A Long Day...

Ugh.  Thursdays are such long days.  First, I have to get up extra early to get my required classwork done (and, to top that, I spent the morning on an English essay).  Then, I have to scramble to collect all of my piano music, voice music, and percussion music (which also requires occasional homework such as the "who is playing what" list). 

We are always either ten minutes early or ten minutes late for piano lesson.  Fortunately, on some rare days, such as today, we make my lesson on the o'clock.  After forty-five minutes of our intended thirty minute lesson is spent in outrageous laughter at innocent jokes (mostly consisting of memories of my dear Fidelio's lesson days...), we have about fifteen minutes of piano-playing. 

Then, we find some convenient place for a healthy lunch and book it to band lesson so that I can be there forty-five minutes early.  At that point, I scramble to get all the beginning band and advanced band percussion instruments together and size them for each of the percussionists' heights (Which is difficult considering that the twelve-year-old boys grow a few inches each week).  Then, it is pretty easy, despite having to figure out who is playing what, if each person has the right music, what instruments need to be put next to each other, which mallets are the right ones, whether the drums are on or not, who I need to catch if they fall off the back of the stage, and so on...

Eventually, the forty-hour-long band rehearsal ends and we scramble to get all the percussion equipment put away without dropping the wind chimes.  Usually that process includes the cleaning of the entire band room.  (Those inconsiderate wind players!)   

I then have to run to the parking lot and hop in my free taxi (that is, I pay with my hardwork; nothing is free) to drive to my voice lesson, across town.  After twenty minutes of my intended thirty minute lesson is taken up with the adults' talking, I have a fifteen minute lesson and somehow create an unatural (that is, "how can that sound come out of me," unatural) sound that delights my teacher.

I go home feelling exultant and much relieved only to be greeted with a very hungry cat.  Oh, yes, Mr. Benedict has been officially put on a diet.  I do not know what other chores may lie ahead of me, but I am hoping to get a little computer-playing time in...  Maybe.

"Oh well...  I still have Jesus," as a priest once said.