An Evening at Dale & Joy's

Last Friday, we spent a fun evening with our friends Dale & Joy, plus two of their kids and a few other assorted friends of theirs we met for the first time. It started with the preparation of gioza, or Japanese dumplings, made by Paul and Dale. They used to make them for years every Friday night after marital arts class, so they really know their stuff.

Here is a close-up of Dale's hands mixing the filling:

Dale, Paul and Joy cooking up a storm. I had the enviable position of staff photographer. :-)

After dinner, which included gioza, Paul's beef curry rice, and sake, we adjourned to the living room for some music making. This was the first time Paul and Dale had ever played together. The audience was very appreciative!

I asked Dale to take a picture when it was Paul's and my turn to play. This is the very first picture of us playing together! It was lots of fun.

Tonight we went to the Haunted Autumn Auction at the UU, which included yummy appetizers, a silent auction and a concert of live rock/folk music. What a great time! Since Paul was coming later, I walked (3 mi.) so we wouldn't have to use gas for 2 cars. I won a buttload of stuff, including 12 vouchers for Cleveland International Film Festival tickets, 4 vouchers for Cleveland Public Theatre, 3 gift certificates for food, and a homemade pumpkin coffee cake that smells heavenly. I immediately froze 3/4 of it wrapped in single portions.

Tomorrow Bev is coming over for a blogging tutorial from me--not that I think I'm an expert--but I guess since she knows zilch about it and I know a little, I can share what little I know.

Andrew's Apology and Other Updates

On Tuesday, I got a cell phone message from Andrew apologizing, saying he was in the wrong and I was right to be upset, and they didn't want to lose me. That did make me feel better. Am I a terrible person for not getting around to calling him back? I have a built-in hiatus from the Gospel choir (until Nov. 13) and it is just so nice to not have to deal with it for a month.

Weather Update
It has finally cooled down to jacket/coat weather, about 50 degrees. I love it. I can finally wear long sleeves, even at work (the studios are now "only" 75-80 degrees) and I no longer need a fan contantly pointed at my face attempting to dry off the sweat. Our house really holds the heat. Even when it gets down to 45 at night, it's still in the mid-60s inside, and that's without the heat on. Every day we keep thinking we'll have to break down and turn it on for the first time since April, but we still haven't. I love beating the system and saving on our gas bill by not using the furnace!

Fitness Update
This week I'm down 2 more pounds and another 1/4" off everything. My jeans are loose enough that they look better with a belt(!) This hasn't been the case for over 2 years.

I've moved up from my beginner videos to the more intermediate ones I haven't used for over 5 years. I'm taking it somewhat easy. They're kicking my butt, but I'm staying just this side of overdoing it. I'm 5 years older and, oh, 35 pounds heavier and my joints and feet don't appreciate some of the high-impact stuff.

I did a little research online to discover what's new with The FIRM's exercise videos, reading lots of reviews. It turns out the the original founders of The FIRM are now in their mid-fifties, and have come out with a new line of workouts for people over 35 that incorporates aerobics, strength training, Pilates and Yoga, with an emphasis on functional fitness, flexibility, and good workouts that don't kill you or strain your joints. I thought, perfect! and promptly ordered the whole master set. It should get here in 2-3 weeks. I can't wait!

I'm Having Doubts About the Gospel (Choir)

My Gospel Choir gig was so fun over the spring and summer. We sang every month in May, June, and July, culminating in the Raise the Roof Gospel Service on August 7, which was attended by over 200 people. We sang for 20 minutes and it went really well. We had the rest of August off and it was my understanding that we were going to start up in September with rehearsals to sing on the 4th Sunday as previously agreed upon.

Now I'm on the mailing list for their newsletter, which is how I found out they were planning to sing on the 3rd Sunday (their homecoming Sunday) in September ("featuring special music," etc.). Now this would have been fine with me if someone had let me know, but I was already committed that day at my own church. I got the feeling that no one there had any idea that my Sundays are full of other jobs and commitments, and I can't just be "on call" and flexible.

It's hard because their minister is on a 3-month sabbatical that doesn't end until November, so it seems like no one is in charge there. Andrew, the choir director, is talented and passionate but has real problems being organized, following through, and remembering agreements from one week to the next. So I wrote him a letter letting him know about my other Sunday jobs and reviewing the agreement for my availability for rehearsals and services. So no problem, Dorothea would play for their service on Sept. 18, then they would sing again on the 25th with me playing.

So I learned the 2 new songs, got there at 9:30 am as agreed on the 25th for rehearsal. Only one person showed up and Andrew himself was 30 minutes late! I was understandably irritated, especially when no one else ever showed up and we ended up not even singing after all that. I said I was going home and would see them not the next week, but the week after, as per our schedule agreement.

Last Sunday (Oct 9) was the day. Luckily it occured to me to check my cell phone for messages before trekking all the way there. There was a message from Andrew saying he was sick and rehearsal was cancelled. I called him back and said this was no problem, as I was sick too, see ya next week, etc.

So today I checked my phone--no messages--and drove all the way there, only to see no one in the sanctuary. I went downstairs to the fellowship hall, and there was Andrew along with 2 of the choir members. Everyone else had evidently left already. So once again, no rehearsal. I couldn't help feeling annoyed. I said maybe we should just sing for special occasions, two or three times a year maybe, because I was getting tired of putting energy into preparation only to have rehearsals fall through again and again.

Andrew was upset because every time he sees me I'm irritated, he doesn't like being bitched at, and if he had known I had so many other Sunday commitments in the first place, he wouldn't have hired me because, as he puts it, in his church tradition down South, a Gospel choir is a full-time commitment and his goal was to have it singing every Sunday! The other choir members were trying to calm him down, trying to explain to him that that isn't our agreement, apologizing to me for their fellow choristers' flakiness and thanking me for coming.

I guess we're not singing next Sunday, as we haven't had a rehearsal for too many weeks. I agreed to give them another chance for November, but really, I just don't need this aggravation. It doesn't help that David (the minister) isn't available, especially since he was the one to actually "hire" me. I know Andrew was just upset and venting, but that remark really bugs me. I feel like saying, "Well, good luck finding someone else who is both 1) able to learn your songs from a CD as well as I can and willing to do it for the small amount you're paying me and 2) available every Sunday to be at your beck and call. These 2 requirements tend to be mutually exclusive!" Grrrr.

5 Weeks In--Health Makeover Kickin' Butt!

Other than a horrendously awful cold that just started improving a couple of days ago, my health has improved tremendously in the past month, one lifestyle change at a time. I knew if I tried to change everything at once, it would have been too overwhelming, and I probably would have said, "Oh, screw it--this is too hard."

I haven't had one single moment of weakness in over a month, I think because I'm thinking "Moderation" instead of "You Shouldn't." As an example, I eat extra sharp cheddar cheese every day--1 piece, with an apple.

Here's my timeline so far:

8/29/05. My job at Case starts and the price of gas goes through the roof. I have ample motivation to walk to work 5 days a week. every week I walk a total of 15 miles for a total time of 4 hours and 10 minutes.

9/8/05. I finish my last economy-size bag of bite-sized candy bars and decide to stop bingeing. For the next few days I still eat more than I need to, but at least it's real food instead of candy.

9/12/05. I begin watching portion sizes and eating more fiber. My stomach "shrinks" overnight and I am amazed at how little I actually need to feel full.

9/19/05. I decide to take my measurements so I can measure progress, even weighing myself for the first time in a couple of years. If I were a more typical female victim of our society's brainwashing, I probably would have thought, "Ugh, huge, what a cow," etc. But I don't hate my body. I just thought, "Wow, kind of big."

9/26/05. Time to start incorporating stength training, putting the mid-day holes in my work schedule to good use. I am alternating my 2 entry-level Firm videos 3 times a week. So far I've only skipped once, this past weekend, because I was sick.

I feel great. I've lost about 5 pounds and at least half an inch of every measurement. Ideally, I could stand to get rid of about 40 extra pounds (!) but I'm not in any big hurry. I don't want to become one of those boring people and get all anal about it. Last time I did that, and I eventually rebelled--for the last 6 years.