Dear World,.... I'm Not Dead Part Five (three, sir) Three!

9. Seriously, I'm not dead..... I'm just out of commission.

So,... the spider bite on my hand had been giving me a problem for about a week. It's been a never ending sore, and then on Wednesday, I found another "bite" above my elbow. Needless to say, I had to go to the doctor's office. There, they told me that my "spider bites" was a virus. A culture was taken to the lab, and I'll know the results on Friday. (In other words, they didn't know what the heck I have, but they'll know if I'm contagious.) Because of the unknown factors with these sores and the possibility of being contagious, I can't teach or work for three days.

Great.

10. On the one hand, it is kind of nice to catch up on other things. I've been able to practice (or putz around on) my bass, and I started an abstract watercolor painting. Right now, it looks kind of ridiculous, but as I add more layers, my ultimate dream is for it to become a translucent Jackson Pollock-esque painting. We'll see...

11. Brass instruments are ridiculous.... Blasted embouchures.....

12. I have fallen in love with the music coming from the dear human known as Andrew Bird. He reminds me of Sufjan Steven with a little more of a rock beat. Right now, I'm really loving "Yawny At The Apocalypse", which actually is airy and more meditative. Although it's a stretch from his main style of music, that song just pulls at my emotions if I allow it. Like a dying rose petal, I curl up and slowly fall away into the sound of the unknown...
That's my schmultzy line of the day....

On a side note, can anyone tell me about Santogold's album? Has anyone really liked it? (Does anybody know what I'm talking about?)

Dear World, I'm not dead... Part II

5. I definitely have related to the title of this blog entry way too much. All I have to say is.... student teaching. Actually, there are way too many thoughts in my head, since I have just started the program a little over a week ago. I will tell you that it has pushed me in every aspect of music that I have learned. In one day (like this Friday), I'll have zero hour jazz band, symphonic band, orchestra, theory (composing/arranging), then fifth grade samba band, third grade singing, first grade singing/Orff Instruments, fourth grade recorders, and THEN back to high school for two basketball games with the pep band.
I'm pooped.

6. I do have to say I'm getting ready to do some REAL teaching. I got a taste today with the band and orchestra. My cooperating teacher was recruiting at middle schools around the area with the jazz band and top orchestra, and I had to teach the students left behind about sixteenth notes and how to count certain rhythms. I have to say... I kind of tanked with the band. I just didn't have gumption, and you NEED gumption with that group. Don't get me wrong. I got the job done, but I got sucked into "Hurricane Band" with its F4 winds. I have to say.... I recovered well. I definitely had gumption with the orchestra, and I had them (pretty much) in the palm my hand. But then again, orchestra kids generally want to follow directions. It's a proven theory. Of course, they tried to push the same buttons that the band did, but I was ready and prepared. I just wish that my cooperating teacher was there to see it.

7. I had my first spontaneous hug from one of my elementary students this week. He is a first grader, and he is so PRECIOUS! I've really enjoyed my time with my elementary students. Sometimes, they can be just as bad as my high schoolers, but when they focus on music, it is solid gold. (That was for you, Nathan.)

8. On a side note, I'm going through audiobooks like none other. Since I'm in my car all the time, I've appreciated the wide selection of books on CD from my local library. Right now, I'm in the middle of the book What is the What, and I have to take breaks from it! It's based on a real -life story of a boy from Sudan. Although the actual story is fictitious, most of the events actually occurred in some capacity with the boy. It's rough. Flat out rough. The situations that this boy continually faced on a regular basis seems like it came out of some modern-day epic poem, except the hero is just struggling to survive. I keep forgeting how YOUNG the boy is in the story. With all the harrowing experiences that occur, it's hard to imagine that this is happening to just one CHILD. It's very disheartnening. It's a good story, but I have to take breaks.

Dear World,.... I'm not dead.

Hello, everyone! Yes, it is true. I'm coming at you live and in color. I haven't given up on the blogging world. (It just wasn't at the top of my to do list....)
SO! I thought it would be good to kill two birds with one stone by talking about the past... three?... (really?...) months with the sixteen random thoughts Chuck asked me to do on facebook. That way, I can appease Chuck and the masses who want to know about me (all 2 of them). Here we go:

1. I survived this semester. I got A's and B's with the exception of one C (, but we WON'T go into that hot mess because I want the water to go under the bridge). I'm so glad with how the semester turned out. Now, could they have been better, yeah. But considering I had two jobs, teaching private lessons, and school, I'm DANG proud of those grades! I do have to say that I was dead from the eyes down.
2. Chicago was amazing. For that small time I was there for the Baha'i convention, I was so glad that I could go. Originally, I wasn't planning on attending because I was so busy with school and work, but then Nathan and Katie came back from pilgrimage and said how one of the International Teaching Center counselors compared this conference to those of the Ten Year Crusade in the 1940's (or was it 1950's... oh gosh...). So, I just HAD to go! I couldn't miss this opportunity. Anyway, it was there that the idea solidified that I'll be doing a year of service after I graduate in May. I feel really good about this. (It makes me feel optomistic about my future! Weird.) Not only would it be good to reflect on what I want to become, but I will also be focusing on furthering the Baha'i Faith as well, which is so much more important!
3. I think I'm going to switch to macs instead of pcs after my laptop kicks the bucket. Don't get me wrong. My laptop is doing ok. It's just that I'm finding myself frustrated with each pc that I get. While my laptop runs smoothly in one capacity, it has to have something else go wrong. Allllways. Besides, I like how macs come with video cameras in them for video chatting. That's a huge perk. So once my laptop fizzles out (or gets thrown out a window....), I think I'll switch to macs. (Right now, all the mac people are cheering...)
4. I've come to the conclusion that I can't do sixteen random thoughts.... in one sitting. There's too much to talk about and in such little time. So, I'll break it up into four different sections. That way, I won't kill myself trying to write down everything, and you won't have to look at an obscenely long post. It's a win-win!

and.... BREATHE!

Well..... Hello!



It's a lovely day in the neighborhood.



That is... Whatever kind of day it is.... it's lovelier day than some of the days I have had recently.



I've just been burnt out from school. As in toast. Black toast. Stale burnt black toast, left in the toaster from yesterday morning..... toast... I was just struggling to get things done.

But now, I think I'm taking a turn in the right direction. At least, it's forcing me to face a lot of problems in school. It feels like I'm getting out of the Okefenokee Swamp.

I really haven't seen a day like this in a while.

Coming up short

Well, I took the Wichita Symphony Orchestra audition,..... and I didn't make it. I just had too many little mistakes. It was disappointing, but I learned a lot. I found that I couldn't get into my usual groove. My left arm felt like strectched taffy after a while too. Also, all of my senses were super sensitive: the touch of the strings, the feeling of dense humidity on my skin, the smell of the black curtain wall. It wasn't until the very end where I lost some of my focus, and that's probably what sealed the deal for me.
Thanks for all of the love and support.

While the audition was going on in Wichita, I missed A-John's wedding reception in KC. Not only would it have been awesome to see him again, but so many of my other great long-distance friends were there as well. I bet it was phenomenal with all those amazing souls in one place.

I guess it's just hurting me a little more right now, because another good friend of the family was in town for a couple weeks...... and I had no idea. Usually, we get together, but I just found out today that he's leaving tomorrow.

I can't help but feel really crummy after missing these two rare opportunities. I've just been really missing old friends and catching up face-to-face. And once again, I'm just here, and they're over there. And it hurts.

If it couldn't get any crazier,....

.... I then decided to sign up for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra (WSO) Audition. My amazing bass teacher and principal of the WSO e-mailed me on Thursday telling me how this substitute string bass position just openned up. So, not only did I hurriedly run around sending in the application, but I also have to work up some really challenging excerpts in a week. A WEEK! Half of the music, I'm familiar with.... the other half.... HOLY CRAP! It's going to be really difficult, but this will be a great first step into the auditioning process. Whether or not I make the substitution list, I'll come away from this with some valuable experience...... Or at least I keep telling myself that...

I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful...... I feel good. I feel great. I feel wonderful.....

Random Non Sequiturs

I just recently went to Music Theater of Wichita's (MTW) production of Les Miserables, and it was AMAZING! It has to be one of the best productions that MTW has ever done. Every moment was captivating, yet so busy. All the actors had to move props in and out, move around the stage, and belt out these amazing songs FOR THREE HOURS! As well as the music, the show visually was great. It's hard to believe that they fit all of those scenes into the show and in an artistic way. (It stinks that I can't go again when my extended family comes down. Seriously, even my cousins from OHIO are coming just to see the show.... not us... but the show..... Thanks.... ; )...)

With all the reports in the news about Bin Laden's Driver being convicted, I couldn't help but think of Annyong from Arrested Development. Everytime the reporters would say Hamdan, I would just yell out, "HAMDAN!" You should try it. It's very fun.

I'm not excited about school.

At work, we're doing a month long Olympics. All of the events center around selling new memberships, and everybody is seperated into four countries: Patrikistan, Brandinavia, Jamesylvania, and The People's Republic of Clearence. (They're the names of the merchandise managers.) The "games" started last Sunday, and it's going to get UGLY! There are some REALLY competitive people in the store! Sure, all of the pokes and disses are just silly, but there are flags... There are chants.... There are mascots....

A couple of friends are getting married soon, A-John and Dangerboy, and I definitely wish them the best. I just wish I could be there for their receptions, BUT wedding spatula gifts will be sent.

Since I thought of Arrested Development, I found this.