Driver's License

I finally reached the point where the DMV required me to retake my picture in order to renew my license. When I originally got my license as a teenager, I had this internal debate with myself over what I should write down for my eye color and finally decided on "brown." They are brownish, but not quite brown because they have hints of green and yellow in them. So when I went in to renew my license, I changed my eye color to hazel. Which is what I probably should have put in the first place. I suppose most people don't get to change their eye color, so when the DMV lady looked at my application she asked, "Are you wearing contacts?" I said "no." And that was that.

I am the band

I have really been thinking about posting an ad on Craigslist to see if there are any bands out there who are looking for a cellist, or if they might want to play with one occasionally and instead, I found an ad for a cellist. I listened to this guy's music and then I contacted him. I think he and I are both excited about playing together. I think we are very compatible as musicians, and after talking with him, I think we'll be able to work well together.

He is exactly where I wanted a music partner to be... not quite there yet in terms of exposure and publicity, but someone who is an established musician and someone who is motivated to do well and take care of the managing part of the music scene.

So. Check out my new band mate: Nathan James.

He is excited because once we're ready to go, he can actually start advertising and promoting the "Nathan James Band." So I told him I wanted a shirt that says, "I am the band!"

Staff Paper

I've decided that I really want to attempt composing a piece for my string trio. Perhaps it will turn into a quartet. My friend Kyle wrote this song for guitar, and I'm going to try to arrange that first and see how it goes. So I bought some staff paper (blank music paper) today. It is thick and I like it because the lines are not super dark. I'm excited. I think I'm going to try and work on it tonight. It will be a challenge, but what a great piece it could be. I can hear the potential in it. Depending on what I come up with, it might stay true to the guitar part, but I can hear other melodies in my head on top of it, so it may morph into something slightly different.

I have always loved stationary and art supplies. I think it is because I like the idea of being creative. One of my favorite places as a kid was this lady's house. She had an art studio behind her garage and would teach art lessons to kids after school. She had construction paper, canvas, art paper, all kinds of paints, clay, markers, crayons, charcoals, watercolors, you name it, she had it. I always had the hardest time choosing what I wanted to work on and gravitated towards the clay. I have quite a few clay animals that I made when I was in first grade from her class. I loved the potential for creativity. That's what I see when I look at my nice, clean, blank pieces of staff paper: undiscovered melody.

Transitions

I asked my boss today if I could list him as a reference. I found a job I want to apply for, and I needed to let him know that I was looking. He asked if I would stay if they could find a position for me. I said yes. That would be ideal. I got some tears in my eyes because I like it here so much. I really wish I could stay. I hope he is able to make it happen.

Black Sunday

I'm working in the library. It is the Sunday before finals week on campus, and the students are restless. A few of them have just walked by, dropped to the floor, rolled a bit, and then stood up. I'm a little curious as to why this seems to be happening. Maybe they have eaten too much pizza and the carbs are all going to their heads. This is the LIBRARY and students come here to study. Except for the ones who come to be seen "studying" which is worse because this means that the library is the social place to be seen. Which also means that they get to talk to all their friends, in the library. I especially love the students who forget that they are in the library, or that they are not in an enclosed area (ie study room) and are talking so loudly that we can hear them all the way in the reference area.This is why today is known in my world as "Black Sunday," one of my least favorite days of the year.

Ummmmm...

Is it bad when I panicked in my dream last night becase I was given a "bad" grade on one of my assignments? And that my "bad" grade was a 91/100? What is WRONG with me???

Partial Christmas Song

Home again on Christmas Eve
My brothers hang lights on the tree
My sister sings while I play
carols on my guitar.

We all sing on the way to church
It's the only day all year

We light our candles
raise them high
Sing about a silent night

We sing
O Silent night
O holy night

I want a new cello...

I went to the music store yesterday with a friend of mine who wants to buy a cello. So I got to play all these beautiful instruments.

It is so frustrating to know that I cannot afford to buy a new instrument, and that I won't be able to afford one for at least 5 years. Not without going into a lot of debt.

See, right now, I owe a lot of money on my credit card. I get frustrated because it just seems like I'll never get them paid down.

Until I get a better job with a higher salary, there is no way I can afford a new instrument. And honestly, I kind of need a new car more.

I found a beautiful German cello at the shop for just under $4000. It sings so beautifully, and the playability on it is really high. I'm trying to figure out if there is any way to manipulate my finances so that I could possibly afford this thing... as long as my friend doesn't want it.

Ironic

I was just telling my friend Cathy about how I had to play Ave Maria as a cello solo at the wedding, and about how I had only heard it all the way through twice in my life because I don't really like it...

I was at Burger King at the mall this morning where there is also an ice rink. Guess what one of the skaters was skating to? That's right. Ave Maria.

Restless Mind

I'm at the reference desk. It is COLD here today. My fingers are numb. When I got here it was 65 degrees. Now, the temperature is up to 68. I'm still cold.

Thoughts

There's a loud tractor outside my office window.
I want to play cello more, maybe I'll post on Craigslist to find a band to be a part of...
Why am I so unmotivated right now...?
I should really be getting some work done.
I wish I had a good idea for a research project.

and finally, I don't want to do my homework.

Buckeyes and Boys

I went to watch the Ohio State game tonight at a local bar with a friend of mine who is a Buckeye fan, wherein there were some shepherds sitting at the table next to ours. Well, they weren't really shepherds, but they were dressed up for Halloween. They might have been wisemen... There were three of them and they were all dressed the same. One of them started talking to me. I said something about how I couldn't tell them apart because they all looked alike (because of what they were wearing). He got "insulted" and told me I was mean because I thought they all looked alike (and they didn't???). He turned his turban away from me and told me to "talk to the towel." My tablemates were wondering what the heck this guy was doing. I told them that he was ignoring me because I insulted him. They all started laughing. Then later, he decided to take a picture "of the mean girl." I made a face with my eyes rolled. Then my friend asks me, "did he just take your picture?" I said, "Yes. Yes he did." And everyone at my table started laughing again.

Bottom line: Some drunk guy in a fake turban who doesn't know my name and who thinks I'm mean now has a picture of me on his camera. What's the point? Seriously.

I love technology...

It is definitely Monday.

So I cleared a registered user through my database today, and thought nothing of it (because this normally works fine). What happens when I clear people is that my program sends an automatic email.

After I cleared this person today, I started getting a ton of emails from random people because somehow they got the email that was supposed to go only to the new registered user. Ummm, giant red flag.

I looked at the email and realized there was a typo in the user's email address, the user had put a comma after the domain and not a period. Turns out the whole education department received this email. Good times.

Guess I'm the spammer of the week.

There is a season...

My neighbor, Nikitas, died unexpectedly last night. He and his wife, Georgia, own the duplex that I rent, and the live in front of me. I am kind of at a loss for how to respond in these kinds of situations. My other neighbor, Carmela, is also grieving. There's a lot of tension and emotional chaos around this place right now.

On the same night, my other neighbor gave birth to a baby girl. They live across from me. The baby is healthy and well.

What a poignant moment, when life ends and begins in the houses that border the same small courtyard.

Relational Pursuit

In just the past week, I had two people quote things back at me that I had said to them at one point or another.

Kyle reminded me about a conversation we had about being fully engaged in relationships even when you know you're not going to be around for awhile. If you hold back because you think that it's not worth the short amount of time that you're in a certain place, then you pass up an opportunity to learn from people that God may have put in your life for a reason. I fully believe that sometimes we're friends with certain people for seasons. You remember them with fondness, and they may have taught you something, but you don't necessarily keep in touch. I have many friends like this.

Jenn M. reminded me that we had a conversation about relationships, and how our best friends (whether male or female) put in an equal amount of effort. All my best friends are those that have pursued me as a friend.

Anyway. Kind of cool that they remembered what I said, and it makes me think about how I need to be careful what I say sometimes, because apparently, people take me seriously.

I'm writing late cause it is one of those nights where I have a lot on my mind. I'm tired, but I'm not ready to go to bed. And it is going to KILL me tomorrow.

Good Quote

I wrote this to a new friend of mine in an email, and I think it is well-worded:

I like to think that I have options within God's plan. Not very presbyterian of me I have to admit. But I think God uses our unwise decisions for good. It isn't always clear which direction you're supposed to take, and you won't know 'til you try one. --RR

Communicating with Gen-Next

This morning at church, two of the girls from high-school youth group were there early. I said "hi" then sat down to listen to the band practice before I headed over to our kids' area. One of them texted me and told me she "officially" now has a boyfriend. I texted her back and asked, "Does your mom know?" Then she texted me and told me that her mom thinks that she doesn't know boys even exist. Then I told her she should try to bring him along tomorrow night to group.

The whole time we were texting, we were sitting across the aisle from each other, and could have talked about it. So funny. What a different communication style these kids have.

I sometimes feel like for all that I'm 11 years older than these high schoolers, I'm still just really my 14 year old self trapped in a 30 year old body. I really don't feel like I know all that much more. Maybe more about myself.

Rain

I decided to take a walk this morning. The sun was peeking out from behind the clouds. It felt like the first true day of fall to me... cold, and a bit cloudy with a definite chill in the air. About halfway to my destination (breakfast) it started to rain a little. It was enough that I thought about turning around, but then decided that since I was almost there anyway, I kept going. Once I reached my destination, it started to pour. I got absolutely soaked. Then I had to walk back home. And wouldn't you know it but it stopped raining once I was halfway home.

Dead Rat

So I went to the archives a few days ago and decided to clean out the office. That's when I noticed a dead rat, right by the desk. I had been stepping around it for at least an hour before I noticed it. It had been dead for awhile.

My long lost friend: Part 2

I got to spend some time with my long lost friend yesterday. It was like we were never apart. I love friends like that. I went to her place after checking out the chapel at the Marine Corp Recruit Depot. What a great place! I'm playing cello there for some friends of mine in about a month. They were both there yesterday morning. It was fun hangin' with them. Since Dave is a marine, they are doing the traditional sword arch at the end of the ceremony and so the friend in charge of it was there too. He was such a cool guy. He's the kind of guy that gives me hope that there are still nice guys out there. Anyway. After that, I called up my friend Rachel (the formerly lost friend) and we spent the afternoon catching up. We took a nice long walk to get ice-cream, and talked the whole time. It was great. We have so much in common. When we got back to her place, she got out her guitar, and I got out my cello and we played together for a bit. I'm so glad she's in town and that we're back in touch.

Rachel has been all over the place and lives out of two duffel bags. She works mostly as a server for a cruise line and when she's off the ship, she decides to go to different places and live there for short periods of time. She also worked at a summer camp as a ceramics instructor. It was great to see her again. I'm glad she's in town.