Performing, Weather

Super Tuesday

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Can you believe the election cycle is still going on? I am trying to think of ways to cope. Sometimes I get too upset and angry over things, both in the news and in day to day life, and I really need to work on staying calmer and reminding myself that the world is a richer place when people see the world differently. And reminding myself that I have chosen a different path in life.

SO…my weekend was crazy. Saturday morning was the Castlewood Cup, for which I was quite undertrained and so was Louie, but we had a great time and I didn’t even come in last…even though I thought I did at the time. I am a seriously slow runner. All of you who say, oh, I’m slow. No. I am. And there was also so much mud, and I thought I was going to die and/or get sucked down into it, lost forever. I might write a proper recap another day. But we lived and we made it! And Louie is a more natural runner than I am and he did quite well.

Then it was pizza and showering and then a Perseid Quartet concert at the Tavern of Fine Arts. We played Dvorak and Smetana and had a great time. This ended up being one of my favorite programs—I’m such a sucker for a romantic program. We had a large and enthusiastic crowd and just had a great time overall. I was starving by the time the concert was over and so really enjoyed my food there too. They have a relatively new chef and he’s fantastic.

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Sunday was a double opera rehearsal day, but at least I got to have a relaxing enough morning. The conductor for the opera, Darwin Aquino, is really great…he’s also a composer and I’m currently listening to a piece he wrote for violin solo. I’m brainstorming a solo violin (only me, no one else) recital program…there are so many cool pieces out there for solo violin, and I’m also finding some (and looking for more) by female composers. That’s another blog post for another day too, probably Smile

So then Monday flew by with lots of students, practice and a rehearsal. Today I had a short rehearsal and then a vet visit. Both of the pets are somewhat on the mend…Chloe’s eyes have definitely cleared up though we have to continue her medication for that, and while Mackenzie isn’t exactly healed, she is doing a bit better for now. I will naturally keep you posted.

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The rest of the week is for teaching, dress rehearsals for the opera, and rehearsals for a young composer’s concert at Webster on Saturday. Should be fun, I guess?!

Cat

Pet Anxiety

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So yesterday I woke up to several inches of snow on the ground. They had predicted this (“they”) but I didn’t actually think it would happen. I didn’t get a snow day though, because by mid-afternoon most of it was cleared enough that most students were able to make it to lessons.

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I did however, have to take Chloe in to the vet for her eye. This added some stress because our regular vet wasn’t at his usual office but was at another one further away, which I was at first apprehensive about driving to. I was also worried about dropping her off rather than having an appointment, so that I can advocate for her and make sure everybody who comes into contact with her knows she has to be treated VERY gently or her skin might break. Things that normal cats can handle she can’t.

Anyway, her eye had been oozing quite a bit and she was keeping it shut a lot and we didn’t want to wait until her regular appointment on Tuesday, so I took her in. Luckily the vet was able to squeeze us right in and it wasn’t a big deal. He cleaned her eye out a bit and put some things in it and gave us some antibiotic ointment to put on it at home. (ON the eyeball…but I’m a contact lens wearer so I’m somewhat used to that, I guess?) He said she had three little eye ulcers and he also mentioned keratitis. In any case, her eye started looking better right away and today it is definitely a bit more improved, so I am hopeful that this will go away.

We realized the new, softer cone might have actually caused the problem because she was able to rub her eyes through it, and that might have gotten some debris in her eye. So we switched cones again, to the original, but by evening her ears were chafing already, so we tried cone three. Cone three had originally been discarded for being too small, but Louie modified it and now it seems okay. Third cone’s a charm?

But…she peed on the front couch today. This is the second time in less than a week, and while it’s an old couch (with a slipcover) it is the couch in my teaching studio. And what’s next then? Maybe we didn’t clean it well enough after the last time and it still smelled? I’m worry she is also peeing other places we just haven’t noticed yet.

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It is possible, however, that Mackenzie is starting to grow a little hair back. It’s also possible I’m just imagining things.

Oh! And this came yesterday. I thought I’d be sad, but it actually made me really happy.

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Isn’t that great? It might not look exactly like the Fatness because it’s not a photo, it’s an artist’s rendering, but I love it. I’m really glad I had it made (from Etsy, here’ s the shop—Susan Altenau Pottery) and I will treasure it for years to come.

Random thoughts

Thoughts About Being Busy and Chamber Music

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We all say how busy we are, don’t we? And there are many articles out there about being busy. When asked how you are, often we say, oh, busy as usual, or something along those lines. And the articles say, well, that’s not a good thing…busy in itself shouldn’t be the goal. And we don’t need to be busy and overwhelmed (do the two go hand in hand) in order to feel important or do good work. (And we don’t have to start EVERY sentence with “and”.)

I range from being busy to having too much time. When I only teach my students (“only”!) and practice, I do end up with enough time to feel like I need more to do. I’m never bored in these times, of course, because I have so many things I WANT to do. For instance, this week I started thinking about how I want to plan a solo violin recital, and I’m working on that idea, in addition, I’d love to have a piano trio that I perform semi-regularly with. I love my quartet, I love playing sonatas with Jen, and I want more (I often want more than what I have, more kitties, more delightful students, more beautiful music to play–I think it’s okay to have goals, right?)

I even posted on Facebook about this, and then deleted my post in a moment of panic (what will people think, won’t they judge me for advertising for chamber music partners, shouldn’t I already know these people, won’t I sound desperate and pathetic?). Chamber music is funny. It’s supposed to be this fun activity with friends but so often people feel left out, judged, passed over, fraught with insecurity, etc. If you are a local professional musician reading this and want to play some music together, please reach out. Daytime availability a plus! Like I said, a piano trio would be great since there’s a lot of rep, but I’m open to other combinations and short term projects, as always.

Okay, and on the cat front, I don’t have any good pictures. Chloe has a bit of an eye thing going on too (yay!) so she’s got running eyes, which perhaps isn’t the cutest. Poor girl. It’s been a year, I tell you what.

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Throwback Tuesday photo of the Fatness in Charlotte. That was my old violin case. It had a combination lock, because that would deter thieves? (“I stole this violin but I can’t open it so I guess I’ll return it?”) Oh, and I’m pumped because I got an email that the cat urn I ordered is being shipped. I’ll share it with you (unless I detest it, but I’m sure that won’t be the case) when I get it.

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I still can’t believe she’s gone! Sad smile

And here’s Mackenzie from the other day. This is where she sits while I’m teaching. She really loves violin music! I still can’t believe how much of a dog person I’ve become since meeting her (and Louie, I guess…)

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Miss Baldy, I guess. Hopefully soon we will get to the bottom of why she’s losing her hair!

So this is a random and boring blog post, but I got up early to try to get a Fed Ex shipment (not here yet) so I have a little extra time. I’ll get back to practicing, I guess…Perseid Quartet concert this Saturday at the Tavern of Fine Arts. Come out and enjoy some Czech Music. And seriously, don’t be shy if you are local and want to read some chamber music—let me know. I guess I’m not too proud to sound pathetic and desperate on my blog Winking smile

Cat, Hiking

Concerts and Hiking and Practice, Oh My?

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Sunday nights can be kind of fun. Sometimes I start daydreaming about what I want to add to my schedule next, sometimes I relax, sometimes I have a 3 hour opera rehearsal and then get home and eat some ice cream.

This weekend was packed with activities, as is more common than not. I feel a bit anxious about the next few weeks as I have several performances and some other stressful activities, but I think I’m mostly staying on top of things…other than the pets, probably. But I digress.

Friday night Louie and I went to see the Marcus Roberts Trio at Jazz at the Bistro. We stayed for the second set (if you buy tickets for the 7:30 show you can usually stay for the 9:30 show for free, if there is space, and there always has been for us) and it was interesting to see how different each set was. We were on opposite sides for the first and second sets so that gave us a fascinating comparison. I thought the group sounded great and very polished. (This is not a review of the group as I’m hardly expert enough to try…this is a review of my life and lack of writing skills!)

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Saturday we woke up fairly early to meet my friend April and her boyfriend for a hike. We had been wanting to do the Lewis and Clark Trail from 60 Hikes within 60 Miles for over a year, and this was a great day for it. The forecast was sunny and OVER 70 degrees. In February. On our way to the trailhead we passed at least 50 percent of the population who were heading for the St Louis Zoo.

Plenty of people had the same hike idea as we did though, and the trailhead parking lot was full so we had to park on the highway, but it was fine. We met our friends and two dogs, so together we were a hilarious group of 4 people and 3 dogs of varying sizes.

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We decided to hike only the Clark Trail. We might go back another day for the longer portion, as it was a very enjoyable and scenic (for Missouri) hike!

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Overlooking the Missouri River.

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Louie tried to get all the dogs to drink water. It was a warm day for them, but they were polite enough…that is to say, Mackenzie drank first and the others knew enough to wait their turn. They all got along well, though we met a few crazy dogs on the trail.

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All in all it was a beautiful and somewhat challenging hike. Since it was such an unseasonably warm and beautiful day there were tons of people out. I’d love to go back again on a slightly less crowded day and enjoy a bit more solitude, but I’m always happy to see other people out enjoying the world.

Saturday night we went to the Tavern of Fine Arts to see my friend and colleague (fantastic cellist) Stephanie perform with a guitar player. They played a variety of pieces, many by Brazilian composers, and she also played a Bach Suite on her baroque cello. It was a packed house and the rest of the Perseid Quartet was there to support her. We didn’t get the greatest seats and ended up being squeezed on the back couch with some late comers too, but it was a really interesting and enjoyable performance.

Sunday was work day. Louie and I had brunch at his mom’s but after that I had a meeting with a bride, a student, and a rehearsal, plus practicing. We got home from brunch to see that Chloe had urinated on the front couch. Well, I think it was urine, it was a large wet spot. I chose not to smell it and decided it was unlikely she had simply spilled a glass of water. I don’t know if this means we have even more urine issues to look forward to, or if she got startled and peed, or what. She seems to be doing decently well, no new skin problems as of late…(fingers crossed). Sigh. I cleaned up the best that I could—luckily it is an old couch.

Last thoughts before I wrap this post up. I know that I am very random here sometimes, and write about all kinds of things. To be honest, that’s what I enjoy reading most. While I will read articles on a variety of topics, the blogs I enjoy most cover a variety of subjects. That being said, is there anything you’d like to hear more of? Any aspects of my life you’d like to learn more about? I’m not making promises (especially if you are too nosy, ha!) but please ask questions in the comments section! I love hearing from readers, this is a big part of why I do this…Smile

Cat, Random thoughts

Productive Day

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Today is one of those days where I’ve been just knocking stuff off my to-do list! I’ve practiced several hours, finished bowing my part for the upcoming Winter Opera St Louis rehearsals/performances, ran some errands, did laundry, and now I’m taking a few minutes to blog before I start folding the laundry, then teaching.

I had an eye doctor appointment today, and I was filling out the checklist of “things that are wrong with me” which, thankfully, is none. But I almost checked thyroid problem and diabetes, because I’m dealing with those things with the pets. Ha! I spent an hour at the vet yesterday getting everybody checked on (Chloe got some stitches out!) and talking with the vet about everybody’s treatment. We are trying a few more things with Mackenzie and then will take her to a specialist (animal dermatologist) if she doesn’t start getting better. (She is itchy and losing hair, possibly from scratching/rubbing up against stuff). Chloe is doing okay—we are upping her insulin dosage a bit if you wondered. Other than that, we got some powder to sprinkle on her food that should help with her eye issues.

So, since that’s a lot of “pet sickness” talk, here are some pictures! Some are old, some are new. Regular readers will easily be able to tell which are which!

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I feel like this year is flying by…how is it already late February? Soon we begin rehearsals for our last Winter Opera of the season, we have a Perseid Quartet concert (the last scheduled one until the fall actually) coming up, I scheduled my studio recital and turned in my studio application for the spring festival with the Federation of Music Clubs (woo hoo!) and we found a place to stay while in Chicago over Spring Break. (Spring Break is the best as an adult, really. )

It’s funny, the day to day often feels slow and, at times, dull, but the overall days go by so quickly. I think that must just be how life feels as you get older? I want time to slow down and to live in the moment…but I also want more tedious activities to fly by so I can get to the fun stuff. This weekend will be fun—we are going to Jazz at the Bistro on Friday and then probably going to a concert at the Tavern of Fine Arts on Saturday. I only have Saturday “off” this weekend, and hardly that with the practicing I need to do between now and March 6…though I’ll probably take the day off and then stress out over it Smile

How is your hump day going? Do you ever forget at the doctor and start to list your cat’s ailments as your own? Is my life as boring as it seems?

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“The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she’d ever owned.”

I convinced Louie to start reading the Harry Potter series (he never has!) I snapped that photo the other while re-reading the books myself. When Louie got to that passage last night he read it to me, because I guess it reminded him of someone he knew…

Cat, Food

Happy Presidents Day

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Some of you may have off work today? I don’t, but I’m coming off of a TWO DAY WEEKEND so I’m feeling fully rested. That is to say, I got used to being somewhat slothful and sleeping in and I’m having a hard time getting moving this morning. The trick might be to never take a day off, then you don’t get spoiled. Alternately I could retire early, but Louie thought I’d get bored. I suspect I could fill my time with enough interesting hobbies, but then again, I don’t have QUITE enough saved, nor are my hobbies vastly different than some of my jobs, so work it is.

And cats. For those of you reading this from work, here are some cats!

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I’m always excited these days when there is a picture of Oistrakh in my timehop app. (Timehop takes your past instagram, facebook posts, twitter, and more, and shows you what you posted on the same day in years past.)

Last year Louie and I went out for Valentine’s Day and spent a good chunk of change. This year we decided to cook instead, but wanted a meal that was simple and delicious. (Simple, because cooking is a lot of work!) Also, Louie wanted steak, since he missed it and I agreed. So we decided to buy a local grass fed steak as a good compromise to not eating steak (ha! at least we are eating much LESS meat, which is a positive step IMO) and paired it with shitake mushrooms, a beet and goat cheese salad, and with a mexican chocolate cheesecake and salted caramel peanut ice cream. Louie sauteed the mushrooms in butter and then red wine (in the steak pan) and I roasted the beets with shallots, lemon and orange juice, and a bit of honey. It was a delicious, delicious meal!

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So that was Valentine’s Day. The salad is something I will add to our regular rotation since it wasn’t too hard to make and was absolutely delicious. And there’s more ice cream plus some chocolate we decided to save for later, which means that VDay lasts longer.

But today, I went for a run around the neighborhood. We got a few inches of snow yesterday and most of it was still there.

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I thought snow running would be closer to trail running than road running is. I’m running the Castlewood Cup in two weeks and I could definitely have been training more, but I’ve been running somewhat regularly…the cold and snow have made me a little lazy and I just haven’t managed to get to the gym in well, months. Oops. Today’s run was nice though: the snow was pretty, it wasn’t terribly cold, and I felt good trudging through the snow.

I’m also running the St Patrick’s Day race in March (I should disclose than I got a free entry in exchange for posting about it on here and in social media, but it’s a cheap AND fun race as far as these things go and you should run too) and then the Go Half Marathon in April. Are any runners still reading here? Are you doing any cool races in the near future?

Last note: I tend to do my laptop work on the couch, using a mouse/mousepad on my right side as I’m right-handed. Chloe often likes to join me, and by join me I mean, cuddle on top of my right hand and mouse. It’s cute AND annoying, and sometimes I’m terrified to move her because she has fragile skin and I’d hate to break it! But I hate using a track pad—how do you manage, if you use on? Would I get more used to it if I used it more? The things I like best about the laptop is being able to use the keyboard and the mouse.

Yes, I’m seriously asking how to do work with a cat in the way Smile And on that note, have a great day everybody! I’ve got a pretty normal week ahead of me as far as my schedule goes, but lots of music to be working on, and a few projects too. The to-do list isn’t terribly long but it never stops!

thoughts about violin, teaching, running, life.