Symphony

 Friday, March 4, 2022

Nine of us went to the symphony in our own cars; it was not a SRS event. I drove alone, since everyone else was in other cars.  Parking in the lot behind the Warner was $20. The tickets at Will Call were in my name to distribute in the lobby.  Denise, who is wheel chair bound had not arrived yet and not only I wondered how she was going to get there, because no one had a vehicle equipped to carry her very cumbersome chair.  I called Jaimee at SRS to find out if Denise had a ride.  As I'm talking on the phone, Denise came rolling in.  She came on the bus.  It is gratifying to see how disabled people are accommodated by so many services.

The pre-concert talk was an interview with a French horn/Wagner tuba player; I just learned about a new instrument.  The Wagner tuba was introduced by Wagner who wanted a sound louder than a French horn and not at loud as a tuba.  The hall was sparsely filled for the talk, but was full for the concert; mostly gray and all stages of disability.  There was a full row of students ahead of me.

Conductor Ken-David Masur welcomed everyone and said the concert will be dedicated to the Ukraine people.  He opened with a Ukrainian piece after which was a moment of silence.  It was very moving.  Mozart's Concerto No. 23 featuring pianist Jorge Federico Osorio got a standing ovation.  And Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 7 had beautiful themes in all four movements with a powerful climax.  I should not have read Janice's message about my stent procedure.  She insists my condition could be reversed with a change in diet.  I could not give full attention to the concert.

Barbara Leigh called to tell me that Rikki wasn't feeling well for our fish fry date at Alioto's.  So it would be just Peter and I.  I arrived at 5:20 p.m. for our 5:30 reservation.  I had a meatless salad, Peter had the two-piece fish plate.  By 6:00 p.m. people were crowding around the desk, being the first Friday of Lent.  We finished the evening at the bar with a beer for Peter and a diet Coke for me.  I undid my reduction in calories with too many Girl Scout cookies that I bought this afternoon.