… I’ve heard from a number of readers. Some write to ask a question. Some fill me in on their orchestra or their private website so that I’ll add them to one of the pages that list double reed players. Some are writing about one of the universities where I teach.
And most never respond when I write them back.
I find this a bit frustrating. I like to know if I’ve answered a person’s question. Heck, I’d like to know that they received my response! I also often ask a question in return. Still no answer from most readers. Hmmm. I’m not sure what this means. Being the insecure oboe player that I am I think, “They don’t like me! They really don’t like me!” But I’m trying not to go there.
A bit Thank You to those of you who have responded. I do appreciate that!
Today, like yesterday, has been a “do nothing day” for the most part. I’ve been feeling a bit poorly. Not sick enough to stay in bed, but not well enough to want to get a thing done. Fortunately I didn’t have anything that I had to do, so I’ve been able to baby myself. But I have to feel better tomorrow. There is no choice.
Tomorrow I’m at UCSC. If I don’t go, I have to reschedule, and that’s a pain. The next day I’m back with Cats and I don’t want to leave them in the lurch. If I had paying gigs I wouldn’t get paid if I didn’t show up. (We get very little or even no sick leave for groups I’m in.) Cats isn’t a real paying gig (although we did get Jameson’s costume paid for), but I committed to it and I don’t back out of commitments. (Doing so in this case would sure set a bad example for all those high school students!)
Later: Which leads into the jury duty issue. I’ve been called to jury duty in June. I’m self-employed. If I don’t work, I don’t earn. If I happened to get called for a show I’d be in deep trouble; we can’t take off rehearsals and we can only take shows off after the first week. Fortunately (well, sort of) I’ve not been hired for anything in June, but it does make me wonder … if I had been hired to do a show (and we only get called one month in advance, at the most), would I forfeit the entire run because of the possibility of jury duty? The last time I was called I sent a letter explaining my somewhat unusual situation and they let me off. This time no such luck. So let’s say I had a gig that would have paid $4,000. I’d be out that much money! Something is dreadfully wrong with this system. It certainly doesn’t work for us little folk.
Oh well. It’s a moot point since I have no weekday work coming up. None. Zilch. Nada. So far. (Except teaching; I’ll lose all that income if I end up sitting at the courthouse.)
Of course if an employer calls at the last minute—San Francisco Opera has done that—I’d be forced to turn down a hunk of money. Unless I just ignored the jury duty summons. (Do people do that?)
Such is life. At least this life.
Ah … the stomach is telling me to lie down again. Stupid stomach.
