Updates...finally!

So the last couple months of my life have been quite eventful...I have a lot to catch up on! Since I don't have internet in my apt. and I can't upload pics onto my work computer, it makes things a little tricky. It's Friday night and I'm still at work because I have a dinner meeting at a parent's house that's right around the corner from school. (Who schedules work meetings on Friday nights?!!!) It doesn't make sense to go home and then come back, so I'm using this time to finally update my very outdated blog. Unfortunately, I'll have to post pictures later. Here's a very abbreviated version of my last couple months. Hopefully I'll be able to elaborate later.

Trip to Utah: Right before I went back to school, I flew out to Utah to stay with my sister and visit some very dear friends of mine who I hadn't seen in over 5 years! It was SO good to see everyone! Yes, it has been that long since I left Utah! I stayed with my sister Kim and good friend Lindsay and caught up with a lot of people! Lindsay and I also had a little adventure tubing down the Provo River. So cold!!!

School Begins: The summer flew by so fast! Fortunately, it's going to be a great year. I have awesome students and some very supportive parents. I'm also teaching our performing group...the most advanced violinists in the school. It's good to be kept on my toes. Our first performance is next Saturday for our schools 50th birthday. Wish me luck!

Hurricane Ike: Yes, I do live in Houston which was hit directly by a hurricane and yes, I was wide awake hunkering down in my apartment during the storm. It was quite the experience...I'd never been through anything like it! Fortunately, I live on the 2nd story of a 4 story cement building and the worst thing we got was screens and shutteres off, muddy windows, and wet hallways. And, complete lack of sleep during one night. The aftermath has definitely been much worse: seeing the 4th largest city completely debilitated is pretty humbling and there are tons of people still affected by it.

Trip home: After 4 days of no power and water, packaged food, flooded roads, no open gas stations or grocery stores, and school off for the rest of the week, I spontaneously decided to take advantage of my unexpected vacation and flew home to spend 6 days with my parents. I was glad I did! I hadn't seen them since March.

Back to School: Coming back to school after the hurricane was like coming back after summer vacation. This week was the first full week of school since our first week in August. I'm finally feeling like we're getting into the routine but at the same time like we've already been here forever...we are so behind! Thankfully, the 7 days we missed due to the hurricane do not need to be made up. Hooray!!!

SKYDIVING!!!: Call me crazy, but I finally fulfilled one of my life-long goals...I jumped out of a plane and fell 14,000 feet to the ground. AMAZING! Last week, we had Thursday off for Yom Kippur and my co-worker, Kristell and I had been planning on going for a while in honor of our 30th birthdays this year. So, we did it! I've always wanted to fly (like a bird) and I think this is the closest you can come. If anyone has ever wanted to do it, I totally recommend it...you feel completely invincible. It's a huge rush and we were on a high for just about the whole week afterward. We are so going again...yes, we already paid for our next jump!

HOUSTON CHAMBER SYMPHONY: So, thanks to one of my awesome parents (student's), I got hooked up with a professional orchestra gig. In the past week, I've had 3 rehearsals and a concert and we have another concert tomorrow. It's kept me busy, but I love playing with a group. Definitely the most professional group I've ever played with; it's such good experience.

So, there you go. I know it's about time. Sorry for the long wait...now you can enjoy it that much more!