Wienies and Operas and Cocktails, Oh my!

It’s been two weeks since I posted last.  My time in PA was amazing.  Ryan and I think we gained about 10 lbs each from the delicious smorgasbord of meats and foods that my parents love to cook.  I also played some golf with my dad and sister, which was great.  I really want to start playing more, and upstate New York is the perfect place.

We made it to Cooperstown last week.  And as soon as we pulled into the GO parking lot, we were on the run.  The week has flown by seeing old friends, meeting new people, and of course, working.  I am thrilled to be spending the summer here again.  It’s like home.

However, it’s never exactly the same when you return home after being gone.  There are always little things that change:  some for the better, some for the worse, and some completely unnoticeable.

One of the delights of working at GO is the fact that we rehearse in different found venues all over the region.  We rehearse in school gyms, church-owned spaces, grange halls, and our newest rehearsal space is a Masonic Lodge.  That’s right.  The lovely ritualistic space of Dan Brown novels will be part of my every day for a few months.  I’d tell you all about the lodge, their members, and the artifacts in it, but then, they’d have to kill me.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

The craziness of summer travel begins today.  Ryan flies home this evening, and then we start the drive in the morning.  We’re stopping in Nashville and staying with the wonderful Miss Etouffee (I will be giving alternate egos to some of my friends and colleagues, which I believe is typical in blog fashion.  I think it’s fun nonetheless).  With all of the flooding that’s been happening in the home of country music, I’m not sure how much we’ll be able to do on Sunday, but we’ll see!  The Literary Southern Belle’s parents also live in Nashville, so Oscar may have a date with their golden retriever, Minnie.  He’s very excited; he bought new cologne for the occasion.

Home to my parents in Hanover, PA is the next stop.  We haven’t been home since Christmas, and that was really an unexpected trip.  During December I was working in Eugene, Oregon on Le nozze di Figaro that would open on New Year’s Eve, a lovely tradition, and with little time off I didn’t expect to fly home for the holidays.  Unfortunately, a few days before Christmas I got a phone call from my mom confirming that my dad had prostate cancer.  I knew he was having tests, but was hoping for the best.  So, long story short, I flew home for about 36 hours to be with my family and flew back to Oregon to run Piano Tech #1 the next day.  Let’s just say, “Not ideal.”

That trip was hectic and emotional, and the last few months have been hard not being home with my family during my dad’s radiation treatments.  However, he finished his radiation last week, and Ryan, Oscar and I will be home in a few days to celebrate!  And we’ll be in Hanover for almost 2 weeks (practically a record).  My sister and parents are extremely excited for us to get there.  Eating lots of food, drinking cocktails, and playing golf are the primary points on the agenda.  Oscar will also get to play with his cousin, Saxer, a 90 lbs weimaraner (he may be few pounds lighter because he’s been on a diet - sad for him).  That’ll be a treat for both of them.

So the Summer Sojourn begins.  Nothing is really packed except, of course, Oscar’s toys, food, and clothes.  He has to make sure that we don’t forget him.  But who cares about packing!  I cannot wait to see my family and friends along the way.  It’s a long drive with a huge pay-off.