I Can Breathe through Squeaky Reeds

 I didn't end up jumping out of a window before the concert, no car crashes, I actually survived the concert. But barely. You know how for a saxophone, clarinet, or some instrument like that, there are these reeds that you put on the mouthpiece so that when you blow into it, it makes a sound. Well when those reeds break or are dry, they squeak. And guess what happened when my part was featured and when I had a solo? My reed dried out. So "SQUUUEEEEEAAAAKKKKK" was a common sound heard during that song. After my reed failed in me and I was totally humiliated, there was still applause as to say, "Ladies and gentlemen, Song for My Father featuring Pauline and the squeaky, uncooperative reed!"

"Yes, thank you, because I'm not already embarrassed enough without the pity clap..."

Well it wasn't that bad, I worked through it, and I did have some pretty good note choices. I just had some major technical difficulties... But afterwards we went to Cold Stone and got ice creams and smoothies. The best part is, like half of the jazz band was there. It was like an after party! While the poor ladies wanted to close up shop, all of us band geeks were talking together.

And the best part of this is?! I got to go to the barn today! And let me tell you, that helped me so much. Funny how spending time with four-legged creatures that weigh ten times as much as you helps. That is my definition of therapy.

But guess what? It's almost Halloween! My (wait a moment.... first, second, third, oh I got it!) fourth favorite holiday of the year! Well I will go more elaborately into this in a later blog post! See you around!

To Do or Not to Be

Well you are probably thinking, "Now that ain't right." And no it ain't. Okay, I'm done with the bad grammar. Well to do or not to be, that is the real question. Back to my little issue, music or horses? Well, I'm still figuring it out, but I haven't had a horseback lesson in now three weeks. That's awful for me. Think of something you really love. Reading, video games, art, sports, chasing children, whatever makes you happy. Now think about not doing that for THREE WEEKS. Or for any of you music people out there, imagine not going to band or a lesson for three weeks. Well now you feel like me.

I'm shaking out of my own skin, wanting to have a dinosaur step on anything that comes in my way of the barn, etc. Oh and look, what conflicts with the barn? Music. Hey look, I like music. Wow, this is just dandy. I have two band concerts, two weeks in a row, ON THE SAME DAY I'M SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE BARN! So now, the question, to do or not to be? Or to be and not to do? I'm either going to do band and music lessons, and not be at the barn. Or, I will be at the barn and not do band.

Well the answer ended up being to do and not to be. I'm going to the concerts. I love music. I love band, most of my friends in school are from band, and my grade depends on it. So music ends up being my Wednesday plan for the next two weeks.

I have a solo at my jazz concert (if you go to this link, they might have videos of the concert) tonight (which I am planning on jumping out a window before so I can have a reasonable excuse not to go). I'm terrified. The only other times I soloed in front of everyone was the last jazz concert. Most people you would expect a solo to be like "Ba da ba da ba da ba da ba doo waat. De be da bah da doowat-doowat doo ba da doo wah-daht," and so on. But I was like "Garble de farble de doowat garble, squeak, breathe, garble dee," and so on.

The irony is, I'm much more comfortable on a horse that ways at least ten times as much as I do, jumping over things that are 1/2 to 3/4 my height, speeding 25 mph towards a gate and doing everything I can to not slam into it, than I am standing up, playing about a minute of improvised music to people, and sitting back down.

This is 2 feet six inches...  Back when I used to go to the barn..

Don't get me wrong, I love, love, LOVE music and jazz, but it's easier to listen to it than it is to play. I just scare myself by inadvertently comparing myself to people way better than me in music. On horseback, people dare to compare to me. 

What's Worse than Bio Class? (Beware of TMI)

What's worse than sitting through bio class, listening to your teacher drone on about stuff, repeat the unnecessary things, miss the useful information, sharing looks of pure misery with your class mates, and waiting for the clock to reach 9:03? Missing bio class. Let me tell you, it's not just biology. Every class is hard to make up, but especially biology, because who wants to come in after school to make up a lab assignment all by themselves with your teacher telling you it's on canvas? NO ONE. And this is exactly what I am going to have to do. I have been sick for three weeks in a row, and not just a wimpy little cold. Like full on asthma, huge cough attacks, sinus infections, and toilet hugging. That has been my hobby the last three weeks. Delightful, huh?

I've been in and out of school like every two days, and this was the last day of school before the break. And hey, I get to worry about making up class all over my four day weekend. Oh and being sick and missing even more horseback riding lessons. So this weekend that I have been desperately needing and looking forward to, I will be getting to know my toilet. I love this.

Well, even how awful this was, I got to sleep in until 10:30 this morning. That never happens. Normally I'm up, rushing around, throwing on makeup, shoveling food into my mouth, accidentally swallowing toothpaste, grabbing my backpack and three instruments, and rushing out the door, sprinting back in, grabbing my phone, and darting out the door again once 5:30 am starts. Now that I've had a relaxing morning (well as relaxing as nausea lets you get), I have now gone through three episodes of Sherlock, cleaned my room, painted my nails (which did not make my stomach feel any better--tip, never paint your nails when you are sick), and updated my blog.

Sherlock and blue nail polish

One would think that you could be able to sleep when you are sick, but I'm not that type of person (which is probably why I am still sick after three weeks). Thanks to this thing known as an internal clock and this other thing called school, there's no such thing as, "Hey! You're sick, so take a day off and get better!" It's more like, "Hey, you're sick, and I don't care, you have three excused absences a quarter!" For all us overachievers out there, this means, "Hey! You're sick, but since all three of those absences are used up, how about you come back to school and don't get better and get the rest of our beloved children sick! Yaayyy!!" But hey, my nails are blue, my room is clean, my mind is full of very happy images (thanks a lot Sherlock), and I get a five day weekend!

Oh, where are you John, I've missed you.