white knuckling it through the term

I feel as though I am racing all the time. I wake up and it is a race to get things done until I collapse into bed far later than I want and need to be getting into bed. Work is stressful, teaching 5 classes on top of student teacher supervision, the blog, the new position I have as a faculty-in-the-field at an elementary school. I am not able to provide the kind of feedback I'd like to on all my students' assignments, and sometimes my classes have been less than inspired. I know that I also make decisions that add to my stress, like playing in Yeoman this year, but that's something I'm actually enjoying and look forward to during the week.

But today I got through almost everything I needed to during the actual work day so I am going to take the evening off from work. If I'm going to have even a moderately decent half marathon on Sunday, I need to prioritize some sleep this week. I'm in no shape to race this well, but I definitely don't want to bonk because I didn't get enough sleep. Sleep, need sleep.

I have a song to sing, oh

Opening weekend complete! Even though I've played in the opera for nine years, I'm still surprised by how exhausting opening week is. Rehearsals from 6:30-11ish every night, Thursday preview, then shows Fri & Sat evenings and Sun matinee. It's a killer. This year, the show is particularly demanding, and long too. But the awesome thing that I realized is that though I'm tired because I am not getting enough sleep, my neck, shoulders, and arms are not as sore and achy as they usually are. Owe all that to Discover Strength, whose trainers kick my butt (and arms and legs and core) every week. Went to get stronger after my injury and to improve my running, but the unintended consequences are fabulous. If I could lose a little weight, I might have Michelle Obama arms.

feels like the first time

Tomorrow night the opera opens. Yeoman of the Guard is the most serious of Gilbert & Sullivan's operas, which might be why ticket sales are a little slow this year. No matter, we'll play and sing and act our hearts out for whomever is in the audience.

There have been some changes this year that make things less fun. For example, the orchestra is now being streamed on screen to the audience during the overture. G&S overtures are normally pretty nasty. This one is next to unplayable. I have a recording of it by the Royal Philharmonic, so I know it is actually playable by some musicians. Just not us (yet. I'll add the qualifier. There's still time to practice tomorrow). Anyway, having the camera there adds some nerves that I don't normally have. And we have to wear all black. The other 9 or so years I've done this, we can wear whatever we want, but now that we're being seen (which is nice, in theory, for the audience to know there's a live orchestra back stage), we have to look presentable. I have to buy some more black.

But that's not the big change. There are some new rules with the theater and church and school complex we're in, and because the cast has to warm up on stage, if we lowly orchestra folks want to warm up, we have to do it in the bathroom. Right. Like I'm going to sit on the toilet while warming up with my rather pricey instrument. I'd rather start cold. The stage managers said they're going to try to find a solution that doesn't involve toilets. I'll hope for that.