Seattle!

I am in Seattle, rehearsing with CCE! Getting here on Monday was the biggest pain and one of the longest days for me ever. Both my flights (from Boston and then DC) were boarded on time but then we sat on the runway for first fifteen minutes longer (to DC) and then about an hour longer (to Seattle). Then, I get to WA and my luggage is still in DC. I didn't get it back till after 4 pm the next day, and although it normally wouldn't be a huge problem, I had left Kitty's violin part in my luggage and we couldn't rehearse without it. (sigh) I will be smarter next time.

It is of course wonderful to be with and see Kim and Kitty again, and Natalie (our substitute cellist) is great! Bartok is hard - but we're plugging through it....

Flight Canceled

Its incredibly early at the moment. I've been up for an hour already. My United flight was suppose to leave this morning at 9, but I got a call about thirty seconds before I headed out the door telling me my flight is canceled and I've been put on a new one at 2:45 pm.

There are two INCREDIBLY annoying things about this:

1 - obviously, I got up about four hours earlier than needed. And now I'm wide awake.
2 - my old flight had a connection in Denver - this new one is DC. So I'm flying straight south for two whole hours when I really just want to go straight west. Totally out of the way.

As you can see, my next post is actually NOT from Seattle......

Stupid airlines. United, like American, has also started charging for first checked bag, so the only silver lining in all of this is that the bag charge actually doesn't apply to me for this flight OR my one in July because I got them so early. Good grief.

Adelaide Day

Yesterday Adelaide and I spent a grand total of almost 7 hours together yesterday! It was a busy day for Heidi and Whit, so in the morning she and I walked around Cambridge and the Charles River and in the afternoon/early evening we were here in my apartment, playing a made up card game we invented, watching Schoolhouse Rock, dancing, and eating thai curry. Its great that she is almost five now and I can leave her in the living room by herself without panic - I was able to get some stuff done while preparing for my next two weeks in Washington state.

David was here on his way to TMC this past Wednesday for one night only, but we still had a great time hanging out and catching up. And tomorrow I will see Kimby and Kitty!

Molly left yesterday afternoon for BUTI for the next 8 weeks - I was sad to see her go, but I just spoke to her on the phone and she sounds like all is well! She took our two fish, Quantz and Couperin, with her so they can also enjoy the fresh air and beautiful music of Lenox in the summer. I'll probably be visiting her and David and other assundry Tanglewood people during July 4th weekend.

I will write next from the lovely city of Seattle, Washington!

(please note: the sheet covering the couch is not a usual phenomenon, and I know it looks weird. We put it on during the heat wave last weekend because that couch is the most heat insulated thing I've ever seen. The sheet helps. It was removed this morning. Thank you.)

MAC STORE FUN!

The parents and I are at the Mac store for awhile before they fly out back to Milwaukee tonight. We've had a really good time for their short visit - I'm only sad I can't go back to WI with them - Holly is flying into Milwaukee right now as we speak for work, so she and Hannah and my parents will all be home together for the next week. And on Saturday the girls are going reception hall shopping for Holly's wedding. I want to go too! Sad day.

Mom and I did the Freedom Trail yesterday in four hours and 92 degree heat. We put on so much sunscreen you'd have no idea we spent so much time in the sun. Dad got a lot done at the Harvard Library - he's a research machine. We've been here for about a half hour asking the Mac guys what would be best for me to get in the fall - its almost time for a new Mac! New degree, new Mac, is my motto.

Happy 2nd Anniversary to Mary and Daniel!

Cleaning Frenzy

The parents are showing up tomorrow around 3:30 pm, so Molly and I worked our tails off and cleaned this apartment. It was time - we haven't done a really hard cleaning since probably January. This apartment is so sparkling, after over three hours of hard labor, that even Mary Keener would be proud.

They weren't kidding with the heat today - up to 90, and tomorrow is suppose to be worse. My fan has been dusted off and brought to use, so there goes the electric bill - said fan will be on ALL night tonight so that I won't suffer. Monday they are predicting 96. Of course, that is the day my mom wants to do the Freedom Trail. OF COURSE. Ah well.

The wedding I had this afternoon was a doozy. It was at the Taj in downtown Boston, one of the hotels Donald Trump owns, and it is quite ritzy. Musicians can't enter through the front entrance - we must enter through the back kitchen entrance. Anyway, the hotel woman in charge of such events was so worked up about making everything perfect, she even yelled at the BRIDE'S MOTHER. Good lord. Unfortunately, weddings are how I pay the bills in the summer......

(please note: the picture was taken in September when we were doing a big cleaning overall as Molly was moving in. She's wearing slippers - there is NO WAY that slippers would be tolerated today, with the heat.....its just a good picture to represent the cleaning.)

My little dearies.....

This picture makes me smile.

It has been dreary, wet, rainy, and cold for the past two days. I'm trying to soak it up though, since there is the first heat wave of summer coming in tomorrow - upper 80s for the next few days. Ugh. As many of you know, I love summer, but only when its 75 and breezy. Extreme hot temperature does not agree with me, although I don't really like air conditioning either. Time to bring out the fan.

I've been asked to play in the Brandenburg concert at Emmanuel in September, and I could not be more excited, nervous, and thrilled to do so. I have the solo part for #2 (they're doing all six), and section parts for 1 and 5. Oh lord, I am excited!

Adjusting

I've been reaquainting myself with no school lately - bedtime has inevitably been pushed back to 3 amish, waking up around 11 or noon every day. This does NOT mean I haven't been doing things with my time lately:

Ex. A: Last week was performing Mendelssohn's Elijah - and boy, THAT was a dramatic somewhat stressful week, albeit it was with really great musicians, the music is absolutely fantastic, and a WONDERFUL baritone doing Elijah. Three things (or, I should say, people) happened:
1. Original Soprano (OS) shows up on Monday night for the first rehearsal. We start, I don't notice much, but others notice the smell of alcohol. Turns out OS is drunk; so much, in fact, she must be escorted from the building after the first 15 min of rehearsal.
2. OS is fired, so Replacement Soprano #1 (RS#1) comes for the double rehearsal on Tuesday and Wednesday night dress rehearsal. RS#1 is fantastic - powerful voice, dramatic expression, focused, and of course, NOT drunk. Alrighty. We're ready for the performance.
3. Friday morning arrives, and it turns out that RS#1 has lost her voice. Can't sing a note. Cancels. So, we all show up to be greeted by Third Soprano of the Week (TSW). In peformance. Without one rehearsal. It should also be noted that TSW had been on quite a long flight the morning she got the call. Hours before showing up to perform. It should also be noted that TSW did a great job, and the performance went quite smoothly.

Ex. B: Teaching. I currently have five students - four of them I am subbing for a friend out of town, and one all on my own. I am really enjoying myself with them, even with the 15-year-old boy who showed up with the first violin part to Pirates of the Carribean to play for a school orchestra audition. I asked him if he's seen the movie, and he looked at me with "duh" written all over his face.

Ex. C: Cribbage. Molly has taught me the finer arts of playing this game. We've played it for about the past three out of four nights, always more than one game. I love it.

Ex. D: Photocoyping. In the past few days, I have photocopied all four parts plus score for the second mvt of Ravel quartet (for Lutheran conference in July), plus all four parts (not score) for Bartok 2 (for Centrum with the CCE girls in a WEEK!). This means I am also:

Ex. E: Sending parts out. Yesterday I sent various photocopys to Oregon, Washington, Illinois, and Minnesota.

Summer is off to a good start.

(i finally downloaded pictures on my computer.....so expect to see a lot for awhile)

Photo 1: from Hannah's visit again, when Hannah and Adelaide and I went to Newbury St. for lunch. Notice the Brewers shirt Grandma and Pop (my parents) sent to her - on the back it says Braun - for Ryan Braun, a Brewers player. No relationship to us, however. A shame.

Photo 2: from game night, a while back. This is during Hilarium, a game Molly has that we had never done before. Its like sharades, but out loud. Very hilarious.

from Hannah's visit to Boston

Photo 1: Please notice the house behind Hannah - its one building, yet two seperate houses, one painted grey, the next yellow. Weird. This is in Charlestown, on the way up to Bunker Hill on the Freedom Trail.

Photo 2: (as always, click photo to enlarge) Please notice the PINK - ugh - master's hood. Also, Heidi is starting to show a little.