Life's Questions, Answered

Q: How do you know that you are way too busy, and too short on cash to afford an extensive wardrobe?
A: You find yourself washing out the armpits of clothes you've already worn, in order to look decent (and smell okay) for an important interview.

Q: What's a surefire way to have a boyfriend you never see, the pleasure of paying deliquent bills that you've never heard about, and the joy of making 11th hour pleas with the internet company?
A: Cohab with a musician! (Especially one paying far too much money for a conservatory education.)

Q: What's one way to tell that you're spending too much time on your commute, working too many jobs, and spending too much time away from home?
A: Your cat meows ceaselessly whenever you're home, interrupting much needed sleep in the mornings.

There you have it. Any more questions?

Not So Much

...to use a phrase coined and oft spoken by our college buddy, FP.

Yeah. That "short commitment" I mentioned? Didn't happen. At least, not the "short" part.

I made it to the call time for my first concert as a freelancer only by the mercy of the Long Island Railroad, which, as it turns out, takes you from Woodside to Penn Station in less than 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, I received a text message from a friend of mine who attends MSM letting me know about a composition recital she was putting on.

I decided to be a supportive friend, despite the small bind this put me in-- there were 2.5 hours between the concert and the performance but nowhere to go! Seriously, every single Starbucks on Broadway was stuffed to the gills. So I walked around. For an hour. In the cold. With a horn on my back.

Not the wisest decision, I'll grant you that. In retrospect, maybe I should have braved the Starbucks. I did, however, eat some well-deserved comfort food in Tom's Diner, which is famous both as the external view of the diner in Seinfeld, and in the Suzanne Vega tune "Tom's Diner."

I've arrived home, completely exhausted, 7.5 hours later. And thus, with my current achy back and tiredness, I start another week in my new and way-too-busy life in NYC.

Livin' It Up in NYC

My mother came to visit, hence my minor vacation from blogging.

I love having my mother visit. Not only is she good company who likes to adventure around the city (often taking me to places I've not been), but she also pays for all of my meals. I've not been so satisfied, culinarally speaking, in a while.

Yesterday we visited a Librarian friend of my mother's at McGraw-Hill Publishing. We ventured to the 48th floor of a high rise building and found ourselves in high-class business surroundings. I think we were one floor below all the VIPs-- as indicated by the spiral staircase in the lobby and the incredible view of the city.

We bought tickets for a show in the evening. We saw "Spelling Bee" which was quite funny and very well-done. I was impressed by the pit. They managed such a full accompaniment with just four musicians-- a pianist, a cellist, a drummer and a woodwind tripler (sax, flute and clarinet).

And, of course, we had a wonderful meal at a Mexican restaurant. I love Mexican food. It's so filling and delicious.

Tomorrow is a "day off" for me-- but not quite since I have a concert in the afternoon. It will be good to have a short committment, as I've been away from home most of this week and I think my kitty cat is going crazy.

Something to Ponder

"The secret of health for mind and body is not to mourn the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in present moment wisely and earnestly" --Buddha

A Better, Happier Blog

Since I began blogging, way back in the year 2000, I've thought quite a bit about how to write purposeful yet entertaining posts. As a blogger, I make a commitment to creating interesting and satisfying material for anyone who happens to read my blog.

I myself find that I gravitate toward blogs with variety and readability. I admit that, if I come across a blog with huge paragraphs and long entries, I am much less likely to take the time to read it. One could chalk this up to the current state of our media, in which shorter is better due to our decreasing attention spans. Or perhaps it's just that I find sifting through large chunks of verbal information on the screen hurts my eyes.

In addition to external concerns, I find that it is very mentally stimulating to write creatively, with different styles and formats. Practice, after all, is the only way to become a more flexible writer.

In keeping with these thoughts, I developed a list of techniques that I've seen other bloggers utilize:

1. The List Format: This could mean typing a top-ten or -five list (Top Five Most Memorable Concerts, for example), or simply making bullet points about your experiences/impressions of any given topic.

2. Open letters between friends, or acquaintences: Great for offering a "voyeuristic" vantage point. After all, this is what attracts people to blogs in the first place.

3. Guest bloggers. This is, needless to say, a great change of scenery if you have a blog that's updated by a single person, or an unchanging group.

4. Weekly Features: The Friday Five (http://www.friday5.org/), for example, is a meme in which a community of bloggers would post the answers to five questions as posted each Friday. Regular features can, of course, be of the writer's invention as well.

5. The Interview: A typical question and answer format, either real or imaginary.

6. The Time-Line: A minute-by-minute (or day-by-day) log off a particular event.

7. Letters to inanimate objects or unknown persons: This example gives great insight into the opinions of the writer. See prevoious entry.

8. The Before and After Breakdown: This is a general breakdown of a change of events, with two points fixed in time.

9. The Photo-Essay: Simply put, a more or less wordless entry that tells details through pictures.

10. "Interactive Blogging": Works only if your blog has a steady following with guests who tend to voice their opinions. Examples would include asking a general question in which viewers would leave comments with answers, or even taking a poll.

Ode to Mass Transportation

Dear 7-Train:

Ours is a relationship of dependancy. I need you to get to Manhattan, and you need my money (along with every other Queens resident) in order to survive. I'm glad that we benefit each other in a mutual way-- as you may know, not all relationships are based on such equality.

But I need to let you know, 7 (can I call you that, for short?), that I am slightly miffed at you. Why do you shut down at such inopportune moments? Why leave me stranded at Times Square so late on a Friday night? Don't you know that it would be much more convenient for me, if you showed some consistancy? Or at least warned me in advance that I would need to make so many transfers to get home? Or that my commute will sometimes be twice as long?

Since as of yet, I cannot move to an area with another train, you will have to do. I will continue to hope for better days for us ahead, and that our relationship will eventually heal. It will take some time, but all will eventually be well.

Take care of yourself,
Day

11377

That's my zip code, by the way. I love it, all those odd numbers, several combinations of which are prime.

This zip code is notably far away from 10011 (Union Square) or 10023 (Lincoln Center). At times, this distance is a huge pain in the ass.

Take, for example the typical commute when coming from the Upper West Side: 1 hour.

Then add the commute when the 7-line between Times Square and Queensboro Plaza is under construction: 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Then consider the distance (measured, in this case, by time) from the middle of Brooklyn: 2 hours

Despite my growing dislike of the afore-mentioned 7-line and the seemingly interminable commute, I am starting to genuinely like where I live.

Queens county, as I may have mentioned before, is the single most diverse county in the entire country. Only a third of the general population is caucasian. In case you're wondering, Hispanics make up another third, and people of asian descent make up the remaining portion. Oh, and there are a few Indian people in there as well.

This makes for an interesting mix of people. For awhile, I though I was the only white girl who lived in a 2-block radius. But now, after I've lived here for 2 months and one week, I realize that that is not the case at all. And even if it were, I really don't have anything to fear.

I love the peaceful coexistance of different cultural backgrounds. Even though some can't speak a common language, there is very little violence or discrimination going on around here. This helps me to realize that racism really does come from zooming out on entire demographics, and that's not right. When you get closer, it becomes more and more clear that individuals are what make up a race, and no one is truly evil at heart just because of their skin color. I knew this, before, but only becuase I was told. It helps to see for myself, to look at the other side of things. Because I grew up around white people, and for my whole life, I've been surrounded by them and their sometimes closet racism.

I also love the little businesses that crop up on the main drag, underneath the subway railway. I am happy to partonize the Irish bar, and I like that I can buy an egg and cheese breakfast sandwich for cheaper than at the Dunkin' Donuts at the narrowist bakery I've ever seen, which is owned by Latinos. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to contribute actively to someone's idea of the American Dream, for which they've obviously worked hard.

Although I certainly wished I lived closer, I will always remember my time here, in the center of Queens, with a certain fondness. I came here, after all, to break down some of the barriers in my thinking, and I think living here has helped me to do so.

Feeling Uninspired

I wish I had stories to tell but I don't. But here is a brief update:

I started my internship, and it seems like it will be a really good, positive experience.

I still hate my job, even minus the slave-labor admin assistant part. I will quit tomorrow. I am putting this in writing so I won't back out. I am done with all of it. And, no, I don't have anything else lined up. But I also don't care at this point. I'll start an eBay project this weekend.

I miss my horn. I wish I knew how to get into playing alot again. I've been practicing, but I miss playing with others. I need to get my s*** together and start that brass quintet like I intended.

Also, I need to find an extra $200 a month for lessons. This must happen, as soon as possible!

I also miss J. His schedule at school gets really crazy when he has orchestra concerts, and I hardly see him. This has the unintended side effect that we have no time to pick our goceries up, since I have deemed it a two person job.

Overall, I am staying positive though. One thing that I am more sure of than ever before is that I belong in music somewhere. I'm not sure where or how yet-- whether that be intense work toward a freelance career, taking several auditions for doctoral school, or delving into arts administration. But at least the options are narrowed. At least I can firmly close the door on several hundred other career choices.

Well, good. That was more of an update than I though I had in me.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Hurray, 25 years old today.

No big plans for today (see post on October 1 for more details on that), although I am currently choosing a new restaurant to patronize this evening.

I'm scratching the nose-piercing plans though. As much as I want to do something new and interesting, I also don't feel like learning to NOT touch parts of my face. I constantly have little tingles in my nose, and I don't want to suffer through learning to ignore them rather than actively doing something about it.

I still feel like doing something to celebrate. I'll put more thought into that and get back to you.

A Multi-Faceted Blog Update

News Item Number One: The 25th Birthday Countdown is currently at one day. I am highly excited, not only because it's my birthday, but because I'll be turning 25! For me, this is a very auspicious number. I wrote a post years ago about how much I love the number 5, so I think I'm going to LOVE being 25, as silly as that sounds. But, 25 is 5 times 5, which means it's 5 squared. That's so awesome. It's very rare that we get to be a square number!

News Item Number Two: While cleaning scum off of display fountains that had been removed sans a good scrubbing at work the other day (which apparently is a recipe for longing for jobs of yore) I decided to ask the cafe manager if he was hiring for the cafe. He urged me to speak my mind with my current managers, and also spoke with them about the situation. Henceforth, I am no longer anyone's "admin assistant" which has come to me to mean general maid and personal assistant for mundane tasks. I am contented for now. I intend to eventually use this experience to work at another bookstore, hopefully with a feminist persuasion. For now, my schedule couldn't be better and I don't have to clean or organize for that girl EVER AGAIN.

News Item Number Three: Today I had quite possibly the most fun at the laundromat ever in the history of, well, laundromats. A six-year-old kid named Jose showed up and threw a toy car at me, which turned into all out play time. It was awesome. We raced his cars (he always gave me the slow one, of course) and made general mayhem at the laundromat. When I left, he asked me when I was going to be back. I told him October 29th, so he asked his mom if they could come then too. It was very charming.

News Item Number Four: I think I'm going to get my nose pierced tomorrow. Or maybe my left eyebrow, again. Although that's already been done. I'm trying not to worry about what the people I'm interning for will think. After all, this isn't school anymore, though it is a "professional" situation. As always, I am on the fence, but I'm going to go to the recommended tattooery in New York and see if I need to get the hoop, and if perhaps I can purchase an inconspicous nosering. So we'll see.

Assignment

Rent, buy, or download and watch this movie. You won't be sorry!

In Which I Both Rule And Suck

Notice that I am at home right now. This was supposed to be my first day interning, but I am not there, hence the "suck" part.

I've had this lingering v2.0 cold-that's-going-around and it kept me awake for 2 consecutive nights. Between the two of them, I managed to obtain a nap-like amount of sleep. Now, sleepless nights are definitely something I can handle and even do okay with, but two in a row renders me completely debilitated. So, I had to email in sick ON MY FIRST DAY and tell them how sorry I am, but I really need to take care of myself right now and I will start next week. Please and thank you.

On one hand, I give myself props for doing what I thought was right for myself. In the past I may have sucked it up and gone, and been a mental wreck all day. But I want to do a good job, starting immediately. So it is, I guess.

But still, what kind of silliness is calling in on the first day??

Okay. On to the AWESOME part.

I went to the most amazing concert ever last night. Plus, it featured my favorite group, who are fast also becoming friends of ours.

This was honestly one of the very best shows that I've seen in my lifetime, completely and thoroughly entertaining and also musically explorative and rewarding. Every piece was something I hadn't heard before (save one, but it's also only 6 months old), and each one was like entering a different world of music--from the revisited Renaissance style, to just about as contemporary as you can imagine, and finally to free improv. And it was all so natural to the performers, and they sounded like the world-class musicians they are on every different genre.

We made the rounds after the concert, having extensive conversations with the quintet members, and were invited to the bar afterward (and no, this is NOT the reason I called it in today!). I had good talks with the composer who was featured on the concert (his "Magnetic North" was absolutely stunningly bizarre), and two of the quintet guys.

Oh, and just to illustrate how geeky I am-- As we were leaving I found out that this guy was at the bar with us, although we weren't introduced and didn't speak. In fact, I didn't notice him until we were leaving. But when I was told who this person was, I freaked out. I already knew I was in the presence of greatness, but I didn't know that I was there with TWO ninja trumpet players!

Also, we got a free CD! And the trombonist called us their "biggest fans!"

It was a wonderful evening. But, most unfortunately, the prelude to a sucky day.

At least I can use this time to find me a new day job.

Predicament

We've been ordering organic produce from these people since we moved in to our apartment. Due to a variety of circumstances (including having our box with a week's worth of produce get stolen from our apartment building, making 3 hour round-trip journeys to pick our order up from the middle of Brooklyn, etc), we decided to order from here instead.

A good decision, I thought. A.) It's on the 7-line, props to that; B.) One can order anything concievable, like our favorite hummus and both organic and non-organic produce; C.) We can pick it up whenever we want, even on our way home, being that it will only take us a short while to make the journey; and D.) They have a pick-up window for drivers. We'll be on foot, but that matters little, or so I thought.

So today I made a pilgrimage to their factory. When I say factory, I mean factory... everyone I saw was wearing coveralls and had this look of complete exhaustion on their faces. It reminded me of 8-mile, except this place was painted in cheerful shades of green and yellow.

When I strolled up to the pick-up desk with my cart in tow, the security guard/pick-up manager (I'm not sure that there's a single title for both) looked at my cart increduously, informing me that we have 5 boxes coming. FIVE BOXES, people.

And so I waited, nervously, wondering how my suddenly small-ish cart was going handle the grocery overload.

After about 10 mintues, the delivery man brought out all 5 boxes on a dolly. He also gave my smaller-by-the-moment cart a second glance, set the packages on the counter and left to deliver groceries to a more sensible person with a car.

After these two men and I opened all five boxes and crammed everything into two, I was on my way, one box sitting on it's end in my cart, another perched on top of the cart, and my fragile eggs in a plastic bag hanging on my wrist.

Moving about this way wasn't a terribly big issue until I came across obstacle No. 1: The stairs down to the subway platform. So, one by one I went, until a friendly looking man in a shirt that matched the logo on my boxes help me down two flights of stairs. Obstacle No. 2 was getting my heavy cart through the service entrance and onto the subway. After which, I rode in a crowded train whilst taking up the space meant for three my-sized people. Finally, I had to navigate OFF the train, through the accumulated crowd and off the platform.

It was all very, very awkard. I haven't found myself in a predicament so big in quite a while. But I did get a few sympathetic glances from ladies on the train, who have no doubt weathered the horror of bringing baby carriages with them everywhere.

So, lesson learned. Claiming our groceries is definitely a two person job. We're going to need several canvas bags and/or old groceries sacks, so that from now on, we can put the contents of the boxes into the bags immediately, so as not to overflow the cart. Hopefully with these implementations, this chore will not be such an enormous hassle.

What a huge amount of work for some stupid groceries....

The State of Librahood

A perk of my current job is that I am learning more about astrology, in a sort of round-about way, because I'm not actually supposed to read anything. How's that for frustrating situation? More than anything else, I love to read, and for 24-32 hours a week I ring up other people's books, shelve books, reorganize books, and generally look at books all day long. It's like being on a strict diet in an all-you-can eat chocolate cake shop.

In any case, through this and life-long study I've learned alot about what it means to be a Libra. Libras seek balance in their lives on all levels, and weigh decisions very, very carefully before deciding to act. They are also quite charming, and seek to establish harmonious relationships with everyone around them. A key Libra trait is that they are great at initiating, but not so great on follow through.

Libras can also be extremely indecisive and almost afraid of the consequences of their decisions. As a result, they can be prone to changing to adapt their environment, and can be quite gullible, as they find decisiveness to be a trait much admired in other people. Libras also have a habit of self-indulgence and can be overly flirtatious.

I believe it. If I didn't, I wouldn't have a Libra tattoo.

There is much to be wary about. I am very gullible, and tend to take other's word about what is best for me. I'm also good at starting things, but horrible at deciding when and how it needs to end. (I am absolutely CERTAIN that you all know this about me!)

I'm thinking about this now because I want to quit my job so very badly. I don't want to be a part of an organization with such lax ideas about business, and I really don't want to involve myself in a place that proports to be employee-oriented and then slashes hours quicker than you can say "steady employment."

But, because of my typical Libran inability to make decisions out of fear that further unhappiness will ensue, I am at an impasse.

Time for another pro/con list-- another very Libra thing to do.

Pro:
When I am at my desired hours on the schedule, the hours are pretty nice. No early mornings, no late nights.
I like books, regardless of whether or not I am the one reading them.
Working at a bookstore seems a reputable occupation. (Ah ha! and there I go seeking YOUR approval for what I do to make money!)

Cro or Pron (which is to say, somewhere in the middle)
Employees get a 20% discount on things I can't afford to buy anyway.
My semi-intolerable manager, who is, at times, slightly tolerable.

Con:
The hours thing. It's just so disrespectful to have a someone garauntee hours, and the break the deal without second thought. How is my too-expensive New York rent supposed to get paid, exactly?
The state of the management is such that I question the business knowledge of the people in charge. Plus, I find that I like my workplace to have consistancy, instead of, "where did those necessary-and-currently-lost documents go? Did someone in charge rearrange AGAIN without telling anyone where these things went?"
My admin assistant hours are DUMB. I don't do ANYTHING that an actual admin assistant would do, and I supremely dislike the person I answer to in this regard.

So, three pros, two whatevers, and three cons. What's a Libra to do??

Cough, Cough, Wheeze

I have a sore throat and am coughing more than usual. I have the beginnings of a cold.

If anyone's keeping track, and I am if you're not, this is the second time I've been sick in four weeks.

My hypothesis is that, by touching all that money at work and riding on the subways in close proximity and shared air with hundreds of people a day, I have the same cold as I did a few weeks ago. Just the new, muted version of it.

Ah, the joys of city living.

Adding Fuel to the Fire

Just when I thought I had my life all figured out, I recieved a voice mail message from these people asking if I'd still be interested in working for them.

Now they call! After I've already signed on to work an internship with another orchestra.

Well, half of me thinks I should leave well enough alone, pretend they never called, and go about my business. But then, I feel compelled to take an interview to see if I can work it out.

Knowing that I can only take on 2 jobs, I'd have to decide which one of the three would have to go. Here's the breakdown.

Bookstore:
(Pros) I have steady hours, I enjoy SOME of the subject matter, I get to pretend that I'm sometimes an administrative assistant, and I love my coworkers (for the most part).

(Cons) I really dislike my manager, 8 hours on my feet hurts, and it has nothing to do with music, but everything to do with focusing your mind and clearing your brain. I feel that I have a lot to learn, which, as you know, is essential to my happiness.

Internship:
(Pros) I think this will be good experience, regardless of whether or not I decide to take the path of music admin, and will spice up my resume just a touch. Also, I will see Carnegie Hall concerts for free!

(Con) I am poor, yet I will be working for free.

Ushership:
(Pros) Also good experience, free opera! Plus, I would be getting paid.

(Cons) It would be quite irregular, which might fit into my life in the future, but it absolutely doesn't have a place right now (although I can always take an interview and see if there's any such thing as regular work). Either way, though, I'm not a late night person any more, out of necessity.

.....

So that's that. It seems like I'd be making this decision primarily out of financial interest, but being poor is something I've already come to terms with. So, I guess I'll let it go for now, and apply later if it's suitable then. If they'd call me now, then my guess is they'll call me later too.

Thanks for listening, and do throw your two cents in if you think I'm completely off base. (It's been known to happen!)

Hey!

Remember me??

New AND Improved

...in my opinion at least!

A few smallish changes on Day's Adventures... most obviously, I have changed my background color. Other small things that were driving me crazy and had to be changed include the non-pop-up-y comments, as well as the link colors. Now, when you run your mouse over my links, you see the soothing color of the blog title, instead of that horrible green. Plus, visited links are no longer that annoying shade of pink.

How's THAT for progress?

Hello, October!

And thus begins my favorite month of the year, October. Hurray!

To celebrate, I am beginning this year's birthday countdown!

25th brithday: T minus 2 weeks.

To be completely honest, I'm not sure how much fun I'm going to have this year. I've never lived more than 3 hours away from my family, who are the most likely to help me celebrate, and I've not lived here long enough to know anyone who would feel compelled to party it up with me.

But you never can know what to expect. Maybe it will be the best birthday yet!

All this thinking has led me to recall birthdays gone by, so here's a general list of previous birthday goings-on.

24: Took a trip to Chicago with J., had dinner with my family and heard the CSO play Mahler V.

23: Big birthday bash at my fellow horn GA's apartment. Complete with purple invites, purple streamers and a purple birthday cake!

22: Went to Bilbo's pizza with a few other grad students (all of whom were male, oddly enough).

21: Despite the big number, this was my smallest "party" ever. BJK, AFK, and BHornK and I went to Maharaja in Madison and stuffed ourselves silly (at least I did). Very low key because everyone had a cold.

20: A large group of Madisonian friends and I went to Tutto Pasta. Ad hoc plans were made for a party on the 19th, but so many people had other plans that the group was quite eclectic. This party was notable because of the lengthy discussion regarding circumcision(!). Did we play Madlibs on this occassion too? I can't remember.

19: My first birthday in Madison! My family came up to Wisconsin and we drove to Taliesin and then ate at Olive Garden (not my choice). I remember this birthday fondly, as the weather was absolutely perfect, and the trees were such beautiful colors.

18: I forced my boyfriend to pick me up from school, which at this point was Augustana. I was completely happy because at the time I wanted nothing more than to go home.

16: I took the morning off of school to get my driver's license. I wore my favorite sweater. Otherwise, I have not a clue what I did when I turned 16.

15: I had a party at my house, but it was oddly timed due to the evening marching band rehearsal. This was the year of the birthday cookie, and my then-boyfriend gave me a rose.

10: I invited a bunch of my girlfriends to the wave pool, and then we went to Denny's. My mother rented a huge van for the occassion, in order to drive a bunch of girls all around.

8: My parents had a conference in Washington DC that happened to take place during my birthday. My mother ordered a chocolate cake, but somehow there was a mix up and the bakery didn't have it ready. We instead got this German chocolate cake that everyone thought was disgusting, so my sister and I ate the frosting, but not the cake. Otherwise, this was an okay birthday-- I remember getting lots of stuff.

5: I remember this completely differently, but my mother tells me that she rented a bus to pick all of my little school friends to go to the enormous indoor playroom at a McDonalds in a neighboring town. I'm completely confused by this, because I've been convinced ever since that this trip was to celebrate some other kid's birthday... and I guess I'm still a little confused. Strange how memory works, isn't it?

4: I remember wearing a special brithday hat at preschool-- and by "hat" I mean a rolled-up piece of paper covered in glitter. Everyone wore one on their birthday, but it still succeeded in making me feel special.

So that's it for the birthday retrospective. If any of you can remember what I did when I turned 17, I'd appreciate your filling me in!