Dear Citizens of California:

Have you ever thought of this?

California is a heartbeat away from declaring bankruptcy. (Heard it on PRI's "Marketplace," please don't try to deny it.)

Weddings are a multi-million (if not multi-billion) dollar industry. That's money going in to venues, food vendors, fancy attire, florists.... you get the idea.

So, yeah, citizens of California. Make it so that the thousands of couples in your state who actually want to get married and pour all this money back in to your economy CAN'T. That seems reasonable.

Californians are EXTREMELY proud of their state. (This is not a fact I heard on "Marketplace," but I don't know anyone, Californian or not, who would disagree with me.) I'm just suggesting the people who are squeamish about gay marriage take one for the team.

Could the Supreme Court, by the way, have chosen a more "try-to-please-everyone" judgement? You can't say that some people are more equal than others. That's not your job.

Thanks for listening. And stop being so stubborn when there's an answer to your financial troubles right in front of your face.

It's bizarre what a difference seven years can make. When I was 19, I remember going across the street to my friends' apartments, getting happy with some drinks, and the next morning curing the oncoming hangover with some scrambled eggs. I was good to go.

I got quite a bit happy last night, and had tons of fun in the process. Of course, today, my stamina is quite low. I just want to go back to bed. This will require some energy of sugary sodas to get me through. That's a medication I normally reserve for migraines. Is there any relation?

I have noticed that there is no sign of a headache... that in itself will make my day much easier. :)

I'm feeling a little silly posting something like this - it tends to have a little too much overdramatacism attached to it, and I've heard so many comments of "You're so young! Don't WORRY about it!"

I have reached what I think is as close as I'll get to a crossroads in my career path. And it's been a long time coming - my professor in undergrad told me that I seem to be interested in what appears to be a musical buffet, and I can't decide on my main entree. I could teach, I could be in an orchestra, I could play chamber music, I could research. BUT, as it turns out, I can't successfully do all these things. And this bums me out, because I would really like to.

For a few months (which is probably not nearly enough time) I focused sincerely on orchestra auditions. And then it hit me that at the moment, teaching my kiddos is the most rewarding part of my day. I thought "I'll go get a doctorate," and then I could teach in the college system somewhere. But is that actually what I want? Or should I keep pushing ahead with the students I have, trying to get them ready for bigger auditions and better positions? (It may not surprise you to learn that I've grown quite attached to them.) Of course, this also precludes my desire for educational outreach a little bit. Researching and practicing pieces on a theme and then performing a set of lecture recitals sounds absolutely dreamy to me.

It's frustrating as well, because with all my wedding planning (which I'm also enjoying!) I have a mighty full brain. It's close to max capacity, and I think after the wedding, I'll have oodles of free brain space to fill. And yes, I realize I'm mildly comparing my brain to a computer hard drive. It's not an unreasonable analogy.