Charlotte, day 1

In light of my one and only holiday at SCAD (provided only due to the massive parade that shuts down the bus routes), my mom and I decided to go up to Charlotte, NC for MLKjr weekend. It's always nice to have my mom down in my area, especially since it's still fairly cold in IL. When we got into Charlotte at 2pm today, it was a balmy 60 degrees... utterly gorgeous. Unfortunately, despite the beautiful weather, we were unable to take advantage of any attraction opportunities.

After arriving more around 3pm, we set out for our cheap but decent hotel (a Days Inn at only $40 a night!) and then headed off to lunch. Unfortunately, there's practically nowhere to sit down for food anywhere near the Walmart we visited, so we ended up eating at the Subway adjacent to Wallyworld. Let me tell you: scraping tuna and its toppings off wheat bread is pretty awkward. But it was edible at least.

We shopped, we left, we sat around and did some homework. Then off to KFC for grilled chicken and then "Volcano" on AMC. Not as eventful as I might have liked, but tomorrow looks much more promising. Here's to then!

$10.30

That's how much change I have in my handy-dandy coin counter coin bank.

It's already second quarter of my sophomore year... In retrospect, time always flows faster. When you're living it, however, it seems to slow down exponentially.

In the coming new year, I've decided to actually make some resolutions: lose at least 50 pounds, exercise more, do at least one master study a month, do a full length children's book and illustrate it, among other things. I want to do more and I know I need to push myself to do it... because, let's face it. I'm much more at home sitting on the couch doing nothing but browsing the net all day... in moderation.

I always look back and think "I could have done more. I should have worked harder." And I always look to the future and don't listen to my past. I blind myself. I feel that that'll one day be the end for me -- but I have to take baby steps for it to work, huh? For now, I'll start with my list of stereotypical new year's resolutions and build up from there.

Speaking of losing weight, Atkins, while not as horrible as I thought it would be, has me a little nervous. Meghan (one of three roommates) has been looking to lose weight as well and joined me. Based on that delightful mechanical Wii Fit, she's lost four pounds since we started on Sunday. According to Wii Fit, I've gained half a pound. I know, I know, I shouldn't rely on a game to keep my weight in check. I really hope it'll work, however... because I'm tired of being the size that I am. If I trimmed off my hips, my abdomen and took a hunk off my thighs, I'd be happy as a clam and not care. That, however, is not the case. I do miss carbs... but I love cheese. It's a trade off I'm willing to make.

On another note, classes will be interesting. At least I can be assured Fiction 1 will be fun. Writing certainly is my second passion. Maybe for next year, I'll make 'write a full novelette' a top priority on my new year's resolution.

Knitting, apparently, has also become a fast hobby of mine -- no thanks to my awesome roommates. After finishing Chris's scarf (wow, weird to think I won't see him for 2 1/2 years...), I'll redo my Hufflepuff scarf... After that, who knows? Maybe make that scarf for Jennifer... or knit a blanket or something. Yeah. Or a sweater.

I love how Tuesday night makes it feel like the week's almost over - provided I have only one class on Thursday. It's a nice feeling, because I love weekends and I hate homework. C'est la vie.

Let's hope that next time I post, I'll have lost some pounds and gained some change!

summer break

Well, the quarter went by as quickly, and as slowly, as I expected it to. This year was difficult, fun, long, short, and a whole other collection of opposites. I'm expecting good grades for this quarter: hopefully 2 A's and a B.

And with that, summer break begins... 3 and a half months to laze around, make the house cluttered with my junk, hang out with friends, volunteer, and make some money. I have no idea where I'll be working this summer, but most likely at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I'm glad for the opportunity because it gives me something to do while earning money and possibly learning more about art stuffs (and get a discount, maybe!). The only downside is that it'll potentially take up a lot of time. Oh well, I'll just have to deal with it.

Provided anyone actually checks out this website... don't expect much in the form of updates until later in September.

Until then!

week two already

It's the end of week two already. 14 days... it sounds long but in the run of things, it's a pretty short time. In three more weeks, midterms will be upon us. Then week seven rolls along, then after that is finals -- and finally summer break. Honestly, it's scary to think about it. This summer will be a busy one for me, I think. Between juggling friends, work, family, downtown and (hopefully) some illustration work... there won't be any time left for anything else.

But that's not for another eight weeks. I'll have to start thinking about it at midterms, but until then, I'll content myself with dealing with the hows and whats and whens of now.

It turns out that I got an A in Drawing II, though I thought I'd end up with a B. (I got the best grade I'd gotten in that class, a 94, for my final, which was a big chunk of the grade. Funny that I didn't spend all that much effort on it.) And then I ended up with a B in Composition, instead of a C. I'm not quite sure how, though, considering it said I had a 75% on Blackboard. I don't know what happened... maybe everyone complained on the course evalutions and because of that we got higher grades -- who knows. All I care is that I ended up with two B's and an A, once again making my GPA 3.33 for the quarter and 3.33 culumative.

In other news, classes are kicking in right away. I have a speech on Monday, a gesture drawing project due Monday as well, and a collaborative bridge due Tuesday. Even though today was Friday, I feel like the weekend is basically already over. Who said getting Fridays off would make things easier?

Maya (the third roomie) officially moved out last week, three days into the quarter. Jazz and I didn't see her; a family friend and an RA on duty came in and took her stuff away. So, what, you might ask, did Jazz and I do with this newfound empty bed? We rearranged, though it's pointless since we're here for only 10 more weeks.

Next yeark will be good, I'm sure, as far as rooming goes. I'm set with who I'm rooming with in Boundary (Meghan and co.), but I'm torn. It'd be such a blast to live with the other three friends (Jazz, Cass and Kristen), but I made a commitment that I'd be with Meghan, Elizabeth and Jennifer (all upper classmen). Oh well. I'll end up visiting the others all the time anyway - and granted, it'll be nice to have a place to sleep where I know for sure that everyone will be quiet and that I won't have to wear earplugs every night to block out music/noise/etc. Not that I "mind", but it'd be nice to not have to do that, yah?

I feel suffocated. No, not suffocated... cramped. Like I'm in a space that's too small to move around a lot. Knowing that I have eight weeks until summer which, up until now, has been a time for relaxation and the like, will now mean money-making and what else... I don't know. I've never done much future planning -- and I'm beginning to understand that maybe it isn't because I'm "unorganized" or not "forward-thinking" enough. I can think ahead and plan ahead... I just choose not to. I like keeping my options open, leaving enough room for the spontaneous to happen. I don't want to be tied down - and I won't technically be tied down, but there's a similar feeling when you know, hour by hour, what you'll be doing the entire summer until school starts again, and then the process repeats itself. Spontenaeity allows me the opportunity to pretend that things aren't moving way too fast for comfort.

But, I suppose, I'll live. As long as I get some good, ole lazing in the living room doing nothing time, I'll be happier than, well, me sitting around doing absolutely nothing.

spring break is go

Finals are over - thank bob, finally!

I ended up with a 85% on my final essay so got a 75% in Composition -- not my best, obviously, but good considering my professor was horrible and gave me no advice. I'll get a high B in Drawing II and a B in Color Theory most likely -- hopefully an A on that final project, because a sleepless night and 10 hours of working on that story book was a bitch. I'll never do that again.. I hope.

Spring break is taking me to Sequim and Renton, WA, to my grandparents and my cousin. I'm glad to get the chance to see them again, and glad in general for being on break.

That's all for now though. Not that much else to report on!

finals week

Well. Finals week again. It's Friday morning: let's see the agenda for the rest of the weekend, shall we?

Friday 3/6: Go to a presentation at Trustee's Theatre for Color Theory. Research an Illustrator for Composition final; possibly write a few pages of Composition final by bed time. Possibly a) play in a Rock Band Tourney at 6 or b) see "Watchmen" for $4 at Trustee's at 6.

Saturday 3/7: Work on drawing final. Work on drawing final. Work on drawing final. At seven, Gina arrives. Continue work on drawing final. Hopefully finish.

Sunday 3/8: Take Gina around Savannah. Finish up essay and drawing final if not already completed. Possibly work on Color Theory final. If I'm lucky, I might get some sleep.

Monday 3/9: Turn in Composition essay. Eat lunch with Gina. Turn in drawing final. Eat dinner with Gina. Work on Color Theory.

Tuesday 3/10: Turn in Color Theory process book and take test. Spend the rest of the day with Gina and working on speech for Composition. Work on Color Theory.

Wednesday 3/11: Speech for Composition. Final test for Drawing. After lunch, Gina leaves. Work on Color Theory until my eyes bleed.

Thursday 3/12: Turn in Color Theory. DONE.

I'll be lucky if I'm not a zombie from lack of sleep by Thursday. I don't want it to be Final's week... Shit.

- - -

Well. I wrote an entry a few days ago, but Firefox, for whatever reason, ate everything that I'd written - which was a considerable amount. At the risk of it happening again, I'll keep things nice and simple.

Classes are going alright; this quarter, esepcially now, is getting to be a little more difficult -- but hopefully that'll clear up, since we've recieved final project info sheets in two of my classes. Composition is a bomb; my professor isn't a very good one, and though I enjoy that all we do is watch movies, for once I'd actually like to hear a lecture. Drawing II is/would be pretty easy if I kept on top of things, but for as much as I procrastinate, I'm still getting a good grade. ("Good" in the fact that a B+ is pretty good for the professor I have, since he grades a little hard.) Color theory is pretty good too - and getting more interesting every day. I'm fairly excited for the final projects in both Drawing and Color, as they're open ended, something that normally doesn't fit well with me... but I have some ideas and I'm willing to explore them.

My social life is pretty normal; still consists of a small group, but they're fun, so who am I to complain about it?

I'm falling behind on keeping my galleries updated, but I'll work on it today.

I'm sorely lacking the imagination and the opportunity to do some original stuff... I miss being creative with myself, detached from assignments. It's saddening. Buuut, things could be worse.

That's all for now.

PS. Cass, a friend of mine, and I have had plant babies. Unfortunately, the original three, Heath, Veronica and Wilbur, are dying/dead. Veronica's almost there. To curb my grief, I bought a lucky bamboo plant with three stems -- three for good luck. The shorter two we'ved named Ling Ling and Lucy Lui; the taller one is Bling Bling... and will eventually have fake rhinestones attached. For Valentine's day, Cass got me a cactus -- as we'd been discussing the different kinds of kids we could have and where they came from. So, now, Pablo the cactus, for whom we will get a sombrero, is part of the family.

Heartwarming, isn't it?