the details

Well, I go from being in the depths of depression one week, to too busy to think the next. I am keeping in mind I need progress on that end. However, it has been busy!

Aside from having contractors in and out, I went for a job interview last week and got the job. This woman had stopped to talk to me when I was taking Mom to the hospital, and it took a bit for me to call her and set up the interview. So I went, and we spent perhaps 2 1/2 hours just talking . My new boss is a very interesting woman -- we even got to discussing music, which I haven't spoken about to any serious extent to anyone in a very long time. As in music theory - not popular music. She's encouraging me to go with her to Sweet Adelines on Mondays. I told her I can't sing, but she doesn't believe me. Well, I CAN sing, but not well, and haven't had anyone to coach me to let me know when I'm doing right and wrong. I did sing in chorus in high school, did some on-stage musical stuff (i.e. a Broadway Review), and did some and did some sight singing for my college Music Department entrance exams. But I don't have much confidence in my ability. My boss said that the ability to read music, and knowing some theory and having a strong voice is all I need, and that they will actually teach me the rest!

I'm rather excited at the prospect. God knows I've missed being around music, and performing on stage, and well, it's tantalizing. I really don't have anywhere to play my clarinet around here, and I'm pretty rusty. Plus, most the outfits around here, well, they play a lot of patriotic, Sousa marches and stuff. Nothing against them, but I'm not sure where to go that has a broader repetoir. The only drawback is that practice is on Monday nights and I will be having classes on those nights.

Oh, did I say classes? Tuesday I have my interview with the Academy of Massage and Bodywork. I'm in. I officially start to earn my LMT (liscensed massage therapist) on Monday, March 6 and classes continue until January 2007. I've wanted to do this for so very long, I can't wait to start. I get to keep my table and books, and it's a 550 hour course that covers so much more than basic massage.

I figure that I'll make a practice or two at Sweet Adelines as a guest, and see if they want me, or I want to join, and that will be my payoff for completing school.

Hrm. What else? Oh, Saturday Doug and I took Mom, wheelchair and all to the Hippodrome in Baltimore to see the 25th Anniversary tour of CATS... which was very good, and it went very well. Mom had a great seat, since she was in a wheel chair with a broken ankle, we had to change our seats, and she got a nifty ramp to park on, almost a whole head above everyone else! It was freezing cold when we left, and I don't do dense crowds well, so I offered to go down the steps to the parking garage and get the car. Little did I realize that there was a difference in the garage between level 6N and 6S. So I tracked down the car, and then couldn't get out because everyone was all jammed up trying to get out. I figured Mom would be getting cold, so I told Doug he might as well bring her down. It was like playing Shutes n' Ladders to get us matched up. Cold. Cars. and Doug zipping Mom up and down inclines between cars... quickly... trying to find me while playing Marco Polo on the cell phone.

Well, nothing's perfect, right? So we get back after the play around 3 a.m. (we had to stop at a diner on the way home, of course) and find out that we have no power. Had not, in fact had any power since that evening. Had not, of course, any indication of when we would be getting said power back. The wind storms were wicked fierce and we live in the sticks. So we get through Sunday with no power until around 6 p.m. I will never EVER get rid of our woodstove. Ever. I even cooked on it!

I also started work on Monday. I wasn't quite ready for it, but wasn't going to complain. So I work for a company that handles in-home care, or companionship. Nothing medical, more like cleaning, errands, etc for folks that needed. Many clients are elderly but we also work with people who are recovering from surgery, new moms, and so forth.

My client is a very interesting 93 year old woman, Mrs. F-. She's done more in her retirement than I think I'll ever do in my life. Well educated, well traveled -- knowledgeable in art, music, gourmet cooking, etc. We've actually spent a good bit of time chatting -- she's a bit stuffy in some ways, but has a right to be I think. I'm not sure how much I like the job, but it's a job, and can be interesting. She doesn't have a ton of stuff for me to do -- I prefer to stay busy -- but hopefully that will change as she gets used to having someone around. Right now, the hours are regular, which is better than most people in this business have -- I work noon to 4 p.m. everyday. Unfortunately, those are also my peak production hours. I suppose I'll have to work on being more of a morning person. The good thing is that with this job there is a lot of flexibility and that bodes well for me and going to school, the work is right up my alley in dealing with people, and the pay isn't bad.

Okay, I think that may be it for now.

Freezing cold, no heat, no electricity, no running water and this girl will still whip up a meal of a slab o' meat, scrambled eggs, and hot cocoa. Yum. Those, by the way are some country pork ribs on the smallish side, that I thought were chops when I bought them. Verra, verra tasty.