It's the last day of January, can you believe it? We're exactly half-way through the Winter Quarter, thus exactly halfway through the first year of my PhD program, and one whole month into 2012. The newness of the new year has begun to wear off; everything looks a little less shiny and a little more settled. So how are things for everyone, one month into the new year?
For me, 2012 has been a bit mixed bag so far. On the one hand, the most amazing thing has happened-- Zan has moved here! We're no longer long-distance! Plus, I've kept to my resolution of reading a bit for fun each night and have almost finished a whole book just for fun, and I'm hoping to start ballet soon. I felt like my Shakespeare lecture went well, and I'm feeling a tad bit more confident as a teacher, though we'll see how my evaluations come back in a few weeks. But today I did have a student tell me that he'd never looked at Shakespeare the way I do, and that he was fascinated by scansion and wanted to learn more about it, and that made me feel really happy. I've helped someone to like Shakespeare!
On the other hand, school has taken a turn for the (more) stressful, I'm spending five hours a day in class, followed by five+ hours reading at night, and I still feel like I don't know anything when I get to seminar. So, mixed bag. I miss having time to spend with family and friends, and time to write creatively, to cook creatively, to go out to dinner without feeling guilty, to even go for a walk without feeling guilty!
Four and a half more weeks this quarter. Then onto the Spring!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
A Calm
This week has been crazy busy and incredibly intense, partially because of the enforced rest of last week's snow days. I didn't get to bed before 12:30 AM all week, and was up at 7:30 almost every morning. Monday, I left the house at 8:45 and returned finally a little after 7:00, following two classes, one lecture for 101, coffee with a job candidate, and a meeting with the director of The Illusion. Then I had to put together a Twelfth Night lesson plan. Tuesday, I attended a research presentation, taught two sections, had seminar, came home and read French, wrote my precis for French, and planned my Shakespeare and the English Renaissance lecture. Wednesday I left the house at 8:45, had French, a TA meeting, gave my Shakespeare lecture to the the 101 class, Marxism, came home and read from The Banquet for two hours, responded to student e-mails, then planned my seminar presentation until 12:45 AM. Thursday, I taught two sections, had a seminar which tore out my soul, chewed it, spit it out, then stomped on it. Then I came home and broke down for two hours before going out for pizza and a root-beer float to cheer me up (I prefer ice cream to alcohol in these situations).
Finally, Friday. The sun is shining. I slept in. I went to 101 Lecture and read from The Orphan's Tales simply because I felt like it. I had lunch with a bunch of my cohort and got frozen yogurt with Lezlie. Tonight I'm going to grade things and take it easy. Tomorrow I'll start on my readings.
Hopefully, this will be a weekend of calm.
Finally, Friday. The sun is shining. I slept in. I went to 101 Lecture and read from The Orphan's Tales simply because I felt like it. I had lunch with a bunch of my cohort and got frozen yogurt with Lezlie. Tonight I'm going to grade things and take it easy. Tomorrow I'll start on my readings.
Hopefully, this will be a weekend of calm.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Panda Love
Zan arrived on Friday, reuniting our panda hats and panda hearts!
After multiple delays thanks to the giant freak snowstorm that hit the Pacific Northwest, he made it to our apartment late Friday night. We moved his car into the garage, unloaded some things, had a makeshift dinner of baked goat cheese, homemade pound cake cupcakes, and leftover chicken and rice. Then Saturday we looked around and realized that long-distance has officially ended! He's here! This is our apartment!
But school never ends. Yesterday we watched some films for my Marxist class, including Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator which I found immensely interesting, heartbreaking, and at times laugh out loud funny. I read French for a few hours, then the sun came out for the first time in weeks and I fell asleep in its warmth (at last!). Later, we went to Sonrisa for their Happy Hour margaritas, tacos, and quesadillas. This morning Zan built his desk, I wrote my precis for French, we bought groceries, and we tried out a restaurant called Crepe City for brunch-- we will be going back!!!
Seattle, though still rainy and cold, looks a little brighter today.
(Photo found here)
Pandas in Love
After multiple delays thanks to the giant freak snowstorm that hit the Pacific Northwest, he made it to our apartment late Friday night. We moved his car into the garage, unloaded some things, had a makeshift dinner of baked goat cheese, homemade pound cake cupcakes, and leftover chicken and rice. Then Saturday we looked around and realized that long-distance has officially ended! He's here! This is our apartment!
But school never ends. Yesterday we watched some films for my Marxist class, including Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator which I found immensely interesting, heartbreaking, and at times laugh out loud funny. I read French for a few hours, then the sun came out for the first time in weeks and I fell asleep in its warmth (at last!). Later, we went to Sonrisa for their Happy Hour margaritas, tacos, and quesadillas. This morning Zan built his desk, I wrote my precis for French, we bought groceries, and we tried out a restaurant called Crepe City for brunch-- we will be going back!!!
Seattle, though still rainy and cold, looks a little brighter today.
(Photo found here)
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
A Snow Day
They decided late last night, whoever decides these things, that there would be no school today. I rejoiced, turned off my seven a.m alarm, and slept until eight fifteen. I woke to a swirling world of white, soft and silent. I opened the door to peek out and could hear the non-sound of snow and little flakes fell on my hands and nose.
The day began. I turned in my French assignment via an online dropbox. I made my morning tea and read some of The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden-- part of my New Years resolution to read more for fun. I finished my bibliography for Baroque class, though such a project never really ends and I keep finding myself on WorldCat looking up 'perfumed eggs' and 'John Harington' and 'royal feasts.' I made hot chocolate with cinnamon and cayenne pepper and listened to Mozart Radio on Pandora. I read about Baroque and Romantic theatres in Eastern Europe. Now, perhaps I'll work on some assignments for next week, or study seventeenth-century French theatre, or maybe take some time out for yoga...!
The snow has stopped falling now, but the world still has the calm feel that snow brings. Earlier people walked by with sleds, in twos mostly; now the streetlamps have come on, and across the street the chimney of a cozily lit house sends tendrils of smoke into the cold air. Tomorrow we'll probably be back to school and the crazy pace of the quarter, but today was a respite from the never-ending schedules and student e-mails. Today was a snow day.
The day began. I turned in my French assignment via an online dropbox. I made my morning tea and read some of The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden-- part of my New Years resolution to read more for fun. I finished my bibliography for Baroque class, though such a project never really ends and I keep finding myself on WorldCat looking up 'perfumed eggs' and 'John Harington' and 'royal feasts.' I made hot chocolate with cinnamon and cayenne pepper and listened to Mozart Radio on Pandora. I read about Baroque and Romantic theatres in Eastern Europe. Now, perhaps I'll work on some assignments for next week, or study seventeenth-century French theatre, or maybe take some time out for yoga...!
The snow has stopped falling now, but the world still has the calm feel that snow brings. Earlier people walked by with sleds, in twos mostly; now the streetlamps have come on, and across the street the chimney of a cozily lit house sends tendrils of smoke into the cold air. Tomorrow we'll probably be back to school and the crazy pace of the quarter, but today was a respite from the never-ending schedules and student e-mails. Today was a snow day.
Monday, January 16, 2012
A Small Distraction
What a very snowy three-day weekend we're having here! I'm glad I had groceries already in the house, along with some wonderful dark-chocolate hot cocoa mix. Of course, being home-bound means that I have to procrastinate on my seminar work in some way other than a trip to Target... once cleaning the house, watching an episode of Downton Abbey, and doing laundry had run dry, it looked like I was going to have to do my reading. Luckily, I found this amazing site: disneybound.tumblr.com!
It's very me-- Disney and fashion! The two things I spend most of my free time looking up online combined into a single fantastic website! And the thing is, I'd actually wear most of those outfits. So creative, so cute. Love it.
This "Robin Hood" outfit is one of my favorites.
(Ok, but now I really have to finish my French and my Baroque bibliography)
It's very me-- Disney and fashion! The two things I spend most of my free time looking up online combined into a single fantastic website! And the thing is, I'd actually wear most of those outfits. So creative, so cute. Love it.
This "Robin Hood" outfit is one of my favorites.
(Ok, but now I really have to finish my French and my Baroque bibliography)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Cupcakes for Breakfast
Last night, Jyana, Lezlie, Michelle, and I visited Cake Envy, a gorgeous cake/cupcake shop here in Seattle.
Cake Envy has both regular-sized cupcakes, and mini-cupcakes-- the mini-cupcakes are where you get killed. They are so small and delectable looking, just two and a half bites each, and since it was before dinner my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I ended up with four mini-cupcakes, reasoning that four isn't so many really, and a cup of hot peppermint tea.
My cupcakes and tea! It was night and the lighting was bad, so it's not the best picture ever.
But I assure you the cupcakes and atmosphere in the shop were both perfect.
The other hard part about getting only one cupcake from Cake Envy is the variety of flavors. They have the usual-- vanilla with vanilla frosting, chocolate with chocolate frosting, vanilla with chocolate frosting, etc. But they also have many other flavors, and they change day from day. The cupcakes I chose last night were (from top left to bottom right) Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Creme Brulee, Neapolitan Ice Cream, and Cookies 'N' Cream. Other tempting flavors included Mexican Chocolate, Carrot Cake, Brazilian Chocolate with Salted Caramel Frosting, and Lemon with Raspberry Frosting.
I couldn't finish all four of my mini-cupcakes at the shop (and still have room for an actually nutritious dinner), so I brought home the Neapolitan and the Creme Brulee and had them for breakfast this morning. Delicious!!!
So, fair warning, if you ever come visit me in Seattle we will probably go to Cake Envy.
(No, Cake Envy didn't pay me to say this, they don't know me, and this isn't exactly great place for advertising as I'm fairly certain that only about 30 people even know this blog exists. I just really love cupcakes.)
Cake Envy has both regular-sized cupcakes, and mini-cupcakes-- the mini-cupcakes are where you get killed. They are so small and delectable looking, just two and a half bites each, and since it was before dinner my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I ended up with four mini-cupcakes, reasoning that four isn't so many really, and a cup of hot peppermint tea.
My cupcakes and tea! It was night and the lighting was bad, so it's not the best picture ever.But I assure you the cupcakes and atmosphere in the shop were both perfect.
The other hard part about getting only one cupcake from Cake Envy is the variety of flavors. They have the usual-- vanilla with vanilla frosting, chocolate with chocolate frosting, vanilla with chocolate frosting, etc. But they also have many other flavors, and they change day from day. The cupcakes I chose last night were (from top left to bottom right) Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Creme Brulee, Neapolitan Ice Cream, and Cookies 'N' Cream. Other tempting flavors included Mexican Chocolate, Carrot Cake, Brazilian Chocolate with Salted Caramel Frosting, and Lemon with Raspberry Frosting.
I couldn't finish all four of my mini-cupcakes at the shop (and still have room for an actually nutritious dinner), so I brought home the Neapolitan and the Creme Brulee and had them for breakfast this morning. Delicious!!!
So, fair warning, if you ever come visit me in Seattle we will probably go to Cake Envy.
(Cake Envy Store picture found here)
(No, Cake Envy didn't pay me to say this, they don't know me, and this isn't exactly great place for advertising as I'm fairly certain that only about 30 people even know this blog exists. I just really love cupcakes.)
Friday, January 13, 2012
My Baby Koala
For Christmas, my friend Laura Elizabeth sent me a package of Australian goodies, including a Koala Egg toy. Neither Laura nor I were entirely sure what would come out of the Koala Egg, so as soon as I returned to Seattle after the New Year, I began to hatch the Koala. I watched it hatch and grow in his watery incubator, and gave it love and support :). Below is the process of growing a baby koala bear from an egg. He makes me smile.
I am currently accepting suggestions for koala names.
Happy Friday, everyone!
I am currently accepting suggestions for koala names.
Happy Friday, everyone!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
A Liz Lemon Moment
Does anyone else watch 30 Rock compulsively? Well, today I had a total Liz Lemon moment. I was teaching section, and I was trying to explain about levels and stage pictures to my second section, before working on open-ended scenes. I turned around to write on the board. I'm happily talking and writing, when a student says, "You have a hole in your pants." Luckily, I had on a shirt that could be pulled over it, so I did, and half turned back to the class to say, "Well, that's embarrassing as shit" before continuing to teach. Didn't even break character, as it were. Got through the class fine.
Inspected the hole after class and it's HUGE. Thank God I had on (cute) underwear. I don't know how it happened-- it almost looks like someone cut it with scissors or sliced it with a knife. I think it happened due to the way the pocket is sewn into the seat of the pants. I'm not sure the damage is reparable either, because of the way the pocket is positioned and the make of the fabric. So, I'm hoping that that's the low-point of my teaching career, because really, it can't get too much worse than that (I hope). Makes a good story, at least?
Inspected the hole after class and it's HUGE. Thank God I had on (cute) underwear. I don't know how it happened-- it almost looks like someone cut it with scissors or sliced it with a knife. I think it happened due to the way the pocket is sewn into the seat of the pants. I'm not sure the damage is reparable either, because of the way the pocket is positioned and the make of the fabric. So, I'm hoping that that's the low-point of my teaching career, because really, it can't get too much worse than that (I hope). Makes a good story, at least?
The offending hole... stretches even bigger when the pants are worn! :-/
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Flowers, Sticky Toffee
Things got better. I apologize to anyone who talked to me on January 4th or 5th because I was kind of a mess. But teaching section on Thursday perked everything right up. We worked on tableaux, which was really fun for both me and the students, I think. They read Trifles by Susan Glaspell and then picked the parts of the play they felt were most important, then performed five tableaux. From there, we talked about stage pictures, levels, and blocking. We also talked a bit about the edited script, and authorial intent. And somehow, I left section feeling suddenly a whole lot better than I had earlier that morning, when I'd been seriously questioning my life choices. Thursday continued to perk up; we had a PhD coffee with a job candidate and I got steamed milk with vanilla and almond syrup; Sarah (my gourmet chef friend) brought me pasta to heat up for dinner and, because it was Sarah, it was no ordinary pasta-- it had shallots, crumbled pecans, parsley, feta, and parmesan.
But the best part was returning home to find flowers outside my door!!! Zan sent me a beautiful bouquet of roses and carnations in bright reds, yellows, and oranges! I was so happy I got all teared up and it was very humany-wumany as the Doctor would say.
Aren't they beautiful? So cheerful! So I put away the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree and put up the bright flowers in its place-- a small reminder that spring-- AND ZAN!-- is on its way.
Friday continued on an upswing. We had seminar to make up for missing it yesterday, which kind of sucked, but after seminar Liz and I went to Smith, the gastropub we visited before first quarter started. It's so wonderful to spend time with human beings, and I really enjoy hanging out with Liz. We sat at the bar and had cocktails-- mine was called Curtain Call (how appropriate), and I got a hamburger, macaroni and cheese, and best of all, Sticky Toffee Pudding! It tasted so incredibly British! Thank goodness I've found a place to get Sticky Toffee Pudding! It's what I crave most when I'm not near the UK. Next time I'll remember to take a picture of it before I devour it in a matter of minutes.
And today-- the grocery store! And reading!...in French? Hooray!
But the best part was returning home to find flowers outside my door!!! Zan sent me a beautiful bouquet of roses and carnations in bright reds, yellows, and oranges! I was so happy I got all teared up and it was very humany-wumany as the Doctor would say.
Aren't they beautiful? So cheerful! So I put away the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree and put up the bright flowers in its place-- a small reminder that spring-- AND ZAN!-- is on its way.
Friday continued on an upswing. We had seminar to make up for missing it yesterday, which kind of sucked, but after seminar Liz and I went to Smith, the gastropub we visited before first quarter started. It's so wonderful to spend time with human beings, and I really enjoy hanging out with Liz. We sat at the bar and had cocktails-- mine was called Curtain Call (how appropriate), and I got a hamburger, macaroni and cheese, and best of all, Sticky Toffee Pudding! It tasted so incredibly British! Thank goodness I've found a place to get Sticky Toffee Pudding! It's what I crave most when I'm not near the UK. Next time I'll remember to take a picture of it before I devour it in a matter of minutes.
And today-- the grocery store! And reading!...in French? Hooray!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
two days in
I keep having this image of myself spinning faster and faster and then floating up into the air and it's a really good image. I feel happy and light and joyful and even though I'm spinning I'm still centered.
Unfortunately, reality feels about as far from that image as possible. I am spinning-- out of control, with more to do than last quarter in only the first two days of this quarter, and because this quarter is a week shorter than the other quarters, everything is intensified. A short burst of incredibly intense. I have a French class this quarter, in addition to my seminars and my two sections of Drama 101, and I still need to work on dramaturgy stuff for The Illusion.
Today was good for awhile though. Until 5:30 PM when I hadn't had anything to eat since 8:00 AM. And when I'd had no breaks at all since 8:30 AM.
Sigh. One hundred percent.
Unfortunately, reality feels about as far from that image as possible. I am spinning-- out of control, with more to do than last quarter in only the first two days of this quarter, and because this quarter is a week shorter than the other quarters, everything is intensified. A short burst of incredibly intense. I have a French class this quarter, in addition to my seminars and my two sections of Drama 101, and I still need to work on dramaturgy stuff for The Illusion.
Today was good for awhile though. Until 5:30 PM when I hadn't had anything to eat since 8:00 AM. And when I'd had no breaks at all since 8:30 AM.
Sigh. One hundred percent.
Monday, January 2, 2012
One Hundred Percent
The word of 2012 (as decided by Rick Blunt) is actually 3 words: One Hundred Percent. You can write it however you want-- the whole words, the numbers and percent sign, however you choose. But the message is, give it your all. Don't give less than 100% this year. Go to bed tired, as Rick would say. Tired and, with any luck, happy and content knowing you gave it your all everyday.
Classes start again tomorrow. Launching into Winter Quarter nice and early this year and I have to say, repeating to myself "one hundred percent" over and over gave me the heart to get back on the plane to Seattle today. It reminded me to really try to give it my all and maybe I'll find that with this new attitude I'll enjoy every minute. I have a lot I need to give my all to: my students, my classes, the show I'm working on. I need to give my all to Zan and our relationship, too (he'll be here so soon!!!). I also want to try to stay in closer touch with my family and friends this year.
Mostly, I want to give 100% to myself. I want to feel like I'm living as much as I can and really getting done the things that I want to get done. I want to try to read some more books for fun even during the quarter-- even if just a chapter a night to transition out of study/work mode. I want to experience Seattle so that when people ask me about it I can say more than, "Well, it looks a lot like the inside of my apartment and my bus line." I also have resolved to try a bit harder with my appearance this year-- not that I ever look absolutely terrible when I go out (I hope), but I think I need to get some new professional looking clothing and maybe actually put on make-up once in awhile or do something with my hair other than a tired ponytail.
Before I sign off, let me briefly say that I had a very happy new year. Zan and I ended up staying in with his family. We watched a really dark comedy from Finland called Rare Exports (SO GOOD) and watched the ball drop in Times Square and toasted with champagne. I couldn't have asked for a happier, warmer eve. I hope everyone else had a great start to the New Year, too. And, I have a few pictures to post before I forget-- hope you enjoy!
My parents, me, and Zan at the PrimeTime Cafe with 'Cousin Joey'
My favorite place in the world
Cinderella's Castle-- I took this all by myself!
Zan and I ordered bratwurst, onion, and apple pizza at Blue Mountain Brewery in Staunton. It was much larger than we had anticipated it would be... Zan looks scared...
...but I'm confident of our combined pizza eating skills.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Classes start again tomorrow. Launching into Winter Quarter nice and early this year and I have to say, repeating to myself "one hundred percent" over and over gave me the heart to get back on the plane to Seattle today. It reminded me to really try to give it my all and maybe I'll find that with this new attitude I'll enjoy every minute. I have a lot I need to give my all to: my students, my classes, the show I'm working on. I need to give my all to Zan and our relationship, too (he'll be here so soon!!!). I also want to try to stay in closer touch with my family and friends this year.
Mostly, I want to give 100% to myself. I want to feel like I'm living as much as I can and really getting done the things that I want to get done. I want to try to read some more books for fun even during the quarter-- even if just a chapter a night to transition out of study/work mode. I want to experience Seattle so that when people ask me about it I can say more than, "Well, it looks a lot like the inside of my apartment and my bus line." I also have resolved to try a bit harder with my appearance this year-- not that I ever look absolutely terrible when I go out (I hope), but I think I need to get some new professional looking clothing and maybe actually put on make-up once in awhile or do something with my hair other than a tired ponytail.
Before I sign off, let me briefly say that I had a very happy new year. Zan and I ended up staying in with his family. We watched a really dark comedy from Finland called Rare Exports (SO GOOD) and watched the ball drop in Times Square and toasted with champagne. I couldn't have asked for a happier, warmer eve. I hope everyone else had a great start to the New Year, too. And, I have a few pictures to post before I forget-- hope you enjoy!
My parents, me, and Zan at the PrimeTime Cafe with 'Cousin Joey'
My favorite place in the world
Cinderella's Castle-- I took this all by myself!
Zan and I ordered bratwurst, onion, and apple pizza at Blue Mountain Brewery in Staunton. It was much larger than we had anticipated it would be... Zan looks scared...
...but I'm confident of our combined pizza eating skills.Happy New Year, everyone!
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