My Blog

Why is it when I decide to take a trip, that I wait until the last minute to pack, I mean really, I could have done laundry yesterday, because I knew I was working longer today. Now I’m home and I don’t want to do anything. And I lost my ear piece for my cell phone…grrrr! I’m too cheap to buy another once - especially because Cingular is telling me that in order to switch over from AT&T, that I have to buy a new phone and sign a new contract and all that BS. I like my phone!!! I don’t want to change it, I don’t believe them! Its stupid. I think I will go into a store in Rochester this weekend and see if they can help me better. The Indiana people want me to change my number, I like my number!! I miss AT&T!

So I’m off on yet another trip this weekend. I went home to Oklahoma last weekend and it was really nice to see the family and relax a bit. Needless to say Mom and I indulged a bit. Manicures, haircut, massage, and shopping, lots of shopping. The only shocker was my Grandmother’s latest driving drama. Oh yes, she shouldn’t be driving but is too stubborn to realize it. She carts around town in her barge of a car with her ugly trailer on the back carrying her scooter - yes the one on those commercials, she bought it in RED!

Her story was that she was going to the Country Club for a luncheon with her Sunday School class…innocent enough. Well, she hits some construction on her way there, an area I imagine said "No left turn" she turns left into oncoming traffic! Instead of stopping, turning around, backing up, getting out of the way, she proceeds to drive the wrong way and leans on her horn the whole way - thinking everyone will move out of the way. She realized her mistake…kinda - but it took someone else coming and getting her out of her car and turning it around for her. She said she couldn’t turn her car around!??!! I don’t get it - someone shoot me if I get like that when I’m old! I love her to death but that story scared me to death, not only could she have been hurt but how many other people did she put in danger!

Long story short, she got turned around, cops came and "escorted" her to the country club…mainly to make sure she drove normal I think…then she went to the opera that afternoon and my birthday gathering that evening … quite a day for an 80-year-old!

This week went ok, quick and busy. Lots of teaching crammed into 3 1/2 days. Thank goodness for fall break. I’m heading to Cleveland tomorrow after I finish teaching, then onto Rochester for a few days! Then when I return to Muncie, its all business. I have 3 concerts in one week! Sunday the 30th is one of the piano faculty recitals and I’m playing the Ives Largo and part of the Milhaud suite, then Monday is the Faculty Quintet Concert…yikes! Then the following Saturday is the Muncie Symphony entitled "Mozart and More" … the MORE is Mahler 1!! Oh and they are throwing Gypsy Baron Overture AND Carmen Fantasy on there too…as if Mahler wasn’t enough. Oh well…it will be a long night/week/end of the month. And more $$$ which is always nice.

Ok, time to really pack now. I came to the computer to check the weather so I know what to pack. Its always some reason I get tied up and then check email, and wind up deciding to update my blog because I haven’t in a while.

Off to pack and then zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I love fall! It snapped off cooler this weekend and has been in the 50s. I love sweaters and turtlenecks and curling up under my comforter at night. Plus the cool days with blue skies and that crispness in the air. I went for a run yesterday in a full sweatsuit and was perfectly comfortable! I love it. I have a nice view outside my balcony window - sure its a man made slightly dirty pond, but when the sky is perfectly blue like right now - its so peaceful!

Not too much new this weekend. I met Christina in Indianapolis for dinner last night at this amazing Greek place!! Right Christina!?! That chocolate dessert was to die for! I’m still full from all the food. You order your entree of meat and it comes with potatoes, green beans, rice, grilled peppers and onions, salad and bread. I’m still stuffed! It was such a treat though! And wonderful to visit with a good friend! I need to get out of Muncie more often - its great to see friends. I’m making new friends here but lets face it - most of the people I work with (except Ms. Adda of course) are in their 40s. Nothing wrong with that, but where are the nice, unmarried boys that are my age!??!

Oh well, one of these days! I’m going home for my birthday next weekend, yay! Going to spend some quality time with the family and see both my grandmothers. Its the first birthday I’ve been home for in at least 10 years, amazing! Its a better alternative to sitting in Muncie with nothing to do and being totally depressed!

Then the next weekend I’m going to Rochester!!! YAY! I can’t wait - talk about seeing friends. Its our fall break so I’m going to drive to Cleveland on Thursday and hang out with my aunt and uncle, then on into Rochester on Friday for some good food and good friends! Yay!

I got my official invitation to perform at the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium which I’m really excited about. Then the cello professor here organizes a festival every summer and invited me to coach chamber music! My summer is filling up! I love it!

Hope everyone has a good week!

I love the days I don’t have to be into work until 11am. Just happened that way - students sign up for a time and then drop out of school…leaving no lessons until 11am. Not bad! I do plan on going in by 9:30 so I can practice but I always get up at 7 or 7:30 - so I feel like I’m being lazy when in fact - 9:30 isn’t that late! Yay!

I just got my official invitation to play at the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium this summer and am already choosing my program. That combined with some other conference possibilities is going to keep me busy this summer and I love that! Its always nice to have several plans - staves off the getting out of playing shape process that hits every summer at some point.

I’m enjoying getting back into shape physically too - My second bedroom is the yoga room so I do that but I also sought out the school workout facilities - they aren’t bad but if you hit at rush hour or on Friday or Saturday night - you run into the kiddies trying to pick each other up. Last Saturday - I saw a guy desperately trying to get the attention of two college girls who were completely oblivious to him raising his shirt and poking his abs right in front of them and so on. I had to keep myself from laughing as I was riding the bicycle.

Last night before I went to bed - Superman II was on - one of my favorites of all the Superman films. I got up this morning - turned on the TV - it was on again, just where I left it off! Strange how that works - I don’t even need TEVO or anything like that. Made me realize that almost a year ago, Christopher Reeve passed away! I can’t believe it was a year ago! I was in Thailand and remember seeing a picture of Superman on the newspaper but couldn’t read it of course. So we asked the store clerk "Is he ok" the guy nodded. Then I checked the internet later that day and saw the obituary! We teased the store clerk later in the day - "No he’s not ok!!!" But at least Christopher Reeve set up the foundations for parapalegics and all that. Its really wonderful what he was able to do.

The school orchestra concert was Sunday evening and it was so much fun to go hear my students play. They really did well too. I enjoyed hearing them do well - now I have to discuss appropriate concert dress with some of them - my star freshman wore a spaghetti strap backless black dress - it was gorgeous - but inappropriate for a school orchestra concert. I didn’t tell her in her lesson yesterday but we have another on Friday that I will bring it up. I think the school in general needs to have some rules instituted on concert dress because there were a few other "outfits" that were just a little "too too."

This week is crawling - I think its because I’m looking forward to the next two weekends when I get to go home and go to my second home (Rochester.) Next week Eli Eban is coming up to coach the orchestra woodwinds next week and I’m really excited about meeting him. I think we’re going to meet for coffee/early dinner after the sectional is over. I’ve never really had an opportunity to talk to him but highly respect his playing and teaching.

Well - time to start moving towards the shower and getting into work so I can practice for about an hour before I start teaching.

Have a good day!!!!