Superfluous Hullabaloo
The world according to Feffie.Monday, April 29, 2002
Saturday, April 27, 2002The Movin' Blues
I hate moving. It's such a dreadful pain in the tuchas. It doesn't seem like there's that much dust on my belongings, but this whole packing up procedure is causing my allergies major trauma. Packing is such a boring job too, and one which I lack skill for. No matter how much I think and try to plan things out, I end up doing things in the most illogical manner possible. Then if I spend too much time thinking, I feel like I have wasted time. I wish I could just throw things into boxes without worrying about what might break or how heavy the boxes might become, or what to put in which box with what else in order to be able to access it later. How did I get so much stuff anyway? It doesn't seem like that much, until I go and try to move it. argh. Why doesn't someone just do it for me? Any volunteers?? :-)
Thursday, April 25, 2002The Friday Five
The Friday Five.
1. What are your hobbies? I like swing dancing, ping pong, and cooking.
2. Do you collect anything? If so, what? Student loans. Although I really would like to diminish that collection. On a happier note, I also collect shot glasses and records. Yes, I do actually have a working record player on which to play them!
3. Is there a hobby you're interested in, but just don't have the time/money to do? I would love to be able to travel! I have never been out of the country, and I am itching to explore the world. Chris had promised that one day he will take me to Europe.
4. Have you ever turned a hobby into a moneymaking opportunity? Yes, to a certain degree. Music started out as a hobby for me, and now is becoming a career (hopefully). I do make some money off it even now, with any gigs I have time to take outside of my busy school schedule, and by teaching lessons, which I have found to be very enjoyable and rewarding (when my students have good reeds). E-mail me if you need an oboist or bassoonist in south Florida.
5. Besides web-related stuff (burbs, rings, etc.), what clubs do you belong to?
Well, I really don't belong to any web-related groups (sorry, I'm not that much of a geek). In real life, I belong to Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity for women, Phi Eta Sigma freshman honor society, and I was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha social fraternity for women, but had to go inactive due to unfortunate financial circumstances.
Wednesday, April 24, 2002Moving On
I was sitting in band today, and suddenly it hit me that this will be my last rehearsal with the Stetson band. Tomorrow night is my last band concert. It was such a strange feeling, to hit me all at once. It seems like these last four years have gone by so quickly. Although, there were some rough parts that just seemed to draaaaaaaag on. It's strange that it's all coming to a close now. Band rehearsals, and the philosophizing of Dr. Adams, have become such an institution in my life. It's hard to imagine life without these things, ever again. I suppose it's not really an ending, but a new beginning, but it still seems strange. This is a major turning point in my life, and I am still absorbing it all. So many things will change so quickly in the next few months. I'll be graduating college, moving out of my apartment, re-adjusting to living with my parents again, getting a job, and then come August, packing up and moving everything to New York. I'll be transplanting myself to a new location that is almost completely unfamiliar to me, and studying at a new school that I have only seen once, and where I know no one (except the oboe professor and the conservatory coordinator, both of whom I met briefly). It is all very exciting, but at the same time terrifying. I don't seem to have the reckless courage I had when I was younger (and I am really not that old)!
Well, my hen is almost done. I suppose I shall ponder these things over dinner.
Tuesday, April 23, 2002Public School Testing
I was reading through some of the journals I like to read, and I came across an entry about public school testing on lexxicon.net. This is an issue I really feel strongly about, and I am glad she addressed it.
I agree whole-heartedly with her stance on the school testing issue. I graduated from the public school system four years ago, and I could see that while I was in school the situation was getting progressively worse. They are coming up with more and more standardized tests each year, and there is more emphasis on teaching test-taking rather than teaching kids how to learn and how to think (thinking for oneself seems to be a rarely-appreciated quality lately). I see it becoming even more of a problem through my father, who is a teacher, and through my middle-school oboe students. The students are trained to become test-taking robots. The teachers resent these tests because they take so much away from classroom time, but they are pressured by the administration and the school board bureaucracy to have better test scores than the next school, the next county, etc.
I find it disturbing that educational policies are written by politicians. The state legislature makes decisions about public schools without input from anyone who knows anything about education. Florida's public school system is inferior to that of most other states, and I suppose their way of making things better is to impose more standardized tests (and budget cuts, of course).
I also agree with her point about the school's lack of a decent science or arts program. More and more schools are trying to cut programs they view as "extracurricular" or "unnecessary" (i.e. anything but reading, writing, and arithmetic). Arts programs in particular are neglected or cut completely because of politicians who don't realize the value of a child developing creativity and an appreciation for the arts. Studying the arts teaches children so many valuable skills and ideas that can be applied to many areas of life, and an appreciation for the arts is sorely lacking in this country. Here in Florida, we spend more on prison inmates than we do on educating our children. I find that to be very sad.
Monday, April 22, 2002The Fat Chick
Well, I had my first experience at being "the fat chick" today. I was in movement class and we were doing these moves where the guys have to lift the girls up. Well, the other girls in the class are these petite little things with no meat on their bones, and most of them are pretty short too. I am the only "big girl" in the class. Most of the guys had a lot of trouble lifting me up, and it was really quite embarrassing. Furthermore, we have these two 13-year-old kids in the class who are really small, and they could barely lift the tiniest girl in the class, let alone get my fat ass off the ground.
This whole gaining weight thing kind of snuck up on me. I used to be thin. All through my childhood, through high school, and the first two years or so of college I was thin. Then all of a sudden I woke up one day and I was fat. I don't remember getting fat, it was just a sudden realization that my clothes were too tight, and constant painful reminders when I see the stretch marks on my hips.
I suppose there are worse things than being chubby. I suppose I should be grateful that I am not starving. I suppose I should be grateful that I still have a pretty face and hair. I suppose that I should be grateful that I have a boyfriend who adores me and thinks I am beautiful both outside and inside. However, I just don't feel comfortable in my body anymore. It doesn't feel like my own body, and it doesn't look like my body. I don't know how I got like this.
Saturday, April 20, 2002Survey Time!
Happy Birthday, Chris!!!
This is from Melissa. I know I've done several surveys lately, but I thought this one was interesting:
1. IF YOU COULD BUILD A HOUSE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD IT BE?I would build it on a secluded tropical island with moderate climate year-round. It would have to have a gorgeous beach and breathtaking mountains.
2. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ARTICLE OF CLOTHING? Pajamas!
3. FAVORITE PHYSICAL FEATURE OF THE OPPOSITE SEX? lips
4. WHAT'S THE LAST CD THAT YOU BOUGHT? Wow, I really have to jog my memory, it's been a while since I bought a CD! It sucks being broke. Probably the last time I bought CDs was when I went to the IDRS conference in August, and I bought a bunch of oboe CDs, Wayne Rapier, Nancy Ambrose King, Joe Robinson, to name a few.
5. WHERE'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? anywhere with Christopher
6. WHERE'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PLACE TO BE? in a classroom during test time
7. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO BE MASSAGED? I love to have someone dig out the knots behind my shoulder blades!
8. WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT, STRONG IN MIND OR STRONG IN BODY? In general, I think mental strength is superior to physical strength, but physical strength would sure come in handy in certain circumstances!
9. WHAT TIME DO YOU WAKE IN THE MORNING? I usually wake up around 10:00. Sometimes I get up earlier if I have a lot to do.
10. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN APPLIANCE? I'm just crazy about the George Foreman grill! It's so quick and easy. Thanks, Mike. :-) The wok is lots of fun too!
11. WHAT MAKES YOU REALLY ANGRY? People who drive really slowly in the left lane and refuse to get out of the way make me angry!! It especially makes me angry when two trucks drive down the highway side by side and block any traffic from getting by. Also, people who cause traffic jams by gawking at accidents really irritate me. In general, drivers who are stupid, inconsiderate, and dangerous make me angry.
12. IF YOU COULD PLAY ANY INSTRUMENT, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I do play several instruments... oboe, English horn, bassoon, saxophone, and piano. Although, I wish I were better at the piano, and I really wish I had a bassoon of my own. A working saxophone would be nice, too!
13. FAVORITE COLOR? purple
14. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SPORTS CAR OR SUV? Well, it depends... I think SUVs are more practical since I have a lot of stuff to haul around and I like to take road trips, but a sports car would be a lot of fun to cruise around in.
15. DO YOU BELIEVE IN AFTERLIFE? yes
16. FAVORITE CHILDREN'S BOOK? Is Anne of Green Gables a children's book? I read it as a child.
17. WHAT'S YOUR LEAST FAVORITE HOUSEHOLD CHORE? I hate cleaning anything! Although, I do love to have things clean...
18. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? I've always liked the summer because I always have fun in the summer. Springtime is nice too, becuase it's not so hot, and Chris' and my birthdays are in the spring!
19. IF YOU COULD HAVE ONE SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I owuld love to be able to eat what ever I want but always be a size 6!
20. IF YOU HAVE A TATTOO, WHAT IS IT? My favorite of my tattoos is the oboe running down my spine!
21. CAN YOU JUGGLE? No, I've tried, but I am far too clumsy!
22. THE ONE PERSON FROM YOUR PAST YOU WISH YOU COULD GO BACK AND TALK TO? I'd love to be able to talk to Uncle Joe, I miss him.
23. WHAT'S IN THE TRUNK OF YOU CAR? LOL...who knows! hmmm....I thihk I have a car cover that doesn't fit (leftover from the Oldsmobile), some motor oil, probably some loose change, not sure what else...
24. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DAY? Saturday rules!
25. WHICH DO YOU PREFER, SUSHI OR HAMBURGER? I love to eat sushi! Although my budget has been more conducive to hamgurgers lately.
26. FROM THE PEOPLE YOU emailed THIS TO, WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I haven't actually e-mailed this to anyone...
27. WHO'S LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? See above.
Side note: for anyone who has never tried the rotisserie chicken from Publix, it is delicious, I highly recommend you try it!
Tapas and Moonshine
I have discovered the meaning of life: fine wine, delicious food, and an incredibly handsome man to share it with. Chris took me to this restaurant in Asheville tonight called Zambra. A Spanish tapas bar with a gypsy flair. Amazing food. He had the Moroccan chicken, and I had the red snapper, and both were unbelievably good. We had an appetizer (one of the tapas) that was excellent. I don't remember what it was called, but it involved eggplant and a flatbread. We had a Spanish wine called Prado Rey that was delicious. It was such a wonderful night, staring into his gorgeous hazel eyes sharing this exquisite food.
Last night was a lot of fun too. We were invited to a barbeque by his friends Danielle and Patrick. Delicious steaks. I had my first experience with moonshine. It was a memorable experience (from what I can remember). One of the more memorable moments of the eveing was when Patrick was telling a story of an over-zealous preacher standing on a soapbox yelling, "Masturbation leads to fornication!" and Colin said sadly, "Not in my case." Poor guy.
Thursday, April 18, 2002The Friday Five
1. What's your favorite TV show and why? I don't watch a whole lot of TV, but I really like The West Wing. My parents got me hooked on it. It's very intense and gripping, and there is a lot of oboe music in the background!
2. Who is your favorite television star?I never really thought about it...
3. What was your favorite TV show as a child? Punky Brewster.
4. What show do you think should have been cancelled by now?All those trashy talk shows. I know they're a big hit, but they're just perpetuating stupidity.
5. What new show do you hope escapes the axe this season?Hmm, I don't know. I haven't seen any of the new shows!
Well, I guess this wasn't the best Friday Five for me since I am not a big TV watcher. Oh well.
Wednesday, April 17, 2002Enjoy Life!
Ever have a moment when you realize that the world isn't so bad afterall? You just throw all your cares aside and enjoy life. I just had one of those moments, and it was very refreshing.
JD and I were walking back from dance class, all hot and sweaty. It's an absurdly hot day out to begin with, and the dance studio seemed hotter than usual today, plus all the running around dancing. We went into the recital hall like good music students, but we were late because of movement, so we could neither walk in during the middle or the performance, nor check in for attendance credit. We decided to take a dip in the fountain. It looked so cool and refreshing, and it had been a while since we'd been in the fountain. We saw a photographer doing a photo shoot in the quad, and we figured we'd better stay out of the way, so we sat unobtrusively on the edge of the fountain and dipped our feet into the cool water. Much to our surprise, the photographer turned his camera and aimed at us! We requested that we kick our feet and laugh, splash a little and look like we're having a good time. Well, splashing a little led to frolicking led to dunking led to backstroking. It was deliciously refreshing, both in body and spirit. We asked the photographer what the photos were for, and he said the admissions borchure! We're either going to be kicked out of school, or immortalized as the goofballs in the fountain.
JD started feeling self-conscious as some fellow music students walked by and give him snotty looks and icy glares. I told him, "screw them if they are too uptight to have fun! Don't let them rain on your parade." He's so worried people won't have any respect for him. I told him as long as he works hard, he has every right to cut loose and have fun, and not to worry so much about what people think. These particular students are not the ones who will decide what job he gets, or anythign important for that matter. If they are going to get upset with him for having some harmless fun, they are only hurting themselves, and no one else.
Anyway, aside from all that, it was a great time and I encourage every to try it, or something similar, to lighten up your day!
Tuesday, April 16, 2002Blogger Code
My blogger code: B2 d- t- k u-- f i o++ x-- e- l c+
What's yours?
Bimbo Alert
This is funny:"Oh! He's very important then if he's the prime minister! That's a real tough job isn't it?"
--Britney Spears, in London to promote Crossroads, after needing to be told who Tony Blair is.
The London Daily Mirror, March 27, 2002.
Monday, April 15, 2002Looooong Survey!
I feel like blogging, but I just can't think of anything interesting to say. I'm feeling a little braindead today, probably from lack of sleep. Chris and I were up late last night on the phone. We had a great conversation, so it was well worth it. We came to the conclusion that no matter what life hands us, we are determined to stay together. We are good for each other. I have gotten so close to him, I know I could not exist (at least not happily) without him.
Luckily, I found a survey on Kat's Page in lieu of a real entry:
1. Name: Steph
2. Age: well, I suppose I am still young enough to tell the truth... 22
3. Sex: Female.
4. Cherry or apple?: apple
5. Single?: Nope. Sorry to disappoint all the men out there, but my heart has forever been stolen by a sweet angel.
7. What do you prefer ? sex? or make love?: Making love... especially when it transcends the purely physical experience.
8. Are you a virgin?: I used to be.
9. Nationality: American. Ancestry is a mix of mostly German and Irish. Yes I like to drink. :-)
10. What's your favorite holiday?: I think Easter is the most beautiful... celebrating Jesus' resurrection.
11. Favorite sport?: Hockey, figure skating... odd for someone who really doesn't like the cold
12. Does size really matter?: Size of what?
13. Favorite color?: Purple
14. Favorite movie(s): Good Will Hunting, Anne of Green Gables
15. Do you wear pajamas or sleep in the nude?: Usually in the nude, unless I am cold or I have company. I do love pajamas for laying around the house in, though.
16. Candles or incense?: Both! I love (good) smelly things!
17. Car or truck?: a big old-lady car :-)
18. Music?: Music is the purpose of my existence. I am a classical musician, but I also enjoy jazz, classic rock, rap, hip-hop, alternative, and many other genres. Aerosmith is my favorite rock band. As for classical composers, that changes all the time, but I have been on a big Ravel kick lately.
19. Laugh or cry at a funeral?: I hope at my funeral (after living a long, full life) people will remember me fondly and tell funny stories about crazy things I did and tell tasteless jokes in my memory.
21. Do you believe in chain letters?: Come on, let's be reasonable folks. Some of them have a nice message, but the chain part is stupid, so I delete that before forwarding it.
22. Do you sleep with your stuffed animal?: Mr. Bunny keeps me company.
23. Do you love anyone?: Yes, I love Christopher very much, and of course my family.
24. McDonalds or Burger King?: McDonalds, BK has lousy fries.
25. What is/are your mostly used nickname(s)?: Feffie, Peffy, Biggie, Big Goofy Dove
26. What's the worst thing you have ever done?: Right, like I'm going to reveal that on my blog.
27. Obsession?: Chocolate!! yum yum
28. How often do you clean your room?: The week before the health inspector comes to town.
29. Number 1 on your list to have sex with?: duhhhhhhh
30. Sexiest person you know: Christopher!!
31. What do you wanna name your kids?: Joseph, Jasmine, Sunflower
34. Pepsi or Dr. Pepper?: depends on my mood
35. Is Vanilla Ice cool or does he still suck?: Well, he was cool in fifth grade... although sometimes it is amusing to hear "Ice Ice Baby" just for the nostalgic value.
36. Rather eat at home or out?: well, out is usually more fun, but too expensive! I love to cook, so eating at home is cool.
37. Favorite cartoon?: The Simpsons
38. Rather be a Smurf or Scooby Doo?: be short and blue or a stoned dog... hmm....
39. Tyra Banks or Mya?: For what?
40. Where are your piercings?: 2 in each ear, one in the navel.
41. Drugs?: not anymore... I've been asked to refrain. :-(
42. Jerry Springer or Ricki Lake?: You mean which is worse? I don't know, I can't stand either one!
.43. If you could be reincarnated, what would you come back as?: a dolphin
44. Have you got any pets?: I have a little aquababy fish, and an adorable cocker spaniel named Ebony!
45. Brownies or cupcakes?: ooey, gooey, fudgy brownies
46. If you had 24 hours left to live, how would you spend it?: at Disney World with Chris and my family.
47. Cat-person or dog-person?: Dogs!! They are so loyal, loving, and fun. I like cats too, but they make me sneeze.
48. What's better, bass or guitar?: well, it depends on the context...
49. Is your writing messy or neat?: Almost illegible most of the time. The only time it's nice is when I write in calligraphy.
50. Where do you want to live?: on a tropical island
51. How many kids do you want?: probably 2-3
52. Habla espanol?: Un pocito.
53. Have you ever run away?: No... I have snuck out, but never run away.
54. Does anyone owe you money?: No, I owe about 50X what I am worth!
55. Are you happy or sad right now?: content I suppose
56. Would you rather smoke two joints or do your homework?: smoke 2 joints! I try to suppress that urge though.
57. How's school?: fine, almost done! 25 more days until graduation!
58. What do you think you will die of?: Old age.
60. Favorite place to go: the beach
61. What do you want to be when you grow up?: I don't want to grow up!! In the future, however, I would like to be a professional musician/ teacher.
63. Do you go to church?: sometimes
64. What do you do when you're bored?: fart around on the computer
65. Beavis or Butt-head?: I never really got into those guys. Although I have to admit I laughed like a loon when JD forced me to watch the movie.
66. Book or magazine?: Book, definately, so much mroe substance.
67. Ever seen a ghost?: no
68. Do you believe in witchcraft?: no
69. Do you sleep with the music on?: No, I must have silence.
70. King Of The Hill? or ?The Simpsons??: Definately The Simpsons. Clever wit and social commentary disguised in mindless humor. Great stuff.
72. Do men suck?: Most of them do. Fortunately, I have found one of the very few good ones.
73. Do women suck?: Well, not as bad as men, but many of the catty-bitchy-petty ones do. When women turn on you, it's brutal. When a man decides he hates you, he usually just quits talking to you. Women get fierce. That sucks.
74. Ever been arrested?: No. (knock on wood)
75. Mad TV or Mad Magazine?: I'm not really familiar with either.
76. Steak or salad?: Sometimes I am in the mood for a good steak, but I always adore a good salad!
77. Craziest thing you've ever done: not for public display
78. What's the band you hate the most?: All those pop-trash bands with no talent irritate the shit out of me. Why are real musicians out of work when these no-talent losers are millionaires?? Sometimes I hate the world we live in today.
79. Worst TV show?: I've never seen Survivor, but the whole pretense of it is so stupid, and from what I've heard about it, I am quite sure I would hate it. I never bothered to watch it.
79 1/2. Have you ever cheated on someone?: No. I never would. No matter how much of a dick the guy was, if I didn't want to be with him and only him, I would just straight up tell him. It's the honorable thing to do. Although one guy I dated implied that I cheated on him. He got mad at me for hooking up with a guy after he told me he didn't want to be with me anymore. Was I supposed to be on reserve for him and wait around all by myself until it was convenient for him to resume the relationship? What an ass.
80. Have you ever been cheated on?: Not that I know of.
81. Beer or wine?: I prefer wine, but I also drink beer. Especially free beer on ladies' night!! :-)
83. Favorite book: the Lord of the Rings Trilogy or the Anne of Green Gables series
84. Favorite number(s): 29
85. "Haha" or "hehe"?: I depends, and I usually try to write the one that emulates the type of laugh I would use at that particular moment.
86. Bright or dark?: depends on my mood
87. Favorite radio station(s): I find the radio to be highly unsatisfying. I usually flip around for a while, then give up and put on a CD.
88. Is it a...?: huh?
89. One good thing and one bad thing about the person who sent this to you: It wasn't really sent, I got it from Kat's Blog. Kat is a very intelligent, witty, and funny person. I don't like saying bad things about people (especially on the internet!), so I won't!
90. If you had the chance to be on Titanic knowing it was gonna sink, would you still go?: No! What a stupid question!
91. Do you have a secret crush on anyone that you want to tell?: shhh don't tell anyone I have a crush on Chris... it's a big secret...
92. If you could have $100,000,000 or love, what would you have?: duhhh If you know me at all, you already know the answer to this question.
93. End with a quote: from the Time for Tea book that Chris' mom gave me:
There is something undeniably heartwarming and conversation-making in a cup of steaming-hot tea.... It is an ideal prescription for banishing loneliness. Perhaps it is not so much the tea itslef, as the circle of happy friends eager for a pleasant chat."
Well, that survey wasn't quite as entertaining as I had hoped, but oh well. Perhaps next time I will have a clever entry.
The Friday Five
The Friday Five. 3 days too late, but hey, what do you expect! ;-) I was pretty busy this weekend.
1. What is your favorite restaurant and why?This is hard! I really love to eat. There is a restaurant in Asheville called Vincenzo's that Chris and I really like to go to. Anywhere that has good sushi is a favorite of mine too. I have been itching to try Emeril's and Wolfgang Puck's restaurants.
2. What fast food restaurant are you partial to? I try to avoid fast food, but every now and then... Subway when I am being reasonable (although Publix has the best subs, but that's not really fast food), Taco Bell when I am craving Mexican but don't have time or money for *real* Mexican food.
3. What are your standards and rules for tipping? I try to give a good tip (at least 20%) whenever possible. I know what it's like to have to work hard for every penny. If the service is really lousy, or if the server is rude, forget it. I try to at least give something, but when I am going out to eat and spending my money, there is no call for someone to be rude, no matter how bad her day has been.
4. Do you usually order an appetizer and/or dessert?If I order an appetizer, I usually don't finish my dinner. So I only get an appetizer if that's all I plan on eating, or if I know my dinner is something that will be good as leftovers the next day. Restaurant portions are usually so huge I don't have room for dessert after dinner, so I usually only order dessert if I go out specifically to have dessert. If something is really yummy, though, I may order it to share or take home.
5. What do you usually order to drink at a restaurant? I don't really have a *usual* drink. It depends on where I am, who I'm with, what time of the day it is, what I'm having to eat, and what mood I'm in. Generally, I like coffee and juice in the morning, iced tea (unless it's close to bedtime), wine if I am eating somewhere nice, or beer.
Saturday, April 13, 2002Praparing for Graduation
26 days until graduation! I can hardly believe that time has flown by so quickly. I think back on my college years, and so much has happened, yet it all seems like a blur. Luckily, I have tons of pictures to help remember the details. Well, for the first three years anyway, before I lost my camera. I really should get a new one.
The recital went well. After all the dreading the worst, it was actually kind of fun. I really enjoyed performing with Chris. The whole thing was a really strange feeling. I was about to go onstage for the first piece, and right before the stagecrew opened the doors, I was thinking, "I can't believe I am about to go onstage for my senior recital." For such a long time, my senior recital seemed like something so far in the future, I could never imagine that the day would actually come, and suddenly the moment was right there in my face. The performance flew by, and I stayed surprisingly calm. I had be riled up all day; I was so jumpy while I was getting my hair done, I could barely sit still for Debbie to do my hair! She did a fabulous job, I was really happy with her work. I left the salon hoping that I would play as well as I looked!
The reception turned out to be a lot of fun too. We had it at my apartment, so people ended up staying and chatting for quite a while. The best part was the sense of relief that it was finally over and I could relax!!! 26 days until graduation. Then I prepare to move on to the next phase of my life.
Thursday, April 11, 2002Beer & Pizza
Man, I am so glad I don't have to have my wisedom teeth removed! And I hope I never do. Holly had hers out today, and it did not look like fun.
After I was done taking care of Holly, and I left her with her cousin, I tackled the dreaded task of laundry. It wouldn't be so bad if I had my own washing machine, but having to go to the laundromat makes it so much worse. I didn't bring anything to do, and I can't just sit there and do nothing while my laundry is in the machine. Just can't do it! I can't sit still, can't stand to be bored. It turns a half-hour laundry cycle into 3 hours of mindless torture. So while the laundry was washing, I went to the pet store nearby and looked around at the pets. Mostly fish, a few birds and small furry animals like mice and hamsters. The saleslady kept offering me help. "No thanks, just looking." Yes, I have no life. I am that much of a loser that I have nothing better to do than wander aimlessly around a pet store. I admit it. And one that didn't even have any cute puppies to look at. I pretended I didn't notice that she kept eyeing me suspiciously as I walked around the store. What did she think I was going to do, put a hamster in my purse? A fish in my pocket? Really, now who needs to get a life.
So I went back and put my laundry in the drier and decided that while I was waiting for it to dry, I would go to Hungry Howie's. It was cheap, something to occupy my time, and I needed to eat dinner sooner or later anyway. They have a salad bar, so I wouldn't have to gorge myself on pizza. Well, I realized why I never eat at Hungry Howie's. Howie must have been awfully darn hungry to want to eat there. It was, shall we say, less than gourmet. The salad looking boring, but pretty harmless. I grabbed a plateful. I contemplated adding some salad dressing.... until I saw how gloppy it was. How does Italian dressing get gloppy?? It looked like jelly. Oh well, salad dressing is fattening anyway. I went over and grabbed a couple of lukewarm slices of pizza. It wasn't horrible, but not something I'd be eager to eat again. I took my time eating since I had a half an hour to kill while my clothes dried. Just as I was about to finish eating and leave, they put out a hot fresh pizza. Figures. I decided to have one small slice just to see if the fresh pizza was any better. Luckily it was. What made the whole trip worthwhile though was to see the guys at the table who brought their own 12-pack of Southpaw. I suppose it is "unAmerican" to have pizza without beer, and since Howie is Hungry but apparently not Thirsty, he doesn't serve beer. So BYOB! How innovative. Gotta admire that. JD, I'm sure you are smiling in approval now.
I've spent pretty much all evening cleaning up my apartment, but I feel reasonably sure that when my mother arrives tomorrow, it will not pass the "white glove test." "Do you really want to invite people into your home with it looking this way??" (She should have seen it before!) Well, I tried, I really did. On my hands and knees scrubbing, the whole deal. Put things away, or at least out of sight. I really do like cleanliness and organization. I feel so much more at ease when my environment it tidy. I simple don't have the skills. I hope that one day I will be able to have a maid. Not that I am too lazy to clean, but I want someone to do it right. And it would save me time that I could spend on more enjoyable things, like playing my oboe.
Well, I suppose I should get to bed. I have to call Chris in a few hours to make sure he gets out of bed. Hopefully, I will be able to get right back to sleep so will be alert and refreshed for my performance tomorrow. I really hope it goes well. I am anticipating the worst. I suppose I should make an effort to be more optimistic. Well, I'm going to tear myself away from my computer now. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers...
Mind Over Matter
I am not sick!! I am not sick!! I am not sick!! JD tells me that this "cold" I have is all in my mind. Perhaps he is right. Perhaps getting sick, for the first time all semester, the week of my recital is not a stroke of bad luck, but a manifestation of my own paranoia. This seems to happen a lot. I tend to get sick whenever I have something important to do, i.e. taking the SAT, auditions, and performances. Is it Murphy's Law, or am I exuding negative energy that is impacting my health?
Busier Than the Bees that Make the Honey
I've been horrible about posting lately. I suppose that senior recital preparations have taken precedence over my internet endeavors. Imagine that, I actually have a life (sort of). In any case, I've been keeping busy.
For anyone who's curious, my recital program consists of:
Trio for flute, oboe, and piano by Madeleine Dring
Concerto for Oboe by W.A. Mozart
Fantaisie Pastorale by Eugene Bozza
Vocalise en forme d'habanera by Maurice Ravel
I am particularly looking forward to performing with Chris. I've had a slight cold all week, and I am hoping my health improves by Saturday. Of course, staying online all night is probably not conducive to that, so perhaps it would behoove me to sign off and go to bed...
