Going to the ball!

Wahoo - tonight is the first Black and White ball, I guess I am hopeful that it will be a big success (even though some of the arrangements are just awful!) If people are really dancing, the arrangements won't be so big of a deal. I understand we have sold enough tickets to break even, which is great for our first year. In case I didn't mention it, this is a benefit for the Coeur d'Alene Symphony.

Tomorrow I fly to Boise, leaving at (to me anyway) the crack of dawn 6am. Actually dawn won't have cracked by then here. I am so excited to see my friends from 15 (eeek!!!) years ago, I will be playing with Darkwood, a group that I was an original member of. Looks like we are just doing some pre-packaged arrangments of classical dances, but I guess they have dancers too. This group is unusual, the core members are a bass clarinet and a viola, but they add to the group as they like - I think it will be flute and oboe and possibly bassoon with the core this weekend. Anyway, if you're in Boise, come see us on Sunday at 2!

MRI

So much stuff going on! Hard to believe I am leaving for Boise Saturday. Tomorrow I have an MRI scheduled for my ankle, which has been really bothering me for more than a year. With all the ice and stuff I think I strained it, and although it was getting better it is now bugging me a lot again. Now that we have insurance I thought I would have it looked at; last week they took an xray and it showed nothing so they said this was the next step. Would be GREAT to get this taken care of, since it is really affecting my activity (and God knows I don't need any more excuses!)

Also signed us up for garbage service! This is a big thing because we have never had it - and my beloved ASSURED me he would take care of all garbage and he never needed it as a single guy - how different could it be for a family? HAHAHAHA. So we do burn paper things (we are out in the country), and we recycle lots of stuff, but there are some things that just need to go to the dump. And J has made exactly zero trips to the dump since we have been married. So. Anyway, this service will only be once a month, so it shouldn't be too much of a pain (although it is 1/4 mile we have to haul the can to where they pick it up on the road!)

D still big into fish and the ocean, he is quite the lecturer and will bore anyone who holds still long enough. He wouldn't even go to the movies last week with K (who was babysitting) because there were no science movies. What a little nerd! But it's pretty cute.

Haircut

D was getting a bit shaggy, so I tried to give him a haircut. But he resisted (mightily) so I told him he could cut it himself! Enjoy.

snowy day

Finally I am putting up the pics I got during the big snow...we still have a lot but it is melting now, so at least the roads are clear. Here is Jim trying to dig out the truck...






And Daniel with the snowman we built...











And some artsy shots -
This is the woodshed and the "back 40"











Jim on the deck (shot from the woodshed)











And my little windmill struggling to keep spinning...it is 4 feet high!

church musicians

It is interesting how the service comes together every week, always seems completely chaotic and then it goes without a hitch (mostly, that people notice). Of course, it is a struggle to not get blase about playing, and have a mediocre performance, when it really should be the best we can give (since it is technically an "offering to God" I suppose...)

Today I played 6 different things, 1 of which I knew about before I got there this morning. Actually it all went fine, but I have learned to write down if I'm playing the intro or not, and if I'm supposed to play certain verses, because I will forget! But the offering (big music moment) was going to be me playing an arrangement of the slow movement of the Bizet Symphony, very pretty. All went ok til the last note, didn't quite have enough gas to hold it more than a few beats (should have been 8) Oh well, I *wish* it had been better, but I doubt anyone but me and 2 other people had any idea it wasn't as it should have been.
I just need more inspiration to practice! If I was playing more I know that last note would have been there. I did get out my Laubin (teacher's old oboe) and thought about playing it today -

Snowtown USA

Snow is getting old! We have big piles in the middle of all the streets, and parking is impossible, and it is just cold and nasty. I want to go to some beach in the sun.

But instead I'm going with Ds class to the Jumping Gym for a field trip. And tonight Jims work is having a Valentine drinks on the town sort of thing, I guess they feel (correctly!) that none of the engineers will think of Valentines Day on their own, so this will make all the spouses feel remembered? Oh well, I'm not going to complain! We also got free tix to the big symphony this weekend is the fabulous new theater, it was so amazing last time. So the sitters' fees are piling up, but D loves it. Boring old us all the time is not nearly so fun.