Catching up personally

Hey there! I'm enjoying a smoke out by the pool area, and thought I'd blog a bit.
Things have been wonderful and busy, as you can see online at the KPAC Blog. Be sure to watch the interview there with Alondra de la Parra - she was a real treat to hear with the San Antonio Symphony. They really should hire her right now, and make a big splash in the media about it. The audience was thrilled and the orchestra sounded fabulous. Her ideas about audience building, programming, marketing and music making showed in the pre-concert talk, the concert itself, and at a talk-back afterwards. While I've NEVER really gotten anything from a talk back, having one with Music Director candidates is a no brainer and fab idea. Of course, they should just hire Alondra and not worry about talkbacks...but I digress.
I just finished making a birthday cake for someone very special in my life. Pardon me if I don't kiss and tell, but I'll tell you I've never been happier. It happened rather unexpectedly and my life over the last three weeks is even more amazing than I thought possible. You'll know more later.
I completed my first pledge drive at work, and it went well. This financial world we live in doesn't make it easy on public broadcasting, but San Antonio stepped up to the plate - thank you so much!
I also am playing alot these days, prepping for a violin recital in Madison next month. As I mentioned I've met a special someone, I am writing a solo violin rhapsody in her honor. Its' coming along, and I'll pen some more tonight. Scales and practice fill hours between caring for my parents.
Speaking of which, we had a great time yesterday with a Catholic disability group, and I wound up playing violin for a service afterwards, and met a nice guitarist Chris. He wants me to play on his next album, which was flattering, but I barely know the guy. Besides, I have two close friends wanting some tracks for a Dylan cover album, and one who is putting togther his own contemporary Cuban music cd, which I've already said yes to both!
Modern music continues to have some great projects, with a trip to NYC after my Madison recital, doing some filming...more on that soon too!
My latest culinary success includes bacon sloppy joes, broccolli cheese potato soup, spice cake and corn fritters. That latter item is an old family favorite, basically its corn pancakes.
My folks continue to have good days and bad, with it seeming to have more bad than good - but I have faith that things will be ok.
I'm also very excited that my friend Maggie is coming to visit San Antonio the end of this week. I suspect I'll get to know downtown even better! No doubt we'll have pictures and posts with her here or on facebook - or both!
I'm sure I'm missing something, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head.