Wishlist

Whew. It's been a whirlwind here of activity. So much so that I can hardly find time to eat and sleep sometimes. It's even taken me several days just to finish this post.

The show has opened. It's been open for a week now. But there are still things to be fixed and those things are completely consuming my time.

I also just started Insanity with one of the swimmers here. I enjoyed it so much the first go around that I'm doing it again and hoping for even better results!

Life is good. Last night after work and Insanity, I walked in the door to an impromptu dinner party with my roommate and neighbor, who is a fisherman. He had cooked up some fish he caught that day and we devoured it along with some freshly grown watermelon and makgeolli to wash it all down! It was delicious and a nice treat from the usual hit or miss dinner foods snagged between loads of laundry, practice, and show issues.

Everything here is good, even though it's keeping me super busy right now. Once I get some of the problems fixed and free up some valuable time I'll get into a better schedule, but for now I'm keeping my nose to the grindstone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In all of my day to day activities I've noticed a few things I could really use and can't get here and/or they are double or triple the price and/or I'd have to pay exorbitant shipping costs to get them.

Anyone interested in sending a care package?? (Besides the one person who did the day I got here..thank you!)

Here are a few of the items I can't buy on the island or can't find anywhere to buy, or found, but refuse to pay the island price. Please let me know if you are feeling generous and I'll give you my address and a BIG thank you :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These things are available many places but for the sake of convenience I have listed everything through Amazon. Most of the items are beauty related products that I just can't get anything like here or I can't read the ingredients so I have no idea if I'd be layering on chemicals everyday. Since I'm performing in a show 4 times I day I go through ridiculous amounts of makeup and makeup remover. Most of the supplies I have, but if you check the list, you'll see the ones I'm running out of fast!

There is also something I really really want that I haven't found here and that is a Korean grammar and workbook. I've been struggling trying to continue my study with my tourist phrase book.

All of the items on the list I need soon, whether I start ordering things online myself or call people to try and get things shipped cheaper, I will need everything on the list so anything you want to send my way will be super helpful!! I've taken great care with some of the brands so please ask me if you are interested in purchasing an item from a different manufacturer than the one listed on Amazon. Most likely I need the brand I listed.

Donations to Ronda's Success and Happiness

It's time for change.

There is always room for change. And there's no better time than now :)

There are many things changing in my life. Change is hard for many people. But I've learned to embrace it and to love it (most of the time).

One way I'm changing is through working out. This week is the last week of Insanity for me. My body has been changing and I can see it and feel it. It's wonderful! I can't wait to see how it continues to change as a begin a new program. It's only been 2 months. That's not a lot of time, but I've been working hard and the changes are visible, not just in my body contour but also in my energy level and general glow :)

Another change I've gradually made for some time over many months was in my diet. I'm now officially vegetarian, not for 30 days, but as long as I get the nutrients I need and I feel good. And so far, I'm feeling fabulous!

A huge recent change has been my career path. Instead of continuing in an ensemble on cruise ships, I'll instead be working toward my own show that I can perform as a guest entertainer on ships instead. I just love the ships! Making this change will allow me to work for more cruise lines, and make a more sustainable living. Here's to getting my show off the ground...and into the water :)

There have been other little changes like, eliminating more sugar from my diet, taking dance lessons, jumping into the smartphone market, reading more on my recently acquired Nook lovely donated to my cause (thanks Rachel).

What have you changed for the better recently?

Share it with me or someone you trust to encourage you and support you through your change.

Adios Austin. Greetings Gravity.

Yes, I'm back on the road again.

Headed north (not that I couldn't head south into Mexico I suppose) for a few days and then east back to my gig in Little Rock. It's been fun in Austin, as always. Way too cold though! brrr....  But I truly enjoyed all the time I got to spend with family and friends. It was super!

In Austin I find it hard to get much work done on anything of my own because there are so many activities and friends vying for my time. This trip wasn't so much different, but...

Progress is being made on my new show. After much visionary research, music has been ordered! Now I must spend many an hour alone, escaped into a wonderful world of my own, where music abounds and the worlds woes can't reach me.

P.S. No, I'm not planning on practicing in the creek, for all those who were wondering :)

Back to the Grind

When most people read that title, the image in mind is probably related to an 8-5 job of some sort.

Not for me!

Surprising I know...

This week I'm not working retail and I'm heading back into the music field.  A concert is coming up end of this month and I need to begin practicing and preparing for it. But I'm now going to be able to start working on my show again!

By the end of this week I hope to reach my goal and have a good update for you about my plans. Having you all hold me accountable will surely increase my productivity level :)

Until then, I'm nose down into the music, working out hardcore on my second month of Insanity (the name is so apropos), and spending time with my big sis.

LIFE IS GOOD GREAT!!

P.S. In my work toward this show I did a photo shoot to go through some ideas. Here's a couple of the shots. Which is your favorite? What would catch your eye the best and which would make you buy the cd??

btw, none of these photos have been photo shopped. They're just as they were taken.

Please let me know your selection!

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

The music of my life

Since I'm a musician for my livelihood primarily, I figured that some of you out there would like an update as to the music status of my life.

Currently, since the cruise industry is petering out on the string group realm, I'm revamping my efforts and heading a different direction. No, I'm not quitting cruise ships. There will still be lots of stories, lots of pictures, and lots of exciting, fun, and entertaining adventures. But just not yet.

I'm currently making ends meet here on land performing with the Arkansas Symphony in Little Rock and staying with friends.

That is, except for this month. This month I'm working at a retail store in Texas that I have worked for in previous years during the holiday season. Turns out they really needed me this year so it's been nice to have been a blessing to them and to be able to help them out during their time of need.

However, despite all warm and fuzzy feelings, I'm working in the retail business hours a day and that leaves very little time to work on my new venture.

I'm really looking forward to the middle of January when I'll be back out on the road again, staying at hotels and performing with the symphony. It will give me the time I need to really buckle down and work on this new project.

This new project I keep mentioning is a new show. So if all works out for me, you'll see me on the main stage next cruise instead of in the show lounge. There is a lot to do and I'll keep you abreast of my progress as I move along toward that end.

Right now, I'm at the very beginning stages. The concept and vision is already clarified and initial research is nearly complete. I'm hoping by the end of January, I will have all the research done and be in the process of procuring all the necessary music that I don't already own. Then it will be practice time and continued research and tweaking time. During this process I plan to start a crowd funding site. So if you're interested in helping me reach my goals you can watch for updates as to when that site is officially started and donate to my project.

Until that time, I'm happily busying myself here in Texas, trying to keep warm :-)  Glad it's not a snowy, white, and wintery Christmas here. Looking forward to more performance, more music, and more stages. If you'd like to come hear a concert in Little Rock, please let me know ahead of time and I'll do my best to procure you a free ticket to the show.

Thanks to one and all for supporting the arts.

It's what makes my world go round.

Hoh! Land....

Ah Land.  It's a very stressful place for me. Amazing how at ease I feel out at sea and how out of place and awkward, for lack of a better word, I feel on land. Some people would say I'm just used to things being done for me on the ships, but I would gladly trade those things for the peace on land that I have at sea. Yes, it is nice to not have to do my dishes, clean my bathroom, make my bed, dust the house, but these things are insignificant to my mental and emotional and also financial state whenever I return from the mesmerizing ocean. Not to mention I sleep much better when I'm rocked to sleep each night :)

I wish I could write here that I've got leads to new contracts or possibilities on the horizon. Instead, I have nothing but bad news from my agent and a serious lack of time from reading all the music job sites and craigslist everyday in search of potential gigs.

One GREAT idea has arisen within and I'm  gung ho to travel down this road; the road is one that leads to a guest entertainer gig or simply put, I am my own show.  I would not be in groups on ships anymore and would not have the stress of putting one together, keeping one together, and the stress of knowing they are hurting for money because I'm not getting them work. I'm so ready for this. The ideas had been mulling around inside my head for a while, but they all finally juxtaposed themselves into a brilliant scheme (or so I think). Now all I need is to get the research and taping and practicing and demoing and marketing and scheduling done. I do know, this will be entirely impossible without a producer or two so that is on the back of my brain. I can do research and practicing on my own and when that is complete I will then require a producer(s) to proceed any further. So now it's about keeping my fingers crossed that someone out there somewhere that has money, believes in me.


In the meantime, while on land, struggling away at my meager existence, with the help of my friends :)

....Lots of things are being pushed to the forefront of my brain and to sort it all out I thought I'd write it down.

Other major things on the forefront of my mind since I'm on land and continue to be here, are electronic items that are almost necessary to succeed in this society it seems.

Things I need that are replacements for things I already have:
A new computer:
My computer freezes constantly, doesn't have a functioning battery, can't run more than one large program at a time, doesn't have any memory, can't play videos without hitching or can't play them at all, and is just super duper slow :(
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009F1II54?tag=vglnk-c2098-20

An alarm clock:
Alarm clock to replace my cell phone, which is not really an alarm clock.
http://www.brookstone.com/Travel-Tranquil-Moments-Sleep-Sound-Machine? bkiid=SearchResults|CategoryProductList|590877p

Things I need that I don't have already:
An Ipod:
Ipod Touch 32 or 64 GB to use as an mp3 player, portable email around wifi, free phone around wifi, e-reader
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/ipod_touch_4thgeneration

Things I want that will be a big help and not just superfluous:
An e-reader

I read books on my laptop. Not sure this truly should be under this category, but I can use my computer as an e-reader even though I don't actually own one.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/nook-simple-touch-with-glowlight-barnes-noble/1108046469



Otherwise, I really would just like to pay my bills and live peacefully. High hopes, I realize.