Heading Out...to Mexico

Merry Christmas to everyone!!! yay!!!

As you may (or may not) have read at my mom's blog...we are having a different kind of Christmas celebration this year. For what seems to be becoming a yearly tradition, I played (along with Alison, Jake + Kara Bancks) for a bilingual midnight mass in Logan Square. Its pretty fun even though its kind of late. This morning we drove down to Chinatown and had "Christmas Lunch" at a Chinese restaurant. The food was very good and then we stopped at Joy Yee's for Mango and Strawberry/Kiwi bubble tea...yum yum...

Then it was in the car and off to Milwaukee (I can feel Heather's presence near me...however I'm sure she is quite busy with the fam on Christmas and I'm seeing her in a week anyways). After some hotel room boredom we braved the ice fields (aka parking lots) and walked over to the movie theater next door to the La Quinta and saw Juno...I kind of loved it, but I don't have much to compare it to in terms of movies this year...I'm confident to say it was my favorite, but I only saw like 3 anyway. Wait, maybe 2.

Our flight leaves at 7am for Puerto Vallarta so the iPhone (yes, thats right, I have an iPhone now!!!! thanks parents + uncle) is set to 4:20am...I guess the airport is very close, so good thing we don't need to get up any earlier than that!!!

Home and Cold

I am back home in Chicago right now. Its 37 degrees right now...which isn't too cold for Chicago, but it is pretty cold for me! The thing that surprises me every time I come home is at night when I brush my teeth, the water is sooooo freezing out of the tap. For some reason in my building in Houston, the water never gets very cold, the coldest it gets is a few degrees under room temperature, which really disturbed me at first, but after a year and a half I got used to it. Now I freeze my mouth whenever I brush my teeth while I'm at home. One benefit is that I don't usually need to put ice in my water. I'm not really sure where that came from. Maybe because I just brushed my teeth.

I really wanted to watch the final disc of Season 2 of Big Love tonight, but my neighborhood Blockbuster didn't have it in! I asked the guy if someone had recently returned it and he said, "Yes! I just saw it!!" and then he went back to get it, and turned around and said, "sorry...its actually something else." I was very sad. I rented Ellie Parker for the 3rd time (I've rented it twice before and never watched it...3rd times the charm right?) I haven't watched it yet...oops.

Stuff

I am going home tomorrow (today?) .... I think things will be very cold in Chicago...but I will only be there for a few days since I will be going to Puerto Vallarta for 10 days!!! yay!!! then right back to Houston (and preparing for my preview!) yikes...I am seriously thinking about doing the Rochester Phil audition...there are three cello openings and it is a month after my recital...what do you guys think? Should I go for it? I already know all the excerpts and would only need to learn one...and I could stay with friends making it pretty cheap...should I go for it?

Updates

Some of you may notice some updates to the right side regions of the blog! An updated link list at the bottom (with all of you old favorites rearing their ugly heads again!) and some new ones for you to enjoy. If you secretly read my blog and have one yourself that isn't listed there, please let me know and I would be happy to add your name to the roster. Also, if I have forgotten you (shame on me) just say the word and your name will appear.

Also, you will notice at the top right, there is a small button labeled "wish-list." By simply clicking, you will be transported to a list of goodies on Amazon that can easily be purchased and shipped right to my door! Please pay particular attention to the more expensive items...it just means you love me more!

List Of Things

When I haven't written in a while its always easier to update with a list! So here you go.

1. Just finished my orchestral repertoire final...it was torture as usual including excerpts from Mahler 5, Brahms 4, Tchaikovsky Serenede for Strings, and Mozart 39...yikes...its over...and I only have one more semester of orch rep to go!!! yay!!!!
2. I need to make a recording now for summer festival audition...that should be exciting...
3. It has been very cold here...and by very cold I mean like 40's and 50's...I do realize that I used to endure much colder temperature than that all the time...but now, to me, this is very cold.
4. I'm going back to Chicago on Friday, then a few days after that, I'll be off to Puerto Vallarta...should be exciting.
5. I played in the Woodlands Symphony last weekend...it was fine, thank you, and the Woodlands (along with all of the Houston suburbs) scare me.
6. Big Love Season 2 is on DVD...so watch it.
7. I guess I don't really have that much to say after all.

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In Case You Were Wondering

I was supposed to play my preview this afternoon...but due to cosmic circumstances Patti (my pianist) came down with the flu or something or other and to my surprise (since most of my recital is solo) Mr. Fischer decided to forgo the whole thing and do it after break! Lucky me I suppose...I am happiest about not having to play the Carter: Enchanted Preludes...that shit is hard...and we sounded kind of heinous...but I don't have to worry about it now!

I'm playing a gig tonight at a church...its actually the same Vaughn Williams: Fantasia on Christmas Carols that we just played in chamber orchestra. That should be fun...I hope. I'm all dressed up in my tux right now! In case you were wonder that is...which you probably weren't.

Classes are over, except orchestral repertoire which seems to go on forever...we had our review class today (even though classes are over) and we have our final next week (even though this week is finals week)...it all kind of confuses me...but I'll just go along with it anyway. I played much better in class today than I should have.

I'm starting to think hard about summer...does anybody have any suggestions...I still have until the 21st to decide about Tanglewood (although I've basically said no...but I still feel like I should go for some reason...aghh!!!) I'm starting to think about just moving to LA right away...but I dunno if I will be able to...but I just kind of want to get things started!!!

Hmmm...

Reminder

A Reminder to all of those in the Houston Area...and those of you within 8000 miles...I will be playing in the Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra tomorrow night (Thursday) at 8pm...the program is:

Stravinsky: Danses Concertantes Saint-Saens: Oratorio de Noel Vaughn Williams: Fantasia on Christmas Carols

The concert is a little bit Christmas heavy for my taste, but it also happens to have a cello solo in every piece! (random I know) so if you are my friend, you should come and support me. Yes, that means you.

The Week in O(h)M(y)T(rill)

Its the end of the semester and things are getting kind of crazy...seriously. My preview is next week...a good 7 weeks before my actual recital...so things are kind of falling into place...well, like one piece...sigh...its gonna be a little bit rough around the edges I think...oh well...I need to go an teach now...

1. Hilary and I are attempting to throw the Carter Enchanted Preludes together in one week. This piece is pretty hard...we are rehearsing basically everyday (even though her boyfriend is in town!) I know that she kind of hates me right now...but I'm really glad we are doing it! Thank you Hilary!
2. I'm playing the Lopez and the Plylar in studio on Tuesday...yikes...and the Popper Requiem with Meta, Chrissy, and Patti!
3. I start my new job at T.H. Rogers on Wednesday (and Friday)...I'm teaching sectionals...yay!
4. Thursday is the Shepherd Chamber Orchestra Concert...Music of Stravnisky, Vaughn Williams, and Saint-Saens...yes, its Christmas Music...but you should come and hear my solo in the Vaughn Williams!
5. Friday is the Symphony Concert...go hear them.
6. I'm judging region band auditions on Saturday...that should be interesting. Very interesting...more on that later.