I'm writing this post from the comfort of my Omni Hotel room in Austin, TX. I have an audition for the Austin Symphony tomorrow morning for which I am woefully unprepared, so I thought I'd drive the 65 miles tonight and save myself the hassle of rush hour traffic. I'm not a morning person by nature, and this way I will also get an extra hour and a half of sleep. I figured that any advantage I can give myself will be worth it in the end. Staying in a fancy hotel for which I've paid next to nothing thanks to Priceline makes it feel more like a real audition, and I think that psychologically this is good. The thing is, I'm not even sure I really want a position with the Austin Symphony. In the past, the combination of being less than prepared and not really wanting the job in question has worked very well for me. This is precisely how I ended up with the job I had in Richmond. For more on the grueling audition process employed by symphony orchestras, feel free to refer to this post.
The new hou
se has not made practicing the viola any easier. It has also been bad for my knitting. I'm built much like Kermit the Frog, and therefore I'm somewhat lacking in upper body strength. In the last couple of weeks Bob and I have moved TVs, dressers, couches, and desks all by ourselves, and as a result, my arms hurt. For the last few days, I haven't knit more than a row or two because I've been saving my arms for practicing and for the audition. Playing the viola is harder on the arms and wrists than one would think.
I've had to get a yarn fix somehow, so I bought two new books, The Happy Hooker (don't ask...just refer to Kitty's post on the subject) and Mason Dixon Knitting. The yarn you see in the picture is a bunch of TLC Cotton Plus that I ordered a couple weeks ago with the intention of using it to knit the Moderne Baby Blanket from Mason Dixon. I'm planning to cast on just as soon as this audition is over. The other post audition treat I have planned for tomorrow afternoon is a break from my yarn diet with a trip to Hill Country Weavers. I hope it's as awesome as the website makes it seem. I better get some sleep if I have any hope of not sucking tomorrow. Wish me luck...
LUCK!!! :)
Seriously, all the best on your audition - I know how stressful they can be. Maestro Bay is such a joy to perform for; the man just exudes energy.
Cheers! :)
Posted by: Cyndilou | August 25, 2006 at 06:32 AM
Good luck on the audition! Hill Country Weavers is a GREAT yarn shop-have fun!
Posted by: Amy | August 25, 2006 at 06:34 AM
Best of luck for the audition. I love the Target theory. Our local Kmart has a yarn aisle but don't get too excited by the idea, just think eyelash and acrylic baby yarn in vomit pastels.
Posted by: knitannie | August 25, 2006 at 07:27 AM
Good luck on your audition! And have fun at Hill Country Weavers. I'm sure you have plenty of room in your new house to stash yarn.
Posted by: Diana | August 25, 2006 at 07:40 AM
Hi Courtney. good luck with that. nothing like no expectation to land you a job. i had no idea that viola playing required saving upper-body strength! rowr!
Posted by: dr. lee | August 25, 2006 at 09:02 AM
Good luck in Austin, I think you will rock it. Moving sucks-we moved by ourselves last time and after almost dropping our massive TV in the driveway we have now sworn to never do it again. I'm all about hiring movers next time.
Posted by: Shalini | August 25, 2006 at 11:41 AM
Good Luck in Austin. Have fun hooking.
Posted by: kitty | August 25, 2006 at 11:53 AM
Hope your audition goes well! Enjoy HCW. It's a great little store!
Posted by: Susan | August 25, 2006 at 01:15 PM
Lots of luck!!!
Posted by: Catherine | August 25, 2006 at 01:19 PM
best of luck. kick some ass and enjoy the yarn party afterwards!
Posted by: Allegra | August 25, 2006 at 07:07 PM
Well, I'm late, but I hope it went well, and that you had fun at HCW. It's a great store!
Posted by: janna | August 25, 2006 at 11:08 PM