Remind me that I need to go on more bike rides. This morning I woke up fairly early and rode my bike around Tempe Town Lake, which was just beautiful for the whole ride. It will be nicer, too, when the road isn't blocked off and I get to ride straight to the bike path from Mill. The weather was amazing-- warm, clear skies, fresh. And I just really got a lot of satisfaction from the whole experience- being outdoors, getting exercise, and enjoying the morning by myself. If I wake up early enough, I could probably squeeze one of these rides in on a weekday morning. It only takes up about 2 hours, including shower time.
I ordered that book Brian was telling me about.... The Artist's Way. It seems like it's got some cool ideas in it. And from what I read, it's one of those things you can sort of dip your feet into if you want to, which is good. I look forward to reading it.
Last night, I went to the Concert Jazz Band concert, which I really enjoyed. I'm no expert on jazz, but I'm pretty sure they did a damn good job. I loved it. As a saxophone player, it made me really wish I knew how to play like that... I know it takes a lot of work, practice, and experience, but hopefully I'll get to be involved in jazz band next semester, if they have room for me.
Also, I've been toying around with some ideas about this summer and next year. Like, whether I should do the honors college, and where I should live, and should I get a job. All of this, of course, is strongly influenced by what my parents want, considering they are paying. I have a sinking feeling that I'm going to end up living at home this summer, which is really stupid. If that does happen, I at least want to get a job. I guess we'll see...
Well it's about that time.. Suit up for an afternoon in the practice room!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
New Stuff!
On Monday, I got a bunch of music from Brian (mostly saxophone music) and I bought some speakers from Target. They are so awesome!!! Though I'm sure the two rooms next to me don't agree. Hahaa...
Midterms are over, so things are a little less stressful now. Though, in another week and a half I'm sure shit is going to hit the fan all over again. You would think that my stressful experience last week would convince me not to skip class or ignore my homework... NOPE! But I'm not just bumming around doing nothing; I'm practicing a bunch. Slash..... enjoying my new speakers. Obviously.
I think I should start reading again. I miss it-- maybe because none of my homework has WORDS! But there are a few books on my list that wouldn't be hard to fit in.
Oh I have a funny story... my brother sent me a picture of his homecoming costume, which is a kilt and sash, etc. I told him I would set it as my profile picture and he freaked out!! LOL. What a tool.
Alright. Class.
Midterms are over, so things are a little less stressful now. Though, in another week and a half I'm sure shit is going to hit the fan all over again. You would think that my stressful experience last week would convince me not to skip class or ignore my homework... NOPE! But I'm not just bumming around doing nothing; I'm practicing a bunch. Slash..... enjoying my new speakers. Obviously.
I think I should start reading again. I miss it-- maybe because none of my homework has WORDS! But there are a few books on my list that wouldn't be hard to fit in.
Oh I have a funny story... my brother sent me a picture of his homecoming costume, which is a kilt and sash, etc. I told him I would set it as my profile picture and he freaked out!! LOL. What a tool.
Alright. Class.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Phoenix Adventure
This morning was awesome. I woke up at about 8 after a long night's sleep and decided it would be fun to go on a bike ride. So, I biked to the light rail station and hopped on with my bike, a clif bar, and $20 in my pocket. I almost got off at Papago park, but I decided I would go somewhere new, so I stayed on until it reached downtown Phoenix.
I got off at 12th and Jefferson and rode my bike around the city... an awesome area that I'll definitely have to go back to. I was just circling the north part of downtown when I came across the farmer's market! There were all these tents with people selling jewelry and pickles and cheese. I got tons of free samples and bought the most amazing cheddar cheese wedge!! It cost $10, but it is honestly the best cheese I've ever tasted. With a few dollars left, I hopped on my bike and rode around with the goal of finding the nearest light rail station. The one I found was 24th and Jefferson, but by that point I had been riding my bike for about a mile and I was having a good time. I kept riding for actually another 5 miles or so, at which point I hopped on the light rail at the airport stop. I calculated how far I had biked, and I just thought it would be lame not to finish it out, so I got off at Papago park and biked the rest of the way back (after a Starbucks break, of course).
Needless to say, my $20 was completely spent, but I'm glad I had some cash. This morning was a ton of fun and I probably biked close to 10 miles total. I can't believe how accessible all these areas are thanks to the light rail and having a bike! Now, I'm off to spend the rest of the day practicing and studying.
I got off at 12th and Jefferson and rode my bike around the city... an awesome area that I'll definitely have to go back to. I was just circling the north part of downtown when I came across the farmer's market! There were all these tents with people selling jewelry and pickles and cheese. I got tons of free samples and bought the most amazing cheddar cheese wedge!! It cost $10, but it is honestly the best cheese I've ever tasted. With a few dollars left, I hopped on my bike and rode around with the goal of finding the nearest light rail station. The one I found was 24th and Jefferson, but by that point I had been riding my bike for about a mile and I was having a good time. I kept riding for actually another 5 miles or so, at which point I hopped on the light rail at the airport stop. I calculated how far I had biked, and I just thought it would be lame not to finish it out, so I got off at Papago park and biked the rest of the way back (after a Starbucks break, of course).
Needless to say, my $20 was completely spent, but I'm glad I had some cash. This morning was a ton of fun and I probably biked close to 10 miles total. I can't believe how accessible all these areas are thanks to the light rail and having a bike! Now, I'm off to spend the rest of the day practicing and studying.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Overwhelmed
So after a weekend of traveling, I sort of expected these last few days to be a bit stressful, but things have really been adding up, and it seems like I've bitten off more than I can chew.
In addition to some small annoying things that have happened, like getting my front bike wheel stolen... I've also got some major things that I'm worried about... mainly, class piano and quartet. My piano midterm is Monday, and the solo piece we have to play is just way beyond my level. It's going to take a miracle to even get through the piece with both hands together.... So, I just feel actively nervous about that. Also, in quartet this week, we realized that we hadn't looked at Backburner yet, which was the last piece on our MTNA rep list... too bad it's like maniac hard. And we have a month to learn it. Ooooops!
I've also found that for some reason, when you're generally stressed, little annoyances become much harder to deal with... like having to go to doctor's appointments and waiting half an hour for a prescription. And, I hate to say it, but having to spend time with family. Kristin couldn't have picked a busier weekend to come visit....
Needless to say, I am dealing with all of this stress horribly. I'm eating lots of cake, getting drunk on weeknights, and cleaning my room obsessively. I'll let you know how that works out for me.
In addition to some small annoying things that have happened, like getting my front bike wheel stolen... I've also got some major things that I'm worried about... mainly, class piano and quartet. My piano midterm is Monday, and the solo piece we have to play is just way beyond my level. It's going to take a miracle to even get through the piece with both hands together.... So, I just feel actively nervous about that. Also, in quartet this week, we realized that we hadn't looked at Backburner yet, which was the last piece on our MTNA rep list... too bad it's like maniac hard. And we have a month to learn it. Ooooops!
I've also found that for some reason, when you're generally stressed, little annoyances become much harder to deal with... like having to go to doctor's appointments and waiting half an hour for a prescription. And, I hate to say it, but having to spend time with family. Kristin couldn't have picked a busier weekend to come visit....
Needless to say, I am dealing with all of this stress horribly. I'm eating lots of cake, getting drunk on weeknights, and cleaning my room obsessively. I'll let you know how that works out for me.
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