Meanderings

So tomorrow is moving day. I'm not guaranteed a truck, despite a reservation, so I'm going over early tomorrow morning to see if I can score one. Hah. We shall see, no?

D's roommate fell through. Turned out she was a bit psycho, but he has some leads on new places and a roommate he likes. He's also considering buying, something I think, given his steady job and income, he could easily do, especially if he takes in a roommate. That way he's a landlord, too, and not stuck in the rental trap. But we'll see. He's been "thinking" about buying a place, but that's as far as he's gotten with this. I really think, given the market right now, he could find a place he loves and can afford. Chicago is still expensive, but I think it's better than it was a few years ago during the Bubble Boom.

As for me, school starts in a week and a half. I've been trying to get one of my pieces into Logic Pro to enter a composition competition, but the fee is $21, and even if I finish it, it's not likely I'll finish the score in time. I also don't have the $21 fee. (It's common for composition societies and so forth to charge a fee for competitions.)

A part of me feels not ready to move, like I haven't planned everything enough. I still have a few things to pack, and I never went through my financial records and organized those. Hopefully I'll get enough gumption to do that, and not shove that box to a shady corner of my closet and let it collect dust.

The cats know something is up. Orson slept with me, as usual, and Gatsby has been following me around as well as sitting in empty boxes, as if he wants to go with me. I don't think he does; I think he just likes the boxes.

I submitted a few songs to a music library. Music libraries work similar to photo libraries. Some are royalty-free, while others offer royalties as part of their package. (I submitted to one that has royalties as part of its package.) I'm hoping my tracks for libraries will create an additional income stream in the future. We shall see.

Man, so much of my life is in a "we shall see" status at the moment.

As for writing, I have one flash fiction story out. I'm trying to come up with more stories, but to be honest, writing has kind of fallen off my radar lately. As much as I enjoy writing, I'm not sure I'm a writer. I guess I am in some ways, as I feel the urge to tell a story once in a while. Right now all my creative energy is going toward composing and playing. I have two shows going on at the moment, which will soon be on top of school and a possible part-time job (another "we shall see.")

When It Turns

So D STILL hasn't found a roommate, and the landlord is ready to sign another renter, and D is in a panic. My excitement has turned to sheer guilt. : (

If anyone knows anyone in Chicago who's looking for a place, contact me. Please!!

Little Announcement

Well. Seems a friend of mine is considering a run for Congress. She's been in Texas for years, and has been very active in Democratic politics. Personally, I think she's single-handedly responsible for the over-40% vote Obama got in the general election in Texas, but she dismisses that with a laugh. She's also become accustomed to dismissing suggestions she run for office. But now she's considering it, and I couldn't be prouder. People, meet Jennifer Giles, possible Democratic candidate for Congress.

http://whosplayin.podOmatic.com

Had trouble embedding the video, so I'm providing a link. Enjoy!

Being Human

Hah. I bet you read the title and thought this would be a long, philosophical post on the trials and joys of being human. No such luck. Just a quickie post wondering why . . .

Being Human is on BBC America, but not available on DVD in America. Hmmm . . .

Yes, the only TV I watch anymore is BBC America. I'm that geeky. So sue me, my British friends. I gotta say, you guys really know how to fucking tell a story.

Reflections

Today I turn thirty-seven.

Truthfully, I think I'm happy to move further away from my twenties, a time of utter confusion and insecurity. On the other hand, I'm fatter now. So I guess there's a trade-off? Ah well, I can always lose the weight, right? Let's hope I don't shed whatever wisdom I've gained with it.

I move in twelve days. I'm nowhere near packed, but then I don't have a lot of stuff to pack. There are so many things I'm looking forward to, but also many things I'm sad to leave behind.

Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. An herb garden

2. Chicken on the bone

3. Fish

4. Zucchini, squash, and eggplant

5. The possibility of buying a car

Things I'm Sad To Leave Behind:

1. D

2. The cats

I mean, truthfully, I'm not exactly leaving D behind, as surely we'll keep in touch. (Right??) But I'll miss the trips from Chicago to Indiana and the long conversations. Maybe we can still have those from time to time. But life has a way of wrenching those away.

The other night D came into the TV room and said, "P to E."

"What?"

"P to E. That's how long you've been living here." Ah, now I understood. D owns more than 10,000 CDs. It's probably closer to 12,000 these days. About ten years ago, he started a project where he's listening to every CD he owns, going in backwards order through the alphabet. (Hey, if you own that many CDs, you might as well make use of them.) So he and I have lived together from when he was in the P's. He's now somewhere around Melissa Etheridge, or something. Five and a half years.

I'm sad in some ways to close this quirky chapter of my life. That's inevitable, I think. But it's time.

Better

Been getting a lot more calls for jobs and gigs. Most of the jobs haven't worked out for one reason or another, but just getting the calls and e-mails makes me feel better. Hopefully something steady will work out soon, but I'm already working two shows and once school starts I don't know how much time I'll have to work a part-time job. We shall see. Now I'm too busy.

I swear this is all the result of re-committing myself to composing daily for my own pleasure, even if it's just a line or two. It seems to bring me luck, so I'll keep doing it. It's happened before, many times. So I've worked it into my morning schedule, and it's made all the difference in how my days go. I'm more focused. I really hope I can keep this up while I'm in school.

Offline

Probably won't be blogging for a while. Between all the no-pay/pay-linked-to-exposure offers on Craigslist and no other viable job prospects turning up, I'm maybe not in the best of places right now.

Hope you're all here when I get back.

3 Things About Me

Okay, more than. But they're grouped in threes. That counts, right?

Three names I go by:
1. Stacy
2. Spacey Stacy
3. Freddie

Three jobs I've had in my life:
1. Music instructor
2. Editor
3. Freelance writer

Three places I've lived:
1. Fort Wayne, Indiana

2. Dallas, Texas

3. Chicago, Illinois

Three favorite drinks:
1. Coffee

2. Tea

3. Modelo Amber beer

Three TV shows I watch:
1. Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares

2. Gordon Ramsay's The F Word

3. Lost (I actually don't watch anything but the above two shows right now, but I really want to start watching Torchwood and Dr. Who. But haven't yet, so those don't count.)

Places I've been:
1. New Orleans, Louisiana

2. Lebanon, Missouri (don't ask)

3. Indianapolis, Indiana

Three people who text me regularly:
1. Classmates

2. Clients

3. Friends

Three of my favorite foods:
1. Chicken and rice creamy soup

2. Halibut

3. Hamburgers

Three friends I (maybe) think will respond:
1. No idea, as I'm not tagging anyone

Three things I'm looking forward to:
1. School

2. Composing

3. Graduating

Three things that I value:
1. Creativity

2. Humor

3. Paying clients

Three things I am:
1. Happy on a semi-regular basis
2. Talented and eager
3. Conscious of my possibilities