oboeinsight

I’ve been sleeping nearly all day. On and off I’ve managed to get up off the couch, but my body is saying, “SLEEP!” and I’ve been obeying.

I knew I was catching a bug on Thursday. I warned my students, and didn’t touch their reeds or instruments. Playing opera that night wasn’t terribly uncomfortable, but I had a sneakin’ suspicion I was going to get worse. Yesterday I did manage to get a good walk in, but otherwise I took it easy until I drove over the hill for the first of two UCSC concerts I am playing.

Then there was the middle of the night episode. Sigh.

I have acid reflux (sometimes I wonder if it’s related to oboe playing), and I had the worst episode last night. It was my own darn fault: I hate a chocolate chip cookie before bed. Everyone with acid reflux knows not to eat before bed, and chocolate is a huge no no! But of course I DID eat one, and of course I had a horrible bout of AR. Following that I couldn’t breathe. I had involuntary swallowing. I honestly didn’t know quite what was going to happen. And I probably scared Dan horribly. But I survived. Whew!

When I woke this morning I not only had the memory of that scare, but I had a fever and my cold had gotten worse. Well, that, and I felt like I’d been run over by a truck! Thus, the napping all day long.

And to think it’s my birthday! Hmmm. I do not approve of this day. At all.

But now it’s time for me to get up, face the fact that I have opera at 8:00, and prepare for that. I just can’t see calling in sick with this music. The part I have for Pagliacci has the added off stage oboe line printed in it, and it’s not terribly easy to read. I can’t imagine a sub coming in and dealing with that. The Poulenc is just tricky for counting, and I’d hate to have someone sight read that. So I will take ibuprofen and tylenol. I will have something hot to drink (maybe my throat coat tea although right now that doesn’t appeal to me). I will have “throat drops” in case I have a coughing fit (although I hate using those because I can pretty much kiss reeds goodbye).

Tomorrow I have opera and I then race over to UCSC for the second concert.

But hey, I’m only an oboe player! I know singers have to get up on stage and act and sing when they are ill. So I will attempt to shut up and play, rather than whine. Really!

Yep, it seems I’ve stayed alive
to reach the number 55.

But STILL … did I have to get a cold now? Just before Thanksgiving, and right when I have opera overlapping with UCSC concerts?

Ah well. I have one, and I have to deal.

Playing oboe with a cold is not terribly fun.

Playing oboe when it’s cold is also not terribly fun. The reed I planned on using for Pagliacci, and which DID manage to allow me to play my one troubling little lick toward the very start of the work (whew!) suddenly stopped working. Just. Stopped. (Sorry, dk, to leave you all alone in that little ditty!) I quickly switched reeds, and later looked at the one I had favored. I think it’s cracked. That happens sometimes when we have this crazy cold weather. Ah well … one must always have more than one reed. Right?

Guess I’ll sit around tomorrow working on reeds as I cope with this rotten cold. Time for my Throat Coat tea, too. I WILL get over this. Quickly.

Because I say so.

And I’m the mom.