Tired............Oh, so tired..............
Just finished the first symphony week of the new season, and my body is telling me that getting home at midnight every night is not appreciated in the least. I have another solid week of the same schedule with the other orchestra of which I am a member, so no rest for the wicked.
It wouldn't be so bad if I could just sleep in the next day, but running a nonprofitable business takes effort and determination. And investing alot of anxiety.
Even getting home at midnight doesn't sound so bad, except that during some symphony weeks I don't get to bed until 1:30 or 2. My better half is an independent trucker, so when he is on the road our dogs get a very late dinner when I get home, and then I must administer multiple medications to our elderly one, which (of course) have to be spaced apart for efficacy.
Inasmuch as the renovations on the house have been a test of our relationship, weeks like this are sometimes worse. He is the kind of person who functions just fine on a few hours of sleep, but I need about twice as much, and tend to become a box of rocks when deprived for too long. When he is gone, I not only have to maintain my own business, but his as well. There are alot of details to put together in taking care of his customers, and communication breakdowns between truck-driver-on-a-tight-schedule and box- of-rocks can be unpleasant.
I can kind of understand how so many touring musicians get hooked on chemicals, with the kind of physically and emotionally demanding lifestyles they lead. It's unfortunate that coming to some kind of balance between getting lots of exposure and a healthy amount of rest doesn't seem workable.
I often think how cool it would be to get a gig touring with a band, but then common sense kicks in, reminding me that I am far from twenty-something with no obligations to worry about. My cello quartet is made up of four "over 40" women, and while we all get a kick out of playing rock-n-roll for very surprised restaurant patrons, three of us do realize that we are past the point of no return with regards to the idea of touring. THREE of us............Needless to say, the aspirations of the fourth stir up occasional friction.
I did have the opportunity to meet a guitarist from a local blues band over the weekend, and expressed my sincere desire to try my hand at playing in a band. Mentioning that I have my own pickup and an amp seemed to convince him that I was serious, and he asked where he could contact me. After a lengthy conversation, I am rather excited that he may actually be interested in the idea. Tiredness couldn't possibly have affected my sense of judgment, could it??