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 |   The Good Life. |
I am a professional musician  , worship leader , small business owner , songwriter , aspiring author and freelance nonfiction writer with a chemical engineering degree . But that's just my resume. My profile of qualifications is only one of the ways in which I am unique. Here I chronicle my personal and professional goals and my efforts to achieve them. Occasionally I fail. Mostly, I take daily baby steps toward all my long-term goals. Much like the stories I pen, the songs I compose, and the businesses I run, I am always a work in progress. ![Merit Badge in Music
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To a dear friend whose talent for writing music is sensational. May you have a fabulous New Year, (((Brandi)))!!! *^*Kiss*^*
Big hugs,
Sherri *^*Heart*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Music-1050.gif) ![Merit Badge in Organization
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I don't know how you do it, but I assume there's magic involved *^*Bigsmile*^* I have really enjoyed this month of planning and preparation for NaNoWriMo and I love how organized it all is. Thank you for hosting a great challenge and for your dedication to helping so many of us prepare with confidence and trepidation for National Novel Writing Month (known to sane folks as 'November' *^*Laugh*^*) at your [Link To Item #1474311]](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Organization-1150.gif) ![Merit Badge in Leadership
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For your hard work, commitment, talent and innovation in running the October NaNoWriMo Preparation each year, which helps many of us get our scattered thoughts together for November's novel-writing. And also because this badge has ducks on it.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Leadership.gif) |
| My Saturdays are normally busy, and with the sound system work days all afternoon at church the last three weeks, I've been non-stop from 8am - 9pm every Saturday for a month. So you would think yesterday, with recitals in between Saturday morning lessons and Saturday evening Praise Band rehearsal, would have been par for the course. But at 6pm, on my way to church from recitals, I could have crawled under the covers and passed out for days right then and there, behind the wheel of my Jeep With a Capital Junk. I'm not sure what that was about, but three agonizing hours later, I finally did crawl under the covers, and I slept like a rock all night. Rehearsal is a vague blur, and I hope I was nice to the church musicians I lead. Next Saturday, I'm taking the afternoon off. Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: I keep thinking we're slowing down. Then I look at the stats and really think about it, and we're at 135, versus 127 at the end of last month. If we maintain the trend, we'll be up a total of 20 this month, and 20 per month is pretty standard. And yet, there is still that feeling that we've stalled, and I think it's in part because we didn't get all the enrollments out of our last batch of samplers that we thought we would. More people are actually sampling instruments, instead of enrolling in a sampler with the full intention of eventually enrolling just to get a cheaper first month. And I'm cool with that, too, because our samplers are slightly more profitable than private lessons, so long as our per-class enrollments stay up. The only bummer about samplers is the lack of long-term committed revenue. That's the beauty of this business, which is something I miraculously didn't consider when choosing it: music lessons are an ongoing commitment, versus a consumable one-time buy. Therefore, the business is very stable and predictable. I have a good idea how many students I'll have next month, because a good majority of them are already enrolled. I'll take the miraculous business selection, along with the miraculous location selection, which is driving our volume growth to double my initially-targeted numbers, and the miraculous staff finds, which are going to make us wildly successful and profitable. I haven't told them this, but I envision a corporate executive staff in a decade or so that includes a certain core group of current teachers and administrators. And me, of course. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form.  Every once in awhile, I think of this. We still really need a database. Right now, I'm too busy growing and hiring. It's crossed my mind to contract this out, but I'd rather spend my money on another piano or two, another drum set, and a computer lab renovation. And a receptionist!Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week  "Forgive Me" - and I'm sort of in a daze that I completed this goal, of all goals, while I failed at so many others. On a related note, I had two separate requests for Dave Matthews in a span of maybe two or three weeks. Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month: Yes, although I didn't go over our new song ("Our God") with the band last night, due to (1) a delayed start caused by extensive equipment adjustments and sound checks, and (2) utter exhaustion on my part.Reading: One book per week.  I read like a page before passing out, and I'm at about 76%.Writing: Goals TBD: (1) Blog at WDC daily. (2)  Blog at MT.com weekly: pending. Growing. Hiring.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: I'm falling into bad habits again. We got donuts and muffins for the Adult Recital, and I ate a muffin and several donuts. Then I came home and had a piece of pizza. And throughout the day, I nibbled on sticky buns and other miscellaneous junk. Bottom line, I have no idea what I ate, and my resolution was to keep track. If I eat 100 points in a day, I will KEEP TRACK. Damn it. Today's list, which shall be in complete form tomorrow morning: Tall, nonfat, no-whip white chocolate mocha (7) |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: In the realm of the miscellaneous, I completed the lobby Power Point, wrote an offer letter and job expectations document for our Assistant Manager, and created a new web portal so that I can just use MichelleTuesday.com instead of MichelleTuesday.com/musicschool for all school-related advertising. Check out the new portal: http://www.michelletuesday.com Somewhat less miscellaneously, we held a staff meeting last Friday night, and all the teachers were full of ideas. Not only that, but several of them have invested time since then working on curricula and plans for summer programs. It might just come together. And we are currently hiring computer lab attendants and preparing for this weekend's recitals. Never a dull moment. Growth is still holding steady. We are at 132 private lesson students; I would love to be at 150 by the end of the month, but that might be an aggressive goal. It would mean the next pay raise for our office manager, Chris. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Meanwhile, a customer showed me an application by Intuit called Quickbooks Customer Manager, which is pretty kick-ass. I *think* it may do everything we need it to do. The only thing it won't do is show us teacher schedules and available times at a glance.Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Yep. I learned "Forgive Me" by Missy Higgins. I decided I love that song.Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month: The sound system overhaul is complete, the band started looking at a new song, I wrote a violin duet for our two fiddlers, I'm working with a teenager to plan a solo for her confirmation projecgt, and now the pastor is talking about podcasting and looking for help. When it rains, it pours. I'm feeling slightly less neglectful of church these days.Reading: One book per week. My one complaint of Kindle: a book is a book. I have no idea when I embark upon a new narrative whether the story is short, novel, or epic. I do believe I stumbled across an epic in "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" by Jules Verne, and after three weeks, I am at 75%. For the curious, the book breaks every modern usage rule regarding commas, adverbs, and brevity. Perhaps that is because the book is, sadly, not modern. The book also lacks much of a plot. It makes me think of the movie "Castaway" with Tom Hanks. One wonders how much action can really happen in one long, monotonous, granite-lined underground tunnel. It turns out, not much. And yet the writer has managed to keep me engaged through at least 75% of his epic novel.Writing: Goals TBD: (1) Blog at WDC daily. I've been failing at this again.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly: pending.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: ? I lost three pounds since Friday, thanks to my rather wicked stomach bug. Yesterday, I made up for it by pigging out all day. Today, I'm closer to normal, at least in terms of caloric consumption. I'm still eating junk. Thursday: 13 so far Coffee (2) Granola bar (2) Banana (2) Crackers (4) Thin Mints (3) |
| It doesn't really matter what I ate yesterday, because it's gone now. Today, I've eaten about a dozen Cheez-Its and a PB&J, which was decidedly delicious, along with tea, water, and diet Sprite. Stomach flu = crash diet? We had a withdrawal today that makes me very happy. Some customers are more of a liability than an asset. This particular customer bitches - loudly - in the lobby about things that "suck," like lack of a make-up lesson for her daughter when she missed a class (what do we do? Pay the teacher just to teach her, since we already paid the teacher to teach all the other students who actually showed up for the scheduled class?), the lack of a make-up lesson for a no-call/no-show (clearly identified in the policy document), and our refusal to remove her late fee. This was the conversation on January 30th: MTMS: Hey your tuition is due this week. Customer: No, it's not due til the first. MTMS: Your next lesson is on the 3rd. You won't be here again before the 1st. Customer: I'll call with my card information on the 1st. (Technically, it's due BY the 1st, not ON the 1st, but that's another story.) MTMS: Okay, don't forget that we charge a late fee if we don't receive your payment by the 1st. Customer: I'll call you. This was the conversation on February 3rd: Customer: Can you take off my late fee? MTMS: Certainly, if you would be so kind as to set up autopay. Customer: No, I don't want to do that. MTMS: I'm sorry, we can't remove the late fee. Your payment was late. Customer: That sucks. (Everything "sucks".) Even the banks give a 15-day grace period. Besides, we didn't get a make-up for the snow day two weeks ago. MTMS: You were a no-call/no-show. We were open. Customer: I told you I wouldn't come in bad weather, and Michelle talked to my daughter. We called you. After some dragging out of information, the daughter admits that, no, Michelle sent a text message to say, "Are you coming?" but the daughter didn't reply, because she didn't get the text until the next day. Mom says, okay, I guess we were wrong, we didn't call. But she must have let it go because she'd decided she'd had enough anyway. Today, she sent her intent to withdraw at the end of the month. I like the kids. I even like the mom. I just can't have customers griping in a loud voice in my quiet, comfortable lobby about how everything sucks. You know what sucks? Paying teachers by the 1st when I don't get the revenue to pay them until the 3th. That sucks. So, this withdrawal notice doesn't particularly suck. Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: We're at 133. Make that 132. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week I'm listening to some new songs off of my request list today. One is a song called "Forgive Me" by Missy Higgins. I had never heard of her, but I can see why the song was requested. It's acoustic, haunting, poetic, and very much my style.Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month: Three consecutive sound system work days and a new song arrangement are most definitely noteworthy.Reading: One book per week. I read quite a bit while trying to sleep last night: Chapter 30, 63%.Writing: Goals TBD: (1) Blog at WDC daily - I missed yesterday again.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly: *grits teeth* This is NOT coming off of my list.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: Net or gross? |
| GAH. Losing an employee sucks. That's why people who should have been fired ages ago are still around (I know you've been wondering.) Luckily, unlike your manager, I'm not scared of a little hard work, and neither is Chris, our angel of an office manager. Unluckliy, I'm behind on my goals this week as a result of subbing, hiring, and rescheduling. Luckily, we already have almost all of the absent instructor's drum students transitioned to new teachers. Unluckily, I have to teach his two drama classes for awhile until other teachers can take them over. Luckily, that's only one month for one class and two months for the other class, totaling about a dozen hours of my time. *shrug* Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: We tried to fill a class by offering an email promotion, and it worked! Except it didn't.  Two students who contacted us to sign up didn't actually show up, so we went from full to not full. Luckily (I keep using that word like I'm not in control of these things!), I raised the price of samplers in 2011 so that we cleared break-even on the class even with it not full. Meanwhile, I think it's time to promote the drama program! Damn, if I'm going to spend all that time teaching those two classes, I might as well fill them with students and make some money at it.  * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Staff meeting TONIGHT!  * Business Cards: Delegated to a sicky chicky with whom I'll follow up when she's all healthy again.* Vocal warm-ups CD: No progress. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Pending.Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month: We have one more sound system overhaul day planned tomorrow, and a new song to launch next week.Reading: One book per week. Around 40%, I believe.Writing: Goals TBD: (1) Blog at WDC daily.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly: pending.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 29 Fiber granola bar (2) Coffee (2) Cheeseburger (11) Crackers (4) Peanuts (2) Trail mix (4) Guacamole salad (1) Rice (2) Refried beans (1) |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: THE PLAN: "Call potentials now that we have a strings instructor." We have a list of potential students who all called about violion or viola, whom we can now contact and hopefully schedule. We did have a plan to promote our split drama classes (youth and teen), but since we lost our drama/drum instructor, we're not sure yet what day the new class will end up. We were also going to promote our adult songwriting class, but for similar reasons (namely, our songwriting teacher may be helping pick up drum students.) We also hired a new drum instructor, W00t! * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Brainstorming! And our teachers are excited about this Friday's staff meeting. Excited. About a staff meeting. Have you ever heard of people excited about a staff meeting? Our people are excited about our staff meeting. * Business Cards: Delegated!* Vocal warm-ups CD: No progress, even though Angela made the file. I need to delegate this to our computer lab crew, once we get them hired. Speaking of hiring, we need to start scheduling interviews. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Pending.Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month: Sound System Day 2 was a success. We had a new volunteer, and we've heard nothing but positive comments about the upgrades. On a related note, our Worship and Music chairperson found money to help pay for the upgrade! I can't tell you how awesome that is. My business fronted the funds, so it's nice to know we're getting reimbursed.Reading: One book per week. Chapter 17/36%Writing: Goals TBD: (1) Blog at WDC daily.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. PENDING. How does monthly sound? I think monthly sounds like a better goal.  Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: The last two days, I didn't count. *slap* And I'm so confused, because I started to put together my Bob Evans breakfast for Saturday, until I realized that was Friday. But I don't have that logged on Friday. ? Did I eat that in addition to everything else I logged for Friday? Gah. Somewhere in the last three days, I ate tihs: One egg (2), bacon (3), turkey sausage (3), banana bread (3) = 11 points SATURDAY: 49 Coffee (1); Dunkin Donuts egg flatbread (10?) - they're not on the nutrition list yet; Crackers (4); Cheeseburger (11); Pizza (7); Candy (5); Cheeseburger (11) SUNDAY: 50+ Coffee (2); Granola bar (2); Baked goodies at church (7); Clam chowder (6); Pretzel bites (6); Ice cream (6); Two pieces bread w/butter (?); Caeser salad (?); Veggies in some kind of butter (?); Longhorn 1/2 steak (?); Kid-size' order french fries (?) Yay for Mondays!  So far today:Coffee (2) Granola bar (2) |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: No progress... but we're at 126! 125 was another milestone. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: In progress. * Business Cards: In progress.* Vocal warm-ups CD: No progress. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Goal met.Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month: Sound system overhaul Day 2 planned Saturday..Reading: One book per week. In progress. Writing: Goals TBD: (1) Blog at WDC daily.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. PENDING.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 39 Coffee (3) Fiber granola bar (2) Pretzel bites (1) ZonePerfect bar (4) Cheeseburger (11) Peanuts (4) Crackers (4) Pizza (~5 or 6 squares - about 8) Ice cream (2) Luckily, I don't have any pizza or ice cream at my disposal at the moment, because that sounds really good. It was yummy. I am so addicted to food. |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: No progress. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Every day, teachers are brainstorming ideas. Wow. * Business Cards: My office manager took this off my hands and delegated it to a volunteer. It's DONE! Wow.* Vocal warm-ups CD: No progress. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Goal met.Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month: Sound system overhaul Day 2 planned Saturday..Reading: One book per week. In progress. Writing: Goals TBD: (1) Blog at WDC daily.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. PENDING.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 39 Coffee (3) Banana (2) Pretzel bites (3) Dried fruit (3) Cheeseburger (11) Crackers (4) Cup tortilla soup (5) Black bean rollups with no dip (8?) - it's 11 with the dip What's my goal again? 34? I guess it's good that I'm staying under 40, considering my recent trends. |
| I'm a tad bit lethargic this week. Maybe even a little depressed. I blame it on Sunday's "pointless" fight and the fact that I have to let a teacher go. On the other hand, I have an interview scheduled this morning, and one of my teachers said he's thinking of freeing up another night to increase his hours working for us. So those are good things. Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: We're actually re-evaluating our plan, because I need a new teacher. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Meeting 2/4, but I've had some great one-on-one brainstorms with employees in the last day or two. I can't wait for the staff meeting. They're all thinking about it and have good ideas. I'm hoping I can delegate some of the implementation steps. * Business Cards: Pending, and damn it, I should delegate this to my promo gal. I don't know why I'm resisting. * Vocal warm-ups CD: Pending, with thoughts of basic piano training for singers. I want to be at 200 NOW. Is that greedy? But it helps significantly with my staffing plan. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week I'm pretty sure the current staff has never heard some of the oldies I broke out this week. Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month: Second work day pending.Reading: One book per week. I'm at 24%, and it's slow going. I'm in the middle of an intense geology lesson.Writing: Goals TBD: (1) Blog at WDC daily.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. PENDING.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 37. And it's because I'm a dummy. I was at 33 when I got home from work, but the leftovers were calling to me from the fridge... "Eat me..." Coffee (4) ZonePerfect bar (4) Double stack (11) Almond Joy snack size (2) Cheese (4) Crackers (4) ZonePerfect bar (4) Shrimp pasta (4?) |
| Every time I open Yahoo to read my email, I get distracted by about half a dozen headlining articles and blog posts. Then I can't remember what I was about to do, and I completely forget to send that email I was contemplating before the upcoming State of the Union address or the latest celebrity fashion faux pas caught my eye. *kicks Yahoo* I'm currently reading "A Journey to the Centre of the Earth" by Jules Verne. As I followed our hero and his "worthy uncle" (Hahahaha! Great sarcasm for 1500's Europe) across desolate Iceland from Reykjavik to Mount Sneffles, I got curious. Were there really towns Ejulberg and Gardar, were there really fjords Kollafjord, Hvalfjord, and unother large, unnamed fjord, were there swamps and mountains and fields of lava in all the right places along the trek? So I checked Google Earth. And, with the exception of the towns (whose names could have changed), it's all there: every fjord, every swamp, every river, every lava field. There's also a modern highway, 54, which goes from the third fjord (unnmed by Google Earth as well) to Mt. Sneffels, and Highway 1, which gets you from Reykjavik to Highway 54 at the unnamed fjord. I zoomed in and followed the highways, which, with the exception of about a few small towns and dozen or so random farms with no neighbors to speak of, are just as desloate as Verne describes. How did he know? He didn't have Google Earth. Chris the office manager suggested that he might have consulted travel logs, which apparently was the thing to do back in the day. I got so sucked into my geeky Google Earth project that I was late for my Monday morning worship planning meeting. But it has nothing to do with my failure to get anything on my list done. I never get anything done on Mondays and Tuesdays, because I'm running the lobby and computer lab. I need to hire some more help! But I can't afford it yet.  Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: In progress. We do have a plan. We need to implement it. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Meeting 2/4. * Business Cards: Pending. * Vocal warm-ups CD: Pending. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Yesterday, I dug through my old files and played about an hour's worth of songs I haven't played in a couple years. That's good enough.Messiah: One noteworthy accomplishment per month: The sound system overhaul was incomplete, but successful for how much we got done. We're meeting again this Saturday.Reading: One book per week. I'm at 21%, but got distracted from actual reading by my research.Writing: Goals TBD: (1) Blog at WDC daily - Twice yesterday I thought I'd uploaded my post, but I must have been distracted. STUPID YAHOO. (I like blaming Yahoo.)(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and FOUR PENDING. I think this is the one Storm Machine  was referring to, but I feel like these should come from me. I just need more staff to take over the day-to-day operation, to free me up for implementing cool summer programs and writing blog posts.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 26 Coffee (3) Granola bar (2) Banana (2) Potbelly sammich (7) Two chocolate-covered dried cherries (2) Crackers (4) Caramel corn (2) ZonePerfect bar (4) Sunday was almost 50 points, and I don't want to talk about it. I got into a big family fight over Sunday's points. |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: In the works. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Barely a brainstorm. * Business Cards: Didn't even cross my mind. * Vocal warm-ups CD: I decided in lieu of giving CDs to voice students, we just need to teach them to play piano. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Fail. I have some almost-songs, so I might catch this week.Messiah: Meet one noteworthy accomplishment per month: Sound system overhaul was a success, but we need another one next week. We also integrated two new band members, with a third pending, but I can't really take credit. They asked if they could show up, and I said, "Sure."Reading: One book per week. But no progress for about two days. Yesterday was non-stop from work at 8:30am, to the church sound system overhaul, to praise band, and home around 10pm. *shrug*Writing:: (1) Blog at WDC daily. (2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and FOUR PENDING. I'm not ready to can this yet.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 33 Coffee (3) Granola bar (2) Crackers (4) Caramel corn (8) Cup spaghetti with meatballs (12?), and salad with tbls ranch dressing (4?) |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: In progress. We actually got started on a marketing plan, wah-hoo! * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Starting to delegate to the teachers who want summer hours. * Business Cards: No progress. * Vocal warm-ups CD: No progress. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Nope.Messiah: Meet one TBD goal per month: Sound system work day TODAY. I am a bit worried about the impending chaos.Reading: One book per week. Still at 17% on "Journey"Writing: Goals TBD: Set goals. (1) Blog at WDC daily. (2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and FOUR PENDING. Why do I bother to keep track of this? Because I really, really, really want to blog every week. One day soon, I'll have time for it. I'm holding out for 175 students - that's when I get lab attendants and a receptionist, plus Chris at full time, all of which frees up my schedule in a HUGE way.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 30 Coffee (3) Granola bar (2) Tuna Helper (6) Crackers (4) Cookies (3) Caramel corn (8) Raisin Bran (4) Not too shabby. |
Anyone with some spare time interested in helping me with a fun Internet research project that involves debunking a suspected LIAR? Send an email for your mission, should you choose to accept it.  Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: Hm. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: uh... * Business Cards: yeah, about that... * Vocal warm-ups CD:  Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Gah. In progress. But I've been spending too much time on my fun Internet debunking research project. I hate LIARS.Messiah: Meet one TBD goal per month: GAH.Reading: One book per week. Chapter 9 (17%). This may be a four-week book. Or at least two.Writing: Goals TBD: Set goals. (1) Blog at WDC daily. (2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and FOUR PENDING.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 44 yikes. Stupid caramel corn. Coffee (2) Granola bar (2) Cookies (3) Cheeseburger (11) Caramel corn (10) Chocolate-covered dried cherry (1) Crackers (4) |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: Seeds of ideas, but no actual progress. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Meeting 2/4... and maybe a big-time delegation opportunity. One teacher would like to work full-time this summer. So I may challenge her to come up with some programs that would give her the full-time hours she wants. * Business Cards: * Vocal warm-ups CD: I've actually been working on a staffing plan and organizational chart, and I'm pretty psyched about it. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Not really. Kinda busy. Sheesh. But I like another one of WildThing~Becoming  's suggestions: "The Only Exception" by Paramore. I totally have to learn that song, in addition to the Katy Perry song. I've been hitting the Norah Jones every day, and it suits my head cold rather nicely.  Messiah: Meet one TBD goal per month: Here's the thing: I think God is taking care of my personal feeling of negligence for me. He's dumping a ton of work on me, so I can feel like I'm accomplishing things. I have two new violin players, a new guitarist and singer, and another new singer, all starting this week. Add that to my new musicians who started in the fall (violinist, lead guitarist, and three new singers), and I've got my work cut out for me creating a band. Or maybe two bands. Meanwhile, we have a sound system overhaul scheduled for Saturday, so we'll have an accurate picture of how many musicians we can actually handle at a time. Instead of launching new congregational songs, I'm thinking I need to work on cool violin trios and vocal harmonies and such.Reading: One book per week. 14% through JourneyWriting: Goals TBD: Set goals. (1) Blog at WDC daily. (2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and FOUR PENDING.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 34 W00t!!! Coffee (2) Raisin Bran (7) Cookies (7) Sammich (7) Truffle (2) Taco (4) Chips (3) Guacamole salad (2) No margarita! Go me. Okay, since I met my 35-max goal, today's goal is 34 points. |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: No activity. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Meeting 2/4. * Business Cards: No activity. * Vocal warm-ups CD: No activity. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. No activity.Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Compiled chords to "Firework" by Katy Perry. Katy was a suggestion by WildThing~Becoming , which I thought odd, but certainly no odder than Rhianna, and I do two of her songs. And while most of Katy's are risque and not my style, this particular song is an encouragement of a friend, much like "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper and "Better Things" by the Kinks - positive and uplifting are definitely my style. I don't quite know how I'm going to arrange it acoustically yet, but it should be interesting.Messiah: Meet one TBD goal per month: Sound system overhaul this Saturday, new song "Our God" next Saturday. My drummer will want to know how the children's minister talked me into another Chris Tomlin song after I told the drummer that we had enough Chris Tomlin songs. Reading: One book per week. I'm on the second chapter of "A Journey to the Centre of the Earth" by Jules Verne. According to my Kindle, the second chapter is 3% into the book, so finishing it this week may be an aggressive goal. On the other hand, I'm fighting a sinus thing, so I'm tired and may find myself reading more than working.Writing: Goals TBD: Set goals. (1) Blog at WDC daily. (2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and FOUR PENDING. Bleh.I wish I had more time, so I could meet all my goals. I need a time machine. Too bad H.G. Wells didn't bother to include a schematic in the book. Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 42.5 Pear (2) Banana (2) Baklava (5) Coffee (1) Bear claw (3) Half sammich (3.5) Cookies (6) Lasagna (14) Ice cream (6) Okay, now that I have established a trend, I plan to cut back gradually. I'll start with a target of 35 maximum points per day. The plan: |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: No activity, although one of our teachers has a private studio, meaning he teaches a handful of students at home. He just decided he's tired of dealing with scheduling and make-ups, and he's steering them to us. Meanwhile, we're about to be bombarded in two or three weeks by enrollments out of our samplers. We'll be hiring another teacher and computer lab attendants very soon. I also created an assistant manager position, but I can't say much about that until 2/4. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Meeting 2/4. * Business Cards: No activity. * Vocal warm-ups CD - Stuck in the middle of progress somewhere. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending. Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Pending, but I'm pretty happy with "Don't Know Why" and considering reprinting some older stuff to get myself out of a rut.Messiah: Meet one TBD goal per month: I have two new songs selected. We'll start going over them next week, because this week is the sound system overhaul, and I just know a new song will be one too many things going on Saturday.Reading: One book per week. I finished "The Time Machine" in the nick of time, at about 11:30 last night. I do see why it's a classic. The title fools you into thinking you're reading science fiction, when really, the book glosses over the details of the time travel and the actual machine (for example: How is it powered? How does the dial know what year it is?) and comments rather about the inevitable fall of man. Next up: A Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Writing: Goals TBD: Set goals. (1) Blog at WDC daily. I missed Saturday and Sunday. (2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and FOUR PENDING.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: ? I am embarrassed to say I lost count since Friday. It all started Friday, when my percussion instructor didn't show up for his lessons and new class. So I was frantically putting together the class curriculum, when the office manager reminded me that I had a double voice lesson (a make-up) to teach. I had another teacher there, and he jumped in to help, so we had minimal interruption that our clients could perceive. Nonetheless, it was a stressful situation. Then Saturday morning, two teachers were late. By Saturday afternoon, I was done teaching for the weekend, but still had this week's sound system overhaul at church to plan, 1099's to figure out (OMG! the IRS is so antiquated regarding these), plus all three worship services to help out with Sunday morning. By Sunday afternoon, I was taking a three-hour nap. All in all, I ate a lot this weekend. |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: Set intermediate goals. * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: No activity beyond yesterday's brainstorm. Holy crap. We scheduled our next round of samplers and classes. Within about two hours, we had three students in a piano sampler and one in a voice sampler, just from phone calls. And the samplers we have running right now are nearly full. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Delegated brainstorming to a volunteer lab attendant. * Business Cards: No activity. * Vocal warm-ups CD - Delegated that to our volunteer lab attendant, too. I'm not actually sure if she got anywhere with it. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending.Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Yay! It's not technically launched yet, but I'll be singing "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones today.Messiah: Meet one TBD goal per month: New song pending.Reading: One book per week. Yep, I "read" in the car. And then I left my Kindle at work. Writing: Goals TBD: Set goals. (1) Blog at WDC daily. DONE.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and THREE PENDING.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 41 Coffee (3) Granola bars (4) Pear (2) Roast beef sammich (7) Cookies (8) Dried cherries (6) Crackers (4) with cheese (2) and salmon (2) Chocolates (3) Yeah, so I got a package from Harry & David in the mail. Not helpful. Delicious, but not helpful. |
| I'm not sure how I never knew that Eric Clapton lives in my neck of the woods - literally on the east side of Columbus, where I live, worship, and work. He may very well have driven past my new music school and seen the sign. That's very weird because I cover a couple of his songs in a local restaurant. I wonder if I do them justice? You know that a chick singing Clapton on an acoustic guitar is going to sound very different than the original, which is sort of my signature style. But I wonder if he would like that. A Larry King Live interview with Eric: http://archives.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0710/12/lkl.01.html Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: Set intermediate goals. * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: No activity beyond yesterday's brainstorm. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Competitions! ...that was my brainstorm today. More at the 2/4 staff meeting. * Business Cards: No activity. * Vocal warm-ups CD - One of our teachers created the file, now I just need to figure out how to burn it to a CD so that it plays for students (will I need to convert the format from midi, probably?) Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending, and medium priority.Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Pending. When, when? I want new music! I should do more Clapton. (or less?)Messiah: Meet one TBD goal per month: Schedule the next new song: I'll look at this Saturday.Reading: One book per week. I didn't read at all yesterday. I will "read" on my way to work today.Writing: Goals TBD: Set goals. (1) Blog at WDC daily. DONE.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and THREE PENDING.Okay, so I didn't write a blog post, but I did come up with a great blog topic: Copyright laws. It will require some research. But once I write the article, I'll be printing it and handing it out to students, clients, and teachers in my lobby. (3) Set fiction writing goals. PENDING. Goal: set goals by 1/9. NO ACTIVITY.(4) Set songwriting goals. PENDING. Goal: set goals by 1/9. NO ACTIVITY.On the fiction and songwriting goals, if I can't even set the goals, how on earth will I ever meet the goals I set? I'm just too damn busy. So here is my fiction and songwriting goal for 2011: * Re-evaluate fiction and songwriting goals during Spring Break. I'll remember to do this because I'll set a meeting with myself on my shiny newish Blackberry. And if I drop the Blackberry in a margarita like I did its predecessor's predecessor, I just won't write anything in 2011, and my 2012 New Year's resolution will be to set new fiction and songwriting goals for 2012. After I get a new phone. Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 53 Coffee (3) 2 cups Raisin Bran w/1.5 cups milk (8) Potbelly sammich (7) Crackers (4) Mexican: Chips (5), guacamole salad (2), taco (4), and two regular margaritas (20) |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: Set intermediate goals. * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: We need to schedule and fill a new songwriting class. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: Staff meeting scheduled for 2/4. Everyone can make it! I also have a slew of new people signed up for email-only promotions and coupons - way more than have "Liked" us on FB. Still, we have some potentials on FB too. So I'm thinking of running email- and Facebook-only promotions in the next month or two. We also get a lot of hits from the Town Money Saver, and we've never run a promotion there - just advertised. I wonder how many lukewarm readers would turn into hot leads if they saw a coupon there? Our cash flow is in fantastic shape. We have plenty of funds for advertising. I should hit January and February really hard, so I can spent March and April focusing on summer programs. Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending.Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Pending. Cody, one of our guitar teachers, showed me how to play "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones. I haven't tried it yet, but it rocks. And WildThing~Becoming gave me an enormous list of suggestions on Facebook.Messiah: Meet one TBD goal per month: Goal: Sound system work day. Supplies ordered for the work day.The Praise Band launched a new song two weeks ago - it's probably time for another one. Epiphany (season of light) is really long this year, because Easter is so late. We have time to learn a new "light" song. That might help me feel less neglectful. I attend weekly worship planning meetings every Monday morning, turn my bulletins in on time each week, teach the band new songs once a month or so, schedule special music regularly, perform at my service and others any time I'm needed, hired and manage a sound tech, and am working on a work day where we'll implement a total sound system overhaul, and still I feel like I'm neglecting this job somehow. I'm sure it's not neglect, but more likely, lack of energy. Looking back on my career, this job at my church is my longest-running job ever. I tend to be a job hopper because I thrive on variety. I am project-oriented. I wonder if this job has just gotten too routine. Sadly, I'm too busy with my other jobs to shake it up. Reading: One book per week. It seems to be a reasonable goal at the moment. Right now, I'm reading "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells.Writing: Goals TBD: Set goals. (1) Blog at WDC daily. DONE.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and THREE PENDING.(3) Set fiction writing goals. PENDING. Goal: set goals by 1/9. NO ACTIVITY.(4) Set songwriting goals. PENDING. Goal: set goals by 1/9. NO ACTIVITY.Okay, this is ridiculous. I haven't touched my writing goals since 1/1, beyond getting back into the habit of blogging daily. I will make it a priority to at least set my writing goals by the end of the day. I will also publish at least one MT.com blog post. SLACKER! I've been too busy playing with my business plan the last week or two. Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 32 Coffee (2) Granola bar (2) Lasagna (7) Crackers (8) Trail mix (9) PB&J (4) |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: Set intermediate goals. (1) Update business plan and reanalyze advertising budget allocations by 1/9: DONE. * Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: It's hard to think promos when you're slammed with business. * Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break: STAFF MEETING SCHEDULED for 1/28 Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending.Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Pending.Messiah: Meet one TBD goal per month: Goal: Sound system work day. Supplies ordered.Reading: Goals TBD: TBD.Writing: Goals TBD: Set goals. (1) Blog at WDC daily. DONE.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and THREE PENDING.(3) Set fiction writing goals. PENDING. Goal: set goals by 1/9. NO ACTIVITY.(4) Set songwriting goals. PENDING. Goal: set goals by 1/9. NO ACTIVITY.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 32 Coffee (2) Lasagna (7) Roast beef sammy (7) Nuts (4) Crackers (4) Ice cream (8) And I forgot about the ice cream I ate Sunday, which was probably closer to 10. Dear Lord, what did I do to my body that day??? |
| Reach 300 students by 12/31/11: Set intermediate goals. (1) Update business plan and reanalyze advertising budget allocations by 1/9: Two years projected, hallelujah! I may make money at this yet. (2) Develop a Q1 promotion & ad plan by 1/7: Office manager and I did not meet. I need to just plan it on my own. (3) Develop a summer program plan by Spring Break, starting with January staff meeting: PLAN MEETING Customized database by 12/31/11: Design web page interface for potential form. Pending.Potbelly: : Add one repertoire song per week Pending.Messiah: Meet one TBD goal per month: Goal: Sound system work day. W00t! I gave Joe, our sound guy, an advance to buy stuff.Reading: Goals TBD: TBD.Writing: Goals TBD: Set goals. (1) Blog at WDC daily. DONE.(2) Blog at MT.com weekly. OVERDUE and TWO PENDING.(3) Set fiction writing goals. PENDING. Goal: set goals by 1/9. NO ACTIVITY.(4) Set songwriting goals. PENDING. Goal: set goals by 1/9. NO ACTIVITY.Count points: TOTAL POINTS YESTERDAY: 38 Coffee (2) Fiber granola bar (2) Crackers (4) McDouble (11) Gummy Worms (1) Pizza (7) Drumstick (6) Candy (5) |
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Aw, thanks, 