Back from the dead ... well, ok the very busy

Ok, ok … so I’ve been lousy at keeping the blog current. Life got in the way. Gee whiz! Lately I’ve been running pretty fast. It’s all due to obligations at work. I finally moved to Redding on 4/7 but between then and January 3rd I’ve been making the Redding Holiday Inn home base. It had its good parts and its bad parts. Good parts = eating out every night on an expense report. Bad parts = picking up some 15 pounds from eating out every night on an expense report. Good parts = no house work. Bad parts = nothing to putter amongst. So the door has finally been closed on my days as a hotel resident. I’m back to some normal routines and some normal digs and I’m glad. I got a little house this go-round instead of an apartment and that’s turned out to be a blessing is so many ways. I’d forgotten that as convenient as apartment life can be, it’s very miniaturized. I’m enjoying my extra space … which I totally recognize will not be enough space by the end of the lease. It’s the way of the world, the nature of the beast, a fact of life. For now, it’s bliss when I open a closet I forgot I even had. And sometimes I find myself just standing in front of my newest big purchase … my shiny white refrigerator ... and just clapping my hands with glee.

January to April: in a nutshell as small as my old apartment.
- I taught a lot of colorguard
- I judged a lot of colorguard
- I got paid more than I deserve for both
- I watched a lot of really bad colorguard (and the checks made up for that so I guess I deserved them after all)
- I cut and pasted my entire life into Redding
- Wrecked my kid’s vehicle and got a new-to-me vehicle
- I made friends, left friends, influenced people, pissed off people and, in general, left my normal ginormous carbon footprint on everything I came in contact with. C’est la vie.

I’ve changed virtually every aspect of my personal life in the last 90 days. Some people kill themselves over less stress. Now I understand what a steel magnolia really is. Who knew?

Still and all ...a big shout out to God and his Angels for their twisted but numerous kindnesses. Two thumbs up! This time when I went into the tornado I emerged intact and in the magical land of Oz for a change. Hooray for me!

And that’s all I have to say about that. Now it’s onward to summer.

I’ve been to a Mandarins camp or two now and have found my place there. It’s different, and yet it’s the same, and I find that, for the most part, I really enjoy just about everything about it. I’m looking forward to the California shows and just found out today what my tour involvement will be. I’m pretty excited for all that’s yet to come this summer in my colorguard world and my real world.

In the meantime, I really like Redding. I finally figured out that the reason I like it is because it’s a lot like the world was in the early 80s … slower, nicer and cleaner …and I make sense here.


It’s a good thing :)




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