another round please

Red Reindeers at King of Prussia Mall

Winter decorations are definitely up. If I see any potted poinsettias anywhere, I am so getting a pair for my front porch. Check out these lighted reindeers at the mall. They're right in front of the Netflix site, by the mall entrance there. I took this photo last night and we went into Netflix House. We didn't buy tickets. I just wanted to see the in-house restaurant. My husband said they were pretty busy when we were at the mall a few days back but it looked half-empty to me. If you ask me, the problem is that the concept is vague. Maybe most people aren't like me. I don't know. Eat. Shop. Play. That's what their brochure says. I will revisit this idea when the student is home. Maybe she would like to check it out. 

We had dinner at Eataly. We got the meatballs, probably our favorite of their appetizers. My husband got a calzone, my daughter the Cacio e Pepe, which was the thing I was craving but I ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo because I didn't want two orders of the same entree. It was my first time ordering it. A whole crew came over to our table with a gigantic block of cheese. They mixed the sauce with the pasta in/on the block of cheese. I was told that they just started doing that although it was kind of loud in there that half the time, I'm not sure if I'm understanding anything that I'm being told. Then they asked if I wanted some cheese on the pasta. But of course. It was really good, just like all the food we ordered. But I have to say, with how expensive it all is, they could at least offer us some bread. They have done away with the amuse bouche, it seems. Every time I ask, I'm told that they are out. Or maybe I misunderstood that too.

What would you like to drink? The server will always ask this when they arrive to take your order. I suppose most people need more time to peruse the menu. The menu is pretty small and I feel like there aren't many things I'm still waiting to try, at this point. Still, it makes sense that they get your drinks while you decide what to eat. The server said a lot of things, when offering us a chance to order our drinks. I just wanted water. All I heard was sparkling and still. Sparkling comes in a bottle, which you have to pay for. I thought, still is the free one, right? My bad, I didn't actually ask. Apparently, that was also bottled water. My husband was instantly wary because the server came back and unscrewed a bottle and proceeded to pour it into my glass. Then the clarification came that I guess what I wanted was tap. But he said that he would not charge us for it. Whew. I don't want to order drinks anymore. Now I'm just confused and honestly, they cost way too much. A glass of Moscato D'Asti ordered at the restaurant costs more than a bottle of my favorite brand at the local Wine & Spirits shop. Their cheapest Moscato in their store is $26/bottle. Geez. I get it. This is how they make money. But the lesson here, when they say, what would you like to drink? Just say, nothing for me, please.

I recorded yesterday, to test the setup that I've placed in the walk-in closet. I am hoping to see that the background noises are diminished enough so I can record useable takes. I have noticed how inconvenient it is to move the equipment in there with me every single time I want to record vocals. It is frustrating because we are back to this again. Moving equipment. I left the mic stand in there, but I had to bring in the computer, the interface, the microphone, hook that up to the interface with a cable, headphones. My drink, my phone. I didn't even bother with the music stand because I have already memorized the lyrics but ideally that would be in there too. It took a few takes to get comfortable and in the process, I realized that instead of pressuring myself to get it right in as few takes as possible, I really should allow for multiple recordings. Like voiceover, there are actually a hundred different ways to sing a song. I'm doing covers but I would not be aiming for just a copy of the original song. It would be great if the song sounded mine. 

Imagine I had a set at a bar. This is the point where I say, please, please order a drink. I was thinking about my song selections and the general style that seems to suit my voice and I've come to the conclusion that, and I've said this before, slower songs are more my thing. The kind that you want to listen to, in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning, when you're not thinking straight. Is that the kind of record I want to make? Sometimes I wonder, if I keep picking these slow, emotional pieces, what if instead of being moved, people are bored? I would say, "Don't worry, it'll sound better the more you drink so feel free to get another round."

Playlist Recommendation: A Bar Song (Tipsy), Shaboozey