Friday, June 30, 2006

*Grumble Grumble @*&)-ing Celebrities

Why? Why is Britney Spears posing nude? (How much airbrush paint did that artist go through?) Why are they claiming that doofy Taylor guy as a "hot bachelor?" I really don't get it.

But what's really bothersome is the fact that people eat this up. They don't say, oh, you know, that Taylor guy is as much as a doof as he was before he sang mediocre-ly on American Idol. He's still a doof, just in better clothes and with more money. I just can't understand it.

And this whole "You Think You Can Dance" thing. That I don't get. I understand they took a concept and ran with it, but if you were to take it, make it actually serious, and air it on PBS, it wouldn't get a second look.

But I digress....

Laura is in for her last day. I'm so conflicted on this. It almost doesn't feel real yet. She was my first "real" boss. She's been there, for better, or for worse, through thick and thin. It's not going to be an easy change, but hopefully, one that will be for the best.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Please Stop, My Brain Hurts

So, for some unknown reason, I decided to take work home with me. (Apparently I don't have enough personal projects I'd like to make headway on, either that, or I have serious procrastination issues.) I took the Wealth Engine Training Manual home with me to read, along with a sample report.

First of all this manual is horrifically written. Typos everywhere and numbers missing off of diagrams. Things don't make sense with the report I pulled. It's just a nightmare. I actually have a headache from trying to make heads or tails of all this.


And now, I've just noticed online that the library didn't log something in that I returned and paid a fine on. The receipt of which I promptly lost. Argh. So much for a lazy Sunday. I need some mindless entertainment. A People magazine, an episode of Dharma and Greg. Anything.

Okay - time lapse of about 3.5 hours. We went for a ride out on Ocean Parkway, counted the bunnies along the way and grabbed some food. The fresh air really did me good. My head felt cleared, I felt invigorated. Maybe I'm not used to having time on my hands. Maybe I feel guilty a little in a way. But we came home and I decided to call Meredith to congratulate her on her wedding and for some reason, blammo, I'm right back where I was. I don't know, maybe I feel like I'm so far away from her and don't know who she is anymore. All I know is that when I'm on the phone, it feels....forced in a way. Like I have to muster up the excitement and gear up for the conversation. So....I poured myself a little of Mr. Jack and am now ready to relax and enjoy the rest of my Sunday evening. What also got me here was thinking about work again. And that's where the worry...I mean concern piles up again. I worry about the new boss, about being able to handle everything, about having to move my office again (short term annoyance, long term benefit). It just piles up inside my head until I can't think straight. Hence, the company I'm currently keeping with Mr. Daniels.

But I digress....I did make some headway today. I actually made it through the Beatles scores and marked all the pages that had string parts to them. Not that I really think all this will come to anything. If nothing else, I'll learn some more about Finale and writing out parts. It'll be good to know more about treble clef - it's about time I was able to read it readily rather than sitting there like a moron, playing by ear and eeking it out.

All in all though, I had a good weekend. Went out in the new car with Dad Friday night, which was lots of fun. Saw Joe play drums (and got inspired to learn how to jam!) and just had a neat time. Saturday I ran errands and felt useful, then relaxed a bit before going out for a nice dinner with friends. Not too shabby. Today I even went to the gym so as not to feel like a total potato. Which is good. I needed a nice weekend before the chaotic week I'm sure is waiting for me. Between it being Laura's last week, and the 2-day software meeting/interrogation, I don't know what's in store for me. Not to mention 3 rehearsals. It'll be fine.





Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Could They Be Any Cooler?

So I'm totally loving the Beatles right now. It happens this way every time after I do a Beatlemania concert. And now I've got Finale Notepad on my Mac, and a copy of the Complete Beatles Scores on its way to me so I can extrapolate and get all those string parts into my hot little hands.

Listening to them makes me want to practice, makes me want to be a better musician, makes me want to know every word to every song backwards and forwards.


I muse over John's sensitive, inquisitive style, sing along with Paul's hip tunes and nod silently at George's soul-searching. I giggle with Ringo.

What other band could delve into so many song styles and be phenomenal at it? Nothing escapes them.

So, I'm tossing all the Beatles I have onto my work machine so I can deluge myself with the fab four.

In other news, it's overcast and heavy outside. I'm waiting for the clock to strike 3 so I can run home and relax. Read some books and practice. This weather makes my chest hurty, so I'm feeling sleepy. Not to mention the new apartment is so so cozy. As much as the old apartment was a cave when I was getting better, the new one is just so inviting and lovely.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Too Long Between Posts

I've been very lax in posting. I really should make it a daily habit to post either upon arriving at work or before I go to bed.

But I digress...

Just finished another Beatlemania concert - which then prompted me to get into gear with my proposed project of extracting string parts from the Beatles scores. Which is an ambitious thought, since I don't know how to use Finale yet and those scores are just massive to read. But it's an interesting project, and one I hope to complete. I have all these unfinished projects sitting around and I hate that I don't see anything through. So, hopefully I'll get these parts written, get a group together and then can market this to a Beatle tribute band. We'll see.

In other news...I am done done done with henna. Gave it the college try once more and it did NOTHING to my grays and was incredibly messy. So I think I'm going to try the semi-permanent route Mom does and have Uncle Frankie hook me up. But for now my hair's doing it's old many-colors-at-once thing. Makes me feel younger.

Guilty Pleasure Alert
I can't believe I'm actually admitting this, but for some reason I can't stop watching reruns of Dharma and Greg. I don't know why, I don't know what's causing this phenomenon, but I can't seem to stop. It's highly embarassing and I can feel my brain screaming in my head, but I'm helpless. Maybe there's a support group somewhere for it.