I miss being involved in music. Actively. I mean, I lived on it like bread for four years in college, and being away from it now… It’s like uprooting a daisy from a field, taking it home, and putting it in the closet. Sometimes I feel withered.
(more…)
Ah, it was nice to get away. On Saturday night I was bemoaning the fact that we would be leaving the next day. (I was bemoaning this from the hot tub on the deck of our cabin overlooking the Smoky Mountains, while a mild thunderstorm began to roll in - with non-threatening lightning and a gentle, but steady, breeze.) *sigh* You’d bemoan too.
But let’s talk about the highlights, shall we? 
Early in our trip, I bought a Samurai sword at the Smoky Mountain Knife Works (for display only!). The guy selling it warned me that the blades on the cheaper ones (ones that aren’t folded steel with the blade going the full length of the handle) have a tendancy to “fall out”. One guy bought one, took it home, started swinging it around, and inadvertantly flung it into his car door - about a foot away from his wife. YIKES! So, no playing with it when you come to visit. Pick it up, look it over, but for heaven’s sake, DON’T SWING IT!
The cabin was lovely - once you found it. So many turns, so dark at night… 
It was also a bit loud downstairs at night, but (a big plus) there were plenty of bathrooms so everyone was able to get ready alright in the mornings. There was much pool and air hockey and foosball and eating of Sarah’s Fast Breaks.
Which reminds me! Pigeon Forge (which is where our cabin was, technically) has about a million outlet stores: Old Navy, Pfaltzgraf, Carter’s, Big Dog (gag me), Lodge Cast Iron Cookware (WOOHOO!), and they also have a Russell Stover outlet. Mmmm… This time of year they’re well stocked with “old freakin’ easter candy” and even older freakin’ Valentine’s Day candy. I bought some of the latter: a large heart box of assorted chocolates (only a few days expired ) for $1.25. 
I also found (love of my life) AN ENTIRE BOX of Molasses Chews!!!! *drools* hee hee hee Mine.
Anyway, where was I? Oh! Ah, the best part of the trip was not the food (though, as always, the Pancake Pantry (with their Sugar ‘n Spice pancakes) and the Applewood (with their Apple Fritters and Apple Julep) were *Mr. Burn’s voice* EXCELLENT). The best part was …the outdoors!
Brian collected all the digital photos from the many many many many cameras that were with us on the trip, in order to compile them on disks for everybody. I thought it would be interesting to see what everybody took pictures of and how they took them, and then I thought, “Dang, I’m gonna have a lot of nature shots and very few with people in them.” lol And it’s true! Not because I don’t like people or something; I guess it’s just because I’ve SEEN all of THEM before! It was the OTHER stuff I needed pictures of to remember! And man was there opportunity.
On Friday, we went to Ober Gatlinburg (which we call “Uber Gatlinburg” - for obviously sarcastic reasons). The tram ride up made for spectacular views of the valley where Gatlinburg lies, and our tram operator was a hoot. lol While we were at the top, most of us took the additional ride up to the top of the highest peak there to catch a glipse of the awesome panoramic mountain view. Wow. We also took our turns on the Alpine Slide and the Go-Karts (with much laughter ensuing from both), before hitting the Black Bear Habitat (the only bears I saw while in the Smokies) and heading back down. (Of note: wouldn’t recommend the food in Ober Gatlinburg - at least, not at the snack bar. My chicken smelled and tasted like salmon, and Keith’s hot dog smelled like a cheap balloon. They also tried to charge us for our meals and the person’s meal that ordered ahead of us: a mess that got straightened out without TOO much fuss.)
Anyway, after Uber Galinburg, we went hiking in the Smoky Mountains National Park. (We saw a wild turkey on our way in! Yea, wildlife!) We hiked up to Laurel Falls - where two big things happened (one obviously bigger than the other): I fell, jammed my shoulder, and landed in a puddle, thankfully, rather than at the bottom of the waterfall, and MY BROTHER GOT ENGAGED!!! Yikes, I feel old. But I like Michelle, and it was very sweet and picturesque, and paparazzi-like with the eight million cameras up there. lol I took photos all the way up as well as at the top of the 1.3 mile hike (one way up a mountainside - my calves only stopped hurting yesterday).
We also went to Cades Cove (on Saturday), and though the skies were gray and threatening rain most of the time, it was still neat. It’s a peaceful valley hidden away in the folds of the mountains with tall fescue (prairie grasses) rippling in the breeze. As you drive along the one-way motor trail, you can pull off here and there to take in views or to visit any number of old cabins, churches, or (most convenient) the Visitor’s Center (which has a pretty neat grist mill right there with it). I found an awesome CD at the Visitor’s Center (one my dad bought last year and we’ve all decided we need); it’s instrumental music (lots of guitar and piano) with background “noise” - if you honestly want to call it that - that’s actual recordings from inside the park, so you hear birds, insects, wolves, mountain streams, and even thunderstorms and rainfall. It’s quite relaxing. And it would have been nice to be able to spend more time in Cades Cove, or even in the park in general. Next year, I think we need to set aside two weeks for the vacation and/or spend it all in the park: hiking, exploring, enjoying… *sigh* It’s lovely.
I got to go horseback riding while we were there, which was… awesome. (I use that word a lot, don’t I?) It was a bit muddy, but it was a cool day and my horse had personality. His name was Easy, and he thought he should be the leader - or at least be in front of the horse in front of me. He kept trying to trot on ahead (which got me a holler from the guide, “Don’t let ‘em trot!” (As if I’d told him to.) ) We saw a few deer along the trail, and still a few more later on on the motor trail. (They were all female; wonder where the males were…) 
There were a few things we had planned that we just didn’t get to do: “the ever-elusive Hillbilly Golf” as Mom called it and Ripley’s Aquarium (don’t laugh, it’s pretty impressive - some people went, but I wasn’t one of them). But that’s okay. It gives us reason to go back again. Personally, I wouldn’t mind seeing what the Smokies look like in the autumn…
Your results:
You are Uhura
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You are a good communicator with a pleasant soft-spoken voice. Also a talented singer.  |
Okay, this whole experience with my job has been incredible from Day 1 to now, and I have to share it with you!
I’d been “looking” for a job since last November (and a little before). I sent out my resume countless times with no success (read: NO RESPONSE WHATSOEVER!!!). For a while, I was really discouraged (and did nothing at all - bless my parents for putting up with that!). I finally got up the nerve to ask Lorrie to help me with my resume - I figured a revamp couldn’t hurt. We worked on it after church on Sunday (February 19th), and the next day (Monday February 20th) I put the finishing touches on it and loaded it onto CareerBuilder.com. While I was there, I noticed an ad for a receptionist position with F.C. Tucker, so I quickly shot off an e-mail of my revamped resume with a sweet cover letter. The next day (Tuesday February 21st), I received a call from HR - a phone interview that turned into an appointment for a face-to-face interview. So on Wednesday (February 22nd), I went in for an interview (which I did well on, thankfully), and I eagerly awaited a response.
On Friday (February 24th) I got a call from one of the managers at the Keystone/Haverstick office: they’d gotten my name from HR and wanted to set up an interview with me. (WOW!) Now, at first I was confused: Did this mean I was no longer being considered for the position I applied for originally (which was at Corporate)? Well, it turns out I wasn’t still in consideration; this was a straight referral (which was awesome still!). And the following Monday (February 27th) I went in for an interview (which also went quite well). Learning to bide my time, I wasn’t as anxious about waiting this time, but I didn’t have to wait long anyway: the next day (Tuesday February 28th) I received a call from the managers again requesting another interview. (Double WOW!)
Well, it wasn’t really another interview: it was a “When can you start?” sort of interview. (AAAAH!) And start I did. …The next day. (Wednesday March 1st)
I trained for about a half a day on Wednesday and Thursday, and on Thursday afternoon, I went to take my typing test (outscoring 90% of the on-line testing company’s client base - how did THAT happen?). A full day’s work on Friday, an uneventful (yet satisfying) weekend, then on to Monday (March 6th) where I spent two hours up front before being called back to the manager’s office (*panicked* WHAT’D I DO?!). They were sending me back to train with the Listing Secretary (who would be leaving at the end of that week - with no replacement in sight. Hmmm…). After a few days of, “We’re not sure yet what we’re going to do, but we’ve been interviewing receptionists…” I was called into the manager’s office once again (Thursday March 9th): “We’re gonna keep you back here, give you Kellie’s job.” (SWEET! A PROMOTION!) “Okay.” “Here’s the good news: you’ll get a raise.” (A PROMOTION AND A RAISE WITHIN A WEEK! WOW!) “Good.” I was ecstatic! I really like the Listing Secretary job (I liked the receptionist job too, but still!). They hired a new receptionist on Thursday (she started that Friday the 10th).
So we’ve been chugging along, rolling over numerous bumps along the way - including health issues. Which brings me to my next “God moment”: because of the days where I had to do both jobs at once (a nearly impossible task) and because the agents have been filling the managers’ ears with glowing compliments of me, my managers came up today with good news: “You’re getting a bonus.” (HOLY CRAP! I’VE BEEN WORKING HERE FOR A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AND THEY GAVE ME A BONUS!) “Sweet! Thank you!” The HR folks even came to deliver it personally! (Which was, admittedly, a little weird. I felt like some foreign dignitary, being treated with some sort of reverent awe. …I mean, why? I’m just doing my job. …And hers, occasionally.)
But this was just really cool! This whole thing! God has not ceased to blow my socks off for this entire month! He’s moving in that obvious way that is awesome to behold (and you need every once in a while). Kinda like the difference between seeing the effects of a tornado and actually seeing it. Just thought I’d let you know what the weather’s like in my corner of the world. I hope you’re having as much fun as I am tracking that same pillar of cloud and fire.
I’m going to look at a condo tomorrow morning. It’s around 86th and Ditch, and it’s so cute! I’ve been looking longingly at it for a while… I don’t know if I can afford it, but I’m gonna at least look.
Meanwhile, my friend Cris has put out word with the CPers that I’m looking for a place to live/roommate. I’ve already heard back from a couple people. (One that’s way out of my price range, and another that sounds pretty good that I’m keeping on the burner (not even the back one!)). ;D I’m not sure how soon I’ll be moving either. I mean, soon is good because gas is expensive, and right now I’m using 2 gallons a day to get to work and back. (YIKES!) Hence, I’m looking to move into the Broad Ripple/Nora area (more north and east than I am now, basically). And somewhere inbetween work and my current residence would be best because then I wouldn’t be too far away from home and my niece and nephew and church folk. (That’s one reason the condo looks so good.)
So who knows where this’ll go, but …I’m looking.
Oh… *le sigh* It was awesome. The singers were excellent - no annoying habits, and Cherubino was so good, I forgot she was a girl after a while! EXCELLENT! My older sister, Amanda, ended up going with me; it was her first trip to the opera! She liked it. She said she didn’t realize how funny it was going to be. (Well, of course it’s funny! It’s opera buffa!) I think it was a good opera to start with. And I’d go and see it again, of course, any day!
FOUR STARS!!! Well, maybe three and three-quarters: the guy running the supertitles got lost during ACT III for a little while. But other than that, it was AWESOME! ;D
So, I’m less than two weeks away from the Indianapolis Opera’s production of “The Marriage of Figaro”. My tickets are burning a hole in my junk drawer, eagerly awaiting use. And I’m obviously counting down the days… But as yet, I’m going by myself. That’s right: two tickets, one attendee. It sucks. I want someone to go with me!!! Not a date, just someone who’ll enjoy the production as much as I do.
Because, see, maybe you don’t understand.
I LOVE this opera. It’s hilarious and sweet, heart-breaking and touching, and (of course) wonderfully composed. (< - I mean, come on, it’s MOZART!) I saw (most of) a “Live from the Met” production of it on WFYI during my freshman year of college; Renee Fleming played the role of the Countess, and “Dove sono” instantly became my favorite aria of all time (even though it’s one I’d never be able to sing - properly, anyway… wrong voice range). Also, I know Cherubino’s two main arias (since - hooray for trouser roles - those are in my voice range). And I LOVE the phrase the Count has near the end: it’s short and simple, on paper, but when it’s performed well, with all the emotional build-up behind it, it can bring you to tears.
And I hope this production does. I hope the Countess isn’t a warbler. I hope Cherubino doesn’t make me say, “I could do better!” And I hope the Count doesn’t fake it. There’s a lot of pressure riding on these folks, and they don’t even know it! But, you see, this will be my first time to see it LIVE (and, blissfully, it’s in Italian - as it should be). So I also hope I can attend the production with someone who has the same rush of excitement as I do just thinking about it. (Perhaps not for the same reasons, but excitement nonetheless.)
…It’d also be nice if they could finance at least half of the ticket’s price. (Does that sound bad?) Well, I don’t have a steady job yet, and I could use the money (of course, so could everyone I know).
So, any takers? Any wannabe matchmakers (and by that I don’t mean “blind date”; I mean, “Hey, I know somebody who loves going to the opera!”)? Time is of the essence (so I hope somebody reads this).
Yesterday at lunch, Jeremy was telling me about a recent school project he’d done about something cancer-related. (He’d done his report on lung cancer.) I asked about what other students had chosen, and he listed a few then said that they didn’t have much new to say regarding prevention: “Radiation is dangerous.” “Don’t smoke.”
“Wear sunscreen,” I added. Then reeled.
“Wow! I just remembered that song!” I turned to Sarah to see her reaction (which was recognition), while Jeremy sat there lost. I explained a little bit about it, but I decided that it might be better to post the lyrics here - for him and other newcomers, and as a bit of nostalgia for us “old folks” who had to try to top it with our own graduation speeches (a feat I don’t think any of us accomplished).
I have to say, I really enjoyed hearing it again. It takes me back.
Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
by Baz Luhrmann
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Class of ’97:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. …Nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall, in a way you can’t grasp now, how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind: the kind that blindsides you at 4 P.M. on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know, at 22, what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.
Maybe you’ll marry; maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children; maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at forty; maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines: they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but, with a precious few, you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will philander, you, too, will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that, when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse, but you never know when either one might run out.
Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you’re forty, it will look eighty-five.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and recycling it for more than it’s worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.
I’d resolve to post more often, but I hate to break a resolution within a week of the new year.
This is my new doggie! Isn’t she sweet? She’s a rat terrier (we think), and the vet says she’s a good, healthy dog (less than a year old). She’s already learned how to sit (sort of). (And she’s already housetrained too! Thank goodness!) Now if she can learn “down” (or learn not to get up - on the furniture, on people - in the first place) and to not take off running outside everytime the door opens, we’ll be in great shape.
Beyond that, she’s very hyper, very needy (she loves lovin’ and playing with her rope toy or Sophie’s monkey), and very interested in chasing the cat around the house. So Patches has decided she’s not too fond of her (she’s reluctant to give up her cage - strange as that sounds), and Sophie seems to be putting up with her, at least. I’ve been trying to make sure that Sophie doesn’t get ignored or anything. I still play frisbee with her, and I brought them both treats from Ritter’s the other night. I also took them both for walkies yesterday. Sophie’s really good at teaching Minnie how to behave (like sitting patiently to wait for food). Now if she could just teach her how to stay away from the cat stuff…
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