: Moronican pictorial cats say something like 'nom nom nom' at this point
First meal out since becoming vegetarian (I've not strictly followed it, but I've probably had about five portions of meat since the middle of January), with the choir at an Indian restaurant. I wasn't planning on going - it shouldn't need saying that the expectation of Quirks-unfriendly food was the reason - but upon being informed that I could have merely a bowl of rice, I decided to go along. In the end, I additionally had a large piece of cheese-and-garlic naan bread, which was both lovely and massively filling. Even with just that and rice (plus two earlier poppadoms), I was unable to completely finish my meal. My contribution to the meal, inclusive of tip, was seven quid (if memory serves, the actual cost of my meal was just short of £6; the carnivorous and spicy choices of other diners approached double that). Wouldn't have paid that normally for any one meal, but this was filling and lovely, and a good little treat.
The conversation was the best part of the evening, though. I was seated directly opposite Chris, who was next to Lyndsay. Diagonal conversation was predictably frequent. Chris chipped in on a few occasions to remind me that I shouldn't let my envy at Lyndsay drag me down so much, or particularly force myself to match her. Wise words, and it's quite apparent that my skill set does not match hers. Lyndsay claimed a weakness in lyric-writing tonight, for instance; wouldn't go as far as to say, as she did, that her lyrics are 'rubbish', but would concede that her strength is in arranging. Which is my critical weakness...
Oh, and bloody hell I didn't realise this. Stephen Schwartz wrote
Lyndsay got to look at something I'd started writing, and approved warmly of it (which startled me); she was generally lovely to bounce thoughts off, and I left the evening with the idea of collaboration falling into my head for the first time in a long time. It's probably for the best... who knows, she may even be the other part of the collaboration...
First meal out since becoming vegetarian (I've not strictly followed it, but I've probably had about five portions of meat since the middle of January), with the choir at an Indian restaurant. I wasn't planning on going - it shouldn't need saying that the expectation of Quirks-unfriendly food was the reason - but upon being informed that I could have merely a bowl of rice, I decided to go along. In the end, I additionally had a large piece of cheese-and-garlic naan bread, which was both lovely and massively filling. Even with just that and rice (plus two earlier poppadoms), I was unable to completely finish my meal. My contribution to the meal, inclusive of tip, was seven quid (if memory serves, the actual cost of my meal was just short of £6; the carnivorous and spicy choices of other diners approached double that). Wouldn't have paid that normally for any one meal, but this was filling and lovely, and a good little treat.
The conversation was the best part of the evening, though. I was seated directly opposite Chris, who was next to Lyndsay. Diagonal conversation was predictably frequent. Chris chipped in on a few occasions to remind me that I shouldn't let my envy at Lyndsay drag me down so much, or particularly force myself to match her. Wise words, and it's quite apparent that my skill set does not match hers. Lyndsay claimed a weakness in lyric-writing tonight, for instance; wouldn't go as far as to say, as she did, that her lyrics are 'rubbish', but would concede that her strength is in arranging. Which is my critical weakness...
Oh, and bloody hell I didn't realise this. Stephen Schwartz wrote
When You Believe. In many ways that is quite wonderfully fitting; Mariargh and Whiney (and later Leon Jackson - it took us a few seconds to remember who he was, says it all really) get a corny pile of pants, Idina and Kristen get something quite brilliantly anthemic (and in my opinion one of the best songs of this decade) from the same composer. As another Schwartz lyric goes, they deserve each other.
Lyndsay got to look at something I'd started writing, and approved warmly of it (which startled me); she was generally lovely to bounce thoughts off, and I left the evening with the idea of collaboration falling into my head for the first time in a long time. It's probably for the best... who knows, she may even be the other part of the collaboration...