Last December I participated in a project called reverb10 on my blog.  Each day I was given a writing prompt and wrote a blog post on that prompt.  When December ended, so did reverb, except they continued giving us monthly prompts.  I am a WEE bit behind on these prompts.  I just got one today for August, and realized I still have March’s in my inbox.  So today I am going to write on March’s prompt.

If March 2011 was your last month to live, how would you live it?

That was the prompt.  At the time I was stressed and busy, and I just couldn’t write about that.  Besides which the whole "last month to live" is such a clichéd topic.  Your choices are, do you travel, do you visit your family?  What else is there?

And that’s what I did in JULY.  I saw my parents.  I visited a friend in Chicago.  I spent ridiculous amounts of time with my friends–I had some of those crazy nights where SO much happens and you are out really late and the next day you have to talk through the whole night with your friend who was there ("Did this really happen??") .  I worked out a ton and ran over 75 miles.  I read tons of books and saw a bunch of movies.  I practiced the violin and listened to a lot of great music.  I ate some amazing meals and drank some fantastic wine. 

What would I have wanted to do as well, if it were my last month to live?  I didn’t get to spend as much time with Chris as I would have liked.  I would have wanted to also see my siblings and my grandmother.  And maybe I would have liked to go somewhere tropical for a few days, to either sit on the deck of a cruise ship enjoying the breeze and the open water, or sit on the beach, pina colada in hand.  I could have played some Beethoven String Quartets, or maybe a Mahler Symphony or two, or maybe Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony. 

If it were my last month to live, there are things I wouldn’t have worried about doing that I had to do. Working, for instance, though I barely worked all month, or perhaps wedding planning (though again, that’s a generally fun thing except when I freak out and yell at Chris for a really long time…oooh, he’s coming home today, will I be starting that again…but I digress), or cleaning too much (not that I really do) or trying to lose weight, or returning phone calls for fall semester work.  That would have given me even more time!

I guess what I’m saying is:  July was pretty awesome.  It ended on a terribly sad note, and the news still isn’t good in regards to my friend Alicia and her fiancé Andrew.   But otherwise it was a fantastic month.  Hug your pets and loved ones and feel lucky if you are healthy and alive.  And I know we have to be adults and responsible, but goodness, if you aren’t basically living your life in a positive way, you need to make changes.  I’m really looking forward to the next few months as I start my new work schedule and my new position with Chamber Project St Louis (still to be announced).  It’s going to be a fantastic rest of the year.

I met my friend Melissa for dinner tonight.  We wanted to go to Milagro Modern Mexican, but SADLY Monday night is not a great going out night.  Evidently lots of places are closed, like Milagro (luckily we checked online) and then Yemanja Brasil (drive by).  Ultimately we went to Chava’s Mexican Restaurant in Soulard, which is near where Melissa lives.  It was totally fine, not great, but satisfied my Mexican food craving.  I had enchiladas, a margarita, and way too many chips and salsa.  And I took no pictures.  Evidently I’m on a picture taking break.  I need to step that back up or you people are going to get upset. (Plus, I rocked a side pony for dinner…and there is no proof.  That’s okay, it’ll keep happening.)

(the first time)

Today was a great day for getting errands done.  Except it was super hot outside (as usual) so I got really thirsty by the time I got to the grocery store.   As a result I ended up buying immense amounts of liquids:  milk, chocolate milk (which I drank on the way to the car…yum!), various sports drinks, sparkling wine, beer, you name it.  (I know, cool story, bro.)

That’s me in my old Akron Symphony summer uniform…judging you.  Maybe after the wedding I’ll get my hair cut short like that again, it’s totally cute.  Thoughts?

Yes, this is cuter.  (source)

Just a quick post so you all know I’m alive! 

My friends are hanging on, so that’s a good thing.  I think.  I hope.

Friday night was fun—we did some bar-hopping in Maplewood, though nowhere I really enjoyed, and then Jen and I closed down the Amsterdam.  We stay up too late when we are together.  Saturday I had a workout with Mike (he had had to reschedule because he had had an interview for his new job working at Frazer’s) and a wedding/cocktail hour.  Dinner was at Pho Grand followed by gelato.  I hadn’t been to Pho Grand in a year or so, and now twice in one week.  Weird.  But delicious!

I’m getting psyched up for a long run.  We are running around Forest Park.  We haven’t done that together since July 2 so I am quite looking forward to it.  After that the rest of the day is free.  Chris gets back Tuesday so there are some preparations to make (laundry, cleaning) and also I need to review my wedding planning.  I need to finalize the guest list and addresses to send off for the invitations.  I guess they take awhile to get ready.  We probably won’t be sending them out until October, but nonetheless they need to go to the printers.  I also need to figure out what else I should be doing right now…

I am starting to get really excited about the end of August.  Both my sisters are coming to visit and we have big plans, including a wedding shower they are throwing me.  Isn’t the invitation cute?

We will also be getting the bridesmaid dresses at that time.

Maybe something like this? (by the way, that site is amazing, you should check it out.)

I’m about to disappoint my cat by getting up.  She is squashed next to me, sleeping.  One person is just not enough for her petting and cuddling needs, unfortunately.

Ignore that spot on the rug.  This is a recycled photo and I don’t know what that is, though I’ll assume it’s cat vomit related.

This week has both flown by and dragged.  It’s weird.  I had a late start to the week since I didn’t really get back to work until Tuesday.  What have I been doing all week?  (Other than obsessively stalking facebook for information on my friend’s accident…).

Yesterday I went to Blackberry Cafe with friends.  It was technically a business meeting, though I was meeting my friends Jen and Laura.  They had some things to talk to me about regarding Chamber Project St Louis, and I expect soon there will be an exciting announcement about some fantastic things they are doing.  But I’m not supposed to say anything yet.  Blackberry Cafe was good.  I had the falafel wrap, and instead of chips I had a banana (those were the options).  The man working (the owner?) was really friendly and nice.  He spent a little bit of time telling us how to tell that a $20 bill was counterfeit, so the lunch was both tasty and informative.  The more you know.

I’ve also been doing a fair bit of teaching at my new school.  I’m teaching three days a week now at the St Louis School of Music.  I’ve been meeting with many potential new students, and I have four more today.

I’ve also been practicing EVERY DAY since I got home from Chicago.  I’ve been focusing on standing up straight the whole time.  This might sound obvious, but it wasn’t for me.  It’s amazing how often I lean over or lean forward while playing and I have been working on standing up straight all the time.  Bonus:  I actually sound better when standing up straight.   Second bonus:  back/shoulders/arms feel okay for now.

I’ve been trying to get my runs in, but GOODNESS this weather is atrocious.  The excessive heat warning is going on for what, two weeks now?  and I’m completely over it.  All I can do is my best, go slow, end up feeling nauseous halfway through and suffer through the rest.  I just keep telling myself this will help out when the weather is cooler…right?  Today I’m meeting Jen for a run (shortly) and later have a workout with Mike.  Yes, it’s a double day…wheeeeeeee!  Weight-loss wise, I’m not back to where I was yet before my Chicago trip so I fear I’ve failed on the contest front.  I think it was worth it though, but I can’t help but feel disappointed.  Nonetheless I will continue the path on my own—I still want to lose some more weight and I will continue to work towards that goal.  My biggest weakness is eating out, and I’ve been doing that much more with Chris being out of town.  Once he returns it’ll be a little easier.  And I’m now only one pound up from last week, so I’m getting back there…but I really had hoped to be one pound down.  (Yes, I’m aware one pound isn’t a huge deal, sue me, I’m neurotic.)

I meet Mike this afternoon and he’ll ask what I’m doing this weekend.  The answer is, well, geez, I don’t actually have any plans.  And then I’ll feel BAD about it, like I’m 13 years old and getting made fun of again.  As if I have to have super awesome plans all the time.  I’m 33 years old!  Sometimes my joints ache.  Tuesday he suggested I take two or three weeks off from drinking and “see how great I feel.”  Then he asked if I ever use a steam room (he knows full well my gym doesn’t have one).  I hadn’t complained about feeling bad, in fact, I thought I felt fine.  Evidently I looked awful and run down, I guess…maybe I don’t pass for 26 all the time after all?  😉

(I’m aware it’s an unrelated picture.  It’s just cute.)

I’m just lucky to be able to not have plans…to be able to do whatever I want…to be awake and not in a medically induced coma…to have loads of friends all over the world who would rally around me just as much as people are rallying around Alicia (I think…then again she might be nicer…)…we sit there, on facebook, waiting for that little red notification box that means somebody has written something in the group…

I have to make sure that isn’t my weekend plan—sitting at the computer waiting!  I have a stack of magazines to catch up on, some Harry Potter books to reread, and a few other things to do (cleaning…cough, cough).  I also need to finish getting all my invitation stuff ready (for the wedding!) and figure out what the next step is with the rest of the planning.

So, I’m not going to ask what your plans for the weekend are.  I’m just going to ask you to stay cool, and keep thinking of my friends Alicia and Andrew. 

I learned today that a few of my friends consider me to be a social media expert.  At least among them.  I do have a blog, facebook incessantly, and have recently gotten very into twitter (it was during my facebook hiatus that I truly became more twitter oriented…don’t judge.)  But I still consider myself a bit of a hack…however, it’s possible that I’ll be doing a bit more with the social media in the future for a new endeavour, and I welcome it.  I do LOVE social media, even though I struggle with it on occasion.  (Again, don’t judge.)

I’ve been working with my blog more recently too, though I am quite sad today that more people are reading my blog because they are finding it searching for information on Alicia and Andrew.  That’s the caring bridge link for information, if you are interested.  I try not to think about it too much even though I think about it all the time.  I just break down.  I think the fact that they are engaged really gets me.  I just hope they can pull through.  I am constantly amazed by the resiliency of the human body and by the capabilities of modern medicine.

Let’s distract ourselves here for a bit then.

That’s the “mascot” for the Mo’ Cowbell run.  You all (should) know that I love cows.

I didn’t mean *that* otter…  (that’s a fantastic website if you haven’t seen it)

Here’s a good article “The 8 truths about weddings (that no one ever tells you)”

a quote from the article “All your interactions will be weighed with a new gravity. When you do fight, it’s fighting as a COUPLE THAT WILL BE MARRIED. Those things that were mere annoyances are now albatrosses draping your shoulders for eternity.”  Luckily I haven’t done that to Chris yet!  (I have.  Repeatedly.)

That’s all I can do tonight, friends.  Stay strong.