I'm in a very introspective mood today. Jon and I stayed up late last night talking about deep stuff (it was good - very good!) Jon has had a lot of the same thoughts that I've had - - and when we disagree he can make intellegent arguments for his point of view). I know there are other people out there (MLE, and some internet folks) who feel the same way as me about "stuff." And I've read passionate intellengent oppions that are the opposite of mine, but it was so nice to have real person in the room to talk to.

So this afternoon, I looked up some stuff that Jon told me about, and then worked on my Fin. Man paper for a bit. (I need to decide which of two organizations is in a better financial position and then find 4-6 points to support my opinion. Right now I have two arguments suggesting Organization A is better and two arguments suggesting Organization B is better (I also have a really really really weak third point which could support either position). But I ran out of ideas so I started day dreaming and thinking about my future internships.

I'll have to do another tiny internship this summer in something outside my comfort zone, and next summer a bigger residency. I would really really like to work with Free Arts Minnesota - - they are a small start up organization with a neat-o mission and I'd love to be a part of their organization. I think I want to do more than just a tiny internship with them, and more than something where I'm stretching myself - They have such a small staff (2 people) and so much to do, I'm thinking it has residency potential. My advisor suggested doing my Residency at MacPhail - - but I donno- -- I want to do OUTREACH AND EDUCATION. Not as a component of marketing or under the guise of building future audiences ("if we get school kids to come to our concert, they'll get excited and tell their parents to come see the show, and if their parents are going to concerts, the kids will get hooked and in 20 years we'll still have an audience for our music!"). I'm thinking I want to work from more of a Service Orientation and promote Learning, (like Young Audiences) and Healing, (like Free Arts MN) and General Life "Stuff" (like Compass).

I don't want to do "snob appeal" (I love to do "snob" things like go to the symphony and stuff, but I don't want my career in Arts Admin. to be the promotion of snobbery. I'm all about Process over Product (that goes back to the Mission Statement Elizabeth had me write in Sept.). The SPCO, the MN Orch, and the Opera are more about PRODUCT than they are about process (There's nothing wrong with that - - if you're recording CD's and want to sell them as the work of a "World Class Stuff" you gotta respect the Product!)

So, the whole reason I started even thinking about the whole internships thing is because Natulius sent me the info packet that was promised about a month ago. Now, I was initially very excited about this opportunity. It's a PAID gig (and it pays well!!) It eventually leads to a full time Arts Admin Job. But I'm not so excited anymore. First of all, I already have an internship lined up with Young Audiences for next semester, and I'm really excited about that. Second there is a lot about this that doesn't "feel" right. The guy gives me the creeps - I can't explain it, but he does (the fact that the "office" is also his home doesn't alleviate any creepy feelings either). The fact that it took him a month to mail out information (and then brushes it off by saying "it just proves how badly I need an assistant!"). The ego. The weird-ness. I can't explain it, it just feels wrong (or at least "not right")

So, on Monday I have to call and tell him that I am not interested in the job (at least not starting in Jan. because I'll be busy with my UNPAID internship with Y.A.) Elizabeth thought it might be a good summer internship for me and suggested keeping the option open (it'd be very nice to have a paycheck this summer!) But I'm wondering if I should just say "no" altogether and burn that bridge. I donno. In the back of my mind, I'm thinking about working with Shakespear in the Park this summer. (They are into getting their art to "the people," which fits with my ideals. And as a theater company it's outside my comfort zone, so it meets that requirement - - - AND they are active in the summer (as opposed to the Orchestra or a School where there's little action in June and July)

It all makes sense in my head, now I just have to find a way to have it make sense on paper. Speaking of paper - I need to find some more arguements for mine - Enough Introspection, time to work!!!!

Violin Geek Ramblings I have never been much of a Midori fan - - I saw her on TV a couple of times, and once at Ravinia - but she never impressed me (little girl dressed up in a cute pink party dress - UGH!! LIke a little robot you can dress up!) But this Article made her seem more -- I don't know - - human. I checked out the Midori and Friends website - - - not that I"m runing out to buy her CD's or support her organization, but I'm slowly awakening to the fact that I might be able to respect that girl in a cute pink party dress.

In other news . . .
* I found some really soft fluffy flannel on sale this morning - I'm going to try and sew flannel hankerchiefs (run for cover and hide your children!!) . . . Nothing spectacular (and theoretically nothing difficult - but we'll see . . Grandma VW was a terriffic sew-er and my mom has made some spiffy things. Kristie wants a sewimg machine for Christmas, but I don't think I got that gene. So far I've cut 10 pieces of fabric and none of them are straight (but that'll add charachter right!?!? ) I'm going to try and do the hemming (is that a word??) as soon as mother dear is willing to show me how to work her machine.
* A Muppet Christmas is on tonight!!
* I have not done anything regarding my Fin Man paper yet - I was going to start last night, but I started thinking. I have two thought processes going on in my head right now. One of which involves an internship opportunity I've mentioned before (the one at Natulus involving money and a real job!!) it's an amazing offer with great potiential - BUT . . . something about it feels wrong (lots of things feel wrong) some of which I can articulate and others which I can't. I donno - I need to think more (but I think in circles - - it's a mess in my brain right now!!!)

HAPPY
THANKSGIVING !


Forget pumpkin pie and whip cream - the new greatest food combination on earth is pumpkin pie and chocolate chip ice cream (Normally I'm not a big fan of chocolate chip ice cream, but with pumpkin pie it is magnificiant!)

I'm feeling very restless tonight -
I'm not exactly sure why. (although I have suspicisions)
I don't like it

My collegues officially know I'm weird (although I'm sure they had suspicions before!)
Yesterday I was at my desk working, enjoying the music of Yo-yo Ma. My desk is in the hallway, so everyone walking by is subjected to my musical choices. The 5th grade teacher walked by and asked, "So . . you listen to classical music because it's school appropriate or something?" I laughed and told her that my CD player at home had Symphony 1997 in it at the moment! She asked if I ever just "rocked out" (YES!! I have rock out music and I listen to it often- - we talked about U2 and the "old" REM to prove my capability to rockout! I also mentioned the Baby Blues Album I had played earlier in the day)
After our tiny conversation, 5th grade teacher went to the 1st grade teachers room and said, "VW listens to classical music even at home!!!" It's OK (If they can't enjoy great music it's their loss!!!) But I miss my WDM collegues who could enjoy and share great music (ALL Kinds of music)
Maybe I need a new sign in my cubicle about MUSIC DISCRIMINATION.
Maybe I need to work on educating the teachers a little more.
Maybe I am werid (wait - I know I'm werid!!!!)

Thankful For . . . .
Dog and Cats to remind me how much I'm loved
Heated Water Bed
Waffles
Good conversation
Miller Baby (He has added "Hi!" to his vocabulary)

If more politicians knew poetry,
and more poets knew politics,
I am convinced the world would be
a little better place in which to live.

-President John F. Kennedy

At work, the kids have decorated the hallways with "I am Thankful for . . .. " pictures and decorations.
MooseLoon (from the MLE Listserv) has started a list of "thankful stuff" on her website. It's a spiffy idea, and I'm going to copy it and start my own list (I'll add on as I have time)
* My fabulous internship
* A good fit with the SMU Arts Admin program (yikes, what if I hated the place??)
* A good job (good hours, and the chance to create my own program!)
Most of the above stuff can be summed up by saying I'm SO THANKFUL that the big life change I decided to take has worked out - I'm glad I'm at where I'm at and doing what I'm doing even if it was a big scarey change)

* Walking paths in my neighborhood
* A dog to accompany me on my neighborhood walks (good companion, she doesn't talk too much!)
* Snail Mail and E mail
* Think warm socks
* IT'S A SUNNY DAY
* Colored Pencils
* The Gaxlie Library

The latest and greatest in FUN STUFF to be found in my life is telling VIOLA JOKES to jon. Of course he doesnt' understand them at all and he gets this funny look on his face (which is even funnier than having someone laugh at the jokes in the first place!!!)

As revenge, he told me an electrical engineer joke . . . .
What's the difference between an electrical engineer and a mechanical engineer?
The mechanical is happy when the smoke comes out!

( Viola jokes are much funnier - - sorry Emily!!)

Some interesting stuff on ARtsJournal Today . . .

A group of Microsoft software engineers has concluded that digital anti-piracy measures are ultimately futile. They presented a paper this weekend that states that "the steady spread of file-swapping systems and improvements in their organisation will eventually make them impossible to shut down. They also conclude that the gradual spread of CD and DVD burners will help thwart any attempts to control what the public can do with the music they buy."
In essence, say the researchers, file-swapping systems have already won. The only way for music companies to compete is on the same terms by making music easy to get hold of and cheap to buy. Full Article

This article is just too cool!
The UK's Classic FM plans to launch a 24-hour classical music video channel. "The channel, to be launched towards the end of next month, will feature wall-to-wall video clips of prominent classical music artists and movie soundtracks. Unlike other culture-oriented TV channels, there will be no documentaries or concerts. 'The manner and style we are adopting is of pop music TV'."

Finally, THIS ONE is just disturbing!

We have no kids at school this week (!!!!!!) Instead we have CONFERENCES and staff inservices. Today's inservice was the True Colors Workshop. I did this in WDM a couple years ago - back then I came out as Yellow. Today I am a green (which is really funny, because we had NO greens in WDM!!!) They ordered pizza for our lunch and bagels for breakfast (it was a cranberry walnut bagel with hazelnut cream cheese - very good!!!) AND . . . . (this is the best part) I dont' have to stick around for conferences (there are definate advantages to being part time!!!)

In Other News - - Jon is home -
Jon sleeps in the same room as the computer
This means my time to post stuff is limited
BUT I LOVE HAVING JON HOME!!
Jon is fun to talk to - he knows so much stuff and he's silly. I've missed him (even if he does hog the computer room!!!)

AND (my last sunshinny piece of happy information!) NO WRITING CLASS TOMORROW NIGHT!! (No doing homework for the stupid writing class tonigth either!! YIPEE!!!) I'm debating if I want to go hang out with the 11-10 crew tomorrow night or stay home and work on my Fin. Man. paper (I'm going to try and talk myself into dong the 11-10 thing - there waw more MLE-esque stuff the other day - and I'm curious to know if they've read any of her work)

From the Suzuki Chat ListServ . . .
There is a quote in the book Comparison of Violin Playing Techniques: Kato Havas, Paul Rolland, and Shinichi Suzuki by Marianne Murray Perkins, pub. by ASTA by a colleague of Suzuki (Moghilevsky) which says;

"I am an artist. Today I am not what I was yesterday. If what I said a week ago is no longer correct to me today, I correct myself toward what I now believe to be better. What I am today is my life. Although I feel sorry for my students, I must allow myself to change, because my life as an artist has ended when I no longer change."

From Yesterdays ArtsJournal

Sex. Chocolate. Caffeine. Champagne. Cocaine.

If none of the above turn your cranial crank, it's also likely that Mozart or Alanis Morissette won't send shivers down your spine. And that your pulse rate should be checked by a doctor -- because the human survival instinct is hard-wired to the same brain circuits that process intense pleasure.

Find the full article HERE

THE PRODUCERS - very funny!! We had GREAT seats and I liked the show (i don't think it's worthy of all the hoopla and hype - but there comes a point where nothing can live up to the hype!) That's all for now - JON IS HOME!!!! (yeah!!!)

J.K. Rowling can go Jump in a lake .
I have all 4 Harry Potter books (I bought #3 and #4 the day they came out!) and planed to buy book #5 #6 and #7 to finish off the set - but I'm thinking there isn't going to be a book 5. I'm thinking Scholasitc is going to hire a ghost writer (no pun intended!!) to finish off the series (and maybe that might not be a bad thing!) Am I a little bitter?? Yes!

hhhhhhhmmm............
Did you know Yo-yo Ma is a Mac user. I'm not sure why this surprised me - but he seems more like a PC type. (A genius with a Harvard diploma who speaks 3 languages just seems to fit into a PC stereotype). Now . . . on planet Julie, everything yo-yo touches automatically turns to gold - - Will a Yo-yo endorsement will influence my computer buying decisions?? I donno . . . .

More computer factoids . . .
It is Illegal to play computer games in Greece?? From the article . . . The government of Greece is making heroic efforts to humiliate the nation in front of the entire world, by banning all electronic games. That's right; something as innocent as playing computer chess on your laptop in a hotel lobby is now a crime with penalties of up to three months in stir and a fine of 10,000 euros. Not that I'm a big gamer - - but even Tetrus is illegal!! (Gotta Love tetrus!!!!)

BLACK NOVEMBER

When I was a young turkey,
new to the coop,
My big brother Mike
took me out on the stoop,

Then he sat me down,
and he spoke real slow,
And he told me there was something
that I had to know;

His look and his tone
I will always remember,
When he told me of the horrors
of..... Black November;

"Come about August,
now listen to me,
Each day you'll get six meals
instead of just three,

"And soon you'll be thick,
where once you were thin,
And you'll grow a big rubbery thing
under your chin;

"And then one morning,
when you're warm in your bed,
In'll burst the farmer's wife,
and hack off your head;
"Then she'll pluck out all your feathers
so you're bald 'n pink,
And scoop out all your insides
and leave ya lyin' in the sink;

"And then comes the worst part"
he said not bluffing,
"She'll spread your cheeks
and pack your rear with stuffing".

Well, the rest of his words
were too grim to repeat,
I sat on the stoop
like a winged piece of meat,

And decided on the spot
that to avoid being cooked,
I'd have to lay low
and remain overlooked ;

I began a new diet
of nuts and granola,
High-roughage salads,
juice and diet cola;

And as they ate pastries,
chocolates and crepes,
I stayed in my room
doing Jane Fonda tapes;

I maintained my weight
of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice
when the bigger birds laughed;

But 'twas I who was laughing,
under my breath,
As they chomped and they chewed,
ever closer to death;

And sure enough
when Black Thursday rolled around,
I was the last turkey
left in the entire compound;

So now I'm a pet
in the farmer's wife's lap;
I haven't a worry,
so I eat and I nap;

She held me today,
while sewing and humming,
And smiled at me and said:
"Christmas is coming..."

from Here

Take the What High School Stereotype Are You? quiz, by Angel.

Current Mood Bouncing off the walls happy!
Current Music (to be sung to the tune of Offenbach's CAN CAN)
done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done done (fine)

DONE DONE DONE DONE (I am done with that writing class!)
DONE DONE DONE DONE (Writing class is done done!) da capo al fine

The person who will be my boss at my future internship called me this morning. The president of the board was looking for people to help with the annual board meeting / fundraise and my name was mentioned. It's going to be a dinner thing followed by attending The Producers. So on Friday - I'm going to work the registration table (where all thebig wigs with mega money check in) for an hour or two with another gal on staff. THEN, as a "thank you" for helping, I get to go eat dinner and then go to the show (I'm told I'll have pretty good seats too!!) One just has to love this whole arts administration sceen. This is way too cool!!! (I was literally bouncing up and down this morning after they called!! Does anyone else have an internship THIS COOL????)

Killing Brain Cells . . . . Phil and I watched a dumb movie on TV last night and this afternoon we watched the Blues Brothers (I have only watched the WEST WING the last two months - and even then, I'm working while I'm watching!!) It felt good to sit infront of the TV (guilt free) and just do (and worry) about nothing (and laugh at the stupid movie!!) The end is near - - freedom is coming!! Tuesday I have to listen to some speeches at my FINAL COMMUNICATIONS CLASS (yipee!!). Thursday I have a big Fin Man Test, and I'll also get the topic for my final Fin Man paper (which isn't due until early December!!!) Y- I - P- P - E- E -E -E- -E- -E- E!!!!

From an interesting article in todays Star Tribune . . .
Why haven't arts organizations been able to shed their elitist image and break boundaries of income and education?
A leading predictor of arts attendance is early exposure to the arts, McCarthy said. Perhaps not surprisingly, people who get the most exposure to the arts early in life tend to come from wealthier families, he said. The arts find themselves in what arts consultant Neill Archer Roan calls a "self-reinforcing system" of exclusion.
Education levels are indeed high among Twin Cities arts audiences. Eighty percent of Minnesota Orchestra audience members are educated at or beyond the college level, as are 59 percent of Walker visitors, 80 percent of Pillsbury House patrons and 63 percent of Guthrie audiences.
And how about those Vikings fans? Only 25 percent are educated at or beyond the college level, according to fan demographics provided by the NFL.

Click Here to see a pix of Landmark Center (The Very Cool Building where I'll be doing my internship!!)
Here's another view of the Outisde.
And this site has a not-so-good picutre of the inside of the building.
Finally, this Collection has a lot of pix - including some nice ones of the inside. (I love this building!!!!!!!)

"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat,
"or you wouldn't have come here."

O.K. last years Patriot Act was scarey enough in terms of new government powers, but now I read in the New York times, that the Homeland Security Bill wants to do even more damage. It's really really really really really really hard to trust that the governent will use this new found power over us for good and not for evil (do you think I could be arrested for saying that???)

This article from a couple months ago really puts it all into perspective. There's also a Ben Franklin quote which I love

Those who would give up essential Liberty
to purchase a litle temporary Safey,
deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

My 5th graders are studying the governent in social studies right now. We teach kids that government "exists to protect our rights" make them memorize the "system of checks and balances" but I'm not seeing that in action. It's a good thing they didn't hire me to teach social studies (I'm way too cynical to be promoting happy, friendly, constitutional stuff to young impressionable minds!!!)

I met with my advisor this morning!
I'm gonna get an A in the Principals of Arts Adminstration (the one she teaches!) YIPEE!!
I'm going to register for next semmesters classes as soon as I'm done typing this (YIPEE!)
I no longer had a sore throat (YIPEE!!)
BUT . . . sleeping away the last couple of nights means I'm behind (and I"m still very tired!) so I decided to come home and work on my Financial Management Paper instead of hanging out at the Walker Art Center trying to score tickets to the sold out Kronos concert. The paper is not going well. It is supposed to be 2 measley pages long - - I currently have 3/4 of a page and have said everything I can possibly think of to say (and I've stretched it out a little too!!) Fin. Man. is hard - - I struggle and struggle and struggle with it (and think I'm the world's stupidest person). Then I go to class and discover that the smart people are way more confused than I. (But it's hard not to stress a little when the sucker is worth 200 points and you know it's difficult stuff!!!) On the Sunny Side - - after this paper is written, I'll only have 1 quiz, 1 test, and 1 paper left to do for the semester!!! (YIPEE!!!)

The Spanish Teacher announced her resignation today.
I dont' know how I feel about this. She is a neat person, and I like her. But she is kinda negative (ok ok REALLY negative) and I think she'll take some bad karma with her when she leaves. While the absence of negativity is good - this also means the classroom teachers will loose 90 minutes of prep time every week we are without a spanish teacher-- not good for the teachers - not good for the students - not good for the school. (Maybe we can have extra music while they search someone to take Spanish teachers place - - I'd love the extra cash!!!!)

I HAVE an INTERNSHIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Horray!! I met today with the executive director of the Minnesota chapter of Young Audiences !!!!!! WAY COOL!! It is a very good fit. It is not a paid gig like one I'd mentioned before but I think I will like this better (even if there is no money attached!!!)
COOL THINGS ABOUT THIS INTERNSHIP
* I get to hang out in the Landmark Center Building (very very cool - marble floors, old elevators, ambiance, history, charm, a little cafe on the ground floor, regular concerts in the building- - - - I love it!!)
* Small staff (of 5 very cool people!)
* I get a desk (It's a shared desk - but that's OK!)
* Yo-yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Pincus Zukerman, Emmanuel Ax and Billy Taylor are all on the Board of Directors!! (The National Board, not the MN chapter - - but my boss will get to hang out with them when she goes to the executive directors meeting later this month!!!!)

Current Mood: excited
Current Music Flying Lesson by Michelle Shocked

I hate being sick!
I wanna go home and sleep (I was in bed for almost 12 hours last night - I probably slept for close to 10 1/2 hours - it felt SO GOOD!) But alas - I'm here at SMU -- I'll be giving my big speech (40% of my grade) tonight. YUCK. I'm off to go do a mental run through before class starts. I have some interesting stats - which I'll post later . . . .

Update - Here is the promised intersting statistic - - taken from a Boston Globe Article: The nonprofit arts industry generates $24.4 billion in federal state, and local tax revenues annually. By comparision, federal, state, and local goverments spend less than $3 billion on support for the arts each year. . . . Even in boom times on Wall Street no one imagines a return rate that big. And that is only the financial return. That's over and above the fundamental purpose of the arts; to delight, to inspire, to portray, to provoke. The arts are not a luxury. They constitute a major engine of the US economy, and they should be considered that at budget time.

I should have seen it coming - a week of insominia and stress - being around kids all day - the weather change.
Conditions were right - and I caught a cold (blah)
I'm tired, I'm sniffy, I'm grouchy, and my throat hurts
I feel like whining - I feel like taking off work - but I'm not that sick (and one needs to call in sick by 7 a.m. I wasn't even out of bed at 7 a.m.!!!!) I'm gonna pout for a while - then work on my Financial Management paper (YIKES!! Scarey two page analysis of a financial statement - with no hints to guide my thoughts - I'm nervous about this one!!!)

OK - Let's see if I'm smart enough to get this picture on here . . . .

Take the test, by Emilyand see what piece of classical music you are!

While doing research for my speech I came across this webpage. Suddenly all my life makes sense . . .methinks I am a Cultural Creative! It certainly explains my strange views of the world, why I enjoy being with Arts Admin people, why I'm spending big money to get a degree which qualifies me for jobs making significantly less money than a first year teacher, why I hate eating processed foods, even why I let my clothes air dry instead of using the machine. It might even explain my frustration with "those people"! (The cultural creatives might undersatnd me - scarey thought!!) I don't have the book yet - but I'm looking forward to reading it (hopefully soon!!!) (hopefully after I finish my speech!!)

The Biblical Cure for ADD, ADHD, ODD< Tourets Syndrome and almost everything else!!! (Oh my! oh my! oh my!) The mother of one of my students wants school to cure her kid's ODD / ADHD with this "program." (I use the word "program" very loosely - personally, I don't think the people who wrote this manefesto have a clue!) It'd be a good giggle if the mom wasn't serious (I don't think the she's read much of the website)

Observe a cat entering a room for the first time:
it searches and smells about . . . it trusts nothing
until it has examined and made acquaintance with everything.
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712 - 1778)

My face has been breaking out for almost a month. Too much stress, too much junk food, or some combination of the two are not a good thing. Yesterday one of my kids looks at the ID photo I'm required to wear and said "You don't have red bumbs on your face in the picture!" (Gotta love the brutal honestly of a 6 year old!) Gotta lay off the junk food. Gotta get some sleep. BUT I have my BIG presentation in Communications on Tuesday, A BIG Paper due next Saturday and an interview for my Internship on Wednesday, and a meeting with my advisor next Thursday - - do you think a reduction in my stress level is going to happen anytime soon?????

In other happen news - I calculated my gas mileage last night after I finished taking the Fin. Man. Quiz - I got 38 miles per gallon this last tank of gas (yipee!!) I might have a long hellish commute, and be filling my gas tank way too often, but as least I'm getting my moneys worth on that gas consumption!!

Not that anyone cares - but Alicia de Larrocha is retiring. She played at one of the first concerts I ever went to (at the Chicago Cultural Center with my Dad!!!) I haven't been there in ages, but the Chicago Cultural Center is one of my "special places" (I can so vividly picture the domes and the Mother Earth Statue between in the buildings, and that one room upstairs where you can step on the lights of the floor below) Warm Fuzzy memories!!!!

Excitement! (the "call the police" kind - not the good kind!)
The 4th / 5th Grade class had a sub today. The 4th/5th grade class is crazy on a normal day with their normal teacher - they were totally out of control. According to student rummors one girl was suspended by lunchtime for fighting - - but somehow that girl ended up back in the classroom at the end of the day, and another girl got upset and hit the gal that was already suspended. I got to dismiss the 4th/5th grade 'cause (as you can imagine) things were kinda crazy. I left about a half hour after the incident - and there was a cop in the hallway - - the secretary said something to her about "a parent called you" and then took her into the principals office. hhhhmmmmmm . . . . one wonders. Forget the election - this is really exciting stuff!!!!

You know what would be REALLY exciting?? It'd totally make my night if "Mr. Writing Teacher" would forget to show up tonight and class would be canceled!! That's make me SUPER happy. (I shouldn't complain - only 3 little class periods left - and counting!!!) UPDATE class is not canceled. The man is here. I'm going to class ) - :

SNOW snow snow snow - we got snow last night!! Not a lot - but enough to cover the grass!! It looks so pretty right now (no one has messed it up yet!!)
It's a great day to go and vote (I know of at least two (maybe three) people who aren't voting today - how sad

TIRED Very tired. Exhausted. I'm considering skiping class on Tuesday to go hang out with the 11-10 crew. Maybe . . .maybe not . . . I'm in no condition to make a decision today (too tired -- physically and emotionally - someone could recite the ABC's right now and it's possible I'd burst into tears) but I do want to talk about some stuff they said today. I suppose phone and e mail are also options (though I'd rather skip class - - but that requires a good excuse which I don't have) I donno . . . I'll put that decision off for a day or two. In the meantime I must work on the speech I'll be presenting on Tuesday (if I go to class!) BIG YAWN! (or maybe I'll just take a nap!!)

I'm doing some deep thinking today.
I'm not yet sure what I'm thinking about or why I'm so engrossed in it . . .
But I'm thinking . . .
(an uninformed observer might say I was day dreaming, but it's more than that.)
I can't explain it - it just is.
Tomorrow's the Farmington Band Brunch and Concert - this means I will not have my usualy "Sunday Morning House to Myself Time" That's too bad - I like having the house to myself.

In other news - I did very well on my Fin Man. quiz - I am happy. (I was even happier when I discovered I scored better than some of the "smart people" in the class - YIPEE!!!) And the blister I had on my thumb is slowly healing (it looks really gross and is so calloused over that I can't feel a thing when I touch it!! Kinda cool!) ALSO on the list of COOL STUFF - the Kronos Quartet will be performing in the cities this month! The concert is (of course) sold out - but I'm not going to let that stop me!! (For the clue free - Kronos is a string quartet - they play ULTRA modern music - very cool - very weird!) I'm very curious to see what kind of people come to a Kronos Concert (I'm way excited about this!)

Yeah - that's all the news from here - I ought to go to bed - but my brain doesn't want to rest yet.

Dr. Druvenga is being considered for tenure!!!
Central sent me a questionaire asking for my opinion on him as they consider the promotion!
I liked Dr. Druvenga (He and Sharari were the only proffs worth taking a class from in the Ed. Dept. and I said so on my "evaluation") I'm excited for him. He's a fabulous teacher!