Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Last Saturday

I've started giving violin lessons! Got a call a few weeks ago from Ed who owns Cassell's Music on Maclay in San Fernando (Where they filmed Wayne's World). The violin teacher he had was leaving and he needed someone to take over the lessons. I got to thinking it would be an extremely great experience for me, so I told him I would be willing to do it! He knows I have no prior teaching experience, but he goes to PBC and hears me play and he's been so great and so encouraging about the whole thing. So, I currently teach on Saturday mornings from 9-1. Half hour private lessons. All the students are beginners, which is great for me. Already I have stories of cuteness to share and it's only been 2 weeks.

The youngest student is 5. His name is Steve. His violin is this [spread hands about 10 or 11 inches apart] big. His mom was talking to me and she said they asked Steve about me and he told them he really liked me. She said he normally cries when he gets a substitute teacher at school because he normally doesn't like new teachers and gets uncomfortable, so it's kind of a big deal that he likes me and is comfortable with me. That made me happy.

There is a 9 year old boy, named Calvin, very cute. He sat down and just chattered away. I had to keep interrupting him to get him to play his violin. He told me that he had been playing for a reeeeeeeeeeeealllly really long time.... 9 weeks. I thought that was funny.

I'm really enjoying this work. If a student can't make it to his/her lesson then I just hang around the store.

Last Saturday was awesome because the drummer from Billy Joel was there.
Liberty Devitto.



He was the drummer of the band for 30 years. He had his drums all set up in the shop and was giving a clinic to the kids in the area. He was out promoting a band camp thing.. (I now forget the title of it) where the kids show up.. get some instruction and then are put together into a band so that they can learn to play with other musicians. They learn to keep up, they learn to play appropriately and such things like that. It's a cool idea.


Liberty was lots of fun. Made me laugh a lot. I tried recording some of his playing with my cell phone, so I got like 15 seconds recorded but I don't know how to transfer it from cell phone to blog. He was a very enjoyable drummer. He says he became a drummer so he "could get chicks." He said "in High School he was not athletic, and to top it off he wore glasses.. so how were girls ever supposed to notice him. Well one night he was watching TV and The Beatles were on and the cameras showed the audience and he saw girls standing on their chairs and crying over these 'not so good looking fellas' and thats when he knew he was gonna be a musician."


Long story short. I like Cassell's. It's where I got my very first violin all fixed up so I could learn how to play it and it is where I got my current violin and now I get to be around and learn from and experience great people.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

hummers

i dont like driving behind hummers... because they ALWAYS drive way under the speed limit. They are this macho .. extremely powerful car.. yet can only manage to go 40 in a 50 zone...

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Blood

This morning I headed over to Masters to donate my blood. I arrived and filled out my paperwork and read through the pages of info. The computers had gone down that morning so they were forced to do everything manually so it took a lot of extra time.

Eventually I was called in and they pricked my finger and asked me a lot more questions.. then I was led over to my little reclining area. Let me just say that the needle hurt! The stinging from it didn't go away the whole time it was in there. Normally you get stuck and that's the end.. you dont think about it any more.. but it stayed stinging until the end. I rolled that little red ball back and forth and back and forth.. and when my bag was full they finished things off and had me lay there. After a few minutes they told me if I was feeling ok I could go sit in the front and drink some juice.

So I got some grape juice and next thing I know I was about ready to pass out. My eyes were seeing black and stars. Two of the nurses came over and were like, "Are you ok?" and I started to say "No" and at the same time they were like, "You're not ok, You're not ok. Lay down. Lay down!" So I did and they put really cold compresses on my neck and forehead and made me cough and keep coughing until they got a paper bag rolled down so that they could hold that over my mouth for me to breathe in and out of. I never fully passed out, but it was really close.. when I had laid at the front of the bus for a bit longer they said they wanted me to move back to one of the beds until I felt better. So I moved back and they put fresh compresses on me. After a bit they gave me water and pretzels to eat and I had to sit up and wait for like 15 minutes until I wasn't lightheaded any longer. It was CRAZY!

**Update - I just got up from writing this post, and took the cotton and tape off my arm. It's been a few hours and the hole was still bleeding a bit so I walked upstairs to get a bandaid from my mom and just about passed out again. It went all black and I hobbled over to and felt for my moms bed and plopped down on it.

I think I probably won't donate blood again, unless absolutely necessary. Because it's no good to still be nearly fainting hours after the procedure.**

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

I'm Gonna Give Blood

For the first time ever I will be giving blood. If you don't know who I am talking about when I say Logan Waldeck.. then look through my previous posts until you find the ones I've written about her.

Her family set up a blood drive and platelet check over at Masters next Tuesday and today I registered and made my appointment for 10:40am. It's supposed to take an hour. I don't even know what blood type I am, but I dreamed a few weeks ago that I am B+ ..

Any tips? I hear to drink water because it helps the blood drain out faster? Is that true?

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

Interview

So tomorrow, Wednesday, I have a job interview at Mercury Insurance. Position of Office Adjustor. I've heard a lot of good things about working for Mercury. If I get the job the training is for 7 weeks in Brea. I hear the hotel they put you up in is nice. I think this could be really good for me, so if you think of me... say a prayer. The interview is at 12pm and is supposed to be an hour and a half.