October is a busy month

I have been trying to fit it all in this month, and I realized that is not possible. By all I mean: work (ALLLL the work), exercise, fun things, seeing friends, etc. And honestly, it almost works, but I also have realized that lately playing music (work) has been really fun and great, and that means at least that the gigs I’m doing and the people I’m getting to play with has been enjoyable. I feel satisfied by my career right now, and my biggest concern is that I have too many students.

I keep thinking of how I should cut back on evening hour teaching, and really: I need to do one or the other: I can’t get up as early as I need to and teach as late as I do…cutting down on late teaching (I’m talking even ending at 6:30, some nights now I go till 7:45) would give me those nights for relaxing and then also for gigs when they pop up. The other option is end the early mornings, which depends on some factors (I’m trying to get a raise, so it will probably end up being contingent on that for next year.)

Truthfully I haven’t been able to fit in too many social and fun activities, but there’s been enough, and then I feel like some of my work is social (it is, for musicians this totally counts) so it works out. Today is a beautiful fall day as well, and it’s nice to have the house cooling down and be sitting here with a blanket over my legs.

I have been trying to blog more often, you might not have noticed this. I haven’t been taking as many pictures as lately for a few reasons: one, nothing terribly interesting is happening (ha!) and two, the cats continue to be adorable and precious but in ways that tend to resemble the previous 100000 pictures I’ve taken so I’ve been less likely to try to take pictures of them. But I’ve checked my phone and I do have a few you might like.

Miles at the vet the other week. He is a fine healthy boy.

I do feel like there is slightly too much on my plate, but I’m managing to stay on top of things. Friday was a completely busy day with activity after activity and I got home at night and went straight to bed. Louie had gone to a wine dinner at the Whittemore House without me, so he had fun, and I was sorry to miss it. I was supposed to do two weddings on Saturday, but my contractor accidentally doublebooked one so I had the afternoon off. Louie and I took a nice fall walk through Forest Park and got caught up on everything. Then I played another gig and we went to Mi Ranchito for a later dinner. Today I have some things to do as well as an afternoon concert, but I’m looking forward to relaxing this evening (and likely folding laundry, as I’m working on that.)

Muriel has a way of knowing when I am about to leave for work and just want to sit down for a few minutes first.

Things that we aren’t getting done: yardwork (maybe next weekend) or anything at the old house. We know we need to do something about that and it’s a huge thing hanging around our necks, but it just isn’t a priority right now. We are lucky enough that it isn’t a financial necessity at the moment, but we need to figure it out…but I think we are doing pretty well with everything at the moment and I’m not going to stress out about it.

I read a few good books recently: Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb (didn’t enjoy as much as the Violin Conspiracy, but still a fun and quick paced read), The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (very good, covers many generations of a family, learned a lot about India) and the latest Harry Hole book, Killing Moon by Jo Nesbo. I started reading the Harry Hole books because they take place in Norway, and in this book two of the characters go to Lorry, a restaurant that was near our Airbnb in Oslo and that we ate at twice!

This is Limits Walk, which runs through our neighborhood on the border of St Louis and University City.

I realized I didn’t have any travel on my calendar, and while I’m sure we will do plenty of fun stuff next summer, I decided it would be a good idea to take some time at the end of the calendar year to visit my sister Leslie (it’s the darn kids, don’t want to miss watching them grow!). I bought a plane ticket to visit right after Christmas. Thanksgiving we are planning to spend here and I think maybe my parents will visit. Oh, and did I mention I’m excited about Halloween as well? While we haven’t done any decorating, I’m told that our neighborhood is a big Halloween place, so I am planning to buy a bunch of candy to give out.

What’s new with you? Do you have fall weather where you are living? Read any books lately that you would like to share?