Happy Halloweekend!

First things first, I am nearly down to my lowest weight from the summer when I was good at tracking and going to the gym.  Preparation and planning have been key to this.  Having good foods on hand and planning out what I will eat each day is allowing me to lose weight without being able to get to the gym.  It's an okay trade off for now.  But I know the areas that I'd like a little more tone to, not just to be smaller, will require time at the gym.  I'm just glad to feel back on track and a little bit in control again.

Speaking of control, I'm trying to maintain it for this DMA process.  I realized last week that I have basically 2 weeks to record my pre-screen CD.  (I have to send a CD to schools so they can tell me if I can come audition in person or not.  I'm anticipating a favorable review, but I suppose one never knows.)  So I've started this process and I officially chose my rep and hired a pianist.  Now I have to find the space.  There are a couple options I just need people to respond to e-mails.  I also think I have my list of schools finalized.  I think.  It is looking like a top 4 with a potential 5th and in no particular order those are: UNC Greensboro, U of Colorado at Boulder, Indiana, Michigan, and then either Boston U or FSU.  All fun non-NY places.  All with different requirements for auditions but that's cool, that's why I have 9 stupid pieces I'm preparing.  It's starting to feel exciting though.  I feel like I know so much more about this whole process and I feel so much more prepared to go through with it.  It's a pretty insane time, trying to coordinate everything and hope that it all lives up to my expectations of myself.  It's going to require some hard core practicing.  Luckily, I have not much at all on the docket for tomorrow, so practicing/research will be high on the priority list.  This also means I have to start being very aware of my voice and it's use as these weeks progress.  I'm good at this, and I know it's very smart and beneficial, but it is frustrating sometimes to know that literally everything I do can impact my instrument and therefore my sound. 

Speaking of segues...

I had a Halloween party last night at the Fellows and it was super fun.  So much fun, in fact, that most everyone who was there last night stayed in tonight because too much fun was spent at my party.  I believe that to be a sign of a job well done.  I did manage to make it out tonight to the Smorol shindig and am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. 

My brain feels very scattered, like I just want to put random thoughts about my day and my life in here but I pride myself on having some basis of organization to my thoughts.  So this is clearly the sign that I am done blogging for the evening.  Ideally I can make this more regular as this DMA junk gets underway.  Like, for realsies.  (I can't wait to be a doctor of music that says "realsies".  My students will take me so seriously.)

Step 1 & 2

I can't believe I went over a month without blogging.  I suppose I can as I went over a month without going to the gym and without buying any groceries.  I have been surviving these first 6 weeks of school with a couple of my favorite ladies.  Phoebe's, (near Syracuse Stage) and Wendy's (en route to/from Oswego).  Miraculously I have not gained horribly.  A couple pounds that come and go depending on the week.  I definitely wasn't tracking and I have yet to make it back to the gym.  Basically I have been living EXACTLY like I used to live before I started this adventure.  Finally this weekend I decided NO MORE!  Step one (in no real order) was to go to the store and stock up on food for meals.  Step two was to start tracking again.  Step three is in motion which is to prepare my meals ahead of time and be ready for the days I'm not home to cook (which are many) and maybe even cook on a day I am around so I have some meals handy, and then step four will be to get back to the gym.  I have found some times to try and go and this week I plan to use them.  Until I leave work and go to the gym and not home I will not see how possible it is for me to do.  I don't have the time for 4 times a week, which is what I'd really like, but 2-3 is better than 0.  So in my head I thought I wouldn't blog again until I had gone to the gym so I had more to share than "yeah, I've been pretty useless this last month and a half" but the preparedness I feel with having food in my cupboards is awesome.  I have food to make dinners both healthy and yummy, and a few of my favorites that may not be the most WW friendly but that's why I have the roll over points.  Now that I have so much stuff to help me out with tracking and portioning, I can better gauge how much I can use on dinners.  I will say I'm a little hungry right now.  But it's also been 3 hours since I've had any snack and it's the first day I haven't given in to any and all cravings I've had.  I am amazed that I have maintained which holds true to what I knew before, maintenance won't be too difficult, it's losing it that is the challenge.

I cannot tell a lie to my blogosphere.  I researched some diet supplements.  I feel so ridiculous now and can proudly say I did not purchase any, but I looked.  They make it seem so easy, that by adding one pill to your day or right before you eat, that you can boost your weight loss by more than double.  (With diet and exercise.)  It is so unhealthy and I would learn nothing.  So though the temptation to look was there, and I looked, I did not follow through and will continue to do this my way, with WW, the gym and all of you, my wonderful support team. 


Now, if you could all be so kind as to help me get motivated for DMA applications and repertoire work I would greatly appreciate it. 

To bed!!