I Know, It's Been a While

Sorry guys. It's been ages since I last wrote. I have been pretty busy this past week. I have been up to a lot of the usual in the past week. A good portion of the week was spent getting a management essay done. Those things haunt me, I swear. But it's the last major assignment of the semester and it's all turned in, so I'm a happy camper. I have had my first couple rehearsals with the woodwind quintet and with ASO. I'm especially enjoying playing with the ASO. They're not amazing but I have missed playing in an orchestra. And the woodwind section is a blast. They are the wackiest people ever. I had half of them in tears at one point tonight. We had been making jokes about the swine flu earlier and at an opportune moment during rehearsal, I made a snorting noise that only the winds could hear. They were cracking up. We were all useless for about five minutes. Except for the other clarinet player. He is the only guy in the section and he was not amused. But they are really fun. I'm enjoying hanging out with some Kiwis.

I am also playing in a wind nonet. (Yes, a nonet. Flute, two clarinets, two horns, two bassoons, and two oboes.) Not permanently, we are just reading through a few things. But it is very fun. Natalie and I make an awesome team. We blend really really well. I enjoyed playing with her. At one point during rehearsal, we were comparing set ups in terms of reed, ligature, mouthpiece, barrel, instrument. And we were trading all sorts of bits of our instruments. At one point, I had my instrument, mouthpiece, and reed and Natalie's ligature and barrel. Ben was so confused by the fact that we kept switching things around. Good times in clarinet land. No other instrument does stuff like that.

Other than that, life has been a lot of work. The semester is starting to wind down, which actually means a lot of work. Tons of rehearsals, practicing, homework, reading, etc. But I enjoy being busy, so I'm good. The only downside right now... I was getting really excited to get to go out on my birthday, which is this Sunday (we were going to celebrate Saturday). However, now my friends are planning on going to Taupo because it is one of the only weekends left that they could possibly go. I have to stay in Auckland for music stuff. Not only do I not get to go to Taupo and skydive but I will probably be hanging out by myself on my birthday. Sad day. Would anyone like to fly to New Zealand and hang out with me? Anywho... That is about all I have to update you on.
Peace.
P.S. Best quote ever, in the ASO newsletter. "Definition of a gentleman: A guy who knows how to play trombone but doesn't." Ha!