Saving myself...

I'm going to make this a makeshift blog about my desire to travel and the money I need to save.  So...let's try this:

The average cost, if I wanted to book now for May would be approximately $1500.
That's a round trip ticket.  I could totally do a one-way for about $500 each way, but the travel time is murderous.

The plan is, to get there, and stay for at least 3 weeks.  So, I'd have to have at least $3000 saved up for this trip to occur at all.

So.  I'm selling my instruments, I have a Craigslist ad online for my services as a vocalist, I will be turning to the Mortuaries very soon, and start making some cash.

I am chasing my dream.  I am sans office job, on unemployment, and making my dreams real.
It's no easy task.  But I'm up to it.

I won't have to worry about sleeping arrangements as I have the "friends who know friends" option available, and have been confirmed.  Coincidentally, this person is also a singer in France so...you know, I'll get a first hand look.

This is my first foray into traveling abroad by myself.  I think it is very much needed.

Yay!

House cleaning...

So, I've decided to clean house.

I've decided to keep my nose clean...at least on this blog.
Gonna keep it clean, and start over with another  blog set exactly for the purposes upon which I deem.

So, here we go.

yeah.
ok.

Me-me-me-meme...

Who Am I?

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

The Universe is a wonderful thing...

....and so it is.

The Choral Project had an amazing weekend of concerts. They went very very well.
I have an opportunity in front of me that I am focusing all my good thoughts upon.

I really don't know what else to say, other than it's swimming season.
I think I'm gonna get on that.

I guess I'm blessed

I think I may downplay how many people are touched when I sing.
I get the "You were great's" and all that, and it's wonderful. I love me some compliments. But last night, I performed with the Santa Teresa High School Jazz Band I (they have 3 levels of jazz band), and first off, lemme say what talented people they are, how much fun they have and how much they blow....seriously. They totally blow! They are awesome, and I will sing with them again, any day. OK, that said, after the show last night, a woman came up to me telling me how her mother used to sing for the USO during WWII. She came up to me brimming with tears, and told me how much I reminded her of her mother.

I think it hit me last night amongst all the "you were great's" and "you have a beautiful voice's" that I realize I am blessed with this absolutely wonderful instrument and for me to deny this is pretty silly. Not that I've tried to deny it, but I think I just need share more.

I need more gigs!!

CA Govenor is polling the overturning of ban on Gay Marriage, please call.

Please call, then pass this along, if you have a chance...

The office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is polling reaction to the
California Supreme Court decision overturning the ban on gay marriage.
Most
of the response they are getting is in OPPOSITION to the court action.

To vote in support of the Supreme Court's decision on LGBT marriage:

1. call 1-916-445-2841

2. press 1, 5, 1, 1 (these really are the prompts to push)

After you've done this, please send it on to all supporters you know.

Memorial Day...I think I get it now...

Ok, y'all know me, right?
You know, I'm not about the Labor Day, Memorial Day thing outside of it means I get to enjoy a day off. I guess I never made a big deal about it because my father never made a big deal about it.

Well, this Memorial Day, that all changes...FOR GOOD!!
As I've bragged proudly before on these blogospheres, my father was a Tuskegee Airman. During his life, he was always very quiet about his time in the air over Italy during WWII (again, my father's story, is pretty freakin' great), and was very humble when being given awards and the like. It wasn't until just a few years before he passed that I realized he earned an Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross. My mother and I also collected his Congressional Medal of Honor which was bestowed only last year to all Tuskegee Airmen. I mean...wow, you know??

Well, since my father's passing, my mother has stepped up to accept all kinds of awards, plaques and accolades given to my father in thanks for his service in escorting our bombers safely during WWII. Well, this weekend she continues to honor my father and all other servicemen. My mother has just landed in Washington D.C. where she has been asked to lay wreaths at 3 memorials on the National Mall.

These three...
The World War II Memorial (She was asked to attend the opening of this memorial, BTW)


The Air Force Memorial

The Tomb of the Unknowns

After she does this, an announcement of a Scholarship Award in my father's name will be announced.
And THEN she's going to be in a parade.

Seriously. My mother, 83 years young, has been bestowed an honor not given to many folks.

I'm not only very proud, I'm just nonplussed, and like giddy! I, of course, did not accompany her, but thanks to her giving birth to 8 children, there's enough of us Harrises to go around, and the East Coast contingent (brother, sister, nieces) are all waiting to be with her.

So, for the first time EVER, I actually am going to honor Memorial Day for what it is, and not just wake up and go, "Yay! Monday off!"
A time to remember my father and the generations of men before and after him, who've done their time taking care of business.