Today was the first rehearsal for orchestra this year. We're doing Carmina burana by Carl Orff with the voice program. It's going to be quite the spectacle.
I'm playing the Eb clarinet part, and oh goodness is that thing hard to tune. It's itty bitty, and hard to control, and really really out of tune. But it's going to be fun. I enjoy playing with the orchestra more than most other things in my life. It's definitely one of my favorite things ever. It's pizza night! Mmmmmmm Pizza....
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
Flower!
I woke up this morning and leisurely made breakfast, fed the fish, took a shower, and watered the... WHAT?!?! What is that? Oh my goodness, there is a bright orange flower in my planter! Someone left me a flower! How cool is that? Completely made my morning. That is all.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Five minutes to chocolate cake?!?
OMG... I saw this and tried it, and although the cake isn't what you'd call gormet it is acceptable chocolate cake and even very good with a glass of milk. The best part is it took all of five minutes! In the microwave! You can too!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Adventures
Today was full of adventure! Lucy, Robert and I packed a picnic lunch (baguette, artichoke dip, dried mango, and sparkling pomegranate juice served in champagne flutes) and walked over to Natural Bridges State Park. Instead of walking the usual way we shortcut through a school. It made me a little nervous. How did we know it would actually get us where we were going? We didn't. This is the kind of thing I need more of in my life. Trying new things, even if it's just a new route or sitting in a different part of the lecture hall. I tend to settle into my routines and habits and not change. I was thinking it would be neat to try to have a mini adventure every day for a year... but maybe when I'm done with school. School takes over my life and won't let go. As it should.
By the way, there were monarch butterflies in the park! Not as many as there will be come November, but a reasonable amount. They were fun to watch.
Then this evening we headed over to Fins Coffee House to try chai for the first time, (delicious!) and hear my friend Max on the saxophone! It was a lot of fun, and I was amused that my favorite piece of music was the one he said was the hardest. No accounting for taste I suppose.
By the way, there were monarch butterflies in the park! Not as many as there will be come November, but a reasonable amount. They were fun to watch.
Then this evening we headed over to Fins Coffee House to try chai for the first time, (delicious!) and hear my friend Max on the saxophone! It was a lot of fun, and I was amused that my favorite piece of music was the one he said was the hardest. No accounting for taste I suppose.
Friday, September 26, 2008
School has Begun!
I went to all my classes and they are... ho hum. But let me take a moment to extol the virtues of the bike shuttle. I finally moved off campus this year, and decided that I wanted to bike. Biking has several advantages.
-It's better for the environment than driving
-It's better for me than driving
-I can take the short cuts across
-It's faster than walking
There is one big disadvantage though.
-There is a very large hill between me and campus.
A hill that by the end of the quarter I hope to be able to ride up, but at the moment I lack the strength and stamina. Thus the virtues of the bike shuttle. I ride two or three minutes to a side street near my apartment, and a friendly university employee drives up every fifteen minutes in a van pulling a trailer. I load my bike onto the trailer with little difficulty and hop into the van. Up the hill to campus we drive everyone chatting along the way. We stop at the very top of campus uphill of everything and unload. Then it's downhill to class and an exhilarating ride down the hill home in the afternoon. I don't have to wait for a bus to get home, I just hop on my bike and fly down a bike path that was recently paved through the middle of the on-campus farm. I fully intend on biking every day now that I know I can. Hopefully I'll be in good enough shape by the end of the year to go on a bike adventure! Now if only there were more bike lanes...
-It's better for the environment than driving
-It's better for me than driving
-I can take the short cuts across
-It's faster than walking
There is one big disadvantage though.
-There is a very large hill between me and campus.
A hill that by the end of the quarter I hope to be able to ride up, but at the moment I lack the strength and stamina. Thus the virtues of the bike shuttle. I ride two or three minutes to a side street near my apartment, and a friendly university employee drives up every fifteen minutes in a van pulling a trailer. I load my bike onto the trailer with little difficulty and hop into the van. Up the hill to campus we drive everyone chatting along the way. We stop at the very top of campus uphill of everything and unload. Then it's downhill to class and an exhilarating ride down the hill home in the afternoon. I don't have to wait for a bus to get home, I just hop on my bike and fly down a bike path that was recently paved through the middle of the on-campus farm. I fully intend on biking every day now that I know I can. Hopefully I'll be in good enough shape by the end of the year to go on a bike adventure! Now if only there were more bike lanes...
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Audition
This morning I auditioned for orchestra. I think it went well. The director complimented me on my improvement, which I took as a good sign. I might even get to play the Eb clarinet! Wouldn't that be fun?
I also found this... http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/adca/?cpg=78H
I had seen the videos of fish doing these things... but I didn't know you could buy the kit. I think it would be hilarious to have guppies that could do tricks, but I don't think my tank is big enough to implement this system. Also, I'm out of spending money. Oh well.
I also found this... http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/adca/?cpg=78H
I had seen the videos of fish doing these things... but I didn't know you could buy the kit. I think it would be hilarious to have guppies that could do tricks, but I don't think my tank is big enough to implement this system. Also, I'm out of spending money. Oh well.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A Rollercoaster of a Day
Today began very badly. How can a day start with a dentist appointment and go well? Turns out I have two cavities developing in the back of my mouth. I've never had a cavity before. It makes me sad. It also means that I have to come back home next Tuesday to get them filled, so I'm missing pizza night twice in a row. Ugh.
Things did get better. I found a free side table on the side of the road that will be very useful in my apartment. That was nice. I went for a bike ride around the neighborhood. I am woefully out of shape. I am going to have to work really hard to be able to ride around Santa Cruz.
I worked on the memory quilt a little. I didn't have enough fabric to cover the back, so I gave up. I'll find a better solution some other day when I'm feeling more inspired and not so trapped. I did finish my silk blouse, and it is fabulous! So pretty!
Tomorrow I take my last load to Santa Cruz and stay. Just 18 1/2 more hours!
Things did get better. I found a free side table on the side of the road that will be very useful in my apartment. That was nice. I went for a bike ride around the neighborhood. I am woefully out of shape. I am going to have to work really hard to be able to ride around Santa Cruz.
I worked on the memory quilt a little. I didn't have enough fabric to cover the back, so I gave up. I'll find a better solution some other day when I'm feeling more inspired and not so trapped. I did finish my silk blouse, and it is fabulous! So pretty!
Tomorrow I take my last load to Santa Cruz and stay. Just 18 1/2 more hours!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Three More Days
Well, the Hadron Collider switched on this morning and did not create a black hole or destroy the Earth. Guess that means I have to go to work? Only for three more days!
I worked on my blouse last night. I got it all cut out, and almost finished sewing it together! The silk proved to be incredibly difficult to work with. No matter how many pins I put in it it wouldn't stay where I wanted it. I tried ironing, and pinning, and pinning AND ironing. It resulted in the least accurately cut project EVER. Fortunately I was able to adjust a few seams so it fits nicely. All that's left to do are the hems on the sleeves and the hem on the bottom. I tried last night with little success. Maybe I'll do better today with a full night of sleep and the sun shinning.
I worked on my blouse last night. I got it all cut out, and almost finished sewing it together! The silk proved to be incredibly difficult to work with. No matter how many pins I put in it it wouldn't stay where I wanted it. I tried ironing, and pinning, and pinning AND ironing. It resulted in the least accurately cut project EVER. Fortunately I was able to adjust a few seams so it fits nicely. All that's left to do are the hems on the sleeves and the hem on the bottom. I tried last night with little success. Maybe I'll do better today with a full night of sleep and the sun shinning.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Today
I have this piece of silk that my mom brought me from China over a year ago that I've been meaning to use. I just haven't gotten around to it. Well, today is the day! I am going to cut out the pieces tonight and sew it together tomorrow morning. Just see if I don't.
Only four days of work left! I am enjoying playing with the babies, but I feel like I end up with the 2/3 s really often. Not my favorite age group. They hit and pinch each other and I don't like it. Sometimes I wonder if the other teachers are really lax about that kind of thing, or if I'm overly strict. I often feel like I would put a kid on time out when the regular teachers just let things slide with a verbal "that's not o.k." On the other hand, there are a lot of things that they don't let the kids do, that I would. Climbing on boxes or running around the playground for example. Am I just a weirdo? Do I have unrealistic expectations? All I know is if I'm overly strict, my parents were downright mean! Oh well. Four days to go.
Only four days of work left! I am enjoying playing with the babies, but I feel like I end up with the 2/3 s really often. Not my favorite age group. They hit and pinch each other and I don't like it. Sometimes I wonder if the other teachers are really lax about that kind of thing, or if I'm overly strict. I often feel like I would put a kid on time out when the regular teachers just let things slide with a verbal "that's not o.k." On the other hand, there are a lot of things that they don't let the kids do, that I would. Climbing on boxes or running around the playground for example. Am I just a weirdo? Do I have unrealistic expectations? All I know is if I'm overly strict, my parents were downright mean! Oh well. Four days to go.
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