Ouch

So after buying some new reeds, I finally picked up my clarinet to play for the first time in (I think) ten years (#56).  Ouch.  Let me start by saying that my lung capacity is no where even in the same universe that it used to be.  I was panting after playing only a few scales.  And again after playing two lines out of an old exercise book.  My little practice session lasted just over twenty minutes, and I think I spent about half of that just trying to catch my breath!  The tone was very airy at first, which wasn't surprising, but by the end it started sounding a little like me again.  But the part I had been dreading most was the pain in my lower lip.  See, you have to place your lower lip over your lower teeth, and that is what pushes against the reed and the mouthpiece.  I long ago lost the slight callus that builds up inside your lip when you play regularly, so it was nearly raw (or at least it felt that way!) after my short little session.  Actually, my whole jaw hurt, along with my thumb (where the clarinet rests on your right thumb as a support) and my hands (from gripping to hard).  Ouch!

I was surprised at how much of it came back... as long as I didn't think about it too much!  There were a couple of times I had to stop and count the lines to see if I was looking an A or an F, but the fingerings were all there.  And it was fun, just really, really hard.  I think I might try to start practicing a little more often.  I checked online, and there are a couple of community bands around Indy.  Maybe I'll put that on my next list...

Turning 40

The big 4-0.  I still can't believe I'm 40 years old.  I don't feel 40.  I don't quite think I look 40.  And yet, here I am.  All that being said, turning 40 is a whole lot more fun if you can do it somewhere beautiful and with your best friend (#69)!

This trip was more than six months in the planning, but with everything else that has been going on in my life, the timing could not have been better.  When I tried to figure out where I might want to go for my birthday, the thought of staying at the beach somewhere really overrode everything else.  The only problem being that my birthday is in July, and, well, I hate hot weather.  So I had to find a beach somewhere cooler.  Which is how Oregon became the final destination, and the fact that I've never been there before made it even better (#52).

Truly, this trip was about as close to perfect as it could have turned out.  I rented a condo in Rockaway Beach right on the beach for a week.  The condo itself was beautiful, but the view was absolutely amazing...

I would highly recommend Rockaway Beach to anyone looking for a beautiful, quiet getaway.  The beach really was perfect... it was busy enough to make for some fun people (and dog!) watching, but never so crowded that you couldn't enjoy the views and a leisurely walk.  Here it is at sunset...

We visited Canon Beach...

and Garibaldi...

 
and Astoria...

and Washington state (so Mashelda could visit a state she'd never been to before!)...

and on my birthday, we toured the Tillamook Cheese Factory!  yum!!  A perfect day, since I think cheese is probably my very favorite food of all time!  (those big yellow squares are huge 20 pound blocks of cheese!)

Mashelda not only baked a birthday cake for me from scratch, but also cooked a delicious birthday dinner of scallops, spinach, and mushrooms.  That is a best friend, indeed!

This was the most relaxing and fun vacation I have ever taken.  Ever.  We saw many beautiful things, read good books, ate amazing food, and never had to worry about a schedule!  I guess if you have to turn 40, this was absolutely my way of doing it fabulously!

Dressing Up

I worked my first shift in the suiting boutique at Dress for Success last week (#87).  It was a two hour shift (one of the things I love about DFS is that their volunteer shifts are always relatively short, so you don't feel like you have to spend the entire day there!), and they schedule one client each hour.  This was truly a "see one, do one, teach one" kind of situation, and after a short tour of the space, I watched and helped out with the first lady.  She had an interview with McDonald's scheduled for the weekend, and she was not at all interested in the idea of wearing a suit to McDonald's, especially since she would be riding a bus in the 100+ degree heat!  Can't say that I blamed her, but the DFS pro assured her that wearing a suit would up her professional factor by leaps and bounds and it could be the ticket to a higher starting salary or even a place on the management track.  Each woman gets a suit (or jacket and pants/skirt separates if sizing is an issue), blouse, shoes, purse, hose, two pieces of jewelry, and two cosmetic items.  After seeing herself in the complete outfit, our first lady decided that she would actually wear her new suit for her interview!  It was subtle, but it was still pretty amazing to watch her attitude soften and her confidence increase over the course of that hour.  After they decide on a complete look, the staff takes the woman's picture which she then gets to keep -- both as a reference for what her look should be and to show her just how great she looks!  You could see how pleased she was with her final look as she studied the photo.  Then everything gets bagged up nicely, and they are on their way.

For the second client, I was on my own!  They generally schedule up to five client/volunteer pairs for any given time shift, so you're not in the boutique by yourself, but everyone is far too busy to really be involved in what you're doing.  Thankfully, this lady was very friendly and very patient with me!  We started out with a little rough patch in finding a good size for her, but after that, it all went well.  I almost forgot to have her pick out her cosmetics, but the woman in charge was impressed that that was the only thing I forgot (which made me laugh!  after all, she was the one who sent me off on my own after observing only one other appointment!).  The lady loved the suit she found, and she was honestly asking my opinion about which jewelery would be best and how she should wear her hair.  It felt a little like just going shopping with a friend.

The whole thing was over so quickly that I didn't get much chance to dwell on what was going on, but looking back on it, it was a great experience.  The primary reason I wanted to volunteer somewhere rather than just donating money was to be able to feel like I was truly doing something helpful.  This absolutely fits the bill completely!  I actually get to talk to these women and not just hand them something, but help them decide for themselves what makes them feel good and confident.  And hopefully that will ultimately help them have a better life in the long run.  I get to be a part of that process.  It's a good feeling.  And I can't wait to go back.  (already scheduled another shift for later this month!)

Oh, and I finally remembered to collect all my donations and drop them off while I was there (#89), so there's another one crossed off!

Tips and Tools

In April, I tipped a waitress at the Abuelo's in Trader's Point 100%, and she really did deserve it (#25)!  That was the crazy day when I went to see "Les Miserables" and the show was cancelled almost half-way through because a lightening strike knocked out the power to the theatre (and to Butler's entire campus, as it turned out).  I was with a friend who I only see a few times a year, so we do usually like to spend time talking and catching up.  The restaurant we had initially chosen didn't have a table for us, so we ended up at Abuelo's.  Finding a restaurant on a Saturday night can always be tricky, and then to find good service on top of that is bordering on miraculous.  But this waitress seemed to find that sweet spot of coming by and keeping an eye on our table enough that we never felt neglected but not so much as to be annoying, and she neveer ever made us feel like we needed to leave or that we were taking up a table.  We were there for nearly three hours I think, so when my $25 bill finally came, I did not even hesitate to add on the $25 tip.  This was one of those list items that I kept forgetting about, but when the time was right, it popped right into my mind.  I was actually happy to give it to her -- she earned that tip!

Then last month I finally was able to volunteer on a house for Habitat for Humanity (#11).  I have wanted to for years, and I've been on an e-mail list for volunteer dates since I moved back to Indy, but I always seem to be working whenever they're having a build.  So I was shocked when they needed people on a day when I was actually off!  The experience was awesome.  I would absolutely do it again, and I would absolutely recommend it for anyone.  The house was only two streets over and about two miles south of where I live, which made it even better, because then it felt like I was actually doing something good in my own neighborhood.

The day I went, there was only a week left, so all the building was basically done and we were mostly doing cosmetic and finishing things.  Everyone there that day had volunteered individually rather than part of a group which was nice, and people were very friendly on the whole.  The family getting this house will be two parents and three of their four teenaged kids (one is adopted).  Apparently the parents told their kids that they could live at home as long as they were in school full-time or part-time and working; I think one is still in high school and the others are in college.  I got to meet one of the homeowners - the mother of the family.  She has a lot of health issues, but she worked hard.  She said this will be the first place she's ever lived that had central air conditioning.  She also said she was really happy about getting the house, but she was trying not to let herself get too excited until she signed the mortgage and had the keys in her hand.  I learned that all Habitat homeowners are required to attend classes on finances, volunteer on their own home build as well as other builds, and volunteer for other community organizations outside Habitat.  One of the other volunteers was actually a woman who was just starting the process for getting a Habitat house.  She was so excited about seeing a Habitat house -- about how nice it was and that it had a laundry room!  It is a very nice house:  open eat-in kitchen and living room, four bedrooms, two full bathrooms, laundry room, side entrance, and front porch.  With ceiling fans in all the rooms and central air! 

So for the actual work, I painted a bedroom door and a closet door, spackled about a thousand nail holes in all the trim work, and caulked gaps in the trim work.  It doesn't really seem all that important in the grand scheme of things, but someone said those are the kinds of things that wouldn't ever get done otherwise and make the house look nice, which I suppose is true.  The atmosphere was definitely one of work.  I had finally finished spackling about ten or fifteen minutes before the shift was over, and I was cleaning my hands off and talking to one of the other volunteers when the supervisor came over and asked if we were taking a break or looking for something else to do.  Apparently finishing a little early is not an option!  That was how I ended up spending the last few minutes of my shift with a caulking gun in my hand.  And I know I am horribly out of shape, but I was so sore for the next few days!  I guess it was just spending four hours either bent upside down or with my arms over my head.  It was worth it, though.

 
They had a big party for the homeowners and all the volunteers when the family got the keys to the house, but it was on a Friday morning and I had to work.  Darn.

Walking and Wallets

Yesterday I walked a labyrinth (#84).  It turns out there's one at a church just south of Butler's campus!  There's a great site... http://www.labyrinthlocater.com/ that lets you search for labyrinths anywhere in the world (fairly amazing), which is how I found out about several around the city.  I first drove by this one over the weekend, but I didn't even see it that day and I was nervous about someone wondering why I was wandering around their church grounds.  So after a couple of days of cruising by (verrry stealthy), I finally spotted the labyrinth, parked in the alley, and snuck across the back lawn to get there.  So after all of this and an incredibly stressful day at work, I was a little keyed up when I started walking.  I was also a little self-conscious and still concerned that someone would walk over and try to talk to me (I saw at least one person outside and there were quite a few cars in the parking lot).  So I don't know that I ever fully relaxed, but it did help pull me into the moment and I was able to enjoy the nature sounds and I could definitely appreciate the meditative feel of the walk.  I absolutely will be doing it again, and maybe I can find another labyrinth where I'll feel more relaxed.  The only real down-side to the whole experience was that I got a mosquito bite which has been driving me absolutely insane all day today.  ITCH!!!!!  *LOL*


labyrinth at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis

 A few months ago I sent in my big donation to Butler.  I actually earmarked it all to go to the College of Pharmacy (and Health Sciences... yah, yah, yah, whatever.)  I actually didn't hear anything from the school at all for a while, and I kept thinking "this is how they treat the big donators?"  Then finally, about five weeks later, I finally got this...

A magnetized lapel pin, a thank you letter, and a wallet card that gets me a discount in the bookstore.  Oh, and the lapel pin is only for first-time donators, so you'd better not lose it!  I hate to say it, but I was a little less than impressed, but then again, I imagine they probably have a lot of people who donate in this category and more.  So, I was fairly shocked and surprised to get this e-mail just two days ago from a woman in the College of Pharmacy...

Hello Kristina,

I am writing to thank you for your generous gift of $1,000 to COPHS this spring. I work closely with the dean of COPHS, Mary Andritz, and would love to have the opportunity to thank you in person for you gift and to share Dean Andritz’s plans for the future of COPHS. Would you be available to join me for coffee or lunch in the next couple of weeks (my treat)?

Best regards,

Even re-reading it makes me laugh a little!  I haven't responded yet... the whole concept just seems a little weird, and I have absolutely no idea what I would say to the woman!  I feel like the interaction would feel a bit like how I feel when I'm talking to drug reps.  What do you think?

Remembering

I think I've mentioned before that I live only a few miles from the third largest (nongovernment) cemetery in the country.  I drive past it every day on my way to work, and I learned how to drive a stick shift there.  It's really a beautiful place, from an era when cemeteries were treated like parks -- a destination for picnicking and socializing.  I should probably explain that I've been visiting cemeteries all my life.  And not really at all for the purpose of visiting my dead relatives.  Both of my parents seem to have a fascination with cemeteries, so whenever we went on vacation, we inevitably ended up in some tiny local cemetery, wandering around in the tall weeds and reading nearly illegible dates and names.  So it only makes sense that I actually enjoy driving through Crown Hill every once in a while just for the views.  This took place the Thursday after Memorial Day, and I spent a solid two hours there.

This is what I wrote as my reasoning for wanting to leave flowers on random graves (#77)...

"I often wonder about all the people who are buried there.  Since I have so very little family and only a few close friends, I sometimes think about how there won't be anyone to visit my grave when I die.  So this is just my way of showing that a few random people are being thought of.  It's not meant to be morbid, but the idea of never being remembered after you're gone is a little sad."

That pretty much sums it up, so here are the ones I chose.  For each one, I placed the flowers, read their name and the dates, and just took a minute to reflect on what their lives might have been.


A military man who wasn't buried in the military section, so he doesn't get honored with the others every year on Memorial Day.

 

This large monument overlooked an entire family of fifteen or twenty, all buried in the early 1900's.



This couple died recently, and the fact that they died so close together reminded me of my grandparents.  It also struck me that the stone stated "forever in our hearts", but it was one of only a few in this entire section that had no flowers.

Thr3e Wise Men Brewery

When my dad and his wife arrived at the end of another very long work week, the last thing I felt like doing was cooking.  So I made them a deal that if we could go out to eat this one night, I would provide home-cooked meals for the rest of their visit.  Not a bad deal I thought!  Plus, this provided a great opportunity to try another new restaurant.

I pass by Thr3e Kings all the time, since they are on the main street that runs through Broad Ripple.  This place is part of the Scotty's empire that has taken hold around Indy, and I haven't tried any of them yet.  Now I am not a beer drinker, but I had read some reviews that said the food was pretty good and that they focus on using a lot of local ingredients.  We arrived about 6:30 on Friday night which can be a nightmare time to get in to restaurants around here, but we were told it would only be about 25 minutes.  Interestingly, they get your cell phone number and text when your table is ready.  I guess in this day and age, if you're eating out, you probably have a cell phone.  Thankfully the wait was only 15-20 minutes, and since we were all starving, we were thrilled when they brought a bucket of popcorn to the table!  The tables, by the way, are long picnic tables that you share with other groups.  It seemed odd when I first saw them, but the benches were actually comfortable, and it didn't feel like were were on top of the people next to us.  Getting in and out was a slightly less than graceful act which made me glad that I wasn't drinking.  That could get ugly.  I ordered a root beer made in West Lafayette that had a great dark flavor to it, but as if often my complaint with hand-crafted root beers, I would have preferred a little more carbonation.  I would definitely order it again, though.  My dad and his wife both ordered in-house beers and seemed to enjoy them.

The menu offers some interesting appetizers as well as a selection of salads and sandwiches, but pizzas appeared to be the main focus, so we ordered a large "Local Farmivore" which featured brew-homemade marinara, applewood smoked bacon and sweet italian sausage from Lone Pine Farms, pepperoni, and mozerella and parmesan cheeses from Swissland Cheese Company.  The crust was thin and crispy but still slightly chewy, which was great.  My only complaint there was that there was a lot of flour on the crust around the edges which left that part completely inedible.  The pizza was really interesting.  On first glance, the toppings seemed a little sparse, but the flavors all came together really well.  The most surprising thing was the pepperoni.  I guess the idea of pepperoni always takes me back to the pepperoni pizzas from Pizza Inn that we ate in high school -- all tough and nearly impossible to bite through.  I still can't bring myself to eat a pizza that only has pepperoni on it.  These pepperonis, though, were thin and butter soft and left a delicious spiciness behind.  These are pepperonis that could make me change my mind about pepperoni pizza!

We all had plenty to eat and still ended up with two pieces left over.  They gave us a nice little cardboard box for the carryout (nice not to get stuck with styrofoam), and when I got into it a couple of days later, the cold leftovers made a tasty snack!  Overall, the service and food were very good, and I will definitely be going back.  I also saw signs advertising a carry-out special for a large pizza and growler (a large glass refillable bottle) for $20.  Again, not so much on the beer, but this would be great when I have company in town.

Only one more restaurant to go!