Drat that Rhino Virus!

So I have a cold. When the sore, scratchy throat appeared on Tuesday, I brushed it off as my mold allergy. However, when it progressed to my nasal passages and the chills arrived, I admitted that it must be a real cold. One that requires rest and chicken soup.

I hate colds because they prevent me from doing everything I enjoy doing....like singing. While I don't have any official "singing engagements" for awhile, we do have a Piano Bar party at the house tonight. I'll be there to hang out, but I don't think I can sing. Bummer- it's one of my favorite things!

I also am supposed to begin my swimming adventure tomorrow, followed by a bike ride on the B&A trail. Since this is a real cold, I don't think I should tax my body too much while it is trying to heal. It's a perfect weekend for exercise, too. But I'm going to be resting and eating chicken soup. Bah.

I know lots of other folks have greater trials...but I do get frustrated when I'm sick and can't do the things I want to do! Not to mention the fact that this is the 3rd time this spring I've lost my speaking/singing voice. Oh well... I'll just trust that there is a greater plan in this...

Photo Update

Here are a few photos from my friend Alicia's 40th Birthday Bash at the Home for Wayward Chorus Girls:

Alicia and Ron at the Piano...the party turned into a Piano Bar

Phyllis and I performing the "Bring on the Men" choreography from Jekyll and Hyde while Alicia sang
My "scary" look...

Tidbits From My Mind

I haven't been very good at expressing myself in complete thoughts on this blog lately. Perhaps it's because there are so many thoughts running around in my head. Bullet points seem to be the way to go for me these days...so I'll take a stab at transferring the jumble of thoughts in my head to organized bullet points....HA!

Starbucks
A Starbucks recently opened up around the corner from my office. While I am definitely a fan of local coffee shops, in a pinch Starbucks more than does the trick. I find myself gravitating there when I need to get out of the office and want to read a book, journal, listen to music, or just sit and watch people. I usually get a cheap brewed coffee and just enjoy myself. I've been trying to go on Tuesdays recently because they have a free iTunes download that comes out on Tuesdays. So far, I haven't found any new musicians that I love...but I like the idea of free music!

The Everest Podcast
Speaking of free things on iTunes, I've recently gotten into Podcasts. I know they've been around awhile...but I can be slow to pick things up sometimes. For my less tech-savvy readers (ok...just my parents!), a podcast is essentially an audio or video recording of a tv show, part of a radio program, or a recording submitted by anyone who wants to get their message out there. My favorites are the NPR Piano Puzzler, A Prairie Home Companion's "News from Lake Wobegon", and the Everest Podcast. The Everest Podcast was recorded by a "city-slicker" who decided he wanted to travel to Nepal and trek to Everest (sound familiar?). Since this is what I plan to do in the fall of '09, I've been enjoying listening to his adventures. Maybe by the time I go I'll be savvy enough to create my own podcast!

Summer Plans
Remember my last blog where I talked about not wanting to be bored this summer? Well, it seems as if "I'm bored" will not be a phrase that even enters this jumbled brain of mine this summer. My friend Sharon and I decided to accept a musical opportunity that was presented to us, despite the hectic nature of the schedule. While it will be trying.... I think the challenge is worth it. I don't think we'll regret taking advantage of this opportunity. Between that and training for a triathlon...hmmm. No boredom there...

Triathlon Training
Well, I've at least got the hang of running and biking. I'm fairly slow at both, but I think I'll make it. I will begin my swimming adventure on Saturday. That will be interesting...I haven't used swimming for exercise since my college track days. Everyone says I have the body of a swimmer, so maybe my big shoulders will come in handy for once!

Time with Friends
I have very much been enjoying spending time with my friends recently. Between sitting on the deck at our house, enjoying dinner at an old friends' apartment and meeting her two boys, picnicing in Shady Shide on the Bay, and sitting on the deck at the Eastport Yacht Club, I've had some great conversations and some good times. I'll hope this trend of spending time with friends continues into the summer...

Yuppie, Yuppie

As I was riding into DC on the metro the other day to meet some old friends for dinner...it suddenly occurred to me...I'm a yuppie. Yep. When I was in high school and college, I always pictured yuppies as young people who lived in old bungalow houses with babies. But, as most of you know, the definition is "Young Professional". Somehow I've gotten there. It hit me as I was looking at a young woman in a suit listening to her iPod. I thought- "Now there's a Yuppie...". Then I looked at myself. While not in a suit, I was dressed nicely...and I was listening to Podcasts on my iPod (granted...it was a podcast about opera...which makes me more of a geek than a Yuppie...but you get the picture!)

I do Yuppie-type things...go to martini bars, drink wine, drop way too much on a dinner out, bike, ride the metro, drink expensive coffee, go to shows....yeah. I'm so there. It's quite frightening to me that I've hit that stage. I suppose I've been in it for awhile...but I have always considered myself more geek than Yuppie.

Anyway, I also noticed that the marketing in Metro stations is interesting. On the Orange Line, from Eastern Market in, all of the adds are for tech type things...iPods, gadgets, trendy alcohol, etc. Basically, it's marketing targeting Yuppies like me. :) But, as the demographics change from Eastern Market out into Prince George's county...the ads change. Almost every Ad from Stadium-Armory out to New Carrollton was "How to get the most out of your Medicaid". Interesting to say the least.

May

I think May is always a bittersweet month for me. Here in Maryland, May is when the weather finally stays nice (yet, as I write this...it's 57 and raining outside...take the last sentence as a generalization). The flowers are blooming, the air is nice, I've usually adjusted to the pollen...I like May. But, often May is also the end of things- a school year, a school career, non-summer activities...

I wrote last summer about how much I don't like summer. All non-work organized activities seem to come to a halt (Chorale, church activities, etc). May usually signals the end of those. It really does amaze me how the world runs on a 9 month "school" schedule...even for those of us not in school!

I'm attempting to stay busy this summer, though. Between looking for houses, training for a triathlon, a few trips, and an as yet undecided upon opportunity, I hope that I will not fall into the rut I managed to find myself in last summer!

But back to May. While I don't think I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), I am always happy when we can venture outside again into the nice weather. I've been spending a lot of time on our deck as well as time outside exercising. Even our crazy neighbor has been out more...though that is a scary thing. I'll have to recount her antics in another post. But, for those of you who have heard the Sound of Music piano bar police story...yeah. Wouldn't surprise me if that happens again soon...

New Blog

If anyone is interested, I started a running blog. Truthfully, it's not all that interesting. Really just a place for me to record my running stats. But if you want, feel free to visit:

http://www.thelazyrunner.blogspot.com/

Enjoy (or not).

Smiles

Some things that make me smile these days:

- Completing big tasks

-Drinking red wine

-Reading entertaining blogs of up and coming opera stars

-Thinking about traveling to a European city

-Sleeping with my window open

-Eating Italian chocolate

-Feeling chic

-Jazz

-Coffee (as always)

-Forcing myself to run during lunch

-Free Lipton cup of soup and saltines at work

-Cool days

-Ice Cream

-Buffalo chicken sandwiches

-Lovely music

-Bvlgari White Tea perfume

-Early nights

-Feeling skinny (whether true or not)

What makes you smile these days?