Working Retail

WOW, I can't believe it's been nearly a week since I last posted. How does anyone get anything done with a 9-5 job? I can't seem to and I can't understand how it's possible either.

Working retail over the holidays has sucked all my time an energy to the point that I wake up, work out, get ready, eat my breakfast shake in the car, work, go home, check emails, eat dinner, do research on something until falling asleep and doing the whole thing over again.

Let me say I am so glad this is not my life. I've done it prior to this holiday and it just gets worse as I age. So glad that my chosen profession is music, which provides variable working hours, and free time to work as you wish, and days off to switch around your schedule, and continuous inspiration for your mind, body and soul! How lucky I am :-)

However, I am very behind from my days of retail. Still trying to get everything organized in my head and on paper so I don't forget what I previously organized. Most of this plan is working, so that is a plus!

More updates will come later, when I don't have a dozen tabs open, papers strewn about the table, and my calendar on my lap.

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.

Rules of the Road

I  was quite fortunate to grow up in a part of the country where the drivers followed the rules of the road primarily. I was also fortunate that both sides of my family have good drivers.

My dad taught me to steer the family truck before I could touch the pedals and when I could reach the pedals and see over the dashboard I started learning how to drive the family car out in the country. When I got older yet my dad took me out to empty parking lots in the rain, snow and ice so I could mess around and learn how the car handles on different conditions. Needless to say, I learned a lot, and I learned it well.

I was flattered in my college years by someone asking me to teach them how to drive so they could get a license. They actually paid me what a drivers ed school would cost, but got to take the "classes" on their own schedule. I was shocked at how different the drivers test was then from when I took it back when. They didn't even have to know how to parallel park to pass the driving exam.

So it's no wonder that while I'm driving around through various states that I run into drivers that are not just rude, but completely ignorant of how to drive correctly.

For instance;

It's called an acceleration ramp because you're supposed to use it to accelerate to a near speed of the traffic to merge into.  Granted not all acceleration ramps are sufficiently long, but do make the effort. And for Pete's sake, DON'T STOP AT THE END!!!  I've often wondered what's going through someone's mind when they stop at the end of an acceleration ramp that is supposed to merge into 60+ mph traffic. Because these people are never in a car that will do 0 to 60 in 0.4 seconds or less.

Then after I think about it, my brain eventually lands on the resulting conclusion that the driver doesn't know how to merge and thus must stop at the end of the acceleration ramp to wait for a big opening in traffic. Also, granted, many drivers that you must merge into don't know how to let you merge, still, the only way to merge is to just do it. And how does one merge exactly? Well, you match your speed to the traffic you into which you wish to merge (via the acceleration ramp) and then you turn on your turn signal (that topic is next) and then you merge one car behind the car that was previously merged in front. Poor wording...I apologize. It's just every other car. So whether you're merging or being merged  into, please follow the every other car rule, and also, please try to match the speed of those in which you're merging.

Now on to turn signals....  Does anyone besides truck drivers, know what the purpose of a turn signal is? NO, it is not to inform me that you just changed lanes. It's to inform me you'd LIKE or NEED to change lanes. It's not a guaranteed lane changer. It's a signal to everyone around what you wish to do and if everyone around is amenable than please go ahead and change lanes. Don't turn on your turn signal half way through the lane change. Don't turn on your turn signal after you've changed lanes for one or two clicks. And don't turn on your turn signal as you're changing lanes assuming that everyone around can accommodate you.

Speaking of lanes. Do you all know what the lane speed assignments are? I mean, do you know which lane is the slow lane and which lane is the passing lane? If you do, than I'm not convinced because you sure as hell rarely follow them. The RIGHT lane is the SLOW lane. You can also think of it as the DEFAULT lane. If you're not going around anyone than you should be in the right lane. If you're not turning left in the next half mile, you should be in the right lane. Period. Nope, period. If you cruise in the left lane you impede traffic. You make everyone behind you unhappy. You make everyone behind you frustrated. You also might make young people behind you learn bad habits, so quit cruising in the left lane damn it. I know sometimes you get out there to go around someone and they speed up and then you're driving the same speed. You don't want to drive faster or slower and it's not your fault the other driver fluctuated speed, but unless there's no one else anywhere near your tail, speed up or slow down and move over. If you don't and you're in a three or four lane highway than other cars will start trying to go around in the slow lanes which is begging for accidents. If just one person ignores the rules of the road, then everyone is affected.

One more driving concern to address; how far do you follow a car or stop behind it? I know when you're in the city and traffic is heavy and you don't like people cutting in front of you, you tailgate. Don't. You're not going to stop the people that want to cut anyway so don't tailgate the car in front of you. It adds to the danger on the road. And when you pull up behind a car to stop, please make sure you can see their back tires meet the ground. It's so unnerving when I look in my rear view mirror and all I can see are the TAIL lights of the car behind me. Seriously, if the car behind you rear ends you and you're too close to the car in front of you, now there are three or more people involved in the collision and not just two. And who wants that? So please allow enough room at appropriate speed between the car in front of you and yourself, and please stop behind me far enough I can see your HEAD lights.

That's enough drivers ed I think. I'll give it a rest. I only hope I can help someone take their driving more seriously through this post. I post this to help, to encourage, to educate, to provoke thought, to remind us ALL what it is to be a good driver and to inspire us all to be a better driver each time we get behind the wheel, myself included. 

'TIS THE SEASON

YOU'LL HAVE TO FORGIVE MY ALL CAPS POST, BUT THE SHIFT KEYS ON THIS COMPUTER ARE BROKEN AND HITTING CAPS LOCK TWICE IS REALLY ANNOYING AND TIME CONSUMING, SO INSTEAD OF WRITING EVERYTHING IN PHONE TEXT FORMAT, I'M OPTING INSTEAD FOR THE ALL CAPS.

NOW ON TO MY POST TOPIC.

IT IS THE SEASON....FOR GIFT GIVING.

NOW THIS HOLIDAY I'M WORKING FOR SOME EXTRA MONEY AT A RETAIL STORE. IT'S A NICE STORE WITH INTERESTING AND UNIQUE THINGS. THEY'RE ALL HANDMADE IN THE UNITED STATES AND IT REALLY IS A MOM AND POP STORE WHICH I SUPPORT.

HOWEVER, MY ISSUE IS NOT WITH THE STORE, BUT WITH WHAT GOES ON THIS TIME OF YEAR.

THE COUNTLESS TIMES SOMEONE HAS WALKED IN THE STORE, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE, AND SAID, 'I NEED TO BUY SOMETHING FOR SOMEONE BUT THEY ALREADY HAVE EVERYTHING AND DON'T REALLY NEED ANYTHING'. WELL, THEN WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU BUYING THEM SOMETHING.

WHAT A MATERIALISTIC SOCIETY WE LIVE IN THAT REQUIRES US TO GO SPEND, I MEAN CHARGE, MONEY WE DON'T HAVE, TO BUY GIFTS PEOPLE DON'T WANT, THAT THE RECIPIENTS WON'T USE. SERIOUSLY PEOPLE, WHAT A WASTE. YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO GET A GIFT YOU DON'T WANT AND YOU THEN HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER YOU CAN REGIFT OR IF YOU'LL HAVE TO DONATE, OR MAYBE HANG ON TO IT FOR A WHILE, OR EVEN POSSIBLY DISPLAY IT WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO INFLICT THIS UPON SOMEONE YOU CALL A FRIEND.

BECAUSE IT'S SOCIETY PRACTICE. BECAUSE IT'S WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING. BECAUSE IT'S WHAT YOU'VE ALWAYS DONE. BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING AND YOU DON'T WANT TO OWE THEM ONE. BECAUSE YOU'RE SO AFRAID OF BEING DIFFERENT. BECAUSE YOU'RE UNABLE TO DEAL WITH AN AWKWARD OR POTENTIALLY HOSTILE SITUATION WHEN THEY DISCOVER YOU DIDN'T BUY THEM SOMETHING ON THAT SPECIFIC DAY. OK, I'LL STOP.

NOW YOU MIGHT BE THINKING AFTER THAT SMALL TIRADE THAT I'M ANTI GIFTING. THIS IS NOT TRUE, AS MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL VOUCH.

BUT I GIFT IN THE WAY I WISH SOCIETY GIFTED...WHEN IT'S NECESSARY OR HELPFUL. FOR INSTANCE, IF I KNOW A FRIEND NEEDS SOMETHING AND I HAPPEN TO COME ACROSS THAT ITEM, WHO CARES WHAT HOLIDAY IT IS; I BUY IT AND GIFT IT. I DON'T BUY KNICK KNACKS THAT SOMEONE HAS TO DUST OR WASH OR ANY OTHER ANNOYING CHORE. SOMETIMES THE BEST THING IS JUST AN OLD FASHIONED HAND WRITTEN CARD AT ANY TIME OF YEAR, NOT ASSOCIATED WITH A HOLIDAY, THAT TELLS THEM YOU'RE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR FRIENDSHIP. YOU KNOW HOW MANY HANDWRITTEN CARDS ARE SENT THESE DAYS. HOW MUCH THOUGHT GOES INTO ANY LETTERS...YEAH, I DON'T THINK I NEED TO ANSWER THAT BECAUSE IT'S RHETORICAL AND YOU GET MY POINT.

AMERICA IS SUCH A MATERIALISTIC SOCIETY THAT WE CONSTANTLY CONTINUE TO AMASS MORE STUFF WHEN WE DON'T USE THE STUFF WE ALREADY HAVE AND WE DON'T HAVE MORE SPACE TO STORE THE STUFF WE'RE GETTING. I RECENTLY SAW A FUNNY THAT HAD PEOPLE TRAMPLING INTO STORES ON BLACK FRIDAY AND IT WAS AN IRONIC FUNNY BECAUSE IT SAID THAT PEOPLE WILL NEARLY KILL EACH OTHER OVER SOMETHING THEY SO DESPERATELY THINK THE NEED WHEN JUST THE DAY BEFORE THEY WERE ALL GIVING THANKS FOR WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE. MAYBE THE LOGIC IS THE MORE STUFF YOU HAVE THE MORE THANKFUL YOU CAN BE....IS IT IN DIRECT CORRELATION OR AM I MISSING THE POINT...

SINCE MOST OF YOU PROBABLY HAVE YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ALREADY DONE FOR THE SEASON THIS POST WILL MAKE LITTLE OR NO IMPACT ON YOUR HOLIDAY, BUT I WOULD LIKE IT TO MAKE AN IMPACT ON YOUR BRAIN. THINK ABOUT HOW YOU SHOW PEOPLE YOU CARE. DO THEY REALLY FEEL LIKE YOU CARE. CAN THEY TELL OR IS IT JUST A TRADITION.

I CHALLENGE YOU TO FIND A PERSON YOU HAVEN'T BOUGHT SOMETHING FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, AND INSTEAD OF PURCHASING A USELESS GIFT OR A GIFT THEY DON'T REALLY NEED, MAKE SOMETHING WITH YOUR OWN HANDS. WRITE THEM A LONG LETTER, SPEND TIME DOING SOMETHING FOR THEM IF YOU'RE NEARBY LIKE A BIG PROJECT THEY NEED COMPLETED IF YOU'RE HANDY AT THAT SORT OF THING. ASK THEM WHAT THEY REALLY NEED. WOULD THEY RATHER JUST SPEND THE TIME WITH YOU INSTEAD OF HAVING YOUR MONETARY GIFTS. WOULD THEY RATHER YOU DID SOMETHING SEEMINGLY SMALL AND INSIGNIFICANT FOR THEM THAT NO ONE ELSE WOULD SEE. FIND OUT WHO THEY REALLY ARE AND WHAT THEY REALLY NEED; AND DON'T JUST BUY THEIR LOVE THIS CHRISTMAS.

SHORT DISCLAIMER...SOMETIMES GIFTS ARE SUPER DUPER HELPFUL AND WONDERFUL AND AMAZING AND GREAT. I'M NOT CONDEMNING GIFT GIVING, BUT THE CULTISH PRACTICE OF IT DURING THE HOLIDAYS WHERE THE PERSON ON EITHER SIDE IS EXCLUDED FROM THE EQUATION TO THE WHIMS OF SOCIETY. IF YOU HAVE FOUND THE PERFECT GIFT FOR SOMEONE, THEN BY ALL MEANS, GET IT. BUT WHY WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS OR ANY HOLIDAY FOR THAT MATTER. IF THEY CAN USE IT, GIFT IT NOW AND WATCH THE HAPPINESS AND JOY ABOUND.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

It's 80 degrees and almost Christmas

Yep, you read the title right. I have relocated myself to Austin TX for the holiday season. Having grown up in the snowy and windswept northern country, I have come to greatly appreciate the ability to walk out the door at 8:30 a.m. in a light weight dress and jacket and be completely and sufficiently warm. It's wonderful.

What sucks is that I have to spend the entire day indoors working on my feet at a retail store. In addition to the fact that I'm tired and sore by the end of the day, I'm also hungry since the past few months I've spent snacking all day and now I can't do that. Consequently, it makes me even more hungry, which makes me more tired, which makes me inevitably more sore. And in the end, I won't be much richer for the sacrifice.

But, I am staying with a wonderful family, eating healthy (did I mention I have converted, at least for a trial period, to being a vegetarian?), working out, and enjoying the company of friends. Oh, and let's not forget the warm weather.  Who said anything about a White Christmas? Certainly not I!

So, I am working here for another few weeks until I can make my escape and wander off to another unknown location at this time. Wish me luck so I don't kill the yappy dog at the store, nor it's bickering owners!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Blizzard!

I won the jackpot today. Well, not literally. In some fashions it snowed hurt and pain all day long. From before I awoke till I sit here writing this entry. It's been one of those days where I just had to laugh all day to avoid crying, and I almost didn't manage that several times.

So the title of this post is ironic in multiple ways. One is the before mentioned, and the other is what happened at the performance tonight. This weekend I'm performing in the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra's Christmas Pops concerts. But tonight held an ill surprise for me.

Performing on stage brings me so much delight and joy that I had nearly been able to stuff today under the rug for a few hours and revel in the delights of bringing holiday music to the masses. That is, until the very last song. Unbeknownst to the orchestra there was scheduled to be paper snow drifting down during the last number. It started snowing on all of us to which the violinists were a bit turned off since we don't want shreds of paper in our instruments. But apparently, the amount of falling snow wasn't enough because someone in charge of the effects ordered 'more snow'. So instead of light falling snow, it literally dumped a big bucket of snow, on me, AND ONLY ME, I MIGHT ADD. Now yes, everyone got more snow, and other violinists were not so happy, but I had to stop playing entirely and shake all the snow out of my violin, go rummaging around to dig it out of my cleavage, and I still had a huge pile sitting on my lap as well as it covered the floor around me so deep you couldn't see the stage through all the paper snow flakes. To top it all off, I was so surprised when the giant snowball landed on my violin right in front of my nose that I shouted "SHIT" at the top of my lungs. Turns out my voice really carries. I was lucky the children's choir was on the other side of the stage.... But I did provide comic relief for the rest of the first and second violin section, as well as some of the vesper choir, and a few woodwinds, and unfortunately Santa Claus as well....

Not until I had cleaned out my instrument and dug my way out from under the snow mound and nicely chewed out the special effects guys did I wander downstairs to the dressing rooms where, of course, I was the topic of conversion. No one had ever heard anyone shout an obscenity on stage so loud before and it was apparently very amusing. And everyone made sure to remind me that Santa Claus had also heard, so I was, for sure, now moved to the naughty list, if I wasn't there already. In response to this comment I sardonically responded to everyone after a brief pause, "Damn it", which brought riotous laughter each and every time.

Looking forward to tomorrow...said with as much sarcasm as nervous anticipation. Let's just say I won't be looking at the music during the last song. No, I'll be staring at the sky, and any potential giant snow balls that might decide to streamline their way down right onto me.  Won't catch me off guard twice!

So, with all necessary precautions present and accounted for, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW AND REALLY LET IT SNOW!!!

P.S. I'm quite sad I don't have picture to prove the giant mess and severity of my own personal Arkansas Symphony Snow Ball. Though, hopefully I won't have a chance to take a picture again...

Hurt

Today, it hurts. It really hurts. I can't explain why all entirely. Nor is it just one thing that hurts me. Life hurts. It's crushing me; killing me slowly. I want out.