Why "Six Feet Under" is good for your marriage

However much I love this show, you wouldn't think that I could somehow relate it to my marriage. A family of undertakers vs. two musicians. Dysfunctional relationships at every turn vs...aha! That's the thing!

We are in the midst of the final season on DVD, and every time we finish watching an episode, Dave and I are nicer to each other than we've been all week. It's as though the yelling, rudeness, dishonesty and hurtful ways of the characters turn us into a soft-spoken, polite, honest and loving couple. We hug, we hold hands, we rekindle anything that may have been forgotten during the day. Sappy, eh?

Well, as much as the show is showing us who we DON'T want to be, I still love the insanity of it all. It gets a little dark, and sometimes you just squirm at the deaths at the beginning of each episode, but I'm really going to miss it when we come to the end of this season. Luckily, we have many other things lined up to watch on Netflix.

Rachel and Kedron (mostly Rachel though!) got us addicted to "Lost". Season 2 just came out on DVD, so we'll be able to catch up before Season 3 premieres at the beginning of October.

Just so you don't think our lives revolve around TV...

Dave just started his second week back at Simpson. He's tired already, but maybe that's because he "doesn't feel like eating breakfast," then he barely survives until getting home at 4pm or later (like tonight, where I'm picking him up at 6pm to go straight to a rehearsal in Des Moines...). I probably just got him in trouble with his mother here. Well, maybe he'll listen to her and actually eat something before leaving in the morning.

Since Dave's back at work, so am I. Today I've immersed myself in Mozart's "Idomeneo". Netflix has so many operas! A little score study, a little Cambridge guide reading and some looks at "The Rough Guide to Opera", and I'll move onto Don Giovanni tomorrow. Speaking of "The Rough Guide," I found a horrible quote in there today. Patty, you should appreciate this. In addition to a brief synopsis of the opera, the author gives an overview of available recordings. Here's an excerpt from one of the reviews:

Gardiner's conducting is characteristically springy, the choruses are magnificent, if a little crisp, and the wind and brass fart and burp their way through Mozart's colourful score with great enthusiasm.

Excuse me? "Fart and burp"?? If I was playing on that recording, there's no way I'd take that as a compliment. Secondly, there may be quite a bit of rhythmic chordal writing for the winds, as in any orchestral writing of the time, but what about the gorgeous solo lines, as in Ilia's aria in the second act? That's hardly burping or farting. What an odd review.

I got some great news from a friend yesterday. Friend, you know who you are. When can I blog about this? ;)