MI Mini-break Chronicled: Part II

Saturday morning about thirty minutes before my alarm was going to go off, I woke up with butterflies doin' their thing, but since I'm stubborn, I made myself lie there in my cousin's bed (which she so graciously relinquished to me during my stay-- Thanks, Moogan!) until I'd planned to get up.  Then began the task of curling and spraying and twirling and spraying and pinning my hair into submission.  The first hour I was in the main bathroom, but since four other people had to get ready, too, I ended up going to the half bath in the basement to finish.  A little over two hours after getting up, I was practically ready and we were walking out the door.

We "crammed" into the Camry (Ford is holding my aunt's minivan hostage and providing her a Sedan via Enterprise) and began the trip.  I made a slew of CDs for my cousins and brought them with me, so we listened to them to and from Chicago.  It was mostly Disney, so much fun was had by the big kids in the backseat.

It didn't take us as long as I'd thought to get there (the weather was less than friendly through the night, so I figured it'd take us a little longer).  That put me being a little over 2 hours early for my audition.
(Eh he?!)

One of the sweet music administrators gave us a map of the area with lists of restaurants and such so we could go have some lunch and kill some time.  She mentioned there was a really great Cuban place nearby, so we decided to try it.

Good decision.

Cafecito.  Their specialty is pressed sandwiches.  The Crouch girls all got turkey sandwiches, the Crouch boy had some kind of jerk, and what did I get?

Basically a glorified PB&J...BUT!  It was spectacular.
Peanut butter, guava, and plantains on delectable bread, pressed and warm and YUMM.  It was perfect comfort food against the cold and the nerves.

After that, the Crouch Clan headed uptown toward Water Tower Place, and I went into my beloved Fine Arts Building to spend some more time before my audition.

Over the doors leading into the building

I took the old-time elevator up to the 9th floor to peruse the show tunes and standards in the music store, and then worked my way down the stairs.  I finally got to go into the used-book store I've just passed by for the past two years.

It's a treasure trove akin to the library in Beauty and the Beast in the sense that books fill shelves that begin at the floor and end at the ceiling.  And where floorspace would allow, they were piled on top of tables, too.  Everything was organized by topic, and from what I could tell, that was about it as far as organization.  US History.  World History.  European History.  Photography.  Art.  Art History.  Music.  Philosophy.  Psychology.  Music SCORES and libretti.  I mean, O. My. God.  It was beautiful.

And hot.  That's the one thing about old buildings in the North in winter.  Radiators are really good at what they do.  So, I looked a little nutty gazing up at all of this, juggling my purse, my bag of tricks (music), and my wool coat with sweat beading on my forehead.  (Yes, I AM made for a cold, big city! [stamps foot])

When the heat became too much, I decided I'd best walk back to Roosevelt, to cool off outside and then to find a practice room inside.

After powdering my nose and such, I went to the music office to have someone let me into the practice rooms (carefully guarded by lock and key code).  I was scheduled to be second-to-last, but when I got there, I found out several people had been no-shows, so I was very last, and they were ready for me whenever I was ready.  (YES!/O dear, no...)  I double-checked my cadenzas in my aria (because I just had a feeling they were going to ask for it... and did they ever, haha), and after a moment of feeling good, on I went.

I think it went well.  I was too focused on what I was singing/saying/doing to pay attention to much of anything else.  I sang all of the words and pitches.  I'm pretty sure I communicated the stories in both of my pieces-- that's all I could think about, so I think I did it.  But I was SO nervous.  I HAD to focus (probably a little too hard) in order to overcome them (even though I'm fairly certain my left leg had a seizure while I was singing...).  Here's to hoping they didn't notice! 

Anyway, I did it, it's over (all things I was telling myself as I left), and it wasn't horrible, so I went to catch the subway, meet my family and go to the Disney Store.  I had to fight against snow and wind in my face no matter which direction I was walking, but I eventually found my peeps, and then we ALL braved the wind and chill to visit the only antidote to Walt Disney World Withdrawals in the region.

That visit was a HUGE success.

Jessie the Yodelin' Cowgirl came home to live with me.  XD

After that we wandered around trying to find our subway station in such a way that we could avoid having our faces pelted with snow (Gah, I love the North...).  Eventually we did, and we trudged back to the car.

I think we got back to the house around 9:00-9:30-ish.  Kettle corn and macaroni and cheese for my dinner, then shortly after, sleeeeeeeep.

And now I feel like I should end THIS ridiculously long post and continue with Sunday and Monday's adventures tomorrow.  Geesh!  It takes me a long time to chronicle five days...