I just finished Diva by Alex Flinn.  I don't usually do chick lit, but this one spoke to me.  Immensely.  I could relate to so much of it!  Caitlyn, the main character, wants to be an opera singer (but she's a soprano, naturally).  Everyone thinks her obsession over opera is weird and she works really hard to get what she wants.  She has an uber-crush on a gay guy friend.  She struggles in dance class.  etc etc

The best part about that book was every so often, my heart would almost explode because she'd mention Renee Fleming or La Traviata or, God forbid!, Mozart.  I just see those words and my heart starts racing.  It's involuntary.  I'm not kidding you.  It even creeps me out.

Tomorrow I have the lovely job of converting LPs into MP3s.  My uncle (amazing man) bought me tons of opera LPs from antique shops.  And they're AMAZING.  Incredible casts, orchestras, and conductors.  Maureen Forrester singing Mahler!  Need I say more?

Plus, this is a much cheaper way of expanding my opera MP3s without doing anything illegal.  YESSS!!!!  I now have Traviata (which is, shock of all shocks, beginning to grow on me), Boheme, Aida, Othello (Verdi) and tons more!  Wow, now I sound like an infomerical.  I apologize.

In less operatic news, I went to my brother's high school graduation.  I got a random tan (ughh -- damage control, commence!).  When they were calling names, I fell asleep between J and S.  I was awake when everyone started counting the number of kids with the last name "Singh."  Apparently this strange tradition started at the middle school graduation last week and continued here.  It was amusing to see spontaneous mass-cooperation.  If only that'd happen for something productive...

Still, I saw my little brother walk across the stage and get his "diploma" (they had to get the real ones later).  In less than two weeks, he's off to the Merchant Marine academy and I won't see him for months. :(  He'll be really happy (in a strange sort of way as he suffers through mud and sweat and screaming) so I'm happy for him.  It's such an amazing opportunity for him.  He's pretty much set for life now.  At least one of us is.   

My Tammy-time for this week has been eaten by the NY Phil -- not an entirely bad thing, I must say.  It's going to be an all-Russian program.  Aka an all-amazingness program.  They're playing Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture!!  Even you classical music n00bs out there would know parts of it if you heard it.  However, the point I was trying to make is that Tammy started bending over backwards to find a new time for me.  It is SO NICE (and a change) to have someone making an effort for me like that.  I appreciate it more than she knows.  I only hope she understands how much she means to me.

So, one summer reading book down.  Many, many more to go!