So, today I knew that I was a true Portlander! I was going to go home by way of my usual freeway, but it was all clogged and traffic was basically at a standstill. I decided to nix that, and I go a different way. I ended up on I-5 (a complete accident) and got home so dang easily it was scary.
The reason this makes me a Portlander is because I'm from a small town, where directions are more of a general idea, you know, "turn left at the big red barn" sort of directions. So, to be able to just go where I thought I needed to be with no help from anyone, and end up at home was a very proud moment for me! Yay! Go team me!!
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Music Theory Actually Kinda Rocks
My music theory prof was amazing, and had the best sayings of anyone I have ever heard. In fact, they were so amazing that my friends wrote them down...and I stole them!
“Donald Trump has the biggest comb-over I’ve ever seen! Hey. It’s ok. Just be bald. It’s alright.”
“It’s just Caitlin. I would never hurt her. She’s too nice. I wouldn’t do that. But there are other people I would hurt. I’m waiting for them. Get them in the jugular.”
“Sometimes you’re going to end up with wild and catastrophic dissonances with these things.”
“Lang! Take one of these. This is a good day for you.” (Jedi?)
“It has a whole big bunch of drama in it.”
“Ok. Flip page.”
“I’ll play it so you can feel it. Today is a music day.”
“Don’t those sound nice? Say, ‘Yes’.”
“Whoa! I love it! Whoo hoo! Whoa, whoa!”
“Stevie Wonder, here we come!”
“Here’s Tim’s dark music.”
“Ah, ha ha. That is nice.”
“You gotta resolve that. You can’t leave life without resolving that.”
“Why say boring things?”
“Tsunami is coming.”
“For those of you who haven’t done this type of music before…I’m green now.”
Tim: “Now, is this making your eyes flutter?”
Corey: “With love?”
Tim: “No, with hatred.”
“Sounds like machine guns firing out there. ‘Da Russians are coming!!!’ Like someone’s gonna just mow you all down.” (Pretends to hold machine gun and fires)
“It’s Ellington. You can’t change that.”
Mouths “Call me” to Tyler
“You can come up and call me names if you like.”
“He wrote his Jupiter Symphony in 2 weeks…shwshwshwshwshwshw Bang! Jupiter Symphony.”
Tim: “There’s a bunch of kids out here. How do I get upstairs?”
Ashley: “Go the other way.”
Tim: “Oh, yeah.”
“I have mud all over. Is that ok?”
“It gets thorny. I don’t’ want to do thorns, I’m tired.”
“Here look at this. Here’s some nice people in a boat.”
Tim: “It’s some sort of quasi-mode.”
Corey: “So, it’s quasi-modal?”
*General Laughter*
Tim: “That was good.”
“Look at the pagoda I drew in the first hour. Looks like a fir tree…(smiles)”
Tim: “What sound do you hear now?”
Caitlin: “A piano.”
Tim: (crosses eyes)…”What scale?”
“Raindrops falling on the ground…(beat)…but not on my head…(smiles)”
Sally walks in late. Tim stares at her and points at the clock.
“No cell phones or smiling.”
“Don’t take it out on the avacados. Give them a chance to do something to you.”
“I reuse everything, except for Kleenex.”
“She takes her clothes off, but this video doesn’t show it, so we’re not going to watch it.”
“And then all of a sudden BBBBLLLLLLEEEEEGGGGGG! down to Eb.
Someone stomps up the stairs. “That sounded like a squirrel.”
“I want to see ponies. I’ve always wanted a pony.”
Tim: “Hey you knotheads! What’s going on in Measure 19?”
Marcel: “I’m not going to say anything.”
Tim: “Good. That’s good.”
“That’s a lot of notes for Tim to play, but I’ll try. I’ am limited; I did call in stupid
“Can I do this? Yes I can. No. I can’t. Yes I can. Well. Yes I can.”
“There are no rules.”
Ashley: “Good job, Tim.”
Tim: “Yeah.”
“The next thing they do is piss…PITCH! PITCH CLASS!!!!!!!”
“I have to give a lecture now. I spent a lot of time on this. It’s a stunning lecture; you’ll all be weeping by the time I’m finished. Get ready. Buckle your seat belts.”
“It looks like one of those rolling gel wave things that people look at…[gyrates a bit] whoa….crack smokers, y’know…”
“If you hit someone on the head with a hammer for a long enough time, they will eventually become part of the hammer.”
“Let’s not experience death this morning.”
Speaking of the 12 year old piano playing, smart kid from Banks. “I keep telling everyone that I could take him in a street fight.”
“What a beautiful melody. You can have all melodies ever written for $19.95!”
“Sounds like the squirrels on my roof.”
“It’s kinda one of those things that ruled the world for awhile.”
“Is that good for you? You like that, do ya?”
“That’s Franz Liszt right there.”
“Ho ho ha whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, that’s already spookin’ me out.”
“Tha tha tha da da yea, I’m excited now.”
“I’ve got a six-four in the key of g and it’s awesome! Whoo!
“I made something awesome. I want to get paid.”
“I brought 14 copies of the wrong thing. I shouldn’t have done that.”
"You have to be investigators. Theory investigators into the mystery of life.”
“One is analyzed out. The other is not. One is hard. The other one is hard.”
“Don’t criticize me. I didn’t practice it.”
“They generally come back here, or they go somewhere else.”
“Is that hard? Yes that’s hard.”
Sung: “V Fryderyck Chopin, i. That’s his famous cadence”
“It sounds like barbershop music. It also sounds like Brahms.”
“Tie that over. That’s your seventh of the thing.”
“Then you’re back, doin’ your stuff again.”
“We’re gunna do this not the way I just did them.”
“Bad, bad, bad. I scold them.”
“Do I like it that way? No. But I’m gunna live with it.”
“I don’t like this. Any votes? I’ve almost had enough of this.”
“I think they’re tryin’ to get too theory on ya here.”
Ashley’s whoops, “A few inches makes a big difference.”
“It’s All Saints Day, I can do a doubled third.”
“You guys are going to be modulating masters before this thing is done.”
“Whoo. Intonation issue there.”
“I had a thing in my head that said, ‘Fix the problem.’ So I fixed the problem.”
“Hey. You meatheads. (beat) That was said with a great deal of love.”
“I want it to be more exotic. Naw, I don’t even want to do that anymore.”
“It can be done.” (beat) “It’s will be done.” (smile)
“Get to work or I will use the ‘meathead’ term.”
“You guys are becoming skillful a this. Quite skillful.”
"Now you prob’ly got it goin’ there.”
"I have a six fetish today"
"Spiders and Beethoven do not mix well..."
"Let's write the pile-driving song!"
“Donald Trump has the biggest comb-over I’ve ever seen! Hey. It’s ok. Just be bald. It’s alright.”
“It’s just Caitlin. I would never hurt her. She’s too nice. I wouldn’t do that. But there are other people I would hurt. I’m waiting for them. Get them in the jugular.”
“Sometimes you’re going to end up with wild and catastrophic dissonances with these things.”
“Lang! Take one of these. This is a good day for you.” (Jedi?)
“It has a whole big bunch of drama in it.”
“Ok. Flip page.”
“I’ll play it so you can feel it. Today is a music day.”
“Don’t those sound nice? Say, ‘Yes’.”
“Whoa! I love it! Whoo hoo! Whoa, whoa!”
“Stevie Wonder, here we come!”
“Here’s Tim’s dark music.”
“Ah, ha ha. That is nice.”
“You gotta resolve that. You can’t leave life without resolving that.”
“Why say boring things?”
“Tsunami is coming.”
“For those of you who haven’t done this type of music before…I’m green now.”
Tim: “Now, is this making your eyes flutter?”
Corey: “With love?”
Tim: “No, with hatred.”
“Sounds like machine guns firing out there. ‘Da Russians are coming!!!’ Like someone’s gonna just mow you all down.” (Pretends to hold machine gun and fires)
“It’s Ellington. You can’t change that.”
Mouths “Call me” to Tyler
“You can come up and call me names if you like.”
“He wrote his Jupiter Symphony in 2 weeks…shwshwshwshwshwshw Bang! Jupiter Symphony.”
Tim: “There’s a bunch of kids out here. How do I get upstairs?”
Ashley: “Go the other way.”
Tim: “Oh, yeah.”
“I have mud all over. Is that ok?”
“It gets thorny. I don’t’ want to do thorns, I’m tired.”
“Here look at this. Here’s some nice people in a boat.”
Tim: “It’s some sort of quasi-mode.”
Corey: “So, it’s quasi-modal?”
*General Laughter*
Tim: “That was good.”
“Look at the pagoda I drew in the first hour. Looks like a fir tree…(smiles)”
Tim: “What sound do you hear now?”
Caitlin: “A piano.”
Tim: (crosses eyes)…”What scale?”
“Raindrops falling on the ground…(beat)…but not on my head…(smiles)”
Sally walks in late. Tim stares at her and points at the clock.
“No cell phones or smiling.”
“Don’t take it out on the avacados. Give them a chance to do something to you.”
“I reuse everything, except for Kleenex.”
“She takes her clothes off, but this video doesn’t show it, so we’re not going to watch it.”
“And then all of a sudden BBBBLLLLLLEEEEEGGGGGG! down to Eb.
Someone stomps up the stairs. “That sounded like a squirrel.”
“I want to see ponies. I’ve always wanted a pony.”
Tim: “Hey you knotheads! What’s going on in Measure 19?”
Marcel: “I’m not going to say anything.”
Tim: “Good. That’s good.”
“That’s a lot of notes for Tim to play, but I’ll try. I’ am limited; I did call in stupid
“Can I do this? Yes I can. No. I can’t. Yes I can. Well. Yes I can.”
“There are no rules.”
Ashley: “Good job, Tim.”
Tim: “Yeah.”
“The next thing they do is piss…PITCH! PITCH CLASS!!!!!!!”
“I have to give a lecture now. I spent a lot of time on this. It’s a stunning lecture; you’ll all be weeping by the time I’m finished. Get ready. Buckle your seat belts.”
“It looks like one of those rolling gel wave things that people look at…[gyrates a bit] whoa….crack smokers, y’know…”
“If you hit someone on the head with a hammer for a long enough time, they will eventually become part of the hammer.”
“Let’s not experience death this morning.”
Speaking of the 12 year old piano playing, smart kid from Banks. “I keep telling everyone that I could take him in a street fight.”
“What a beautiful melody. You can have all melodies ever written for $19.95!”
“Sounds like the squirrels on my roof.”
“It’s kinda one of those things that ruled the world for awhile.”
“Is that good for you? You like that, do ya?”
“That’s Franz Liszt right there.”
“Ho ho ha whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa, that’s already spookin’ me out.”
“Tha tha tha da da yea, I’m excited now.”
“I’ve got a six-four in the key of g and it’s awesome! Whoo!
“I made something awesome. I want to get paid.”
“I brought 14 copies of the wrong thing. I shouldn’t have done that.”
"You have to be investigators. Theory investigators into the mystery of life.”
“One is analyzed out. The other is not. One is hard. The other one is hard.”
“Don’t criticize me. I didn’t practice it.”
“They generally come back here, or they go somewhere else.”
“Is that hard? Yes that’s hard.”
Sung: “V Fryderyck Chopin, i. That’s his famous cadence”
“It sounds like barbershop music. It also sounds like Brahms.”
“Tie that over. That’s your seventh of the thing.”
“Then you’re back, doin’ your stuff again.”
“We’re gunna do this not the way I just did them.”
“Bad, bad, bad. I scold them.”
“Do I like it that way? No. But I’m gunna live with it.”
“I don’t like this. Any votes? I’ve almost had enough of this.”
“I think they’re tryin’ to get too theory on ya here.”
Ashley’s whoops, “A few inches makes a big difference.”
“It’s All Saints Day, I can do a doubled third.”
“You guys are going to be modulating masters before this thing is done.”
“Whoo. Intonation issue there.”
“I had a thing in my head that said, ‘Fix the problem.’ So I fixed the problem.”
“Hey. You meatheads. (beat) That was said with a great deal of love.”
“I want it to be more exotic. Naw, I don’t even want to do that anymore.”
“It can be done.” (beat) “It’s will be done.” (smile)
“Get to work or I will use the ‘meathead’ term.”
“You guys are becoming skillful a this. Quite skillful.”
"Now you prob’ly got it goin’ there.”
"I have a six fetish today"
"Spiders and Beethoven do not mix well..."
"Let's write the pile-driving song!"
Movie of the Week
Alfred Hitchcock is a freaking genius! I love almost every movie of his that I've seen, (except for The Birds, which freaked me out when I saw it...ugh, I was afraid for birds for weeks after!). But one of my all-time favorites is I Confess. It stars Montgomery Clift (yowza! You know, for a dead gay guy...), and Anne Baxter. It is about a Catholic Priest who gets blamed for a murder, he can't tell the police who the real murderer is because he heard it in confession. Absolutely beautiful to watch, and very thought provoking. Definitely one to see if you haven't!I Confess
Friday, June 22, 2007
Pick up lines
Here's my favorite nerdy pick-up line:
You're so cute you make my zygomaticus muscles contract.
...Awwwww!!!
You're so cute you make my zygomaticus muscles contract.
...Awwwww!!!
Hmmm...
I forgot to tell my parents that I named our old lady car "Sweetums." (After the muppet character, duh!!)
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
A new blog for the demanding parental
So, nothing has really been going on, so I haven't written (though I'm not the only one neglecting my blogging duties *ahem* *David*). However, today was pretty exciting! I had a band concert, which went horribly wrong, ruining my evening...ugh! I was missing key signatures all over the place, the band wasn't watching, I was totally out of it, and it was an all around bad concert. And, to add insult to injury, we got rear-ended on hwy 205 on our way there. It was stop and go traffic, and this jerk wasn't watching and smacked the back of our car. I haven't seen my dad that angry in a long time...he and my mom jumped out of the car and went to talk to him. It was crazy.
So...yeah. I've been reading books like a mad woman, getting through about a book or two a day. Right now I'm on a Tamora Pierce kick, though I've been reading a lot of Meg Cabot, and am about to get into Patricia C. Wrede. Basically any young adult author that I liked as a young adult (ha ha). It's been a lot of fun and brainless entertainment!
So, that's the news of Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.
(P.S. I have had to kill an alarming amount of spiders in our apartment recently - THREE is the past TWO WEEKS!!!!!! - and I am wondering if perhaps a spider has laid eggs and now they have hatched and grown and are now on a killing spree. I am the Chosen One to send them back to hell where they belong...hmmm. More later.)
So...yeah. I've been reading books like a mad woman, getting through about a book or two a day. Right now I'm on a Tamora Pierce kick, though I've been reading a lot of Meg Cabot, and am about to get into Patricia C. Wrede. Basically any young adult author that I liked as a young adult (ha ha). It's been a lot of fun and brainless entertainment!
So, that's the news of Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average.
(P.S. I have had to kill an alarming amount of spiders in our apartment recently - THREE is the past TWO WEEKS!!!!!! - and I am wondering if perhaps a spider has laid eggs and now they have hatched and grown and are now on a killing spree. I am the Chosen One to send them back to hell where they belong...hmmm. More later.)
Saturday, June 16, 2007
My amazing weekend!
So, I just had a fantastic weekend at the coast! I went to visit my friend who lives near Astoria, and the two of us went on a ton of adventures. I participated in the traditional Chinook First Salmon Ceremony, I saw the Interceptor from the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, I met the crew of the Lady Washington (what the Interceptor is really called), I went to a tea house, I bought the tool I need to change the strings on my guitar, I drove the longest I ever have on my own, I watched the Road to El Dorado, I climbed ocean rocks, I ate salmon, I went to Washington, I saw birds dive into the river and catch fish, I bought a new thing of burts bees lip balm, and helped make dinner. It was awesome!!!!(The picture is of the tool needed to change the strings on a guitar)
I suppose if you're being all anal, it really wasn't a weekend, it was a thursday and friday, but I'll call it my weekend!
Upon my arrival I was confronted by my friend, Sarah, her car keys in hand who marched me right back out of her house and told me we were going to Astoria (something I was excited about, but I had just experienced a two hour drive, and more time in the car wasn't exactly my idea of a warm welcome). We ended up going to the tea house there, the most wonderful place in Astoria, even including where The Goonies was shot in. As we wondered around the town, I realized that Astoria is not the pit I had originally thought it was. Now, don't get me wrong, it's a tourist trap/pit if I ever saw one, but it certainly is a nice place to visit! That evening we didn't do anything except try to stay awake through Letterman to watch Pink Martini, though we gave up soon after it started because we were too pooped.
We got up early the next morning, and she took me to experience something I had never experienced in my entire life, a traditional Chinook First Salmon Ceremony. This one wasn't for tourists, this was for the actual tribe themselves. They caught salmon earlier in the day, and were starting to cook it early in the morning by placing the fish in between two cedar planks, and smoking them over the fire. The official first fish of the season was ceremoniously brought on shore by a small crew of Chinook Indians in a traditional canoe. The fish was covered in cedar branches, and the canoe was signaled by Native Americans on the shore singing and playing their drums. We were told the story of Coyote, who is the reason they must do this ceremony each year. Coyote caught a fish the wrong way for the area, and as he kept making mistakes, he was told how to properly catch fish. You caught it by kicking it's head, filling it's mouth with salmon berries, and eating the entire fish. There are rules for people who can eat the fish, though, you can't have killed someone (like in a battle), you can't eat if you're mourning the loss of a loved one, and you can't if you are on your moon cycle. Before you eat some salmon, you take a drink of water to cleanse your body, showing the salmon as much respect as you possibly can. It is a tremendous ceremony, one I'd like to be a part of again. It took place at the mouth of the
Columbia river, At Fort Columbia. It was the most beautiful and fun park I have ever been to! There was so much history there; Sarah's grandparents told us about the cove that was the chief's private canoe launching cite, and a place for him to go and think or escape. They knew their heritage all the way back to the chief, Sarah being the 9th generation of descendants. There were lots of rocks to climb around on, and being the mountain girl that I am, I looked very clumsy trying to climb these sea rocks...give me some dirt and I know what to expect, this rock thing is a bit new to me. So, I got made fun of, and some old men tried to help me by telling me the easiest way to get up to where they were, but it was so much fun I didn't care!!(The pictures are from the 2002 first salmon ceremony, the canoe coming towards shore, and the first fish on a cedar plank, being thanked by the Chinook)
(The Lady Washington)
(The Hawaiian Chieftain on the left, the Lady Washington on the right)Yeah, so that was about it. Now I'm sitting and drinking really good coffee in Salem, and enjoying my down time...but what a great time at the coast!!!!!!
Links:
An informational page on the Chinook Indians
The Lady Washington
The Lady Washington volunteer information
The Hawaiian Chieftain
Fort Columbia State Park
How to change the strings on your guitar
The Road to El Dorado quotes
Star Trek Generations quotes
Pirates of the Caribbean 1 quotes
Links:
An informational page on the Chinook Indians
The Lady Washington
The Lady Washington volunteer information
The Hawaiian Chieftain
Fort Columbia State Park
How to change the strings on your guitar
The Road to El Dorado quotes
Star Trek Generations quotes
Pirates of the Caribbean 1 quotes
Monday, June 11, 2007
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Creation Museum
"Prepare to Believe"
That's the motto of the newly opened Creation Museum, a museum in Kentucky that show a walk through scientific explanation of the history of the world as stated by the Bible. Life-like Adam and Eve model the story of original sin, they have explanations of the creation of the Grand Canyon, the Great Flood, you can listen to Mary tell the story of the birth of Jesus, and even see how dinosaurs were a part of everyday life in the home of early people. The museum claims that some could have even been pets. On one hand, some Christians are very excited for it, "One parent confided: 'At last there's a place I can bring the kids where they are taught what we teach them at home.'"
However, traditional scientists are going crazy over it, calling it unscientific, and, for the part about dinosaurs and humans living together, complete fiction. "The only thing missing is 'yabba dabba doo.'"
(The picture has been photoshopped to crop images together)
The museum was built to disprove evolution, and claims that all the information is not only biblical, but scientific as well. It is quite controversial, and is attempting to refute all that science has offered us in the last century...something that isn't necessarily good.
BBC video
Creation Museum
Creation Museum walk-through
MSNBC
Creation Museum early photos
That's the motto of the newly opened Creation Museum, a museum in Kentucky that show a walk through scientific explanation of the history of the world as stated by the Bible. Life-like Adam and Eve model the story of original sin, they have explanations of the creation of the Grand Canyon, the Great Flood, you can listen to Mary tell the story of the birth of Jesus, and even see how dinosaurs were a part of everyday life in the home of early people. The museum claims that some could have even been pets. On one hand, some Christians are very excited for it, "One parent confided: 'At last there's a place I can bring the kids where they are taught what we teach them at home.'"
However, traditional scientists are going crazy over it, calling it unscientific, and, for the part about dinosaurs and humans living together, complete fiction. "The only thing missing is 'yabba dabba doo.'"
(The picture has been photoshopped to crop images together)
The museum was built to disprove evolution, and claims that all the information is not only biblical, but scientific as well. It is quite controversial, and is attempting to refute all that science has offered us in the last century...something that isn't necessarily good.
BBC video
Creation Museum
Creation Museum walk-through
MSNBC
Creation Museum early photos
Movie of the Week
This week's movie of the week is Remember the Titans. An inspirational movie about overcoming racial differences through football in the South. It has lots of montages (thank goodness), and really focuses on how this one football team brought the entire town together to support this interracial team. Really fun for guys and gals alike, which is why I dub it a "chick flick for men". Totally uplifting and all that, you should see it if you haven't yet!
Coach Yoast - "I hope you boys have learned as much from me this year as I've learned from you. You've taught this city how to trust the soul of a man rather than the look of him."
IMDB
Remember the Titans - the true story behind the movie
Dickens World
Dickens World is a new theme park for Dickens fans. It will be opening it's doors to the public May 25th. Here are some of the attractions...
"With a host of captivating attractions, Dickens World features one of Europe’s largest dark boat rides, the Haunted house of Ebenezer Scrooge, a state-of-the art animatronic show, Victorian School Room, 4D high definition show and Fagin’s Den. Offering a unique showcase for one of the world’s best loved storytellers, Dickens World will truly offer visitors the ‘day out of a lifetime’.
"Dickens World is based on a credible and factual account of Charles Dickens works and the world in which he lived. Working with The Dickens Fellowship great attention has been paid to the authenticity of the time, characters and story lines. It offers a new and entertaining way to enjoy Dickens and his characters as well as gaining an understanding of the times and conditions people experienced living in England in the early 19th century."
Well, I'm steeped in the Dickens mood from just looking at the website, which says things like, "Can you meet our 'Great Expectations'?" and "Add a 'Twist' to your visit".
Dickens World is located in Chatham Maritime in Kent, England, just miles from where Dickens grew up, and promises to be a dreamland for all Dickens fans!
Dickens World
Friday, June 8, 2007
Addictive!!
Thursday, June 7, 2007
"Of the Week" of the Week
(This is just to be snarky to Sarah S!!!!)
My "Of the week" of the week is: On the Rocks!! Congrats, guys, you deserve it!
(...and I will NOT stop of the week-ing things!)
On the Rocks website
My "Of the week" of the week is: On the Rocks!! Congrats, guys, you deserve it!
(...and I will NOT stop of the week-ing things!)
On the Rocks website
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Britcom of the Week
This week's Britcom of the Week is Ballykissangel
While no longer in production, you can find it at your local library. It is a pretty cheesy British show about a little Irish town called Ballykissangel (hence the name of the show), and focuses mainly on a Priest in the town, and all the ridiculous things he's drug into. I've only seen three of the six seasons, but they are cheesy, charming, very 90's, and I thoroughly enjoy them!
Britcoms (British Comedies) can be watched Saturday nights on PBS, (not this one, though).
Ballykissangel website
Encounter with a little old lady...revisited!
So, apparently the little old lady I encountered at Safeway has struck again! She appeared at a church garage sale, and told one of my friends the same animal story! I wonder how many other people have sighted her...
Monday, June 4, 2007
Webiste of the Week
The Bush Presidential Library
Someone has decided to post a blog featuring all the books that President Bush should have in his library, and all the ones he should read. Amazing! All book suggestions are welcomed.
Someone has decided to post a blog featuring all the books that President Bush should have in his library, and all the ones he should read. Amazing! All book suggestions are welcomed.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Summer Days
Well, summer is off to a...start. It's not the best summer ever, but it's not the worst either. Today I auditioned and was accepted to a brand new symphony, which will be great, but it doesn't start until September, which sucks because I wanted to play in it now! Oh well... I still have band once a week, and the new public library is a few blocks away (probably about a mile or a mile and a half or so), and I plan to spend lots of time there! I'm still looking for a job, but if I don't here from them by tomorrow, I'm going to go in and talk to them. I really really want that job!!
Living with my parents again has been interesting. I'm so used to dorm life, and life where I used to live, that I get bored a lot here. I feel a bit confined in our apartment, and since I don't have my own car, I can't just head out for an adventure without checking with my parents first...something that has come as a bit of a culture shock. It'll be fine, I'm sure I'll find something to do.
Anyone got any book suggestions?
Oh! And any string players interested in playing in a symphony in the Portland area should let me know - the group I just joined is in desperate need of you!!
Living with my parents again has been interesting. I'm so used to dorm life, and life where I used to live, that I get bored a lot here. I feel a bit confined in our apartment, and since I don't have my own car, I can't just head out for an adventure without checking with my parents first...something that has come as a bit of a culture shock. It'll be fine, I'm sure I'll find something to do.
Anyone got any book suggestions?
Oh! And any string players interested in playing in a symphony in the Portland area should let me know - the group I just joined is in desperate need of you!!
Friday, June 1, 2007
And so what we have learned applies to our lives today
Things I have learned this year:
It’s ok to not be ok. For some reason, there’s an undercurrent in our society (or what I believe to be an undercurrent) telling us that if you are feeling sad that something is wrong with you. You’re not a good enough Christian, or you’ve done something wrong. But, it’s ok to not be a perfect happy bubbly person. It’s amazing how often we forget that.
Standing up for yourself is a form of self care. I had never heard it said to me so plainly before, but it is true. I have a tendency to look after others before myself, and I was told to take care of myself and was given lots of ideas and ways. I also got hurt by a friend this year, and when I stood for myself, I realized how much I needed to; I saw that it’s not good to always be run over by other people.
How to play the french horn. I can’t play that well, but I can play it!
Telling people how you really feel is pretty dang awesome. You can’t imagine how empowering it was to look a good friend in the eye and tell them that I cared a lot for them or that they had hurt me, or just tell them how I feeling about everything. Yeah, there was a lot of drama this year, but not keeping how I felt bottled up made it be less drama-ful than it could’ve been.
Anger that is kept inside smoulders until you explode. Everyone knows this, but it was amplified for me this year.
Traveling is the most fun when there is no destination!!!! My friend Lauren called me one Friday and asked if I wanted to go on an adventure. Of course I did! We decided to go to the coast for the night and be back Saturday afternoon. Next thing I know, we’re headed south on 101, and are in the Redwoods in California. It started with me saying how I’d never been to Gold Beach (we stopped in North Bend for the night, and were talking about going back north again), and we just kept driving south. It was perfect for some intense reflection, deep conversations, and singing loudly to the music. I want to do it again, but in a different direction...
Hospitals, while still not fun, are not the worst places in the world. I don’t dislike them as much as I did at the beginning of the year. Which is good, right?
Orchestra is my favorite ensemble to play in. Yes, it just surpassed jazz band by a smidgen, but it did pass jazz band. I think my favorite part of it is the role of the oboe, because in orchestra it really is a solo instrument - meant to be heard, and even seen as a leader for the winds. In band, the oboe is not really supposed to be heard, except for the few times there is a solo. You play as loud as you can, but no matter what, the 80 million trumpets sitting in the back drown you out.
Watching ducks can be very therapeutic. They are just so waddle-y, floaty, bobby, quacky, and happy! Find a duck pond near you and go and sit and watch and contemplate life and enjoy! (And feed them out of your hands!!)
It’s ok to not be ok. For some reason, there’s an undercurrent in our society (or what I believe to be an undercurrent) telling us that if you are feeling sad that something is wrong with you. You’re not a good enough Christian, or you’ve done something wrong. But, it’s ok to not be a perfect happy bubbly person. It’s amazing how often we forget that.
Standing up for yourself is a form of self care. I had never heard it said to me so plainly before, but it is true. I have a tendency to look after others before myself, and I was told to take care of myself and was given lots of ideas and ways. I also got hurt by a friend this year, and when I stood for myself, I realized how much I needed to; I saw that it’s not good to always be run over by other people.
How to play the french horn. I can’t play that well, but I can play it!
Telling people how you really feel is pretty dang awesome. You can’t imagine how empowering it was to look a good friend in the eye and tell them that I cared a lot for them or that they had hurt me, or just tell them how I feeling about everything. Yeah, there was a lot of drama this year, but not keeping how I felt bottled up made it be less drama-ful than it could’ve been.
Anger that is kept inside smoulders until you explode. Everyone knows this, but it was amplified for me this year.
Traveling is the most fun when there is no destination!!!! My friend Lauren called me one Friday and asked if I wanted to go on an adventure. Of course I did! We decided to go to the coast for the night and be back Saturday afternoon. Next thing I know, we’re headed south on 101, and are in the Redwoods in California. It started with me saying how I’d never been to Gold Beach (we stopped in North Bend for the night, and were talking about going back north again), and we just kept driving south. It was perfect for some intense reflection, deep conversations, and singing loudly to the music. I want to do it again, but in a different direction...
Hospitals, while still not fun, are not the worst places in the world. I don’t dislike them as much as I did at the beginning of the year. Which is good, right?
Orchestra is my favorite ensemble to play in. Yes, it just surpassed jazz band by a smidgen, but it did pass jazz band. I think my favorite part of it is the role of the oboe, because in orchestra it really is a solo instrument - meant to be heard, and even seen as a leader for the winds. In band, the oboe is not really supposed to be heard, except for the few times there is a solo. You play as loud as you can, but no matter what, the 80 million trumpets sitting in the back drown you out.
Watching ducks can be very therapeutic. They are just so waddle-y, floaty, bobby, quacky, and happy! Find a duck pond near you and go and sit and watch and contemplate life and enjoy! (And feed them out of your hands!!)
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