Schedule

Well, My Friends, the Time has Come

Fiascos, Health, London, Personal, Travel

Let the music play on, play on, play on …

What is that? I think it’s a Lionel Richie song. Anyway —

They moved it up, and we have a surgery date. July 2! Truth is, I’m getting much worse, sick (to some degree) all day every day.

I am absolutely thrilled. This will end a year and a half of pain and nausea, and other things best not mentioned in mixed company. I haven’t eaten solid food in a year, or been to a movie, or gone anywhere much at all.

They’re re-routing my lower guts, and also taking out a small tumor. This stomach/GI syndrome forces you to live minute by minute. Yesterday, I felt kind of okay, and then threw up in a cup while driving on a winding mountain road. Thank God I had an empty cup in the car!

Although I have to say, the pre-surgery rigmarole, pre-visits, paperwork, phone calls, and prodding is unbelievable. If someone were elderly or just not-that-with-it, I don’t know how they would get it done.

I really am thinking positively though. I have already made a list of all my favorite restaurants and foods. You can’t imagine how happy it will make me when I can have a Pizza Hut pan pizza or Pad Thai!

O

O

I also just started the germination of a London trip. October is my usual month. It’ll be a good project for the next few months. I want to visit and photograph every ancient church within The City of London. (Not “Greater London.” That’s gigantic.) The actual City is very small, inside the ancient Roman & medieval city walls. I think there are about fifty churches.

The London Wall (in red)

O

In passing — you know how much of a Dickens fan I am. My addendum to that would be except Martin Chuzzlewit. Just started trying to get into it. Jeez. I really dislike it.

So, that’s what’s going on here. Hope you’re all well!

Creature of the Night

Goals, Musician, Personal

I’m a nighttime person.

Undeniably, part of the reason that I most enjoy the late hours is that everyone else is asleep (and leaving me alone). I understand and appreciate the privilege in my schedule — I have time to do things I enjoy, I can do some of my work while I am resting, and in fact, I enjoy my work.

I like where I have arrived. There were unavoidable years of survival jobs and work in music which necessitated long hours. There was returning to school to learn new instruments or improve skills. I’m thankful for all this, and also thankful that it’s now in the past.

I have a been assistant to a broker on the trading floor of a private bank. I have been a buyer’s assistant for QVC. I have been on corporate national tours. I have worked in retail at a record store. I have been a classroom teacher. I have been the receptionist for the office of a celebrity talk show. I have been a pit musician.

With all this past (and plenty left out), days are calm. Almost invariably, this is what my days look like.

o

9:00 am

10:00 am

o

12:00 pm

o

2:00 pm

o

6:00 pm

11:00 pm

2:00 am

Wake Up, shower.

Answer work emails, book work, planning, etc.

Composition, orchestration, recording time.

Teaching private students (piano, theory, music exploration).

Rest, watch a play or documentary; or DIY work.

Read, write a blog post.

Bed time.

I suppose the moral of the story is that it’s best to work hard honing your (practical) gifts and putting them into practice, working toward a long-term goal of peace and enjoyment.

Or at least, it worked for me.