Why is it so difficult to find a sympathy card that's not obnixious?

Paducah, Kentucky wants artists. And they'll help you move there if you are one. Paducah's "Artist Relocation Program has exerted the same magnetic pull on others who've dreamed of living, working and, most importantly, owning in a neighborhood of like-minded residents. In 2 1/2 years, nearly 40 people have moved here to transform a beat-up area of homes known as Lower Town into a blossoming art colony." [More]

I could live in Kentucky. It's warm, it has mountains, it has trees.
Years ago I spent a couple weeks in Annvile, KY (they had good chocolate malts!)
What else does a person need?

Link via ArtsJournal

user name = ajreader
pass = access

Success is going from failure to
failure without losing enthusiasm
-Winston Churchill



FYI - I did not land the most recently mentioned dream job. Two more dreams resumes will be sent out tomorrow.

Nielsen Symphony = fabulous.
Cassazione = a whole lotta fun! (I wanna play that!)
Lunnator = pretty cool - but not as fun as Cassazione!
Ociandies = donno, I was still in a Lunnator/ Cassazione mode and eagerly awaiting FINLANDIA!

Now I know dear little Osmo is the THE expert on all things Sibelieus.
I know that his interpretation is supposed to be "correct" and I *should* have loved whatever he did with Finlandia

But I'm not sure.

It seemed too quick . . . and very crisp.
Crisp is good for the fast parts (FANTASTIC actually - very tight as an ensemble!) but it really didn't work in the lyrical section - - the passionate was replaced with military percision (and warp speed). I tried to like it - - I really did. Maybe if I heard it again . . . anyone wanna take me to the symphony tonight . . . anyone . . . anyone?

The only difference between me and a madman is that I'm not mad.
- Salvador Dali

If this were a happy-friendly-storybook-kind-of-world I would write, "I had a long talk with a good friend and I now feel so much better about everything. Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows!"

But real life isn't like a storybook or a sappy movie.
In the real world it works like this, "I had a long talk with a good friend and I feel just as crummy and uncertain now as I did four hours ago."

I think losing your soul is when
you can't tell a story about something
that has happened to you
- Chaim Potok (from Nava)

"Selling your soul" must be when you can't talk about it, but manage to get a paycheck out of the deal. (Or maybe that's prostitution??) My very wise friend Delfi prefers to think of it as "renting" instead of "selling" - she says it feels less permanant!

There are 32 more school days (3 paychecks) left at The Little Acadamey.
My resignation will be submitted next week.

IntellectualLoafing - Intelligent and Logical Essays, Debates, References, Activities, Links to Major Sites, and an overall nice place to waste time on a Monday evening.

Being too busy was an excellent excuse . . .
* to be dis-engaged from life.
* to not think about stuff.
* to avoid people.
* to have dirty (or even moldy) dishes all over the place.
* to procrastinate
* to not balance my checkbook
* to eat junk and call it dinner
* to be tired and cranky
* for people to leave me alone (see "tired and cranky")

"Busy" was quite the handy thing to be – - I’m not sure what to do with myself now that I don't have a good excuse for all of my imperfections and personal shortcomings.

Most people are other people.
Their thoughts are someone else's opinions,
their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
- Oscar Wilde

Last night at exactly 9:02 I completed my last Arts Administration Class -

YIPEE!!

If I want the degree, (and unfortunarly, I do) then there's still the little matter that damn thesis (ugh!), and one additional General Management class (double ugh!) but as far as the Arts Admin. stuff (The important/useful/worthwhile stuff) - - I've learned it all!
Celebrating at Dairy Queen tonight - ice cream all around!

My friends tell me that I'm a dork
Rachel says that I was the coolest
Steph says I am god
Daniel says I'm cool, and
Dave tells me that I'm a freak.
But you can't believe everything you read on the internet!

A page called Crime Photo Sceens links to my blog.
I am mildly concerned.
(The Marketing Department would call this a "positioning issue!") (The marketing department would also tell me to get off line and finish working on that stupid marketing presentation - UGH!)

This website-design-stuff is hard work.
Things are not exactly like I want them, but it's close enough. Look for tweaking in the near future!

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings horses and all the kings men
Couldn't put Humpty together again

Yeah, Humpty is my kindred spirit of the moment; so is Leonard Cohen

Ring the bells, that still can ring.
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in.
from - Anthem

A Blog Easter Egg Hunt!

I don't believe there's any probelm in this country,
no matter how tough it is, that Americans, when they
roll up their sleeves, can't completely ignore
- George Carlin

Bits-and-Pieces

My car is fixed HURRAY!!!!

Sister dear and her husband have decided to visit me this weekend (isn't that nice?)

marketing marketing marketing marketing marketing . . . .
marketing is a great class. BUT . . . The thought of ANOTHER marketing presentation (#6 for this semester) is enough to make me want to run away and join the circus.

I applied for my DREAM job this week.
It has everything I want - - arts programs, volunteer management, marketing, and just doing a bit of everything in a small, exciting organization . . . PLUS it has some things I hadn't even bothered to hope for in a job (Like being in the great outdoors, a commute time of less than 15 minutes, and FREE PARKING!)
we'll see what happens. I've had enough rejections in the last six months to keep hopes and expectations low (but maybe . . . maybe this is the one!)
(-:

SONGS FOR STEPH
Good karma via winamp & the web

PR:DT Theme Song (of course)
Power from within
Victory is ours forever more!


Star Wars Theme Song
dadada do de la de dah Dooo Dah
la de dah Dooo dah de de da dum

Plowed
To see wide open
with a head that's broken


Cross your fingers, listen to steph-y songs, and send extra warm fuzzies toward I-o-way.

UPDATE: It worked! Steph's brain is tumor free!

Barbara D. is a wonderful woman!
She is teaching taught Governance and Planning. This is what she said as she started our final class tonight

I had planned to lecture on Community
Cultural Planning, but
decided that it is too boring

heehee - you know it's a dry subject when the prof admits it's too boring! (-: (-: (-: (-:

Spring Break To Do List
- Update Resume - I've sent out more than a dozen resumes in the past 6 months and haven't gotten any nibbles. So I'm scraping the whole thing and just start over.

- Taxes - 2003 was the first year I didn't teach privately - this means I won't have to pay Self Employment Taxes - I might even get a REFUND!

- Homework (ugh) one paper, one mini paper and one presentation. (And then I'm done with this semester!) whoo-hoo!

- My car is finally going to get fixed (yipee!) The insurance companies and body shop have been arguing with each other all month. Quit fighting and fix my car (please?)

- Find a summer internship (ugh!) I've been putting this off - - I can not get excited about anything other than finding a REAL job. No more of this dinky little intern stuff - give me REAL work.

- Rest. This kid's ready for a day off from life. (And isn't that what's SUPPOSED to happen over break?) I'm contemplating a trip to Danforth to just breathe and hang out with the MacD. family - but they are probably busy with Easter and stuff - so we'll see.

Public Service Announcement
Josh Bell will be on the Sesame Street 35th Anniversary Special on Sunday, AND on the April 6 episode of Sesame Street!
We now return you to your regularly scheduled programing!

Life is good.
Life is very good.
Before I go on, you need to understand, how happy I am.
Things are going extremely well,
but this girl is tired - tired in every possible way . . .
Physically tired.
Emotionally tired.
Mentally tired.
Financially tired.
Tired of work.
Tired of school.
Tired of people
Tired of thinking.
Tired of reading.
. . . . . . . you get the point
.
But Life is good.
Tired and Happy is much better than Rested and Unhappy.
I’m playing hooky from The Little Academy today,
And Spring Break starts tomorrow afternoon!

People are always so boring when they band together.
You have to be alone to develop all the idiosyncrasies
that make a person interesting.
- Andy Warhol

via MooseLoon