Time just flies, doesn’t it? My last blog post was June 22, and here it is July 3. I’ve been busy as usual, though not particularly MORE busy than usual. I often think of things I’d like or want to blog about, but then I just don’t sit down to do so. Right now I have a couple of hours to fill until it’s time to go to dinner, so I thought I’d make an attempt to talk about myself.

Not that talking about myself is hard! Simply that I’m a bit sleepy, and thinking about how I should be practicing or doing something more productive than blogging. Which is ridiculous, as blogging IS important to me, and is productive enough as it stands.

My parents were in town yesterday and today Louie has a guest of the family visiting us, so we’ve been doing some touristy things. I’ll work backwards.

Today we went to the Cahokia Mounds. I’d been a few years ago, directly after my separation, but this was a much more pleasant day. Time is a funny thing, isn’t it? You think you’ll always feel how you do, and you don’t.

I wouldn’t have guessed that I’d be back to Cahokia Mounds a few years later with these folks, because I didn’t know them. But I’m definitely for the better!

There are nearly 80 mounds in the area, but the biggest is called Monk’s Mound. We climbed up it, and there was a lovely view of the skyline! I presume that’s why the Cahokians built the mounds 😉

The city of Cahokia, a Native American city, was inhabited from 700 to 1400 AD with the peak between 1050 and 1200 AD. There were up to 20,000 people living there, which meant that it was not surpassed in population by any city in the United States until the late 18th century.

In contrast, Orvieto (where we went on our trip in May) had a population of about 30,000 by the end of the 13th century. It’s just really interesting to think of how different people lived in different parts of the world at the same time!

Working backwards. Yesterday my parents and I went to the zoo. I’d only been to the zoo for one other visit with them last summer, so it was great. I sometimes forget how much I actually do like animals, especially when the zoo isn’t terribly hot and crowded.

Giraffes really are the weirdest looking animals, aren’t they?

The orangutan was really strange. He or she was wearing a blanket of sorts like a shawl.

We spent a long time watching this polar bear splashing around in the water playing with a large ball. He was having the best time!

And the penguins. Love them. It was really cold in the penguin display house though, which makes sense but still! I am allowed to wish I’d brought a jacket.

My mother brought along my old trip journals from when I was a kid. We took two big “west” trips with my family, one in 1989 and one in 1991, and she encouraged us to keep journals. They are hilarious and wonderful to read! I’d thought it would help with my planning for our August adventure, but it didn’t really. It did make me nostalgic and laugh at how my criteria for a nice campground meant it must have a pool and how I documented every food item I ate. I was blogging but on paper. It makes me want to keep a trip journal on the upcoming trip, but more likely I will just take notes along the way and then blog later.

So what else have I been up to other than doing sightseeing around town? Practicing for my July 31st concert at the Tavern of Fine Arts…Rehearsing for the play I’m in—I am playing the part of “The Fiddler” in a play this month. It’s not a speaking role—it’s a “playing the violin” role, but it IS a role and rehearsals so far have been both fun and really interesting. The acting world is very different but we have similar goals (to say yes to so many things that cut into our actual income sources in order to keep ourselves too busy, I think?) and I’m learning so much…teaching students, RESCHEDULING students due to play practice…doing all kinds of stuff around the house…planning vacations…and feeling like as usual I don’t devote enough time outside of the house to doing things with friends and as a result I have no friends left (I don’t actually think that’s true, but I feel bad not seeing people in forever!).

There was a ton of housework involved in order to prepare for the guests! But I’m more pleased with how my home looks right now than since I moved in, so that’s real progress. I’m starting to feel like I’m getting ahold of everything I’m trying to do, even as I continually consider that I am trying to do too much! At least I’ve had a few days to relax and regroup, and having an hour here to blog before I want to get a bit of practice in is nice too. We have dinner plans, and tomorrow is a holiday, and I’m trying to remind myself that I’m basically on top of things and I don’t need to be so stressed, but it’s hard sometimes! Maybe it’s a sign that I am taking on too much, or that I need to work on some better relaxation or coping mechanisms, or who knows. I do sometimes think I worry too much and don’t do enough…which is probably a little crazy sounding.

So now, I can choose. Nap, practice, read…what should I do for an hour? How has your July been going so far?

My last blog post was a little whiny and down so I wanted to write something more upbeat.

I had a pretty good weekend. The only downside was due to all the rain we’ve been getting here…the basement was leaking a bit, the upstairs bathroom a bit too, and then we were going to go for a hike and saw that the park we wanted to go to was closed due to flooding, and decided that any hike would likely be really muddy and unpleasant. I recently bought new hiking boots for our trip in August and I haven’t had a chance to break them in yet, but I guess worse case I’ll start wearing them on walks with the dog or something.

So instead of going for a hike Louie and I went to the Missouri History Museum. There were two exhibits that we wanted to see and thought it would be a nice day for it. Everybody else thought so too, evidently, because the one exhibit had a line out the door and the other one was very crowded. Now, I’m not talking Vatican Museum crowded, but still more people than are comfortable at an exhibition. We went through the exhibit called State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, but then decided to visit A Walk in 1875 St Louis another time. We also looked at the World’s Fair exhibit, which I believe is a permanent exhibit as I saw it last summer. It was a nice way to spend a few hours, and FREE so the cost can’t be beat.

Overall there was a lot of activity over the weekend. Mostly going out to eat and meeting up with friends. There was a lot of mexican food, but also Ethiopian food and a lovely family birthday celebration (for Louie’s stepdad) at Atlas, a new to me restaurant. That dinner was one of the most delicious meals I’d had in awhile! I had walleye with potatoes and carrots, and a wonderful beet salad with goat cheese, walnuts, and arugula. It was all beautifully presented and delicious.

You’d think after a nice weekend I’d be a little bummed to get back to work, but I’m not. I have a light teaching schedule this week which means I’ll have a lot of practicing time (yay, desperately needed) and time for other stuff too. Basically I’m happy it stopped raining (though it’s hot now, boo) and ready to get things done! So I’m off to do that now 🙂

I still can’t believe I’m home and I’m not in Italy anymore. And I can’t believe that I ever WAS in Italy. I haven’t uploaded my pictures from my camera yet (I took tons but I’m waiting to look at them when I feel like I can really savor them, or alternately I’m terrified they will all be terrible and I’ll be sad…or I’ll just be sad that I’m not there anymore…).

But I’m home, and back to teaching. The weather here is cold and rainy today which is super strange. I’ve been home since late Sunday night and I’m definitely still jet lagged—the past two days I’ve been tired by 5 pm and exhausted by 10 pm…we have been working hard to finish the last remaining Downton Abbey episode (we watched one episode of Season 5 on the trip out, 7 episodes on the trip back…one to go!) but somebody keeps falling asleep after about ten minutes.

I wanted to post pictures I hadn’t posted on Instagram already but they were turned upside down. I’ll tell you more about the trip later, but for now I’m just recovering and trying to get through the week. I’m taking time off violin playing which means I actually have a lot of free time, but there’s a lot to catch up on. Mostly emailing, and then getting distracted by interesting things to read on the internet.

I’ve also been reading this book about my great-grandfather. It just came out and my mom sent a copy. It’s fascinating to read about a family member in book form. Though I never knew him, I certainly heard a lot about him over the years. It makes me want to know even more about my ancestors.

I can’t believe it’s basically summer now. And not just because the weather is cold and rainy, but because summer seemed so far away. School gets out this week or next, depending, and my second student recital is coming up and then people start dropping like flies. I’m working on some interesting stuff this summer, including a violin/piano recital with Jen, some gigs (not as many weddings as before, though a few for sure!) and perhaps some other stuff I’ll tell you about as it comes up. Some things are still in the planning stages of course, but I’m just so thrilled NOT to be moving this summer and being able to work and take vacation, but not have to take vacation to move. Since my big vacation is being me, my main goal for the summer is to visit family—my niece especially. They grow up so fast.

Look at those arm rolls! And that smile! 7 months old today.

Sometimes I’m torn over how much to write about on my blog, how often, how much to share, and whether this is indeed simply a public diary of sorts, or what. Who knows. I probably do this whole blogging thing really wrong, but I’m determined to keep it up 🙂

One of the most fun things this week was getting to have a (very) late lunch with an old friend, Emily, from my hometown. She and her husband (who I had not met yet—I hadn’t been able to attend their wedding celebration over the holidays) were driving through St Louis en route to Seattle and were able to spend a few hours (under two!) with us. I grew up in a small town in South Carolina (smaller than Gaffney on House of Cards, though not too terribly far away) and don’t keep in touch with many people from those days. Emily and I failed to get a picture of us together, so that’ll have to wait until I go to visit them in Seattle someday, I guess!

Otherwise this week I’ve been mostly teaching, preparing for the Illumine Ensemble’s Play with your Food concert tomorrow night and Monday. And reading up on Italy. (ITALY!). I’ve skimmed through the entire Rick Steves and DK guidebooks so far, and I’ve read a few other memoir type books in order to get into the proper mindset. I feel like every time I visit Europe, or really anywhere, I always wish I knew more about the history and culture and various things before getting there. On the one hand, it’s impossible to learn everything about Rome (especially in three weeks) but on the other hand, it’s not impossible to learn some things. So I’m going with that and hopefully all my reading will make the visit even more amazing.

It’s hard to believe that we are leaving in just over a week! And then it will basically be summer…this year was hectic, crazy, and stressful, but I guess it’s almost over! Time to finish unpacking from my move last summer and work on the house. The summer should be less stressful, though my friend Jen and I are playing a recital program at the end of July…but it’s stuff we’ve been playing off and on for awhile so it won’t be too bad and should mostly be fun. Quartet wise we are in the brainstorming phase right now and just reading stuff, listening, and planning. We’ve really grown as a group and had a marvelous time this morning reading through a Villa Lobos Quartet and Beethoven’s op. 59 no. 1 (which we decided is a yes for this season.)

Another fun thing that might be happening AFTER Rome (though I hate to think past the trip!) is that I am possibly going on my first float trip. Float trips are evidently a big thing in Missouri. Basically you float down a river on a raft with your friends.  There will likely be camping…

It is nice feeling like I’m just not quite as stressed. After being so stressed for…months…it’s nice to occasionally appreciate that, yes, though I still have a ton of things to do, I am keeping up well enough. And I’m not going to start worrying about my summer teaching schedule yet. It’ll be what it is, and hopefully lots of folks will keep taking lessons and I will be able to make all the timing work out decently enough without having a student every 90 minutes for six hours.

Question for comments: Have you been on a float trip? What do I need to know?

So yeah. Naturally after all of that I ended up getting a cold. I think I haven’t had one really since October, so I was probably due. Sigh. You don’t get sick days when you’re self employed…well you DO but they cost you. 

I figure how I feel like right now is how cats feel all the time: tired, cranky, and in need of a nap. I also feel fuzzy, though not in the same way.

I got home from a Good Friday Concert early this afternoon and Louie asked me if I was going to lie on the couch and watch Gilmore Girls all afternoon. <—-winning!

I wanted to, but decided I’d better take advantage of my “sick day” to catch up on my deposits, pay some bills, and finish my taxes. So YES all my taxes are done, and checks are in the envelopes ready to be mailed. Related: why can’t we pay all of our taxes electronically yet? Then again, the website I’m trying to use to pay my federal estimated taxes has been down for me all afternoon, so maybe I’ll end up mailing that one in too. I realize this is a fascinating paragraph, but taxes are serious business, and I’m glad to have all that work behind me until next year.

I haven’t entirely been a homebody lately, but mostly. Last Friday Louie and I went to a movie, Wild Tales, and had dinner beforehand at a hole in the wall Korean restaurant on the Loop called U-City Grill. The whole restaurant has about ten seats and there was one man working behind the counter. There wasn’t any wasted time for politeness—for instance, while another customer was ordering the man working actually left the room—when he returned, the customer continued his order as if nothing had happened. So don’t expect to be coddled, but the food was simple, quick, cheap, and delicious. I had the bibimbap and would get it again. After dinner we had time to kill so we enjoyed a beer at Blueberry Hill. Until a few years ago I never went to the Loop but lately I’ve gone so much—there are so many great restaurants there, and more to try…if I ever get over this cold…(dramatic sigh)…

There’s the Perseid Quartet playing at the Ethical Society last weekend. It must have been during the slow movement of the Borodin Quartet since I was resting. We have a busy week ahead getting ready for a concert at the Kemper Art Museum on Thursday. The good thing about being sick right now is that I should be better soon and have this cold behind me. The bad thing is that I haven’t felt like practicing, but luckily I put in some good hours recently. I find the key to being prepare is to learn my music ahead of time rather than stress over it at the last minute. Then again, consistent practice helps too.

Well, I keep thinking I’ll get inspired to write something more interesting, but that just isn’t happening. I’ll blame the cold medicine…or the Parks and Rec marathon I have going on right now.