30DPC: Day 13

Day 13: A picture of your favorite band or artist.

 

JUST KIDDING.

Okay, seriously now...

This guy's smooth vocals and a glass of wine...what more could you want? I've loved Frank Sinatra for as long as I can remember. Sometimes, after hearing nothing but auto-tuned songs on the radio all day, it's nice to just turn on a classic and appreciate some real singing. I know, I'm an old lady.

30DPC: Day 12

Day 12: A picture of something you love. 

The Caribbean Sea, Dominican Republic

=)

The Bay of Bengal, India

The Beach!!! (Betcha didn't see that one coming after the last post, huh?) I lived on the tiny island of Guam as a little girl, so I think my love for the ocean, tropical weather, and the beach was instilled in me at a young age.  I love the smell of the ocean, I love the sound of the waves, I love the feel of the warm sand on my bare feet, and getting a tan is always nice too!

30DPC: Day 11

Day 11: A picture of something you hate.

Snow. When this is what your day looks like, every day, for four months straight - it's just not okay. I hate driving in it, I hate scraping it off my windows, I hate that by the time my car gets warm I'm already at my destination, I hate that no matter how hard a designer tries, snow boots will never be cute, I hate that I will inevitably slip and fall on my butt at least once during the season (usually in front of numerous people)...I. HATE. SNOW.

30DPC: Day 10

Day 10: A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.

Kate! I met Kate in college, when we were both music majors. We shared a couple of classes together, and she was always hanging out in my dorm, Collins Hall, with some mutual friends. By the end of college, we shared almost every class, a house, a sorority, an a cappella group, an affinity for boys who could sing, and a senior recital. We were pretty much attached at the hip. Naturally, since college is the "Best 4 Years of Your Life," Kate easily qualifies as my partner in crime - or the person I did the most "messed up" things with. That being said, we never got arrested, woke up in a lawn, or failed any classes...so our version of "messed up" is probably much lamer than most college kids'.

Kate now lives across the country in Arizona, teaching her heart out to special needs children every day. Also, she is getting MARRIED this year, which I still cannot believe! I am thrilled to be standing up in her wedding as a bridesmaid! Cannot wait to be reunited!

30DPC: Day 9

Day 9: A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

• Scary auditions as kids
• High school heartbreak
• Teenage life drama
• College fashion and costume party crises 
• Living abroad homesickness
• Grad school all-nighters and melt-downs
• Big city living advice
• Job interview stresses
• and so so much more! 

During my "phases" and growing pains, I've always had a wonderful support system of various friends, family, and teachers. To all of you: I am so thankful! Sarah, however, has been the lucky person to have listened to me whine about all of these bumps in the road over the years.  Whether we're living in the same city, same house, same campus, or on opposite sides of a metropolis, opposite sides of the world, or just on opposite sides of a Great lake, I can always count on this girl to be there when I need her.  Luckily for me, she has chosen therapy/psychology as her career - so I really couldn't ask for a more qualified best friend ;)

30DPC: Day 8

Day 8: A picture that makes you laugh.

This photo does not appear to be funny, but the ridiculous freak-out that ensued immediately after this photo left Luke and I laughing for hours. Notice the BOILING hot fudge on the sizzling plate. Then notice Luke scooping up a big spoonful. Then imagine his reaction when he put the boiling "lava" - as we affectionately refer to it, in his mouth. His shrieking and hyperventilating made the entire restaurant think we were nuts (and hey, maybe we are). I'm aware that you probably don't find this nearly as funny as I find the memory...but this picture makes me laugh! So deal with it! :o)

30DPC: Day 7

Day 7: A picture of your most treasured item.

My adorable little yellow lab puppy, Sheely! I don't know if you can really call her an "item;" she's definitely part of the family and thinks she's a human. This was her at 4 months...now she is 2 years old and growing up too fast! Our favorite things to do together: snuggle up on the couch and watch chick flicks, cook (she helps by standing right under my feet every second I'm in the kitchen and cleaning the floor), go swimming, and driving with the windows down!

On a more superficial note...these are items that I also treasure:

My Ann Taylor patent leather stilettos. Ann Taylor Loft supplies half of my work wardrobe because they have great clothes in petites. These shoes and I have a love-hate relationship, depending on how much walking I have to do in them. Also, I wore them to the symphony the other night where I was sitting next to two ladies, who were at least 70 years old. One looked at my shoes, looked at me with a judgmental "ugh, kids these days" expression, and then leaned over and whispered something to her friend. The friend looked at my shoes, looked at me, and then said back to her friend "Well you used to wear platforms when you were that age!"

And finally, my Keurig coffee maker. You make my mornings possible. Thank you.

30DPC: Day 6

Day 6: A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day. 

 

Getting to live a day in Princess Di's life would have been fascinating. She fulfilled every little girl's dream of becoming a princess, and I imagine the not-so-glamorous details of life in the Royal family would be very interesting. She was a true philanthropist and served the World's people next to amazing women like Mother Teresa. That alone must have made the treacherous side of life in the palace worth it. Also, we can't ignore the fact that she wore the most amazing clothing and jewelry, and was one of the classiest women to ever grace the Earth. So yes, walking a day in her fabulous shoes? Sign me up!

30DPC: Day 5

Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory.

I have too many awesome memories to pick one all-time favorite. Getting to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World was a pretty fantastic day though. Luke came to visit me while I was living in India, and we took a vacation up North...one of our stops was the Taj Mahal! It's so much bigger than I could have ever imagined. I know people don't usually think of India as a vacation destination, but if you get a chance - GO!

30DPC: Day 4

Day 4: A picture of your night.

Obviously, my night right now is a little darker and snowier than this photo, but this picture I took last summer is what my nights look like when it's warm out. I am definitely looking forward to some more warm and sunny evenings on the lake, when it stays light out until after 9:00PM!

30 Day Photo Challenge (Hereafter referred to as "30DPC"): Day 3

Day 3: A picture of the cast from your favorite show.

I had never seen an episode of Lost until this summer. Once I started, I was hooked. I watched all 6 seasons in one year, and if I didn't feel guilty about wasting that many hours of my life, I might watch it again! Brilliant writing! Crazy, but brilliant nonetheless.

Even though Lost holds the title for all-time favorite, my current favorite show is Mad Men. Luke thought that my feminist tendencies would make me hate this show...instead, I sit there watching it with my mouth gaping open and wondering if I'm believing my eyes. (Not really, but in my head that's how I feel) There are absolutely no subtleties to the sexism, racism, chain smoking, UN-eco friendly behavior, and politics that pervade each episode, but that's what makes it so captivating! Do I really care about how promiscuous Don Draper is? Not really (although he is very easy on the eyes). It's the fact that this kind of behavior was not only overlooked, but acceptable in 1960! I wasn't alive in 1960, but I feel like they do a frighteningly good job at recreating life in that decade. Oh...and the fashion is just superb.

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 2

Day 2: A picture of you and the person you have been close with for the longest. 

Showchoir Faces!

I became close friends with Sarah (on left) in Jr. High, when our school burned down and our mothers took charge of parent fundraising efforts. Yep - some idiot(s) really set our school on fire, starting with the band room, which reduced my flute to a puddle of melted silver about the size of a half dollar. That was in 1999, and 12 years later... we are still best friends. Beth (on right) I actually knew in elementary school, but became much closer with in high school thanks to our awesome theater program (Shout to Janet!).  To this day, Sarah, Beth, friends Carrie and Ben who are not pictured, and myself are still very close. We all reunite every time we're home for the holidays, and sometimes in between!

The 30 Day Photo Challenge: And So it Begins

I saw this challenge online with a different photo assignment for each day, and I decided it would be a fun pseudo-scrapbook...so let's do it!

Day 1: A picture of yourself with fifteen facts

1. This may sound cliche, but I have a serious chocolate and shoe addiction. It's a problem.
2. My favorite color is red.
3. I used to speak Japanese when I was really young, and I'd like to learn it again.
4. I have lived in 3 countries, traveled to 9 countries, and I am nowhere near done! 
5. Instruments I have learned at some point in life: piano, violin, flute, piccolo, voice.
6. I am always cold. 
7. The chore I detest the most is cleaning food out of the sink drains/strainers. Yuck.
8. I used to only like white wine, and now I rarely prefer white over red. 
9. I like hand-written Thank You cards (both sending and receiving!) 
10. My favorite meal is sushi, but I also love aged cheeses...lots and lots of cheese. 
11. Luke's med school friends gave us a nickname to refer to both of us at once: "Woochie."
12. No matter how many times I watch this Panda video, it makes me laugh (you have to have the audio on).
13. If I had a nickel for every time someone said "she's so little I just want to put her in my pocket!" (or something to that effect), I would be a very rich woman. 
14. Christmas is my favorite holiday, but Summer is my favorite season.
15. Luke taught me how to golf last year!

Jack of all Trades, Master of None

You all know by now how I spend my mornings, and sometimes evenings and weekends (working at the Symphony)...but how do I spend my afternoons? At my second awesome job!

I am also the Music Department Coordinator for a nearby private college, which has proven to be great thus far! This college reminds me a little of my alma mater, Miami University. It's a liberal arts school with a beautiful campus, lots of brick, and a fairly affluent student body. One of the things I love about this school...almost every student studies abroad! They strongly encourage and build in study abroad opportunities (all over the World) into the 4 year college experience.

A lot of the symphony members and personnel also teach at this institution, so I'm quickly getting familiar with the circle of musicians and arts administrators in this community. My job here consists of event planning, marketing and PR, and management of 20 fantastic students. These kids are A-Mazing when it comes to graphic design, computer and web programming, and things that I thought I was pretty up-to-date on; but compared to them I may as well be the old lady who doesn't even know what text messaging or email is.

Between this job and the symphony, my calendar is becoming packed with concerts and receptions - and I love it!

New Addition to the (extended) Family!

Luke is an uncle again! And he keeps insisting that I'm an aunt now...but there's no ring on my finger, so for now I'll just be the weird lady Uncle Luke keeps bringing around to family gatherings ;o)

I'm assuming most of you reading this already know who Luke is, but for those who may not, here's a proper introduction:

Luke is the wonderful guy I get to come home to every day. We've been dating for over 3 years, and we both went to Miami University for undergrad, but didn't actually meet until we both graduated. We did the long-distance thing off and on while I lived in India, went to grad school in Chicago, and took a teaching job in Ohio...but I can happily say we are now done with long-distance!

Luke is currently in his 3rd year of an orthopedic surgery residency (only 2 more years to go!), and we share a house with our 2 year old yellow lab, Sheely. Having a house is an entirely new adventure in itself, but luckily Luke was born with an "I-can-fix-anything" gene, and has proven to be quite the handyman. Together (and by together, I mean I hand him the tools and carry lumber/stones around while he does the rest) we've built a new stone wall in our front lawn and a new deck in the back yard. He's also built a stone fire pit, a dog house, a shoe rack for my closet (he knows the way to a woman's heart), and a poker table that seats 12. We've been debating over whether or not to finish the basement, so that said poker table does not have to inhabit our living room for days at a time. But I digress...

Back to the point of this post...new baby! Luke already has a 3 year old nephew who is currently trying to make sense of the world, and always manages to say something hilarious in the process. This nephew is now big brother to the new nephew, who was born just over a week ago! Luke's sister and brother-in-law are pictured below as well:

Luke has a very large family, so new babies are par for the course for them. I, on the other hand, have a very small family and have not had a baby in the family since 1989 when my little brother was born. So for the time being, babies are fairly novel and exciting to me! They're so little and cute!

Shout out for Opera

Another example of why I'm in love with my job:

Yesterday, a few gracious donors from the symphony community made it possible for us to have a leading opera singer, Angela Brown (who is performing in tonight's Verdi Requiem with the Symphony - cannot wait to see it!), put on a program for our local high school.

This program is entitled "Opera from a Sistah's Point of View," and it is...hilarious. She opens the performance with an aria, and then immediately reverts to her colloquial midwest-diva mannerisms and basically presents opera in the form of stand-up comedy. Her synopsis of one of her operas included a phrase like "Well, he went up to this chick and said- 'Gurl, I wanna get wich you. You so puuurty, and I wanna make you my boo..." By the time she had everyone rolling on the ground with laughter, she would step back to the piano, get into character, and bust out another amazingly refined and poignant aria with perfect diction and musicality. Genius!

The kids loved it, the teachers loved it, the donors and symphony board members loved it...What a fantastic way to make opera accessible to everyone.

Here's a little clip about it from CNN...unfortunately they don't show many of the funny parts in the program, but you still get the idea. The interview at the end is particularly entertaining:

Small but Feisty

I've wanted to go to a firing range for quite some time now, but in reality, guns seriously scare me. It would be so easy to accidentally shoot someone! Or yourself!

I finally got the opportunity to go, so I put on some highly fashionable safety glasses and shooting range ear muffs, and gave it a shot (pun intended).  It took a few minutes to get used to the incredibly loud popping noise of the gunshots - especially since there were several other people shooting in other lanes. After about five minutes I finally stopped jumping and closing my eyes at the sound of each gunfire.

I let Luke and his dad take care of filling the clips and loading the guns - I do not trust myself to do that successfully. I shot a pistol and two semi-automatic hand guns, and let me just say...when cops on TV shoot guns with only one hand while running and talking on a walkie-talkie...there is no way that can be physically possible. I had to hold on as tight as I could because of the kick-back.

Although I had no idea what I was doing, I managed to hit a bulls-eye! I was pretty proud of my first shooting range experience.

Do I want to go out and buy a gun now? No way. It was fun, but still scary.

10 Reasons Why I Love my New Job at the Symphony:

10. I work in a beautiful modern building downtown, right between all the great restaurants and boutiques.
9. All the streets and sidewalks in this downtown area are heated - no walking or driving in snow!
8. My office is a 2 minute walk from the public library - so I go to the library much more now.
7. There seems to be an abundance of food in our office. This may prove to also be a reason to dislike my job ;)
6. My office shares a building with most of the other Arts organizations in the community. Great people to share a building with!
5. The co-workers in my office are wonderfully friendly and welcoming. They make coming to work everyday so easy!
4. I get free symphony tickets to all the performances! 
3.  I am always working on multiple programs and projects simultaneously...time flies and I never get bored.
2. I get to travel to schools and out into the community to share our programs.
1. I am doing something that I LOVE: music, education, arts administration.

Adulthood: The True Test

I hosted my first Christmas! For the first time, I made the Christmas Eve spread, I stuffed the stockings, and I cooked Christmas dinner!

Our cozy living room and Christmas tree

Sheely loves the fireplace

Usually Luke and I spend Christmas in Ohio with our families, but this year Luke was on-call Christmas day, so my parents and brother (and the 2 dogs) offered to come up to Michigan to celebrate with us, so that I didn't have to abandon Luke. We spent the holidays watching movies, playing board games, playing Xbox kinect games, lounging around, eating, drinking, and being merry.

Little brother and Jeni (one of the parents' dog)

 This year's Christmas dinner included:

-An oven roasted Prime Rib with au jus...a little crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside. Perfection. It took a few hours to roast, and required a lot of babysitting and basting with beef stock, but it was worth every minute. 

 -Four cheese macaroni...Asiago, Goat cheese, aged White Cheddar, and Parmesan. Made with lots of love, bacon, onion, and whipping cream. Success. 

-French onion mashed potatoes...what's not to love about potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, and Lipton's French onion packets? 

-Green bean casserole...a holiday classic.

-Corn pudding...Mom made it. Her recipe is deliciously creamy with a crispy layer of cinnamon sugar on top. Yum. 

-Fresh baked crescent rolls

-And, of course, cranberry sauce. I never really understood this part of holiday meals. Never been a fan. 

For dessert:

- Cheesecake, Rum cake, and Pecan pie...all baked by Mom. Now, I know Rum cake sounds gross (and probably reminds you of the atrocity that is fruitcake), but it's not even close. It's delicious.

 Unfortunately, after spending hours in the kitchen (now I know why Mom was always so tired by the time we sat down to eat) and being really hungry by the time it was all done, we sat down and ate it all before I remembered to capture my successful meal on camera. Sad. I did, however, remember to capture our Christmas Eve spread before we devoured that. 

Crackers, aged cheeses, sausage, cheese ball, shrimp cocktail, bruschetta dip, candied almonds, fruit, deviled eggs, cookies, and wine (calories don't exist during the holidays).

Hosting Christmas was a lot of fun, and I'm still surprised that I pulled off dinner without burning the house down!

Quarter-Life Discovery

New year. New blog. New road.

Anyone who knows me knows how passionate and dedicated I am to academia. It has been my plan for several years now to pursue graduate study and become a college music professor. I even got a taste of it by taking an adjunct professor position for a semester. After many years of preparation, hard work, sleepless nights, and hours and hours of writing...I got what I wished for. I completed my Master's degree, and I was in a well-reputed doctoral program on a full ride fellowship. How could I not be happy?

Well, I wasn't. For many many reasons. Some personal reasons, some political reasons, some fundamental reasons, and in the end...I realized that these reasons weren't going to just disappear in 7 years when I graduated and found a job at some university. In fact, these reasons would probably just be more prevalent, and I would not be making nearly enough money to make it worth the trouble (Ah, life in the Humanities).

After a semester of misery and some serious reflection and soul searching, I realized that what I loved about music, ethnomusicology, and academia was not being holed up in the library for days writing research papers (although part of me does actually enjoy that), but instead, it was sharing music and culture with others. Getting out into the community and making a difference in students' lives. I realized I didn't need a PhD to do this, and I certainly didn't need to suffer through 7 years of torture to do this.


Of course, I still love to learn new things, and the idea of being a life-long learner and challenging myself to think and grow still excites me very much. So I don't know if "burned out" is the right way to describe how I felt. More like "fed up." I knew that little-old-me was not going to change academia as we know it, so I made one of the scariest decisions of my life. Like so scary that I am still sitting here hoping I did the right thing (Right now, I think I did. Ask me again 20 years from now.) I shared my frustrations with the department chair and dean, and with many other friends and colleagues who provided guidance along the way, and then I withdrew from the university. Sianara PhD. See ya later fellowship. Peace out friends and colleagues.

2010 was by far the most stressful year of my 25 years of life. I'm only in my mid-twenties and I've already encountered a "life crisis" and career change. Everything I had planned and worked for in my life was now for nothing (or so it felt), and I had no idea what I was going to do. Although this decision has added many wrinkles and gray hairs that are just waiting to appear, it has also been one of the most freeing decisions of my life. I can whole-heartedly say that I am happier than I have been in years. Not having the massive pressure of graduate school upon me is almost rejuvenating. Now, when interviewers ask where I see myself in 10 years...I am not sure I know the answer, and I'm really okay with that.

In the very short time since leaving the university, I have been blessed with an amazing new job in Arts administration, working in the education department for a symphony. During a time when jobs are impossible to come by, I managed to get one that allows me to work with the two things I love the most: music and education. I really couldn't be any luckier, or more grateful.

Now, instead of watching my Twenties slip away in the chaos of graduate study, I am embracing them to the fullest, and enjoying every moment of it! I am very optimistic that this year will be far better than last year, and I can't wait to see what's in store!