Wednesday, August 27, 2008

more pictures

More pictures from summer exploits.....


This morning I got up too late to practice and too early to really get ready immediately, so why not waste time with blogging?

Heidi, Adelaide and I shall be heading to NH later this morning for a nice little trip up to Exeter. Heidi teaches there with about 5-8 students, and while she is on maternity leave these next few months, I'll be going up once a week to teach in her place, so today is just a day to look around, make sure I'll know where I'm going, etc etc etc. I won't officially start teaching for another two weeks. I'm kinda excited. The Yings are giving a concert at Exeter in October - unfortunately I can't go, because of a gig here in town.

Theory testing is on Friday, and next week starts the beginning of my three-year coursework for a doctorate in musical arts. Also have an orchestra audition next week, for seating - excerpts are Brahms 2, which then we shall play at the first concert. My chamber music situation is already figured out - three other DMA students (Ariana, Klaudia, and Nat), playing Beethoven 131 and Bartok 2, which we will perform in the spring for a DMA chamber music recital for all of us. This first year I may only get one recital out of the way - but after that, I'm looking at two next year, and two the following year. The biggest annoyance is the concerto recital. A whole recital, of just concertos. (sigh) Yuck.

I will write more about this whole DMA process as the week goes on. For now, I must go start coffee and get ready for the day. 

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Only in Wisconsin.....


How very reassuring....

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Picture Preview of Summer 2008




At Shelly's wedding - little dearies....

Friday, August 15, 2008

Recap

1. Flew to Milwaukee - luggage got lost for the THIRD time this summer, fourth this year.

2. Lutheran conference was very good fun - played Bach, went well.

3. Went on road trip with parents, Holly and Hannah. Five people, five person car. Tons and tons of Scrabble. Holly won mostly, I only beat her once. She has taken the Scrabble Crown. Hannah is still Boggle Queen. Saw Gettysburg and DC. Walked enough miles to start my own personal walk-a-thon.

4. Cousin Shelly got married - a very good party. Pictures will come.

3. Got on early flight Wednesday morning to return to Boston. Did software update on my mac (a mistake, as you shall see). Enjoyed birthday feast for Tatiana's 25th.

4. Rehearsal for wedding yesterday, went well. Got my life back together and started organizing since school only starts in 2 weeks. However, in the organizing and emailing frenzy, my trusty, beloved iMac died. Not died died - it isn't a sad mac (a frown face when you hit the start button), but something is up with the hard drive, most likely from the software update. I've kept putting newer and newer technology on an older and older computer, and it finally couldn't really take it anymore. I spent some time on the phone with my dad trying to get it back to working, but no. He doesn't think the hard drive is completely lost, especially since it is still smiling when I hit start. However, it has been six years, and it has never truly failed me once till now - not once. It has done its duty, and its time to be done. Tomorrow morning, on this tax free weekend in Boston, I shall buy my next Mac. I have been planning to get a new one since I knew I was starting my dma this fall, and its a good time of year to get one anyway since I'll get a free ipod. My ipod is dying too, lately - its five years old.

5. Today was running a lot of errands - Molly and I rented a car and got new furniture, lots of groceries, and general stuff for a new school year (me) and start of real life (Molly).

The next post will be from my new Mac laptop!

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Conference Over

The WELS Lutheran Worship and Arts conference is all done - we returned on Thursday night late, and all was well. These conferences are always funny - I saw a ton of people I hadn't seen in years. Good times.

Now I'm in Milwaukee for the next few days before Holly gets here Monday morning and then Tuesday morning we head out to Pennsylvania to see Gettysburg, then DC, then attend my cousin Shelly's wedding on Saturday. My parents no longer lease suv's; they've had a little Honda Accord for the past almost two years, so this will be one cramp, tight car. Heidi and Whit are also attending the wedding, so on Sunday I'll drive back up to Boston with them.

It has become very clear that while I continually beat Hannah at Scrabble, she is the ULTIMATE QUEEN of Boggle. She completely cleaned me up on the car ride home. Good lord.