Soundpainting Snowmaggedon; storm after the calm

Confused, somewhat, by Ottawacker Jr.’s rare day off, I spent much of today thinking it was Sunday. I sat in front of the computer waiting for the Liverpool game, watched it doing its “buffering thing” and then realised I was 24 hours early. I blame this on Crime Scene Kitchen, the finale of which we watched last night. I could also blame it on the weather forecast, which was maintaining its decidedly glum outlook. After Thursday’s 30+ cm, we were promised another significant dump today – with the storm continuing unabated until Sunday evening. It wasn’t due to start until early afternoon, though, so at least we could get Ottawacker Jr. to his morning’s match and then downtown to the National Arts Centre for the first two Soundpainting performances.
 
His game was reasonably close, the U14s taking on the Toronto FC Academy’s U14 team. OISC lost 4-2, and never really got going (again). Ottawacker Jr. was a little critical of himself for a couple of the goals, I wasn’t sure there was much he could do about them. For the third, the striker completely mishit the ball – and it looped up and over him into the net. If he’d have made a true contact, Ottawacker Jr. would probably have saved it. That was the last of the regular season matches: the U14 didn’t make the play offs, the U13 have done. No rest for the wicked.
 
After a shower, hair wash, deodorant application, and bite to eat, Ottawacker Jr. was then ready to be driven down to the NAC for 12.30. We’d decided to attend the 4pm show, so I came back, did a bit of farting around, and then drove us back down – just in time for the snow to start. We somehow found a parking spot in an underground garage, wandered past a rather sparse pro-Palestine demonstration, and made it into the NAC for the Big Bang Weekend, of which the soundpainting was a part.
 
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. The principle of soundpainting is that an artist (or conductor) signs for the participants to make noise. It certainly seems to be a form of sign language, with various poses/signs indicating loudness or voice or drums or claps. How much of an audience event could it possibly be? The answer is “very much”: the kids were energetic and attentive, and the spontaneity part of it – based on the theme of “summer” – was really well done. In Thursday’s blip, I gave a link to the event, so if you are interested in something a bit different, then this might be for you. The performance took place in the O’Born room in the NAC, so we had a great view out of the Chateau Laurier behind it. I think Ottawacker Jr. is lucky to be involved in things like this – but, of course, if he wasn’t responsive to new things, he wouldn’t have been chosen.
 
We drove home once again in the snow and gloom. Then, in the evening, in a further attempt to make my elimination diet as miserable as possible, we all sat down and watched the wonderful The Hundred-Foot Journey, with Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal, and Charlotte Le Bon. Mouth fairly salivating from the film, I made myself a herbal tea and sat and sulked.