Sunday, December 13, 2009

While this won't get Student Quote of the Year, it does deserve the title of Fun Conversation I Had with a Student the Other Day:

Me: Bach was the most famous Barouqe period composer.
Her: "Bach" sounds like "Spock." WHICH REMINDS ME, have you seen "Star Trek?"
Me: What - you mean the latest movie?
Her: Yes!
Me: I sure have! I've been a Trekkie for years.
Her: That was SUCH a good movie! I love Spock - he's so funny!
Me: (thinking that the actual funny part is that if you've only seen this movie in all of the Star Trek franchise, that might be who you pick for comic relief, and not somebody more in the forefront of funny, like Bones or Scotty.) Yeah, he is funny!
Her: I want to get a vulcan shirt. I've seen them online.
Me: Maybe you should get vulcan ears.
Her: Yeah! Maybe, and a shirt that says "I'm half Vulcan."
***Later, after the lesson is over and we walk outside the room***
Her: (to her Mom) Guess what, Mom! Casey and I are BOTH Trekkies!

My students are the best.

Friday, December 11, 2009

I need to constantly remind myself that I still have a week left of teaching after this week. My brain is on the verge of seriously checking out, telling me that "it is December and nearly VACATION."

While it is indeed December, there's still plenty of work to do. Tomorrow is the kiddo's recital, and while much of my energy is being spent getting them ready for it, perhaps even more is being spent asking whatever weather gods may be listening to not hit us as hard with the freezing rain tonight as predicted. They've worked too hard to get cancelled on.

And next week will be filled with new assignments and lots of inspiring talks about WHY it's important to practice over the holidays and that taking the entire two weeks off would be a very bad idea.

Do you suppose any of my students will take it to heart? More importantly, will I?

I sense a fight brewing in my own head to keep focused for the remaining teaching week. Stay on target...

Thursday, December 10, 2009

And the winner for the best student quote this year...

"It turns out I couldn't find my practice planner because my cat gave birth on it!"

Called the winner a week early, but really, what's gonna beat that?
I am officially sucking at this posting every day thing. There are actually days where I just forget it's something to do.

Not that things aren't happening...

For instance, I have officially turned into a cold wimp. When it hit sub-zero temperatures in Chicago, I bundled myself up and marched on outside to school. Not as if I had a choice, since I didn't have a car, but I was always brave about it.

This week has been below 20 degrees before noon, and it's seriously cramping my style, not to mention making it REALLY hard for me to get outside and go to the gym. It really takes a lot of talking myself into it.

Plus they're forecasting snow this Saturday... that's right, on recital day. And when the snow hits the ground here, it tends to instantaneously turn into ice. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't happen - my kiddos have worked too hard!

Sending us warm thoughts would be wonderful. Meanwhile, I'll keep kicking my students in the butt. Even easier when I've had my exercise...

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Okay, so I didn't post on the 5th, gosh darn it. I guess I'll have to make up for it today with a couple of blog posts.

I know I'll most likely be complaining about the lack of gigs in a couple weeks, but having played my last concert of the year, I've got something infinitely precious: free days!! And today is one of them. I've got big plans, and I hope I can get through them all:

Clean the apartment (this is a pretty big task in itself, making me think I should get on it instead of write about it)
Assemble the tree
Practice stuff I want to practice, and not stuff I have to
Take a stab at making gluten free bagels (this will probably make up my second post today)
Go grocery shopping

The weather here is making it hard to leave the house, which makes me think I should just do it and get it overwith, and spend the rest of the day being domestic-y and warm. Did you know it can stay below 40 degrees for an entire week in Portland? I sure didn't.

Update later as to how I do.

Friday, December 4, 2009

I've decided today to turn the blogosphere outward a bit... I need some advice. This is the first year T and I are hosting the Christmas season at our house, and because we've never had such a great place to plant ourselves, we are sorely at a loss for Christmas decorations. I am going to be the recipient of a plastic tree, courtesy of my violin friend who is making the big step up to a big tree this year. So now we are charged with stringing it with lights.


Here are the traditional ones... when I was a kid, I knew no other Christmas lights. Generous size, multi-colored, and the ultimate example of "festive."


Now these are a little more classic... these represent a clean, pristine holiday season, and have always been presented in my mind as wrapped around the trees of those who really have their life together. I'm not saying I'm part of that group, but I have no problem perpetuating the illusion.


These are always nostalgic. And probably necessary if I wanted to feel like it was Christmas in, say... 1992. I'm sure that was a good year.

But, ooooooh...


We may have a winner.

M&M's, by the way? Gluten free. :)

Thursday, December 3, 2009

I could post today about how much money sucks. About how much I suck with money sometimes, about how other people suck with money, and about how our success is inevitably measured by money. I'm at a place where I have it... just enough, anyway to give it away to utility companies, credit cards, and student loan corporations. But I'm also at a place where if others default on it, I tend to be in big trouble. So I could continue this post about the gig I played the first week of November which I have yet to be paid for, and how the date which we will be payed has not yet been nailed down.

But I won't - there are plenty of happier subjects at hand:

I work with very smart people and get to collaborate every day with their talent.
I have figured out how to cook for myself and my very finicky stomach.
I have an amazing family, two members of whom I get to see in 22 days.
My husband? Just plain cool.

Sometimes you need a few more good thoughts to outweigh the frustrating ones.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Turkey Pho

I was somewhere in my education at UNC when my dear friend Stacey approached me and told me I had to, HAD TO try pho. We drove into the Vietnamese section of Denver (yes, non-Denverites, there is one) and marched into the pho restaurant Stacey had recommended. I fell in love, and gotten it several times since, until...

DUN DUN DAAAAAAAAH... CELIAC DISEASE!

The main ingredient in this delicious noodle soup is broth, and broth can be tricky. Depending on how it's made, barley can sneak in at every corner, and authentic pho restaurants (with the best pho) are run by authentic Vietnamese people, and the language barrier can sometimes make it difficult to explain your condition. Luckily, my mother got me a subscription to Cooking Light long ago, and I dug out an old issue that has plenty of ideas of what to do with your leftover turkey. (Turns out an 11-pound turkey for three people creates lots of leftover meat.) There it is, smack on page 250: turkey pho!

After a search around Tigard for star anise (thank you, Whole Foods), I was able to find everything in the recipe. Last night I enjoyed my first batch of homemade pho. Appropriately burning my mouth after just the right amount of sriacha being added.

My sister suggested I could market this newly activated domestic gene I've suddenly developed. Become a gluten-free, dairy-free Martha Stewart. I would love to give it a shot, but it seems there are a few people who already may have this market cornered. Delve into anything in the gluten-free girl's blog (link to the right) and you'll see there are so many amazing people who have paved the way for me to live normally.

I have never savored leftovers so much in my life. I hope this is a continuing trend.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

NaBloPoMo Take 1

Inspired for the past few years by my One Brick Shy friend you see in the links on the right, I have decided to give NaBloPoMo a shot. That's National Blog Posting Month. I figured December was a good enough month for reflection and currently unknown chaos that's sure to ensue, so here I go.




Today, after a half-hour drive, a small parking fee and a fairly large card charge, I am officially walking around today feeling like I look GOOD. I got my hair trimmed to the bob I've been rocking for the past few months, and finally managed to add some highlights. I was a little nervous when my stylist suggested "golden" highlights... I've had blonder hair coloring before, and it tended to wash out my face. But Angela has never steered me wrong, so I relinquished all control. She brought out not one, but three different hues to put in foils in my hair. It's subtle, but lightens up my color and gives my face a wonderfully bright look. Now I can start December feeling hot.

And that is all... I'm hoping for less superficial vibes for the next few weeks! Thoughts about the hair would be welcome.