Busy April: Last in Line Concert and Tucson Travel
I’m still trying to figure out where March went, and now April is almost gone. I think the months pass so quickly for me because I’m a) old and b) busy. This post will be a quick slice-of-life view of the past month here at Camp WTF. It’s also part of the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and What’s Been on Your Calendar, hosted by Sue, Debbie, Donna, and Jo.
The Day Job
I don’t talk a lot about my day job on here, because I’m trying to keep my writing life separate from my professional life (hence the pseudonym). But it’s been a big month for me on the work front.
- I’m in the interview process for a position at my institution that would be a significant promotion. The first-round interview happened at the beginning of the month, and the second-round interview is scheduled for mid-May. For those of you who haven’t experienced a campus interview in academia, they are all-day affairs (sometimes longer) that require a lot of preparation. I’ve set my fiction writing aside and am using my morning writing time for interview prep.
- The book I co-edited is out! I received my author copies on Wednesday. I’m so, so excited to hold the results of 2 years of hard work in my hands.
Fun times!
I mentioned last week that my friend Laurel visited for a few days earlier this month. I still haven’t processed the photos from all our explorations (sorry, Laurel!), but here are a few:
Last in Line, live at the Rialto
The primary reason for Laurel’s visit was to see Last in Line at the Rialto. Last in Line was formed about 10 years ago by former members of Ronnie James Dio’s band. Membership has changed a bit since then and currently consists of drummer Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Dio), guitarist Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard), bassist Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, a bunch of other people), and vocalist Andrew Freeman (the Offspring, Lynch Mob).
The Rialto is a former vaudeville theater with a lot of character and great acoustics. The show was small and general admission, so we were able to get in the front row easily. My trusty concert camera started malfunctioning, so my photos aren’t great, but they’ll do. Here are a few:
Saguaro National Park
In last week’s post I shared a batch of flowers from our visits to both the East and West units of Saguaro National Park. Here are a few more pics from those trips:
Mission San Xavier del Bac
Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission on the Tohono O’odham Nation south of Tucson. The mission was founded in 1692, and the current complex was built between 1783 and 1797.
The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures
Occasionally you’ll see cars in Tucson with bumper stickers reading, “Keep Tucson Weird.” The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures is an example of Tucson weirdness. I didn’t take a lot of pictures, but I was drawn to one of their temporary exhibits, Dioramas of a Darker Nature: Nicolas Levasseur’s Abandoned Miniatures. Yeah, I know, is anyone surprised I liked the creepy stuff?
Here’s just one example of Levasseur’s work:
Looking forward to May
May is shaping up to be an even busier month than April:
- Staycation next week. Long-Suffering Husband will make his annual trek to Uranium Springs for their Detonation event (learn more in this post), and I will be left to my own nefarious device. Of course I’m taking time off work to fully enjoy this opportunity (and to prep for my upcoming interview).
- Campus interview on May 15
- Attend a conference in Detroit and take some additional time to explore Michigan (most of the rest of the month)
The Memery
No theme this week and only a small collection, because I really have been spending large chunks of my non-work time on interview prep. Here we go:
Since this post has me thinking about concerts:
That’s the damn truth. The fees for our Last in Line tickets weren’t too bad, but the last time I bought a ticket to a really big show, the fees were over $75. I *hate* Ticketmaster.
As long as we’re talking about music:
If you’re of a certain age, now you have that song stuck in your head. You’re welcome.
I’ll apologize in advance for this next one:
And since we’re talking about Star Wars:
I currently have an exceptionally well-behaved printer, which I find… confusing. I don’t think I’ve had to swear at it even once.
For as long as I’ve known him (37 years and counting), Long-Suffering Husband has insisted that buildings should be called, “builts,” for exactly this reason.
Did I mention I’m prepping for a campus interview? I ate half a box of Wheat Thins at bedtime a couple of nights ago.
And finally:
How was your month? Whatcha looking forward to next month?
29 Comments
Joanne
Good luck on your job interview!! The outside of that mission is stunning…. and I now have the Steve Miller song stuck in my head.
Janet Alcorn
Then my work here is done 🙂 And thank you.
Kelly Wellington
Re: Ticketmaster and concert tickets. Screw ’em, I say. In the wake of Covid, I would think it obvious that mass events are killers. Nobody should be packed into a venue with thousands of other idiots who refuse to follow even the most basic public health guidelines and both obscure the view of the performers and insist upon noise-making during the performance which effectively ruins the entire performance. Why even bother, when for much less, one can purchase a recording of their music which is a model of clarity and unsullied by screaming druggies and can be replayed again, and again, and again. Nobody should ever again attend such concerts and Ticketmaster can file for bankruptcy and f off.
Janet Alcorn
I agree with you about Ticketmaster, but I still love the sensory experience of live music. There’s something primal about it that’s hard to duplicate.
Christie Hawkes
Good luck with the interview process, Janet! I have to say I really enjoyed the collection of memes.
Janet Alcorn
Thank you!
Lydia C. Lee
Good luck with the job – love the Misson pics. #WBOYC
Janet Alcorn
Thanks!
margaret21
What a lovely eclectic mix here. And … good luck with the interview.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! “Eclectic mix” (or maybe “eclectic mess”) pretty much describes me 🙂
margaret21
Ah, me too!
Debbie
Good luck with it all Janet! That last meme is a classic – especially for wine buffs 🙂 Thanks for joining us for WBOYC, you seem to have a very full calendar at the moment!
Janet Alcorn
Thank you! This is the first time in years I’ve had such a full calendar, and it’s… weird. But fun too.
Michelle
Your possible job promotion sounds exciting and stressful. Good luck with next interview! The concert looks amazing. And I had to giggle at your summation about Ticket Master. Agreed. And it’s not just ticket master. We recently bought two tickets to a concert that ended up being the cost of three. Grrr…Love your memes! #WBOYC
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! And yes, that Ticketmaster meme nailed it. Grrr is right.
Sue from Women Living Well After 50
Hi Janet, those job interviews sound intense so good luck with your interview. Exciting that your book has been published. I enjoyed reading about your April and you certainly had a variety of things to do during the month. Thanks for joining us for #WBOYC and hope you can join us at the end of May x
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! I hope to participate at the end of May and share some vacation pictures–that don’t contain cactuses 🙂
leannelc
Hi Janet – I really liked that diorama – so clever and I bet the exhibition would have been really interesting. Good luck with the interview – it sounds like a HUGE process, so I hope all the hard work pays off for you.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! The diorama really was clever. He had several like that–rooms in an abandoned house, one with his eye looking through a window. Creep-tacular!
E.W. Bennefeld
Thanks in particular for the saguaro photographs.. New to me. .
Janet Alcorn
There are lots of saguaro photos on this blog. Like… so. many. saguaro. photos. And here you are, encouraging me 🙂
Seriously, thanks. Saguaros are one of my favorite things about living in the Sonoran Desert.
Natalie
The running saguaro makes me smile. Good luck with your job interview! and Congratulations on the book you co-edited. Thank you for your #weekendcoffeeshare.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks! It made me smile too. It really needs to be a meme. I’ll have to get on that in my copious spare time 🙂
Maria
Best of luck with your interview on the 15th. I bet the concert was marvellous!
Janet Alcorn
It was–and thanks!
ArleneS
Oh, just fess up. That first photo isn’t Freeman but Long Suffering Husband on a typical Tuesday night.
Janet Alcorn
LOL! Nah. Long-Suffering Husband’s hair is curly.
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
Looks like you had a lot going on in April, and you managed a day job on top of it all. Congratulations on your book release and the upcoming promotion interview.
Janet Alcorn
Thanks!