Beth will understand...

Wednesday I was on campus.  A good thing, since I had classes all day.  But regardless.

Something amazing and wondrous and dangerous, all at once, and all rolled into one, happened to me.

When I told my parents this Wednesday night, my dad asked, "Did you find 'the one'?"  I looked at him, and went, "Psh, no.  Way better."  My mom asked, "Did you find an amazing restaurant."  Again, "What care do I have for food, when I have found heaven, dangerous though it may be?"

Perhaps I was dramatic.  But oohhhhh ohohoh it was horrible and spectacular.

I found.... an art store.  On campus.  Close.  Closer than my favorite food places even.

And there rows and rows of art supplies!  I know, this is an obvious thing, but after 6 years of no art classes, and now having been commissioned for a few hand-drawn pictures for this summer already, it was glorious.  They have also changed some art things to make them less messy and easier to use.  New toys, new things.  Some of my art stuff is too old to use, and it was so dangerous to let me in there with a credit card in my pocket.

I somehow restrained myself from buying too much stuff.  I only got an eraser that was too cool to not get, and a drafting tool that I can shape-erase with.

But ohhh it was hard not to walk out with sooo much more.

So lovely.

*purrrr*

Updatedness and Klutziness

For those of you that have noticed, sorry for not being around!  Been *super* busy this year - omigosh, time has just flown by!  It seems like I just started my masters a few weeks ago, and I'm almost about to wrap up my second of three quarters!  Can you believe it?  I still have four papers to do and probably 100-120 more things to grade before I can call it a quarter, and a presentation to give as well, and while it's keeping me busy I've not felt so... prepared and efficient in a very long time.

For those of you who knew me in high school, you know how necessary it is for me to be almost to the point of overwhelmed before I am really.... efficient at school work.  I need the constant stress of work.  Like in high school, I had lacrosse, academic team, AP and Honors classes, and so forth.  And while I'm worked hard, I have great professors this quarter that are working with me to make sure I'm doing the best work I can muster.

I have found that I commonly have the dissenting opinion on topics which we debate within classes.  While it is stressful and upsetting many times, I am happy to have the support of my professors and mentors within the program to reassure me that, while I have an opinion opposite of many of my peers, with my ability to reason and back up my points I am not interpreting facts and information incorrectly - merely differently than my peers.

Emma and Kyrie are both doing well.  They are as silly and endearing as ever.  Kyrie has a general dislike of men, but Emma at least has a lukewarm reaction to my father now instead of offering him a cold shoulder.  Both are my snuggle kitties, and rarely let me leave their sight when I am home.

My photo site is coming together.  You can see it here: www.septemberskiesphotography.com    It's still under construction, but I have already gotten a couple of requests to do some shoots, which is great.  I love taking photos, and it's nice when people think I do a good enough job they'd be willing to pay me.

My uncle is currently down in Daytona area, but he has moved into a hospice.  He wants to go back to the beach house, but we think it is unlikely.  However, he is in denial about his state and condition.  He is surviving, basically, on a morphine drip.  They're not going to let him really 'leave' the hospice if they can't get the pain controlled.  The entire situation is nasty, and it is even worse with the denial going on within the family.  Not that I can particularly blame them for being in denial, but I prefer to be more practical.  I would rather have my affairs in order and expect the worst, and hope for the best.  They're assuming the best and ignoring the worst case scenario.  The entire situation has been a mess though.

However, the act of carrying four jobs (count em, 1, Grad school; 2, TAing; 3, Subbing; 4, Getting a freelance job put together) is both challenging and invigorating.  It's keeping me out of trouble, theoretically.  It's keeping me on my toes for sure.

I have changed the setup of the blog a bit so that I could get a new outlook on it and perhaps post more.  We shall see how that works.

Until next time, whenever that may be...

Irony

I just realized my farewell post to Molly was my 200th post. Fitting tribute for such a sweet dog.

I won't post much, as I have little I feel like going into depth about.

• We got Molly's ashes back on Friday. A beautiful wooden box surrounds her beautiful soul now, though I cry every time I see it.
• My uncle, who has pancreatic cancer, has been on chemo for the last many months, as many of you know. He's tried two different types of chemo treatment, and last week he got another scan to see how the second type had worked (the first didn't work). It has spread as well as gotten bigger. He has chosen to go off of chemo in hopes of enjoying his last days in less pain and exhaustion than he felt when on chemo. For a better explanation as to what has happened, here's his caring bridge site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/garymasterson
• Jasmine is doing okay right now, but mom and I are not sure she will be with us much longer either. While she still has a lot of fight, she is just weak and pitiful.

On better notes, I guess:

• School is going okay. I like my teachers (and my classes) much more this quarter. They're cool. And no random busywork to do.
• I have a lot of responsibility in my TA class, which is cool. I enjoy that immensely.
• On days I don't have school in the morning, I've been subbing at the high school. That also makes me happy.
• My kittens make me happy.

That's all for right now.

Goodbye, my sweet, sweet Molly

Cryin' For Me / Wayman's Song by Toby Keith (excerpt)

Got the news on Friday mornin’
But a tear I couldn’t find
You showed me how I’m supposed to live
And now you showed me how to die
I was lost till Sunday mornin’
I woke up to face my fear
While I’m writing you this goodbye song
I found a tear

I’m gonna miss that smile
I’m gonna miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I’d do it all again
So play it sweet in heaven
‘Cause that’s right where you wanna be
I’m not crying because I feel so sorry for you
I’m crying for me

(...)

I’m gonna miss that smile
I’m gonna miss you my friend
Even though it hurts the way it ended up
I’d do it all again
So play it sweet in heaven
‘Cause that’s right where you wanna be
I’m not crying because I feel so sorry for you
I’m crying for me

I’m still crying
I’m crying for me
I’m still crying

I love you and miss you, Molly. Go play in the snowdrifts, chase butterflies in fields of amber, and run until your lovely heart is contented. I'll see you again one day, I promise you.

I love you.

I hope you have a white Christmas...

Old Toy Trains

Old toy trains, little toy tracks
Little toy drums coming from a sack
Carried by a man dressed in white and red
Little boy, don't you think it's time you were in bed?

Close your eyes
Listen to the skies
All is calm, all is well
Soon you'll hear Kris Kringle and the jingle bells

Bringin' old toy trains, little toy tracks
Little toy drums coming from a sack
Carried by a man dressed in white and red
Little boy, don't you think it's time you were in bed?

Close your eyes
Listen to the skies
All is calm, all is well
Soon you'll hear Kris Kringle and the jingle bells

Bringin' old toy trains, little toy tracks
Little toy drums coming from a sack
Carried by a man dressed in white and red
Little boy, don't you think it's time you were in bed?

Apparently I only post monthly now....

So...

First quarter is over (finally). I have loved TAing, but that research stuff is work. I've been subbing this week at the HS (finals ended at UC last week), and have loved every moment of it. I've been working on making 1000 paper cranes by Christmas. We shall see how that goes. I will have my own domain soon for my photo website. I shall post it up when it is up and actually running.

Sorry this is so choppy. Not sure why my thoughts are so scattered. But there's a post. :)

-shifty eyes-

Sorry I've not posted anything of value lately. I've been preoccupied. School's going okay, though if you want to know more ask me off of the site. Not talking about it here.

Also, been working on something of late. While I intend to upgrade to having my own url, this is free while I work on it. Thoughts while I update every now and then are welcome. I'm working on it when I need a break from grad school.

http://www.wix.com/septemberskies/SeptemberSkies

It currently has a front page and a last page (make sure to flip tot he back of the book!) but nothing in the middle. That will hopefully change soon. :)

Welcome to the pHU7UR3

The two things in today's post:

- The 10 Best Things We'll Say To Our Grandkids

- Welcome to the Future Lyrics (READ! It's true and very cool.)

The 10 Best Things We'll Say To Our Grandkids

Brought to you by WIRED Magazine [Streeter Seidell]

1. Back in my day, we only needed 140 characters

2.There used to be so much snow up here, you could strap a board to your feet and slide all the way down.

3. Televised contests gave cash prizes to whoever could store the most data in their head.

4. Well, the screens were bigger, but they only showed the movies at certain times of day.

5. We all had one, but nobody used it. Come to think of it, I bet my LinkedIn profile is still out there on the web somewhere.

6. 英語曾经是統治語言。 瘋狂，哼？ (English used to be the dominant language. Crazy, huh?)

7. Our bodies were made of meat and supported by little sticks of calcium.

8. You used to keep files right on your computer, and you had to go back to that same computer to access them!

9. Is that the new iPhone 27G? Got multitasking yet?

10. I just can't get used to this darn vat-grown steak. Texture ain't right.

Welcome To The Future

Brad Paisley



When I was ten years old,
I remember thinkin' how cool it would be,
When we were goin' on an eight hour drive,
If I could just watch T.V.

And I'd have given anything
To have my own PacMan game at home.
I used to have to get a ride down to the arcade;
Now I've got it on my phone.

He-e-ey...
Glory glory hallelujah.
Welcome to the future.

My grandpa was in World War II,
He fought against the Japanese.
He wrote a hundred letters to my grandma;
Mailed em from his base in the Philippines.

I wish they could see this now,
Where they say this change can go.
Cause I was on a video chat this morning
With a company in Tokyo.

He-e-ey...
Everyday is a revolution.
Welcome to the future.

He-e-ey...
Look around it's all so clear.
He-e-ey...
Wherever we would go and well we...
He-e-ey...
So many things I never thought I'd see...
Happening right in front of me.

I had a friend in school,
Running-back on a football team,
They burned a cross in his front yard
For asking out the home-coming queen.

I thought about him today,
Everybody who's seen what he's seen,
From a woman on a bus
To a man with a dream.

He-e-ey...
Wake up Martin Luther.
Welcome to the future.
He-e-ey...
Glory glory hallelujah.
Welcome to the future.

An Actual Update!

I know, I've not actually posted anything of value for a long time. So, I shall post now. If anyone still reads this, heh.

So Emma is currently helping me with my post. Mostly by sitting on the keyboard or trying to lie down on my chest. It's not big enough for that, but apparently that doesn't keep her from trying. I'm also getting smothered in kisses and purrs. I love my kitties.

They've grown into lovely little cats. They are getting spayed a week from tomorrow, so hopefully all will go well. However, they aren't getting declawed. They've never scratched at anything but their scratching posts (and each other), so I won't declaw them unless it becomes necessary. The vet said if they don't display clawing at this age, they won't start later on.

Jasmine and Khan still hate their kitten guts - even more now than when we first brought them home. Jasmine hisses and spits at them, Khan growls and bitches and complains, then walks away. They pay him very little heed. He's so full of hot air, and they know it.

So as everyone knows by now, I'm at the University of Cincinnati. All well and good, and we all know my dislike of Cincinnati.

So here's the catch:

I've come to love it.

No, not paying $5 a day for parking. Or the 50+ minute commute each way. Or the amount of gas I now have to pay for. Or rush hour. But campus itself? I've grown to really like it.

I like the campus, the people, the environment. It's greener and cleaner than I ever considered it to be, and is very neatly laid out. They have fast food on campus! That surprisingly makes my day. It's very pretty and I can tell they've improved it over the years. There's only one place I don't feel all that comfortable, and that's on the road home where three or four people are always out begging for money. I don't like that stop light. I like it a lot when it's green so I don't have to stop.

I'm sincerely enjoying graduate school, though it's threatening to kick my ass. One professor is very tough, and I'm working very hard to get better. We'll see what happens. Wish me luck with my studies.

TAing is also quite enjoyable. I have several people coming up to me and asking for help, which is kinda cool. They turn in their first essay on Friday, and I'll have a week to get them graded and returned to our professor. At which point I'll have midterm essays to grade, ha!

Teagan is dying, and may be put to sleep soon if she doesn't die naturally. Her stomach is swollen to about four times it's normal size, but she's eating and drinking like usual, and comes to greet us at the front of the cage if we walk by. So I don't want to put her down, but she's so miserable looking.

I have new RenFest stuff. I got a long bow earlier in the season, as well as a quiver. I'm now in the process of getting bracers, a hat, and arrows made for me. Fun but expensive.

And that's all for now. I need to return to my reading. Cheers!