My Blog

So after travelling all over the Eastern/Southern US, I’m back in Potsdam and happy to not have any trips coming up for a while. It has been a wonderful summer but I don’t think I was ever in one place for more than 3 weeks. I spent early May in OK with my family, then went to Rochester, Cleveland, Potsdam all in the span of less than a week. Then I was back in Tulsa for a few more weeks before the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium in Norman. That was a fun week though, made some new friends, reconnected with some old ones, played a good concert and heard some wonderful performances. From there I drove back to Indiana for 3 weeks to teach at ARIA and pack up my life for the much anticipated MOVE.

After ARIA - I went back to Tulsa for a little over 2 weeks and spent some good time with the family, interned more with the Tulsa Symphony, played some hideous outdoor concerts (hideous because it was 105+ degrees out) and visited with friends. Then July 26, Dad and I packed in the car and drove from Tulsa to Cleveland in one day! I elected to take an alternative route of Highway 64 from St. Louis to Louisville so that I avoided Indianapolis and most of Indiana. We still spent about an hour driving through that state, but it was a part I didn’t know so that was ok. It took us near 18 hours but we did it. Then we spent the 27th with my aunt, uncle and Grandmother throwing a birthday party for Granny since she was 81. It was the walker brigade since she is in a nursing home and everyone is either in a wheelchair, on a scooter or using a walker. But the old folks had a great deal of fun and Granny was thrilled.

Then Dad and I headed onto Potsam on the 28th. We stopped in my favorite city of Rochester, just to get lunch at DiBella’s and stop at Wegmans for some non-perishables. We arrived in Potsdam early evening and met some of my colleagues for dinner which was very nice. After dinner, I dug into unpacking the kitchen. Over the next few days I got all but about 5 boxes (of 95) unpacked. Realized of course that the movers didn’t get my music stand but that I ended up with someone else’s wedding photos and scrapbook box. Ooops!!!! Couldn’t do anything about it too because on the 4th, we left for NYC!

That should be its own blog entry but I will try to sum up. Dad has never been to NYC before, so we arrive and drive to my friends house in Douglaston (Queens). They gave us a quick snack, we visited a bit then caught the LIRR into Penn Station where we of course hit Friday afternoon rush hour!!! Unreal! So we made our way through the crowds and to our hotel. Dad was exhausted though. My brother met us there after arriving in from his flight just a few minutes before we got there. Mom arrived later in the evening.

Aug. 3rd was my parents’ wedding anniversary and they had hoped for their 1st anniversary they would take a trip to NY. It took them 33 years but they did it! So my brother and I gave them a carriage ride through central park as our anniversary gift. This carriage ride followed a wonderful evening at Avery Fisher Hall seeing a concert at the Mostly Mozart Festival where we sat 6 feet behind the clarinets and horns. I could read Manasse’s music we were so close. It was the best place to sit and the cheapest seats in the house.

Sunday we took my folks to Chinatown and Little Italy to do some shopping, then rode the Staten Island Ferry round trip. We then jumped on the train out to Douglaston to have dinner with Jim and Eileen Cohn at their favorite Chinese Buffet. We came back and called it a night since we all had traveling to do the next day.

From NYC I took a flight down to Richmond where I hung out with friends for a day then Jared and I drove down to Atlanta for the ICA convention. I performed on the Saturday early morning recital, things went well and I got a lot of nice feedback. The conference was a lot of fun, I spent too much money as always but oh well, its all tax deductable. After Atlanta, I went back to Richmond for a couple of days and just unwound a bit. We sat by the pool, went to a movie, shopped and relaxed which was fun. Then I went back to NYC for 3 days and visited with many friends.

The craziest of all was Wednesday night the Cohns’ were going to see a musical off broadway but the show was sold out. So I met an old friend for dinner and then met up with the Cohns’ after the play. We were walking out to the street to leave and I was pointing out to Eileen that my friend Sylvia lives just 2 blocks up the street but she’s out of town when I hear someone say “Oh my god!” and we turn and there is Sylvia!!! She had just gotten back from the airport and was walking home! So I had a wonderful suprise of getting to have lunch with Sylvia on Thursday and then we went to the Off-broadway musical “Walmartopia” which Eileen and Jim had seen the night before. Thursday evening I met two old friends who are now living in New York and it was like old times. It was such a treat to catch up with them and we all hope to stay in better touch in the future.

So then Friday morning I got in the car and headed to Potsdam. I have to say it was a very pleasant drive…6 1/2 hours and the last 2 1/2 were especially gorgeous through Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and more. I definitely will bring anyone who visits down to Lake Placid - its just unbelievably gorgeous! This evening I had dinner with a colleague and his wife and then we played pool for 3+ hours and visited. Tomorrow I am going to dinner with a classmate from Eastman who I never met while I was there but she is a new adjunct faculty at Crane. I’m really looking forward to it.

This week is already filling up and then next week begins the semester! Unbelievable. I would like an extra week off but oh well, I might get too bored! That was my summer in a nutshell - not much relaxing but a lot of fun and good times with friends.