Spring has Sprung!

Spring has sprung here in Buies Creek NC.  I mean, it smells like spring, the birds are chirping, and trees are as green as ever.  Apparently this is fall in the dirty south.  The weather has been absolutely beautiful, but it still gets to be about 80 degrees during the day, and honestly, I'm ready for fall...leaves, pumpkins, wind, frost, etc.  I never thought I would say it...but....I miss autumn in Ohio.  We'll eventually cool off and feel like fall here, but its just not in the time frame I'm used to.

Speaking of spring, today I completed my schedule for the spring semester here at Campbell.  As you all know, I'm back into music....so I'm trying to play a little catch-up to get back on track after taking about a year off to get my feet wet in the science field.  I signed up for 16 classes. 16!!!  I have 24 credit hours scheduled for the spring.  Campbell is a little different than MVNU in the sense that students are allowed to take 19 credit hours per semester without having to pay extra.  So in order to get down to 19 credit hours I am taking 5 of my 6 ensembles for zero credit.  I'll be in the Wind Ensemble, the Cape Fear Wind Symphony, Pep Band, Percussion Ensemble, Campbell Choral Society, and Jazz Ensemble.  This is going to make for a verrrrrrrrry busy semester.

I also reevaluated my graduation date today.  The registrar's office claimed I couldn't finish before spring 2013....I wasn't having that.  So I took it into my own hands...with the help of Dr.Wilson...to schedule out the rest of my college undergraduate career.  By taking a few classes online during the next 2 summers, I should be student teaching in the Fall of 2012, and graduating that December.  This sounds much better than spring 2013...i don't know why, but 2013 just sounds like it is WAY far away.  So, I'm excited for the future.  It'll be rough, but worth it.

I've got an unofficial countdown until Christmas break.  I can't wait to be back at home with familiar friends.  I miss everyone SO much.  I'm making new friends here, and they are wonderful....but there is nothing as good as the fun I have with my closest friends back home.  Can't wait to see you all again!  I also cannot wait to be home for a month with my family.  I miss being able to see my parents on a daily, or at least weekly basis.  All finals will be done the first week of December, and then I'll be homeward bound.  Hallelujah Hannah!  But that is still a good month and a half away....so.....next subject.

I look forward to being busy again.  Until then, I'll keep learning the law from daytime television, thanks to Judge Pirro, Judge Milian, Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, and Judge Alex (HA!).  I have lots of time to work on this symphony I'm trying to write.  It's actually starting to come together...I mean, it isn't even close to being a symphony, but I've got a main theme of the whole piece, and the main themes within each of the movements.  I need to take a good orchestration class before it becomes too much more than that.  I;m proud of what I've been able to accomplish though.

I put together my favorite outfit that I've ever worn this week.  Orange and turquoise...they make a great combo, try it sometime.  Purple was the theme yesterday.  Stop hate...LOVE is the answer!  Today was all about comfort...I mean, all about wearing what was clean because I have a mountain of laundry to do.  oops.

Apple pie. Come and get it.  I made the most sinfully delicious apple pie on this planet earlier this week.  I still have some.  It'll be gone tomorrow after movie night.  Pirates of the Caribbean.  Be there.

It's almost time for bed.

as always
you left me speechless
buh bye

Noise where there was not noise before

My usually quiet apartment has become not-so quiet.  I believe somebody is moving in next door.  I've successfully met everyone who lives around me...except for apartment H-4.  There was a suspicious unused grill on the porch.  Even matches, lighter fluid, tongs, and a potholder that seemed unused for years.    A bag of trash sat outside the front door for weeks.  Yet every night it looked like the TV was on.  Nobody ever went in....nobody ever came out.  UNTIL 2 DAYS AGOOOOOO!!!!  I was in the shower. and I heard a man talking as if he was standing right by the bathtub.  I peeked out from the curtain and there was nobody there, obviously.  I continued to hear him talk loudly and I realized it was coming from the usually silent apartment next door.  Since then, I've seen a new man walking around outside on the phone, the grill has disappeared, and the blinds are wide open.  Clearly, nobody lived there before, or maybe they took a very long vaycay. i don't know.  but he is creating noise where there was not noise before. ugh.

I'm officially getting papers signed today to switch back to being a music major.  It's a good day.  a good week. I had my friend fix.  This past weekend was fall break and I definitely had the time of my life.  It was very hard to come back here to NC.  I miss all my friends terribly...but I'm incredibly grateful that I get to visit them.  After this past weekend I really wanted to move back home and go back to MVNU.  but I've found my happiness here in my music.  The department is great, the professors are great, and I'll make friends with people who are more like me.  I will frequently visit Ohio so I can see my friends as often as possible, and it gives us all an excuse to get together and have crazy fun.  I feel like it'll be better this way in the long run.  We will be reunited one day for good.

I'm thinking about taking a weekend trip to Maryland! Holla!!  It's much closer than I thought, and would be totally worth it.  We'll see.  It's in the works.

Orchy died.  For those of you who don't know orchy....she was my orchid.  She was slowly dying ever since I moved to NC and she finally lost her last leaf.  SO, I got a new plant.  Not an orchid, but something I shouldn't be able to kill.  It's a menthol plant.  When you rub the fuzzy leaves it smells all minty.  And we all know mint/menthol is my favorite thing ever. duh. obsession.

you left me speechless.
buh bye.

I could write you a symphony

One thing I absolutely love to do: write music.  I've come up with an idea for a song or symphony that I've decided to start writing today.  I'm going to call it "Occupations" or "9 to 5" or something like that.  Each movement will be a musical interpretation of jobs people do such as "The Lawyer" or "The Teacher".  I'm going to start by just writing down small snippets or musical phrases that remind me of the occupation I'm thinking about....then orchestrate it into a full movement.  I don't really have experience with this so it'll be an experiment.  I've written songs for brass ensembles and trumpet duets and such, but never something for a full wind ensemble or full orchestra.  I think it has potential though.  I'm running with it...embracing the idea.

I have a giant Calculus exam that spans over the next 2 days.  Calculus has come somewhat easy to me and the subject itself is interesting.  I sometimes just question why anyone would sit around and figure out the theories and postulates an proofs of Calculus....whoever it was didn't have a life.  We have gotten into some practical problems that actually involve real life situations....but I still think it's a stretch....do we really need calculus in our live? I don't think so.

The highlight of my day is Wind Symphony this evening though.  I love how well the group works together to make music.  It has been one of my inspirations to return to music as my area of study.  Our director invokes such emotion...I feel like he literally pulls it out of us as we play.  That is what conducting is all about-being able to portray feelings to an audience through music and the ensemble.  Can you get a Ph.D. in conducting? If you can I think I would want to do that one day.

time for Calc. exam part 1.
prayers are appreciated.
buh bye

Everyone's Favorite 4-Letter "F" word

I can't decide if I should be fun or serious for my first post.  I guess I'll just start with my thoughts of the day.

Today I realized that I am extremely spoiled.  I have everything I want, and then some.  I just got a new car (Kia Forte-Dark Cherry Mocha: Mocher or Cher or DCM for short), I just bought a new coat a few days ago from Express that I wanted, and I put a bid on ebay for a Cello today.  I spend money like it's my job and never think twice about it.  So today I've decided to focus on things in life that are free (<-----everyone's favorite 4-letter "f" word).  This is much harder than it seems considering that almost everything in our lives has a cost.  I narrowed it down to things that have to do with time.  Spending time with people is a great way to enjoy life...for free!  What could be more valuable than several hours with your closest friends or family members?  So today, and this week, I will try to value time I get to spend with my friends and family when I visit Ohio.  Now that I live 9 hours from my original home I realize how I should have valued time with my loved ones much more than I did for the past 20 years.  Also,  I want to take time to enjoy the drive home.  The great outdoors is another free thing we can enjoy.  The leaves should be changing....I hope I don't drive off the road staring at the beautiful hills and mountains.

Since I'm shuffling between being a Science major and a Music Ed. major I kinda have a ton of down time.  I'm not taking a heavy load of classes.  I've taken to cooking in order to pass the time.  I personally have enjoyed baking pumpkin pies lately.  There is nothing more fall-like than the smell of pumpkin pie baking.  I want to branch out and cook dinners with more fresh ingredient, but I'm a typical college student when it comes to that...I go for quick and easy.  You've all been there.  Like tonight, I'm going to eat Chick-fil-a.  One of my newest addictions.

More to come. For now I'm going to get dinner.
I'm having trouble getting into this blog thing though.
ok.
buh bye.