Monday, December 19, 2005

Reindeer Games

Reverse order events:

Today:

Just got back from the department Christmas party. We ate Hawaiian food and exchanged gifts. Everyone was really excited about the Christmas antlers we received and wore them through the opening of the presents. At my work, the rule is that you buy everyone the same gift and it must cost less than a dollar. You could also make something if you want. I bought everyone cowbells. This fits with my music theme because last year, I bought kazoos for everyone. Next year, I had a great idea. I'm going to buy $1.00 CD's at the store. Most stores have a random clearance CD section wherein all the CD's are really funny and cost a dollar.

Our director is retiring in August this year, so we knew this was going to be a special Christmas. For our gifts from him, we were each given a carved angel. Mine is called the angel of love, and she is holding a nest of birds.

This is interesting because love is THE attribute I struggle with the most. I'm still not quite sure what it means to love, and my actions aren't always very loving. Sometimes I question whether I love people at all. So I find it interesting that of all the different angels I could have received, I received the one that is the most ironic. I feel like there's a message in the gift for me this year. It was a great party. And no one is going to get any work done for the rest of the day.

Sunday:

Woke up and went to church to practice the children's choir who amazingly enough really practiced a lot on their own and sounded great! My parents came into town to see my sister and I perform in our church's Christmas service last night. One of my friends cooked this whole meal for everyone so my family went to "dinner" at her place. She is such a great cook! The food was great, and so was the company. I'm really glad my parents had the chance to meet some of my friends. Then we relaxed at my place before heading out to the church.

Kids choir. So funny. Of course something always has to happen and what happened this time was that our littlest singer who is about 3 decides to hold a syllable just a tad too long in Joy to the World so it sounded like this:

Joy to the world,
the Lord is come
let Earth receive her Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnngggggehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

It made me laugh in the middle of the performance.

I thought things went rather well on the whole.

Saturday:

Christmas shopping, chores, and party. I cannot believe I actually found a spot at the mall to park in. I managed to do about half my Christmas shopping and wore myself out. Then I went back to my place to take a nap, only I watched "Elf" instead. It was still restful. Then I started washing my clothes, practiced guitar like crazy for the performance with the kids on Sunday, and then when my laundry was done, took it to dry at the laundromat, wherein a whole row of dryers did not work and there were not really too many dryers available. I had to finish my chores before going to the Christmas party, so I was about 2 hours late. However, I dressed up like a reindeer, and took a picture with my friend who dressed up like an elf. Awesome.
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I am noticing a reindeer theme. I think they are my favorite Christmas symbol. Which is sort of weird. And I'm still wearing antlers.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Another Christmas Party

So I'm going to this Christmas party on Saturday wherein there will be a Christmas sweater contest. I do not have any good Christmas sweaters. However. I do have reindeer antlers. So I think I'm going to resurrect my old halloween costume from about 5 years ago and show up as a reindeer. Yeah baby. I'll take pictures.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Music

I worked really hard on this piece for the orchestra I'm in. We did the concert last Friday, and none of my friends came. I was sad because no one I knew came. It made me realize that music is meant to be shared and that it is important to me, more important than I realized.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

More parties

Went to a very fun birthday party last night that ended with a jam session wherein we all sang "isn't it ironic" by Alanis. Our new friend Kyle somehow manages to channel the spirit of the songwriters and singers of the songs he plays. He does a good Garth Brooks and Bryan Adams impressions. He also played a bit of Keith Urban, and I think he really likes country. He is definitely a good guitar player, and he's fun to be around.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Blue

Cellos sound blue.
Blue like the depths of the ocean
Sweetly, nostagically blue
Brought to life by a bow drawn across strings
Even happy sounds have sadness lurking beneath
Much as the sea happily winks on the surface
But is serious and darkly blue
down below
in its heart of hearts,
where few have ever been
or are likely to go.

Thursday, December 08, 2005

Monday Mishaps: 2

It was such a busy weekend last weekend, and everything I did was fun, but it wore me out. Handel's Messiah took up about 6 hours of my time between the rehearsal and performance. I did not get my usual down day. By the time the weekend was over, I had a heck of a stack of laundry. So I decided to go to the laundromat. Everything was going well when I got a call from a good friend of mine. I have not talked to her in awhile, so it was good to catch up with her. Well, I hung up the phone, put it down on my passenger seat, opened my car door, locked it and closed it. I ended up locking my phone, my keys, and my wallet in the car that night. I had to run home to use the phone. It was about a mile. Then I called the auto club, and they bailed me out. I have a spare key somewhere, but I couldn't find it. It was a heck of a night.

I must be mentally stressed out, because that's when I always start either losing my keys, locking them in my car, or leaving them in the door. Which I also did about 2 weeks ago.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Recent Happenings

Reverse order events:

Piano Party (Saturday 12/02):
My roommate and I celebrated the moving of my piano from LA to SD with a party. It was really fun because it had a focus: everyone had to play or sing a song. It was highly entertaining and everyone had a good time. Toward the end of the party, one guy started playing guitar, and I started playing cello, and we had so much fun playing together for a small group of our friends...I think there were about 5 or so left. I told the guitar player that if he ever formed a band I would be in it.

Side note about the party: We now have a ridiculous amount of alcohol to drink at our place, and neither of us are big drinkers.

Arrival of the piano:
So excited to get my piano back. It is 100 years old and has been in my family for about 50 years. My grandmother bought it for my aunt to play when she was young, but my aunt just quit one day and the piano sat soundless. When my mom got married to my dad, my grandmother gave the piano to my parents because my dad is a musician. His mom (my other grandmother) is a music teacher, and all her kids are very talented musicians. Of all my siblings, I was the only one to learn and continue to play. My mom told me that I could have the piano. That day has come.

Saturday (of Thanksgiving weekend):
Drove back to San Diego from LA area to share a meal with my friends. It was a good time.

Friday (of Thanksgiving weekend):
At my dad's house for dinner. LS is 3 years old and belongs to my step-brother, who is back in jail.

RR: Hi Everyone! (Looks down at LS) Hi L! How are you?
LS: Do I know you?
RR: Well, we've met before but its been awhile. I'm Robyn. One of your aunts.
LS: Okay. Let's play.
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Well, we decorated the Christmas tree at my dad's house, had dinner together, and celebrated my step-sister's birthday.

Here's a funny story: Every year on Christmas day, we steal this family picture of all us kids when we were young and on vacation out of my step-mom's living room and wrap it for her to open. The first time it happened, she didn't notice and she actually laughed because it was unexpected. We have been trying to play this trick on her every year since. Every year we succeed in wrapping it, but most of the time, my step-mom notices that the picture is missing.

This year we are trying to scan and copy the picture without her noticing WAY before hand. I don't know if my sister succeeded in this endeavor, but this year, we are going to give my step-mom a poster size version of the photo. Should be entertaining.

I also went out with my two step-sisters and my sister that night. We had a good time and it was the first time all the girls went out together. However, my step-sister wasn't drinking very quickly so we had to invent a drinking game: For every five words that came out of her mouth, she had to take a sip of her drink...it was also helpful that she got a phone call and went outside because I was able to take a gulp of her drink so that she would finish it faster. If she noticed that there was less to drink when she came back, she didn't say anything.

Thanksgiving night:
We went to my grandma's house. The boys had invited two of their friends from Fresno to play in the Turkey Bowl. When we arrived to grandma's house, the boys and my sister started to play 3 flags up. Then we ate. Lots of food of course. And the two boys from Fresno proceeded to have an eating contest. Whoever ate the most would not have to drive that night all the way back to Fresno. My brother was the referee. The guy who lost ended up puking. Between the two of them they ate about 6 full plates of food and 10 pieces of pie.

Turkey Bowl (on Thanksgiving morn):
This holiday started early. My sister and I shared a room and her alarm went off at 6:30am. We sort of started getting ready for breakfast because our brothers and their friends were playing football in the morning... the annual red/black game that they started four years ago. This year, they painted the field, had a trophy, and my sister made big posters in support of the red team. There were a lot of families that showed up in support of the game. I filmed the whole game on my dad's digital recorder. The red team lost, mostly due to the fact that they didn't fight any of the bad calls that went against them.