And Now We're Home
My flight on Monday was thankfully straightforward...though I very nearly had to check my trombone.
It was a full flight. I went to the gate as soon as there were agents (I always do this when I have to fly with my instrument.) I made puppy eyes, showed the trombone case, and said, "I'm going to try and bring this as carry-on. I'm showing it to you now so you won't be surprised by it later. This is my entire job in this case, and I would appreciate the opportunity to TRY and make it fit on the plane. If you have to check it after that, I completely understand, but I would like the opportunity to TRY, please."
This may sound silly or patronizing, but you would not believe how many gate agents FREAK OUT when presented with things that are an unusual size or shape during boarding, and will immediately refuse to allow the strange object as a carry-on. Letting them see it in advance, and ask whatever questions they may have or letting them advise me based on their situation, has been a lifesaver. I've not had to check my trombone once for the whole 18-month tour.
This agent seemed stressed and harried, so she sort of brushed me off and said, "You can try but we may have to check it."
"Great," I said. "That is all I could ask for. Thank you!"
And I ended up being one of the last to board, so the overheads were full and the agent tagged my trombone to be checked.
But as she was doing it she looked at me with apologetic eyes and said, "I really should have told you to board with the family groups. When you get to the plane ask if they will stow this in the closet up front."
So I did, and the stewardess was perfectly happy to shove my trombone in a closet up front along with some crutches and canes. I was so grateful! Trombones are not very valuable, but this specific trombone (An Earl Williams Model 6) IS rare and valuable as far as trombones go, plus it's got personal value to ME.
Anyway, that was the biggest "drama" of the flight. From there on I sat next to two lovely older ladies and watched a movie and a half, and we arrived 20 minutes early.
As soon as I got my luggage back I checked on the wine-sized bottle of sake from moto-i, which I'd wrapped in newspaper, then cold gel packs, then bubble wrap, then a Ziploc, then laundry. It not only survived, it was also still relatively cold! I was very impressed.
Then I hung around the airport waiting for Jameson. I was looking in all directions, knowing that he had to go through customs but not knowing which gate that was nearest. Two hours later I was feeling sleepy and was kind of staring off into space so he was able to get the jump on me! We hugged tightly and got to his car, stopping at Target on the way back for groceries. During the drive he told me all about his trip to Europe, what seeing Moulin Rouge was like (a huge production with lots of staging and moving parts) and how emotional it was for him to visit Freddie Mercury's house, which is not only where Freddie lived but also where he died. And the Cubs game, which was held in a huge Olympic stadium and where he met British baseball fans wearing all kinds of jerseys, not just the teams playing that day but representing any American teams that they liked. I found that adorable!
He was enthusiastic in the descriptions, and I think he really did have a wonderful time :)
Back home we unloaded the car and wolfed down our grocery store sushi, then Jameson got caught up on some office work while I unpacked and did a load of laundry. We were both exhausted and in bed by 10pm.
---------------------------------------------
Tuesday, I was up early for Disney onboarding.
My appointment wasn't until 10am but I like to center myself in the mornings with coffee and quiet time, so I was up at 7:30 to do that.
I showed up early to the appointment.
If you have never been to Disney's casting building it looks...well, kinda goofy.
(photo courtesy Saul Blinkoff)
The doorknobs, a la Alice In Wonderland:
(stock image)
Once inside there is a circular lobby that is empty in the middle, ringed with Disney characters on pedestals.
Surprisingly intimidating, like you're stepping into some temple or hallowed space. Or gaming lobby :p
(stock image)
The hallways are also long, a bit intimidating, and many of them are less "hallway" and more "ramp", which is convenient for those folks who don't do steps.
I have been here before, for orientation when I worked for Best Friends Pet Care (an affiliate) so I knew where to go. It was a room on the first floor that looks like you've stepped into a DMV, only definitely more cheerful and more efficient. I was greeted right away and spent 10 minutes filling out paperwork, then had my photo taken for an employee ID, then fingerprints which took significantly longer because I have cold dead fingertips and the reader is THERMAL.
Once that was done, a final check of my I-9, during which my apostrophe ("O'Malley") caused problems...although the apostrophe is present in all of my paperwork, the computer refused to pull up my file unless the apostrophe was removed. Welcome to my world, you non-apostrophe peoples :p
That was pretty much it. Now I wait a week while my stuff is processed, after which I'll get to do Disney Traditions, which is a day of training and introduction to the company, safety features, dress code, etc.
I'm looking forward to it! After all, it's been a long road getting here, even if I'm only a sub.
On the way home I stopped at the Publix near our house, specifically because they always have THE BEST peaches.
And there they were, a big pile of them! I can't wait to eat juicy, tart, sweet peaches EVERY DAY. Love them!
Back home I pulled out all of my storage bins and packed away my Tootsie souvenirs, simultaneously sorting for anything to take to thrift stores, simultaneously arranging the guest bedroom to be a work-from-home office. This really just entailed organizing office supplies in one of the dresser drawers, and emptying out a small cabinet in preparation for removing it if I end up getting a standing desk.
Then lunch, and wiping down the kitchen, and a quick dinner, and off Jameson and I went to Spamalot rehearsal!
I thought it went pretty well, considering I haven't played anything but Tootsie for the past two years!
My sightreading was not too bad. I struggled on some of the runs because the show needs to be played on a large bore trombone with a trigger, and that involves a different muscle memory pattern. But I was still playing the small bore trombone, because it's better to drop notes and still sound good, than to hit all the notes but be out of tune all night because you're playing an instrument you haven't touched in two years. Anyway no one complained, and there will be plenty of time to readjust to the larger trombone after these two rehearsals.
There is a tubist and two trumpets on this show, and I thought we all sounded GREAT considering it was our first rehearsal together.
The French horns were ok too I guess :p
Oh, and I wore this shirt that Jameson bought me from Royal Albert Hall!
It's the merch line for Anna Lapwood, the hall's organist.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, Jameson was up bright and early for his day of Disney Traditions.
I got up shortly after he left, had breakfast, and did my post-tour cleaning.
Vacuuming the house; going over the tile with a swiffer duster and then a swiffer mop; cleaning both bathrooms thoroughly; dusting most of the furniture; washing the sheets and hand towels. I was pleased at how well the shower has held up since I scrubbed it extra hard a month ago, but it does still need to be cleaned again. And later this week I want to weed the deck, wipe the dust from the fan blades, and do a deeper dusting of the baseboards and large bookshelf.
Anyway, when cleaning was done and lunch was eaten I popped over to Walmart for some ice cream and some cleaning tools.
And spent the rest of my afternoon worrying about employment.
I'm in a catch 22 right now, where I "could" reach out to the part-time nursing home transcription job that I had earlier in the year, and start retraining. But if I do that, and then my full time job kicks in, I could find that I no longer have time to accommodate the hours that the part time job needs, and unintentionally put them in a bind/waste their time.
For now my plan is to try and wait patiently until after July 4th. Everyone will be busy with the holiday anyway, no one will want to start training me during a holiday week, so I need to trust (ugh, TRUST) that things will work out and I'll have some sort of job before a month has gone by. Ugh, I HATE not working!!!
A storm blew through in the afternoon and I took a short nap.
Jameson was done around 4:30, came home and did some work, then we both went off to Spamalot rehearsal again.
It went pretty well, though Jameson was frustrated because he's been conducting the choir and orchestra for days while the actual conductor, Clay, has been out of town. And it seems that people were not taking his notes and changes, including Clay. I noticed this as well, because before the first rehearsal Jameson had given me all of the cuts and notes and changes, but sometimes Clay didn't incorporate those so we had to rehearse them.
Understand that this is a pro bono gig, the musicians are volunteering their time, no one is paid except maybe some creative team and some of the actors. So when there's not money involved, I think the attitudes toward the whole project can become casual...after all, it's "just for fun". When there's money involved, when people are getting paid to perform, generally they will take it more seriously. That's been my experience, anyway. Still, I think the majority (especially the actors and dancers!) are putting in a lot of work and doing a fantastic job! As we get closer to the performances, I think that things will tighten up, money or no.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
It's Thursday, and Jameson just left for another Disney training (this one is new and might be a musician-only course, he's going to fill me in when he get's back.) While he's gone I don't have much to do unfortunately...I'm going to try and hunt down a new Dr. Pepper ice cream put out by Blue Bell, and try to make some appointments, and definitely practice my Spamalot part on the trombone I'm SUPPOSED to be using.
There are many things that I want to cook for us, and many things that I want to do, but until Spamalot is over there won't be a lot of time for a slow dinner.
It was a full flight. I went to the gate as soon as there were agents (I always do this when I have to fly with my instrument.) I made puppy eyes, showed the trombone case, and said, "I'm going to try and bring this as carry-on. I'm showing it to you now so you won't be surprised by it later. This is my entire job in this case, and I would appreciate the opportunity to TRY and make it fit on the plane. If you have to check it after that, I completely understand, but I would like the opportunity to TRY, please."
This may sound silly or patronizing, but you would not believe how many gate agents FREAK OUT when presented with things that are an unusual size or shape during boarding, and will immediately refuse to allow the strange object as a carry-on. Letting them see it in advance, and ask whatever questions they may have or letting them advise me based on their situation, has been a lifesaver. I've not had to check my trombone once for the whole 18-month tour.
This agent seemed stressed and harried, so she sort of brushed me off and said, "You can try but we may have to check it."
"Great," I said. "That is all I could ask for. Thank you!"
And I ended up being one of the last to board, so the overheads were full and the agent tagged my trombone to be checked.
But as she was doing it she looked at me with apologetic eyes and said, "I really should have told you to board with the family groups. When you get to the plane ask if they will stow this in the closet up front."
So I did, and the stewardess was perfectly happy to shove my trombone in a closet up front along with some crutches and canes. I was so grateful! Trombones are not very valuable, but this specific trombone (An Earl Williams Model 6) IS rare and valuable as far as trombones go, plus it's got personal value to ME.
Anyway, that was the biggest "drama" of the flight. From there on I sat next to two lovely older ladies and watched a movie and a half, and we arrived 20 minutes early.
As soon as I got my luggage back I checked on the wine-sized bottle of sake from moto-i, which I'd wrapped in newspaper, then cold gel packs, then bubble wrap, then a Ziploc, then laundry. It not only survived, it was also still relatively cold! I was very impressed.
Then I hung around the airport waiting for Jameson. I was looking in all directions, knowing that he had to go through customs but not knowing which gate that was nearest. Two hours later I was feeling sleepy and was kind of staring off into space so he was able to get the jump on me! We hugged tightly and got to his car, stopping at Target on the way back for groceries. During the drive he told me all about his trip to Europe, what seeing Moulin Rouge was like (a huge production with lots of staging and moving parts) and how emotional it was for him to visit Freddie Mercury's house, which is not only where Freddie lived but also where he died. And the Cubs game, which was held in a huge Olympic stadium and where he met British baseball fans wearing all kinds of jerseys, not just the teams playing that day but representing any American teams that they liked. I found that adorable!
He was enthusiastic in the descriptions, and I think he really did have a wonderful time :)
Back home we unloaded the car and wolfed down our grocery store sushi, then Jameson got caught up on some office work while I unpacked and did a load of laundry. We were both exhausted and in bed by 10pm.
---------------------------------------------
Tuesday, I was up early for Disney onboarding.
My appointment wasn't until 10am but I like to center myself in the mornings with coffee and quiet time, so I was up at 7:30 to do that.
I showed up early to the appointment.
If you have never been to Disney's casting building it looks...well, kinda goofy.
(photo courtesy Saul Blinkoff)
The doorknobs, a la Alice In Wonderland:
(stock image)
Once inside there is a circular lobby that is empty in the middle, ringed with Disney characters on pedestals.
Surprisingly intimidating, like you're stepping into some temple or hallowed space. Or gaming lobby :p
(stock image)
The hallways are also long, a bit intimidating, and many of them are less "hallway" and more "ramp", which is convenient for those folks who don't do steps.
I have been here before, for orientation when I worked for Best Friends Pet Care (an affiliate) so I knew where to go. It was a room on the first floor that looks like you've stepped into a DMV, only definitely more cheerful and more efficient. I was greeted right away and spent 10 minutes filling out paperwork, then had my photo taken for an employee ID, then fingerprints which took significantly longer because I have cold dead fingertips and the reader is THERMAL.
Once that was done, a final check of my I-9, during which my apostrophe ("O'Malley") caused problems...although the apostrophe is present in all of my paperwork, the computer refused to pull up my file unless the apostrophe was removed. Welcome to my world, you non-apostrophe peoples :p
That was pretty much it. Now I wait a week while my stuff is processed, after which I'll get to do Disney Traditions, which is a day of training and introduction to the company, safety features, dress code, etc.
I'm looking forward to it! After all, it's been a long road getting here, even if I'm only a sub.
On the way home I stopped at the Publix near our house, specifically because they always have THE BEST peaches.
And there they were, a big pile of them! I can't wait to eat juicy, tart, sweet peaches EVERY DAY. Love them!
Back home I pulled out all of my storage bins and packed away my Tootsie souvenirs, simultaneously sorting for anything to take to thrift stores, simultaneously arranging the guest bedroom to be a work-from-home office. This really just entailed organizing office supplies in one of the dresser drawers, and emptying out a small cabinet in preparation for removing it if I end up getting a standing desk.
Then lunch, and wiping down the kitchen, and a quick dinner, and off Jameson and I went to Spamalot rehearsal!
I thought it went pretty well, considering I haven't played anything but Tootsie for the past two years!
My sightreading was not too bad. I struggled on some of the runs because the show needs to be played on a large bore trombone with a trigger, and that involves a different muscle memory pattern. But I was still playing the small bore trombone, because it's better to drop notes and still sound good, than to hit all the notes but be out of tune all night because you're playing an instrument you haven't touched in two years. Anyway no one complained, and there will be plenty of time to readjust to the larger trombone after these two rehearsals.
There is a tubist and two trumpets on this show, and I thought we all sounded GREAT considering it was our first rehearsal together.
The French horns were ok too I guess :p
Oh, and I wore this shirt that Jameson bought me from Royal Albert Hall!
It's the merch line for Anna Lapwood, the hall's organist.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, Jameson was up bright and early for his day of Disney Traditions.
I got up shortly after he left, had breakfast, and did my post-tour cleaning.
Vacuuming the house; going over the tile with a swiffer duster and then a swiffer mop; cleaning both bathrooms thoroughly; dusting most of the furniture; washing the sheets and hand towels. I was pleased at how well the shower has held up since I scrubbed it extra hard a month ago, but it does still need to be cleaned again. And later this week I want to weed the deck, wipe the dust from the fan blades, and do a deeper dusting of the baseboards and large bookshelf.
Anyway, when cleaning was done and lunch was eaten I popped over to Walmart for some ice cream and some cleaning tools.
And spent the rest of my afternoon worrying about employment.
I'm in a catch 22 right now, where I "could" reach out to the part-time nursing home transcription job that I had earlier in the year, and start retraining. But if I do that, and then my full time job kicks in, I could find that I no longer have time to accommodate the hours that the part time job needs, and unintentionally put them in a bind/waste their time.
For now my plan is to try and wait patiently until after July 4th. Everyone will be busy with the holiday anyway, no one will want to start training me during a holiday week, so I need to trust (ugh, TRUST) that things will work out and I'll have some sort of job before a month has gone by. Ugh, I HATE not working!!!
A storm blew through in the afternoon and I took a short nap.
Jameson was done around 4:30, came home and did some work, then we both went off to Spamalot rehearsal again.
It went pretty well, though Jameson was frustrated because he's been conducting the choir and orchestra for days while the actual conductor, Clay, has been out of town. And it seems that people were not taking his notes and changes, including Clay. I noticed this as well, because before the first rehearsal Jameson had given me all of the cuts and notes and changes, but sometimes Clay didn't incorporate those so we had to rehearse them.
Understand that this is a pro bono gig, the musicians are volunteering their time, no one is paid except maybe some creative team and some of the actors. So when there's not money involved, I think the attitudes toward the whole project can become casual...after all, it's "just for fun". When there's money involved, when people are getting paid to perform, generally they will take it more seriously. That's been my experience, anyway. Still, I think the majority (especially the actors and dancers!) are putting in a lot of work and doing a fantastic job! As we get closer to the performances, I think that things will tighten up, money or no.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
It's Thursday, and Jameson just left for another Disney training (this one is new and might be a musician-only course, he's going to fill me in when he get's back.) While he's gone I don't have much to do unfortunately...I'm going to try and hunt down a new Dr. Pepper ice cream put out by Blue Bell, and try to make some appointments, and definitely practice my Spamalot part on the trombone I'm SUPPOSED to be using.
There are many things that I want to cook for us, and many things that I want to do, but until Spamalot is over there won't be a lot of time for a slow dinner.