What I've Learned about Water

In the 40 minutes I have before my next rehearsal I've decided to chill out in the computer lab a little bit and write. It's a rainy day here in Boston, and the warm computer lab just seems so...inviting. I'm writing today because I know I won't be writing tomorrow, as I am working MY LAST DOUBLE.
Oh hell yes. When I leave the restaurant business, no tears will be shed, no sad good byes will be made, and I won't have my nose pressed to the back window of a taxicab watching the door to the restaurant getting smaller and farther away as I drive back into the city and disappear over the horizon. No...instead I'll be skipping down the street, twirling my apron in the air, singing, dancing, and drinking merrily.

Lots of things are changing.

Drinking water for 30 days has been a really great experience. It's been a little weird, if I get invited out by friends and order only water, to explain to them what I'm doing...but generally they think it's a cool idea. It's actually led to more changes than I originally thought.
Before it would have been easy to walk into a convenience store to get an iced tea, then maybe pick up a bag of Pirate's Booty, and maybe a Hershey bar for later. Seeing as tap water is basically free and I can get it from my kitchen sink from the comfort of my own home, those trips to the convenience store have been few and far between. It's friendly to my wallet, and friendly to my little black jeans. They now fit again. *Fist pump*
Less trips to the store means that I'm eating less crap. On the way home from the gym (which I am trying to go to regularly...keyword: trying), I usually stop in at the market and grab a weeks worth of fresh fruit (located at the front of the store). Currently I'm hooked on Fuji apples and kiwis, but I can't wait for the middle of winter for when the clementines come :) (pretty much one of the only good things about the middle of winter).
Also, now that I'm seriously cutting back on my serving shifts, and will soon be finishing up, there have been less reasons for me to go out after work. You would think working as a waitress I would burn about ten thousand calories running around during the dinner rush. Yes, we have an active lifestyle I would say. However, leaving work with all that cash and going to the hotel bar next door, having a few beers and an order of wings doesn't really help with that.
I've learned way to much about what goes into bottled water, the process, the ingredients, the brands, and the commercials. In fact, here is a list of what I've tried:

SmartWater-I didn't get any smarter. Lies.
Fiji water-pretty darn tasty I would say.
Poland Springs-I still don't know what it means to be from Maine.
Aquafina-still my go-to bottle
Dasani-never liked it.
Evian-too similar to dasani
7/11 Store brand water-generic water
Perrier-too pretentious.

The challenge is still on for a few more days, so the list will get longer, although probably not by much. Most of the water I drank this month has been from my sink. It's free, it's cold, and it's delicious. I do not really consider myself a bottled water connoisseur, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to spell "connoisseur" correctly the first time. I do know a lot more than I did about water from when I started the challenge, how it effects your overall health, and now that I've done that for 30 days, it will be easy for me to continue drinking lots and lots of water (although I am looking forward to wine and seasonal lattes).

And please, if you do want to try this challenge, remember to recycle.

4 days left!

Have you ever had trouble deciding whether something is cute or creepy?
You know, like if a guy means well...but says something along these lines:

That's the dilemma I'm having with the Evian roller baby commercial...

Whatever the verdict, you've guessed today's topic.
Evian water...
...it has not passed the bottled water connoisseur test. Or at least the Celine's taste-bud test. It tastes too similar to Dasani. And that's really all I have to say about that. Riveting, isn't it?

I'm so close to the end of this challenge I can taste it...and it tastes like...beer/wine/apple cider/pumpkin spice latte. October 1st will be a new month, and therefore a new challenge.  A lot of things will be changing then: my serving job at a local restaurant will be ending, a really good friend of mine is leaving to follow her dreams and travel across Europe (read her blog!), I will be starting a new challenge, and I will be celebrating at midnight (with all my work friends) the end of my 30 day water drinking challenge. I am looking forward to telling you all how this month has been...the ups and downs, the moments of weakness (see ball game), how it's effected my overall heath,  and I will be unveiling my new 30 day challenge.

Stay tuned.

Extremely Loud, Incredibly Close, & Exceptionally Sad

I just updated my Netflix queue to contain all the award winning movies of 2012. Here is the short list of what I'm deciding to watch:

Albert Nobbs (sad)

The Help (so good, I'm seeing it twice)

Midnight in Paris

The Descendants 

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (very sad,very good)

I saw The Help in theatres, and I recently viewed Albert Nobbs and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. It's very similar to Hugo...but a lot more sad. Here are the trailers:

This was the happiest version of this trailer that I could find: 

These two movies are sad...but really, REALLY good. I highly recommend both, especially the latter. 

Am I on a sad movie kick? Because before these two movies I saw this one: 

And after all these movies, I'm going to watch this one:

It seems a little lighter...and at least George Clooney is in it. 

Wow.  I hope you enjoy all this media. 

So... on to this month's challenge. 

I'm just going to say it: I've always hated Dasani. I know that the added minerals are for taste, but Dasani has always tasted kinda...salty to me. I know there is a negligible amount of salt in all water...but I don't know...I just don't like the taste. I do like how they are very, very pro-recycle. 

My twist wasn't as nice looking as the ones in the commercial. :(

And I'll end with this...fun fact: Last night I had Shark for dinner (at Boston Beer Works with my lovely Adam and his old roommate from the Fenway apartment)!

Not So Manic Sunday

My weekend is now coming to a close, and a new week is just beginning. One more week I will be done with my water challenge, and I'll move on to a new one (and I've got a good one coming up, so stay tuned!). I also want to see if drinking only water for 30 days will make my snug black pants be a little less-snug. :)

So what did I do this weekend?

Not a whole lot. I did make a lot of dough though (fun to say). Friday I spent some quality time with the girls and I was also introduced to this magical little musical:

Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, and Dolly Parton. Need I say more? Loved it.
But it made me wonder why so many musicals are set in the mid to south west. Ever notice that?
The Music Man, Oklahoma, Meet me in St. Louis. Just saying.

Saturday I worked a bunch. Got my ass kicked, but cashed out big.

Today was relaxing. I've been watching lots of the Big Bang Theory (love it), and I'm starting to get hooked on Castle. Check out the trailer. It's one of those crime-solving shows, but it's really pretty funny, and I like the characters a lot. And it's on demand :)

Hope all of you who read my blog had a fabulous weekend, and have a wonderful week!

Good bye summer. Hello fall. Nice to see you again.

And a big thank you to all my followers. I started this blog only a couple of months ago, mainly to track my own progress with my challenges, and I already have hundreds of views. So, thank you...thank you very much.

A (Swanky) Cafeteria for (Swanky) Grown-Ups.

Hey Toto...we're not in the high school cafeteria anymore. Three cute, well dressed twenty-something girls walk into the CafeTeria on Newbury Street on their night out, ready to begin their weekend. Do they order cocktails? Do they order small salads, with dressing on the side, light on the goat cheese? Do they order one appetizer and share it? No. They order three delicious BURGERS.

Yes, we eat.

I had been to Cafeteria once before about four years ago, and it was just as swanky (key word) as I remembered it. Their menu has lots of variety from sandwiches to burgers to entrees, and starters to desserts. They also have a really tasty looking drink menu, and when I'm not concentrating on drinking water  24/7 I'll be going back to try a few. The picture below is of course the street view during the day, but on a mild September Friday night with the heaters on the patio, it becomes super swanky (and in a good way). I wasn't able to take a picture of my food without drawing attention to myself (I hate using the flash!), it was much too dark with the tiny lightbulbs and our table candle...plus sometimes when you use the flash on food it comes out looking kinda gross. My friend did however bring along a really cool light up pen. Oh right...we're not in the high school cafeteria anymore.

courtesy of http://www.newbury-st.com/images/exterior_pics/2982.jpg

And since my focus is on H2O this month, I'll leave you with few words about water before heading off to sleep. My go-to bottle of water has always been Aquafina, even though I have been exploring the tastiness of Fiji and SmartWater. It's less expensive than those pretentious waters, but a step above the generic store brand. Their website is really easy to follow and is really helpful. Maybe it will teach you something you didn't know about Water. Or maybe you knew it already, and just need a reminder as to how important water really is.
What I'm finding is that companies claim to have the purest drinking water, or that their process of finding the best quality water for us is better than every other company...and then there are articles out there trying to disprove certain brands of water, pointing out all the things they are doing wrong. Basically, as long as there are two hydrogens and one oxygen, you're good to go. You can get it in a bottle, or you can get it from your faucet. Either way, it's super healthy and really, really good for your body and brain. And that my friends can't be argued with.

courtesy of http://www.rocksolidfitness.net/images/aquafina.jpg

      Aaaah, doesn't that look refreshing? 

A Fauré Wednesday (and some other beautiful pieces)

It's changing seasons again. From summer to my favorite season...Autumn. The season of all things good and delicious: carving pumpkins, picking apples, adding cinnamon to everything, flannel shirts, cool weather, beautiful sunsets and gorgeous foliage. The feelings that I feel when the leaves start changing and the weather cools down can't be described in words, so I will do so with music.

Nostalgia at it's purest:

I will not even get started on how amazing and inspiring Jacqueline du Pre is, but when you get a chance, you should really read about her. There is also an amazing documentary out there.

Fall also reminds me of birthdays, as I am a libra. Here is a piece that Wagner wrote for his second wife on her birthday. Imagine waking up to this on your birthday. In fact, you should wake up to this every morning. What a great start to the day:

Now for the main reason that I'm writing this post. I'm going to admit, I haven't played a whole lot of Fauré's music, but I know that it's notoriously beautiful. We are playing a short piece of his in orchestra this semester, and here is the first movement. It really suits the season. Just close your eyes and take a listen:

You know, since I'm on a beautiful music kick, this piece has always been one of my favorites, and will always have a special place in my heart.

How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!
Here will we sit and let the sounds of music
Creep in our ears: soft stillness and the night
Become the touches of sweet harmony...
How sweet the night is.

I hope this music has nourished your soul, cleansed your thoughts, and given you peace no matter what season it is.

I'm just sad that my tiny macbook speakers aren't doing these pieces one bit of justice. Please, if you can hook up your computer to some awesome speakers when listening to these, do it. You won't regret it.

We've got it made, fellow musicians. How lucky are we?

Does your water have an IQ?

Will drinking something called Smart Water actually raise my IQ?

Probably not...but since I'm becoming a bottled water connoisseur, I decided to put it to the test. I drank nearly an entire bottle of it during a rather lengthy and laborious rehearsal which not only tired out my chops but also my brain. Music school isn't just a bunch of musicians sitting around playing Beethoven and Mozart and dinky little happy-go-lucky clarinet pieces (usually) (and I say Beethoven and Mozart because their pieces are usually recognizable and well known...not easy. In fact, they are notoriously rather hard...but I digress). 

No, the piece we were rehearsing is a pretty cool piece by a new composer, and we are playing the premier. It contains subdivision, extended techniques, and lots and lots and lots of really careful counting. Precisely one hour and a half of really, really careful counting (the piece in reality is probably less than 20 minutes). The focus and endurance needed for that rehearsal was enough to give anyone a headache. Was drinking my "Smart Water" any help in the subdivision aspect, counting aspect, or overall focus aspect? Nope. 

That solves that issue. 

You know a piece is tough when even the conductor's head starts hurting...and when someone in the brass section claims that he "needs a hug" after the first reading. 

The way I see it, Smart Water is trying to do the same thing as Fiji water. It even has an ingredient list. Usually, the ingredients are just...water. But both of these companies have the same components on their lists: calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium bicarbonates. When Fiji uses water that is "untouched by human hands", Smart Water one-ups them (and mother nature) by using vapor distilled water (think greenhouse effect), and then adds electrolytes which helps with hydration, and also taste. 

But are all these awesome claims to having the purest water with all these fancy added electrolytes and other ingredients really making a difference? In my opinion, drinking water is just about the smartest thing you can do. It doesn't matter where you get it (within reason), just as long as you're drinking it. 

courtesy of:  http://www.weallscheme.com/2010/08/02/jennifer-anistons-smart-water-ads/

Everybody Drinks

It started with a SHOCK TOP!
(get the song reference I hope?)

Regardless...I'm realizing that drinking only water for 30 days is a lot harder than I imagined. The downfall began on Thursday when I made an amendment to my rule, and allowed myself to have a beer at a baseball game. Wow, that makes me sound like an alcoholic. Thursday was the beer...Friday I was back to normal with my big, big glasses of water. Saturday I went out to lunch with my brother and his girlfriend, and I was half way done with my second lemonade when I realized...shit! I had ordered it on auto pilot. Today, I had the same thought, as I was walking out of Starbucks after a lengthy staff meeting with a salted caramel latte (with soy milk) in my hand. I was so excited for the fall beverages coming back into season at Starbucks that I didn't even realize what I had done.

But today I did a good deed! I found a cell phone on a park bench. After looking around and seeing no obvious owner, I picked it up, called the contact listed under "Mom" and left a message saying that the cell phone would be at the Marriott front desk, since that was the nearest location. Go me.

It's easy to drink water when I'm at home and at school, but when I'm out I actually have to pay more attention to what I'm doing. I guess that's the whole point of a challenge, huh?

Anyways, there is a slight chill in the air today, making me super excited for this:

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Let me begin by making an amendment to my Drink Only Water for 30 Days challenge. The amendment is this:

For this specific challenge, I will drink something other than water if a once in a lifetime opportunity comes along that requires drinking another beverage. Examples include an invitation to a wine tasting at the White House, going out to dinner and drinks with John Krasinski, or going to a Red Sox/Yankees game, sitting three rows from the front in a box, right next to the Yankees dugout, and participating in peanuts, cracker jacks, and a Shock-top beer. 

Luckily, the last of these happened to me! It was an unexpected end to a great day. It started with a lesson, a really long practice session, another lesson (with my student), and then, all of a sudden, I was rushing home to grab a few things and heading off to the ball park!                               So how exactly did this happen? My boyfriend's best friends brother just happened to be in town with one of this good friends. They had two extra tickets, one for my boyfriend, and one for his best friend. Sadly, his best friend missed the train...which was so upsetting because we were all looking forward to seeing him. However, I was able to take his place in Field Box 61 right on third base. When I realized where we were sitting I was impressed, shocked, excited, astonished, and almost died/peed. I wasn't able to get a whole lot of really good pictures of the Red Sox, but we were sitting right next to the Yankees dugout (Hellooo Mr. Jeter). Talk about good seats. Even though we were in New York territory, it was so Boston. We were by Yawkey Way in Fenway Pahk, surrounded by an ocean of navy blue and red (literally, an ocean--I got caught in the wave), the Hood blimp was right above the park looking down on us, and we sang Sweet Caroline after the 7th inning stretch. We were in great company in a great place. 

Yankees dugout

Derek Jeter

Like I said, once in a lifetime occasion. What's any Boston sporting event without a great beer?

I would like to end this stating for the record that I did drink plenty of water that day, and that I am all about exercising self-discipline and that's the big reason for trying out these 30 day challenges...but sitting three rows from the front on the third base line at a Yankees/Red Sox game in Fenway Park seemed like a good reason to just this once indulge in a beverage of my choice.

I am so thankful that I was able to spend this amazing day in these amazing seats, with the most amazing person I know. My life is that more amazing because of him<3 

Does YOUR Water Come from a Volcano?

A little bit of rain in the north coast of a remote island. It sinks down and is filtered through ancient volcanic rock. A distinct, soft, smooth mouthfeel? Are we talking about wine? Nope. 

Fiji water. 

My 30 day drink nothing but water challenge is now in full swing, and I decided today as I walked into a nearby convenience store (in the 14 minutes I had during a break in my Mozart class) and walking by the iced teas and fruit juices, that I would become a water connoisseur. But what is there to taste? It's just...two hydrogens and one oxygen. 

I decided to try Fiji water today. After a little research, this is what I found:

Fiji gives back 1% of it's profits to go towards helping the environment. It claims to be sustainable, and eco-friendly. But it's a huge company. I find it hard to picture a few Fiji natives going into the earth to fill up these rectangular bottles. That's the other thing. It's good water (not that I'm sure what "bad" water would be...probably the water left over in a pot where you just cooked hotdogs)...but the bottle is rectangular! It doesn't fit into the handy little backpack pockets that are meant for normal shaped water bottles. Looking at the analysis of the water I see silica, calcium, magnesium, pH, bicarbonates, and total dissolved solids (wouldn't they not be solid?). 

So what are these?

Silica comes from minerals, and is released under water during volcanic activity. Fiji water is filtered through a volcano. That makes sense. Was YOUR drinking water in a volcano?? I think not. Unless you are currently sipping from a rectangular bottle. 

Magnesium comes from minerals and is usually found in sea water. Minerals. Volcanic rock. Under ground. Makes sense. 

pH level is 7.8. That's slightly alkaline. Not as much as sea water (7.9), but more so than blood(7.3). 

Bicarbonates...necessary for digestion. That's a good thing!

Reading about total dissolved solids is really confusing...but there are 220 of them in the water. Caused usually by calcium, nitrate, and some organic matter...but usually just used for aesthetic reasons. Like taste. 

It's true. Fiji water does taste pretty good and the taste does vary from it's other bottled water pals. 

I invite you to read about Fiji Water. There are plenty of articles that warn you about "things you didn't know about Fiji water". Honestly, I'm not here to start any huge debates. I'm here to inform you of my tasting notes and research regarding H2O (I was trying to sound like a snobby wine-o just now). 

But just in case you didn't know...that's what's out there. 

And their bottle, although a little inconvenient and unwieldy, is very aesthetically pleasing:

As you can see, I was a good girl and drank all my water. I'll make good use of the bottle by refilling it a few times before I recycle it! 

24 Hours in...

There I was, the night I began my drink-nothing-but-water-for-30-days challenge, on a couch in a friend's apartment, just chatting away and half-watching Monday night football. There was a large selection of beers available, a little whiskey, and there was even an option to order some soda or iced tea with our chinese delivery order. Normally, I would have gone for a beer and a soda...but last night I ordered the bottle of water. It hurt a little, but it was a good decision. 

There I was, unsuspecting again, 24 hours into my challenge in the organic section of the supermarket, searching for some non-dairy treats (and I found them: yummy), when I had a thought: I should probably pick up some almond milk to try with some cereal...or maybe I could try a glass of ice cold chocolate soy milk! But lo! I cannot...for I am only drinking water for the next few weeks. 

Water hasn't been the only change I've made...while at the supermarket I picked up some baby carrots, apples, and kiwi! That's right...some fruits and veggies. Just trying to be healthy.

So...water every day. 

The downside? Realizing you really have to use the bathroom at the beginning of a 2 and a half hour wind ensemble rehearsal. 

The upside? We are playing THIS amazing piece: 

Aegean Festival Overture 

oh and uh...this is my awesome cup. 

My trusty water glass, probably counts for at least 2 glasses of water... 

Water, Water Everywhere

Two posts in one day...don't you feel special? What is the meaning of this special occasion?

I have a new 30 day challenge. 

70% of the earth's surface is covered by it, and for 30 days I will be drinking it. 

For the rest of September, I will only be drinking water (I will stop this challenge on October 1st so that I am able to have a drink on my birthday!). This will be hard. Like most Americans, I depend on caffeine to jump start my brain and body, giving it energy for a few hours. This means no coffee, espresso, or tea. Lots of times in the middle of the day when my blood sugar is low, I like to drink some orange juice, iced tea or lemonade. At dinner, usually a beer or a glass of wine with my meal is a great way to wind down. Only water.

Well, if I don't drink OJ where will I get my vitamin C? Maybe eating an actual orange once in a while? Or perhaps eating a few kiwi fruits for breakfast. There's usually a lot more sugar in juices than you think, and a lot more fat too. I'm staying away from sugary sports drinks and sodas...and we'll see what happens in 30 days. 

There are lots of reasons why I want to do this (other than the fact that my idea to learn how to sail was a compete and utter failure)...

1.) Dehydration is bad. Usually, when I'm feeling crappy, its because I'm slightly dehydrated, feeling a lot like Sponge Bob in the Tea at the Tree-Dome episode. It's easy to ignore water, especially while working in the restaurant biz. I go entire shifts (5 hours) without drinking anything, and when I do, it's usually a sip of Coke or Sprite, followed by the beer or two after work. It will be hard to only drink water, and be conscious of it. Lots of times if I stop in at a convenience store, I go in the back on auto pilot, and pick up my favorite flavor of my $.99 tea in a can, sip it on the way home, and finish it before the night is done. This is a huge amount of high fructose corn syrup, fat, and calories-it's a glucose overdose that keeps me awake.

2.) It's good for your body on the inside and outside. It's good for flushing out toxins and other bad things floating around in there. It's good for your skin too. And especially your lips. Whenever I feel like my lips are dry, it's always a sign that I'm thirsty...they're not always chapped.  

3.) I have also read that it helps if you're trying to lose weight. Working out and eating better is what I've been wanting to do for a while now (my favorite black jeans are getting a little snug!) and I think that switching to only drinking water will be a huge step. Plus...if our bodies are already made up of mostly water, wouldn't it make sense to keep water flowing through it? 

Are there any cons? I've been trying to find some but there aren't any. Besides having to um...use the restroom more often. I've been dairy free for many months now, and I've been taking calcium supplements and lots of vitamins, so it's not like I'll be missing out on milk. Vitamin C I take daily, but that can be found in most fruits. 

Yeah...no cons to drinking water. 

Water, water everywhere...and lots of drops to drink. Like...8 glasses worth. 

For those of you who have 8 minutes or so, it's not the best quality, but it's entertaining nonetheless.

Also...you should watch this if you didn't get my Sponge Bob reference from earlier. Feel free to fast forward to 4:25. 

A Weekend of Firsts

I'm back from a little bit of blogging hiatus, and I've found myself in a sort of "blogging limbo". As it turns out, I had some issues purchasing the Groupon online, time ran out and sadly I won't be able to begin my challenge to sail. I expect that some of my challenges won't work out the way I plan them, after all they are "challenges", and the point of this blog is to challenge myself. One more time? Challenge. Oh, it will still happen...but perhaps in the summertime. Besides, it's getting chilly! 

I'm currently sitting in my bed, still in my PJ's with the window open, a nice cool fall breeze coming in through the window, listening to Mozart. Today I have my first orchestra rehearsal, but before I go and pick up my music, practice, shower, and find some grub (okay, not in that order), I have decided to blog a little about my experiences this weekend. I'm still up for trying new things, and I did just that this weekend. 

Adam and I went to the Big Apple this weekend to visit one of his awesome friends for his birthday, and it was so much fun! My virgin eyes finally saw Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time ever...and on the IMAX big screen...in Times Square. Here are some photos:

NYC in the rain in Times Square, after seeing my very first Indiana  Jones movie. 

Walking off the copious amounts of food we ingested, through Central Park. Now, I have been to NYC and Central Park before, but this was the first time I have visited when I a.) didn't have to wear any kind of jacket and b.) was not threatened by a stomach ache, now that I am aware that I am, in fact, lactose intolerant. 

My first time in Kosher bliss. Pastrami sandwiches, french fries, and huge Kosher pickles at Katz's Delicatessen. It was also my first time visiting Little Italy!

As for a September challenge, I'm still trying to figure out what exactly I want to do since sailing hit the fan. I'm simultaneously reading A Game of Thrones and The Year of Living Biblically(One man's humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as possible). I like A.J. Jacobs because he puts himself up to really long challenges, instead of short 30 day challenges. He spent a year reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, he spent a year living biblically, and he spend another year trying to be the healthiest person he could possibly be. So far I've...taken a few pictures and talked a little about music. But have no fear! I'll come up with something...

A Post about Poulenc

Today in a large breezy room furnished with a desk, a few chairs, and a piano, I had my first lesson with Ethan Sloane. I have decided to tackle those orchestral excerpts, purchase some new etude books, and that I no longer want to be afraid of the Poulenc sonata. I used to be afraid of the Debussy Rhapsody, such a gorgeous piece, but so hard to play. So I learned it and performed it on my senior recital.  This is a recording of me playing the Debussy. I think it was pretty successful...
So I have decided to do the same thing, and learn and perform the Poulenc clarinet sonata. In fact, here is a video of one of my favorite clarinet players, Paul Meyer performing the third movement (hard):

And here is a funny video set to Paul Meyer's recording:

(What my performance will hopefully look like)

Have I mentioned that I have met, played for, and been coached by Paul Meyer? We also played Foosball!

How Lucky We Are...To Be Musicians

Just listen:

Mozart. That is the subject of the day, and actually...my semester. As a graduate student (and recently appointed clarinet teaching assistant) I have the beauty of only having to take one class. It meets on Wednesday mornings, and for three hours we talk about Mozart. How FANTASTIC. The class is taught by Professor Jeremy Yudkin, who has a wealth of knowledge and love for Mozart. Yes, there will be lots of research every week including analysis, lists of Mozart's works, facsimile studying, performance critiques, and historiographical essays, but there will be so much music (hear the music above if you have not yet clicked on it). The music above was the first thing he played today in class, in a little room, twelve students and one teacher, sitting around a conference table. He even turned the lights off, and with no windows it was just us, Mozart, and his music. Because the lights were off, nobody could see my smiling from ear to ear, because for the first time in a year I was part of a conversation about music, and I felt an overwhelming sense of belonging. How lucky we are to be musicians.

The Beginning of the Beginning (part 2)

Happy September!

I am aware that it's well past September 1st, but we finally have internet in our new place, and I owe you a new challenge and some fun stories about moving day! Lets start with the Great Day of Moving. It was worse than I thought. First, we were ungraciously cast out of the apartment we were staying in at 6:30 in the morning by a cranky maintenance guy. Since the lease technically ended on August 31st at midnight, there was nothing we could have done about it. So we packed up what remained in the apartment and set off. We couldn't hand in the keys until 10, so the three of us (Adam's roommate included) hung outside drinking gatorade, occasionally taking a break to use the bathroom:

Goodbye Fenway apartment!

Now, Adams now former roommate had to drop some things off at his new place-only 2 blocks from our new apartment, so we maneuvered the moving truck into a narrow ally and helped him get his things out. It took us an hour an a half to backtrack to our apartment, only 2 blocks away. There were triple parkers, obnoxious pedestrians, people trying to unload while their moving trucks were still moving slowly down the street because there was no parking. It took us another hour to find a place to park...which was illegally. We double parked, threw the hazards on, I hopped in the back pushing our belongings to the front, and Adam was grabbing them and creating a pile of our things on the sidewalk:

Happy September 1st

Then there were the people who went around in pick-up trucks collecting tossed furniture, and I also found out that this day is also known as Allston Christmas, for that reason alone. One of my challenge ideas for this month was to study, read about, and practice some Feng Shui in our new apartment, but we still have lots of moving and trying out the most effective way to arrange our furniture...plus I got a better idea (more on that to come). Anyways, I think we did a pretty good job feng shui-ing our apartment:

Our living room, post move in

When we finished frantically unpacking the truck, I stood with our belongings and started bringing up the expensive stuff to our new place. It took us about an hour to bring everything up, and Adams former roomie came and lent a hand with the heavy things. Adam had parked the truck somewhere, and we had to return it to Rhode Island, so we left things as they were (above), hopped in the truck and started driving. We stopped in Norwood to get a bite to eat-McDonalds sounded SO GOOD and hit the spot. We filled the tank up with gas, and got it back to the Budget place. There we were, stranded in North Providence with no cash. So we walked to the nearest gas station, paid the $2.15 fee for taking out cash, and called a cab to take us to the train station (as we were driving, this song came on, taking me down the path of nostalgia to when my little brother invented the "cup dance":)

We arrived at the train station and waited for the commuter rail. There was also an Amtrak train, which we decided to take at the last minute, and wound up in Boston at the time our commuter rail train would have left. We had plans to go to a bar with Adams former roomie, and also plans to go out to all you can eat sushi with our friends who are basically our new neighbors. We ended up not going out due to extreme exhaustion. We showered the dust, dirt, and grime off our bodies, ordered Chinese take-out, and had a perfect night at home. 

Now it's time for my September 30 day challenge. I am going to learn how to sail. That's right...rig, furl, unrig, and sail away down the Charles River. I've always wanted to learn how to sail, growing up in Rhode Island, but never had the financial means to. There is a great deal going on now, where you can purchase a 30 day membership (perfect!) for 70% off, and you learn sail theory, how to rig, how to tie knots, etc...and then you take a few tests and you can come and sail whenever you can. I'm also SO excited, because Adam wants to do it too, and I'm looking forward to many September evening sails at sunset. 

There's nothing quite like being on the water. 

And as we say at work...

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