(no subject)
So, this weekend was a very eventful one. I did not suspect that I could cram everything I wanted to do in this city into two and a half days... but I was wrong. Friday, Ben arrived, and after a quick lunch we came back to the house to relax for a little bit. That night we went to see a show with a friend of his, and wow, I don't think I have had such a good time seeing live music in a while. Two of the three bands that played were really amazing (and naturally it didn't hurt that the singer of one was my dream man. Seriously, do other people fantasize about what attractive people would look like in ancient armor?), and I picked up a new record.
The following day, I dragged poor Ben to the MCCM for one last look at the In Stabiano exhibition before it closes. I cannot begin to express my emotional attachment to that show and the objects contained within. I have never been brought to tears by the loving care and attention to detail with which an artist executed an image until I saw the the astrolabe panel from the Villa... umm... San Marco? I don't remember and it really isn't important - what is important is the fact that my love for Roman art was reaffirmed by that collection of objects, as was my decision to enter into this grad program. Awesome. By the way, I'm not sure Ben was as moved as I was, but that is to be expected.... Regardless, the MCCM was followed up by a trip to the GA Aquarium, which I must say lives up to its reputation as the greatest aquarium in the world. Two words: WHALE SHARKS. Our adventures wore us out, so the evening was spent pretty quietly with drinks at my favorite local establishment.
And then... today, we climbed a mountain. A giant, possibly racist mountain contained within a giant, definitely racist theme park. Uh, it was a weird experience, to say the least. I'm open to considering the possibility that as an avowed Yankee, I misunderstood a lot of what was going on... but, uh, I'll leave it at that. The mountain-climbing part was fun, at any rate, although I would have enjoyed it at a lot more were I a mountain goat rather than an out of shape and ill-shod smoker. Did I also mention that I am terribly afraid of heights? Anyway, all of that wackiness was followed up by a trip to the Fernbank Museum, where two of my favorite things (Imperial Roman artifacts and DINOSAURS) were on display. A fun-filled, if exhaustive, day.
So anyway, now I am scrambling to finish my readings for tomorrow. And obviously by "scrambling" I mean "sitting at the computer instead of doing the work I need to do." Actually, posting to LJ is a great alternative to sitting on the couch, trying to care about art criticism when my giant cushy bed is sooooo close and sooooo inviting. Because the chances of me falling asleep upright are way slimmer than curled up on the couch with an article in my hands. Seriously, this whole grad school thing is out of hand - the readings, the seminars, the papers, the pressure... not to mention the fact that I have committed myself to this for at least five years. Probably more like seven. For someone with as great a fear of commitment as myself, this is an incredible and daunting period of time. And amount of work, and dedication. To dust off the old cliche, I am constantly in fear that I have bitten off more than I can chew.
But, uh, to make up for that cliche, here are some super exciting pictures from my
The entrance to the underwater viewing area. Fantastic, if a bit reminiscent of 'Jaws 3'.
The most glorious and noble of giant marine creatures, the WHALE SHARK! Ahem.
I will not make the inappropriate Steve Irwin joke.
Uh, fabulous invertebrates? I'm running out of steam here.
Requisite adorable sea turtle.
Ben contemplating the mysteries of the world's last uncharted realm...
Traditionally, restaurants bring baskets of bread to the table while customers wait for their meals. Psht, not in Georgia. Here, you get sweet potato fries, fried onions, and yes, even a fried pickle. Which, as not to seem ungrateful, I did take a bite of. A single bite.
Stone Mountain, which I, in fact, hiked to the top of today. Yeah, I nearly died in the process, but things such as climbing to the top of a giant mound of granite with equestrian portraits of three Confederate generals carved into the side of it build character. Or at least that's what I'm told.
Detail of the relief. It's really hard to get a sense of the scale of this image, but to give you an idea... a fully grown man can fit inside the horses' mouths, Robert E. Lee measures about ninety feet from the top of his head to the tip of his sword, and this thing took sixty years to complete. Impressive.
And finally, the T-Rex. Because I'm not going to argue with the terrible lizard king.
The following day, I dragged poor Ben to the MCCM for one last look at the In Stabiano exhibition before it closes. I cannot begin to express my emotional attachment to that show and the objects contained within. I have never been brought to tears by the loving care and attention to detail with which an artist executed an image until I saw the the astrolabe panel from the Villa... umm... San Marco? I don't remember and it really isn't important - what is important is the fact that my love for Roman art was reaffirmed by that collection of objects, as was my decision to enter into this grad program. Awesome. By the way, I'm not sure Ben was as moved as I was, but that is to be expected.... Regardless, the MCCM was followed up by a trip to the GA Aquarium, which I must say lives up to its reputation as the greatest aquarium in the world. Two words: WHALE SHARKS. Our adventures wore us out, so the evening was spent pretty quietly with drinks at my favorite local establishment.
And then... today, we climbed a mountain. A giant, possibly racist mountain contained within a giant, definitely racist theme park. Uh, it was a weird experience, to say the least. I'm open to considering the possibility that as an avowed Yankee, I misunderstood a lot of what was going on... but, uh, I'll leave it at that. The mountain-climbing part was fun, at any rate, although I would have enjoyed it at a lot more were I a mountain goat rather than an out of shape and ill-shod smoker. Did I also mention that I am terribly afraid of heights? Anyway, all of that wackiness was followed up by a trip to the Fernbank Museum, where two of my favorite things (Imperial Roman artifacts and DINOSAURS) were on display. A fun-filled, if exhaustive, day.
So anyway, now I am scrambling to finish my readings for tomorrow. And obviously by "scrambling" I mean "sitting at the computer instead of doing the work I need to do." Actually, posting to LJ is a great alternative to sitting on the couch, trying to care about art criticism when my giant cushy bed is sooooo close and sooooo inviting. Because the chances of me falling asleep upright are way slimmer than curled up on the couch with an article in my hands. Seriously, this whole grad school thing is out of hand - the readings, the seminars, the papers, the pressure... not to mention the fact that I have committed myself to this for at least five years. Probably more like seven. For someone with as great a fear of commitment as myself, this is an incredible and daunting period of time. And amount of work, and dedication. To dust off the old cliche, I am constantly in fear that I have bitten off more than I can chew.
But, uh, to make up for that cliche, here are some super exciting pictures from my
The entrance to the underwater viewing area. Fantastic, if a bit reminiscent of 'Jaws 3'.
The most glorious and noble of giant marine creatures, the WHALE SHARK! Ahem.
I will not make the inappropriate Steve Irwin joke.
Uh, fabulous invertebrates? I'm running out of steam here.
Requisite adorable sea turtle.
Ben contemplating the mysteries of the world's last uncharted realm...
Traditionally, restaurants bring baskets of bread to the table while customers wait for their meals. Psht, not in Georgia. Here, you get sweet potato fries, fried onions, and yes, even a fried pickle. Which, as not to seem ungrateful, I did take a bite of. A single bite.
Stone Mountain, which I, in fact, hiked to the top of today. Yeah, I nearly died in the process, but things such as climbing to the top of a giant mound of granite with equestrian portraits of three Confederate generals carved into the side of it build character. Or at least that's what I'm told.
Detail of the relief. It's really hard to get a sense of the scale of this image, but to give you an idea... a fully grown man can fit inside the horses' mouths, Robert E. Lee measures about ninety feet from the top of his head to the tip of his sword, and this thing took sixty years to complete. Impressive.
And finally, the T-Rex. Because I'm not going to argue with the terrible lizard king.