IT'S SNOWING OUTSIDE!

I received an email yesterday from the assistant dean of graduate studies, telling me that I was recommended to apply for the position of administrative director for the performing arts camp they have here every summer. I'm not sure how much it pays, but the responsibilities are similar to what I did when I worked full time res life, but it's only 20 hours a week instead of a full time job. So I applied...what's it going to hurt. The worst thing is they tell me no. Plus, if I get it, I make more money, which is always helpful when you're a full time DMA student with a crappy paying assistantship.

I guess it's official that I'm teaching the string pedagogy class, because even though I haven't signed a contract, my name is in Webadvisor as the professor, it's under My Courses in Blackboard as You are teaching.... and I've already had students ask me about the class next term. So I'm just waiting to sign an actual contract. I'm heard rumors that adjuncts get $2000 for each course they teach, but I don't know if that's true or not. I kind of hope it is..that's almost an extra $400 a month!

Fritz and I are getting ready for Christmas...we have two Christmas visits this year, one to his parents and then one to mine! It's going to be fun but completely insane.

It is December!

I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping. ALMOST. I still need to get a present for my mom and my friends Ashley and Sherri.

If I can get through these next two weeks, then I can have something of a break. Just practicing and starting research for my dissertation. And I guess studying for comps, since I'll be taking those in the summer now.

I'm off to teach a lesson, and then back for class. At some point I need to check my mail and go to the bank. I'm on call tonight...whoo hoo!!!

Where did my break go???

Fritz and I got back to VA around 1:30pm. I've already gotten unpacked, done homework, put together my little's gift for initiation tonight, got my books together for book buyback, emailed my students, emailed some coworkers and did the duty schedule for December. Later tonight we have our SAI initiation ceremony, and I still have a little bit of homework to do.

Break was awesome. We hung out with Fritz's parents for most of the break, and it was just what I needed. Nothing to do, no obligations, it was awesome.

Tomorrow that all ends...school starts again, with more homework and classwork. At least we don't have orchestra this week.

Christmas shopping is getting there...slowly.

I'm still waiting for the conservatory to have me sign a contract for adjunct faculty next term.

Things are starting to slow down a little bit, but not a lot! Today included proctoring three tests, going to class, baking cookies, baking a pumpkin cheesecake, scrubbing the kitchen, taking out trash, making a present for my lil sister, grading said tests and going to a couple of recitals.

Tomorrow includes lots of laundry and finishing packing for our trip to PA.

My teacher is trying to get my assistantship changed for next term. If they can get a lot of students in chamber music groups, her load will be too large. Then, I can teach private lessons to her non music majors and minor students, instead of being in orchestra. If that happens, then I can take the chamber lit class that is being offered. Then I can take two classes over the summer, and be finished with my coursework. I plan on taking my comps at the end of the summer, so I can begin my dissertation next fall, and hopefully graduate May of 2011, right on schedule. Of course, getting a job is a different matter.

Where I teach private lessons is also talking about using me as a sub at a private school for a few days...I guess the music teacher there is having surgery and they'll need someone to help out for a few days. I could use the money for Christmas and to help pay my bills, so I hope this works out.

I sent my violin flying across the parking lot the other day on accident, and broke a string. So now I also have to order an E string. ugh.

I finished my paper for MULT 556 and my baroque dance suite for counterpoint. I'm very close to having my etude database finished...I have three more books to go through and I'm completely finished. There are finals, but I'm not worried about those.

For next term, I've been asked to teach string technique and pedagogy to the undergraduate music education majors. This will make me adjunct faculty! It's not like I'll make a tone of money or anything, but I'm pretty excited.

Once or twice a month, I look to see if there are any schools hiring. Recently, the only school hiring is Texas Lutheran University, in Seguin, Texas...it's near San Antonio. I don't really like Texas. I hope other places open up! hahaha!

Two more days and it's Thanksgiving break. I'm making a pumpkin cheesecake to take with us, and I think I'm going to make gingerbread cookies too. I'm also cleaning up my apartment, doing laundry and attempting to put music and books in order.

I've finished my paper for music of the romantic period, and I've finished my baroque dance suite. Now I just need to finish my database for my applied rep class.

I've also gotten registered for next term. AND I've been hired to teach string techniques to the music ed kids, which will make me technically adjunct faculty. Not big, but it will look somewhat good on a resume. I won't get a big pay raise or anything like that, just a bit of extra money every month along with my assistantship.

Speaking of my assistantship, my teacher is trying to get it so that I can teach her minor and non music majors, instead of playing in orchestra. These students only get half hour lessons, and there's only 5 of them, so that would cut down my time to 2.5 hours a week instead of 6 hours spending time in orchestra.

I'm pretty tired, I've been sick since the middle of October. It's basically just been a chronic sinus infection that keeps moving to my chest and then back up to my sinuses. I'm hoping it will go away sooner than later.

Fritz and I are going to his parents for Thanksgiving. I'm making pumpkin cheesecake and we're taking a bottle of Lambrusco with us. Lambrusco is this awesome red wine we got one night at, of all places, Olive Garden. You serve it chilled, and it's really sweet. And delicious!

I'm hoping some gigs will come up in December...paying gigs. There has to be a church somewhere that needs people for Christmas music. I've been thinking of maybe getting a part time job over the break to make some extra money, but I could only work up until the 22...most places want you to be able to work the day after Christmas and so on. I'll be staying with Fritz, so I was thinking maybe the mall across the street from his apartment. I'd rahter play some gigs though...they're easier.

And I'm sick again. This is getting ridiculous. I have to call wellness and make another appointment. This time, I have to see the nurse practicione, this is getting stupid.

I'm almost done with my baroque dance suite. I finished my paper for my romantic class. I'm getting on it...I'm getting stuff done, despite feeling like shit.

Fritz and I are going to his parents' house for Thanksgiving. It will be lots of fun, we like to play card games and stuff. One of the days, Fritz is taking me to Hershey Park! Yay!

Happy Birthday Lori!!!!!!

So on top of all my school stuff, I have to find the time to reinstall Windows Vista...it seems that my laptop doesn't want to download any updates...this is caused (as Microsoft support tells me) by a corruption in the Component Based Servicing (CBS) manifest. For windows vista, the only way to solve this is to reinstall the whole damn thing.

I've run a sfc/scannow in the command prompt as an administrator, and


OH, and my itunes is being a dick and not downloading the four songs I purchased for a listening test...so I had to go find the songs on naxos and youtube. I've paid for the four songs, but I can't download them...or my weekly podcast of This American Life. Itunes support was of no help. I'm wondering if my windows vista issue is causing this issue...it was just recently that I haven't been able to download anything from itunes.

In other news, things are slowing a bit...kind of. I turned in my 12 page final exam for music of the romantic period today. It was only supposed to be 8-10, but oh well. I'm still writing my paper for the class, which is due on November 23, the same day my baroque dance suite is due for counterpoint. I have to compose a sarabande, two minutes, two bourrees and a gig. So far I have the sarabande and minuets done, but I need to get on the bourrees and gig. I'm almost done with these projects, it's just finding the time to finish them which is causing a pain.

And I'm also working on my applied rep project, cataloguing all the viola etudes. I'm almost done with that as well...Ms. Lederer never set a due date, so I'm just going to try to work on it when possible and get it turned in to her before the end of the semester.

I can't wait for Thanksgiving break!

It's a Saturday night, and I'm working on composing minuets for my counterpoint class and doing other homework assignments. I'm so nerdy and geeky, I can't even find anything to do on a Saturday night but work.

Actually, it's been really busy. On Friday morning, I was up at 6:45 to get back to Winchester in time to drop something off for SAI. Then I went and taught two classes, and then met with my little for SAI to help her study for her exam, then I had a lesson. Then from 2:30 until 6:30, I helped with VACUHO, a RA conference that we hosted this weekend. Then I went and played violin in a recital for a singer. Then I came back to VACUHO until 11pm. I stayed up until midnight working on my paper for my music lit class. Went to bed.

Got up this morning at 6:30am, had to be at the student center at 7am. Helped with VACUHO from 7 until 9:45am. Then went to history of romantic music class from 10 until 5:30. Then came back to VACUHO until 7pm. Then went to Krysztof's viola recital. THEN came home real quick and then watched a movie with Ashley. Then came back to the apt. to work on more homework and stuff.

Needless to say, I'm going to be soon. I have a gig in DC tomorrow and I need to be at the hotel at 12 noon, so I need to leave here around 10:15ish, so I need to get up at 9am. After the gig, I have to go teach a violin lesson, then come back to the apt. to meet Fritz.

I just keep waiting for Thanksgiving break...I really just need a day to clean my apartment and organize things and so on. Plus I could use a couple days off! hahahaha!

I'm still waiting to hear about my financial aid for next year. That will determine what I do for this coming spring term and this summer. And will also determine when I take my comps. And when I can start working on my dissertation. Which I now have to change my subject because the composer I want to write on only has one book written about him, and it's not in print anymore. There is a copy at the Library of Congress, and that's about it. I can't base my dissertation on one book.

Okay, back to minuets and papers!!!