NaBloPoMo, Day 30! The last one!

Howdy.

• Tonight, my piano studio counted 87 cookies we'd baked after we'd all had well beyond our fill. We used cookie cutters for most, but we also cut our own. I made a partridge in a pear tree. We also did a quite accurate depiction of our piano teacher. So that was fun. Exhausting. But very fun.

• You know, when you show up to a rehearsal not knowing what you'll be playing exactly, and it happens to be a number you haven't yet looked at, and you're sight reading at full speed, and your choir director who will also be running the pit also happens to be sitting in for the first time that day, and she asks after a bit if you're sight reading, it's kind of exhilarating, but it's also muy stressful. Because whoa, those notes go fast. And yes, I'm doing OK for sight reading but yikes bikes. It was rough, guys. What a Friday afternoon.
• It's an even more exciting Friday afternoon when a visiting pianist plays one of the pieces you're playing for your jury in a few weeks, and he plays it at about 175% of my speed. And while I don't really agree with that tempo musically, I also know very certainly that my fingers will never be able to do that. And ick. You just don't want to practice after watching that.
• And I didn't practice today. True confessions, yo.
• In other news, November's over! So NaBloPoMo is too. You've all been lovely -- a great audience.
• In other news, November's over. And it hasn't snowed. How am I supposed to finish my 3 South bingo if I can't roll around in the snow or sled on a saga tray?!
• I got paid today for Secret Garden! And while I totally would have done it happily without pay, it's nice to get mail in CPO. And then when the mail is money, it's even better!

I can't promise I'll be posting quite so frequently in the coming weeks (or months, but hopefully it won't come to that). But I'll try a little.

NaBloPoMo, Day 29

Hidey-ho, y'all.

• Tonight, I went to a little restaurant called Austin BBQ. Now, it's no Goode Company, but it's some very decent brisket and tastytastic cornbread. Also, they have Blue Bell ice ceam. So there's that.
• I have had so many adventures in the Fischer kitchen this year because of the microwave inconsistencies -- namely, that the microwave hasn't worked for about a month now. Last time, at 1 a.m. snickerdoodle time, I ended up softening two sticks of butter on a cookie sheet in the preheating oven. (It worked marvelously.) Today, I needed to melt some margarine (yes, margarine), so I did so in a somewhat suspicious but altogether passable skillet on the stovetop. I'm not entirely sure if the brown bits and other lovelies on the bottom of the skillet stayed on the skillet when I poured the melted butter impostor into the batter.
• I'm learning to play a little drum set in my percussion techniques class. I'm not usually a braggart, but today, my facial expressions had nearly everyone in the class, including the professor, laughing to the point of tears. I considered it a highly successful class.

Again, maybe I'll make it in bed before midnight. But the last time I said that, it didn't exactly happen.

NaBloPoMo, Day 28

Welcome, welcome.

• Today, I tried "snapea" crisps. They are weird, sort of like shrimp fries or shrimp chips or whatever they are, but without the fishy flavor. Kind of addictive, but also the sort of food where things just get stuck in your teeth and too much is too much. So whoa. 
• Somehow, I'm getting the impression that there is a whole heck of a lot to practice in the coming weeks. More than will fit in an hour a day. My schedule doesn't usually allow for more than an hour a day. You see the predicament here. I will be on the hunt for a solution.
• Tonight, I participated in an attack tea party. 3 South: we bring the tea to you. And then we find a way to get in your room and sit there drinking tea and knitting until you come back and try to remember why you became an RA in the first place if all these sillies were going to be crashing your Wednesday night.
• Everybody's busy, all semester long. Especially at Wheaton. So when you open a devotional or prayer time with "things are really starting to pile up" or "as our lives really ramp up and start to get super-busy," it's somehow not all that satisfying. Yes, we know we're busy. But if we're "really starting to get busy" right as the first month of school is ending and as fall break is approaching and as B Quad starts and as we head into Thanksgiving break and as we come back from Thanksgiving break and as we head towards finals, and as we go through finals, we're not really reminded of the times we're not dying of stress. A better option might be to try to find a day you're not running around from the early morning until well past dinner and enjoy the fact that you've got a little extra time. Because we're all busy, and it doesn't seem to be letting up any time soon.*

*Disclaimer: I'm fine, not dying of stress, not over-committed. Just so we're clear.

NaBloPoMo, Day 27!

We're almost there!

• Events that happen once a year are funny. You either look forward to them or shrink back a little bit, not really wanting to deal with them (winter juries). The thing is, this past Thanksgiving is my second of four while I'm in college. Half of my Thanksgivings are gone. This is the only sophomore year fall semester I'll get. It's important, then, to make the most of it.
• I just remembered a frozen banana I put in my freezer before I left for Thanksgiving break. I'm thinking midnight snack. Don't you feel informed?
• Also, I have a little conducting evaluation tomorrow. I'm feeling a little bit like this, except we're doing asymmetrical meters, not sforzandi.
• Also, I just remembered some theory homework I haven't done. We're all set here, aren't we? 

NaBloPoMo, Day 26

• Something a friend of mine said popped into my head tonight: "If you are lovely and kind, people will bend over backwards to help you." This was in the context of allergies and servers at restaurants, but still. It applies. Yes, to life in general. No, this wasn't spurred by someone's unusually eager helpfulness. I just thunk it.
• I had a real go-getter of a day. I got stuff done. I practiced far beyond what is required of me. I showed up and did what I was supposed to do. Way to go, me. It's been a good one.
• I don't care what you say. Small classes will always trump big ones. Regardless of how dynamic your lecturer is, my itsy bitsy discussion-heavy classes will always win. Yay music majors.
• Maybe I'll sleep before midnight? And be a go-getter again tomorrow? Maybe? 
• Shoot, guys, that was two Annie songs in one bullet.

NaBloPoMo, Day 25

Welcome back to me!

• I'm back at Wheaton, and it's lovely to be out of the car. I've had tea and popcorn and watched a couple episodes of Fawlty Towers. It feels like I've been here a whole lot longer than just four hours.
• If you, like me, have a serious aversion to Guy Fieri, read this. It's highly entertaining.
• Alias is an amazing show. Go watch it now!
• If you ever find yourself in St. Louis, pop into Companion. They sell bread, and their cornbread in particular is particularly delicious.
• Thank goodness November is almost over, because you guys can't take much more of this, I'm sure.

NaBloPoMo, Day 24

Well howdy. This is a story about me. Sometimes, parts of my family go on road trips. In today's case, that trip is from Houston to Wheaton. Today's drive took us to Missouri, but that's irrelevant. What is relevant is this: when my mother goes to sleep early, which she always does, my sister and I are left to our own devices, and this is a dangerous thing. We have to be quiet, but we are witty Winchell folk and like telling stories. The solution is what you see above. We've had full conversations of typing, misspelling, intentionally misspelling, silent giggling, and jokes about cheetah pants. Thus, tonight is just a little screenshot of our tiny lives in Springfield, MO.

This has been...POETRY ALIVE.

NaBloPoMo, Day 23

I'm thankful for many things, but I will tell you about nine of them, because nine is a nice number.

• my major being what it is. A conducting class where you practice clapping and moving your arms in different directions and focusing without looking like you're focusing. A theory class with six people where you look at the structure of music. Aural skills, where you sing badly and nobody minds. A daily date with my brain and a piano in a practice room. If these are the things that fill my days, I'm pretty sure everyone else is jealous.
• food, and how I get to be picky about what kind of figs I want for Project: Homemade Fig Newtons.
• health. I haven't been in the hospital since I was three, folks. That's some kind of crazy.
• that I'm having a hard time coming up with a Christmas list. 
• people who bake with you in the middle of the night and tell you their shenanigans and think you're funny and listen to you rant and make your life so entertaining and worthwhile.
• a puppy who lies stretched out on the couch and does nothing but sigh contentedly while you pat her (very large) tummy.
• anything soft.
• contrast between things that are infinite and finite, rational and irrational, sweet and salty, crunchy and pillowy. You just appreciate things more when you see its opposite. You just do.
• mornings when you can wake up and just stay there, snuggled. No need to get up. You have all the time in the world.

NaBloPoMo, Day 22

Well, for all the planning-stages thoughts on what to make for Thanksgiving -- ruminations on pop-up turkey thermometers, brines, sides, desserts, and predicting what other people will eat -- came to a head today with what actually happened.

A breakdown of the menu, when all was said and done:

• duckies! cured in some combination of salt, orange zest, thyme, sage, and other lovelies
• mashed 'taters: not my favorite, but we aim to please here
• a carrot and sweet potato puree, featuring apple cider and other flavors of fall
• broccolini with some cheese and walnuts
• fennel gratin with lots of crispy-crunchy panko bread crumbs
• and for dessert, a pie featuring grapefruit curd, caramel cream, caramel sauce, and a mile-high meringue, torched with everyone's favorite Bernzomatic propane buddy. All atop a graham cracker crust. Different, but ooooooh. Delicious.

The truth of it all: everything was tastytastic. Except for maybe the mashies. I underseasoned them, and the one dish I wasn't responsible for (the duckies) took longer than expected, making the consistency of the mashed potatoes a little gluier than if they had been served immediately after ricing/mixing.

And all this is more information than you ever needed or wanted! Yay blogs!

NaBloPoMo, Day 21

The thirty things nearest me:

1. Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 (Platinum!)
2. My computer
3. My sister's computer
4. Various Apple cords
5. My phone
6. the game plan for Thanksgiving
7. My sister's phone
8. Pillows
9. Blankie
10. Water
11. Burt's Bees
12. My sister
13. My sister's pillows
14. (Wouldn't it be great if My Sister's Keeper were the next thing?)
15. Pens
16. Stamps for when I like to pretend I'm a teacher
17. Mock trial affidavits
18. Scissors that look like a pig
19. A little pot that holds quarters
20. A curious craft called "scoubidou." What.
21. Coca-Cola paraphernalia
22. An Indian headdress sported by me for the paper* staff photo two Thanksgivings ago
23. A pirate pinata
24. Daisies, painted
25. A funny rug
26. Cookbooks aplenty
27. A large bottle
28. A safety pin
29. Stitch, the stuffed animal
30. A penny...Lincoln!

Have I mentioned how sorry I am not to actually be writing anything of value to you?

NaBloPoMo, Day 20

With any luck, tomorrow will bring two things I've been meaning to do for a while now:

• make this cake. I've always had good excuses. Something else flashier and more glamorous pops up. It's not the right season. I'm out of whole wheat flour. I don't have buttermilk or yogurt. (Also, who measures butter in thirds of a cup?) Excuses are now gone, and this is happening tomorrow, if I have anything to say about it.
• see people who are in Houston! This one hasn't really been about excuses, I've just been a whole plane flight away. So I'm here, they're here, it's go time.

And you're getting gypped. You've gotten two very short, not very substantial posts. And I'm sorry.

NaBloPoMo, Day 19

How do you write about the things that bother you in a public forum? Especially when the things that bother you are things that other people do. People can be rude, people can be stupid, people can just frustrate you sometimes. And whether they end up reading your blog or not, you can't just air frustrations willy-nilly on this big internet thing.

If writing is supposed to be a release, there has to be something for you to release. When that doesn't happen, you end up writing about your other releases. You write about baking cookies at odd hours or napping or crafting. That's all fine and well, but it kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think? So maybe a goal in the near-time will be to find a way to make that happen. If you've got any ideas, holler.

Disclaimer: No, I am not keeping enormous frustrations bottled up inside. I talk about them plenty. When it comes to the end of the day, though, and you need something to write about, it's difficult for such a substantial hunk of life to be off-limits.

NaBloPoMo, Day 18

This is a story best told sequentially.

Yesterday, I took a seven-minute study break nap. I looked like this:

Then, today, I took a two-hour nap because I slept through all but five minutes of the sermon. And obviously, unintended sleep demands intended sleep. For two hours.

I then did a photo scavenger hunt, which is, ironically, not pictured.

I studied for about ten minutes for tomorrow's quiz on classical music history.

I talked a lot and finished a scarf I've been crocheting.

Then, it was 12:00, and Abby wanted to do something (but didn't know what). In my brain, it took about ten minutes to decide what to do and make it to the kitchen.

In real life, it took 55 minutes.

We made cookies. See? (I'm the one with the cookies.)

Many minutes later, it was 1:57 and I needed to blog.

All this to say, if I make it out of tomorrow's quiz alive, it'll be a miracle. Night night, y'all.

NaBloPoMo, Day 17

You know, I was just kidding about the turkey. We're actually going for some duck instead. But first, I learned something about turkeys! More accurately, about the pop-up timers that are jammed in them. Inside them is a tiny spring (tiny!) held in its compressed position by an epoxy that melts at a specific temperature -- in the case of turkey, usually 181 degrees. Epoxy melts, spring goes pop, turkey continues to cook, nobody's happy except Butterball.

But all this is irrelevant because we're eating duckies! And other side dishes that, according to some family members, are "too weird." Excuse me, but we've got to expand people's horizons somehow (including my own), and when you're off in Illinois for eight months out of the year, you have to take the opportunities you can get. So decisions have been made, food will be tasty, and people will like it more than they expect. Mark my word.

NaBloPoMo, Day 16

Thanksgiving is approaching, and it's got some real potential this year. It's always fun to plan lots and lots of things that you get to make, all from scratch and all by yourself (probably). It's especially fun this year because I'm thinking it might finally be time to do a big turkey. We haven't actually had one in my memory of Thanksgivings. It's basically a big science project, and for all food-related science projects, we turn to the one, the only Alton Brown. Winner. So that should involve a nice brining time and some aromatics or something we stick into the middle of Big Bird. And then we roast the little buddy.

Sides-wise, I'm thinking color. Orange things and green things, mainly. And then lots of carbs. With some sugar at the end. Yep, sounds like a winner of a meal.

NaBloPoMo, Day 15

First, this: we're halfway there! 15 out of the 30 days in November have passed, and I haven't failed yet. Huzzah!

Secondly, I give you a direct quote from a conversation I had with a friend a month or so ago: "My mom, she doesn't understand me and cheese."

So here we are. The secret's out. I don't always like cheese. The deets:

• There are some cheeses whose flavor is just too strong: blue cheeses, some brie, emmentaler, feta, some gouda. Oh yes, and cottage cheese. Who thought that was a good idea?
• I don't remember what I think about camembert or havarti.
• Some cheeses don't offend me, but they just don't taste like much. Looking at you, American and Monterrey Jack. And shredded mozzarella.
• The cheeses I like, I want to taste. If it's cheddar, it better be the sharpest you can find. Parmesan? None of the Kraft green shaker bottles, please. Commit!
• The main rule here is this: if you're going to put cheese on my pizza/burger/sandwich, it had best be adding something other than color and calories. Nuff said. 

NaBloPoMo, Day 14

I'm pretty sure I amuse my piano teacher (hereafter DPH) on a weekly basis. I mean, I don't sit in on other people's lessons or anything, but something tells me I'm my own breed of crazy in there.

He'll ask questions like, "Now how did that feel?" right after we change something, and I honestly tell him that it felt pretty much the same.

Or today, I had a little memory slip, and he was just about to put the music back up and let me look at it. It went like this:
DPH: I really just want to show you this one thing.
Me: No, hold on, I've got it.
(tries and fails)
DPH: I really think...
Me: Nope, I've got it.
DPH: OK...
(fails in a different way)
Me: OK, self, just slow down a little. Again.
(success)
Me: OK, show me what you wanted to show me.
DPH: Well, I was just going to show you this pattern...
Me: Yeah yeah, it's chromatic and descending, I know.
DPH: Oh, so you knew that?
Me: Yeah, I just had to start it. I knew it was a c-sharp something, I just had to figure it out.
DPH: Oh. Well great!

Or when I beat him to the punch.
DPH: Let's try that again.
Me: Gotcha.
(plays a ditty that happens three times)
Me: So the second and third ones were good.
DPH at the same time: Well, those were a lot better, especially the second and -- right, just like that.

Or when I bring in nutso imagery:
DPH: How's the Dello Joio memory coming along?
Me: Right, I thought you were going to ask that, so I was coming up with an analogy just now. I think it's like a grid or matrix of some sort that's supposed to hold smaller stuff inside it. And if that's what the piece is, then I've got the grid matrix thing in place and I just need to stuff it now.
DPH: Oh. Well OK. See you next week!

And I hope you had as much fun reading that as I did reliving the whole thing.

NaBloPoMo, Day 13

Sometimes I wonder what my life is. I'm not even being profound. This was my night:

• trying and failing to focus on theory homework throughout. 
• playing piano in a horn studio recital. And that studio is full of characters. Let's just say one of them gave me a program autographed in chalk ("because it's permanent") as a token of gratitude for my participation. What.
• this video being posted by a couple girls on my hall as a lament about mock trial team stacking. Note: bad vocals are allegedly intentional.
• crossing my fingers that my theory class for next semester will stay at the 4-person size at which it currently sits. Because that'd be awesome.
• having a friend I was supposed to Skype with be in the ER instead. (said friend is entirely OK now, no worries.)

Like I said. What is my life.

Lots of fun, but never quite what you expect.

NaBloPoMo, Day 12

So I'm sitting here, figuring out what to write about while watching The Next Iron Chef, and I've got nothing. Therefore, these are my two main thoughts:

• Pineapple and tomatoes. That's an interesting combination. Kind of like tomato jam! Which is delicious!
• I used to watch this and Top Chef and other shows like that and think that that would totally be my bag, I could rock it, and it would be the best thing ever. And maybe with more training, I could. Maybe. But what I'm grateful for is that I don't actually have the desire to. I love cooking, but there's not this looming what-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life, maybe-this-maybe-that feeling. And that's nice.

Oh, and if you've got more inspiration than I do, this blogger's open to suggestions. Hit me up.

NaBloPoMo, Day 11

One thing that most everyone at Wheaton develops is introspection. Knowing yourself, what you need, is of high importance, it seems, and along with that comes a piqued interest in personality tests. One offered by Career Services is the Gallup test, StrengthsFinder, which asks you something like 177 questions to discover your top five of 34 strengths. It's a lovely confidence booster and a sort of common language. As with most people, I like my strengths. They tell me these things, in this order:

• I am a relator, meaning that I pick a few close friends, but I know them really well. In a large-group situation, I just need a couple people to talk to, rather than wanting to talk to everyone however briefly.
• I individualize people. I don't like labeling people, generalizing, any of that. I'm particularly proud of this one because I think it's one everyone should have to be a decent human being.
• I analyze. I need to be able to prove something if I'm going to believe it and act on it. I have decision trees in my head.
• I'm a developer, so I take people wherever they are and help them improve. I also get excited about improvements, even if they're tiny. 
• I'm an arranger. I put people in groups well, arranging people and schedules for maximum productivity. (I think this might also have something to do with efficiency, which I like a lot.)

As happy as these things make me, my brain's getting a little full of personality stuff right now. Here's why:

• At some point, you have to stop thinking about yourself and what type of person you are and actually do something with your time. 
• Personality tests can sometimes become like a self-fulfilling prophecy: "Well, I'm a developer, so I would typically behave this way, so I guess that's what I should do" or "That's not one of my strengths -- I wouldn't do that, so I shouldn't."
• To some extent, self-discovery should happen by your own self, not by a test.

That being said, these tests give me a lot of insight into people I'm just getting to know. So that's nice.
 
Also, two people I know (kind of) got engaged tonight. I mean, it's cute, but whoa. You're a year older than I am. This is not OK.

NaBloPoMo, Day 10: Goodbye and Good Morning

Secret Garden closed tonight, and there are some moments that will stick in my brain for a nice, long while. The people will stick longer.

But this particular evening was a long one. After we changed out of our costumes for the last time, we began dismantling nearly every platform we (or they, rather) built.  I personally picked up something like 300 screws off the floor.  I stood on wood while other people took out screws. I mopped half the theater floor.  What followed was a series of "secrets and surprises," which, due to their secret and surprising nature, cannot be shared here.

Now scroll down and check that time stamp. Roughly 4:30 a.m. I didn't dilly-dally. It's those darned secrets and surprises. They only work late, late, late at night when everyone should be sleeping.

I'm not sure I completely understand all that goes on in that building, but there's something different about it that I don't dislike. For the moment, my time there is done -- they don't have any musicals slated for the near future -- but something tells me I might still be spending some time there.

Pardon the vagueness and rambling. I need to process, but first, I think it's sleepytime.

NaBloPoMo, Day 9

And the crafting has returned! Since September, I've been working on a couple different dorm room improvement projects. The first I call "birds on a line." Yes, I did cut those out myself. Yes, while watching Survivor.

Inspired by my own creation, I began to ponder a corollary to "birds on a line." Something else in silhouette? Something outdoorsy? Garden-party-esque? Animals? Planes? All modes of transportation? Heavens, no. Something much simpler was in order. I present the newly completed sequel, "clothes on a line." (Yes, I also cut these out, but during episodes of Bones instead.)

NaBloPoMo, Day 8: Cabbages

In the last week or so, a particular idea has come up twice: once, a professor said it, and tonight, a person quoted that professor. That idea is this.

"A cabbage needs no other cabbages to be a perfect cabbage. Humans are different in that we need other humans to shape us and improve us."

I don't fully remember the context of the first instance of this, but tonight it was used in the context of The Secret Garden. Seeing as this musical hardly relies on plot for its substance, the show's relationships are essential for it to have any meaning for the audience. Everyone must be aware of the ways in which the characters are different from cabbages.

In fact, I am not a cabbage, in case there was any doubt, and neither are you.* Just some food (oh dear) for thought.


*Oh the profundity. I sure hope no one out there's actually planning to get anything out of these posts because it's slim pickings.

NaBloPoMo, Day 7

Today, I pretended I was a goose in my conducting class. I looked ridiculous.

But it's what I was told to do, and it fixed something, I think. So because it's late and I'm tired, today's post is this: what is the most idiotic-looking thing you've done recently? And if you can't think of anything, I think it's about time you get your goose on.

NaBloPoMo, Day 6

Well, we've re-elected our president, and honestly, I'm neither thrilled nor concerned. I know, I know, voting is important, and politics and government matter, but when my daily life in almost 20 years of living hasn't been obviously affected by the party in office, it's hard to make myself care. And in any case, all of the history teachers I've had have said something to the effect of "most politicians start out far left or far right and become more and more moderate as elections and terms progress." So here we are, I'm ignorant, I'm apathetic, and in this area, that's OK with me. (I know, it shouldn't be OK with me, but it is, and I'm not pushing it.)

Note to family: don't even want to hear how politically ignorant I am. I know.

NaBloPoMo, Day 5: Winners.

I have a friend named Darby who plays the piano, and she played in the concerto competition tonight. She did not win, but if you ask me, she should have. (Note: the guy who did win is entirely deserving, but you root for your friends, case closed.) Here's why:

• I don't like listening to classical music, much less piano concerti. But I could listen to her piece all day.
• It's very easily solfeged, and very stickinyourheadable.
• It's just so preeeetty. (This isn't her, but it'll give you an idea.)
• You can tell it's hard, but she makes it seem easy and doesn't even seem to get all bogged down in the technicality of it all (even though she's acutely aware of exactly what needs to happen when).
• She doesn't have the whole arrogance thing going on. That's always a plus.

All this to say, there is still hope for me in the world of listening to classical music. Because if she can make it manageable, that means it's not a me-flaw that I don't like going to concerts and listening to all that, it's a them-flaw. And pinning things on other people is a great life strategy, no? 

NaBloPoMo, Day 4

Muffins are often misunderstood. For a long time, I misunderstood them, but I'd now like to think I understand them properly. Mainly, I know that they are not cupcakes. They don't have to be as sweet as cupcakes, and they shouldn't be as tender as cupcakes. They don't have to be as uniform in texture as cupcakes. They don't have to be healthy, but it's not bad for them to have some nutrition.

A muffin should have a hearty crumb. Ideally, it would have a crispy-crackly top or outer layer with a softer, but still chewy, interior. You should be able to taste what kind of flour you use. Butter or oil should make a difference.

Yes, I know, it sounds like some weirdo health freak baker talking, but it's true. When you go for a muffin, you at least want to think you're eating something semi-nutritious, whether you realize it or not. Peaches are nice, but they're even better when you throw a little ginger in there. Rye flour does something nice to pumpkin and banana. I put rosemary and fig butter in my oatmeal the other day, and those flavors would make a nice muffin.

Everything you've been doing with your muffins is great. Make muffins you like. But just know that if I'm your muffin man, you'll be getting something faintly sweet, hearty, unassuming. All great qualities, in muffins and in people.

NaBloPoMo, Day 3

And I accomplished all my goals. I slept, I practiced, I baked. It was lovely. I hope to do it again soon. Also, crafts.

But I can't just leave a whole post at that. Instead, here are a few thoughts on the little show I'm working on:

• There is essentially no plot. Blame: Frances Hodgson Burnett
• Instead, we look at pretty costumes and exciting people and see how both change over the course of two hours.
• We're about as loyal to the original script as I am to this blog when it's not November.
• Ditto for the score.
• I have the job of handing an actor a stick from the pit in the middle of "Final Storm." Tonight, I realized during the prologue that the stick was missing. I whisper to our music director. He texts the stage manager. The stage manager tells the director, who finds his way backstage to tell one of the cast members, who then mimes to me from the other side of the stage that she will be bringing the stick over, and would I like to receive it over the top of my stand or under my keyboard. With great purpose, she comes onstage for her scene change, slides the stick under the keyboard, and moves the panel she was originally slated to move. A well-oiled machine. 
• I have issues with the show as a piece (namely, with the music; blame: Lucy Simon), but I am quite fond of the people in our production.

Maybe more later, maybe not. Go change those clocks - it'll be the best thing that happens to you while you're sleeping.

NaBloPoMo, Day 2

Much has been accomplished today: I had a conducting evaluation, I helped paint the floor of the theater black, I stirred some polyurethane, I got back a midterm that was labeled with a shockingly high mark, the official opening night of Secret Garden happened (and we sold out the run of the show today), and I spread my little social butterfly wings and ended up at TGIFriday's (heaven help us all) with a whole slew of theatrical people well past midnight. And now I'm preparing myself for a nice two-and-a-half hour sleep before doing a little Fischer 3 pranktime.

It's the days like these when exhaustion doesn't quite register because everything's been so fast and fun that you forget you're supposed to be tired. You forget that you haven't been in the room with your roommate for about a week when one of you wasn't sleeping. And come the end of tomorrow night's show, I'll remind myself of all this, and we'll do some catching up. I'll get reacquainted with my bed, but also with the practice rooms, and maybe even the kitchen. Maybe? Maybe. But I guess I'll keep you posted on all that.

NaBloPoMo?

Welcome to November. Chances are really good I'll fail miserably at this, given how hectic this month promises to be, but it's worth a shot, I think. And because I'm in the time of day where focusing isn't quite practical, we're going with the bullets:

• This post doesn't have to be anything special because it's just November 1. I totally deserve an introduction post.
• Tonight marks the first of eight performances of The Secret Garden with an audience. (I'm in ze pit.) It's kind of exciting.
• Because I don't always get a minute to sit down at the computer (to do things like whip out a little blog post) until well into the night-time hours, posts in the wee hours of the morning definitely count for the day before. Don't even try to tell me they don't.
• There are two girls on my floor who qualify in my book as absolutely insane, and they're hilarious for it. They make music videos every evening, and my friend and I popped into one the other night. Just a day in the life.
• While there's little chance I'll actually post every day in November, there's even less of a chance these posts will be substantial, clever, entertaining, or otherwise worth your time. Sorry about that, but it's just the way it is.