You can go back in time afterall.

The Ugliest Bike and Build Shirt. Ever.

Biking Down the Coast

I'm in the New Orleans airport, waiting for my plane to Orlando.  Over the next week, I'm biking from Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, and then building in Fort Lauderdale for 2 days.  New Year's Eve will be in West Palm Beach, and we're basically just biking down the Florida coast the whole time.

It's going to be great.

I can't wait to see my friends and sleep on my thermarest and eat peanut butter and jelly... not to mention getting to ride my bike all day, and not think about anything else.  I might even be able to see some long-lost cousins.

I was just at home in Lafayette, LA for the past week - I ate and ate and ate (so much for Jews not getting fat over the holiday season), and then ate some more and drank a little (but mainly just ate), and in between all the eating, I managed to see some friends and run a bunch, and hang out with my parents a lot (so much so that we started to get on each other's nerves by the end; that's always the sign that you're not neglecting your familial duties).  I worked on my paper some, practiced a bit, watched lots of movies, and celebrated Hanukkah in person with my parents and over Skype with my sister (we all lit the candles together).  I even got new clothes I probably didn't need.  It was all pretty much perfect.

So now onto my last adventure before heading back to the Northeast to study and practice and cross my fingers that I'll get a job.  It'll be good to be back and settled and ready to start the year (not to mention getting to see Zach again), but I'm definitely planning to cherish this last week of freedom.

So, with any luck, I'll have lots of beach pictures to post over the next week.  For now, I just have to figure out how to put my still-dirty-from-the-summer bike together once I get to Orlando, and I'll be all set.  

And of course, a wonderful continuation of the holiday season to all of you.  

Only in River Ranch

I am SKINNY!!!

Okay, not really.  Not at all, actually.

But, I have managed to lose about 10 pounds this semester.  Which means my pants fit again.  And which also means that I have, in fact, finished this semester under 140.  (A few weeks ago I said it would be a miracle if that happened... maybe I should have requested my miracle in some other form??)

It's not even about the numbers though - it's that I feel much better.  Running is easier, and I'm not always conscious how my clothes are just a little too tight.

Now, I just have to keep it off during the 1.5 weeks of biking I have coming up.  (Biking always leads to weight gain - believe me... and don't tell me it's all muscle, because that's just bull.)

Along the same lines - one good thing about being Jewish is that you don't gain as much weight over the holidays.  I swear it's true.  You don't have the big Christmas meals, or the huge family get-togethers.  Yeah, we still have to deal with the mass surplus of snow hindering ability to get outdoors, and of course the urge to hibernate with a big pan of macaroni and cheese, but I still think Jews just have it a little bit easier for once... and that's kind of funny.

 

So anyway - that's it... just a quick update from Gloversville, NY, where there are 6 dogs in the house and single-digit temperatures outside, and despite either of those things (or because of them?) it's really relaxing and completely enjoyable to be sitting in bed with my computer, working while waiting (how's that for alliteration?) for Zach to get back from work.

He Got Me Flowers

I didn't know you could make a list about happiness, but I guess you can make a list about anything...

I know I'm not supposed to, but I really like tags.  

Triteacher asked me to write about six things that make me happy in an effort to define happiness.

Six things that make me happy?

I'll go for eight, because eight is just a much better number than six (sorry, Piper).  

1) This picture.  I got it this summer in Abeque, NM, where Georgia O'Keeffe had a house and spent much of her time painting.  It's just a postcard of her setting out for a trip, but her grin just makes her look so free.  Considering that she was supposedly a really cranky person, I love that by looking at this picture, you would never know that.  I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of her art, but that's really beside the point.

2) Bike and Build. Last night, I packed for my winter break.  I hate packing.  But, as I was grumpily throwing stuff around, I started getting my Bike and Build gear together.  I found my camelbak and it made me smile.  Then, I noticed that the CornNuts I got on the last day (the ride from Point Reyes to San Francisco) were still there.  Opened, but not finished.  I kept them in there; I hope I don't ever eat them (although, really - they're so processed anyhow; I'm sure they're just fine 3+ months later), but I have no intention of throwing them out.  I can't wait to ride across Florida (and back!) and see my friends in just a week and a half. 

3) Boyfriends turned Friends.  I'm really happy that some people (despite failed relationships) are still in my life.

4) Boyfriend.  I'm happy; that's all I have to say about that.

5) Mudslides.  The dad of one of my best friends from home makes the best mudslides EVER.  They'll knock you out with one delicious sip, but I could drink them forever.  They remind me of Christmas (which has amazingly come to mean something to me despite that I don't celebrate the holiday), being at home, and friends that last a lifetime.

6) Playing the flute.  I love being able to express myself.  That's why I like blogging too, I guess.  But with music - it's not so raw.  You can partly hide, but still put yourself out there.  As cheesy as it sounds, and as much as I sometimes hate being tied down to a musical instrument, playing the flute makes me feel free.

7) Running. And biking. And swimming. I may not be all that great at any of them, but I've completed an IronMan, and that makes me really proud.  I love the atmosphere at races, and within the athletic community in general.  I'm so happy I've found this additional outlet that not only keeps me healthy, but allows me to meet so many people I would never know otherwise.

8) Last one.  Damn.  There are so many things.  But I guess it's most important to acknowledge family.  From my awesome sister and parents to my aunts and uncles and grandparents, I have a great family.  Of course I'm thankful for them (that should go without saying), but just knowing they're there makes me really happy.

So there you go.  Eight things that make me happy.  And there are so many more:  Black tea with milk and sugar.  I'm getting my Doctorate soon!  Cameras and darkrooms.  The New Yorker.  Bumper stickers.  Magnets.  CEREAL.  My bike.  Nice folders.  BOOKS.  Cowboy boots; really, boots of any kind.  Old pictures from the 80s.  My kitten.  Neatly folded clothes.  East of Eden.  James Dean.  Snow, sometimes.  Sun, other-times.  Computers.  Typing really, REALLY fast.  Lacing up running shoes.  Running in the rain.  The little notes my dad puts in packages.  Vermont.  

I enjoyed this tag.  So, thanks, Triteacher.  I don't know if other people like to be tagged, so I'll put it as an option.  No 7 years of bad luck or anything else if you don't complete the tag, but if you want to... (It's supposed to be 6 people, but considering I upped the happiness list to eight, I'll up the tags too... it's only fair, right?)

TriGreyhound

Dagfinn Fang

TriSaraTops

Donald

Liz

Lauren Nelson

Little Miss Runner Pants

DC RainMaker

Lessons, anyone?

Today, I ran one of the slowest 5K races I've ever ran - and it wasn't easy.  My chest is still tight from almost dying when I crossed the finish line.

I want to get faster again.  I need to get faster again.

Even if I don't realistically have any shot at qualifying for Boston with the Pittsburgh Marathon in May, I still want to improve on my last time (3:59:47).  Then I can try again at next year's Philadelphia Marathon.

But, I haven't given up on Pittsburgh yet.

So - it's time to really start figuring this running thing out.

[Next week in Gloversville will be difficult because of the sub-freezing temperatures and snow, but I'll do my best.  And then in Louisiana the following week, I'll start hardcore marathon training.  Progress will have to be put on hold while I Bike and Build over New Year's, but I'm determined to at least keep up with minimal marathon training - and then when I get back from vacation on January 6, I'm going to be running like I've never ran before.]

I'm not going to wuss out.  I'm going to really try, and so even if I fail - I'll be okay with that, as long as I've done everything I can.

And so as this hardcore running is about to start, does anyone have any secrets to running fast? 

All I know is to run a lot, run far, and run fast.  Last time, that worked for me.  So, I know I can do it - but it's just a little depressing to realize that I'm so far from my peak - and that even my peak was a good 10-15 seconds/mile too slow for a 3:40:59 marathon (I ran a 1:47 half when I was at what I would call my fastest in February 2007).

But, I'm going to put all of that out of my mind and just go from where I am now.  I don't really have any other choice, so there's no point in being grumpy about it.

The thing is, I actually kind of like him.

I just got back from the doctor.

I haven't been able to get rid of the ringworm, and this morning (after spending an hour painstakingly applying nail-polish, toothpaste, and tea-tree oil, along with the prescribed lotion), I freaked out and decided to go back to the doctor.

Maybe they could give me a shot.  I don't take shots; I'll avoid them at all costs.  But to get rid of this ringworm, I'll be first in line.  Give me the shot.  Just get rid of the damn fungus.

So I go to the doctor.

As a precursor, I hate going to the doctor.  I haven't been in years, and then for some reason this past semester, I've gone upwards of 10 times.  The people at the front desk no longer ask for my ID; they know me.  It's pathetic; they probably think I'm nuts.

So I go to the doctor.

I tell him I put nail-polish on the spots.  He looks at me like I'm crazy.  I tell him I'll try anything at this point.

He looks at the spots, and says he's not convinced it's ringworm - that it's too 'controlled'.

Okay.  It's controlled because I've been attacking it with any and every liquid and paste in my medicine cabinet.

But no - he thinks it's pityriasis rosea. He shows me the pictures - he could be right - they look a lot like ringworm.  WHICH I HAVE.

I tell him the cat had ringworm, and wouldn't it be a little too much of a coincidence to get this weird ringworm lookalike disease at the same time that the cat had ringworm?  And oh yeah, the anti-fungal cream works, to a certain extent, anyhow.

Well, he says.  It could be both.  You might have both.  

Really?  I have 2 weird skin mutation diseases at the same time?  With the same symptoms?  I was sure he was joking.  But no - he really thinks it's both.

And this pityriasis rosea just leaves on its own.  So his advice to me?  Just leave it alone.  And stop it with the nail-polish.

I tell him that if I left it alone they'd become huge lesions (I hate that word, by the way), and that the nail-polish actually seemed to make the spots smaller.  AND, I felt like I was doing something about it.  AND, it burned a little, which made me feel even more like I was doing something about it.

I like to feel proactive.

So he laughs, and says I can do what I want, but to refrain from using bleach or battery acid (the other internet-found options I mentioned).  I say okay (I knew that anyhow), and ask for an oral anti-fungal.  

He won't give it to me.  

I hate him.

I tell him he's like House, and is just coming up with a ridiculous diagnosis so he could feel like he discovered something.  I ask again for the oral anti-fungal.

He won't give it to me, and I still hate him.

He says he doesn't like the show House; I tell him to watch Grey's Anatomy.  He laughs; he's a funny guy; I really like him.

He tells me to get a different kind of anti-fungal cream, on the off chance that it's ringworm and it's become immune to the first cream. But that he thinks I probably have both diseases.

Right.  The off chance - because my cat had it and it was reacting well to the anti-fungal stuff before... UGH.  

He said goodbye and that he would be curious to know what it looked like in a month.  IN A MONTH THIS BETTER BE DONE WITH OR I'M GOING TO LOSE MY FREAKING MIND.

But the crazy doctor won.  I went to the drugstore and got the Lotramin.  If it doesn't work, I'm calling the doctor at his house on Christmas Day.

Music Department Holiday Party

I came back from running and saw this. I have to convince her I love her more than I love the computer.

She thought she was getting away with something.

22 years and counting

Tomorrow is my last class, ever.

Okay, I know that's a little extreme, and there are certainly possible scenarios that would entail me returning to school.

But, as long as I'm continuing along this music path (barring me attempting a Ph.D in musicology or theory), my last class will be tomorrow afternoon from 1-3:40.

And I know it's not that big of a deal; next semester I'll still have rehearsals and flute lessons and required school stuff.  But, no more classes.

And since the past 22 out of 27 years of my life have been largely consumed by classes and papers for classes and exams in classes, reaching the last one in my knowable future definitely feels like a landmark of sorts.

But instead of feeling frightened or overwhelmed, I actually feel ready - I'm ready to be finished with school and I'm ready to be out there in the real world, and I'm excited at the possible prospects.  And you know? Even if none of them work out, it's okay.  I'm anxious about what will happen next, to be sure, but I'm also thrilled that whatever it is, it'll be something new.  

So, here we go - a rite of passage on a cold December afternoon.

Brahms 1

The rehearsals had been (to say the least) sketchy.  The winds were painfully out of tune and the strings couldn't quite seem to line up...

But somehow, at the concert, things just...worked.  And I had a blast.  I haven't had that much fun performing in an orchestra in years.  It wasn't the best performance ever, but it was definitely good, and it was low pressure.  I didn't get nervous and I was able to just enjoy myself and enjoy the fact that I was getting the opportunity to play beautiful music.

I think it's okay.

I might slightly change the tone of the blog from time to time (maybe being a little more discreet here and there), but now that I've changed my real website to no longer link to the blog, I think it's okay.  Of course it's still easy to figure out just who 'Curly Su' really is, but that's okay - it's not an automatic switch, and it seems more appropriate.  So I'll go with this for now.

What caused this concern?

Well, I saw on my sitemeter (I hate to admit I use it, but I do - I'm a little addicted to it, actually) that someone from the University of Wisconsin at Steven's Point (the school to which I recently submitted an application for their flute/theory opening) had clicked from my website to my blog - and I realized that the first post they saw was the one (now archived) that says 'WOOHOO - I might actually graduate this year!'  

And I felt like an idiot.

I AM an idiot.  I knew it was entirely possible and even plausible that that would happen, yet I let it happen anyhow.

Ugh.  It kind of makes my stomach hurt.

In actuality, I've recently realized how much I want to continue playing with accomplished musicians, so perhaps a sole professorship isn't the perfect job for me - but hey, a job is a job and I would have been ecstatic to even have the opportunity to interview.

Needless to say, they haven't called.

So -  the only thing I can do is be better about it in the future - so here I am, being better...

And meanwhile, I've started applying to more performance-based jobs again.  So we'll see - one step at a time.  And even if it does sound kind of moronic, I do, in fact, need to graduate before any of it is at all an issue.

Tonight, I'm playing principal on Brahms' First Symphony.  It's a great part, so I'm excited to perform.  It's 8PM at Nicholas Performing Arts Center on Rutgers' Douglas Campus, for anyone in the area and interested.  And of course, if it's a good performance, I'll post the recording.

Today at Tutoring (in addition to the cookie jar)

Can we be ourselves online without ruining professional opportunities?

I've never particularly minded that there is a lot of information about myself on the internet.  If you google me, you can have a pretty good idea of my hobbies and definitely a bit of my personality.  I actually don't mind that at all - I'm not trying to hide anything, so what does it matter what people know or don't know?

Well, that's all fine and good in theory, but in reality, sometimes we need to be able to separate the different spheres of our life.  In other words, I need to look more professional on the web.

I'll start by unlinking my website to my blog, and within the blog itself, I'm going to limit the main page to one post for a while.  Of course everything is still accessible in the archives, but to the casual website-browser, it won't be so overwhelmingly 'this is what I think, and I'm 27.'  

I'm not trying to disassociate myself from 'curlysu' - (short of deleting the whole site) that would be a futile task, even if it was one I wanted to undertake.  I'm just attempting to keep the blog world a little more separate from the real world.  We'll see how that goes...

How do you all deal with this issue?  Have you managed to maintain anonymity on the internet?  Do you think it matters to potential job interviewers?

Right now though, I'm going to stop worrying about it, and go play an opera concert.