Wednesday

Oh! It was really nice today- high 50s AND its supposed to be in the 70s this weekend.

Today was not quite as productive as yesterday or Monday, but I did manage to get things done. I sent some paperwork home tonight and managed to finish up 3 monthly summaries (out of 5 remaining). That leaves 2 left to do tomorrow AND to read over what I've done tonight in order to send it to my ITD. Phew. Not to mention edits of the things I've already sent. So little time and so much to do.

I'm also getting some music therapy conference stuff ready too. Saturday is my big work day- go make copies at Staples of all the documents I need, make sure my powerpoints are all set for next week and pack my bag. I can't believe that Vegas is happening next week- time has certainly flown by. I was going to write more about the Seder from last night, but after working all evening, I find myself a bit tired. I also went to Wegman's this afternoon and purchased the things I need to Sunday's Easter dinner. I'm fixing lamb a la one of my chapman professors. She's greek and makes the most amazing lamb. I was lucky enough to get her recipe. I fixed it for some friends last Easter in AZ and it was absolutely delicious. I am hoping for a repeat. So far, I have 4 lbs for 3 people, Kari, Mar-boy, and myself. I also decided while shopping today that we are going to decorate Easter eggs Sunday afternoon as well. I think it will be a nice time.

Tomorrow we have another piano inservice at a different location. We're meeting my supervising therapist at a site just a few miles from my house. I am really looking forward to my commute home tomorrow. I expect it to take all of about 5 minutes. That leaves plenty of time to do some laundry so I can start packing for my trip!

That's all for me. Someday I will have more time to write about how fun the Seder was- all the details and everything plus new adventures. Goodnight!

These bitter herbs

That's right folks, I went to my first Seder as an adult. It was so fabulous and I am stuffed- so my post will be brief as I also need to get to bed.

The Seder was hosted by some bandmates of Mar-boy. The bassist and his wife (and young daughter) had us over as well as grams and gramps (who played Moses, naturally), the best friend and the sister and her two kids. We had a wonderful time. Aside from the Seder and the reading and singing, we ate and ate and ate. Dinner was grilled salmon (steak or filet), asparagus, and gnocchi for the kids. There were also eggs, thai sweet potato salad, green salad with a sesame vinaigrette. For dessert- matzah heath thingys--- basically matzah covered in toffee with choco-chips and pralines. SO much food. I tasted everything and ate everything apart of the seder- including the freshly ground horseradish. We drank the four little glasses of wine and sang all the songs. It was such a wonderful time. The best friend was sitting next to me and talked an ear off me about how much she loves San Francisco and all the best places for cheese and chocolates in rochester. Mar-boy and I have a whole list of new places to check out.

So all in all, a very successful evening. Between Bubbe and Gramps (I forget the name for that), I felt like I was in a movie.... it felt kind of like that dinner scene in "While You Were Sleeping"- I think there's a hilarious dinner scene in that movie- maybe its Christmas vacation? Whatever it was, it was nice to feel apart of a family. Mar-boy is the percussionist in this band and so I think I will be catching their gig coming up in a couple of Mondays. Our host and hostess tonight both invited me to check it out and that it'd be good to see me there. It was really nice, like i said, to be apart of a family tonight. We both had an excellent time. We've also made plans for Friday and Mar-boy will be joining Kari and I for Easter dinner on Sunday.

Tomorrow brings more paper work and more sessions. I do play the paper now- thanks ElTee. Session wise, I had a great day. For some reason all of my clients were in a jolly mood and a couple of amazing things happened. AND I've been staying on top of my paperwork so I don't think I will have to go into the office this weekend. I think I can get all of this stuff done this week- which will be wonderful indeed.

Now I must slip off gently into a blissful food coma. Happy Passover!

Productivity!

Wow. Today was a productive day.

Not only did I have a full schedule but I also submitted some paperwork, got started on some more paperwork, and printed out completed paperwork. The end of the month = paperwork. Now that I am home, I am feeling completely sluggish.

Tomorrow I was invited to a Seder dinner. The roles of Mean Old Pharaoh and Miriam are still vacant-- I may feel the urge to volunteer by the time I get there. I was invited by one of the people that I met at conference. We'll call him MAR-boy for now. Anyhow, he's not Jewish, but has worked for this family who is and they invited him to Seder and by extension I was invited. I am looking forward to the celebration and food and kosher soda. Please expect a full report upon returning.

MAR-boy came over yesterday to catch a movie and have a bite to eat. He's a pretty cool guy and it was nice to hang out with someone new. I think when you meet people at conference it sets off your friendship on a different note. I know that I am a little more relaxed but also hyped up and excited to be there--so kind of like a more authentic version of myself. I'm in my element and all, so how could I be anyone but me. I don't know if that makes any sense. It kind of feels like we've been friends for a while- one of those things. He lives in the town where I work 2 days a week, so he's in the area. Anyways he's pretty active so its very possible that I may be taking up hiking (?) and disc golf (frisbee golf) among other adventures in the near future. I think the hiking is negotiable. In any case, I think its a perfect opportunity for a new pair of shoes.

Tomorrow means really going back to work and getting back on the paperwork train.

That's the latest and greatest!

Conference!

Phew. We're back from conference. We got in about 5:45 last night and I was asleep by 7:30. Unfortunately, that meant I was up at like 6:30 this morning but its given me a chance to get caught up on my e mails and blog posts.

So. Conference. Wow. It was amazing. I met a lot of really wonderful people in addition to seeing some excellent (and maybe not so excellent) sessions. I did learn a lot and had a lot of fun! Kari and I had a ton of time to discuss in the car, but we decided we were more laid back and relaxed and let more of our personalities come through especially when we were hanging with our supervising therapist. We were keeping everyone, including ourselves, laughing the entire time. Here's the day by day:

Thursday: We woke up early and took our sweet time getting out of Rochester. Of course I had to stop at the ATM and get gas before really hitting the road which left us leaving Rochester about an hour later than we had intended. We made it to Pittsburgh in time for opening ceremonies. Opening ceremonies were great. The keynote speaker is a professor emeritus at Duquesne University and she was SASSY. She's lived and worked in Pittsburgh for many years and had a lot to say in terms of the history and land and the connection with our field. She also had some students there who made up a little ensemble: cello, guitar, two violas and voice and played some live music. At first I was kind of thinking that the whole thing was a little hokey, but the cello started to play and that changed everything- the timbre and rich tone. It was fantastic. Kari and I skipped the first session and instead went to the second session of the afternoon about Self Regulation and children with autism. The joke being that I need to learn how to self-regulate. Which is true, I started talking to this girl from Pennsylvania about how amusing I thought the state is and thankfully Kari jumped in when the girl looked really confused. We decided that together, we can self regulate-- apart not so much. The video clips from that particular session were very different from the type of music therapy that I'm learning. So it was uh.. interesting.

After the first session that we skipped to get oriented, check in, and unpack the car, we went to a plenary session about the work that music therapists are doing by combining performances of professional contemporary and classical musicians in the pittsburgh area. The professional business meeting was held after - by which time Kari and i were STARVING. And we are the same in that when we don't eat, we get crabby and easily distracted. So the meeting was a little taxing, but we booked it for the hotel restaurant buffet before we had to be back for the internship fair. At the time of hte internship fair- where prospective students can come, get information, ask questions etc, the Slippery Rock Jazz Band played and the conference hosts gave swing dancing lessons- it was a fun event. I saw a friend or two that I met at the national conference in San Diego so we got to catch up over at the cash bar and I met a few new people too. We went to bed pretty early- around 10:30 to be up and ready for Friday.

Friday- had a leisurely breakfast and Kari and I decided to divide and conquer sessions. She went to a session on guided imagery and music while I went and learned about community music therapy. Then I went to a session on Taboo Topics in Music Therapy- or Things good little music therapists don't ever talk about. Topics included burnout, frustrations with clients and staff and others in our field, differences in our field, just to name a few. We had two pages of topics by the end of the session. That was really interesting and nice to know that a lot of people go through feelings of, say, incompetence or guilt even though no one is talking about it. The presenter was also a hoot and half. I really enjoyed it. Kari went to a session on marketing strategies for new MT-BCs aimed at new professionals and students. She said it was okay. Lunch break- we wandered out of the hotel and hopped over to Einsteins Bagels for a quick bite and hurried back for a session on Clinical Improvisation techniques. We had heard about the presenters from being on the music therapy listserv and so we were both curious. It was okay- but felt very basic. We use the exact same techniques and books in the internship here. They did do demonstrations of each technique which was helpful. That group of sessions were followed by another business meeting which went quickly and left us plenty of time to go out to dinner. We went to Buca di Beppo for dinner with our supervising therapist. It was a blast. BUT we had to get back to the hotel by 8p.

On that last night of Conference there is a dessert bar and karaoke night- but its unlike any karaoke night that I've seen. They have an in house band made of up music therapists- amazing musicians. They have a list of songs that they play and people can sign up and sing with the live band. Everyone attends this particular event, even if its for 5 minutes or the whole 3 hours. It was a hoot. The dessert bar was also fantastic- ice cream, toppings, fruit, cookies. We met up with some of the people that we met the night before. Kari said goodnight and I stayed to hit some of the jam rooms with my new friends. If its anything I've learned from these types of events its that I will surely talk to anyone... if you can imagine. how precocious. Anyhow, we walked into this jam room and it was kind of dying. This one girl was playing this slow depressing radiohead song on the piano- which the string players liked but everyone else was starting to clear out. So we took over- naturally. I hopped on the piano and in my best tribute to lisa rae, started with a little classic tunes with Ain't no Mountain High Enough going right into I Gotta Feeling == songs I could just pull out of the hat. But it changed the whole energy and other people got up and led songs and stuff like that. It was a lot of fun. I stayed until 2a when I remembered that I had to be up at 6.

Saturday - we woke up, begrudgingly, but opted to have a leisurely breakfast and skip the first session of the day. Then we went to a session on The Field Of Play and responding to clients within that framework. The Field of Play is a theory of music therapy created by Dr. Carolyn Kenny. It is pretty much the coolest thing I'd heard all weekend. I had read the book a while ago for a paper that I did at Chapman- but now I realize that I understood so little of it. The way the presenter explained it made so much sense- it made me really excited. Then I made Kari stay for the entire closing session because I wanted to see if I would win any door prizes. but I never win anything.

I am so glad that I went this weekend. It gave me new energy and it was fun to see a different region and to have that experience. We were all upset that our ITD could not come with us. I met a lot of great people and even some who are working in this area. There's one guy that I met who actually lives in the town where I work on Tuesday/Friday. He's going to show me the town- which I'm told consists of one bar and main street. I was excited to meet someone else (aside from Kari) who is close to my age and place in school that actually is in the area. It was nice to make some friends in this region. We'll see what happens. It was sort of weird starting out because everything was so different than the regional conference and people that I am used to. There were doppelgangers every where- meaning people who looked and acted like my friends in the Western Region. It was sort of wild. But at the heart of the whole thing, no matter what, the people are great and its always a good time at these sorts of gatherings. People are excited about what they do- even those who have been in the field for 30+ years. That is so encouraging to someone like me, someone just starting out on the journey. I could be one of those people who still loves their job 30 years from now. So the entire weekend is draining and tiring but I have come back with an increased understanding, new friends, and renewed energy. I love it.

Today I am looking forward to just resting and having some down time before the week begins. Its supposed to be a "normal" week. Its the week before Western Regional conference in Vegas so I know that I will have quite a bit to do in terms of making copies of things and getting my little ducks in a row. The great news about that is that Casey, my friend from Chapman who also transferred, has decided to come to conference! I'm so excited that she is going to be there. So I am taking today to just be zen before other conference stuff begins and end of the month paperwork!

I've got to eat a little snacky and unpack! Have a great Sunday everyone!

haircut!

New Hair. Hair finally cut. It feels so much better. Thank goodness.

I took Rt. 65 to get to this little town with this nice salon and spa. In the middle of no where- literally, no where--- where 65 meets 251 there is a circle. To continue on 65 you have to go around the circle. In the middle of no where. It was very confusing. In the middle of no where. Sometimes I don't understand this state.

The salon was nice and I feel so much better.

Kari is on her way over for ice cream and sleep over. We're leaving for Pittsburgh first thing tomorrow! I am really excited to experience another conference and forget about all my other responsibilities for a couple of days.

Woo hoo. I'm gearing up to get into my conference mode! Updates AND pictures of Pittsburgh when I return.

Our ITD gave us some sound advice this afternoon regarding conference:

1. Don't wander too far from the hotel

2. If you pass a bathroom be sure to use it

and 3. Take notes and be prepared to tell her everything when we get back.

Gotta pack! Have a great weekend everyone- I'll be back Saturday night!

Moving Day

Its moving day in Tempe. That's my little corner of the world in Arizona. That picture was taken the moment that Julie and I pulled up to the apartment in August of 2008.

I've been reflecting a lot lately upon my time in Arizona-- probably because I knew that things were definitely closing there. My friends are leaving to internship or finding other jobs and will soon be gone from there too.

Julie and I drove up to the apartment complex. The car said 108 degrees. I stepped outside and said, "oh. well, this isn't so bad." Julie got out of the car and said, "Oh my god" and immediately wilted. We drove to the parking spot where this picture was taken and moved all my crap from the car into the apartment. My furniture from Santa Ana hadn't arrived, so we had this huge space and no stuff. We (or I) was starving and we all know how that goes. Julie is a champ- she knows when I need to eat and rest and to chill out. I was definitely stressed moving in, but she made the whole thing fun and more of an adventure. We were exhausted from the drive and the night we had before visiting a friend in Santa Barbara. That's a whole separate blog post.

We set up my computer and movies and sleeping bags in the corner of the room and camped out for the night--- right after we cranked up the air conditioning. My stuff arrived the next day and the rest is history. I arrived knowing one other student who transferred from Chapman- but three weeks later (around the time I burned my hand), I had this built in network that just beautifully came together. I am truly thankful for my Arizona family and I wouldn't know what I would do without any of them. All of those friendships were truly unexpected and I greatly treasure them. It was surprising how quickly I rooted there. I left Chapman so suddenly and never do I ever regret the decision to transfer- in fact I believe that the decision to move kind of jump started everything for me. But now that my apartment lease is up, that chapter is like really closing. Its a reality now. I moved here, but we still had the apartment so that little piece of me was still there. So it is a bittersweet feeling to know of all the wonderful things that happened in Arizona but to also really move on.

Speaking of moving on... I had my first quarter evaluation this morning. It went really well! I was harder on myself than my ITD and ST were but our comments were all aligned which is the more important thing. Tomorrow I have another meeting and then I will tie up some loose documentation ends for February. I have a hair appointment scheduled for tomorrow!!! YAYAYAY! Finally. And Kari is coming over to spend the night before we leave for Pittsburgh on Thursday!

That means that I better get to cleaning my kitchen before I turn in for the evening.

I'm taking it one day at a time.

Monday Monday

Its raining! I love the rain. I love the rain smell more.

Today was a good but busy day. Kari was finishing off her evaluation stuff for her meeting this afternoon I had four sessions today (one was canceled) and a meeting. Everything went well, I got some paperwork done and had time to sit in the Somatron. I figured out how to make it work with my iPod which was exciting. I could listen to whatever song I wanted to without dealing with the CD player.

I stopped at Wegmans for a few things including milk. I've been out for a while. I have missed cereal so much.

Now I'm home, settling in. I'm still taking these huge horse pills for antibiotics, but I should be done by the time we leave for Pittsburgh (Thursday!!). Wow time is flying.

Two weeks until Vegas. That is going to be an interesting experience. Mostly I am just excited that I am going to be seeing my friends.

Tomorrow I have another meeting and hopefully my first quarter evaluation. AND I have to call the hair salon again because they close early on Saturdays and are closed Sunday and Monday. Go figure. Hopefully I'll be able to go on Wednesday before Pittsburgh.

That's all she wrote.