Ups and downs, fried turkey, and the quest for pie

After my last post about practicing optimism, I had a pretty killer audition and, subsequently, won a pretty killer award that will make my financial adviser very very happy. It makes me happy too, because practicing that optimism gets really difficult and a little affirmation from the other side of the table is really helpful, especially when you get feedback that says you're expressive, compelling, and your artistry is more focused, but we're still not hiring you. Again. For the fourth season in a row. Or, as it came today, we're not hiring you but if you want to reapply next year, here's the link. Or also, today, no need to come in unless there's different repertoire or vocal transplants.

Ha ha. You're so witty in your emails. I love it when you talk with nonchalance about the instrument in my throat that I've been training for the last fourteen years.

Up: amazing award with rather good market recognition and prize benefits

Down: artistic administrators who can't find a direct AND polite way to say no, so they use sarcasm to cover their poor social skills

Up: callback for a role that I have always always wanted to sing, with one of the major luminaries of this age in opera

Down: *this just in* rejection email number TWO just appeared in my inbox. That's two in one day.

Up: steak for dinner tonight

Down: a bill from the union saying that I owe them for last year's AND this year's dues as I will be singing a cover at a union house next year. A contract that will be whittled down to nearly nothing after taxes and food and the union initiation fee. Nice.

Let's talk turkey. Fried turkey. This Thanksgiving marked Team Turkey 4.0 at our house with twelve of our friends/chosen family, and some of their family as well. Turkey was fried, sides were brought and cooked, and the din of turkey calls was only muffled by the chewing of fourteen sets of teeth. It was a great holiday, the table looked beautiful - finally figured out the perfect configuration of tables and tablecloth(s) to accommodate all 14 guests - and the food was really fantastic. I'm still dreaming of that amazing sweet potato soufflé. There was some debate about marshmallow topping vs. streusel vs. nuts, so the chef of that particular dish threw the kitchen sink at the dish and put on all three. The result was TO DIE FOR.

I spent the day before in the kitchen making pie. Now those of you who are long-time readers know that I have a personal, almost religious, relationship with pie. This year marked a new milestone - homemade pie crust. Likely the most stressful thing I have ever concocted in the kitchen. Step one - identify ingredients. Discover, after measuring out several cups of flour, that we are 1/3 cup short. Think I have found other container of flour, discover it is powdered sugar AFTER putting in 1/3 cup. Lots of cursing. Make it work. Crust seems good. First pie - pumpkin. Also my first time making pumpkin pie, and I was using fresh pumpkin from a rather large pumpkin that we roasted and pureed after Halloween.

Note: a medium-sized pumpkin will yield 10-12 cups of pumpkin puree. You only need two cups for a loaf of pumpkin bread, or one pumpkin pie, or one batch of pumpkin chocolate-chip muffins. 12 cups of pumpkin is a LOT of pumpkin.

So the pumpkin pie went in the oven. Then I made the second pie, my old specialty, pecan. Last Monday, after a politely-worded but VERY irate email to the pecan company from which I have ordered my pecans every year for the last twelve years, they called me to assure me that my pecans would be on my doorstep the next day, which they were. Two batches of pralines and one pecan pie later, I am still glad that I order from them. I still have several pounds of pecans left, some of which are going into cookies tonight, the pies were both successful, and a good time was had by all. We had second-day turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce, foisted more pie upon friends who didn't make it on the day, and rejoiced in the wonder that three tables fit into our dining room to begin with. Team Turkey 4.0 = success.

Up: Saints beat the crap out of the Pats last night. Total up.

Down: I don't have any more work today than I did yesterday.

Up: Two auditions on Thursday - opportunity for fun projects.

Down: Two bus rides in the next four days.

Up: Chocolate-chip pecan cookies.

Down: There is no down. Did you not read the previous line?

That's where I'm at. Let's try to get through the week (or maybe just the day??) without any more rejection emails, shall we?

Practicing optimism is hard, y'all. This is me, picking my chin up.