Where did november and december go?

It has certainly been way too long since my last update...
I promise a detailed update sometime in the next couple days, but wanted to post a "new" picture while i was thinking of it.
This photo is from the week before Thanksgiving, when i (and my fellow neophytes) all gave our best performance as scholarly lecturers over 2 nights. This photo is, of course, post lectures, as exhibited in our smiley attitudes. It was a very proud moment for myself and all of us, and really marked a milestone in our program. We received alot of accolade from the whole department, which was fabulous. No major screw ups, bloopers (yes, there were a few...), or fainting (thank god). All was well and fun.
Well, that's my brief tidbit to hold you over.
-c

Latest Exploits

The last weekend of October was spent in good 'ol Minnesota, celebrating my friend Mike's (& Liz's!) wedding. That's him in the shiny tux in the pic. He's my first close friend to get married, inside the country that is. Of course, some of Nate's friends have gotten married (one w/a kid already! gaaa!), but that's different. I have known Mike since 2nd grade, so this is quite the step. I'm proud of him & glad he picked Liz. Yeah, yeah, sappy sappy- but that's what we do around weddings- get sappy, cuz well, they are, but extremely fun & happy too!
So, this post is pretty boring so far to some of you. Sorry.
I realized how much i missed being in the cities last weekend; it was fantastic! I knew, while driving through Iowa and coming upon Cedar Falls and feeling exhilarated by the 'city-scape' that i missed the Twin Cities and couldnt wait to get home. A friend i had picked up in St. Louis asked how i could be so excited about a 'small town' in Iowa (having not yet visited me in Columbia, MO)-- so, i had to explain to him just how SMALL Columbia is. I guess seeing tall buildings, old graneries, a river w/dams, and whatever else adds to a city's skyline just sparked some energy into me. I thought it a bit weird myself, but hey- whatever lights your match.
It was great to have a little mini-reunion w/friends (who came in from all over) & even see my family, even if i was in and out of the house allll weekend. Hopefully i can persuade my fam to visit me over my WHOLE-WEEK Thanksgiving holiday!..... we'll see. i do have a father who much prefers to have ppl visit HIM, rather than he visit his children... *wink... It sure would be nice to have a turkey in my Missouri oven!....!
School has been giving me a bit of an up & down time as of late, but i'm pulling through, while not without much effort. Weeks 9 and 10 gave me hell, but i leapt over those hurdles and came out with some descent results. I think semester one of grad school is sposed to make or break you- so i'm taking it head-on. I have my 'hazing ritual' next Tuesday night: first year grad student public lectures. I will be giving a 20 minute talk on a small bone figurine of a Graeco-Roman goddess (Aphrodite) from the University's Art & Archaeology Museum which hasn't seen the light of day since its purchase in 1963. After that stressful expression of knowledge i shall turn my research into a term paper which pretty much constitutes my whole grade in my 'into to grad studies' class. Needless to say, i'm keeping busy & i'm pretty nervous for next week! Thanksgiving holiday week will only be that much sweeter once my talk is over.
Well, must get to work on my lecture before an evening meeting with Grad. and Professional Council!
take care, write me notes!
-c

Autumn chill, settling in, & gearing up for weeks to come

Hey everyone, sorry it's been a while since i last wrote. Who knew that moving somewhere totally new in the USofA could demand so much of your energy for so long? As i've mentioned to others, and really only half kidding, i pretty much forgot to blink every day for the first month i've been here in Columbia; quite literally my eyes have been peeled wide taking in all the new input of: new type of school, new school, new town, new grocery store, new friends & social group, events & getting involved, getting organized financially and in my apt, getting around (& not lost), and quite frankly, new input from absolutely all angles! It's a tough job, but i love it!
By the way, the pic is of my new favorite tree on campus between the 2 arthist/archaeology (AHA) buildings, between which i walk frequently. Last week was the perfect week to capture its essence in revealing fall color: 50/50 deep red & deep green. Pretty fantastic how bi-chrome it was. Then this week it went all red and lost 75% of its leaves, 'leaving' the ground littered red.

This week Nate is on a business trip back up to his Minneapolis home base of LSS Datasystems, which is technically in 2 suburban towns: Minnetonka & Eden Praire, both of which he frequents here & there. He's currently working on a new project re: medical software for hospitals and clinics & therefore had a big meeting w/docs from all over. Had to buy his first real suit a few weeks ago. He's a big boy now, especially since he turned 25 last week. Hooray for lower car insurance rates.

As for me, I think i've mentally settled in, but only for the most part. I'm constantly antsy to 'get to the point'; it's this feeling i get all the time, like im not moving forward fast enough. Is that a good or bad sign? Maybe it is just career anxiety about making sure that this program is truly right for me and that i can steer it to preparing me as best as possible for my goals. Currently my drive, interests, and strengths are all pulling me toward museum work related to ethics, property, & trade law regarding artworks & cultural property. However, in the real world, this means getting a Masters degree, then pushing through law school, then pursuing what i want. The 2 portions are appearing to be quite independent of one another, as if i must study A, then study a completely different B, and then chase goal C. Intertwining the 2 portions of the education i want & need are a bit difficult, and thus i self-diagnose this as the cause of my anxiety. Yes, i like learning & doing research, yes i love the social group i've fallen into, yes i'm involved as much as my time will allow (3 campus groups to be exact), but no, i haven't quite figured out my path yet. But that's ok, right? Perhaps what i perceive to be anxiety is really only ambition pushing me along day by day.

I'm now on facebook, which is a totally new world to me. How do people keep up on that web of a website? I signed up primarily to swap photos more easily, only to be sucked into its black hole of power which often nags me into wondering, "I wonder if anyone has msg'd me?" or "what did she do today? does she have pics up yet?" Whatever happened to email? It makes me wonder whether in my generation the art of the letter (and occasional phone call!) is not only dormant & forgotten, but completely lost. We read news headlines and soundbytes & quick emails which we cram into our schedules of constant input, but do we ever read the whole story or just sit down and have a full conversation? I'm glad i do, and thank god for NPR.

Well, that's my snipit for today,
Chris

Quick hiatus to D.C., then off to Mizzou i went

As I mentioned in my last post, I am now 'comfortably' residing in Columbia, Missouri (Misery, for those of you northerners who hate humidity & southern accents). Really though, it's great weather down here most of the time (so far), the smallness is nice, esp. the park trails and small University campus (well, it's big, but not on 3 banks like the UofMN), cheap cost of living, quiet apartment (unlike my last Mpls apt where i lived less than a block from both interstate 35W & the industrial train tracks, for which i paid a higher price), and so many other great things about smalltown living. Of course, concessions have been made- no more: Jamba Juice, choice of Indian restaurants (there are 2 in town, luckily), never ending, daily musical events, Mediterranean pizza from Papa Murphy's (the closer to the south you get, the fatter the fast food gets-- and yes, i have determined this is the south: it is south of the Mason-Dixon line), etc. Zeus help me from having any strain of "y'all" exit my mouth around xmas time.

The photo on this post is from my little 5-day trip from the 7th-11th of August to Washington, D.C. It's a great self-portrait (focus on the view of course, not me) looking west down the mall from the Capital building plaza (area in front of Capital). I had fun focusing the camera to the distance, then turning it on myself and getting the photo. Because my friend Laura, with whom i was staying, had to work during the hot and humid days in her nicely AC'd Virginia office, I went out alone and braved the mall, museums, and massive humidity. I swear i went through 3-4 liters of liquids one day w/o using the WC. Last time i did that was on-site at the excavations on Crete. Pretty impressive absorption and sweating power the human body has-- not to mention, i walked for about 8-10hrs each of the 3 full days i was there... Needless to say, it was fun and exhausting and the same time.
I think the most fun i had while i was there, besides seeing my long-time friend, was visiting and actually using the Library of Congress. In case you don't know what that is, it's America's national library, essentially; and, the LC #s you use to find books at your local or university library were assigned based on the LC's (Library of Congress's!) cataloguing system, which as you all know replaced the old dewey decimal system which still lingers in some parts of most libraries nationwide. So- the LoC is very prestigious and has an immense collection of important books, and a fantastic rare books collection. I got to look at, research/take notes on, and photograph some rare books from the same time period as those i had been working on all summer from the 16th century AD/CE. It was so much fun, i wish i could have had more days to just sit in the library and do research! But, alas, the museums and monuments were calling my name...
After the August 10th British red alert and American orange alert on the airways, i returned home on the 11th without incident, and, might i add, without any carry on luggage- including water, lotion, chapstick, etc. At least it was a quick trip, except for my sprained left knee, which made terminal hopping not as fun (I had a stopover in Chicago). I made it back in one piece, hobbling home to my apt, only to spend the next 3 days straight packing up my possessions trying not to overanalyze the psychology of the moving and change processes. I think the fatigue sufficiently suffocated any doubts or worries; for, that first evening/night in the new apt was quite a blur. I went into 'get it done' mode for the unpacking process for 4-5 days, then started school on the 21st after a whirlwind of events over the previous days and weeks.

I think I am finally beginning to settle in now. I am definitely one to feel more at home and at ease in a picked-up, completely (or 99%) unpacked apt. I guess it's what they call making it 'home,' rather than just where you eat and sleep and study. Also, i feel as though my mentality for this leg of schooling is much more work-geared and rather than class/school-oriented. As much as i like lectures and the like, i am certainly tired of them. So why am i in graduate school you ask? Well, it's how i get to what i want to do, so i am ambitious and driven to do it. At least in graduate work there are more projects and research and reading, rather than busy-work. This is what i'm after; i want to do research and read all day and write up what i find. That's my goal. I don't want to be a professor or teacher, really, but i want to do work that is beneficial to a museum setting, rather than a classroom. What i research can then assist in the classroom setting and dissemination of knowledge in general in a more indirect (or direct, i suppose) avenue. So, back to my work vs. class attitude mentality: i am approaching and attacking my graduate work as though it were a 8-5 job, rather than the whimsical and aimless, wandering undergraduate strolling down every university campus, listening to their ipod and trying to forget the lecture they just left. Yes, undergraduate should be the description i just gave, in a way; it should give the student time to 'figure things out' and explore their career options, and go to parties, and try new classes and clubs. But, graduate work is different. You go because that's exactly where you want to be, and you have some goal in mind, even if a little fuzzy at the moment. I'm hoping that this mentality will force all my undergraduate tendencies into submission, a.k.a. procrastination, late nights, movie marathons on mondays, afternoon naps, etc. I'll keep you up to date on how my goal approach is working out as time goes by.

In other news, i love biking to campus everyday here. I ride about 2mi there, then 2mi back each day (except the pouring down rain days on which Nate will drive me the 3 miles it takes by road). I bicycle this state park path called the Katy Trail, which has an access path from my apt complex down into the woodsy area. At first I was a little hesitant, because well, im a city dweller and ppl dont ride that far alone on a bicycle by themselves in the woods. But, as I tried out the path the weekend before school started, and came to realize those couple days afterward, this path is used as a pathway for commuters everyday to and from campus and other areas around Columbia. My new favorite phrase is, "Nothing's far in Columbia," and it's true. The path is 2 miles of shady, pleasant lovliness in my mornings and afternoons. I have a great new hybrid bike that i got for my birthday this summer which makes things even more pleasant. I counted 7 little wooden bridges and a tunnel (under the only road it crosses on the way to campus), countless other little streams and creeks running to and from those crossed by the bridges, cardinals everywhere chirping (more in one place and consistently than the Twin Cities--- mom, i know you're jealous), wildlife, both flora and fauna, galore. Just in my first week i had 3 major faunal sightings: first, a whitetail doe jumping out in front of me one morning on the path, about 50 feet ahead of me, for which i stopped to gawk and wait for the others I knew must be behind her (where there's one deer, there's more)- which turned out to be 2 new and nervous fauns; second, a pudgy, over-sized, and certainly well-fed dirty muskrat; and third, the same 3 deer, who the second time jumped out in front of me at about 15 feet and scared me this time. Aren't you supposed to scared the deer? Well, this mama wasn't really scared, but her 2 babies were and wouldnt come out of the thickety woods, 10 feet off the path. The mother simply munched and casually watched me and her kinder from about 10-15 feet, until finally she decided that the young, and inexperienced would not cross in front of me while i was slow close. I had even backed off a little, so as not to separate them and throw someone into a frenzy, but to no avail. She, again casually and w/o any real sign of fear or lack of confidence, crossed right back in front of me (again, about 10 feet) to reunite with the fauns.
I told Nate and other fellow grad students about my sightings, but no one was ever as excited as me. I think some ppl become immune to wildlife encounters when they live in more rural areas (unlike Mpls), but despite all the national park trips and camping ive done over my lifetime, i am still always fascinated. Some may blame my [sub]urban upbringing, but nevertheless one should never lose touch w/the human connection to nature. We are only one species.

I suppose that's enough for now, ill write more soon! :)
email or write or msg me if you have even just a second!

-c

I made it to MO

Hey everyone....
I just wanted to post and say that i am safe and sound in Columbia, Missouri. Of course... my new apartment is quite a mess of boxes and random things, and pretty unorganized in general. But there's a few things i have that i've never had in my apt before, such as: a dishwasher, washer & dryer, built-in microwave, central air, etc. So, it's pretty nice. Oh yeah!-- a pool & fitness room on apt complex property which is about 40 yards from my building, so verrrry nice!
That's all for now- i've got alot to take care of between getting settled, getting classes & assistantship stuff settled for school, and other random things ppl do when they move somewhere completely new.
....like find clean shorts & glasses to drink from......
ill keep you updated!
i think soon, i might start a facebook page so that pics and comments are easier to make available online.
:)
-c

Pour one out to the gods: i made it to 23

Well, here i am safe and sound 48 hours into my 23rd year. I stayed home all day to do some research reading instead of biking over to my 'office' at the library in the nice morning and afternoon rainstorm. It was nice to finally get some rain; i think as a Minnesotan i just love those nice strong storms and crazy weather. Enough though about the weather.

That photo was taken yesterday in the Bell room in the James Ford Bell Library, where i work. Maggie, the curator and my supervisor, took it. She's a little shaky with digital camera technology yet, but i have great confidence in her. She's managed to master both PC and Mac as an adult who grew up thinking that computers were sci-fi and moon-age technology. Anyhow, Maggie wanted a photo for the board of directors, so to speak, so they would have a published photo of 'that intern Maggie keeps talking about who we're paying all summer to keep her nose in the books.' Fine, i said. With much due cheesiness, the 2 of us at the direction of Maggie decided an assortment of the primary documents i am researching would be most appropriate to include in the photo. That map laying at the bottom right of the photo is the prize piece around which my research centers, (that particular piece of paper is a facsimile of the original, which is about 30 feet away from me through the walls and in the rare books vault). The book i am holding, however, is an original April 1507 edition of the Cosmographiae Introductio, with a newer, 20th century binding. This is the work, translated Introduction to Cosmography, which was the accompanying text to the map i have already mentioned. The map is known as Martin Waldseemuller's globe or gore map; the conical & pointed 'gores' on the map, had it been transformed into its intended form, would have all bent inward at 2 points (north and south) while the ends of the map would join-- all of this either on a woodcut sphere or some sort of axis---much like 4th grade paper-cut globes. In the world there are only about 4 or 5 known originals, and only 're-discovered' and published since the beginning of the 20th century. One is owned by a private collector, sold at Christy's in London, while another is in Munich, and the others are lesser known for various reason on which i will not expound to my blog audience. I would be happy to oblige if anyone asks me! :) So let's just say that it has been made apparent to me that this is a very coveted and valuable piece of history, and therefore an ever-exciting project for me to be a part. I cant believe i only have a few weeks left before i am forced to leave for more exciting adventures! (Note: the other 3 items on the table with me in the picture are all 15th or 16th century originals. Cool, huh!!!)

That was fun telling a little more about what im up to these days and how im spending my summer. People keep asking me when it's over and when im leaving, but sometimes im not ready to talk about that or do not want to; i want to tell about what is happening NOW and how i love it so much! If you ever want to come visit me there, let me know and i can arrange a tour and show you some verrrry cool stuff like old maps and books!

On Monday night, i went out to eat at this amazing seafood restaurant called Oceanaire on Nicollet Mall in Mpls with my fam and Nate for my birthday. It was the best Mahi Mahi ive ever had and by far the 'garlic-iest' escarot ive ever had. It was seriously one of the best birthday meals ever, too. My parents even bought me a super nice blender for a present so that i can make Jamba Juice (the world's best smoothies) after i move to Columbia (where they probably do not have Jamba). Overall, it was a pretty calm day; 3 cards, a few happy birthdays, and a msg on my blog (thanks Heather:). I guess that's what a 23rd should be. Pretty strange though each year since ive hits the 20's; you just never know what you're gonna get for happenings on your birthday anymore. My happenings were good and fun and flavorful :)

I think i'll go back to reading some articles for research now, and maybe later ill hit up Jamba Juice..... mmm.....

ttfn
-c

About a month on the countdown

Hey everyone~
Not much new for me, other than feeling the time vice tightening before my move to Missouri for school. Tentatively, the move is scheduled for the 16/17th of August, which gives me about 4 days to unpack, settle in as much as is possible in 4 days, officially enroll and register at Mizzou, discuss my future w/a grad student advisor & pick my year's itinerary, and perhaps find groceries and books. We'll see how this all goes; it sounds like a whirlwind to me, that hopefully will be more guided than i suspect. When all that's settled, i can finally sit down in my new apt and relax, enjoy having a washer & dryer in my apt for the first time (and a dishwasher), (and central AC..whoo!), and plop down by the pool... yes, a pool. And did i mention that cost of living is about 1/2 to 2/3 as much as Mpls? It will be quite more than satisfactory for graduate living, and i am indeed excited.
Yes, of course i will miss MN, but i have lived here all my life and have explored much of the twin cities. It's time to explore a new city and get down to studying & aiming for the jobs i want. I think the 2 things i want to see in Mpls before i leave are the Great Gatsby at the new Guthrie and the 'new' Walker, which, i have been a little slow about visiting...

So today I had the pleasure of an extra doctor visit at the behest of Mizzou, which included a Menengitis shot. I thought that maybe since i am nearing 23 that i would not tense up like a 5 year old, but i did. I did tell the nurse though, as always with needles, to just not tell me when she's going to jab me. Seems to help. No tears though, because on a scale of '1 to Tetanus' it was only about a 5; the nurse liked my expression of comparison to the Tetanus shot. :) I swear my whole right arm was barely movable for 4 hours; now, it's just sore and does not want to move above horizontal. Oh well, it will fade in 36-48 hours the nurse said. Plus, i get to go back next week for a TB (tuberculosis) test. I am required to have one because i lived in Eastern Europe for more than 2 months; kinda strange, but oh well. Seems like a trip out of the way to me, assuming i did not somehow pick up TB in Greece or Turkey 2 years ago, and has laid dormant for 2 years. EEEEwww eeeewww eeeeww on the needles and tests.

Ah- the picture above is of Mpls from the south on the south side of Lake Calhoun while i was rollerblading one day with Nate. I've been trying to take many pictures of the Twin Cities lately to preserve it in pictures for when we move. Hopefully, with many pictures as my quarry I will find a few good ones to print and frame for the new place. In related news, Nate is learning to rollerblade, sometimes much to his chagrin, but much to my pleasure... He's a rock-climber by his own choosing, but I cannot climb with him (wrists), so we had been trying to find an outdoor, healthy activity to do together. Running/jogging was apparently out of the question for Nate, and Nate did not have a bicycle until recently, (plus bicycling can still be a bit hard on the wrists). So, i suggested rollerblading and after calculated persuasive techniques I got him to buy a nice Target pair, complete w/knee, elbow, and wrist guards (which, unfortunately came after Nate's fateful first loop around Como Lake). I know i should probably use wrist guards as well, but somehow cannot convince myself to use them because i have skated since i was about 6; i guess that's what having hockey boys in the family gets you. I was constantly trying to keep up with Bob as a kid, so i learned well and fast or my skate-mates skated off. So anyhow, Calhoun is definitely the skate neophytes haven: smooth, cleared, marked paths with only one small 'hill' which is a good learning spot, and you only have to do it once every loop around, which is a couple miles. Nate's a good novice; i've seen MUCH worse. Hehe....

This weekend Nate and I are christening the Mac computer that we have (he has, mostly) been working on for my Golden Valley Historical Society internship: we're bringing it to the GVHS historic church site for its first archival use! Seems like a long time coming, so it's quite eventful! Then Nate and I just have to teach the Society secretary and a boy scout, who want to continue the project, about how to use the database. Exciting!

Next Friday Nate bought tickets to go see Damien Rice and Fiona Apple at Northrup Aud., so i'm pretty stoked about that! It's kinda for my birthday, so it'll be a great celebration in my opinion. I have loved Damien Rice's music since about 2003, having completely worn out my a copy of my most beloved album, particularly while traveling in 2004. He always calmed me down at night so that i could sleep in foreign beds, helped me enjoy the beaches, and reminded me of loved ones back home. Fiona Apple, on the other hand, is just a neurotic genius, with a great latest album, from what i've heard of it (i've not bough it yet, though i should have by now). As long as she sticks to the passionate music and skips the soapbox scenes of the past, it should be an amazing show.

Well that's all for now. I'll definitely keep my blog more updated as i head south and after I start school at Mizzou to keep in touch! Including pictures! Maybe by then I will have real links to things on my blog for a change!

Keep in touch and always feel free to drop me a msg :)
-chris

Motorcycle gone... *tear*....

This is one of the last (and only) pictures of me and my favorite toy, in this last period of my life. My VTR was good to me and i was good to it. I had fun, and now it's someone else's turn. I finally saw my bike off to a nice couple from cheeseheadland last saturday, may 27th. The guy who was supposed to buy it fell off the face of the earth about 2 weeks before, probably (and hopefully) never to be seen or heard from again. That's ok though- i needed to sell and be done with this. Maybe someday the few pictures i do have of me and my baby will serve to prove to future generations that i did indeed have a motorcycle and loved every minute of riding it. So long, my sweet ride, after 4 good years together.... *sigh*......

Besides selling my motorcycle i've been up to other fun activities such as visiting with friends Catherine and Elijah, who were recently in town from St. Louis. Then, Laura came to visit this weekend from D.C. It's nice to see people during summertime visits; it makes me feel like i should be somewhere, and that i am somehow the stagnant, stationary one. Well, i guess i'll get my chance to move far away soon enough- which will be sometime in the first couple weeks of August.

*Happy 23rd birthday Catherine! Hope you're having a great time in Thailand and all that traveling went smoothly.
*A congratulations to my cousin Laura who will be getting her high school diploma this wednesday evening! Way to go!
*Another announcement is my cousin Eric's cd release party this friday night at the Varsity Theatre in dinkytown! It is so exciting! If you can make it, you should check them out! www.thealarmistsband.com

On another happy note, i am loving my research intern position at the U; i'm learning all sorts of fun, nerdy things that will help me now and later throughout my grad studies and eventually professional life. I'll have to post some sweet pics related to my internship soon, such as the map im researching and pics of me in the 'Bell reading room', which modeled on 19th century scholarly-looking reading libraries in which many of the western, modern world's earliest scholars may have studied and collected.
That's the update!
-chris

I GOT the INTERNSHIP!!! Whoooo!

Well, there's a picture of Nate all fast asleep and cozy in my chair last week. (He's been a tired baby lately from work & his brother moving to Portland, OR). i swear anyone could sleep an eternity in that thing.

As for me........in case you didn't notice the title of my post: i GOT my summer INTERNSHIP!! i am so excited to start, which is next Tuesday. A summary of the project is: a research project to find out more background history, including historical context, of a 14th century (i think) world map, of which only 4 or 5 were created like it. it is a map originally created and cut to be pasted on a spherical globe, but never was, and was created by a German monk in monastic France. it eventually ended up in the private collection of the family Lichtenstein (spelling?- gimme a break, i havent done the reading yet!) of Austria, then was found in the global antiquities market after years of being folded into a book. that felt like all one breath... heh. anyway, i will essentially be a research assistant to the James Ford Bell Library museum curator. And, it's possible that our finding may be published! Very exciting indeed. oh yeah, i get to work on my French and Latin skills as well; look out grad school- i'm coming prepared!! Only, damn that German language- i still have to learn just that one more...... oh well.

In another side-note, i am so happy for physical capability reasons to have gotten the internship job because my hands/wrists just were not making it easy to find temporary work that i could do without constant stress upon and pain in them. so, i must conclude that this internship is more than just a great opportunity, but also an extreme blessing, for which i am very thankful.

Do YOU have something for YOUR mother on sunday?? I do, but i can't tell becuz she'll read this....obviously that would be no fun. Also, Steven's confirmation is this Sunday, and it seems as though much of the fam is actually going to be present, unlike other Fishing Opener weekends that seemingly always magically land on mother's day weekend. So my mom has planned a nice brunch at Kozlak's for a few of us; should be GREAT food.

So do any of you guys watch Lost? WHAT A SHOCKER last week! Saw tonight's too, but wheeeeew!! this show has got me so hooked! i havent been this hooked since Jag (yes, yes, a very bad, guilty pleasure show for which i have been plentifully ostracized). Forget reality TV, gameshows, and all that crime&grime, dead ppl shows! I also havent really watched tv much in the last few years due to school and traveling, so it's been weird to follow a show! In case anyone wants to know (and borrow...... ;), i've got the complete first season of Lost............

Also, i havent passed the motorcyle onto someone yet due to weather and circumstance, but any day now, as it is indeed sold, even if not picked up. *tear*......

That's the exciting update! -chris

spring news!

Hello everyone!
I am pleased to announce that i will indeed be attending graduate school this fall! i was accepted, in addition to being granted an assistantship, at the University of Missouri, Columbia, in the grad dept of Art History and Archaeology. i am more than excited, and cant wait to get started in mid-august!

of course, life goes on before then.

these days i am done w/my temporary position at Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN, & my internship at the MN Center for Photography, and am trying desperately to find summer work to hold me over through mid-august. i have applied & interviewed for a PAID (!!!) summer internship at the James Ford Bell Library at the UofMN. i know from having met the curator w/whom i would be working that we get along, she likes me, is impressed by my resume/c.v., and a few other things that may get me this position. i also know that i was chosen by the grant committee from a number of applicants, (meaning i passed the initial elimination process), and that the curator received 6 qualified applicants, 3 of whom she told me she was interviewing, including me. so, in a pool of 3 candidates, one of which will be a phone interview (never as helpful as the real deal), i shall reside until monday, when i will receive the ok....or worse. let's hope for the go-ahead!!! keep your fingers crossed for me!!! it would be the most perfect fit for me, as the main project is a research project, working with original artifacts, in addition to some research in french & latin texts which would help me solidify some of my skills! hope...hope....hope.....!

in addition to a job, which i need to be paid (and by the way, the FBL internship would be my first actual paid internship if i got it!), i will also be continuing work on my Golden Valley Historical Society internship. right now, nate and i have completed the task of acquiring the mac computer which was donated to the Society Museum, and also acquiring all of the appropriate programs we need, especially FileMaker- we even had enough of a budget to get one of the newest versions: Pro 8! Anyhow, nate and i are now facing the daunting task of actually creating from scratch a brand new database in which to house all of the archival data for/from the museum. my goal for the summer is to have the database created and modified to the best of our ability, in addition to begin entering large quantities of data records. then, in august when the society must find a new intern, i can train some folks on the database and they can continue the project, as the museum gets set up! it's all very exciting and i feel like i am contributing alot, which is a great feeling. :)

in other news, i have, both sadly & gratefully, sold my motorcyle. yes, indeed the time has come to move on from my teenage whims to the adult world, or rather....practically using the money for other, more fruitful goals- such as graduate school expenses... i sold it to a guy who seems to really want the bike, and will take good care of it- which is always nice. i believe the goodbye ceremony shall be taking place sometime this weekend.

i have no other great stories at the moment, so till next time...................
:)

-chris

So many things i could write about...

But, alas- my words will have a finite ending somewhere after many paragraphs i am sure.

I think anytime i am lacking motivation, or my current projects seem to slide into the mundane and pedestrian, I try to watch or quote to myself a line from a favorite book (and adapted film): never lose your childish ambition and innocence. of course, maintaining the innocence can be a challenge because all those adult responsibilities try to shape you into a budding, boring cynic. however, to combat that cynicism, it's still possible to pursue and to live the life that makes you happy, even if you're still figuring that out. Not fearing what all you have to lose, but embracing all that you have to gain and to live for. This is acting upon ambition.

Easy to say, harder to do- yes, don't we all know it?

For me, at a time when little is stable in my life (when is it or will it be stable...) i find myself constantly asking myself if 'this' is what i 'want'. Of course, my temp job pays the bills while i pursue my 2 internships which ironically and regrettably are given less of my time than i would have wished due to responsibilities, a.k.a. bills. All the while i wonder if the internships are even those which will get me onto the right school and/or career path. If nothing else, i have learned that jobs, internships, and even the process of applying to schools itself have all taught me what i do NOT want to do. When do you know when something is screaming at you to hold tight and climb aboard, rather than simply putting a big red X in front of that option? Quite frankly, im tired of the X's and ready for something that says 'yes!' all over it.

Or maybe it's just the snow, and the cyclic reverting back to the cold, teasing us after a long sunny day which had promised spring.
How do people avoid getting apprehensive, and nervous, and full of ideas at this time of year? They are tired of the same old thing, and ready to move on. I am definitely there. Only, i have known all winter that i was ready to move on, just not to which thing or place.

You might ask where all this is coming from, no?
Well, currently i have a temp job doing whatever menial projects are set me at Blue Cross Blue Shield insur. co. in Eagan. I work a variety of hours, depending on the day. In my other time during the week, i am maintaining those 2 internships: one, which i have mentioned in the past, at the Historical Society, and two, at the Minnesota Center for Photography in Northeast Mpls. I'm enjoying both, and learning alot (esp about what i do and do not want to do later), but i am no where near where i want to be yet. Perhaps it is supposed to be that way. At least I am not drifting only in some endless job that i hate, which is what i keep telling myself. I am pursuing something, whatever it is.

I have taken up yoga through a mpls adult rec program, which i think i will continue into the spring/summer because i like it so much. i have already learned alot about releasing stress and, of course, maintaining health. I've learned alot about breathing techniques, which have been the biggest keys to my success in my new found activity, in addition to success in carrying over what i have learned into my everyday life. i've known for some time now that when i get nervous, tense, stressed, or all of the above, i simply hold my breath and dont breathe. Not a good way to handle stress, so i've found out- the hard way and now verbally from a great yoga instructor. so, if you think you just might be interested in trying yoga, i'd say go for it! i promise you'll be waiting for the next class after you take the first.

Right now, i've got 2 major concerns on my mind: 1) getting into the right school, and 2) plan B if i don't go to school this fall. Yes, many of you know that family issues are of great concern to me right now as well, but then again- when haven't i been worried about that? It is simply a given; a rise and fall of daily and weekly thoughts, but sometimes one must move on to taking care of themselves first.
So, i must say that my 2 big stressors by and far take up most of my present brain activity day and night than anything else. Of course i think of other things, important and not, but alas, here i am- stuck in a haze about yet more schooling.
Through the process of applying i realized that 3 out of the 5 schools to which i applied, i dont think that i would actually accept an invitation to study. Take note, grad school potential students: the application process teaches you things, too. Also, in the midst of worrying about what i would do if the 'worst' were to happen and i were rejected from all the schools, i have had to create a 'plan b' to quell my tension. While doing this i have reverted to my law school interests and done some thinking as well as research and potential planning. Meantime, i have convinced myself, unknowingly and subconsciously until recently, that perhaps i should have chosen that application process for my first attempt at grad school rather than art history/archaeology/museology. Or maybe that even if i do get in to the school i want for museum work, that perhaps i should not accept the offer and try something else. It seems so backwards to me, but perhaps not.
I know that i have received good advice from lawyers i know who say, 'do not go to law school if you do not want to practice law.' Funny thing- at first i thought that meant i was exempt to the notion of law school because it sounds so harsh and hard & fast, now i find it more comfortable than my previous choice of grad school studies. At least for now. I think that i could/would be very happy practicing some sort of property law or property sales law. I think then I could still do major museum work because of how the practice of law relates to acquisition of pieces. We'll see. I still need to do more research.

This all is not to say that i would not be content with my first choice of study; i think that i would be happy with that as well. It just seems to me that i finally have some options which truly interest me and give me choices, which i didnt feel that i had for a while. While a walk down a straight and sure path is nice and easy, i think one with more choices will better befit my wants and needs and talents. It is 'simply' a matter of choosing.

On a less lengthy note, i have succumbed to the overpowering force of the tv series Lost. Nate's brother has the full first season on dvd, and so both nate and i kind of got sucked in like a black hole. I never really thought much of the show until i watched the first few, and then i was hooked. It certainly is nice to watch a show without 20 minutes of commercials per hour of television.

I am, sadly & gladly, selling my motorcycle this spring. I havent got a going price set in stone yet, but i think it is time. I have had my fun, it is no longer practical, i am ready for a car, and regrettably, i can no longer drive it due to my wrist. But, i don't let the last reason override the rest; the biggest reasons are the first three- the last simply pushes me that last inch toward selling mentality. Me and my first bebe had some fun, but in order to move on, a sale is nigh.

That is all i have to spew for now.
If i were Garrison Keillor i might say, "Be well; do good work; and keep in touch."

-chris

quickie

sorry not to have updated lately! just fyi: i will soon! i have had alot of things going on between getting a new job, 2 internships, and family stuff. so, please, stay tuned for more in the next couple weeks!

plus i just sliced open my left index finger cutting an orange, so typing is not so much fun or fast at the moment....

you'll hear from me soon, as im sure many of you are wondering what im up to and how i am. and if you're not now, you will be.

in case you need something to do, here's the websites of the schools and departments to which i applied for graduate studies:

http://www.brynmawr.edu/gradgroup/index.html
http://www.missouri.edu/~ahawww/index.html
http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Art_Architecture/
http://www.wisc.edu/arth/
http://history-of-art.osu.edu/

p.s. i am taking yoga!!! and it's great!!!

as always,
chris

This time it's decisions & deadlines...

Well, I've pretty much got my heart set on the Graduate Group program at Bryn Mawr...
sigh...

Bryn Mawr looks more and more attractive for graduate school by the day, hour, and minute. The problem is, well, will i get my hopes dashed if i apply to 4 or 5 schools, knowing that i will only accept one admission, and that i already have that school picked out? Meaning, even if i get into one or more of the other schools, beside Bryn Mawr, i dont know if i'd even accept anyway. THAT's how much i want to go to Bryn Mawr at this point. i wont go too much into details about why the other 3 schools are lacking re: my needs, but let's just say that i wouldnt get exactly what i want. and, i think graduate school should do just that - give you exactly what you need and want to meet your goals, or there's no point in spending/wasting your time, efforts, and money.
A plumber doesnt go to school to learn to make the pipes; he (or she, i guess, but honestly how many female plumbers are there?) goes to school to learn how they work.
Yes, that may be a strange analogy, but you get the point: in graduate school, you study a very specific line of work.

HA- i used a plumber analogy. *shakes head in shame...

As for the stress during this graduate admissions processes experience, it's at an ok level. some days, (and sleepless nights), and better or worse than others. The night before last, i slept only about an hour or 2 because i just laid there thinking. i shouldn't have been working on my Statement of Purpose (part of the application materials) right before bedtime. shoud'a known better! i kept drifting off into that limbo land between awake and semi-consciousness picturing myself sitting in front of my bookshelf full of course texts & other materials, just staring, trying to decide what i wanted to write about, & ultimately study. it's like facing that fork in the road, only the road ends into a haze of colors, but you can see the distance clearly. i know what i want to do for a job ultimately, but which way i take to get there is a bit confusing & uncertain.
anyway, it was a weird semi-dream which kept me up all night.

Most days I am excited about the whole thing, despite growing apprehension regarding applications and the related tasks, and of course- getting in. I DEFINITELY think that taking this year off, despite its own challenges, has been to my advantage & was also well-needed. I had very little direction for the course of my life after undergraduate work last fall, not to mention being busy abroad. there's no way i could have organized this over last year, nor that quickly. i needed the time to think and figure it out, rather than just jump into something. after studying abroad, finishing school, and then considering life mostly outside the frame of school for once in my life, i came to the conclusion about what my goals are, and also determined what skills i have and what i am good at. i have gotten so antsy floating between jobs that dont suit me and/or are not challenging me the way that i want, and then subsequent unemployment to boot, that i have become more genuinely ambitious than i would have been right out of undergrad. certainly, this is worth a great deal, not to mention peace of mind.

So, hopefully, graduate school here i come...

In other news, Nate got a GREAT job offer! It's at a company called LSS something or other in Eden Prairie. Im a bad girlfriend for not remembering exactly what they do, but it's computer programming stuff, nate likes it, and that's all that matters. Besides, he's been telling me about all these different jobs for the past few months and what they do, and i can remember alot of them, just not what name goes w/what city, and how big, and type of business, etc. I know one of the jobs does hospital software programming; does that count for something? Anyhow, this is a big deal that Nate has at least one option, because he needs to have a job soon after graduating this month due to money & insurance. He's still going to try to get a better offer, but we'll see. In any event, HOORAY for Nate!

Right now I am volunteering at Minnesota Center for Photography, a small gallery in N. Minneapolis, near one of the old Grain Belt brewery buildings. So, now i have 2 volunteer opportunities that i am participating in, (including the GVHSM). Of course, i do random things because they dont pay me. Like right now, i just tally the visitors & help people w/questions or t-shirt/book sales. You should come check it out- the website is: www.mncp.org

I think this is the first year that i finished christmas shopping early; in fact, i finshed earlier this week. Well, i mean with my family. I havent quite gotten to Nate yet. I should probably get a move on that....

OY!!! My long-time friends Mike & Liz (yes, you too Liz), got engaged last weekend!!!! awwwwwwwwwwwwww... Congrats you two! Mike & his twin brother Dave have a very successful computer graphics design business called Plaudit (they actually employ their dad, who quit his own job to work for his sons...!, and mike & dave are my age!), while Liz just took a prestigious (clothing) design position for Target Corporation. Awwwwesome you guys!

Well, i turn in my very last undergraduate paper next week, and then i am an official graduate.... whooooooo!! go me

that's all the news for now,
chris

First snow, holiday spirit, and deadlines in the air

hey everyone

Well, Minneapolis and much of MN had its first real snowfall 2 days ago. The grass is still white w/o mess of slush just yet, but there is ice here and there, and the tree are sprinkled w/that icy brown and white. It looks nice, but it sure as hell is cold- and it happened overnight! We flirted with 70's last week and now we're feeling the 2 and 3 degrees with windchill. That's MN weather in one of it's finest examples.

I quit my nannying job recently, which has proved to be a very good choice, despite the difficulty of making the decision and then carrying it out. I am much happier now and doing precisely what i want to be doing, and progressing with my personal goals, for which i had little to no time while nannying. I thought the job was perfect, but i guess you just never know until you actually are doing it and give it some time.

Now, i have multiple projects, and am also seeking PT paid work so that i can manage my projects and pay the bills until next August, at which time i hope to be leaving for graduate school. I have a few job prospects, 3 to be precise, but one doesnt want to pay me enough nor hire more than temporary (already had the interview), and the other 2 i've yet to hear from, but will be in contact over the next week or so. Here's hoping. If none of the 3 work out, i will just keep truckin until i find something.

My current projects are: studying for the GRE (Graduate Record Exam, entrance exam for grad schools, like the SAT or ACT, only for college grads) which i take next Wed, or the day before Thanksgiving; finishing my last, lonely 1 credit paper to officially graduate from the U; keeping up my Latin and French by continuing to read and translate (I will need these in grad school, call it post-bac or grad-prep work); volunteer interning at the Golden Valley Historical Society Museum; soon-to-be volunteering (potential intern for spring) for the Minnesota Center for Photography here in Mpls; and of course, managing my slow healing process for my hand, for which i have finally finished 2 rounds of physical therapy and have the doc's ok to continue on my own. Yes, it seems that i have alot on my plate without the a job, but i need that too, and believe me, i do have the time and like to keep busy. Besides, it's even better to keep busy, if not busier during the winter because everyone gets so lazy and depressed in the cold weather! Gotta keep moving to avoid the winter blues and chill in your spine!

My current internship for at the Golden Valley Historical Society Museum (GVHSM, henceforth) is going well. I started it a few weeks ago and i really like it alot. I spend about 4-6 hrs/week at the museum going through historical documents and artifacts relating to Golden Valley, sorting them, labeling if necessary, writing archival data in a log (which I will eventually put into a computer database), and then when all of the, what are now boxes of stuff are sorted, labeled, and archived, i will help choose and setup display pieces in the museum! Essentially, i am helping this fairly new museum get on its feet, get organized, and get set up so that the public can eventually visit. I think that this might be exactly what i want to do after i get my grad degree, only at a bigger museum and in a dept which i will specialize in. Right now my interests are ancient western art (which i have studied much of already as an undergrad) or photography (but not sure what specialty). Perhaps i could do a bit of both, but concentrate on one. This is one opportunity for which i am very grateful to have been given a chance to participate and to have found.

An update on my grad school search and application process is this: I have finally narrowed down my choices, after much research and consideration, to 4 schools. I have chosen to apply to the Art History programs of 1) Bryn Mawr College (just outside Philidelphia), 2) Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, 3) Brown Univ. (Providence, RI), and 4) Ohio St @ Columbus. All are reputable schools, so im nervous, especially about Brown. I would gladly attend the top 3, and ohio is kinda my fall-back; i have had a hard time deciding my top pick or order of choice because my impressions of them all thus far are very good. They all have the key elements i am seeking, and each have their own special attributes which make them stand out against one another. So we'll see. I think 3 or 4 choices is good to have. Also, i have spoken w/3 of my professors from undergrad and all have happily agreed to write letters of recommendation for me- which makes me soo happy! All 3 were my top pick for those letters, which is even better, becase often times if the prof is on leave or sebatical they refrain, but i got lucky! Plus, one of those professors is one which i had while overseas in Athens. Because i became close w/her and keep in touch w/her often, she agreed as well; i think this will help my impression on the grad schools because it highlights my abroad studies, my ambition, and so many other things. Right now, im working on puttin together all that i need for those 4 applications; next on my list is all the essays, specifically the statements of purpose/letters of intent, i.e. why i want to attend that school and why i am pursuing what i am. Plus, i am trying to study enough for the GRE so that i am well-prepared for the exam and do better. I have a great undergrad GPA, but schools also often look at the GRE scores at a parallel level, so i am pretty stressed about doing well.

Tomorrow night I am going to the opening of the 4th Harry Potter movie- The Goblet of Fire! I have read all 6 books in the series and thereafter seen all 3 previous movies and absolutely loved them. I am going to the film w/Nate, Steven (my bro), his friend Jeff, Adam (Nate's older bro), and Adam's girlfriend Ildico (yes, weird German name). It's always more fun to go to these big releases in groups! I have to buy advance tickets though, otherwise it will probably sell out- so wish my luck tomorrow morning! haha...

On Saturday night is my cousin Eric's band, The Alarmists' show in dinkytown at the Kitty Kat Klub. Im planning to go to that w/Nate, and possibly my cousins Lisa and Julie if they can make it up from Mankato. Eric's band is kinda loud live, so i'm remembering to bring tissue for my ears that i can actually hear the music properly (thanks for the tip uncle Jon - no offense Eric! i just wear 'em to enjoy better! hehe..) If i can remember the website for the band, sometime i'll put it up as a link on my blog.

That's the low-down for the moment! :)

Happy Thanksgiving next week! Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble........


chris

October is here! - what am i doing these days?!

Greetings everyone!

Sorry for the huge gap in my blogging! I got some complaints about my slacking (thanks for the nudge auntie Mary), so here i am again!
Last time you heard from me i was at the end of my spring semester of undergrad this year, back in MAY! Life has taken some twists and turns since then.

Well, i didn't quite finish/graduate this spring. i have one more one credit paper that i am currently working on finishing that i intended to get done over the summer, but between a few things did not happen. I am pushing myself more than ever now because i this paper is a possible contender for a writing sample for graduate admissions applications this winter. So, wish me luck on that.
The end of May was an important turning point for me with the pain and trouble in my left hand: i had surgery. One week after final exams i went under the knife to endure arthroscopic corrective surgery in my left wrist. Since then i have had a difficult time typing, which is one major reason i have not posted to this blog since then. Over the summer i wore a hard cast and then soft, and then a splint which i still need to wear occasionally. It's pretty purple, but that doesnt make me feel a whole lot better about the pain. I have also gone through 6 weeks of physical therapy in august-september, which resulted in a dramatic decrease in skin sensitivity and external pain. however, internal pain, obviously the most important, decreased somewhat and then spiked back up to barely tolerable at times in the last week of therapy. So w/that bad news, i went for my follow-up w/the surgeon doc this past monday to get to the bottom of this. He said that i should definitely be doing much better and that the next course of action is 6 more weeks of therapy, then possible 2nd arthogram (special xray-like thing to see muscles), and hopefully not, and 2nd surgery- which i DO NOT want. i would rather do therapy for 2 years before more surgery. So that's my hand situation in a nutshell. Post, surgery was very difficult, as those of you who have had it know. it presents all sorts of foreign challenges to the body and mind such as: helplessness, deeper dependence on others, and every day task struggles. I wont go into detail this time, so let's just say that i got weapy w/the doctor when he told me i might have to do that all over again. so, it's a constant struggle that im battling- and trying to be as resilient as possible.

whew!
i feel like i have so much to say!

Over the summer i did not make it to the dig (archaeological excavation, if you will) i was accepted to (and would have gone for free except airfare) :( and would have had a great leadership position in SW France. oh well. surgery was necessary. so instead, as soon as my hand was marginally useful i found a job a the U of M scanning 2-300 year old books into archival databases in the sub-basement of Wilson library. That was the most boring job i have ever held, except when we got cool books. all i did was flip, click, flip, click for 8 hours a day; in case that wasnt clear: i flipped pages and clicked a mouse on the computer. BO-RING. well, i got paid 12$/hr to do it, so that wasnt bad.

When that job ended in august i took the month off to find a more suitable, permanant job for the year. I am taking the year off from school to live in the real world and learn the ways of the world, as my parents say. Not to mention, i certainly wasn't decided what path i wanted to take w/my undergrad degree, so i needed time off to think, finish my paper, study for and take the GRE exam (was in Athens when it was offered last fall), etc.
Through all my searching and all my resume dropping, i kept seeing and hearing about nannying and tutoring, which is something i had never really done but wanted to try it. So, i did.
I got a job as a nanny/household manager for a family in Chanhassen w/ 12 and 14 yr old kids; one boy one girl. The parents are very wealthy, which makes sense if theyre going to have a nanny and someone to run their house. The mom is a senior VP for Best Buy (her dad started/owns Best Buy), and the dad (well, and mom) own a winery called Fantesca out in Napa Valley, CA, which is just up and running in the last few years. The family is extremely nice and great, but they definitely are high-maintenance and need the help. I'm not sure how much info on them is polite, so ill leave it at that.
It has been a big adjustment for me in many ways. I have to be out in Chanhassen at 630am every weekday (25miles away), i work a few hrs every morning, and then later again around 230 in the afternoon through dinner time. I sometimes do overnight, which means im away from my friends and family even in my lazy hours. i drive, easily, 400+ miles/week and it can often be very anti-social because i am at their house all day sometimes. of course, making phone calls, receiving service persons, etc is some socialness, but it's very minimal. remember, im used to Perkins where im talking to ppl/customers all day long and around other servers/cooks with whom i am in close quarters and talk to all day. so, yes, i know real jobs can be fairly independent, but it's a change ive had to adjust to- so dont be too hard on me!
Overall, i like the job, it's great pay, im supporting myself well, but im not getting my paper done or studying enough for the GRE, and im exhausted all the time and see nate/friends/family alot less. it's a trade off and im learning to adjust my time. I think this is great experience of what it's like to be in charge of a household and keeping it running smoothly, and also what it's like to cart teenagers around everywhere. it really makes me appreciate all those rides growing up!!!! Thanks mom and dad! Let's just say it's a great lesson in leadership, decision-making, problem-solving (like when my car died and i had to get kids places and had no one to come rescue me.... and i did it!), and just plain hard work.

As for plans, i am looking at Art History graduate programs across the board because i am leaning towards a career in museum work. i have spoken with some professors and other professionals about how to go about this, and based on what i have for background and what i want, it looks like Art Hist. is my destined path at the moment. i dont have any particular schools picked out yet to which i am applying, but im narrowing it down slowly as i research programs, professors, facilities, location, etc. I also have to take into account the 'nate factor'. Nate's graduating (for sure!! yay!) in december and is job searching, applying, and interviewing this fall already for positions in computer science. so, we have to work that out as well.
Right now, i am about to start volunteering for the Minnesota Center for Photography in Mpls, near where i live, which is a gallery that puts on photo exhibitions, lectures, and has regular exhibits as well. In the spring i will be vying for an internship position w/them, which sounds promising. And other potential opportunities for me that i know of are the MIA intership to which i had applied in the spring for a summer internship, but they weren't taking interns due to their summer-fall 05 renovations + spring 06 moving and re-situating within the museum. So, i was encouraged to reapply for summer 06. So we'll see about all this, but i am at least hoping and pursuing.

This saturday Nate and I are finally going to use the free Minnesota Zephyr train tickets his dad gave us a couple years ago. it's a 4-5 hr train ride through MN on the antique, preserved train with semi-formal dresscode and 5-course meal! i have been looking forward to that date for weeks! im really excited to get out and do something fun like that. fall colors are piquing, unless the frost gets to it before saturday....boo on that.

oh yeah- also, i am currently living w/one of my closest, long-time friends, Laura. We finally found time in our busy college years to live w/each other for a few months before she heads out to DC for an internship in january. it's really nice living w/someone you know and already trust before moving in together, which is a great and comfortable change for me. however, it seems like we see each other almost less than when we lived apart! we have such differing schedules that it's almost impossible to sit down and eat or chat for more than 10-15 mins! i still like knowing that she's around though.

well, that's my update for now. i think i have said alot, so feel free to post me a msg or drop me an email @: mcca0465@umn.edu or mucacann@hotmail.com

take care and happy autumn :)

word of the day: labile

labile: Open to change; apt or likely to change; adaptable.

So, i officially have 3 more days of classes as an undergrad, and 5 more days after that of finals. College have truly gone by in the blink of an eye. hence, my vocabulary word. My life, very soon, is going to move onto its next phase: graduate status, holder of a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology and a minor in Latin. what exactly am i going to do with that? well, we'll just have to wait and see, wont we? my dad thinks that i am going to become an accountant like his at work, who studied archaeology for 10years and well...is now a pudgy accountant who loves Famous Daves.
No; he doesnt really- but my dad does like to tell me about this guy every chance he gets, and i dont mind cuz it is pretty funny.

I have 2 big papers left to finish (of which are mostly done), one small Latin writing assignment, and one Latin final left---and then im allllll done!! hooooraaaaaaaaaay!! and... *sigh...... so sad!

Recently, i was accepted and inducted into the official nerd club of america: Eta Sigma Phi National Classics Honorary Society. it was so exciting to be recognized for all of my good grades and 'achievements' in Latin!! The induction ceremony was Monday the 2nd of May, in which we had a bit of a 'candle and book' meeting, so to speak. All of the inductees, including myself, were officially announced as members after being crowned with an ivy wreath, shaking hands with the club president, and affirming vows of sanctity and loyalty to the society. it was AWESOME!! when Nate picked me up afterward, seeing my exclusive, special crown, i noted that he seemed jealous and thought i'd ask what he thought. he promptly shook his head, hung it, and sighed. i think he was just jealous of my sweet wreath....

If you havent seen the movie: "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy," you should!!

On thursday i am going to see Jason Mraz, (for the second time), perform at Coffmann [Student Union]. im pretty pumped for that, esp since the first show i saw a couple years ago was really good. he does much more improv and unknown material than his popped-up albums.

Congrats Laura for getting your internship in D.C. for next year!!! Way to go! i knew you could do it!!!

that's all for now

[dont forget to call or visit your mothers on Sunday!!!]

not Panglossian, but certainly optimistic and happy

hello all

to all those with whom ive been keeping up: it's been so wonderful to hear and see you.
to all those with whom i have indeed not been keeping up: i am deeply sorry- it's april of my senior year of college, what do you expect??? hope to hear/see you soon :)

with that said...

i'll get my biggest news out of the way first.

last wednesday i went to my final followup regarding my hand issues. i saw my specialist and then also met his colleague, a surgeon. as it turns out he will be MY surgeon. yes, the verdict is in: i need surgery to fix my ever-aching hand. on of monday, may 23rd i will be having that surgery. ppl keep asking me how i feel about it, and my only response is indifference right now. i say this because all the positive and negative consequences seem to be balancing each other right now and im not really weighing to one side or the other. naturally, of course, i am VERY glad that i am finally getting some serious fix-up to the damn thing. FINALLY. this is GOOD.
On the bright side, it is with good odds that i may again have a normally usable left hand. this means that simply tasks like washing dishes, washing my hair, opening doors, riding a bicycle, putting on my backpack, driving, [typing, as im doing now], etc may once again be niether a strenuous and nor stressful task. not to mention all the over-use that my right hand has to make up for lack of use of the other, thus making that one hurt as well. a nice balance again would certainly be great.
Also, i will not have to worry about finding a job of which i am physically capable; this has been a big worry of mine since quitting Perkins, starting another job in an office, and still having issues despite the simplicity of tasks. i think ive found a job for the summer and possible fall (hopefully while interning at MIA, Minneapolis Institute of Arts) that can just get me by while focusing attention on the internship. however, it requires that i have much more use of my left hand; so, again, surgery is positive, provided there are positive results.

Last, but not surely not least, i can resume my normal, beloved activites and hobbies, and join in those activities that i miss or would like to do again. some of these include: [rock] climbing w/nate and his brothers (they are avid climbers and do it all the time) which also means spending more fun, quality time with those guys; riding my bicycle and motorcycle more often (cant lean on my left hand for very even a few minutes sometimes right now); perhaps waterskiing and tubing again w/the fam (hangin onto the rope); diving intramurally or recrationally; and so much more.

let's just say that i'm very glad to have this done, despite the nervousness and anxiety about any surgery. there's always a risk. i keep telling myself that the worst that could happen is that my hand gets messed up forever, because if this happened, it would have been like that anyway w/o the surgery. so... i think in the end the surgery is worth it.

So: YAY! :)

There are, as there would be w/anything major like this, some downfalls that i will mention, despite my hesitation to dwell on them.
I previously was planning to participate in another excavation this summer; this time in SW France on a Roman dig. this now cannot happen due to the surgery; i simply feel that i wont be ready. my hand is going to be in a sling and splint for at least 2 weeks, and then 3-4 weeks is supposed to be allotted for my arm/hand to rest and recover further w/o the bracing. hence, trying to lug baggage half-way around the world alone, and of course the digging doesnt look like such a great way to treat my hand during an important healing process. i was, of course, not too thrilled about this aspect of the whole thing. however, in some ways it's good. i think that w/all my travels in this past year, i kind of want a summer off to spend time w/family and friends at home, especially before becoming submerged in an intense internship in the fall. i do NOT want to burn out. thus, losing my opportunity in France is not a complete 'loss.'

So that's my biggest news: hand surgery in late May, and no France this summer.

There is some irony to the story, however. Nate has a condition in his hand called 'Ganglion cists.' They are often reoccurring, even after treatment and/or surgery. he has had some treatment and one surgery in the past to remove the [most often benign] cist on top of his right hand/wrist in the past, but it has come back and again needs surgery. Nate needs his surgery soon too, but fortunately the cist doesnt hurt him at all; it's simply a big, unsightly bulge on the top of his hand, which can get in the way or occasionally ache.
So, he's decided to have his surgery a few weeks after my surgery. i cant help laughing, honestly. picture a couple, 2 people, walking side by side down the street, both in slings. besides the sympathy feelings, doesnt it just sounds kind of hilarious?? hehe.... At least we can plan our surgeries in such a way as to mostly avoid this, and also in such a way as to be able to help each other while put out of commission for a while. i think that after he helps take care of me during my post-op issues, helping him will simply be routine in the reverse.
what do ya have to say to that??! at least it's all going to be over soon.

As for school, i think in the next two weeks i am going to start losing my marbles in the last few stressful weeks of college. i have my senior research paper to finish and another large research paper to write as well, but less intense. of course, i 2 classes on top of that, one pass/fail grading, and one latin course which completes my Latin minor. the former i am really starting to neglect and not care about simply because i have to pass only, and the latter i am doing just fine in and surprise myself constantly at how much latin i truly have learned. so i am primarily focusing on the papers, which will soon be consuming all of my extra free time.

Recently i have read Harry Potter years 2 and 3, which have been absolutely spectacular! i read year 1 last summer while traveling in europe and loved it, and simply havent gotten around to reading the next few. i wish they had existed when i was younger, but i am thoroughly enjoying them nevertheless now! they have even started to give me weird, vivid dreams!! i end up not sleeping well because my brain tries to continue the dream and follow the plotline in the dream which results in less quality sleep (lack of REM cycles)!!!! sheeeesh!! ive started year 4, which my brother Steven claims is probably the best so far (including year 5), and hopefully i will finish that one soon enough. im just starting to think that maybe drowning myself in my paper research might be a good idea as a break from Harry Potter, no less!! maybe ill sleep better!! hahaah....

it's late now that i have been typing forever and ever, so i'll end it here for now.


sleeeepy...

Yer mom goes to college....

So it's late, but i thought i'd say hi, esp since i havent in so long.
HI
Nate wont be around to bother me this weekend (goin home to rochester) and emily (my roomie) hopefully will be out on a date...or two...w/her new hopeful named none other than....Nate. so, perhaps ill make myself sit down at my comp and actually write something interesting for all u plethera of readers out there.
here's the brief update, to be explained in toto soon....

-no france this summer
why?
-hand surgery: mon. may 23rd
-latin midterm yesterday: awesome. nate says im good at it for some reason
-days ridden motorcycle yet: zero (what the hell is wrong w/me???!!!)
-days ridden bicycle yet: zero...well, 5 minutes in the cul-de-sac (cant find my lock!)
-hours basking in the sun on my apt deck (i love decks): all day today (except one class and an hour @the library)
-# of qtips left in my jumbo-sized 750ct box: 730 (approximately- you think i actually counted???)
-nights i got more than 8hrs of sleep lately: zeeeero. typical. *shakes head
-i saw 'Finding Neverland' which was awwwwwwwwwwesome
-and 'Closer' which was surprisingly realistic and good
-finished first 3 books of harry potter
-sprained ankle is VERY slowly 'getting better'


well, that was random

gnite

Day before Easter=homework

So, on what was a lovely day in minneapolis outside (getting into the 40's regularly now!) all i have done thus far is homework, of which i have done a large amount of tedious Major Project stuff- but im still not satisfied w/my day's accomplishments. maybe ill go for a moonlit walk w/nate or something; i mean, it WAS a full moon last night! At least the werewolves and other horrendous creatures stirred by the peak lunar movements have safely gone back to their dwellings. tonight would be a nice, safe night to go. hmm..

i havent completely decided whether im going this summer to france or not. i think the biggest factor is my hand; ive got to ask the director about what she thinks and how rigorous the activities and student assignments are. perhaps i can help in other activities which dont involve wheelbarrows, like last summer. also, more interesting info i have found out is that there are about 4-5 international students and approx. 20-25 university of Poitiers, France students w/some english also on the dig. good thing i took so much french, have kept it up moderately, and have latin in my reperatoire as well. all the language skill is certainly going to be of use, and make things much more fun because ill be able to interact socially so much more. plus, my roomie Emily speaks nearly fluent French because her mother is native Belgian and brought Em up on French and Dutch. SO- i can have as much help til then as i like. plus she mumbles french to herself all the time, which is quite amusing..., and i get reminded of forgotten words. sometimes ill be in the shower thinking about how a conversation would go in french, and mumbling to myself trying to talk it out, playing (of course) both sides of the dialogue. yes, it may seem strange, but it's more practice than no attempts at all. haha...

i thought it would be awesome to go to a different chruch service this year for Easter, but it depends. nate and i are still not sure if we're doin the annual Mankato migration tomorrow (depends on a project nate has due on Monday morning), so we'll see. i thought maybe the St Paul Cathedral would be awesome, despite the close quarters on EAster morning when the flooding of Catholics (and some others) who have forgotten the rest of the year's services, save xmas, come pouring in, much like everywhere else. so it wont really matter which chruch we go to- we'll be rubbing shoulders with the likes of em no matter what. i have never been to a service at St paul's, so we'll see. my dad suggested St. Agnes' church in Frogtown, where [Great-]Gramma Kathryn used to go when she was in town. They had Latin services, and if they still do- that would be AWESOME. i'll bet i'd understand half of it, despite the corruption of pronunciation by the Church. it's awesome that a modern church would preserve that tradition, esp for ppl like me, even though the idea that what was being said wasnt always understood by the average Joe/Jane. eh well- that's what progressive religion should do, right? adapt teaching methodology.
oh yeah, i'm not technically Catholic, (brought up Lutheran as many of you know), but i was told once by a Catholic family member that it was ok because i was at least baptized Catholic. pick pick pick. make of it as you will.

i suppose that's enough controversial and touchy topics for today.
the point is that Easter is tomorrow and i should celebrate too. having grown up on Catholic Easter mass, you could say that ive grown fond of it and miss it. i love all the formality, traditional'ness, loud and lovely music from above/behind, etc etc. i think i was actually sad the year i was stuck in a hotel bathroom w/my auntie Pat sick and puking, and missing the service. eeew, i know- sorry.

well, a week from Wednesday i'll find out whether the doc suggests surgery for my hand. i had a cortizone shot about a month ago, to start, and then have to follow up about that. it worked brilliantly for about 1.5 weeks, then back to square one. because it's a steroid, i cant take it forever or very frequently, thus im expecting an affirmative on the surgery- which im not very happy about. BUT, it could be worse, right? it's just going to be stressful in my decision about the dig in mid-june and fitting the surgery in b4 then and amid my last couple months of finishing school. so, hmm- guess we'll just take this one step at a time.

my foot that i sprained is healing nicely, and i have started walking normally on it, finally. it's still tender and gets tired more easily, but that's better than not walking on it at all!! so cheers to that.

well, it's been a wonderful study break, and i should probably get back to work. that's all the real news i have for now. i always love hearing from ppl via email, even if it's just one line (e.g. Scott!!! :)
take care

cheers

Chillin on this final spring break

It didn't occur to me until just now that this week may very well be the last 'spring break' of my life.
Oh glorious spring breaks! Whence have you come, and to where have you gone?!

So i'm working on capitalization and punctuation. i really hate it in informal typing; it just takes up those extra miliseconds between thought and the buzz of my fingers on the keyboard which can inhibit my creative flow. so, i apologize for my past illegibility, and simply explain the inconsistency of any ensuing entries.
:)

Thus far on spring break (started last friday) i have done a total of.....
0 hours of homework
abundant hours of sleep
ridiculous amounts of sitting on my ass
watched at least 4 movies
gone to rochester to visit nate's family
took an evening at my own folks' place
not called my friends enough
spent mucho mucho time w/nate
much blank 'space for thought' time due to my ass-sitting
etc
etc

i would like to say that i basically began my spring break last tuesday evening. the reason is as follows:
i sprained my foot; yes, my foot, not my ankle. how does one do this you ask? well, apparently i did it on the treadmill last monday afternoon.
i run frequently or use the elipticals (running machine), so i didnt think anything of my normal workout that day, until tuesday about 12-1pm when my left foot started hurting so much i couldnt walk on it. i thought i just had a cramp or stepped wrong for a minute, but as it turns out my brushing it off was worthless.
nate drove me home from work that afternoon after i called him whimpering and almost crying in pain. oh, i felt fine when i sat down- which i just couldnt understand! and it was the whole outside of my foot and into the heel- how weird!
anyway, adam, nate's older bro, and laura were both coming over that night to make/eat indian food @my place w/nate, emily (roomate) and i- so i couldnt cancel on them and go to the doc!! miss indian food?? are you kidding me?!! so i toughed it out for the night and decided to see how the darn foot was the next day.
not so good; actually kinda worse.
so i stayed home, missing some work and a class, hoping upon hope that it would just go away. i didnt need another injury! especially w/my left hand being hurt and in pain too!! sheeeeesh!
so, around 7pm, i finally relented to going to the doc and nate took me. the doc said i have a sprained foot, which is technically a torn or stretched ligament. i told him i didnt understand how i got it and why i wounldnt feel it for 24 hours after doing it (i didnt recall running funny, or turning it, or anything!). he said that it was endorphines. ah, i see. damn. says it's common in runners.
i was offered no crutches or anything and simply told to keep it elevated and apply heat for 7-10 days. hence- i started my spring break early. i spose it's better than a broken foot!!!

so, i have a gimpy left side: sprained foot and torn cartilage in wrist. how awful! i keep thinking how thankful i am to have nate to take care of me so much and be around- plus emily is great too. also, work is very flexible. thank god i didnt have any big spring break plans! all i can really do i take a short walk once in a while...so im gonna try and use emily's exercise bike to pump my blood. i started to get so stir-crazy on wed-fri last week when all i was doing was hanging around!!!

other than these frustrations testing my resiliency, i toughed it out for a Flogging Molly show last thursday night, which was awesome- as they always are. it made me soo happy to get out of the apt!! nate helped me hobble to and from the bus downtown, or gave me piggy back rides- so i cant complain too much. ;)

i saw the old classic movie "Patton" this weekend w/nate's fam, and it was pretty awesome for a war movie. it wasnt so much enwrapped in the war for the blood of it aspect, but for the character of the people, esp. General George Patton. He thinks he's some type of reincarnated military general from over milennia, which made him quite a nerdy subject for me to examine. for example he thought he was a Greek and a Roman general, one during Napoleon's time, etc etc. basically he was a historically literate poet nut who was a REAL person during WWII and had a descent film made about him. i'd highly recommend it.

then i caught a cold. well, then i knew i had hit the number 3- that is, if you're superstitious, you'd know that bad things come in 3's. so at least it wasn't worse. so yeah, im pretty banged up these days. shoulda knocked on wood harder somewhere, or maybe then i woulda just broken whatever limb with which i hit it??? who knows.

THEN, i got my application response to this dig in SW France that i applied to for 3.5 weeks this summer. I was ACCEPTED!!!!! i didn't think i'd have a problem getting on the crew because of my past dig experience, my study abroad, and of course- all my relevant college coursework. but, there's always that doubt in your mind. anyhow, im pretty excited to have that opportunity this summer and i will probably take it, depending on how my hand is doing and how willing the supervisors are in adjusting to my abilities to haul dirt w/one hand...
so yeah, go me!!!

The job search is on. as soon as i can strap on my nice, black heeled boots (need a strong, healed foot...) to go with some nice clothes, i'm out the door to go bug companies to hire me for a year at least starting this summer sometime. i don't really want to go back to serving (waitressing, for those not caught up w/the PC term) partially cuz of my hand, and partially cuz the work just plain sucks. it's rough on your body; the money can really suck you in; and you really don't get as much respect as you might think. so, i think serving's out. i'm thinking about finding a job in a jewelry store. i've always thought that would be interesting and i'm willing to learn the trade. nate complained when i told him and said that forever after i would 'analyze anything he ever bought me.' hahahha.... well, it's either that or have a poor girlfriend. i'd think he'd much prefer a sugarmomma than a gf w/empty, holey pockets. so, if you know anyone who's hiring, let me know!! or any descent-paying job, in which i can also get healthcare benefits if necessary!!

*sigh......

does anyone actually read this? if so, please let me know by leaving me a message! it'll help me know how often to update my blog!! AND it's reallyyyyyyyy nice to hear feedback and just to hear 'hello'!! like from you, chad!!

well, that's 'all' for now
take care, happy st. pat's on thursday- drink an extra Guinness for me.