I just saw my 1st Mardi Gras parade in Lafayette, Louisiana (also known as Mardi Gras Central). Nice floats, lots of throws. Not as many variety of beads than the Galveston parades. It was still fun. I did catch a small stuffed alligator. It is so cute.
I started this web log 5 years ago as a way to force myself to see something new when I lived in Marin County.
1st Years Web Log's Birthday Entry
By the 2nd years web log birthday, I moved to another state, became a professor at a college teaching music and made some new friends.
2nd Years Web Log's Birthday Entry
By the 3rd years web log I met Jennifer and she became my girlfriend.
3rd Years Web Log's Birthday Entry
By the 4th years weblog, I began composing compositions again. I had written a string orchestra piece, reorchestrating my older compositions and composing new pieces for the steel band.
4th Years Web Log's Birthday Entry
By the 5th years web log, I had build the music program the largest that is as probably ever been and it was the largest the steel drum had ever been.
5th Years Web Log's Birthday Entry
By the 6th years web log, everything started falling apart. I still had who I thought was my perfect girl, was still a college professor, music department chair and choir director. I had a piece being performed by a professional music ensemble at a new music festival. It was also the 1st time I have ever experienced a hurricane and the after effects of a city after it hit.
6th Years Web Log's Birthday Entry
The 7th year everything had gone to hell. I lost my college gig because of budget cuts, the hurricane and a really stupid president. Stupid because a lot of the students left and went to neighbouring college which had record enrollment. You know why? Because students were pissed and left the college. No vision.
To add to last years hell year, Mom's Mom, Nana, the one I could call me 2nd Mom passed away. So I was almost in the same position I was when I started this Weblog. No gig and few friends in the area (many left after the hurricane). The only difference is that San Francisco was really pretty and I could pick any direction to go and see something new. This time I am in Texas and you can drive anywhere and still not see nothing new.
Last Years Web Log's Birthday Entry
I thought which became the 2 years of hell (which began with Hurricane Ike) was over but to make it officially the exact same place I was the year when I created this weblog, I would have to have no girlfriend. So much for having at least one positive thing come from that hell. I guess I seem to enjoy having things I love taken away from me. I should have stopped believing in someone who could not believe in herself or even know her own feelings.
The 2 years off hell officially ended when I received an offer to be a professor at a college on Louisiana. The classes at this college have more students than they ever did at my last college. There is also lots of culture and new kinds of food here. And I am in Mardi Gras central. I think it is time to explore this new area and to really explore myself. Last year birthday entry I wrote "I am hoping that this year a new and exciting adventure awaits." The new adventure has begun.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEB LOG!!!!!!
So it has been over a month since I have written here. This semester has been a whole lot smoother then last semester. I never realized how draining teaching a Saturday class was. I also have all my lectures on power point with listening guides for the music I play during class. And all the power points, listening guides and music for each lecture are in their own folder. This might sound a little anal but it makes things so much easier when having to teach 6 classes. This year it is all about making things easier.
This semester I am teaching 3 Music Appreciation classes, a History of Jazz class and 2 Pro Tools classes. After spending a semester fixing and cleaning up the mess that was left for me in the studio (including computers and mixing boards not working) before I started teaching last semester, I finally have more than half of my problems solved. I added 3 more workstations (which in the original class formation was not able to fit them), updated all the software and finally replaced the large recording board. Now the class is much easier to teach.
Now that I have made things easier teaching, I have more time for myself. Now I have the daunting task of making new friends and new contacts. I have moved to 3 different states in the last decade and it is getting old having to start over again and again. Having more time for myself has giving me a lot of time to think. Think about where I am, how I got here and the past mistakes I have made. The mistakes were the things I should have done but did not take advantage of and things that went on longer that it should have.
From now on, I am going to take advantage of everything around me.