Life seems really busy lately. And the reality is that life doesn't just seem busy; it is busy. There's a lot going on in life right now, which is good. I'd much rather be busy than sitting around and doing nothing. But I am looking forward to next week when things slow down a bit and I have a chance to catch my breath.
I didn't spend all that much time in the office today, but I did make the best use of the time I could. One bright spot on the whole day, at least as far as the office is concerned, is the Amazing Budabi Brothers from Houston, Minnesota, contacted me and told me they want to be part of the Festival of Cultures. With the addition of the brothers, our entertainment lineup is nearly complete. All that remains then is to get commitments from everyone, get them placed into the six-hour festival schedule, and get them to sign contracts. All of this work doesn't need to be done until the end of November, but it's good to know that I'm so far ahead of the game.
My noonhour was spent with my friend and former co-worker Mary. Mary and I worked together in the AgBio Communications Unit, where I interned for a couple of years as a graduate student. Mary recently retired from the unit, and we had lunch to catch up on what's been happening in life and what she plans to do now with her time. It was good to sit down and visit with her, and I can certainly relate to some of her uneasy feelings pertaining to what to do with her time now that she's retired. She worked in her position for about 35 years, so I'm sure it will take some adjustment into retired life. Along with her retirement life, we also talked some about my book.
After finishing my visit with Mary, I drove over to Dad's place to have him sign a few documents for First Bank & Trust. We talked for a few minutes before I jumped back in the car and headed for Sioux Falls. I didn't need to be at Guitar Center for the drum-off until 5:30, but I headed south early to check out some vehicles and run some errands.
The one vehicle I wanted to check out was a V6 Toyota RAV4. There were no V6s in stock, but there was a four-cylinder model available in all-wheel-drive. When my car-selling friend Harriet showed up not long after I arrived, we took the car for a spin. I liked driving it, and it felt like it had plenty of power. To be honest, it reminds me of driving a larger version of my Mazda 3. Before I left, I told Harriet what I was looking for in a RAV4 and she told me she would call me when a vehicle meeting my criteria was in stock.
I spent the remaining time before the drum-off checking out a few tire stores like Graham Goodyear on 41st Street. My friend Brian said he had gotten a good deal on Kuhmo tires there earlier this week, and I wanted to see if I could find similar tires for Dad's van. Unfortunately, the salesperson with whom I spoke there wasn't very helpful, and there were virtually no tires available for the van. If I end up ordering tires for Dad soon, I'll likely get them from an online vendor like the Tire Rack or Discount Tire Direct.
To make sure I had plenty of fuel for my muscles during the competition, I had a roast beef sandwich and some potato cakes at Arby's on East 10th Street before heading to Guitar Center. And when I arrived at the music store, I was the first competitor there. I filled out some paperwork, visited with other drummers, and warmed up some before the contest began. Before we started performing, the six of us drew numbers out of a hat to determine the order in which we would play. I ended up being fifth. It would have been good to be either first or last, but fifth wasn't so bad.
As with the previous contests, I found that each of us brought something a little different to the table. And it was fun to see what others were capable of and to see the styles each of us had developed. To make a long story short, I came up with the best solo I could on the spot, but my best wasn't good enough; I didn't win the competition. I have no idea how I ranked among the six who competed, but I do know that I won't be advancing to the district finals in Minneapolis in a few weeks. My playing was OK, I guess, but most of the other guys simply were in a different class than I'm in. I never really expected to win, but it would have been nice. Still, it was good to learn from the other musicians, and tonight's competition provided me with another opportunity to refine my skills at losing graciously.
I ended up leaving Sioux Falls later than I had expected; I had thought I'd be back in Brookings around 8 but ended up arriving a little before 9. No one was expecting me to make it to play practice tonight, but I was able to catch the last few skits and songs. I made it in time to run through "Surrender" with Dan and Jonathan, and Jay and I were able to work out who's going to do what song during the show. I would have liked to play on more songs, but I guess I'm content with the songs I'll be playing.
Now that play practice is over, I'm pretty well done in from the day. The days this week have been full to capacity, and it's time to rest. Overall, I'm happy with how things have gone, but I need to be on guard to take good care of myself in the meantime and not allow myself to get run down. And I need to remain positive and upbeat regardless of what happens. It's always easier to be upbeat and positive when I've had plenty of rest. I hope I can get that kind of rest tonight.
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