2am

The last two days have been packed, which means I haven't had time to write! Last night we recorded Hittade. I'm so excited to hear the final product. It took a really long time, and I was exhausted by the time we finished at 1 in the morning...but I know it was worth it! I'll post pictures and more details when I'm back from...

PARIS!!

I just finished packing (well, at least for now...) for the 10 day trip. I'm trying to keep my luggage light, but 10 days is a long time. Plus, I am taking nicer clothes than just "touristy" things because I'm helping out at the Zildjian booth in Paris at the marimba competition. I can't believe that this trip is finally here! I have a lot of fun things lined up for Stockholm as well...Tove (Anders' daughter) has promised to be a good guide!

I will write a lot when I get back...but you won't hear from me for a long time... :)

Palt coma

Too tired and full to write. I am experiencing what they call “palt coma”. I had PitePalt for dinner with Lou, Anna, Vanessa and Marcus. It was a lovely evening…a ton of laughs! I can really be myself around them, which is the best feeling in the world! Unfortunately now we all feel like poo! But, we had to have a palt night becuase it is a famous dish from Piteå...we will endure the pain!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitepalt

Tomorrow Daniel and I are recording Hittade! I met with my sound engineer “crew” this afternoon to talk through the process. They are really nice guys and I think it will be fun to work with them. More tomorrow...when I don't have lumps of flour and potatoe in my stomach!!

Jammin'

This morning I had a funny email in my inbox. It was from Sven-Åke, who is in charge of the music classes at Medbörgarskolan. Remember how I was hired there when I first got here to create the Junk Jammers class? Well, we’ve had a hard time getting enough people signed up because of the cost. So, the email this morning said “get your butt down here, we have some news”.


Fortunately, I was planning on going into town anyway to pick up a package sent from mom and dad. The package was filled with food, or course! Pumpkin pie mix, goldfish crackers, peanut butter, a smushed/exploded bag of Chex Mix, hot chocolate, tea bags, and Easy-Mac (although I don’t have a microwave, so I have no idea what I’m going to do with that! It’ll just be regular-amount-of-preparation-Mac!)

When I stopped in to Medbörgarskolan we first had coffee, of course. Then Sven-Åke told me that he figured out a way to offer the class FOR FREE!! I will still get paid (a smaller amount, but it’s better than nothing), but the students won’t have to pay. We are going to start the course on February 1, and hopefully do about 6 sessions a week. Teaching + good people + paycheck = happy me.

Hejdå helg

The theme of my life lately is; where is the time going!? Hejdå helg means ‘goodbye weekend’…I can’t believe it’s Sunday night. I have no idea where the weekend went...

Yesterday didn’t really feel like a Saturday because I spent more time at school that I usually do on the weekdays! The school was hosting an Open House for perspective students, and there was more activity in the halls than I have seen since I got here. I was asked to play for a few events during the day. The first two mini concerts were held in the small auditorium, called ‘Aula’. Five current students played solos for those interested in the music program. Not many people showed up for our presentations, so it was a low stress situation.

Martina came to hear me play (what a good friend) and afterward I went on a walk around town with her, Sarah, and Sofia. I had been at school since 10am, so I really wanted to get out of the building. It seems that people get together to go on walks a lot here, which is one of things I like about this place! We walked along the water, and through a part of town that I’ve never seen (haha, that’s so sad since it’s so small!)

I had to get back to school to practice, and prepare for another performance at 5pm. I was to play for the cocktail hour (in this case, half an hour) for a dinner in honor of a man who donated money to our media department for documentaries. So, I wheeled a marimba and xylophone into the lobby area of the Acusticum, and played some relaxing music along with one xylophone rag (to get the crowd in a good mood!). It was actually a fun little gig! Plus, I got a free meal out of it…which will suffice for a paycheck in my book any day!

I didn’t really have time to relax or go home because I had to go straight to Kåren…my barlåg (bartending team) was scheduled to work. The night was themed as a ‘Lounge’, and we didn’t expect many people to show up…but we still had to be there early. We were open from 8pm-2am. A total of about 30 people showed up, and everyone just sat around and played board games. Luckily, we didn’t have to do much and got to just hang around with our friends. I played a Swedish board game where you had to try and get your partner to guess the word on the card. Except, I couldn’t read the cards! We had a lot of laughs trying to get each other to say the right thing. Then, the whole group did a few rounds totally in English, and it was hysterical!

We were exhausted when we finally closed at 2 in the morning. The time went by slowly since there wasn't much activity. Thankfully cleaning up didn’t take too long and since it had been snowing all evening the walk home was quite lovely. We ran into Lou and Anna who had gone out in town, which was perfect timing…and they were really entertaining!

Artsy pics by Martina on the walk home at 2:30am...

 

Running into Anna and Lou

Today I slept in longer than I have in a few weeks. Usually this makes a person feel good and rested, but it just made me feel gross! The weather was horrible, grey and dark. Then it got so dark so early I felt that I wasted my whole day! I got some work done, planned for the upcoming weeks accomplished, went on a walk with Anna, and had Swedish class. I didn’t have a chance (or the motivation to get my butt in gear) to practice, which stinks! I’ll just have to wake up early tomorrow…

Although today was a bit of a waste, the evening was nice! Anna had Lou and me over for some non-alcoholic glögg and gingerbread cookies. YUM! As always, I don’t know what I would do without my Swedish “mom” and British au pair!

I am so anxious and excited about the next few weeks…recording in 3 days…Stockholm in 5 days...Paris in 10 days…home in 23 days...and so much to do (both work and for fun!) in between. I seriously have no idea where the time is going!

What day is it?!

The last two days have been a whirlwind! I can’t believe time that time is going by so quickly…I only have 2 weeks left in Piteå (and a couple weeks in Stockholm and Paris!) before going back to the States for Christmas!

Yesterday began with a practice session, followed by a dance class that I accompanied. Niether the teacher nor the students had ever worked with a live drummer, so it was really rewarding to see how positively they responded! I could see that they were excited to be dancing to a new kind of music/time keeper. It was great for me to feel like I had creative freedom, and I was happy with the different grooves and sounds that I came up with. The teacher, also named Maria, wants to hire me on a regular basis!

Then, I changed to educator mode and met with 6 composing students to teach them more abou percussion instruments, and how to write for them. They are putting on a concert that I am playing for in February, so they volunteered me to teach them about percussion (haha). I wish some one was video taping me…it's common knowledge that composers tend to be quiet…but Swedish composers are even more shy! I was trying my hardest to be upbeat, but at times I swear I heard crickets! Phil (the American) laughed a lot because he could tell that I was frustrated that no one was laughing at my jokes. And, we all know that I’m pretty darn funny.

After a fun filled day at school, I came back to my apartment to prepare for an even more fun evening. Louise was staying the night (she had today off), and we planned to make a big dinner then go out for a drink in Piteå. That’s right…we wanted to brave the cold to see if people actually hang out on the weeknights.

Anna and Martina also came over dinner, which made it my first official dinner party! We had roasted chicken, veggies, and cous cous. Everyone needs a best friend au pair. Seriously! I had a great time hanging out with these girls; it was probably one of my favorite nights!

My cute kitchen and pretty friends!

Lou and Anna (and the butter. which is seriously the best butter in the world...plus it's "light"!)

Me and Martina...attempt 1

Attempt 2

Attempt 3...this will have to do! haha

After dinner, Louise and I did exactly what we had intended…trekked into town to see if any pubs were open. We waltzed into a place called Kalles and were happy to see about 10 others there. The special of the night was Coors Light for 29 Kroner, which is actually quite a deal in Sweden (that is about $4, but a beer is usually about 50 Kroner). The bartender asked us if we wanted glasses, and I replied “I’m American, we drink out of the bottle”…I’m such a classy lady!

We took a seat and tried to look as friendly as possible. Everyone glanced in our direction, because we are not afraid to speak loudly and laugh! The only person that dared to talk to us was a drunken old man, who had had a stroke. He sat down with us, and at first it we thought he was nice, and it was interesting to try and talk with him (in broken Swedish and English) but then he kept touching Lou (who was sitting on his “good/working” side…I lucked out). It got to the point where it was uncomfortable, so we excused ourselves. I felt bad, but that behavior is just inappropriate no matter what country you are in!

Around 11pm we decided to leave and see if the hotel bar was “hopping”. It wasn’t. In fact, it closed at 11pm. So, we decided that we “came/saw/conquered” the Piteå weekday nightlife, and walked home. It was freezing, and the ground is still covered with snow and ice…Lou slipped and fell twice…and I laughed really hard (sorry for telling everyone, Lou…but it was hysterical! Don’t wear those boots anymore!)

It was nice that Lou stayed the night. I decided that I need to have a roommate in the next place I live. It’s just nice having someone to chat with, eat breakfast with, and get advice from!

--------

Today was eventful as well! We went to the Red Cross store this morning (they know us by name) because I needed to get some winter gear. We’re hoping to go sledding this week, and there is a ski trip on Dec. 5 (no, I will NOT fall and hurt myself!). I picked up some huge snow pants and a thick waterproof coat…and, I only spent $20!

After the errand filled morning, we went to a concert at school. Anna was singing with all of the first year musicians majoring in performance. It was wonderful to hear her! I love having talented friends!

I also did a lot of teaching today since Daniel is in the States. I really miss having private students (and teaching classes…having the composer’s forum yesterday made me miss teaching percussion methods at Eastman! Except, my students then actually laughed at my jokes…haha). I hope that I get to do more teaching here after Christmas It's a really good experiece and the students seem to be responsive to my ideas! Plus, I have to be really creative with how I explain things to make sure that the language is clear and articulate.

I really can’t believe that it’s already November 13. I feel like it was just yesterday that I almost teared up when I got off the plane in Stockholm and saw Anders! I wonder how emotional I’ll get when I get off the plane in Cincinnat in LESS THAN A MONTH!

ä å ö

I probably shouldn't post this, but I am going to anyway…Disclaimer: the following video contains American swear words. Don't worry dad, even if they don't mean anything in Swedish I don't use them when I'm practicing the language. :)

I found this video posted by the Hairy Swede:  http://welcometosweden.blogspot.com/  This blog is really entertaining. I started following it over the summer before I moved here. There are a few entries about what to expect as a ‘newbie’ that were really helpful. It’s much more insightful and comical that my daily anecdotes!

I watched this video right when I got back from my Swedish class this evening. Tonight we began applying indefinite and definite forms (both singular and plural) of En and Ett words. Just like the guy in the video says, there are no grammar rules! You just have to know it! It’s so silly! Why did I pick a country with such a hard language?!

So, if you’re looking for a good laugh, and won’t be offended by some American profanity…Enjoy…

Neo

Today I completed my first paid gig! Woohoo! I subbed for Daniel in his group, Neo. Norrbotten Neo is a chamber group dedicated to play contemporary works. Everyone in the group is an incredible musician and friendly too :) Check them out: http://www.norrbottenneo.com/

Daniel is in the USA with Anders and Rolf for a tour with GPN (Global Percussion Network), and then for PASIC (Percussive Arts Society International Convention). Needless to say, I’m jealous considering they are in Indianapolis…so close to home! However, I was thankful for the opportunity to play with this group.

I was nervous about the rehearsal today, just because really I wanted to put my best foot forward. Luckily, the music isn’t too complicated (as a lot of new music can be); we are doing a reading workshop of compositions by students from a specialized school outside of Piteå. We went through about 7 pieces today, and will continue with a few more for 2 hours tomorrow. I feel good about my performance, and hope tomorrow goes just as well!

I can’t describe what it feels like to be in a rehearsal when you can’t understand the conductor. It can be stressful at times, but always intriguing. I know my numbers, so when we start at a specific measure I can always tell where we are in the music. Thankfully, whenever the conductor had to address my part, he always switched to English. Maybe by June I’ll be able to follow an entire rehearsal…hopefully!

Keeping it real

I just had a bit of a laugh as I read through a few of my entries when I first arrived here. It feels like a long time ago, even though it’s been just over two months! So much has changed, and I sure have learned a lot.

In September, as I attempted to acclimate myself with Piteå, and Sweden in general, it seems as though I was obsessed with fitting in. For awhile it made me self conscious to speak differently, to dress differently, and to carry myself differently. These introverted tendencies and awkward feelings just make me laugh now. Among the many things I’ve learned here, I’ve realized that embracing one’s strengths and weaknesses is really all you can do. So…I talk and laugh loudly, wear gym shoes everywhere, say “hej” to people as they walk by, and take my backpack to the grocery store so I don’t have to buy a bag. Yes, I’m the American…and you can stop, say “hi” to me, and chat…or not.

I think this thought of embracing my “American” ways is making its way into my perspective in the musical world as well. Here in Sweden (and in the rest of Scandinavia), they have what is called “Jantelagen” (Jante Law), where no one is to think they are better than anyone else. There are even “10 Commandments”:

•Don't think you are somebody
•Don’t believe that your are as good as us
•Don't believe that you are smarter than us
•Don't believe that you are better than us
•Don't believe that you know more than us
•Don't believe that you are more than us
•Don't believe that you a good at anything
•Don't laugh at us
•Don't think that anybody cares for you
•Don't believe that you can teach us anything

Kind of harsh, right? As I understand it, these ideals were put into place for the survival of the community. If no one stands out and everyone works on the same level, all will survive. Although I do believe that it is important that you look after your neighbor, I think that there is nothing wrong with embracing your gifts and talents…and more importantly, what you are passionate about.

Under this “law”, if I were to have dinner at a friend’s house, instead of saying “This is a great meal!” I would say “this meal isn’t that bad”. If I were to compliment them, I would actually be indirectly degrading my own cooking abilities, and therefore putting myself in a subservient role. Translate this to the music world…not much encouragement floats around...that’s for sure.

Although this way of thinking is a bit dated, and it’s said that my generation is deviating from it….as a foreigner, it is still apparent. Maybe it’s because I don’t speak fluent Swedish, and that people are still timid to approach me, but it seems as though positive reinforcement is a bit taboo. When talking to musicians who have been to America, they agree. Although the competition is intense amongst musicians, in America we are generally supportive and encouraging of one another and this support is what keeps the artistic world alive and progressing.

As I continue my studies and adventures here, I’ve decided to embrace every little thing that makes me…me. (While continuing to try and grow and improve, of course!) I will compliment and praise my peers if I feel moved to do so, and hope that the positive energy inspires some sort of change, or at least a greater understanding of one another.

perfect winter day

As I stirred out of my enjoyable night’s sleep, I noticed a nice white glow coming from my windows. Could it be?!? I jumped up, ran to the windows, and peaked through my curtains (like the child that I am) and was so excited to see that the ground covered in white and huge flakes falling from the sky. It’s officially winter, and I finally feel like I’m truly living 200km south of the artic circle!!

view from my window this morning!

I was in such a good mood (which was nice, Friday was a very frustrating, wake up on the wrong side of the bed, kind of day! Hence…no entry. Everything that annoyed me was minimal, and I didn’t even see the point in writing about it) I wanted to take advantage of my insanely wonderful mood, so I scrubbed, and I mean SCRUBBED my apartment clean…and may have sang some Christmas songs and danced around once or twice :)

After the random cleaning/organizing spree, I headed up to school to practice…camera in hand…

Just outside of my building

cute houses

View from my practice room! It felt so cozy :)

Walk home...EVERYTHING was covered and beautiful

After practicing, I was excited to get back home. I have been looking forward to this evening all week. Since I’ve been complaining about the lack of pumpkin flavored food, Lou and I decided to take action. We saw pumpkins in the grocery store, and found a few recipes online. Tonight was the night to try to make a pumpkin pie from scratch!

Lou making the crust

I gutted the pumpkin slices, cleaned the seeds to roast, then we put the slices in the oven to soften

pumpkin puree. yum. yum.

mixing in the ingredients: puree, 3 eggs, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and icecream. yes, icecream...it works instead of condensed milk!

baking!

doesn't look perfect, but it tasted fantastic!!! It was fun to enjoy it with Emma, Thomas, Lou and Anna...none of them had ever had it before! I was one happy American.

Now, it's time for bed..we had a huge dinner, pie, and glögg (a traditional Swedish wintery drink. It's kind of like a hot wine. Really good!!!) We played Skip-Bo (card game) and enjoyed each other's company in a beautiful, warm and cozy home. This was the PERFECT winter day...snow, music, good friends, and pie :)

Countdowns!

First paid gig in Sweden: 4 days
- subbing in Neo for Daniel because he’ll be in Indiana for PASIC (I told him to say “Hi” to America for me)

First recording session: 13 days
- 2 days of studio recording in the Acusticum…Hittade, New piece (I should probably give it a title at some point), and some improve

Trip to Stockholm: 15 days
- “New Moon” premiere!!, lessons with Anders, hanging out with Tove, Emma, Anne, and whoever else is around town

Trip to Paris: 20 days
- Thanksgiving with some amazing friends…Kana, Morgann (both from OSU), and the Eastman percussion studio!!!! Shopping, sight-seeing, lots of marimba, helping with the Zildjian booth, clinics and concerts :)

American Themed party: 29 days

- I’m going to throw a party at the Ankars club house…we’ll play some American drinking games, sing The Star Spangled Banner…and I’m going to make everyone speak English!

Flying back to Ohio: 34 days
- yay! Home!

Playing the Ziek percussion concerto with Lakota West: 39 days
- It’s going to be wild to be on that stage again. I can’t wait to play for my family, they haven’t seen me play in such a long time!

Christmas!!: 50days
- I love this time of year so much!

Trip to NYC: 55 days
- Going to go for New Year’s to visit Marilyn and everyone else I know living in the city! Could it be my future home?!

Back to Sweden: 67 days
- I’ll be in cold, dark Piteå for almost 6 months straight (until June! I hope I can make it! Haha)

Percussion in Piteå Concert Series, II: 100 days
- Planning the next concert: February 3, 2010 at 7pm :)

Although I am having a really amazing experience, I still get homesick and a bit lonely in the evenings. It’s nice to see what lies ahead...it helps me gain perspective and remind myself how lucky I am to be doing all of these amazing things!

It snowed today for the first time (during the day)! Not enough to cover too much, but I was still excited! Plus, I got to wear my cool/dorky hat!

this picture of Kåren was taken at 2:30pm (today 11/5...wrong date) See...it's DARK! we need snow :)

Funny story of the day:  At the Redcross store today (I’ve worn holes in 2 out of my 3 pairs of pants…needless to say, the $4 pair I bought today better last awhile!), a woman approached Lou, Anna, and I with a huge smile on her face. She goes “are you speaking English!?” She was American!! Her name is Carrie and she moved here with her Swedish husband 2 years ago. She was super bubbly and outgoing! She has two kids (8 and 10), and said loves living here. We exchanged numbers, and I will probably call at some point. Afterwards Anna, Lou, and I had fika and they laughed because evidentally Carrie and I acted exactly the same socially...talking a mile a minute, wide eyes, and really excited! See people…it’s not just me! :)

“quick” rundown

Quick is in quotes because although I intend this to be a short entry…we all know that that is an unlikely goal! I’m just tired, and don’t have anything too monumental to share, but it was a busy day…so here it goes!

Once again, I tried to wake up really early, but 8am was early enough. I had a rehearsal at 10am that I needed to be ready for. The music is easy, but we have to move all the equipment across the school…gotta love being a percussionist. Instead of Petter, the normal conductor, his student was conducting (who has run rehearsals a few times before, I can’t remember his name!). I think he does a really good job, and he was being evaluated by Petter today, so I think he was extra nervous. As he was leaving he randomly gave me a hug and thanked me after the rehearsal, which was really nice and made me feel like my snare drum playing was extra special today!

When hauling equipment back to the perussion room, I ran into Marita in the hallway, the lovely, stylish woman who runs the Accelerator program. She helped me get my feet wet when planning the recital in October. They are having an ‘open house’ type of event next week for prospective students and she asked me to play for them. I think I can whip something up on the marimba! Very cool…

Then, I ran to another rehearsal room with a djembe and tar to play for a dance class. I was only going to make it for the last 20 minutes, but the teacher really wanted me to play today…so I ran! Her name is Maria (like so many other people here!), and she wants me to play for her classes regularly! Woohoo!

Finally had a chance to breathe, did a little practicing, and was hungry for lunch. I decided to come home to make a salad because I didn’t feel like spending money. I ended up getting a lot of work done all afternoon. Mainly, I finished my proposal to do some outreach in the high schools when I go home in December. I sent out 4 emails and asked my old band director to give me some more names of directors that I can contact. It took a long time to edit my resume, get the contact info together, cover letter, and actual outline of what I can offer…but, I’m really glad I finally got it done today.

Took a nap :)

The best part of the day was Skyping with Marilyn (best friend from Eastman, moved to NYC). We talked for over an hour, about everything. I love the people I’ve met here in Sweden, but still miss being around people that know me really, really well…I’m visiting her from Dec. 30-Jan. 11 in NYC, which will without a doubt be a really good time!

I was also really excited to get a phone call from Tove, Anders' daughter. I'm going to stay with them when I go down to Stockholm on Nov. 20 (which is so nice), and she got me a ticket to see the premiere of  "New Moon" (next movie in the Twilight series)!! I know I sound like a 15 year old girl, but I can' wait!

The late afternoon/evening was spent doing homework for Swedish class, attending the Norrbotten Neo concert (contemporary music ensemble that Daniel plays for), then going to Swedish class. Neo is a great group and it was nice to enjoy a good concert…I’ve been missing Eastman ensembles a lot lately…

Now, I’m sitting in my apartment…bored. There are things I could be doing…like putting my new piece into Sibelius, but I’m not in the mood. I got enough done today…so I’ve just been playing spider solitaire on my computer instead. LAME!!!

That’s the “quick” rundown of my day :)

P.S. for dinner I had some toast with caviar from a tube on it. Don’t knock it until you try it! So yummy!

You’ve got mail

No, not just an email or Facebook message….real, tangible, left by the postman…MAIL!

Despite the awful, gloomy, dark weather I was excited to walk into town again this morning. I was going to go to the post office to pick up the camera that Cathy sent me to use as a replacement until December. I received the package slip in my mailbox yesterday, and I literally did a little happy dance when I found it…you know the one! I’m so thankful for Cathy’s kindness! (Cathy and I reconnected on Facebook. I went to high school with her son. We were both band nerds…once a loving band mom, always a loving band mom! I will owe her a huge hug when I go home in December! Thanks Cathy!)

As I walked past our wall of mailboxes to head out the door, something drew me to check mine again. I rarely get anything besides my rent bill, but I always check it anyway…hoping that something exciting lay beyond the little metal door. This morning, to my surprise and delight…a large white envelope inhabited MY mailbox! Begin happy dance number two…

In the envelope there was a small book called Einstein’s Dreams. It was mailed directly from the vendor, so there was no note or return address. Who could this be from?! The surprise and thoughtfulness of this friend was enough to put a little more bounce in my step for the rest of the day. My friends rock.

At the post office I gave the package slip to the woman, and asked for the package IN SWEDISH. I must have sounded pretty convincing because she started to talk really fast and I had to interrupt her and ask her to speak English…but I was still proud of myself for trying! I also went to the library to pick up some fun books to read, as well as some children’s books in Swedish (to help me learn). The librarian laughed at me.

As I walked around town, I said “Hej” or smiled at the people I walked past. Out of about 18 people (I counted)…6 returned the gesture, 1 grunted, and the others looked baffled. Lighten up, Piteå :)

All day I tried to figure out who sent me the book (that I began to read while I ate lunch). When I was taking a break from practicing at school, I was on gmail chat talking to Erin. And, she revealed herself. A few weeks ago I must have complained that I didn’t have any good books to read, so she sent me one. SHE IS THE BEST!!! We went to Eastman together, and were interns at the Arts and Cultural Council. She lives in Montana now, and works for the Zootown Arts Council. Thanks, Erin…I think that sending real mail is one of the most thoughtful gestures there is. Although I appreciate this high-tech world, there is something extra special about snail mail.

So, now I have a camera to document each day again and a book to entertain me in the evenings…not to mention warm and fuzzy feeling that I am cared for...thanks again Cathy and Erin!  :)

Phone calls

My to-do list is really long for this week. What’s unfortunate is that I don’t have any outside deadlines bearing down on any of the tasks…everything needs to be self propelled. When I began my day, I did feel motivated (unlike over the weekend!); I just couldn’t decide what to do first! Luckily, I received two impeccably timed phone calls that helped me make some decisions!


The major activities that were to consume my day were a trip into town, a long session in the practice room, and some intimate planning and brainstorming time with my laptop. I just needed to decide what to do first: go to town, go to school, or stay at my apartment.

Around 9:30am, I decided that staying in my apartment would be a bad idea, because I needed to get outside and get my body moving. So, I headed out the door without knowing if I was going to go to school or into town. I figured I would just start walking and get somewhere…eventually.

Then, Lou called! She was going into town to do her family’s weekly shopping at the ICA and said that she could drive me home if I wanted to do my grocery shopping too (isn’t she the best!?) Decision made! I passed by school and headed into town. I made a quick stop by the Medborgarskolan to visit Sven-Åke and to see if any students have signed up for my classes. Then, I went to the electronics store to buy a webcam (I miss seeing my parents when we Skype!), and made it to ICA just in time to meet Lou and get my groceries.

I picked up all my normal items…milk, OJ, bread, musli, lots of fruit and veggies, along with some couscous and curry sauce for something different. It was nice to chat with Lou and see Lisa (haven’t see her in awhile, and she’s still cute as can be!)! I’m convinced I will able to say my name by the time I leave!

Lou drove me home, and I decided to try and install my webcam. The guys at the electronics store promised it was a plug-in and use kind of thing…but nothing is ever easy when it comes to me and electronics. I ended up fighting with my computer for a really long time. I finally got it figured out, but was frustrated and tired…thinking about taking a nap…unmotivated to go to school…and then…

Anders called! He and his family are back from Tokyo and it sounds like they had a great time. I can’t wait to hear about it in person. He was just touching base, and we talked about the trip to Stockholm and Paris that is happening at the end of the month. Chatting with him gave me the energy to close my computer and head off to school.

I got a lot done in the practice room; I’m starting to memorize the concerto for December and worked on some technique stuff. Daniel and I chatted, I’m sub-ing for him in Neo next week, and I’m actually really excited about it. A paying gig! Wooho! I needed to do some composing, but by 6:30 I was hungry. And, hunger trumps the need to compose :)

I made a very yummy dinner…chicken, veggies, couscous in Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce! A little taste of home is always a good thing! I’ve spent the rest of the evening working at my computer. I’m helping a friend with some English grammar in writing, trying to plan some outreach ideas I have for high schools when I’m home in December (although I should have contacted them a long time ago, so we’ll see what happens), and writing random emails along with this silly blog. hehe :)

to-do or not to-do

I made a really long to-do list this morning. Out of 30 things to accomplish, I only got about 5 of them done. I spent most of the day randomly rearranging my apartment...a task not included on the to-do list.

When having the post-Halloween breakfast with Lou and Anna on Saturday morning, we decided that my little kitchen was too cramped, and that the shelving unit (my apartment was completely furnished) didn’t need to be there. So, I moved it into the main room, and moved my couch from one wall to the other along with a few other minor changes. It looks a lot different! I’ll have Lou and Anna over again, and I’m sure they’ll have an opinion! I do love my blue and green color scheme, and am still amazed that all the hand-me-downs and thrift store purchases match perfectly!

The items on the to-do list that I did achieve were minimal: emails, practicing, Swedish class homework, and a lot of Facebook browsing (not on the list…but a daily occurrence). Everyone has so many new pictures posted, it was inevitable that I was going to waste some time seeing how everyone’s Halloween weekend turned out. Looks like most of my friends had a good time!

Now, my hefty weekend to-do list will triple in length and become my first week of November to-do list. Lovely…

On a happy note, I’m starting to count down to a lot of exciting events: recording, traveling to Paris, going home, playing with Lakota West, and going to NYC for New Year’s. It’s going to be a great couple months, I just have to stay focused and motivated, and earn all of this fun!