Fair Part Two: The Awkward Years

Concert, Fair, Still Have a New Nephew!

The concert was really great last night!! Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova, and the Frames played together, and Iron and Wine opened for them.

Glen said he really enjoyed our crowd, especially our singing, and I think responded well by playing many of the songs requested- some not even his (i.e. Cry Me a River by Justin Timberlake) and pretty much all of the songs from the soundtrack to Once. Yay!!! So good!!
No picture because it was too dark... but here are some fun ones from the fair on Saturday!

On the way to the fair!!!!

Howdy Folks!!
Big Tex says hello.




I found my new car!







Got my cotton candy fix.....



















Rockin' out in the aviators. Think I'm gonna have to go back and get those.

















I got a free hat for filling out a survey about chevy. They asked if I was 18.




Tex says "See you next year!!!!!" A pretty good time was had by all!!

Welcome Owen!!!!!

http://stevensandjenny.blogspot.com/

Happy Monday! (It's Baby Day!!!)

My sister is having a baby. RIGHT NOW !!!!!
I want to be in Milwaukee....

Road Trip!!


Tonight I'm going to see Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova with Brad and Shannon!!!!! It is gonna be amazing! Not as amazing as the miracle of birth, I'm sure, but I'm pretty excited about it.

Hopefully I'll have some pictures to put up tomorrow of the concert, as well as some of the Texas State Fair adventure that we had on Saturday.


Oh yeah... I had a terrifying car experience yesterday- my car totally freaked out and the accelerator was stuck down- even while I was trying to brake. I...um....it was scary. Turn her back on , and she just revs right up. Whaat? Brad, Johnny and Sharon all came to my rescue. It was quite the caravan. Luckily I had made it off of the highway and onto an access road before I completely lost control.

I feel like Scarlet O'Honda betrayed me, I'm not sure how I'm going to feel driving her, assuming everything gets all fixed up.

Ok. So there is a lot going on. Baby, car, fair, concert. Busy busy!

So there I was, driving along in a pretty ordinary neighborhood in the suburbs of Fort Worth, when out of the corner of my eye, I spotted it. It, of course, being an almost life-size giraffe in someone's front yard. I was already half way down the street when it registered...and I had to back up and take a picture. People are so freakin' weird. It's great. Yes, You will probably need to click on the picture to get the bigger view.

I'm like that rat in Charlotte's Web that doesn't know when to stop.

I'll say this, I'm not messin' around when it comes to pizza buffets. Don't mess with me. 

hmm... sleep...

To continue my series of super short statements. 

I don't want to work today.... even though it is one of my favorite teaching days. I think I say that every day..... anyway. Let's skip work! yay! 

ok bye!

Off to work....

Hello.

Goodbye.

I heart several of my students. a lot. they practice! and giggle.

yay!

Maori

Go Listen.

PhotoHunt

So...not really a photohunt!

Suckers!

Just a photo update. 

Me and my chicken and wine. I'm a classy, classy girl.

Out of the window of the Allgood Cafe

Brad spotted the elusive djembe tree.  Might need 

to click on the pic for a closer look. 

An action shot of me talking to Ty. I don't think I sounded stupid, but her head tilt might say otherwise. She is either very interested in what I'm saying, or slightly confused by my rambling.

                           

Me Girlyman. I look like a giant next to Ty and Doris. An awkward, happy giant.

MADLIB!

It's early and I'm awake.

And I'm going to Six Flags today. (For real this time?)

Girlyman last night was amazing.

It was a much smaller crowd then when I saw them last in OKC, but they performed just as well.
Yay!

My sister is having a baby.

Very soon. Yikes!

Anyone want to fly me to Milwaukee?

I haven't been posting many pictures over the past few days, and it's because my lappy is still at the doctor, getting three of its four components replaced. If you get a Mac, I defintely recommend getting Apple care. It has paid off big time.

The cat slept by me again. And my eyes are itchy.

I had a really weird dream. I can't tell you what it's about, because even though it seems like a good idea right now, when I'm still half asleep, I think when I get up again in an hour or two I might regret telling the "world" (hello world) that I ____ in the _________ and you _______.


There. It's a madlib. Verb. Location. Verb. Fill 'er up.

OK well it's time to try to sleep some more. It might not happen, but I'll at least lie convincingly in bed for a while.


Byebyeeeeee

Go check out... "the shape i found you in" by girlyman. They played it last night, and I just really like it. Gets ya right there, ya know? Is my face leaking again? Must be allergies...

Thought(s) of the day.

Some random insights into my crazy head. (Based on actual thoughts I had today.)


Maybe I should have gotten a music ed degree. I actually like working with middle schoolers. And high schoolers. So weird.

I can actually play the bassoon. Yay!

11 year olds are funny.

Sometimes, when I see a newborn, I actually tear up. Why is my face leaking?! Am I going to want one of those some day? Scary.

I need a shower. Right now. Goodbye!

So so sad.

Hello!

My poor little Lappy McLappytop is at Doc Apple for a few days, so I'm a little behind on the updates. But, I'm still here! Had a long day of teaching today, which went pretty well.
Tonight caught up with an old friend from high school, and it was awesome. Also, I heart caramel apples. A lot. And I shouldn't try to drive home without using the GPS. Oops.


Bassoony-wise: I need to figure out how to make awesome reeds, every time.

I wish.... I lived in New York. Or Portland. But, the Dallas/Ft. Worth area is treating me alright so far.

Also:

Girlyman Friday night!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wedded Bliss

More on one of the best weekends ever!!!

Shannon finally got her professional wedding pictures in! Yay! I had fun helping her pare it down from 1300 to closer to 300. 

I'm stealing some for my blog! 

This one is me and Nicole, very serious about helping her into her petticoat. Being a bridesmaid was pretty much awesome. 

The photographer caught all of us girls admiring Shannon's beautiful ring. 100% natural- no posing at all. 

Love this picture.  Shannon looks like a pretty little doll in her gorgeous poofy dress. 

Go team go!! Every good bridesmaid cheers hard throughout the wedding.  yeaah!!

Gettin' down on the dance floor!

So happy!!!! The newlyweds smiling big- really it was an amazing weekend. Shannon and Jeff are awesome! 

Bassoonery

It's finally Friday!

For another hour and a half....

This week has been incredibly long!
I'm adjusting to working a bunch again, and it is nice to have some cash coming in.

It's been well over a year since my master's recital, and I listened to it when it came up on my ipod in the car today. I'm happy that I'm still proud of it! I know there are things that weren't perfect, but overall, i think I can play bassoon. I wish I could perform more. I should!

Who wants to come to my recital?And play piano for me!

Me and Yukari Playing Sicilienne et Allegro Giocoso by Grovlez:

Here, Llama, Lama.

With all of this political discussion going on lately, I've realized that I dont know exactly where my beliefs put me on the political spectrum. So, I did the obvious thing and I took an online quiz.

And the results!




Of course I realize that the internet doesn't know everything, but it is interesting to know that I'm politically aligned with the Dalai Lama. Whoop!

fork.

So many note-worthy things happened today. 

The day started off a bit rough when I dropped a fork into the trash can- and thus ended up with my arm in a trash can, digging around. Gross!! And hilarious. 

Then... I taught 9 students, and enjoyed it! Got a little practice in, and ate breakfast at a nice little ma and pop type breakfast place. 

Towards the end of my last lesson, around 6 pm, it was pretty much just me, my student, and the cleaning crew in the middle school. This horrible buzzing started, and my student said, "um.. thats the fire alarm!"  Great. My first thought is, I'm not leaving my bassoon.  Then I realized that I was an adult.. (yeaaah)..and somewhat responsible for this young person, so we went to check it out. It was going off for quite a while, and about 7 other people were out trying to see what was going on. I told lovely student to wait outside (just in case). After turning off the alarm (and not checking for fire, I might add) the cleaning crew let us  back into our room, and we finished up the lesson and headed out of the school, where about 5 or 6 dashing young firemen were waiting to be let into the building. Haha. I wondered if they would come. And they did. Awesome. And no one was there to let them in.  It was a false alarm, but if it hadn't been, I had a plan. Shove kid outside, run back to room, put bassoon up, run away. Probably not the smartest thought  I've ever had, but bassoons are expensive!

I guess that story isn't really that exciting. But I thought it was pretty entertaining. 

Since fire is funny...?

Finished up the evening hanging out with Shannon, instead of on the couch watching TV. Even got to fold some clothes!  yay!

You asked for it!

No one actually asked for this. But, I guess I almost promised that I would put up a picture of the water fountain in downtown Fort Worth. So here it is! 

Okay. Here it is really. 

I was a little scared walking down the magical floating squares, but I think my fear of heights/falling has calmed itself over the past few years and I made it down and up without serious incident. Yay!

More new students tomorrow! I'm actually using my degrees! Miracle!

yearbookyourself.com

A few weeks ago, Melynda sent me to this site, which is rather useful in procrastination, and also rather entertaining. Yesterday John Mackey posted some pictures of himself yearbooked, and it seemed like a good idea, so I thought I'd go ahead and post my favorite too. It was a really awkward year for me.

Spoiler Alert

JK 

Judging on the fact that there were only nine people in the entire theater this afternoon, there's probably not much of a chance that any of you were planning on seeing House Bunny.

... but... yeah. 

My favorite line was:

I want you to be my boyfriend more than an electron wants a proton. 

Hahah!!! Yay!!! Nerds!

I'll admit that I did laugh out loud quite often, but definitely wasn't a good movie. So, yeah. Unless you have a big crush on Tom Hanks kid, who is kind of cute, then don't make any big plans around it. 

that is all.

I have tomorrow off. no make-up lessons because most kids haven't started taking them yet. So someone call me and lets play!!!

I want a kitty, too!

The story of Christian the Lion. I know it is 35 years old, but... if this doesn't get you, don't call me. :)

For Zach

Dear Zach,

Don't stay away! Please come and rescue us!!! We NEED you. We want to support and encourage you in your quest for new "reeds" for that pretty thing you call a "bassoon." Let us come home with you!!

Love,

The Cutest (Homeless) Boxers at your local Boxer Rescue Website.

Halloween! I mean... September 5th!

Dear Friends,
If you recently moved to Portland, and your name is Christy, I miss you.
Also, I went to downtown Fort Worth today, the coolest parts were a huge empty room at the convention center, and the fountain with the crazy steps in the fountain park. Maybe you'll get to see pictures if I can get my hands on them. Whoop!
And, It is almost Halloween!
Ok...so it isn't even almost October, but they did put the Halloween candy out at Wal-Mart, so we must be getting close.

Lets have fun!!! Yay!!!! Halloween!!

do de do

When you read poetry, or anything someone has written, unless you know exactly what they are talking about, because it is about you, or because you have talked to them about it, it really can be about whatever you want it to be. This allows us to take some things really personally, that really just aren't. But it's not fun if we don't, at least sometimes! And doesn't satisfy the ego.





When I write something, usually I just put it out there, and never know what other people think about it, or if they even read it, but, it was really cool when recently a friend told me his translation of "translation." It might have been about very specific things to me, but I really liked his take on it too. Maybe even a little more than my own personal translation. Neat!










I taught some more students today, and I still think that middle school kids really are fun to teach. So eager! So excited! I really enjoyed teaching the kids today. This is a huge relief- I really had absolutely no idea if I would like it or not, and I was leaning towards not. I think out of anxiety, but I guess being grown-up Laura isn't as scary as I thought it would be.

I still miss being on Tallahassee Time though. More to come on that subject later. :)

The pictures are... me... and some of the people I miss and want to see soon!!

Who can really say for sure?

I think it's time. 

To say it like it is:

These national conventions are getting crazy. 

I taught two lessons today. 

Scheduled some more. 

I needed a nap but didn't take one. 

I sat on the couch in the dark, until my aunt asked me if my stomach hurt, because 

"You look funny." hmm...

Maybe it does. 

I stocked up on some supplies for reed making. 

Played with the cat. 

Oh man. Its been a full day. 

Six Flags Friday? Yay!

It's finally time!

Teaching my first two lessons in Fort Worth today!!! Yay!!!! I'm pretty exited to get started.
I'm sure I'll update later.

hm

Wow. It's been a few days!

I'm still here. 

I've been busy! Well.. not really that busy. 

Practicing, making reeds, and trying to figure out this private lesson business. I'm not exactly sure what is going on, I'm afraid I'm going to miss an opportunity somewhere. I'm pretty sure the teachers that I've been in contact with are going to let me know what is going on. I hope so at least. 

Yikes. 

I think I need a night-time/weekend job. It wouldn't give me a lot of time to practice, but it might offer some regularity in income 

Any suggestions? I guess the obvious is waitressing... what other jobs are there for nights/weekends? 

There has been so much craziness going around with the presidential nominees! Can you

believe it? Palin's baby, her daughter's baby? Should we even care? Can we leave them alone? She did allow herself, and her daughter, to be in the national spotlight, so it was bound to come out. Did McCain know? I know so little!!