Play! A Video Game Symphony is a touring concert series that combines live orchestra music with footage from videogames. In essence you listen to videogame “soundtracks” while watching corresponding clips on three large screens.
Here we are at Abravanel Hall. We looked better in some of the other pictures I took but this one seemed more fitting.
Play! came to SLC last week for one night, with the cooperation of the Utah Symphony. Jason and I, along with a few of our gamer friends, decided to attend this event. Since I don’t really play videogames I was only familiar with a few of the pieces on the program but the boys in my group, and most of the crowd, seemed to recognize the bulk of them. The audience was very enthusiastic about their favorites.
There are no words.
It was a fun and strange night, a night in which the refined and the not-so-cultural became almost indistinguishable. The social confusion was uncanny enough to make me feel a bit like I had entered a parallel universe, one in which nerdy customs were considered the height of sophistication. Dang it! I just used the term “parallel universe”. Now I have revealed my geeky underbelly and ruined my credibility as a gamer defamer. Oh well, as the old adage goes, if you can’t beat them you better play nonstop until you can!
Last week I had to go to Park City on business. Jason decided to tag along and we made an overnight outing of it. A snowstorm hit Park City about the same time we did and the landscape was quickly transformed into a powdery wonderland. It may be my boarder’s biasness, but I think that’s the way Park City is meant to be experienced, under a violet sky filled with softly descending flakes.
I had to run outside in the morning, after the storm, and make a few snowballs. (I promptly threw them at Jason.)
We stayed at the Hotel Park City. It was beautiful and the staff was very accommodating. I would recommend it to anyone looking to getaway. Our room had a balcony and fireplace. Ahhh…relaxing. It probably would have been more relaxing if we hadn’t spent so much time shopping but I couldn’t resist a little “Christmas” shopping. Okay, okay…I bought more stuff for myself than I did for anyone else but I did purchase a few things for some of the people on my list. So there!
After making a few snowballs I was eager to warm my hands up by the fireplace in our room.
It was a nice mini-break from our daily routines. A bit more powder, enough to make some sweet boarding possible, is the only thing that could have brought the excursion closer to perfection.
All the resorts in Park City were busy making snow. Everywhere you looked on the mountains you'd see snow machines erupting like geysers.
Evergreens stay green all winter, thus their name and appeal. However, last year I discovered that there are no guarantees on that whole green through the winter bit. Evergreens often undergo negative changes during the winter known as winterkill. When winterkill occurs the leaves or needles on certain parts of the plant turn yellow or brown, this is especially common for branches that get the full brunt of the wind.
I’ve never heard of an Everyellow or an Everbrown, but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t be big sellers, which is why I wasn’t pleased when parts of several of my evergreens turned brown over last winter. The poor things looked pretty pathetic come spring with their dead pieces, like the plant versions of balding men. Hence, I decided that this winter will be different. There will be no winterkill! Extremely spoiled plants, such as mine, should never have to suffer that humiliation and discomfort!
Here I am giving a euonymous some lovely mulch.
However, before I could attempt to halt winterkill I had to figure out exactly what caused it. Here’s what I found out: Although evergreens don’t really enjoy the freezing temperatures of winter, what they really can’t stand is how thirsty they become during that frigid season. Yes, evergreen winterkill is primarily caused by plants drying out, cold dry wind intensifies this problem, and therefore the sides of plants facing the wind typically have more issues. My skin’s so dry it could be mistaken for a snake’s during winter; it makes sense that plants have similar problems.
It was a cold day for mulching. Jason turned on the patio heater to warm me up.
The solution? Mulching and monthly watering through the frosty season. I honestly had no idea what “mulch” was until I bought some for this purpose. Evidentially there are different types of mulch but the kind I bought was basically just little pieces of bark. To “mulch” you place a 2 or 3 inch thick ring of mulching material around your plant. (Don’t put mulch right next to the bark of a plant; they don’t like that.) The mulch helps keep the soil temperature more constant and retains water, kind of like a nice wet blanket. Now doesn’t that sound comfy? As for watering monthly during winter…yeah…that seems like it will be a really fun task but I am going to give it a try. I hope my efforts will make a big difference. I will report on my success this spring. Here’s to some snug, moist, and happy plants! Bring on the green!
Recent Comments