Random...
Hello all.
I wanted to vent in a good way, meaning no complaints or anything. Just to put some stuff down on paper....or cyberspace...or whatever.
The last two weeks have been INSANE! I've been running around like crazy--I hate having ALL my time delegated. I had two tests today, so most of it is alleviated for the time being. The last two nights have seen me in bed past 1 am and up at 7am, and Nickel don't play those games....no sir. However, miraculously, I haven't crashed yet. Not all day today! Amazing....my tests went well too, which is also amazing.
Part of my craziness is definitely by my choice; take last night for example. I called Mr Martin back in March for his birthday and he said all he wanted for a present was for me and Lydia to come play in his spring concert at Westminster. So naturally I didn't write it down and completely forgot about it until he called Monday and reminded me. Having mapped out every ten minutes of my week already, I flipped momentarily, but I figured out how to work it out, to quote Randy Jackson. It meant I had to drive to lab and I put about 200 miles on my car yesterday, but it was soooo totally worth it!!!!!!
*ahem*
CHRIS AND MICHAEL MARTIN ARE THE BEST TRUMPET PLAYERS I'VE EVER HEARD. It's mouthwatering to listen to them. Seriously. They had a duet feature in the concert (for which Mike flew down from Northwestern)--Vivaldi's concerto for two trumpets, and it was INCREDIBLE!! Piccolo trumpet is my current favorite instrument, and they were flawless. Absolutely flawless. Their tone is liquid. I can't describe it any more eloquently than that, and I'm referring to them collectively because they sound basically equal to me in this piece. Chris always said he thought Mike had a bit more talent, if not the work ethic. Perhaps he's catching up! Oh it was just amazing y'all. =) So good to see them. Mike got into TMC too (!!!) so he'll be in Lenox for most of the summer! Picnics on the lawn! Ooo-rah!
Oh yeah, me and Lyd are probably gonna go to Lenox this summer after all, for four or five weeks. After we get back from LONDON! Holla! Nickel's a high roller at the moment...not monetarily, but in quality of life. =) I am oh so excited about London, let me tell you.
I've pretty much decided to definitely do the French double major thing. I'm going to independent study 2001 this summer and then take 2002 so I can start my major classes next spring. I'm so excited! =) In honor of that, and also due to my current LOVE of Broadway (it's just hit me lately), I made my first iTunes purchase--the original Les Misérables album--IN FRENCH! The story is originally French (duh) and so the original musical was as well--it was painstakingly translated into *good* English, which is the one I've known since conception, and that's the one everyone here knows. But I know have the real thing, and the singers are better in my humble opinion. It's so cool in French! I'm having trouble finding the lyrics online, but when I get them, watch out. =) I've been learning Disney songs in French (I can sing them ALL in English already....why not?), but this is oh so much better. My long-term goal is to read Les Misérables in French. Yes, that's right, the whole long book by Victor Hugo himself. I'm about 80 pages into the first Harry Potter (in French) and I've been working on it steadily....slow going! I'm not so attached to my dictionary anymore, but it's nothing like my usual scanning/speed-reading. I have found that I do a version of speed-reading--where you look at the general area of the paragraph and just, I dunno, take in the paragraph. I know this because I was bored at the tutor building one day and took a "increase reading speed" lesson on their computer and that's what they tell you to do. So it turns out I'm a phenom! Haha...just kidding. But I'm a long way from doing that in French. I feel like I'm learning to read again almost...but at the same time, I can grasp the meaning pretty well, even if I can't exactly translate it in my head. And really, I don't need to translate it exactly--that's what the point of language is! It says the same thing in a different way, so aside from learning vocabulary for speech, I don't have to look up every verb tense if I can get what she's saying (J.K. Rowling in this case). Plus it helps that I've read all 6 of the Harry Potters like 8 times at least. I have the first four in French, so that'll keep me busy for....oh....fifteen years or so. (haha Lyd!)
Tomorrow I give a French oral presentation to the class--I'm speaking about crew! "L'aviron" is fraught with new vocabulary...and it got me thinking about crew again. I miss being in shape!! I was in super shape too....man. I think I was 20 pounds lighter for real. Amazing! I do have a lot of area to put it, but it's amazing to me that I am 20 pounds heavier than I was. It's pretty spread out I guess...whatever. I hate talking about weight. So I shall stop. I'm excited about my presentation--I had a great time with the PowerPoint!
What else....rodeo's going pretty well--we're hardcore working on advertising (posters and stuff), and I got the billboards bought and designed--they are so super cool! I loooove them! It's the current background on my computer...I will post it for your viewing pleasure.
OK I really have to go to sleep or I will fall asleep on top of Josh tomorrow (the horse I ride.....you sickos). Yay for going to ride! Yay for summer coming soon! Yay for French and my newfound love for it! Yay for la vie!
Please excuse the rare effervescence....you goin' ha'dat...
Nickel
I wanted to vent in a good way, meaning no complaints or anything. Just to put some stuff down on paper....or cyberspace...or whatever.
The last two weeks have been INSANE! I've been running around like crazy--I hate having ALL my time delegated. I had two tests today, so most of it is alleviated for the time being. The last two nights have seen me in bed past 1 am and up at 7am, and Nickel don't play those games....no sir. However, miraculously, I haven't crashed yet. Not all day today! Amazing....my tests went well too, which is also amazing.
Part of my craziness is definitely by my choice; take last night for example. I called Mr Martin back in March for his birthday and he said all he wanted for a present was for me and Lydia to come play in his spring concert at Westminster. So naturally I didn't write it down and completely forgot about it until he called Monday and reminded me. Having mapped out every ten minutes of my week already, I flipped momentarily, but I figured out how to work it out, to quote Randy Jackson. It meant I had to drive to lab and I put about 200 miles on my car yesterday, but it was soooo totally worth it!!!!!!
*ahem*
CHRIS AND MICHAEL MARTIN ARE THE BEST TRUMPET PLAYERS I'VE EVER HEARD. It's mouthwatering to listen to them. Seriously. They had a duet feature in the concert (for which Mike flew down from Northwestern)--Vivaldi's concerto for two trumpets, and it was INCREDIBLE!! Piccolo trumpet is my current favorite instrument, and they were flawless. Absolutely flawless. Their tone is liquid. I can't describe it any more eloquently than that, and I'm referring to them collectively because they sound basically equal to me in this piece. Chris always said he thought Mike had a bit more talent, if not the work ethic. Perhaps he's catching up! Oh it was just amazing y'all. =) So good to see them. Mike got into TMC too (!!!) so he'll be in Lenox for most of the summer! Picnics on the lawn! Ooo-rah!
Oh yeah, me and Lyd are probably gonna go to Lenox this summer after all, for four or five weeks. After we get back from LONDON! Holla! Nickel's a high roller at the moment...not monetarily, but in quality of life. =) I am oh so excited about London, let me tell you.
I've pretty much decided to definitely do the French double major thing. I'm going to independent study 2001 this summer and then take 2002 so I can start my major classes next spring. I'm so excited! =) In honor of that, and also due to my current LOVE of Broadway (it's just hit me lately), I made my first iTunes purchase--the original Les Misérables album--IN FRENCH! The story is originally French (duh) and so the original musical was as well--it was painstakingly translated into *good* English, which is the one I've known since conception, and that's the one everyone here knows. But I know have the real thing, and the singers are better in my humble opinion. It's so cool in French! I'm having trouble finding the lyrics online, but when I get them, watch out. =) I've been learning Disney songs in French (I can sing them ALL in English already....why not?), but this is oh so much better. My long-term goal is to read Les Misérables in French. Yes, that's right, the whole long book by Victor Hugo himself. I'm about 80 pages into the first Harry Potter (in French) and I've been working on it steadily....slow going! I'm not so attached to my dictionary anymore, but it's nothing like my usual scanning/speed-reading. I have found that I do a version of speed-reading--where you look at the general area of the paragraph and just, I dunno, take in the paragraph. I know this because I was bored at the tutor building one day and took a "increase reading speed" lesson on their computer and that's what they tell you to do. So it turns out I'm a phenom! Haha...just kidding. But I'm a long way from doing that in French. I feel like I'm learning to read again almost...but at the same time, I can grasp the meaning pretty well, even if I can't exactly translate it in my head. And really, I don't need to translate it exactly--that's what the point of language is! It says the same thing in a different way, so aside from learning vocabulary for speech, I don't have to look up every verb tense if I can get what she's saying (J.K. Rowling in this case). Plus it helps that I've read all 6 of the Harry Potters like 8 times at least. I have the first four in French, so that'll keep me busy for....oh....fifteen years or so. (haha Lyd!)
Tomorrow I give a French oral presentation to the class--I'm speaking about crew! "L'aviron" is fraught with new vocabulary...and it got me thinking about crew again. I miss being in shape!! I was in super shape too....man. I think I was 20 pounds lighter for real. Amazing! I do have a lot of area to put it, but it's amazing to me that I am 20 pounds heavier than I was. It's pretty spread out I guess...whatever. I hate talking about weight. So I shall stop. I'm excited about my presentation--I had a great time with the PowerPoint!
What else....rodeo's going pretty well--we're hardcore working on advertising (posters and stuff), and I got the billboards bought and designed--they are so super cool! I loooove them! It's the current background on my computer...I will post it for your viewing pleasure.
OK I really have to go to sleep or I will fall asleep on top of Josh tomorrow (the horse I ride.....you sickos). Yay for going to ride! Yay for summer coming soon! Yay for French and my newfound love for it! Yay for la vie!
Please excuse the rare effervescence....you goin' ha'dat...
Nickel