And so I'm back, from outer space...

Well, not outer space exactly, however we did perform music from Star Wars at the spring concert this year. Let me get everyone up to date and what's been up because dang...time flies as does our lives. #1 Career I am officially the Department Chair and my middle school now. It's mostly a title with no power but hey, looks good on a resume. Orchestra program keeps growing and we've added a chamber music class and an ensemble class that we're super stoked about for next year. I'm "playing nice" with the other teachers and actually have a good relationship with pretty much everyone so feeling great about that rather than hiding in my classroom and sprinting out the door the second contract time has ended. #2 Performing I'm actually performing regularly again! It took a while to swing into, but it's happening. I am now Principal Harp for both The Desert Winds Contemporary Wind Band and the Henderson Symphony Orchestra. I love it, got to play the orchestral version of Clare De Lune and I didn't mess it up. Winning. #3 Personal Life Personally, I feel like I'm killing it lol. Just moved into a new house after selling the condo (oh yeah, I bought a condo in there a few years ago) and selling the husband's house (oh yeah, there's a husband now too). He deals the World Series of Poker in the summer and teaches math a a middle school the rest of the year, he got me hooked on scuba dicing so we do that frequently and actually dove the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) for our honeymoon. We're headed back "down under" in less than 2 months to do it again! So that's a quick catch up in a nutshell, will attempt to do a better job of not lagging out and stay tuned!

Been Long Time, Shouldn't a Left you....

So long since I posted, so many things... Babies, shot guns out of back windows to clear the bird feeder, Mackinaw Island, an engagement (not mine), more classes, broken relationships and opportunities for new. All and all good times. More recently, I get a phone message from my mother who is ticked I didn't show her how to picture message as she just had witnessed a goat on a leash. Yes, that will be the title of a book, should I ever get around to writing it. My biggest issue right now is being so darn happy with my job and life that I can't seem to diet, everything tastes so good...need to work on that. At the very least my basic "out and about" outfits work and this past weekend left my hand and wrist covered in stamps, my lower body tired from being in heels for 20 hours, and happy from making the weekend amazingly long. When I was 25 I said "I can only get away with this kind of behavior for 3 years or so" in my mind I thought I would look too old to pull it off. Coming up on 33 and I guess I'm still passing...but that's just a guess. Next event to look forward to is Halloween, yes I plan this early, and time to brush out my wig.

Got the cold, oh yeah

So in between flying next to an angry Persian who was upset about not being able to hear Wall Street part 2 and a strange meeting afterward with a guy I really don't ever want to see again... ever... I have a cold now. This is the year I really didn't want to take any sick days to have more personal days to use next year. However feeling like poo poo makes me nervous nervous about being able to do it. Dear workplace, please be kind to me this week so that I may achieve my goal.

In Michigan

In Michigan, there are wild turkeys walking in the streets and no matter how many socks you put on warm feet just don't happen without additional help from boots. And yes, sometimes those boots are the pair your mother bought for $10 to help with her turf toe she developed from hitting tennis balls out in the yard for a manic dog that likes to eat her own fur, and the stuffing from her bed, then puke in the yard and inspect the mess daily to see if there are any changes.

Then visitors to MI have to explain that no, they don't need separate checks at the table because they are not dating their younger brother, that the people at the table are just a family of four eating a meal, strange as that may seem. They also get to enjoy seeing what happens when too much boxed wine is consumed in a short period of time, and what the aftermath feels like the next day. (notice how I said "feels").

It's been nice to see family and friends it really has and the ridiculous experiences in between the snow and hours in the car to get anywhere of major commerce have made me realize even more how much I need to better document the goings on in my family. Moreover that a book is not the way to go. I've started and stopped more times than I can remember.

No, it has to be on stage.

To be able to truly express the horror of your mother removing her pants prior to leaving the room you must see it.

Motivation, where art thou?

Trying to exercise and be good, but the time change and my overall dislike for anything physical makes it hard. So I'm doing what I can, even half of a program is more than sitting on the couch all night, and trying not to give myself a hard time because that's when I tend to quit.

Also is there a way to lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks? I may need to do that for spring break.

Personality

Recently I have been looking into aspects of my life to find areas to improve upon, unfortunately it turns out I need to improve several. One resolution is to take care of things immediately which is much more difficult than it sounds. In this society everything needs to be done yesterday by you, but the other parties can take as long as they like and make deadlines according to what works for their schedule as opposed to the length of time it would actually take to complete a task.

That aside, I began to wonder if some of my short comings may be due to personality issues within myself as opposed to just being a lazy person. According to an online personality test, which I'm sure is completely inaccurate, it looks as if I have an avoid ant personality. The listed symptoms did happen in my life, feeling awkward in social situations, worried about doing good and detailed work, having a rich fantasy life and so forth. So as I drew connections between this list of symptoms and my life it occurred to me that these statements could work for just about everyone just as horoscopes are so general that they apply to everyone.

After investing the time and thought into it I can't believe what a waist of time it was, then again I was avoiding folding the laundry while doing the online research and am still avoiding it by writing this blog so perhaps there is something to it.

Getting ready for a date

Isn't getting ready to meet someone for the first time supposed to be exciting in a good way? For some reason I always have a sense of dread, mostly due to time constraints. Trying to anticipate how long it will take to cover the zit on my nose with the miraculous growth allowing it to reach the size of a small planet overnight, and how long it will take to find a place I've never been, it's exhausting.

One date I was late, really late, because I had no idea where I was going and when I got there no parking could be find except for a far off spot near an industrial warehouse that looked like a spot to kidnap and kill young women. For this date it's not on a weekend so that may help, however it doesn't stop that pit in my stomach from dropping to my toes or making me feel completely out of control.

Deep breaths, deep breaths. It'll be fine.