Today’s the day, fiends. Rather, tonight’s the night.

At 9 p.m. EST, two charter buses pull out of the high school parking lot for a 10-hour ride to the big city. While it’s not as much of a “vacation” for me as it is for my students (104 people, my responsibility, very little sleep), I absolutely love watching their reactions and hearing their stories. Of the 105 going, fewer than 10 have been to New York. Out of that number, only three students have been. So this will be fun.

First up when we arrive tomorrow morning (Wednesday) is breakfast at Cucina, then out for a stroll around Rockefeller Plaza so the kids can have a look at NBC’s Today show. After that, it’s one of the high points for me: the performance at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. After the gig…the party begins.

I’ll try to update you every day with photos and silly stories. But for now…gotta finish getting the war paint on and getting out the door.

Into the snow. Oy.

Happy day — I’ll see you on the other side!

Somethin’ ain’t right.

J’ever have one of those days? Yesterday didn’t feel right at all, and today feels even wronger. Maybe it’s the weather forecast for my upcoming New York tour. Eight days out, and it’s not looking too good for the home team: 50s and rain. Hmm. Matches my mood.

Maybe it’s the piling up of as-yet-unlearned spring music, on account of tour taking up most of my rehearsal time for the last three months. Six weeks remain till the spring concert. We can do it, but it’ll be close.

However, listen to this. One of my high school choir students was seriously injured while cutting wood last weekend, and ended up with a severe head injury. He spent a week in the hospital and is now home. Last Monday, I asked the choir if they might be willing to donate 50 cents or a dollar towards a gift card for the boy, as he is an avid hunter and would probably love to spend some time at a nearby outdoor sportsman’s store after he recuperated. Three days later, I had enough for a $100 gift card for him. How cool is that? Someone bought an enormous get-well card, and they all signed it. One of the kids delivered it last night. I hope it brightened the boy’s day, because it certainly brightened mine. Once again, I’m convinced that teenagers get a bad rap a lot of the time. And here, I’ve restored some of your faith in the youth of today. You’re welcome; please pay me in chocolate.

And yet…somethin’ still ain’t right. I like to put names on things; if I can label what’s wrong, I think I cope better. The devil you know, and all that. How do you handle stuff like this? I know I should just hit the treadmill and walk it out. Surprisingly, it often helps to clear the cobwebs.

But for now…the coffee, the shower, and the road to the school house. Happy Tunesday!

FO

Tech rehearsal, tech rehearsal. Actually, I’m just glad it’s in the afternoons now, and not 8 a.m., as in past years. Not complaining there. I mean, I’m a morning person and all, but the ballet I had to perform on a Saturday morning, beginning at 5, to be able to get everything to school and set up by 8…I’ll pass, thanks. Must be my advancing age, but I’m just not into that anymore.

For those who may not know, a tech rehearsal is, of course, when all the technical people (sound, lights, stage crew) come to run the show for the first time. On the actors’ side, it’s the first time the show is run in full wardrobe, wearing mics. Oftentimes, worlds collide; trains wreck. It’s part of the process.

Since it’s a bit of a stressful day, we try to reward the students for giving up yet another Saturday in the name of art. So we feed them. Next to cash, that’s the best way. Two days ago, I ordered 16 pizzas from East of Chicago, which will be delivered this afternoon with a half hour left to go in rehearsal, so the smell of dinner permeates the room. (Another deliberate carrot: “If the finale goes well, we eat.”) There are also a dozen people bringing in tasty desserts and other munchies. I must say, diet be hanged today; I’m looking forward to the feast.

But for now, it’s hit the shower and the road to the school house. I’m ’bout to go get my piano on. At least I’m to the point where I can leave my tap shoes at home.

Are we having a good Saturday yet? I hope so!

Doin’ the work, doin’ the work, gettin’ stuff done…

I’ve come up for air to let you know that things are starting to shape up for opening night next Friday. Huzzah! OK, they’re shaping up slowly, but still taking shape. Will you come to my show? I’d love to see you there.

Speaking of shapes — where did these ten extra pounds come from since Thanksgiving? Certainly not from the ridiculously poor eating habits of grabbing a sandwich or yogurt or pizza or candy bar or whatever when I think of it. Or the nervous munching. Or the no sleep or nutty rehearsal schedule. Or my increasing inability to keep stuff straight. Oy. Gotta get control of myself.

Still, I’ve gotten quite a bit done since waking up at 3:02 today. Should be ready to tackle Thursday with renewed, caffeine-soaked resolve. Details will be dealt with, problems will be solved, and the cocka-doody program will be sent to the printer if it’s the last thing I do. Come Sunday the 30th, I can rest for a bit.

Until then, I’m….

Yep, I’m going to take an extended break. I’m now Twitterless by choice (but not shutting down altogether, because I have the awesome @ name that many have asked for–but funny how I quote them the six-figure price for my giving it up, and I never hear from them again), and here’s why:

1. Twitter is not designed for interaction. When you think about it, Twitter is basically a vehicle to say, “Look at me and what I’m doing/saying” in 140 characters or less. I know you could say the same about Facebook, but the comment sections (with their unlimited characters) make it more conducive to actual interaction. I like that, and I prefer it to mindless retweets of the same dang thing. Of course, people do interact on Twitter — but at 140 characters, I find it incredibly limiting. Not my style (as you can see, heh).
2. Twitter makes me mad. Why? Because I follow people like Diane Ravitch, who posts things that make me so mad I could kick a puppy. Why don’t you “unfollow” her? you may ask. Well, because she addresses a subject I am very  much interested in. I like her article links, but…they just make me mad. I start out or finish my day wanting to hurt things, and that is not healthy.
3. Twitter makes it easy to be mean. I have seen otherwise wonderful, kind people post (and retweet with impunity) the most vile, horrible, mean-spirited vitriol, designed to hurt, humiliate, mock, and deride. I have trouble reconciling that paradox. How can people who profess to be Christians say such filthy, vicious things about others in an open forum? (On my Twitter feed, it’s the president, parents and teachers who get the worst of it, in that order.)
4. Twitter invites pretentiousness. Again, you could say this about Facebook to an extent, but auto-tweeting for the 634th time about “I just finished Day Whatever of this workout or that bible verse or this daily epithet delivery service” — without ever once engaging in discussion about it on any level — drips with self-importance. To me. Not everyone has to agree with me, mind. That’s why God made the comment section. And to those who check the option to “automatically post my tweets to Facebook” so we can all read your “yay me” post twice: well, I won’t ask you to stop it, but I will tell you that it’s annoying.
5. Twitter can facilitate big mistakes. Obviously, it’s a public device, so what you say will be viewed by potentially hundreds of people. But it goes further, in that nothing is ever truly deleted. Again, Facebook is the same, but there’s something about posting a rushed, poorly thought out, 140-character rant about how stupid everyone is that makes you look like the selfish, arrogant, unprincipled, entitled, lazy wanker that people undoubtedly think you are. And future employers (and friends, and folks who award scholarships, and *cringe* even the targets of the acrimony) could possibly see them. They can also be extremely costly.

This is not to say that Twitter doesn’t have its value, or that Facebook is any better on some fronts, and there are exceptions, and you can’t make blanket statements like that, blah, blah, whatever. It’s to say that Twitter doesn’t bring me joy right now. Kablam. Too much negativity, man. Harshin’ my mellow. Don’t like it.

Now I shall go ponder the question of whether or not my rehearsal for tonight will be canceled, as we have what I hope is the last of the snow days for the year. Trying to hold it together here…