(no subject)
Well... I went and did the D & D thing.
And you know what? It was fun.
I confess that there's a lot about it that I still don't fully understand, but the group of people we were playing with were super fun and funny, and V did a brilliant job running the game. They're all very seasoned players, but they were very cool about showing me the ropes, and nobody judged me. Scarlett, our hostess, was incredibly gracious; there was loads of food. We're doing it again tonight, and... I'm actually looking forward to it. For real!
So, I haven't written in a while, but that's because I've been incredibly busy. Work, social, and extracurricular calendars are all super busy, and nearly all of it is fun stuff--yes, even work! I'm working on a pro bono case right now for an extremely good cause. I can't talk about the details of it, but it's literally life-saving, and I'm so happy I can help with it.
Extracurriculars, from now to the end of the year, will consist almost entirely of band-related activities. The gig calendar has filled up: six tuba gigs between now and Christmas Eve! The first is in Centerville, next Saturday while K & P are here, and we're playing out of the shitty Salvation Army carol part books. I've never heard such genuinely bad arrangements of Christmas carols, and many are written in insane keys... which means that even if they were written well, they'll still sound shitty because of missed notes. Argh. After that, it's pretty smooth sailing with concert rep; and D reached out to me to see if I'll play at St Anne's for Christmas Eve--of course I will. I also think I'm going to go to the TubaChristmas in Annapolis this year... I haven't been to one in ages, and it's a good excuse to go to Naptown. I might even see friends while I'm there! So, plenty of musical fun is in the offing. Also, I have an audition for a show this Friday... for a show scheduled to go up all the way in May of 2024. (Weird.)
Socially-speaking, the Squad is making all sorts of plans for the holidays, and leading up to Joe's birthday bash in New Orleans. We had dinner last weekend that ended up turning into a long night of drinking and laughs, and we saw some old friends, too, which was an unexpected but welcome delight. We're also planning a Misery viewing--which I volunteered to host, for some reason--during the first week of December, whereby we will watch the professionally-done archival video of our performance. We're also going to a screening of the feature-length film in Phoenixville at the end of December. Then, we're of course going to carry over into January with Joe's birthday, which I'm super excited about. It's nice to have a full social calendar!
And, I'd be remiss if I did not include V in my mentions, because we're doing our own fun things, as well. We're taking dance classes (and he's a fast study!), and we're of course doing game nights. We're also planning a trip to Lancaster, a trip to DC, a trip to the beach, archery lessons, crafting collaborations, date nights seeing various shows, quiet dinners, and and and and. Just... wow. Again, trying to keep my chill, but with him, it's difficult! Our conversations are effortless and lively (and gentle, when they need to be), and we have to tear ourselves away from each other when our times together come to an end and we both have to go back to real life. I dunno, man--I'm not a big believer in finding The One, because I think we can make relationships work with just about anyone, if we do the work. But V vibrates on a different level, and one that resonates with me. And when he looks into my eyes, it's not someone who's just trying to charm me... he's really searching my eyes.
Neither of us is rushing in, which is a nice change. Falling in love is a mid-air cartwheel, out-of-control and scary. Discovering love is... it's like taking a long, slow hike in the woods, smelling all the wild flowers, feeling the sun on your face, and feeling the branches and leaves brush against you, until you finally come to a clearing that reveals a breathtaking overlook of the valley below you.
I have to stop. MUST REMAIN CHILL. But I am so, so happy. I'd love it if he and his kids (all four of them!!!) could come to Thanksgiving, but this is still so new, and we want to make sure that introducing me to his kids is done right. Because of my own family dynamic, I don't want to rush that. He is anxious to introduce me to his kids, and I am so excited about this relationship... but I am being mindful and cautious about the way his kids meet me. I want to get this right (unlike my dad... hated the way he bullied us about Eileen, but grateful, too, in a way, because it showed me what not to do when meeting your SO's kids). And from the way V talks about his children--they're all teenage or older--I can tell he's just as invested in their acceptance as I am. And, you know, part of me is completely charmed by how he loves his kids.
CHILL. I MUST FIND MY CHILL. LOL.
And you know what? It was fun.
I confess that there's a lot about it that I still don't fully understand, but the group of people we were playing with were super fun and funny, and V did a brilliant job running the game. They're all very seasoned players, but they were very cool about showing me the ropes, and nobody judged me. Scarlett, our hostess, was incredibly gracious; there was loads of food. We're doing it again tonight, and... I'm actually looking forward to it. For real!
So, I haven't written in a while, but that's because I've been incredibly busy. Work, social, and extracurricular calendars are all super busy, and nearly all of it is fun stuff--yes, even work! I'm working on a pro bono case right now for an extremely good cause. I can't talk about the details of it, but it's literally life-saving, and I'm so happy I can help with it.
Extracurriculars, from now to the end of the year, will consist almost entirely of band-related activities. The gig calendar has filled up: six tuba gigs between now and Christmas Eve! The first is in Centerville, next Saturday while K & P are here, and we're playing out of the shitty Salvation Army carol part books. I've never heard such genuinely bad arrangements of Christmas carols, and many are written in insane keys... which means that even if they were written well, they'll still sound shitty because of missed notes. Argh. After that, it's pretty smooth sailing with concert rep; and D reached out to me to see if I'll play at St Anne's for Christmas Eve--of course I will. I also think I'm going to go to the TubaChristmas in Annapolis this year... I haven't been to one in ages, and it's a good excuse to go to Naptown. I might even see friends while I'm there! So, plenty of musical fun is in the offing. Also, I have an audition for a show this Friday... for a show scheduled to go up all the way in May of 2024. (Weird.)
Socially-speaking, the Squad is making all sorts of plans for the holidays, and leading up to Joe's birthday bash in New Orleans. We had dinner last weekend that ended up turning into a long night of drinking and laughs, and we saw some old friends, too, which was an unexpected but welcome delight. We're also planning a Misery viewing--which I volunteered to host, for some reason--during the first week of December, whereby we will watch the professionally-done archival video of our performance. We're also going to a screening of the feature-length film in Phoenixville at the end of December. Then, we're of course going to carry over into January with Joe's birthday, which I'm super excited about. It's nice to have a full social calendar!
And, I'd be remiss if I did not include V in my mentions, because we're doing our own fun things, as well. We're taking dance classes (and he's a fast study!), and we're of course doing game nights. We're also planning a trip to Lancaster, a trip to DC, a trip to the beach, archery lessons, crafting collaborations, date nights seeing various shows, quiet dinners, and and and and. Just... wow. Again, trying to keep my chill, but with him, it's difficult! Our conversations are effortless and lively (and gentle, when they need to be), and we have to tear ourselves away from each other when our times together come to an end and we both have to go back to real life. I dunno, man--I'm not a big believer in finding The One, because I think we can make relationships work with just about anyone, if we do the work. But V vibrates on a different level, and one that resonates with me. And when he looks into my eyes, it's not someone who's just trying to charm me... he's really searching my eyes.
Neither of us is rushing in, which is a nice change. Falling in love is a mid-air cartwheel, out-of-control and scary. Discovering love is... it's like taking a long, slow hike in the woods, smelling all the wild flowers, feeling the sun on your face, and feeling the branches and leaves brush against you, until you finally come to a clearing that reveals a breathtaking overlook of the valley below you.
I have to stop. MUST REMAIN CHILL. But I am so, so happy. I'd love it if he and his kids (all four of them!!!) could come to Thanksgiving, but this is still so new, and we want to make sure that introducing me to his kids is done right. Because of my own family dynamic, I don't want to rush that. He is anxious to introduce me to his kids, and I am so excited about this relationship... but I am being mindful and cautious about the way his kids meet me. I want to get this right (unlike my dad... hated the way he bullied us about Eileen, but grateful, too, in a way, because it showed me what not to do when meeting your SO's kids). And from the way V talks about his children--they're all teenage or older--I can tell he's just as invested in their acceptance as I am. And, you know, part of me is completely charmed by how he loves his kids.
CHILL. I MUST FIND MY CHILL. LOL.