apartment, fireworks, movie review

I can't say it was a relaxing day and a half off, but I can say that our apartment is *almost* box-free and things are for the most part in their proper place. And I have several cuts, bruises, a burn, and a swollen toe to show for it! Our trip to Ikea proved extremely fruitful, and we now have a beautiful baby Groland in our kitchen:

We decided to go with the cheaper island sans cabinet so that we could spend $129 bucks on other stuff we wanted, like cool glass shelves (not so cool when they fall off the wall onto your foot), a kitchen rug, and a few other things. The kitchen is looking really nice, as are the two bedrooms. Our couch will be delivered on the 14th, and then the living room will be complete. All that's left are some pesky boxes in the dining room and setting up the dining room table. I'll have some pics to post soon!
In more exciting, non-apartment related news, I had my first experience at Taste of Chicago and the city fireworks on Tuesday night. Wow...I'm not sure I've ever seen that many people in one place at one time. It was a veritable sea of humantiy. It was enjoyable, but I'm not sure I'll go back -- once is enough for me. We did have some delicious food -- prime rib quesadilla and mango rice pudding with dried cranberries, a BBQ rib sandwich, and funnel cake. Nick had never tasted a funnel cake before, so we just had to get it. And some beers of course. The fireworks were quite a spectacular display; I was impressed. All in all an enjoyable trip, I'm just not that sure I'm willing to work that hard in the future to get food, beverage, and a spot to see the firewroks.
Lastly, a brief movie review: I did indeed drag Nick to the Mandy Moore movie last night, and while Nick found it "better than he thought it was going to be", I thought it was pretty dull and dry. The chemistry between MM and John Kransinski was nonexistent. Whenever I watch The Office I feel a pang in my heart for poor Jim and the way he loves Pam and the looks he gives her -- for some reason his charm just didn't translate to the big screen. Or maybe it was Mandy. Her character was rather static and annoying, and the supporting characters were really ill-developed and boring. Robin Williams did not come through with his usual hilariousity; I'm not sure if it was him or the script. The only really funny moments were the cameos from castmembers of the Office, especially the guy who plays Kevin. Rather disappointing, but ah, well. They don't make 'em like they used to.
Long day today - office boredom followed by teaching three lessons after work. Momma's gotta make the cash.

Outta here!

The stock market closes at noon today, which apparently means that whatever it is that the two guys do here in this office, they can't do it after noon, hence...I get to leave at noon (mind you, I'm not getting paid for the afternoon, but whatev). So in approximately thirty minutes, I will be free for the next day and a half to do what I please (or rather, put my apartment into some sort of liveable condition). Nick and I are heading out to IKEA to buy a desperately needed kitchen island and a few other goodies. Here is the island I'm considering:

Last night I gave the kitchen floor a good scrubbing and actually cooked a semi-decent meal for us. Linguine and store bought sauce -- but in my defense it was Pesto Sun Dried Tomato from Whole Foods -- with some Italian sausage that I cooked into it, a salad and a glass of Syrah. Easy but very satisfying -- and not Thai takeout, a miracle in itself.
Tonight we are going to try and go to the concert and fireworks in Grant Park. Three years in Chicago and I've never been to the fireworks -- shame on me! Tomorrow the plan is to sleep in late, work on the apartment, and drag Nick to this movie:

I have a bit of a celebrity crush on John Krasinski (who doesn't?) and I love me some Mandy Moore and Robin Williams.

Happy 4th, everyone!

Rest in peace, Bubbles

One of the most famous American opera singers of all time, coloratura soprano Beverly Sills, died last night of lung cancer in her home in Manhattan at the age of 78. She rose to fame in the 1950's and retired in 1980, but still remained active in the opera world. Ms. Sills was probably just about every coloratura soprano's idol, as her interpretations of all the best coloratura roles set the standard by which people now define the roles. Manon, Lucia, Rosina, Baby Doe, Violetta, and even some heavier roles...the list could go on and on. Apparently, she was also a wonderful person, and was nicknamed Bubbles.

The world will remember you always Bubbles. That wonderful, silvery, agile voice of yours will be forever listened to by aspiring coloratura sopranos like myself.

ow, it hurts.

Ouchie. I haven't been this sore and exhausted since I climbed the highest peak in the Southeastern Alps. Every inch of my body aches, along with some places I didn't even know could ache. Mark my words, readers, that is the LAST time I move myself up three flights of stairs. Next time, Nick and I have vowed that we will hire movers, no matter the cost. Nick has been hobbling along like a little old man since Saturday night -- his knee is in pretty bad shape. At one point, I was going up and down the stairs with tears running down my face -- I wondered if this is how those celebrities feel who are forced to do like four hour grueling workouts every day. Maybe they just get on the treadmill and start bawling. I know I would.

Nick's friend Alex was a MAJOR help. Without him, I think Nick and I might have killed each other. Moving day really brings out the worst in people, and we were both screaming at each other for a good part of the day. I think if you can get through a moving day with your significant other, you can pretty much get through anything. And the making up part at the end was very nice. :)

We spent the better part of yesterday cleaning out the previous renters filth. Twenty years of filth (the landlord told us the woman who just moved out had been there twenty years.) The apartment was supposedly "clean" when we moved in, but it became pretty clear that nobody had spent more than a few minutes cleaning the place. It took over an hour to scrub all the grime from the refridgerator, then I spent several hours painstakingly lining every shelf with contact paper. Nick did his fair share too; in fact, we both pretty much worked from sun up to sun down.

The end result is a somewhat workable kitchen, decent looking bedrooms and living room, and a dining room still filled with boxes. But we're getting there, and by the end of today it should be a lot better. The cable and internet is up and running, so that's a huge plus, and tonight we will be installing the three air conditioners that are now in our possesion in preparation for the hot weather coming our way. Thankfully, the weather was cool and wonderful this weekend -- if it had been a 90 degree day, I'm certain one of us would have ended up in the hospital.

My work as a day-laborer (as they call the worker people in Greece) is through. Next time I will be sitting in a comfortable chair, sipping a cocktal, and pointing my finger at where to put boxes.

And now we have a guest room! In a fantastic neighborhood! An open invite to all my friends who read this blog -- COME VISIT! We adore our neighborhood, and now we have a nice big apartment, and I'm just dying to have people over (in about a month). So give me a holler if you ever in Chicago -- you've got a place to stay.

farewell Evanston

I wanted to write a post today about my current raging at Comcast and my staffing agency, but I'm just not sure I want them to have any more of my time and energy. I've been doing pretty well lately just going with the flow (I've never been a 'go with the flow' type of person), so I'm not going to get into it. I will say that I don't understand why people don't just do their jobs. As in, showing up to install my cable and paying me on time. Is it really too much to ask?

I was having sort of an existential crisis yesterday. Sitting at a desk doing absolutely nothing for seven hours every day will do that to a person. I try to fill the days with productive personal and career related tasks, but after awhile, it feels like I'm rotting away here with absolutely no purpose. I'm trying to devise a plan for saving as much money as possible this summer and paying off my credit card, so that hopefully after this job is over I can take some time off temping for lessons and coachings and concentrating on my auditions. The current temp job is about as bad as they get as far as being boring and isolating, but atleast I'm not chained to the desk (some jobs I've done require calling someone to answer the phone while you go to the potty - ridiculous). I'm free to use the facilities whenever I want, and if the two guys are traveling, I can play the radio, sing, lay on the floor and take a nap...basically anything I want. Unfortunately they've been here the past two days. Next week I'm thinking of bringing in my computer and watching DVDs. Would it be too much to stuff a pillow in my bag and bring that, too? Maybe a small blankie?

Tonight I'm donning my rubber gloves and cleaning the hell out of the new apartment. I saw that BBC show How Clean Is Your House the other day and lost my shit. How do people live like that? Since we're moving, I haven't really cleaned the current apartment in a while,and I've become rather disgusted with it, so I vowed that before we move a single piece of furniture into the new place, I will be scrubbing every available surface until it is sparkly and shiny. Nick will be helping, of course, and afterward we will probably go for a beer and some dinner, then crash one last time in Evanston before saying goodbye to the 'burbs for atleast another year. Things I will miss about Evanston: proximity to the lakeshore (although we won't be that much further away at our new place), Merle's BBQ, the movie theater, gelato from Italian Coffee Bar, Cozy Noodles (although I'm extremely hopeful that I will find a new tasty Thai place near our new apartment, and since they are on every corner, I don't think it will be too difficult), the Evanston public library, Bennison's bakery, and being near a Whole Foods. Things I won't miss: driving up Ridge, the Purple line, crazy Nazi parking officials, obnoxious undergrads (and some grads),and feeling waaaay far away from all the fun in Chicago.

It's been a good two years, Evanston. You saw me through a lot of tough times, but now I'm afraid our affair must come to an end. I'm going back to my first and real love - the city of Chicago.

dmv update

It seems that in order to obtain an Illinois driver's license, I must present my birth certificate, social security card, and successfully complete the written test and eye tests. Looks like I won't be driving for a week or so...

You can guess what I'm up to this afternoon. Yup, studying the Illinois Driver's manual. Because it's sooooo different from Indiana's.

pink-and-green?

Question: Why do rich people like the pink-and-green color combination so much? I am a regular reader of this blog, which chronicles the life of a woman who married a very wealthy, notorious New York man thirty years her senior, thus becoming a Manhattan socialite. I guess I'm fascinated by how the other half lives. In perusing her blog, notably the comments section, I've noticed that there is a bevy of "rich housewife" blogs to be found on the 'net. And most of them have the pink-and-green as a template, title, or atleast have some mention of it in their blog. What gives? Personally, I think it's a little tacky. But hey, I'm just a struggling classical singer who comes from a middle class family in Indiana, what do I know?

T-2 days until the big move. The current apartment is in shambles, whatwith half-packed boxes piled to the ceiling and barely any room to walk around. Tonight I have to go straight from work to the new place in order to meet the cable guy. God forbid we go one day without cable or internet. I remember when Andrea and I first moved to our apartment on Southport, we didn't get cable for FIVE MONTHS. We went out A LOT, even on weeknights, and when the weather turned cold and Andrea was away on a tour and I finally caved, I remember thinking, "oh...so this is what people do -- they come home from work and watch television and make their dinner." At the time, it seemed like such a novel idea. But alas, I'm no longer a young woman of twenty-two, and nowadays I barely have the energy to push the buttons on the remote control let alone make dinner. I fear this has something to do with not eating enough vegetables or exercising, two things which I did a lot of back in the day. Goals for next week: eat more veggies, run, and get more sleep.

In about an hour I'm going to mosey over to the DMV...shudder. Hopefully it won't be too terrible. After today I will no longer have evidence that I was a resident of Indiana (except my birth certificate, I suppose). Today, I get an Illinois driver's license. Too bad I didn't wake up early enough to blow dry my hair. Ah, well.

100 things: second installment

I know you were all just dying to know fifty more things about me. (Actually, the nine of you who actually read this already know these things I'm sure.) I'll try to spice it up today a bit:

49. As a child, I sucked my thumb until I was five years old. My parents were concerned, and so took me to the dentist so he could threaten me with future painful dental procedures I'd have to have if I didn't stop.
48. I stopped, but still required 5+ years of orthodontia.
47. Ages 11-14 were rather awkward, what with the braces and some pesky baby fat.
46. Around 15, I stretched out to the height I am now and the baby fat went away.
45. Another embarrassing factoid: In high school, I was a cheerleader. I spent the better part of a year learning to do a back hand spring. I nailed it, but it's been at least 6 years since I've attempted one, so I'm thinking my tumbling days are probably over.
44. Our football team went to the state finals in 1998. I got to cheer in the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. I guess that was the highlight of junior year.
43. Although the highlight of junior year may have been when I got to play a Siamese twin in the school's production of Sideshow. My other half couldn't read music, so I taught her the entire musical by rote (and we had the lead parts, mind you) -- singing her parts to her over and over again until she knew them.
42. I would really like to get a dog, but I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of commitment/sleep deprivation.
41. As Nick will tell you, I don't do well with sleep deprivation. I gotsta get my 8 hours (preferably 9.5).
40. Nevertheless, I am constantly cooing at dogs on the sidewalk and looking up different breeds online. Right now I've got my heart set on a yorkie/bichon mix - a yo-chon!
39. I am a very fast typer - 70 wpm (maybe even better now, I haven't taken the test in awhile).
38. I used to have my belly button pierced, but I took it out before a surgery and never put it back in. The hole is still there though.
37. I also have my ears pierced, two holes in each ear, thought I rarely wear earrings in the second hole.
36. I am an extremely sensitive soul. I cry easily, and am known to be a bit emotional and dramatic.
35. I love laying on the beach or by the pool with a good book, getting a nice tan.
34. One summer when I was home from college, I had a job as a nanny where I got paid to lay in the sun at a country club. It was heavenly.
33. Before I moved to Evanston to start my Masters, I spent 2 months living with my parents and worked as the "beer bitch" at a golf club.
32. I met my boyfriend while volunteering with a group called Social and Service Chicago. We were trying to get people at a Chicago Wolves hockey game to adopt dogs from the Animal Shelter. The dogs we were each holding liked to sniff each other, so I guess we can give them credit for bringing us together.
31. Nick and I have been living in my studio apartment in Evanston for the last two months. Miraculously, we have not killed each other.
30. On Saturday, we move to Andersonville - a GIGANTIC place in comparison to what we're used to.
29. We will be living around the corner from Nick's favorite beer place, The Hop Leaf.
28. They also have the greatest french fries on earth.
27. I'm somewhat of a french fry connoisseur.
26. My dream job would be to have my own show on the Travel Channel, or to write travel books.
25. Realistically, my five year plan includes building my private voice studio, auditioning for and hopefully landing a few Young Artist gigs, and performing in the area whenever possible.
24. Honestly, I think five year plans are a crock of shit. I've got a one-year plan, and that's good enough for me.
23. The things I really want to accomplish in the next five years are remaining happy, remaining a good person, and being socially and financially responsible -- actually, those are things I plan to continually accomplish for the rest of my life. And they're not as easy as they sound.
22. I drive a 2004 Chevy Cavalier, bright blue.
21. I love the color blue.
20. If I had my druthers, I'd drive a mini-Cooper. I love those cars.
19. I dislike SUVs immensely.
18. I am a Democrat. I'm trying to be better about following up on politics. I want to try my best to make things better for people who don't go the ordinary route and work for a large corporation. Life isn't easy for freelance artists like myself, and I'd like to change that by voting the right people into power.
17. They could start with better, more affordable healthcare.
16. When I was born, I had five out of eight great-grandparents living. I was lucky enough to know all of them before they passed away.
15. In 2005, while I was in Graz, Austria for a music festival in which I was singing, I climbed Hochlantsch, the tallest peak in the Southeast Alps. I consider it one of my finest accomplishments.
14. Austria is one of my favortie places on earth, and I'd love to live there again someday.
13. Once when I was abroad I got stranded by myself in Maribor, Slovenia. Luckily I was reunited with my group a short time later.
12. On a trip to the Netherlands with a bunch of classmates from Vienna, I stayed on a "boat-el" with twelve other people - basically a grungy boat docked in the canals of Amsterdam.
11. On the train back from Amsterdam, I was awoken in the middle of the night by a police officer and dog who sniffed out my bags. Luckily I didn't carry anything illegal back in it!
10. I am a good gift-giver. I love shopping for presents for people.
9. I have been to the Indianapolis 500 four times. My father has been every year since 1973, excluding this year when he had to attend a family graduation in Kansas. He was not thrilled about this.
8. My friends are all starting to marry off and move to the 'burbs. My turn will probably be coming soon...
7. But for the next year atleast, I will be staying put here in Chicago.
6. One of my finest moments was in 2004 when I was chosen by Robert Altman, out of a line-up of thirty women, to play a tiny part in his opera A Wedding at Lyric.
5. I got paid well and got to schmooze with opera stars!
4. I was an extra in the movie Stranger than Fiction. If you put it in slo-mo during the scene where Will Farrell is in the guitar store, you can see me walk by in a black pants suit with my hair pulled up.
3. I used to want to be famous, but now I just want to make a living as a musician.
2. I have a mild case of OCD.
1. I believe that kindness is the most important trait in a person. I try everyday to be a kind and good person.

There you have it. Everything you (never) wanted to know about me!

100 Things (part 1)

I stole this idea from several different bloggers (it seems to be a blogger trend), and so to take up the remainder of my afternoon here at work, I bring to you one hundred things about me:

100. I am an oldest child, hence smartest child according to this study.
99. I am the only one of my siblings to seek long-term psychiatric care (in the form of a therapist). Oldest child=smartest child=craziest child?
98. I was born at the IU Medical Center in Indianapolis. It is a teaching hospital, and my mother said she felt like a science experiment.
97. My mother is a teacher and my father is a salesman (some sort of business-y salesman, not like a used-car salesman.)
96. When I was three, we moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where I spent the next fifteen years of my life and several summers during my adulthood.
95. I have a boyfriend named Nick.
94. We have been together for one year and seven months. It is my longest relationship ever.
93. Nick is a dentist. He is also my dentist, because I don't have dental insurance.
92. Nick and I had our first date at a restaurant called X/O in the boystown neighborhood of Chicago, which is sadly no longer in existence (the restaurant, not the neighborhood-last I checked, boystown was still going strong).
91. The dinner lasted five hours.
90. The rest is history.
89. In college I was, and I shudder to say it, in a sorority.
88. In the sorority's defense however, I met my best friend Andrea there, and we lived together in Chicago during my first year out of school.
87. We had the most adorable apartment at Southport and Belmont. We loved it so.
86. Once upon a time, Andrea and I lived abroad in Vienna, Austria, and took a ten day backpacking trip throughout Italy, France, and Spain.
85. We stayed in some disgusting hostels, the worst of which was in Paris. It was called the Auberge de jeunesse, but we called it The Cave.
84. During my time abroad, I also traveled to Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.
83. I love to travel, and so does Nick. He's Greek, so I've also been to Greece (twice).
82. Maybe I'll live there one day?
81. The next place I want to go is South America (Buenos Aires or Rio), or maybe Dubai.
80. Realistically, the next trip we take will probably be to Traverse City, MI for Labor Day. We've been wanting to take a long weekend there.
79. I have Bachelors and Masters degrees in Voice Performance.
78. I haven't decided if I like singing opera or not. So bombastic. I prefer oratorio and contemporary chamber music, and I'm considering shoving my career in that direction.
77. That being said, I love going to the opera. And I have a subscription for next season. Hurrah!
76. I'm a recovering latte-aholic. I recently purchased a coffee pot and am attempting to save my three dollars a day.
75. My favorite food is Pad Thai with tofu and a side of crab rangoons, please.
74. I love pretty much all foods. I'll try anything once, as long as it's dead and lifeless.
73. My signature drink is a dirty Beefeater martini, straight up, with blue cheese olives. But then again, I'm not picky about my booze either.
72. I like art, and I like going to art museums. My favorite is the Jugenstil movement (Klimt and his colleagues).
71. I would like to go to more galleries and openings in Chicago.
70. I try not to be boring, and get out and explore the city, but sometimes I love to just curl up on the couch and do nothing.
69. I've been exploring (re: living in) this city for three years now, and I haven't gotten bored with it yet!
68. Some of my favorite Chicago things: Oktoberfest in Lincoln Square, free evenings at the Art Institute, Ravinia, walking along the lakefront, endless new restaurants and bars.
67. My favorite non-classical singer OF ALL TIME is Ani DiFranco.
66. I've only seen her once, but I have all her albums, and I think she's pretty much the greatest lyricist who ever lived.
65. I have an iPod nano, but I pretty much only use it for music-learning purposes. I don't see a need to listen to it during my commute. That's just me.
64. I love books. I eat books for dinner. My mother *claims* I started reading at age 2.
63. I read everything: classics, trashy beach novels, contemporary Pulitzer Prize winning novels, biogrpahies (mostly of singers), some non-fiction that interests me.
62. My favorite Chicago radio station is WXRT. In my opinion, it is FAR superior to every other station.
61. I'm a Cancer.
60. I don't like driving. And I don't understand why people as rich as Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie don't hire a driver. When I'm rich, that's the first thing I'm doing.
59. I'm allergic to LOTS of things that occur in nature.
58. For that reason, I don't like sleeping with the windows open. Ever.
57. I'm highly allergic to cats. Unfortunately, Nick loves cats.
56. I have a Macbook. I am highly devoted to Mac forevermore.
55. I'm a decent cook, but I'd like to be better. I make a mean lasagna from sractch.
54. I've been a Cubs fan since the day I was born.
53. Recently I gained a brother-in-law named Jerod. He's a very good cook and very handy about the house.
52. Now I would like to gain some neices and nephews?!?!
51. I want kids someday, but I'd much prefer to play with my sister's babies for awhile until I'm ready.
50. I think it will be loads of fun being preggers.

Phew! That's all I can manage today. I give you the other fifty tomorrow.
Have a good Tuesdee!

some more wedding pics

My wonderful date:


Myself and cousin Megan, fellow 'maid:


Shimmy shimmy shake:




You bet your ass I got that bouqet!

berfday

An utterly insane but wonderful weekend, and now I am part of the elite club of quarter-lifers. I rang in the ol' twenty-fifth with tequila shots at midnight with some of my nearest and dearest at a house party in boystown (a combination going-away party/pre-Pride parade party at my friend Lisa's), then had a rather stumbly-home type of evening which included at stop at Taco and Burrito Palace. As Lisa says, you know you're in trouble when you eat at a place that is named after a food and a somewhere you can live. As I say, however, late-night eating after drinking always makes for an easier time the next moring. Saturday morning I was struggling a bit, but I managed to paint two rooms of our new apartment, so it couldn't have been so terrible.

The apartment is looking fabulous, now all we have to do is move all our shit into it.

Saturday night Nick took me to Marche, a fun French-American place in the West Loop, and then we went for drinks with fifteen of my best buds. I finally had occasion to wear the bubble dress I bought in Greece in March! Loves it. Here I am with an amazingly decadent chocolate dessert that the waiter so kindly put a candle in at Nick's request.


and with my friend Julia:


Sunday we spent recovering at home (waaaaay too much liquor consumed this weekend), but managed to go out for a couple of hours to buy our new couch! It is really beautiful, kind of a milky-chocolate brown, big and fluffy! I feel like such an adult now...painting and buying furniture. Sheesh, I guess this is what twenty-five year old life is like!

the real thing

Aaaaand, I've officially come to the end of the "being amused at going downtown to 'work'" phase. I say 'work', because what I'm doing here in no way resembles work. For most of the day, I've had my bare feet propped on the desk, finishing the new Marian Keyes novel I started during our layover in Pittsburgh (I finished it a couple of hours ago, which has rendered me without reading material and therefore extremely bored). Idle work days are nothing new to me: nearly every temp job I've had included atleast 5 hours of "down-time" per day. I was thinking that maybe I should start a company where I'm a consultant who helps people realize that temps are completely unnecessary, and they are basically paying people to surf the Internet all day long. But I don't think my temp agency would like that very much, and since they've been so good to me, I'll keep my mouth shut over here and keep raking in $14 an hour for doing precisely nothing.
There's something I've been meaning to vent about on here. I've been seeing this dude non-stop on the news shows, and I hate to break it to you folks, but...he's NOT THAT GOOD. I know it's a precious little story about a down-on-his-luck cell phone salesman who became an overnight sensation but...did these people not hear him crack the high note in Nessun Dorma? There are a thousand tenors out there who could sing the shit out of that aria, who could sing this guy under the table, but the world is more interested in the British cell phone salesman who, as luck would have it, can make some vaguely "operatic noises" come out of him.
Opera singing is not something you just wake up one day and go, "hmmm, I think I'll make a hobby of singing opera." No, no, it takes years and years of formal training, not to mention the amount of memorization, in-depth study of atleast three languages, vocal stamina, and discipline that go into making a career in opera. Maybe this guy has some raw talent, and maybe if he'd started twenty years ago, he'd have had a shot at a career. But I took one look at that quivering jaw and knew that he hadn't a shot in hell of getting through an opera role, and probably not even a concert of arias.
But, Americans (and the rest of the world, I'm assuming) love a good rags to riches story, and Paul Potts is certainly that. He'll have a "fake opera" career, a la Andrea Boccelli and Charlotte Church (although, in their defense, they have pleasant voices to listen to. I didn't find PPs even remotely beautiful). He'll be rich, I'm sure. He'll sing that damn Nessun Dorma over and over and over again to screaming audiences. I doubt he'll grace the stage of any opera house, but then again, opera directors are becoming more and more shallow these days and doing just about anything to get butts in seats. But those of us who know, those of us who have put in the years and given our lives to this career, we will know that this guy is not the real thing. You dont' become an opera star overnight.
Rant finished. Thank you for listening.

HEEEEELP MEEEEE

Here I am, back in office-land. The whirlwind is over, and things are finally beginning to settle down. I have to admit, it can be kind of nice to pretend to be a mundane, "regular" person who gets on the train and grabs their coffee and goes to their office to sit at their desk (and do what? -- of that I'm not entirely certain. During my three years of temping, I've been desperately trying to figure out what people do all day. I'm not really any closer to figuring it out than I was three years ago.). The office I'm in now is a tiny one that has something to do with stocks and finance and trading. It's just me and two dudes who are mostly traveling, so...most of the time I guess it's just going to be me. Good thing I like being by myself, quietly reading and passing the time. The unfortunate thing is that their computer system has blocked all web-based mail, facebook, myspace -- all the best time wasting sites. But they haven't blocked blogger yet!!!! It's probably only a matter of time...
Let me back up a bit to the weekend. Unfortunately, I don't have any of my pictures with me, so I will have to do picture posting later, but I will begin with graduation. It was a grand time with Grandma, Dad, Mom, and Nick all in attendance. We ate at some delicious restaurants, and the acutal graduation itself was pretty enjoyable and not too boring. I'll have a pic of Julia Louis-Dreyfus to post; I took about twenty pictures of her since I was in the second row (one of my colleagues observed that they probably let the music grads sit in the front to take pity on us for most likely not having a job lined up).
Then it was on to Syracuse, NY for the wedding of my friend Angela. We had to get up at 3:30 am to catch our 5:30 am flight, but all flights were on time and we made it to the hotel by 11:00 am, and the wedding ceremony at 1:00 pm, which was certainly a miracle. The ceremony was beautiful (if not a bit long -- those Catholics do go on forever -- my sister's Methodist wedding took twenty minutes!) and the reception was wonderfully extravagant, with a four course meal and plenty of drinking and dancing. The reception took place at Turning Stome Resort, and we had a pretty swanky room on the twelth floor of the hotel, so afterward we gambled for a bit before stumbling back to our room to crash for the night. Our flight home wasn't until Monday morning, so we spent Sunday exploring upstate NY a bit -- we went to see a 167' waterfall at a National Park and attempted to explore downtown Syracuse, which we found was pretty much shut down on Sundays. We had a nice dinner at a local place and then crashed at a Hampton Inn near the airport.
Monday was a bit of a strain -- our flight from Syrause to our connection in Pittsburgh was on time, but on our flight from Pitts to Chicago, the captain informed us that we were not able to land at O'Hare due to inclement weather, so they circled over Indiana for awhile before deciding to fly us back to Pittsburgh. Gah. To make a long story short (too late for that I guess), they informed us we would not be able to get a flight back to Chicago until 5:45 pm Tuesday, which was a problem since we both had to work Tuesday, so we found a flight to Indianapolis, rented a car, and drove back to Chi from Indy, getting us in at about 1:30 am. Not fun, not fun at all. Alas, that's travel for ya, especially domestic travel.
The week hasn't slowed down much, and this weekend we begin the moving process, so it looks like I'm going going going for the rest of this month. We pick up our keys tonight, and then we are going to start painting this weekend and hopefully move in as much stuff as possible throughout the week. Saturday is my 25th birthday (hooray!), and Nick is taking me to dinner and then we're having a little "drinks thing" with a few friends. Nothing too out of control, as I am an old woman now.
Pictures to follow when I get a chance! Happy Thursday!

I'm on hold with Orbitz right now -- I came home from my interview this morning (stupid temp job interviews are such a waste of my time -- why can't they just trust the temp agency to send them someone decent?) to find that Orbitz had changed our itinerary for our flight to Syracuse on Saturday. The good people over at United Airways and Orbitz decided that instead of leaving Chicago at 6:00 am as originally planned, putting us into Syracuse at 11:30 am; we should leave at 8:20 am, getting us there at 1:50 pm. Problem with that is that the wedding is at 1:00 pm, forty-five minutes outside Syracuse. Yes, we were pushing it, but it was the only way I could attend graduation on Friday evening and get to Angela's wedding on Saturday. So I just called them up to bitch and they are putting us on a different airline that leaves at 5:30 am. Eegads. But it will be worth it to see my dear Angela walk down the aisle, plus listen to Julia Louis-Dreyfuss give the graduation address tomorrow evening and wear my well-deserved pink cape-thingie.
The 'rents get in this afternoon, which will be followed by a lovely dinner at Davis Street Fishmarket. Tomorrow is the graduation ceremony and then off to Syracuse for a three-day weekend. When I get back, I am thrust back into the land of meaningless temp job, plus teaching voice and piano privately and at The Music Room in Palatine. I just started there yesterday, subbing for a friend, and it was quite an exhausting day. Teaching takes a hell of alot more energy than temping, that's for sure -- but it also pays MUCH better, and actually uses that degree I worked so hard to get. Can't complain!

weddingmania part I

Well kids, the wedding was a hit, and now my sister and my new brother-in-law are on their way to Rome for their honeymoon. Elaine was a beautiful bride, and not bridezilla-ish at all. She was the picture of calm and collected the entire weekend long. Miraculously, I held it together and sang well and gave a good toast. I was feeling very emotional (and slightly hung over from the rehearsal dinner the night before), so I wasn't sure what would come out when I got up there, but I think God must have crept into my vocal cords and made it happen. (In reality, I think that I could sing that Malotte Lord's Prayer from my deathbed if necessary--maybe I should start taking it to auditions-HA!). Anyways, enough of my babble, here are some pics from the rehearsal dinner and wedding:

the 'maids at the rehearsal:


Elaine and Dad rehearse walking down the aisle:


Mom telling people what to do (Grandma takes a nap):


time for drinkies!


so glucklich!


my mom made me sit at the old people table for the rehearsal dinner:


my honey (and the rehearsal/dinner photographer):


Grandma stocks up before the open bar closes:


our fam gains a member!


Mr. and Mrs. leave the church!


the reception hall:


ice sculpture:


the dazzling 'maids:


my toast:


father daughter dance:


dancin!


Hopefully I'll have some more good ones soon. (I don't understand why some of these are so small...they were sent to me by a cousin.) Enjoy! I'm going to go do some serious napping.

sallie mae, my new best frienemy

I've been having mild panic attacks for the last three days. My imminent graduation means one major thing: I am being faced with the repayment of my student loans. This is my first foray into the inevitable land of American debt; yes, I have a small car payment and a little bit of credit card debt, but nothing major, nothing that causes me to wake up in the middle of the night in cold sweats. I was fortunate enough to have a large scholarship to my undergrad, and my father paid the difference so that I didn't once worry my pretty little head about money during college. Grad school is a different story. As most of you know, Northwestern is not a cheap school, nor were they generous in giving me much help (that didn't have to be paid back). Saturday I had to attend a "loan exit interview", where they spewed information at me, none of it good news, while I sat wondering why I didn't choose that certain school in Ohio who offered me a full scholarship -- oh, because it's in the middle of cornfields to which I have no intention of returning, the teachers sucked, and the program wasn't so hot either. But oh, sweet Lord, how wonderful it would have been not to spend the next twenty-five years of my life sweating out these loan payments. I can just see myself as a fifty-year old woman, hair graying, voice starting to give way to menopause -- making that last payment on my loans and pouring myself a stiff drink to celebrate.

Unlike all those MBA students who sat next to me in that loan exit interview, I'm not jumping onto a rung of the corporate ladder in a Fortune 500 company, soon to make six figures. I've got two singing gigs in the next nine months, which is more than lots of my classmates, but the pay is shitty and the time committment is such that I won't be able to get a permanent day job that would award me benefits and a salary that would help me get by. But how can I pass up a gig that I've worked so hard to get for a secratary job that will pay the bills? It seems ridiculous to even have to make that decision. I know lots of singers who've passed up good singing gigs because their day job just won't allow them the time off -- a day job they can't survive without.

I know it's the way of the world, but I guess I'm wondering why it has to be so. Musicians are an important part of society, and a good bit of them do their jobs out of the goodness of their heart -- a heart that probably doesn't have health insurance and isn't a homeowner. It's unfortunate that fabulous talent goes to waste, all because a person decides (wisely) not to live the life of a pauper and finds a career that actually pays. I feel that something needs to be done, something more than a bunch of sopranos spending their twenties finding a Wall Street banker husband. I know there are people out there who are devoting their days to raising money for arts organizations, and I salute them. I just need to figure out how, as a young singer, I can make things better. There's got to be a way (that doesn't include turning tricks).

Get ready, get set....WEDDING!

Now that I am done with my Masters (woot!), I move on to my next important role : Professional Maid of Honor/Bridesmaid/Wedding Guest. I've got two weddings in two weeks, with an engagement party thrown in the mix, which is only the beginning of Weddingmania, which I expect to last for the next two to five years. My sister's wedding is a week from Saturday, and surprisingly, everyone seems relatively calm. I expect the calm to last until my arrival on Wednesday, when everything will most certainly get batshit crazy. Mom has already informed me that I will be put to work as soon as I arrive, tying bows on something or other. Thursday is nail day, at my very favorite Ft. Wayne Asian nail establishment, Le Nails, followed on Friday with a poosty Bridesmaid Brunch at Ft. Wayne Country Club hosted by the Lyday aunts. Then, of course, the rehearsal dinner and the big day on Saturday, which begins with crack-of-dawn hair appointments (not complaining Elaine--I'm sure Mom will have me up early anyway). It's going to be craaazy fun, with over 200 guests, many of which are people I haven't seen in ages. At some point, I need to think up my speech (ack!). Although I have no qualms about singing in front of large groups of people, I have major stress when faced with public speaking (yes, I've already thought that perhaps I can somehow sing my speech--but since I'm already singing at the wedding, I don't think that's a viable option.) I'll pull it off, but not without a few butterflies in my tummy and a glass of champagne for courage. I will post lots of pics when I get back (and I'm sure there will be plenty of stories!)

The following weekend Nick and I will be jetting off to Syracuse, NY for the wedding of my dear friend from Northwestern, Angela. Angela and I were accidental neighbors last year -- we met the day I moved in, and she just happened to be a singer in the Masters voice program, too! We became close friends, popping into each other's apartments for coffee and chats almost every day. Ang is a first-generation Sicilian, and her husband-to-be, Anthony, is of Italian heritage as well, so I'm told it's going to be a large gathering of boisterous Italians -- sure to be a great time (and great food!). The reception is at a casino/resort/hotel, which also happens to be where we are staying, so I'm pretty pumped about that. We're planning to explore Syracuse a little (if there's anything worth exploring) and God willing all our flights will be on time, since we're cutting it close flying in on the day of the wedding.

So it's time to break out my small-talk skills, my cute summer dresses, my best manners and picture-taking smile. It's go time, people. Let's get 'em married.

movin' on up

I can't believe I haven't gotten around to writing about this yet, but...WE HAVE AN APARTMENT!!!! And it's bigger than the shoe box which we are currently inhabiting. Nick and I are now the proud renters of a 2 bedroom, 1200 square foot apartment in Andersonville. It is everything I had hoped for -- brand new hard floors, gigantic living room and dining room, big bay window looking out on the street, big bedrooms, lots of closet space, and half a block away from all the fun stuff on Clark Street in Andersonville. It's a third floor walk-up, which will make moving day super fun, but I always feel much safer the higher up I am. Not that I don't feel safe on the ground in Andersonville -- the median resident is a mid-thirties lesbian, possibly with an Asian baby (that is not based on any sort of official statistic, but merely my own observation). But seriously, I love the neighborhood. It's much more chill than Lincoln Park or Lakeview, but still boasts all the wonderful restaurants, fun bars, cute shops, and is near public transit. And it's dog friendly, so when I finally save some money, I can get that pooch I've been longing for!

The apartment is vacant right now, so I'm hoping to be able to get in and do some painting during the last couple weeks of June. I've always wanted to have fun colored walls, so I've started brainstorming some color schemes for the various rooms. I'm thinking a pale green for the living room, a reddish-orange for the kitchen, and some kind of blue for the bedroom. Decorating is going to proceed rather slowly (budget dependent), but we are planning to get a new sofa immediately. We went looking yesterday and found a few we liked in our price range. Now we just have to measure the living room and doorways to see what will fit. A kitchen island will be the second priority -- the kitchen has almost no counter space. I found a pretty cheap one at ikea.com, so I'm planning an Ikea trip sometime in the near future. Nick is working a couple of days a week at Brite Smile in Schaumburg, so trips to Schaumburg have been pretty routine lately. (And I got a free teeth bleaching -- as Nick says, I'm one step from becoming a Lincoln Park trixie, since I got my teeth bleached and have been going to the tanning bed for my sister's wedding. All I need now are some blonde highlights.)

Come July 1st, I'll be a city resident once more! Hooray! And we'll have a great guest bedroom, so guests are welcome anytime!!!

Another edition of the Midwest Bookworm

Since I spent the better part of last week reading (and consequently, being BLOWN AWAY by) Jeffrey Eugenides' novel Middlesex, I thought I'd publish another edition of the Midwest Bookworm for all of you bookish types out there.

I stayed up til 1 am every night last week reading this book. I couldn't put it down; it was the most well-written novel I've read in years (as it should be -- it won the Pulitzer). The novel spans three generations of Greek immigrants and their children; it is chock full of history, but not at all boring. I couldn't believe how easily the story spun out, and how quickly I was hooked and felt so involved with the characters in the novel. The narrator of the story is a hermaphrodite, but I found that it wasn't her/his condition that peaked my interest. Mr Eugenides has a way of making characters seem so real and intimate that you care deeply about what happens to them, and you can't stop reading until you find out. Although it is a story about a hermaphrodite, it feels like it could be a story about anyone who has struggled with their identity and figuring out who they are. RUN don't walk to get this book and I'll give you $5 if you hate it. Ok, I probably won't, but I guarantee you won't hate it.

Another great book I read recently, of the non-fiction variety, is The Tipping Point, by Malcom Gladwell. It's a really interesting look into trends and cultural phenomenons, and Gladwell attempts to prove that these things don't just "happen", but rather are brought about by small yet well-planned actions. For example, he describes the ways in which the city of New York fought crime in the late eighties/early nineties by taking simple measures such as cleaning the grafitti off the subway. Another of Gladwell's points, although somewhat less developed, is that people are very much a product of their environment. By making the subways cleaner and less grafitti-ed, would-be criminals were persuaded not to commit crimes. I found this book very inspiring -- it made me believe (if only for a moment) that little changes can make a big difference, in your life, in the world, anywhere.

Anybody have any suggestions for what I should read next?

good news!

Well readers, I have some wonderful news! I have a job--as a singer, to boot! On Friday, I received an offer from Opera for the Young, a professional opera company based out of Madison, to sing Pamina in their tour of the Magic Flute in 2008! The company does an 18 week tour of elementary schools in the upper midwest each January through May, performing scaled down versions of an opera for elementary school students. The roles are triple cast (these people obviously have some sense--performing ten shows a week for 18 weeks wold be murder on the voice), so I will only be on the road for six weeks during the four month period, as well as in Madison for a week for the rehearsal period. The pay is pretty good, they provide lodging and a per diem for food, and the people in charge seem super nice. So...I'm beyond thrilled! I have two big gigs lined up, and for a soprano, that's pretty much like knocking a grand slam out of the ballpark. I figure this is pretty much how the next few years are going to go: piecemealing together a career with gigs here and there, teaching, auditioning like crazy, and temping when necessary. I feel super motivated now to get my "package" together; I'm changing up my audition arias for fall auditions, so I've got to get cracking on those. Life is good here, and I am happy and content--there is nothing like that feeling when you finally get something that you've been working toward for so long (I may or may not have jumped up and down all over the apartment like a silly little girl.)

One week left until I am done being a nun (thank God in heaven) in the NU prodcution of Dialogues. I didn't know it was possible for them to make this an even more miserable experience for me, but they have. The costumes (ie: wimples) are constricting and itchy and hot and horrible; I have to move a bed onstage, because apparently I'm doubling as a stagehand in this opera; and the stage managers find every possible way to make sure we have little to no fun at these rehearsals. Yesterday was our sitzprobe (for those of you not familiar with the lingo--a seated rehearsal with the orchestra), or as I called it, The Day of Reckoning. The orchestra for this opera is not small -- about 60 pieces, I'd say, with a huge brass section -- and it was pretty freaking hilarious to hear these undergrads who have lead roles struggle to manuever their mousy voices over the orchestra. Three dress rehearsals and two performances left, then I can forget about this experience entirely.

And, while I'm counting things down...three weeks until I am finished with my Masters degree, four weeks until Elaine's wedding, and six weeks until Nick and I move to a new, bigger apartment. We went looking yesterday without much success, but we have a few appointments this week, and I spend pretty much all my free time perusing craigslist, so I'm certain we will find something fabulous. My requirements are pretty high but not ridiculous: hardwood floors, new(er) kitchen and bath, 2 bdrms, near public transit and fun stuff, not in the ghetto. Too much to ask? I don't think so.

These six weeks are going to fly.

phew (giant sigh of relief)

RECITAL IS DONE!!!!!!!

After my recitals, I always turn into a major believer--for it is only God that can get me through something that requires so much composure, brain-power, technical skill, and trust in myself and those accompanying me on stage. I was so happy with how the recital went tonight; I felt like it was some of the best singing I've ever done. It's true that you have a sort of "out of body" experience with things like this--you can't think too much and you just have to let all the hard work you've done memorizing and rehearsing act on autopilot. I was so lucky to have a fantastic pianist and dear friend on stage with me, as well as three terrific string players and an oboeist. I was also very lucky to have lots of family and friends and my wonderful boyfriend cheering me on--as I have often said, without them I would have nothing to sing about. Some action shots taken by Nick:









It was alot of fun, but I'm glad it's over, as I usually am with these sorts of things. Now I just have to take one little exit exam, and I am a MASTER OF SINGING. That's right folks, I have mastered the human voice, just like a certain young woman at DePauw mastered the Bflat clarinet during her freshman year (Robert may be the only one who gets this joke---but that's ok, it was for his benefit anyway).

For real though...I'm not sure anyone can ever master the human voice. But tonight was the closest I've ever come. My voice did everything I told it to do, and everything I wanted it to do. I've never trusted it enough, that voice of mine, but after tonight I have a lot more faith in it. And in me.

Here's to four more weeks of being a student! (I'll probably be drunk for a good portion of them).

living in sin

As my mother would say, I am officially living in sin. We moved Nick's furniture to a temporary storage unit on Saturday, and his TV, clothes, and a few other things came with him to live with me in Evanston for the next two months. I'm not sure how all these things managed to fit in my tiny apartment, but somehow, everything found a place and the apartment doesn't look too shabby. So far, it's been wonderful having a "live-in" (again, Mom's words): today Nick had chicken stir-fry ready and waiting for me when I got home from a very long day at 8:30 pm. He does dishes and laundry, he irons, and if it weren't for the little black sock fuzzies I find on every surface of the apartment, I'd say he's practically perfect in every way! (I'm working hard to find him a new brand of sock--certainly there must be a sock out there that does not produce copious amounts of sock fuzz that kind of look like spiders and freak me out). We are now recruiting people for our July move -- you scratch our back, we'll scratch yours (meaning....PLEASE help us move and we'll help you move in return).
So I survived moving day, now I just have to survive recital week. There are a few crucial rehearsals in the hall this week, mostly to check balance with my instrumentalists, but for the most part, I'm feeling good about it. The pollen count as of late has been wreaking havoc on my sinuses, but I've been neti-potting and downing mucinex and sudafed like there's no tomorrow. I've got my gown, the reception food is planned (just not bought), and recital posters created by Nick. The parentals plus Grandma, Elaine and Tom are coming to town, so it will be quite the party!
Additionally this week, I am singing on a masterclass tomorrow night with famous coach and pianist John Wustman. I have a terrific dress, and I'm planning to totally rock out on the Brahms lieder I'm doing--Der Tod das ist die kuehle Nacht. Should be good times. Other than that, I'm spending my time honing my skills as third-to-last Carmelite nun to get guillotined, and doing lots of yoga to create more peace and love within me. I've also decided to boycott eyeliner.

So, pray for my soul this week: for forgiveness of living in sin until Nick makes an honest woman of me, and for a good recital and not too much pollen in the air.

Many exciting things happened this weekend:

a. I purchased my recital gown!!! It does NOT look like this:

But just about every dress in the store did. Rather, it's yellow and gorgeous, and I look like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Now all I have to do is finish memorizing the music...

2. It was actually nice enough to frolic around the city. And frolic we did. A tapas date on Friday, hanging out downtown on Saturday, mini-golf in the 'burbs on Sunday, and a lovely Sunday dinner at Hop Leaf with our friends Julia and Ryan. (Makes me feel old to have double dates with the marrieds, but the amount of beer consumed was enough to make me feel young again). Here's a photo from mini-golf (at which Nick beat me mercilessly...now we're even, I rock at bowling, he's good at mini-golf):

(I spent a very long time trying to figure out how to rotate this picture, and I just can't do it. Just turn your head, please).

d. And the most exciting (for me anyway)...WE BOUGHT A NEW BED. For the entirety of our relationship, save for the time spent in Greece, we have crammed over twelve feet of person into a full size bed, night after night. In case you were wondering how that was going....NOT WELL. It was a fight to the death every night, legs and arms thrashing about, trying to find a comfortable position. But starting tomorrow, we will have an extra half foot of bed to ease us through the night, plenty of room for all our limbs. A glorious queen sized bed will be delivered to my apartment at some point tomorrow. Here is the one we chose: at Bedding Experts. I have a strong feeling that this bed is going to change our lives. I'll give a full review on Friday.

Every time I tell someone that Nick is moving in to my studio apartment for two months, they say "Oh, you're going to end up like Carrie and Aidan (on Sex and the City), screaming at each other and living amongst boxes piled to the celing." Can't say the thought didn't cross my mind, but I think we have everything figured out. Nick rented a storage unit for his larger items to live until we move to a bigger place in July, and I'm doing my best to clear out some clothes and make closet space for his stuff. It's going to be close quarters, of that I'm certain, but we will manage. OH the other piece of big news is that Nick got two jobs already!! One working for a dentist on the west side and one at Brite Smile in Schamburg one day a week. YAY my teeth are going to be so white!!!!!!!!!!

dawgs

Lately, I've been a little obsessed with researching dogs on the internet...because I REALLY REALLY want to get one this summer. I found this awesome website that has a page or two listing nearly every detail about every dog breed in existence. I'm leaning toward a Bichon/Yorkie mix or a Bichon/Shih Tzu mix or a Bichon/Poodle mix.


Just for fun, I looked up the page on dachsunds to see if their description of temperment matched the late great Royal Duchess Lady Lyday's (our family's beloved dachsund who passed away two years ago at the age of 15). Here is what it said:

Lively and affectionate; proud and bold, almost rash. Tenacious. Can be willful and clownish. Curious and mischievous, they are very clever and may attempt to train the owner rather than allow the opposite. Devoted to his family, some fanciers feel the long-haired variety is calmer than the other two types. The wire-haired variety is more outgoing and clown-like. All are slightly difficult to train. Dachshunds are good dogs to travel with. They are best with older, considerate children and are moderately protective. These little dogs like to bark (their barks are surprisingly loud for their size) and are compulsive diggers. They are generally okay with other pets, however, they can be jealous, irritable, obstinate and very quick to bite. Sometimes they will refuse to be handled. They should not be over fed, for this breed tends to gain weight quickly.

While she was a wonderful pet, Duchess had some quirks, most notably, she hated anyone who wasn't in our family. She was known to chase grown men around the house, nibbling at their heels. "Sometimes they will refuse to be handled"--this is a major understatement in Duchess' case. Weighing in at a mere 7 pounds during her peak of good health, it was very easy to pick up Duchess and put her wherever you wanted her, but if you weren't my mom, dad, sister, or I, good luck with that one. She'd attempt to bite your hand off before she'd let you pick her up. "These little dogs like to bark"--also a major understatement. When a stranger entered the house (or even a friend who had been over about a hundred times), Duchess would bark at them relentlessly until someone just put her outside to make it stop.

But she was a sweet and wonderful dog, and I remember many a sick day home from school on the couch when she would curl up next to me on the sofa and nuzzle her little nose into my arm or leg. We had a lot of fun with Duchess, and she was a part of our family. Rest in peace Duchess, rest in peace.

you need to see this

If you haven't laughed today, you will now.

bitch please

After reading the reluctant receptionist's post today, I began to evaluate my own behavior as of late. Northwestern has turned me into a rather awful person recently, and though I'm trying my hardest to be good (ok, maybe not my hardest), I still find myself acting like a complete bitch for most of the hours I'm at school. There are a few reasons for this:

1. I made a very poor decision to accept an EXTREMELY small role in the upcoming production of Dialogues of the Carmelites at NU. This after being beaten out for the large part I should have gotten by two idiot, flaky, 20-year-old juniors. All because the school allowed the dumb shit guest "director" they brought in to direct this production have free reign of casting, and he is apparently deaf and retarded. Now I am forced to sit through these rehearsals listening to poor singing, poor preparation, and generally unprofessional behavior. Has there been lots of eye rolling, whispering with my friend Ash, magazine reading, and general disdain on my part during these rehearsals? Maybe.

2. My decision to get out of the Mary Kay business has apparently given a few people at school (not naming names, but I don't think they read this blog anyway) reason to dislike me. I realize that their master plan of wealth and world-domination has had a minor setback thanks to my decision to get out, but please. Not only do I feel scammed and used and STUPID for getting caught up in this business, but the things I read on the internet continue to creep me out. Check out The Pink Truth and you'll see what I mean. Now I have to find time in my busy schedule to ship back my inventory (luckily I get 90% of my money back and get to keep the free products). If deciding to forgo a "business opportunity" is a reason to stop being my friend, then...fine. You want to play this game? Bring it. (Cue bitchy Emily behavior).

3. There is, in general, a high quotient of really lame and annoying people at Northwestern. In reality, about 80% of singers are lame and annoying to begin with, but I think NU rolls in at around 93%.

The underlying reason behind this behavior really stems from my amazing ability to beat up on myself relentlessly. Geez, I should have a masters in Psychology, not singing! Somehow, I imagine that all of these things are my fault when they are, in fact, merely the result of unfortunate luck and being preyed upon by crazy people in the beauty industry. The fact that I am able to come to that conclusion is an amazingly huge step forward. And dealing with horrible people, well, I'll just go ahead and steal a line from Robert:" i try to accept them for who they are, and remember that they’re a person just like my friends or my sister or my parents, not just a collection of behaviors that happen to annoy me." Couldn't have said it better. And I am trying. Maybe not succeeding, but certainly trying.

I feel better already. And now I will leave you with my favorite TV sitcom "let's calm down" lines: SERENITY NOW (I actually say this to myself numerous times a day, and then I think about George's dad on Seinfeld saying it, and oddly--it makes me feel better) and "3-2-1, 1-2-3, what the heck, is bothering me?" And if you can tell me what that's from, you will be officially on the list of people I like.

NICK IS HOME NICK IS HOME NICK IS HOME (for good)

Ich bin so glucklich. Don't expect to see me for awhile...

Check, Check, and CHECK.

One (1) crazy experimental opera. CHECK.

One (1) "let's make Emily sing high notes until her head pops off" Easter Sunday church service. CHECK

One (1) recital permission passed. CHECK.

Phew, that was tiring. During Saturday night's performance of Ursularia (the experimental opera), I pretty much put on a clinic in "relative pitch" and somehow pulled a G natural out of my ass at a very crucial point in the opera. It was either luck or God...probably luck. Sorry, God. Easter Sunday was...Easter Sunday, complete with Hallelujah chorus and ridiculously exalted hymns with random high C sharps thrown in at the end. But Holy Week is over, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief for another year.

The recital permission could not have gone any better today. I was really happy. I stayed up pretty late last night doing some last minute memorizing, and then they only heard one piece because there were seven permissions today. That really took the pressure off! And now I have a lovely four weeks to leisurely put the final touches on my recital, plus create a great reception complete with margaritas and guacamole, in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. So don't forget, my masters recital, Cinco de Mayo at 6:15 pm! It's official! (Don't worry, I'll remind you atleast four times before then).

Now comes the time where I retreat to my futon, watch some tube, and eat chocolate. I love it when I've just finished lots of big things. It justifies some serious laziness.

I can't think of a weekend in recent history where I've been more productive. Hermit-ing really paid off: the stress has been diminishing significantly this week. The recital music is coming along splendidly; yesterday I had the first rehearsal with my violist for the Bolcom chamber piece I'm doing, and it went really well. I'm feeling better about the "experimental" opera that's going up this weekend. I have found that if I just trust myself to pull pitches out of my ass, I usually do relatively well. I'm always wondering why composers who write this crazy music don't just insist on hiring a singer with perfect pitch. I guess maybe they don't really care if you sing a B or a B flat?

In other news, last night was my debut party as an Independent Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay! The turnout was a little less than I'd hoped for, but I felt that the party was a great success and a great learning experience for my first time out--not to mention tons of fun! I held the party at Ethel's Chocolate Lounge and had two giant pots of fondue for my guests. Chocolate and beauty products--pretty much every girl's dream evening! Check out my website at www.marykay.com/emilylyday. The products are truly fabulous (the microderm abrasion kit rocks my world on a bi-weekly basis), and I am especially fond of what the business stands for: empowering women. And not in a
crazyin yourfacebraburning sort of way, but more of a Icanbebeautifulandmakealotofmoney sort of way. Let me know if you have any questions about anything on the site. And for the month of April, for my blogger readers only, $10 off your purchase of $50 or more!

In closing, I thought I would post a few more pics from my recent trip to Greece.

Day trip to Porto Rafti:




Road trip to Delphi and Arahova (the Greek Aspen!)


Exploring the ruins at Delphi:


Japanese tourists (complete with Louis Vuitton umbrellas and white gloves):


Ancient stadium at Delphi:


Ancient theater at Delphi:


More ruins:


The oracle at Delphi:


Arahova by night (where we stayed):


Arahova by day:


Angelo playing with his new pet, the hamster Squeaky:


Angelo loves his Uncle Nicaaaaa (he can say Nick's name now and yells it constantly!--it's so cute!)


Enjoy the photos!