vovat | I Have Your Heart

So, today is Valentine's Day, as well as Ash Wednesday for the Catholics. I guess the former is technically a Catholic holiday too, as it's ST. Valentine's, but it's gained a more secular following. And like many holidays, it has its roots in a Roman festival. A lot of people hate it, too. It was never that big of a deal to me; I've been in a relationship for a long time, but can't recall really thinking about it that much when I was single. But I guess I get it in the sense that people want to participate in things, and it's sort of a holiday where adults don't get to unless they're involved with someone. I was thinking of the feeling of being left out for a different reason recently, because I attended the first two shows of Kim Boekbinder's residency on the Lower East Side. They were fun, but I went to them alone, and that can be a bit uncomfortable when it seems like everyone else there knows other people (and, at a small show like these, sometimes even the performers). I've pretty much always felt the loneliest when I was around other people interacting and apparently having fun; actually being alone doesn't bother me as much, nor does being around other people when we're all watching something, like, well, a show. But the intermissions can be difficult.

Anyway, Kim is doing a show at a bar called Berlin every Monday this month, which means two of them are now over. I don't know if I'm going to the other two or not; I'd like to, but it's kind of annoying since they're on work nights. The first one featured Veronica Varlow, a burlesque dancer who's also worked with Emilie Autumn.

In fact, I'm almost finished reading Emilie's book, and there's a character based on her in it. The second show had an opener, VNESSWOLFCHILD, who did a positive, earthy sort of music. It was perhaps a little TOO positive for my taste, but they put on a good show, complete with props and the lead singer standing on her head.

Kim had string players this time, two violinists and a cellist.

She did a lot of the same songs both times, but they did sound different with the strings. It seems like she's focusing on her last two albums, which were mostly electronic. I'd have liked to hear some older songs, but maybe they wouldn't have worked with the setup, or she just didn't want to play them. She's said she's dressing in one predominant color each month, and this month it's orange.

Today, Beth and I went out for an early dinner at Burger Bistro, not exactly a fancy restaurant, but fancier than having leftovers. She gave me some presents, and while I ordered some for her, they haven't arrived yet. Our tenth anniversary is coming up; we were married on the twenty-ninth, so whether we celebrate on the twenty-eighth or the first depends on what else is going on around then. We'd been thinking of going back to Disney World this year, but I don't know that that's going to work out with our work schedules. Any ideas for what we can do for our Tin Anniversary?

I'm probably going to go to OzCon (where, coincidentally enough, the theme is The Tin Woodman of Oz) without Beth again this year. I'm not sure what I should do about hotel rooms. Should I get a double in case I can find a roommate, and just eat the extra cost if I don't?