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Saturday, 07 June 2008

Tuesday, 24 July 2007

  • Well, I know xanga is officially dead, but I feel bad for it. Poor little washed-up xanga. Plus, I wrote this nice email that sounded like an update. So...

    John and I finally have some time off these next few weeks. We were busy taking classes last week. I took a class on elementary musical theatre with Michelle and our prof was weird and we weren't sure we got much out of it. John took Percussion for the Non-Percussionist which he found very useful. This was after we each took another class previously this summer- his was "Aspiring Leadership in Music Educators," and I took a classroom management course paid for by the school district. Eventually, we will get reimbursed from the school district for these other music graduate classes we took. But it is nice to be done with them for awhile.

    We have also been through 2 weeks of the show, South Pacific at EPAC. The show is consistently good every night and most of them have been sold out. We are probably totally sold out now, especially since most of our reviews have been good. We look forward to having our whole fan club (John's side too) there on Friday night!! We are gearing up to do a couple more shows before the year is out. They have changed the October show to Little Shop of Horrors which John just helped Garden Spot do, so he will probably be playing guitar for that (and I may be on piano for it; JP is directing). We are also going to be directing/playing for Godspell in November. We will have a couple of months until those rehearsals start. The show is already selling fast, and I am definitely looking forward to being a part of it. John is not so sure though, I think he is feeling burnt out.

    John had applied for a chorus/guitar/musical director position in Gettysburg Area School District. He was asked to interview last week but he could not skip out of his grad class to go, and now they have offered it to someone else without even seeing him. He is very upset about it, and I feel bad about it. I told him he just has to keep looking, as he really wants to get out of Lancaster after 5 years there. It would have been quite a commute; I know that it wasn't meant to be, or maybe he'll still have a chance, but its hard to keep waiting for better jobs to come along. We have both been applying all summer, but we are limited in area because of our house. The School District of Lancaster is not looking good this coming year: our superintendent and business manager both resigned; my assistant principal took another job; my school, john's school, some other elementary schools, all the middle schools, and the high school did not make our test score goals this year; our teacher's union voted down the contract proposal by the school district so as of July 1st we did not have a contract-- it would be a great time to get out but I don't know if it will happen.

    We already have some plans for next summer. John's best friend and best man Charlie, who lives in California, is getting married next summer out there and we will be flying there and spending about a week with them before their wedding. Then from there we will be flying to visit John's aunt and uncle in Hawaii for a couple of weeks. We are hoping to have a free place to stay in both states, so we will just have to pay for airfare. We are very excited to take some time off and not make any committments. I just know it is going to be hard to wait a whole year to go!

    We had a little get together on Sunday evening for our parents and some of our closest friends to cut the cake topper from our wedding cake and to celebrate our anniversary. I made a bunch of food and managed to clean most of the house in the couple of busy days prior to the party. But since the show has gone up most of the weekends are free, and I have been going to yard sales every Saturday morning. I am working on finding things for the guest room on the 3rd floor. I also just played piano and organ duets with Pat our organist at church which was something fun and out of the ordinary-- don't get to play much real music on piano and more (or trumpet for that matter!) Sometime before the summer ends, I would like to have Mom and Dad, Mel, Granny, and you over for dinner and games or something. Now, I am going to finally work on my wedding scrapbooks.

Wednesday, 29 November 2006

  • Hehe. Now that the run of Sound of Music is about to kick-off (sponsor preview tomorrow night, opening night and opening night after-party on Thursday, sick day Friday?!?!) I finally have my life back somewhat!! So, the first thing I figured I would do is recap the last half a year on my xanga-- even though xanga is dead and only one or two people will read this! However, thinking during my morning commute today I realized how much I have done in a little over half a year (7 months or so) and how grown-up I have become (or had to become). In those last 7 months, I:

    Graduated college with a bachelor's degree in music education-- in 4 years no less! (May)

    Got married to my wonderful boyfriend of 4 years, John Brackbill (July)

    Traveled abroad (St. Vincent) for only the second time in my life (July)

    Got my first teaching job at JW Price Elementary School in the School District of Lancaster and my first big paycheck! (August)

    Had two very unusual occurances within that job: a lock-down drill because of a potential gunman in the school and an evacuation/early dismissal due to a fire in the art room right beside my room (guess I'll be ready for anything now!) (September and November)

    Was rehearsal accompanist (aka assistant musical director ;) for my first show at Ephrata Playhouse (Sound of Music opening this weekend!) (Fall)

    Bought our first house: 3 stories, 2-car garage, hardwood floors, nice paint, newly-remodeled kitchen, maybe some appliances already in the home. The previous two owners of the house were musicians, so there is ample studio/teaching space. We will see the house turn 100 and will have to have a rockin' party, as well as a fun housewarming party after our settlement on January 15. We will then live a block and a half away from Charlie's (John's best man and best friend) parents on S. West End Avenue in Lancaster (4 minutes from my school!) We had the home inspection done today... we are SOOO excited for a house to call our own! Plus, we are planning the (small) improvements and some little furniture purchases-- yay!

    So that's the skinny on life right now. School has improved drastically from what it was a couple of months ago. I still have a few classes and a few students that do nothing at all for me but act like animals. However, conferences proved that I am not the only one with some of these problems: it is some of the kids, not me. I am a competent teacher for the most part. And it is not all of the kids- just a few. I am really reaching out and helping some of the students-- and they really need caring adults. I just have to keep reminding myself that what I do is important, because some days it doesn't feel like it is. Every day to get out of bed is difficult because of what I may face that day-- I just have to tell myself that I am a good teacher and a good person.

    Overall xanga, its good to be back.

Friday, 22 September 2006

  • Its pretty sad that the first thing I post since before the wedding is this silly survey. I just don't have time for much else. Xanga looks all pretty and new since I've been on it... hmm....

    "If you've seen over 88 movies, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 171 movies on this list.


    ( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
    (x) Grease
    (x) Pirates of the Caribbean
    ( ) Boondock Saints
    () Fight Club
    ( ) Starsky and Hutch
    ( ) Neverending Story
    ( ) Blazing Saddles
    ( ) Airplane

    Running Total: 2

    (x) The Princess Bride
    ( ) AnchorMan: The Legend of Ron Burgandy
    (x) Napoleon Dynamite
    () Labyrinth
    () Saw
    ( ) Saw II
    ( ) White Noise
    ( ) White Oleander
    (x) Anger Management
    (x )50 First Dates
    (x) The Princess Diaries
    (  ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

    Running Total: 7


    (x) Scream
    ( ) Scream 2
    ( ) Scream 3
    ( ) Scary Movie
    () Scary Movie 2
    () Scary Movie 3
    () Scary Movie 4
    (x) American Pie
    ( ) American Pie 2
    ( ) American Wedding
    ( ) American Pie Band Camp

    Running Total: 9

    (x) Harry Potter 1
    (x) Harry Potter 2
    (x) Harry Potter 3
    (x) Harry Potter 4
    ( ) Resident Evil 1
    ( ) Resident Evil 2
    (x) The Wedding Singer
    ( ) Little Black Book
    (x) The Village
    (x) Lilo & Stitch

    Running Total: 16

    (x) Finding Nemo
    () Finding Neverland
    (x) Signs
    (x) The Grinch
    ( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre (new one)
    ( ) White Chicks
    ( ) Butterfly Effect
    (x) 13 Going on 30
    (x) I, Robot
    () Robots

    Running Total: 21

    (x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
    ( ) Universal Soldier
    ( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
    (x) Along Came Polly
    ( ) Deep Impact
    ( ) KingPin
    (x) Never Been Kissed
    (x) Meet The Parents
    ( ) Meet the Fockers
    ( ) Eight Crazy Nights
    ( ) Joe Dirt
    (x) KING KONG

    Running Total: 26

    () A Cinderella Story
    (x) The Terminal
    ( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
    ( ) Passport to Paris
    (x) Dumb & Dumber
    ( ) Dumber & Dumberer
    ( ) Final Destination
    ( ) Final Destination 2
    ( ) Final Destination 3
    ( ) Halloween
    ( ) The Ring
    () The Ring 2
    () Surviving X-MAS
    (x) Flubber

    Running Total: 29

    ( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
    () Practical Magic
    (x) Chicago
    () Ghost Ship
    (x) From Hell
    ( ) Hellboy
    () Secret Window
    ( ) I Am Sam
    (x) The Whole Nine Yards
    ( ) The Whole Ten Yards

    Running Total: 32


    () The Day After Tomorrow
    ( ) Child's Play
    ( ) Seed of Chucky
    ( ) Bride of Chucky
    (x) Ten Things I Hate About You
    ( ) Just Married
    ( ) Gothika
    ( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
    ( ) Sixteen Candles
    (x) Remember the Titans
    ( ) Coach Carter
    ( ) The Grudge
    (x) The Mask
    ( ) Son Of The Mask

    Running Total: 35

    () Bad Boys 2
    ( ) Joy Ride
    ( ) Lucky Number Sleven
    (x) Ocean's Eleven
    () Ocean's Twelve
    ( ) Identity
    ( ) Lone Star
    (x) Bedazzled
    ( ) Predator I
    ( ) Predator II
    () The Fog
    () Ice Age
    () Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
    () Curious George

    Running Total: 37


    (x) Independence Day
    ( ) Cujo
    ( ) A Bronx Tale
    ( ) Darkness Falls
    ( ) Christine
    (x) ET
    ( ) Children of the Corn
    ( ) My Boss's Daughter
    ( ) Maid in Manhattan
    ( ) Frailty
    (x) War of the Worlds
    (x) Rush Hour
    ( ) Rush Hour 2

    Running Total: 41

    ( ) Best Bet
    (x) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
    (x) She's All That
    ( ) Calendar Girls
    ( ) Sideways
    ( ) Mars Attacks
    ( ) Event Horizon
    (x) Ever After
    (x) Wizard of Oz
    ( ) Forrest Gump
    ( ) Big Trouble in Little China
    ( ) The Terminator
    ( ) The Terminator 2
    ( ) The Terminator 3

    Running Total: 45


    (x) X-Men
    (x) X2
    (x) Spider-Man
    ( ) Spider-Man 2
    () Sky High
    ( ) Jeepers Creepers
    () Jeepers Creepers 2
    ( ) Catch Me If You Can
    () The Others
    ( ) Freaky Friday
    () Reign of fire
    () The Skulls
    ( ) Cruel Intentions
    ( ) Cruel Intentions 2
    ( ) The Hot Chick
    (x) Shrek
    ( ) Shrek 2

    Running Total: 49

    () Swimfan
    (x) Miracle
    ( ) Old School
    ( ) The Notebook
    ( ) K-Pax
    (x) Krippendorf's Tribe
    ( ) A Walk to Remember
    () Ice Castles
    ( ) Boogeyman
    ( ) The 40-year-old-virgin
    () The Crow
    ( ) American History X 

    51 - I think I need to see more movies... some of these I couldn't remember if I saw or not just because I like, wanted to see them and never did! On Demand, here I come right now (and beer).

Tuesday, 18 July 2006

  • And now our turn is approaching. I am finally feeling like its time to get married and everything is ready. We know we're ready and excited and a bit nervous. We still want everything to turn out great and we want to have a hell of a party at our reception. I am very excited. All of my appointments and fittings have really made me excited to dress/look like a princess on Saturday. John is going to look very dashing too. Everyone is going to look great. My vendors are all wonderful and have been good at tracking me down for the most part. We only had trouble with the dress-buying experience, and the travel agent. Everyone is eager to help and I appreciate that. The advice I have been getting is to not worry about every little detail and which ones go wrong... that no one will notice and I just need to enjoy the day and soak in everything so I always remember it and that I have a good time. I am so excited!!

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trumpetchik

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    • Name: Alicia
    • Location: Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States
    • Birthday: 1/17/1984
    • Gender: Female
    • Member Since: 5/5/2003

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