Die Zauberflote

So today, I allowed myself to rationalize the purchase of "Die Zauberflote" or "The Magic Flute" (for all you non-German speakers). It's an opera by Mozart. I have long coveted the music from this opera, as I particularily associate it with fond childhood memories and amazing musical genius. You should read the synopsis of it online, it's a crazy spectacle fairy-type tale that ends happily ever after. I have to admit, the Queen of the Night is my favorite character and her insanely intense solo I have memorized in the English form, since the copy I listened to over and over again as a child was in English and not the original German. I have the solo on my computer and it's really weird because when I listen to it, I hear it in the English even though I'm listening in the German. Anyway, the point of this story my fellow readers is that although I really don't have money to throw away left and right, I have once again succumbed. But it's an investment, no?

I'd also like to take this time to share with you all that my art professor is the newest member of the "wow kelly thomson is a detailed perfectionist" club - a club which boasts the membership of numerous professors, family, and friends of mine. Right now we are working on creating a 9 foot by 13 foot mural re-creation of a famous painting. He's gridded off the painting into numerous squares and then assigned each of us certain squares to re-create. Of course, when I'm drawing my squares I spend forever drawing every minute detail even though most likely a lot of the detail will be lost once I start to paint it. My professor just laughs when he walks by me hunched over my artwork, pencil in hand and makes offhanded comments about how I sure really like to draw detailed. He then smiles as I say "yeah yeah, I know . . ." and willfully acknowledge my anal-retentive qualities. It helps of course, that the other three people in my row are as perfectionist as I am- a fact that my art professor has also graciously acknowledged. Well, I suppose we all belong together :)