Can You Sense the Excitement? HNT

Ooh, look! A blog!

Haven't been overly gung-ho about being online a great deal in 2011 yet. Partly because I just got slammed with all sorts of symphony stuff. I've been spending my evenings in brain-sucking committee meetings running phone interviews for our choral directing position that's open. There's nothing worse than having someone interview who can't use the alloted 30 minute slot to ask questions, give decent answers, and show some indication that they're actually interested. Even more fun when English is not their main language (in some cases, not even their 2nd or 3rd...). So that's taken care of my nights this week.

Next week we have a concert that I wasn't aware of... Well, I was, but it's a concert that's usually in March. We play for all the local 4th/5th graders. So next week is shot to hell, with rehearsals, set-ups and a midday performance (sure, I'll take time off from my job that I'm getting my hours cut back on already...). But it's worth it (at least that's the official line...).

The hall we play at is a city-owned facility. It's the only decent-sized auditorium in town, so they get to make the rules. One of which: they book the auditorium three years in advance, on the first business day of the new year. And since they're really the only game in town, organizations line up at the door to be first to claim their dates. So I got the phone call on Sunday--would I be willing to show up early to grab a place in line? The woman who would actually be getting the dates is on the elderly side, and didn't want to stand in line in the dark and cold. Oh, sure, why not? What I didn't realize when I said that is that I needed to be in line by 6AM. Six o'fucking-clock. When the temperature would be a cozy 0°F. Though it did warm up to a balmy 5° by the time I left. At 8AM. Which is the time she showed up to relieve me. And still half an hour before the doors to the building would open.

So here I am, early in the cold morning, just before leaving. Note the puffy, light-sensitive eyes. The unshowered hair doing something funky (which was OK--I put on a cap immediately after this). Unfortunately, you can't see my breath in this particular picture. Trust me...it was quite visible. I was at least smart enough to take along a canvas beer-drinking chair (sans beer), gloves, scarf and down comforter. She was smart enough to bring her own chair, but I offered her my comforter and told her I'd pick it up at the office later. "Oh, that's right. I'll see you at the staff meeting at 9..."

It should be noted that someone else snuck in a side door and beat us to being first in line...

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Skittering Skattering
(unkown)

"Skittering skattering
I dash under the couch
Skittering skattering
I find my little house
Skittering skattering
I found a piece of cheese
Skittering skattering
It is a moldy piece of cheese
Skittering skattering
It is a yummy piece of cheese!
Who am I."

This one should be pretty easy to figure out, but come back on Thursday to find out who the Mystery Guest is!
When she shows her face, it's sorta hard not to know who she is, unless you're one of the really foolish ones who hasn't actually been to her site before! Of course, it's Chickie, from over at "Skittering Thoughts". Be sure to stop by, and if you've never been there before, go nose around in her archives. She's a keeper!

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Go check out to see the first to join in on "...the Other HNT" in the new decade! There's a good selection of your fellow HNTers over there. Be sure to stop by and leave some comment lovin'! Of course...NSFW.

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