My Blog

I can’t believe its finally here. Tomorrow I teach from 9-2 then drive to Rochester for the holiday weekend! I’m so excited - I miss all the great food there and can’t wait to see all my wonderful friends who are there! And I get to stay until Monday morning because of the holiday! Now if the gas prices just won’t go up anymore than they already are.

This week has been relatively smooth. We started quintet rehearsals and it is awesome! I’m honored to be here and have these experiences. I also just found out that some old friends from Oklahoma are here in Muncie and teach at a college 20 minutes away! So nice to have friends here! The symphony starts in a couple weeks and the program is going to be so much fun! Rhapsody in Blue and Beethoven 5 along with Russlan and Ludmilla, ET, and some other piece. Then Mahler 1 for November!!! Yipeee!

Well - its late and I have to get up early early so I can practice. So much music to learn - I have my recording session next Wednesday - can’t get lazy because of the weekend. I have to really knock myself out on practicing. But I have to sleep so I have enough energy to stay awake for the 8 hour drive tomorrow. Not too bad but going straight from work will be crazy!

Night!!!!!!!!

Well, today was day 2 and things are crazy! Yesterday I spent most of the day fielding emails and paperwork and scheduling all my students for their lessons. It appears that I have 17 students, I’m really excited, 6 of them are freshman, and its a really good class!

I performed at the all music school recital hour yesterday and Sursa Hall was packed! All faculty and students were there. The oboe teacher played first, then I played - and it went really well, I was extremely happy with the performance despite my mouth being dry half the time when I really needed to articulate! doesn’t that always happen?

I have had faculty coming by non-stop to compliment my performance, as well as administrators and students. The director of the school came by and told me that he has heard nothing but rave reviews about my performance and that I should be extremely happy with it. Then the head of my department came by and told me that the director told him the same thing. Its so nice to have this kind of feedback!

I listened to auditions today and was fairly pleased with the level of the studio. I can address a lot of fundamental issues in studio classes that will really help out everyone, I’m excited - this is such a wonderful opportunity to really give these students direction. I have some really talented freshman that I’m excited to see where they go. It is going to be a wonderful year and I couldn’t be happier.

I meet with the quintet tomorrow and we will discuss repertoire, I’m sooooo excited! We will rehearse twice a week starting Monday. Then the symphony starts on Sept 15 and our first concert has Rhapsody in Blue and Beethoven 5!!! Second concert is Mahler 1 and the last concert of the season is Rite of Spring.

Not much more to tell now, the days fly! I get into work between 8-9am and I blink and its 6pm. But that is how it goes! I love it personally, if the time was dragging, it wouldn’t be as much fun!

What a wonderful thing - weekends. I never really fully appreciated them until now. I got up early yesterday (Saturday) and went to the public market, then to this warehouse that had a lot of products normally sold to grocery stores, but the grocers tack a couple dollars on to the prices so they make a profit. I got some good cheese, a huge can of chickpeas, and a few other little things. After that I dropped my things off and went garage saling with another colleague - ended up buying $2 chairs for my balcony. Now I can sit outside and relax!

When I got home, I went into turbo cleaning mode! I’ve never been like this. I cleaned, straightened, vacuumed, did laundry, even scrubbed my shower. This says a lot for me! I don’t hate cleaning - I just have always put it off and done it if someone is coming to visit. Nope - its nice to keep my place clean since it is really nice. I’m trying to keep it that way!

Well - I’m going to go check out the First Presbyterian Church today - it appears that some faculty go there and I figure it is a way to meet some people outside the university. Not much goes on out here - eating, church, eating…thats about all there is to do. I have a rehearsal this afternoon - then may drive to Indianapolis and go to an international foods grocery - I really want to make chickpea curry but can’t find any of the correct spices in town. So I have to drive 45 minutes!  Oh well - hopefully it will be worth it!

Ciao!

So try this on for size. I was invited out for drinks tonight with some of my new colleagues. A lot of really nice and bright people, we’re having great conversation at this really cool hole in the wall bar - upstairs in the area no one knows about and that no one smokes in! So its like our own private music faculty drinking room. I excuse myself to get another drink - have to walk down the stairs (no light on the stairwell!) and earlier someone had spilled a beer coming up the stairs. Anyway - so I’m coming back up the stairs - no problem - got upstairs, no disasters …. until!!!!!!!! I place my beer on the table (which is like a picnic table that you have to step into your seat.) I somehow catch my shoe on my purse strap which takes my beer with it into my lap - yup - thats right, my jeans were drenched but…the good news is I saved half of the beer!!!

My colleagues were so nice about it - we all laughed about it but the bar comped my beer and several people helped me clean up the seat, table and floor around me. So welcome to Indiana - clutzy me can spill a beer in front of my new colleagues and come out smiling! Thankfully most of us had a couple of drinks in us at this point so maybe people won’t remember - most likely they will! So that is my wet pants story!

Today was the true "First day" of work even though students don’t show up until Monday. I rehearsed with a pianist in the hall for my performance on Monday - it went really well and the hall is a dream! So beautiful and fun to play in. I talked to the hall manager and I’m going to do a recording session in January hopefully. I also was invited by another faculty member to play on a recital in April! Nice to find so many people interested in playing!

Tomorrow I’m hitting the farmers market, then meeting some colleagues to go out to a private farm where we can evidently get a bunch of really nice gormet cheese at half price (go figure! they promise its good!) Then I’ll probably practice - get my course syllabus together - yes even for lessons we have strict guidelines - mainly including the policies in the university handbook about disability and stuff. Oh and I can’t touch my students - thats sexual harassment! We had a long seminar on how to behave as teachers. It makes you think about things so much more carefully and makes you so self conscious! I can’t hug my students after a recital??!?!? Shaking hands is permitted! Or if I do hug them - I have to explain why.

Well - 7am will come very soon so I’m calling it a night. More to come including pictures! I promise!

So day 1 of New Faculty orientation is over - but tomorrow is longer! We sat for 4 hours and listened to speakers talk about benefits, health coverage (its really good actually) and filled out tons of forms. AND RETIREMENT!!! What the heck - I’m just starting this whole job thing but they pay 12.25% of my annual salary to my retirement! Dang! Hopefully I’ll keep this job because that would be a good chunk of money. And retirement is 60-65 here pending on the 85 rule (age and years of service add to make 85.) The health coverage is great - 80-90%! But no vision (I’ll just have to wait on that lasik stuff!) One of the speakers said that generic prescriptions can cost as low as $0.85 on this plan.

Then all the technology stuff I can get through the school - I have to pay for it, but its much cheaper. I’m going to upgrade from Windows XP to pro - and its only $5! Of course we also learned about how much $$ is taken out of each month’s check for 1-parking pass, 2-health insurance, 3 - taxes, etc…ugh! Hope I have a positive balance after rent and bills!! Hopefully so. Gotta pay off that new furniture I just got though! Yikes!!!

Once I get paid (Sept 15) I will buy a roll of film and take a bunch of pictures. My brother just left a few days ago and took some pictures of my office - so we have those. And my folks took pictures of my apartment - just haven’t gotten them yet!

So far it looks like I have 17 students and there is one auditioning on Friday. So 18 hours a week, plus studio class, plus quintet and symphony. Should be busy - but fun fun! And my reeds are finally cooperating! Thank goodness! It cooled off here, its been in the 80s and low humidity thankfully.

And everyone is so nice here! Faculty have just been stopping by my office and saying hello - its so wonderful! I think I’m the baby on the faculty but it was refreshing today to meet some people at the orientation who are the babies of their various departments, yet we’re all the same age and nearing completion of our doctorates…of course they are writing dissertations, phew! Glad I don’t have to do that!

Well - that is all the update I have. Hope everyone is having a good week!

Wow where did the summer go!? Classes start on Monday - and band camp already started. All the kiddos are crowding into the hallways for marching band camp stuff. I’ve learned to go into work in the afternoons this week and its much quieter! I have to take my brother to the airport today (Pooo!) which is a 3-hour round trip driving. Ugh! I might do some shopping down in Indianapolis while I’m there. I’ve learned my lesson though - in driving to Bowling Green over the weekend, we discovered that the Ft. Wayne airport is only 1 hour away so I may fly in and out of there rather than Indy since its a little closer. Shaves an hour off the drive! Had a great visit with the bro - only wish he could just stay here - but then we would act like children all the time and I wouldn’t get any work done!

Nope - now I have to venture out and make friends. New faculty orientation starts tomorrow and goes for 2 days. 7:30am-4pm! ICK! Seminars on diversity in the classroom and fun stuff like that (zzzzzzzzzz) I guess every school has to do that. There is one seminar on our benefits, so that is important!

I should have office and apartment pictures up soon. Just have to get them developed and hope that they are good. One of these days I will join the 21st century with the purchase of a digital camera…but not until at least my October or November paychecks. I did get cable yesterday - first time in 4 years I’ve had cable. $20 a month for a year of basic cable. I can’t complain about that - I don’t watch that much TV so what do I need with more than 70 channels.

Well - time to head to Indy. More to come!

I’m moved into my office - yay! I’m really loving having my own office with my stuff. I have taken a lot of stuff I was putting in my extra bedroom to my office at school - its so nice to keep work at work and home at home. A new concept from the former professional student. I just have to hang pictures but there is all this acoustical paneling/soundproof paneling on the walls that I only have a couple options for hanging things. I have a nice window and view of some shrubs. Better than some faculty that have a brick wall view or no window. I can’t complain - I’m looking forward to things starting up.

I’ve got a full week of nothing until the orientations start although I will have to start rehearsing with my pianist this weekend. I’m going to Bowling Green for a day to visit my cousin since it is around a 2 1/2 hour drive. Should be fun to get out for a little bit.

I’m slowly meeting people but thankfully have had my brother here visiting for the last week so it makes things much more fun to have someone here. (Hint, Hint - I love visitors!!!)

Not much else new to report. My big outing this week was going to get my liscense plates changed over. I need to get an Indiana Drivers Liscense but have to unearth my Social Security Card first. You would think bringing my passport, birth certificate, and old DL - that they would just go on that. Nope! And I have to take a written driving test! HA! Feel like I’m 16 all over again. Going from Doctoral exams to a driving test. Too funny!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Well, I’m here and for the most part settled in. My apartment is awesome - one of the nicest places I’ve lived - and huge! My closet is bigger than my bathroom - ah the midwest and all the space! The only problem is I’m allergic to Indiana! Its like a really bad cold and it gets worse at night - as my doctor growing up always said - stay out of the night air. Hopefully I will adjust in a day or two. Thankfully I still have some miracle nosespray that I bought in Japan - clears things up for the most part!

I have everything moved in and for the most part set up except for my office/study. I dug through most of the boxes - mainly books and CDs - unbelievable I can amass so much of those two things! Next time I move - I’m putting those CDs into envelopes and junking the bulky jewel cases. I will hopefully have some pictures up in a day or so. I have a wonderful view of a pond from my apartment and a little balcony to boot. There is also a picnic table out there so once my allergies decide to behave I could actually have people for a little cookout.

That is all the news here for now - I’m going to check into my office at the university on Monday and start rehearsals for a recital I have to play on in 2 weeks! Yikes! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

This is my first official blog entry - not too much news as of now - I just finished the summer opera season of Light Opera Oklahoma. We did Fiddler on the Roof, Mikado, Too Many Sopranos and La Perichole. It was a great orchestra, great playing, and couldn’t beat the rent (my parents house!) Not to mention the quality time with the family and all my friends who have been through here this summer.

Its here - I’m moving to Indiana this week and I am so excited. Nothing like moving to a new place with new people with a great job ahead of me. I’ve met some people there already in my various trips there this summer to find a place to live and so forth. I’ll post of course if anything interesting develops on the personal front, but for now - I’m so happy to be single. The orchestra season starts mid-September. We’re doing Mahler 1 and Rite of Spring among a few other things this season! Of course Rhapsody in Blue is on the first concert! YAY! Beethoven 5, and more. The quintet will probably start rehearsing as soon as I settle in - I already have a meeting this weekend with the head of the department. I’m going to be in full swing a week from now!

I just returned from a great trip to Richmond visiting Jared (I love you Jared!!!) and partying up around Richmond…well we were lazy most of the time because of the extreme heat - but the gay bars were a lot of fun!!! Not to mention Virginia Beach! I did get some sun afterall - can you all believe it? I’m not pale white anymore. Plus I started running/walking outside last week - getting a little more sun on these white bones. With all the yoga this week and the walking - I’ve already dropped one size! YAY! Now I just have to keep it going!

Tomorrow is my parents 32-year wedding anniversary! Its so wonderful to see them so happy after so long. Of course they are renovating the downstairs as their gift to each other - its kinda sweet! Thursday is the big move day and my parents are taking time off to help me - its turned into a family affair/vacation - its like it used to be when we were kids - I’m flashing back 20 years! My brother is coming too and going to hang out for a week or so after my parents leave. Good to have someone around to do some heavy lifting!

I will post a bunch of pictures once I get settled in. I won’t have much else to do since I don’t get paid until Sept 15…hoping I can survive until then! If any of you come through Indy - let me know - I have an extra room just waiting for guests!