Posts filed under 'Music'
Today’s post is brought to you by Jet Lag, keeping me awake from 3-6 am for the next few days.
I decided that I probably shouldn’t let an entire month go by between posts, so here I am. I arrived in Germany yesterday for a couple of concerts with Absolute Ensemble. This is a group I have been a part of for over ten years now, but this is my first gig with them since 2006 when we went to Vienna and Sicily and I was pregnant with Ashok. This time around, we are in Bremen for the Bremen Musikfest, a festival we have attended for several years now. The concerts will be great, I’m sure, but the real fun is getting to hang out with all these folks that I haven’t seen in years.
I am here alone, which has been hard. I miss the family like crazy and I considered bringing Ashok, but decided in the end that the stress of the long journey, jet lag and hanging out with a foreign babysitter (that I would have to track down) while I work might not be more fun for him than hanging with his Pops for a week and a half. Thank goodness for Skype-we have been able to video chat twice already since I arrived, which has made a huge difference. Brian will definitely have his hands full, but he has already scored major points by purchasing a talking Elmo doll which Ashok was happy to show me during our chat a few hours ago.
Last night we had a wonderful dinner at a Syrian restaurant in town. Eating Middle Eastern food is really the way to go in Germany. There are so many immigrants from that part of the world here, and they are definitely the salvation when it comes to the German dining experience. I wish I had brought my camera to document all the delightful things that appeared on the table, but chances are I would have been far too engrossed in eating to remember to photograph anything. I had a wonderful lamb dish, served on a plate of hummus that was preceded by an assortment of six vegetarian appetizers in small plates including fresh falafel and stewed eggplant. I managed to make it through the meal without falling asleep in my hummus, an amazing feat considering I had only slept for about two and a half hours since arriving. After dinner, I hung on until midnight before crashing, only to wake up again at 2:30 am. If I continue to sleep in 2.5 hour increments, you can except a lot more blogging than usual.
I am hoping to get some good running in while I am here. Running at home has really sucked this summer, another reason I haven’t been posting much. Lucy isn’t the only one who has slowed down considerably these last few months-my times have been terrible and I have felt like absolute crap on about 90% of my runs. I’m hoping the cooler weather and change of scenery here will give the jumpstart I so desperately need. The beautiful Bürgerpark is right next to our hotel, so I don’t even need to worry about navigating city streets or negotiating car and bicycle traffic (the bikers here will run you down like a dog, seriously).
Now, however, I am counting down the minutes until I can enter into the greatest part of this trip-the German breakfast buffet. German food is definitely not my thing, as I mentioned, but they know how to do a very decent breakfast. I look forward to a heaping plate of smoked salmon, bread, cheese and unidentifiable meat products and surely some very strong coffee to get me through today’s rehearsal.
September 4th, 2008
I ran my first 10 miler ever today. It sucked. I felt like I was dragging ass the whole way and nothing helped, not water, not clif blocks, not nothing. I won’t post my splits because I was so unbelievably slow and I don’t want to look at them again.
Of course, the big problem today was the heat. I didn’t get out early enough, and by the time I was heading back it was about 75 degrees. That doesn’t sound so bad, but I’m just not used to running in warmer weather right now. Also, I am brown. That’s not a problem, mind you, but I’ve always felt like my skin and my black hair soak up the sun like a sponge. Maybe I’m just making excuses….I do have a good hat. I went through all my water today which I never do, which makes me think that I probably wasn’t drinking enough water in the last 24 hours to get ready for this run, and I ended up walking a quarter mile stretch just after the 8 mile mark. There was a point around 9 where I even considered calling Brian to come get me, but I was so close at that point that I just sucked it up and got myself home.
Next week’s long run is back down to 8 and then 2 weeks from today I do 12, which is my longest long run before the half on April 5th. I really hope that run goes better than today’s and obviously, I need to plan a little better and make sure I get my ass out the door before it gets too warm. The race, thankfully, starts at 7:00 am.
I have so much stuff to do today, mostly practicing, but I feel like just sitting around and sulking. I have an important recording coming up in about a week and I need to do some serious work to get ready for that, but I’m having trouble finding the motivation. It’s a piece I performed many times, so I know it well, but recording is a whole different ball game. I have to be able to play really clean and precise since I know the folks putting this album together have limited time for editing. It is a great opportunity and I’m excited somewhere deep inside, but right now I just don’t feel like dealing with it.
On the bright side, we’re going out tonight to celebrate my mom’s birthday. Dinner will be at one of our favorites, Pizzeria Mozza. If you live in the LA area and haven’t been there, get to it! It is easier to get a reservation than the Osteria and the food is fantastic and although not as fancy, slightly cheaper. I can’t wait. Hopefully, a Butterscotch Budino will help pull me out of this funk.
March 9th, 2008
So, last night’s rehearsal actually ended up like this:
- Drive 45 minutes
- Get to hall, stand around for 45 minutes
- Play for 15 minutes
- Drive home, 45 minutes
Fun. Our conductor is not great with time management.
All this week, due to the aforementioned rehearsals and the concerts that will follow, I will be getting home around 11:30pm and tossing myself into bed close to midnight. Ashok usually wakes up around 5:30-5:45 a.m. so weeks like this can become truly painful, but he slept until 6:45 this morning, god bless him. Not that I didn’t love him a bunch before, but I think a love him a little extra today.
November 28th, 2007
Last weekend Brian, Ashok and I went to Palm Springs for the weekend with Brian’s family. I would have written about it sooner, but decide to save it to use for November (what is this, day 2? that’s it? shit.) It was just one night away from home since Ashok tends to not sleep so well outside of his comfort zone, but it was well worth the trip. We got to hang with the family and lounge by the pool….
(Is it just me, or does he look like he’s flipping you off under that shirt? I think it’s the expression that really seals the deal.)
Saturday was still a little smoky from all the fires last week so instead of spending too much time poolside, we took a walk through the Living Desert. I like to think that Ashok enjoyed seeing all the animals-giraffes, warthogs, hyenas-even though he called them all “doggies.” There was even a petting zoo where he got to hang out with some goats.
Petting Extremely Old, Docile Goat
My personal favorite, Too Tired to Hold Up His Own Head Goat
And, Dominant Goat, who likes to show off.
I went for a run Sunday morning since I knew work on Monday and Tuesday morning would keep me from running for a couple of days. I got out before the sun was completely up and took a 3 mile loop that the front desk guy at the hotel gave me. Unfortunately, the air was still pretty crappy out there and my run basically sucked. I was so unbelievably dehydrated by the end that even after downing lots of water, I had a headache for the rest of the day.
On our way home, after a meal at our favorite desert taco stand, we made a quick pit stop for pumpkins. None of them ever got carved, but we had fun at the pumpkin patch.
Hey laaadies, how you like these pumpkins?
He wasn’t even wearing pants. That scoundrel.
This weekend I have too many notes to play. I have rehearsals starting this afternoon going into the night for chamber music concerts Saturday and Monday nights. These are big programs for me-I am playing on all the pieces being performed and therefore, have too many notes. I think they will go reasonably well and I’m actually starting to look forward to playing now that rehearsals have been going pretty smoothly. The best part of all of this, is that after Monday I have no big solo or chamber concerts to prepare for until JANUARY!! I am so thrilled, I feel like I have been going non-stop since the summer and am about to burn out. I think tomorrow’s post is going to be about what the hell I’m going to do with all that free time. yay!
November 2nd, 2007
At last, the long awaited “after” pictures of our back room remodel. I know you’ve all been sitting at home, biting your nails, waiting desperately for this post so let’s get to it. First of all, a reminder of the “before” state of the room attached to the back of our garage:
So lovely! Why on earth would you want to change anything, you may ask? Don’t you like moldy green carpet and wood paneling?
And now…..
…new wood floors, trim and ceiling!
Lucy outside the new sliding door
Closeup of the new cedar ceiling and recessed lighting
Now we just need to figure out what to put in there. Most likely we will move the piano and a guest bed in there and make it a studio/rehearsal space/guest room. We will definitely need a good thick rug because with all that wood in there, it is unbelievably live right now. Now that this is finished, we move on to the kitchen remodel. We met with our designer last night and started working on the plans-I can’t believe things are finally moving forward! I probably won’t be nearly as excited once they’ve started ripping holes in all our walls.
The Mud Run is this weekend and I can’t say I’m too excited about it. I kind of wish I could skip it but since I’m part of a team, I guess I have to show up. I would feel better if it wasn’t over two hours away and they are suggesting that we get there at least 90 minutes before race time to be shuttled to the course. Doesn’t really sound like how I want to spend my Saturday morning, particularly since I have a duo concert on Sunday night. Here’s hoping I don’t break any bones at that race!
It is possible, however, that the real reason I am down on this mud run is that we are going down the night before to avoid having to leave our house at an obscene hour on Saturday, menaing that I will be spending my first night away from Ashok…ever. Even though he has been sleeping really terribly these last few weeks and I will probably sleep better in a hotel, and even though, yes, he is over a year old now and can certainly manage without me for a night, I will still be sad and worried and fretful.
Once the Mud Run is over, I have set myself up for a few new races in November and December and finally updated the Races section over to the right. I’m looking forward to all of these, especially since work (which has been absolutely insane sine the beginning of September) will have finally mellowed out. After November 5th, which will be my first performance ever of Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night, the big-ass cloud that has been looming over me for the last month will finally be gone. And then I’ll be free! free! free! A little work here and there but no big chamber music programs until January. That means lots of time with baby, TV and me. I can’t wait.
October 17th, 2007
Lucy and I ran a great 4.5 miles this morning. We were on a nearby trail where she can (illegally) go off leash as long as there are no horses around and she managed to get in every mud puddle she could find (see Exhibit A). The dog has been getting a lot of activity these days as I am gearing up for a 10K at the end of September and Brian is starting his training program for the LA Marathon this week. It feels great to have a concrete goal to work towards and it is also working well to distract me from the recital I have coming up this Sunday.
Last year, in April, I gave a recital while 4 months pregnant with Ashok. It went great and I was thrilled with myself for having done it while pregnant, because that seemed really hard. Oh, that poor, naive girl. When asked to return for another concert this August I thought, “Sure! Why not?” I’ll tell you why not, because it’s much effing harder to try and practice with a child crawling around your ankles than it is with him inside your cute little potbelly where he sits nice and still. Whatever, it’ll be what it will be and chances are it will go better than I expect since I am setting my expectations so very low. So, if you’re in the Los Angeles area this Sunday and want to see me play without a potbelly but with serious bags under my eyes come on over.
Ashok is nearing his first word, I believe. Not surprisingly, it is shaping up to be “doggie” although at times it comes out sounding more like dada, deggy, doggie-ah, dougie, baby, or Debby. He and Lucy are pretty tight these days-he grabs her tail, she licks his face, he pats her back, she sniffs his diaper, it goes on like that for most of the day-so it’s no shock that he has chosen her as the subject for his first oration. We’re working on “kitty” next, although that seems to sound a lot like doggie now too. And quite frankly, the cat could care less. No “mama” on the horizon, not even close, but that’s okay. He can just call me Debby.
August 12th, 2007
I don’t know what brought this on. Perhaps it was that poor Miss Cleo was stuck in the laundry room for the afternoon while the house was being shown that led her to protest by sleeping on the dog’s bed. But the fact that the dog just went right ahead and snuggled up next to her? Fantastic.
Our house is officially on the market now. So far so good, I won’t jinx it by saying anymore. Tomorrow morningwe hit the road again, looking for our next house. There have been a couple of possibilities so far but nothing has really floored us yet. I know the house is out there, I just hope we find it before someone else does.
Work has been picking up again which is good but tiring. For the next couple of weeks, I will be playing on two different movies, each the third installment in a series. Good thing, because once we buy a house, I’m going to need that money for our new and enlarged mortgage payment. In the meantime, I’m trying to enjoy what could be our last month in our sweet little pink house. You’re a good house, I love you.
March 9th, 2007
Because I like to jump on a good bandwagon.
The last two weeks have been crazy. This has been the most I have worked since having the baby and I’m pretty worn out. Thankfully, some big concerts are behind me now and they went pretty well. Unfortunately, all this work, combined with not much sleep and Ashok being sick most of last week has resulted in a) no exercise in god knows how long b) great consumption of Girl Scout Cookies and c) general grumpiness.
I wish I could say I’m looking forward to a week of staring at the baby and engaging in meaningful conversation with the dog, but alas, a Major Life Decision threatens to upset all that beauty. We have decided to sell our house. It goes on the market this week. Although I am excited by the prospect of a bigger house, more storage space and 2, count them 2! bathrooms, I love our little house so much that it sort of breaks my heart. We have put a ton of work into this place, particularly the backyard, which we had completely landscaped. It makes me sad that we won’t get to see our beautiful hillside cactus and succulent garden grow in, and even sadder to think that the next person who lives here might rip it all out and pave over it, but then again….TWO BATHROOMS.
This weekend, we begin the arduous task of looking at houses. Even though there is an aspect to that process that is fun, I remember how frustrating it got last time when we felt like we had to look at 25 pieces of crap before seeing anything worth considering. Hopefully we won’t poke our own eyes out or burn anything down on our first day out. Wish us luck.
March 2nd, 2007
I have nothing to say. Blah.
Today has been a long day-2 opera rehearsals in a row. At least it’s Carmen, so that’s fun. My body is aching and I’m exhausted. Now, I’m eating a piece of cake and drinking an Izze soda, so things are beginning to look up. Blah.
I took a fierce Mommy & me yoga class yesterday. Aren’t they supposed to go easy on the Mommies? Shouldn’t they realize that we are already sleep deprived and covered in drool and cut us a break? No. The class started with what felt like 10 minutes of yoga-fied squats. When I left the class over an hour later, my legs were trembling and today I can barely move. Blah.
Tomorrow is my last day off for a while-I think I work for the next 8 days straight. Luckily, some of it will be fun as I get to perform one of my favorite pieces this week, Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale (I’m really into Wikipedia links today-yes, it’s a cheap way to blog but get off my back, I’m tired). This performance will probably be pretty different than the last one because this time I get to see how well I can play it on an average of five hours of sleep a night. That should be fun. Blah.
Time for more cake.
Blah.
February 17th, 2007
We’re only a couple of weeks into the new year and already my life seems completely different. Why? One word: work.
But before I delve into all that, I must finally get to my New Year’s recap. For the last seven years, Brian and I have met up with the same group of very good friends for New Year’s in a variety of locations. It is now a full-fledged tradition and this year’s festivities were held at Dave and Courtney’s new house in San Antonio. They have a swinging pad, complete with a very well stocked wetbar so a good time was had by all. Ashok took his first plane trip and despite all my crazy fears and nightmare scenarios, he did great.
It was fun to get to introduce Ashok to our friends, and let him witness the antics that often ensue druing these reunions. Now, we’re back to reality.
I went back to work this week and it has been a real mixed bag so far. I am back playing with my orchestra which has been a nice way to re-enter the workplace. We are doing a great program this week of Debussy and Brahms and I am getting to play in our brand spankin’ new hall for the very first time. It’s also been really good to see everyone, catch up and show off baby pictures. This weekend, during rehearsals, Brian watched Ashok and life seemed good. Then, the night rehearsals started. Last night, I got home at 11:30, crawled into bed just before midnight and had just managed to fall asleep when Ashok woke up at 12:40. Nice. Luckily, after one more feeding at 4 am, he slept until 7:00 so I feel somewhat human. I have four more nights of this coming up and I think I am going to be a train wreck by the end of the week. Brian’s not much better off-apparently there was quite an epic struggle to get Ashok to bed last night.
The other big flip-flop in my reality that occured this week was that Ashok started going to daycare half days, a couple times a week. Yes, his daycare is a lovely, small family run place with only a small number of kids and yes, they are wonderful people who adore him, but……wah. waaaah. It feels crappy. I set this whole thing up mostly so I can have some time to practice-something I absolutely have to do and can’t manage to get done when he is here. It makes perfect sense, actually. I don’t get any work done when he’s home due to all the cuteness, and he’s going to have to go to daycare once I start to get daytime work anyway, so he shoudl just go a littl enow and get used to it so… yeah…sure…..right. It all makes sense…. wait, why did I do this again?
Dear God, the cuteness! Look away, people!
So, it’s weird. Right now, I ‘m sitting at home with the dog and cat and it could almost be a snapshot of our pre-baby life were it not for all the Fisher-Price Baby Einstein plastic-ness strewn about the house. I’m waiting for the daycare lady to call and tell me Ashok’s woken up from his nap and I can come and get him. I guess I should consider myself lucky that he will very rarely, if ever, spend a full 5 days a week there because my work schedule is practically never 9 to 5. But it still sucks. Spending the last three months at home with our baby boy has been wonderful. I guess the non-stop partying had to end sometime.
By the way….it’s National De-Lurking Week so leave a comment and let me know you’re out there, lurkers!
January 10th, 2007
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