I am generally a giant classical music nerd.  I listen to classical music or NPR generally in life, never any other music.  Except for some reason I got introduced to Ben Folds in the early 2000’s and LOVE his music.  I have all his CD’s (albums? what do I even call them?) and have been to a concert in Cleveland.  So when I heard the St Louis Symphony was playing a concert with him this fall, I jumped on those tickets. 

That’s tonight! 

You can read an article from the St Louis Dispatch about the concert here.

30 days of Thanskgiving: I’m thankful for the opportunity to go to the concert tonight!  I hope it’s awesome!

Disclaimer:  A couple years ago I got asked to play with Ben Folds with the Columbus Symphony and had to turn it down due to a prior commitment.  So this is better!

Note to readers:  The concerts with Chamber Project St Louis went really well. We could have used a bigger audience on Thursday night but Friday night was packed.  I don’t play with the group for a few months but there is another performance coming up soon.  Check out the website and come out, support local arts!! 

Who used to watch Full House?  It was the highlight of the week, right?

The concert last night went well!  I was very crabby because it was freezing in the Chapel, and I don’t like the cold.  I also don’t like the heat.  Call me a first world girl, but I love temperatures between 68 and 75 or so…especially 72.  My feet and hands get cold fast and take forever to warm up, so that makes it particularly challenging to play (hands, not feet.)

We repeat the program tonight at the Tavern of Fine Arts at 8 pm.  If you are looking for a relaxing activity for the evening, come out and hear us play!  (Chamber Project St Louis)

Mike said I was acting like an 82 year old woman in our workout this morning.  I was crabby and kept complaining that the weights were heavy (they totally were heavy, darned weights).  I was also tired.  I told him I needed to act 82 on occasion to average out the days I act like I’m 5 years old.  Besides which, he should know by now that Friday is my whiny workout day.  I’m usually tired, and often annoyed by the whole “Friday” mentality everybody gets except as a musician I usually have two more solid days of work until Monday morning (my weekend!).  (Yes, I’m still crabby.)

So today’s crabbiness certainly makes the 30 days of Thanksgiving a bit tougher.  Perhaps more important though?  What I am thankful for today?

I’m thankful because:  the sun is shining!  It’s cool but sunny.  Perfect running weather (and is supposed to stay all weekend, Sunday forecast is 68 and sunny!).  Some of you may recall I have one more half marathon to run this fall, and it’s on Sunday.  I’m looking forward to stuffing my face afterwards.

I know we probably sent out our invitations too early, but still, people could go ahead and RSVP for the wedding, right?  They do have about a month until the deadline.  I’m simply impatient. 

But still.  Less than a third have replied. 

It’s fine.  You give people a deadline, they will definitely wait until that deadline.  I do it all the time.  Sometimes I even ignore the deadline entirely!

We’ve finished our honeymoon plans!  Hotel, flight, cruise, all booked and paid for.

I’ve also got all my wedding day jewelry planned out and purchased.  I got two things on etsy…of course.

Next week I’m doing my hair trial with my hairdresser.  I hope my idea works out!

Should the guys wear bow ties for the wedding?

Today: I’m thankful that my wedding will be done in two months, we’ll be married (!), and YOU can be thankful that I won’t be talking about wedding planning anymore!  Two months to go…

Because I haven’t.

We went to see “In Time” the other night.  The premise looked really interesting and fairly unique.

It wasn’t good.  It started strong, but became predictable and poorly acted.  Oh well!  And I didn’t like JT in the Social Network either, just for the record.

I had an argument with somebody yesterday over whether Titanic deserved all those Oscar nods.

Regular readers of my blog (and friends) know how I feel about this.  (Titanic is the greatest movie of all time.  Or at least up there.)

I hear that “Moneyball” is good, and also “The Ides of March.”  Here’s something awkward:  I haven’t seen “The King’s Speech” yet…it doesn’t seem to be available on Blockbuster on demand, and that’s the easiest way for us to get movies (through the tivo)…anybody want to lend me the DVD?  I also have a netflix movie “The Frisco Kid” sitting on my tv from a friend, that I really really need to watch and return.

On the entertainment note:  Burn Notice and Covert Affairs are new this week.  I also watch Parenthood, Psych, Dexter, and the Office.

What about you?  Seen any good movies lately?  What’s your favorite (current) television show?  Want to send me a copy of the King’s Speech?

Local readers:  come see me play with Chamber Project St Louis this week!

“STRINGS ATTACHED”

Thursday, November 3 2011, 7:30pm
The Chapel: A sanctuary for the arts
$12/4 Purchase tickets online HERE. Includes two drinks.

Friday, November 4, 8:00pm
The Tavern of Fine Arts
suggested contribution: 10$
gratitude contribution: 20$ – includes food and drink gift
Attach your heart to beautiful sound.
Mozart, Roussel and Emmanuel.

I’m on the Mozart only, but the other two pieces should be wonderful also.

(source)

It’s hard to believe that my Dad was in town for the last concert and since then he biked all the way to Phoenix and is now at home!

In any case, please come out, you’ll have a good time.  We aim to make our concerts accessible for people who don’t ordinarily go to concerts, so don’t worry if you don’t ordinarily attend chamber music concerts!

Also, I’ll probably have one comp ticket…sooooo if anybody wants it…email me!

Day 1 of 30 days of Thanksgiving:

I’m thankful I have the opportunity to play with the awesome members of Chamber Project St Louis.  It’s a privilege and an honor!

Today also marks the start of “Pile on the Miles.”  Time to get back on track with my diet and exercise!

You know I’m not a native St Louisian.  I’m a southern girl, and as a result, yes, I’m an Atlanta Braves fan.  So I would have appreciated a bit of thanks from the Cardinals for my team’s spectacular collapse that allowed them to get to the post season and THUS be in the position to win the World Series.  But nothing…

How great is this picture?  Sarah Crowder is the best (ripped from her facebook page).  The drivers look like leprechauns to me.

On another note:  Halloween at the St Louis Symphony!

Those trombone players are always up to shenanigans.  Check out this excellent video on facebook of them playing the Monty Python theme.  Be sure to watch to the end.  It’s seriously one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.