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I got this comic on a graduate school newsletter this week...


It's from "Piled Higher and Deeper" by Jorge Cham, www.phdcomics.com

Bus rides

This morning I hopped on a bus (7:12 am - not too early, not too late!) after having completed a morning jog, which was harder than normal but felt wonderful thanks to the cool air (53 degrees)! This bus is usually not too full - there are normally seats for both Brandon and I on the days we get to ride this bus together (we often go in at different times).

Today, however, when I got on - it was standing room only! I felt badly as more and more people boarded between my stop and the Square - and we all "danced" the shuffle of emptying about half the bus on the east side of the square (a normal dance event, but more challenging today, given the number of people standing!).

I think that the gas prices are going to significantly alter the number of people riding the bus. My friend Jake already says that more and more people ride the bus specified to go to his workplace each day - understandably so. Perhaps this will encourage the Metro Transit System to become more and more improved. What I don't yet understand, though, is how traffic appears to continually get slightly worse while the busses get fuller - a very interesting dichotomy! Either way, I'm very thankful that my bus pass comes paid in full to me. It really is a job perk!

I may have to start biking occasionnally, though - Brandon said he was going to bike today (I assume he did, though he left while I was out running) and it sounded like a refreshing idea...

End-of-Semester "let-down"

Since my last post was about Madison's first snowfall, I thought it was about time for a new one (now that we're past the snow time... over 100 inches later!)...

Normally when I finish a semester, there is a huge sigh of relief, and I often have an urge to sit around and do nothing for a very long time. During college (and even sometimes in high school), I often got ill from the let-down of stress once everything was done. Last fall, I didn't get sick. I was thoroughly energized and ready for my upcoming vacation to spend time with family in Iowa and Delaware. Now that the spring semester is over (for me - I sang my juries on Monday), I almost feel like there is a void. I have all these things to accomplish (crafts to finish, cleaning to start, music to learn, books I want to read, and a LOT of busy-ness at work with summer workshops quickly approaching!) but so much less structure. I like the lack of structure, but I know that the long hours at work will kick in (like yesterday, with a 9-hour day in the office. I only left my office to go to the printer, the bathroom, to ask questions of co-workers, and to run one errand in the Humanities building!). It's up to me to stay focused enough to do the things I want and need to do. That's scary, but less daunting than it has been in the past. The clarity with which I see my tasks helps me prioritize and really do things rather than wanting to run from my responsibilities. Does that mean that I'm becoming more of an adult?!

I also realized, while sitting and talking about various work issues with my boss, that I really enjoy working for her. She's about the best boss anyone like me could ask for. She lets me do my work without breathing down my neck, encourages me when I take on new projects (like Spanish-language music classes, for which I developed a proposal, plan, wrote a grant, and received the grant! more about that on another post...), and thoroughly appreciates what I do. It's not hard work, but I'm glad to be appreciated. It will be so difficult to tell her when I decide to move on, but I know that she will understand when it is time. I did finally learn that my GRE scores aren't too old for applying to the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Nutritional Sciences. That's great news!

Beautiful Whiteness Falling from the Sky

There are beautiful flakes of snow falling outside my window. It's just lovely. I'm so glad it's winter! I think I might get a 'real' Wisconsin winter finally this year - the last two have been relatively mild. The lakes are even freezing over (at least at the edges) already. I'm hoping for a solid freezing of the lakes for at least 3 months this year, like it's 'supposed' to be.

Christmas is coming! This is the best time of year.

Another hat to wear

I recently was introduced to a product called MonaVie. It is a blend of 19 fruits, covering many different pigmentation colors and using fruits from around the world. Each batch is tested for traces of pesticides/chemicals that could be harmful when ingested, and uses the highes quality ingredients. What you get from this yummy drink is a highly concentrated form of fruit - allowing you get the nutrients you need for health on a cellular level. It's not supposed to cure anything, but people have experienced a range of effects on their health, ranging from improved sleep to mental clarity to relief from chronic aches and pains - among others.

The effects I've felt include the improved sleep (I've not slept so well in years; particularly since being on Lariam while on SST in Cote d'Ivoire over 5 years ago!), mental clarity (particularly in terms of simply having energy to really think about tough questions in my life), increased energy overall (I have energy to get up and exercise almost every day!!), and a curbed appetite (so that I can willfully and gladly control portion sizes to what is more appropriate for health). I also don't crave junk food (pizza especially, since I don't crave desserts as much with my sugar sensitivities) which is a new thing for me!

So I decided to become an independent distributor of this product. I believe that it's making me healthier. My father-in-law said last night, "you really look good! There is more life in your eyes" and that meant a lot to me, that others can see a difference. Brandon even admitted that he notices that I have more vitality. I see it making a difference for my mom, and continue to hear stories from others that I am learning to know through the company. If people can't get on board with this product, I hope they at least make changes to improve their health by eating more fruits and vegetables. That alone would be beneficial to them.

If you want to learn more, just ask me! I'm always eager to share.

You know spam is really bad when...

This morning, one of my work tasks was to clean out my boss's e-mail in-box (she's away on a business trip to multiple music educator conferences). Normally, she gets a LOT of spam/junk e-mail (on the scale of 300+ per day). So this process takes quite a bit of my time!

I have to say, though, that sometimes the e-mails are rather amusing. Many come masked as "System Administration: Mailer daemon failure" and stuff like that (as if my boss would be sending notices about viagra, etc, to people she doesn't know/e-mail addresses that are absolutely ludicrous).

The funniest domain name that I saw today was "@alibaba.com". Because of the movie "Aladdin" I started laughing... It just struck me as funny.

I'm glad I don't get as much spam as she does, though, no matter how amusing it may be. Ultimately, there are about 5 or 6 basic e-mails that come through. Don't people have better things to do with their time?!

Listening

So I've been listening to my school colleagues over the past 4 weeks. We've sung for each other in Master Class and in Diction class (and will continue to do so throughout the next two years in various capacities). I am so amazed at the level of artistry that so many people have. There are people who, in their first year of a Master's of Music in Voice Performance, have what I consider to be a professionally full and rich sound. Already. I wouldn't be surprised if they could win roles in opera auditions if they went out for something in Chicago or New York yesterday. Even some undergraduate students have incredible, rich, full, and well-connected and well-placed voices with amazing expression. I wonder, hearing them, what they hear in my voice - and what my professors hear that allowed them to accept me into the program!

I'm not saying that I feel like a horrible singer, but I know that I don't have a huge voice (even though it's gotten a lot bigger, and a lot more solid, over the past two years). I don't expect to ever make a living doing opera, but it would be nice to get paid singing oratorio, or for weddings (and funerals?), or in churches, and to be part of an ensemble that gets to play concerts at least once in a while. I'm thoroughly enjoying learning music of Buxtehude and his contemporaries in my "Collegium Musicum" (early music ensemble) class - I feel comfortable with the repertoire and my voice doesn't get tired singing it. I hope that I can strengthen my voice to do operas in small venues, because it's so much fun! My internal reactions to hearing my colleagues, though, make me question whether those things will feel "enough" for me. I like to feel like I'm at the top - I'm kind of used to it (maybe not always in music, but in general I've always had a sense that I can do more and be more than the average person... and I feel like that sounds horribly arrogant, and it feels that way to admit it, but I don't feel like the arrogance is a part of that sense - it's just how I think I'm wired). So will I get enough satisfaction from singing the things I love to sing, even if it's not what most people in the world will ever appreciate listening to?

The musings continue...