So I'm sitting on the couch at home in Englewood and, thanks to my parents' decision to move out of the stone age, I am able to use the internet on my mom's laptop (wow!) over their new wireless nextwork (HOLY CRAP!).

I'm in Englewood to teach the ol' Lemon Bay marching band.. teaching marching. So that's pretty.. uh.. exciting? I hardly know any of the people in the band anymore and so I feel, I guess, less connected to the program. It's more just a job to me than anything else. So whatever, but I'm missing a week (2 classes) of music history to be here, but I guess it's a nice little vacation.

I went up to Sarasota todahy with my mom. Well, let me go back. A couple of weeks ago I took a conducting lesson with a guy named Peter Rubardt (DMA, Juilliard; MM, Stony Brook; Faculty, Juilliard, Rutgers, SUNY SB... not too shabby). I was a very informative lesson (despite the fact that we hardly talked about my prepared Beethoven 3 at all) where we talked about what I would need to do if I wanted to be a successful conductor.

As a side note, I'm watching the local news and they're doing a special about the Harry Potter release.. people have been at bookstores since 3:30 this afternoon.. gracious.

Anyway, he identified a few areas that I would definately need to improve on. First, and most obvious to me, is keyboard skills. I need to improve at piano and, even more important, reading out of open score. I need to improve at languages (German, Italian, French), I need to improve my pitch/aural skills, and, this is where the story comes in, become very proficient at a string instrument. If I can't play one, I have no validity on the podium when I'm trying to give instructions to my players.

I have had in my possession for nearly 4 years an upright bass. I haven't ever really learned how to play it, it's just been sitting in my parents' living room (they say it's a conversation piece). So, in an effort to get some use out of it, I'm in the process of trading it in for a cello. I went up to Fogts Music in Sarasota today and started that process. Tomorrow, ideally, I will have in my possession a pretty nice used cello.

While in Sarasota I also got out to Best Buy where I made probably my finest purchase in some time: the first season of Home Movies on DVD!! I don't know why I like this show.. it's so nonsensical and..well.. stupid? But I'm addicted. My and Kreggy sit around trying to kill time until 1:30 on Sunday night to watch it. But now, with this, huzzah!

We also went to the Whole Foods Market in downtown Sarasota. I really wish we had one in Tallahassee. I mean, the Fresh Market is great, don't get me wrong, but it PALES in comparison to the Whole Foods Market. Also, lunch at Sangria with the grandparents. Something with tenderloin and carmelized onions and.. wow.. it was good.

I've decided I really like the way that a laptop keyboard sounds when it's typed upon, especially by me (a self-admitted keybaord slammer). Makes me want to be a writer or something.

That is all. Carry on.