Happy Tuesday!

Well, today was a good day! Who can complain when it's hot, hot, hot! For the first time in my life, I live in a house with air conditioning. Mr. Steinhilber, though, likes to walk around like a popsicle, while I drown myself in long-sleeved hoodies and shiver to keep warm. Ah well.....summer is finally here!

After a day of work, I headed out to Oakbank. I think it's important to remember where you were raised. I'm so appreciative that the majority of my students are willing to drive in from Oakbank, so I decided to do the same back. I dropped off some music at a teacher's house today, headed off to the Paint Shop to buy my red paint, headed off to my parent's house for a fabulous dinner (Good Job, Mom! I know you're reading this!), and then visited my piano student at her own home. I figured it'd give her parents a break from driving in, and it was fun to see her play on her own piano.

Now my next project is to get the diningroom painted. I'm so excited! Red is on it's way!


Does anyone have any dropsheets that they wouldn't mind lending me? Or else, do you know where I can get some cheap ones?

From Silvia Street to Wisteria Lane

I'm starting to think that we just might be living on Wisteria Lane after all......

After teaching piano tonite, I called my mom to invite myself over for dinner tomorrow. (I shall refer to myself as Susan) Just then, our phonecall was interrupted by the doorbell and an exuberant 'HI!!!!!!!!!!!!' My neighbor ("Edie") was out for a walk with her boyfriend and wanted to introduce us to him. They were extremely friendly and high on energy. In fact, as the minutes passed, I started to hypothesize that they were either A)drunk OR B) In love. After all, on Wisteria Lane, everyone has a glass of wine after dinner. Maybe I should try that. My piano students would pass their songs with flying colors! Our eccentric neighbors asked to tour the house (we've been getting that alot lately, thus confirming my theory to always have your house clean. Bree would be proud) and commented on the loveliness of our crown molding and hardwood floors. Then they noticed our junk left over from our garage sale and proceeded to take it off our hands. What the heck......it's a couple less things that we have to take to Value Village. We got a quick run-down of how the happy couple first met, lost track over the years and recently reunited. Yup, when your neighbors in the city, you meet all sorts of people. But at least our street's not boring!

I'm thinking of ordering myself a T-Shirt........

My first week....

Well, the job's going decently well so far. I'm getting trained to do a variety of things. The store is only run by 2 people, so there's lots to do. I enjoy interacting with the customers the best. This week, I was only in 2 days (but another day I was also temping at an insurance office), doing stuff like lifting boxes, counting and stacking music books, pricing music, laying it out on the floor, watching how they ship music out (there's procedures for everything!!!), watching how they work the till. The funny thing is, I actually applied for a school secretary position a month ago! I passed the screening tests with flying colors, and my interview was scheduled for tomorrow. But, I declined the interview after getting hired at 'Muzical Times.' I think I'm done with the secretarial roles.

Tonite was my last MYC group class for the year. The girls were a ton of fun! I swear, these are the cutest 5-yr-olds on the entire earth. We played 1 piano song, and then played music games the rest of the class. For example, I put down some hula hoops with rhythms and clap a rhythm; they'd then have to run to the right hula hoop that I clapped. That sorta thing. Handed out their certificates and goody bags, and then Dave gave them homemade cookies that he just baked tonite, especially for them.

Now I just gotta get my pedagogy homework done for Sunday.....

I got it!

Well, I returned to the music store on Saturday, and the first thing that the manager says to me was, "Well, do you still want the job?" I reply, "Sure!" And he goes, "You're hired then!"

The name of this place is 'Muzical Times' (spelt incorrectly, as to avoid any links to my blog through Google searches for the stores)


I start tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Music to my ears......

Life.......it's all about the timing........

How cool is this......I walk into a well-loved sheet music store this week to pay a bill for jazz books I bought 2 weeks ago. As I'm handing over my credit card, the employer asks me, "Would you be interested in working here? We noticed at the Jazz Workshop that you're very personable, and everyone seems to like you." Then he commented on my playing. (I was the clinician's reluctant guinea pig infront of all the piano teachers, to test out improv in his new books that he's trying to promote). Then, we did an on-the-spot interview! I felt so honored. I hope they're serious about hiring, because I'd love to work at that piano player's paradise! Hopefully it all works out. I kinda feel a Sally Field's blubbering coming on.........

"You like me, You really like me!"

Then, tonite, while we were chatting with our friendly neighbors out in the yard after piano lessons, (picture it: the modern-day 'Little House on the Prairie'........ah, feel the love.....) the previous owners of our home drove by and stopped to chat. This was the first time we'd ever met them -- what timing! Luckily, Dave had just cut the grass, and the house was clean. (I always say "You NEVER know who's going to pop by!" Hey, I grew up in the country -- drop-in company was the norm!!!!) Anyways, we started chatting, and the son asked for a tour of our home. He noticed the garage was ripped down, and was curious to see the inside, so we appeased his curiosity. I asked his elderly mother numerous times if she would also like to come inside (now that I finally got a chance to meet this lady), but she refused several times. She had just come back from her six-month holiday to Florida, and preferred to nurse her cigarette and remain anonymous under her 4-foot wide brimmed hat. I wasn't getting the warm fuzzies from her, but at least MY curiosity was finally appeased.

It's all about being in the right place at the right time.......