I woke up in a panic very early this morning, fresh from a spate of horrible nightmares. My dreams were filled with loss, feelings of heart wrenching grief over losing several people very dear to me, both past and present. It still feels so real that I can’t even type their names. It had to … More Less is More
The older I become, the more like my mother I realize I have become. Okay, who are we kidding? I’ve always been Dorothy’s daughter, just as my sister, Linda, is. And just like with Mom, our beloved ‘Heavy D’, things seem to happen to us- often comical things that don’t happen to otherwise normal people. … More On Being Dorothy’s Daughter
It always begins this way: “Date night tonight, Honey?” That is Gainey secret code for, “This has been a crazy stressful day and I need some medicinal together time at home to recharge, stat. It seems this semester that the number of date night requests have risen exponentially to almost epic proportions; yes, even after … More Date Night at Chez Gainey
My mother always told me that trouble comes in threes, and the older I get the more that superstition seems to ring true. As I wrote in my last post, I’m in Reno, Nevada, on a site visit as part of my duties with the International Clarinet Association, after three days in Denver visiting properties. … More Trouble Comes in Threes
The new semester began yesterday with such promise; I popped out of bed at 5am, kickboxed in my gym, took care of the animals, did some house chores, and was in my office by 7:15 to prepare for my 8am class. I wish that I had counted how many student issues I took care of, … More On Throw Away Days
I am bone- weary tired from driving much of the day, but wanted to get some thoughts down while things were still fresh in my mind. I’m in Knoxville, Tennessee, finally tucked into my hotel bed after leaving Birmingham before 8am with my best friend and Amicitia Duo partner, Diane. We’re here to attend the … More On Road Trips, Memorials, Clarinets, and Life
I am back in Lincoln for the week after spending much of last week here with my BFF, rehearsing for our Amicitia Duo CD project that begins today, Play Pretty, named in honor of Diane’s sweet mother who passed away last year, as well as for the first movement of a piece written for us … More On BFFs and WTFs
I was not mentally prepared for my trip to be a guest artist at a festival in Utah this past week, and that kicked my worry gene into high gear. I’ve not felt like myself lately as I’ve worked on trying to reduce my ever-increasing anxiety and battle a bout of depression. The trip was … More Mountains, Molehills, and What-Ifs
I was on my computer with the large screen and happened to look closely at this photo, my favorite of my sweet Sophie, gone since New Year’s Eve. I noticed something I don’t think I had before; as I studied the image I realized that there was a reflection of me in Sophie’s eye. I … More Reflections, Black Dogs, and Do-Overs
I left for Los Angeles very early Thursday morning after a frantic week of instrumental juries and exams during finals week. I had been asked by my clarinet maker, Backun Musical Services, to finally do a project that has been in the works for quite some time; a set of educational videos geared toward band … More Vanilla Ice, Bumpy Rides, and Fifteen Minutes of Fame in LA-LA Land
The View from Here 