Go Fourth on the River.



Yesterday was the Fourth of July, as I'm sure many of you know, and I made a fairly easy day of it as I had to start my new job today.

Robert and I walked to the French Quarter and then to the River where the city holds an event called "Go Fourth on the River". There wasn't a huge crowd, and there generally isn't on the fourth, but it was great as always to walk along the Mississippi and do some people watching.

There were some musical performances.


This woman claims she will be appearing at the Iowa State Fair.


The crowds were fairly light along the river,


but a little heavier at the Spanish Plaza


A ferry boat like the one my friend drives.


We stopped for a A/C break at the mall, where this odd film was advertised. (#4) LOL


We found a good place to sit as it got dark.


And then watched the fireworks.


The first place we found to sit on the levee seemed almost too good to be true! As we were getting ready to sit on the grass next to the walk, the people around us started yelling "Ants! Ants!" We had nearly sat in what appeared to be a nest of fire ants, which would have been horrible! We thanked the people who warned us and found another spot about ten feet away that was almost as good and still right in front of one of the barges used as launch pads. The fireworks were O.K., they've been better other years, but nice enough and there was a bit of momentary excitement when one of the big shells exploded at ground level in front of us instead of up in the air where it should have been. It was a pleasant evening on the river and we were home by ten so I could get enough rest before my first day at work.

First day on the new job.

Spent the whole day on training and orientation, and there's another day of it on Monday. The company that I'm working for is decidely different than any I've worked for before. During the day, I was often amazed at the quality of the training and the amount of time and effort they put into it; for me it was sort of like waking up in another world. These people take both the bottom line and quality of life issues very seriously and do it in a way that's unique to the industry and certainly radically different from what I've experienced in the restaurant biz. I think I'm going to like this place a lot.

Ford on the Radio.

I only got a chance to hear a lil' bit of Ford's radio show tonight as I got home a bit late, but you really must give it a listen! Ford is a very amusing and talented man who does a number of different characters and voices during his show. This evening I think I heard him singing all the parts of a barbershop quartet! (I can't wait to hear the whole thing!) The shows are being archived at the Radio GayCams site and you can get further info at Ford's website.

ChaosInAustin

If you haven't checked out Bryan's ChaosInAustin site lately, I highly recommend that you do. The photography he's been doing lately is totally first rate! He's starting to get published and it's no wonder; I think you'll enjoy what you see. Be sure to check out the f-victim Fourth of July special edition. (I know you'll be sayin' butt, butt, butt...just go ahead and check it out anyway ~grin~)


Dr. Justin starts to blog.

Our own Dr. JJ is a welcome new entry to the world of weblogs! He generously shares some bits from his rather interesting life with us and does it with wit and wisdom. It's a daily internet stop for me and one I look forward to. He invites your comments, (as I do, hint, hint...) and this might be a chance for you to get a little freebie consultation... hehe. Do check out this little house on the prairie! I think you find it both entertaining and rewarding.

Thanks all of you for your encouraging words on the message board and the e-mails as I re-enter the world of work! It's a very important and exciting step for me and it's great to have you there with me as I take that step. I'll keep you posted, you can count on it.

durlx

A very big organ.



The Robert Morton Theater organ in the New Orleans Saenger theater is one of the great theater organs in the world; it was the prototype for the "Wonder Morton" organs and is the most important surving example of that company's work. I tend to get a little manic around pipe organs of any type, but theater organs are my favorite and last Saturday night, I got to see and hear this amazing instrument! You can listen to some recordings of this organ here.

The Saenger Theater opened in 1927 and was considered the flagship of the Saenger Theater chain, which included 150 theaters at the time. It was definitely the grandest theater in the South, built at a cost of $2.5 million, nearly $25 million in today's dollars. New Orleans is fortunate to still have all three of its landmark theaters; in addition to the Saenger, which is now mostly used for Broadway touring productions, there are the Loew's State (1926) and the Orpheum (1924), which was built for vaudeville and now is the home of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.





In order to celebrate the theater's 75th year, they ran a series of classic movies this last weekend, with a 75 cent admission price: Some Like It Hot, The Wizard of Oz and Gone With The Wind. As many time as I have seen The Wizard Of Oz, I had never seen it in a theater on a big screen, so that's the one we decided to see.



Robert and I got there early so we had time to look around. We entered through the lobby, which once featured 4 huge crystal chandeliers which were said to have come from the Chateau Pierrefonds in France. Only one remains; you can see it in the upper section of the pic above. While we were in the lobby, I caught Robert looking up Marilyn's dress!



Theater historians refer to the Saenger as an "atmospheric" theater, which means that the theater gives the illusion of being out doors. There are building facades on the side walls of the theater with ornate balconies and the ceiling is done up to look like the night sky with stars and moving clouds. Every single inch of the theater is guilded, decorated and lush.

The second floor lobby.


Statues along the "roof line" at the third level.


Another one of the many statues.


Robert striking a pose in an empty niche...


The Theater.


We finally settled down into our seats just as the organ concert began and while the guy playing it wasn't the most accomplished artist, it was still a thrill to hear it and as the organ sank slowly down into the pit at the end of the performance, the near capacity crowd of around 3,000 people applauded and cheered. The house lights dimmed and the movie began, and so did the magic. Seeing "Oz" on a big screen was a treat; the print was near pristine and the colors were dazzling, but the real magic came from being in a classic theater with a huge crowd of people. I had totally forgotten what it was like, the shared experience of enjoyment of a film. The audience covered a wide spectrum from lil' kids seeing the film for the first time to older folks who had seen it in a first run theater, and you could feel the joy; everyone was having a really good time! The laughter at the Cowardly Lion, the hissing at the Wicked Witch, the cheering when something good happened; the sound of people reacting to what was on the screen came at you in waves and it was truly wonderful! I don't think I've ever enjoyed a film so much in a theater before; seeing a film at a modern cineplex just doesn't compare.

This series of films was a test run to see if there was enough interest, and it looks like there was, so I'm looking forward to seeing some more classic films there. (Although I doubt they'll keep the 75 cent admission...).

I'd really love to see Sunset Boulevard in that theater and be one of those wonderful people out there in the dark.

durlx