I had the strangest dream right before I woke up this morning...
In this dream, there was a crazy tree which decided that it was no longer going to be put up with being mistreated. Those silly humans, it thought to itself, need to be taught a lesson. So the tree decided that it was going to eat a human being, the next person it encountered.
It saw a young woman from a distance and decided, That's the person I'm going to eat. He announced it to her as she drew closer. To be fair, he decided to give her some warning so that she could put her affairs in order and prepare herself emotionally for her impending doom.
The young woman was frightened but agreed to do as the tree said. She gathered together family and friends and told them of her fate. Initially, she thought she'd have a small ceremony with just her family present while the tree consumed her, but the event began to draw a great deal of attention.
Finally, the day came. The young woman walked over by the tree and held onto its viney prison-like branches. She stood there with the tree while children sang songs and a speaker gave an inspirational message. Summoning her courage, she announced that she was ready. She closed her eyes, held her breath, and gently stroked the branch holding her with her fingers.
The tree shuddered. The young woman continued to hold her breath, reassuring herself that her fear would be over soon. Eventually, she was no longer able to hold her breath, so she inhaled sharply and opened her eyes.
"What's wrong?" She asked the tree.
"I can't eat you," the tree replied. "You haven't acted like the other humans who mistreat my kind. Please forgive me."
-------
Up until this point, the dream sounds like a fable ... but in the next scene of the dream, I was sitting with the young woman, and she had become a friend of mine. Around her finger was a stunning ring, made from petrified wood with lovely, rare gems. She was telling me about her fiance, who happened to be the tree. Very strange indeed.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
7 months minus 2 days until W-Day
Aack! More than 3 weeks since I last posted. I'm hoping to catch up this summer on the stories I need to share:
*Choral catastrophes (fainting/ill children at performances, threats)
*First overnight field trip with my students
*Family party with Westley's kin
*Teaching my students how to "insult someone intelligently"
*Class personalities and how they changed
*2nd concert (which actually takes place tonight!)
*Reflections on a first year of teaching which is somehow very nearly over (how is it possible that I'm almost done?!?!?!?!?!)
I'm listing the above so I remember that I want to write down these stories before I forget them! Then ... in the years to come, I'll look back fondly on this first year of teaching, the year of my engagement, etc.
Plans for this summer:
I'm dreaming of curling up in a chair with a refreshing cup of tea (although lately I've become a coffee addict, something I'd always hoped to avoid *sigh*) with my laptop and writing. Planning my wedding. Picking music for next year. Making plans, resources for next year. Going through all my junk/stuff/clothing/etc. and getting rid of what I don't need/want. Getting organized. My bedroom is chaotic with bags of stuff here, boxes of stuff there. Bridal magazines given to me by a friend. Piles of sheet music. Books. CDs. Pictures. Miscellaneous stuff. I want to be able to walk through my room and have EVERYTHING in some kind of organized arrangement.
OK, and because today's my concert (and also fortunately, my part-time day), I'm going into school late. Otherwise, I'd be there at this very moment. I still need to go, however, and I should leave soon ... so I'll have to continue this stream-of-consciousness later ... maybe next week ... or maybe when my summer officially begins- 2 weeks from today! (Students' last day is the 10th, but mine is the 12th.) Hmm ...
Anyway ... be back sooner than later!!!
*Choral catastrophes (fainting/ill children at performances, threats)
*First overnight field trip with my students
*Family party with Westley's kin
*Teaching my students how to "insult someone intelligently"
*Class personalities and how they changed
*2nd concert (which actually takes place tonight!)
*Reflections on a first year of teaching which is somehow very nearly over (how is it possible that I'm almost done?!?!?!?!?!)
I'm listing the above so I remember that I want to write down these stories before I forget them! Then ... in the years to come, I'll look back fondly on this first year of teaching, the year of my engagement, etc.
Plans for this summer:
I'm dreaming of curling up in a chair with a refreshing cup of tea (although lately I've become a coffee addict, something I'd always hoped to avoid *sigh*) with my laptop and writing. Planning my wedding. Picking music for next year. Making plans, resources for next year. Going through all my junk/stuff/clothing/etc. and getting rid of what I don't need/want. Getting organized. My bedroom is chaotic with bags of stuff here, boxes of stuff there. Bridal magazines given to me by a friend. Piles of sheet music. Books. CDs. Pictures. Miscellaneous stuff. I want to be able to walk through my room and have EVERYTHING in some kind of organized arrangement.
OK, and because today's my concert (and also fortunately, my part-time day), I'm going into school late. Otherwise, I'd be there at this very moment. I still need to go, however, and I should leave soon ... so I'll have to continue this stream-of-consciousness later ... maybe next week ... or maybe when my summer officially begins- 2 weeks from today! (Students' last day is the 10th, but mine is the 12th.) Hmm ...
Anyway ... be back sooner than later!!!
Sunday, May 03, 2009
April ... a summary :)
I've started posts and saved them ... intending to finish and publish them eventually. I'd been working on one in particular for awhile ... and now it's been more than a month since the event actually occurred. And it's been longer than that since I've written. So ... instead of revising all those old incomplete posts ... here was my April:
April was a whirlwind of a month. The month began and ended with field trips. At the beginning of the month, I took my top choir to a district festival where they performed beautifully. They were one of a handful of choirs that performed in a higher category. My supervisor rewarded me with high praise, saying, "I am your biggest fan right now" and "I am SO proud of you" and "This is an excellent accomplishment, especially for a first year teacher!"
Surprised and pleased, I thanked her for her kind words and said honestly, "Well, I did inherit a good program," and she gave me additional credit for keeping it going and improving it. Glorious way to start out the month.
Then I was consumed with our school musical. My predecessor had warned me against doing too much, and she advised me to NOT take on the school musical. I had known, however, that I wanted to do it because I didn't want anyone else teaching my kids how to sing. As the vocal expert in the school, I felt responsible for instilling good vocal habits and teaching proper technique. My colleague (who has become an excellent friend this year!) and I were fortunate to have additional assistance from very talented high school students who choreographed and staged the entire show. We taught the music and handled virtually all of the logistics. The show was a great success. Our students were marvelous, the audience doubled in size from last year's production to this year, and our very impressed principal called it "delightful" and the "perfect choice for a middle school show." Even better? Some of the students in the show who aren't in my classes this year have signed up to take my classes next year!!!
The month ended with my first overnight field trip for students from my department. The trip was a success, the students were well-behaved, and my collection of Disney movies were popular on the bus. :)
Other important events in April:
*Easter (conducted a choir at one service, accompanied another group at a later service)
*Scheduling for next year: I will be full-time!!! (I will be teaching a subject out of my field, but I do have some experience with it and I'm excited for the opportunity! Plus, it's a huge difference in my salary- 10%!)
*Westley's final concert at GradSchool ... and I loved joining them onstage for the traditional Alumni song ... *sigh* So much has happened since I sang on that stage last ... and so much more may happen before I have the opportunity to sing with them again ...
April was a whirlwind of a month. The month began and ended with field trips. At the beginning of the month, I took my top choir to a district festival where they performed beautifully. They were one of a handful of choirs that performed in a higher category. My supervisor rewarded me with high praise, saying, "I am your biggest fan right now" and "I am SO proud of you" and "This is an excellent accomplishment, especially for a first year teacher!"
Surprised and pleased, I thanked her for her kind words and said honestly, "Well, I did inherit a good program," and she gave me additional credit for keeping it going and improving it. Glorious way to start out the month.
Then I was consumed with our school musical. My predecessor had warned me against doing too much, and she advised me to NOT take on the school musical. I had known, however, that I wanted to do it because I didn't want anyone else teaching my kids how to sing. As the vocal expert in the school, I felt responsible for instilling good vocal habits and teaching proper technique. My colleague (who has become an excellent friend this year!) and I were fortunate to have additional assistance from very talented high school students who choreographed and staged the entire show. We taught the music and handled virtually all of the logistics. The show was a great success. Our students were marvelous, the audience doubled in size from last year's production to this year, and our very impressed principal called it "delightful" and the "perfect choice for a middle school show." Even better? Some of the students in the show who aren't in my classes this year have signed up to take my classes next year!!!
The month ended with my first overnight field trip for students from my department. The trip was a success, the students were well-behaved, and my collection of Disney movies were popular on the bus. :)
Other important events in April:
*Easter (conducted a choir at one service, accompanied another group at a later service)
*Scheduling for next year: I will be full-time!!! (I will be teaching a subject out of my field, but I do have some experience with it and I'm excited for the opportunity! Plus, it's a huge difference in my salary- 10%!)
*Westley's final concert at GradSchool ... and I loved joining them onstage for the traditional Alumni song ... *sigh* So much has happened since I sang on that stage last ... and so much more may happen before I have the opportunity to sing with them again ...
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Lovely way to begin April
For the past month, my shoulders have been rising, little by little every day, as yesterday approached. In my district, other subject areas are evaluated through the statewide and nationwide standardized tests. My program is formally evaluated on my extracurricular ensemble's performance of repertoire and demonstration of sightreading abilities at a district choral festival. We participated in this festival yesterday.
Our rehearsal on Tuesday morning left much to be desired; the students (fickle at times because they are young adolescents) were chatty and unfocused. Problem areas in our music that we had fixed last week or the week before were suddenly problems once again. We didn't even have time to practice our sightreading during the rehearsal. (We practice this in all class sessions, but this select choir, comprised of students from each of my classes has not ever practiced sightreading together.) I was nervous, to say the least.
When I arrived at school yesterday, students were already waiting for me, even though they were told that they did not have to come early. (Some just wanted to, I suppose.) I didn't have much time to talk with them; I finished writing my substitute's lesson plans for the day and busily prepared everything that I needed: reminders for my chaperones, attendance lists, directions for the bus driver, extra uniform pieces, etc.
When the rest of the students arrived in their striking uniforms, they checked in with the chaperones, received extra uniform pieces (ties/cummerbunds for the boys), and waited. One child wore the wrong color shoes - a strong NO-NO which we had even discussed at yesterday's rehearsal (and which appears in all written communication about our uniforms). Fortunately, she was able to borrow shoes from a teacher (a good friend of mine) and she was able to attend the trip after all.
We departed soon after the shoes fiasco and arrived at the school with plenty of time to spare. We observed one choir and were waiting to observe another when I was informed that we had better go warm up (even though I thought they were running behind). I warmed up the choir ... and during the warm-up, two girls started to goof off. As I was already incredibly stressed, I sternly informed the group that if I saw anyone else goofing off during our very limited warm-up time, the offender would NOT be allowed to perform. They were all wonderful after that. Finally, it was time to go onstage!
My choir neatly filed onto the risers and stood in their formation, and the accompanist and I followed them. The festival manager explained how I was to proceed: She would introduce the choir, me, our accompanist, and our musical selections. I was to wait for the center judge to raise a sign, indicating that the judges were ready for our first piece. There would be some down time in between our three songs so that the judges could speak and write down their comments. I had to wait for the sign before we could go on. I thanked her for explaining this to me, and she walked over to the podium to introduce us.
We began with our non-adjudicated piece, a rousing arrangement of a traditional African American spiritual. The driving tempo, the minor tonality, and the contrasting dynamics require so much energy, and my kids watched and followed my direction intently. The piece culminates with a huge 5-note chord, and when I gave the final cut-off, I felt the audience breathe, impressed, before they burst into applause!
When the adjudicator cued me that we could continue, the accompanist and I began our next piece- a poignant arrangement of a hauntingly beautiful Hebrew folk song about a person seeking peace for his wounded soul. My young soloists sang wonderfully, and the choir entered, demonstrating their lovely full tone. I felt the anguish of the lyrics, and I tried to convey the heaviness, the weight that the wounded soul was feeling through my face and my gestures. My students responded in kind; several of their faces reflected the deep sorrow described in the music, and they shaped their phrases beautifully. Lovely.
After a long pause, I received the sign that we could sing our third and final selection. This piece was a simple and short arrangement of a light, joyful Baroque piece, and it strongly contrasted with the styles of the other two pieces. My skillful accompanist played our introduction, and my students came in gloriously. The color of their sound changed and their voices danced through the melismas. The sudden ending of the piece seemed to catch our audience by surprise, but they applauded, and I bowed once again for my group.
We were directed offstage to the next part of our festival experience: sightreading. While we practice sightreading skills daily in my classes, my students and I were nervous about what we would encounter. We were going to sightsing in 2 parts (something we'd only started to do in the past month) and we didn't know whether the example would be in C Major or G Major. I'd only introduced G Major recently too (because I hadn't been aware of the exact sightreading requirements until a month earlier).
As we passed through the auditorium, my music supervisor gave me a big smile and told me she was so proud of me! I thanked her, grinning, and walked to the front of the line of my students. We waited for a few moments outside the door to the sightreading room, where I was greeted with a "Hi, Estrella!" by the parent of a singer in the youth choir I accompany. This too eased my nerves.
Finally, it was time to sightread. The adjudicator was very pleasant and she led my students and me through the process. I was so pleased with how well they did! She was so pleased with how well they listened and by the respect and focus they demonstrated. Wonderful!
We filed out of the room and my students stood in the hallway while we waited for our scores to be processed. When the auditorium doors re-opened after the performance inside had ended, I went inside to inquire about our scores.
My music supervisor told me that she was "my biggest fan" and was "so proud of me" for all that I'd accomplished with my students, especially as I was a first year teacher. I learned later that 3 of 29 groups had performed music at the same level of difficulty we did. I said to her, "Well, as you know, I inherited a good program." She responded, "Yes, you did, but you've done more than maintain it; you've taken them further."
When my scores were ready, she put them in the envelope and walked with me out to the lobby. Pulling each adjudicator's score sheet out of the envelope, she explained what each meant. We had received superior ratings, and this meant we would qualify for an invitation to participate at the state festival! She gave me a hug as she handed me the envelope, and I went outside to greet my students and the chaperones. They asked about the scores, and I said ...
"Guess who's going to States?!"
"WE are!" They cheered, jumping up and down. We piled onto the buses and headed to a yummy Chinese/American buffet for lunch (which they LOVED) before heading back to school. We congregated in the cafeteria before I released them to classes, and as I was thanking the chaperones and congratulating the students on all their hard work, my principal joined us. He too congratulated them and thanked me, inviting the students to applaud. They cheered some more before returning to class, and I took advantage of having a substitute in my classroom for the full day by going home an hour early! :)
Our rehearsal on Tuesday morning left much to be desired; the students (fickle at times because they are young adolescents) were chatty and unfocused. Problem areas in our music that we had fixed last week or the week before were suddenly problems once again. We didn't even have time to practice our sightreading during the rehearsal. (We practice this in all class sessions, but this select choir, comprised of students from each of my classes has not ever practiced sightreading together.) I was nervous, to say the least.
When I arrived at school yesterday, students were already waiting for me, even though they were told that they did not have to come early. (Some just wanted to, I suppose.) I didn't have much time to talk with them; I finished writing my substitute's lesson plans for the day and busily prepared everything that I needed: reminders for my chaperones, attendance lists, directions for the bus driver, extra uniform pieces, etc.
When the rest of the students arrived in their striking uniforms, they checked in with the chaperones, received extra uniform pieces (ties/cummerbunds for the boys), and waited. One child wore the wrong color shoes - a strong NO-NO which we had even discussed at yesterday's rehearsal (and which appears in all written communication about our uniforms). Fortunately, she was able to borrow shoes from a teacher (a good friend of mine) and she was able to attend the trip after all.
We departed soon after the shoes fiasco and arrived at the school with plenty of time to spare. We observed one choir and were waiting to observe another when I was informed that we had better go warm up (even though I thought they were running behind). I warmed up the choir ... and during the warm-up, two girls started to goof off. As I was already incredibly stressed, I sternly informed the group that if I saw anyone else goofing off during our very limited warm-up time, the offender would NOT be allowed to perform. They were all wonderful after that. Finally, it was time to go onstage!
My choir neatly filed onto the risers and stood in their formation, and the accompanist and I followed them. The festival manager explained how I was to proceed: She would introduce the choir, me, our accompanist, and our musical selections. I was to wait for the center judge to raise a sign, indicating that the judges were ready for our first piece. There would be some down time in between our three songs so that the judges could speak and write down their comments. I had to wait for the sign before we could go on. I thanked her for explaining this to me, and she walked over to the podium to introduce us.
We began with our non-adjudicated piece, a rousing arrangement of a traditional African American spiritual. The driving tempo, the minor tonality, and the contrasting dynamics require so much energy, and my kids watched and followed my direction intently. The piece culminates with a huge 5-note chord, and when I gave the final cut-off, I felt the audience breathe, impressed, before they burst into applause!
When the adjudicator cued me that we could continue, the accompanist and I began our next piece- a poignant arrangement of a hauntingly beautiful Hebrew folk song about a person seeking peace for his wounded soul. My young soloists sang wonderfully, and the choir entered, demonstrating their lovely full tone. I felt the anguish of the lyrics, and I tried to convey the heaviness, the weight that the wounded soul was feeling through my face and my gestures. My students responded in kind; several of their faces reflected the deep sorrow described in the music, and they shaped their phrases beautifully. Lovely.
After a long pause, I received the sign that we could sing our third and final selection. This piece was a simple and short arrangement of a light, joyful Baroque piece, and it strongly contrasted with the styles of the other two pieces. My skillful accompanist played our introduction, and my students came in gloriously. The color of their sound changed and their voices danced through the melismas. The sudden ending of the piece seemed to catch our audience by surprise, but they applauded, and I bowed once again for my group.
We were directed offstage to the next part of our festival experience: sightreading. While we practice sightreading skills daily in my classes, my students and I were nervous about what we would encounter. We were going to sightsing in 2 parts (something we'd only started to do in the past month) and we didn't know whether the example would be in C Major or G Major. I'd only introduced G Major recently too (because I hadn't been aware of the exact sightreading requirements until a month earlier).
As we passed through the auditorium, my music supervisor gave me a big smile and told me she was so proud of me! I thanked her, grinning, and walked to the front of the line of my students. We waited for a few moments outside the door to the sightreading room, where I was greeted with a "Hi, Estrella!" by the parent of a singer in the youth choir I accompany. This too eased my nerves.
Finally, it was time to sightread. The adjudicator was very pleasant and she led my students and me through the process. I was so pleased with how well they did! She was so pleased with how well they listened and by the respect and focus they demonstrated. Wonderful!
We filed out of the room and my students stood in the hallway while we waited for our scores to be processed. When the auditorium doors re-opened after the performance inside had ended, I went inside to inquire about our scores.
My music supervisor told me that she was "my biggest fan" and was "so proud of me" for all that I'd accomplished with my students, especially as I was a first year teacher. I learned later that 3 of 29 groups had performed music at the same level of difficulty we did. I said to her, "Well, as you know, I inherited a good program." She responded, "Yes, you did, but you've done more than maintain it; you've taken them further."
When my scores were ready, she put them in the envelope and walked with me out to the lobby. Pulling each adjudicator's score sheet out of the envelope, she explained what each meant. We had received superior ratings, and this meant we would qualify for an invitation to participate at the state festival! She gave me a hug as she handed me the envelope, and I went outside to greet my students and the chaperones. They asked about the scores, and I said ...
"Guess who's going to States?!"
"WE are!" They cheered, jumping up and down. We piled onto the buses and headed to a yummy Chinese/American buffet for lunch (which they LOVED) before heading back to school. We congregated in the cafeteria before I released them to classes, and as I was thanking the chaperones and congratulating the students on all their hard work, my principal joined us. He too congratulated them and thanked me, inviting the students to applaud. They cheered some more before returning to class, and I took advantage of having a substitute in my classroom for the full day by going home an hour early! :)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
$25 Wedding Dress
Today was the day that my mother and I had designated for Dress Shopping. Last weekend, I had driven up to see Westley perform in a concert, and he will be visiting me next weekend. My next free weekend (which isn't really free because I have church services) is Easter weekend, and I didn't think we'd really have enough time to shop then ... so ... Day of Dress Shopping.
I woke up about an hour before my alarm went off ... and I didn't mind because I felt rested AND the extra time allowed me to watch one of my favorite shows online AND have a luxurious cup of coffee with biscotti. Good morning! :)
Mom and I left shortly before 10am and arrived at the first store half an hour later. Neither of us had been there before, but I had read good reviews on the store's simple website. Most of the dresses at the front were extremely expensive- double or triple my ideal price. (Even the numerical figure I had decided upon, based on the recommended percentage of the total wedding budget, seemed extravagant for a dress I'll wear only once!!!) We looked on the sales and clearance racks, scooped a handful of dresses into our arms, and headed to the dressing room. I ruled out the dresses one by one ("too poufy!" "I can't fill out the top!" etc.).
As I slipped into the final dress, I felt something ... like a sense of relief ... or a sense that this was right. I stepped out of the dressing room to stand on a little podium in front of a large mirror in the dressing area, and one of the employees used large hair clips to adjust the dress better on me. (It was several sizes too large for me.) My mom took some pictures ... and I stood there, gazing at myself in the dress, wondering whether or not to trust my instinct that this was, in fact, my dress. I asked the employee how much the dress would cost including alterations. It was already discounted nearly 50%, but my face dropped when I heard the cost.
"Oh, okay." I replied, with a disappointed glance back at my mom. "I guess we'll keep looking."
"How about if it were $---?" The employee asked. I did some quick calculating.
"OK, so with alterations, it would be $--- + $alt ..." I trailed off, and she quickly responded,
"No, just $---, including alterations." I looked hopeful, even as I tried to hide my surprise that even something as seemingly set as the price of a wedding dress could be negotiated.
"OK ... then it could still be a possibility!" I acknowledged, smiling, even as I realized that the figure was still 30% higher than what I'd hoped (unrealistically?) to pay. I arranged to have my dress held at the store, and the employee, who I realized was the owner, jotted down the price she'd quoted to me. Handing me a business card, she asked me to please call her with my decision either way by Monday. I thanked her and told her I'd be in touch.
Mom and I headed to the next store. MentorFriend had warned me that she'd had a negative experience there, and 99% of the online reviews had been scathing, but I figured I'd try it anyway. When we entered the store, they seemed annoyed we didn't have an appointment, and I was told to fill out all of my information on a card so they could better assist me. After I did so, they sat us down in a waiting area until we could be assisted by a salesperson. Mom and I waited for a little while, but I really just wanted to LOOK at the dresses so I could see if they had the kind of styles I liked, within my price range. Mom and I stood up and started browsing through the dresses. While we were looking at dresses, someone came over and recommended we wait to be waited upon. By this time, I'd realized that the dresses were priced much, much higher than my budget and that I didn't even see much of anything I liked. I thanked the salesperson for herpolite bullying assistance and we promptly left.
There was one more store, located closer to my work, on my list of stores to visit. Unlike the previous store, the salespersons were very helpful. The first employee acknowledged that most dresses in the main displays were out of my price range, but that there were some lovely discounted dresses on several other racks. Mom and I began looking through them, and another employee (who later turned out to be the owner and namesake of the store) came over to assist us. Of the dresses I'd found and she brought us, there were two standouts. The one I preferred was very similar to what I'd found in the first store (the dress which gave me that feeling) ... but the price was 25% higher here ... and I wasn't sure I was satisfied. I wanted to take pictures in this dress to compare it more objectively with the other but was told that this wasn't permitted. She asked if there was another dress I was considering elsewhere, and I admitted that there was. Sensing that my heart was truly with the other dress, and she gave me her card after showing me some of the bridesmaid dresses she had at the store. I thanked her graciously and we left.
Over lunch at *cough* McDonalds *cough*, Mom and I weighed my options.
"I really like the dress we put on hold at the first store," I remarked, "and I did have that feeling about it too..." My voice drifted off.
"Well, you know that the dress you liked at the last store was very similar ... but you didn't have that same feeling about it. Maybe that means that while you liked it, you knew it wasn't exactly what you wanted." Mom responded, thoughtfully.
"And it was more expensive too." I interjected.
"Yes," she acknowledged, "but price aside, which dress do you like better? After all, they're very much the same style, same cut, etc." We discussed the specifics of each dress- similarities and differences- as we drove in the direction of home.
"You know," she said, "the first store IS directly on our way home. You could try on the dress again to see if you feel any differently about it." I agreed, and we found ourselves back at the first store once again.
I shyly asked if I could try on the dress again, and the nearest employee smiled and went to retrieve it. As I slipped into it again, I knew.
"This looks more like a wedding dress than the other dress I'd liked at the last store." I admitted to my mom. I paused. "It just ... feels right." I lingered on the podium for awhile, trying to look at it from all angles, willing myself to trust my instinct. After a few moments of internal struggle, I looked at my mom, and I nodded, grinning.
"This is it!" I announced.
"I know," she replied, smiling. "When you said, 'This looks more like a wedding dress,' I knew."
I changed back into my regular clothes and went to pay at the register.
"You're meant for that dress," the owner told me as she took my credit card. "That's why I reduced the price. When you came back today, I knew that it was really yours."
I smiled and thanked her, and she answered my questions about the fitting process. (It won't begin until a month before my wedding!)
The icing on the cake came this evening. My dad had done my taxes for me, and we were going over some questions I had to answer before submitting the forms online. I looked at the total amount the program had calculated that I should receive back.
"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed. "That's $25 less than what I paid for my wedding dress today!!! It's like the government paid for my dress!!!"
"You know the money was really yours all along," my dad said logically.
"I know," I replied, grinning, "but it's much more fun to think that they're paying for all but $25 of my dress ... that I got the dress for $25!"
I woke up about an hour before my alarm went off ... and I didn't mind because I felt rested AND the extra time allowed me to watch one of my favorite shows online AND have a luxurious cup of coffee with biscotti. Good morning! :)
Mom and I left shortly before 10am and arrived at the first store half an hour later. Neither of us had been there before, but I had read good reviews on the store's simple website. Most of the dresses at the front were extremely expensive- double or triple my ideal price. (Even the numerical figure I had decided upon, based on the recommended percentage of the total wedding budget, seemed extravagant for a dress I'll wear only once!!!) We looked on the sales and clearance racks, scooped a handful of dresses into our arms, and headed to the dressing room. I ruled out the dresses one by one ("too poufy!" "I can't fill out the top!" etc.).
As I slipped into the final dress, I felt something ... like a sense of relief ... or a sense that this was right. I stepped out of the dressing room to stand on a little podium in front of a large mirror in the dressing area, and one of the employees used large hair clips to adjust the dress better on me. (It was several sizes too large for me.) My mom took some pictures ... and I stood there, gazing at myself in the dress, wondering whether or not to trust my instinct that this was, in fact, my dress. I asked the employee how much the dress would cost including alterations. It was already discounted nearly 50%, but my face dropped when I heard the cost.
"Oh, okay." I replied, with a disappointed glance back at my mom. "I guess we'll keep looking."
"How about if it were $---?" The employee asked. I did some quick calculating.
"OK, so with alterations, it would be $--- + $alt ..." I trailed off, and she quickly responded,
"No, just $---, including alterations." I looked hopeful, even as I tried to hide my surprise that even something as seemingly set as the price of a wedding dress could be negotiated.
"OK ... then it could still be a possibility!" I acknowledged, smiling, even as I realized that the figure was still 30% higher than what I'd hoped (unrealistically?) to pay. I arranged to have my dress held at the store, and the employee, who I realized was the owner, jotted down the price she'd quoted to me. Handing me a business card, she asked me to please call her with my decision either way by Monday. I thanked her and told her I'd be in touch.
Mom and I headed to the next store. MentorFriend had warned me that she'd had a negative experience there, and 99% of the online reviews had been scathing, but I figured I'd try it anyway. When we entered the store, they seemed annoyed we didn't have an appointment, and I was told to fill out all of my information on a card so they could better assist me. After I did so, they sat us down in a waiting area until we could be assisted by a salesperson. Mom and I waited for a little while, but I really just wanted to LOOK at the dresses so I could see if they had the kind of styles I liked, within my price range. Mom and I stood up and started browsing through the dresses. While we were looking at dresses, someone came over and recommended we wait to be waited upon. By this time, I'd realized that the dresses were priced much, much higher than my budget and that I didn't even see much of anything I liked. I thanked the salesperson for her
There was one more store, located closer to my work, on my list of stores to visit. Unlike the previous store, the salespersons were very helpful. The first employee acknowledged that most dresses in the main displays were out of my price range, but that there were some lovely discounted dresses on several other racks. Mom and I began looking through them, and another employee (who later turned out to be the owner and namesake of the store) came over to assist us. Of the dresses I'd found and she brought us, there were two standouts. The one I preferred was very similar to what I'd found in the first store (the dress which gave me that feeling) ... but the price was 25% higher here ... and I wasn't sure I was satisfied. I wanted to take pictures in this dress to compare it more objectively with the other but was told that this wasn't permitted. She asked if there was another dress I was considering elsewhere, and I admitted that there was. Sensing that my heart was truly with the other dress, and she gave me her card after showing me some of the bridesmaid dresses she had at the store. I thanked her graciously and we left.
Over lunch at *cough* McDonalds *cough*, Mom and I weighed my options.
"I really like the dress we put on hold at the first store," I remarked, "and I did have that feeling about it too..." My voice drifted off.
"Well, you know that the dress you liked at the last store was very similar ... but you didn't have that same feeling about it. Maybe that means that while you liked it, you knew it wasn't exactly what you wanted." Mom responded, thoughtfully.
"And it was more expensive too." I interjected.
"Yes," she acknowledged, "but price aside, which dress do you like better? After all, they're very much the same style, same cut, etc." We discussed the specifics of each dress- similarities and differences- as we drove in the direction of home.
"You know," she said, "the first store IS directly on our way home. You could try on the dress again to see if you feel any differently about it." I agreed, and we found ourselves back at the first store once again.
I shyly asked if I could try on the dress again, and the nearest employee smiled and went to retrieve it. As I slipped into it again, I knew.
"This looks more like a wedding dress than the other dress I'd liked at the last store." I admitted to my mom. I paused. "It just ... feels right." I lingered on the podium for awhile, trying to look at it from all angles, willing myself to trust my instinct. After a few moments of internal struggle, I looked at my mom, and I nodded, grinning.
"This is it!" I announced.
"I know," she replied, smiling. "When you said, 'This looks more like a wedding dress,' I knew."
I changed back into my regular clothes and went to pay at the register.
"You're meant for that dress," the owner told me as she took my credit card. "That's why I reduced the price. When you came back today, I knew that it was really yours."
I smiled and thanked her, and she answered my questions about the fitting process. (It won't begin until a month before my wedding!)
The icing on the cake came this evening. My dad had done my taxes for me, and we were going over some questions I had to answer before submitting the forms online. I looked at the total amount the program had calculated that I should receive back.
"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed. "That's $25 less than what I paid for my wedding dress today!!! It's like the government paid for my dress!!!"
"You know the money was really yours all along," my dad said logically.
"I know," I replied, grinning, "but it's much more fun to think that they're paying for all but $25 of my dress ... that I got the dress for $25!"
Friday, March 27, 2009
9 months till W-Day
Life is moving too fast for me ... and blogging has fallen by the wayside. My stress level is high (a performance which serves as an evaluation for my entire program, concerns about my job security, 4 weeks till the musical's opening night, etc.) and talking with Westley and getting enough sleep are my priorities. I'm hoping life will slow down soon so that I can resume on a much more regular basis.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Life is full of circles
Nine years ago, as a high school freshman, I auditioned for and was selected to participate in a statewide junior high school chorus. For my audition, I had to sing a short folksong a cappella and a classical piece with recorded accompaniment, and I was expected to sightsing a melody and sightread a rhythm. The audition process was rigorous, but I passed- one of about 100 in the choir for which at least 1000 had auditioned.
The experience was incredible- staying overnight in a hotel, rehearsing with this massive choir for two straight days, learning challenging music (SATB, or four-part music that sometimes further divided into more parts), and enjoying the leadership of the very talented director. (He used to conduct choirs at a university in my state before accepting a new position at a school in the midwest which has an excellent general choral program.) I made some new friends from acorss the state- people who were as serious about their music-making as I was! How fun!
Fast-forward to present day: Two of my own students have been selected for this ensemble. In my desire to support them (and to start networking in my state), I have volunteered to chaperone at this event. This means that, beginning tonight, I will be spending 24/7 with adolescents. I will supervise them at meals, do bed-checks with other teachers, and sit in on their rehearsals. In return, I will share a room with another female teacher and receive free meals. (I suppose I'm still on the college mentality where anything is worth it if I am rewarded with free food!) It's funny (and hard to believe) that this has come full-circle. I'm so proud of my own students, and I'm so excited for them that they have this opportunity!
And now? Off to pack! As today is my part-time day, I can arrive later to school ... but I do have to complete my sub plans for tomorrow!
The experience was incredible- staying overnight in a hotel, rehearsing with this massive choir for two straight days, learning challenging music (SATB, or four-part music that sometimes further divided into more parts), and enjoying the leadership of the very talented director. (He used to conduct choirs at a university in my state before accepting a new position at a school in the midwest which has an excellent general choral program.) I made some new friends from acorss the state- people who were as serious about their music-making as I was! How fun!
Fast-forward to present day: Two of my own students have been selected for this ensemble. In my desire to support them (and to start networking in my state), I have volunteered to chaperone at this event. This means that, beginning tonight, I will be spending 24/7 with adolescents. I will supervise them at meals, do bed-checks with other teachers, and sit in on their rehearsals. In return, I will share a room with another female teacher and receive free meals. (I suppose I'm still on the college mentality where anything is worth it if I am rewarded with free food!) It's funny (and hard to believe) that this has come full-circle. I'm so proud of my own students, and I'm so excited for them that they have this opportunity!
And now? Off to pack! As today is my part-time day, I can arrive later to school ... but I do have to complete my sub plans for tomorrow!
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