Memorial Day Fail

Happy Memorial Day, everyone. I guess it's a really happy Memorial Day for the local weatherman who last night showed a picture of people gathering around gravestones in a cemetary, commenting that "this is a picture of people celebrating and doing fun things with their dead relatives."

Here's hoping you all have an inappropriately good day.

Things I've Learned This Year

As I come to the end of another school year, I'm reflecting back on what I've learned. This has been a particularly interesting year, the first with my quartet, in a new state, with new responsibilities. So here are some pearls of wisdom I've come to know...

1. When life feels out of control, paint your toenails. Things seem just a little bit better when your toes are pretty.

2. Don't eat at restaurants which have what they serve in the title. To be honest, I've known this for a long time, but desperation really drove it home on a recent trip.

3. If you can't say anything nice, leave the room. It's okay to take breaks. Especially if there's a threat of physical violence or emotional abuse hanging in the air.

4. The viola rocks. This is obvious, but I thought I'd stick it in here.

5. If you run into someone you haven't seen for a decade, don't assume they're the same person they were 10 years ago. Let people grow up.

6. Accidents are just that. They're not the end of the world.

7. Road trips are not complete without 80's on 8 and 90's on 9. I love me some XM Radio.

8. If you live in the mountains, you may have to shovel a foot of snow off your car in May. Deal with it.

9. Kids have no concept of age. One kid guessed I was 80. One guessed I was 40. Guess which one freaked me out more.

10. My 20+ years of musical training mean nothing to the general population. For them, it's most exciting when I play Coldplay or do sound effects on my viola. This is okay. You never know who is going to take this and run with it. These things won two little boys over to my side recently. They now want to play the viola. It also makes people think I'm cool. Really, I guess this means fake it till you make it.

Cheers! To life lessons!

It's a Month

This was my mid-April to mid-May:

3 flight attendants yelling at me that I can't take my viola on the plane, 2 car accidents, 1 cancelled flight, 4 hours waiting for that cancelled flight, 1 failed competition, 5000 things I need to do, 3 things I have done, 1 bout of food poisoning, 1 boy trouble, 1 beloved dog death, 8 million verbal comments I have filtered in the last month, and 11 large boxes waiting for me to pack and move.

In other news, I ate here. This pretty much sums up South Bend cuisine. Sorry it's sideways, but I appreciated the truth in advertising just waaaay too much.

On the flip side: 2 little boys who want to play the viola after hearing me, 1 little girl who told me I'm pretty like a princess, 3 great colleagues, 2 days before I go home, 1 week spent in Aspen, 2 months to look forward to spending in Aspen, 1 beautiful tree outside my window, 2 new recital dresses for an amazing deal, 1 night of good sleep, and 3 amazing series of books to put things into perspective. The world isn't so bad after all, is it?

I would like to end this post with a note of confidence from one of my favorite fiction writers, L.M. Montgomery: "Isn't it wonderful to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?" Thank you, Ms. Montgomery, for your years devoted to enriching the human soul. You have inspired millions of little girls to use their imaginations, and you have spoiled us for anyone except Gilbert Blythe.