BASSOON BABBLE

MAYBEEEEES

2011-07-27T09:58:00.005-05:00

Since I don't have cute kids to post pictures of or super exciting stories to share you don't get me very often. However...I've been home from vacation for almost 2 weeks and all I have to say is I'M READY FOR MORE!!! The kids I watch are pleasantly occupying each other at the moment and we haven't had any potty training breakdowns today. All I can say is that babysitting is the BEST BIRTH CONTROL EVER!! I love kids and look forward to having them someday, but right now I'm pretty content with traveling and not taking care of someone who can't poop on their own. I have a whole new level of respect for you mothers out there! God bless you all!! ;)

This time of year it always seems like things are completely up in the air. Maybe this....maybe that...maybe this is where you'll be in a month...

It makes me very antsy and uncomfortable. For those who might not know me well, I am a very plan-happy kind of person. I realize I'm in the wrong field to not be okay with this lifestyle, but I love what I do so I try to make it work. I just get a little extra stressed this time of year.

1. I MIGHT have an audition at the end of August, therefore...

2. I MIGHT have to get a plane ticket to Portland, OR so..

...

3. I MIGHT (if I somehow miraculously get this job) have to figure out what to do about my newly leased apartment.

4. I MIGHT have an interview to teach bassoon at the University of Tulsa

5. I MIGHT have to change all of my client and aerobics class availability for the traveling if I get the job

6. I MIGHT have to drive to Tulsa every week (however lucky enough that my grandparents live there so I would have someone to stay with) and last but not least

7. I MIGHT have to move to Alaska to get out of this 2 straight months of over 100 degrees weather! Who wants to come with me?!

These may not seem like a huge deal, and some may seem like good Mights and Maybe's. but

I just want things to be in line...in a very straight line. :) While all of these things are panning out this is what I'm trying to keep in my mind to keep me nice and calm..

Frisbee with Dad at the beach near their home in Port St. Lucie, FL

The back patio of the student union at University of Wisconsin

Our sunset booze cruise in Key West

LUCKY

2011-05-26T14:02:00.003-05:00

As I was packing up my apartment I decided to get super organized with everything. who are we kidding...I don't

need an excuse to get super organized with everything. :)

Anyway...I realized I hadn't emptied my camera in awhile. I came across these pictures.

Looking at them I got that horrible panicky wreck feeling all over again. I started thinking how lucky I was.

-Lucky that my parents put me in a vehicle that held up like it did after rolling and flipping end to end.

-Lucky there was no traffic (in a normally high traffic area) as my car skidded from the left lane all the way across the interstate.

-Lucky that all I got was a concussion (from my bassoon which flew from the back seat).

It could have been so much worse than it was. The inside did not hold up as well as the outside, but I couldn't stand looking at pictures of that. Even the crew that showed up at the wreck kept saying we were lucky to be alive. Moments like these just make you realize how much you should cherish every moment. I don't want to sound preachy or cliche, but it's common sense...don't ever take anyone or anything for granted. That easy. Feel lucky that you wake up each morning and live the life you get to live.

HILARIOUS!

2011-03-24T15:30:00.002-05:00

Since my "Torn" post was such a downer I wanted to share the conversation I had with one of my clients. She is a little older lady, shorter than me, about 70 years old.....

Client: "by the way honey, I curse like a sailor."
Me: "haha. well, I think I can handle myself. You just let it out."

Me: "So what are some of your goals. what would you like my help with?"
Client: "well, I wouldn't mind if things were tighter. I don't mind if my boobs jiggle but I dont'
want my ass to jiggle."
Me: "You're funny. I like hanging out with you."
Client: "well hell! if that's the case lets forget this workout and go have a beer!"

Client: "So how do you de-stress?"
Me: "I like to clean my house. It makes me feel much better and very relaxed."
Client: "Oh honey I can think of much better ways to de-stress. It's called Margaritaville.
I've visited there maaaaaany times."

Client: "my husband and I used to own horses and we gave riding lessons. Daughter of (insert well-known OK family name here) used to take lessons. She was an uppity little bitch. I kicked her out. "

This woman is the feistiest lady I've ever met!!! :)

TORN.....

2011-03-24T15:04:00.003-05:00

Not that anyone reads this, but if by chance you do some much needed advice is welcome....

I've been struggling a lot lately with things like "how much is too much?" "when is it okay to
tell someone no?" "where do you draw the line?" and "when is it okay to lay down the law and tell a superior what you want?".

I've taken on a new job as a trainer at a new gym here in town. I absolutely love it!! It does get a little frustrating sometimes because my schedule is never the same and people can schedule appointments as last minutes as they want. I might get a call at 9pm saying I have an extra client or I go in the next day to work with someone and then find more people have been scheduled after them...bye bye lunch. It's not that I mind the clients because a girl has to make a living, but as an employee am I allowed to make demands such as "a client must schedule at least 24 hours in advance" or "I must be contacted when any change (add-on or cancellation) has been made to my schedule." At first I didn't mind, but it got to the point where I never new my schedule until I got to work and then to find out I was there all day (no lunch break, no practice time) and then people would just not show up. If I'd known I was going to be there all day I could have brought my bassoon along and practiced when someone didnt' show. And it was very difficult having no lunch and then teaching back to back zumba or spinning classes.

And when can you begin to ask for days off without feeling like a child getting scolded? I literally have no days off during the week at all! Training and teaching every day. I'm beginning to feel like 13 classes a week is just too much. I start to feel like maybe I'm just being a weenie and I shoudl be able to handle that no problem, but again....no day off. The only days I don't teach 2-3 classes are Saturday and Sunday when I teach one each. I feel bad because people count on me to teach these classses (employers and participants) but at what point can I say enough is enough and not feel horribly guilty? I'm exhausted. I like to give 100% in my classes, but that level is getting very difficult to attain every time.

Don't get me wrong...I absolutely love teaching and even more so training, but it's really hard to push through the more difficult and tiring days when there is no light at the end of the tunnel. No end in sight. No day to relax your muscles, be lazy, do what you want, and catch your breath. But as an employee when do I have the right to ask for that kind of demand? Should I always be willing to bend over backwards for people? Even clients? I make exceptions when it comes to scheduling appointments all of the time, even if it goes into my free time because I feel like it's my obligation to do so. And if I don't I feel like I'm just being selfish with my time.

How do I get past all of this, figure out what is acceptable and fair to everyone else, but still find time and not feel guilty about having time for me? I'm not proud of this, but yesterday I just got to the point where I felt I couldn't take anymore. I called my mom and just cried because I was exhausted and didn't feel like I could go anymore but still had 3 classes to teach (all in a row) last night. I cried almost all day...just for no reason except the fact I felt like I was falling apart.

I have an audition coming up on top of all of this which I have mixed feelings about. I think I'll do okay and might have a chance, but if I had been able to be as focused as I normally am I could kick this thing in the ass!!

so where do you draw the line? I still have to make a living so I don't want to jeopardize everything by making some request that seems unreasonable to the people for whom I work. Torn between feeling sane or feeling guilty. Which will it be?.......

Reflecting...

2010-11-16T10:55:00.003-06:00

So I'm in Baton Rouge for the 3rd time this orchestra season. When I am here I have a lot of time to myself (which is not a bad thing) to sit and think about things: past, present, future.

Lately I've been thinking back on all of the decisions I've made in this year. I think it's because all of a sudden I realized that 2010 is coming to an end! Already! It went by very quickly. I've felt this way all year. I remember thinking back in January how much happened in just 1 short month.

-New Years Eve concert with Baton Rouge Symphony

-1 week in New Orleans playing with the Louisiana Philharmonic

-1 week in Baton Rouge playing in a Chris Botti concert.

-Principal bassoon gig with the Tulsa Philharmonic

Since then, I've finished my first season with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra and started my 2nd. I received my Personal Trainers license, Zumba and Zumba Toning Certification, CPR/First Aid Certification, Water Safety Certification, Water Fitness Certification, trained in Bags and Cycling. I teach at pretty much a different gym every night of the week except Sunday (gotta have those days off). I just accepted a job at a new gym and will hopefully establish enough clientele there that I can maybe thin out my traveling back and forth from 5 different places. The new Fitness One hired me as a personal trainer and cycling instructor. The target opening date is the 20th of this month! I realize I might have added just another destination to my cramped schedule but I'm really hoping that working at a "legit" gym I will be able to establish more of a permanent home. I love training at OU, but students can be unreliable and quite flaky as clients. I often find myself frustrated with them because they don't want to push as hard as I would like to push them. Fitness One is going to be an excellent facility and the people I've met are top notch so I'm super excited about getting started!

Seeing as how I've been trying to start a new career since August things have been a little tighter than I'm used to having a 9-6, M-F job. No surprise to me of course. I knew it was coming. It's been fun, it's been stressful, it's been an adventure. I am constantly amazed at how wonderful everyone has been!! They always have me in the front of their mind when extra classes/hours are available. They call me in for small jobs that they need "help" with, even though I'm pretty sure it could be handled by them alone. Turns out....they want me to succeed! Who knew!? As much as we seem to think people disappoint us on a day to day basis, let me tell you that is absolutely false! Yes, there are those we can't count on..I'm not completely naive, but for the most part people are good and gracious and they want to help you in any way they can! It's okay to see the best in people, they might surprise you!! I taught at a zumbathon a couple of weeks ago that was set up by one instructor for another who's family needed financial help. Their unborn baby is going to need heart surgery right after he is born, but insurance won't cover all of the costs. We raised over $3000!! If you have faith in people they will have faith in you and their support will carry you quite a long way. Never take that for granted. Otherwise you will get nowhere alone.

After reflecting on all of these things from 2010 I start thinking how different it could have been. What if I had decided to go through with the move to Baton Rouge?

-I wouldn't have had the connections I did to get started with the fitness part of my career which would have made life a living hell! Getting started is the hardest part, but having people who know and care about you to help you get started makes a world of difference.

- I could have been putting myself in huge financial trouble! Why do that if it's not totally necessary?

-I wouldn't have met all of the incredible people I have since starting in August. Other instructors and trainers, colleagues, friends, others.

I realize there would have been some good things about moving to Baton Rouge, but I'm so glad I didn't. I can't help but think of all the things I would have missed out on had I moved! I knew in my heart it wasn't the right time, but I wasn't sure why. I was even a little upset with myself for not taking that step. I felt like I had chickened out, and I beat myself up over it for months. All of my life people have been telling me that things happen for a reason or they happen when they are meant to happen. I always smiled and nodded because I knew they were trying to make me feel better for whatever reason, but a small part of me believes it now. I'm not saying I'm a die hard believer in Fate and that my life is already planned out for me. But I do believe there is a path and you choose which turns you take, which fork in the road, etc. I'm not going to get super philosophical or anything.

We often make decisions not based on our gut but based on what other people have to say about them. We may be afraid to make a choice because of what someone else will think. Well screw that! (easier said than done, I know). Do what feels right for you. Think about yourself and what makes you happy. You are the only one who has to fully live with the decision you make. If you're gut tells you not to move....don't move! If it tells you to move...pack up the U-Haul! Just listen to your heart....it will rarely steer you in the wrong direction.

To sum everything up...this has been an incredible year in so many different ways! One of best I think! I'm even coming to terms with and looking forward to 27! (after a month of adjusting).

I'm really happy I didn't move to Baton Rouge. Sometimes things just have a way of working themselves out and falling into place when you least expect it.

BAD LITTLE BLOGGER......

2010-08-25T20:31:00.002-05:00

So first I will apologize for any typos. It seems that I've turned into an old fart and have developed arthritis in my riht pointer finger. I'm trying to use it as little as possible. learning to type with only 4 fingers is quite odd.

As some of you know I quit my comfy full-time job at the beginning of August. It was a hard decision but something that had to be done. There were some things I wanted to try and I decided the best way to make myself do them was to jump in blindfolded with no floaties. I received my personal trainers license, group fitness certification, and water fitness certification back in May and April. I decided to try free lancing and see what happened. I was completely freaked out about several things: no set schedule, no consistent paycheck, etc. Things are looking up though! I have been hired several different places to do several different things and most im,portantly they are all OKAY with me being gone for symphony rehearsals in Baton Rouge.

I will be teaching zumba at OU, Shawnee YMCA, OBU, Crosspoint Church, and Pauls Valley Dance STation along with Bags/Kickboxing at OU. I have also been hired as a personal trainer at Crosspoint church (they have their own gym set up) and OU. I'm so excited but so nervous!

I was concerned that I would have too much spare time on my hands, but it doesn't look like it will be much of a problem. Not to mention my new form of income will wear you out!! yay! :)

Monday: Bags 5:30-6:30 and clients the rest of the day

Tuesday: OBU Zumba 4-5, bassoon lessons 5-6, Shawnee YMCA Zumba 6:45-7:45

Wednesday: Clients in the AM, quintet rehearsal, Crosspoint Zumba

Thursday: clients in the AM, quintet rehearsal, PV Zumba

Friday: clients in the AM, OU zumba

I'm so excited that things seem to be somewhat (fingers crossed) taking off. And the first orchestra rehearsal is in 2 WEEKS!!!!!!!! WAAAAAHOOOOO!!! It's really the light of my life :)

Let's hope my finger can keep up. So that's pretty much the update. Stressing a little, but enjoying life fully. And I live right down the road from the football stadium so I get to be right in the thick of thigns on game day!!! woot!!

MY RECITAL

2010-05-11T15:04:00.002-05:00

Here is my recital. It was soooo much fun! Thanks to everyone who came to watch and came to play!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejxMYiFVJk0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9FX-pT_nO4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u95Om5VZM2s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWv2WceKNkA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BszB3axyCWY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DoYSqm50EU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm-HP1VGn1g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc7OGaRcyxk

......

2010-03-31T07:58:00.004-05:00

I realize my posts have not been interesting as of late. This does not mean I'm a boring lump. :) I'm still doing so many things I can't keep my head on straight, but plans are changing and once again everything seems to be up in the air. Once some kind of plan gets established I will keep everyone updated. Lets just say it's looking like Oklahoma will be my home for another year and I will officially be entering the world of the grown-ups by purchasing a new car. Like I said.....things are iffy. That is all. But don't worry......I'm still alive and kicking, barely.

Boring fact for you but interesting one for me! The first 3 blogs on my blog list to the side are all friends with little girls named Addison! So therefore, no one else can name their daughter Addison. Otherwise I'm going to get very confused. :)

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!!!

2010-03-14T12:44:00.002-05:00

I realize the new background is super cheesy, but I'm so ready for spring I can't hold it in any longer!! HAPPY SPRING!! Bring on the spring fever!

For the few who actually read this

2010-02-05T10:13:00.002-06:00

MY RECITAL!!!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH @2PM

SAINT STEPHEN'S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
1801 W. BROOKS ST
NORMAN, OK 73069

RECEPTION TO FOLLOW!!!
PLEASE COME AND BRING FRIENDS!

UP..UP....AND AWAY!!!

2010-01-11T09:07:00.001-06:00

Another up lifting me higher!!

I'M PLAYING PRINCIPAL WITH THE TULSA SYMPHONY THIS WEEK!!!

Rehearsals Wednesday-Friday and then concert Saturday and then I leave
for New Orleans Monday!!

I also discovered this weekend that since mid-July I have put 25,000 miles on my car....oops!

2010

2010-01-06T09:43:00.003-06:00

Well, 2010 has been an intersting year so far. Even though it's only been around for a little less than a week. There have been ups and downs like any year, but the ups this year are extremely high!! I'm talking a house flying around with helium balloons tied to it kind of high!! Which by the way, if you haven't seen UP you really should. :)

So I went down to Baton Rouge to play The Nutcracker for the first time ever! I dont' think I could have enjoyed it anymore than I did. I danced in it as a kid, and I always wanted to play it but the opportunity never presented itself. 20 years from now I'll probably be blogging about how tired of it I am....but I doubt it. Who gets tired of The Nutcracker?!

Less than 2 weeks later I had to be back in Baton Rouge for New Years Eve. This might not sound too exciting to some people, but I'm a girl who the last couple of years has been asleep by 10:30 and the 4 or 5 years before that I was always on a bus headed to a college bowl game. So the thought that I'd be up at least past 11pm playing music and not sitting on a bus was totally awesome! And not only was I playing in an orchestra, but I was playing songs I absolutely LOVE with an orchestra!!! Sing Sing Sing, In the Mood, String of Pearls....big band stuff I never thought I'd get to play as a bassoonist. At heart I'm a pure jazz musician. I even wanted to pick up jazz bassoon, but I completely suck at improv. BOO! Anyway, it was a great night with great music and watching the audience actually dance to every song was incredible. I have to admit I was having a really hard time sitting still....16 years of dancing still lives in me I guess. It was especially difficult when we played a Santana song and the bongos were right behind me. Talk about self restraint!! They're lucky and didn't thrown down my bassoon and shake what my mama gave me!

So the most incredible UP is when this very week I got a call from the personnel director of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in New Orleans. They needed a 4th bassoon player for the Verdi Requiem this month and they asked me to come play!! I'm finally making the connections and feeling like this is actually my career! So at the end of this month I'll be in Louisiana for 2 weeks straight! Actually I have a 3 day break between New Orleans and Baton Rouge and my aunt and uncle in Houston have kindly offered their spare bedroom to me so I don't have to drive 10 hours back to OK only to drive 10 hours to Baton Rouge 3 days later. I am also thankful for my INCREDIBLE boss and his wife who are more than willing to work with my schedule so that I can make these trips and slowly expand my career. I could not ask for a better situation or better people for whom to work. THANK YOU JEFF AND KAYE! Oh!!! One of the most important things.....I will be moving to Baton Rouge in August. I realize it's probably THE hottest month of the year so if no one wants to help I understand. :) I dont' really want to move before then because I have been asked to be in a wedding for one of my oldest friends. I'm also doing her wedding cake. DOUBLE DUTY! I'm really looking forward to it though. But the moving brings up my next subject........

The ever popular NEW YEARS RESOLUTION!
I've decided to put it out in the universe so that I will be held accountable for it. Seeing as how I'll be moving I'll have to find a job aside from playing in the orchestra. now I've been wanting to do this for a long long time, but I never got around to saving the money or actually doing it. In the next few months (once some money has been set aside) I will be getting my personal trainers license. It's something I'm very interested in and I love working with people. Living a healthy lifestyle is something I feel is very important, and the thought of helping someone achieve this makes me bubble over!! And since I decided not to change my major to nutritional sciences I think this is the next best step. I figure once I get to Baton Rouge it could also provide another career avenue. People in the South have to work off all of that delicious cajun food right?! ;) Of course I will also be getting my Zumba license somewhere down the road. The more I go to classes the more I love it and the more I want to teach! Who would have thought that Shaking your butt + absolute fun = an incredible workout?!

One last thing before I end what turned out to be a ridiculously loooooong post.
RECITAL!!
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27 @ 2PM
SAINT STEPHENS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
NORMAN, OK

*there will be pictures from my trips but I havent' had time to get them from my camera to my computer.

THANKSGIVING FUN!

2009-11-28T19:14:00.005-06:00

Thanksgiving was a little untraditional this year. My family is really spread out so my aunt invited me to her in-laws house to celebrate. They always welcome anyone into their home...the more the merrier! I brought Logan (the french horn player from my quintet) and his girlfriend because they couldn't make it home for Thanksgiving. I've been the lone student during a holiday before and it's no fun. So any opportunity to extend an invitation into my family (or partial family) for the day I jump at the chance. We all had a blast!! There was, of course, tons of yummy food....even though I'm not the biggest fan of the traditional Thanksgiving feast. The best part is being out in the country with horses to ride, donkeys to pet, four wheelers, motorcycles, tree houses and anything else you could possibly thing of. I was so exhausted that night!! I fought to stay awake until 8:45 but it was totally worth it!

Eli and Logan catching a fish!

Ethan and his Grandpa Chris goin' for a ride Everyone in the Gator for a ride!

Logan and the donkeys!

HOUSTON

2009-11-08T14:26:00.006-06:00

I went to visit some family in Houston/audition for a few days this week. It was so much fun! I love being around family and just being able to relax and enjoy their company. My aunt and uncle recently moved back to Houston so my other aunt drove down there with me and we got to see their new house. We even got to help cook for a party my Aunt Lori was having and Missy and I enjoyed her wonderful margaritas....maybe a few too many. But hey....I was on vacation! :)

The morning before we left Vance (my uncle) asked me to play the Jaws theme on my bassoon. Here are some videos of what that developed into. It was pretty entertaining.

Vance recently picked up the pool table from my grandparent's house. They'd been storing it for him in their garage for years and he was finally able to take it back. I used to play on it a lot when I was little. Not so much shooting pool with a cue stick, but more just rolling them back and forth. But I'm getting better. I mean.....check out this form!

My cousin, Tiffany, flew in on Friday

so I also got to spend some time with her.

There are many more pictures HERE

20 years in the making......

2009-09-18T22:40:00.007-05:00

As most of you know I've wanted to play bassoon in a professional orchestra since I was 5. I won't go into the long story...but let's just say it involved a record of Peter and the Wolf and many grueling years of waiting until I was big enough to play and smart enough to spell 'bassoon'.

The long wait has finally ended. In the last 2.5 weeks I have auditioned, accepted, and played for my first professional group. I am the 2nd bassoonist of the Baton Rouge Symphony. Don't get me wrong, I'll still keep taking auditions because there is always a slightly higher group to play in, but if that day never comes for me I am perfectly happy where I am. It's never mattered to me where I was playing....as long as I'm doing just that. I'm never happier than when I'm playing bassoon. The first concert was last night.....

You're probably thinking that it should have felt like any other orchestra concert I've ever played in. I sat in the exact same spot I've alway sat it, was surrounded by all the same instruments that normally surround me, and I was looking into the same bright lights with the hint of a baton waving around in front of me. But no........ it was unlike any experience of my life. Maybe it was just knowing what all went into getting to play in that concert and sitting in that chair, surrounded by those musicians, looking at that particular baton. I mean.... I was sitting there thinking "this is totally awesome! I'm getting paid for this!" (not a whole lot mind you) but paid none the less! After so many disappointing auditions I'd started to wonder if I was going down the right track. I started looking at other possibilities (music therapy, teaching, something in the totally opposite direction). I even gave myself a 5 year deadline. If I hadn't gotten an audition by then, I'd move on, accept that I was supposed to be doing something else with my life. After last night I'm so glad I got to that chair before the 5 year deadline! I would have completely missed out on something absolutely incredible! There was absolutely no where else I should have been last night besides on that stage. It's just who I am. I'll never be wealthy, living the high life. But that's okay. And do you know why it's okay? Because never will I say "Ah man...I have to go work" I get to say "Oh man! I have to go to work!!!"

If I never make it to a larger orchestra I'll have to keep doing something else on the side, but it's okay because I know why I'm having to work in a coffee shop or an office supply store. It's because I'm living the dream, and to me that's everything. Not many people feel about their jobs the way I feel about mine which is that I never have to work a day in my life. And I can mean it with all of my heart.

I always thought that "follow your dreams" "you can do whatever you set your mind to" were kind of cliche. I had started to lose faith in those phrases, but boy have a changed my outlook. Today I would double dog dare you to go back 20 years and tell that little blonde, curly headed 5 year old girl that she wouldn't be doing exactly what she wanted when she grows up. It makes me think of that song from Sweet Charity:

All I can say is "Wow-ee!

Looka where I am.
Tonight I landed, pow!
Right in a pot of jam.
What a set up! Holy cow!
They'd never believe it,
If my friends could see me now!

Now on to the not quite so heart felt part of the trip! I LOVE Baton Rouge. There's delicious food: crawfish etoufee, bar-b-q, and oh oh oh the sweet tea!

brisket stuffed baked potatoes. Awww heaven

I had Monday off so we drove down to New Orleans.

One of my favorite places in the U.S. We had some food, listened to a little music. All a fantastic way to spend the day.

I bought a piece of art from a street artist. There's just something about contributing money to a struggling artist that makes me feel good inside. and the painting is pretty darn cute if I do say so myself. I think looking at and buying art from the merchants around Jackson Square is just one of those things you need to experience in New Orleans.

We spent some time in downtown Baton Rouge. Went to the capitol building and saw where Huey Long was assassinated. Then we saw his grave which is actually in the Capitol Gardens near a huge statue of him. We spent a little time in the Louisiana State Museum. There was a lot to see and read about so we only made it through the first floor. But it was free so i'll be back to peruse the other fascinating exhibits. The zoo was only $1 from 3-5 on Wednesdays so i thought it was worth checking out. Absolutely not! The large cat exhibit (which is supposedly the highlight) was closed for renovations and the rest of the zoo was awful. i won't even discuss it. Lets just say it brought me to tears and I couldn't get out of there fast enough! Darn them they got my dollar!!!

The rest of the time was spent in rehearsal and resting up for rehearsals. I keep thinking I would love to live there, but 90 degrees with 95% humidity is a little much...even for me. And I like to think of myself as adaptable to any climate. I mean heck! I lived in the tundra for 3 years! We'll see I guess. I suppose every place is going to have downsides to it's climate. You just learn to adjust. It is a great place though. I always felt at home in New Orleans and now Baton Rouge. I'd move there just for the sweet tea! It's the little things that make me realize how much I missed the South :) Anyway, the concert was a success. Bryan tried to record a little, but it doesn't quite do it justice. At least I don't think so. Either way... here's a little tid bit of Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony for your enjoyment!!

The city was great! The rehearsals were great! The concert was out of this world!!!!! I still can't think of many words besides 'awesome' to describe how I still feel right now. I'm still on my musician's high. I think this picture comes pretty close to summing it up.

Thank you to all of my friends and family who have supported me over the years. I know this is probably said way too often, but I really couldn't have done it without you. Your love and encouragement helped push me through the rough times. You reminded me day after day why I do what I do and helped me to never lose sight of my love and passion. Thank you. I owe all of this to you.

"If music be the food of love, play on"

-Shakespeare

SPEECHLESS!

2009-09-18T07:35:00.001-05:00

IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!
more to come about THE first concert when I think of words other than awesome..........

I GOT A JOB! I GOT A JOB! I GOT A JOB!!!

2009-09-02T13:20:00.004-05:00

I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm the new 2nd bassoonist for the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra (BRSO).
I don't think I've stopped smiling for a week!! And at the rare moment when I have,
I think about playing for a symphony and it comes back! My first concert is 2 weeks from tomorrow. so for the next 8 months I'll be traveling to Baton Rouge for a week at a time.

I can't even explain how excited I am. Bryan gives me a hard time because he's convinced I wont' even be this excited when/if he ever proposes.....he's probably right. teehee :)
I finally won an audition! And I did in less than the average audition amount AND before my 5 year deadline (that I set for myself)!!! I'm so happy, and I'm sure there will be pictures and many many smiley face icons after my first concert!

so in the words of Melynda....."I won!!"

WINTER IN JULY

2009-07-19T19:41:00.004-05:00

This was the big week for Katie's wedding!!! I drove the cakes up to Minneapolis on Wednesday and the cakes and I made it all in one piece.

I also made it up in time for the bachelorette party on Wednesday night. I surprised Katie with a cake for that also. And I showed up with a few extra little gifts.....see if you can figure out what they are.

Little did I know it was going to be cold when I got there!! There was some sort of freak cold front and it was a high of 60, cloudy, and windy!! I did not pack accordingly....I had to go buy a sweatshirt, and I wore it for 3 days straight.

I also helped make wedding favors which consisted of

coating 10 pounds of espresso beans in chocolate!! It took 3 hours and it took up the entire apartment!! We had beans coming out of our ears....never again. Maybe some day I'll look back on it and laugh, but not today. There are some pictures of the ordeal in the photo album along with many more from the trip. These few are just a preview of the awesome time I had, once again, in Minneapolis!

It was a bittersweet trip for all of us. It is very likely the last time we would all be together in Minneapolis. Many of my friends are spreading in various different directions at the end of the month. They have all been a huge part of my life and I love and will miss them all very much. it was a wonderful weekend and I will never ever forget it.

BUSY BEE....

2009-07-02T22:32:00.003-05:00

So I've been up to quite a bit since my last blog. Auditions, practicing, trips to Florida to see my parents. I'll try to post some pictures soon of the Florida trip. My mom has them, so I'll have to upload them from a different sight first. I have another audition coming up in August. I just found out about it a couple of days ago. It's for 2nd bassoon in the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in Bloomington. Could be interesting. It's 2nd bassoon so that always excites me.

I've also been messing with my blog a little as you can tell. I'm still trying to work out some kinks, so it might change some more in the next couple of weeks. I'm very excited about it! It's like a scrapbook...sort of.

I picked up a bassoon student a few weeks ago. She's 11 years old and just starting bassoon. She started on clarinet, so I'm happy to steer her in the right direction. :) We're trying to get her caught up with the rest of the band students before school starts so we're having 2 lessons a week. she's a lot of fun and very excited about playing the bassoon which makes me very excited about teaching her!! It's going well so far.

In a few weeks I will be traveling up to Minneapolis again. I'm very excited because this time I will be going to see my dear friend Katie get married. And not only do I get to attend the wedding, but I get to make her wedding cake!! I'm nervous because I want it to be perfect for her, but also very excited. I will start making them next weekend, freezing them and then icing them before I drive them up there. That way any repairs I need to do will probably be minimal. My only concern is that it might be slightly warm, and I don't want that to mess with the cake. I guess that's why I'm going a few days early......if a tragedy occurs I have plenty of time to fix it. But lets be honest.....I'm mostly going up there early so I can spend some time with my girls!!! :)

I can't think of anything else that's going on that's too exciting. I've been in touch with a couple of old friends which is always fun. And I'm looking forward to the return of a couple of friends after their 3 year absence. They won't live right here in Oklahoma, but they'll at least be one state over....within driving distance. I won't have to hop a plane to go see them!!! That's all for now I guess. It seems as though I feel like I've been doing a lot more than I actually have in the last 3 months. Once I wrote it down it didn't seem like much. Until next time.....

MORE PICTURES!

2009-04-26T10:06:00.002-05:00

I borrowed some of the pictures Holli took on my trip. So there are some new pictures in my Minneapolis album!

MINNEAPOLIS

2009-04-21T13:06:00.002-05:00

So I made it up to Minneapolis and back with no trouble. I had a fantastic time!! It was like I never left. Pretty incredible how that works. I got to see all of my friends and some of the regulars at the coffee shop. Surprisingly enough it was warmer there than it was in Oklahoma. In the 70s pretty much the whole time!! I even helped Holli and Liz with some yard work just to be outside. I got to run every day I was there and there was NO WIND!! I hadn't been able to run in almost a month in Oklahoma because the wind has been way too strong....or it was raining. We went to 2 Twins' games. the first one I got to see Nick pitch and that's always fun. I hung out with some of Holli's friends that I'd met before and met some new ones. It was so great all around! There are pictures in the photo gallery as always......
I'm already planning my trip back in July to make Katie's wedding cake!!!

GOOD OLE DAYS

2009-04-11T20:00:00.001-05:00

So I found this old picture on my computer. I'd forgotten it was even there.

This is, from left to right, Tara, myself, cousins Chris and John. What a crew huh?!

This picture just puts a huge smile on my face! Is it me or do we look slightly ornery?

GARAGE SALE

2009-03-16T08:52:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was the huge garage sale. It went pretty well from what I could tell.
we sold a lot which is good, but there was so much stuff that by the end of the day it looked like
we'd sold nothing. Mom just kept bringing stuff out to the garage. That should tell you something...we didnt' have enough room for everything in the garage, drive way, back yard. The weather was seriously wacky. It snowed at about 8:30 that morning and at the end of the garage sale we were soaking up the sun in 60 degree weather. I'm just not really sure what to think about Oklahoma weather. I did get some pictures. They're in the photo gallery as usual. All in all we had a really good time.

WEDDINGS

2009-03-08T13:45:00.003-05:00

This weekend I went to 2 weddings. Exhausting, but so much fun! The second was my cousin, Ashlye. We took dance together growing up, graduated high school together, and she introduced me to Sonic cheese tots. :) It was slightly strange watching her get married, but it was a lot of fun and the wedding was absolutely beautiful! I saw a lot of old friends from Pauls Valley. And parents of old friends who were always like 2nd family. It was nice to reminisce. I hadn't seen a lot of them since I graduated high school 7 years ago. Although I'm not sure whether to take "you look exactly the same" as a complement or not. :) It can be very hard to stay in touch once everyone goes their own direction. Either way....I got some pictures because as my mother informed me.....I was on camera duty! :) All of the pictures are in the photo album....ENJOY!

Wedding Cake!!

2009-02-08T09:42:00.001-06:00

I helped my aunt make a wedding cake for one of her co-workers this weekend.

They turned out pretty good. It was a loooooooooooooottttttttt of cake. :) Everyone liked it which is always good. There are pictures in the photo album!! We forgot to take a picture of the 2 of us with the cake while we were dressed up. Some one should have been in charge of that!!

Winter to Summer in 5 days

2009-01-30T09:41:00.003-06:00

I realize I haven't posted in a really long time. My apologies.
Not that there's a whole lot going on lately. We've gone from icey winter to summer/spring weather in a course of 5 days. Gotta love Oklahoma weather. I have a love/hate relationship with it. I started my new job at the Blanchard Office Supply Store....BOSS. I really like it. It's not high stress and I love being in a small town atmosphere again. My boss lets me practice at work which is absolutely incredible! I get so much more practice time in, and I don't have to get up extra early to practice before work. For the first time in 3 years I get to wake up at regular hours like a normal person! This is actually very exciting for me.

I have a couple of auditions coming up. Nothing really big. I'm still waiting for those jobs to
open up. Hopefully something will pop up soon. I'm going back to Minneapolis for a couple of days in April for a wedding and to catch up with some friends. I miss them and the city like crazy. Who would've thought? :) I can't wait until April!!

Other than that the most exciting thing happening is actually more for my parents. My dad got a Lowe's store manager job is Port St. Lucie, Florida. They found an apartment, and my dad has to be down there by February 10th. It's so weird! But kind of cool because I'll have a nice vacation spot to visit. I never argue with the beach. :) And it's only and hour and a half from Disney World! Maybe I'll have a fantasy wedding there (just kidding). joke. Anyway, that's about all at the moment. Oh! My aunt and I are doing a wedding cake next week. That's very fun and exciting for us! :)

Christmas at the Grandparent's!

2008-12-21T19:21:00.003-06:00

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

2008-12-17T08:42:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-17T16:49:00.003-06:00

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

2008-11-11T13:01:00.002-06:00

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!

2008-11-02T07:14:00.002-06:00

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!!!

2008-10-26T17:55:00.001-05:00

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

MORE FALL PICTURES!!

2008-10-19T13:13:00.002-05:00

And more to come after the birthday party tonight.

My Favorite Season

2008-10-13T13:19:00.003-05:00

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.....

2008-09-16T11:03:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-08-24T10:06:00.004-05:00

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

2008-08-14T09:14:00.002-05:00

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!

2008-08-10T19:29:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-08-09T08:24:00.000-05:00

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.