Christmas at the Grandparent's!

We had our Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's this weekend. 

It was very fun. Full of trick toys (squirting rings, hand shockers, squirting gum packages), 

wrapping paper fights, marshmallow fights, and many many board games. We even taught my grandparents how to play Wii this year! It was super fun, we had super good food, and there are new pictures up! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! :)

Mixed Feelings

As you know I'm back home in Oklahoma. It's been fun but also very tough. 

Pretty much all of my friends that I made at OU have moved to bizarre lands such as Omaha and Virginia. :) And just as I became very close to some people in Minneapolis I left. I don't regret coming back, but I miss everyone and all of the familiarity of Minnes-oh-ta very much. 

I miss working at the coffee shop and finding that comfort in seeing the same faces everyday. And knowing the customers well enough to give them a hard time and vice versa is pretty special to me. I mailed out all of my Christmas cards yesterday. I sent Holli a big envelope with some cards for the regulars at the shop that had become pretty near and dear to my heart. 

It doesn't help that I'm going through a slight rough patch with my playing. My reeds are crap and in turn my playing is crap. You might say I hit a wall. It has happened before, but it's hitting a little extra hard because I have nothing exciting coming up to pull me out of it, and all I have behind me is 11 rejections. I also haven't started working yet so I have a lot of time during the day when I'm alone and I realize how bad my playing. Usually when I get stressed about it I take some much needed quality time to spend with my friends. That in turn leads to me having time to think about how none of them are here with me. Then I just get even more down. People have told me that one of the reasons life is hard is because you have to move away from friends a lot in life. I find this especially hard because I met these people at a time in my life when I was really starting to discover who I am. I was a long distance from home for the first time, no family or friends within any range other than a cell phone. I created that entire part of my life by myself. No friends of the family or friends of friends. I had to go out there and meet all of those people on my own and get that job on my own. There's all of my incredible friends, but also the relationships at the coffee shop. I know I come back to that a lot, but that's one of the things I'm most proud of. When I started working there I was terrified. I was still pretty shy (not really coming out of my shell until the start of my 2nd year at school). Everyone who worked there knew everyone's drinks and I thought I'd never get to that point. But I did! Not only did I know their drinks, but also their names, and they in turn knew my name. And every morning, no matter how much of a hurry they were in, they took the time to talk to me. We'd discuss family, weekends, vacations, work, Sooner football, and they supported and encouraged me during my auditions period, just like my family. They sent good thoughts, cards, whatever. They were so great..... and it was all mine. 

This has probably all been hard because I have so much time on my hands. But I start my job tomorrow so hopefully this will all iron itself out. It puts me in quite the mood, and I often feel pretty bad because there's nothing anyone can do. They cant' magically make my playing better or bring my friends to see me. I am really excited about my job though! I will be working full time so I'll have to get up early to practice every morning (which I love!). I won't have as much time to practice, but at least I'll be in some kind of routine which keeps me sane and lack of routine is probably one of the reasons I'm having such a difficult time right now. I am going to manage an office supply store in Blanchard, USA. :) My friends dad is opening it and he asked me if I would be interested in taking on the challenge. I am more than happy to! I'm actually really excited. It will be a lot of work, but I think I'll be comfortable there so I won't e getting stressed out all of the time, which is a huge plus. And he will be able to work with me when I need a few days to go audition. I think it will all work out for the best. Getting through the wall has just become a huge challenge. Especially without the support I'm used to having. Don't get me wrong.... my family is great and they've supported me more than anyone, and for that I'm very thankful and lucky..... it's just a different kind of support. Not that one is better than the other. Anyway, that's all. I didn't mean for this to be such a bummer, but sometimes you need to get stuff off of your chest. Consider this like a journal :)

Back in the Saddle Again

I'm officially back in Oklahoma. I'm here with a little bit

of mixed feelings, but I'm here. Don't get me wrong, it's good to be home, but I miss my friends already. It was weird not sitting down to dinner with Holli or being woken up by dogs. :)

I didn't cry too much my last day of work, and I held it in until I left. Here's a brief break down of the most awesome last day of work ever!

-Peg, a regular, brought me flowers.

-Don came to give me a hard time for the last time.

-Roger came in to bid me farewell.

-James called to say he got stuck at work and couldn't come in to say hi, but he'd give me a call the next time he's in Oklahoma and he'd hook me up with OK Thunder tickets.

-Holli surprised me and came into work with pastries and other goodies :)

-Everyone wished me well and said they would miss me. I will miss them very much too.

As much as I hated my job sometimes it was always seeing the same faces everyday that made it feel like home. It wasn't the regulars that tended to make me angry anyway :) I miss them all. They were my family for 2 1/2 years. 

Holli and I are already trying to figure out when she might visit me here and when I might go up there. I'm actually trying to make it back in April for my co-worker's wedding. Who knows... there might still be snow and I might actually get to build my snowman! :) All of my pictures of my last 2 weeks are up. 

End of an Era

There's a photo album in the gallery with a matching title, and there will 

be more pictures to come over the next week.

My time in Minneapolis is coming to a close as I will be moving back to

Oklahoma this Saturday. This week is going to be a little harder than I thought.

I have so many friends and connections that I've made here, it's hard to give it all up.

This past weekend Holli, Liz, and I just did a lot of goofing around in the house because

it snowed for 3 days. We had an hour long dance party in our living room....just the 3 of us 

goofing around. Apparently it turned out to be awesome exercise....Holli's legs were so sore 

from jumping around she was having a hard time going up and down the stairs to the basement

while doing laundry. :) After our little party we made some homemade Zippy Potato Soup and Jalapeno cornbread and then caramel filled chocolate cookies for dessert. 

On Sunday we decorated our little Christmas tree. They decided to do it early since I'm not 

going to be around closer to Christmas. It was pretty fun and we listened to Andy Williams and Perry Como Christmas records on my new player!! We're nerds :)

Roger is one of the regulars at the store and he's been talking football with me every morning for the past year and a half. He's always wearing a Minnesota Gophers hat and I decided that just won't do while I'm gone, so I bought him a proper OU Sooners hat. I surprised him with it on Monday and he loved it! It was so exciting!! There is, of course, a picture of us with him wearing his awesome new hat. 

Tomorrow I get to go see Wicked!!! I've been waiting for years to see this, and my 

time has finally come!! There will definitely be pictures. time to go pack up some things. 

BOO!

Halloween pictures are up!!

Holli and I had some people over for drinks and games, then at about 10:30

I took them all to Uptown to go bar hopping. I, however, backed out like a big, old fuddy

duddy because I had to open at work the next morning. I second guessed my decision

until I heard all of them come in at 3:30 AM, and I realized I had to be up in an hour. 

I would have been really really really crabby at work. 

One of my friends had a party last night too, and I was going to dress as a cowgirl, but 

then I couldn't get my foot in my cowboy boots comfortably because of my broken toe

so I just wore tennis shoes and my cowboy hat. I made it work :) 

Today we are raking leaves and then I'm making chili! Perfect autumn day if I say so myself! :) 

I will officially be home 2 weeks from today!!!! I'm a little sad.....

IT SNOWED TODAY!!!

I got to be here for the first snow!!! :) yay!

MORE FALL PICTURES!!

And more to come after the birthday party tonight. 

My Favorite Season

It is officially fall in Minneapolis. It is absolutely gorgeous and I'm 

really going to miss it. :( 

I got some pictures of the city from the plane last night. I was pretty excited.

This past weekend I met up with my parents and sister for the OU/saxet game 

in Dallas. Despite the outcome we had a really good time!! 

Tara took me to a haunted house for my birthday next weekend, and I almost had a heart attack.....

but it was AWESOME! Good fun. You know it's good when you walk out sopping wet with you're shoes covered in bath bubbles :) 

My Navy audition is in a week and a half so I'll just be working and practicing until then. 

After that I'll be able to have a little downtime to really soak up my last few weeks here. 

I'm really sad, but Holli and I have already set up some possible meeting times throughout the year. 

I'm off work and it's time to practice........

*new pictures in the photo gallery. 

Home is where.....

As most of you know nothing came of the last 2 auditions. However, it was good experience

and on to some more.....including Navy Band at the end of October!!

It looks as though my life in Minneapolis is coming to an end. As much as I'll love

being with my family again, I will miss my friends here very much. It's cool to think

that I moved here and met my own friends and built my own life in just 2 years!

I'm actually even going to miss working at Caribou. Actually, I'm not so sure it's working at 

Caribou that I'll miss, but mainly the people. The people I work with and the regulars that have been coming in everyday I've worked here over the past year and 3 months. 

There are pictures from my trip home in the photo album!

NYC OR BUST!

I'm back from New York City and absolutely exhausted. In a good way, though. 

It was so much fun and exactly the right amount of time for that city. My pictures are of course up in the photo gallery. A brief run down.......

We were all up at 3:45 on Tuesday morning to catch our 6 o'clock flight. We got into NY at 12. From the airport we took a bus to the subway in Queens to NY Penn Station. From there we jumped onto a train to Princeton, NJ, where Allison's sister Liz and her husband Dan were nice enough to let us stay at there very tiny house. We arrived there around 3 pretty much in a zombie type state. We pulled out some blankets and took about an hour nap in their back yard. Then we decided to go to this awesome grocery store to stock up on things for pack lunches. For dinner

Liz and Dan grilled out an assortment of sausages and Boca burgers along with grilled every veggie you can think of: mushroom, squash, zucchini, red and green bell peppers, eggplant, and corn on the cob. It was oh so delicious! After dinner they took us for a walk around Princeton, and on a tour of the campus where we had ice cream at a really cute little ice cream parlor. Back at the house and in need of sleep we all fell into bed about midnight. 

Full of energy and ready to start our city adventures we began every day at about 7:30 because we had to catch the train into the city. I can't even begin to describe how busy we were and how much we saw in 3 days, walking about 10 hours a day. I think the only way to even bring you close to understanding is just to write out a list. So here goes......hope I don't leave anything out.........

Day #1

-catch the train to Newark Penn Station. 

-walk around Ground 0 of the 9-11 attacks. 

-Battery Park

-Clinton Castle (a fort where you can buy Statue of Liberty tickets)

-Ferry to Libery and Ellis Islands

-Statue of Liberty/lunch on Liberty Island

-Ellis Island (yes....they are 2 different things) where we saw the Wall of Honor and toured the immigration building

-walked down Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village

-Magnolia Bakery (best cupcakes ever!)

-Subway....lots of subway

-Chinatown

-Little Italy (best manicotti ever!)

-Down to South Sea Port

-Train back to Jersey

Day #2

-Train into New York Penn /Station

-Downtown New York City

-Little street shops

-Fashion Ave (you know what that means....)

-Times Square

-Hershey's store

-The Met

-Juilliard

-Avery Fisher Hall

-Standing 2 hours in line for rush tickets to a musical

-Did I mention we went in about 20 Starbucks looking for NYC mugs?

-Rockefeller Center 

-St. Patrick's Cathedral

-NY pizza for dinner!

-Legally Blonde the musical (which was actually super super good)

-Tasty Delight (on Sex and the City and super super good frozen yogurt)

-Tired and delirious catch the train back to Princeton. 

-Bed at 1am, up at 7:30 to start Day #3

Day #3

-South St. Sea Port

-Brooklyn Bridge

-Wall Street

-NY Stock Exchange

-Tiffany's  (don't ask)

-The Bull statue

-Friend's apartment in Greenwich Village

-Carrie's apartment from Sex and City 

-lunch at a little cafe in Greenwich Village

-meet up with an old friend in Central Park

-search for a black and white cookie

-finally found a bakery with black and white cookies (an hour of walking later)

-some shopping (well, the girls shopped while Brenden and I caught up some more)

-dinner at a 50s style diner.

-Rent!!! (it's going off Broadway at the end of the month after a 12 year run)

-Train.......too excited to sleep...........bed at 1:30.........

Day #4

up at 6 to catch the train, subway, bus, plane back to Minneapolis

Well, that's it in a nutshell. And tonight I go see Jonny Lang in concert!

Twins vs. Yankees

A bunch of my family came up to watch Nick pitch against the Yankees. 

Nick was nice enough (as always) to get Holli and me tickets. So we joined 

the rest of the fam for the game. The pictures are up in the photo album. 

We had a blast!! I got to spend some time with my family, I got to see the Twins

play the Yankees, and I learned what Rally Hat is! You'll see what I'm talking 

about in the pictures. I wish they could all come up more often, but I'll take what I 

can get. 

When I was calling my cousin Chuck to discuss meeting up with everyone, I didn't 

realize I had 2 Chucks in my phone. I accidently called my bassoon teacher and in an effort

to cover up that I'd made a mistake I ended up with a lesson before my audition! He fixed some 

reeds for me because mine were giving me grief and all is right with the universe now. Sort of..... I'm still a little nervous and I still need to pack before tomorrow :) But that is exactly why I took the day off work. Now I can go through all of my audition material, pack, and still relax and stay sane (as sane as possible anyway) :) Midland....... here I come!!!

Full speed ahead!

It is less than one week until my first audition of another marathon. 

Some things came up that I thought would set  me back a little, but after time 

and much consolation from my wonderful mother, I have had time to put things into perspective and pull myself together once again. I thought my audition material had started to fall apart (great timing) but I think I've just gotten to another point where I start getting much more particular and picky. Hopefully I will not drive myself too crazy in the next week and stay focused. I'm sure I'll be making many phone calls to my mom and dad. Not only am I auditioning next weekend, but my parents will be with me so I get to spend some time with them. Auditions are so much easier when you know there is someone there for you when it's all over..... and who better than these 2? After numerous band competitions, dance recitals, piano competitions, etc. etc. it's kind of cool to have them at these particular auditions..... the auditions I've been waiting for my whole life! Who ever thought I'd get to this point? And there's no one I'd rather have with me. 

There will be a small break in this audition marathon. The day after I get back from Midland some of my girlfriends and I are heading to New York for 4 days! A couple of months ago we found super cheap plane tickets and one of my friends has family on Long Island with whom we will stay. We've been waiting for this for months! I don't think i could be any more excited!!!!

I think it will be the first trip I've taken without my bassoon since high school. And I'm talking sophomore year of high school :) 

Shortly after I get back I have 5 more auditions. 3 in September and possibly 2 in October. At the same time I'll be figuring out how to get from point A to point B living wise. I could end up at any of these places which would put me at home for a few weeks to a month or end up in Oklahoma for another year. Who knows..... I also have to figure out when I would move my stuff wherever it needs to go seeing as how someone is moving into my current room at the end of August! Too much to think about! :) Who knows....maybe I won't even have to plan past next weekend. ;) For now I'm just trying to keep my head on straight and take things one (or maybe 2) at a time.  But lets think realistically....it's me... so it's probably more like 3 things at a time. 

I'm just trying this out to see if I like it. 

I've been having problems with my other one, and I'm finally irritated enough

to change it. :) we'll see if this lasts or if I just deal with the other.