b natural. c sharp.

This campus is weird.. they pay way too much attention to the lawns here. I mean, it’s nice, but sometimes it just gets odd.. like today.. I saw a tractor pulling a big leaf vacuum! Is that necessary? More leaves are gonna fall off anyway.. just let them go!

So I’ve had a pretty decent weekend… a rough start, but it all worked out. (:

Friday was pretty crazy. I had to get up at 8:30 AM (I had a class at 1:00 PM.. how much does that suck!) in order to meet with my advisor about registering for classes for next semester. He wasn’t there when I went and the secretary was all like “Oh he emailed me saying he wouldn’t be in until 12:30.” So I was pretty irritated.. I hate getting up early when I don’t have to, but I stayed up anyway and made up my two schedules by myself. I emailed my advisor and it turns out there was a mixup with the secretary and he did come in not long after I was there. So I met with him, then went to my classes from 1 to 3:15.

This is where the craziness starts. When I got out of class, Joe was already there to pick me up for our show. We didn’t have to leave right away but I still had to hurry because we had to deal with Friday rush hour traffic and get to Kahler Hall by 6:30. So I had to quick register for my classes online, take a shower, and get ready to go.. we got out of there around 4:30. Didn’t get To Joe’s until almost 6. Packed up all our crap and finally made it to Kahler Hall around 7. The stress level for me was pretty damn high about right now. I was really worried becuase we were supposed to start at 7, and this show was sort of a big deal for me. It was the first time I’d be playing for all my Columbia friends that I haven’t seen in a long time. When I say all I mean about half.. becuase nobody showed up on time to see us *sigh* … a lot of my closer Ellicott City friends did come though, like Lizzy, Maggie, Sheila, Liz, Noah, Jim, Veronica, and of course Dave and Katie were there. (: So we set up our stuff as fast as we could, but it was really difficult because there was like 2 outlets far away from us, 1 power strip, and one extension cord. Finally we worked it out and managed to start at 7:45. There were a lot of people there and some of ‘em seemed into us but I dunno.. I was pretty frazzled about the whole rushing/being nervous thing. That’s about when somebody leaned on my bass amp, which was precariously plugged into the wall. Not only did it unplug, but we were using it as a outlet for the pa too. So I had to scramble to plug that in during mid-song. Then my bass just straight stopped playing.. I think the plug in the tuning pedal came out.. got that working again. Then Steve broke an important string. Fabulous! We didn’t really have the time to change a string but when we asked to borrow a guitar, nobody fucking helped us out. That’s probably becuase none of the bands fucking watched us, they didn’t get there until after we played. (ha, can you sense I’m a little bitter?). Whatever, we changed the string played a few more songs and just finished.

I had forgotten the mailing list and Katie and Steve kinda got on me about it and I felt all bad. Steve was all like “You forgot it?.. there are a million people here!” and I explained to him the rush I had been in since I got out of class and that I was sorry, and burst into tears. I hate crying in front of people and making a scene. Steve didn’t mean to upset me, I was just super stressed out and upset about how the show went so it just kinda set me off. So I cried outside like the stupid emotional loser I am, and the whole band sat with me and hugged me. They brought me food and made me feel better. (:

So after that things started looking up. I got to see Dylan for the first time in about 3 or 4 months. He looks really well. So we talked for a bit and by that time more people that I knew showed up so I mingled and jingled. It was nice seeing everybody again. I played the coffeehouse at Howard with Brian and Scott around 9 and that was a lot of fun too. It was a real chill atmosphere so it kinda relaxed me and I didn’t feel pressured. It was just like jamming at Brian’s but with an audience that seemed to really dig us.

Afterwards I went back to watch Mop Attack’s last show. It was great hearing them play again.. it wasn’t as bad as I expected it to sound (they haven’t practice in a year?). I knew all the songs and sang along happily. I grew up with these guys.. so many memories! The crowd was absolutely insane! One kid was bleeding from the side of his head from an injury that happened during one of the other bands. He didn’t do anything about it either, he bled through the whole set. I saw at least 3 people get knocked out, only to get up and go back in the pit. This is why I stay safely on the side, out of harms way. =D Afterwards I hung out with Joe, Veronica, and Danny. Nothing like singing songs like the one from Flashdance at the top of your lungs. “I am music now!” haha.. Yeah.. good times. (:

Saturday I was supposed to go to the movies with Dylan, but it fell through. We still hung out anyway and got to catchup a bit. Went to the old places we always did when we were bored.. Borders and Best Buy. I really felt like I had lost a close friend, so I was very happy to hang out with him again. That night I went to dinner with Joe and two of his friends. They were real cool.. I feel bad cuz we were all supposed to go to the movies with V and Danny, but all the friggin’ movies were sold out until like midnight. So Joe, V, Danny, and I ended up going over my house to watch Waiting For Guffman. Haha.. what a great movie. “I hate you, and I hate your ASS FACE!”

That brings us to today. Right now I am writing this journal entry and procrastinating my english homework. Tonight I’m going to the Ottobar to see The Appleseed Cast. I guess I’ll go get some work done now. (:

mood : frustrated
music : The Juliana Theory / Music From Another Room

So I’m at a point in my life where I’m lacking a favorite band.. all the ones before have disappointed me in some way. Don’t get me wrong, I still like them.. but I don’t get that same feeling or desire to listen to them. Incubus got real pansy-like and stopped rocking out.. Weezer is mean to people and their new music is getting semi-lame too. Maladriot is an improvement compared to the Green Album.. but nothing compares to the Blue Album and especially Pinkerton. Damn that’s a good CD.

I’ve been exposed to a whole lot of new music lately. I’ve been going to shows at least once a week, and listening to all kinds of stuff I haven’t heard before from Katie and Joe. I like a lot of what I hear, but nothing has really spoken to me. I’ve been searching desperately and trying really hard to get that feeling that my favorite music gives me, but I just can’t do it. It’s frustrating!

Actually when I say nothing has struck me as interesting and good, that’s not totally true. I’m starting to get really into Emotion is Dead and especially Music From Another Room, by the Juliana Theory. Joe and Rob insist that their new album isn’t as good, so they don’t listen to them much anymore, but I don’t care.. I like these two and I’m trying not to get it ruined for me. (: I think I like them so much because they have my favorite elements of music.. beautiful harmonies, but the ability to really rock out at the same time. I love to be able to sing along at the top of my lungs and rock out to my music, as anybody who sees me driving will figure out. Well that or they’ll think I’m yelling at them to get out of the way. =D

Ah, and the saga continues..

I’ve been taking private lessons and they’ve been going fairly well. I really like my instructor, she’s super nice. We’ve picked out the solo I will be performing, as well as the two selected studies. I just have to get those 3 things down, as well as my scales and I’m pretty much ready to go. Oh yeah, and I have to not freak out at the audition and mess up. It’s not like I have anything on the line.. just my FUTURE. =D

So anyway, today I met with Dr. Rothlisberger who will probably be my new advisor if I make it into the program. He’ll probably one of the people reviewing me at the audition too. It’s nice to be able to meet these people before I audition.. hopefully it will make things a little easier for me. So today he helped me figure out what to do about my schedule. Basically I’m gonna pack it full of geneds and a few music classes that don’t require permits.. and then during the add/drop period I’ll drop the geneds for the core classes. Oh goodie, another frantic scheduling period for me. I can’t wait. Eh, this time it’s worth it though. I really do love music more than anything else in my life.

Our homework that was due for my english class today proved my undying passion (and nerd-ness) for music. We read this essay that Aaron Copland wrote called “How We Listen to Music,” which was really quite interesting. I think I’m going to buy the book that it’s from (wow, me? buy a book? the amazing thing will be if I really read the whole thing..). But anyways the homework was a response to the essay. Usually on these responses I have to struggle to make a page and to really get into what I’m writing about, but this time I wrote 2 pages and probably could’ve done more if I had written it better. Go me. *shakes some pompoms* I guess writing isn’t so bad when you really can relate to what you’re talking about.

So I was watching Real World Today (yeah, you know this post is already going to be horrible) and one of the girls auditioned to be a GoGo Dancer. I was like “I wanna be a gogo dancer!” haha.. *smacks herself* Maybe not to that extreme, but maybe one of those beer tub girls I hear about at Have a Nice Day Cafe. haha.. I still have to see them for myself. *smack* God I’m dumb. =D I just want mad tips.. I should probably just stick with the idea of serving alcohol. =D

I think it’s funny though, because Jason from Cafe Bagel told me he could see me as a part time belly dancer in college.. this was was after I danced around the store doing the Britney Slave 4 U dance haha.. and when I told Mike, one of the other bosses that I wanted to go into dancing, he thought I meant I wanted to be stripper. He was like “I’d come see you!” What a strange thing to hear from your boss. =D I miss working there. We all used to have so much fun!

This morning I woke up to a bad dream.. that’s always the worst. Especially ones like this one that you wake up wanting to cry, but nobody is around to console you. Yuck.

I dreamt that I was pregnant and real close to having the baby.. it was actually a pretty long dream (seemed that way at least) but I don’t remember the exact plot of it. I just remember towards the end I was walking down the street with my mom, dad, and a friend.. I’m pretty sure it was Christin. But I was trying to ask my mom something but she was mad at me and walked ahead with my dad. The whole dream had been pretty stressful so at that point I just stopped walking and broke down crying. That’s when I woke up to my alarm, with my throat all tight and wanting to cry. Bad dreams suck..

But the cool thing is that I realized that I do dream in color. People always ask that question and I never know what to answer… but this time I can confirm that I do. I remember I was walking down stairs kind of like in high school between classes.. with a lot of people going up and down. And I saw rainbow colored pants and it turned out it was my friend Joe that I was in Grease with. I think the rainbow has to do with the fact that he was in Joseph in the Technicolor Dream Coat. Random. (:

mood : reminiscent
music : The Juliana Theory - We’re At the Top of the World

I really miss summer.. it sucks that’s only going to get colder from now until like March. I can’t wait to hop in my pool and lay out in the sun… ahh.. how I love warm weather. I had so much fun this summer having people over to swim almost every other night. Good times.. we shall do the same this summer! (:

I typically don’t like cold weather at all.. I’m not particularly moved by the crisp air or the colorful leaves.. and I don’t really like snow that much either. The only good thing about it being cold is cuddling up to someone special.

However, yesterday was probably the first time I was able to look around me and find the leaves beautiful. I had just gotten out english class and normally I would’ve taken the bus back (becuase I’m lazy) but I decided to walk. The leaves were particularly rich in color.. maybe it was because the sky was a miserable cloudly mess and it was starting to get dark out. The mix of golds, oranges, and reds gave an almost eerie brightness to everything. It was really windy so they danced around in the air around me. It was pretty rad. (:

It’s 8am and I am still in bed, but unfortunately not asleep. I’ve just woken up to the harsh, blaring sound of my roommate’s alarm. It resonates in my head as I roll over and bury into the covers, trying to hide from the pain. Ahh… finally, silence. My body relaxes and I start to drift off back asleep. My roommate, who is now getting ready for her classes, quickly interrupts this peacefulness. I roll around trying to find that comfortable spot again as she runs water, turns on the microwave, rustles papers, and zips her book bag. Each noise seems so loud… I just want to go back to sleep. The only comfort I find is in the sweet smell of the pop tart she just took out of the microwave. I have no concept of time, but eventually I hear the door close and drift off.

I’m awake again and this time I really have to get up. It’s 10am and I have to get ready for my first class at 10:50. My eyes struggle to open as I search for the button to turn off my much less harsh sounding alarm. I am horribly nearsighted so everything is a blur. I recognize a blue blob on my nightstand as my alarm and mash any buttons I feel to stop the beeping. I then feel around my nightstand for my glasses, almost knocking over a half-empty coke can. Finally I find my glasses and put them on. The blurry shapes and colors suddenly form clearly into the contents of my dorm room.

I get out of bed and the cold quickly overtakes over my body. How I’d love to just get back under those covers again. But alas, it’s time for school. After I put in my contacts, I get dressed, get my books together, and head to the elevator. As I’m waiting my body feels tired. I lean against the hard wall and sigh. I think to myself that the hall smells funny. Almost like an air freshener in a bathroom… but not as repugnant. My short attention span quickly moves to a new thought. Rides in the elevator are always awkward because nobody seems to want to talk even if you know the person. I hear a ding and the door to the elevator opens.

Fortunately I have it to myself for this trip down. No awkward silence for me, just the dinging as the elevator hits each floor. I’m lucky - it doesn’t stop on every floor like it usually does. It seems to always do that when you’re in a hurry. With a jolt the elevator reaches the bottom. I close my eyes trying to regain a feeling of stability in my body. The door opens and I begin my journey to class.

As soon as I walk outside, the bitter cold of the morning shoots through my body. Not only is it freezing cold, but it’s also miserable and rainy. The frowning faces of students hurrying to class around me reflect the mood of this dreary day. As the icy cold raindrops hit my face I begin to slip into the same gloomy frame of mind in which each of the damp people passing by me seem to be. I’m reminded of the movie, Office Space, where the main character is told by at least 5 people that he seems to have a “case of the Mondays.” What an annoying thing to say to somebody…

I walk as quickly as I can, trying to make the trip shorter. My body doesn’t really warm up with each step like I’d hope it to. The unforgiving cold seems to be in my bones now. I pull my hood tighter as the cold air begins to numb my cheeks, which muffles an ambulance siren and other bustling car sounds that can be heard in the distance. As I get closer and closer to my destination, the cold doesn’t seem so bad anymore. By now I’m pretty numb, but my face is damp and cold. Finally I reach the building that my class is in. I go inside and the warmth feels amazing. As I take my hood off, my body begins to defrost and I feel tingly and nice. Ahh… this is much better than being outside.

I relax and walk to my classroom in a state of contentment. My tired body is ready to sit down and take in the warmth. However, as I reach the room I’m suddenly reminded that my first class is a dance class. All hopes of relaxation are gone. I groan as I think about the fact that I have 2 more classes after this one. I shudder at the thought of having to go back out into that nasty weather at least 3 more times. Now I know what they mean by having a “case of the Mondays.”

This was an assignment for my english class.. I had to write a descriptive essay, paying attention to all the senses.. auditory, olfactory, tactile, and visual. I thought it was kinda fun to write so I put it in here. The end is semi-lame but whatever.. =D