Milestones

Merry Christmas, everyone!

After 4 days of constant choir rehearsals and 3 services, we spent today at home just hanging out and getting ready for our trip to Portland tomorrow.

It's been a year of big milestones for my friends and family. In November, Eric had his 40th birthday, which we were sad to miss out on. We'll get to see him and Rusty in just a couple of days, though, as they're coming up to Portland as well.

Darcy had a baby on Dec. 18, a healthy boy named Benjamin Neal Lewellen. It sounds like she, David and little Ben are doing fabulously at home now.

On Dec. 20 Paul turned 50. He didn't want a big party, so I baked him his favorite oatmeal raisin cookies, which he loves more than any cake, and took him out for a nice dinner. I wrote out a list for him called 50 Things I Love About You. I could think of 35 separate things pretty quickly, but those last 15 took a bit more effort.

Just last Friday I finally heard from Dietrich, whom I haven't seen for 5 years. He just got married on the 15th, and he and his wife Lisa are in Portland right now. We've known each other for over 30 years, so it will be great to see them when we're out there. He emailed me a couple of pics from their wedding:

Back From Under a Rock

I have fallen off the face of the earth for the past 4 months--sorry about that! I just got out of the habit of blogging. I kept a (pen and paper) travel journal during the entire Europe trip. (And took a lot of pictures. )I know how quickly memories fade and change and wanted to capture everything as it happened. I am a slow writer, and it sometimes took me 2 hours a day just to keep up. The thought of migrating even part of it over here just seemed overwhelming with school starting 2 days after we got back.

Oh yeah, school. At first a bit of a shock after a 20-year break from studying anything, I soon got in the groove as my semi-dormant nerd tendencies took over and I became the class smartypants in all 3 of my classes. Most of you with whom I've kept in touch know that I decided to postpone College Algebra until the summer, when I have time to take it with a live human being instead of online. I got hopelessly behind the first week (due to computer technical difficulties) and dropped it.

Everything else, though, I found very engaging, even the potentially boring Introduction to Business. I took my books with me to my job at Case so I could do homework during my 2-hour break there. Don't believe anybody who tells you community colleges give easy A's. I actually worked my butt off, sometimes working on the computer until 1 am (though I have to say less than perfect time management skills have something to do with that).

All of my classes were in subjects I knew next to nothing about, so I couldn't coast much on previous knowledge. I now know all the material in two 500-page textbooks and I've learned how to use Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint. I set a high goal for myself, to ace everything, and got mid- to high-nineties on most of my exams. My last final was Dec. 19th. Tonight, via the MyTri-CSpace site, I learned officially that I got straight A's in everything. It's all the sweeter because I had to work hard for it.

Soon To Be an Ex-Europe-Virgin

This trip that we've been anticipating for a year is finally almost upon us. In less than 48 hours, we'll be on a plane with only 1 carry-on bag and 1 small daypack each holding everything we'll need for the entire 3 weeks! We haven't even practiced packing yet. That will be tonight and tomorrow's project. I have been carefully considering how I can pare down the volume of what I consider to be essential stuff. We will be doing lots of laundry in sinks so we can pack minimal articles of clothing. The hair dryer, most of my liquid toiletries, and fat, heavy novel from the library aren't going to make the cut.

I'll bring a journal instead, so I can live more fully in the moment and give those memories maximum traction. We will be making room for the guidebook and phrasebook, of course. We will make a shopping trip tonight to get Paul some microfiber boxers (fast drying on the clothesline in the hotel), and maybe a jacket for me for hiking in the Swiss Alps, as everything I have is either too big or not warm enough.

One thing I will make room for, since I am currently clueless about it and need to know how to use it for my algebra class: my new graphing calculator and the book that will help me learn how to use it. I'll either learn something or it will help me sleep on the plane--either way, I win.

Yesss!

I went in to take the mathematics assessment test today after a total of 10 days of study/review. It had everything on it from pre-algebra word problems (which I almost aced) through Trigonometry, which left me feeling quite humbled by my absolute cluelessness. But guess what? I placed at the college algebra level (a level above the minimal requirement for my accounting degree), so now I don't have to spend a semester and several hundred dollars of tuition just to catch up to where I should have been. Yay me!

I picked 3 classes from the first semester sequence* and registered and paid online. (Just in time, too--2 of them were already almost filled.) I'll be taking 10 credit hours starting August 27.


*College Algebra (I'll be taking the web-based course), Intro to Business, Business Math Applications

Meltdown

Last Wednesday evening, while Paul was teaching his Aikido class, I opened the algebra book and began reading the definition of a function. It was hot in the room (82 degrees) and a little humid, but I hadn't minded it all day and was enjoying being cheap and saving on air conditioning costs. Now this was pretty abstract stuff and I had to read the paragraph over again. It made even less sense the second time. Oh no, I thought; it seemed I had slammed my intellect against the brick wall of its limitations. (And I had been doing so well until now, too!)

I started breaking a sweat as the words ran together on the page. It was suddenly unbearably hot in there. Then and there I gave up on economizing, slamming the windows shut and moving the AC from "off" to "cool." I couldn't believe how hot I was; I felt a little dizzy, almost feverish, and totally unable to string together a coherent thought. I was actually mopping my face with a hand towel. My entire body was soon soaked, as if I had just finished an intense workout. It lasted about 30 minutes.

I think I had just experienced my first hot flash! I guess no matter what your age, the study of mathematics and hormonal insanity are inextricably linked.

You Forget a Lot of Math in 26 Years

I've spent the last week

• futzing around the Tri-C website gathering information--how to apply, assessment test information, class schedules, etc
• sleeping on this some more and finally deciding that, yes, I really do want to do this, not just think about doing it
• realizing that, though I was pretty good at math at age 16, I haven't taken a math class since, and, boy, have I forgotten everything I don't use in my everyday life.
• buying The Complete Idiot's Guide to Algebra and reviewing the first 14 chapters, filling up pages of legal-size paper working out problems and mostly understanding it at least as well as I did before.
  

I need to take the math assessment test for placement since I never took math in college and I will be totally lost in my accounting classes if I don't know this stuff. I'm supposed to take a math class at the Intermediate Algebra level or above during my first semester. Last week I looked at the sample assessment test questions online. I aced the basic calculation section (basics, fractions, decimals, easy geometry, etc.) but even the "beginning" algebra questions stumped me.

What a difference a few hours of concentrated attention make, especially with a good guidebook that explains it in everyday English with a bit of humor thrown in. I now remember how to do things like graph a linear equation, factor a polynomial, and solve a quadratic inequality. When I have the explanation in front of me, I tend to do very well on the practice problems. My mistakes tend to be arithmetic oversights, like forgetting that one of the numbers was negative, and I am understanding it well enough to realize where I made the mistake.

I think I am well into the Algebra 2 part of the book (only 5 chapters to go) and after I finish the book, I just need to practice. I need to take the test soon (like next week) so I can register for my classes and get all of the pre-enrollment tasks done before we leave for Europe. Classes start the week of August 27 so I'll be hitting the ground running.

Today I went down to the Admissions Office and officially applied. Also, I sent a transcript request form to CIM so they can send Tri-C my transcript from my Bachelor of Music degree. At least the credit from my English class should transfer, although I don't think anything else will.

Doors Closing and Windows Opening

Last week I got my contract paperwork for one of my regular jobs. My stomach flipped unpleasantly when I saw that I was only offered classes 3 days a week instead of 6. I can't say it was a total surprise, since I know there have been financial issues.

This isn't the first time this has happened. In 2000, the Cleveland Ballet folded, everyone lost their jobs, and we found out about it by coming to work one day only to find the doors padlocked and the electricity cut off. That was definitely the worst.

Then in the fall of 2003, I lost a third of my hours at one of my jobs because classes were condensed due to low enrollment (bad economy, fallout from No Child Left Behind, etc.). Now I'm down another 8 hours. At this rate, the next time this happens, there will be no more hours left to cut.

I lost some sleep the first couple of nights, thinking first of all, how am I going to make up that lost income? All of the surviving dance companies in town are so financially lean they can't afford an accompanist. Freelancing (shows, weddings, parties, etc) are a nice supplement but aren't a steady source of income. Yes, I know, I have Paul, but I really need to be doing something more than 22 hours a week. I'm not old enough for this Lady of Leisure lifestyle and won't be for at least another 25+ years. Besides, his job won't be there forever either--once his boss retires, he'll need to find something else, which will probably involve a substantial pay cut. It would be pretty ugly if I have a long-term pay cut at the same time.

I'm starting to think that the career of dance accompanist will become obsolete pretty soon as budget cuts force schools and companies to save money by using CDs for music. And pretty much what's out there as steady jobs for musicians involves teaching. "Why not do that?" I'm sure you're asking. Well, because I hate it. I mean, really hate it. I'd rather go back to school and train to learn how to do something else, that's how much I hate it.

I started thinking about this on Thursday when I was browsing the want ads on cleveland.com. All of the available music-related jobs involved teaching in the schools. I also checked out entry-level general office jobs which could be part-time and make a dent in the lost income, but they really don't have a future. I really don't want to get stuck in that path--I know I could do better than that if I'm willing to take a little risk.

So I thought about other things I like to do that, with some education or training, could become a marketable skill, preferably one that would never become obsolete. I do enjoy anal-retentive detail work, computers, numbers and money, and have an aptitude for all of those things. Just for fun, I went to the Tri-C (our community college) website to see what programs they offer. I looked at the accounting program and actually started getting inspired.

You're probably thinking, that sounds so boring. Some parts probably are. But I'm good with numbers. I've been keeping track of every cent of my own money, income and spending, for almost 14 years straight, because I like to. I like all those graphs and reports in the Money software. If I get an Associates degree in accounting, I could get a job as a bookkeeper while keeping my other music jobs. If I decide I want to later, I could transfer those credits to Cleveland State, get a Bachelors and become a CPA.

I could totally do this. We have savings left even after the Europe trip, including most of my inheritance from Grandma. What better use of it than investing in my future? The whole 2-year program adds up to about $5000 in tuition, so I wouldn't even need loans. And heck, it would be easier to do this now than it would if I were, say 57 years old.

I feel smiled upon by fortune that I've managed to have a 20-year career in my dream job. Most people in the arts never got the lucky breaks I've had, and have had to have "day jobs" to pay the bills. I'm not giving up or anything--my other music jobs are still there. For now. But I'm ready to diversify my marketable skills for the first time in my life, and I find this incredibly energizing.

I Can Finally Post Photos Again!

You've probably noticed that I haven't posted a photo since last year. It's because our stupid IE browser freezes on certain sites, one of which is the photo uploader tool on Blogger. IE has been getting more and more temperamental lately, freezing multiple times a day. I'm afraid our 4-year-old computer is clogged with crap inadvertently downloaded, perhaps through security holes in IE. When Paul's Aikido Journal subscription link became one of the frozen sites, I finally decided to get Firefox (yesterday). Wow, what an improvement!

The computer is still slow. I just finished backing up all our documents and photos in case it dies on us. I'm gonna post some photo highlights from the last few months for your viewing pleasure, now that it's possible again.

From my Christmastime(!) trip to Portland, with Mom

Christmastime, with Paul by our tree

I just realized, I've hardly taken any pictures since Valentine's Day. It's just been one of those years. But I do plan to make up for it this summer, especially on our Europe trip!

Successful Debut and a Visit

Last Sat (June 23) was my first time playing through the whole show with the cast--and in front of a paying audience. Can you say adrenaline rush? It was fun anyway, though, and my mess-ups were pretty small. The Actors' Summit folks were, I think, pleasantly surprised that I did so well after only knowing the music for 9 days.

I checked my voicemail on the way home after the show and learned that Gene and Judy Lynch, family friends from Portland, were in the area and would like to meet up with Paul and me and take us out to an early dinner the next day. Unfortunately, Paul was teaching aikido, as usual, and I had a Windsong potluck at 4 pm that day, but they were still able to stop by in the afternoon and we caught up for a couple of hours.

Paul was a real sweetheart and cleaned the first floor of the house that morning since I didn't have time. We should have company more often--the kitchen table still had Christmas cards stacked on it.

Total Immersion

Finally coming up for air. Last Wednesday, I went out to Actors' Summit to play for the directors, which entailed learning the two hardest passages from the show in about 20 minutes to give them a rough idea of how fast I could learn. I liked their energy and we have an easy rapport. I did get the job. I got a copy of the original Broadway cast CD, the piano score, and a contract for one rehearsal this Wednesday night and 11 performances, starting Saturday. Some of the CD recording is different from the score, and whenever it's different we're doing it like the CD.

Starting last Wednesday afternoon, I have been eating, sleeping and breathing this score, practicing up to 4 hours a day, taking breaks every hour to go for a bike ride or do a little yoga, listening to the CD constantly, and writing out the parts that are different in my lazy, music-score-free code that nobody else can read. Most of it I can now play well enough to play along with the CD so I can get used to the vocal parts, cues and tempo changes. It's working. Snippets of the show are now the soundtrack of my subconcious, which means it's sinking in. I still have things to clean up, but now I can play the whole thing (well over an hour of music).

Good thing, too. My first--and only--rehearsal is the day after tomorrow, and I really want to make a good impression and do a good job. I've been really physically tired from this, especially the first 3 days, but also energized. It couldn't have come at a better time in my schedule, as last week was my week off from CSD before the summer session started today, and I would have had nothing to do. I am just not used to that kind of intense practicing, though. I can't do more than 4 hours or the fatigue gets to be too much. My brain can only absorb so much information at a time anyhow. I think without the workouts I would have much less focus and stamina, yet another reason to keep it up.

Today, I went back to work at CSD. It was muggy and hit 95 degrees (our hottest day so far this year), but I still managed two round trips there by bike (I had a 3-hour break between classes) for a total of 16 miles riding. My first ride there, a month ago, took me 26 minutes to get there, and today's second trip took me only 21! (It takes about 12-15 minutes to drive, depending on the traffic.) It still feels strenuous (lots of hills) but it is noticably easier. I like seeing that sort of progress in such a short time.

Got Myself a New Gig!

My profile listing at www.artistschair.com is finally getting some nibbles after languishing for two years. Last Friday I was selected at random to be the "featured artist of the day", and someone from the Chagrin Valley Little Theatre called the same day to ask if I could play for a production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. I had to decline, unfortunately, because half of the run is during our Europe trip (boo!), but at least I was able to give him the name of another pianist and get on the call list for next summer.

Today, I got an offer from Actors' Summit to sub for 10 performances of The Musical of Musicals from June 23-July 15. If I'm lucky I'll get 10 or so days to learn the music and one rehearsal before being thrown onstage with the actors for a funny, fast-paced hour and 45 minutes in front of a paying audience. Wowie!

Baby's First Bifocals

Though not in denial of the fact that I've reached middle age, I mostly feel (and I like to think look) young for my chronological age. But there are some things in this "slow slide into decrepitude", as Paul and I like to refer to it, that no amount of lifestyle changes will ever have any control over.

Yesterday I had my annual eye exam. Because I'm cheap, I usually stretch the appointment frequency to every two years, but this year I actually took the doctor's advice and came back after only one year. The reason: last fall, I started noticing that, especially in dim light while wearing my contacts, sometimes it would take a few seconds for my eyes to adjust when reading a restaurant menu or the phone book. Once when writing the mileage in my logbook by the light of the car overhead at night, I just couldn't see well enough to write at all. Paul lent me his reading glasses, and wow! Everything was so big and clear, and it took no effort to see! I realized I've been in denial for quite a while and promptly went to Walgreen's to buy some compact reading glasses that fit in my purse.

When we go out to eat or the theater, now we each don our respective specs to peruse the menu or program. I still feel like I'm impersonating a "young grandma" whenever I do this, a little self-conscious but not unduly upset at this undeniable sign of aging. I've already been practically blind for decades anyway, so it's not that huge of an adjustment. My friends who've already gone through this transition have been known to smile and say, "Our little Karin is growing up."

I got my new glasses prescription yesterday, and for the first time there is a number under the ADD column. +100 is about the mildest bifocal prescription possible--it's like a training bra for reading glasses--but still, it does make it easier to see.

Still, I feel compelled to add, I rode my bike 14 miles round trip to get to my appointment, and still had the energy to ride the 8 mile round trip to work later the same day. And it was all uphill. Both ways.

New Cycle Nut

Well, I never did update about the RDA Festival. Here's the short summary: I worked really hard, playing only my very best and original stuff while world-class teachers, newspaper, TV and Dance Magazine reporters observed classes. I met and mingled with other dance accompanists and saw lots of strong, talented young dancers from all over the country. Now they want me to play for the regional RDA Festival again next year. If only it weren't during Memorial Day weekend, which is almost sure to be the performance time of Cleve. School of Dance. (Why can't they hold these things in August, when I'm unemployed for a month?) Anyway, I had a good time and came out ahead a bit in the financial department for the week.

The weather has finally warmed up, and as usual this time of year, my thoughts turned to alternative forms of transport to work (other than the car, that is). Last year, I intended to walk to work at least 3 times a week in the summer. The problem is, the school is 4 miles from home and it takes me about an hour each way. With my classes starting at 9 am every morning, I just never got up early enough to leave on time.

This year I thought, maybe it's time to get a bicycle. I've been resisting for years because 1) Every bike I've ever had except one has gotten stolen, admittedly because I got lazy just for a minute and left it unlocked in public and 2) helmets are hot and mess up your hair. I can solve 1) by being conscientious about locking, much easier now that I'm a grownup and 2) helmets nowadays are much lighter, more ventilated, and surprisingly, don't mess up my hair at all.

After doing some online research for a week, I went to Century Cycles to buy this bike, and I just love it!! It's the first really high-quality bike I've ever had, and now I'm in shape enough to pedal up the hills without having to get off and walk. The first day I had it, I rode to work (8-mile round trip including steep hills). My legs were rubbery afterward and certain muscles were sore so I had to take a day off the next day. Now, two weeks later, I've ridden to more distant destinations, such as downtown or Beechwood Place (15-mile round trip) to run errands. To stay off of the scary, busy, non-bike-friendly main roads I've been exploring the parallel quiet neighborhood side streets.

I really enjoy smelling the flowers and feeling the breeze (which makes riding even on a 90-degree day surprisingly pleasant), as well as the good feeling of being active and saving gas in the process. My body has gotten used to it quickly and now I can ride several days in a row without feeling like I'm overdoing it.

I'm skipping today though because 1) it's raining and 2) I have an extra Windsong rehearsal tonight for our performance tomorrow.

What a Difference 2 Weeks Makes

Lots of exciting things are happening lately. Our church has just called a new full-time minister (the vote, unanimous with 1 abstention, just happened this afternoon)! Our ministerial candidate, Colin Bossen, has spent a week with us, preaching 2 Sundays and sharing potlucks, sitting in on committee meetings, etc. so we could get to know each other. Our search committee has spent two years of hard work to get to the point of selecting him, and I can't imagine anybody else being a better fit for our congregation. So happy it worked out.

It certainly didn't hurt that it was a beautiful, sunny, 78-degree day. I was able to wear some summery clothes and I painted my toenails for the first time since last September. For most of the year, my feet get so cold I wear two pairs of socks everywhere except to shower and sleep, so why bother doing my toenails--even I don't get to see them anyway! It's a mood lifter and a ritual to welcome the warm part of the year.

My biggest news: Tomorrow I drive to Pittsburgh for the week to accompany at the Regional Dance America National Festival. 2,000 or so youth ballet company members from small towns across America, 12 pianists, 5 adjudicators and 24 instructors will be converging for days jam-packed with master classes and performances. I will be playing for 21 classes over 5 days (Tues-Sat). There will be a 3-hour performance every night (I won't be playing, just have the option of attending) in the historic theater district. We're staying in the hotel connected to the Convention Center, which happens to include an 8,000-square-foot gym and a pool. Lodging, meals, mileage/plane fare, and tickets to all performances are included in addition to our pay. I'm actually going to come out ahead financially!

I looked at the hotel web site, and evidently, my room will have a fridge. So today I went to Target and bought some snax for my stay, including a 2-liter bottle of Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper, my current favorite soft drink. We're getting a flat reimbursement for breakfasts and incidental snacks, so why not try gaming the system a little and save some money up front?

I won't have internet access the entire time I'm there, unless I'm willing to pony up 30 cents a minute in the 24-hour business center. I may do that once or twice, but mainly just to check email and clean out my spam box. I'll have my cell phone with me, and it will be on 24/7 the whole time, as that is the only way anyone, including Festival staff, will be able to get in touch with me. I'll fill you in on the deets when I get back.

Just When They Thought It Was Safe To Bloom...

Merry Easter, everyone. Greetings from the freakishly Frozen North, where the temperature dropped 50 degrees in 24 hours last Wednesday and hasn't climbed out of the 20's since. The calendar may say it's April, but it looks a lot more like January out there. We're under a lake-effect snow warning. We tried to drive out to go dancing tonight, only to turn around because of blizzard-like conditions and the scariness of sliding around while going only 25 mph on the freeway. Three more inches have fallen just in the 2 hours since we got back.

I think we've entered a wormhole in the time-space continuum and emerged somewhere in the thick of winter. Eight inches of snow on the ground and more falling every hour--check. Wearing sweaters, down parka and waterproof boots to go outside and the formation of snotcicles when walking for more than 5 minutes--check. A nasty gust of wind that snapped our front storm door open so violently that it yanked several screws out of the wood on the door jamb--check.

But taking a closer look, something's not quite right. Our mostly bare magnolia tree is sporting shriveled blackened husks that were fragrant blossoms only 4 days ago. Shrubs that were bursting with tender baby leaves or yellow blossoms are now freeze-dried. Daffodils that were popping open like popcorn at the end of March are now bowed down all the way to the ground in defeat. The cherry, apple and peach blossoms were just starting (a good two weeks early) and are now ruined for the year.

Easter is supposed to be a time of resurrection of new life and new hope, but I'm just not feelin' it this year. It feels like we're Charlie Brown and Mother Nature is Lucy holding the football. When it hit 79 degrees on Tuesday, I considered risking taking my down parka to the drycleaners, and then she swoops in, cackling evilly, "Haha, you thought it was spring! Suckers!"