goofball on a train

Here are my Asian snack reviews for the stuff we got from H-Mart!

• Chocolate Churro Turtle Chips: 20/10 I can see why these are viral. DANG! The texture is amazing and the flavor is chocolate with a little spice and crispy sugar. Really really good, grab these if you see them.

• Fruit/Veggie Electrolyte Drink: 8/10 No artificial sweeteners, just a lightly sugared/salted drink with a mild fruity flavor. Rehydration without dyes or weird ingredients. Very good!

• Wasabi Shiitake Chips: 10/10 These were way better than expected, crunchy and light with a mild wasabi flavor (I do wish they were spicier.) Lovely texture and not overly mushroom-y or earthy. I will keep an eye out for these and get em again.

• Pumpkin Yakgwa: 5/10 These are fried honey-soaked cakes/cookies with pumpkin powder added. They are good, but very oily and the flavor of the oil kind of overpowers both pumpkin and honey for me. Ok but I wouldn’t buy them again.

• Pine Bud Drink: -5/10 Eugh. I’m a person who LIKES other pine-flavored things, but this was too sweet and it was like sugary PineSol. Nope.

• Grape Jelly: ??? Haven’t tried yet but I’ll bet it’s good :P

• Hawaiian Pineapple Citrus Soda: 9/10 Just like Olipop sodas, even the ingredients are mostly the same. Delicious and refreshing!

• Tokyo Banana: 7/10 Lovely packaging, soft sponge cake with a smooth creamy banana filling. Flavor-wise it’s nothing special…just a basic prepackaged dessert. But grateful I got to try it since they’re hard to find!

• White Peach Ice Cream: 20/10 Another viral hit, the flavor and ultra-smooth texture were 🤯🍑 Like oh my GOODNESS. The white chocolate coating was soft, not crunchy, so it felt like biting an actual juicy peach, with loads of sweet cream. If you want to treat yourself to something really special and unique this is IT. They’re expensive but absolutely worth trying at least once in your life.

There ya go.

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FRIDAY

Jameson and I were both up early. I placed an Instacart order, had breakfast, and wrote the review above while Jameson went for a mental health walk. He wants to get outside more to see if it will help with both depression and losing a little extra weight, and I wholeheartedly support this. I love that he will often (not always, but often) step up and take initiative himself on things like this, even when depression tries to stop him from helping himself out. Not everyone can do that.

The Instacart arrived a little after Jameson got back, everything was accurate so we'll have a nice dinner tonight. Put it all away and practiced trombone for a bit, then had the BATB safety meeting via video chat.

The topic was "Unannounced Law Enforcement Visits," which of course refers to ICE without outright referring to ICE. A lot of reassurances were given, which imo were needed since ICE is now being sent to airports and we have quite a few international cast members, some of whom happen to be POC, many of whom may travel independent of company-booked travel, and who may fly overseas for visits home. And imo considering how we've seen ICE behaving, any and all concerns or fears related to ICE are completely valid and should be discussed. I did find the meeting to be reassuring for the most part, though all of this nonsense of being illegally detained will continue to be a real concern for EVERY American until someone else is in the WH. But anyway.

Lunch with Jameson, then he went back to work for a bit. I requested tickets for our show for my sister and her family in Hartford, since she'd had to cancel in Philly due to a winter storm. The show is still very sold out in Hartford, but no one has said they're revoking or limiting our house seats like they did in Philly so hopefully my request will be approved.

Also, most (definitely not all) of the 2026/2027 tour dates and cities are now live on the company site.
LaughingPlace wrote a brief article about the extended route. Is your city on the list?


There was another company meeting at 2pm about social media. While waiting for that I mixed up an elote sauce for dinner tonight, which is street corn chicken rice bowls. The social media meeting was informative, nothing else really to report about it. After that a little rest, then I made our dinner.

Chicken breast cubed and rolled in Mexican spices (cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder) topped with roasted corn, red onion, mayo, Greek yogurt, cotija cheese, and lime dressing, served with brown rice and avocado. A drizzle of hot sauce added after this pic.


It was very good and very easy to make. I will see if Jameson eats any of the leftovers and that'll tell me if it's worth making again :p

After dinner we listened to Jameson's Queen II Collector's Edition vinyl, which he'd just gotten in the mail. It comes with not only the vinyl but also several CDs and a 112-page book, high-quality photos of the band, etc. Jameson is a huge Queen fan and was thrilled to hear this album (and I was happy to listen along; I may not be a superfan but I can appreciate musical genius.)

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SATURDAY

I was up early, Jameson slept in. I enjoy having quiet coffee time in the mornings :)
Boston Foodie Finds work, a vague shuffling around of my tour items because a week from now I really will be packing to go back. We had a slow and rather lazy morning, then hopped in the car for Disney Springs. We somehow managed to catch almost every red light, so it took nearly an hour to get there! Crazy!

Our destination was The Boathouse, which is supposed to be upscale but this is Disney Springs so it was packed with sweaty tourists and huge family groups, kids crying and screaming. The restaurant is huge, however, and we were taken to a quieter section (there were still loads of poorly-behaved children around but we were away from the dueling pianos at least and could hear each other talk.) Placed our drink orders and received some honeyed dinner rolls.

Jameson's ridiculous hard blueberry lemonade. I angled my phone intentionally to make it look bigger, but it was pretty big!


Despite the lovely aged steaks, lobster tails, raw oyster bar, and other delicacies on the menu, we observed that nearly everyone around us was ordering the Wagyu sliders and the side of fries. I'm guessing that's an affordable option that can still feel like a special lunch. Especially if you have little kids...sliders are perfectly sized.

Jameson had the shrimp and andouille mac and cheese in a spicy beer sauce. I was surprised because he doesn't usually go for sausage, but he said it was excellent and not too salty.

I had the seared coriander-crusted yellowfin tuna, with blistered shishito peppers, sitting in a soy lime vinaigrette, with wasabi mayo and sriracha on the side.


The tuna was fresh, clean-tasting, meaty, and cut like butter. The peppers and vinaigrette added perfect seasoning and pops of flavor. This was a strategic choice because it had no carbs or heavy sides, thus leaving room for THIS MONSTROSITY:


Key Lime Pie for Two! I felt that it was more of a cheesecake situation than the traditional custard pie, but it was still damn good. We each lopped off a big chunk of it, but there was still a large 1/3rd left when we reached our limit. Phew! But it was worth it!

After that we walked around the Springs a bit. Near The Boathouse is Chapel Hats, and some of you may recall that I worked there in 2024 while between tours. Therefore it was mildly traumatizing to go back in, haha. Anyone who's worked a retail or service industry job knows what I'm talking about. But it also felt good, because seeing it reminded me how hard I worked here (and for very little pay.) Doing my best without knowing what would come next. Now I get to look back on that period...a past life that helped get me to where I am today. It wasn't that long ago, but it feels like a lifetime has passed since then. So much has changed.

We tried to visit the LEGO store but there was a huge line, so instead we scoped out the Christmas store for potential gifts for Jameson's mom, then decided to head home. On the way we stopped at a LEGO reseller that we'd noticed in a strip mall. It was pretty cool, but considering that most of their sets were used they were selling at near-new prices, and that was a bummer. Still, it was fun to look. Back home we watched the end of the Cubs game and rested and digested. Jameson ate a light dinner, then because a cold front was blowing through we went for a walk. It was windy and cloudy but much cooler than you'd expect from Florida, and I'm glad we'd done a walk because it felt nice :) We talked about this and that...I think we were both feeling kind of pensive today. Talking about past jobs, and Jameson dreading regular colonoscopies soon while I wondered out loud what menopause will feel like when it's fully upon me (I think some peri has started already.) As mentioned in other posts, Jameson is feeling his age lately and struggling with it, and I of course am thinking about it more as well by proximity.

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SUNDAY

I was up early, working on Boston Foodie Finds again and starting a load of laundry. I'd finished breakfast by the time Jameson was up. He went for a walk and I practiced bass while he was gone. Folded my laundry, he started a load, yada yada, domestic stuff. We watched an episode of The Traitors UK while I tried to figure out what to make for dinner tomorrow (air fryer panko pork chops, butter noodles, and candied carrots I believe.) We watched the Cubs game and ordered subs for dinner. It was a very "nothing" day...and I'm ok with that. 

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Monday: Picking up dry cleaning and ingredients for dinner, practice, and beginning one more round of cleaning.

Tuesday: Cleaning the bookshelf using Dust Battle tactics, probably changing our sheets, practice, any other chores I'm up for. No other plans. 

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.