334/365 The End of a Busy Month

As November fades into memory, I look back on a very eventful month. The first full month back in the classroom. What a trip that has been! I'm loving it! The kids are wonderful, my co-teacher is great, and the school is a fabulous place to work, even if it is attached to a rather confusing public school hierarchy. I've had performance opportunities with chorus, solo work, and upcoming theater. I've traveled a bit and fulfilled contract work for some new companies. And today marks six months since my miracle happened. Six months since the surgery that gave me back the other half of my heart and soul, and he's his old self, for better or for worse. And what a life we have together.

333/365 Sunday Productivity

Productive Sunday, and it isn't even done yet. In spite of the sinus explosion, much practicing done today. 2 costume fittings for next weekend's Clay County Christmas. Susan and her entire family are crafting a piece of artwork for me to carry (on my body) onto the stage. It will be big, heavy, and dramatic. (like me?) I only hope I can breathe in it so that I can sing! A bit of light housekeeping, some lesson planning and preparing, and now off to the Y to tread the mill during the start of the Jaguars game. A relatively calm end to a busy holiday break.

332/365 Sinuses 1, Me 0

The pain and pressure was too much. Even my assault with Mucinex, Advil, and a Netti Pot wouldn't make it budge, so off to the doc-in-the-box I went this morning. After two agonizing hours waiting I had my 3 minutes with the doctor, told him I needed antibiotics for a sinus infection, and I was on my way with Amoxicillin. Now I wait for science to defeat sinus.

331/365 Black Friday Tree Lighting

They said there were more than 70,000 lights on the tree. They said my daughter was there with the D.A. chorus and orchestra programs. They said (when the microphones were working) that there would be a light show one hour after the fireworks. We saw little and heard even less. The Jacksonville Landing's Tree Lighting was a mob scene, only worsened by the dancing of Jaxson DeVille with a local news anchor during the Hallelujah Chorus. Oy.

330/365 We came, we talked, we ate.

Thanksgiving. My favorite holiday. It isn't hostage of any religion, and other than the competing grocery stores and the ridiculous ritual of the presidential turkey pardon, most of the hooplah is fairly avoidable. It's just a day set aside on the fourth Thursday of the second-to-last month of the year for folks to gather, feast, and count blessings. For me, more than I can name.

329/365 Ready, Set, Eat

Table is ready. Turkey #1 is roasted, and turkey #2 is marinating in preparation for the fryer. Stuffing prepared, 40 challah rolls twisted and baked, the cabbage is stuffed, the tea is iced and sweetened and the matzo balls are ready and resting in the fridge. Tomorrow we make the chicken soup, steam the asparagus and hollandaise, add Mom's apple cake and Mother-in-Law's sweet potato pie, crispy noodle kugel, cheesecake and chocolate cake. Thanksgiving meal!

328/365 Teach, Rehearse, Teach, Drive, Teach

A full calendar is a good thing!

327/365 Just keep posting....

Sinuses ready to explode. Teaching, meeting, and rehearsing keeping me out of the house from 6 AM to 10 PM. But I have only 33 left in project 365. I got this.

326/365 My day....

The smell of bleach water is stuck in my nose, but the grout is much closer to its original color. Curses to the first homeowner, a single man, who chose the white grout. Floors clean before Thanksgiving. Floors will need cleaning after Thanksgiving!

325/365

And I love it. 2 rehearsals and a concert today. Making preparations for my most thankful Thanksgiving ever in between. I love it!

324/365 But I have a good excuse!

Red eye flight. Landed at 8:40 AM. Home and shower, down to school board office for photo i.d. and insurance plan meeting. Taught the afternoon, transport daughter to drama rehearsal. Changed at theater, then off to call for concert. Too tired to blog, but with 328/365 done...totally cheating and back-dating this one!

323/365 Even still, Life is good.

Very cool cut-out dude in front of the Life is Good store in the Seattle airport. Feeling like crap, looking forward to a long red-eye flight home and an incredibly busy weekend home, I still feel grateful for a life that's very good. Guess I'm a glass half-full gal. Who knew?

322/365 Ugh

Waiting for my flight from PDX to SEA, after a 6 hours of presenting I have NO voice. Is it a bird? Is it a pig? Is it the 153 germ-laden sixth graders? Whatever it is, I feel like death on a saltine. Red-eye flight tomorrow. Concerts this weekend... I love my busy life, but I have no time to feel poopy!

321/365 First Class Accommodations

It's a good thing I have the upgrade. Completing a rubric, stapling it to student work, comparing first drafts and revisions, creating teachers' running records and making "sticky note" comments for the kids takes space. Long flights used fruitfully are a good thing, but I think I'd rather be like the guy in front of me who started drinking martinis before we took off, and now is in happy dreamland.

320/265 In the A.M.

Home from rehearsal just after 10, I headed straight for bed. So technically I didn't make it to the machine in time for my daily post, but I was pretty sure I could make up for it sometime in the wee hours. Sure enough, here I sit, alone in a quiet house. Hansel followed me as I left the bed and headed for our "office," but he's looking at me like I am crazy. Maybe it's the Sudafed I've been snarfing in attempt to stay one step ahead of the sinus explosion. I've purchased and ingested enough pseudophedrine to make the meth lab operators worry about raw materials. The head is starting to clear, and I may even have a reliable singing voice back by Friday's Chorale concerts, but my pillow is lonely. And this week's journey to the Pacific Northwest, with its time change and red-eye flight aren't likely to make the sleep situation any better. Three chimes of the grandfather clock in the dining room as I put the finishing touches on this back-dated post.

319/365 A gesture to my congested sinuses...

318/365 Celebration of all that is Good

A lovely wedding. Shedding tears of happiness is therapeutic. We celebrated family, friendships, remembrances and promises for the future.

317/365 Now that didn't take long

Friday tradition, soon to end. Ilana has but one more week of her acting class at Theatre Jacksonville. No longer will I need to wind up my week with a bit of caffeine and reflection here at the San Marco Starbucks. And what a week it's been. Did we have a day off? I can't remember any leisure time.

316/365 Troublemaker

After eight years of reading, writing, researching and presenting best practices for effective instruction, I can't imagine letting this be the deciding factor in the lesson I teach. I insist that I do all I can to teach well, and to create lessons that engage, endure, and maybe even inspire. Let the chips fall where they may.

315/365 Pooooooooped

Tired by day and awake by night. Duh. I think I know why. New job, adjustment period and I haven't taken my meds in almost a month. Without the scrips I have NO thyroid function. Might explain the fact that the comfy jeans are less comfy too, even with my lack of enthusiasm at mealtime. As much as I hate to admit that I need the things, I shall swallow more faithfully henceforth.

314/365 Not too busy

Things have been a bit crazy for the human inhabitants of 0ur house, with hardly a moment at home but for sleeping time. With all the running around we've been doing, it's nice to know that SOMEONE is able to enjoy the comforts of home. Oh, to be a cat.

313/365 $200 Later...

and it cools things. The ondenser, covered under warranty, was just fine. Condenser fan, burned out. $40 part. The other charges were for labor, including $89 for a home visit. Next time I'll bring it in, I guess. Argh!

312/365 Roadie for Hire. Free.

They came to "show us their acts" for 8 hours on a Saturday a couple of weeks ago. We worked for 2 hours apiece, the hubby and I, planning the host's script, order, sound and stage cues, and program. Today's run-through went from 12:30 to 5:45 for our entire family of stage crew, including set-up and break-down of sound and lights. SWJ, the variety show is on Tuesday night!

311/365 And still the fat lady sings

So today our refrigerator died, one cat chewed some green ribbon and vomited, and the other chose to relocate her litter box functions (without relocating the litter box), but I'd rather focus on the good of the day.

I'm working on some new repertoire. Faure, Schubert, Handel, Mozart, Bach and I have reunited. These are presents under the Christmas tree to me, but far, far better. It takes a long time to unwrap the treasure in these, first finding the notes in my voice, then learning the dynamics and tempi, translating and learning the pronunciation of the words, to then learning the character, the story, the emotion ... each new layer like the stacking babushka dolls, while dependent on the previous they become more precious as I go. I have a dozen of these presents to unwrap, and it will take me months of work to do so. What fun!

In keeping with the operatic theme, this evening we attended a delightful night of music and laughter with the JU opera program. Their double bill of Menotti/Puccini The Telephone and Gianni Schicchi were well-sung and performed. There was uproarious laughter in the intimacy of their studio theater setting, and even our first-time opera-goer teenager could see the joy in opera well-directed and well-staged.

310/365 Grinning fool.

It's the Friday afternoon ritual. My girl is in her acting class, and I grade papers, plan lessons, and diddle on the nets in the San Marco Starbucks down the street. And today I'm smiling in Starbucks. I'm smiling over an email from my baby sister whose son loved the birthday gelt we gave him. He spent it at the book fair, and he's reading voraciously. I'm smiling about a hubby who is alive, well, and just as lovably annoying as ever. I'm smiling about a girl who seems to be making the adjustment to high school better these days. I'm smiling about a job that's fun, if a little daunting. I'm smiling because tomorrow I have a voice lesson where I think we may plan for me to learn repertoire for competitions and auditions. Busy but balancing, I can smile over my espresso.

309/365 But I was only gone 2 days.

9:15 in the house. Laundry, cat litter, lunches, laundry prepping the coffee pot, reviewing the mail, laundry, munching a few goldfish crackers with a glass of milk, set the clock for 4:50 for the Y before school, laundry, goodnight.

308/365 I flatly refuse

to pay for internet service. Another hotel wanting $12.95. So instead I blog in the business center where I can't even hook up my laptop. No pictures, no extended post. I am remembering how little glamour there is in consulting. Even the limo ride was terrible today. From the Dulles area to Hunt Valley, Maryland took us 3 hours (less than 60 miles). I guess I underestimated the traffic, and maybe that 1 liter bottle of Deer Park water was a mistake. Just let me say that yes, that was me....er.... getting the job done behind a tree along the D.C. outer loop. Another overpriced crummy hotel meal. Another hotel room with a heater drying out every mucus membrane. I can't wait to get home tomorrow!

307/365 I Want My Internets

Maybe the time has come for me to get one of those little cards you plug into the side of the laptop. I need the world to be a wifi hotspot. I wanted to check the email at ATL, but I refuse to pay $9.95 for an hour layover. Arriving at the hotel past 7PM dinner and then p.j.s were on the agenda. All snuggly in my room with my Tazo earl grey, I was ready for a little email, blog, lesson plan and surf. $12.54 for wifi? I don't think so. So I wait until morning to go down to the lobby where it's free. I guess I'm addicted to information and communication.

306/365

I am heading out of town tomorrow. Three days this week of unpaid leave of absence so that I may fulfill my consulting contracts. Actually, I'm unpaid even when present. I was supposed to have the "set up" appointment tomorrow at 8AM to get me onto the official payroll, enable me to logon to the computer they gave me, start the benefits, etc. Because the confirmation stated to allow 4 hours for the appointment, and my flight departs at one, I dropped a note to personnel that I would need to finish up by 11. Apparently my downloading and completing all paperwork in advance doesn't speed up things a bit. Four hours plus will be needed, so the appointment will be rescheduled for next Tuesday. I wonder if they're going to back-date the start period, or if my daily work since October 16th has been on the house? Ah, it's good to be back in the public schools.

305/365 Time Change

Maybe the clock has changed, but I haven't. By 8 PM I was ready for bed. Now, at 11:55 I'm awake and raring to go. Interestingly, when I woke at 11:40 the teen, who has a bedtime of 10 or so, was quietly chatting with the BF on the other side of the house. Why must they make things so difficult! I hate being the meanie!