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August 5, 2001

A quick Salzburg update: the weather here has been SO HOT... and they haven't really discovered the joys of air conditioning over here in the old country. A girl gets hot wearing a fur coat all the time, and occasionally she needs a quick dip in a nearby lake... which I got last week at Wallersee, which also has a fantastic fish restaurant right on the shore. The Noisy One got overheated in rehearsal so she rounded up some pals and we all went for a communal dip before supper. I don't usually like to bond with my dinner, but the fishes pretty much left us alone.

It's amazing that generations of poodle pampering, jetsetting and topiary coiffures just cannot erase that water-retriever gene. Something takes over and the minute my paws hit the water they turn into 4 little motors. Mind you, I wouldn't want to be a marathon swimmer (ugh, the practice).. but I could get into that synchronized swimming thing. Cute costumes... tons of hair product to hold it in place...

Also, I had a chance to make an appearance in the first half of Ariadne.... just a walk-on, you know. Actually, more of a "walk-across." But I've already done ONE Strauss opera, Der Rosenkavalier at the Santa Fe Opera (I played the "Hund so klein, und schon zimmerrein" --"Dog so tiny, and already housebroken!"-- and yes, it was typecasting). I mean, how repetitious. Besides, I told them that if they didn't let me interpolate an aria, forget it. Get some mutt to do the walk-across.

Oh my... I sound so cranky today. Must be the heat..... or just my artistic temperament rearing its cranky head..... I'm off to nap in front of the fan, dreaming of alpine lakes.... peel me a grape, please.....

till next time then,