and on the wide sea rode a full-blowing sail

I promised myself that I would update this before I leave. Tomorrow. At an ungodly hour. And then it is off for packing and sorting and lectures and traveling, then paddling and soreness and hunger and not fitting in to the group, as per usual. Here's to hoping that all my fears are easily overcome, and that a whale does not decide to rise to the surface with my boat in the way.

"Sea-Fever"

I must down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face, and a grey dawn breaking.

I must down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

By John Masefield (1878-1967).

Pictures from Seattle

WFR

Sorry so long. I've been in class from 8 till six, which results in running around from 7 till 8 and then collapsing in bed and falling asleep while the light is still shining outside. I'm a Wilderness First Responder now, and the happy owner of an Aerie Medical t-shirt, thanks to a strong score on the written examination. I'm hoping for some hot tubbing this evening to soak away the long day before I once again fall into a deep deep sleep.

testing

Ug. Not a good morning. I took the GRE, and did pretty well on the verbal, not so hot on the math, and I won't know about the writing for a while. I think I will have to take it again next year, though how I will improve my math score is debatable, as they aren't really testing math skills, just convoluted numbers skills. I'll know how to pace myself better anyhow. I'm glad it is done. That's all I have to say to that.

words of wisdom

I'm not going to the giant graduation ceremony in the Adams Center, so I will miss out on the inspirational speaker. But Timothy Egan more than makes up for it.

http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/dear-graduate/

pink and orange

I am very enamored of my resume at the moment. Cream linen press paper + tiny accent of spring color + excellent layout, content, yadda yadda. I don't want to give them away to my professors, who I am sure will immediately recycle them when my exit interview is over.

Yesterday was my last day of classes, but it was far too exhausting to enjoy or savor. However, I would like to say that I kicked butt on the second part of the Dendrology test, and I can't wait to go in next week to get my results. If my spelling is as good as I think it is, there was only one tree that I was not absolutely sure of. Stupid Juglandaceae and its bitter butter wal nuts.

I am currently wasting time before portfolio review, all dressed up with no where to go. I wanted to bring in my entire portfolio--all eight binders worth, but it weighs over thirty pounds and I'm in heels and a silk skirt. And rain threatens. I have thirty five cents with which to buy breakfast. I believe that is enough for a nutrigrain bar. Hmm.

dress

For you, pretty vintage graduation dress. I'm pretty sure it looks better in real life than in the pictures, which were taken in the bathroom, with horrible lighting. And I'm not wearing the right shoes. I'm not sure I have the right shoes, come to think of it. What goes well with a black grad gown and a light yellow cotton dress? I made the belt, as the dress had lost its own. It has a pretty floral pattern with is hard to see in photos. Also spent a great deal of time ironing it, with mostly good results, except that SOMEHOW the iron picked up some melty black goo halfway through and transferred it to the dress and I can't get it out. It isn't very noticeable, but I was very upset.

pictures of the day

enjoy.

advice

This is a very representative picture of me. Note the bemused expression.
From my perch in the chemistry building. It was snowing! Definitely not a lounge-on-the-oval day.
The room packing has begun. I need to buy some white thread, and borrow a iron and board. I've finished my little project for Teralyn. All Things Considered is giving me graduation advice. That is my status update.

finals

I am playing a game with the NPR archives where I type in a phrase that I am interested in, and then listen to the many stories it feeds back to me. I am designing a tshirt for a friend meantime. I have a test tomorrow. A test on tuesday. Three tests on next thursday. A final exit portfolio presentation on friday. Three tests during finals week. So if you were wondering what my life was like right now, I suggest you don't. It's too overwhelming. Perhaps I will clean some more this evening. Perhaps I will type up some more recipes for my summer tripper cook book. Or perhaps I will study for a test.

brandi carlile (correct spelling)

Walking from Higgins Alley to the Wilma. It was a longer walk than Morgan realized. I liked it though. 80 degrees yesterday! And my pretty red shoes (Three! compliments on the shoes, and all asked where they came from) aren't too bad for walking.
The Wilma is this beautiful old theater, falling apart, but still so interesting with big chandeliers and carvings and an organ and a decorative proscenium. Brandi liked it so much she decided to sing a song completely unplugged and walked out to the apron with the twins to do so. People stayed really quite and it was magical. In general there was great energy and people were there to listen to the music and the concert just clicked for the performers and the audience. At one point she broke us up into three parts and had us learn a three part harmony and I felt like it was summer camp on a Sunday in the lodge. Wonderful.
All set up and ready for the show. We chose to sit at the very front of the balcony, which we some mighty nice seats, and way more comfortable than standing in the crowd clustered at the stage.
A good night. I got to explain was bolognese sauce was, and gorgonzola, and gnocchi, and I had a glass of wine like a grown up with my chicken marsala, and my hair was wavy like it would be if I could tell my hair what I wanted it to do naturally. So despite too busy schedules and not enough time to relax, I would say that this was an excellent birthday present.

scenes from today

I'm going out tonight! Brandi Carlisle, and dinner. Pretty rockin'. The only catch is I wanted to go out to this nice restaurant that Morgan likes, but there isn't anything on the menu I eat.
Sunny day. Playing with color accent on the camera.
Being demo girl in Dendrology class. Here we are at Sitka mountain-ash.
Ready for tree class!
This is about half of the trees we are supposed to know by now!

first photos

ella and the duke

I'm waiting for my new camera battery to charge so that I can post pictures from my new camera. I have a play to read and two papers to write, and my roommate got all uppity about the dishes, and I want to go to Jazzoula tonight, but everything is busy, so I might go late, and leave early, which is not ideal. Tomorrow I want to go so well, be gussied up, eat dinner at a real place, drink delicious wine, listen to Brandi Carlisle (my birthday tickets!). Listening to NPR This American Life. I need to do laundry. No clean underwear is a sad situation.

laundry list

A week later, and I have finally gotten my ice cream delivery, and it was delicious. Warm weather has come to Missoula, my bike has been rescued from its exile at the library, I read an Alice Hoffman book that I did not enjoy, my room is clean and boxes are starting to pile up with notes that say summer or storage. I got my hands on the Tuscan Blood Orange smell that makes Morgan drool (what is it with guys and food based smells?), downloaded free songs from Amazon, researched digital cameras and made a decision (and now I am done, Mom, I am not reading any more reviews), talked to my brother about dorm rooms and majors and summer camp. And I was visited by one of the well known ladies of the blog world, who commented on this blog that no one reads!

This week: study for weekly tree test, theater history group meeting, theater history movie watching, final drafting project finishing up, making a hair appointment, and maybe a tooth appointment, and dredging up a GRE test prep book, oh and driving. I'm determined. This week.

theater history

I am making tea in the english style. Black with milk and sugar. In hopes that it will propel me through this next section of my paper. It is so hard to work on this take home test monster, and of course it is due tomorrow, and I didn't get as much done because just when break ends the weather gets nice. So I am trying to create motivators. I have three more sections. Eight more pages. Three more hours to work. I was trying to convince someone to bring me ice cream--that would have been an excellent reason to write a few pages, but he's too tired. Boo. I had my last advising meeting today. One more drafting assignment before I am done with that.

background music

Last night we were driving at night, heading east to this strange little resort, searching for a radio station to cover the gap between cities where not much can be found on the airwaves. So we left the search function on, until it magically found a station on Copper Radio, Dick Clark's Rock Roll and Remember. And so we were transported for a time to 1961, with every third song being a Buddy Holly and the Crickets hit. This was in stark contrast to the world outside the car, which was this amazing and scary parallel universe of sideways wind and swirling snow crystals and ice and distant, diffused headlights.

It is spring break, though spring has not reach Montana yet. I'm trying to remember how to relax and just let things happen, rather than always lookng forward to getting to the next activity. It is nice not to be wearing black. I made dinner last night. I am reading the Poisenwood Bible, which is the last Barbara Kingsolver book for me, until she writes another. Been putting this one off, just because I know there will be no more new ones for a while. There is a spa here, but I can't quite justify getting an expensive massage. Sigh. Gary Warchola, you better pay up when you get back from Utah. You still owe me for those textbooks.

back

Sorry about the long time no posting, but today is my DAY OFF. And I am day-offing it, listening to new music, checking my blogs, snuggling under covers, etc. If only I could have slept in a little longer, but instead went out to breakfast with my early bird parents, and sleepy grump Morgan. Got: books and new jeans (well, goodwill-new), and funny dollar store items for the run crew of Guys and Dolls, as I will not have any more free time before closing night. Btw, we did poke several holes in the black scrim, shattered a few glass lamps, we yelled at by the TD, and generally tech was kind of headachey. Things are a lot better now that we are not adding or changing things so much anymore. I might get to go on a mini trip for spring break. Not that staying here isn't nice, but I'd like to see more of Montana and soak in some hot springs, and ride on a motorcycle like an awesome girl. I wish May were further away.

immediate concerns

My birthday is this week. I would like to ask that we not tear big holes in the scrim or shatter glass all over the stage. This is my birthday wish. It is hard for me to think in complete sentances right now. It is hard for me to sit in a chair right now. I generally walk in small circles backstage, pacing, waiting for another scene change to arrive. I love french toast. Generally I look forward to tech week. But somehow, I have the feeling that all my brilliant problem solving abilities will not serve me during these techs. Headstands tomorrow in yoga. I have never successfully done such a thing, so we will see how that goes.

little post

Wait wait don't tell me! had a limerick about how blogging makes college students happy! I am enjoying a small unexpected break, and trying to decide if I should buy a cute date outfit on Forever 21. I did get more vitamins, Fish and Flax Oil, yum.