goofball on a train

My Whole Paycheck (Amazon) grocery order magically disappeared last night. I was refunded. Luckily this was just foods I wanted for the coming week, nothing I needed badly. I wonder what Amazon does when this happens? I guess it depends on the circumstances (did the driver's car break down? Did they forget my order in the back of their trunk? Who knows.)

After a bit of wibbling I decided to place the same order again for tomorrow. Give them another chance. If it falls through again I'll stick with Publix/Instacart for the rest of the layoff and call it a lesson learned.

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MONDAY

A normal morning. Breakfast and I whipped up some Oreo truffles to bring to the Main Street Phil guys tomorrow. If you've never made Oreo truffles they're super easy: smash a whole package of Oreos (normal-sized, not family-sized), mix it with a softened block of cream cheese until uniform color, roll into 28-ish balls, and dip in melted white or dark or milk chocolate. Let harden in the fridge for 10-15 minutes, and box 'em up. Easy-peasy and they taste great.

After that and cleanup, my Publix/Instacart groceries showed up. This was mostly replacing cleaning supplies around the house, not much in the way of food. The Whole Paycheck order was still en route because that store is much farther away.

I used the time waiting to get rid of any potted plants that are around. The sad truth is that there is no point keeping plants at all if I'm not here. Jameson is not a gardener, and nearly everything has died since I've been gone. The ONE plant that is doing well is a small misc houseplant pot that I bought because it's in sphagnum moss, which only needs watering like once a month, and Jameson seems able to remember to do that much.

This one is the survivor:


The succulent pot that I bought in October(?) did not work out. They're all dead or dying.


Around the outside of the house were two potted pineapples (dead) and my lemon tree that has done poorly. I dumped the pineapples and sort-of planted the lemon tree, we'll see if it survives.


My vanilla orchid is dead. I'm sad but not surprised. Florida had some brutal frosts this year with lows in the 20s, and this plant can't survive that. I tore down as much of it as I can reach. I am left with memories of when it was thick and green, and that one special Easter when it bloomed for us :)


And finally, my banana trees "died" in the frost as well. The two biggest, anyway.


"Died" in quotes because bananas are clones. They are not a true tree but a rhizome that reproduces by sending out little copies of itself at the base of the trunk. Sure enough, there are three "pups" still living. I don't know how they'll do but they at least have a shot. I cut down the dead trees and cleaned up the little ones.


As I was finishing up with the bananas my Whole Paycheck grocery order arrived. There was a packet of raw chicken, which is going straight in the freezer and when I thaw it in a week or so that will tell the tale of whether it was kept cold during this delivery. Cleaned myself up and had lunch with Jameson, packed a lunch and snacks for Main Street Phil tomorrow, typed up this post, and practiced trombone. Checked the mail, wiped the silica dust off the front door (the door is black/dark so the dust shows up strongly there.) A light snack and Jameson had to give a Zoom class so I quietly researched hotels and flights for my brother's wedding, which isn't until October but I should look at bookings now.

Jameson was in a mood for BBQ and neither of us wanted to cook, so we went to Sonny's which is a chain. It wan't anything mind-blowing but was very good and service was awesome. We talked about lots of things, but mostly the upcoming sit in Boston. Jameson will see our show for the first time, and he went to Berklee too. He hasn't been to Boston in a long time and is looking forward to showing me his old haunts...where he lived and worked, some of his favorite restaurants, stuff like that. I'm THRILLED that we can spend time together while I'm on tour! Although most family visits tend to stress me out, a lot of that is because my family is not musicians and they don't understand a lot of what I do or why I have to do it. Jameson is a musician too. He GETS it...he gets this world and my work. I can relax with him here and not worry so much. And we can do fun things together!!

We also worried about the current TSA situation. There are reports across the socials of people being trapped in TSA lines for 2+ hours and missing their flights. Footage of huge long lines extending out into airport parking lots, and reports of PreCheck lanes being closed. In Jameson's case he can just get a refund and use the money for a flight some other time. But in my case, I have to get to WORK. The alternative would be to drive 20+ hours to Hartford after the layoff. I'll keep watching the MCO airport live tracking, and hope it doesn't come to that.

After dinner we chilled with gaming in his case and reading/playing solitaire in mine. We went to bed early as we both have to get up early tomorrow.

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TUESDAY

I was up early for breakfast ahead of a full day at the Magic Kingdom! Jameson was working at Disney as well and we left at about the same time, he by driving and me by Uber. It is decidedly odd to Uber onto Disney property instead of driving myself, but I will get used to it.

Going back down into the Utilidors (employee-only area under Cinderella's Castle) was absolutely nostalgic. Yes it's kinda smelly and old under there...but it's historic and beautiful too. In the same way that a dusty 1920s Fox or Orpheum theater is worth preserving and appreciating, so is Disney, so is the Magic Kingdom and the Utilidors. It's truly a privilege to walk in these amazing places freely, as though at home.

(stock image)

I wasn't totally sure what to expect today...it started out as me asking if I could swing by for a social visit, to bring treats and say hello because I miss the guys :) But Mike (the boss) said ihe could make it a paid rehearsal day. It's been a full year since I've played ANY Main Street Philharmonic music, and I was concerned they might ask me to play a set. But no, Mike understood completely when I said I'd rather audit, shadow, and practice. It's been a year, after all.

We started the day with a rehearsal (Tuesdays are always rehearsal days for the full timers.) I made sure to leave the Oreo truffles and turtle chips out, and they were very appreciated.

Next, the first set. It was special! Because MAIN STREET MICKEY showed up to conduct the band!!!

As soon as "Mickey is here!" rippled through the crowd, people RUSHED to see, hoping to get a photo op with Mickey. They are still working out the logistics of having Mickey as part of this set due to the mad rush of people, but from what I saw it was handled very well and people were VERY happy to see Mickey up close. Self included! I still don't have a picture of myself with Boss Mouse, and this was the closest I've ever been to him!

During this set I noticed that there were cherry pickers all around the Castle.


This is very unusual during operating hours, but the guys said the park is working around the clock to get the Castle repainted (it was previously pink and now it'll be more white/blue.)

There was another set during which I got to see the band do an updated version of our Encanto Medley and made a recording of that for myself. During the breaks between sets I practiced the changes to the music, ate lunch, and tried on my costume(s) to make sure they still fit (they do.) I walked with the band to the parade start point and watched their entrance because they'd made a change to that, and to some of the music along the route.

Took a little video. It was wonderful to walk through the people and hear excitement as the band approached, and see cheering and clapping and smiling.


I know that there's a lot to see at Disney, but to know that people will stop to enjoy the band's performance, to wave and cheer, and then go on with their vacations hopefully with a little more positivity and joy because of it...well, it's really lovely to think about. And it makes me proud, that I can sometimes be a part of bringing that joy to others.

After that was a longer break. Tony (bass trombone) used that time to check out my Yamaha bass which I'd specifically brought so he could give it a whirl :) He spent a solid 20 minutes with it and enjoyed it very much! And then he asked if there was anything I'm struggling with on bass, and when I told him he gave me basically a free lesson! He also showed me how to properly lubricate the rotors, something that I've never been taught. Embarrassed to admit that but also very grateful that Tony kindly showed me how without judgement. Hhe is such a kind, cool dude! I gave him a BIG hug and thanked him profusely.

There was one more set which I went out and watched, then I left before the Flag Retreat because nothing has changed with that and I figured it'd be better to call an Uber as early as I could. Overall it was a fun day at the park hanging out with my coworkers and friends. Whether I get paid for it or not, it was absolutely worth doing!

Back home I got caught up with Jameson. He has the results of his MRI: bone spurs and nerve compression in his neck, ranging in severity in several locations. His next step will be to speak with a specialist about treatment options. We expect that his insurance will make him do physical therapy first, but he is prepared to endure that if it means he might finally be in less pain.

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Wednesday: More Dust Battle, and I may make us something for dinner. Jameson will have half a day working from home and the other half at Disney.

Thursday: I have a dentist appointment and will probably also drop my coat off at the dry cleaner's. Scrubbing the shower (ugh.)

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PSA: I am reading and catching up on everyone's writings even if all I do is "like" or don't leave any feedback. It's been a crazier last-couple-days than expected. Haven't even gotten to unpack yet. But I do read everyone's posts when I wake up and before bed. Promise!!

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Dust Info

TL;DR the majority of our flooring was tile, and one way or another breaking up the tile generated dust.

As far as how it got all over everything or why there's so much of it:

The floors were installed a month ago, and Jameson has done little to no cleanup since then (not a criticism, just a fact.) The dust has had an entire month to spread around the whole house via HVAC, ceiling fans, or being tracked from room to room.

From what little I saw of the renovations, a jackhammer and a sledgehammer were used to break up the floor. They may have used other tools like circular saws that might have generated a lot of dust. But ultimately I was not present for the renovations and did not see what happened.

Although Jameson removed or relocated the furniture, and the cabinets and immovable objects were covered with plastic, there is dust inside many of the cabinets and on all of the flat surfaces. The dust is lightest in the kitchen and dining room, moderate in the guest bedroom, and heaviest in the two bathrooms. I'm sure this has somewhat to do with size of space (containment) and what was and was not covered/protected during floor removal.

Cement/tile dust is a cancerous material (silica dust) and is dangerous/damaging when inhaled. That is why I'm especially anxious about it, cleaning it up in a specific researched way, while wearing a mask.

All right, there it is...I hope that makes sense or helps fill out the picture.

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WEDNESDAY

Jameson was up at 7am to go get his MRI. I couldn't go back to sleep. Breakfast and scanning my zillion tax forms. I have nine W2s, three 1099s, and a bunch of misc other forms from doing things like redeeming old savings bonds last year. Whoever is handed my taxes will have their work cut out for them.

I finished up about the time Jameson got home, looking pale and shaky. This was not his first MRI, but last time he went in waist-first. This time he went in head-first, and that triggered a MASSIVE panic attack. They had to pull him out and try again with fewer neck restraints and a towel over his head so he could get through it. I hugged him (not too tightly because he was literally JUST in a confined space) and when I let him go he seemed close to tears :( He is not prone to panic attacks so this was especially scary for him. He said his body just reacted and there was nothing he could do to make it stop. As someone who suffered intense panic attacks for a full year, I completely understand what it feels like, how terrifying it is, and how little control you have to make it stop once it's started. But he got through it, somehow, and that's great because hopefully he'll have results that will reveal more about what's going on with his neck and arm.

Jameson took a few deep breaths and went to work while I set a tax appointment and then started Dust Battle with the guest bedroom. I chose to clean this room next because it’s where I practice trombone and do my tour packing. I want to play the trombone with minimal dust inhalation, AND I still need to unpack but don't want to do that where dust will get on my tour clothing, cooking supplies, in my suitcase, etc.

Jameson had sort-of wiped some parts, and you can see where he did that and what level of dust we're dealing with here. It is odd to me that there's so much dust in this room as it was not a part of the renovation. But I wasn't here so I don't know what happened.


I put on a KN95 and did the same wet microfiber followed by dry microfiber tactic as used in the kitchen, starting at the tops of furniture and doors and light fixtures and working my way down to countertops and tables. Same dresser as above, after I'd finished:


I took the quilt outside and shook it thoroughly, and when it was back on the bed I moved my suitcase, trombone, and other things from the floor onto the bed and vacuumed. Then I put the things back on the floor and wiped everything down again with the dry microfiber as new dust was settling from the vacuuming.

Lunch break with Jameson, and I should have practiced trombone but didn’t feel like it. Instead I wiped all of the windowsills (LOADED with all kinds of dust, not just from the floor reno) then emptied the kitchen island because plaster and dust had gotten in there. Here you can see some of the pieces of plaster and tile, as well as a fine coating of dust near the inner walls.



I rinsed all of the Tupperware and dishes that were down there, wiped all of the appliances, wiped the shelves down, and put everything back.
Drew a smiley in the dust on the crock pot. Sometimes the dust was hard to see, but on black appliances or surfaces it's pretty obvious.


Had meant to do the cup cupboard too but lost my steam for this. Instead I basic-dusted all of the furniture and surfaces in the living room and bedroom, as these were some of the least-dusty areas. Then I dry-swiffered the entire new floor with a microfiber cloth.

It was a little futile to Swiffer at this stage. Until I deep-clean the bathrooms (which are the dustiest/dirtiest) we will continue tracking debris and dust from the bathrooms throughout the house. I’ll definitely have to sweep again. But the feeling of stepping on plaster bits and grit all day has been annoying me, and it felt much better afterward.

We had dinner and watched TV together. Jameson did laundry and then I did mine, followed by a load with just the microfiber cloths and some towels that had been exposed to The Dust. I can't see dust on the towels but it must be there. Jameson had an overnight at Disney tonight. After he left I vacuumed and dusted the bedroom (but not the gigantic bookshelf in the bedroom, that will have to be a separate project.)

Overall I got a lot done today, but there is SO much more cleaning to do. I'll have to wipe the blades of ceiling fans, the tops of kitchen cabinets, the tops of doors, the baseboards. The bathrooms will need intense deep cleaning. The cups need to be rinsed still, and other kitchen cabinets probably need to be emptied and wiped. And then I'll have to wipe everything down AGAIN after knocking dust down from those high areas. But I've only been back for three days and so I think it's going as well as possible.

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THURSDAY

Jameson was up at 7:30am for Disney. I got up shortly after him for breakfast. Spent way too much time typing things out/venting, but felt better afterward and ready to move forward.

Dust Battle continued with the master bathroom. I should mention that after the new flooring was installed, the toilets had to be pulled out and re-installed to be level with the new floor (a $3,000 fix, paid for by me.) That probably generated extra dust and debris.

I started with removing everything from the counters, and either washing each individual item in the sink or wiping it down to get the film of dust off. I opened the medicine cabinet and did the same there, removing everything, wiping each thing down, wiping the shelves, and putting things back. Under the sink, I didn't take everything out because only the few items nearest the doors had dust, but did wipe the insides of the doors and the bottom of the cabinet.

Next I wiped the tops of all the doors, the fronts of the doors and cabinets, the tops of all light fixtures (had to bring in a stepladder for that,) and the blinds for the pool entrance door. The blinds were awful, lots of plaster and dust had been trapped in them. Here's some of the plaster (this isn't even half, most of the rest I caught in the microfiber cloths)


Next the top of the standing shower, which was caked with fine white dust-paste. Again, this is a fraction of what was up there and it took multiple passes and washings of the microfiber cloth to get 90% of it.


I wiped down the shower walls and shower head/handle, but did not scrub the shower as I consider that a separate chore from "cleaning the bathroom." I got behind the toilet to sweep up all the plaster back there, wipe the dust with wet microfiber, and then was finally able to do a "normal" cleaning of the bathroom albeit with two passes to wipe the toilet, once to collect dust and the second time to actually clean and disinfect. Cleaned the sink and counters with wet microfiber and then as normal. Swept the floor with a broom (wearing a mask,) then again with a dry microfiber, then again with a wet microfiber mop. Vacuumed the bath mats and put everything back.

I know there's no point of comparison but just trust me that this is significantly cleaner than it had been, and it was a huge relief to have gotten most of the gross dust out of there. I am looking forward to Jameson's reaction because he is always VERY appreciative of what I do around the house :)


The bathroom took about 90 minutes (3x longer than usual.) I finished at lunch time and took a break to eat. Made myself practice bass for 20 minutes.

Before continuing Dust Battle I swept out the garage and wiped the tops of some picture frames and door frames, then it was on to the guest bathroom. This is the tiniest room and the dust is most condensed here. Here is the counter by the sink.I ran a finger through the dust on the left there so you could see the difference.


The shower handle.


Same process as the master bath: removing each little item, wiping it, wiping the insides of cabinets, tops of doors, shower walls, etc etc. There was a lot of plaster in the tub so I wet-swept that out. Wet microfiber, clean and disinfect, dry microfiber, wiping and mopping the floors. It was done faster than the master bath but I didn't time it.

After that I was VERY tired, but there was one last thing to do. Microfiber-swiffered all the new flooring, wet-microfiber-mopped all the new flooring, and vacuumed all of the carpet again (having knocked a bunch of dust down from on high today.)

With that, I have done the majority of MAJOR dust cleanup, and everything else will be single-projects (the shower, the bookshelf) or touch-up (light fixtures, windowsills, picture frames, etc.) And a week from today I'll check and see how much more dust has settled or been pushed out of the HVAC, and do a full (regular) cleaning again.

The house after all of my work on it. Not that you'd be able to tell a difference.


The kitchen, which I don't think Jameson ever sent a good pic of after the floor had been installed.


Though I was tired, I called an Uber to the grocery for ingredients for dinner tomorrow and to replace some cleaning supplies I'd used up. Would rather do that today and get it over with. Picked up premade sushi for Jameson and I, and he got home just a few minutes after me. We ate and chatted about our day, I showed him my work around the house and he was happy and grateful as predicted :) We spent the evening relaxing on the couch. He's still struggling with anxiety from the MRI (sometimes it can take days for a panic attack to let you go) and I was exhausted and actually sore from all the housework over the last several days. It was good to sit still and quietly together. 

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Friday: Tax appointment. I will owe a lot this year thanks to Epic Universe which was all 1099 work. Other than practicing and cooking us dinner, I have no plans. I'd like to take a break from cleaning since I've made huge progress. 

Saturday: Jameson wants to go to the new giant H-Mart and I am SO EXCITED!!!

Sunday: No plans but will probably do one project-clean like the bookshelf, and practice. 

**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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Previous Louisville visits that I forgot to mention

2013 with the circus. We had a beautiful train run in. Visited the Ohio River, Louisville Slugger Museum, a glass museum, antique stores, Gordon Biersch, a local bakery, and got to see preparations for the KY Derby.

2014 again with the circus. Visited the Ohio River again, ate at a local restaurant that seems to no longer exist. We were going to Mexico the following week so everyone was preparing for that jump and that took much of our focus/energy. This was also the last time we saw our trumpeter, Slick, alive. He had been fighting cancer and came out to have a meal with us one last time. That was hard.

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FRIDAY

Up early to do laundry. I'm leaving a lot of extra stuff in my trunk this time. Extra clothes, my heavier black shoes, extra black sweater, misc canned goods, pretty much anything that I won't need while at home and will lighten my luggage. Because I'm bringing my winter stuff back to Florida for storage, and some treats and gifts for Jameson. And on the way back from the layoff I'm bringing things like my black peacoat, suit jacket, Easter and Christmas candy, and who-knows-what else. Sorting it all out now because tomorrow is the day it's all got to go in my trunk for three weeks.

After laundry was folded and put away it was breakfast, starting Hartford Foodie Finds, and sending DC Foodie Finds to the group. Sorting some luggage receipts from recent flights, booking rental cars for upcoming layoff things, researching what's near my dentist appointment and such so that I can maximize Uber rides while home (for example there's a Publix across the street so it would be a good use of time to get any groceries needed after the appointment.) These are the things I'll have to consider now that I don't have a car.

For lunch I went to a Korean place near our hotel. The big draw here is their bentos. I got the beef bulgogi. It came with sticky white rice, kimchi, folded egg, broccoli, little japchae mini-dumplings, and pickled daikon(?). So good!


Afterward I took myself for a walk to an intersection that had both a Dollar Tree and a Family Dollar. Sometimes dollar stores have good pajama bottoms, or weird snacks that you don't see often. There was nothing of interest for me today but I got 2 miles of walking in anyway. It was very windy and dust and pollen were flying, not many people were out.

This mural would be gorgeous if there weren't a fence in the way. The birds are not white; they are mirrors.


A normal afternoon which did include a nap since I'd been up early. Dinner and walking to the theater early so I could pack my trunk. This is something we can wait until Saturday to do, but our room is a bit cramped this week and I don't want to be in the way of others.

Have I even shown you my trunk? There's not much to see...


On the right is the Instapot that I haven't used yet (not visible,) topped with a bag containing two sweaters. Ringing that are my black boots, "nice" toilet paper, water bottle, umbrella, and pretty much any loose stuff I can cram in the cracks. To the left is a biggish Tupperware (not visible) that has any food items plus lighters, box cutters, batteries, band aids, candles, medications, and misc useful stuff like that. On top of that is a clothing cube with extra clothes + my "lap desk" for when I want to lie in bed with my laptop. In front of that is the Mini Keurig and some Ziploc bags. And there are some BATB posters and swag crammed in there too. Now you've met my trunk :)

Anyway. It was rather cold and windy in the pit too, weirdly...in fact the draft was so strong that the pages of Tim's music were turning on their own! I wore my sweater for the entire show.

Jameson was out with friends to see Jason Robert Brown perform at Judson's Live. I fell asleep before he got back home, but woke up when he texted to say he'd gotten back safely. Just like when I'm home in person and he comes home late and wakes me up, I asked how it went and tried to keep my eyes open while he described the concert and all the parts that had made him happy :) I love that we can have these moments even at a distance. And that he is going out and having fun without me (in fact he needs to do that more often!!)

Finally, Full Blown Trombone Studio posted this very kind "thank you" for the masterclass that I gave. It was a great experience for both of us, and I hope we get a chance to do one of these in person! (remember that you can click on the image to open in a new tab then click it again to enlarge)


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SATURDAY

Woke up wishing for more sleep, but also too hungry for more sleep :p

Breakfast and Foodie Finds, and realizing that I'm basically short a meal for Sunday AND that most restaurants in Louisiville are closed on Sundays! What to do. A little before noon I decided to walk to the Korean place again and see if they'd sell me a kimbap. I could pair that with one of my tuna pouches or something tomorrow. Tour eating is weird.

The kimbap is only on the menu as an entree that comes with other sides, but they were happy to sell me one by itself. Yay! On the way back to the hotel with my prize I passed a bagel shop that has not appeared on Google Maps, yet there it was: Barry Bagels. Intrigued, I went inside and found out from the staff that they've only been open for three weeks! That explains it. They make their own bagels in house, have breakfast and lunch sandwiches, AND are open on Sunday! I got two bagels for myself (Vanilla Cinnamon and Chocolate Chip because I love sweets) and quickly shared the existence of this place with the tour chat. Hopefully that'll get them some business.

Lunch and walking to the theater. The matinee was nice, kind of a normal crowd and normal show. It is still chilly in the pit. Back to the hotel between shows for a snack, decompressing with some YouTube videos, and researching potential sides for Easter dinner. Evening show was fine, nothing to report.

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SUNDAY

Up early to get a few things from hotel breakfast and to check in for my flight. Usually Earlier Flight = Better, but in this case I might have shot myself in the foot: there's tornado potential and stormy weather between Sunday and Monday, and later travel might have been the better choice. Too late now and I'll just go into it expecting delays (and wearing SeaBands and taking St. John's Wort in hopes of not having a panic attack during turbulence.)

Breakfast and working on Hartford Foodie Finds, prepping snacks for today's shows and packing a little. Watching Owl House. I'm getting near the end I think, and not sure what show to pick up after finishing it.

Lunch was the kimbap with an added protein and it was awesome.
At the theater, the logo truck had been moved from the loading dock to across the street. One easy way to tell it's Load Out Day.


The matinee was good, though I was distracted due to worrying about the weather and flying. Then I found out I'd done DC Foodie Finds incorrectly: the hotel had been changed and I hadn't noticed! ARGH. Most of it is still accurate but some parts are now wrong, and I had to tell the group that. Considering I've been doing Foodie Finds for several years now and this is the first time I've released a wrong sheet without catching it first, I'd say that's a pretty good track record. 

Back at the hotel, eating random leftovers for dinner and considering some upcoming travel options for Indianapolis and Madison. It is very windy here.

The evening show was all right. Ryu (violin) was smart enough to visit Company Management and pick up some hand warmers since it has been cold and drafty in this pit. I put one in the pocket of my black fleece sweater and it did actually help, because when I'm cold I get more tense and being a little warmer let me relax, = playing better. After the show we packed up for load out as usual, but five of us--violin, clarinet, trumpet, horn, and trombone (me)--will now have 3 weeks off due to Rule 24, while the others--the MD, Key 1, Key 2, Swing Key, Drums, and Flute--go on to DC for three weeks at the National theater. Tbh I don't envy them; that theater's pit is cramped.

Wished safe travels to everyone and dragged my bass trombone back to the hotel to package it up safely for travel. Packed more things and typed up this post. It's already 10:30pm and I'll have to be up around 4am, and this travel day does not look promising. Wish me luck. 

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Monday: Very early flight that's supposed to get me to Orlando by 11am, but I do definitely expect delays with the weather being what it is. Just hoping to arrive by the end of the day. If there's time, an Instacart for groceries and some cleaning, unpacking, catching up with Jameson.

Tuesday: Jameson will be at Disney, so I'll be busy with scanning tax paperwork, cleaning, and cooking a St. Patrick's Day dinner for us!

**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

Up early for coffee and breakfast before the Uber to the airport. I got there too early as usual.
After exploring the tiny Richmond airport I was chilling and reading my book when a TSA agent and explosives dog came by. I remembered to ask for a trading card and they were happy to oblige.

Here is Salem and his handler Brimo!


Salem must be good luck because the travel day went quite well. Both flights were on time, weather was clear, etc. Our hotel is newish and my room is HUGE, it feels luxurious! And it's a long-stay-type so there's a stovetop and full size fridge, woooo! The downside is that downtown Louisville doesn't have grocery stores, which meant Ubering or Instacart was the only realistic option. I Ubered to a Whole Paycheck and COMPLETELY forgot to use the gift card that Ms. Johnson gifted me for giving a masterclass last week *facepalm* It's ok, it will absolutely get used at some point.

Back to the hotel and unpacking, making myself hot tea and chatting with Jameson via text. There's something so satisfying about having a fridge full of lovely groceries, and a quiet evening to yourself to relax in pajamas in a big clean beautiful hotel. Moments like these really do embody what "wealth" means to me. It never fails to make me feel like a Trombone Disney Princess™.

Grateful, grateful, grateful.

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TUESDAY

Woke up having NO idea where I was or what day it was. It took a second to wake up fully and remember that it's Tuesday and I'm in Louisville, haha. The side effects of frequent travel and ever-changing hotel rooms!

Went downstairs to raid hotel breakfast. They have some unusual and nice options here, like potato pancakes and overnight oats, which are uncommon at most free hotel breakfasts. But they don't have peanut butter which I find odd! Still, grabbed some bagels and coffee at least.

Working on DC Foodie Finds, packing dinner and snacks for the theater, and making plans.

RE: Louisville: Telling you all now that I do not plan to do much sightseeing here other than just walking around enjoying the general downtown. I'm about to have three weeks laid off/unpaid so I want to save money, plus I've been here before with the circus. On Wednesday I have a haircut, on Thursday we have in-ear fittings. I may visit a local market. That's about it.

RE: three week layoff: As usual I will have a LOT to do. There will be a lot of cleaning since installing new flooring kicked up dust and a lot of things were moved, plus the usual housekeeping. I also need to do taxes, which I'm filing late because I have 8-10 W2s plus a load of 1099s this year. But the biggest challenge this layoff is not having a car. I need to carefully plan Uber and Instacart usages so that I'm only making 1-2 trips per week, AND I have two gigs (a Main Street Phil day and an Easter gig) which may require rental cars. This is my first time without the car for such a long period of time.

Anyway, it was a quiet morning and afternoon. Since the pit is "weird" here plus our show is at 7pm instead of 7:30, I decided to walk over early.

Here is the weird pit. Can you tell what's unusual about it?


That's right, it's on two tiers! On the top "shelf" nearest the audience we have DAR, violin and woodwinds on his left, and Tim (trumpet) and I on his right. On the lower level we have the drum box smack in the middle with keys to DAR's left and horn on the right. It's odd...but I guess it works? Tim was still setting up when I got there so I scrounged around for my trunk instead, and the hotel is so close that I walked back to put that stuff away while I was at it. By the time I got back Tim was done and I could set up.

A kind of "artsy" shot of the pit. I liked the contrasting lighting from the house and the drum box, and the natural sort of one-point perspective created by the lines.


Sound check went fine, just some mild complaints that turned out to be pretty fixable thankfully. I had packed dinner and ate at the theater, but Ryu (violin) and Josh (Key 2) found a really good Korean place nearby so that may have to be my Foodie Find here in Louisville. After dinner I popped up to Management for my traditional opening day piece of candy. They had another surprise for us: mini Louisville Sluggers with the show logo and dates on them! How cute!


The evening show went well, although the sound in this theater will definitely take some getting used to.
At intermission Connor (Key 1) found an old pump organ shoved into a corner and gave it a whirl.


Also, Jameson texted to share that his parents have gotten a new puppy! A yorkiepoo I think. His name is JoJo and he's 6 1/2 years old. He belonged to another family once, but they had trouble with him barking while they were gone or something like that. But he looks cute and I hope they'll all get along well! 


It was nice to be finished with the show 30 minutes earlier than usual! I had time to type this post up and read a little before bed :) 

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Wednesday: Haircut in the morning, and visiting a local bodega called Haymarket. One evening show. 

Thursday: Getting fitted for in-ears in the morning. One evening show. 

**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 kinda earlier than I needed to be but that's life. Itaki oats, Greek yogurt, Koia chocolate shake, and raspberries for breakfast. Some messing around online and eventual work on DC Foodie Finds, then a run-through of my masterclass.

I was supposed to meet up with an online friend, sparkythegeek (whom I will call STG) for coffee, but it was dependent on when his car would be out of the shop. Around 10:45 he texted to say it'd be done in an hour, and could we meet at the coffee shop a little after noon? Yes! With that knowledge of time frame, I made a rather rash decision to Uber to a mall with an H&M to continue my ongoing quest for The Perfect Black Dress Pants. They are a very specific cut of black polyester pants, high waist and wide leg, with eight gold sailor-style buttons on the front. They are the most comfortable and awesome pit blacks I've ever found, and they've been discontinued, so any time there's an H&M I desperately scour the clearance rack hoping to find some.

Sadly, no luck, and I should not have wasted the $$ Uber on this!!! From now on I must have more restraint; if there's an H&M nearby it's fine to look, but expensive Uber rides just for this fruitless search are ridiculous.

But anyway, I got back in time to scarf a fast lunch and walk to the coffee shop. It's cute and modern with all the classic espresso drinks. As I get older I find that coffee in the afternoon messes me up, but for some reason the caffeine from green tea is still safeish, so I went with an oat milk matcha latte with vanilla syrup. It was both beautiful and delicious :)


STG got a bagel sandwich and an iced maple coffee, both of which looked tasty. We sat down together and basically talked the entire time, about all kinds of things. We've been following each others' online journaling for a while. Topics ranged from things we've written about, to other subjects that we perhaps don't always share online such as other jobs, boss/friend/family doings, hopes and dreams for the future, etc. He's a great listener and also had many questions about my wild and crazy life, and you guys know how I can go ON about things like the circus or what tour is like :P But I wanted to know more about him as well, and asked lots of my own questions. And I got to see some of his really cool recent tattoos in person!! Seeing STG's tattoos reminded me that I'm the only one of my siblings without one...

We were at it for a solid hour and then hugged and parted ways. I'll see him again at tomorrow's show, and we're gonna try to get a picture-selfie-thing :)

From there, my goodness it was SUCH a lovely day outside. 70 degrees (21C) and sunny. Many MANY people were out enjoying the sun. I walked up and down Broad Street and stopped in at every thrift or vintage store I could find (I think there were four.) Did not find anything but being able to be outside, in the sun, without a coat, was fantastic after what has felt like months of frigid temperatures. Even in Florida it is rarely comfortable to be outside in the heat and humidity, so I was extra-appreciative to be able to just exist outside, neither too cold nor too hot. Mmmmm so nice.

After a while I got snackish so returned to the hotel to type this post up, have that snack, and watch Owl House a bit. While that was happening other friends popped out of the woodwork to say they're coming to shows or would like to meet. Goodness! Didn't know I was so popular.

Eventually it was dinnertime, then walking over to the theater for the show. It looked like a full house again! For some reason the pit was exceptionally cold...perhaps because it had been warm out finally and they'd cranked up the AC? Whatever the reason, we were all wearing black sweaters or coats by the end of the second act! Ironic that it's finally warm outside, but not inside! Otherwise it was a good show and a nice crowd.

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THURSDAY

I woke up a bit apprehensive. Today I was supposed to meet with a friend...well, someone whom I dated way back in college. We have barely kept in contact over the years, literally one interaction every 5-10 years. But he lives in this area and wanted to meet and catch up. I said yes, but insisted on meeting near the theater and in a very public space. Because one knows the motives of bears, but not those of men.

But before all that, the usual coffee and breakfast, working on DC Foodie Finds and running through my masterclass. In the afternoon I watched Owl House, did research for things I might like to do in Louisville, ate lunch, and walked to the theater. It was kind of freakishly warm out, 80 degrees (26.6C) which is unseasonably warm even for the south at this time of year. But hey...lovely day.


Tim (the friend) was wearing a bright red polo so was easy to spot. Since I had insisted on staying downtown and we'd both eaten lunch, we decided to just kinda wander and talk. I did run out of bread and picked a bagel place 20 minutes away just to have some sort of goal. Tim caught me up on a lot of his doings: work he's had recently, work he's applying for and hoping to get, projects he's got in the works for both his jobs and interests.

One of his primary passions is disc golf; he is an amateur competitor, has won several competitions, and also now owns his own disc golf supply shop! After retrieving my bagels we walked back to his car, and he showed me his discs. These are not just frisbees. They are much smaller than frisbees, and have specialized edges, thicknesses, taper, and materials that allow them to behave in specific ways when thrown.

(image from sydneydiscgolf.com)

Tim explained to me the different types, and showed me some numbers printed on the top of each disc which tell you at what speed the disc needs to be thrown to achieve specific results, such as distance, curve/spin, and point at which momentum ceases and the disc falls toward the ground or curves back toward you. These are called Speed, Glide, Turn, and Fade. He showed me several discs with artworks on them, just like you might see on some snowboards or skateboards. One of his projects is trying to get some of his artist friends commissioned to design artworks specifically for printing onto the discs. Pretty freakin cool!

Pro footage of people playing disc golf:


Of course I talked a bit about myself too, but this time I mostly wanted to hear about Tim because he can read up on my doings online, whereas his online presence is practically zero so I had no clue what he's been up to since the pandemic. It was great to hear about his passion for disc golf, and he expects to hear back about some exciting job opportunities in a week or so. Now I'm invested and want to know how it turns out for him! We parted ways with promises to try and do a better job of keeping in touch.

I'm grateful to Tim for spending time with me today, and most of all for being patient with me and my "man vs bear" attitude going into this meet. One of the (several) catch-22s of hanging out with men is that whether you've known them for one day or one decade, it does not change the fact that you may not know them at all. Familiarity is not a synonym for safety. I think that Tim understood this, but I still felt guilty for having been apprehensive. But also not. Because.

I put my bagels away and was considering going back out in the sun when my Aunt called! We caught up a bit, and by the time we were finished I was all relaxed on the bed. Had a short doze, got ready for the show, ate dinner, and off to the theater!

Sparkythegeek was there already, so I offered to meet up so we could do our selfie! We were near the logo truck and the lighting was all right so we took it there. Here's our smiling faces (and me looking in the wrong direction, typical!)


I followed him into the lobby because I've got more friends coming on Saturday and wanted to scope A) good places for photo ops and B) a place to get to the lobby from backstage. Then of course I went to the pit to set up. The show went mostly-ok but we had a surprising show hold in the middle of Be Our Guest...it looked like a prop got stuck and they couldn't move it! But it was fixed within 15 minutes or so and we moved on. The audience still cheered just as loud for everything as though there had never been a hold :)

After the show STG came to the pit to say hi...and he'd taken footage of Exit Music! I will check that it's ok to share, and then share it :p We chatted a bit, and then a local music teacher got my attention to say hello and express how much she'd loved the music, and to ask some questions. While talking with her I noticed that it was rather noisy in the theater and realized that there must be a talkback happening. And right as I became aware of this, we were suddenly engulfed in a MOB of small children who had run down to see the pit! Most of us musicians had left but I was there and therefore swept up in a bunch of questions:

"How does Chip get in that teacup?!"
(Answer: "It's magic!" and the little girl really believed it too!)
"How long have you been doing this?"
(Answer: I've been playing the trombone for 27 years, and this show for a little less than a year.)
"How do you get down there?"
(Answer: I pointed out where the stairs were.)
"How old are you?"
(Answer: I asked if they wanted to guess and they said yes. The first guesser said 27. Intelligent child! Wonderful child :P But at that moment the cast started coming out, so I leaned into the group and confided, "I'm 42!" before waving goodbye and escaping. Lol!)

Between that and the 15-minute show hold, I got back to the hotel much later than usual. But it's ok! I am always happy when people are interested to see what we do, to answer questions, and to get people excited for music or theater or just the whole experience of coming to our show. It really is special, and I want to make the people who see it feel special too! :) :)

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Friday: One evening show. Laundry in the morning, a tasty Foodie Find adventure in the afternoon. Possibly a hair trim if I feel up for it.

Saturday: Zoom masterclass with Full Blown Trombone Studio in the morning, followed by two shows. I'm supposed to meet a circus friend before the matinee for pictures, we'll see if that works out.

Sunday: Two shows, packing for the flight to Louisville.

**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 was awake early. Coffee and breakfast. Finished Richmond Foodie Finds and made big progress on Louisville Foodie Finds. I realized that I haven't done either DC or Boston, which are both 3-week sits and HUGE foodie cities, so I REALLY need to catch up!!

That took a significant portion of the morning. Jameson texted, angry because apparently the contractors who tore the house apart yesterday just-now-this-morning opened the faux wood flooring to find that it was all damaged (I don't know what type of damage we're talking about.) So, now they have to delay until tomorrow. Why is it ALWAYS like this with contractors, I wanna know. It happened with our toilets, the sinks, the AC unit, sealing our pool deck....everything! It's very frustrating! I understand that people are human but when it's EVERY contractor that you work with...well, the work needs to be done so they've just got you in a chokehold I guess, but UGH.

In fairness, we don't know yet whether this will result in more charges, but it does mean that Jameson has to live in a construction zone with no furniture and lots of dust everywhere for another full day.

After Foodie Finds I tried to do a casual run-through of my middle school/high school-aged "Fun Jobs In Music" PowerPoint. The camera kept crashing, and some of the slides didn't look right, so that turned into more editing. By the time I'd gotten it mostly-fixed it was lunchtime. Foodie Find time!

On the recommendation of ratphooey, I walked to Alihan's Coffee and Breakfast (they have a dinner restaurant too right across the street.) It was a cozy little Turkish cafe. I was quickly seated and order taken, and while I waited all I heard around me was people exclaiming about how good the food was!

I got the menemen: a Turkish dish very similar to shakshuka except the eggs are scrambled into the sauce to create a different texture.


The sauce is a lovely savory tomato with green peppers, onion, herbs, and spices. It comes with a loaf of hot steaming Turkish bread for scooping and dipping. You can also add cheese or meat but I chose to try it OG. Close-up to show texture:


My goodness it was delicious! Hearty and warm, the perfect thing for a cold winter day. Thank you for this rec, ratphooey! I couldn't stand the thought of leftovers so ate the whole dish (I did leave half the bread.) Yum! Typically after a meal like that I'd go for a walk, but it was a bit cold and I wanted to time out my "kiddie" masterclass so went back to the hotel room for that first. I still didn't really get a good sense of timing but am working out what I will say, so it was a good use of time anyway.

Then I did go for a walk, nowhere in particular, just wandered around to be in the sun. I found two small parks, one of which seemed to have no name and had a cool spiraly path pattern:


...and the other was I think called Melon Square but it was locked and gated. It didn't matter. I just wanted some fresh air. Originally I'd planned to go thrifting, but the idea of spending an hour in a dingy store on such a nice sunny day was off-putting :p No pictures because I was just BEING, here, now.

Back at the hotel I typed up this post and watched some Owl House and part of Mulan (was just in the mood for it). Dinner and walking to the theater.

It was a bit of a chaotic show...there was some issue with one of the keyboard's sampling software that seemed to cause it to be always slightly ahead of what we were playing? It made me feel dizzy trying to play along with it! They swapped out the entire keyboard during intermission so the second half was fine. And Connor (Key 1) was conducting because his GIGANTIC family was here!! They basically bum-rushed him before, between, and after the show lol. Showering him with hugs and praise, someone even brought him a bouquet. It was both heartwarming to see, and also pity-inducing because he kept having to say, "I've got to go now!" and "Guys, I've got to do my job now!", and I TOTALLY know how that feels, to have to explain that you are at work right now and kind of have to do your job, but your family just doesn't quite get it. Regardless, it was a decent show amid the chaos and his family seemed lovely :)

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SATURDAY

I was up early to do a second load of laundry. Not something I'd normally do but it's cheap here so why not.
Then coordinating a bit with Jameson. The floor guys are back at work, hopefully with actual non-damaged floor pieces now, and expect to be done or mostly done by tonight. The problem is that with the new flooring, the toilets will have to be readjusted. So it will be my job to call the plumber and arrange/pay for that. I don't mind at all, I want to help and am annoyed that I can't be there right now to provide support.

The rest of my morning was breakfast, Foodie Finds, and another attempt at timing out the kiddie masterclass.
The matinee went well, I thought we played really well and the audience was great. No notes!

As we finished up, Jameson sent me a video and pictures of the new flooring, which is now complete! They did the entryway, living room, dining room, kitchen, and bathrooms. The bedrooms and studio are still carpeted for now.

Before and After of the living room:



Before and after of the master bath:


He took pics of the kitchen too but they weren't side-by-sides like this. Just imagine that pinkish tile replaced by the faux wood and you get the idea :p I think it looks fantastic, and he loves it too! It's going to be SO much easier to clean, and looks loads nicer than the stained old off-white carpet and cracked pink tile. I don't yet know what it's cost us but am VERY grateful that Jameson did this for us!

One thing that Jameson has asked me to handle is calling a plumber, because now the toilet flanges are too high for the new flooring and the toilets are wobbly. I called right away and they should hopefully show up on Monday. I cannot WAIT to see the new floor in person! And acoustically it will be a lot louder in the house because the carpet is gone, that will take some getting used to!

Anyway, between shows I marched back to the hotel for dinner. The Red Bucket fundraising event is about to start again, so the cast stayed at the theater to sign programs and posters to sell. They were given pizza and it was offered to us too, but I thought they should have first crack at it since they're doing the work. Made myself a simple dinner, then walked back over early to scavenge the leftover pizza. There was plenty left :)

Josh (Key 2) conducted the evening show and did a great job. I played well myself by my own standards, with THREE mistakes that I didn't like (yes sometimes I keep score against myself. As awful as that sounds it can be helpful, because musicians have a muscle memory for mistakes too which can cause you to repeat the same mistakes the next night!! Sometimes it's good to just make a note so your body doesn't unconsciously do it again!)

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SUNDAY

The temp dropped about 15 degrees overnight. I am sad about it, but when we get to Richmond it's supposed to be in the 60s! (15.5's!) I am REALLY hoping to get out and about. Cold has been a big deterrent for exploring.

Typical morning of coffee + breakfast, working on DC Foodie Finds now, and the starting stages of packing my suitcase. I did a better run-through of Kiddie Masterclass...this one is shorter, usually between 40-45 minutes, but it is interactive and I expect that the kids will pelt me with questions and this will add at least 15 minutes to the session.

Lunch and walking to the theater. The matinee was good, Josh was conducting again but it turns out he's got a week off and won't be with us at all in Richmond! We'll have Leslie (Keyboard sub who has played with us several times now) for that whole sit.

Between shows I scooted back to the hotel and enjoyed some salmon jerky for a snack and some hot tea, and watched some Owl House. Dinner on Sundays is always scraping together whatever is left in the fridge: Today that's half a bagel, some tofu, pistachios, and 1/4 of a Sumo orange.

The evening show featured a wonderful audience, and we all played really well too :) 
One of Jameson's cousins was there but she was way up in the nosebleeds. Still, she managed to make it to the pit for a quick hello at intermission. When the show was over I did the usual thing of packing up quickly and hightailing it out of there. Tomorrow we have something like a 6.5 hour bus ride to Richmond, VA. There's no crazy weather this time so I am looking forward to a hopefully relaxing ride. Thus ends our time in Pennsylvania. 

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Monday: A long bus ride to Richmond, VA. There is one stop planned I believe. Settling in and then a Zoom sound check with Full Blown Trombone Studio for the masterclass on Saturday.

Tuesday: Opening day in Richmond. I don't think I've played this theater before so I am looking forward to a new venue!

**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

It had been snowing when we went to sleep...


And it was snowing when we woke up.


That's the Broad St. view. Here's City Hall from my hotel room, and a close-up of one of the statues that I liked:


I know it doesn't look like it from the photos, but as of 8:45am this morning they'd gotten 13 inches (33.02 cm) of snow! And at time of typing this, it was still coming down. Despite this, our travel plans had not changed. The thought was that once we got out of Philly and start heading west, conditions would improve. I ate breakfast and waited patiently for the charter buses like everyone else. Went down to the lobby at the scheduled time...and the buses had cancelled on us!!

The minute I heard this, I went straight back to my room and got online. There is a Budget rental office just a few blocks from our hotel (it's where I rented my car for the masterclass last week.) I called to make sure that they were open and had cars to rent, then walked over. On the walk I observed that the roads and sidewalks were well cleared. So WHY had the buses cancelled?? A mystery...

I got a one-way rental car for $140. One-ways are always more expensive than if you return the car to the same location, plus I wasn't returning it to an airport which jacked up the cost even more. But I didn't care. This is not my first rodeo, and I could see in my mind's eye what would likely happen next. There would be no buses available to charter today. The company would probably be able to get buses tomorrow, but the drivers would still be required to make at least one stop. Meaning a 6-7 hour trip, meaning even if they left early in the morning they wouldn't get to the hotel until past noon. And that meant arriving in Pittsburgh only an hour or two before sound check and the show. I have experienced this same scenario on other tours.

Not only is this not my first rodeo, I am also inherently selfish, an individualist, and driven by logic and survivalism. There are times when staying with the herd will protect you and save you money...then there are times like now when you yell, "Every man for himself!" and reach into your own pocket to save your own butt :p

This was one of those times. Took my newly-obtained rental car back to the hotel, retrieved my bags, threw them in the back, and off I went. The roads were extremely well cleared and I had no problem or delays. It was a lovely drive. Pennsylvania can be pretty scenic. Here are some pictures:



The snow fell only on one side of this mountain, I thought it looked beautiful!


Around the time I stopped for gas and a break, an email went out with the new travel plan. Which...not to be a snooty booty, but it was exactly as I'd thought. An early morning bus ride but with two required stops, meaning the Pittsburgh ETA was 3pm. And that's with the assumption of no additional travel delays. Sound check is typically at 5pm for a 7:30pm show. I felt bad that the majority of us would be feeling rushed tomorrow...but also, everyone else had the power to make the same choice that I made today, if they wanted.

I pulled up at the hotel a little after 3pm. Check in was easy and my room was great. Dropped the luggage and took the rental car to Whole Paycheck for groceries. Returned the rental car, got back to the hotel, put everything away, unpacked, ate dinner, and was in pajamas typing this post up by 6pm.

Worth it.

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TUESDAY

It was squalling when I woke up. Good morning, Pittsburgh.


I visited the hotel's free breakfast, which is "just ok" again but I got some peanut butter and bagels. Back at the room, breakfast and working on Foodie Finds. I got an email that I'm confirmed to do a masterclass at my alma mater, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, on Thursday. Yay! I ran through the presentation and did all right time-wise (48 minutes) considering I've had several days away.

Walked to Target for paper towels and a few household items, popped into Burlington just for funsies. Back at the hotel my Amazon order of a PPT clicker and a backup black fleece jacket had arrived. Unpacked those, ate lunch and packed myself a dinner and snacks for the theater. The rest of the afternoon was spent tweaking my K-12 presentation because that one's coming up too, and reserving a rental car for Thursday.

A little after 3pm I walked to the theater. It's the Benedum and I was here before with My Fair Lady in 2024 (part 1, part 2). I did a lot over that visit including shopping on The Strip; eating at Bae Bae's Kitchen, Gaucho, The Speckled Egg, and Mancini's; and visiting Phipps Conservatory.

The ceiling has a unique octagonal design (photo from my visit in 2024.)


As I was exploring, filling my water bottle, setting up, etc., I saw cast members and management hurriedly setting up their stations. Some of them had brought their luggage with them to the theater (not a good sign!) I found DAR setting up his dressing room and asked when the bus had finally arrived. "Twenty minutes ago!" he exclaimed. Sheesh! I moved on to digging through my trunk until it was time for sound check.

The pit is pretty large, especially with the drums remoted (the drum booth will be in the trap room this city, if I get a chance I'll take a pic so you can see.) Sound check was just fine, and the show was just fine. Audience was really great, and during intermission we had a lot of visitors like we've gotten in some of the Texas cities. Lots of kids asking questions, parents exclaiming over the instruments...it's nice! :)

I dragged all of my trunk stuff to the hotel while other people dragged their luggage. At least everyone got here safely, management was able to pivot in a very difficult situation and get everyone here on time. No one likes to cut it that close, but they couldn't have predicted our buses would be cancelled. Which by the way I discovered had something to do with an ordinance/city government requirement that there be no buses on the street during the blizzard? I don't know the details but on reflection I didn't see any buses when I was leaving, so that must have been it.

Anyway it's over now and we're here! Yay!!

I should also mention that on Monday night, our own Belle (Kyra Belle Johnson) performed at EPCOT in Florida for a special Disney on Broadway concert series event!


They had not only Kyra (the current Belle,) but also Susan Egan (original Broadway Belle) and Ashley Brown (another longstanding Broadway Belle) present, and they sang a specially arranged version of "Home" together!

(both photos from WDWNewsToday)

I can't embed video from Instagram, but please click HERE to hear part of *our* Belle's rendition of "Home." Her voice is AMAZING.

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Wednesday: One evening show. I'll get up early to do laundry and will do my usual computer work, but otherwise no plans.

Thursday: Driving to IUP to give a masterclass! Then one evening show. 

**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

Woke up feeling wrecked. I slept well, but my throat is sore...hoping that's from an hour of straight talking during the masterclass plus lots of talking with my brother and his fiancee's family, and not me getting sick. Plus it was just a long day! I was up from 5am to midnight.

Coffee and breakfast had me feeling better. Called the post office and waited on hold to try and find a package that they're refusing to deliver. USPS has done this to me multiple times and I can't stand it. If they don't want to deliver it or don't have time, I wish they'd just set the package for pickup. Made no headway at all on getting it delivered, but found out where the package is being held so will go in person tomorrow to try and rescue it. Just how I wanted to spend my morning.

Worked on Foodie Finds, and gifted myself an hour of watching Owl House.
Walked to the theater a bit early to wash out my tenor slide before the matinee (it's been smelling tarnish-y.)
At this show, the entirety of Disney Theatrical Group (DTG) was in the audience. EIGHTY people!!
Fortunately we had a wonderful show, the sold-out crowd was hyped, and overall it was just lovely.

Between shows I went back to the hotel as usual. I've gotten an offer to do a clinic at my alma mater, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, while the show's in Pittsburgh, so I sent off that information to the host and then ate dinner.

Back at the theater we found that DTG had loved the show and had left us a zillion cupcakes to show appreciation!

(photo stolen from our Stage Management team when they announced the cupcake deluge in the group chat.)

This is in addition to the huge pile of cupcakes that we received for Lunar New Year!
Cupcakes for days! I took one and will work it into my nutrition planning for tomorrow :p

The evening show was mostly-good but something went wrong with the Transformation scene. We had to do a Plan B show (we essentially do a shorter/reduced Transformation.) We still have a substitute on keyboards while Connor (Key 1) is out on vacation, and this was his first time playing the Plan B. Josh, our assistant MD and Key 2, happened to be conducting tonight, and this was HIS first time conducting the Plan B as well! They both did an incredible job!! This is why they get the big bucks!

Finally, I had a friend in the audience! Mike, who I went to college with and who is now a local French horn player and teacher. Between ourselves we didn't really make time to connect (well, he reached out but I was so freaking inundated that I declined his offer to hang out) but we chatted a bit at the stage door after the show. I hope he and his friend had a good time despite the, uh...."Disney Magic" that happened! Lol!

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THURSDAY

I woke up several times feeling like my throat was dry as the desert, so I guess that sore throat is scheming to become a throat infection. Not surprised at all. I have been stressed, it has been very cold and dry, I've been playing more shows than usual and talking a LOT more than usual. I feel very tired and under the weather, but otherwise not sick which is why I think it's likely not a virus.

That said, I decided to bow out of attending the company-sponsored tour of Philly's African American History Museum :( I'm disappointed, but there is still so much going on this weekend and I have got to prioritize whatever health I have for upcoming shows and family visits.

And THAT said, I still had to bundle up, march myself down to the T-line at 9am, ride across the river, and show up at USPS in person to negotiate for the release of my package, which they've held hostage for three days under pretense of "Package wasn't delivered because the business was closed."

It's a hotel. It's literally NEVER closed.

The good news is, the ladies working the desk were incredibly helpful. And while I'm annoyed at having to basically handle delivery of my package myself, I was still smiling and pleasant because whatever happened isn't THEIR fault. So we were all chill as they looked up my tracking and disappeared into the back...FOR 20 MINUTES. It wasn't that busy so I chatted with other postal workers while I waited and texted with Jameson. He's got THREE overnights with Disney corporate this week and is being run even more ragged than me. But he is hanging in there and still enjoying the work.

Finally, the ladies appeared again holding my package! My heroines! I thanked them profusely and ran away hugging my box. Rode the subway back, but decided to exit one stop early so I could walk through City Hall Courtyard and see if the Dublin Portal had been un-frozen yet. It was!!


I was too shy to keep filming, and it was just as well because right after I stopped those little kids started doing the "6-7" hand sign, eew :p
But it was so adorable and fun to see people of all kinds stopping to interact. Those workers in the first part of my little clip were waving and giving thumbs up as they walked by. An elderly couple stood next to me for a bit and did some jumping jacks, which both kids and adults in Dublin imitated. It was about 10am here, so 3pm their time. And it looks like our weather is similar! Seeing these lovely interactions made me feel warm inside :)

Back at the hotel I opened my box. It's candles from Bittersweet Candle Co., which quickly became my Favorite Candles Ever after I discovered the Chai candle in Schenectady. After the one I bought finally burned down I missed it terribly, so ordered another one plus the Coffee Shop scent. These will last for months and I can store them in my trunk. The packaging was beautiful...there were even dried flowers in the packing peanuts! And they sent a sample candle, a book of matches, a sticker, and a piece of candy.



This is someone working from home to make these. If you've ever had a Swan Creek candle, these are very similar and imo, better. I'll probably keep buying them for as long as they're available.

A little time to hydrate and rest, then a walk to meet an online friend for lunch! 

ratphooey arranged for us to meet at Ray's Cafe & Tea House, an absolutely adorable family-owned coffee shop in Chinatown. They do siphon coffee there and have HUGE siphons! It smelled delicious inside. I would have loved coffee but one of the joys of getting older has been suffering consequences of too much caffeine in the evening. So instead we shared a dumpling sampler and a bowl of Taiwanese beef noodle soup. 

The dumpling flavors are white = pork and napa cabbage; yellow = pork and leeks; green = veggie; brown = fried curry.
My favorite were the pork/napa, the pork/leek and veggie are tied, and I found the curry dumpling a little dry but the flavor was awesome. 



Everything was absolutely amazing (and made in-house by people who very clearly love what they do!) The soup especially was incredibly flavorful, you could tell that the beef had been braised in there for hours if not days, and the flavor was complex and rich. It reminded me, in fact, of THIS SOUP that I got to enjoy at Three Fold Noodles in Arkansas in 2023.

As we ate we chatted and learned about each other as this was our first time meeting in person. At first I had trouble remembering who she WAS on LiveJournal because she prefers to read rather than post (I totally get that!) but finally remembered, haha. I learned that she works in large-scale building design. Her company (if I understood correctly) designs hospitals and stadiums. This is actually fascinating, but I will look into it more on my own because we only touched on our jobs and then moved on to other topics like politics (such as they are, uuuugh) what's going on in our lives, and things that we enjoy or have in common. To be honest, I have been so stressed this week that I was worried another social interaction might push me over the edge. But ratphooey was relaxed, and so I felt relaxed and calm and happy to be there :) 

At one point the owner came over to greet us and make sure we were enjoying the food. I wanted to rave like a maniac about how good everything was but didn't want to come across as a nut job! Just know that I immediately shared pictures of the food to our tour Foodie group to encourage others to stop in, and that if I lived here I'd be eating here once a week. ratphooey has been coming here since she was a child, and I am JEALOUS of that! 

This was a really wonderful lunch, and I love to meet online friends in person!! The opportunity that technology has given us, to connect and meet and embrace each other, is such a privilege that we get to enjoy living at this point in human history. We got our leftovers packed up, walked to the nearest street corner, and hugged and parted ways. I believe she'll be coming to our Sunday show, yay!! 

On the way back to the hotel I swung into CVS for distilled water for my kettle and band-aids because somehow I'm out. Then I remembered MOMs Organic Market was close and popped in there for sliced turkey and hand lotion. I might have found a new favorite hand lotion to boot: it's "spicy chai" scented and I LOVE how it smells! Maybe I'll actually start moisturizing regularly if it's this stuff! 

Wow...retrieving my lovely scented candles, finding a new favorite hand lotion, waving to people in Dublin, eating incredible homemade food with a new friend...Thursday was actually really lovely :)

At the hotel I put everything away, packed snacks for tonight's intermission...and shut off the lights and got into bed. I read for a little bit, and managed to nap for maybe 45 minutes. Then later on dinner and walking to the theater as usual. For the sake of getting to bed before midnight tonight, I'm going to post early tonight and write about the evening show in the next post. Fingers crossed that it's just a normal Thursday night show! 

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Friday: NOTHING!!! Well, one show at night but I'm reserving this day for personal recovery. Laundry and resting.

Saturday: My sister Raven gets in around 10am, we'll probably get lunch. I have two shows, we'll hang out between 'em.

Sunday: My sister Kate and fam (and ratphooey!) will be here for the show. Family and I will get brunch. Packing up for the bus ride(?) to Pittsburgh. 

**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

Woke up wishing to spend the entire day in bed. But no, I've made promises.
At least I'll get to spend PART of the day in bed?

Breakfast and prepping the room for housekeeping, though at time of typing they haven't come by and I think they may not come until Tuesday. That's ok.

Yesterday I had tried to check out the SEPTA subway system here, knowing it's the easiest way to get to Xfinity Arena, but could not for the life of me find an open subway entrance within two blocks of the hotel. Today ringsandcoffee kindly spoonfed me the info that the Walnut/Locust station was definitely open (which I could have discovered had I downloaded the SEPTA app. Which I did posthaste because I felt guilty that ringsandcoffee had had to take time out of their day to hold my tourist hand.)

The circus show started at noon. The train ride was about 30 minutes plus of course walking to the arena and getting in, finding a seat, etc. Before that, I walked over to a bagel shop for some lovely fluffy bagels for the week. Then to Reading Terminal Market for an early lunch: cheesesteak stuffed pretzel from Miller's Twist!


Being from PA I've had cheesesteak many times, but never in this form. The chewy, savory, shaved steak, coupled with silky American cheese and wrapped in fluffy buttery addictive pretzel....oh MAN it was good! If I lived here now I'd be in trouble, wanting to eat this all the time!!


Anyway, got to the arena and had not trouble getting in and finding my seat.


Nearly a decade later, I am still surprised at how much it hurts me to be here...to see this. Those who have followed this blog since my circus days might understand. The five years I spent with Ringling Bros--when it was still actually The Greatest Show On Earth, and there were animals and clowns, and we traveled the country by train--are a huge part of who I am today. It was more than a job. It was a lifestyle. It was a family. And as any OG circus person will tell you, the way it all came to an end broke our hearts. I am not exaggerating when I say that the closing of Ringling Bros., after 146 years, felt as though a loved one had died.

Even nine years later, apparently there is still grieving to be done. Being here today and seeing this scene made my chest tight, made my eyes sting. To be in this arena and seeing the "three rings," which are now just floor projections and mats. And the portal, which is no longer elephant-sized, and is missing the bandstands to the left and right.


How can I describe it...seeing it this way hurts in the same way as watching an old home movie of someone you love, who's passed away. You want to watch, but it also makes your heart ache.

Well, it's a new show now. Honestly the best part for me was watching and listening to the families and children around me as they took it all in! I loved to see the kids dancing, their excitement if they were picked to be on the big screen, and they way they interacted with the clowns--I mean, er, I guess we're not supposed to use the "C" word now? Whatever we're calling these guys:


This circus is a lot more "kiddie" than Past Ringling, but that's not a bad thing. There's a Boston Robotics dog(?) named Bailey who helps out with the clown gags, and a dragon mascot named P.T. (get it? P.T. Barnum) who breakdances and interacts with a DJ. Yes, a DJ instead of a band. That was the one other thing I'll be negative about, is to say that the athletes performing have no one to "catch tricks" for them.

"Catching tricks" describes when the band goes into a vamp (repeating loop of music) until the performer does their trick, and then "catches the trick" by playing super-exciting music to complement the trick in real time. Another thing related to this is sound effects, which were especially needed in the clown gags. They keyboardists mostly handled the playing of sound effects to complement what the clowns were doing, and the drummer was prominent with "catching tricks" also, but all of us had a hand in the end effect, which was to tailor the music EXACTLY to what was happening in real time. That doesn't happen any longer.

Here's a clown gag, where you can hear the keyboardists playing sound effects and the drummer "catching tricks." You can see that the drummer has a little monitor that allows him to see what's happening better, so he can do symbol crashes and stuff when people fall down, etc. At 00:47 the band is in a vamp, and at 00:56 we move out of the vamp according to what the clowns are doing. You can tell by how the music changes.


Anyway, otherwise, my overall impression today was that it's a good show for kids. There were lots of impressive acts including Wheel of Death, Trapeze, a bicycle act where people made human pyramids while riding in a circle, several clown gags, and several dance numbers and call-and-response portions to get the audience hyped up. The female Ringmaster had great stage presence and a good voice, and she could rap really fast which was impressive.

Unfortunately I must be bad luck, because during a 4-man high act the base-man of one of their pyramids wrenched his shoulder and it looked like he barely made it through the rest of the act. Followed by one of the Wheel of Death dudes tripping on his jump rope, on top of the moving wheel, and falling to the ground. Thankfully he wasn't very high up when it happened, but he twisted his ankle and had to be helped off.

(Fun fact: the man helping him off is Alex Vargas, who has been with Ringling/Feld for essentially his entire life. He was a trapeze artist.)

No one seemed BADLY hurt, which is good. These people are athletes, and injuries are common, just like with sports.

I saw a few "recycled" costumes throughout the show, too. These pink cheerleader dresses are originally from a show I was on (see a clip of them in use HERE) and are now being used in a contortionist act.


The finale was the Human Cannon. I was amused to see that the cannon they're using is also recycled from a 2012 show.
The Human Cannon is always impressive! (Though when I was in the circus, they additionally lit the person on FIRE...)


Photo of the pre-takeoff pose.


After the show, Rob (friend and manager who got me the ticket) came out to say hello and share some tea about who's-dating-who, who's still around from the previous Ringling show, stuff like that. But it was load out day for them, so I thanked him and hugged him and wished him "See you down the road" as circus people do. Grateful that I got to see this show. A lot has changed, but it's good that the circus is still a source of fun and entertainment for so many.

Back at the hotel it took a long time to type up this post. By the time I was finished it was dinnertime! Since Tuesday would be non-stop, I decided to give myself a chill evening in and go to bed early.

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This post was split into two parts because it's long. The next post will cover Tuesday.

**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 had fallen asleep early because I was tired and stressed, and woke up slightly later than usual too.

The masterclass at Temple University is not going to go through. The trombone prof called and apologized for stringing me along, and offered to help me find contacts in Pittsburgh to set up a masterclass there (which is nice of him but he's very busy and I doubt he'll actually remember to do it.) Basically what happened is, the trombone prof offered the chance to give the masterclass, I said yes, he floated it to his Department Head who was enthusiastic and supportive...and who then went on a vacation without having approved it. So, it can't happen without approval. To be honest, I am disappointed with this outcome. But I also understand that people are busy, it didn't line up this time, and it might line up at some other point in the future.

All that said, the GOOD thing about this outcome is now I've got one less thing to worry about during this insanely busy two weeks. In fact, this means I might get to go see my friends perform at the circus on Monday! We'll see!

Anyway: breakfast, coffee, packing myself a dinner and snacks for the theater, working on Foodie Finds, and a masterclass run-through (I'm going to reduce run-throughs now that I'm NOT doing multiple presentations.) Forty-seven minutes, but it's because I've been told that a bunch of music tech/engineering majors will be attending the Delaware masterclass, so I was trying to include their field in my talking points.

After lunch I walked to the theater. It was cold but clear and nice outside.


For perhaps the first time on this tour(?) here is a theater I've never played before! The Academy of Music! It has such a beautiful auditorium!


It's how I imagine playing in a theater in Italy or Spain might feel. The elaborate gold-gilded sculptures and carvings, and the ceiling murals of muses and composers surrounded by cherubs and roses, are definitely Beauty and the Beast-coded. Intrigued, I did some research and found that the Academy was built in 1857!! WOW that's old. Not only that, it was built to be an opera house and has been a theater/opera house for it's entire continuous operation. That is very impressive!! It's a privilege to perform here, that's for sure. 

We had sound check and a break for dinner, then the show. It was packed to the rafters out there, and the crowd was great and enthusiastic. I have to say, though, that tomorrow The Creatives--the head honchos whose ideas made this show happen--will be here to watch the show and make adjustments. Of course this is a good thing, and I think we're all excited to do our best...but I can also FEEL the nervous anticipation about it. We all just want to do a good job. I'm sure that we will, but I am not alone in saying that we tend to put extra pressure on ourselves when we KNOW we're being evaluated. Tale as old as time.

Back at the hotel I unpacked my trunk stuff, had a nice hot shower, and took forever to fall asleep because I was anxious! Lol.

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THURSDAY

Up too early, of course. We had two shows today, and as previously mentioned all the creatives will be there. I was extra-anxious, but one can only do their best and hope that that continues to be acceptable for this show.

Anyway, breakfast and coffee and all the usual stuff, no masterclass run-through because today is tense enough without that. Instead I took myself to Target for a little retail therapy. Some cheap tees and some cheap slippers (this is such an old lady thing to say but I got chillblains while in Tulsa and want to protect my dumb cold feet) and some cheap Valentine's candy. 

Back to the hotel to watch Mighty Nein, eat lunch, and walk to the theater. I went early to rearrange my chair and the plexi surrounding Tim and I, because last night he'd mentioned that I'm sounding loud again. We've discovered that sometimes this has to do with our positions in relation to each other, so adjusting that can help. It actually DID end up helping noticeably, according to Tim, which is great!

The matinee was a lot of fun because we had a packed house and they were rowdy! Lots of cheering and gasping and screaming and whatnot. I love an audience that gets into it! And also I was wrong: The Creatives were not there until the evening show. Suspense! 

Walked back to the hotel in the cold, ate dinner and listened to an audio message from Jameson about his day. Bundled back up and walked back. Nervous nervous nervous. But sometimes nerves can be helpful. We were ALL nervous, but we looked at each other and smiled and said, "We'll do just fine." And we did! I thought the show went wonderfully. On a personal note, at no point did I make any mistake that I felt bad about or that I felt was noticeable. The last time we played for Koz was in Greensboro (September-ish.) I can say with certainty that my playing has significantly improved since then, and I was (relieved and) proud of how I played today. Not only that, I never forget that I am here because DAR advocated for me, and I ALWAYS want to do my very best to prove to anyone and everyone that he made the right choice in putting my name forward. That is the very LEAST I can do to repay him for the privilege of being here. 

This will not be a very Disney thing to say, but here goes: after that show, and after being so tense with anticipation for the past couple of days, I felt like I needed to do a shot!! I didn't :p because tomorrow we still have rehearsal and a show and I want to be at my best-possible. Instead I typed up this post, had a nice hot shower, and cuddled up in bed with TikTok. Aaaah, now we're talking.

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Friday: One evening show, but we have rehearsal with Koz before that.

Saturday and Sunday: Two shows each day so no plans.