I really do.
I get to relax and practice at my leisure without having to cram it into the six or seven hours I have free. I don't have to spend the night reading the forty gajillion things for class.
The only bad thing is that I had to cut my fingernails again. I love having long fingernails, but that makes piano playing an interesting event. I found out yesterday though that my fingernails were in fact strong enough to depress the keys without help from the pads of my fingers, and it was freaky since I'm so used to feeling the keys.
I've also discovered the greatness that is peppermint tea. I'm not one for hot beverages, but hot tea has become something that is acceptable. Now that I know how to prepare it properly, I really do enjoy it.
Then again, I enjoy peppermint anything.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Feminine Hygiene
I hate shaving my legs.
I really do. Actually, to be honest I only hate it after I haven’t shaved in awhile. That’s because I just used four razors and I still didn’t get my legs completely de-furred! Urgh!!!
But you ask, why keep it up then? Well, like I said I don’t always hate it. At certain times of the month I find it enjoyable because it’s one more facet of femininity. Yes, I am a feminist, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be feminine sometimes, particularly when Auntie Rose is visiting. It’s because when I’m being tailed by Auntie Rose I’m more than aware of the fact that I am a woman. I’ve got the power to bring life into the world and to nurture that life. I have a very strong maternal instinct, so I love that fact. I always feel like celebrating when most women feel cramped up and bloated.
Of course, according to Kristen this just means that I will have horrible labor because I don’t cramp. But then again for some reason I usually cramp up about a week or so before my period so maybe it won’t be so bad.
And, on a completely unrelated note, if Heath Ledger doesn’t win an Oscar for his performance in The Dark Knight, I will go Academy hunting. Every time I watch it, I am just broadsided anew by him. I have to sit there and remind myself that the Joker is Heath Ledger. In the movie, he is just the Joker, no one else. I can’t see any of Heath’s past roles in him. I can still see Morgan Freeman as Azim from Robin Hood and Gary Oldman as Dracula, but for the life of me I can’t reconcile the Joker and William Thatcher. If that isn’t the mark of a great actor, I don’t know what is.
I really do. Actually, to be honest I only hate it after I haven’t shaved in awhile. That’s because I just used four razors and I still didn’t get my legs completely de-furred! Urgh!!!
But you ask, why keep it up then? Well, like I said I don’t always hate it. At certain times of the month I find it enjoyable because it’s one more facet of femininity. Yes, I am a feminist, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be feminine sometimes, particularly when Auntie Rose is visiting. It’s because when I’m being tailed by Auntie Rose I’m more than aware of the fact that I am a woman. I’ve got the power to bring life into the world and to nurture that life. I have a very strong maternal instinct, so I love that fact. I always feel like celebrating when most women feel cramped up and bloated.
Of course, according to Kristen this just means that I will have horrible labor because I don’t cramp. But then again for some reason I usually cramp up about a week or so before my period so maybe it won’t be so bad.
And, on a completely unrelated note, if Heath Ledger doesn’t win an Oscar for his performance in The Dark Knight, I will go Academy hunting. Every time I watch it, I am just broadsided anew by him. I have to sit there and remind myself that the Joker is Heath Ledger. In the movie, he is just the Joker, no one else. I can’t see any of Heath’s past roles in him. I can still see Morgan Freeman as Azim from Robin Hood and Gary Oldman as Dracula, but for the life of me I can’t reconcile the Joker and William Thatcher. If that isn’t the mark of a great actor, I don’t know what is.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Three Reasons This Past Week Sucked
1. Someone took my HIM poster off the door of my room. As in stole it.
I came back Thursday evening after my classes but before Lessons and Carols to find my poster gone. You don't know how pissed I was. It was a beat up poster that I was thinking of getting rid of anyway. If the person who took it had asked, I would probably have been open to giving it to them free or very cheap. Now, I want it back just because someone stole the damn thing.
2. I had a minor meltdown after juries.
I ain't kidding. I ran out of there needing one of my friends so that I could get a hug and get it all out. Thankfully I found Rebecca before I flipped. Contrary to popular belief I do not like crying in public.
3. I have three more exams before I can chill.
I really don't like exams!
I came back Thursday evening after my classes but before Lessons and Carols to find my poster gone. You don't know how pissed I was. It was a beat up poster that I was thinking of getting rid of anyway. If the person who took it had asked, I would probably have been open to giving it to them free or very cheap. Now, I want it back just because someone stole the damn thing.
2. I had a minor meltdown after juries.
I ain't kidding. I ran out of there needing one of my friends so that I could get a hug and get it all out. Thankfully I found Rebecca before I flipped. Contrary to popular belief I do not like crying in public.
3. I have three more exams before I can chill.
I really don't like exams!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Of Seventh Chords and Tremelos
So, today in Musicianship was rather eventful.
First, when I did my rhythm quiz I did something that was not only a first but completely hilarious. On the long notes, my voice had a - according to Lynn - a tremelo. Seriously, my nerves made me unable to control my vocal cords. I couldn't stop the tremelo from being in my voice and the rest of the class plus Dr. Couch had a field day with it.
By the way for those of you who aren't musicians, a tremelo is when you move between two notes very quickly but evenly. It's not a trill which is more random.
Then when we were going over seventh chord identification it became apparent that Lynn has spent way too much time around me. You see, when we first learned them Dr. Couch told us to imagine them as colors. A major-major is yellow, a major-minor is red, a minor-minor is blue, a half-diminished is grey, and a fully diminished is black.
Well, me being who I am, I came up with another way of remembering the chords. Major-major is very sunny and bright - like Autobot Bumblebee. Minor-minor is calm and sometimes slightly sad, and thus it is imprinted in my mind as the Optimus chord. Half-diminished sounds "whiney" so it's Starscream, and the fully diminished sounds very evil like Megatron. Thus, you have my memory system in place.
Well, today, Lynn identified the half-diminished as Starscream. We both sort of looked at each other and mutually agreed that we'd spent waaaaaaay too much time around each other.
First, when I did my rhythm quiz I did something that was not only a first but completely hilarious. On the long notes, my voice had a - according to Lynn - a tremelo. Seriously, my nerves made me unable to control my vocal cords. I couldn't stop the tremelo from being in my voice and the rest of the class plus Dr. Couch had a field day with it.
By the way for those of you who aren't musicians, a tremelo is when you move between two notes very quickly but evenly. It's not a trill which is more random.
Then when we were going over seventh chord identification it became apparent that Lynn has spent way too much time around me. You see, when we first learned them Dr. Couch told us to imagine them as colors. A major-major is yellow, a major-minor is red, a minor-minor is blue, a half-diminished is grey, and a fully diminished is black.
Well, me being who I am, I came up with another way of remembering the chords. Major-major is very sunny and bright - like Autobot Bumblebee. Minor-minor is calm and sometimes slightly sad, and thus it is imprinted in my mind as the Optimus chord. Half-diminished sounds "whiney" so it's Starscream, and the fully diminished sounds very evil like Megatron. Thus, you have my memory system in place.
Well, today, Lynn identified the half-diminished as Starscream. We both sort of looked at each other and mutually agreed that we'd spent waaaaaaay too much time around each other.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Contentment
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.
That is the sound of a contented music major. Wind Ensemble finally got finished with its first concert and the Hodie is only graded by Mrs. Hill and I know most of it. I don't have to freak out about Wind Ensemble music anymore.
On the other hand, I do have rehearsal tonight even though Wind Ensemble rehearsal is cancelled. Ah, that lovely, lovely Hodie. Fortunately, Dorothy will be with me so I won't be alone with a bunch of random orchestra people. I told Mrs. Hill I would do it because I wanted to have some orchestra experience and she did ask.
And I've chilled out about practicing too. I still need to do it, but I'm not saying "OMG! I don't have ten hours!!!!" anymore. I know I probably won't get my quota this week, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'll just work harder next week and the week after.
I'm loving that Mrs. Hill assigned a piece I already partly knew as my second solo. Scherzo in C Minor kicked my butt two years ago but I kicked its butt the other day when I looked at it again. It's amazing that I can still remember how to play it, but I'm glad too since I'm still ironing out kinks in my first solo, Scene and Air from Loisa de Montfort.
For now though, I'm enjoying lunch and having internet. I hope they get it fixed in Morris soon.
That is the sound of a contented music major. Wind Ensemble finally got finished with its first concert and the Hodie is only graded by Mrs. Hill and I know most of it. I don't have to freak out about Wind Ensemble music anymore.
On the other hand, I do have rehearsal tonight even though Wind Ensemble rehearsal is cancelled. Ah, that lovely, lovely Hodie. Fortunately, Dorothy will be with me so I won't be alone with a bunch of random orchestra people. I told Mrs. Hill I would do it because I wanted to have some orchestra experience and she did ask.
And I've chilled out about practicing too. I still need to do it, but I'm not saying "OMG! I don't have ten hours!!!!" anymore. I know I probably won't get my quota this week, but I'm not going to beat myself up about it. I'll just work harder next week and the week after.
I'm loving that Mrs. Hill assigned a piece I already partly knew as my second solo. Scherzo in C Minor kicked my butt two years ago but I kicked its butt the other day when I looked at it again. It's amazing that I can still remember how to play it, but I'm glad too since I'm still ironing out kinks in my first solo, Scene and Air from Loisa de Montfort.
For now though, I'm enjoying lunch and having internet. I hope they get it fixed in Morris soon.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Traditions
Traditions
So, family traditions. Well, in my family we had a lot of old traditions and then we have our new traditions. The reason we do is because we had the things we did before my grandmother died and the things we do now.
Before Grammy died she was the one who put on all the parties. Every birthday - mine, my sister's, my brother's, all of my cousins', and my niece the few years before Grammy died - was in the Lake House. Grammy would cook a mountain of food and us five Grandkids and our parents plus my Aunt Claire would gather together and have fun. Christmas and Thanksgiving were put on at the Big House and they were open to more of our peripheral family. I haven't even seen most of those people since the last Christmas get together.
After Grammy died in 2002, all that fell apart. She was what unified our family so we really had to begin a few new traditions. My sister and my mother have taken up were Grammy left off, but my sister does it more since Mom's condition (she had a stroke when I was in 8th grade and it was very severe. She doesn't like being in public much and putting on Thanksgiving and such tends to leave her very stressed and we prefer not to do that to her) doesn't lend well to entertaining as much. For the first time in over six years we plan to have Christmas in the Big House this year.
What do these traditions mean to me? To be completely honest I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes thinking about the times we had in the Big House and Lake House. (Listening to this particular segment of the score from the Dark Knight isn't helping either.) I can remember running around with my cousins April, Amy, and Christopher playing Cops and Robbers and Hide'n'Seek. I can see Grammy bustling around the kitchen and my brother Brian opening presents in front of the fire place.
These traditions that my family has lost represent my lost childhood. After Grammy died, I grew up fast. I had too. A year after Grammy died my mother had her stroke. I still sometimes have to check on Mama when she's sleeping to make sure she's still breathing, that's how close we were to losing her. My Aunt Claire went through a really rough time after Grammy died and there was a temporary rift between her, my uncle, and my dad because of the conditions of my grandmother's will. My Uncle GT and my cousins still don't contact us much.
This Christmas is important because it fills me with hope. It means that my family has finally really begun to heal. We'll be doing something that is at least half way normal even though it's probably going to be very depressing because it'll be the first Big House Christmas without Grammy presiding.
But still, it's the hope that counts.
So, family traditions. Well, in my family we had a lot of old traditions and then we have our new traditions. The reason we do is because we had the things we did before my grandmother died and the things we do now.
Before Grammy died she was the one who put on all the parties. Every birthday - mine, my sister's, my brother's, all of my cousins', and my niece the few years before Grammy died - was in the Lake House. Grammy would cook a mountain of food and us five Grandkids and our parents plus my Aunt Claire would gather together and have fun. Christmas and Thanksgiving were put on at the Big House and they were open to more of our peripheral family. I haven't even seen most of those people since the last Christmas get together.
After Grammy died in 2002, all that fell apart. She was what unified our family so we really had to begin a few new traditions. My sister and my mother have taken up were Grammy left off, but my sister does it more since Mom's condition (she had a stroke when I was in 8th grade and it was very severe. She doesn't like being in public much and putting on Thanksgiving and such tends to leave her very stressed and we prefer not to do that to her) doesn't lend well to entertaining as much. For the first time in over six years we plan to have Christmas in the Big House this year.
What do these traditions mean to me? To be completely honest I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes thinking about the times we had in the Big House and Lake House. (Listening to this particular segment of the score from the Dark Knight isn't helping either.) I can remember running around with my cousins April, Amy, and Christopher playing Cops and Robbers and Hide'n'Seek. I can see Grammy bustling around the kitchen and my brother Brian opening presents in front of the fire place.
These traditions that my family has lost represent my lost childhood. After Grammy died, I grew up fast. I had too. A year after Grammy died my mother had her stroke. I still sometimes have to check on Mama when she's sleeping to make sure she's still breathing, that's how close we were to losing her. My Aunt Claire went through a really rough time after Grammy died and there was a temporary rift between her, my uncle, and my dad because of the conditions of my grandmother's will. My Uncle GT and my cousins still don't contact us much.
This Christmas is important because it fills me with hope. It means that my family has finally really begun to heal. We'll be doing something that is at least half way normal even though it's probably going to be very depressing because it'll be the first Big House Christmas without Grammy presiding.
But still, it's the hope that counts.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Homesickness
I don't have any.
So, this weekend is Fall Break and almost all of my friends are going to spend the weekend at home, most rolling out of here right after IDC.
I'm not.
I only live an hour and a half away but I don't want to go home for the weekend. I love my family, but at home I do pretty much what I do here: whole up in my room or the computer room(home)/practice room(here) and not see the light of day. Ann-Alyce told me about how her and her mom would go out to eat a lot and hang out, but my family doesn't do that a whole lot. Really, my family isn't the "traditional" kind. We love each other, but for my entire life we've never been the "let's-go-out-to-eat-tonight!" kind of family. We hang out together sometimes, but for the most part my parents, my brother, and I don't do family outings.
To be fair, it's mostly because of our personalities. Depending on the day my dad can be either very gregarious or anxious, and many of my birthday outings have featured my dad trying not to be too ill tempered. My mama suffered a stroke when I was in eighth grade, so she often feels slightly uncomfortable out in public. My brother doesn't take any crap so if Dad's in a pissy mood Brian gets mad too and things snowball from there. I like going out and having dinner with my family, but I'm the mediator so I often get pulled in to ref and then I get pissed.
It's always interesting to look at my brother and I because we both have opposite features. Brian gets his social attitude from Dad and his quick-ish temper from Mama. I get my solitary habits from Mama and my temper from Daddy. Brian is very physical and handy-man-ish like Daddy, and I'm artistic and crafty like Mama. Maybe it's because we're all so alike that being together too long isn't all that pleasant.
Anyway, tangent aside, I think I might go home for a day, but I don't think I'm going to spend any nights. In Con 101 they talked to us about studying strategies, and since I've never studied at home I usually associate it with down time. I can study anywhere on campus because even though I live here, it's still school. Home is where I don't do diddly, and with two Mid-terms coming after the break I can't really afford to do diddly for even two days. One yes; two no.
So, this weekend is Fall Break and almost all of my friends are going to spend the weekend at home, most rolling out of here right after IDC.
I'm not.
I only live an hour and a half away but I don't want to go home for the weekend. I love my family, but at home I do pretty much what I do here: whole up in my room or the computer room(home)/practice room(here) and not see the light of day. Ann-Alyce told me about how her and her mom would go out to eat a lot and hang out, but my family doesn't do that a whole lot. Really, my family isn't the "traditional" kind. We love each other, but for my entire life we've never been the "let's-go-out-to-eat-tonight!" kind of family. We hang out together sometimes, but for the most part my parents, my brother, and I don't do family outings.
To be fair, it's mostly because of our personalities. Depending on the day my dad can be either very gregarious or anxious, and many of my birthday outings have featured my dad trying not to be too ill tempered. My mama suffered a stroke when I was in eighth grade, so she often feels slightly uncomfortable out in public. My brother doesn't take any crap so if Dad's in a pissy mood Brian gets mad too and things snowball from there. I like going out and having dinner with my family, but I'm the mediator so I often get pulled in to ref and then I get pissed.
It's always interesting to look at my brother and I because we both have opposite features. Brian gets his social attitude from Dad and his quick-ish temper from Mama. I get my solitary habits from Mama and my temper from Daddy. Brian is very physical and handy-man-ish like Daddy, and I'm artistic and crafty like Mama. Maybe it's because we're all so alike that being together too long isn't all that pleasant.
Anyway, tangent aside, I think I might go home for a day, but I don't think I'm going to spend any nights. In Con 101 they talked to us about studying strategies, and since I've never studied at home I usually associate it with down time. I can study anywhere on campus because even though I live here, it's still school. Home is where I don't do diddly, and with two Mid-terms coming after the break I can't really afford to do diddly for even two days. One yes; two no.
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