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.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Quote of the Day
So I've been thinking a lot recently about this one quote I found a couple of months ago, and I just came across the place where I wrote it down:
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, responded, "Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."
I really love this one. It's unsettling because it rings so true to so many of us and speaks of a much darker reality than people are willing to see. There's a danger much deeper than death here; it's the idea of a wasted life. And worse, a life wasted unknowingly. People often don't realize the bigger patterns in their life until it's too late. In the case this quote refers to, "work" becomes man's end, and the joy of experience is lost to planning, working, worrying, preparing. But this quote is not about seizing the day. The words that really stick out to me are "health" and "enjoy." The health being referenced here is not how we think of it in the west... I mean, even though work can make us physically sick, there's a broader implication of spiritual, emotional, and intellectual health. Are we paying attention to all aspects our ourselves and our well-being?
Another thing I love about this quote is that it doesn't assert that our responsibilities are unimportant; it simply laments that they have taken over many peoples' entire beings. Is it possible to achieve your professional goals and still be happy? Yes. But people often think that working and having money will directly lead to happiness. Truthfully, we must pay attention to our bodies and our relationships with others and the way we balance our lives. Otherwise, we will just be going through the motions instead of fully actualizing ourselves as humans.
There's so much more to this quote... But I thought I'd at least write down a few comments that came to mind. I should really do this quote thing more often... maybe I'll break out some Emerson or Thoreau; I've been in a sort of transcendent mood lately anyway.
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, responded, "Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived."
I really love this one. It's unsettling because it rings so true to so many of us and speaks of a much darker reality than people are willing to see. There's a danger much deeper than death here; it's the idea of a wasted life. And worse, a life wasted unknowingly. People often don't realize the bigger patterns in their life until it's too late. In the case this quote refers to, "work" becomes man's end, and the joy of experience is lost to planning, working, worrying, preparing. But this quote is not about seizing the day. The words that really stick out to me are "health" and "enjoy." The health being referenced here is not how we think of it in the west... I mean, even though work can make us physically sick, there's a broader implication of spiritual, emotional, and intellectual health. Are we paying attention to all aspects our ourselves and our well-being?
Another thing I love about this quote is that it doesn't assert that our responsibilities are unimportant; it simply laments that they have taken over many peoples' entire beings. Is it possible to achieve your professional goals and still be happy? Yes. But people often think that working and having money will directly lead to happiness. Truthfully, we must pay attention to our bodies and our relationships with others and the way we balance our lives. Otherwise, we will just be going through the motions instead of fully actualizing ourselves as humans.
There's so much more to this quote... But I thought I'd at least write down a few comments that came to mind. I should really do this quote thing more often... maybe I'll break out some Emerson or Thoreau; I've been in a sort of transcendent mood lately anyway.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The College Post
So now that I'm actually in college (haaa), I thought it would be nice to jot down a few notes in the book about my first few weeks.
In a nutshell, life is great. I mean, I get to make great music with great people in a great place. And study with McAllister! Ah, it's really everything I dreamed. The most exciting part is my studio... everyone around me can rip to shreds, and that really inspires me to practice a lot.
My back still hurts... but I think yoga might help. I don't know. I think it's getting better? It's hard to tell. Pain is pain, you know how it is.
Life goes on, and so far everything else is good. Overall, I'm happy. And I'm working toward goals. Let it be known that after my first month of living here in the great state of AZ, I consider coming to ASU to be one of the best decisions I ever made. Huzzah
In a nutshell, life is great. I mean, I get to make great music with great people in a great place. And study with McAllister! Ah, it's really everything I dreamed. The most exciting part is my studio... everyone around me can rip to shreds, and that really inspires me to practice a lot.
My back still hurts... but I think yoga might help. I don't know. I think it's getting better? It's hard to tell. Pain is pain, you know how it is.
Life goes on, and so far everything else is good. Overall, I'm happy. And I'm working toward goals. Let it be known that after my first month of living here in the great state of AZ, I consider coming to ASU to be one of the best decisions I ever made. Huzzah
Sunday, August 7, 2011
There has to be another solution...
The current state of my back is completely unsustainable. I could deal with having to use a back support when I sit and maintaining a strict exercise regimen and altering the way I bend and lift and twist. You know, I'm even able to accept the fact that I'll never run again, or probably play tennis, or golf, or really any sport.
But what I can't deal with is not being able to sit in a fucking chair and play a game of sequence without back pain. I have to adjust the types of clothes that I wear because certain belts and waistbands put stress on my back. I couldn't sleep in my brother's bed because his memory foam mattress was causing me too much pain. You get the picture.
I'm in a stupid amount of pain. I am 19 years old, and I want to go on road trips and dance and camp and jump around and sit and play board games and practice piano and punch people and go on roller coasters and be tickled and none of that is possible! I know I'm being dramatic, but I feel like my youth has been taken away from me and I don't know if I'll ever get it back. I want my life back- this is horrible and unfair.
But what I can't deal with is not being able to sit in a fucking chair and play a game of sequence without back pain. I have to adjust the types of clothes that I wear because certain belts and waistbands put stress on my back. I couldn't sleep in my brother's bed because his memory foam mattress was causing me too much pain. You get the picture.
I'm in a stupid amount of pain. I am 19 years old, and I want to go on road trips and dance and camp and jump around and sit and play board games and practice piano and punch people and go on roller coasters and be tickled and none of that is possible! I know I'm being dramatic, but I feel like my youth has been taken away from me and I don't know if I'll ever get it back. I want my life back- this is horrible and unfair.
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