Another year gone by...

Every time December rolls around I am amazed how quickly the year has seemingly passed by, but here we are. 2014 beckons even though it seems I barely started 2013. It's so cliche, but really, where has the time gone?!? Oh well; 2013 has been quite an interesting year for me, though a tad more stressful and frustrating than I would have liked. As it comes to an end, as rough as times during it were, I feel like I have some momentum heading into the new year and that finally, at long last, this new year might bring about the changes I am hoping for and have been waiting what feels like an eternity for. Though stressful and quite frustrating at times, there have been some big highlights from 2013. Here they are!

This is Kirtland!

Anyone who's been following my blog knows I have something almost every year about This is Kirtland!, but this year, it was a lot more than usual. Since 2004 I've had some sort of involvement in the show every summer except 2008. Beginning in 2005 I was a member of the cast and through the years I've filled a number of roles, but this year I took on the role of director, something I had never done before. It actually started late 2012, but really started into high gear in mid February when we started having production meetings. Auditions started mid April and rehearsals started right at the beginning of May. We opened July 5 and had 8 performances, closing July 20.

While there are certainly many aspects of being a director that I was comfortable with and quite a accustomed to, the whole thing was overwhelming at times, mostly from a managerial aspect. I guess one thing I learned how to do better was delegate responsibilities to others, something I have difficulty doing at times. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist, so often I just think it's easier to do it myself. I quickly discovered, though, that not only did I not have to do it, but I could count on others to do it better than me. Even so, I still had a role in just about everything whether I wanted to or not. At times it was exhausting.

Another thing I really wasn't expecting were personality conflicts between members of the cast (aka "drama") that somehow ended up involving me. That was especially frustrating given the religious nature of the show. We dealt with them and got through OK, but there seemed to be an ongoing problem here and there that hindered us along with other issues and I felt like some of them lingered past the end of the show, which was disappointing to me. Through it all, and some other challenges (like many late rehearsals despite my best intentions), though, we ended up having a really good run of shows. In all honesty, I never felt like the cast had a show that was as good as they were possibly capable of. That's not to say we didn't have great shows, but, you know, there were things about each show that could've been better. Oh, I also had a brief cameo at the end of the show each night, so I was in the cast too for most of the last scene.

I learned most of all that I much prefer to be on the stage rather than behind the scenes. I am happy with my efforts and how it went, but yeah, being on stage is much more of a thrill for me. Would I do it again? I don't know. I think if I were asked to direct again I would do it, but like my initial endeavor, it isn't something I'd campaign for. The good news is I don't really have to worry about it for 2014 as TIK will go on hiatus after 10 seasons. It's someting that needed to happen for a variety of reasons, but mainly for many of us who have done the show almost every summer. I feel good that our 2013 run was successful in that people really did stop to ask "why?", meaning it was good enough that people seriously wanted to know rather than seeing it and thinking "yeah, it definitely needs a break," which I think it was at prior to this season. Maybe it will spur more people to get involved and take it to the next level. But yeah, that was quite an experience for me, and as much fun as I had, I was definitely ready for it to be over.

Travels

A year would not be complete without some travels. My longest trip was down to Shreveport, Lousiana to visit my old missionary companion Will Graff, who is stationed down there in the Air Force. It was part of a visit I made with my mom to my brother's in Nashville, so a trip within a trip. Of course, as has been customary for me these past few years, I also made multiple visits to my sister's in Valparaiso, Indiana and my brother's in Nashville.  On some of the trips, I took my mom with me for the visit, but also had several solo trips!

Mom and me on our way to Nashville in August

Will Graff and I in Bossier City, LA, 10 years after we were missionary companions

On my birthday (March 2), which is also my youngest sister's birthday, my sister Katie and I drove to Valparaiso and totally surprised Becky. It worked perfectly and she had absolutely no idea we were even coming until she opened the door and there we were! I was glad to be able to execute that plan and that it worked out for Katie and me to pull it off (thanks to some help from our brother-in-law David). I made a trip to Valpo in late July, then again in September for the annual Popcorn Festival, and then Becky, David, and I attended an Indians-White Sox game in Chicago (Indians won 7-1!!), which was a lot of fun. I returned to Valpo in November for my nephew's 4th birthday, and Becky, David, and I attended the Ohio State-Purdue game at Purdue (along with several thousand other Buckeye fans). Ohio State rolled 56-0. The game was supposed to be a "blackout" for Purdue, but there was as much scarlet (if not more) in the stands than black. It was Becky and David's first Ohio State football game ever and my first true OSU road game. The only other OSU games I've been to were their 2009 game in Cleveland against Toledo, and two home games: 1996 against Penn State and 1997 against Iowa at Ohio Stadium.

Indians at White Sox...our first visit to US Cellular Field

Ohio State at Purdue...notice any scarlet in the stands?? LOL

New family!

2013 saw the arrivals of two nieces: Olivia was born November 12 (11-12-13) in Nashville to my brother Andy and sister-in-law Heather, and Lorraine was just born December 30 just north of Valparaiso to my sister Becky and brother-in-law David. I'm hoping to meet Olivia ("Lady O") in March when I can visit Nashville again, and am fortunate enough to be here in Indiana for Christmas, so get to meet Lorraine right away!

Olivia ("Lady O"), the day after she was born. I'm hoping to see her in January and/or March!

Me with Lorraine, just yesterday (Dec. 30, 2013), about an
hour and a half after she was born

It's been great getting to spend time with my two nephews this year several times, not only my visits to Indiana, but their trips to Ohio. I've also enjoyed visiting with my niece Evelyn ("Little E"), especially being there for her first birthday in August! All my nieces and nephews are so much fun to be around and make me laugh and smile, a lot!

Niece Evelyn, aka "Little E", age 1

Nephew Ryan, soon to be 2

Nephew Nate, age 4

My sister joined the Peace Corps and left in March for Ukraine, where she'll be until mid 2015. It's been great being able to keep in touch with her so easily via Skype, Facebook, and Instagram, and even Google Voice. I'm so proud of her, though I do miss seeing her! I'd love more than anything to be able to visit her and the school she is working at in Ukraine, but who knows when, or if, that will ever be possible. One can certainly hope!

The day Katie left for DC to begin her Peace Corps training

National Anthem

While I wasn't able to repeat my 5 appearances for the Indians like I had in 2012, I still had several opportunities to perform the anthem, though in different places. I did perform for the Indians again in 2013, singing in May for a game against the Reds. I almost sang again, but it didn't happen. Had the Indians finished in a tie for one of the wild card spots and hosted that game, I was scheduled to sing. As it turned out, the Indians won the first wild card spot, and the singer for that game was determined by Major League Baseball, so someone else did it. I was a little disappointed I didn't get to sing for the tie breaker game (since it didn't happen...it would've had the Indians lost on the last day of the season), but as a Tribe fan, I was glad they won and made the playoffs. Hoping to sing in 2014 for the Tribe, though.

Cincinnati at Cleveland in May

I was able to sing for 3 minor league games. I sang for the Columbus Clippers (AAA team of the Indians) in April, the Akron Aeros (AA team of the Indians) in May, and the Toledo Mud Hens (AAA team of the Tigers) in July. The games for the Clippers and Mud Hens were my first time ever even going to games for those respective teams. I enjoyed each performance and am hopeful to sing for all of them again in 2014.

Aeros game in May

Another first for singing in 2013 was this past November when I sang for the Lake Erie Monsters, the top minor league hockey affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche. That was also my first time singing at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. It was a lot of fun! Of course I have continued to sing for Kent State men's basketball games, and did a wrestling match and a women's basketball game this December. It was my first time doing a wrestling match and my first time doing a women's basketball game in a few seasons. Really, it never gets old. Every time I sing the anthem it's as exciting and enjoyable as the first time.

Lake Erie Monsters game in November, my first performance at the Q

Teaching

No progress on teaching, though 2013 was another year of change for me as far as subbing goes. I started the year out subbing in Stow, Tallmadge, and Maplewood, and ended up dropping all three for various reasons. This fall I renewed my teaching license and added the Streetsboro and Rootstown districts as well as the Bio-Med Science Academy in Rootstown, that's attached to the Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). So far I have really enjoyed my time at these new places and have worked with some really great students and teachers. Still looking for that elusive full-time job somewhere out there, but in the meantime, subbing will hopefully fill that gap.

First day subbing in Streetsboro in November...was the first time I had worked since
late May.

As 2013 ends, though, I do feel momentum heading into 2014 and that good things are in store. Obviously a new year doesn't solve problems, but it does give us a way to gauge progress and compare periods of time. I've also learned to really look at what I have that is positive and know the difference between being content and being complacent. Content doesn't mean I'm not trying to improve or make positive changes, it simply means I find the good in the current situation and build on that instead of focusing on what's wrong. That in itself has been a huge help in my outlook and motivation. Here's to the experiences in 2013, the lessons learned, and the excitement for a better 2014.

Welcome 2010!!

As I was thinking about what to write to summarize 2009, I also noticed it's the end of a decade! In some ways I've come a long way since January 1, 2000: graduating high school, going on a mission, getting two degrees; but in other ways it seems like I'm stuck in time. Oh well. I guess my next post will have to deal with the passing decade of the "'00's". On to 2010!

Like my previous post, it seems half the year was dominated by negative things while the latter half seemed to have enough positive things to give me a better feeling about the year and hopes heading into 2010. Much of what I mentioned in my heroes and villains list will be mentioned here as well.

I began the year worried sick about student teaching, which started at the end of January. In the end, I was able to pass and do well enough, though it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. There were too many days I had to completely force myself to go to school because I was completely unmotivated. It wasn't that I didn't like the students or being a teacher, but student teaching is all the stress of actual teaching, with the added stress of constant observation and feeling like you are being measured not by how good a teacher you are but how well you emulate the cooperating teacher and/or supervisor's methods. Added to that other coursework I was taking during student teaching as part of my master's degree and outside stresses, and I have concluded it was by the grace of God that I finished it. By the end I got more into a rhythm and as I said, I really enjoyed the students I worked with. But all in all, I'm glad it's OVER. It ended April 26. I'm glad I will never have to student teach again.

Left: Last day of student teaching at Southeast Middle School (April 24)

leading the 7th grade choir in warmups; Right: MAT poster presentations

with my good friends Mari and Erica (one of my 2009 Heroes!!) at the KSU

student center in May. I finished my poster amidst a mostly empty

house as this was just a few days before we moved.

2009 also began with our home being placed on the market by our mortgage company (GMAC who just got ANOTHER $3.8 billion in bailout assistance...GRRRRR) to avoid it going to foreclosure. So, while I was student teaching, when I was home, I occasionally had to deal with prospective buyers who wanted to tour the house. There were multiple times the real-estate company wanted us to leave a key for them. Sure...open my home and everything in it to complete strangers. Riiiiiight. I had enough of a problem with it WHILE we were home. I think we had 3 or 4 in the three months it was on the market. We were told if it didn't sell in 90 days, then it would go into foreclosure and we'd be out sometime in the summer or early fall. As I blogged the day I found out, it was sold to our neighbors (who made my 2009 Villains list for this purchase!) for a fraction of what it was worth. Initially, GMAC wanted us out in like 2 weeks, but my dad was able to get us a month; and we needed every day of it.

Losing the house was more traumatic than I ever thought it would be. I secretly cried in the bathroom at my brother's apartment in Maryland the day I found out we were losing it. During the whole process I was rarely sad about it, but instead I was furious. I still find myself angry over the whole thing. Basically, the people affected most by everyone else's actions -- my mom, my sister, and myself -- had no say in anything and had the least amount of resources to do much else. It was frustrating to say the least. Thank goodness for family and friends who helped not only physically but mentally as well. Having a place that I considered mine ripped away from me was very difficult. I still find myself having dreams about being back there knowing it isn't ours but we still have stuff there and it's time to be gone and we still have so much to move. I haven't been back in our old neighborhood since we left May 14th and I don't know when or if I ever will go back. Something very personal and important was taken away from me and turned into something else.

Left: The house in happier days back in Spring '08; Right: The empty living

room one last time on May 14 right before we left

Having my graduation delayed until August was pretty rough too. I found out right as we were heading down the home stretch in moving and finishing student teaching. It was like my world was completely unraveling. I had already bought my robes and hood for commencement (which I never used) and had invited family to come. And then to find that everything that needed to be taken care of was little more than changing paperwork and could only be done by my absent-minded advisor (but of course the College of Ed claimed it was completely my fault) made it even worse. I finished my final project for my graduate class amidst a mostly empty house but still tons of stuff still needing to be packed and moved.

The good thing that came out of me not graduating was, of course, that Mom and I were able to attend Heather's graduation from medical school. That was a HUGE diversion from the stress we had just endured and was a welcome change of scenery even if it was just for a few days. My Spring Break trip down there was also a lot of fun and was a major highlight of the year. It came after several weeks of school and no major break (like 5 or 6 straight) so I was sooooo ready for it. I was able to make two more visits to Andy and Heather in '09, including a late-July trip to their new home in Nashville and a return trip with my sister Katie for Thanksgiving. Both trips were welcome breaks from the same-old-same-old here and a chance to relax.

Left: finishing off the extra frosting with Andy & Heather April 6...I would

find out the next day the house had been sold; Right: walking the streets of

Baltimore after Heather's graduation May 15.

Left: In front of the Parthenon in Nashville with Andy & Heather August 4;

Right: Thanksgiving at Andy & Heather's November 26.

Two of the biggest thrills for me this year were the shows I was able to be in: This is Kirtland! and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I knew coming into the year I wanted to do This is Kirtland! again, but Joseph, as I mentioned in a previous post, was something that just kind of fell into my lap. This is Kirtland! filled an important role as practices had just started not too long before we finished moving. Having rehearsal -- and later the performances -- was a wonderful distraction from what was going on here with moving and then unpacking and adjusting. Joseph proved to be a nice distraction, but not nearly as much mostly because I had already adjusted; it was more a help in dealing with not having a full-time job. But even then, both were things I enjoyed going to because I was doing what I love to do (perform) and I was around people in both casts that were easy to get along with and enjoyable to be around.

Left: Opening scene of This is Kirtland! as Sidney Rigdon;

Right: in my costume as Pharaoh with Amanda Davis (Narrator)

and Aaron Darr (Joseph) after the final performance of Joseph

December 20 at Weathervane Playhouse

Left: With Sarah Bailey (left), director of Joseph and Melanie YC Pepe,
producer of Joseph and director of the After School program for

Weathervane after the final show of Joseph December 20 after 2

shows and striking the set! WHEW!; Right: with the kids that played

my children in This is Kirtland! in front of the real Kirtland Temple July 24.

There were other wonderful events I was glad to be a part of this year, like my trip to Cleveland with Michelle to see Ohio State crush Toledo 38-0 at Cleveland Browns Stadium on September 19 (my first OSU game since 1996) and the amazing ward Christmas Sacrament program just a few days ago where I was able to sing O Holy Night and direct the choir. Of course I also enjoyed having some time to explore Kent history both reading and getting tons of pictures. Not only was the weather fantastic this summer, but I actually had the time to do something about it. I also really enjoyed getting to sub in Kent this Fall and work in the Akron Public Schools through Weathervane as part of the district's Akron After School enrichment program teaching theater games for an hour 5 times a week. Not only did I get to meet some great teachers and administrators at the school I worked at and at Weathervane, but I also made some good friends who were working in the After School program and in Joseph (love ya Marie, Robyn, and Melanie!).

Left: Michelle and me at Cleveland Browns Stadium for the

Ohio State-Toledo game September 19; Right: me with Marie Smith

at Friendly's after the final Joseph show December 20. Marie worked

in the crew of Joseph and was also a teacher in the After School

program with me. We had a lot of fun swapping stories from

our schools and after a show at a certain Applebees ;)

Of course one of the biggest thrills for me this year was getting to finally be an uncle. It will only be surpassed when I finally become a dad. I was excited for my nephew Nathan to be born, but getting to meet him this Christmas was so wonderful. It made Christmas, which at times was less than thrilling, a little less boring. Like I blogged last year, Christmas isn't as magical as it used to be for a variety of reasons, but having a baby in my arms for much of it made it a little more magical (especially at my Ridinger grandparents' house where we basically watch the younger cousins open presents) even though he slept through pretty much all of Christmas at both places! I'm hoping to be able to go visit Utah at the end of March.

Some various pics of me with Nate while he was here in Kent. The middle

picture is me trying out his Christmas present before I gave it to him :D

Left: How Nate and I spent most of Christmas at Derbys in the morning and

then at Ridingers (center) that afternoon!! Right: An update of me and

my sibs, December 31.

Wow can this year suck any more?!?

2009 isn't even half over and the disappointments and frustrations keep piling on. Yesterday in class my professor (who is also the MAT director) let me know she had received a letter from the Office of Graduate Student Services (OGS), a letter I had not received myself basically stating that I wouldn't be graduating due to the "incomplete" still on my record from Fall and some question about my workshop credits I took. So, I went to the office this afternoon to talk to the woman in charge of this. Of course it's none other than the same woman who was "so offended" by my e-mails at the beginning of the Fall semester because I was basically talking to her as a peer, which is apparently a crime in academia. Talking to her was useless: I'm not graduating, and it's all my fault because my advisor didn't get the grade changed and didn't amend my academic planning form to include the two workshops I took to fulfill the graduate credit levels. So, it's not that I didn't meet actual requirements, it's that certain paperwork was never filled out or changed. And of course, I am not notified of this until after it's too late to do anything about it other than the initial letter way back in February. Obviously I didn't fully understand all that needed to be done so I could graduate as far as changing my academic plan or I would've done it.

Obviously several things bothered me, the first of which was how I was treated. It was not the "I'm really sorry about this" or "let's make sure everything gets settled" or even "I'm here to help" type of attitudes, but more of the "you're a complete idiot" attitude and "I have better things to do than to discuss it with you." There was no sympathy for anything; no thought about how this affects me; nothing. I was a lowly subject in her fiefdom. I hope one day I get the opportunity to tell her what I really think about her. The other thing that bothers me is the whole absence of humanity. This could all be solved by a few simple key strokes. I would be getting the degree I earned and could move on with my life. But no, because some arbitrary deadline passed and the person who was supposed to take care of it didn't, I have to postpone any plans I had as far as graduation goes until August. What does it hurt her to just say, "OK, you got the credits you needed so let's just change the form and all we need is your professor to get her butt in gear and get that grade changed." No, since the official changes are after a random day, I have to wait until August. It would be one thing if I were missing a class or short on credits, but I'm not. I have done and passed everything I was asked to do, but now some simple paperwork is missing that I obviously didn't know about and I'm the idiot since I'm not an expert on how to finish the MAT program. I'm SOOO glad I didn't spend money on announcements and getting a party together. I did buy the robe and hood because I was going to walk, but now walking in August doesn't really excite me all that much. I think it's because I wanted to graduate with my friends who were also in the program and now I can't. Kind of ruins the moment. It technically shouldn't stop me from getting a job, but still I just want to be done with this already. I'm tired of school and more tired of all the politics and idiots I have to deal with on a daily basis.

So yeah, I came home and seriously wanted to break something, but didn't. I was soooooo mad, but ended up breaking down. This is all coming at the worst possible time. Losing the house, having to move, getting everything done with school, and now one of the lone bright spots I was looking forward to is taken away from me and at the very least put on hold. I hope the people that caused this to me one day get to see what they did and actually understand the immense amount of sadness, frustration, and anguish they caused all in the name of deadlines and power.

I have already e-mailed the director of the School of Music- the only person who seems to actually be supportive- and talked to the director of the MAT (she was the one that said it wouldn't affect my job search). The director of the School of Music is going to meet with my advisor I think tomorrow and see what happened. Of course nothing will happen to anyone except me. I mean, heck, since I was two days late in realizing I had neglected to turn in an assignment that's what caused the whole incomplete thing in the first place! So, if I'm late it costs me and if someone else is late it costs me too! Seriously, this whole experience has been botched from day one. I should've known being the first person in 10 years to go through the MAT from music would be this bad, but no, I had faith they knew what to do. Nope, not even close. The scary thing is things could've been even WORSE if I hadn't said things along the way (like with my supervising teacher!). I've really enjoyed my graduate classes, my graduate professors, and my classmates, but this will definitely leave a sour taste in my mouth. If I'm ever in the position to donate money to KSU, it certainly won't be to the College of Education OR the School of Music. The only department I have dealt with regularly that hasn't royally screwed me over is the athletic department! Seriously!

The lone benefit of this is that I will be able to attend my sister-in-law's graduation, which is the day before when mine would've been. She is graduating from medical school in Maryland, which I think is most impressive and awesome. Getting a master's degree is cool for me (I'm the first of my siblings to get one though was the last to get my bachelor's), but graduating from medical school is way higher on the hierarchy of accomplishments in my humble opinion. PLUS I get to see Andy, Heather, and Heather's family again! Doube bonus! =)

Wow it's over!

It's Sunday night and I don't have any lesson plans to worry about. What a great feeling! I officially finished student teaching on Friday, though after school I still had the district's Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser concert and today I posted my final blog reports for the week. It was definitely one of those surreal moments when I walked out of the school Friday afternoon realizing I was done with student teaching. Even at the end of each class it really didn't hit me that would be the last time I'd be in front of them as their teacher. I had really stop running the choirs a few weeks ago other than warm-ups, but still most didn't even know it was my last day. Not until near the end of our portion of the Spaghetti Dinner did Mr. Suzelis acknowledge me as the student teacher and the fact that it was my last day. In my general music classes, some students did know, plus I told them and got class pictures of each class. I wish I had remembered to get class pictures from last nine weeks, but I never managed to do it. I can say happily that no students were happy to see me go...none of them said "YES!" when they found out it was my last day or that it was coming up soon. In fact, some even said "oh come on, stay another week!"

Anyway, so it's all done. It is quite a wonderful feeling to be done, but in all honesty I can't really enjoy it all that much. It's much more of one more major thing out of the way so I can get on to the next major thing: moving. We spent much of the day Saturday packing and loading my car and Mom's. I was pretty frustrated with the whole process and having temps in the mid to upper 80's didn't help. It's hard enough moving, but not even having the proper equipment to even do it sucks too, kind of like the situation this past winter having to manually shovel the entire driveway with over a foot of snow on the ground. We have made great strides in getting rid of things, but even after all that there is so much more we have and seeing it all and realizing it all (well, most) has to get moved in the next 2 weeks is daunting indeed.

A Week Late...

With all the doom and gloom around me (and stress...sheesh!) I decided I needed to blog about something fun and uplifting. I had a really enjoyable Spring Break visiting my brother Andy and sister-in-law Heather in Maryland one more time before they move to Nashville, so I figured I needed to blog about it, even if it was over a week ago now! I've discovered that student teaching really affects my desire to blog. I get home and the last thing I want to do is sit down and type a bunch of stuff. Never mind the fact that I have to write a weekly lesson review and a weekly overall review for my supervisor. If you'd like to read some of that, click on my profile and then go down to my blog list and click on "Jon's Student Teaching Journal."

Speaking of student teaching, I am about to start my LAST WEEK and I am WAY excited. Before starting this I sent my final lesson plans over to my cooperating teacher. What a great feeling to have those done for the week and have them be my last. I'm really excited for the week, though I have my final evaluation tomorrow during my 7th grade general music class. I just had an evaluation last Wednesday that went as my "midterm" and I did pretty well. I'm always a little nervous going into these things, but I feel confident with the plans I have, plus I won't be teaching the class right before, so I have time to really prepare.

OK on to what I really wanted to blog about! I left directly from school on Saturday April 4th. We had solo & ensemble event at Barberton High School all day, so I made sure when I left to meet at Southeast Middle School that I was already packed. We got back around 4:30 and I went straight to Maryland with just one stop along the way. I got to Andy and Heather's by 9:45, which was a little earlier than I had thought. It was great seeing them again and having the chance to just talk and relax. The first thing I did on Monday was get a haircut and shave!

On the left, before the haircut; on the right, after the haircut, but before the shave!


On the left, I did briefly consider keeping a goatee...briefly; on the right, after I shaved it all off!

Looking at it on the surface, we really didn't "do" much since both Andy and Heather are still working. Despite that, we still had a lot of time to talk and spend together, but I still had a large amount of time to not do anything, which is what I wanted to do. I wanted my break to actually be a break; a time for me to relax and recooperate. Too often I'll go somewhere on vacation and will do so much "stuff" that I come back from my vacation even more tired than before. I had a few sights I wanted to see while I was down there, but nothing much. I got to see most of them and the ones I didn't weren't a big deal. I had originally hoped to get tickets to go up in the Washington Monument and see the rest of the Holocaust Museum, but as the time came up to do it, I lost the motivation to get up super early and go get those tickets. Oh well...instead, I spent much of the day (Friday April 10) walking around Washington, DC in 70 degree weather taking pictures and enjoying the sights. We also had a great time on Monday night coloring Easter eggs and decorating cookies!

Left, Andy and Heather showing some of their creations; Right, me decorating cookies

Left, my best decorated egg...frickin sweet! Right, enjoying the frosting...mmmmmm

I also visited Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Tuesday April 7. I have really grown to love and appreciate the Star-Spangled Banner since I have sung it so many times and in so many places, so I always wanted to visit the place that inspired it. The day I went was a little chilly and windy, but it was a nice trip and I got some great pictures along with an unexpected tour of the inner harbor area of Baltimore after I missed the signs to Ft. McHenry (it's not as clear as the maps indicate!). True to form, while I was confused for a little while, I found my way with no phone calls and no GPS. The only thing disappointing to me was that they were flying a small 50-star flag on the pole over the fort. I was hoping to see a large 15-star, 15-striped flag like the one that inspired the national anthem. I guess it was too windy??

Left, inside Ft. McHenry in Baltimore with the flag pole in the background; Right, at the fort with the Harbor and Francis Scott Key Bridge in the background...it was where the British warships fired from.

Left, looking up the flag pole at Ft. McHenry. The flagpole is on the site of the original; Right, me in front of the fort

As much fun as I had on my little excursions, I have to say my best day was Thursday April 9, which was spent mostly with Heather's family as they celebrated the life of their grandpa Leonard Aamodt at his funeral in Silver Spring, Maryland. He died the morning of April 7th, the same day we found out about the house. Right before I left to go to Maryland I was made aware of his condition, so I knew it was very likely he would pass while I was there. The family was simply waiting for him to go, so they had plenty of time to say their goodbyes. The only plans it really affected were the plans we had made to attend an Orioles-Yankees game on Wednesday April 8 and Heather and I were going to go to the Baltimore Visionary Art Museum that day as well. Instead, Andy and Heather took Heather's brother Robi and their uncle Grant to Harrisonburg, Virginia for the first service there. I could've gone with them, but elected not to since I'd have to sit in the back seat with two other people for 2 hours, plus it gave me an opportunity to have some alone time. I ended up visiting a friend in Arlington, Virginia that night. Anyway, back to the 9th. I hadn't seen any of Heather's family since Andy and Heather's wedding in 2007, but it didn't seem like it had been that long. We talked like we'd just seen each other recently or something. They had no problem with me being there despite the fact that I never formally met Grandpa Aamodt. Even then, after the funeral I kind of felt like I knew him a little after hearing so many wonderful stories and seeing so many pictures. I even got to see the house that he had raised his family in. All in all, it was a great day (and the weather was beautiful). The gravesight in Silver Spring was really wonderful with a cherry tree in full bloom right over the plot. About the only downsides to the day were not having any lunch (though the dinner we had later more than made up for it) and seeing the grounds crew at the cemetery actually start buring Grandpa Aamodt complete with the backhoe pounding the dirt down. I'd never seen the actual burial part before...now I see WHY they tend to not do that while the family is still there. It wasn't like we were there that long, but I guess the grounds crew was in a hurry or something because they tried to get us out in a hurry. It was fun having Heather's sister Kristie in the car with us. She's hillarious, so the car ride to the cemetery and then to the restaurant after the graveside service were a lot of fun. The time with the family at dinner (we at at the Macaroni Grill in Silver Spring...oh it was nice!) was a lot of fun too. I wish the Aamodt's were my in-laws too!! :)

Anyway, right when I was leaving, Andy told me "sorry we weren't more fun" but really, I had a great time. I didn't go down there to be entertained, I went down to get away and to relax and both of those were accomplished. I'm so glad I was down there when we found out about the house...it made dealing with it a lot easier. The only bad thing was I had to leave and come back home, something that was not at all easy for me. But that week was something I needed in more ways than one!!! I am seriously considering moving to Nashville (where Heather and Andy are moving) if the right job is available there. As much as I love being home in Kent, maybe I need to get away for awhile again. The job search will see what happens for sure and where life takes me! Thanks again Andy and Heather for a great week!

Left, my first visit was to the new Nationals Park...I love baseball and the many ballparks it has! Right, one of many pictures I took in front of the Capitol

The weather was fantastic the day I went to DC! On the left is a garden near the White House that had a great view of the Washington Monument; Right, a small garden across Pennsylvania Avenue (the part closed to traffic) from the White House.