By Pipwood on Jun 17, 2010 at 3:50 PM

Well, good luck to your daughter. I guess the short summer is just the beginning of 'real life' (whatever THAT is, LOL). I wish her well. Things are fine over here. Summer just refuses to establish itself and we're just hankering for some really fine weather to warm our weary bones! The new government seems to be doing OK. They've promised austerity, austerity, austerity, but that's a reality most working people in Britain have been living for the last couple of years anyway, so what else is new? And no, I don't really miss NYC, though I miss my friends there. I've been away so long the city no longer feels like I belong there anymore, you know? Sad really, but we're terrible creatures of habit! Take care, Pipwood

By alannah on Jun 14, 2010 at 9:04 PM

Hi there - Thanks for asking! She chose piano, the classical-plus-jazz focus, and after the audition they said she could move into some groups. She just auditioned for those yesterday, so we'll see what kind of group they put her in when the semester starts. What's going to hit her hard is that she's going from a school that ends late (end of June) to one that starts early (middle of August). Short summer! How are things going with you? How are things over there with the new government(s)? Do you miss New York? I do. On Facebook, I'm a friend of Matilda Cat at the Algonquin. She's a doll.

By Pipwood on Jun 6, 2010 at 3:32 PM

Hi Alannah, how's by you? What was the upshot of your daughter's choice of course? I seem to recall we left that string dangling. Hope you're having a good Sunday. Mine's soooo over, sadly, and it's time for bed this side of the globe. all best, Pipwood

By Pipwood on Apr 23, 2010 at 3:47 PM

Dear Alannah, I realised with horror that I hadn't responded to your message about your daughter. Congrats to her (and to you!) for getting into the school she was aiming for. Piano or violin--tough call. I've always felt that piano is the most complete instrument. It can do just about everything, despite what Beethoven said about it at the end of his life. But then again he didn't have a Fazioli! Yeah, New York is great for music, but London is (I think) marginally better. The ticket prices, for one thing, are generally more reasonable here, so one can go to more concerts for the same money! Let me know which instrument your daughter chooses. All best, Pipwood

By alannah on Apr 15, 2010 at 9:13 AM

Good heavens, I would have thought that this would be covered by fair use for satire, etc., even here in the US where we've grown so picky (now that we've started owning intellectual property, as opposed to the 1800s, when we pirated Dickens and Gilbert & Sullivan . . . but we forget). News here (bragbragbrag) my daughter got into Orange County High School of the Arts in their Instrumental Music Conservatory --- she's after jazz, but now she has to choose violin vs. piano (or give up sleeping for practice time). Down here we get too few concerts to go to easily. I miss NY for that. ("Opera? Tonight? Sure. Meet you at Lincoln Center in half an hour.")

By Pipwood on Apr 8, 2010 at 2:40 AM

Actually, Alannah, I should've figured that one out. The moderators deleted both my LOL and the Julie Andrews one on the FP because of copyright issues. The message that comes up "deleted by the user who created it" is misleading. So...sorry for the confusion. Heard Angela Hewitt in recital last night playing Schumann & early Brahms. Heavenly. Any music news where you are? Pipwood

By alannah on Apr 7, 2010 at 12:29 PM

Hi, the lost link is one you sent me: http://cheezburger.com/View.aspx?aid=3304738816 I think it's one of yours.

By Pipwood on Mar 30, 2010 at 4:13 PM

Which link was it you were trying to follow? To a LOL of mine or something else? Perhaps you can let me know as I'm not a fan of unexplained glitches. They make me break out in hives. Nighty-night from London, Pipwood

By Pipwood on Mar 30, 2010 at 3:05 PM

Alannah! Your FP'er is fab! Well done & congratulations. Speaking of Mozart (which we sort of were at one point), I heard it played by the Jerusalem Quartet yesterday...except with five noisy interruptions from political protesters. It was a very VERY weird experience, to say the least. Don't suppose you heard about it? Pipwood

By Pipwood on Mar 20, 2010 at 12:52 PM

Hi Alannah! Thought of your today when I listened to Mozart's Prague symphony & no. 39 (part of a 2-CD set with the Scottish Chamber Orch cond. by Charles MacKerras--he is one of our national treasures). Hope you're well. Noticed you favourited the Julie Andrews LOL. I kind of liked my own take on this picture better: http://cheezburger.com/View.aspx?aid=3304738816 , but then again I'm biased! Best regards from London, Pipwood

By alannah on May 12, 2009 at 3:46 PM

thanku fur notissing! (ai wuz floord.) at firs ai juss stared at it an sed, "dat luks familyur. . . ."

By Pipwood on May 12, 2009 at 3:30 PM

A front pager for you! Brilliantissimo!! Well done, and here's to many more. All the best, Pipwood

By Pipwood on Mar 24, 2009 at 7:36 AM

Nice one, Alannah! I favourited it. Here's another, hot off the presses: http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=3751245 Yes, I kind of knew that porcupines are a lot bigger than hedgehogs. Plus they're shaped more like beavers. Hedgehogs are just these cute, prickly balls. Very peace-loving. Don't eat trees! All the best, Pipwood

By alannah on Mar 23, 2009 at 2:16 PM

hai - loved that lol. heer's one lotsa peeple favrited, hope u laik it: http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=3713158 an aftr xtnsv reesrch found we no have hedgehogs heer. porkypines can be leetl bigr but de're reely rohdentz. dey eet bark n stuff. also less harmless to goggies an kittehs, so not gud petz. too bad; dey kyoot wehn liddl.

By Pipwood on Mar 20, 2009 at 9:41 AM

http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=3718737 Have a good weekend, Alannah! Pipwood

By Pipwood on Mar 2, 2009 at 5:55 AM

Thanks, Alannah! Aren't porcupines a whole lot bigger than hedgehogs? I just favourited your 'Riverboat' LOL. Lovely caption as the kitteh looks so downtrodden, among other attributes we won't mention. "Have a mice day", to quote one of my recent LOLs, Pipwood

By alannah on Feb 28, 2009 at 11:05 PM

Wall Street is hilarious! I translated for us Muricans who think they're porcupines -- brilliant pun!

By Pipwood on Feb 27, 2009 at 2:11 AM

Hello Alannah, Thanks for accepting my friend request! At last a cheezyfriend who actually admits to liking good music! Love the Nannerl Mozart quip. Admittedly female Mozarts with cat-friendly names are thin on the ground. Constanze doesn't quite cut it either. Anyway, like your sense of humour and glad you've added me as a friend. Have a great weekend! Pipwood P.S. Speaking of music, check out my Nessun Dormouse LOL

By alannah on Feb 26, 2009 at 3:57 PM

Welcome back . . . it's a haven here, isn't it? Thanks for the fave of my clumsy chanukitteh.