Back at it!

Hooray, I am back in Aspen! It is so great to be here again!

It is especially good to be here because I can finally stay in one place for a while! The past 6 weeks have been super busy!

May 9-13 touring Indiana with the commencement brass quintet
May 16-19 touring the Northeast with Mirari Brass
May 29 Memphis audition
June 5 drop off Charlie and Bill at Brownstown and South Bend:(
June 6-12 Pokorny Seminar in Redlands, CA
June 13-18 Rehearse and record with Mirari in Terre Haute and Bloomington
June 19-21 Interview in northern Minnesota
June 22 Arrive in Aspen!

Whew! I'm tired just looking at that! It was so nice to get around the country a bit, so I can't complain. I even got to visit the beach in LA! I think the last time I saw the Pacific Ocean was in 2004 when the Cadets had a free day in San Fransisco.

As soon as I arrived in Aspen, I wanted to hike Mt. Sopris. It is a 12,000+ ft. mountain that rises out of Carbondale, CO. I drove past it on my way here. Unfortunately, I don't see much hiking in my future:(

In March, I visited an orthopedic under the recommendation of my first physical therapist. He said "Huh, it's strange that your hamstring still hurts after this long (6 months)" After an x-ray and an MRI, he determined that it was indeed a strained muscle in the hamstring, and sent me to a different physical therapist. I worked with her until early June, and I have been calling her once in a while since then to check in. I'm slowly getting back into running and other activities, but I can't do much without causing soreness in my leg. ARGH! It's very difficult to be out in Aspen without being able to hike like I want to. On the other hand, maybe this is an opportunity for me to really focus on my practice and my studies. Now I certainly have the time to practice a lot. What a nice thing to be able to say!

I joined the Aspen Rec Center for a month. They have a pool, a hot tub, a weight room, a sauna, and a lawn on which to sunbathe. Oh, and free yoga classes! Instead of hiking, I will be taking advantage of this place for the next month!