Well, the guy who showed me his house doesn't quite know it yet, but I have just written out a check for my first month's rent at a pretty cool house in the Heights. I'll drop it off tomorrow and then he will have a new room mate! The house definitely has that "modern/boxy" architecture that can weird me out sometimes but it's a deal well worth it. I must admit, I have never met the guy before today but he seemed like a good guy who enjoys working out as much as I do so that's nice. There is a huge 50" TV in the living room that I imagine will come in handy during the Texans and Rockets seasons.
I will move in on the first of June but...
I have an audition for the Milwaukee Symphony on June 7th. If that pans out well...looks like I'll be giving him a notice of a move-out! but I told him, at best, for even a top-notch talent, your odds of winning are rather low!
Which brings me to a thought...and that is the realization of exactly how insanely difficult it is to win an audition for an American symphony orchestra! I mean, being the best player is NOT what gets you in. There are at least a dozen factors that go into the choosing of a winner. It's not like you walk in with your resume, smile, and hope that your good looks can subconsciously trigger your potential employers urges to hire you! In the orchestral world, you are behind a screen and the only thing that matters is what comes out of your horn! In 2008, I made a run at trying to qualify for the olympic trials....which is something I actually accomplished. I then gained an appreciation of exactly how hard it is to actually make the Olympics...it is very difficult. But i'd imagine it is not nearly as difficult as being in a HIGHLY select group of individuals who have won auditions for major symphony orchestras. Skill and experience do count for a big deal but like I said before, there are at least a dozen more random ever-changing factors that lead to the choosing of one, unique candidate. With all that being said, I will do it one day...God keep me healthy!
Thaddeus, our new dog, has been quite a handful! I came home one day and my mom brought home a random puppy about 5 weeks old. I have no idea what it is but the vet said it will probably be no bigger than about 10 lbs...very small. I took Thaddeus to the Spring Woods clinic. The clinic is located right next to the high school that I attended and has been there my whole entire life. To me there was no dispute over where I was going...I had no doubt that I would go to the neighborhood gem. Thaddeus' play biting has gotten pretty darn strong so I'll have to get it to stop doing that!
My brother has been going crazy lately and it puts so much weight on everyone in the family...and it has for as long as he has been sick. But with all of the extreme heart-ache and all of the terrors that have crippled my mind, I am so glad that I have been able to be exposed to him and to deal with his ailments as my own. My brother really does help me gain a certain perspective that I am very thankful for. If it weren't for him, I truly would not be the same person.
-James
