Dangerous Snow Globes

I'm taking a trip to Oregon on Wednesday to play for the Rogue Valley Symphony, so I'm thinking about whether I can get by with just a carry-on or if I need to check a bag. I decided to check the TSA website to see what the regulations are in terms of which toiletries count as liquid.... and there I found this entertaining piece of information:

Snow globes permitted in carry-on?

NO

Snow globes and like decorations regardless of size or amount of liquid inside, even with documentation.

I guess if I want to take my snow globe collection, I will have to check a bag.

Halloween in Santa Barbara

Oh, Santa Barbara. It's a funny thing. There are many things that I love about this city, but it hasn't quite managed to capture my heart. Of course it's a beautiful place with the mountains, the ocean, the warm weather and all. I do appreciate those things. The city itself is pristine and attractive, and there are many great restaurants and shops to go to. I guess my main issue is that there is an overwhelming obsession with money and status that can be felt in the air almost anywhere in town. There is so much focus on the cars people drive, the clothes they wear, what people do to stay in shape and looking good.... I spend a certain amount of time thinking about these things myself, but not much time. It's just not THAT interesting. I think this is the main reason that I would not want to settle down here. That and just simply the cost of living being outrageous, especially for such a small city.

Last night I went downtown for Halloween. I was a cowgirl. My outfit was not terribly exciting, but it was comfortable and everyone knew what I was - this may become my go-to outfit should I ever need to dress up again. I honestly could not remember the last time that I dressed up for Halloween. I know that my grandmother made me a great vampire cape which I may have worn at Eastman once. Before that I remember being a scarecrow in middle school and my friends were other characters from the Wizard of Oz. When I was very little I was usually an angel, fairy or princess. Not sure if I could pull that off now.

Strangely enough, going downtown for Halloween is what people do here to get away from the crazy party. The big party is in Isla Vista (see the picture above), where most of the undergrads from UCSB live. Many people said I should just check it out and see what it's like once, since I'm here, but I'm pretty sure I would have been mildly amused at best. My favorite part about going downtown was dressing up, seeing the other costumes, and spending time with friends, but I was not entertained by the out of control and drunken masses. I decided not to wait around any longer when I saw two guys in line for a hot dog get into a bloody punching match. My first and last Halloween in Santa Barbara.

Time for Mid-terms, already?

Yes, there has already been far too much time between posts here. I have been trying to practice consistently this year, I've been doing some teaching in the schools, and I've been going to Bikram yoga almost every day. The days go by incredibly quickly when I have this much to do.... the quarter is about halfway over! After this I will have only one more quarter before I graduate with my Masters degree. This makes me VERY happy.

I enjoy teaching the kids in the schools. For most of them it is the first time they have ever played a violin. It is difficult to not have more private time to concentrate on technique, but they actually learn from each other pretty well and they share a lot of excitement and energy. They all yelp that their finger tips are in pain from pressing on the strings, but I have no mercy. Complaining only means that we get to all play the exercise one more time in order to "get used to it" and build the muscles and calluses on their fingers. Muahaha.

Other than that we've been playing a lot of weddings which is nice. Yesterday I played at the smallest wedding I've ever been to - I think there were less than 10 people total, including the entire wedding party and Officiant. I thought it was nice to keep it small. They had the bride's dachshund puppy run down the aisle after the flower girls, which was one of the cutest things I've ever seen. I never would have thought that a dog belonged at a wedding, but suddenly it did make sense. After all, animals are a pretty important part of the family, so they might as well be included in the ceremony!

Birthdays

Yesterday was my birthday, and I am now 26. Oct 5th also marks the day that my grandfather, Chet, died, two years ago. I will never forget the phone call in the morning from his wife, Dottie, who was pretty sure he was gone, and then walking up the hill to see him for the last time. Some birthday present.... Actually, as sad as it was to see him go and to not have him around any more, he was just SO ready to go, that it did actually feel more like a release or a departure, and not so much an ending. Chet died in his sleep at home on his tempur-pedic mattress, and there was no place he would rather have been.

For my birthday dinner, I was treated to sushi and sake with friends at Edomasa in Santa Barbara. It is one of my favorite restaurants here, and the deluxe Yellowtail last night was delicious. Mmmm, I think I'm ready to go back again!

It is my cousins Claire and Deva's birthday today. I also have vivid memories of hearing that my aunt was getting ready to have the girls on my birthday, and then going to see them after they were born in the hospital the next day. It was the first time that I ever held a newborn - it was one of the most magical things I have experienced. So tiny, so perfect, so precious. Two miracles, the giving of life and the taking of life, memories of both that are evoked around this time of year for me.

Roberto Plano

I heart this very much.

This is my new blog

It has been about 10 months since I've posted an entry to my old blog, so I've decided to start anew. And, we're off......

Here I am in Santa Barbara - I arrived Tuesday after missing the first few days of school in order to play for the first Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra concerts of the season in Southern Oregon. The RVSO has an exciting year ahead of them as they are searching for a new conductor. I enjoyed the first candidate, Chelsea Tipton II, quite a lot. He is assistant conductor in Toledo and recently accepted a job in Beaumont, TX as well, which would make RVSO his third gig. He also happens to be an Eastman graduate - my favorite kind :) There will be four more candidates and I plan to travel up and play whenever it works with my schedule.

The guest soloist for this concert, Roberto Plano, was also a joy to have. He is a fine pianist with a sweet personality. Cute, too :) I hope to hear him again in the future, perhaps when I don't have to listen from within the orchestra.

More later, and welcome back to me!