First, some catching up.
I spent the church year in Johnson City, TN. The church job I was there for had its ups and downs. I felt that we produced some really wonderful services, though, and I enjoyed working with the staff there. In addition, I made what I hope will be some lifelong friendships with Rosemary, Beth, and Kristin, especially. I decided in February not to stay another year, as there were enough job-related difficulties that I needed to be close to someone who was not part of the church community; and that made me realize how much I missed family. Since my immediate family is spread out across the country, I had to choose. Intellectual choice and an internal sense of "rightness" have led me to choose Los Angeles.
But first, I packed up my belongings and left Johnson City in mid-June. I had had $1500+ worth of work done on the air conditioning system of the van so that it would not "leave me by the side of the road," as the mechanics predicted. It didn't. It got me back to Grand Rapids, where I was scheduled to work Session I at Blue Lake. When I left JC, that's all I had scheduled, one session at Blue Lake.
After I got back to Annie's and unpacked to some extent -- Ruby had made me some wonderful curtains that blocked my area off from the rest of the basement to give me more privacy, and she and/or her mom had everything set up for a livable space -- I started getting emails from Hannah, one of the summer dance department directors. She seemed to think I was also signed on for Session III. I told her that could be arranged because I wasn't planning to leave for LA till after I finished subbing the first 3 Sundays in August for Parkwood Presbyterian Church. So I got an altered contract from BLFAC and had two sessions on the books.
I worked Session I with some wonderful people, the addition of playing drums for Modern Class bringing me into closer relationship with the whole department, even though it reduced my "hourly" wage from $18 to between $12 and $15, less if you count the long day of orientation for Session I. (I was very grateful not to have to endure orientation for Session III.) Toward the end of the session, I got an emergency message from Stephanie Plansker of the Cecchetti Institute. They had suddenly lost an accompanist for their 2-week program at Hope College and were hoping I could fill in. I could, indeed. Their need fell exactly between the two session to which I was now committed at Blue Lake.
This two weeks proved to be extremely enjoyable. I worked 9-10:30 in the morning and 1:30-3 in the afternoon, with 3 whole, undesignated hours between. I had access to the pool at Hope, and I discovered that Holland has a huge network of designated bike paths and bike lanes. I'd finish class at 10:30, hop on the bike and ride all over the area, then get back in time for a shower, at least, if not a swim and shower before returning to class at 1:30. Heavenly. It was so great to have 3 hours of time unspoken for and obviously suited to exercise.
Session III of Blue Lake proceeded pretty much as expected. I worked with different teachers and a different director - Hannah and Cory were co-directors this summer, so I had Hannah first session and Cory third session. When I signed on for Session III, I mentioned that I had already made a commitment to do a church service on the 5th, the last day of the session, so I wouldn't be able to play for the final show. They signed off on that, so I had a pretty easy final weekend.
I accompanied for Parkwood Presbyterian in Jenison, a place I've been subbing for several years now, when I'm in town. This was the church that was babysitting my baby grand but had to give it up because the woman accompanying the choir wasn't comfortable with seeing and hearing the director across its length. When I arrived this time, however, the sanctuary was sporting a longer grand that had been donated by a congregant. I hope that works okay for everyone. Anyway, I was told that, on the 12th, a flutist would be playing the Introit and the Offertory. Didn't find out till a few days before that I was expected to accompany her. I have learned that I need to communicate more effectively about these jobs where I jump into someone else's shoes. There are obviously expectations that are familiar to those who do it all the time. I, for instance, didn't realize that accompanying -- a soloist the first week, the flutist the second week, and the choir the third week -- was part of the less-than-usual pay I was receiving. The church and I have an agreement that, if I come out for an additional rehearsal on Thursday evening, I'll be paid more. I think throwing musicians into the mix on Sunday morning is a way to get around this. I was gracious, but I did feel a bit taken advantage of. Nevertheless, I do like the community, and I appreciate that they like having me in when I'm around.
My 45-year high school class reunion was on August 18. There were about 50 or 60 people there, I would guess. There were very few spouses. There was one guy from junior high who had left after that, but who saw the event somewhere (FB?) and contacted Jed to be included. Libby and I went together. I think she had a good time. She said she did. I made the rounds and said hello to lots of people. One, whom I would have loved to talk with, was so drunk that that was impossible. In fact, having any kind of substantive conversation with anyone was difficult. You'd just start to get beyond, "Where do you live?" and "Are you retired?" and someone else would come up and interrupt. It's the nature of this kind of event and probably the reason that I don't go to more parties of this type.
On Sunday, after church, I started packing everything up. I loaded the van, which had developed a leak in a heater hose. After I contacted Lakeside Car Company, I realized I wouldn't be able to get on the road quite as early as I'd hoped. Nevertheless, nearly everything was packed into the van. I'd driven my mom's car over the weekend and returned it to her at supper with Mom and Dad, and Jim and Carol. We ended up at Derby Station, hurrying inside when a big, windy storm came up. After dinner, I returned to Samaritas with Mom and Dad, so she could put his eyedrops in and get him settled. When he sat up from holding his eyes closed, he said, "Where's Carol?" Mom explained that Jim and Carol had returned to their home in Kalamazoo. Dad said, "No. Where's Carol?" He meant her.
Later, when we were driving back to Annie's so she could take her car back, I said, "Has he done that before?" "What?" she responded. "Not known who you were." "Oh, I think he just couldn't see very well because of the eye drops." Hmmm. Maybe. I do think that having so many caretakers is getting confusing, and he's handling it very well. But I know that at least once over the summer he didn't know who I was, and for sure didn't remember my name. This seems to be a progression.
First thing Monday morning, I made my way to Lakeside to get the heater hose repaired and to get my license plate. Since I was already "behind," when I returned to Annie's we decided to go out for lunch before I left. I finally got on the road about 12:30.
First day, to Omaha. Already noticing some possible engine weirdness or oil burning smell. Oh, well. better keep going. Second day, to Boulder. In Boulder, I discovered that the passenger side front door doesn't lock and unlock with the rest. This turned out to be a good thing. I thought I had locked the keys in the car. I could see them lying on the side of the driver's seat. Damn! Then I looked up and saw that the little lock wasn't depressed on the passenger side. Yay!! Subsequently, experimentation showed that all other doors would lock and unlock with the remote or with the buttons inside both front doors, but the passenger side door had to be manipulated manually. This means that, if I have a passenger, I have to climb into the driver's seat on my hands and knees and reach across the vehicle to open the door by the handle. Hey. It's a used car.
I was getting a little more concerned about the smells issuing from the car, so I contacted Linda in Durango, knowing I'd be there for 3 nights, to see if there was a mechanic I could contact. She gave me a number and I called. Since they were scheduling for a week and a half out, I was lucky that they had a cancellation on Friday. We were using Linda's vehicle while I was there, so I didn't have to worry about going around Durango spewing stinky exhaust and making no muffler noises.
The report from the mechanic was as follows: It needs a new catalytic converter, but even if we could get it in we wouldn't do it here because we don't know that what we'd put in would be acceptable in California. The CC we buy can't be sold in CA. It also needs an EGR valve, and it has a crack in the exhaust manifold. (That's what was causing the horrendous smell.) All told, this mechanic estimated $2000.
I had a great time in Durango. What a beautiful area! We went to a concert in a park and kayaking on a new, man-made lake surrounded by gorgeous Colorado forest. The water was clear and green. Linda was a great hostess and made me and Archie feel right at home. I'm so glad I got to spend some time with her.
Leaving Durango on Saturday morning, I didn't know for sure if I'd go all the way to LA (12 hours) in one day; but I got such an early start that it really wasn't too bad. I arrived at Joan's about 7 p.m. California time. That very evening, upon arrival, I was walking Archie down the walk and met a neighbor who works as a nutritionist at nearby Kingsley Manor. She and I talked about the possibility of my leading a choir there and/or working as an Assistant Activities Director. I subsequently tried to text her to no avail, but I think I'll make a trip over there soon to look into it further.
As I write, I've been in Los Angeles 10 days. I've emptied a lot of the stuff from my van into Alice & David's storage unit (bless them!), and brought a bunch of stuff in from the van to my very small and open space at Joan's. I try to keep it picked up, but it's hard when there isn't a place for things. I've been back to storage a couple of times, once for my clown costume, and again for sewing machine and bag and bathroom tub. I have sewed for Joan, taken her to the printer (and side errands) and to her friend Jackie's for lunch in Sherman Oaks.
Oh, and I took the van in yesterday to Alice's mechanic in North Hollywood. I dropped the vehicle off at 8 a.m. for an estimate, knowing that I would be leaving it at least through today to get the requisite repairs. I got an estimate yesterday afternoon. It's $1881.80. I contacted Lakeside this morning, and they're going to pay $1500 of that. Of course, I still have other work that needs to be done -- oil change, air filter, two new tires, transmission fluid, and front and rear shocks. Those are all things I would expect to pay for, although maybe not all at once. At least the brakes are good. I don't know, but I hope I'll be able to get it back today.
Yesterday, after I dropped it off, I began bicycling back into Silver Lake. About 2 miles away from the mechanic, I had a flat. I walked about 1/2 mile to a gas station and put air in. It got up to about 40 pounds and then blew back out again. Severe flat. I got Alice on the phone, and she looked up a couple of nearby (1.6 mi and 3.9 mi) bike shops. I chose the closer one, figuring that the time it would take me to walk there would get me pretty close to opening. And I was right. It was maybe 9:40 when I arrived at NoHo Cycling, but the owner showed up shortly. He took the bike inside and told me to give him about a half hour. I walked down the street to a coffee place he recommended called Teapop and treated myself to a cold-brew coconut beverage and chia pudding. I took my time, and when I got back to the bike shop, the bike was nearly ready.
In addition to great, reasonable service, I got directions for a safe and pleasant return ride to Silver Lake. A few blocks north of the shop was a central traffic island with designated bike and walking lanes. The neighborhood was residential and pretty, and the ride lovely. From there, I turned off on Victory Blvd, which wasn't nearly as pleasant. The best part about riding down Victory was that I recognized an intersection. When I was at Central Casting last Friday, waiting for hours for the process of handling new extras to begin, I had to go to the bathroom. I didn't want to give up my parking space -- a good one, since I'd arrived at 5:10 a.m. -- so I took the bike out of the back of the van and rode to a nearby Starbucks to use the facilities. As I rode along Victory, I recognized the intersection of Olive and Victory, which I had passed on my way to Starbucks.
I continued on Victory, and it took me to Riverside which turned into Crystal Springs which turned into Griffith Park, as I rode around Griffith Park. When I turned away from the park, I once again recognized my surroundings, being in the transition area between Atwater and Silver Lake. I knew my way back to Joan's from there! All in all, I rode about 14 miles and walked about 3.
To date, I've put my name in for several jobs on Central Casting's site. I got a notice today asking if I'm still available for something that films tomorrow. I said, "YES!" I also attended First Unitarian Universalist Church of Los Angeles on Sunday, in part as a followup to having sent my resume for their choir directing position late last week. It's a charming, small venue. The choir directing job is just that -- choir directing, for $600 a month. The church doesn't have a minister, nor are they looking for one, so it would be a place where I could preach from time to time, as well, I think. I have an appointment for an interview/audition on 9/19 there.
I have also had one positive response to a mass email I sent out to ballet schools and companies. This one is not far from Joan's, technically still in Silver Lake, but over near Atwater. Mario, the contact, sounded very interested to meet me. I hope that will happen in the next couple of days. Friday, Joan and I are having breakfast with her friend, Katherine, and Katherine's darling baby. Joan says that Katherine is interested in having me move in with her. I guess I'll find out Friday what that would entail. I need to be out of Joan's by Monday morning so she can prepare to have a guest in my space. If something doesn't work out right away with Katherine, I'll go to Sophie's (another friend of Joan) for up to a month.
This is all very exciting. How is it different from the other places I've lived since leaving Grand Rapids? Bay St Louis was a very quiet burg. There wasn't a lot to do there. I did get out and bike and walk, but I also spent a great deal of time in my room. Living with someone who basically disapproved of me was difficult to combat, psychologically. I knew people more quickly in Johnson City, and I liked the area; but once again there wasn't a lot to do. I had a job that barely paid my rent, and it was difficult to find other things to do. Just before I gave my notice at the church, I applied to work at my favorite health food store, but nothing came of that until a couple of weeks before I left. I feel much more alive, useful, and constructive here. This look like it's going to go really well.
I have a bunch of pictures to share with this post, but I'm having trouble getting my phone to talk to my computer, so maybe when Alice visits at lunchtime today I can get her to help with that.
I spent the church year in Johnson City, TN. The church job I was there for had its ups and downs. I felt that we produced some really wonderful services, though, and I enjoyed working with the staff there. In addition, I made what I hope will be some lifelong friendships with Rosemary, Beth, and Kristin, especially. I decided in February not to stay another year, as there were enough job-related difficulties that I needed to be close to someone who was not part of the church community; and that made me realize how much I missed family. Since my immediate family is spread out across the country, I had to choose. Intellectual choice and an internal sense of "rightness" have led me to choose Los Angeles.
But first, I packed up my belongings and left Johnson City in mid-June. I had had $1500+ worth of work done on the air conditioning system of the van so that it would not "leave me by the side of the road," as the mechanics predicted. It didn't. It got me back to Grand Rapids, where I was scheduled to work Session I at Blue Lake. When I left JC, that's all I had scheduled, one session at Blue Lake.
After I got back to Annie's and unpacked to some extent -- Ruby had made me some wonderful curtains that blocked my area off from the rest of the basement to give me more privacy, and she and/or her mom had everything set up for a livable space -- I started getting emails from Hannah, one of the summer dance department directors. She seemed to think I was also signed on for Session III. I told her that could be arranged because I wasn't planning to leave for LA till after I finished subbing the first 3 Sundays in August for Parkwood Presbyterian Church. So I got an altered contract from BLFAC and had two sessions on the books.
I worked Session I with some wonderful people, the addition of playing drums for Modern Class bringing me into closer relationship with the whole department, even though it reduced my "hourly" wage from $18 to between $12 and $15, less if you count the long day of orientation for Session I. (I was very grateful not to have to endure orientation for Session III.) Toward the end of the session, I got an emergency message from Stephanie Plansker of the Cecchetti Institute. They had suddenly lost an accompanist for their 2-week program at Hope College and were hoping I could fill in. I could, indeed. Their need fell exactly between the two session to which I was now committed at Blue Lake.
This two weeks proved to be extremely enjoyable. I worked 9-10:30 in the morning and 1:30-3 in the afternoon, with 3 whole, undesignated hours between. I had access to the pool at Hope, and I discovered that Holland has a huge network of designated bike paths and bike lanes. I'd finish class at 10:30, hop on the bike and ride all over the area, then get back in time for a shower, at least, if not a swim and shower before returning to class at 1:30. Heavenly. It was so great to have 3 hours of time unspoken for and obviously suited to exercise.
Session III of Blue Lake proceeded pretty much as expected. I worked with different teachers and a different director - Hannah and Cory were co-directors this summer, so I had Hannah first session and Cory third session. When I signed on for Session III, I mentioned that I had already made a commitment to do a church service on the 5th, the last day of the session, so I wouldn't be able to play for the final show. They signed off on that, so I had a pretty easy final weekend.
I accompanied for Parkwood Presbyterian in Jenison, a place I've been subbing for several years now, when I'm in town. This was the church that was babysitting my baby grand but had to give it up because the woman accompanying the choir wasn't comfortable with seeing and hearing the director across its length. When I arrived this time, however, the sanctuary was sporting a longer grand that had been donated by a congregant. I hope that works okay for everyone. Anyway, I was told that, on the 12th, a flutist would be playing the Introit and the Offertory. Didn't find out till a few days before that I was expected to accompany her. I have learned that I need to communicate more effectively about these jobs where I jump into someone else's shoes. There are obviously expectations that are familiar to those who do it all the time. I, for instance, didn't realize that accompanying -- a soloist the first week, the flutist the second week, and the choir the third week -- was part of the less-than-usual pay I was receiving. The church and I have an agreement that, if I come out for an additional rehearsal on Thursday evening, I'll be paid more. I think throwing musicians into the mix on Sunday morning is a way to get around this. I was gracious, but I did feel a bit taken advantage of. Nevertheless, I do like the community, and I appreciate that they like having me in when I'm around.
My 45-year high school class reunion was on August 18. There were about 50 or 60 people there, I would guess. There were very few spouses. There was one guy from junior high who had left after that, but who saw the event somewhere (FB?) and contacted Jed to be included. Libby and I went together. I think she had a good time. She said she did. I made the rounds and said hello to lots of people. One, whom I would have loved to talk with, was so drunk that that was impossible. In fact, having any kind of substantive conversation with anyone was difficult. You'd just start to get beyond, "Where do you live?" and "Are you retired?" and someone else would come up and interrupt. It's the nature of this kind of event and probably the reason that I don't go to more parties of this type.
On Sunday, after church, I started packing everything up. I loaded the van, which had developed a leak in a heater hose. After I contacted Lakeside Car Company, I realized I wouldn't be able to get on the road quite as early as I'd hoped. Nevertheless, nearly everything was packed into the van. I'd driven my mom's car over the weekend and returned it to her at supper with Mom and Dad, and Jim and Carol. We ended up at Derby Station, hurrying inside when a big, windy storm came up. After dinner, I returned to Samaritas with Mom and Dad, so she could put his eyedrops in and get him settled. When he sat up from holding his eyes closed, he said, "Where's Carol?" Mom explained that Jim and Carol had returned to their home in Kalamazoo. Dad said, "No. Where's Carol?" He meant her.
Later, when we were driving back to Annie's so she could take her car back, I said, "Has he done that before?" "What?" she responded. "Not known who you were." "Oh, I think he just couldn't see very well because of the eye drops." Hmmm. Maybe. I do think that having so many caretakers is getting confusing, and he's handling it very well. But I know that at least once over the summer he didn't know who I was, and for sure didn't remember my name. This seems to be a progression.
First thing Monday morning, I made my way to Lakeside to get the heater hose repaired and to get my license plate. Since I was already "behind," when I returned to Annie's we decided to go out for lunch before I left. I finally got on the road about 12:30.
First day, to Omaha. Already noticing some possible engine weirdness or oil burning smell. Oh, well. better keep going. Second day, to Boulder. In Boulder, I discovered that the passenger side front door doesn't lock and unlock with the rest. This turned out to be a good thing. I thought I had locked the keys in the car. I could see them lying on the side of the driver's seat. Damn! Then I looked up and saw that the little lock wasn't depressed on the passenger side. Yay!! Subsequently, experimentation showed that all other doors would lock and unlock with the remote or with the buttons inside both front doors, but the passenger side door had to be manipulated manually. This means that, if I have a passenger, I have to climb into the driver's seat on my hands and knees and reach across the vehicle to open the door by the handle. Hey. It's a used car.
I was getting a little more concerned about the smells issuing from the car, so I contacted Linda in Durango, knowing I'd be there for 3 nights, to see if there was a mechanic I could contact. She gave me a number and I called. Since they were scheduling for a week and a half out, I was lucky that they had a cancellation on Friday. We were using Linda's vehicle while I was there, so I didn't have to worry about going around Durango spewing stinky exhaust and making no muffler noises.
The report from the mechanic was as follows: It needs a new catalytic converter, but even if we could get it in we wouldn't do it here because we don't know that what we'd put in would be acceptable in California. The CC we buy can't be sold in CA. It also needs an EGR valve, and it has a crack in the exhaust manifold. (That's what was causing the horrendous smell.) All told, this mechanic estimated $2000.
I had a great time in Durango. What a beautiful area! We went to a concert in a park and kayaking on a new, man-made lake surrounded by gorgeous Colorado forest. The water was clear and green. Linda was a great hostess and made me and Archie feel right at home. I'm so glad I got to spend some time with her.
Leaving Durango on Saturday morning, I didn't know for sure if I'd go all the way to LA (12 hours) in one day; but I got such an early start that it really wasn't too bad. I arrived at Joan's about 7 p.m. California time. That very evening, upon arrival, I was walking Archie down the walk and met a neighbor who works as a nutritionist at nearby Kingsley Manor. She and I talked about the possibility of my leading a choir there and/or working as an Assistant Activities Director. I subsequently tried to text her to no avail, but I think I'll make a trip over there soon to look into it further.
As I write, I've been in Los Angeles 10 days. I've emptied a lot of the stuff from my van into Alice & David's storage unit (bless them!), and brought a bunch of stuff in from the van to my very small and open space at Joan's. I try to keep it picked up, but it's hard when there isn't a place for things. I've been back to storage a couple of times, once for my clown costume, and again for sewing machine and bag and bathroom tub. I have sewed for Joan, taken her to the printer (and side errands) and to her friend Jackie's for lunch in Sherman Oaks.
Oh, and I took the van in yesterday to Alice's mechanic in North Hollywood. I dropped the vehicle off at 8 a.m. for an estimate, knowing that I would be leaving it at least through today to get the requisite repairs. I got an estimate yesterday afternoon. It's $1881.80. I contacted Lakeside this morning, and they're going to pay $1500 of that. Of course, I still have other work that needs to be done -- oil change, air filter, two new tires, transmission fluid, and front and rear shocks. Those are all things I would expect to pay for, although maybe not all at once. At least the brakes are good. I don't know, but I hope I'll be able to get it back today.
Yesterday, after I dropped it off, I began bicycling back into Silver Lake. About 2 miles away from the mechanic, I had a flat. I walked about 1/2 mile to a gas station and put air in. It got up to about 40 pounds and then blew back out again. Severe flat. I got Alice on the phone, and she looked up a couple of nearby (1.6 mi and 3.9 mi) bike shops. I chose the closer one, figuring that the time it would take me to walk there would get me pretty close to opening. And I was right. It was maybe 9:40 when I arrived at NoHo Cycling, but the owner showed up shortly. He took the bike inside and told me to give him about a half hour. I walked down the street to a coffee place he recommended called Teapop and treated myself to a cold-brew coconut beverage and chia pudding. I took my time, and when I got back to the bike shop, the bike was nearly ready.
In addition to great, reasonable service, I got directions for a safe and pleasant return ride to Silver Lake. A few blocks north of the shop was a central traffic island with designated bike and walking lanes. The neighborhood was residential and pretty, and the ride lovely. From there, I turned off on Victory Blvd, which wasn't nearly as pleasant. The best part about riding down Victory was that I recognized an intersection. When I was at Central Casting last Friday, waiting for hours for the process of handling new extras to begin, I had to go to the bathroom. I didn't want to give up my parking space -- a good one, since I'd arrived at 5:10 a.m. -- so I took the bike out of the back of the van and rode to a nearby Starbucks to use the facilities. As I rode along Victory, I recognized the intersection of Olive and Victory, which I had passed on my way to Starbucks.
I continued on Victory, and it took me to Riverside which turned into Crystal Springs which turned into Griffith Park, as I rode around Griffith Park. When I turned away from the park, I once again recognized my surroundings, being in the transition area between Atwater and Silver Lake. I knew my way back to Joan's from there! All in all, I rode about 14 miles and walked about 3.
To date, I've put my name in for several jobs on Central Casting's site. I got a notice today asking if I'm still available for something that films tomorrow. I said, "YES!" I also attended First Unitarian Universalist Church of Los Angeles on Sunday, in part as a followup to having sent my resume for their choir directing position late last week. It's a charming, small venue. The choir directing job is just that -- choir directing, for $600 a month. The church doesn't have a minister, nor are they looking for one, so it would be a place where I could preach from time to time, as well, I think. I have an appointment for an interview/audition on 9/19 there.
I have also had one positive response to a mass email I sent out to ballet schools and companies. This one is not far from Joan's, technically still in Silver Lake, but over near Atwater. Mario, the contact, sounded very interested to meet me. I hope that will happen in the next couple of days. Friday, Joan and I are having breakfast with her friend, Katherine, and Katherine's darling baby. Joan says that Katherine is interested in having me move in with her. I guess I'll find out Friday what that would entail. I need to be out of Joan's by Monday morning so she can prepare to have a guest in my space. If something doesn't work out right away with Katherine, I'll go to Sophie's (another friend of Joan) for up to a month.
This is all very exciting. How is it different from the other places I've lived since leaving Grand Rapids? Bay St Louis was a very quiet burg. There wasn't a lot to do there. I did get out and bike and walk, but I also spent a great deal of time in my room. Living with someone who basically disapproved of me was difficult to combat, psychologically. I knew people more quickly in Johnson City, and I liked the area; but once again there wasn't a lot to do. I had a job that barely paid my rent, and it was difficult to find other things to do. Just before I gave my notice at the church, I applied to work at my favorite health food store, but nothing came of that until a couple of weeks before I left. I feel much more alive, useful, and constructive here. This look like it's going to go really well.
I have a bunch of pictures to share with this post, but I'm having trouble getting my phone to talk to my computer, so maybe when Alice visits at lunchtime today I can get her to help with that.
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