taz_39 | Entries tagged with auditions

Up on Thursday with the knowledge that things are moving ahead with the Universal job opportunity.

All it means at time of this writing is that I've got orientation on Friday, it's 9 hours long and no idea what it will entail. So I'll dress nice-casual and pack a lunch and have my trombone in the trunk? Idk. Maybe by the end of that day we'll have actual job offers.

Meanwhile I've got transcription to do. Ate breakfast and worked on it, chatted with Jameson, planned to make enchiladas for dinner. Finished this messed-up transcription project and sent it in hoping I'd done everything right (it's a new scenario for me, getting broken audio.) Went to the dentist, got ingredients for dinner, made the enchiladas.

Nice, normal night.

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Up early to enjoy "me time" before Universal orientation. Did I mention that this orientation is optional? Yeah, so weird. I suppose because it was so last-minute, and because they haven't actually given anyone an offer yet? I hadn't made plans for today anyway.

It was a long day.
(IMPORTANT: I've signed an NDA with Universal. I will not be sharing any unreleased or confidential details about the new park, sorry :/ But there are still exciting details here if you're a theme park fan!)

( Universal Orientation! )

I drove home and told Jameson everything. He’s very excited and happy for me, as you may imagine! I feel guilty to have such good windfalls while he is struggling. But also, I'm not an idiot. I know that we are all dealt different hands in life at different times. And when you have a good hand, you play it.

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Saturday, I got a new transcription job and was up early to work on it knowing that my time will be limited next week.

In the afternoon I took a break to sweep the pool deck and move our furniture to the garage in preparation for pressure washing on Sunday. Then lunch and practicing bass trombone for a bit before returning to transcription (I won't get this project done before rehearsals start but need to do as much as I can.)

Jameson had a day off plus he can't do much with his arm yet, so he watched the classic Batman movies and relaxed.

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Sunday, up early and worked at transcription until the pressure washer showed up. He's done our pool deck before so I knew what to expect. While he worked I ate breakfast and continued transcription. He finished up around 11am, and did a great job.

Before and after of the whole pool deck. Notice the dark rust spots are gone in the second photo.

Before and after of the area around the pool.

When he'd left I moved all of the furniture back to the pool deck, had lunch, and went out to get ingredients for dinner. A few more hours of transcription and I didn't quite finish where I'd wanted to, but it's better than nothing. Since I'll be in full time rehearsals all week now, that means anything I didn't finish today will have to be done either VERY early in the morning, or at night after the workday.

Dinner was a pork tenderloin I found in the freezer, cooked with apples and onions and thyme and a mustard rub, with roasted potatoes and brussels on the side. It feels nice to cook again.

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Monday: First day of Epic Universe rehearsals! And, you know...transcription.

Tuesday through Thursday: Rehearsals every day, transcription, and whatever else I have energy for.

Around 9pm last night--which is well after I'd posted to DreamWidth and scheduled the usual post to LJ--I received a Universal audition results notice.

Sort of.

To sum it up, Universal is hiring through a third party. It's the same third party company that currently hires for their Mardi Gras band. The way this works is, the third party posts the audition notice, holds the audition, selects whom they'd like to use for the project, and submit that list of names/portfolios to Universal for review. Universal then selects whom THEY'D like to use from that list (if anyone.)

And only after that selection process is finished, are any of us actually offered contracts for the project, through the third party. Hopefully that makes some sense.

So what I got last night was an email essentially saying, "Congrats, we've selected you for review by Universal, and we think you've got really great odds of getting hired!"

Watch on YouTube

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That's great!
I'm not complaining.

I am 40 years old, and have essentially never won an audition in my life unless you count the recorded audition for Candlelight (I sort of do count that actually.) So this is a new and exciting experience for me.

I am also ecstatic just to be in consideration. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I'd be performing as a sub at Disney while also getting the opportunity to work at Universal. PLUS having another potential tour on the horizon. I don't mind admitting, this is more than I deserve and far more than I've ever expected all at once.

Regarding the "fly by the seat of your pants" nature of these auditions, the awkward wording in the second audition posting asking for "female presenting" trombonists, and the impression that these people kinda don't seem to know what they want yet...it's honestly a standard level of chaos for a brand new park and a brand new show. It's reminding me of Busch Gardens and the "Mix It Up!" show, actually. It was a brand new show when I was hired, and they were so desperate for a trombonist that they took me without an audition, paid me to drive all the way from California to Virginia, then I was thrown into preview night with absolutely no preparation whatsoever (thankfully I had taken it upon myself to memorize the music, but nothing could save me from choreography that I'd never been given.) I remember well how stressful it was to be thrown on stage and expected to follow the choreo of people who'd been rehearsing for weeks, in front of the entire creative team. I remember a lot of yelling and harsh words about how bad we looked (not my fault at all but it sure made me cringe) and the subsequent weeks of rushed rehearsals and drastic choreo and costume changes.

With a new show, there are a lot of creative voices trying to talk over one another, and one day one voice gets heard and implemented, and the next it's someone else so they scrap everything you learned yesterday. It's a weird and stressful process, and I feel for the third party company, for having to negotiate for us and for these potential performing jobs.

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Another great bit of news is that there are THREE female trombonists!
Myself, Andrea (who I mentioned in the recent post), and Mariah, a local trombonist just out of high school who's in a lot of local bands...notably, bands that play gaming/anime/nerd music. How freaking awesome!!
I am so excited to work with women trombonists! Theoretically they should take all three of us, two as full or part time and one as a sub. But they may have other options waiting in the wings, we'll see.

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We are scheduled for an all-day orientation on Friday, even though we won't be offered contracts/jobs by then. Interesting.

I'll be going to orientation, and theoretically by the weekend we're supposed to know whether I'll be hired at all...and then, whether I'm being offered full time, part time, or a sub contract.

Here goes nothin'.

I was of course very nervous on Sunday morning, up too early before my audition. Had a normal breakfast, sort of looked over the music (I can't practice while Jameson is sleeping), and killed time until it was time to head out.

(stock image)

The audition site was easy to find, at the Universal HR building. My instrument and phone were put through a scanner, and I was given some paperwork (a nondisclosure and a basic info form for the audition panel) which I filled out and returned, then was released into the HR lobby to wait. Several other trombonists were there ahead of me warming up and whatnot. Andrea (the only other professional female trombonist in Orlando apparently) was there too. We chatted nervously while we warmed up our instruments and giggled over our lousy faux French accents. Damn nice to have another woman in the warm-up room!

I'd only waited about 10 minutes before I was called to the audition space, a separate building but a short walk away. I was taken to the "backstage" area where one trombonist was getting measured for potential costumes, another was waiting for his turn at measuring, and a third was in the middle of his audition behind closed doors (we could still hear him.) It's inappropriate to ask what takes place during the audition, so instead I asked Waiting Trombone Guy how it went for him and he gave me "meh." The trombonist ahead of me came out and queued up for measurements, and then it was my turn.

I walked into the bright white room. There were 5-6 people sitting at the table across from me (was too nervous to count 'em.) I smiled and said, "Bonjour, mon amis!" which was one of the phrases the dialect coach had suggested. I recognized three people on the audition panel.

The next several minutes went like this:

- Played a short "can-can" piece, which went pretty well until I messed up counting my rests (but was told rest-counting hadn't been required anyway.)
- Played "When The Saints Go Marching In," which was our improv piece. I played the melody once, then had to improvise over two choruses. I did mediocre at this.
- Played a "ritz"-style excerpt. It wasn't perfect, but I think it was the best part of my audition. There were a lot of tricky rhythms, plus it was fast. Waiting Trombone Guy had said they'd cut him off partway through his ritz, we heard the guy who went before me get cut off as well, and later while I was getting measured I heard Andrea get cut off before the end. But they let me finish the whole thing, which was vaguely encouraging...no idea if it means anything.
- Was asked to hit a nearby snare drum with a stick in time to taped audio, to show that I could keep a steady tempo.
- Was asked to read a chunk of script. It was one we'd practiced with the dialect coach the night before. I made sure to move away from the music stand and try to evoke some stage presence. Though I didn't look away from the script for fear of losing my place, I did keep my right hand free to do dramatic gestures, and kept a smile on my face.
- Did some simple movements with a member of the audition panel, who stood next to me to demonstrate each movement. One was a simple can-can kick, another was that little side-to-side foot shuffle that people do at weddings when they want to dance but aren't dancing (lol), and the third one was a basic Charleston.

And that was it!

I went backstage and was measured all over...I mean all over, hips and torso and wrists and head and everything. Then I was led back to the HR lobby where I collected my things and peaced out. Phew.

Overall this went better than a lot of auditions I've had in the past. I was terrified, shaking and sweating, but the cruel and demeaning voice in my head that usually tears me apart any time I make a mistake was blessedly quiet this time. Usually my nerves get worse and worse over the course of an audition, until I'm openly trembling and barely able to play. This time I'd make a mistake and get nervous, but would be able to move ahead without the past mistake affecting the next part of the audition. A small improvement/victory.

They want to start onboarding whoever they pick within the week, so I should know results in the next three days.

I got home in time to help Jameson remove his cast!
Underneath were three incisions, all stitched up. One is on the back of his elbow, one on top of it, and another at the heel of his hand.

Wish I'd thought to take pictures of all the wrappings, because there were a lot. After he was uwrapped he enjoyed his first shower since Tuesday (eew poor guy), and I washed the bedsheets so he could feel fresh and clean tonight too :) We covered his incisions in large band-aids as instructed, and will change them out each day. We had lunch, I'd intended to practice but didn't feel like it, and then my first transcription job of the new year showed up anyway so I got started on that instead!

Jameson is feeling down about the scars that he'll have from his surgery. I suppose he didn't know how big they'd be, and right now they are of course very visible. Having survived a dog attack when I was middle school-aged, I have large scars on my left shoulder, punctures and slashes that could never fade even with scar reduction cream. So I understand how he feels. Tried to reassure him that after a while, he'll forget they're even there. Or when someone asks about them, you can make up a fun story about being chomped by sharks (this was always my go-to) or pulling a puppy from a burning building or something. Just trying to cheer him up. He smiled a bit but I know it will take time to mentally adjust to and accept the "new look."

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Monday I was up early to run errands so that I could THEN work on transcription.

Breakfast and then to the bagel shop (cinnamon raisin for Jameson, egg, wheat, and French toast for me.) To the grocery for more large band-aids for Jameson and more yogurts for me. Back home to help Jameson change his bandages, then transcription for about two hours. Lunch and practicing my Disney stuff. I'd wanted to practice my bass stuff too, but was worried about transcription because if I actually do get one of the trombone jobs at Universal, whether full time or sub, it will really fill up my schedule in coming week.

For dinner we ordered from our favorite Greek place, and for no reason at all they gave us a complementary baklava!
Their baklava are house-made and absolutely fantastic.

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Tuesday, up at 6:30 to get in an hour of transcription, then breakfast and packing up for a rehearsal day at the Magic Kingdom.

I felt a bit nervous...do I remember everything?...but that's why it's a REHEARSAL day. There's no expectation, you just do your best and see where you're at.

We played through this and that for the group rehearsal part, nothing crazy, the full band wasn’t there. There were some cute holiday decorations in the warm up room: a full gingerbread band!

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Close-up of trombones:

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I was told that they had made a whole gingerbread castle at one point, complete with flying Tinkerbell.

The band’s hats still have the little festive sprig of holly.

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It was “cold” out, so the band wore their winter jackets today. I have never worn mine, nor been fitted for one...so it was a little big! Lol

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I got to play the parade but that’s about it, just practiced on my own for the rest of the time or watched sets. It was nice to see the big Christmas tree in the Main Street plaza, and the holiday decorations still up. It is still, always, a privilege to be here.

I had been nervous for no reason. It was a very chill day, and it was nice catching up with the guys :)

After they went out for the flag retreat, I waited until 5 and then clocked out. Picked up sushi at Publix for Jameson and I.
We ate together and I told him about my day. Then he gave me this present, that had been meant for Christmas but just showed up today.
You know what? Jameson's really the best.

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Had terrible sleep because of indigestion + some vacationers nearby chose between 2am-6am to drag race their Mustangs around our residential neighborhood (like wtf, if it happens again I'm calling the cops.)

Up early for transcription, but to my surprise the audio completely stopped a full hour before the end of the hearing! It was some sort of bizarre audio error; like, I could SEE the audio track continued, but it would not play no matter what I did. When this happens I have to submit the hearing as incomplete. This case has been rife with other audio and content issues, so it's still going to take me another day to complete at least.

Jameson left for a doctor's appointment so I took the opportunity to scrub the shower, my least favorite chore. When that was done I tackled transcription again, ate lunch, and practiced THE BASS for the first time. I didn't do a fantastic job, but it wasn't horrible either, it will simply take some getting used to. The thing is incredibly heavy and even these ergonomic triggers are uncomfortable in some ways (literally all bass trombones are like this to my knowledge) so it's partially strength-building and partially making further modifications so I can play without pain.

Later on Jameson had a second appointment, this one about his stitches. They have to stay in for another week, not surprisingly.

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At the time of this post no one has heard anything about the Universal audition results. Andrea and I suspect that they won't take any of us, but will instead hire actors who can hold instruments and then play an audio track to whatever they're doing on stage. It would make sense for them to prioritize the acting aspect of the new show...and it would be cheaper. Bottom line: they told us that orientation would be on the 9th. Today was when offers would have gone out, it's now after 7pm and no one's heard a word. Oh well.

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Thursday: Transcription, practicing, dentist appointment, cooking dinner.

Friday: Honestly not sure. Cleaning? Going for a walk? Throwing out my dead plants I suppose.

Saturday and Sunday: Possibly a new transcription job, and either asking for more transcription hours or reaching out to the hat shop to let them know I'm ready to come back since Universal is apparently not happening.

Posting a day early again, but after this I should be able to get back on the regular Monday/Thursday schedule.

Very early in the morning, I was up to drive the 40 minutes to the car dealership. There was already a queue of cars waiting at 6:55. Checked in and waited for about two hours, and then the Toyota associate came back with BAD news.

It was definitely rodents. They had definitely chewed through my AC wiring, as well as the air filter and the straps holding....the AC unit?....in place. The worst part of all was that the mechanics couldn't find the dead mouse either. They suspected it was actually INSIDE the AC mechanism. Which meant they were going to have to pull the entire AC unit out. $$$$

In addition to all of that, my back rotors were basically metal rubbing metal (I had known that they were low but I literally JUST had the car at Firestone and they didn't say anything.)

The total estimate: a whopping $5300.

( Car and Mouse )
Continuing my walk, I came across this sweet little water snake on the sidewalk, absorbing the warmth of the sun.

I thought she might be dead at first, but then saw her little tongue going blep-blep. Adorable!
(CLICK HERE to see)

She was very small, only a little longer than my hand. She moved away nervously when I put my finger close.

As I continued on my way it occurred to me: 2025 is the Year of the Snake!
How lucky am I, to have seen this year's token animal!

How lucky am I. It is not lost on me.

Back home Jameson and I had Panda Express and relaxed together until bedtime.

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Friday. Up somewhat-early for the 90-minute drive to Warburton.
Breakfast and clearing the table so that Jameson could work on a puzzle if he liked (he's getting very bored, poor guy.) Loaded up the bass trombone and off we went.

Warburton is always in a state of chaos. Boxes everywhere, random pianos, a shelf full of random method books, pieces of heavy machinery, brass shavings, and of course the big black mouthpiece display boxes for trumpet, cornet, French horn, trombone, baritone, tuba, etc etc. Warburton is known for their mouthpieces and their ability to fabricate custom mouthpieces. I'm lucky that they're Florida-based and close enough to visit. At this point all of my mouthpieces are Warburton except my large tenor, for which I use a Hammond (also very good.)

Today I needed a mouthpiece for my new bass. Kimberly, who runs the shop most of the time and plays the trumpet and has a pet squirrel, was there to greet me and we chatted it up, catching up on each others' lives. I think we'd be good friends if only we lived closer. While chatting I tried several mouthpieces, starting with a 1-1/2 standard and then a few custom versions of the same, and also a 2-cup (I know that all of this means nothing to you.)

Note that today was my VERY first time playing this bass trombone, and I am WELL pleased with it. The slide is unlubricated currently so started off a little jerky, but as I played and the brass warmed it got nice and smooth indeed. The Minick-worked rotors also were a pleasure. I had a hard time filling up the horn and got dizzy/lightheaded a few times, but that is something that will go away with time and persistent practice. As mentioned in other posts, I am not a "monster" musician or a power-focused player...but I will have to become one for this gig. Or at least as close as I can get.

I pretty quickly decided on the standard 1-1/2, and Kim threw in some awesome merch! A Warburton 50th anniversary shirt (don't ask why it has sharks and fish, I've no clue) and a Quality Control sticker featuring Meeny, her pet squirrel!

We hugged goodbye and as I was about to leave, a family of raccoons showed up to snack on some kibble that had been laid out for them! A mama and two babies. Kim says there are usually two other babies and wondered where they were.
(CLICK HERE for raccoons!)

I tiptoed around the family and took off with my goodies.
Back home I got an update on my car. Still torn apart. It won't be done today, but I'm hoping for tomorrow.

I practiced my Main Street Philharmonic music because there's a rehearsal on Tuesday. This was the first time I've played my Williams since going on tour with Elf. It went rough but that's ok. Patience and practice :)

We got Pub Subs for dinner, and that seems to have been a poor choice because Jameson threw his up a few hours later :/
I felt fine, so not sure what happened or if maybe it's because his stomach is hurting from all the meds lately.

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Saturday, I was up later than usual and feeling unmotivated.
This is probably my last "chill day" for quite a while.

Breakfast and finished watching Wolf's Rain, and the dealership called to say that my car was finished! YAY!
They'd found even MORE damage to the drive belt and other parts, so my insurance is now covering something ungodly like $8000 worth of work. I would never have recovered from that financial hit. So on the way to the dealership I stopped at Dunkin' and got a gift card for my associate, who had been kind and helpful and waived all of my rental car costs. When I got there we settled up...my bill for the rotors and non-rodent work came to $1080, still not cheap but manageable. Then he showed me my car, all reassembled and smelling fresh and clean, all the feces and acorn shells removed from under the hood. He showed me where I should put blocks of Tomcat bait (I don't want to do it but he says they may come back, as he never found a dead animal + their scent is still in the car.) We shook hands, I gave him the Dunkin' card, and that was that. Hopefully my insurance deals with the rest.

For anyone who's interested, my insurance is GEICO and they have been wonderful, now and in the past when I was in an accident and my car was totaled. Highly recommend them.

On the way home, picked up my coat from the dry cleaners and got a bag of Tomcat bait. Did laundry, chatted with Jameson, ate lunch, installed the bait in my car, and practiced my Universal audition music which had FINALLY come in the day before the audition. Argh, whatever.

At 5pm there was a free acting/dialect clinic for auditionees in Winter Park, so I drove up there to attend. There were 17 people there, 7 of whom were trombonists. Of the 17 only 4 were women, one on each instrument...but TWO of us ladies on trombone! The other female trombonist is Andrea, who I knew was local but didn't think she'd be interested in theme park stuff. It was a pleasure to finally meet her in person!

The dialect coach running the clinic was very cool, and she gave us partial scripts to work with which gave us a glimpse at what we might be expected to do for this role (hush-hush of course.) And from talking with each other we were able to figure out that auditions were roughly 12 minutes apart/going to be 12 minutes long, and that the trombones would be heard first (we all had morning audition times.) And that's pretty much it...the French was fun to practice, but honestly, there's no way most of us will remember this in front of an audition panel. If I retain any of it it'll be a miracle! But it was nice to meet people and get a little more info on what to expect tomorrow.

I drove home and told Jameson of my doings, made sure my horn and music and clothes were all laid out for the audition, then we chilled.

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Sunday: Auditioning for Universal. Jameson gets to remove his cast! I should also get a transcription job.

Monday: Transcription and practicing, possibly making dinner for us.

Tuesday: A day at Disney for Main Street Philharmonic rehearsal.

Wednesday: Taking Jameson to two doctors appointments, more transcription and practicing. I should find out by Weds whether or not I'll be involved in the Universal gig.

So much happened. SO MUCH.

JANUARY:

Started the year with a layoff from My Fair Lady (I can't believe that tour happened this year?! It feels like ages ago!) During the layoff I got sick with a flu, and so was feeling crappy and on misc medications when I experienced The Worst Travel Day of My Life.

TL;DR: tornado weather in NOLA, and our plane tried to land in it twice before finally giving up and rerouting to Tallahassee. From there the touring company expected us to fly out the next day...by which point the tornado weather would be over Tallahassee. Being sick, on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to flight anxiety, and not interested in an incredibly turbulent flight again, I dug into my own wallet and paid for a rental car (which turned out to be an excellent choice.)

Here is Jim (Production Management) holding my trombone at the NOLA airport where it magically appeared on the same night that we were rerouted.

Jim (Production Management) holding my trombone, which somehow landed in NOLA on the same night that we were diverted to Tallahassee.

Also in January, I gave my first-ever masterclass in Columbia, SC! Talking to a group of students about what it's like to be a touring musician, tips for how to get into that line of work, and Q&A ranging from health on the road to favorite anime to watch. It was a very rewarding experience, and I hope to do that again someday.

FEBRUARY:

Getting to spend my birthday week with my stepmom and sister in Pittsburgh!

Later in February, my siblings arranged a 40th birthday trip to Mexico for us! An amazing treat, and finally an opportunity for Jameson to meet my wonderful siblings. All of us together :)

My siblings, Jameson, Jonah's girlfriend (now fiancee), and I.

Another magical experience on the Mexico trip was a visit to Rio Secreto, an underground river and cave system. We weren't allowed to take photos, but here is a stock image. If you're ever in Mexico this is a must-see.

MARCH:

It was women's month (or something like that) so the ladies of the pit orchestra got together for a photo. In touring shows, having six women in the pit is exceedingly rare.

Left to right we have Eileen (French horn), Victoria (Flute/reeds), Amanda (Violin), Me, Ellen (Cello), and Laura (drums).

We had an incredible sit in Chicago during St. Patrick's week. I was able to visit Eataly, experience "omakase" sushi for the first time, eat "omurice" for the first time, shop at an Amazon GO, visit a massive 3-story Asian grocery, and try a fantastic flight of Russian vodkas! And much more :)

The river dyed green for St. Patrick's Day in Chicago.

Almost forgot to mention that in Albuquerque New Mexico, I got to visit with my dear childhood friend Lauren, and spend time with my stepsister Kayle and her beautiful children!

Lauren and I. Lauren is a violinist and has taught hundreds of students in the Southwestern US.

APRIL:

Visiting the Pacific Northwest for the first time. Seeing the incredible Spokane Falls. (CLICK HERE to see the video, LJ won't let me embed.)

Other April events: finding out that I'd be sublisted with the Main Street Philharmonic! Getting and then losing a digital court reporting job (they required certification and couldn't be bothered to tell me that before offering the job.) Meeting an LJ friend,

geminiwench . And the end of the My Fair Lady tour. The show had been expected to continue on to China, but Annie the Musical took that slot instead.

A goofy photo on stage:

Photo op at the closing party :)

And back home, my beautiful vanilla orchid bloomed for the first time :)

Finally, Jameson took me to Disney's Animal Kingdom for the first time this month! There were many wonderful things about this visit, but what I remember most is getting to meet the cast of the Finding Nemo live stage show. Amazing!

MAY:

Filling in on a Florida Orchestra pops concert! It's been a long time since I did a symphony gig, so this was a very big deal for me.

Also during May 2024, my first performances as a substitute musician with the Main Street Philharmonic at the Magic Kingdom. This was...I hardly have words for how I felt. I have dreamed of performing for Disney since I was in high school, and here at the age of 40 it finally happened. It felt like a miracle.

Keith (the full time 1st trombonist) and me (his sub.)

A short reel of highlights from my first full day as a trombone sub in the park. Jameson got sunburnt, following us around all day and making sure to take footage. What a hero!

JUNE:

A happy month for me, with Main Street Philharmonic rehearsals or sets around once a week. Later on we'd find out that the budget had been cut and I'd get far fewer calls. But I was grateful for the time that I got with the band.

Other highlights from June included getting new toilets in the house, my banana tree finally growing some fruit, and finding another Williams trombone in the hands of a guy who was willing to trade for my Minick trombone!

JULY:

I was sublisted with the Orlando Philharmonic, an orchestra I've been trying to get into since moving to Orlando six years ago.

I also lost my data entry job to AI, tried my hand at being an Uber Eats driver, and a few weeks later was hired part time at a Disney Springs hat shop. Got a firefly petunia (genetically engineered to glow in the dark.)

Ate at Skyline Chili for the first time too!

Chili dog, red birch beer, cheesy fries!

AUGUST:

Hurricane Debbie, which blew through with minimal damage to us here in Central Florida.

In addition to the hat shop job, also started doing Papa Pal, which is a service to help the elderly with housekeeping, errands, and companionship. It was often difficult or emotional work, but fulfilling and paid pretty decently too.

SEPTEMBER:

Getting used to work at the hat shop, and taking Hat-A-Day pictures in the back stockroom.

Finding out that I'd be going on tour with Elf the Broadway Musical!
Going to Universal's Halloween Horror Nights with Jameson!
Disney's Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT for the first time, to see Jameson perform:

Started my federal transcription job. I was so nervous! Still kinda am haha.

Got ready to harvest my bananas!

Just two months later, and the firefly petunia was in full bloom and glowing SO BRIGHTLY. I was using it as a nightlight.

Hurricane Helene, which again did not impact Central Florida too badly but was devastating to coastal areas :( All we had was a few tree limbs, debris, and this adorable baby turtle who got blown up onto our screens.

OCTOBER:

Hurricane Milton. It's been a stormy season. This storm was the scariest of those we've endured, howling winds and damage to trees and some house fixtures, but overall we weathered it very well.

I was able to harvest my bananas right before the storm, and they were excellent.

Continued work at the hat shop and Hat-A-Day:

Voting. Not that it did any good, apparently.

Kicking off Elf the Musical in Richmond, KY.

NOVEMBER:

Getting some cool new Delta trading cards:

Jameson started rehearsals and performances of Jollywood. He also decided that he's going to have surgery to address the nerve issues and atrophy in his right arm.

Jealous that he spends time with these ICONS.

Pretty much my only Foodie Find during the Elf tour was this Japanese grocery in Stamford, CT. I could have happily eaten there every day.

An insane 48-hour journey in which I flew from Red Bank NJ to Orlando for Candlelight rehearsal, then flew out at 5am to Milwaukee for an Elf performance same-night. And all I got was this (pretty cool) enamel pin!

And then, Thanksgiving and going to see Wicked with Jameson and his parents in Milwaukee!

DECEMBER:

Elf went down to NOLA, where I didn't see much due to loads of transcription work, but got beaned by this cute Etch-A-Sketch prop in the pit!

Wanted to keep it but they took it back. Killjoys.

Completed 10+ transcription jobs. Jameson and I both got rejected from misc jobs and auditions that we were really looking forward to :/ Many times on this tour I was given my own dressing room, which is very rare and thus worth mentioning. Held a cacao pod for the first time.

If I even knew where to start with one of these I'd get one

Got to visit with my incredible, beautiful Aunt, my mom's sister. I love her so much.

On December 19th I got some incredible, incredible news which I can't share yet, but hopefully soon. Unexpectedly bought a bass trombone. Met a facebook trombonist in person by complete happenstance. Flew home to spend Christmas with Jameson, then drove up to Charlotte to finish the final shows of Elf the Musical.

It's been QUITE the year. Mainly lots of musical opportunities resulting from onboarding with Disney via Candlelight in October 2023. Going on tour with My Fair Lady was a great experience, and getting to tour with Elf was also an unexpected pleasure.

But music is not very lucrative, and financially I was a bit in the doldrums this year. Really hoping to pick myself back up in 2025.

Plant-wise, watching the vanilla orchid bloom and eating bananas that I've grown myself were the definite highlights!

Where Jameson is concerned, his year was not nearly as fun as mine. I'm hoping that 2025 will be kinder to him, and will reveal opportunities and new paths for him.

Thanks for joining me for 2024. Here's to a great 2025 for all of us, wherever we may be, whatever our circumstances. <3

After breakfast I got bundled up for the cold and hoofed it over to the nearest Bank of America, about a mile away.

I went there for a "banker's check," because the person I'm buying a bass trombone from would like to be paid that way. He lives in California, so the trombone will have to make it intact all the way across the country to Florida. It's a $,$$$ check and it made me cringe to spend that kind of money. But if I get the gig I'm hoping for, I'll get that money back and then some.

After that, walked to a Salvation Army nearby and had to wait outside for 15 minutes because I got there too early. Stamping my feet in the cold and pacing like an idiot. Finally they opened, and I warmed up and enjoyed browsing for nothing-in-particular. I'm always on the lookout for new khakis (I only have one pair left and they're very old) and black dress shirts, but I never find these things. Instead, look at this FABULOUS shirt that I found!

It's hard to see in the pic, but it's a dark blue stretchy fabric with sparkling stars all over it. The stars sparkle silver or multicolored depending on light. It was only $4 so I bought it, and we'll see if I actually drum up the guts to wear it in public.

Walked back home, and on the way received some ASTOUNDING GOOD NEWS which I can't share yet but if you're an LJ Friend you know what it is! For now I can only say that it's a life-changing job opportunity, and I DO need that bass trombone after all! Overwhelmed with this, I unpacked my things and ate lunch in a daze, then started a load of laundry and spent much of the afternoon trying to gather my thoughts.

The evening show was fine, as far as I could tell. I am in the women's dressing room this week, and while I enjoy having my own space it's also nice to sit with a group of women, chat about this and that, hear everyone's plans and upcoming auditions post-tour, stuff like that.

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Friday, I could hardly sleep at all because every time I woke up my heart and brain were racing with this new job opportunity and what lies ahead. I'll tell you this much, it's another tour. And so I had an insomniac sort of night of randomly reading a book or googling this and that to try and lull myself back to sleep.

Breakfast and only a few free hours before we had to commute to the theatre for the first of two shows. I was extra-hungry so ate a Pop Tart. Show was ok but the audience was lame, very lukewarm.

During the break I stayed at the theatre and “air-tromboned” the music for my next tour. I’ve played through it before, but now that I know I’ve GOT the gig, it feels different. I’m making it “mine,” if that makes sense. A really nice feeling.

The evening show was all right, all of our shows are well-attended right now in the lead-up to Christmas.

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Saturday morning was more exciting than expected.

Upon checking my email, was shocked to see that I'd been offered a callback on a recent audition that I took...

...yeeees, the one that I'd assumed was a public rejection, after they posted a new audition listing and started specifically looking for "female trombonists" only AFTER I'd sent my materials in. Now I guess I have to open mouth insert foot on that. The callbacks are in early January. I won't be able to access my other trombones or audition materials until the week of the audition. Which isn't a problem per se, but it means I'll have less time to work on preparing than many others. But I will do my best.

After that exciting news I walked to Shapiro's for black-and-white cookies for the band. And more excitement happened!
The cashier's name was Greg, a really cool guy who was over the moon about the fact that I'm a trombonist visiting on tour. He hooked me up with a dozen fresh cookies, and also this fabulous Shapiro's Deli shirt with a pickle on it!!

As if that weren't amazing enough, as Greg was excitedly pelting me with questions about touring and tromboning, someone came up behind me and said, "Excuse me, but are you talking about trombones?" It was my facebook friend and fellow trombonist Josh! We've never met in person, but he knew me right away (I think it's the iconic raspberry pea coat that I wear everywhere) and we got to hug and take a quick selfie. What are the odds that we'd both be in the restaurant at the same time, on the same day? How cool!

We wished each other well on our respective gigs (He's doing a local production of "White Christmas") and chatted a bit about bass trombones since I'm buying one and he's primarily a bass trombonist. But we both had to be on our way after that. Great start to the morning!

We had two shows again, and I stayed at the theater again between shows to eat dinner and "air trombone" my new tour music. I would've liked to explore Butler University's campus, but it has been bitter cold here plus most of the buildings are closed for the weekend/holiday already.

Both shows went well and were well attended. We can probably expect some nice overage pay from Indianapolis!

Also, tonight marked the final performances of Jollywood at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
I wish I could have attended at least one show, but it wasn't meant to be this year.
Congratulations to the cast, crew, and Muppets involved. What a fantastic production to be a part of!
And of course, special congrats to my dear Jameson (pictured here with his friend and fellow performer, Lea)

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Sunday, I had gone to bed late because someone in the room above me was stomping around like an elephant until 1am :(
And also got up early because that's how I am :( :(

Made the best of it by packing lunch and dinner, eating breakfast, partially packing my luggage, and starting a new Megan's Foodie Finds for the next tour :) When the sun came out I bundled up and walked to CVS for a protein shake because I shorted myself one this week, plus I feel like I've been too sedentary because of the cold.

At the theatre, our two shows felt very long indeed. The vibe, from everyone, was wanting a break and wanting to go home and see family for Christmas. Still, both shows went well and nothing crazy happened. For the first show Mr. and Mrs. Boyce (Jameson's parents) showed up with Jameson's brother Kevin and his wife Debbie. We got to chat briefly afterward, and it was really great to see them and give hugs all around :)

After the second show I felt very impatient for my carpool to hurry up and pack (I'm always the first one out of the pit) but made myself relax. A few more minutes doesn't get me to Orlando and Jameson any sooner. Before I knew it we were back at the hotel.

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Tomorrow I'm flying with the tour to Charlotte, which for me is a layover and for them is the final city on tour.
From there I'm flying to Orlando to spend as much time with Jameson as possible over Christmas.
I'll be driving back up the east coast on Christmas Day to Charlotte, where Elf will have it's final shows.

Monday: Travel day, last-minute Christmas shopping

Tuesday: Christmas Eve Day, probably unwrapping presents with Jameson and having a nice dinner together

Wednesday: 10-hour drive to Charlotte

Starting this one off with a bit of TMI (it's not that bad but if reading about birth control pills makes you uncomfortable, scroll past the dotted lines:

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I woke with a start this morning, realizing that I haven't taken ANY birth control pills since coming to Greensboro!!!
This is unheard of for me, in fact it's never happened in the 10+ years that I've been on the pill. I've forgotten single days before, a few times, but never multiple days in a row. Am I really THAT distracted lately? Surprised at myself, I took two this morning and will take two tomorrow and that will have me caught up. But it was a disconcerting thing to realize, and it's going to cause some distracting symptoms (usually spotting, bloating, weird emotions for a while)

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Thursday was breakfast, giving my trombone a bath, and enjoying one gloriously transcription-free day. I like transcription, but having jobs sent back-to-back means not a single day without it, and right now I could use a small break. Watched a little Business Insider (they have really cool educational videos on YouTube) and halfheartedly poked at some job applications.

I shared this in a Friends Only post recently: Jameson and I both experienced pretty crushing job application rejections this week. His was for a job where he had internal references and was well qualified...and he got a rejection letter within days of applying. Not even an offer of an interview.
Mine was an audition, and the rejection came very publicly in the form of a new audition notice...for the same gig...posted after I sent my materials...specifically asking for female trombonists to apply. Meaning I'm now being tagged by fellow trombonists in the comments of the listing, because I'm essentially The Only Professional Female Trombonist In Orlando, so to a lot of people I'm the obvious choice.

This has left me with the humiliating task of having to publicly respond to the tags with, "Sorry...I've already applied, so I think they must be looking for someone else..."

Anyway, I had a calm and quiet morning regardless, and was grateful for it.
For lunch I joined Todd (trumpet) and Kenny (Reed 1) for the Chinese Buffet next to our hotel. Americanized Chinese is one of my favorites! We had a nice convo and decent meal. Afterward I walked to the thrift store a little over a mile away, didn't really find anything, but there was an Asian grocery just a block over!

( Asian Grocery )

When I'd had my fun I got back to the hotel and started to rest, but then received a transcription review from my supervisors/a proofreader. It was quite long, with lots of corrections, which made me feel inadequate (i.e. BUTTHURT.) But I am glad that I've held that last transcription job back, because now I can apply these corrections to that job before submitting it. I read as many corrections as I could before it was showtime, but will have to spend part of Friday really diving in and giving it my full attention.

The show went "okay," I could have done better.

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Friday, after breakfast I really buckled down on the transcription review. No matter how butthurt I feel that my work wasn't "perfect," the only way it's going to get better is if I set that aside and apply the corrections.

To my surprise, shortly after sending an email thanking my boss and the proofer for their corrections, I got another email from them praising me for having great verbatim/formatting skills and offering me the chance to complete "urgent jobs," which pay twice as much as normal jobs but must be turned around very quickly. I said yes to the urgent jobs, but also that I could only accept them starting in the new year after I'm done touring.

Yay! This definitely helped my mood.

After that I practiced my Disney stuff (brought trombone back to the hotel again) and ate lunch, then went for a walk through the residential behind the hotel. About that time Jameson messaged to say his surgery will be on New Year's Eve. Good lord. That means I'm going to come back from tour and immediately the next day he's got surgery. Ugh, well...I understand that he wants to get it over with, and I of course want to be there when it happens. But I would've liked to unpack first!!!

The evening show was fine except the MIDI crashed (all of our sound effects.) The drummer got to cover a few doorbell/elevator sounds, and there were some voiceovers, but it was fixed 30 minutes into the show.

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Friday, I did laundry again and started transcription. We had two shows at 2pm and 8pm.

When I got to the theater I was surprised to see the kids (actor kids) waiting for me. They handed me this nerf gun with instructions to “Shoot C (drummer) on sight!” Well okay!

And who came up the stairs just then but C! Who also had a “gun!” We had a raging nerf battle and before I knew it actors with nerf guns had joined in, foam bullets flying everywhere and theater employees running akimbo through the crossfire. It was great fun :)

My aunt came to this show so I had to call a truce in the firefight so I could go hug her. She looks good! After the show we went for chicken and waffles at a local place. It had really good reviews and the flavors were good, but unfortunately our food came out cold. Still, we caught up a little bit on each others’ lives. I would’ve liked several days with her, but we take what we can get.

Afterward they dropped me off at the theater with a box of cookies from my sister Raven, and a card hand-painted by my aunt!

I am so grateful for my small but mighty family. My aunt is my favorite person in the world, and I was so happy to see her today :)

The 8pm show was all right...we have a trumpet player who is struggling right now so musically it wasn't great. But maybe tomorrow will be better.

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Sunday I was up at 6:30am, for an hour of "me time" and breakfast before starting transcription. The deadline isn't until next Saturday but if I get it done quickly I can enjoy a bit of Indianapolis.

I took a Lyft to Deep Roots Market, which is just down the block from the theater, and picked up some prepackaged tuna and a salad for lunch and dinner (only $9 for both meals + bringing snacks from the hotel.) Our 2pm show went just fine.

Between shows I stayed at the theater since I have my own dressing room, and plugged away at transcription some more with a hot cup of ginger tea. By dinnertime I was pleased to have completed two of my three audio hours, which is very good progress. The evening show was fine...unfortunately not better than previous shows, so I guess we musicians are going to be crawling across the figurative finish line for these last two weeks of tour. Whatever, I can only do MY best on MY music; I can't control what others do or do not invest in putting on a good show.

After the show and while waiting for my carpool, I signed our wall tag (yes, we FINALLY got one!)
It is a very beautiful wall tag, too!

Photo:

Video showing more details is HERE.

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Monday: Travel day to Indianapolis, groceries, transcription.

Tuesday & Wednesday: More transcription and probably laundry.

Thursday & Friday: Maybe I'll have time to explore!

It was a normal travel and flying day.

We left the hotel via charter bus at 7:30am, and our flight was at 11am, direct.
It was a lovely thing to step outside and see the sun and feel that temperatures were NOT in the single digits!
No offense, Wisconsin :p

We were at the hotel quickly. I've been to NOLA many times, with the circus and with various tours, and it is not one of my favorite cities. There's a lot to see and do, but it is also so incredibly run down, the infrastructure is crumbling, and it's clear that a lot of the people who live here could use a hand. In other words, the place has never been the same since Hurricane Katrina.

Usually the touring group I'm with is put in a hotel directly on the touristy strip (Bourbon St.), and from there we'd walk to the Saenger to perform. I hated this walk. Feces and urine on the sidewalks, huge holes in the sidewalk or just dirt where sidewalk used to be, drunks fighting or scammers trying to shine your shoes, tourists overindulging and throwing up right in the street. And all of the stores selling alcohol or weed or cheap tchotchkes. It was only between 3-5 blocks depending on where we were staying, but it was totally disgusting and I hate, hate, hated it.

This time we are in a hotel on the OTHER side of the Saenger, closer to the highway. And while the strip is still right there, we don't have to actually walk through it to get to work. It is significantly quieter on this side, the theatre is only two blocks away, and I can tell already that for the first time ever in New Orleans, I'm not gonna have to dodge piles of shit and vomit to get to work!! What a joy!!

Ok enough badmouthing NOLA. I've been here MANY times, there's lots of culture and beauty in this city AWAY from the strip (Examples from 2012, 2014, 2016, 2021, and this January!)

I did the usual thing of dropping luggage and walking to the grocery. I've been here so many times that I knew exactly where it was without directions. You have to walk through a residential to get to it, and I always enjoy the unique houses here and the big ancient swampy trees.

Stocked up as much as I could, knowing that we have extra shows plus I'll be doing transcription. Lugged the groceries back, unpacked, showered, ate dinner, typed this up, then two hours of transcription before crashing in bed.

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Tuesday I was up early for transcription. Checked out the hotel breakfast and they do grits instead of oats, which are delicious but are very low on nutrients, so I'm probably just gonna make my own breakfast here (I'll still steal the bagels and peanut butter though :p)

Most of my day was spent on transcription with a break for lunch and to hit Walgreens for a jug of distilled water for tea.

In the evening, a lovely short and uneventful walk to the Saenger.
It was shocking to realize that I've now performed in this theatre with THREE different tours: Tootsie, My Fair Lady, and Elf.
My phone automatically connected itself to the wifi, that's how often I've worked here!

The theatre looks a lot like a Fox, with plaster statues and columns framing a sparkling starry sky. It's a beautiful place to work.
(CLICK HERE to see my view from the pit)

The pit is a bit in front of the stage, so I can see a slice of what's going on, for once. Yay!
Also, one of the props is going to be coming up from the pit this week: a gingerbread fish used in the opening scene (I've posted a picture of it here before if you want a closer look; now it's got some sparkles added to the frosting bits too!) It's my absolute favorite prop because of A) how ridiculous it looks and B) how often I see it hanging out in random places backstage.

Here are some crew "testing" the gingerbread fish being "caught" from the pit!
(CLICK HERE to see some gingerbread fish action!)

The show went smoothly, personally I had a few weird moments because I was incredibly distracted, one because I could see the stage and kept wanting to watch, and two because there's a pre-audition happening in Orlando right now for the new Epic Universe theme park. They want a clarinet, trumpet, and trombone, and the audition packet is due on the 6th...which is VERY soon. I hadn't planned to take it but the pay is very good, and during the show I was getting badgered by other theme park musicians to at least submit, so I guess that's another thing to add to my to-do list this week. Anyway the show was fine and it was nice to be back at the hotel in minutes.

Oh, and I finally got to see the snow effect near the end! It's so cool!!
(CLICK HERE for flurries)

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Wednesday up early again for transcription and also to try and address this sudden-onset audition.

Plugged away hard at transcription until job 1 of 2 was done, sent it, ate lunch, and recorded the non-performing parts of my audition packet (an "about me" and a sample of my ability to produce a fakey French accent, of all things. Don't ask.)

When that was done I hunted down some old Busch Gardens footage of myself playing "Mix It Up!" on the Italy stage, figured out how to download it from YouTube, and chopped it up into highlights of me dancing around and tromboning in my bright orange chef's outfit. This is because the audition notice said they needed to see us move around while we play, "a la Blast." "Mix It Up" was a Blast-themed show, so although my footage is incredibly old it's still evidence that I have done such a thing and could certainly do it again.

This took a really long time because I'm not good at video editing.
And then I ultimately decided to submit my whole application packet today.
Originally I was going to record more stuff on Friday, but Friday IS the due date and I don't want to risk it.
With the remaining daylight I got the trombone out and played through only half of my memorized Disney stuff.

After that I made the difficult decision to use a laundry service this week. It's very expensive and I hate doing it, but my time is just SO tight this week. Fortunately I got the best laundry person in the world; she picked up my laundry tonight AND returned it tonight!! I gave her the biggest tip that I could because that is incredible (typical turnaround for this service is between 24-36 hours)

Tonight's show went well. There are bubble machines attached to the outside of the Saenger theatre that simulate "snow," and after the show they were going crazy, I stepped outside and really thought it was snowing for a minute! Didn't get footage but maybe another night.

As expected, I haven't had time to do diddly-poo so far here in New Orleans. Womp womp.

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Thursday: Two shows and transcription before and between them.

Friday: One show so lots of transcription, a walk for god's sake, and possibly more Disney practice.

Saturday: Three shows, I will not have time for anything! They are giving us meals between shows though which is awesome.

Sunday: Two shows and packing up for the trip to Greensboro.

Having been let go from nursing home data entry forever, I am now looking at the following opportunities:

- Diving into the gig economy: I am waitlisted with Instacart and Amazon Flex, and have set up a food delivery account with Uber Eats. I've also got Papa Pals fully set up. Papa Pals pays about $17/hour, which is $5 more than what I was making at data entry, so even if I can't hit 30 hours per week I should be able to break even with that. There are other work apps that I'm looking into, like Instawork.

- Getting a part-time job: The highest actual possibility here is the kennel on Disney property, which is a Disney affiliate and whom I've worked with before. Cons: it pays same-or-slightly-better than data entry for much harder work; it involves outdoor work in the heat, and getting dirty (slobber, dog poop & barf, etc); it may not be flexible enough to allow me to continue doing Main Street Philharmonic. Pros: the manager is likely to work with me at least a little on flexible scheduling; getting to interact with puppies is nice most of the time; it's on Disney property so if Main St. Phil does call and I AM allowed to leave, I could get there pretty quickly. I am hoping the upcoming interview will help me decide if this is the best option.

- Getting a full-time job: The most inflexible option and the one for which I don't have a realistic offer so far. I have a supposed application to be a library assistant (FT temp) that's a 40-minute drive away but pays $17/hour. Jameson's dad has also offered to have me work for ClassWallet, which he's apparently involved with in some way, but he'd have to clear it with his superiors and I don't think he'll be able to do that. Overall a full-time job is unlikely to let me scoot over to Disney when I need to.

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Monday I woke up at the guilt-inducing, late late hour of 8am.
Breakfast and job applications, applied for two and bookmarked a few more for later.

Then a fight through theme park traffic on I-4 to get to Whole Paycheck for shrimp and other dinner ingredients, and my favorite meal supplements: Mezcla bars, Koia shakes, NuGo bars. You might be tisking my choice to shop at an expensive grocery store while out of work, but please remember that as a Millennial I will never have/haven't earned the express privilege of health care, so my "health care" is eating quality foods even if it costs more.

Back home, more job applications and lunch. I didn't feel like practicing so dusted the ceiling fan blades and the lights above the bathroom vanities, changed our bedsheets, cleaned the bathroom (since I'd gotten dust everywhere,) washed a load of towels, and applied for several more jobs that I'm sure will never call me for an interview.

Despite all of this griping, I have said over and over again that if getting to be a circus musician for five straight years means I have to scrub toilets for the rest of my days, I'll do it. I meant that and I stand by it.

Dinner was air fryer coconut shrimp with mango salsa, rice, and snap peas. It was good but the shrimp by itself was pretty bland, next time I want to add something to the breading (the flour dredge was seasoned but the panko was not.)

When we went to bed I had the idea to bring my little firefly petunia into the bedroom.
Although the flowers and buds have all died, the foliage is looking a lot better, and the plant glows so strongly that I can see it now even if the room is not completely dark. It was an amazing thing to see it softly glowing on the nightstand as I fell asleep.

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Today, July 23rd, is my and Jameson's 11th anniversary!

We aren't married, however if there were Common Law in Florida, we certainly would be.

(Yeah I know I've used this pic a zillion times already, we don't have a lot of recent pics of us together, ok)

It doesn't feel very special because we didn't make plans, it's just a random Tuesday. But it's kind of amazing to think of all we've been through together: the circus, a long distance relationship, relocating multiple times, the pandemic, several surgeries, touring, Florida-in-general, physical and mental struggles, good cooking, bad cooking. Politics. It's kind of wild. We have our struggles (dare I say we are in a fulfillment struggle right now, both of us!) but there's no one I'd rather face all of this nonsense with than Jameson.

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Tuesday started with me getting up at 7:30 for no reason. Not like I have anything to do but apply for jobs.

Did that, had breakfast, got gas and got to my kennel interview. Ended up waiting for 10 minutes for a 5-minute interview with my former boss, who is suuuuuper busy. She essentially said, "Look, I know you can do the job, but I'm hiring for multiple locations now and it'll be a week or two before I get back to you." This is actually ideal for me so I said, cool, just let me know.

Then I had a random moment of inspiration, realizing that a new bagel place had just opened recently in Kissimmee and that they had multiple locations around Orlando. So I called, randomly got the manager of the Orlando location on the phone, and he asked if I could come in for an interview same day. They have a morning baking position open that would be from 4:30am-1pm or 5:30-2pm, something like that. This would allow me to get a 6-to-8-hour day most days, and if they're flexible I could get to Disney if they happened to call. It wasn't clear if that'll be doable or not, but anyway the hiring manager was nice and their bagel flavors are pretty cool (cacio e pepe, Old Bay, vanilla, and more!)

Obviously I bought bagels before leaving!

(Image from West Orange Times)

I got two vanilla sprinkle bagels, a cacio e pepe bagel (which the hiring manager gave me for free!) and some banana pudding cream cheese. If nothing comes of this, at least I got tasty treats :p

From there to Staples to pick up a laminated copy of my Papa Pals Terms, to protect myself from being taken advantage of. I also printed some resumes because I want to do a legwork run of Disney Springs and Old Town, this week or next.

Very clearly, as a lazy Millennial, I don't want to work at all.

ANYWAY back home I'd planned to practice but Jameson had a migraine so instead I broke down boxes for recycling, took out the trash, looked for more jobs, then was a lazy ass and watched a bit of anime. Did practice later, memorizing all of my Halloween tunes. We took it easy since Jameson still wasn't feeling well, I applied for more jobs. Made sure to bring my plant to the nightstand to be my nightlight again :)

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As if losing my job wasn't enough, last night right around midnight a fraudulent charge was made to my bank account. I called Fraud Protection right away and they said it was through an app partnered with PayPal called Xoom, which I've never heard of or used. And the charge was for $$$$, way more than I'd authorize right now. Weirdly this charge isn't showing up in PayPal itself, so I don't know what to make of that. But anyway I did all I could, and now have to wait for the charge to actually hit my bank, according to my bank. Which is torture but whatever, I can only react and hope to get my money back.

Breakfast, got dressed in slightly shabby clothes for my Papa Pal visit. Repotted the firefly petunia (because the internet said I should now that it's recovering) and checked on the banana (it's fine.)

The Papa Pal work was fine, it was another bathroom cleaning which is gross but what did we say about scrubbing toilets for life as backpay for five wonderful years as a circus musician???

(stock image)

So I scrubbed the toilet and the sinks, swept and mopped the floors, and even managed to vacuum the bedroom carpets for them before my time was over. It was only an hour's service today, and it was pretty far to drive; next time I must remember to book at least four hours' worth for this distance. But that's why I'm starting out slowly, to learn and get things right faster.

Back home I ate lunch and used my remaining energies to pack up my work-from-home setup.
It was this:

...and now it's this:

A nice empty space. The bed is still covered in trombones lol.
I felt low-energy after this, so mostly rested when I should have been doing something, anything.
(I did apply for more jobs after dinner.)

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Thursday: Walking around Disney Springs to apply for jobs in person. Practicing trombone, making dinner.
Friday: 11am-3pm job fair, I certainly won't stay for the whole thing. Packing for my last scheduled Disney day.
Saturday: Last scheduled Disney day. I was going to go to Miller's Ale House afterward and invite anyone from the band to come along, but as of now am not feeling it.

Sunday: Nothing. Probably just catching up on job applications and making dinner again.
Monday: Start getting familiar with Uber Eats + scheduling more Papa Pal visits for the week.

Monday was a "day off" which really only means no data entry and waking up an hour later than usual. I scoured for jobs but wasn't seeing much (it IS kind of early after a holiday weekend.) Went to get bagels, and put air in my tires and gas in my car. Came home for lunch and trombone practice, then off to The Fresh Market for dinner ingredients for tomorrow.

Not sure why I chose Fresh Market over Whole Paycheck...I rarely go there because their selection is less extensive. But it turned out to be a really good choice, because while I was out there was a deadly hit-and-run at the 1-4/192 intersection, which is my exit to get home (and also exactly where I had my one and only car accident back in 2019.) As a result the highway was closed and all traffic was redirected onto 192. Which sucked for me, but so much less than if I'd been coming down I-4 on the way back from Whole Paycheck with a car-load of groceries in 100-degree weather. OR if I'd been anywhere around when the accident took place.

At home I had a moment of wonder at the universe, that I should pick Today Of All Days to deviate from my usual pattern, saving me from whatever horror show had happened on the highway.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

After unpacking the ingredients I made some peanut butter popsicles using this recipe from TikTok. Jameson sent it to me, which is his passive way of saying, "I hope that you will make this for us at some point!" This one was so ridiculously easy that I saw no reason not to just whip it up right away!

- 1/2c peanut butter (any kind, we are trying JIF No Sugar Added)
- 1/2c Greek yogurt (the comments said to use vanilla so I got Siggi's which is low in sugar.)
- 1/4c sweetener of choice. The author used allulose. I wanted to use monkfruit but it turns out that's got erythritol in it!! WTF!! So used confectioner's sugar instead. And only added 2Tbsp which is half what is called for.
- I also added a pinch of Maldon sea salt though it wasn't in the recipe, it seemed it would go well for the peanut butter.

After we'd had dinner they were frozen solid, so I dipped them in some leftover melting wafers that I had lying around.

These were SO GOOD. Tasted just like peanut butter cheesecake. Rich and decadent and creamy. I'd like to make these again but it is a VERY high fat recipe, probably intended for people on the keto diet. So my lower-fat, lower-calorie version will use PB Fit (defatted peanut flour) mixed with a chocolate koia shake. I think this might reduce creaminess, but I'll bet the flavors will still be incredible.

I input the ingredients for both versions into MyFitnessPal.
If you are into low-carb dieting the original recipe is for you; if you're trying to reduce fat and/or calories, the bottom version.

Just a bit before bed I got an email for a job interview with a bank, that will be via video chat on Wednesday. Sad that I'm not qualified for skilled labor, but grateful to be considered for something that pays more than $12/hr.

Also, checked my data entry email and saw that our company meeting tomorrow is mandatory and will have "important information." I'm a little nervous about what that could be, being the low wage cog that I am. "Important information" announced at "mandatory" company meetings is generally, in my experience, bad news for low wage workers.

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Tuesday I was up at 6am and plugging away at data entry, because I'm cooking dinner tonight AND want to go for a walk AND have two Disney days at the end of the week. Jameson and I went for a walk, and although it was 85°F the heat index was 98°F so it felt awful. But we made it.

In the afternoon was the mandatory meeting for my data entry job.
( Drama at Work )

Well. The rest of the day was normal.
For dinner I cut into our beautiful home-grown pineapple.

Look at the difference 48 hours has made! First pic from two days ago and second pic from just now.

It was perfect, and so much better than store-bought pineapple! Not stringy, hard, or acidic. A beautiful golden color, loads of juice, so flavorful and sweet. I'm so glad we'll have plenty of it left over after this recipe!

I hollowed out the pineapple skin to use as a bowl (why not!)
The chicken thigh stir fry was easy, but I messed up the rice terribly, it ended up overcooked somehow despite following the directions to the letter. Still, Jameson enjoyed it a lot. The star of the show was definitely that pineapple, though the chunks of chicken thigh were also tender and delicious. I'd make it again with some small changes :)

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Wednesday, up at 6 after a poor sleep. Slammed through an hour of data entry, a quick breakfast and back to it, because at some point today we'll be required to switch to the new AI-training method and I'll never again get to process audio interviews again.

My interview went "ok" I suppose. I'm grateful to get to the interview stage...that's very rare. But after the interview I was sent yet ANOTHER evaluation. So far, for an entry level bank job, I've filled out an application, taken two skills tests, done a one-way video interview, done a video chat interview, and completed a "personality" evaluation, which is supposedly the final step.

I have never, never been hired for a job that required a personality evaluation. I suppose because I never select words like "Exciting!" "Enthusiastic!" "Talkative!" "Social!" and instead choose the characteristics that I actually have and that no one seems to want, ho-hum things like "punctuality," "efficiency," "dedication," and "empathy." Whatever, just, finding out that there was a personality evaluation dashed my hopes because it generally coincides with not getting the job.

Jameson went to a rock concert in the evening so I was on my own for dinner.
As dusk was falling, a special plant arrived in the mail for me! I'd pre-ordered it back in April. A "firefly petunia!"

You can read all about these amazing plants HERE.

The TL;DR: There is a scientist who has been trying to genetically engineer bioluminescent plants since the 1980s. He was successful with splicing firefly DNA into a tobacco plant, but the luminescence didn't last long and wasn't very bright. He has since been experimenting with DNA from glowing mushrooms, and has just this year succeeded in consistently cultivating bioluminescent petunias! This is not only valuable commercially; scientists can also use the bioluminescence to study plant growth and development. There are already plans for more/more varied types of bioluminescent plants in the future.

Here's the box:

Unboxing. The plant is in a sturdy plastic enclosure and has a little cardboard disc on top of the soil to keep it from flying everywhere. Comes with care instructions (which are exactly the same as those for a regular petunia.)

I think for normal climates this would have been excellent packaging, but the plant arrived in Davenport and then spent the entire day, from morning until evening, on the back of a UPS truck in 100-degree weather. The pot was VERY warm to the touch and the plant must have been steam-cooking in its own juices inside that plastic pod :( It looks ok and wasn't entirely wilted, but there were lots of dead buds and certainly it was stressed.

I decided it would be best to put it on the screened back porch, because keeping it inside would be at least a 20-degree difference and I think that would shock it. It will also be in the shade for a day or two so it can adjust without getting scorched to a crisp.

So, this is essentially a beta, a prototype of new technology in the form of a plant. It doesn't glow like in the ad photo (the company is VERY clear about this) but it DOES glow and you can see it in a dark room with the naked eye. To get the glowing you see in the photo all you need is a long exposure camera/a phone with night mode. Which you would need anyway for pretty much anything you want to photograph in a dark environment whether it's glowing or not.

Once I'm sure it's not going to shrivel up and die, I'll get some pics of it glowing!

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And that's the week.

Tomorrow is just another day, then I've got two Disney days in a row.
We now have seven sets instead of five, they'll be shorter but the breaks between will ALSO be shorter so idk how to feel about it. It's definitely gonna be even MORE walking :p

Trying to switch over to LJ's "new" editor, I've put it off but after assisting a friend this week, realized that I should make the switch. Things might look different.

I was up at 8 again on Monday, breakfast and to the bagel place, and Lowes for the right kind of plant soil and a plug for our toilet pipe, grocery store for dinner ingredients. Traffic is already getting weird out here in anticipation of the holidays.

It feels kind of cantankerous to say this but as an adult, I've really grown to hate most holidays. The disruption to my work schedule and public services like trash pickup; how awful it is to drive or shop in Florida specifically; the inability to go see family or friends because everyone lives so damn far away. With the exception of Christmas, I often want to get through the holidays as quickly as possible so I'm not sitting around just WAITING for life to resume.

Once the groceries were put away I got to work re-potting the misc plants. I separated out all of the pineapples, and it turns out there were THREE pups in that bucket with the parent pineapple! The two larger pups got their own pots, the smallest gets to stay with Mommy Pineapple, who got planted in the ground.

Then I moved the lemon tree to a larger pot in the hopes that it'll become a medium-sized lemon BUSH over time. We shall see!

After watering everyone and getting cleaned up, had lunch and went thrifting a half hour away at a fancy Goodwill. It was meant to be retail therapy, a sort of treat since I won't get to travel/go on tour this year. Unfortunately it didn't feel fun, mainly because there weren't dressing rooms! Trying stuff on is a big part of the experience, I was disappointed. But I did get new pajama pants and a small black purse (haven't owned a purse in years) so there's that.

Back home I practiced and did more work, then made veal piccata and did a very poor job of it too. Searing meats, and making sauces-via-reduction are a big weakness for me. Thankfully it wasn't AWFUL, just not very good; the meat was chewy and the sauce was gloopy, but the flavors were fine and the sides were normal. Jameson is so patient with my sh*t lol.

Jameson called the plumber today and they're "Waiting on Lowes" to proceed, so my pessimistic estimate of "at least one week" without my own toilet has now been extended to "at least one month." No one seems to feel a sense of urgency about this, so, fine. I grew up in a house with one toilet for five people. This isn't an emergency, just annoying, and since I seem to be the only one annoyed this is a "me" problem.

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Tuesday, back to work at 6am. I have a Disney day on Saturday so I will have to put in extra hours earlier in the week.

Forgot to mention that I got sublisted for the Orlando Philharmonic yesterday. The principal trombone, whose name is Jeff, called to confirm that I was interested. Being on the call list does not guarantee that you'll ever be asked to play. But it is farther than I EVER thought I'd get in the classical world.

Ironic Story Time: When I first moved to Florida I auditioned to be a substitute trombonist for this very orchestra! Over a hundred trombonists showed up, they had to extend auditions across four days, and each audition was only about 3 minutes long. All of this just to be a substitute, not even for a guarantee of work. Because of that, this audition was the straw that broke my back. I could not believe how oversaturated the trombone market was; how many people spent hundreds or even thousands of dollars to fly across the country only to hear, "That's enough, thank you" after only three minutes. I never took another orchestral audition after that one, because it had been such an incredible waste of everyone's time, and I could not justify participating in a system like that any more. And now, hilariously, six years later, here I am getting sublisted for that same orchestra, WITHOUT AUDITIONING. What a sense of humor God or The Universe must have. Stuff like this makes me think there must be a trickster god.

Anyway, a normal day of data entry. And I cleaned the bathroom since we won't get the toilet until who-knows-when. And applied for more jobs. And discussed with Jameson what to make for 4th of July dinner.

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Wednesday up at 6am again to cram that work in (but what I'm actually doing is buying time to be able to run errands and do chores and take care of my health.)

I've been wanting to get exercise but it's been so ungodly hot + it's the rainy season, so today I did three hours of work and then took a walk at 10am. At ten in the morning it was "only" 87°F/29.44°C. If you're thinking, "That's not so bad," guess what, the heat index was 100°F/37.77°C. At ten in the morning.

But I walked and was glad to get the blood flowing, even if it was incredibly uncomfortable.

Back home more data entry and lunch, then Jameson and I took off to different grocery stores, him for his weekly items and me for 4th of July dinner ingredients. I'm making Chicago dogs, sweet corn, potato salad, watermelon, and a "berry dump" for dessert. In other words the only "cooking" happening is boiling hot dogs and corn (I bought the other stuff premade.) The berry dump will be from scratch, though. Jameson returned with candies, chips, and High Noon seltzers, so between the two of us we have all we need to celebrate absolutely nothing because America is incredibly awful right now :)

After dinner I prepped for the berry cobbler. This is actually a combination of two recipes: "Any Berry Dump" from Half-Baked Harvest, and an apple bourbon crumble recipe from NYT Cooking. I use the berry part from Half-Baked and the crumble part from NYT and it's heaven, have made it before for us and for guests with great success. One key step is to soak your fruit overnight in bourbon, brown sugar, and vanilla (and spices if you're going for fall flavors, which we are not here.)

This time I am using blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, and one apple. Cherries had a good growing season this year apparently, they are huge and juicy and dark and only $2.99 at the grocery.

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As I write this it is pouring out. It hasn't rained for two days so I'm glad, the bananas and pineapples need it. Ideally it will rain tomorrow too and ruin everyone's expensive Disney plans because I'm a grouch and feel anything but patriotic :p

In closing, here is a snippet of a nursing home resident's paperwork that was shared in our group chat. I admire her so much!!!

Monday I was up at 6am. I have two full Disney days this work week and a dentist appointment. Not sure how I will make my 30 hours for data entry but will do all that I can. Emailed my boss to let her know I may fall short, and the reasons.

Work, lunch, tromboning, work. I was surprised to find that by 3pm I'd logged 6 hours! I felt stiff and my eyes were watery from staring at a screen for the entire day, but this is the kind of week it's going to be.

Jameson was coughing a lot, and he had a long meeting that evening, AND he found out that the Potential Awesome Job he's been waiting to hear back about is most likely not going to happen (someone else hired someone else before his friend could recommend him for the job, if that makes any sense.) I am crushed for him. Every time he gets his hopes up things come crashing down. AND he's sick right now. My heart is breaking for him constantly lately :(

I got us pizza while he was in the meeting.

After dinner while we were trying to relax I had a text exchange with the person who'd intended to hire me as a digital reporter after My Fair Lady came to an end. He texted to ask whether I was still training for reporting. Nope, sorry my dude. We had agreed on a start date, then two weeks before that start date you told me I needed a two-month certification program. It was nice of him to offer to cover the cost of certification, but that still meant I was out of work until it was completed AND I had stopped applying for work because I'd thought I'd lined up a job AND I'd already bought all of the equipment needed to begin said job. But I ain't mad. I ain't mad.

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Tuesday I was up at 7am, not early enough for data entry before Disney but I really wanted that hour for sleep.

This time rehearsal was blocking (physical movement.) Our Encanto medley has actual choreography, so we mostly worked on that and then added When We're Human at the end because that one has just light choreo. The guys were patient and accommodating, and I did well, but moving + playing the trombone is not my strong suit so I felt uncomfortable.

The result was when we went out to do our first set, I didn't play my best. Not terrible, but I was more hesitant and timid than usual. On the upside my choreography for Be Our Guest, Under the Sea, and Wanna Be Like You was improved over last time.

I was excused from the parade (they feel I've done it enough to be comfortable and also Keith was bored and wanted to do it) so I used the time to practice Encanto blocking. Then we did one more set (musically much better, I was pleased) and then I FINALLY got to do the flag retreat for the first time. I was nervous but it went just fine.

As we were packing up my boss said if I could come to rehearsal on Thursday we could run Encanto again, then on my first day on my own (Saturday) we could perform it in the park. Of course I couldn't say no! But this would mean truly no time for data entry, so on the way home I canceled my dentist appointment to try and gain some time back.

No photos/videos this time because I didn't have anyone in the park to record today.

Jameson said his head was splitting all day, and along with the coughing I think he's got one of the covid variants. My poor cookie.

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Wednesday, 6am, data entry and breakfast, more data entry.

After lunch, buying new sunglasses because I dropped mine yesterday from waist height and they absolutely shattered. Cheap crap. If this next pair breaks I'll invest in, like, brand name ones.

Practicing, more data entry, packing a lunch and things for tomorrow's rehearsal.
It feels weird to have more than one Disney rehearsal in a week, but I sure am grateful for the money (one 8-hour day at Disney = 20 hours at my data entry job.)

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Tomorrow Disney rehearsal,
Friday data entry,
Saturday my first full day as a substitute musician at the Magic Kingdom.

Jameson had planned to come watch my first day, but if he's still sick of course he won't.
I was gonna make caramels for the guys in the band too, but because of the extra rehearsal I don't really have time and will push it off until my next full day, the 21st.

On Thursday I recorded my audition.

If you're Friends Only you know the deets already...so as not to bore people in this public post I'll just say that this was an audition for the non-equity tour of Hadestown. If you've never seen the show or heard the soundtrack (neither had I until this audition), the band is on stage with the actors and consists of violin, cello, guitar, trombone, bass, drums, and piano. The band is part of the show, wears costumes, interacts, etc. It's a VERY involved trombone part.

It took about two hours to record, and I did the best I could in the moment and in a style of music that I'm deeply uncomfortable with. Now to await crushing disappointment. I'm grateful to have been given the chance to audition...this is an epic trombone part, and I've never worked with this production company before, so to be allowed to audition is a privilege. But having never won an audition before (unless you count Candlelight this past Christmas) the odds are I won't win this one either.

The problem is, because I tried, there's now HOPE.
As a pessimist, I shake my figurative fist at it. Blast you, hope! I was perfectly miserable enough until you came along!

Other than the audition it was a normal day. I did data entry, and when it was dinnertime I made us air fryer chicken tenders. They were good but nothing special.

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Friday more of the same. I woke up relieved not to have the audition looming over me any more, but anxious about how behind I might be on Disney memorization. And I also REALLY need to practice the movements. I feel a little overwhelmed, but it's all pressure I'm putting on myself; I'm not going to lose the gig if I don't quite memorize everything by the deadline (so I've been reassured.) The pressure is coming from a social/professional perspective: I don't want to be the weak link who couldn't hack it. That's all.

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Saturday, wouldn't it have been nice to sleep in, but no. I'm behind on work because of the audition. My boss did know about it and gave her blessing, but I have guilt.

So, up at 7 on a Saturday to get in 3 hours of data entry, then lunch and cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming, mopping the floors, and driving to a great bagel place I've recently found because I'm still in my Bagel Era and damn do they make good bagels. When I got back Jameson was back from the gym, and was slightly put out that I hadn't brought HIM bagels, but he's been doing a lower-carb-thing and I'd thought he wouldn't want them. I'll get him some cream cheese tomorrow and a bagel and that should mollify him.

After lunch I practiced Disney stuff for 1.5 hours, which is a long time for trombone.

In the evening we drove to Orlando's Fringe Festival with some of Jameson's friends, to enjoy a hang and see some shows!
The first show was called Waiting Room, it was interactive. They had us fill out "intake forms" and wear headphones with three stations to choose from: Wait FM (music), a "sponsors" channel with ads for other Fringe shows, and I forget what the third channel was but maybe it was talk radio? There was kind of an implied Sci-Fi theme, something about "bonding with your shadow" and a lot of questions about birds (there was a QR code to about 10 different surveys, most of which had at least one bird-related question.) It was kind of a spin on the "birds aren't real" thing.

Anyway, our group was eventually called in from the "waiting room" and we had a fun little interaction with an actor...who asked us questions about bagels!! Well I sure came prepared, didn't I! The question was, "What's the best bagel you've ever had?" and of course I had to describe the bagel I got from Allie Boy's in Milwaukee: Pumpernickel bagel with chicken liver mousse, crisped chicken skin, date syrup drizzle, bacon, and chives. Before leaving we were also asked our favorite bird (mine is the cara cara.) I felt very seen with this activity...bagels and birds, two of my top subjects :p It was chance that things turned out that way but it made the experience especially funny for me.

We ate at "The Lawn" which is just a bunch of food trucks and a bar parked on the grass near Orlando Shakes (the venue.) We got pulled chicken BBQ sandwiches and drinks (mixed drink for Jameson, wine for me.)

The next show was sort of a Scooby-Doo-themed...thing....I don't know how to describe it? It was like a more adult Scooby-Doo mystery with a lot of sexual stuff thrown in, and a bit of sideswiping at Christianity/the picking and choosing of scriptures to control or hurt groups of people who don't fit a particular mold. I got it, and it was a funny show, but it was also quite weird and a bit forced with the message. The acting and singing, however, were excellent. A good time was had. Jameson and his friends knew several of the actors, so we got to say hello afterward.

We didn't get home until about 1am, but we had a lot of fun and got to blow off steam. I needed that, after all the tension of performing in the park and memorization and auditioning. Jameson needed it because he's more social than me, and he's had a rough week of inner anxiety waiting to hear about a potential job opportunity. We think the holiday weekend has been part of the reason for the dead silence from his "interviewer," same for me this weekend, I don't expect to hear anything until Tuesday at this point.

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Sunday I did not want to be up early, but got up at 8am for breakfast and data entry. I'd like a break from Disney stuff, just one day of not playing it or listening to it, but don't think I'll get that. So after lunch, that again too. Didn't memorize as well as I wanted, but did get to practice some of the movements by playing along with videos, so there's that.

Then I went to the grocery store for dinner ingredients, and back to the bagel place since Jameson had been put out that I hadn't gotten him bagels (I got him a sesame and a cinnamon raisin, his favorites; and a big cup of cream cheese :P)

Dinner was shepherd's pie baked potatoes, recipe from @cookingwithcarby on IG or TikTok.
Baked four potatoes, hollowed them out, filled them with ground beef that had been simmered in a red wine beef broth with garlic, onion, rosemary, parsley, oregano, pepper, salt, tomato paste, Worcestershire, and veggies.

Le simmer (CLICK HERE to see)

Filled potatoes, topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and melted cheese.

These were very good; the filling was exceptional, and I want to remember that recipe for use in pasties, with steak.
I needed to hollow out the potatoes more, hence no cross-section picture as you could barely see the filling. Luckily there was plenty of filling left so it'll be easy to add a spoonful to leftovers.

Before bed I forced myself to do more data entry. I need a mental break tbh. Not an outing like Fringe; just a day of mindlessness and quiet introversion.

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This next week I am thankful not to have an in-park rehearsal at Disney. It means I don't lose a full day of data entry, and I'll have more time to memorize too (it's much easier to memorize in the quiet of home, than the hustle and bustle of the Magic Kingdom.)

I anticipate a slow week...and we hope that Jameson will hear back about his potential job, and that I will hear the results of my audition.

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But Wait There's More
Audition Results Addendum
Universal Audition, Jameson's Arm, and More
Year of the Ssssssnake
My 2024 in Pictures
Elf on Tour: Indianapolis part 2
Elf on Tour: Greensboro part 2
Elf on Tour: New Orleans, LA part 1
Day in the Life of a Lazy Millennial
Producing Your Own Energy
Any Fruit Dump
Sorry My Dude
On Hope, Shadows, Birds, Bagels, and Potatoes

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goofball on a train

(adventures of a touring musician)

Entries tagged with auditions

But Wait There's More

Audition Results Addendum

Universal Audition, Jameson's Arm, and More

Year of the Ssssssnake

My 2024 in Pictures

Elf on Tour: Indianapolis part 2

Elf on Tour: Greensboro part 2

Elf on Tour: New Orleans, LA part 1

Day in the Life of a Lazy Millennial

Producing Your Own Energy

Any Fruit Dump

Sorry My Dude

On Hope, Shadows, Birds, Bagels, and Potatoes