La Bene Vita

Monday

Yesterday just pissed me off. I showed up for my regularly scheduled band lessons, only to find that the sound system had been removed; the studio owner was using them at recitals and forgot to mention to me that it would be gone. You can't run a band rehearsal without a sound system, period. But at that point, my first band was already there, and I called my second band and gave one-hour notice that practice was canceled. When I texted the owner and told her that the bands were feeling ignored, and that she might consider some kind of refund for the first band, since rehearsal was really a waste of time, her reply was: "I'm going to need the sound system for recitals next year." ? Okay, is that your idea of giving me notice for next year? And did you ignore my suggestion? I'm sorry if you're tired of giving people money, but you can't ignore your clients and expect them to stick around and keep paying. Her expertise is piano, and therefore, her focus is piano. Guitar, bass, drum, and band students get none of her time, and they know it.

I have learned from her mistake: never engage in a business venture that you know nothing about. Of course the textbooks already say to stick with what you know, and I've seen billion-dollar companies like Abbott acquire business only to spin them off later as utter failures, because they just didn't fit the portfolio. It's Business 101. My boss knows classical piano. She needs to stay away from rock music. She wouldn't know a Linkin Park song if it slapped her in the face.

And so the order of goals have switched with my priorities... again. My mother reminded me recently that the only thing you can count on is that things will change. Wise lady.

Resign from Abbott by 3/1/10.
On schedule. Note the new target date, which is an absolute not-to-exceed. It will likely be sooner.

Current real estate goal: Organize garage.
No activity. And I am not in a huge hurry to sell my house again, because I may teach lessons there for awhile. But the garage is a big deal, in case I do find a buyer at my house and need to move lessons to Keith's, because I need the space. Meanwhile...

NEW GOAL: Look into real estate for music instruction.
This is very, very serious. I like my boss a lot, but it gives me a headache to work for her. And I think I can do better... well outside of the geographic radius established by my contract, of course, because not only do I have no desire to be sued, but I also have no desire to hurt her business. I just want to do it myself. The next question is: do I stick with rock, classical, or both? Obviously, rock is my forte. I play modern music at Potbelly, not Chopin, and even as Praise Band director, we're singing Christian rock, not the Bach you find in a hymnal. But at least I know classical. I grew up on it. I trained on it. I *know* it.

As an example, I was brainstorming with some friends. One suggested biz name was Signature, which to me, sounds formal. It implies classical. Another name was Jammin' with a Joe (because I'm thinking of opening a small cafe in lieu of a lobby), which sounds fun and easygoing. It implies rock. See my dilemma? How do I find a name that implies both?

Business: Music Instruction Books.
In progress, and this is growing in priority.

Launch one new Praise Band song per month.
Goal met.

Achieve a weight of 145.0 by 1/31/09.
Weight:
Meals:
8:00am Three cookies (5) and coffee (1)

I've eaten a lot of cookies the last few days. I lost count.

Post at WordPress at least once per month.
Pending... and I'm thinking about shutting it down, because there's nothing worse than an inactive blog. And I see myself launching and keeping up with a blog on my biz website, once I find a damn biz name whose domain doesn't have to be scalped.

Launch one new Potbelly song per week.
On hold until after the holidays.

one new original song per month.
On hold indefinitely, to be removed until further notice.

Read a book in print for fifteen minutes every day.
Fail, and on hold indefinitely, to be removed until further notice.

Bear with my utter busyness. I suddenly find myself with a lot to do... a lot more than usual, that is.

On a lighter note, today starts my last FULL week at Abbott, thanks to holidays and vacation days.