ACDA, Day 1

March is a good time to pay attention to my blog again, right?

If you’ve been following my tweets, you’ve probably noticed that I’m in Oklahoma City right now at the American Choral Directors Association convention. Matt and I left Martin at 4:00 this morning with Dr. Simmons to drive to the Nashville airport. We met our three other travelling buddies there and flew out at 8:35. We had a short layover in Dallas, and made it to OK City around 1:00. Since then we’ve been to our first reading session, looked around the exhibit hall, and attended a VERY long, VERY good concert. On the way to said concert was when Matt and I sat on the shuttle behind André Thomas who, if you don’t know, is a very well-known composer and friend of Dr. Fred Spano. After we got off the bus we got to meet him, and Matt took a group picture! We’re heading back to the convention center at 9:30 tomorrow, but as I’ve currently been awake for more than 21 hours, that’s all for today.

Back at UTM

Yes, it really did take me this long to get my camera, etc. hooked back up.

So we made it back from choir tour and have just finished the first week of our spring semester. In case anyone was wondering, the classes I’m taking are: Advance Conducting, Orchestration and Arranging, Portuguese for Spanish speakers, University Singers, Lyric Opera Theatre, Teacher’s Ed 302, and New Pacers.

And now for the daily photos from this week!

Matt and me

 

The wonderful Kor water bottle I bought myself for Christmas.

 

Shiney shoes

 

 

My Portuguese book.

 

 

 

 

By the way, I finished reading The Hobbit and have started The Lord of the Rings. Still illustrated by Alan Lee, as you can see.

 

This otherworldly object is my new hand-held vacuum, Dirtdevil's The Kone. And yes, it's glowing.

 

Banana tree...why not?

 

 

 

East TN tour, day 5

We were expecting to wake up to an icy storm this morning, but there wasn’t so much as a snowflake…

Instead, I woke up to Dr. Simmons yelling “It’s 8:00! We leave at 9:45! Come eat breakfast! I hope my voice is annoying to you!” He was, in fact, very proud of the (third) batch of pancakes he had made, which had (for the first time) turned out perfectly. He let us in on the secret: turn the griddle down some.

After eating Dr. Simmons’ Perfect Pancakes, we went to UT Knoxville where we sang at a donor’s luncheon. When we got back this afternoon we just hung around the chalet for a while (during which time I learned how to play Spades). We all went out for supper, and Matt and I ate at the Olive Garden. If you’ve never had their tiramisu…you’re missing out. On the way back the rest of our van wanted to stop at the Marble Slab Creamery. While we were there a few more people about our age came in and we found out that it was one girl’s birthday. So, we proceeded to sing her happy birthday in three-part harmony. She was so impressed that she wanted us to take a picture with her and find us on facebook!

We’ve been at the chalet the rest of the night; some of us planned on getting in the hottub, only to find it set to 80° and half the water mysteriously gone. This is our last night here, and tomorrow afternoon we leave for Chattanooga.

 

I found new pajama pants at the American Eagle outlet!