A Traviata to Remember

On Monday we went to the San Francisco Opera production of La Traviata with Ruth Ann Swenson as Violeta, Rolando Villazon as Alfredo, and Dmitri Hvorostovski as Giorgio Germont. I have been to more productions of Traviata than I can remember but this stood above the rest for one reason: Ruth Ann Swenson.

She had vocal beauty of a Sutherland combined with the enunciation and the ability to convey emotion of a Callas. She had almost the training and vocal discipline of Tebaldi, but none of Tebaldi's shrillness. Swenson must be a natural. At times, her voice reminded me of a young Joan Baez. Shivers ran down my spine. The next day we played a La Traviata recording of Tebaldi in her golden years. It reinforced my opinion.

Swenson will be Mimi in La Boheme at the Metropolitan next year. That should be a perfect part for her.

By the way, once again I came to opposite conclusions than the review in the Chronicle. I could not disagree more.

My mother

Last week, my mother got up in the wee hours of the morning and while walking in the kitchen she fell down. She was able to call 911 and be taken by ambulance to Huntington Hospital. She was fortunate not to break her hip, but she did break her left wrist badly. She has now left the hospital and is in a convalesent home. She will probably be there for a month or two.

Our daughter Elizabeth lives in Pasadena and is able to look after medical care issues. I am now flying back and forth to Pasadena weekly to help with some ongoing financial matters.

Body Language

When I turn off the sound and watch Bush and Kerry on TV, this is what I see: Bush is energetic, enthusiastic, and appears to be enjoying himself. Kerry looks tired and discouraged.

The only election that I can think of like this is Truman vs. Dewey. (However, Dewey was more wooden and "statesmanlike" in his demeanor than tired and discouraged.)

So, right now, if I were a betting man, my money would have to be on Bush. The Stock Market seems to agree.

Tendonitis

This January I noticed a little tingling in my left hand. In a couple of months it became clear that there was something wrong with the little finger of my left hand. I think that it is tendonitis. I have used a typewriter and computer heavily for over thirty years. Why did this happen now?

After thinking about it (a lot) I concluded that it was the fault of my new computer desk. The keyboard slides out on a tray at a lower level than the desktop. This sets up an ergonomically correct posture and viewing position. The problem is that the tray was not locking into position. Unconsciously, I was trying to steady the keyboard with my wrists while I typed. This put my hands in the wrong position for typing. For some reason, it affected my left little finger more than others—probably because my left little finger is being used so often on the shift key.

Last week, I discovered something. If I pull out the keyboard tray all the way and then pull it hard toward me it locks into position and stays there. Now I can begin to type from a correct position and eventually cure the tendonitis.

This probably seems pretty trivial and picky unless you have had a similar problem. Nevertheless, it is painful to type and I have been avoiding typing so that I do not make the problem worse. That's why you have not seen many blog entries recently.

Unicorn

We had lunch at the Unicorn today in Berkeley, a "pan asian" restaurant (their words). I would call it a very good Vietnamese restaurant—perhaps the best we have found, different from but comparable to Slanted Door in San Francisco. We had three dishes: Calimari Friti, Duck Roll, and a Combination Shishkabob Plate. (I am trying to use their names as best I can remember them.) The Duck Roll was similar to a Spring Roll. However it needed no dipping sauce because it had a Hoi Sin Sauce mixed in it. The Calimari was a surprise because the dipping sauce was strongly flavored with black pepper—a surprisingly good combination. The "Shiskabobs" were bits of grilled duck and beef and chicken accompanied by the vegetables and dipping sauce typical of Hanoi Style Grilled Pork. So, each of the three dishes had its own unique seasoning. Quite a change from the typical sad Vietnamese restaurant in which everything seems to be accompanied by the same carrrot colored vinegar sauce.

The interior of the restaurant was modern and elegant. It showed the strong influence of an architect or restaurant designer. The service was superb. However, I suspect that mother was in the kitchen, daughter was serving, and son was behind the bar. The best Vietnamese and Thai restaurants we have ever found were built on that family foundation.

Eating Crow

It now appears that my brilliant and insightful prediction that George Bush will replace Cheney as his running mate is wrong. It is not over until the fat lady (fat man?) sings, but Cheney is scheduled to accept the nomination this evening.