I uploaded the Sherborne concert to YouTube this morning. I was cleaning up some files and making some room on disks for all the footage I’ll have from Italy and Germany and decided now was a good time to take a look back in anticipation of what’s to come. Enjoy!
Month: June 2011
My Lunch Convo 6
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Cogit8ting
Some random thoughts for you tonight. Little snippets to tell you, but no connective tissue. That takes up too much brain power and I’m a little short on that now. I’m conserving my resources. Lol!
Wow!
I’m not really at liberty to discuss some of the more recent events, but wow. Been an interesting few days. I think it’s all handled now, but talk about intense.
Oh yeah, I just said I can’t talk about it. Sorry to be such a tease.
I have one more day of auditions, meetings, rehearsals and cake serving before I can say I am officially done with prep work for Italy/Germany. Of course there are still little prep work things to do, mostly for Germany, but the bulk of the beast is done and I’m feeling good. At this rate, I’ll be a pro for Paris. Oops! Did I mention Paris? Oh well.. that’s what it looks like I’ll be aiming for in a few years.
More relevant would be my hair appointment tomorrow. I can’t look shabby for my pics.
Funny story… I got Hubby a new beard trimmer for our trip since the other one bit the dust recently. Thinking that all trimmers are made the same, he put the height level on the same setting he always uses and started to trim away….. HIS ENTIRE BEARD AND MUSTACHE. ACK!! He walked in to show me and all he got was his wife staring at him with a horrified look on her face. Feeling rejected, he went to show #4, who took one look at him and said, “Ew, get away! You’re not my father. Where is my father?” I guess this demonstrates just how long Hubby has had his burly man beard and mustache. As soon as Sr. and Jr. started to look the same in an uncanny fashion, I insisted Sr. grow the beard or he would never be gettin’ any ever again. Nah uh… no way. His chin hadn’t seen the light of day for years before the other day. He’s working really hard to grow some fuzz back before we leave.
Da Boss had cancelled our rehearsals for tonight, so I got to ride home and have most of the evening free. I love the kidlets, but it was great to ride home with the windows down and the music going. Even having to floor it to pass a person who was less than cooperative wasn’t that big of a deal. Felt good to feel the car surge forward as if it were a stroll in the park. Love that vehicle!
Speaking of driving… on my way up to auditions tonight, I enjoyed a dark chocolate mocha granola bar just before arriving at the campus. I finished the bar and threw away the wrapper and began to set up for auditions. One copying session, one very long conversation with the Associate Director and multiple parents later, I keep smelling chocolate, but I can’t find the source. Finally I look down and my shirt moves just enough for me to notice the chocolate smudge… all over the upper part of my breast!! Oh my! Hopefully, no one noticed, but if they did?- I was prepared to tell them it’s the latest in designer fragrances – Cocoa Chanel.
I had a small singer (5 years old) come check in for her appointment tonight. She was adorable in her red sundress with white polka dots and string of white pearls. She waited patiently while Mom got the paperwork from me and listened to my directions. Just before Mom turned to leave, the little girl looked at me and asked, “What happened there?” and pointed to the scar on my neck from my surgery in January. It’s still a bit raised and red, and many people dip their eyes to look at it when they are talking to me, but don’t usually mention it. Not that it bothers me. I don’t hide it at all. Anyway, she asks me what was wrong in such a sweet and caring voice that I was touched. I told her that was where a Dr. had fixed me. Hubby was sitting in a chair behind the little girl and he piped up, “And he did a really good job, too.” I guess Hubby is still very appreciative of the difference in my attitude pre-op as opposed to post- op. The little girl took my answer in a very matter of fact fashion and went off to sing for the boss.
Got my watches fixed. Now I don’t have to pull out something equal to a brick to see what time it is.
Bess and Piper go to the Vet on Friday. Bess is starting her 18th year, but she’s been naughty in the house lately. I think she knows she’s doing it, but I can’t figure out why. Piper has had a red eye that’s been oozing for a few days. Figured I’d get them all cleaned up for #4 before I go away.
Hubby and I are going to go back to look at that house on Saturday. I’ll take some photos for you guys. I really like it and am doing whatever I can to get this place on the market and sold. I want to be in my new house before December. Wouldn’t it be nice?
Ah well, time for a nap for me.
TEN
Yes, ten measly days. Wow! Thankfully, I’m packing. Got my suitcase out and am dutifully putting in capris and my designated T Shirts.
It’s Father’s Day and one child purchased thick juicy steaks and boiled up some taters for dinner, along with asparagus. Nom… the other child bought Dad some beer and the child in law made a lemon cake. We are walking around with full tummies and dozey looks on our faces. As if we had truly recovered from last night, where in which we were treated to an Indian dinner at a local restaurant. It was a delicious meal and we sat and talked with our hosts for over 4 hours, nibbling on Naan and enjoying revisiting the dishes we had chosen. Very nice indeed.
I’m trying to make an appointment to go back to the house we found that we love. I want to see about putting a contract on it. I know I don’t have to rush, because if it’s supposed to be mine, it will, and I know it is. But I also want to keep moving in a forward direction, so I’m very happy that Hubby figured out how to fix a freebie power washer with a $5.00 plug and that #4 has been happily power washing the house and the deck. The neighbors just gave us the number of someone who they trust to do a few carpenter’s jobs around here so we can put her up on the market aggressively. I’d love to be spending my Christmas in my new home.
We shopping with Jenny this weekend. We found a few tops that I think will work while I’m traveling. Too bad they are ideal for Italy, where I will be wearing color coded T-shirts and not at all functional for Germany, where I will more than likely be wearing a jacket. Still, I like them and since I was weeding out a bunch of old clothes anyway, some fresh cotton in my closet isn’t going to yank my chain too terribly much.
I surprised my boss on Thursday. Today is her birthday, but we are usually completely done with chorus by now, so she never really gets to be around us near her birthday. It’s a tradition in the chorus to sing to members when it’s their day. It’s the same song that every one of them sang on their audition for the chorus, so it’s kind of a theme if you will, as well. The pianist hit the grand announcement chord and I had Hubby fling open the rehearsal doors and march in with a big bouquet of pink roses while the kids sang happy birthday in rather grand fashion. She clapped her hands over her mouth and jumped up and down in surprise and at the end, the kids all stood up and gave her a standing ovation. It was classic!
I love that kind of stuff!
Workers Block 14 to 12
It feels like I’ve worked without a real break 24/7 lately, and today I’ve got some Worker’s Block going on. It’s a gorgeous day, with cool breezes and bright blue skies and I’ve already been for a walk and have the windows open, but here I am, blogging, not working.
I have plenty to do, for if you’ve noticed my number, I’m two weeks away from a great adventure. A great adventure that I can’t focus on because I’m too busy focusing on that great adventure. Not making sense? Welcome to my world.
In fact, I couldn’t even finish my blog on day 14, so here it is, day 12 and I’m at it again. Guess I wasn’t as blocked as I had wanted to be since I managed to get a bunch of work done yesterday and the day before. Anyway, onwards…so what to do today…
My daughter, in an effort to help with our choice to move, painted a few areas we had that needed it. I think she used the wrong color. Doh! S’ok, I’m touched she wanted to help!
We found a house we love. Now we are even more motivated to move. That and the glove compartment turned out into the passenger seat and a few things stolen from our car. Yeah, those are motivators as well.
I seem to have gone from workers block to writers block… sigh….
Grand Time 23
So! (deep breath)
I’ve finished concerts, had my chaperon meetings, sorted 900 shirts, am in the midst of auditions and getting progress reports done, found a house I ADORE, getting the house finished up for market and planning for Germany. What better time could you think of to have your grand daughters come for a visit?
When they stepped off the plane I was floored by how big they’ve gotten. OMG, one of them has HIPS!!
We’ve walked around the lake, done the playground thing, had ice cream, been to a festival, gone to a concert, done paddle boating and had a pizza/movie night. Still to come is mini golf, zip line adventures, shopping for gifts, a day in DC for a ceremony in Arlington National Cemetery and some museums, a family picnic and hopefully, some duckpin bowling. Since I get them once a year, we really try to cram if full of family fun!!
Last night, I was woozy on my feet by 10 pm, and #4, who is soon to be 22 years old, was right there with me. I couldn’t figure out why I was so exhausted. Hey… move it or lose it, ya’ know?
A FEW FUN HIGHLIGHTS
Last night, we tried to go play mini golf, but the park closed just before we got there. Instead of running off to find another mini golf, we decided to offer the girls a “consolation prize”. H asked me what a “Constellation prize” was. Lol
When kids are young, adults tend to spell things they don’t want the kids to know. When MY kids were young I decided to challenge their curiosity as to what Mom and Dad were talking about and instituted “Spelling Day”. That was a day where we didn’t speak words at each other, but instead, all communications were done in verbal spelling. #4 swears this is why she got a higher SAT score on the vocabulary end of things. We tried this with the grandchildren. They were slow to begin with, but pretty soon they were getting the hang of it and I was delighted to see their minds chugging away to translate what was being spelled and to figure out how to spell what they wanted to say. It all caused much giggles. (btw, if you do this, be prepared to find another way of communicating the possibility of going to McDonalds, or the pool, or any other fun place since you’ll have trained your kidlets to know what you are talking about. I got around this with Hubby by spelling all of OUR communications SDRAWKCAB. Try THAT for a bit if you feel a need to stretch your brain!!)
We are keeping a list of name of all the canines we’ve been meeting on our travels around town. So far we have, Sadie, Rosie, Frank, Lulu, Spot, Chaos, Hayley, Joey and Molly.
While walking around the lake, we talked about how the geese and heron live and read all the plaques for the trees so we could learn their names.
Paddle boating became a pirate adventure with captives and everything!
Snippets and Tidbits 