What a week!

Well, first week of school is complete - and it was a hard one! My oven caught on fire, and I struggled to practice as I should. I also went through some orientations for my new job, which starts on Tuesday of this week. Though it was a hard week, my lesson was GREAT! I was honest with my teacher about not practicing as much as I should over break, but I showed her what I had done on my Hindemith and was ready for some rough criticism. However, I was hugely surprised when my teacher was quite complimentary about my initial work and preparation. It is AMAZING how much of a boost a little bit of a compliment from a teacher can give you! I'm not so happy that I have to have a lesson tomorrow - one the ONLY vacation day we get for school, but it's better than trying to re-schedule. Also, on Tuesday, I have my core exam. 4-5 hours of pure torture. Start my exam at 8, quartet performs at 2, start teaching at my new job at 3, study and practice before sleep...sooooo I guess no sleep. Hopefully I can start blogging a little more often as things settle down.

Back in the Eug

Well, I am back. What did I do today? Paid some bills and cleaned my kitchen. Other than that I slept, played on my computer, and watched tv. Yeah, really productive. I still have boxes to unpack, practicing to do, laundry to do, groceries to buy...not gonna happen. Instead, I think I'll keep messing around on the computer and then go to the movies and get sushi with my friend. Yep, tomorrow, tomorrow will be the day I get everything done (yeah, I won't hold my breathe). I may as well enjoy the next few days - Monday will be here well before I want it to be - especially considering the fact that I would just prefer that it not come at all.

Tomorrow I have to make my grocery list and get my coupons clipped. Where did break go!?! Oy!

It's Time

Yes, it is now time for me to put my family and my life to the side so that my viola and music can take over my life again. What IS that!?! Really, who else would put themselves thousand's in debt, leave their family in another state, work through an injury (just pretend it doesn't exist...it'll turn out fine), move to a place the sun only shines 10% of the year, deprive themselves of basic sleep, only get through the week because they know there's a beer waiting for them Friday night, learn so much that they become more stupid, know so much about "music" that people either don't care or just want to hit them, look like they are 55 when they turn 30, lose their hair and what hair they have left turns gray in their 20's, etc, etc? Musicians - aka - me!!! NOT ONLY AM I DOING IT VOLUNTARILY - I'M PAYING TO DO IT!!

Yep, I'm going back today. All packed. Just have to tape-up the boxes, pack-up the truck, and get the baby ready for travel. You know why this break wasn't long enough? Because it ended! My "break" will be just right after graduation...when it's OVER! Well, I won't be able to practice for 24 hours - so I need to practice before I start the trip...because I am a musician, and we are masochists and out of our damned minds.  See you in Eugene!

I'm kinda awesome...

I know, I've already blogged today. However, I must share:

1- I have memorized all the new fingerings to my major scales
2- I have two more movements ready to play with my quartet
3- I have 1/2 the fingerings in the 3rd movement of the Hindemith done
4- I have fingerings in the first page of 2nd movement of Shosty
5- I am almost done packing
6- My new recipe for BBQ pork roast was a big success
7- I am almost done making my outline for opera (Core exams).
8- I'm getting ready to do some quilting right now
9- I started a page for my friends and I to be weight loss buddies
10- DUCKS WON THE ROSE BOWL!!!!

That is all.

I don't Wanna!!!

Well, I have to get packed to go back to school. Danny and I will start the drive back on the 4th, still don't know if we'll make the funeral in Bakersfield yet. As soon as I take out the suitcases and boxes Chico will start freaking-out a little. Poor little guy, he doesn't want to leave his papa as much as I don't want to leave his papa!

You know, I knew it would be rough going to school in Eugene while Danny stayed in Vegas, but it feels so much worse right after being home on break. I may have to spend an extra year at school due to issues with my language requirements, so it may take a little extra time to finish. That just sucks. What I do for viola!!!! Not quite sure why I need to speak another language to play my viola (other than the necessary music vocabulary), but I have to either do Spanish or German. I'd prefer Spanish, but it looks like it would take 2 years to do that. We'll see. I'll try to pass the proficiency test and go from there.

I'm not sure that I'm going to leave the apartment as cleans as I did when I left in Sept. It'll just get dirty again. I'll do some basic cleaning, make it look presentable - but no cleaning the shower or doing laundry. At least I study & practice well when Chico and I are by ourselves - and my house in Eugene stays clean most of the time! I'm hoping to lose some serious weight before I see Danny again. My goal is 35 pounds. You will all, for sure, be kept in the loop as to my weight loss!

Ok, to eat, pack, and practice.

Happy New Year!

Well, it's a new year - as one of my friends said "yay, we made it around the sun again!" Though it's just another year I look at it like finishing a novel and being able to start a new one. You appreciate the good parts of the book, and are more than ready to share them with your friends; are upset about the bad parts, and are also more than ready to share them with your friends - but you are ready to start a new one and hope that it's just better than the last one. There's a beginning and an end, which I like.

So, this will be a new novel and I need to determine what the plot will be. That's is easy...staying sane!!! This will be difficult with school, keeping family together though living apart, practicing, working (including trying to find more work), maintaining my blood sugar levels, losing weight (or at least trying to lose weight) and trying to sleep.  NO PROBLEM!

On another note - saw War Horse yesterday. I really liked it. It's cheesy, but I got a few good cries in. I'm very glad I went and would recommend it to everyone - but due to the nature of the film (war and death) I would not recommend it for small children unless you want to explain difficult situations to them.