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arkratirmaHoly crap, this entry is looong. It's longer than Longcat! Three thousand words plus!
There are two squirrels chasing each other on a tree outside.... They're so cute! One is a tawny-reddish color, and the other is gray with an orange belly.
Well, first thing I saw before beginning the "serious" typing. Squirrels....
I feel very rested. I just wish the start of the week had been the same way.
Last Monday, I saw Elizabeth outside my Color Theory class; she was showing a new student around the college. She spotted me, smiled and waved, and I did the same. Last Tuesday and Wednesday weren't all too noteworthy, at least not that I can remember.
This past Monday, I got a decent amount of sleep and drove to Gateway with no problems. Later, in Color Theory, I ended up feeling tired and did not get any head start on Assignment #6, which I will begin sometime today.
When I got home Monday, I dropped my small rolling suitcase off in the house, then headed out to the trailer to check up on Draco. First thing I noticed was that the trailer was a bit chilly. I looked to my alarm clock and realized that it was flashing: Oh, the power went out sometime today, I told myself. I looked to Draco's terrarium and noticed that the pillow and towels I had draped over it were moved aside. I peered into the terrarium and saw that Draco's rock cave had been moved.
Where's Draco?
I knew that he must have been moved inside the house somewhere, yet I kept having irrational thoughts of someone stealing him from the trailer. I looked in Jessi's closet and in Maddie's room without any luck. Finally, I found a note on the kitchen counter from Aunt Pam, Jessi, and Maddie, explaining that they had moved Draco into a large shoe box - with a towel for lining and several holes poked in the lid for air - and set him inside Aunt Pam and Uncle Larry's closet. I was relieved, let me tell you. After calling and leaving a message for Aunt Pam, she called back to let me know where Draco was located.
Putting Draco in the shoe box, as I later learned, was Mitch's idea. He used to keep his lizards and turtles safe in shoe boxes during the winter, and I felt so grateful that he had spent the night from Sunday. The closet is quiet, and the water heater is close to it - for now, Draco should be comfortable.
When I found the shoe box, I gently picked it up and carried it to Aunt Pam and Uncle Larry's bed. I removed the elastic band from the box (Aunt Pam thought Draco might try to get out) and lifted the lid. Draco was awake, looking at me as I looked at him, and my eyes got a little watery, I was so relieved.... And I am so lucky to be living with family members who care as much about Draco as I do!
Cradling Draco's shoe box in my arms, I set him down again on the piano bench, looking him over to see that he was okay. He was a bit chilly when I felt his back, but other than that, he was rather alert and licked the towel he was lying on (that's how beardies test their surroundings). He actually has more room in his shoe box than under his rock cave. I offered him a small piece of lettuce just in case, but he only licked it. I left a message with Mom and Dad for the sake of talking, and they later called back. I just felt so sorry for Draco, having his brumation interrupted, but he was in good hands with Aunt Pam, Jessi, Mitch, and Maddie.
I set Draco and his temporary winter home back inside the closet, had some late lunch, then worked a bit on my "Walking with Personality" animation. Draco is safe in the closet for now, but he won't be able to stay there the entire winter; he needs to sense the natural light outside so he knows when to wake up for himself. When Jessi and Maddie move out after Jessi graduates from her nursing school, I will move into one of their rooms (and Aunt Pam will get a sewing room), and Draco will come with me. Again, for now, he is safe.
Katie (full name Kathleen), one of my friends from Intermediate Drawing and Intro to Computer Graphics, has proven to be an... interesting person. By all means, I like her, but she complains about something whenever we hang out and is rather emotionally clingy. After I'd returned to the Student Commons from my advising appointment with Amber, I got up again to use the restroom.
Me: "I'll be right back."
Katie: "Where are you going?"
Me: "Restroom."
Katie: "You just went!"
Me: "...I drink a lot of water." (Which is true; I especially have to keep hydrated before ICG, which I typically come out of with a headache. I'd taken two Excedrin tablets after breakfast to help safeguard against a headache, so I was very awake during Intermediate Drawing, but my stomach was sour as a result of taking the tablets.)
Weirded me out. As much as I appreciate having friends here, part of me prefers to be left alone. Right before I left for my appointment, Katie said, "Oh, you're going to leave me?" and I told her it shouldn't take long.
As for the appointment itself: I am so grateful to Amber for working out a schedule that works for me (mainly, this means no night classes). She explained that I have a heavy workload this term: four of my five classes are project-oriented, and we agreed that taking four classes next term should be a good break. I registered online about an hour ago, and I will be taking two project-oriented classes and two general education classes.
Monday: Argumentation & Research, 9:00AM - 11:45AM
Tuesday: Pre-College Math, 9:00AM - 11:45AM (oh boy, math!)
Wednesday: Image Manipulation, 8:00AM - 11:45AM; Figure Construction, 12:45PM - 4:30PM
I figure I'll drive on Mondays and Tuesdays (I'll be able to wake up an hour later, yay!), and carpool with Uncle Larry on Wednesdays. I explained to Amber that I'm not good about prioritizing my time, but I think this schedule should help take a load off my shoulders for a while. I'm going to have four-day weekends again, so I MUST, MUST, MUST learn to prioritize.
Near the end of my appointment, when Amber asked if I had any questions, I thought about asking why she needs a wheelchair. I did not. Amber stands over six feet tall, is very slender, looks to be in her mid- to late twenties, and can walk without aid, but does so very slowly; more often, she can be seen in a large electric wheelchair. I know I can ask politely, but at the same time, it was beside the point of registration.
Tuesday night, I got my "care package" from Mom and Dad. I had asked them to send me a couple of nice watercolor brushes I had purchased while visiting them over break before this term, and I was expecting a small box with some added goodies, which they had hinted at. In front of the coffee table in the front room was the box that one of Dad's telescopes had come in. HUGE. I opened the box and found a pillow from my bed at home and a spacious red rolling duffel bag.
The first thing I pulled from the duffel bag was the large plush toucan I'd had in my closet. I burst out laughing, and when Maddie saw what I was laughing about, she joined in. My hummingbird pillow from Katlin and Mindy were inside the bag, as well as Turnip, the fuzzy dinosaur hand-puppet thing that Brenna and Jason had bought me for my birthday (I love Turnip to pieces). Kimmi's little wolf head purse-pillow followed, and then I found a teddy bear that Mom must have picked out. I was smiling away.
Then came the junk food. Dad packed banana chips, gum, candy, trail mix, and even some Airborne (though that's not junk, of course!) in my care package. I thought, Oh, God, I won't be able to eat all this by myself! Mom sent three pairs of awesome socks, one of which I am currently wearing (they have dragons on them). I got some shirts and shorts that I'd left at home, a case of dominoes, some shaving cream, and a letter of encouragement from Dad with twenty bucks inside. I was so giddy about all this stuff that Mom and Dad had sent! My watercolor brushes are now with my desk items.
I set to work on my animation again, then watched House. I rather liked that episode, "Ugly".... Reminded me of The Elephant Man, as I'd mentioned.
House is a royal ass, but at the same time, you can't help but love him. I cracked up at the scene where he and Cuddy are watching the documentary made about his patient, and House just looks on in horror because of the editing that was done, which made him look like a caring human being. Heh!
That night, I went to bed around 11:30, and I was still awake when I got up at 12:20 to yell at the dogs and put the muzzle on Honey. (The dogs are the main reason I look forward to moving into one of the rooms, but I can always come in the house if I need to. Maddie still sleeps with her mom more often than not, so her bed is often free.)
Yesterday morning, I felt rather tired after having five or so hours of sleep. I can function on six hours of sleep, but anything less throws me off. As I was eating breakfast, I heard Maddie wake up crying. Jessi briefly poked her head out from the bathroom and gave me one of those Here We Go Again looks after I said Good morning. I thought maybe Maddie had had a nightmare.
In Animation, Za had whomever had finished their "Walking with Personality" assignments present them in class. Chad's tiptoe sneak was the favorite; he's already very skilled (and he was also in my Language of Animation & Film class last term). Our in-class assignment was to animate a "take", a surprised or startled reaction to something off-screen. I created this little beanie-clad kid for my take. Za helped me a lot with creating more exaggerated key frames, and she told me to keep the light on my light box off and to, instead, flip back and forth between my drawings in order to better maintain volume. (With the light on, she explained, we tend to draw between existing lines, and therefore volume tends to change with it.)
I got my take animated, and Za improved it dramatically by removing certain holds to speed the kid's reaction up and make it more effective. We discussed what needed to be altered, and I learned that I may turn in my animations on my flash drive rather than on a CD. I've had bad luck with CDs.
Whew, I need to get started on some work. Marianne, one of my Color Theory peers, just called, but I only heard her message, not the phone ringing, through my headphones. I was listening to "Isobel" again. Damn headphones! Maybe I should bring my speakers in.... She didn't leave a callback number, but will try again later.
ANYWAY, to try to wrap this gigantic entry up, I got a C+ as the final grade for my first English Comp essay. I knew I had at least received a C-, because we must get [at least] that grade on each essay in order to pass the class, and during my appointment with Amber, we saw that I had passed all my midterms. I still hadn't reached the full requirements for the paper, but Nathan wrote:
Jill,
Your paper would have been in the high B / low A range if it fit all the requirements for the paper. You are a great writer who brings maturity and thoughtfulness to your word choice and language. For the next essay, read your thesis statement and topic sentences aloud - "Are all my main points captured?" "Is this clear enough to the reader?" I have full confidence that you will snag that A or B for the next essay - powerful writing comes easily to you.
Best,
Nathan
That was a huge relief. I am not proud of myself for procrastinating, but this essay is OVER WITH, and our second essay was explained much more clearly and is more interesting. We have to pick an existing product and pitch it to Nathan, using a similar product to make an argument over which you should buy. I am probably going to use Prismacolor products against something else. Prisma markers versus Copic markers? Maybe so!
Also, we get two weeks to write the draft, and two weeks to write the final. We had only one week for the draft of the first essay. I am going to get a head start sometime this weekend.
We watched the pilot for Felicity yesterday. Rather enjoyable, but DAMN, girl! - see where infatuation gets you? [/durhur]
Nathan let us out a half-hour early, so I had two hours after class to wait to meet up with Uncle Larry at 5:00. I called home and talked with Cammy and Dad, and told Dad that I passed that damn essay, but also that Nathan praised my writing style. He was happy about that. I giddily recalled my giddy reaction to the care package, and Dad said that he'd been sore all day. He's done a lot of work - much more than he should, as far as I'm concerned - to perk up the front yard. We now have twice as much parking space, thanks to a few tons of fresh gravel, and Dad cleared out the weeds at the front steps and began a neat little landscaping project, which he wants me to finish. All is going well at home, however.
I stopped at Utrecht and picked up some goodies - the three Pigma Graphic pen sizes, a cold press watercolor block, and a black paper sketchbook (gorgeous!) - with my 30% off postcard at the ready. As my items were rung up, I knew something was wrong about the price, but didn't catch it until late last night: the watercolor block was included twice on my receipt. Ah, well. I can take the receipt back sometime next week and hopefully get a refund or an actual second watercolor block.
At Powell's, I picked up Richard Adams' The Unbroken Web, a collection of retold myths and fairy tales. The illustrations are mesmerizing, and I look forward to reading the various fables.
I'd had a mild headache getting out of Nathan's class (dumb me, once again, did not bring ample protein for lunch), and walking across the Hawthorne Bridge with Uncle Larry didn't entirely help, but dragging my little rolling suitcase and having a backpack with a sketchbook and textbook inside distracted my head a bit from its ache. I tried to keep my eyes shut on the drive home - the lights hurt my eyes - and when we got home, I dropped my stuff off and exclaimed that I needed to go sleep for a while.
Maddie: "How much sleep did you get?"
Me: "About five hours."
Maddie: "I got three!" (This was why she had been crying when she woke up.)
I hate making things sound like... pity "competitions", but Maddie did not sit through two four-hour classes, wait two hours after class to walk to the car, and then wait an additional hour before she could take a much-needed nap and try to be rid of a headache. I got up around 9:00, came back inside the house, and took a long bath, which in the end improved my head a lot. I went to bed around 10:30 last night and got up around 8:30 this morning, so I feel good.
Oooh, wait - more contemplations! Thoughts about stuff, rather; it's not that deep.
I love my Intermediate Drawing class. Meredith is a wonderfully quirky teacher, and I always look forward to my table group's colorful discussions. Something that Jacob brought up on Tuesday is how he'd felt awkward (or still feels awkward?) about calling his teachers by their first names. That's how it is at AIPD, anyway: our teachers prefer to be addressed without a Ms. / Mrs. / Mr. Last Name. I chimed in by saying that I addressed a few of my teachers by their last names for a while, then moved to first names for every teacher. However, when I pass by my teachers and they say Hi to me, I usually only respond with "Good morning" or "Hello!" instead of "Hi, Za!" or whomever I pass....
I've passed by Colleen several times this term. She always says, "Hi, Jillian" if she's not talking with someone else, and again, all I say is "Good morning!" or "Hello!" I'd feel better if I could just say "Hi, Colleen!" Odd as it may sound, I think about that every time I pass her: I should say Hi, Colleen, and should do the same with all my teachers.
When Katie and I left the Commons to head to ICG on Tuesday, Colleen was standing right next to me once everyone was packed into the elevator. She was talking with another student, but I really wanted to greet her, be friendly. I must seem rudely reserved sometimes. I was careful not to run into her when the second floor was reached, and I couldn't help but feel somewhat rude as I squeezed passed her in the hall to get to ICG. Colleen tends to keep close to the walls, though.
At the end of the hall, Katie yelled, "You're walking so slowly!" I retorted, "I only walk fast when I'm outside - like when I'm going to Powell's or something. That's exciting!" I think Colleen laughed at that.
In ICG, Katie was upset to find that our usual seats had been taken; we were a bit late in leaving the Commons. She sat where I otherwise sit, and I moved across the room. I left again to pick up a tablet from the Cage Annex, and Colleen was standing outside talking with a fellow teacher. Call me an obsessive wants-to-be-friendly-to-everyone (and I try to be), but I just wanted to freaking say Hi. Oh well.
And I haven't even seen Kasey this term. Damn!
Hmmm. Uh, to really try to wrap this up, I weighed myself this morning and declared to myself, "Holy crap." About 124 lbs. That's very light for me, no thanks to getting headaches. I've decided that 130 - being smack-dab in the middle of Healthy and Overweight, in terms of BMI - is a good weight for me. I know that a good portion of my weight must come from muscle, but--
*gets hit in the head with a block that says SHUT UP AND GO DO SOME WORK, GODDAMNIT!*
Lordy!
There are two squirrels chasing each other on a tree outside.... They're so cute! One is a tawny-reddish color, and the other is gray with an orange belly.
Well, first thing I saw before beginning the "serious" typing. Squirrels....
I feel very rested. I just wish the start of the week had been the same way.
Last Monday, I saw Elizabeth outside my Color Theory class; she was showing a new student around the college. She spotted me, smiled and waved, and I did the same. Last Tuesday and Wednesday weren't all too noteworthy, at least not that I can remember.
This past Monday, I got a decent amount of sleep and drove to Gateway with no problems. Later, in Color Theory, I ended up feeling tired and did not get any head start on Assignment #6, which I will begin sometime today.
When I got home Monday, I dropped my small rolling suitcase off in the house, then headed out to the trailer to check up on Draco. First thing I noticed was that the trailer was a bit chilly. I looked to my alarm clock and realized that it was flashing: Oh, the power went out sometime today, I told myself. I looked to Draco's terrarium and noticed that the pillow and towels I had draped over it were moved aside. I peered into the terrarium and saw that Draco's rock cave had been moved.
Where's Draco?
I knew that he must have been moved inside the house somewhere, yet I kept having irrational thoughts of someone stealing him from the trailer. I looked in Jessi's closet and in Maddie's room without any luck. Finally, I found a note on the kitchen counter from Aunt Pam, Jessi, and Maddie, explaining that they had moved Draco into a large shoe box - with a towel for lining and several holes poked in the lid for air - and set him inside Aunt Pam and Uncle Larry's closet. I was relieved, let me tell you. After calling and leaving a message for Aunt Pam, she called back to let me know where Draco was located.
Putting Draco in the shoe box, as I later learned, was Mitch's idea. He used to keep his lizards and turtles safe in shoe boxes during the winter, and I felt so grateful that he had spent the night from Sunday. The closet is quiet, and the water heater is close to it - for now, Draco should be comfortable.
When I found the shoe box, I gently picked it up and carried it to Aunt Pam and Uncle Larry's bed. I removed the elastic band from the box (Aunt Pam thought Draco might try to get out) and lifted the lid. Draco was awake, looking at me as I looked at him, and my eyes got a little watery, I was so relieved.... And I am so lucky to be living with family members who care as much about Draco as I do!
Cradling Draco's shoe box in my arms, I set him down again on the piano bench, looking him over to see that he was okay. He was a bit chilly when I felt his back, but other than that, he was rather alert and licked the towel he was lying on (that's how beardies test their surroundings). He actually has more room in his shoe box than under his rock cave. I offered him a small piece of lettuce just in case, but he only licked it. I left a message with Mom and Dad for the sake of talking, and they later called back. I just felt so sorry for Draco, having his brumation interrupted, but he was in good hands with Aunt Pam, Jessi, Mitch, and Maddie.
I set Draco and his temporary winter home back inside the closet, had some late lunch, then worked a bit on my "Walking with Personality" animation. Draco is safe in the closet for now, but he won't be able to stay there the entire winter; he needs to sense the natural light outside so he knows when to wake up for himself. When Jessi and Maddie move out after Jessi graduates from her nursing school, I will move into one of their rooms (and Aunt Pam will get a sewing room), and Draco will come with me. Again, for now, he is safe.
Katie (full name Kathleen), one of my friends from Intermediate Drawing and Intro to Computer Graphics, has proven to be an... interesting person. By all means, I like her, but she complains about something whenever we hang out and is rather emotionally clingy. After I'd returned to the Student Commons from my advising appointment with Amber, I got up again to use the restroom.
Me: "I'll be right back."
Katie: "Where are you going?"
Me: "Restroom."
Katie: "You just went!"
Me: "...I drink a lot of water." (Which is true; I especially have to keep hydrated before ICG, which I typically come out of with a headache. I'd taken two Excedrin tablets after breakfast to help safeguard against a headache, so I was very awake during Intermediate Drawing, but my stomach was sour as a result of taking the tablets.)
Weirded me out. As much as I appreciate having friends here, part of me prefers to be left alone. Right before I left for my appointment, Katie said, "Oh, you're going to leave me?" and I told her it shouldn't take long.
As for the appointment itself: I am so grateful to Amber for working out a schedule that works for me (mainly, this means no night classes). She explained that I have a heavy workload this term: four of my five classes are project-oriented, and we agreed that taking four classes next term should be a good break. I registered online about an hour ago, and I will be taking two project-oriented classes and two general education classes.
Monday: Argumentation & Research, 9:00AM - 11:45AM
Tuesday: Pre-College Math, 9:00AM - 11:45AM (oh boy, math!)
Wednesday: Image Manipulation, 8:00AM - 11:45AM; Figure Construction, 12:45PM - 4:30PM
I figure I'll drive on Mondays and Tuesdays (I'll be able to wake up an hour later, yay!), and carpool with Uncle Larry on Wednesdays. I explained to Amber that I'm not good about prioritizing my time, but I think this schedule should help take a load off my shoulders for a while. I'm going to have four-day weekends again, so I MUST, MUST, MUST learn to prioritize.
Near the end of my appointment, when Amber asked if I had any questions, I thought about asking why she needs a wheelchair. I did not. Amber stands over six feet tall, is very slender, looks to be in her mid- to late twenties, and can walk without aid, but does so very slowly; more often, she can be seen in a large electric wheelchair. I know I can ask politely, but at the same time, it was beside the point of registration.
Tuesday night, I got my "care package" from Mom and Dad. I had asked them to send me a couple of nice watercolor brushes I had purchased while visiting them over break before this term, and I was expecting a small box with some added goodies, which they had hinted at. In front of the coffee table in the front room was the box that one of Dad's telescopes had come in. HUGE. I opened the box and found a pillow from my bed at home and a spacious red rolling duffel bag.
The first thing I pulled from the duffel bag was the large plush toucan I'd had in my closet. I burst out laughing, and when Maddie saw what I was laughing about, she joined in. My hummingbird pillow from Katlin and Mindy were inside the bag, as well as Turnip, the fuzzy dinosaur hand-puppet thing that Brenna and Jason had bought me for my birthday (I love Turnip to pieces). Kimmi's little wolf head purse-pillow followed, and then I found a teddy bear that Mom must have picked out. I was smiling away.
Then came the junk food. Dad packed banana chips, gum, candy, trail mix, and even some Airborne (though that's not junk, of course!) in my care package. I thought, Oh, God, I won't be able to eat all this by myself! Mom sent three pairs of awesome socks, one of which I am currently wearing (they have dragons on them). I got some shirts and shorts that I'd left at home, a case of dominoes, some shaving cream, and a letter of encouragement from Dad with twenty bucks inside. I was so giddy about all this stuff that Mom and Dad had sent! My watercolor brushes are now with my desk items.
I set to work on my animation again, then watched House. I rather liked that episode, "Ugly".... Reminded me of The Elephant Man, as I'd mentioned.
House is a royal ass, but at the same time, you can't help but love him. I cracked up at the scene where he and Cuddy are watching the documentary made about his patient, and House just looks on in horror because of the editing that was done, which made him look like a caring human being. Heh!
That night, I went to bed around 11:30, and I was still awake when I got up at 12:20 to yell at the dogs and put the muzzle on Honey. (The dogs are the main reason I look forward to moving into one of the rooms, but I can always come in the house if I need to. Maddie still sleeps with her mom more often than not, so her bed is often free.)
Yesterday morning, I felt rather tired after having five or so hours of sleep. I can function on six hours of sleep, but anything less throws me off. As I was eating breakfast, I heard Maddie wake up crying. Jessi briefly poked her head out from the bathroom and gave me one of those Here We Go Again looks after I said Good morning. I thought maybe Maddie had had a nightmare.
In Animation, Za had whomever had finished their "Walking with Personality" assignments present them in class. Chad's tiptoe sneak was the favorite; he's already very skilled (and he was also in my Language of Animation & Film class last term). Our in-class assignment was to animate a "take", a surprised or startled reaction to something off-screen. I created this little beanie-clad kid for my take. Za helped me a lot with creating more exaggerated key frames, and she told me to keep the light on my light box off and to, instead, flip back and forth between my drawings in order to better maintain volume. (With the light on, she explained, we tend to draw between existing lines, and therefore volume tends to change with it.)
I got my take animated, and Za improved it dramatically by removing certain holds to speed the kid's reaction up and make it more effective. We discussed what needed to be altered, and I learned that I may turn in my animations on my flash drive rather than on a CD. I've had bad luck with CDs.
Whew, I need to get started on some work. Marianne, one of my Color Theory peers, just called, but I only heard her message, not the phone ringing, through my headphones. I was listening to "Isobel" again. Damn headphones! Maybe I should bring my speakers in.... She didn't leave a callback number, but will try again later.
ANYWAY, to try to wrap this gigantic entry up, I got a C+ as the final grade for my first English Comp essay. I knew I had at least received a C-, because we must get [at least] that grade on each essay in order to pass the class, and during my appointment with Amber, we saw that I had passed all my midterms. I still hadn't reached the full requirements for the paper, but Nathan wrote:
Jill,
Your paper would have been in the high B / low A range if it fit all the requirements for the paper. You are a great writer who brings maturity and thoughtfulness to your word choice and language. For the next essay, read your thesis statement and topic sentences aloud - "Are all my main points captured?" "Is this clear enough to the reader?" I have full confidence that you will snag that A or B for the next essay - powerful writing comes easily to you.
Best,
Nathan
That was a huge relief. I am not proud of myself for procrastinating, but this essay is OVER WITH, and our second essay was explained much more clearly and is more interesting. We have to pick an existing product and pitch it to Nathan, using a similar product to make an argument over which you should buy. I am probably going to use Prismacolor products against something else. Prisma markers versus Copic markers? Maybe so!
Also, we get two weeks to write the draft, and two weeks to write the final. We had only one week for the draft of the first essay. I am going to get a head start sometime this weekend.
We watched the pilot for Felicity yesterday. Rather enjoyable, but DAMN, girl! - see where infatuation gets you? [/durhur]
Nathan let us out a half-hour early, so I had two hours after class to wait to meet up with Uncle Larry at 5:00. I called home and talked with Cammy and Dad, and told Dad that I passed that damn essay, but also that Nathan praised my writing style. He was happy about that. I giddily recalled my giddy reaction to the care package, and Dad said that he'd been sore all day. He's done a lot of work - much more than he should, as far as I'm concerned - to perk up the front yard. We now have twice as much parking space, thanks to a few tons of fresh gravel, and Dad cleared out the weeds at the front steps and began a neat little landscaping project, which he wants me to finish. All is going well at home, however.
I stopped at Utrecht and picked up some goodies - the three Pigma Graphic pen sizes, a cold press watercolor block, and a black paper sketchbook (gorgeous!) - with my 30% off postcard at the ready. As my items were rung up, I knew something was wrong about the price, but didn't catch it until late last night: the watercolor block was included twice on my receipt. Ah, well. I can take the receipt back sometime next week and hopefully get a refund or an actual second watercolor block.
At Powell's, I picked up Richard Adams' The Unbroken Web, a collection of retold myths and fairy tales. The illustrations are mesmerizing, and I look forward to reading the various fables.
I'd had a mild headache getting out of Nathan's class (dumb me, once again, did not bring ample protein for lunch), and walking across the Hawthorne Bridge with Uncle Larry didn't entirely help, but dragging my little rolling suitcase and having a backpack with a sketchbook and textbook inside distracted my head a bit from its ache. I tried to keep my eyes shut on the drive home - the lights hurt my eyes - and when we got home, I dropped my stuff off and exclaimed that I needed to go sleep for a while.
Maddie: "How much sleep did you get?"
Me: "About five hours."
Maddie: "I got three!" (This was why she had been crying when she woke up.)
I hate making things sound like... pity "competitions", but Maddie did not sit through two four-hour classes, wait two hours after class to walk to the car, and then wait an additional hour before she could take a much-needed nap and try to be rid of a headache. I got up around 9:00, came back inside the house, and took a long bath, which in the end improved my head a lot. I went to bed around 10:30 last night and got up around 8:30 this morning, so I feel good.
Oooh, wait - more contemplations! Thoughts about stuff, rather; it's not that deep.
I love my Intermediate Drawing class. Meredith is a wonderfully quirky teacher, and I always look forward to my table group's colorful discussions. Something that Jacob brought up on Tuesday is how he'd felt awkward (or still feels awkward?) about calling his teachers by their first names. That's how it is at AIPD, anyway: our teachers prefer to be addressed without a Ms. / Mrs. / Mr. Last Name. I chimed in by saying that I addressed a few of my teachers by their last names for a while, then moved to first names for every teacher. However, when I pass by my teachers and they say Hi to me, I usually only respond with "Good morning" or "Hello!" instead of "Hi, Za!" or whomever I pass....
I've passed by Colleen several times this term. She always says, "Hi, Jillian" if she's not talking with someone else, and again, all I say is "Good morning!" or "Hello!" I'd feel better if I could just say "Hi, Colleen!" Odd as it may sound, I think about that every time I pass her: I should say Hi, Colleen, and should do the same with all my teachers.
When Katie and I left the Commons to head to ICG on Tuesday, Colleen was standing right next to me once everyone was packed into the elevator. She was talking with another student, but I really wanted to greet her, be friendly. I must seem rudely reserved sometimes. I was careful not to run into her when the second floor was reached, and I couldn't help but feel somewhat rude as I squeezed passed her in the hall to get to ICG. Colleen tends to keep close to the walls, though.
At the end of the hall, Katie yelled, "You're walking so slowly!" I retorted, "I only walk fast when I'm outside - like when I'm going to Powell's or something. That's exciting!" I think Colleen laughed at that.
In ICG, Katie was upset to find that our usual seats had been taken; we were a bit late in leaving the Commons. She sat where I otherwise sit, and I moved across the room. I left again to pick up a tablet from the Cage Annex, and Colleen was standing outside talking with a fellow teacher. Call me an obsessive wants-to-be-friendly-to-everyone (and I try to be), but I just wanted to freaking say Hi. Oh well.
And I haven't even seen Kasey this term. Damn!
Hmmm. Uh, to really try to wrap this up, I weighed myself this morning and declared to myself, "Holy crap." About 124 lbs. That's very light for me, no thanks to getting headaches. I've decided that 130 - being smack-dab in the middle of Healthy and Overweight, in terms of BMI - is a good weight for me. I know that a good portion of my weight must come from muscle, but--
*gets hit in the head with a block that says SHUT UP AND GO DO SOME WORK, GODDAMNIT!*
Lordy!
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Date: 2007-11-16 08:50 am (UTC):D I'm glad that your parents sent you Turnip!
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Date: 2007-11-16 06:49 pm (UTC)I just really wish these 3,000+ words had been for Brainsick! =P