goofball on a train

**Disclaimer** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.

This post covers the weekend.

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FRIDAY

I forgot to mention in the last post, an update on the acne + rash thing: while the misc face washes and creams seem to have helped both general acne and the irritation, I'm still getting cystic acne on my chin full force. This is probably because I declined the spironolactone prescription, which is a medication prescribed to those with high blood pressure but can also be used to treat cystic acne. The "common" side effects were nausea, dizziness, fainting, and frequent urination. The dermatologist prescribed me a 100mg dosage per day, which is high compared to other dosages.

Acne is not a serious medical condition. It's uncomfortable, and having big red welts on my chin makes me self-conscious. But I am sorry, to me, that does not justify possibly putting my ability to do my job at risk by taking a medication that is A) intended to treat something else entirely, and B) has side effects that are very impactful to what I do for a living. Noooope nope nope nope

So big red zits it is. Maybe I'll invest in a concealer.

Anyway. I was awake early for no reason. Breakfast and working on Foodie Finds, research for OKC, research for Fayetteville because Sarah (French horn) and I have back-to-back birthdays that city. Before lunch I walked to a grocery for travel nonperishables, and did get a concealer after all though I think it's too pale...how is THAT possible lol.

Then a detour to Thien An Sandwiches. It was packed in there, the locals clearly know about and frequent this place. The banh mi on the menu all looked amazing. I had hoped to sit down and eat at the restaurant but since it was crowded I opted for to-go.

This is my banh xeo. It is ENORMOUS.


Banh xeo are savory crepes made with turmeric, rice flour, and coconut cream. Hard-cooked pork belly, shrimp, and bean sprouts are usually added either into the batter or as a filling, along with some spices and onion.


They are then served with big lettuce leaves, Thai basil, cilantro, mint, pickled veggies, and fish sauce.
Traditionally you use a lettuce leaf to hold some crepe, herbs, and veg, dip that in the sauce, and chow down.


It is REALLY hard to find restaurants that will make banh xeo, and equally hard to find a restaurant that does it RIGHT. Ordering them on tour across the country has been hit or miss. I'd say 60% of them have been too thick, or way too greasy, or disappointingly bland. But Thien An in Houston knows what's UP. The crepe was thin, delicate, and crispy. Because it was so big it was thicker in the center, but still well cooked and not too thick or too greasy. It had wonderful turmeric-coconut flavor, and paired with the fresh herbs and crunchy lettuce and sweet-tart fish sauce, it was SO GOOD.

After scarfing 1/3 of it down I stashed the rest for later, and the rest of my day was spent gathering things to put in my trunk, reading, and trying to get my guts to calm down. Trigger warning for bodily function TMI, highlight white text to read: I don't feel sick but had loose stool and abdominal cramps all afternoon. It might be a reaction the saffron I've been taking (seriously? It was a half-dose!), or perhaps I ate something that disagreed with my intestines but not my stomach, or perhaps it's a bug. At least it WASN'T the banh xeo, this started happening before that. I have a few suspects and will do research to see what might have caused it. (END)

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Anyway, walked to the theater early dragging my "trunk junk" and packed it all carefully for travel, and warmed up before the show. The show was good and well-attended. At intermission I had a HUGE group of kids on my side all asking questions, so I described each instrument and the Avioms and the drum cage and my iPad/foot pedal setup and played them a few notes, and pretty much anything else that they asked about or that I could think of to share :) There was one adult woman who was astounded to see that there were actual musicians: "There's a whole band down there?! I had no idea!"

We are truly spoiled with all of this love and attention from the audience here in Houston and in Texas in general! As I've said many times now, I'm so glad that people want to know and learn, are interested and curious about what we do, and especially hope that the kids would be influenced to try picking up an instrument themselves, or being inspired to check out more of the arts!

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SATURDAY

I must have been very tired because I slept like a dead person, only waking when my alarm went off at 7am. I was up early to do laundry. No one else was doing it so I could have slept in, but you never know and getting up early pretty much guarantees no line for the washer. Breakfast and packing snacks for between shows; researching birthday treat options for Fayetteville and forwarding them to our French hornist to see if she wants in on that; sending a few emails to check on upcoming events like the masterclass I'm scheduled for in February or Jameson's visit in April.

The walk to the theater was pretty cold and windy. I slathered on the chapstick and wore a mask. Matinee went very well, I felt that I played well and again at intermission we had a big crowd of kids and parents pelting us with questions :) Our wall tag was ready to sign and I signed it, but am waiting for more signatures before taking a pic.

Between shows, a brisk chilly walk back to the hotel for rice, tofu, and beets. Only about an hour to relax, then back to the theater for the evening show which also went just fine with Josh (Key 2) conducting.

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SUNDAY

I had weird nonsensical dreams.

Dream 1: I was in a field and there were lots of cats and a few small dogs. The cats, weirdly, were forming up as though to charge, and the small dogs soon joined them, and we all ran together across a nearby street. It was "understood" in my dream that although I was human, if I ran on all fours I'd look like a large dog that was, I suppose, herding cats! Haha yeah...your guess is as good as mine!

Dream 2 which happened after I woke up and fell back asleep: I had caught a blowfish and was holding it gingerly (what with the spikes and all) while two people on either side of me admired it. Then I felt a little prick on my upper arm and realized that the blowfish had a long tail with a barb on the end, like a stingray, and it had stung me multiple times. The two people alongside me fell silent, then one called 911, from which I gathered that I was "gonna have a bad time." Woke up from THAT dream rather tense! Lol. What in the world.

Normal morning of breakfast and packing for the flight to OKC. Here's a small update on the gastric issues/TMI from Friday, highlight white text to read: I think I've found the culprit: 18 Chestnuts tomato soup. I really love their carrot ginger soup, but have noticed that it sometimes causes a gastric reaction. Well this week I tried the tomato soup for the first time but didn't check the ingredients. And what sweetener do they add? ERYTHRITOL. Which I am sensitive to, and is a known diuretic. And I ate the soup two days in a row before Things Happened. So bummed! I really love their soups :( I did write to 18 Chestnuts to express that I love their soups but can't handle erythritol, and would they possibly consider reducing it, but unless a lot of other customers write in I doubt they'd do anything. Fun fact, I found out that I was sensitive to sugar alcohols after trying a Barebells bar for the first time a few years ago and having a similar reaction. And those are delicious too. Sigh. But at least it likely wasn't food poisoning, or the saffron supplement. (END)

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Ah, and here's my review of the Small Haul that I got from Central Market last week!

• “Mandarinquats”: 5/10 These are a mandarin-kumquat hybrid. They’re fine, but tasted just like a kumquat, only larger. Sooooo…I’d rather just eat kumquats then!

• Folkington Elderflower Drink: 6/10 This was lemon and rhubarb juice with elderflower extract/essence. The flavor was very nice but it was VERY sweet, and super-sweet-floral is not for me. Next time I’d try it over ice.

• Jubilee’s Flavored Milk: 11/10 Ok so this was REALLY GOOD. It’s shelf-stable whole milk with veggie juices and a little natural sweetener. I couldn’t believe how delicious the Banana Cream Pie flavor was!! And lots of vitamins and healthy stuff in there. Oh my goodness, I’m definitely drinking this again (wiiiiith Lactaid haha)

• Pegasus Sweet & Savory Jerky: 8/10 Very good! A dry, thin-sliced jerky that was very flavorful and delicious, not too high in salt either. Sadly at $8 for only 2 servings, this is not something I could afford to get regularly. But appreciated the chance to try it!

• Queen of the Sea Tuna with Veg: 8/10 Flavorful, fairly low in sodium, a nice meal-in-a-can that would be great on the go The tuna and veg were high quality. This would be great on toast or over rice. Only downside is it’s rather watery and the can doesn’t facilitate draining.

As always, I'm grateful to have been able to try all of these things whether I ended up liking them or not!

Another small interlude to say that this picture of Jameson and I came up in my Facebook Memories today. This is us 12 years ago. We were in the circus and had just started dating.


In this pic we are wearing our "plant" costumes and waiting in the audience for the show to start, snarking off to each other to kill time. And then we'd do our little opening gag bit, and play a 2-hour show alongside elephants and clowns and acrobats. 400 shows a year, 40 cities a year.

TWELVE years ago. It is wild to look at this picture and think about what our lives were like then vs now. So much happened to change us...devastating things like the circus suddenly closing; the pandemic; struggling to find work; my dad passing away; both of us fighting depression and our own demons...but still, we were together. And last year is probably the first year since 2017 that I can FINALLY say we've clawed our way back up and come out on top. It took nearly a decade, but here we are :)

Aaaaaanyway. Lunch and walking to the theater as usual. And here is our lovely wall tag which has now been signed all over! Can you find my initials? I made it larger than usual this time! (Remember that you can click the image to open in a new tab and enlarge.)


Our Physical Therapist, Jael, made stickers and passed them out to everyone. Aren't they hilarious!


Top sticker says, "Tale as old as trap tightness." Bottom left: "This injury wasn't in the score!"
Bottom middle: "Beast mode: rehab." Bottom right: "The show must limp on."

The matinee was good and once again we had a big flock of children come to visit us. I did take pictures but am leery about sharing them, because kids and privacy, sorry. At intermission there was cake to celebrate Levi's (Chip Kid's) birthday, and before the second show there was pizza as a send-off for one of our Stage Managers. I declined cake but got in on the pizza. With a Lactaid. 

Evening show was good, though attendance was lower than the other shows we've still had incredible turnout here in Houston. And afterward people STILL came down to the pit and watched us start packing until ushers came to kick them out! 

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Monday: Flight to OKC. Should be a pretty short one, fingers crossed. The usual settling-in-and-groceries.

Tuesday: Opening day in OKC!

**Disclaimer** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.

This post covers Monday and Tuesday.

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MONDAY

I was awake early, tired but excited because I am Treating Myself today! YAY Golden Day!!
(A "golden day" is slang for a true day off on tour. No shows + remaining in the same city.)

The plan: Houston's Galleria mall (possibly, no pressure), a noon showing of Zootopia at a fancy theater, and Central Market!

Breakfast and admiring my "clown lips" in the mirror. My lips are swollen, chapped, and kinda burn-y. This is because A) it's the first week back on tour after a layoff where I played less than half as much as usual; B) we had a temperature drop of 30 degrees a few days ago; and C) the streets between Houston's skyscrapers create wind tunnels, i.e. skin gets windburnt and dried out faster. It may not LOOK that chapped, but it FEELS chap-tastic.


But don't worry fam. This is nothing new.
Ringling Bros Circus, circa 2014.
"Clown lips" at the end of a 6-show weekend (12 hours of playing.)
I was sitting on the ringmaster float backstage, waiting for the bus.


I slather on chapstick or Vaseline, wear a mask or scarf, and take every possible precaution, but this happens at least once each winter no matter what I do. It makes playing a bit harder for a while, but ultimately resolves itself. Just thought I'd share one of the joys of brass musicianship!

Right as I was finishing breakfast, housekeeping came by to do my room. Yay! I ran away and goofed off in the lobby for 15-20 minutes and that was enough for them. How nice to start a new week with clean sheets and towels :) Then an Uber to The Galleria to look around!

The Galleria is a big fancy mall with lots of high-end stores selling stuff I can't afford like Hermes watches and designer clothing and "real" jewelry. But they also have some shops for Us Poors, like Macys and Hot Topic. I went to the former to rifle through their clearance rack, and the latter to see if there was any new Hazbin Hotel merch. Nothing found for me, but I did get Jameson a Hellfire Club shirt.

From there I walked to the movie theater which was in an even snootier, even MORE posh shopping plaza, with people in rare $,$$$,$$$ sports cars cruising up and down and security posted at the entrances to most shops. I didn't even recognize the names of most stores...it was true designer stuff, premium leather goods, platinum jewelry, and even an upscale tobacco shop. The movie theater had a fine dining restaurant and bar in the lobby, no cheapo popcorn or candy to be seen (though it's on their menu.) The theaters are small and intimate with maybe 30-40 seats, all of which are plush recliners complete with fluffy blankets and little tables for your food. I had the entire theater to myself today!


I had arrived early on purpose so that wait staff could serve me before the movie started and not have to grope around in the dark. I got a sauvignon blanc and a bison burger with white cheddar, blueberry aioli, sunflower seed pesto, arugula, and fire-roasted tomatoes on brioche. It came with sweet potato fries. Oh and there's bacon on there (I took some of it off tbh)


Now THIS is luxury! Having that whole theater to myself, it was essentially a private showing. The burger was delicious and the wine hit the spot. Zootopia 2 is almost as good as the first movie! I only wished they'd fleshed out the primary reptile character a bit more so that the emotional connection to them might have been stronger at the end (it was still a very touching ending.)

A chill movie and some comfort food were just what I needed today. Afterward I walked to a nearby Central Market for my groceries for next week. Central Market is H-E-B's upscale answer to Whole Paycheck, and it is AWESOME! They have normal groceries, but also so much interesting food that I'll spend an hour or more just staring at everything.

They grow many of their own herbs and mushrooms in house.


There are always delicious-looking fresh fish in the seafood area, and the cuts of meat look amazing too. There were a lot of people at the butcher counter today so I didn't get a picture there.


The bakery section is massive and mostly features their own house-made loaves. There are so many flavors that I want to try!!


In addition to the huge bulk section with grains and dried fruits and nuts and candies, they've got a whole bulk chocolate section with every kind of chocolate you can think of including rare ones like ruby chocolate or couverture chocolate.


Some other interesting things that I saw, not pictured, included floral-infused salts, black cherry brie potato chips, ube potato spread, herbal sparkling water from France, basil hawthorn berry tea, camel milk yogurt, and so much more! I only needed a few things and am trying hard not to overbuy, so just looked for the most part. But I can never resist picking up at least a few intriguing things to try!

Here's my Small Haul.


As in the past, I will do a review once I've tried one of everything. The two little orange fruits are "mandarinquats." I expect them to be like a larger and slightly sweeter kumquat. I was SUPER intrigued by the two shelf-stable milks in banana cream and cookie flavors...they are whole milk so I'm gonna have to take Lactaid with them, but could not pass them up. Those little tuna tins are relatively low in fat and sodium, I wonder if they can still manage to taste good? As usual, can't wait to try everything!

Back at the hotel, put everything away and had a nice hot shower and tried a new face wash (it seems fine?) A very light dinner and lots of hydrating, starting on the 3rd season of Vox Machina, chatting with Jameson and my sisters via text. This was a very nice Golden Day :)

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TUESDAY

Woke up "late" for me, 8:30. Breakfast and kind of wondering what to do with myself...the whole day was free until the evening show. As it turned out, it was rainy wet and cold for the entire day so my motivation to do anything at all went directly down the toilet.

Ate lunch, read my book, watched anime, had a nap, and the only productive thing I did all day was to work on building a powerpoint presentation for future masterclasses that I might do. This is one instance where I will allow AI to interfere, because formatting the slides myself is both tedious and doesn't look good. I only got through the introductory slides and the first portion of the "gig info" slides, but did learn how to effectively insert pictures and video. From here on most of the slides should be fairly copy-paste as far as layout.

Dinner, and I tried eating a saffron gummy for mood/anxiety about 2 hours before showtime. The dosage is 2 gummies but I'm paranoid about medications that could impact my work, so I'm doing half for a week and then adding the other half next week. The reason for this, by the way, is that I am a tense and anxious person. Up until now I've handled it with square breathing and Saint John's Wort, but was recently informed by my birth control provider that I need to stop taking that as it interferes with the birth control. I'm trying to find a substitute, so it's saffron first and if that doesn't work I'll try L-theanine.

Anyway, I walked to the theater a bit early to put my horns together and warm up. As band buddies filtered in we asked each other about our days off; some people had gone to see local bands perform, or had gone out of town with loved ones in the area, or eaten at nice places. I had a new sticker to add to my case as well: it's 1930s Mickey Mouse (who is public domain) riding an alligator, holding a six-shooter and smoking.


I didn't share this on my socials because while Mickey HAS had guns (Minnie too for that matter), he's never smoked. Maybe we can pretend he picked up the habit from Walt? There's a corresponding Minnie Mouse sticker where she's riding a flamingo, has a python around her neck like a scarf, and is equally six-shooting and smoking. As a Florida Person I thought it was funny and cute. 

The show was nice, there seemed to be some high school-aged school groups here and they were energetic, cheering for just about everything and REALLY cheering during bows :) And at intermission lots of young little kids and their parents came to the pit edge. I answered lots of the usual questions ("How many people are down there?" "How do you GET down there?" "What's this net for?" "Why are the drums in a box?") and when the questions ran out I made slidey noises and race car noises for the kids. There was lots of giggling over it! Gotta teach 'em young why the trombone is THE COOLEST :p 

On the walk back to the hotel I saw two interesting things.
The first was a Waymo sitting at the light across from me. Apparently they are edging into Houston now too. But they've got drivers here. 


The other was a juvenile raccoon (at least I assume because it didn't look full grown) sitting directly in the middle of the sidewalk. It got up as I approached but didn't run away, just moved to the side. I spoke gentle words as I passed, and weirdly, it moved as though it wanted to follow me then. But I kept walking and saw it hesitate, then turn and trot into the bushes. Perhaps someone has fed it or been kind to it...which is nice in the moment but ultimately puts these animals in danger. 

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Wednesday: One evening show and a trip to the fine art museum!

Thursday: One evening show. Possibly a Foodie Find? Haven't decided yet. 

**Disclaimer** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.

This post covers Wednesday and Thursday.

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WEDNESDAY

I was up way too early. There is a lot of traffic noise here and I think that kept waking me up. Earplug time!

Back to hotel breakfast to steal more peanut butter, then eating my own breakfast and working on Foodie Finds and checking on Jameson. It seems like people are catching up on their journaling/blogging after the holidays, and I'm appreciating reading about everyone's doings, as nosy as that might sound. We often get bored with our own lives, but our day-to-day can be quite novel to someone else!

After a while I decided to go for a walk, to check out Sam Houston Park at the least and perhaps parts of the Buffalo Bayou trail if I ended up feeling motivated. A collection of several murals on a building near our hotel.


In addition to the lovely art, please notice how there are no people in this photo.

As I walked, I was reminded of what a...how to put it..."business-oriented" city Houston is. Frankly, if you are out on a weekday and are not dressed either for a power lunch or as a homeless person, you will stick out like a sore thumb. As a woman wandering around a big city on her own, I do not want to draw attention. If anyone does happen to notice me, I want to look like I live here and/or know where I'm going so that I won't be heckled, stalked, or harassed. Here in Houston it is weirdly difficult to accomplish that. Simply by dressing casually--neither as a "power lunch yuppie" nor "feral homeless woman"--I stand out terribly. I can FEEL it. I walked today for an entire mile and saw NO ONE dressed like me (nondescript t-shirt and cotton pants.) Having been to many cities across America and to Houston many times as well, I am kicking myself for not packing a Houston Disguise Outfit!

Anyway, what this boils down to is that I felt supremely uncomfortable stopping to take pictures of stuff or loitering to look at things because even WITHOUT doing those things I was already giving "tourist" to anyone looking. So I will just tell you what I saw.

Lots of big, clean, impressive skyscrapers. But also lots of very empty streets. During the nine-to-five, Houston is not a bustling city whatsoever. I suppose everyone was in their offices at work. The few people that I did see around were men and women of varying ages in suits or polos or prissy little secretary outfits, hair done nicely and fully make-upped, wearing important-looking name tags or lanyard badges and moving quickly between buildings in groups of between 2 and 5 people.

I took note of the light rail, which has a station right next to our hotel and which I'll be using on our Golden Day to go sightseeing. There is a rectangular pool actually on top of the light rail tracks on Main Street. I have seen it many times before, but have never seen the fountains in action. Today was my lucky day. I wanted to take video but did not want to draw the attention of those who prey on tourists, so here instead is someone else's video of what I saw:



As I got outside the downtown and entered Sam Houston Park, I was not at all surprised to find it heavily populated with homeless folks. No one bothered me and I didn't bother anyone, but there was someone on every bench and under every tree, along every walkway, and so once again I didn't want to linger or gawk or take pictures. The park was pretty and had a lot of historic buildings. There was a preserved cabin from 1823, a cast iron fountain green with age, and a sort of art installation featuring statues of coyotes in a variety of poses.

(photo courtesy Houston Arts Foundation)

I didn't stay long and didn't go onward to Buffalo Bayou either. Don't worry, there will certainly be more sightseeing :)

On the way out of the park I did take this photo. Houston, y'all.


Back at the hotel, lunch and some anime and researching what kinds of fun things I'd like to do here. I've been to the Museum of Natural Science many times (because it's awesome, you should absolutely go if you're in Houston) but have never been to the Fine Art Museum, so right now that's the plan along with at least two Foodie Finds. Possibly also a trip to the Downtown Aquarium since it is so close. Then I got into a back-and-forth email convo with some folks at O'Malley Brass Instruments to work out details for the trombone I want to buy. We've mostly got it figured out, but I'll have to get a banker's check at some point...physical paper money, EUUGH.

Dinner and then a 1/2 mile walk to the theater for the evening show.
Turns out, it was our 200th show!! There were some pretty cookies for us to celebrate!



Additionally, Melissa (the Chip Kids' chaperone) had made cookies over the holidays and had thoughtfully frozen some so that those of us who were laid off could enjoy them when we got back. How awesome! There were two kinds, butterscotch and some sort of white chocolate cluster thing. Both delicious :)

We found out that during the Dallas run, our show had the second-highest-grossing 3-week run ever in that theater's history, just behind Hamilton. Wow! And here in Houston, we are sold out or nearly sold out for the entire two weeks! That is amazing!! I am very proud to be a part of a show that people REALLY want to see!!

The show went all right, I did not play as well as I wanted but Tim (trumpet) complemented some of my pedals so I will see the silver lining there, haha.

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THURSDAY

I had trouble sleeping, mostly because I ended up with a lot of things to do on Thursday and kept thinking about them every time I woke up :p

First after breakfast I walked to my bank to take care of getting that banker's check for my O'Malley trombone. I found a UPS just a few blocks away and mailed it out from there. It makes me cringe to part with such a very big chunk of cash--essentially it's 3/4 of the money I just got from selling my car--but that was kind of the whole point. Theoretically I'll end up with an instrument that's well worth it.

Next was my dermatology appointment for the recent breakouts and itchy irritation I've been having on my face and stomach. I've gotten progressively more "hive-y" as I've gotten older, and as you can imagine traveling to all different environments (hot, cold, dry, humid, pollen, pollution) and staying in different hotels (different sheet fabrics, detergents, shampoos/soaps, cleanliness levels, etc) could potentially all be causing it. PLUS I'm approaching 42 and could be going perimenopausal. Whatever the cause, I've never been to a dermatologist before and thought it might be worth doing while I can afford it.

She listened attentively to all of my factors and symptoms, inspected my skin carefully, took pics, and looked at pics I'd taken a week or two ago when my face was more of a mess. Based on all of this she diagnosed seborrheic dermatitis + acne, and prescribed a topical antifungal and 2 types of pills plus a skin care routine that will involve a bunch of washes and moisturizers that I'm rather overwhelmed by at the moment. Some of the products I already have, but I'll have to pick up the prescription topical, a glycolic wash, and a niacinimide cream. Whatever ANY of that means. Ugh. Perhaps it's time to pop into the ladies ensemble dressing room and ask for tips. Actors are well-versed in this stuff, after all.

What they gave me:


Back at the hotel I felt tired but typed up this post and updated Jameson on my doings, and researched each product I'd been prescribed to find out what it does and how to apply it (and the price of course.) Tbh I'm unlikely to do the oral medications...it seems so over-the-top to be ingesting pills for mild acne and/or mildly irritated skin.

Anyway, soon enough it was time for dinner and then the evening show. Nothing to report except I forgot to mention we've got a "vacation sub" in on keys while Michael (key 3) is out on a planned leave. Tonight was the sub's first night and he did a great job! I am still not playing how I want to, but that is a personal problem, it is unlikely that the audience notices. 

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Friday: Trip to CVS for my prescription and misc cosmetics. One evening show. Nothing else planned.

Saturday and Sunday: Two shows each day, unlikely to do much. Monday will be a Golden Day so I look forward to exploring then!

FRIDAY

Had a stressful, tense sleep for no discernible reason. Perhaps I was subconsciously worried about Jameson and his swollen knee (he says it doesn't hurt at all but is uncomfortable and stiff.)

I was up later than usual but must have needed the sleep. Jameson had said he'd get up at 8:30am, but I knew this was of his own volition and not due to any deadlines, so when his alarm did not go off I let him sleep. He woke up naturally at 9:30 and was not upset.

I worked on Oklahoma Foodie Finds and also gave Houston Foodie Finds to the group chat, as that's our next stop on Monday. As always I looked at my own research and picked out 1-2 places I'd like to try, and figured out my grocery store logistics for arrival day. Jameson was doing laundry and also working on Disney stuff in his studio. When the washer sang it's little "laundry's done" song I transferred his stuff to the dryer for him, then folded it when it was done. He doesn't need to be hobbling all over with a bum knee, crouching to gather laundry and standing for a long time to fold it.

After lunch I asked if he'd like me to do a grocery run for us using his car, rather than him coming along and having to limp down every aisle. He agreed and gave me his short shopping list. I had a short list also, and Jameson's dad will be visiting for a few days while I'm gone so I picked up plain coffee for him (mine is all flavored at the moment.) Back home I put everything away and practiced bass for 40 minutes or so.

A belated Christmas present arrived for me today from Jameson: this tissue box shaped like a loaf of bread, and coin purse shaped like a croissant!!


Video of both:


These are from Fairy and You on Etsy (they also have a YouTube and IG) and are not surprisingly made in Japan. I have been following this seller for a LONG time, long before they were selling in the US (you may recall my "buttered toast" phone case, that was from them!) The hyper-realistic faux food is called "shokuhin sampuru" in Japan, and it's something the country has been known for since at least the 1920s. Originally inspired by the need to show what's on menus without having to rely on written language, sampuru models have evolved and branched out into many other markets. You can find Japanese-style sampuru keychains, jewelry, phone cases, hair accessories, purses, pillows, bags...and even tissue boxes, shaped like all kinds of food! In fact, they've become a popular souvenir of Japan to take home!

He knows me so well you guys!
(He's also gotten me a baguette pillow, tortilla blanket, and croissant wrist cushion over the years, lol)

The rest of our day was rather slow which was fine with both of us. Jameson worked on his music, I must have done useful but mundane/forgettable things 'cause I forget what I did :p

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SATURDAY

I was up early to run errands. Before going to bed last night I'd awkwardly asked Jameson if I may borrow his car to pick up my dry cleaning and to mail my vehicle plates (both things are in the same plaza.) He of course said yes, but...it is so strange to have to ask to borrow his car. If he'd said no I simply would have rideshared, but I feel like he might feel awkward about saying no, too. I guess we'll BOTH have to get used to this. But ultimately, if he gets full time at Disney, it will be a non-issue because he'll be at work when I need transportation.

Anyway, breakfast and working on OKC Foodie Finds before stealing Jameson's car and doing my errands. Back home, small amount of packing, mostly divvying up our Christmas candy so Jameson doesn't get stuck with it all (he doesn't resist temptation like me and WILL eat it all!) and then a 40-minute bass trombone practice session. During lunch we watched Weapons, which Jameson has seen before but I had not. As far as horror movies go it's pretty good, though there was a seeming fixation on *shudder* needles and small pointy objects as weapons. Otherwise a surprisingly good plot and acting, and really good camera work too.

After that I shredded the leftover air fryer wings 'cause they're going to be the protein in our quiche. I had wanted to go for a walk but it was overcast and threatening rain so I passed on it. Dinner was easy, it was just premade pie crust crammed into muffin tins, filled with a custard of milk, cream, eggs, onion, garlic, the shredded chicken, herbs and spices, and cheddar cheese. Broccoli on the side. I forgot to take a picture but they looked, ya know, normal.

I haven't mentioned this because it's cosmetic but here goes: I've had REALLY bad acne ever since San Antonio (more than a month ago.) Like, I haven't broken out this much since I was a teenager. Especially on my chin, I have these big giant painful zits that never come to a head. Spot-targeting patches have not helped, in fact they seem to make it worse. I feel lumpy like a toad and it's making me very self conscious. I haven't changed anything about my face washes or lotions. I've decided to see a dermatologist if possible (booking appointments is always difficult with my traveling lifestyle.)

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SUNDAY

Up around 8, breakfast and trying to finish OKC Foodie Finds (I got everything done except the coffee shops and can finish that tonight.) Before Jameson got up I managed to pack my suitcase and weigh it, 46 pounds, perfect. In exchange for packing half of the Christmas treats I was given + more winterwear, I'm leaving my blazer and boots at home and will pick them up on the March layoff. Checked in for my flight and paid for THREE bags, ugh. I hope I never have to do that again (I will totally have to do that again.)

Afternoon was also very uneventful. I practiced bass for 30 minutes and packed both trombones for travel, activating the air tags for each (Jameson has given me a second tag.) Vacuumed and dusted the guest bedroom. Charged my iPad. Scheduled an Uber for tomorrow morning. After lunch I went for a walk, did a load of laundry, descaled the Keurig, helped Jameson take down the Christmas lights, and threw away some dead succulents from our planter. Enthralling stuff, I know.

We had a quiet evening, watching a recent live Genesis concert filmed in Rome while Jameson assembled a LEGO Game Boy and I read my book. After that we watched Sinners while I assembled my LEGO orchid.

At the start of the movie: 


Near the end:


I put it on top of the piano.
Sinners was a surprisingly good horror movie that somehow seems to be written FOR musicians. I've never said this about a horror movie before: I liked it a lot and would watch it again. In fact I'm likely to watch more Ryan Coogler films because if they're anything like this one they'll be well worthwhile.

Tomorrow it’s back to the grind for both of us…or rather for me it’s off on adventures, and for him it's the ongoing quest to become full time at Disney.

Time to start 2026.

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Monday: Flying to Houston. I'll get there very early and may not be able to check in right away but we'll see. The usual routine of groceries, unpacking, and settling in.

Tuesday: Opening day in Houston. No plans except to get into my trunk and retrieve all the stuff I shoved in there before the holiday break.

Reflecting on things that happened this year, good and bad.

JANUARY

★  I bought a bass trombone to start practicing for Beauty and the Beast. It was damaged in shipping, and a friend graciously offered to repair it over Christmas.

★  Jameson had carpal tunnel surgery, which was largely successful and beneficial.


★  Mice took up residence in my car while I was away on tour, causing $8000 worth of damage, most of which was covered by insurance.

★  I auditioned for an Epic Universe band. I had no idea what I was in for.

★  Had a few rehearsal days with Main Street Philharmonic, always a lot of fun :)


★  Got the job at Epic Universe, and plunged into five straight weeks of intense, all-day rehearsals for Place Cachee Jazz.


★  A relevant Friday Five that I did halfway through January (CLICK HERE to read.)

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FEBRUARY

★  Jameson took me to Be Our Guest restaurant (I'd never been.) It was amazing, and extra emotional knowing I'd be joining that show soon!


★  Turned 41. Took this photo illegally INSIDE Epic Universe months before it was open to the public :p


★  Got to try/preview butterbeer crepes, visit the Dark Universe and Super Nintendo World, audit other musicians performing at the Burning Blades Tavern, and other treats and previews of Epic Universe well before it opened!



★  Had my photo taken from a helicopter. That's a first!


★  Performed several times with Main Street Phil. Wow, I was blessed to be rehearsing/performing at Universal/Disney at the same time!


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MARCH

★  More Epic rehearsals, higher levels of tension as park opening drew near. We were audited quite a lot by WB execs and the creative team when they were around. Mariah and I at the countdown clock:


★  More time at Main Street Phil as well.


★  For the first time ever I was offered the chance to do an international tour. It would have been with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I had to turn it down because the dates were the same as Beauty and the Beast's, and I wasn't about to give that up!!

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APRIL

★  Jameson and I got to spend a whole day previewing Epic Universe before it opened to the public!!
(CLICK HERE to see pics and read about the full day)


★  Jameson started having more interviews for Disney corporate around this time. I remember feeling anxious for him, and worried that any more rejections would be the straw that would break his back.

★  For the first time someone took photos of one of our Place Cachee Jazz sets! We got the first full recording of our set this month as well.


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MAY

★  Got to see Jameson perform at EPCOT with The Hooligans during the Flower & Garden Festival.


★  Epic performances are in full swing, I am there 2-3 days per week performing.

★  I have discovered the joys of the Snack Pod (actually a large-scale pill container that I used for snacks!)


★  We got new sinks installed in both bathrooms.


★  The casting list for Beauty and the Beast finally went up, so I could finally share my involvement!! Exciting!!


★  And just a few days later...Jameson was offered a job with Disney Event Group!!!
We officially became a Disney Power Couple, a House of Mouse if you will :p


★  We had the Most Fantastic Day At Disney Ever to celebrate our career success, including an incredible 50% off dinner at The Brown Derby, riding Rise of the Resistance with only a 10 minute wait, getting to see Muppet Vision 3D one more time before it closed forever, and more
(CLICK HERE to see pics and read about the whole day)


★  Epic Universe finally, officially opened to the public.


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JUNE

★  A fun and busy month where I worked at Epic as Phillipa, Jameson got the hang of his new job, and we used our Disney Dining Discount coupons at Flying Fish which was an incredible experience.


★  Jameson was sent to one of the Disney cruise ships in the Bahamas to help produce/rehearse a band for the Rapunzel show.


★  I had my last performance dates at Epic Universe. Bittersweet...I'd still show up as a sub, but never again as a regular member.

★  On Wednesday June 11, I traveled to Schenectady to begin tech rehearsals with Beauty and the Beast!!


★  This is the first UNION tour I've ever been on. First one with a logo truck, too.


★  During tech I ended up buying a new bass trombone after recognizing the one I'd blind-bought was not a good fit for me. This whole period was scary as I wasn't sure I was good enough for this tour on bass to begin with, and was still working SO hard to get it under my belt, practicing every day in addition to daily rehearsals. But it all worked out in the end :)


★  First band outing with my new coworkers.


★  And first preview performances with an audience. I could not believe I was here, and getting to perform this show.


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JULY

★  We finished Beauty and the Beast tech rehearsals, and then I had a really weird layoff in the Chicago suburbs so that I could visit O'Malley trombones...


★  ...and attend the show's opening night performance and party!


★  Was able to go home to Pennsylvania for a short visit with my sisters, their husbands and children, and other family.


★  My Aunt came to visit, and we went to EPCOT! It was very hot but we had a lovely time.


★  Our AC broke to the tune of $12,000 right after my Aunt left! Jameson had to foot the bill for that one :/

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AUGUST

★  Touched a $1300 shoe.


★  Tried grilled lamb heart at Vinai in Minneapolis. It was excellent!


★  Signed my first Beauty and the Beast wall tag.


★ Had a corn-flavored cocktail (it was REALLY good)


★ Jameson had a wisdom tooth extraction (very quick and successful!)

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SEPTEMBER

★ I got sick (first of two times uuugh) while the tour was in Durham.

★  Seaweed bagel!


★  Gingersnap burnt honeycomb ice cream!


★  My Aunt visited while we were in Durham, and she took me for an amazing lunch and showed me some of the local sights!
(CLICK HERE for pics and full post)

★  Banana pudding sweetcorn ice cream in North Charleston!


★  Presented a masterclass to a local trombone studio near Greensboro!


★  Rode a vintage elevator:


★  I felt intense gratitude. (CLICK HERE for full post.)

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OCTOBER

★  Jameson went to Hawaii for the first time, for a wedding! And got to eat lots of wonderful things, and got a commemorative tattoo!


★  My sister Raven came to visit, and we went to Animal Kingdom! It was rainy but fun! (CLICK HERE for pics and full post)

★  Got pulled over for speeding in Appleton, WI, but was let go with a warning.

★  I got sick AGAIN, wtf! Some sort of chest/bacterial thing. Awful!

★  The best pork schnitzel and spaetzle I've ever had (Appleton, WI)


★  Got OBSESSED with the new season of Hazbin Hotel and specifically the character Alastor, who is very INTJ-coded.

★  Was The Grey Stuff for Halloween :D


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NOVEMBER

★  Fantastic hot chicken in Nashville!


★  Also, these incredible Creole-Asian-fusion rice cakes!


★  Jameson turned 44! And hated it.


★  Met Susan Egan in person and chatted with her!

★  Re-upped my theme park castmembership with a 42-hour Round-Trip Rehearsal Extravaganza! (CLICK HERE for pics and full post)

★  We received our schedule for the 2026-2027 season!! Look forward to it!!

★  We were treated to an incredible Thanksgiving steak dinner in San Antonio! Open bar woooooot


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DECEMBER

★  Jameson performed with Good Charlotte!


★  I rode in a self-driving car!

(stock image courtesy Axios)

★  I participated in bus choreography :p


★  Visited with my Aunt in Austin, where we saw the sights and ate good food together.


★  Went to the new Beak & Barrel and nearly got ship-wrecked.


★  Performed at Candlelight four times, once on bass trombone (a first!)


★  On December 31st, the last day of this year, I sold my car. This is the first time I've been without a car since I was 15 years old.

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Closing Thoughts

It's been an AMAZING year, and largely positive for both of us compared to other years. We know that things change over time, there will be ups and downs, and I think Jameson and I are both in awe of and appreciative of how 2025 has gone for us. This year will live in our memories as the year our lives changed for the better career-wise. 2026 looks good on paper, but a lot can happen in this crazy world. For now we can only appreciate what we have....the amazing moments, and close calls, and frustrations, and joys, that have come and gone...and those that have yet to be.

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Honorable Mention: Critters Of The Year

★  This year I met a glass lizard, a huge orb weaver, a praying mantis, and a gorgeous red-shouldered hawk who looked at me like it knew me.

Jameson had to be up at 7:30 for a morning rehearsal, so I was up too. I worked on OKC Foodie Finds, had breakfast, and packed a dinner for Candlelight tonight. Someone had crammed a bunch of their trash into our trash can (which blows my mind as ours was already overflowing-full and there were plenty of empty cans around) so I had to be an equal a$$hole and take their trash out, moving it to one of the empty ones. I hate to do that but don't want to be stuck with trash due to someone else's Christmas selfishness (the trash collectors sometimes won't take bins that are overflowing.)

I saw via website that the DMV now has my title, so I called two dealerships to express interest in selling my car and got a digital offer from CARMAX which I want to bring to their location along with the car and see if they'll honor it. The digital offer is $8000, but I have a feeling that will drop immediately upon seeing the car.

Next was scrubbing the shower, my least favorite chore, followed by some practice on bass trombone, then lunch. After lunch a quick jaunt to the car wash to have the car look as nice as possible and to get all of my belongings out. By the time I got home Jameson was back and eating lunch. We would ride the Brightline train to Fort Lauderdale tomorrow. It's 3 hours down and 3 back for a total of 6 hours, and we'd just discovered that our seats are facing backwards both ways. I was dismayed enough that Jameson kindly called their hotline to try and have our seats changed, but since we got cheap-o ones we can't change them. I'm trying to be optimistic and cheerful, but tbh six hours facing backwards in motion sounds like it's not going to go well for me (or him, he gets motion sick easily too. I'm actually a little surprised that he didn't check this detail.) With this in mind I packed us ginger candies, motion sickness bracelets, snacks, and dramamine for tomorrow.

A few hours later Jameson went for his massage and I got ready for Candlelight. Went over and warmed up, and the usual three shows without a hitch. My Main Street Phil friends Chris (bass trombone) and Will (tuba) were there, so we got to catch up and that was really nice :) The narrator was Luke Smallbone of the contemporary Christian band For King & Country. This is his first year doing Candlelight, and I thought he did a good job. It might have been his last night as well, because afterward he stood by the stage door and shook all of our hands as we left. Seems like a nice guy!

When I got back home Jameson and I packed a little bag of snacks for our Brightline trip tomorrow. We are going to see our friend Lea perform the lead in Frozen. It's gonna be a long and fun day!

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SATURDAY

Up way too early, but I like to try and have coffee in my body and through me well before travel :) We drove to the airport...but for the train!

The BrightLine station is located in Terminal C, which is where international flights come in. The station is soooo new, they opened it a few years ago but only so the thing could be earning money for them, meaning lots of stuff is still under construction. Thing Number One, the parking garage, which was CLOSED :( We had to park way out in the overflow lot and take a shuttle back to the terminal.

At the terminal there was a very long line at security. Jameson has ridden the train before and said he hasn't seen it like this, and others in line were commenting the same. Must be the holidays. Most people had small carry-ons and looked like they might be catching cruise ships.


We were only minutes from boarding and the train leaves RIGHT on time, so we were worried we might miss it, but luckily the line moved fast. Still, we and everyone around us had to jog quick-like-a-bunny to make it!


As mentioned earlier, Jameson had booked us economy seats that were facing backward. It was similar to plane seating but with more leg room, nicer windows, and nicer tray tables!


I was immediately taken up in the novelty of the experience and was looking all around, but as soon as the first little jolt told us we were moving I knew I'd have to be cautious to avoid motion sickness for this long ride. So I tried looking around for a while, but within 15 minutes Jameson cursed quietly under his breath and said he felt motion sick already. He got up to walk around (which it's lovely that you can do on the train) and I tried turning sideways but it was uncomfortable, so instead I put the tray table down, closed my eyes and put my head down for a while (I saw some other passengers doing this as well.)

This turned out to be the right choice as it allowed my body to get used to the motion of the train without the interference of my eyes. When Jameson got back I got up to explore. Immediately, the vestibule gave me a wave of nostalgia for my time spent living on the circus train. Such a bittersweet feeling, of a home and a lifestyle that no longer exists. (CLICK HERE for a short Brightline vestibule video.)

(also, isn't it ironic that both Jameson and I lived on a moving train for 5-6 years, and yet we still get motion sick!! But you can't help your genetics I suppose. I had to be careful about reading and such on the circus train, too.)

Next I checked out the bathrooms, which Jameson had told me were nice. They are! They're big and clean and touch-free! For context, our toilets on the circus train were capsule-sized (I am an average-petite woman and MY elbows could touch both walls), stinky, gross, and had a janky foot pedal to flush the toilets that you had to mash multiple times to get results.

Brightline toilets:


Circus toilet circa 2013. Photo taken from the hallway as there's absolutely no room to take one IN the stall. And yes that is a random bystander taking a picture of our train as I'm in the bathroom. Don't worry there's a shade you can pull down.


Walking around made me feel MUCH better, and afterward I was able to continue facing backward and look out the window without issue (still had to avoid looking at my phone though.)


Poor Jameson did feel better, but had to sit on the aisle so he could turn sideways. We ate the Biscoff I'd packed and a ginger candy each, and some other small snacks, and we made it just fine with no further issue. At the Fort Laud terminal we bought premade sandwiches and scarfed 'em down, then quick-walked to the theater. As we walked up to the front I realized that I recognized this one: The Broward Center, where I'd performed with Tootsie in 2022!

Lea's show was in a smaller adjacent theater, but still respectably large. We enjoyed finding her photo in the program and admiring the staging :)


The show was wonderful! Very well done, especially Olaf's puppetry and Lea's quick change during "Let It Go." Believe it or not, Disney Producer Jameson has never seen Frozen!!! I kinda wish he'd known the source material, but this also meant that I got to watch him be surprised by the two biggest plot twists (highlight white text for spoiler: A character who spends the whole movie being a good guy very suddenly becomes the villain; the "act of true love," which everyone expects to be a kiss from Anna's "prince," turns out to be an act of love between sisters/sisterly love.) Lea's singing and acting were fantastic, we were very proud for her! And the rest of the cast was exceptional too, the ensemble singing was very impressive and Anna was vocally incredible.

Afterward we met Lea in the lobby where she was taking photos with misc little girls wearing Elsa or Anna dresses :) We walked to a nearby taco place and ate while catching up and talking about nerdy musician, theater kid, and Disney stuff.


My chicken al pastor tacos were not exceptional, but they LOOKED pretty.


We got to spend a good hour with Lea, which is great because she's got a lot going on. She's recently started her own band and she and Jameson talked back and forth about promotional tactics and industry connections and rehearsal spots. I mostly listened but chimed in occasionally, and got Lea to myself for a bit while Jameson went to the bathroom so we got to catch up just-us as well. Too soon it was time for us to head back to the station. We hugged goodbye and congratulated Lea on her starring role and awesome performance.

While walking off his motion sickness, Jameson had apparently been annoyed enough about it to book us the PREMIUM tickets for the ride back! Therefore we got to wait in a bougie lounge with snacks and flavored water while we waited for the boarding call (we were too full from tacos to take advantage.) Our seating was QUITE different, with loads of legroom, a table...and of course, facing forward this time :P


Premium Brightline tickets come with snacks, complementary beverages, and a full meal! I enjoyed a hummus cup while Jameson had salami and cheese and a ginger-and-Jack. This time *I* was the one to feel motion sick because I kept looking at my phone, but I am very used to this happening--story of my whole travel-based life really!--and knew how to handle it. I can enjoy my phone/the view for about 45 minutes at a time, then have to take a break where I stare into space or put my head down for 15 minutes, then my body calms down and I get another 30-40 minutes of freedom from nausea. Wash rinse repeat. It's annoying, but at least I can still interact and have fun this way.

Dinner was holiday-themed with thick-cut turkey, butternut squash, a "holiday slaw," and a mini pecan pie for dessert. I wasn't hungry enough for this but Jameson enjoyed it. Instead I had an apple and ate his squash for him.


We reminisced about the circus on this ride, the motion of the train and how it reminded us of home. Chatted about our busy week ahead...all the stuff we normally talk about. I love how, even when we run out of things to say, we can sit in silence and be totally comfortable with each other. Jameson's the best :)

Soon enough we were back at the airport, riding a shuttle to the distant overflow lot and driving home. I was very happy to have ridden the Brightline and for experiencing both the economy and premium seating...I think both were excellent, and would be happy to ride either way again. Front-facing seats, of course!

We got home around 10 I think, and were too tired for anything but to clean up and get to bed. I was surprised with a package at the door from my brother Jonah. It was my Christmas present: A 1996 signed poster from the first national tour of Beauty and the Beast!!! Amazing!!! I will have to get it framed!

(now I feel like an even sh*ttier sister for sending him a gift card. boooooo)

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SUNDAY

Jameson was able to sleep in, but I was up at 7 because I wanted to hit Whole Paycheck and be home before lunch (It's an 80-minute drive round trip.) I needed a few very specific ingredients for the special The Office chili I was making, plus Whole Paycheck's cornbread mix is THE BEST so I wanted that too. The trip was successful and judging by the stop-and-go traffic that I saw on my way back, I'd beaten the Sunday morning theme park rush.

Back home Jameson had just finished breakfast and was leaving to do a Publix run. Meanwhile I broke down our cardboard boxes from Christmas, swept out the garage, and was going to practice trombone but our neighbor appeared with a huge plate of lemon bars for us! I accepted them with thanks but also unconcealed exasperation. This is the THIRD plate of sweet treats this neighbor has brought over, and it is too much. Half of these will end up in the trash along with all of the stale cookies that we couldn't eat. I hate wasting food. 

I practiced bass a little right before lunch, and after lunch helped Jameson fold his laundry before doing my own. Packed a few things in my suitcase but didn't go too crazy just yet. Got the chili going around 4pm so it could simmer on the stove for a full hour, and made the cornbread. It was a lovely recipe and very flavorful, even though it was 78°F (25.5°C) outside which is NOT chili weather! The rest of our evening was quiet.

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Monday: I'm visiting a car dealership and CARMAX to get an in-person estimate and to find out if I'll be able to sell my car before this layoff ends. Nothing else planned for the day so I hope to practice and make an ingredients list for New Years Day eats.

Tuesday: My final Candlelight performance in the evening. During the day I'll probably do some cleaning and practicing. A walk would be nice too. 

 I forgot that I don't need to do the disclaimer at the top right now lol.

Also, here are the Female Brass photos from the Candlelight concert a few days ago. We had at least one woman represented on each brass instrument, for possibly the first time in Candlelight's 65-year history (yay and also SIGH)

Left to right: Sarah (trumpet), Kathy (horn), Angela (horn), Me (trombone), Robin (tuba):



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MONDAY

I was up early ostensibly to get stuff done, but all I managed was breakfast and prepping for stuff I'm going to do later in the day.

Had the realization that between Candlelight and Epic, I will have played all three sizes of trombone in the past four days! The large tenor on 12/20, the bass last night, and the small tenor for Epic on Tuesday!


My friend Jacob, who attended Candlelight on the night of the 20th, sent me a big zip folder full of photos and videos...of the trombone section!! He zoomed in on us for much of the performance. Now I have some REALLY excellent media to add to my portfolio. What makes Jacob's footage so useful and vital is that I have very little media of myself playing in the classical style, and that's a big missing piece that this footage will now fill. THANK YOU SO MUCH JACOB!!!

I sorted through that footage after breakfast, then the rest of the day was spent on the following:

• Packing a lunch & dinner for Epic tomorrow
• Packing general stuff for Epic (sunscreen, makeup kit, water, etc)
• Shipping my sister a small present (for the Friends Only crowd, it's the shirt that my dad designed and that we found in a vintage store)
• Stopping by Five Below for last-minute stocking stuffers for Jameson
• Picking up groceries + ingredients for Christmas dinner
• Lunch w/Jameson
• Practicing Epic music and lines (1 hour)
• Receiving what seemed like a zillion packages, some presents from family and others equipment for Jameson
• Splicing and editing the excellent footage that Jacob got for me because I REALLY wanted to share it!

First, here is the best clip I could find of the whole concert including Brendan Fraser's narration. Since it's long, you can put it on in the background while you do something else and just enjoy listening :) Or watch it when you have time. It's such a huge privilege to be a part of this amazing production each year.

Watch on YouTube

After cutting down Jacob's footage of just-the-trombones to eliminate long pauses where we weren't playing, I had about 30 minutes of material (which you can see on my YouTube channel if you're THAT obsessed with trombones.) I shared that clip with the other trombonists who had played that night, then did another big edit, only preserving 3 minutes of footage for use in my own portfolio:

Watch on YouTube

The concert is about an hour long and it took me about that long to edit it, and even longer to get my 3-minute portfolio clip as I had to listen carefully for the best trombone audio. When Jameson was done working we had dinner and pretty much called it a night.

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TUESDAY

Slept terribly because A) I was very nervous about Epic, and B) I developed a tension headache from being so nervous about Epic. Got up at 2am to take a Motrin and was able to sleep after that, but only got 4 hours of sleep ahead of a long day. Sigh.

Normally I would've practiced my Epic stuff across multiple days ahead of performing, but this time I didn't because I prioritized getting the Candlelight bass music, which is new to me, under my belt. I just didn't feel totally secure in my memorized Epic music, which is a very uncomfortable feeling when you're going to be standing in front of large crowds all day. But that's showbiz, baby.

Anyway, coffee and breakfast and off I went. First I stopped at Whole Paycheck to get ingredients for Christmas dinner as this would be my best chance and fighting the least traffic. They had everything I needed for a fancy spread: beef tenderloin, tender asparagus, creme fraiche for the horseradish sauce. I also picked up caviar and blini for us for New Years. Caviar is Jameson's family's tradition, not mine...we didn't have access to nor could we afford caviar to my knowledge. But I'm sure that it's nostalgic for Jameson to ring in the new year with it, so I always try to get it :) 

Then to Epic, where I got through security without issue for once, settled into the break room, put my makeup on, got dressed in my costume, and played through my music before the rest of the band arrived. We all got caught up, I was very happy to see everyone and hear about how they've been doing since I was last in. This little jazz band, which premiered just this year after weeks of intense rehearsal, has become one of Epic's more reliable entertainment offerings, consistently getting good reviews from guests. I'm proud to have been a part of it, and grateful that they still let me pop in once every 60 days or so! 
My first show was a bit rough, not surprising as I hadn't given myself enough time to adjust to the small horn again. But it wasn't BAD, and I remembered all of my lines and choreo without issue. All of the other shows were up to snuff. No one gave me any notes. We had good crowds because the weather is cooler and people are willing to stand and listen to us play. And I got about 13,000 steps/400 calories burned from all the prancing around as Phillipa :p 

Also, the Wizarding World is decorated nicely for the holidays. There are lighted garlands on almost every building, the Metrofloo is lit up green, and there were snowflake decorations in some windows. I also heard that there are wreaths and trees in some of the shops. 

(photo courtesy WDWNT)

Overall a successful day, and I had no need to be nervous because the shows were just fine. 
It was a long drive home as traffic was horrific, per usual in Orlando in general and at this time of year especially. 
Tomorrow is CHRISTMAS EVE DAY!! I am not ready!!

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Wednesday: Hopefully a relaxing day. Both Jameson and I are free. We hope to go for a walk since the weather is nice right now. I'll do some small chores but otherwise hope to just rest. 

Thursday: Christmas Day!! Treats! Presents! Christmas movies! Fancy dinner! Time with my special person!

**Disclaimer** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.

This post covers the weekend.

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FRIDAY

It was a frustrating Friday for me. Up early with Jameson and felt ready to post about our lovely night at Disney and then make some cookies...but first facebook froze on my post while it was loading, then after the second time I typed it up I accidentally hit the AI assist button and it rewrote my whole thing with no apparent option to go back to the original...then I typed the whole thing out again and it finally posted...only for me to see that the one I'd thought was initially lost had posted too! GAH. This is how you know you're old and losing it.

Jameson left for rehearsal so I had breakfast and frantically typed up my blog...and had a similar experience where some bizarre html code was preventing me from changing the font from Normal to Bold unless I went in and manually removed the wonky html code. There were SIXTY-THREE instances of wrong code, but it was either find and delete all of those, or copy the whole thing into Notes to get the plain text and then re-insert all of the links and media one by one. It was hell no matter how you slice it.

Suffice to say, my whole morning was wasted because I was so insistent on doing my usual online oversharing. I'd meant to finish Houston Foodie Finds but it was 10am and I HAD to get started on the cookies. I made the Christmas Crack and I think it turned out all right. While that was setting in the fridge I rolled out the magic window cookie dough and made those.

And guess who accidentally bought SUGAR FREE CANDY for the window cookies!! ME!! I'm an idiot!! Had to run out and re-buy all of the candy, hurriedly crush it and get the cookies finally in the oven. And all the extra time it took to do that meant that I would not have time to practice the trombone before Jameson came home...and then I realized as well that I'd forgotten to bring my practice mute home, so couldn't even muffle myself for him.

At this point I was so flustered and disappointed and angry with myself that I was looking for anything at all to feel like I had accomplished something for the day besides ruining everything I touched. I remembered that I hadn't wiped the ceiling fan blades when I'd dusted, so grabbed the stepladder and did that. It only took about 3 minutes. When finished I folded the ladder and propped it against the back of the couch, as I've done many times before.

But when I came around the corner of the couch with the vacuum to clean up my mess, my sandal caught under the edge of the ladder that was sticking out...and the leg of the ladder went right through the back of the couch, leaving a big hole.

I screamed in anger and punched the top of the couch until my hand hurt. When I calmed down, I took a photo and sent it to Jameson, explaining what had happened. I said I'd pick up a patch kit and/or do whatever was needed to fix it. He wrote back to say that the couch is 20+ years old and is well past needing to be replaced, and why don't we go look at couches together after he was done at work? I was relieved that he wasn't angry, but also had another flash of rage at myself...now my whole evening was gone. Everything else I'd planned to do for the day would have to be pushed to tomorrow. But it's entirely my own fault. And clearly The Universe, having treated me so sweetly and generously for most of this year, has chosen this day to humble me and remind me that I'm just a tiny ant. My screaming and crying has as much impact on events as an ant's. Clearly, there was no point in trying to do anything else today since literally everything I'd done since waking up this morning had been a disaster.

So, ok. When Jameson got home from work we drove to a furniture store 30 minutes away. Put our butts in a bunch of couches and loveseats, and found one that we agreed was comfortable and perfect for us. For US. It means a lot to me to be included on these major purchase choices (never mind that this major purchase was my fault, sigh) We aren't married, it's Jameson's house, and I'm barely home because of touring. But we've been together for 11 years. I love him. I want to be a part of his life, and contribute to US as a couple and as a team. So when he includes me in these choices, and wants to get my opinion, and will split the cost of the thing with me, it does make me feel happy, and like he understands and appreciates MY need, to be a team, with him.

The couch can't be delivered for like a month, but Jameson's going to get a friend to help him move the old one out. We picked up dinner at our favorite Greek place on the way back, and watched the first episode of the new season of Fallout together. And I typed up this post to get this all off my chest, hoping that tomorrow will be a significantly better day.

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SATURDAY

TL;DR: It was thankfully just a normal day and not a repeat of Friday. Good god. What kind of karmic spiral was THAT.

I was up early, determined to finish my cookies, and I did. It took until noon, but it was finally done.
Here they all are: Christmas Crack up top in the bag, then in the box there were Apple Butter Snickerdoodles, Stained Glass Cookies, and Peanut Butter Blossoms (kisses intentionally smooshed to make them easier to store.)


And literally just as I had packaged them in tins for the neighbors, our doorbell rang...our neighbor, bringing us cookies!!
You see? The timing was meant to be! We exchanged and then walked together over to our other neighbor's house, but they seem to be out of town and will be back tomorrow. No worries.

The rest of the day I spent being nervous about Candlelight. Packed myself dinner and some snacks, and practiced the bass (I don't need the bass until tomorrow but have never played Candlelight on it and wanted to check it out.) While I did that Jameson started assembling a new desk in his office. It's specifically for keyboardists/music programming, so it's very large and shaped to fit a keyboard plus a whole bunch of gear. It looks really great! The living room is aclutter with the old desk and much of Jameson's stuff while he works, but that's ok, we ate lunch around his guitars lol.

At 3:30 I drove to EPCOT, clocked in. Brought my Christmas Crack (the recipe made A LOT) and set it on the table backstage along with many snacks from other members. Had a little time to chat with the other trombones and some trumpet buddies before it was time to line up and go perform!

Tonight's narrator was Brendan Fraser, who is very popular, so there was a huge crowd and it was standing room only in the back. I was working so obviously could not take pics or record, but will post when something becomes available.

Jeff Thomas is the principal trombone for Candlelight, and he's also principal trombone for the Orlando Philharmonic. Playing as the only trombone in a Broadway pit is very different than forming chords with an orchestral trombone section, so I have to change how I play for Candlelight :) I listen very carefully to Jeff's articulations, note lengths, dynamics, and style, and try to match that as best I can. Apparently I did a good job because he was very pleased, and our local AFM president (who plays trumpet and was sitting directly in front of me for all three performances tonight) exclaimed many times over how well Jeff and I locked in together. This made me feel really good about my performance tonight :) :)

Brendan did a great job as narrator. He didn't expound on his own career or showboat (which some other narrators will do), he had excellent pacing, and told the Nativity Story in a contemplative, emotional way that had some audience members tearing up. The audience roared for him when he took his bows. All three shows were really excellent.

After the last show, we took a low brass photo in front of the Christmas tree on stage. From left to right: Harry (bass trombone), Me, Jeff, and Robin (Tuba).


We also realized that we had an unusual number of WOMEN in the brass tonight with both Robin and I there, so we took a ladies-only photo too (I don't know everyone's names yet so will redact lol):


Tomorrow, Sarah is supposed to be filling in on trumpet, meaning we'll have one woman in EVERY brass section!! So we are DEFINITELY taking another photo tomorrow!!!

And on the way out, my friend Jacob came to say hello! We only had a brief moment, but it was so cool that he attended our show and that we got to see each other. Quick selfie (he's all the way on the left and I'm all the way on the right and everyone else is photobombing lol)


One last thing: my Christmas Crack is GONE! Those musicians DEVOURED it and were begging for the recipe (it's literally sugar, butter, chocolate, and saltines haha.) I'm secretly glad it's gone, we have more cookies than any other year prior and it's been too much for just two people! In fact when I got home my stepmom had sent a box with cookies and candy! Sheesh!

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SUNDAY

I was up at 8:30 which is late for me, but I could have slept longer. But I have so much to do all the damn time on this layoff. It feels like there hasn't been a minute to stop.

Breakfast, typing up this post, working on Houston Foodie Finds and finally effing finishing it, oh my god it should have been done a week ago. Wrapping one of the last of Jameson's presents that showed up yesterday. Practiced bass, playing through the Candlelight stuff twice because I'm a bit nervous. The new tenor trombone case that I ordered (because a latch broke on my other one) showed up, and I spent some time transferring the stickers over to it. And I'd meant to finish finding stocking stuffers for Jameson, but just wanted an hour to lie still. So I did.

When it was Candlelight time I grabbed my packed dinner and drove over. The first show was a bit wonky for me as it took my ears some time to adjust...I don't know how to describe this for non-musicians, but when you switch instruments even if you're playing the same music there is an adjustment. Some people can adjust instantly, but switching is still rather new to me. I've played tenor for almost 30 years, and have been doubling/switching back and forth between bass and tenor for less than a year. And so adjusting for the way the bass sounds and feels, and what to listen for in the context of playing a different part with these musicians, takes me longer than it might take other more skilled/experienced musicians.

Anyway, during the second show I was able to lock in better, and by the third show I really had it down...but then we were done! LOL. Everyone seemed pleased with how I'd done, and that's all that matters. I've successfully played bass for Candlelight. Yay!

We also took our Female Brass Section photo because Sarah was here, but no one has shared it just yet. Just think...in the 65-year history of Candlelight, there has probably never been one female brass musician in EVERY section on the same night, until now. After the picture as we were walking back, we discussed this, and how it felt both good to be making progress as a sex, and also how embarrassing it is that 2025 is the first time this has happened.

Additionally, if (and ONLY if) I were to be called to sub on Christmas Eve or Day, we'd have TWO women on trumpet, two on French horn, myself on trombone, and Robin on tuba, for a majority-female brass section, which DEFINITELY has not happened in the history of Candlelight. Truth be told I'd rather not be called on the holiday...but if it happens at least it'll be HISTORIC!

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Monday: An actual free day, but I have a lot to do. Last minute Christmas errands, prepping for Epic Universe, laundry and house chores mostly.

Tuesday: Full day at Epic Universe. We will see how much has changed.  

In other news, I made the last payment on my car a few days ago. Once the bank has sent me the title, I would like to sell it. Because I'm not around to drive it, it sits in our driveway, incurs damage and deteriorates (case in point, $8000 damage from rodents this year) and at this point it's become a money suck. It's also not fair to ask Jameson to continue babysitting it in 2026 on top of everything going on in his own life. I'd rather sell it and figure something out for my short layoffs (long term lease maybe?) and buy a car when the need arises in the future. 

I grew up in a very rural town in Central Pennsylvania. A place where you still NEED to have a car (or at least a horse) because there is no public transportation. I have not been without a car since I got my permit at the age of 15. And so it is VERY weird to talk about not owning a car. It makes me anxious and will take some getting used to. But I have to trust that it'll be ok. Lots of people do it and I can, too. 

Jameson had to work at Disney again but it wasn't an overnight, he was home by 10 and went straight to bed. While I waited for him I ate Christmas cookies and planned my day for tomorrow. 

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Wednesday: Jameson will be at Disney all day. I will hit Macy's for warm black clothes and pick up stocking stuffers and dinner ingredients while I'm out. Will probably practice a bit and work on more To-Dos. Dinner will be spaghetti and meatballs with salad and garlic bread. 

Thursday: Someone is coming to clean our dryer vent, after they leave I'll practice and more To-Dos, maybe even make some Christmas cookies. In the evening I'll get to see Jameson's corporate workplace for the first time, and then we'll go to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party!!

**Disclaimer** The views and opinions expressed in this post are my own, and do not reflect the views or opinions of my employer. DO NOT RESHARE ANY PART OF THIS POST WITHOUT PERMISSION. Thank you.

This post covers Wednesday and Thursday.

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WEDNESDAY

The Aunt and I were both up early for coffee before it was time to get her to the airport. It was such a short ride and before I knew it we were hugging goodbye. Although Austin is not necessarily a "hospitality city" or tourist destination, we still found lots to do and most of all enjoyed each others' company. I hope that she was able to relax a little and have a nice mini-vacay with me! I will definitely miss her until I see her again!!

After dropping her off I got back to the hotel to eat breakfast, do laundry, and do a quick light cleaning (meaning I swept the floor and dumped all of my crap back out onto the bathroom counter, lol.) Then I returned the rental car and picked up a few small grocery items on the walk back.

Most of my day was spent kinda playing digital catch-up. I've gotten behind on reading YOUR blog posts, and on working on Foodie Finds. And I had to follow up on layoff flights, check on some Christmas present shipments, and request digitized Candlelight music...

Oh! With the excitement of my Aunt here, I didn't mention that I got a call from Candlelight asking me to cover FOUR performance dates!! I am so glad to perform this year! Doing the Crazy 42-Hour Round Trip Rehearsal Extravaganza each year is worth doing whether I get to perform or not, because it re-ups my cast member status with the parks. But that is to MY benefit. Not to be weird, but it feels WRONG to receive a whole year of perks without actually getting to perform the job that entitles me to those perks. At the very least I want to help fill in once or twice. This year I'll get to do that!

Anyway, this was a slow day of inactivity and recharging. I carpooled to the theater with Michael (Key 3) when it was time. The show was good with a good audience, and at intermission DAR surprised the brass section by coming over to tell us how much he loves how we sound as a section! What a nice thing to say! And of course that made me want to do even better at it, lol :D

After returning to the hotel Michael gave me the car keys because he's got rehearsal tomorrow and plans to stay at the theater. Dane, our flutist, is also in our carpool but is out currently to have eye surgery so it's just me and Michael. This means I've got the car all day tomorrow! I feel like I should take advantage of it and go somewhere! But where?

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THURSDAY

I was up too early (7:30), perhaps a bit excited about taking the car somewhere.

Before that though I had some work to do. Breakfast, Houston Foodie Finds, charging my iPad and putting Candlelight music on it. I requested and received digital copies of the music, which is very helpful because I've never seen the Trombone 1 or Bass Trombone books before. I also received my layoff flight booking and made plans with Jameson around that since he's got a bunch of overnights at Disney that week.

Ultimately I only took the car to Ross Dress for Less to look for underwear and a black cami. Had success with the underwear (there's one specific brand that I like that ONLY Ross and TJMaxx sell) but no luck with the cami, so ordered some online that I can only pray will fit. I'd wanted to go to Central Market, a fancy upscale Texas chain, but was feeling a bit under the weather. Instead I went to Sprouts which is closer, and got my favorite electrolyte powder and a few little tasty treats :)

Back home I drank an electrolyte drink and took a nap (WHY did I wake up so early) ate lunch, went for a general walk down 6th street since it was so nice and sunny out. And partway through the walk I realized that I was sneezing and my eyes were RUNNING...I must feel bad because of ALLERGIES. It has warmed up significantly these last few days, and something must be blooming that doesn't like me. Took an Allegra and felt better within an hour or two, though still a little off.

Dinner and drove myself to the theater since Michael was already there. Got into my trunk to swap things out for this holiday layoff. For example I need to bring my blazer and dress boots home for Candlelight, so I need to leave behind a sweater and a different pair of shoes so my luggage won't be overweight. Stuff like that. 

The show was good, we had a lot of people whooping and cheering for this one. Love that energy, Texas!

Sorry for the lack of pictures...it was just that kind of week I guess! 
Here is my new bracelet, picture taken at intermission while holding the bass trombone.


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Friday: One show in the evening. No plans except to find more Allegra, lol.

Saturday: Two shows, final chance to pack my trunk and shift things around.

Sunday: Two shows, and saying goodbye to Austin!