Chronicles of a tired grad student

2.5 months behind. i know.

2006-02-08T00:33:00.000-05:00

I'll never catch up. But at least grad school work is fairly on schedule for a change! AND the Steelers won the Super Bowl! Be still my heart...

Christmas was a great break. I spent a week at home with my mother and grandmother... managed to see my best college girlfriends too! Then, a couple days after the old man shimmied down the chimney, Greg and I made our way (somehow) to Isla Mujeres. Crazy Mexico City tried to hold us back, but we broke through and had a great week on the island paradise. We were even so much safer on our way back because we had a hand carved Mayan medicine god from Chicken Pizza. Maybe I'll post photos someday.... or maybe I'll just get a real website someday and put them there. One day back in the city and I was off with grad school to Berlin for a week, and Munich for a week. Nothing like my undergrad study abroad, and kicked in the butt with a healthy dose of the flu, I managed to find fun here and there.... and lots of beer yummy mustard. I even found my best friend from 2nd grade Erica with her husband and newborn in Munich! okay, i didn't randomly find them, but it was a great stroke of luck that we planned a day together and it all actually worked out.

Now I am playing set designer again for a great, funny, fun Irish comedy! I am also playing scenic paint assistant for the same gig. Oh! and I get a huge backstage tour of things in DisneyWorld along with dinner and shows and meets and greets... I'm stoked!

This is all uninteresting I suppose. But I never said it would be anything otherwise.

to bed to bed. theatre calls soon. theatre theatre theatre..... less than 1.5 years!

errrrr...

2005-12-04T14:56:00.000-05:00

Right. So we did come home from Las Vegas. Bachelorette-ing, navagating the city on my own, family time, meeting more friends, seeing the Wynn, wandering the strip with my camera, rehersal dinnering, wedding-ing, wal-marting for comfy clothes, losing $5.10 at video poker while wearing my new ugly sweatpants, and sleeping on the floor of the DFW airport in my new ugly sweatpants. A great trip. Wish it could have been longer.

We got to leave again for Indiana for Thanksgiving to meet all of Greg's extended family that would put armies of small nations to shame in size. I did well even without my plan of labelled poloroids. Another fun wedding too. It was all great. Culture shock for me coming from my family of 3. The only problem was all the questions of, "So what are you going to do with your degree when you graduate?" Hmmm. I'll let you know when I think of something that doesn't sound like a pain in the arse.

Finishing up this long and painful semester here. Too bad I don't care enough to make some of the decisions I have to make. And Million Dollar Baby was not the movie to watch yesterday to cheer up my spirits :) At least I had a box of brownie mix!

Christmas Carol FINALLY opened Friday night. After the huge push to save my professor's butt, I'm not sure all my projects were worth the huge effort we had to put into them. Everything was on stage for all of, oh, say, 10 seconds! My poor little Want and Ignorance dolls. I'll have to get photos of them for the portfolio at least. Turns out I'm a great scary baby maker. My prof even showed me a little appreciation and praise!!! In between making me feel bad for leaving for Thanksgiving, for leaving for Christmas, for asking if I could leave after working a 10 hour day for him out of my own kindness (ok, I didn't really have a choice, but it still wasn't a spoken requirement). GRRRRRR. Can't wait for Christmas. and then I can't wait until summer.

So there's my update of my pathetic little life. Only a couple weeks left!

Now if only the Steelers could win and the Colts would lose!!!

And.....

2005-11-02T21:42:00.000-05:00

I'm leaving town for a few days!!!

I'm off to Vegas tomorrow afternoon to join the wedding festivities! Congratulations Claudia and Brian :-)

Hobo Excuse #2

2005-11-02T21:17:00.000-05:00

Model Building Class.

The project that's been eating my time and money since Labor Day... At least my advisor said my marble was the *best* marble he'd *ever* seen. He also told me I was crazy for cutting out my Victorian window corners and handpainting my flowers. Cheers to having an old GT friend that works at an architectural modeling firm that was my lasercutting hookup for the stair rail :-)

Photos to prove my story:

The photo I was building/guessing from:

Hobo Excuse #1

2005-11-02T20:39:00.000-05:00

Trojan Women.

What a crazy experience.

The show is closing up this weekend, and on Monday we'll throw it all in the trash. Hopefully we'll be able to use a few things though. We had the post mortem today and everyone has very nice things to say to and about me. They also apologized for putting me in that position.

Here's some photos to prove my story:

P.S. I also did my own photography with my snazzy new digital SLR

Sitting. but praised!

2005-10-13T21:34:00.000-05:00

So I'm sitting in rehearsal. On my ass. from 6:30-very very late every night now. Well, except for the 10 out of 12 on Saturday. Watching this weird show. (I'll post photos when we take them). Still lots of work to be done, but everyone seems to really like it so far. At least the set... but of course I have yet to see the newly added rape scene in my cage. Crazy I tell ya.

The lighting prof told me that my prof was bragging on me saying what great work I'm doing. Always nice to hear when you're busting your bootie. Can't wait til Christmas, but wish I had more time in between now and then to get everything finished.

Happy fall break to all. Even though I don't get a break, at least I didn't have classes today and could spend the day wallowing in my bed, "thinking with my eyes closed" for hours on end. Back to work tomorrow. 1.5 weeks left to figure out and finish Guys and Dolls too! Woohooooo.....

Took a break with Greg a few days ago to see 40 Year Old Virgin. Figured I'd add that in since really that was the point of this blog. Having a life and trying not to forget about that... and it was a really funny movie.

fresh

2005-10-03T23:14:00.000-05:00

Wow. Don't want to be stale. I'm too fresh to be stale ;) I know what you're thinking. And you're right. I'm not, in fact, very funny...

I'm tired, as my title implies. Model building and dealing with crazy theatre people trying to get my uber-disturbing show on stage. CRAZY! But I know how to make food that looks like pulverized human flesh now... Always key.

BUT! my model is looking hot. I hear rumors that my professor said mine was better than my cohort's... I'm not smiling ear to ear. Really, I'm not.... my facial muscles are tired like the rest of my body, but if I could I would be. Now if only I didn't have to finish it. I'll post pictures of it when it's complete to explain my absence from my ever-exciting blog and life in general.

I have done a few real activities though - in keeping with my 'keep a life' goals. Greg and I joined the rest of the grad design kids in white water rafting down the Ocoee River. A few guys from Tech came up to K-town for the game Saturday and we all got to hang out at a local bar like the old days. Greg and I have managed to grab a few dinners out-- hopefully we'll be able to find more time as Trojan Women wraps up this month. I'm also looking forward to our next trip to Vegas the beginning of November :-)

And THAT my friends, is a post :)

partay time

2005-09-14T19:03:00.000-05:00

so I knew this neglectful thing would happen. grad school. humph!

pics from this weekend's bash, themed knox-vegasly in honor of greg's arrival. tons of food, pink panty pulldown punch, theatre kids and engineers coming together in one apartment... who'da thought?

how do you call your loverboy, version 2.0

2005-09-06T13:47:00.000-05:00

I call my loverboy on EST now! No more counting hours, stupidly late nights on off-peak Pacific time, or really the need for extended use of the phone at all!

Here's hoping i can learn to be uber-productive at a quick pace so grad school doesn't completely take over.

teaching me a lesson

2005-08-31T18:48:00.000-05:00

I leave for school yesterday, gas next to my apt is $2.49.

I come home, gas next to my apt is $2.69.

I leave for work today, gas is holding steady at $2.69.

I come home, gas next to my apt is $3.10.

This, my good buddies, is trying to tell me to stop going to school! If I was a dog belonging to Pavlov, I'd have learned by now...

8.5 hours remaining!

2005-08-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

Trojan Women is due tomorrow morning finally. No more extensions. No more excuses. Nothing. I'll head to work at 7:30 to drop everything off and get a good solid day of nasty, stinky, dirty, hard work in the prop shop in - and then I can start my homework for real classes (of which I'm back down to 3!!). I'm stoked.

I was told that my presentation handwriting and arrow-drawing skills weren't really up to par, so I'm practicing everything I write first to make sure it looks artsy enough. It's like kindergarten all over again. I'm supposed to practice my alphabet over and over again just as an exercise to make me better...

As for class... I'm designing a Harlem Renaissance/Motown version of Guys and Dolls. I'm super stoked! No more depressing German plays! Yipppppeeeeee!

THE VIRGINATOR!!!!

2005-08-27T15:14:00.000-05:00

Sweet! Now I'm just waiting for my badge and my Virginator biorhythm microchip!

This is what my virginity looks like:

It's a magic eye puzzle! Anyone know what it is though? duck head? anvil? sideways butterfly?

How do you call your loverboy?

2005-08-19T20:47:00.000-05:00

Baaaaby... ohhhh baaaaby..... my sweet baaaaby.... you're the one...

So how many times do you think a girl (we'll leave out her name to protect the nutty) can watch Dirty Dancing? It always turns out the same, but I, errr, I mean she can't help it!

nobody puts Alli in a corner... errrrr, I mean.... oh forget it. I love Dirty Dancing!

I rock!

2005-08-18T02:28:00.000-05:00

And I'm not as funny as I find myself at 3:30am!

At least it's nice when I make something that I like, even if others (who shall remain nameless) find bones to pick...

My rock wall paint sample!

Gaaaaaaaaaa!

2005-08-17T15:25:00.000-05:00

Went to bed last night before 5am so that I could wake up before 8am for a meeting about technical issues with my set. The meeting with everyone where they tell me again what all I've done wrong so far is tomorrow. Spent 2 hours polishing brass fireplace tools in a hot, unventilated basement room (my new workspace for the semester). Left for a world in Hobby Lobby where the overweight woman buying $160 in cake baking/decorating supplies (who kept exclaiming how her husband was going to KILL her!) in front of me in line had THREE unpriced items that they found SEPARATELY and had to send someone to go check prices....for a world in Home Depot where I have to park out in BFE only to not find what I want... for a world where the bank's line is OUT the door... oh, and I got a parking ticket.

Nothing a little bacardi and vanilla coke can't ease... bacardi and precision x-acto work.....hmmmmmm....

So much to do, so many revisions to make... at least I dropped my figure drawing class so I'm down to a mere full time 9 hours of spirit-squelching fun. No looking at naked people for me.... at least not in class...

Deep in the Heart of Dixie

2005-08-15T23:01:00.000-05:00

Watching Dharma and Greg...

So they were pretending to be southern in a NY store just for kicks when Greg (the lawyer) met a judge that takes a liking to them for bringing back great memories of when he lived in Knoxville! They keep pretending and then include both sets of parents when the judge brings over Al Gore...

They have to learn phrases like 'mom-n-em' and the pronunciation of 'NawLens'...

They walk around barefoot to be 'authentic' and talk about speaking with poor diction so as to sound more 'ignorant' (I think I should be offended)...

They stand in the kitchen frantically trying to figure out what exactly 'sweet tea' (should it be hot or cold?? what kind of sweetener??) 'hush puppies,' and 'grits' are...

They have to learn songs to sing while fishing for catfish...

Then they close the show like the Beverly Hillbillies with a 'y'all come back now, ya hear?'

Sure makes me proud to be a GRITS!

Where's my Terrible Towel!?!

2005-08-15T22:59:00.000-05:00

Steelers kick some Eagle Ass! Whooooooo! Bring on the regular season...

Two touchdowns in the first 2:05... the Offense wasn't even involved! Whoooooooo!

$4.48

2005-08-14T14:19:00.000-05:00

Some nice person bought 25 cards with my little margarita painting on them for a total of $44.75! That means I earned a whopping $4.48 in royalties!! I'm so excited!

Somebody likes me! Somebody really, really likes me!

Rocky Top II

2005-08-12T00:58:00.000-05:00

For all of you that have perhaps grown up with me in The South, or if you're curious about where a dear friend of yours is moving in The South, or if you are about to become a new resident of The South --- I've put together a few links that will help. Now, I'm not proud of all of them, but I'll do my best to be impartial. Some of the stories really made laugh because I know how true they are... Good reads either way

Not all about the serpents - very funny, and true, stories in the beginning

J. Pigg's Stink Bait

Only a Southerner...

Things you'd never hear a Southerner say...

Nickname: Knox Vegas

Hope y'all all enjoyed this!

Calling for photography opinions

2005-08-11T22:10:00.000-05:00

Any one have opinions on cameras? I need one for my photography class this fall, but wow, this is going to be expensive. Gripes, must haves, or rants of your own?

This is what has been recommended for me to buy... with a 50mm lens with a f1.8 of course... and a couple 512MB cards... and a nice monopod... and all the other accessories that you need like a UV filter...

ack!

will make you laugh out loud!

2005-08-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

Seriously :-)

T6nt5e

2005-08-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

That's what the word Tontie looks like if you forget to change your keyboard back to the letter version...

Anyhow - sorry guys - couldn't get past level 9 on Tontie, but I still blame my lack of a keypad ;) There were just too many little tellitubbies dancing and swinging things around.

I do know who has the Walleye pike though!

Rocky Top

2005-08-11T19:38:00.000-05:00

All moved back into my apartment in TN, though I'm using the term "moved in" loosely since my stuff is EVERYWHERE. Put my clothes and shoes away - even began a bag of things to take to the Salvation Army or Goodwill or whatever place we have nearby. Scrubbed the kitchen along with my bathtub which had grown the nastiest mold ever. But it's all better now. I even took my first bubble bath of the year late last night after hearing my neighbors either have a very violent argument or wildly passionate sex.

Peered in the window of the empty apartment soon to inhabit Greg. I'll make the walk up the hill another day when I don't lock myself out of the apartment. Grocery shopped like a champ and saved over $45 with my Kroger Plus Card! Broke down and bought the cheese dip in a moment of weakness - but at least it's half gone, so I'll only have to worry about it one more day :-)

Heading into the shop tomorrow--- yikes! Gotta get working!

kinda sad

2005-08-04T22:37:00.000-05:00

All dressed up again, but this time I got to go out! Met Scott, Ryan, Justin, and Derek for beers and then a very nice dinner. It's been a hell of a summer, and I was often given strange jobs in my role of Jill-of-all-trades...digging up plants along side a highway, hiking through the woods looking for cypress trees around a lake, picking ticks off of me one by one in the Jamestown woods, organizing and sorting the entire project budget, finding a taxidermist that would freeze dry silkworms... but I'm going to miss this place and these people. Ryan said that I'm the only one that ever gets "going away dinners." I figured I should just come and go more often because those are the fancy nights :-)

I just can't believe this could be it for me and this city. Not that I'm so attached, but still. This was my first real job last time I worked here - my first real time functioning fully on my own. Lonely, but it's a great feeling to know you can take care of yourself.

Speaking of taking care of myself, mom's coming down tomorrow to help me move my apartment back up to Georgia. Then it's back to Tennessee in about a week.

Even hotter!

2005-08-04T12:00:00.000-05:00