Puppy!

Frank and I just adopted a puppy!

(Well, not a "puppy"--he's an adult...)

We are in love.  He is amazing.  Came to us house-broken and crate-trained.  A sweet two-year-old Boston Terrier named Nelson.  We have a lot of anxiety here in the beginning, though, as we remember Penny (another story, for those not in the know).  But we are constantly surprised with how well-behaved he is, and his ability to sleep through the night without barking (as far as we know).

I am still sick all the time.  But I am dealing with it.  Always using advil at every waking moment.  Started using the neti pot, which is both terrifying and exhilarating.

I'm all of the sudden struck with nostalgia watching the women's gymnastics team at the Olympics.  I remember 1996, with Dominique Mociano's floor routine and Kerri Strug's vault as being extremely important in my childhood!  And now this year's team is constantly referred to in conjunction with '96, showing old videos, me crying the whole time.  It's great.

July was insanity, filled with gigs gigs gigs, which is nice, and I am thankful, but it was exhausting.  A week-long trip to NYC with the Sackbuts, a weekend in Virginia for Frank's aunt's wedding, a week on the road with Prometheus, and then some lute songs here in KC with JEMS fest.  And then on Monday I found out I am taking over for Alan at Asbury as the interim director.  I am terrified and excited (much like the neti pot, yes).  All the while singing, babysitting, cleaning, and now raising this sweet dog.  Let's see how this goes...

Heat Wave

I'm going to write in this thing again.  At least right now--I have no idea about the future.

I'm not really sure if anyone reads this (wow, what a trite thing to say (also, whenever I use the word trite I think of Dr. Budds)), but I don't think that matters.  Frank is playing Skyrim right next to me, so I felt like writing a little to pass the time.

I've been really sick lately.  My third sinus infection of the year.  I thought the second was bad timing, but now that the third is (slowly) running its course, I'm beginning to think there could be something wrong.  It could be anything, really.  Maybe it's just the gross allergens around because they never really froze off in the winter.  Maybe I have a deviated septum (what??!!).  Maybe I'm allergic to gluten (please don't say I can't make cookies anymore).  Maybe our house is just dirty.  I don't know.  But it's damn stressful.  I get the kind of sinus infection (maxillary?) where your cheeks and teeth ache.  Not only do they ache, but they freak out when you eat hot and cold things, and you go to the dentist and he says nothing is wrong, and you can only eat on one side of your mouth for a few weeks, and then the other side starts hurting, so you can only live off of smoothies you sip through a straw, and the thought of eating ANYTHING terrifies you.  And all your husband wants to do is grill steaks.

That's basically been my life the past few weeks.  Sometimes Frank and I go to Oceans of Fun and jump in the fake waves and float around on tubes.  Our house is full of amazing produce from our CSA (note: everyone should have one of these, please) and we are constantly eating beautiful fruits and veggies.  I am babysitting a lot, and it is hilarious.  Frank and I both had our birthdays this month, and they were perfect (even though I thought both of them were going to be a little underwhelming...).  A Mary Kay sales associate I met while drunk at a party somehow found my phone number on her husband's phone tree from a choir gig and has called me about 5 times this month trying to give me a facial, even though I have been deliberately (and angrily) avoiding her calls like the plague.  I met and sang with Simon Carrington and he is an amazing man with an amazing career.  Everyone in the world is getting married and having babies.  Johann the fish died after being alive for 2.75 years--we buried him in the back yard under a tree and like to talk to him while we are picnicking and playing croquet.  I beat Frank at croquet ONCE.  We watched season four of True Blood in two days, and I am still terrified/obsessed.

I think that's it.  The important stuff, anyway.

I'm frustrated with how things are going.  Well, what I mean by that is I'm frustrated with all the drama from the past several months.  It's been one of those years where bad things keep happening at every turn.  It makes me emotional and tired.  I think it's good, though, that I'm able to make my career as an artist, and I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be able to sing when things get crazy.

Apology

I'm sorry if you are my friend and I haven't hung out with you much, and I'm sorry that I will not be hanging out with you much until 2012. Just let me get all of this "life" stuff out of the way first.

While the repair guy does his thing...

Ahhh, just remembered a really nice moment two years ago when I sang Porgi Amor for Michael McCraw and learned SO MUCH about music in just 5 minutes.

Distracted

I haven't posted for a really long time! It's because around the time I last posted, Frank and I started a food blog. I KNOW, everyone and their mom already has a food blog. I get it. But the food blog is way more interesting than anything I could put out over here (hehehe, "put out").

kissthecook.org

Do you know what I love right now?

I love that the ivy growing up the side of our house is turning red with Autumn, so when I look out our bedroom window I see these beautiful orangey-red leaves clinging to the panes. Yeah, that's what I love right now.

Frank Bought a Camera

This post would be sooo much more effective if I would have included photos from said camera...

BUT, Frank bought a camera and just got it in the mail yesterday! He was very cute all night when he came home and couldn't stop playing with it. He even took it to bed and took portraits of the stuffed animals while I fell asleep. Hehehe.

So, you know what this means? It means Frank is going to have a photo shoot with me on Saturday. I'm totally excited. What could be more fun than that?