![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
All dressed up and...
May. 2nd, 2025 11:59 pmLast fall I attended a concert at a nearby bookstore by internationally recognized Russian pianist Andrei Andreev – which was amazing. About five weeks ago, the bookstore announced another concert, a going away concert, to be held at a church near my house, because Andreev has been granted refugee status and is legally allowed to work now, and he’s moving to Portland for a teaching position. I rushed right down to the bookstore and bought my ticket, and today was the day!
Friday is usually movie night, so I figured I’d watch the movie for an hour and then leave, but movie night was cancelled, making things simpler. Unfortunately, I had woken with a big headache, probably from all the tree pollen, but I was undaunted. I figured I would sit in the back of the church, and if it was still too loud for my head, I could sit out in the lobby. I took care to decide what I wanted to wear today (which is rather unusual for most of us in Eugene, we just wear whatever, even to the symphony, but I actually gave it some thought, for once). Another unfortunately – I discovered around 5:20 pm that Ajani had peed on the couch and I hadn’t noticed before sitting there a while. So I had to shower and put my nice outfit through the laundry relatively quickly. I also checked our supply of Tylenol to help with the headache, which had gotten worse, but all of mine had expired at least 18 months ago. I drank a lot of water, in case it would help. Then the laundry was done, and my keys were missing, but I found them and arrived at the church at 7:26 pm for the 7:30 pm concert.
I was the only one there, mine the only car in the parking lot. The church was locked. I checked my ticket to confirm the location and date; I checked the bookstore’s Facebook page (which had nothing recent about the concert); I checked the pianist’s Facebook page (which just had the original poster, confirming the date and place).
I drove to the bookstore, which had closed at 7 pm, in case they’d moved the concert there without publicizing having done so. The owner was still there, talking to some other people – it turned out the pianist had broken his shoulder and the concert had been cancelled weeks ago! Most people had bought their tickets online and had been refunded, weeks ago. I was invited in and handed my $26 in exchange for the ticket. How upsetting for a pianist, to break their shoulder! It’s possible that we’ll have a replacement concert in October. So I had many mixed feelings – sorry not to hear the music, and especially sorry for this disaster for the pianist; relieved that I was going to get a quiet evening. Delighted that the bookstore owner was still there and ready to refund me; frustrated that there was no sign at the church and that his version of telling us was to edit the bookstore’s original Facebook post about the concert (way back on April 7), which meant I was unlikely to be shown it again, as I’d already seen the original post. He could have put up a small sign at the bookstore, which I’ve visited multiple times since April 7, but he did not. Etc. I commented on the pianist’s original concert post that I hoped he’s comfortable and recovering quickly, and he responded that he’s doing well – so that’s good.
Friday is usually movie night, so I figured I’d watch the movie for an hour and then leave, but movie night was cancelled, making things simpler. Unfortunately, I had woken with a big headache, probably from all the tree pollen, but I was undaunted. I figured I would sit in the back of the church, and if it was still too loud for my head, I could sit out in the lobby. I took care to decide what I wanted to wear today (which is rather unusual for most of us in Eugene, we just wear whatever, even to the symphony, but I actually gave it some thought, for once). Another unfortunately – I discovered around 5:20 pm that Ajani had peed on the couch and I hadn’t noticed before sitting there a while. So I had to shower and put my nice outfit through the laundry relatively quickly. I also checked our supply of Tylenol to help with the headache, which had gotten worse, but all of mine had expired at least 18 months ago. I drank a lot of water, in case it would help. Then the laundry was done, and my keys were missing, but I found them and arrived at the church at 7:26 pm for the 7:30 pm concert.
I was the only one there, mine the only car in the parking lot. The church was locked. I checked my ticket to confirm the location and date; I checked the bookstore’s Facebook page (which had nothing recent about the concert); I checked the pianist’s Facebook page (which just had the original poster, confirming the date and place).
I drove to the bookstore, which had closed at 7 pm, in case they’d moved the concert there without publicizing having done so. The owner was still there, talking to some other people – it turned out the pianist had broken his shoulder and the concert had been cancelled weeks ago! Most people had bought their tickets online and had been refunded, weeks ago. I was invited in and handed my $26 in exchange for the ticket. How upsetting for a pianist, to break their shoulder! It’s possible that we’ll have a replacement concert in October. So I had many mixed feelings – sorry not to hear the music, and especially sorry for this disaster for the pianist; relieved that I was going to get a quiet evening. Delighted that the bookstore owner was still there and ready to refund me; frustrated that there was no sign at the church and that his version of telling us was to edit the bookstore’s original Facebook post about the concert (way back on April 7), which meant I was unlikely to be shown it again, as I’d already seen the original post. He could have put up a small sign at the bookstore, which I’ve visited multiple times since April 7, but he did not. Etc. I commented on the pianist’s original concert post that I hoped he’s comfortable and recovering quickly, and he responded that he’s doing well – so that’s good.