Today I discovered that my phobia, one that has been the reason of much ridicule from my friends and sometimes family over the course of my life, is a legitimate one and even has a NAME.
Globophobia is the fear of balloons. Which I have had, and have recognized having, since I was in elementary school. I even found this clip from the Maury Povitch show...
I don't know if this makes me feel better or worse, but it's nice knowing that I'm not alone in my craziness. Well, it's also comforting to know I could be much, much worse than I am.
I've also come to realize that I have Thanatophobia, but I have such a hard time talking about it without having a panic attack, so I won't go on.
It's interesting that these fears have names- but I think that naming these often ridiculous feelings of panic, fright and anxiety trick those plagued by the fear to think they can control it. Hm. Food for thought.
A happier post is hopefully coming soon!
-Leigh
Monday, December 29, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
home
Tunes:none
Well. 3rd semester of grad school is done! I am, financially, in a much better place than I was this time last year. Well, essentially. My credit card is well below the maximum limit, my bills are getting paid on time, my car is running...all seems well with that. I am also back in Candia, where ice knocked power out for 43 hours this past week and where cable and phone only came back this morning (after being knocked out last Thursday). Glorious! I'm currently looking up wi-fi hotspots in the area so I don't have to drive up to Durham to do my portfolio.
In anycase, a more legitimate update (with music and pictures!) next time. Until then, happy December!
Well. 3rd semester of grad school is done! I am, financially, in a much better place than I was this time last year. Well, essentially. My credit card is well below the maximum limit, my bills are getting paid on time, my car is running...all seems well with that. I am also back in Candia, where ice knocked power out for 43 hours this past week and where cable and phone only came back this morning (after being knocked out last Thursday). Glorious! I'm currently looking up wi-fi hotspots in the area so I don't have to drive up to Durham to do my portfolio.
In anycase, a more legitimate update (with music and pictures!) next time. Until then, happy December!
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Americana, Mason Jars, and Grayscale Mountains....
Tunes:"Boy With a Coin"// Iron & Wine
Currently, I'm sitting in Greenbury's. What I said in my last post about coffee shops being the place where I do my best thinking is pretty accurate. Actually, I'd say it's that I am more inclined to blog when I am sitting in a space such as this, or any other, coffee shop. There's bustling workers, side conversations and tasty aromas that I get to block out so I can best focus on whatever it is that's been on my mind to write about. It's sort of unfortunate that in order to fully focus, I need to be in a place where I can ignore the background noises, smells and sights.
In any case, sleeping in today was great. Kristen and I danced hard last night as we went to see my favorite 80's cover band, The Reflex, live at a local bar. I was exhausted when I got home and slept until noon. Amazing. I signed up for my radio show next semester- Mondays, 12-2pm. I really enjoy the Americana time slot too much to give it up...but I do like the idea of having it earlier in the week. Should be good. I'll also be on air this coming Tuesday from 6-9pm. It's three hours long because it's finals week, and it is also a Freeform show, meaning I will play anything and everything I want. You should listen! WXJM.ORG (stream from the website)...
I spent the majority of my day wandering Staunton alone. I found some fantastic vintage cloth & antique stores. At one, Jollyroger Haggle, I got a gift for my little brother as well as an old Mason jar. The blue tint to the glass is amazing. I have a weird fascination with the Mason Jar, or Ball Jar...Atlas jar...I like the Mason ones specifically. And particularly the old, blue hued ones. The way they catch sunlight really enchants me, which sounds incredibly silly- I know- but it's the truth. I want to fill it with buttons and change and marbles and put it on my front window pane.
The woman behind the counter was an interesting lady. Her hair was long and streaked with greys and whites. Her accent was odd and not typical of the valley. She spoke a lot to herself- outloud, and with great conviction. I imagine spending most of your days surrounded by such an immense amount of old, dust collecting things. There's so much in this building...3 floors of rusting hammers and trivets, cookie jars, depression glass, empty coca-cola bottles from the beginning of time, dull silver plates and chipped china, old books- browned and weather-worn, ceramic figurines, prints of sub-par paintings, photographs of people who have been long forgotten...it must be a heavy weight to carry around with you when you work in a place like that. It's like working with the undead...trying to breathe new life into everything that line the shelves, hang on the walls and dangle from the ceilings.
It's interesting how inspired I felt walking through the place. I snapped a few polaroids, and imagined all the ways I could decorate a house or apartment someday. I also thought of all the things I could create from all the junk, and how all the different glass ware and kitchen stuff could be so fun to use in my dream bakery someday. Serving cupcakes and muffins on pink depression glass plates. It's a thought that makes me think about why I am getting this degree, haha.
In fact, I think that a lot.
But anyway. I drove home taking route 42, which snakes through the western part of the valley. You can see lots of great views of the mountains, which is reason enough to drive that way. Winter's been making it's ascention into the valley and it was snow flurrying today. The Alleghanies, which are usually different shades of blue, were instead today shades of gray. It was beautiful. I had this vision of an amazing work of art I wanted to create, and I may try and do it next week.
In the meantime, dinner and then helping out with a show at the station.
-Leigh
Currently, I'm sitting in Greenbury's. What I said in my last post about coffee shops being the place where I do my best thinking is pretty accurate. Actually, I'd say it's that I am more inclined to blog when I am sitting in a space such as this, or any other, coffee shop. There's bustling workers, side conversations and tasty aromas that I get to block out so I can best focus on whatever it is that's been on my mind to write about. It's sort of unfortunate that in order to fully focus, I need to be in a place where I can ignore the background noises, smells and sights.
In any case, sleeping in today was great. Kristen and I danced hard last night as we went to see my favorite 80's cover band, The Reflex, live at a local bar. I was exhausted when I got home and slept until noon. Amazing. I signed up for my radio show next semester- Mondays, 12-2pm. I really enjoy the Americana time slot too much to give it up...but I do like the idea of having it earlier in the week. Should be good. I'll also be on air this coming Tuesday from 6-9pm. It's three hours long because it's finals week, and it is also a Freeform show, meaning I will play anything and everything I want. You should listen! WXJM.ORG (stream from the website)...
I spent the majority of my day wandering Staunton alone. I found some fantastic vintage cloth & antique stores. At one, Jollyroger Haggle, I got a gift for my little brother as well as an old Mason jar. The blue tint to the glass is amazing. I have a weird fascination with the Mason Jar, or Ball Jar...Atlas jar...I like the Mason ones specifically. And particularly the old, blue hued ones. The way they catch sunlight really enchants me, which sounds incredibly silly- I know- but it's the truth. I want to fill it with buttons and change and marbles and put it on my front window pane.
The woman behind the counter was an interesting lady. Her hair was long and streaked with greys and whites. Her accent was odd and not typical of the valley. She spoke a lot to herself- outloud, and with great conviction. I imagine spending most of your days surrounded by such an immense amount of old, dust collecting things. There's so much in this building...3 floors of rusting hammers and trivets, cookie jars, depression glass, empty coca-cola bottles from the beginning of time, dull silver plates and chipped china, old books- browned and weather-worn, ceramic figurines, prints of sub-par paintings, photographs of people who have been long forgotten...it must be a heavy weight to carry around with you when you work in a place like that. It's like working with the undead...trying to breathe new life into everything that line the shelves, hang on the walls and dangle from the ceilings.
It's interesting how inspired I felt walking through the place. I snapped a few polaroids, and imagined all the ways I could decorate a house or apartment someday. I also thought of all the things I could create from all the junk, and how all the different glass ware and kitchen stuff could be so fun to use in my dream bakery someday. Serving cupcakes and muffins on pink depression glass plates. It's a thought that makes me think about why I am getting this degree, haha.
In fact, I think that a lot.
But anyway. I drove home taking route 42, which snakes through the western part of the valley. You can see lots of great views of the mountains, which is reason enough to drive that way. Winter's been making it's ascention into the valley and it was snow flurrying today. The Alleghanies, which are usually different shades of blue, were instead today shades of gray. It was beautiful. I had this vision of an amazing work of art I wanted to create, and I may try and do it next week.
In the meantime, dinner and then helping out with a show at the station.
-Leigh
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Coffee Shop Freewrite...
Tunes:"Silver Trees"//Rocky Votolato
Sometimes I wonder how it is that you can tell when someone is watching you. you know what I mean? It's such a random happening to have some sort of 6th sense for. How is it that the glance of another, or the stare, can be translated across the space that exists between the two people and can be physically felt by the other? Does the degree of intensity make a difference, or duration? Sometimes, I try to test both sides of these questions. Throwing glances and full-on stare downs, indifferent look-overs and thoughtful or questioning moments of being transfixed. It's an incredible phenomenon, I think. And one that has been rarely thought about. Which really impresses me. How is it that in a culture so obsessed with other people, so enamored with interpersonal relations, that this has not been discussed at greater lengths? It truly baffles me.
I do my best thinking in coffee shops.
I'm sitting in one right now, staring out the window at a boy smoking a cigarette. His hair is long, long, long. Curly, too. His shoes are brown and his shirt is green underneath an unzipped, heavy leather jacket. The weather is chilly, but he stares at the cross-walk hatches painted on the street while sucking the nicotine fiercely from his smoke. Looking up at the building behind him, I try to imagine which belongs to him. Does he keep blinds closed, even on dreary days like today? Does he stack picture frames, or jars of condiments on his window panes? Are the Christmas lights blinking on and off, draped in a haphazard way, in his bedroom? Or his living room? Maybe it's his kitchen-- he likes making believe that he's in his Mother's kitchen, which always smelled of pumpkin and nutmeg and cloves and cinnamon this time of year. She liked to have the Christmas tree set up just through the kitchen door, so she could feel the warmth of it's stringed bulbs seep into her skin and into her soul. Maybe having the lights set up as they are in the window frame, he can squint his eyes from across the room and believe that he's back home.
I romanticize the possibilities of this cigarette smoking boy, when in reality, I'm fairly certain his name is Carl and that he plays lead guitar in a local pop-rock band. It's not likely that the Christmas light window is his. What a shame, the Christmas lights could really brighten the place up.
I sip coffee from an enormous, over-sized cup. I laugh to myself when I remember how vehemently I hated coffee not too long ago. Now, I blissfully sip as I pretend to not be watching the old man sitting in the back of the coffee shop. He's been here before, sitting in the same spot-- an over-sized arm chair next to a small reading lamp and in front of a gargantuan mirror. He himself stares at the storefront doors of the coffee shop that open out to Court Square-- the center of this sleepy city. I wonder if he's waiting for someone, or instead waiting for nothing and just sitting his afternoon away.
Store fronts around here remind me of what New York City must be like this time of year- flashy but trite. Still, the second hand stores on South Main create scenes of wintery happiness, despite the recession and global warming and black-friday fatalities. The school year is just about over and my happiness about it is overwhelming. Going to bed happily every night doesn't however stop my bed from hurting my back, or my nose from running or my throat to ache from coughing.
The sky gets dark by five these days, making it hard to read the roman numerals etched in the stone of all the buildings, or the chalked prices of coffee by-the-pound posted above the ordering counter. Lights behind the counter illuminate the bottles of sugary flavors. Hazelnut, cherry, vanilla, caramel. All aglow in warm hues, much like the Christmas lights that still blink in that window four stories above me. Much like the lights strung carefully from tree limbs and porches throughout the city. This time of the year makes all of the tiniest of things feel immensely important, doesn't it? Some stringed lights in a window frame, some spare change tossed into a red bucket, some red sprinkles atop the whip cream on your peppermint white mocha latte.
I suddenly have the urge to clean my apartment.
xo,
Leigh
Sometimes I wonder how it is that you can tell when someone is watching you. you know what I mean? It's such a random happening to have some sort of 6th sense for. How is it that the glance of another, or the stare, can be translated across the space that exists between the two people and can be physically felt by the other? Does the degree of intensity make a difference, or duration? Sometimes, I try to test both sides of these questions. Throwing glances and full-on stare downs, indifferent look-overs and thoughtful or questioning moments of being transfixed. It's an incredible phenomenon, I think. And one that has been rarely thought about. Which really impresses me. How is it that in a culture so obsessed with other people, so enamored with interpersonal relations, that this has not been discussed at greater lengths? It truly baffles me.
I do my best thinking in coffee shops.
I'm sitting in one right now, staring out the window at a boy smoking a cigarette. His hair is long, long, long. Curly, too. His shoes are brown and his shirt is green underneath an unzipped, heavy leather jacket. The weather is chilly, but he stares at the cross-walk hatches painted on the street while sucking the nicotine fiercely from his smoke. Looking up at the building behind him, I try to imagine which belongs to him. Does he keep blinds closed, even on dreary days like today? Does he stack picture frames, or jars of condiments on his window panes? Are the Christmas lights blinking on and off, draped in a haphazard way, in his bedroom? Or his living room? Maybe it's his kitchen-- he likes making believe that he's in his Mother's kitchen, which always smelled of pumpkin and nutmeg and cloves and cinnamon this time of year. She liked to have the Christmas tree set up just through the kitchen door, so she could feel the warmth of it's stringed bulbs seep into her skin and into her soul. Maybe having the lights set up as they are in the window frame, he can squint his eyes from across the room and believe that he's back home.
I romanticize the possibilities of this cigarette smoking boy, when in reality, I'm fairly certain his name is Carl and that he plays lead guitar in a local pop-rock band. It's not likely that the Christmas light window is his. What a shame, the Christmas lights could really brighten the place up.
I sip coffee from an enormous, over-sized cup. I laugh to myself when I remember how vehemently I hated coffee not too long ago. Now, I blissfully sip as I pretend to not be watching the old man sitting in the back of the coffee shop. He's been here before, sitting in the same spot-- an over-sized arm chair next to a small reading lamp and in front of a gargantuan mirror. He himself stares at the storefront doors of the coffee shop that open out to Court Square-- the center of this sleepy city. I wonder if he's waiting for someone, or instead waiting for nothing and just sitting his afternoon away.
Store fronts around here remind me of what New York City must be like this time of year- flashy but trite. Still, the second hand stores on South Main create scenes of wintery happiness, despite the recession and global warming and black-friday fatalities. The school year is just about over and my happiness about it is overwhelming. Going to bed happily every night doesn't however stop my bed from hurting my back, or my nose from running or my throat to ache from coughing.
The sky gets dark by five these days, making it hard to read the roman numerals etched in the stone of all the buildings, or the chalked prices of coffee by-the-pound posted above the ordering counter. Lights behind the counter illuminate the bottles of sugary flavors. Hazelnut, cherry, vanilla, caramel. All aglow in warm hues, much like the Christmas lights that still blink in that window four stories above me. Much like the lights strung carefully from tree limbs and porches throughout the city. This time of the year makes all of the tiniest of things feel immensely important, doesn't it? Some stringed lights in a window frame, some spare change tossed into a red bucket, some red sprinkles atop the whip cream on your peppermint white mocha latte.
I suddenly have the urge to clean my apartment.
xo,
Leigh
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
and now it's December??
Tunes: "Magic"//Ben Kweller
Look at how savvy I've become-- I've discovered a way to add music tracks of what I'm listening to for everyone reading to also enjoy! Ha!
Anyways, I realize it's been about a month since I last wrote. Uncle Dave called me out during Thanksgiving back home, saying how much he looked forward to my posts and how he was so upset that I hadn't written one since gloating about Obama's win. Well, now that I am well rested from celebrating such a historic event, I think it's high-time I got back to writing in here more regularly. Also, this one's for you Uncle Dave! :]
The last month has been insanely busy. My school work, which has been steadily piling up, only got worse. Right now, however-- despite how I am currently using this blog as a means to procrastinate from doing work-- I am pretty devoid of work. While there are a few things needing to get done asap, I am feeling pretty good about it all. In less than 2 weeks, I'll be back in New Hampshire for a month! Which is great, seeing as I just got back from a week-long stint in the 6-0-3. I'm already anxious to go back. Go figure.
It seems as though I have nothing much to speak of in terms of goings-on.
I'm going vegetarian again, which feels like a good decision. I've been doing so much vegan baking lately, it just feels like the natural progression of things. I've been washing my face every night before I go to bed, I've been talking to people I miss and enjoy immensely and I've been driving around at night, looking into illuminated windows as I pass...not in a creepy way! There's something therapeutic about seeing how other halves live, and seeing glowing television sets cast blue hues through window panes. Christmas lights are strung along eaves and bushes, in trees and in doorways and I wear a knit cap whenever I can. The weather has been cold. In my spare time I've been working on crossword puzzles, studying French (Quebecoise) and trying to catch up on sleep. I've been connecting more with people from the radio station, I've seen Christopher Evans and Kristen Selheim a bunch in the last week, which in itself makes me very smiley...
Things are great.
I'll be sure to write more in here soon.
Much love from the chilly Valley!
-Leigh
Look at how savvy I've become-- I've discovered a way to add music tracks of what I'm listening to for everyone reading to also enjoy! Ha!
Anyways, I realize it's been about a month since I last wrote. Uncle Dave called me out during Thanksgiving back home, saying how much he looked forward to my posts and how he was so upset that I hadn't written one since gloating about Obama's win. Well, now that I am well rested from celebrating such a historic event, I think it's high-time I got back to writing in here more regularly. Also, this one's for you Uncle Dave! :]
The last month has been insanely busy. My school work, which has been steadily piling up, only got worse. Right now, however-- despite how I am currently using this blog as a means to procrastinate from doing work-- I am pretty devoid of work. While there are a few things needing to get done asap, I am feeling pretty good about it all. In less than 2 weeks, I'll be back in New Hampshire for a month! Which is great, seeing as I just got back from a week-long stint in the 6-0-3. I'm already anxious to go back. Go figure.
It seems as though I have nothing much to speak of in terms of goings-on.
I'm going vegetarian again, which feels like a good decision. I've been doing so much vegan baking lately, it just feels like the natural progression of things. I've been washing my face every night before I go to bed, I've been talking to people I miss and enjoy immensely and I've been driving around at night, looking into illuminated windows as I pass...not in a creepy way! There's something therapeutic about seeing how other halves live, and seeing glowing television sets cast blue hues through window panes. Christmas lights are strung along eaves and bushes, in trees and in doorways and I wear a knit cap whenever I can. The weather has been cold. In my spare time I've been working on crossword puzzles, studying French (Quebecoise) and trying to catch up on sleep. I've been connecting more with people from the radio station, I've seen Christopher Evans and Kristen Selheim a bunch in the last week, which in itself makes me very smiley...
Things are great.
I'll be sure to write more in here soon.
Much love from the chilly Valley!
-Leigh
Sunday, November 9, 2008
procrastination...
Tunes:"pajammin"//good luck
[this was the best thing to happen all week]
Aside from that momentous occasion, I have been feeling myself fall into a bit of a rut. A different rut than usual. I'm trying to decide how to go about getting out of it. Maybe more art, more sewing, more baking. It doesn't help that all my energy is spent worrying about my school work or my job. Yikes.
I baked a lot this week. I dreamt about riding a bicycle across town, twice. I also keep thinking about how badly I want to hike and climb things, but my wheezing has been getting bad. I still have cavities to fill and dents to make, I suppose.
I am excited to go home, but anxious about it, too.
All in all, this week was long, yet in the end, very good.
Aside from that momentous occasion, I have been feeling myself fall into a bit of a rut. A different rut than usual. I'm trying to decide how to go about getting out of it. Maybe more art, more sewing, more baking. It doesn't help that all my energy is spent worrying about my school work or my job. Yikes.
I baked a lot this week. I dreamt about riding a bicycle across town, twice. I also keep thinking about how badly I want to hike and climb things, but my wheezing has been getting bad. I still have cavities to fill and dents to make, I suppose.
I am excited to go home, but anxious about it, too.
All in all, this week was long, yet in the end, very good.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
HAPPY ELECTION DAY!
Tunes:bob dylan
I have been anxiously awaiting this day since February 2007. I almost thought that it wouldn't come! But here we are. Regardless of who you decide to vote for, please just exercise your right to do so! WE'RE ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY!!
[this video makes me so happy]
I will be playing Blue State Bingo, Election Day Pictionary and eating lots of delicious red, white and blue, Americana breakfast food at Alie's tonight where we are having a "Ballot Breakfast" themed election party! This is such an exciting day- I hope you're able to find a way to enjoy this immense occasion yourself!
VOTE VOTE VOTE!
<3 Leigh
I have been anxiously awaiting this day since February 2007. I almost thought that it wouldn't come! But here we are. Regardless of who you decide to vote for, please just exercise your right to do so! WE'RE ON THE BRINK OF HISTORY!!
[this video makes me so happy]
I will be playing Blue State Bingo, Election Day Pictionary and eating lots of delicious red, white and blue, Americana breakfast food at Alie's tonight where we are having a "Ballot Breakfast" themed election party! This is such an exciting day- I hope you're able to find a way to enjoy this immense occasion yourself!
VOTE VOTE VOTE!
<3 Leigh
Saturday, November 1, 2008
pretty good week...
Tunes: The Office
I'm not quite sure where to start!
This week involved a lot of good things.
Tuesday, our next president (Barack Obama) came and spoke at JMU! To ensure that I would get in (our convocation center only holds 8,000 people) and get a good spot (and because all my meetings and classes were canceled), Hannah and I went to get in line at 6am. Eight and a half hours later, after sufficiently chapping my lips, getting wind burn on my face, making lots of new friends and not doing any reading for class, the doors opened and I was able to have pretty much first pick of seats in the convo.
Once inside, we had to wait another couple hours for the event to start, but once it did, it was amazing. I can't really describe what all of it was like, it's a very larger than life kind of moment...it reminded me of what it must have been like to be AT fenway when the Sox came back during game 5 last month. Seriously, everyone was so EXCITED for this one man to step up to the podium and speak to all of us, the energy was incredible. And so was Barack.
My friend Mike took some amazing photos (he had a press pass) and I can not link them here, but check them out on his website: Miriello Photography
To make the day even better than it was, Hannah and I were featured on a local news station (abc 3) and I was quoted in the local newspaper (the daily news record). The article is actually pretty great.
So come Wednesday, I was exhausted and my face hurt, but I pressed on! I fed my staff homemade pumpkin pie at staff meeting, and then Thursday I had a "Tricks & Treats" themed radio show. The "trick" being that most of the songs I was playing were not the originals (all covers) and the "treat" was spooky-themed songs. It was kind of lame, but I enjoyed playing Bluegrass versions of my favorite pop songs.
My hall council ordered our hall t-shirts Thursday, too. They're going to be fantastic- and look just like the "Virginia is for Lovers" t-shirts, only they will instead say "Trees are for Huggers" which is pretty catchy, right? Haha.
I drove up to Arlington Thursday night and stayed with Aunt Joce at her fancy pants hotel in Crystal City. Such a good break after a tiring week. The bed in that hotel was amazing, too-- so I slept like a baby and got to catch up a little bit.
Finally, Friday (yesterday) was Halloween. Armed with polaroid film that Kate got for me (LOVE YOU), and attemting a sort of lame interpretation of Garth from Wayne's World (without a Wayne!) I headed out to the most grown up Halloween party I have ever attended. It was great- probably the first time I haven't been worried about whether or not I'd be running into underage people at a house party in...well, ever. I got to catch up with HD's I worked with last year, Becca and Jess, as well a few people from my program who happen to be associated to Becca and her roommates, too. It was fun, and I think I looked pretty cute at least...
Today is Homecoming here. I was going to tailgate with my cohort, but I'm just not feeling like it. Instead, I'm going to make some soup and get some work done here. How obnoxious that this post sounds very chronological and boring, but I felt like this week was so good it warranted a chronological re-cap. Haha.
Just a couple weeks to Thanksgiving!
Till then, much love!
-Leigh
I'm not quite sure where to start!
This week involved a lot of good things.
Tuesday, our next president (Barack Obama) came and spoke at JMU! To ensure that I would get in (our convocation center only holds 8,000 people) and get a good spot (and because all my meetings and classes were canceled), Hannah and I went to get in line at 6am. Eight and a half hours later, after sufficiently chapping my lips, getting wind burn on my face, making lots of new friends and not doing any reading for class, the doors opened and I was able to have pretty much first pick of seats in the convo.
Once inside, we had to wait another couple hours for the event to start, but once it did, it was amazing. I can't really describe what all of it was like, it's a very larger than life kind of moment...it reminded me of what it must have been like to be AT fenway when the Sox came back during game 5 last month. Seriously, everyone was so EXCITED for this one man to step up to the podium and speak to all of us, the energy was incredible. And so was Barack.
My friend Mike took some amazing photos (he had a press pass) and I can not link them here, but check them out on his website: Miriello Photography
To make the day even better than it was, Hannah and I were featured on a local news station (abc 3) and I was quoted in the local newspaper (the daily news record). The article is actually pretty great.
So come Wednesday, I was exhausted and my face hurt, but I pressed on! I fed my staff homemade pumpkin pie at staff meeting, and then Thursday I had a "Tricks & Treats" themed radio show. The "trick" being that most of the songs I was playing were not the originals (all covers) and the "treat" was spooky-themed songs. It was kind of lame, but I enjoyed playing Bluegrass versions of my favorite pop songs.
My hall council ordered our hall t-shirts Thursday, too. They're going to be fantastic- and look just like the "Virginia is for Lovers" t-shirts, only they will instead say "Trees are for Huggers" which is pretty catchy, right? Haha.
I drove up to Arlington Thursday night and stayed with Aunt Joce at her fancy pants hotel in Crystal City. Such a good break after a tiring week. The bed in that hotel was amazing, too-- so I slept like a baby and got to catch up a little bit.
Finally, Friday (yesterday) was Halloween. Armed with polaroid film that Kate got for me (LOVE YOU), and attemting a sort of lame interpretation of Garth from Wayne's World (without a Wayne!) I headed out to the most grown up Halloween party I have ever attended. It was great- probably the first time I haven't been worried about whether or not I'd be running into underage people at a house party in...well, ever. I got to catch up with HD's I worked with last year, Becca and Jess, as well a few people from my program who happen to be associated to Becca and her roommates, too. It was fun, and I think I looked pretty cute at least...
Today is Homecoming here. I was going to tailgate with my cohort, but I'm just not feeling like it. Instead, I'm going to make some soup and get some work done here. How obnoxious that this post sounds very chronological and boring, but I felt like this week was so good it warranted a chronological re-cap. Haha.
Just a couple weeks to Thanksgiving!
Till then, much love!
-Leigh
Friday, October 17, 2008
BEST night in AGES...
Tunes:"sawdust man"// ben kweller
At current, I am home! It is wonderful already as the leaves are everywhere and the weather is cool. I am still riding the high from yesterday, though-- which between 9 hours on the road, lots of walking, great vegan food, amazing show from Ben Kweller AND an amazing and unexpected WIN from the Sox..while I was IN Boston...was just a whirlwind of fun and soul reviving.
I left the 'burg at 7:30, and arrived in Brighton at 4:30...so I made GREAT time. I walked from Michelle's house on Dustin Street to Alli's place over on Sutherland Rd. We caught a bus to Cambridge for super tasty vegan food from this little cozy place called Veggie Planet...
Had some peanut curry rice dish...yum. Then we caught the red line, then the green line ("the destination of this train is: Boston College") over to The Paradise to see BEN KWELLER! We found a spot up on the 2nd floor and enjoyed...
BK was, as expected, fantastic. Easily the happiest performer I have ever watched play...he played my favorite, "Lizzy," amongst all his quintessential tunes ("the rules," "falling," "penny on a train track") as well as most of his new Country/Honky-Tonky EP. Alli, Nik & I danced and sang like fools. :]
After the show, while on our way out of the Paradise, Nik & I popped into the bar to see the score of the Sox game, as it had supposedly not been going too well. Top of the 8th, the Sox had pulled 6 runs up and were a run away from tying up the game. Clearly, as devoted baseball fans, we decided to watch the rest of the game. In the meantime, BK's band (bassist, drummer & slide-guitarist) came into the bar to see the score...Nik immediately befriended the dudes, got them drinks and insisted on high-fiving them incessantly.
THEN, after the most dramaticly long at-bat ever in the bottom of the ninth, Coco was able to tie it up, and THEN he brought the game to an end with his single in the 10th...8-7, Sox! It felt like when the boys were able to come-back in 2004 (remember "Cowboy Up"? haha) and I am so happy to say that I got to kind of be in the thick of it. We were all hollering at the screen, ooh-ing & ah-ing at every fouled ball, every strike, every ball. We all held our breaths and then erupted when we saw the players rush the field. We all slapped fives and hugges strangers, it was crazy. While I wasn't AT Fenway, a few blocks away I was celebrating as if I had just seen it in person...
[it was a little something like this, haha]
That's what is so awesome about Boston sports-- every game is like a championship win and every game is just as intense at a local bar or pizza place or convenience store as it is at the field. It felt so good to be a part of that silly baseball culture again last night; I don't get much of that in Virginia, that's for sure.
Then this morning, Pumpkin Coffee from Dunkins with Michelle before heading back here to the homestead? Mmm. Just the way to end a whirlwind 24 hours.
In short-- yesterday has rejuvinated my spirit in many senses, particularly in the sense of intensifying my resolve to come back here after I get my Master's next year. Ha, as if my resolve wasn't already pretty intense. The way I feel when I am walking through Sullivan Square or down Commonwealth Ave is something I can not compare to how I feel anywhere else. The cold air is crisp and the hustle & bustle is soothing, with the Citgo sign keeping an eye out from above Landsdowne Street. The traffic is insane and so are half the people...but it feels like HOME to me. I can't wait until I get to call it home.
In the meantime, enough computer time.
Much love!
At current, I am home! It is wonderful already as the leaves are everywhere and the weather is cool. I am still riding the high from yesterday, though-- which between 9 hours on the road, lots of walking, great vegan food, amazing show from Ben Kweller AND an amazing and unexpected WIN from the Sox..while I was IN Boston...was just a whirlwind of fun and soul reviving.
I left the 'burg at 7:30, and arrived in Brighton at 4:30...so I made GREAT time. I walked from Michelle's house on Dustin Street to Alli's place over on Sutherland Rd. We caught a bus to Cambridge for super tasty vegan food from this little cozy place called Veggie Planet...
Had some peanut curry rice dish...yum. Then we caught the red line, then the green line ("the destination of this train is: Boston College") over to The Paradise to see BEN KWELLER! We found a spot up on the 2nd floor and enjoyed...
BK was, as expected, fantastic. Easily the happiest performer I have ever watched play...he played my favorite, "Lizzy," amongst all his quintessential tunes ("the rules," "falling," "penny on a train track") as well as most of his new Country/Honky-Tonky EP. Alli, Nik & I danced and sang like fools. :]
After the show, while on our way out of the Paradise, Nik & I popped into the bar to see the score of the Sox game, as it had supposedly not been going too well. Top of the 8th, the Sox had pulled 6 runs up and were a run away from tying up the game. Clearly, as devoted baseball fans, we decided to watch the rest of the game. In the meantime, BK's band (bassist, drummer & slide-guitarist) came into the bar to see the score...Nik immediately befriended the dudes, got them drinks and insisted on high-fiving them incessantly.
THEN, after the most dramaticly long at-bat ever in the bottom of the ninth, Coco was able to tie it up, and THEN he brought the game to an end with his single in the 10th...8-7, Sox! It felt like when the boys were able to come-back in 2004 (remember "Cowboy Up"? haha) and I am so happy to say that I got to kind of be in the thick of it. We were all hollering at the screen, ooh-ing & ah-ing at every fouled ball, every strike, every ball. We all held our breaths and then erupted when we saw the players rush the field. We all slapped fives and hugges strangers, it was crazy. While I wasn't AT Fenway, a few blocks away I was celebrating as if I had just seen it in person...
That's what is so awesome about Boston sports-- every game is like a championship win and every game is just as intense at a local bar or pizza place or convenience store as it is at the field. It felt so good to be a part of that silly baseball culture again last night; I don't get much of that in Virginia, that's for sure.
Then this morning, Pumpkin Coffee from Dunkins with Michelle before heading back here to the homestead? Mmm. Just the way to end a whirlwind 24 hours.
In short-- yesterday has rejuvinated my spirit in many senses, particularly in the sense of intensifying my resolve to come back here after I get my Master's next year. Ha, as if my resolve wasn't already pretty intense. The way I feel when I am walking through Sullivan Square or down Commonwealth Ave is something I can not compare to how I feel anywhere else. The cold air is crisp and the hustle & bustle is soothing, with the Citgo sign keeping an eye out from above Landsdowne Street. The traffic is insane and so are half the people...but it feels like HOME to me. I can't wait until I get to call it home.
In the meantime, enough computer time.
Much love!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Friday, October 3, 2008
this is what the world is for- making electricity!
Tunes:"electric feel"// MGMT
firstly, I have listened to this song more times than I'd like to acknowledge this week. Collin came over on Monday night and we figured out the melody on my glockenspiel, and since then it is playing over and over in my head as well as on my iTunes. If you are unfamiliar, please check it out on youtube- disregard the trippiness of the video, I'm pretty sure the dudes that comprise MGMT are on lots of illegal substances, however, they have made some sweet tunes, so I guess that's excusable for the purposes of this paragraph.
anyways, I haven't been very good about showing everyone what my new apartment looks like and since I am so uninterested in working on my budget proposal, I figured that would be a good way to use up some time. :]
[big kitchen...with a mini-stove. oh well]
So there is your [virtual] grand tour! I feel like I have wasted a sufficient amount of time now. One more thing before I wrap up this post- I've been trying desperately to grow out my hair. I haven't cut it since the beginning of July...it's finally starting to look like I'm growing it out. Hooray!
Hopefully by next spring I'll be able to do more with it and look a little less ridiculous come job interview season. Not that I looked ridiculous, but I dunno- the "flying comet" look [as Ricker & Scotty affectionately refer to is as] is getting a bit old.
Now, I NEED...NEED to work on homework.
Which is what I'll be doing all weekend. Fabulous.
<3 much love!
firstly, I have listened to this song more times than I'd like to acknowledge this week. Collin came over on Monday night and we figured out the melody on my glockenspiel, and since then it is playing over and over in my head as well as on my iTunes. If you are unfamiliar, please check it out on youtube- disregard the trippiness of the video, I'm pretty sure the dudes that comprise MGMT are on lots of illegal substances, however, they have made some sweet tunes, so I guess that's excusable for the purposes of this paragraph.
anyways, I haven't been very good about showing everyone what my new apartment looks like and since I am so uninterested in working on my budget proposal, I figured that would be a good way to use up some time. :]
[living room, from front door]
[dining area, from front door...that doorway is to my bedroom]
[breakfast bar/ junk counter from front doorway]
[different perspective of living/dining area]
[my polaroid wall...my favorite thing in my living room]
[tv hutch & window ledge of pictures]
[big kitchen...with a mini-stove. oh well]
[my bedroom is too messy, but here's my dresser!]
[office I rarely use]
[tiny bathroom, but it's cool]
[my other door...this is what the residents tend to come to]
So there is your [virtual] grand tour! I feel like I have wasted a sufficient amount of time now. One more thing before I wrap up this post- I've been trying desperately to grow out my hair. I haven't cut it since the beginning of July...it's finally starting to look like I'm growing it out. Hooray!
Hopefully by next spring I'll be able to do more with it and look a little less ridiculous come job interview season. Not that I looked ridiculous, but I dunno- the "flying comet" look [as Ricker & Scotty affectionately refer to is as] is getting a bit old.
Now, I NEED...NEED to work on homework.
Which is what I'll be doing all weekend. Fabulous.
<3 much love!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
reasons to love new hampshire...
Tunes:"Cherbourg"// Beirut
I was trying to work on my Budget assignment for SimU, but instead found myself on Wikipedia reading up on the demographics for NH versus Virginia, among other factoids about the 2 states. What follows are some of my favorite fun facts!
NH...
-The first permanent settlement was at Hilton's Point (present-day Dover). By 1631, the Upper Plantation comprised modern-day Dover, Durham and Stratham; in 1679, it became the "Royal Province.
[my favorite part of the state- dirty dover!]
-The largest ancestry group in New Hampshire is 26.6% French (French or French Canadian). New Hampshire has the highest percentage of residents of French/French-Canadian ancestry of any U.S. state.
[damn straight!]
-A survey suggests that people in New Hampshire and Vermont are less likely to attend weekly services and are less likely to believe in God (54%) than people in the rest of the nation (71%). The two states are at the lowest levels among states in religious commitment.
[ha, interesting]
-According to the Energy Information Administration, New Hampshire’s energy consumption and per capita energy consumption are among the lowest in the country.
-The House of Representatives in Concord is the fourth-largest legislative body in the English speaking world with 400 members. Only the United States House of Representatives, the British House of Commons and the British House of Lords are larger.
[talk about adequate representation, huh?]
-New Hampshire is an alcoholic beverage control state, and through the State Liquor Commission it takes in $100 million from the sale and distribution of liquor. The state also leads the country in per capita sales of all forms of alcohol.
[haha]
-As of January 1, 2008, civil unions are legal in New Hampshire, giving all the rights associated with marriage in the state to same-sex couples. New Hampshire was the first state in the country to deem civil unions legal without any court action to prompt the decision.
[so proactive!!]
-New Hampshire has been known for a Libertarian-like political tradition that values individual freedom and limited exercise of state governmental powers. The Free State Project selected New Hampshire as its destination due to its "Live Free or Die" libertarian-esque heritage.
...
I was going to post fun facts about Virginia, but the fact of the matter is that facts about Virginia are kind of boring- the state is big, the median income is around $60k, while NH's is around $37k, african-americans make up 19% of the state's population and 8 presidents were born here. It's just too big to really think abut any of this stuff as cool. Ha.
Maybe I'll go do work now? Maybe.
xo
ps. I'm at the big, fancy new library on campus and I just burped out loud...how embarrassing.
I was trying to work on my Budget assignment for SimU, but instead found myself on Wikipedia reading up on the demographics for NH versus Virginia, among other factoids about the 2 states. What follows are some of my favorite fun facts!
NH...
-The first permanent settlement was at Hilton's Point (present-day Dover). By 1631, the Upper Plantation comprised modern-day Dover, Durham and Stratham; in 1679, it became the "Royal Province.
[my favorite part of the state- dirty dover!]
-The largest ancestry group in New Hampshire is 26.6% French (French or French Canadian). New Hampshire has the highest percentage of residents of French/French-Canadian ancestry of any U.S. state.
[damn straight!]
-A survey suggests that people in New Hampshire and Vermont are less likely to attend weekly services and are less likely to believe in God (54%) than people in the rest of the nation (71%). The two states are at the lowest levels among states in religious commitment.
[ha, interesting]
-According to the Energy Information Administration, New Hampshire’s energy consumption and per capita energy consumption are among the lowest in the country.
-The House of Representatives in Concord is the fourth-largest legislative body in the English speaking world with 400 members. Only the United States House of Representatives, the British House of Commons and the British House of Lords are larger.
[talk about adequate representation, huh?]
-New Hampshire is an alcoholic beverage control state, and through the State Liquor Commission it takes in $100 million from the sale and distribution of liquor. The state also leads the country in per capita sales of all forms of alcohol.
[haha]
-As of January 1, 2008, civil unions are legal in New Hampshire, giving all the rights associated with marriage in the state to same-sex couples. New Hampshire was the first state in the country to deem civil unions legal without any court action to prompt the decision.
[so proactive!!]
-New Hampshire has been known for a Libertarian-like political tradition that values individual freedom and limited exercise of state governmental powers. The Free State Project selected New Hampshire as its destination due to its "Live Free or Die" libertarian-esque heritage.
...
I was going to post fun facts about Virginia, but the fact of the matter is that facts about Virginia are kind of boring- the state is big, the median income is around $60k, while NH's is around $37k, african-americans make up 19% of the state's population and 8 presidents were born here. It's just too big to really think abut any of this stuff as cool. Ha.
Maybe I'll go do work now? Maybe.
xo
ps. I'm at the big, fancy new library on campus and I just burped out loud...how embarrassing.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
What a positively positive week!
Tunes:House M.D. (marathon!)
Well, it has been a HECK of a week. A good week, but still a heck of a week. Ha. In case you're interested, here's a quick recap. I'll add pictures to make it seem more interesting. :]
I managed to have 5 incident follow-up meetings on Sunday. Bang-em out! Monday, I finished my first portion of my Simulation University project. Which allowed me to feel absolutely relieved for the remainder of the week. I aced a quiz in Stats on Tuesday. Wednesday went by quickly- the class that I teach went well, my 1:1's were great, and our staff meeting was goofy and went by fast. I spent a few hours freezing my butt off up on the other side of campus talking with Collin- but it was ok. "Time well spent." Right on.
AND THEN MY LOANS CAME THROUGH! [and I felt a weight be lifted from my shoulders]
Thursday, I got coffee with the wonderful miss Kelly McKew, who lived in Shorts last year. My radio show went well- I was able to play some requests for the likes of Mel & Phil Walton. Then I spent all afternoon, gallavanting with Chris Evans whom I miss more than I like to admit. We went to the mall in Staunton, which is really more like a mini-mall. I got fantastic room fresheners there and now my room smells like Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. If you can, go to Bath & Body Works and snag yourself one of these:
ALSO, Chris and I watched the season premiere of The Office (which I have waited all summer for!!) annnd it was the best hour of television I've watched since last spring. Not that I've watched a lot, but it was great. JIM & PAM ARE ENGAGED! It's sad that a television couple makes me happy, but I can't deny that they do. haha.
Yesterday, I caught some "Tunes at Noon"- which is this new thing TDU is doing which is sort of awesome- with, again, Phil Walton. Then Hannah and I drove the hour and a half drive over the mountains to her house. Mmm. Eating food made by a Mom (not my Mum, but a Mom nonetheless), sleeping in a real bed and having no one to worry about was exactly what I needed. We then spent all day today in a positively liberal way, meandering around the 2008 Vegetarian Festival in Charlottesville.
Being in that environment, surrounded by those kinds of people, really made me want to go veg again...or at the very least, continue along the more creulty free path I've been on the last month or so (limited meat consumption, and limiting my meat to free range or local). I got to eat a lot of meat-free, dairy-free stuff this weekend. And! I discovered some new must-haves for myself, including the following...
[the best tofu I've ever eaten!]
[legitimately is better than cream cheese]
[GINGER iced tea. best ever]
[yes. this is a new must-have. I am so determined to get a Beagle after yesterday, it may legitimately play a role in what schools I apply at next year. well, yeah. maybe...the festival was also an adoption center for locally fostered, homeless pets. so bummed we couldn't help one]
In short, I am in such a happy place.
I'm going to go watch another few episodes of House, find some good recipes and tuck in early for the night. Much love!
Well, it has been a HECK of a week. A good week, but still a heck of a week. Ha. In case you're interested, here's a quick recap. I'll add pictures to make it seem more interesting. :]
I managed to have 5 incident follow-up meetings on Sunday. Bang-em out! Monday, I finished my first portion of my Simulation University project. Which allowed me to feel absolutely relieved for the remainder of the week. I aced a quiz in Stats on Tuesday. Wednesday went by quickly- the class that I teach went well, my 1:1's were great, and our staff meeting was goofy and went by fast. I spent a few hours freezing my butt off up on the other side of campus talking with Collin- but it was ok. "Time well spent." Right on.
AND THEN MY LOANS CAME THROUGH! [and I felt a weight be lifted from my shoulders]
Thursday, I got coffee with the wonderful miss Kelly McKew, who lived in Shorts last year. My radio show went well- I was able to play some requests for the likes of Mel & Phil Walton. Then I spent all afternoon, gallavanting with Chris Evans whom I miss more than I like to admit. We went to the mall in Staunton, which is really more like a mini-mall. I got fantastic room fresheners there and now my room smells like Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. If you can, go to Bath & Body Works and snag yourself one of these:
ALSO, Chris and I watched the season premiere of The Office (which I have waited all summer for!!) annnd it was the best hour of television I've watched since last spring. Not that I've watched a lot, but it was great. JIM & PAM ARE ENGAGED! It's sad that a television couple makes me happy, but I can't deny that they do. haha.
Yesterday, I caught some "Tunes at Noon"- which is this new thing TDU is doing which is sort of awesome- with, again, Phil Walton. Then Hannah and I drove the hour and a half drive over the mountains to her house. Mmm. Eating food made by a Mom (not my Mum, but a Mom nonetheless), sleeping in a real bed and having no one to worry about was exactly what I needed. We then spent all day today in a positively liberal way, meandering around the 2008 Vegetarian Festival in Charlottesville.
Being in that environment, surrounded by those kinds of people, really made me want to go veg again...or at the very least, continue along the more creulty free path I've been on the last month or so (limited meat consumption, and limiting my meat to free range or local). I got to eat a lot of meat-free, dairy-free stuff this weekend. And! I discovered some new must-haves for myself, including the following...
In short, I am in such a happy place.
I'm going to go watch another few episodes of House, find some good recipes and tuck in early for the night. Much love!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
update: albums snagged at an atique shop today!
Tunes:conan o'brien
I put off my homework further today by going thrifting with half of my staff. We went to Stump's Antiques (my favorite antique place in the valley) and I found tons of records to help me build my collection...and they were cheap, too!
[pretenders II]
hooray.
xo
I put off my homework further today by going thrifting with half of my staff. We went to Stump's Antiques (my favorite antique place in the valley) and I found tons of records to help me build my collection...and they were cheap, too!
[pretenders II]
hooray.
xo
Things I've been doing & Things I'm looking forward to...
Tunes:"riverside"// trent wagler & the steel wheels
The weather is so chilly these last few days, it is FANTASTIC. It's compelled me to plan for a weekend home in October so we can go apple picking and I can bring my brother to a movie or bowling and so I can soak in that crisp New England air. October 17th!
I'll actually be heading up to New England the day before (Thursday) and staying the night in Boston. Alli-- my RA from my freshman year at UNH, past co-worker & great friend-- lives there, and that night Ben Kweller (a musician I have loved since high school, yet who I've recently re-discovered) is playing a show at the Paradise and she and I are going to go!!
It's pretty ridiculous that I'm going to drive 10 hours to get there for 9pm to see BK, but it'll be so worth it. I haven't seen Alli in a year and a half, so this makes the weekend I'm going to have at home even better. I am extremely excited- Boston. Alli. Ben Kweller. HOME. Little Brother. Mum & Dad. Apple Picking. Long drives up north. White Mountains. Leaf peeping. Sweatshirts & sneakers. Red Sox! HOME.
I think you get the point, I'm stoked. Ha.
Speaking of live music, last night Hannah and I went to our favorite place in town-- The Little Grill Collective-- to see Trent Wagler & the Steel Wheels. They are this amazing americana/folk/bluegrass band whose home base is actually Harrisonburg, which is pretty cool. Collin & Collen joined us after dinner and we all danced in our seats (and eventually standing up) for a good 2 hours. I encourage anyone who has a stigma against americana music (banjos, mandolins, etc) to give Trent a listen. The talent of these musicians is incredible and Trent's voice is so great, I doubt many people could dislike them...
All week I have been trying to get work done on an enormous project I have due Monday. I have about half of it done, and I can not make myself work on it. I told myself to NOT let it wait until tomorrow...and I am trying so hard to be good and get it done, but my staff wants to hang out today, so I'm going to limit myself to hanging out until later today and then I'll come back and do work all night. Really.
In the meantime, I should get ready for staff hang out time.
Call me sometime! Miss you all!
xo
The weather is so chilly these last few days, it is FANTASTIC. It's compelled me to plan for a weekend home in October so we can go apple picking and I can bring my brother to a movie or bowling and so I can soak in that crisp New England air. October 17th!
I'll actually be heading up to New England the day before (Thursday) and staying the night in Boston. Alli-- my RA from my freshman year at UNH, past co-worker & great friend-- lives there, and that night Ben Kweller (a musician I have loved since high school, yet who I've recently re-discovered) is playing a show at the Paradise and she and I are going to go!!
It's pretty ridiculous that I'm going to drive 10 hours to get there for 9pm to see BK, but it'll be so worth it. I haven't seen Alli in a year and a half, so this makes the weekend I'm going to have at home even better. I am extremely excited- Boston. Alli. Ben Kweller. HOME. Little Brother. Mum & Dad. Apple Picking. Long drives up north. White Mountains. Leaf peeping. Sweatshirts & sneakers. Red Sox! HOME.
I think you get the point, I'm stoked. Ha.
Speaking of live music, last night Hannah and I went to our favorite place in town-- The Little Grill Collective-- to see Trent Wagler & the Steel Wheels. They are this amazing americana/folk/bluegrass band whose home base is actually Harrisonburg, which is pretty cool. Collin & Collen joined us after dinner and we all danced in our seats (and eventually standing up) for a good 2 hours. I encourage anyone who has a stigma against americana music (banjos, mandolins, etc) to give Trent a listen. The talent of these musicians is incredible and Trent's voice is so great, I doubt many people could dislike them...
All week I have been trying to get work done on an enormous project I have due Monday. I have about half of it done, and I can not make myself work on it. I told myself to NOT let it wait until tomorrow...and I am trying so hard to be good and get it done, but my staff wants to hang out today, so I'm going to limit myself to hanging out until later today and then I'll come back and do work all night. Really.
In the meantime, I should get ready for staff hang out time.
Call me sometime! Miss you all!
xo
Monday, September 15, 2008
"Most happenings are beyond expression; they exist where a word has never intruded."
Tunes:kathy griffin
"You are so young, so much before all beginning, and I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."
-Ranier Maria Rilke (1875-1926)
Mati and I have been bouncing ideas back and forth today on the "answers" to the big "questions" and he sent this along to me. I found it so simply put, it really changed my perspective on all this. So thanks to Mati for that, and thanks to Ranier Maria Rilke for penning such insightful words in 1903.
"You are so young, so much before all beginning, and I would like to beg you, dear Sir, as well as I can, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer."
-Ranier Maria Rilke (1875-1926)
Mati and I have been bouncing ideas back and forth today on the "answers" to the big "questions" and he sent this along to me. I found it so simply put, it really changed my perspective on all this. So thanks to Mati for that, and thanks to Ranier Maria Rilke for penning such insightful words in 1903.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
late night
Tunes: "forever"// meego, walter
The last few days have been super unproductive for me. I get into this funk typically at the beginning of a year- I'm still trying to switch over from summer and no real things to get done-- academics-wise. I'll get on all of it eventually, I know. It's the transition teamed with my mounting anxiousness to be back in new england.
It feels like I must sound like a broken record. Or at least like a baby- still whining about missing home. I just find myself feeling lonely here a lot. Better than last year, but now that I'm back to living in my own apartment, supervising student staff, with Chris & Em being 15 minutes south and Alie being a full-time person at the lab, I just feel like I'm spenging a lot of time alone. Sometimes I like it, or rather I don't mind it at all. But when whole days go by where all I do is sit here, baking cookies or something to pass the time, I look back on the day at the end of it and wonder what if that was my last day? How sad that I spent it alone.
And today wasn't even that bad- Hannah came over to bake cookies with me. We watched "Stranger Than Fiction" which is probably what's fueling my mood at the moment. I love that movie so much, and ridiculously relate to Maggie Gyllenhaal's character as much as Will Farrell's. At one point during the movie, Hannah turned to me and said, "Leigh, lets not be Harold Cricks"...which was to say, lets not lead lonely, habitual, unhappy lives. Why would I ever want to? I hope I'm not setting myself up to.
I also should't let myself be so thoughtful while alone at this time at night. It doesn't help when Patrick is texting me, or when I read Josh Croteau's blog about his new place in Allston and how much he loves it. Or when I talk to my brother and how he's not doing anything all day...I want to go bring him bowling! And play frisbee!
Alas. I spent the day here, unproductive and unmotivated. At least I didn't spend all of it alone. Goodness. I am talking in circles.
On an unrelated note, the new Metallica song? Amaazinng.
And the band M83? I love them.
I need their album. It reminds me of every great movie from the 80's all at once. Which is such a great thing to be reminded of with the listen of just one song.
Oh, which reminds me. Radio show. This Thursday. Noon.
And the girls who live upstairs? ARE SO DAMN NOISY.
You'd swear they were doing jumping jax all night long.
Actually, I wonder if that's actually what they're doing.
The weather is weird, but telling of the fall that is on its way.
I'm trying to make it home a weekend in October. I realized once my loans come in, I will be rather "comfortable" in my finances (although it'll be a false comfort as I'll just be in more debt) so I should be able to finangle a trip home no problem. I realize after the year I had last year, that I need to take advantage of the 4 nights I am allotted off each month. So come October, I will be doing just that.
Goodnight!
The last few days have been super unproductive for me. I get into this funk typically at the beginning of a year- I'm still trying to switch over from summer and no real things to get done-- academics-wise. I'll get on all of it eventually, I know. It's the transition teamed with my mounting anxiousness to be back in new england.
It feels like I must sound like a broken record. Or at least like a baby- still whining about missing home. I just find myself feeling lonely here a lot. Better than last year, but now that I'm back to living in my own apartment, supervising student staff, with Chris & Em being 15 minutes south and Alie being a full-time person at the lab, I just feel like I'm spenging a lot of time alone. Sometimes I like it, or rather I don't mind it at all. But when whole days go by where all I do is sit here, baking cookies or something to pass the time, I look back on the day at the end of it and wonder what if that was my last day? How sad that I spent it alone.
And today wasn't even that bad- Hannah came over to bake cookies with me. We watched "Stranger Than Fiction" which is probably what's fueling my mood at the moment. I love that movie so much, and ridiculously relate to Maggie Gyllenhaal's character as much as Will Farrell's. At one point during the movie, Hannah turned to me and said, "Leigh, lets not be Harold Cricks"...which was to say, lets not lead lonely, habitual, unhappy lives. Why would I ever want to? I hope I'm not setting myself up to.
I also should't let myself be so thoughtful while alone at this time at night. It doesn't help when Patrick is texting me, or when I read Josh Croteau's blog about his new place in Allston and how much he loves it. Or when I talk to my brother and how he's not doing anything all day...I want to go bring him bowling! And play frisbee!
Alas. I spent the day here, unproductive and unmotivated. At least I didn't spend all of it alone. Goodness. I am talking in circles.
On an unrelated note, the new Metallica song? Amaazinng.
And the band M83? I love them.
I need their album. It reminds me of every great movie from the 80's all at once. Which is such a great thing to be reminded of with the listen of just one song.
Oh, which reminds me. Radio show. This Thursday. Noon.
And the girls who live upstairs? ARE SO DAMN NOISY.
You'd swear they were doing jumping jax all night long.
Actually, I wonder if that's actually what they're doing.
The weather is weird, but telling of the fall that is on its way.
I'm trying to make it home a weekend in October. I realized once my loans come in, I will be rather "comfortable" in my finances (although it'll be a false comfort as I'll just be in more debt) so I should be able to finangle a trip home no problem. I realize after the year I had last year, that I need to take advantage of the 4 nights I am allotted off each month. So come October, I will be doing just that.
Goodnight!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
group shots, flowers & west virginia...
Tunes: "This Love"// Younghearts
Happy end of summer!
Since I last wrote in here, my RA's have moved, been trained and have moved in all of our residents. The Treehouses are a thriving community of first years & transfer students, and even a bunch of International Students. But before I get ahead of myself, here's a photo recap of the last month or so...
The day before classes started (last Sunday), I met up with one of my RA's from last year, Hannah, for coffee. It was absolutely beautiful out, and sensing that the week would be pretty busy and crazy I asked her if she wanted to go for a drive. We ended up in West Virginia (of course) and wandered into the deep woods and atop big mountains- all in my car! Here's some documentation of our adventure...
Happy end of summer!
Since I last wrote in here, my RA's have moved, been trained and have moved in all of our residents. The Treehouses are a thriving community of first years & transfer students, and even a bunch of International Students. But before I get ahead of myself, here's a photo recap of the last month or so...
[Lake-Sky: our Hall Director staff, showing JMU pride!]
[Lake-Sky's superhero day...I was The Tree Hugger]
[The Village Hall Directors...on nerd day-clearly, ha]
[The Blue-Hill Hall Directors]
[JMU Hall Directors 08-09!]
HD training ended 10 days after it began. The following day, 7 of my RA's moved in. For the next 10 days, I was busy with their training- coming up with theme days, answering questions, coordinating and delegating. What fun! Our theme days included The 7 Deadly Sins, Highschool Stereotypes, Nerds, Staff shirt day & Landscapes. We had a ton of fun with it, and I'd even argue that my RA's learned a lot, too!
['Which way do we go?!'...2 of my RA's, Justin & Sondra on nerd day]
[Treehouse Nerd Day!]
[Training is 'Risky Business'...Chappelear Hall staff]
[Day 1 of check-in/move-in at the Trees...]
[yes, we have lake-front property...Sondra loves the Trees]
Once move-in was over, I really needed a day away from campus- the move-in process is about a week long with staggered move-in days for the different houses comprising my hall. Everyday we had to be up at 8am and we had to staff the check-in table until 4pm. Needless to say, we were all pretty pooped out by the end of the whole thing. So last Saturday I spent the morning with Christopher down in Staunton and Bridgewater (the college he works at now), where we checked out the amazing farmer's market downtown. We got farm fresh eggs and amazing (amazing) Italian herb bread from a sweet Mennonite lady. We went back to Bridgewater where we made breakfast and played Tetris all morning. I miss him, so it was a needed dose of Chris antics for sure. Afterwards, instead of heading right back to campus, I found some backroads I hadn't had the opportunity to explore and did just that.
How happy was I to then come across this amazing field of sunflowers?! I was incredibly happy. This is something I had always wanted to see in person- a field of sunflowers. Since it reminded me of my Mum, I made sure to get out and take a TON of pictures. Here's the better ones...
How happy was I to then come across this amazing field of sunflowers?! I was incredibly happy. This is something I had always wanted to see in person- a field of sunflowers. Since it reminded me of my Mum, I made sure to get out and take a TON of pictures. Here's the better ones...
[The firleOttobine, VA]
[bumble bee]
The day before classes started (last Sunday), I met up with one of my RA's from last year, Hannah, for coffee. It was absolutely beautiful out, and sensing that the week would be pretty busy and crazy I asked her if she wanted to go for a drive. We ended up in West Virginia (of course) and wandered into the deep woods and atop big mountains- all in my car! Here's some documentation of our adventure...
[A drive-in movie screen?! In the middle of nowhere!]
[deserted snack stand]
[the front of the theater]
[a church on a hillside]
[Reed's Creek Fish Hatchery...]
[Baby golden trout! We thought they looked like banana peppers, ha]
[big fish...trout, I presume]
[grown up golden trout]
[they have CRAZY googly eyes!]
[goats]
[Hannah, defying the sign]
[I love these old, rusty bridges]
[classic West Virginia]
[Uli, my Volvo, is such a trooper]
[click on the monster radio in the top left, and select your connection speed]
We almost made it up to Seneca Rocks National Park, but got tied up on some dirt back road beyond this place called Smoke Hole state park. It was a long, yet beautiful day seeing some of the prettiest scenery that you'd ever see.
On a more mundane note, classes have started and I think they will go well. I don't feel terribly intimidated about them- thank goodness. Simulation University will be more fun than it seems right now, I think. I am the 'Director' of the Academic Advising department at this fake university. Ha.
I am also taking Psych Stats, which I think will be very useful when I need to assess and evaluate programs that we do in my simulation department. Lastly, I am taking group counseling (yes, as a class) which will be interesting. All of us in the class are in the same program, and 6 of the 7 other people in the class are the people I am closest to of my cohort. Here's hoping we don't ruin any friendships in the class- we've heard some pretty nasty things about it from the cohort who had the course last year.
This semester I am teaching a class, too! Which is pretty exciting in its own right. It's a Psych 100 course, which is the class RA's are required to take on community development. Every Wednesday after my group class I'll be doing that.
Lastly, my radio show starts this week: Thursday from Noon-2!! Make sure to check it out if you can- WXJM streams on the web:
On a more mundane note, classes have started and I think they will go well. I don't feel terribly intimidated about them- thank goodness. Simulation University will be more fun than it seems right now, I think. I am the 'Director' of the Academic Advising department at this fake university. Ha.
I am also taking Psych Stats, which I think will be very useful when I need to assess and evaluate programs that we do in my simulation department. Lastly, I am taking group counseling (yes, as a class) which will be interesting. All of us in the class are in the same program, and 6 of the 7 other people in the class are the people I am closest to of my cohort. Here's hoping we don't ruin any friendships in the class- we've heard some pretty nasty things about it from the cohort who had the course last year.
This semester I am teaching a class, too! Which is pretty exciting in its own right. It's a Psych 100 course, which is the class RA's are required to take on community development. Every Wednesday after my group class I'll be doing that.
Lastly, my radio show starts this week: Thursday from Noon-2!! Make sure to check it out if you can- WXJM streams on the web:
[click on the monster radio in the top left, and select your connection speed]
Now it is the weekend. I spent the majority of last night at The Little Grill Collective with Danny & Bianca, listening to amazing old timey music by Red River Roller Coaster as well as the gypsy tunes of Accordian Death Squad. That place always gets me in touch with my pseudo-inner hippie, so I spent today finding Vegan cookie recipes and tonight I made a batch (Oatmeal Chunky-Munky I call them...they're oatmeal banana with raisins and mini kisses. SO good, you'd never know they're vegan!). Tomorrow I am making spaghetti for some old residents. I am very excited to catch up with all of them.
And now, you are all caught up with the life of Leigh.
Exciting, right?
Hopefully this finds you all enjoying the end of summer- It's labor day weekend! Best wishes on first days back to school and have a safe and happy long weekend. I love and miss you all (especially you, little brother!!).
Much love from Virginia,
Leigh
And now, you are all caught up with the life of Leigh.
Exciting, right?
Hopefully this finds you all enjoying the end of summer- It's labor day weekend! Best wishes on first days back to school and have a safe and happy long weekend. I love and miss you all (especially you, little brother!!).
Much love from Virginia,
Leigh
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