notes float. Such a beautiful sound she has. I did not resist remembering what others did, I rather surrendered and was grateful. It seems to me that she should be going places. Let's keep our fingers crossed shall we? Just lovely:



PS: My book manuscript should finally be out of my hands soon; I am looking forward to some life changes when that happens!

PS the Second: I will post some pages from the book again within the week I should think.