So yesterday began with AAA and getting a new starter for the van. Yep, we need to replace it but would LOVE to wait until after the Europe trip next summer.

Off to teach folks who are often ill prepared or just too nervous to learn well. Four deliveries of the same information to subsequent subgroups makes for a challenging teaching day.

Then I ran back to the hospital to make copies for today's ECG lecture handouts. I left my purse in the passenger floorboard and my cellphone on the charger. Yep, you can see it coming. I thought I locked the door but it must be time for a new clicker battery.

Luckily they must have walked up on the driver side as I came back to an empty charger but a full purse.

So on the way to run home to prep Christie for her choral consert, I had to go by Altell. They say those phones are popular because of the changeable faceplates. In the spirit of not allowing things to ruin my life, I said to the Altell guy, "Well then, I guess I just gave someone an unintended Christmas gift then."

But the best part of gift giving is supposed to be the giving....loses something in the Cell Phone Scrooge Strikes Again scenario.

I called Les to tell him and to ask, "Should I replace it or am I being punished?" He said, "Why, you will just want to take mine..."

What a wise man! :-)

So I have a new phone which somehow works better (maybe cause I haven't dropped it yet) but the same number.

Unfortunately, I lost most of your numbers which might be a good thing.

Last night was Christie's Chorus Consert. They had to have these outfits made. $80 for a black aline skirt and a short sleeve blouse with a kind of surplice front with one button closure. Hideous white over black poly crepe back satin. ICK and poorly fitted to boot. I made them take up her skirt as it fell to her hips exposing her belly button....not the look I thought they were going for.

I was going to have them remake it after her concert but when I saw the others last night none were fitted well so I am not sure we will get any better. And, it looks okay together.

Fortunately their director is better than the dressmaker and they sounded beautiful. Chris is 12 and in honors chorus; she is now singing alto or second soprano which better suits her range but is more challenging. She is doing well and I am proud of her. She has beautiful posture which must be a throwback to her GMa and she is so intense when she sings. You can see her devotion to it.

Still the hilight had to be the male ensemble. About twelve 7th and 8th grade boys....wow, that is bravery. Their voices are all deepening and so they sang a bit cautiously and sometimes a little flat but you had to give them kudoos for sticking it through a hard time in their vocal lives. Their last tune was "Soul Man" which they loved. Funniest part is when they got to the repeat of the line, "I'll be your only boyfriend," each one scaled back so that the song almost unintentionally gave out. I turned to Les and said, "Poor guys, they don't want to be caught saying that much less singing it!" At the end, the girls (who were sitting down) did a little girl squeal at the start of the applause. Made the boys blush.

Sometimes you wonder how many more good moments there can be. Now that was a gift of the season.