So I stopped in to pick up the 1st violin book so I could get all the cuts and other miscellaneous stuff marked in before last night's rehearsal, I got a bit of a surprise... "Did Mr. W. tell you about the little twist we've come up with?" (Mr. W. is the pit conductor, and is also playing the role of Sitting Bull.) "When he's on stage, we'd like to have you conduct." Umm...okay. Let's hope my conducting sight-reading skills haven't disappeared in the past few weeks - especially since there are quite a few spots that we have to follow the kids on stage...or I have to give them cues! Sheesh...I really hope there aren't any other surprises in store...

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update after the rehearsal...

Major project: taking the books for violin 1 & 2 and mashing the parts together to make sure all the solo bits are covered, while not giving myself an impossible-to-learn-in-2-days part.

Translation of "when he's on stage, we'd like to have you conduct" -- "You get to conduct Act II."

Why is it that there is never a policeman around when people go flying past me as though their vehicles were shot from a cannon, yet when I go 11 mph over the limit, a state patrolman shows up? Grr. I am not a happy camper...and my travel fund isn't happy, either.

Back to Block tomorrow...last time for a while, since it has slowed down considerably. I'll be on an every-other weekend schedule through the end of tax season...unless it gets really busy. (I don't think that will happen.)

Had a definite "thumbs up" moment today. Was standing in the hall during the four-minute passing time between classes, and the superintendent walked past, then turned around and came back to talk to me. He asked how I was doing, and if they were keeping me busy enough...and then added that he had told the principals to make sure that "I got called any time we need a substitute." Can't beat that kind of a recommendation!

Did a ride-share with a couple of guys from this side of the river to GNU rehearsal last night... On the way back, one of them asked when I thought I'd be "riser ready". Apparently, there have been a few conversations about getting me to join, because the membership guy asked me if I was ready to start the audition process, too. The only thing holding me back is that I don't know where I'll be teaching next fall...but you can bet if it's within a reasonable driving distance from the MSP area, I'm joining! (Roughly 85 guys there last night...14 tenors!!)

Have a college job app all but finished - have to add in some details (street addresses & phone numbers) of the schools where I've taught, and it's good to go. It's a community college, so a doctorate isn't a requirement, which is nice. Would be teaching music theory, appreciation, and directing the chamber orchestra...nothing I couldn't handle!

So much for getting on other sub lists today...the phone rang at 5:45. "Are you available to sub in the elementary SpEd room for Mrs. D?" Gee...lemme think. Since I haven't had a chance to contact anyone else at any other schools about being available again... Was more of a resource room than actual SpEd - and there's a student teacher, too, so she ran the show, and I did little helpful things. Easy day.

Apparently I have developed quite a fan club in the past three days that I haven't been doing elementary band. (Was in the HS end on Monday & Tuesday.) I lost track of how many of the band kids stopped to ask if and when I was going to come back and take over band - "We hate Mr. L. He talked for almost 40 minutes, and we only had time to play one song. You have to kick him out." Three kids came screaming across the cafeteria as I was headed out after school, with the mom of one of them trailing behind. (The mom is their DI coach, and they were supposed to be working on their DI.) Half an hour later... Based on their comments, there are at least a dozen of the 6th graders and "probably all" of the 5th graders who want to see Mr. L. disappear. The mom is not afraid to rattle cages, either, and said she'd probably make time to stop in to talk to the superintendent, principal, and any school board members she can buttonhole.

Nice to know there's support - even if the chances of me actually stepping into that job are practically nonexistent.

Yet another in the bits-and-pieces category...

Snow day today - only about 2 or 3 inches overnight, but there's enough wind to make some pretty nasty drifts. Just talked to my brother, and he said that a neighbor got stuck in the middle of the road near his driveway - got "high-centered" on a drift. (i.e. the drift was tall enough that it lifted the wheels off the ground when he tried to go through it...)

Ran into my kid Tuesday night at the Cenex on the south side of SC. We stood there and talked (and D probably froze) for at least 20 minutes. I think the people inside were a little irritated with me...they're supposed to close at 10, and it was nearly quarter after by the time I walked in to pay. Oops. But hey - it isn't every day I get to see and talk to my (not-so) little girl.

First rehearsal for school musical pit earlier tonight. Right now, I'm playing French horn, although that will change if they can find another horn player. Actually, it might change regardless of whether they find another one. Apparently, the high school chick who said she'd play her violin in the pit thought it was going to be only 4 or 5 songs, so she's panicking a little bit...so I will probably end up being "promoted" to pit concertmaster.

Undergraduate student loan remaining balance due will be under $500 once they get the payment that is going out in tomorrow's mail. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Forgot to write down a check that I wrote sometime between last week Monday and today...and I have no clue what it could be. Have eliminated a few possibilities, but not enough to figure it out. Grr. Means I won't be able to balance my checkbook until it makes its way through the bank and I can find out who it was written to/for. Oh, well. There's still plenty to pay this month's rent bill.