Posts (page 2)
Shelby County Fair +
playing Rook and watching ballgames with Eric and his parents +
Auburn winning and Alabama losing =
a fantastic, relaxing, fun-filled weekend. =)
The only bad thing about a weekend like this is knowing it's over.
So, here's my rant for today (which actually was going to be my rant for yesterday, but I didn't have time to write it). This new generation of freshmen really annoys me. Specifically 4 of them. Now, I know freshmen have a hard time at first in wind ensemble because the music is more challenging than what they had in high school. I know from experience that they don't practice as much as they should, and it takes them a few weeks to really get into the swing of things.
But I have never encountered a group of freshmen who are so indignant towards their superiors. I'm not even talking about the attitude toward section leaders, because I know the section leader has to earn the freshman's respect. I'm talking about their attitude towards faculty and professionals. Things like: becoming very exasperated and huffy when a teacher is challenging you or trying to improve your performance; not learning your part, making excuses for why you can't play it, and then getting ticked off if the teacher tells you to work on it more; acting haughty when a criticism or even just simple advice is given by a teacher or professional, as if your way is so much better; generally being more irresponsible than any other members of the band, even other freshmen. It frustrates me to no end to see these kids not appreciating what they have. Why come to Montevallo to get a music degree if you aren't going to learn anything while you're here? And how do you expect to learn anything if you act like you already know everything and your way is superior to everyone else's? These kids expect to be respected and valued when they don't even respect their professors. All I have to say is, it's not going to get them very far. Hopefully it won't be long before one of these professors says something about it.
Something odd and wonderful is happening. My eating habits in the past have been no breakfast, small lunch, large dinner, and possibly a snack sometime in the day. Breakfast, especially early in the morning, makes me nauseous, and the other meals suffice just fine. I have a small stomach and just can't handle a whole lot of food.
In the past week, I've noticed my eating habits have changed. I've started eating a small breakfast every day because I can't make it to lunch anymore without feeling completely starved. Also at night, I've been craving food so much I could probably have a second dinner if I allowed myself (and had the money to buy that much food). But today...well, today I had a sausage biscuit, cookies, a large can of Chef Boyardee lasagna, a double decker oatmeal cream pie, 3 helpings of Homestyle Bakes beef stew and biscuits, large glass of chocolate milk, pickles (at this point Ashley accused me of being pregnant), and cheese. I've eaten every 2-3 hours all day and right now my stomach is growling because I haven't eaten in an hour and a half.
Why is this wonderful? Because if this trend keeps up, I might finally be able to gain a little weight! I've been stuck at the same weight for 2 years, unable to pass the 104 mark. I know I should be happy the way I am, but the truth is that I'm not. I hate seeing my ribs every time I look in the mirror, and I hate seeing my arms looking like toothpicks in the picture on the Montevallo website (although I still like the picture and it is on my Vox profile if you would like to see it). I'd love some improvement in the chest area too, but I won't get my hopes up.
Now....off to satisfy my hungry tummy. Again.
This past June I traveled to Texas with my mother and sister to visit my great-aunt Francis. I had previously not met her, but she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and my mother wanted me to meet her before she died. One of the most memorable parts of the trip was her cats. You've heard the saying "Everything is bigger in Texas"? Well, it's true. Her cat Punkin and her daughter's cat Milo were the largest cats I have ever seen. I fell in love with Milo because his long hair reminded me of my cat Squeaker, who died my freshman year of college. Punkin spent all his time in Aunt Francis's room and was very quiet and shy, probably because he knew something was different with his owner.
Aunt Francis died August 28. My mother drove 10 hours out to Texas to the funeral and spent the weekend helping her cousins start to sort things out and be there for emotional support. She came back this past Sunday, and it seemed that the experience changed her. She was much more cooperative and seemed distracted with her own life for once. Going home this weekend, I now know why.
Punkin's demeanor is so much different than it was when I was in Texas. He's still very much a scaredy-cat, doesn't like loud noises or sudden movements, but he is incredibly loving once he warms up to you. He slept with me last night and melted my heart with his sweetness. I wanted so bad to bring him back with me today, but he would eat Ashley's fish for sure. Even after having him for only a couple of days, I miss him, and now look forward to visits to Haleyville just to play with the kitty!!
Current mood: Post-vacation slump.
I have just experienced one of the most amazingly perfect weekends of my life. Nothing terribly extraordinary, just family, friends, my wonderful boyfriend, and three days of relaxation and fun. Eric and I started the adventure Saturday afternoon with Anna and Andrew's wedding in Huntsville. It was an outdoor wedding, which meant very hot, but very pretty. Also very short for a wedding = only an hour and 15 minutes from the start of the ceremony until they left for their honeymoon.
After the wedding, we went to Madison to my sister's house to spend the night. Eric and Dean got to watch the Auburn game, and I was glad to see everyone for the first time in a couple of months. Finally, part of my family has met Eric, and I think he made a good impression on them.
Sunday morning Eric and I drove to Lake Guntersville, where his parents had rented a lake house for the weekend. We weren't the only ones there: between Sunday and Monday, there were his parents, both sets of grandparents, a great-aunt and great-uncle, and his sister and her boyfriend. We went out on his parents' boat Sunday afternoon, Monday morning, and Monday afternoon, played Scrabble with his grandmother and mother, ate lots of great food, laid out and worked on our tans, sat on the dock and looked at the stars...pretty much a picture-perfect vacation. Only disappointment was not finding a place to rent a jet-ski. Something to look forward to on the next lake trip?!?!
One of the best parts of the weekend is that I didn't have to worry about the "electronic leash", a.k.a. the cell phone. For the first time ever, I could turn it off and not feel nervous. I didn't have signal and it didn't matter. It was so relaxing to just enjoy life and not have to be stressed out about anything.
Feeling alive all over again,
As deep as the sky, under my skin
Like being in love, she says
For the first time
Maybe I'm wrong,
But I'm feeling right where I belong
With you tonight
Like being in love
To feel for the first time
I GOTS A DRESS!!!
Joie, Ashley, and I went shopping at JC Penney's, and bought cute clothes. Hooray for being girlie! I will be debuting the dress this weekend, when Eric and I travel to Huntsville to Anna's wedding. Pictures will be taken and posted. After the wedding, we might be going to my sister's house in Madison, where part of my family can finally spend some time with the boyfriend of 11 MONTHS THIS SATURDAY. At some point either Saturday night or Sunday morning, we shall venture to Lake Guntersville to spend the remainder of the Labor Day holiday with his family. I have yet to inform the maternal figure of this last event...looking forward to that one.
In other news, I got first chair in wind ensemble. We're playing a weird piece called Ghost Train. Dr. Cochran's choice, of course. It sounds pretty cool, though, so maybe it won't be too bad. On the front: the last two emails did not get a huge reaction worthy of posting. She is too distracted by the trip to Texas. She's leaving tomorrow morning, so Stage 2 will have to wait until probably Tuesday.
Comments from the maternal figure on the next two emails:
Article 1: "I'll bet this bitch Savage that wrote this is either NOT parent or a very uncaring one!"
Article 2: "Same goes for this bitch. She sounds like a dike that has never had a maternal feeling in her life and gets off on slamming mothers that do."
How it is possible to be SO stubborn, to believe that only you are right and no one else in the entire world can have another opinion that might be better, I cannot imagine.
Oh professors of the Education Department. How you treat us like we are all elementary education majors. How you think you are funny when you are not. How you like to assign presentations, something we music majors despise. How you think you must explain every aspect of the syllabus to us in detail, as if we cannot read it for ourselves, and take us step by step through Blackboard. How you love field trips, and think we all have money to burn and can leave Montevallo and all our other obligations on a whim to go to North Carolina for three days in November.
Oh professors of the Education Department, how very wrong you are.
The cannons are out, the timpani is rolling, and the first battle has begun. It began with not answering my cell phone once after I sent the email. I listened to the voicemail, and the only reason she had called was to ask a question that didn't need to be answered until Thursday, so I didn't call her back right away. That was about 20 till 1:00. Since then, she has called multiple times, leaving one more, rather nasty voicemail which I may transcribe at some point. I finally answered the phone when I got back to the room at about 1:40, and the argument began. I told her there was no reason to call multiple times for a question that was not immediately important. She then came up with all sorts of ridiculous reasons why it was important for me to answer the phone, including that she may forget her question later. I reminded her she had left a voicemail with her question, so I would answer it when I was available. I told her I have a life of my own, and I will not interrupt it every time she calls. She continued with the excuses, ignoring everything I said. Realizing that nothing I said would make a difference, I hung up, turned off the cell, and unplugged the room phone.
Oh, and she said she wouldn't read the email. I think if you looked up "stubborn" in a dictionary, her picture would be beside it.
Now what? I could continue sending the emails, but apparently she isn't going to read them anyway. I could go ahead and start stage 2 tonight (since I seem to have already skipped to stage 3 - refusing contact). I think I will need to go ahead and line up someone to help me remove the box springs and bed frame from Katie's, because it seems to be a lost cause now. She said she won't do anything unless I apologize, and I won't do it. I have nothing to apologize for other than having my own thoughts and opinions.
I HAS MAH MUNNY!!!!!!
Actually, I has half my munny, but that's better than waiting until NEXT Friday for all of it. I can eat now! And I can buy my racquetball equipment.
Yes, I am taking racquetball. I'm excited to actually learn a sport and hopefully get to be good at it. Maybe I'll make good use of the Student Activity Center this year. Especially since I've paid $40 a semester for three years and only worked out in there once.
Speaking of my classes, I can't decide if this semester's courseload is lighter or not. I'm taking 4 ed classes - Teaching Music in the Elementary School (commonly known as Elementary Methods), Intro to Music Teaching (MUS 401), Educational Psychology (EDF 330), and School and Society (EDF 375). Those last two are in the Education department. I'm also taking, as mentioned above, Racquetball, as well as Orchestration, Wind Ensemble, recital class, flute lessons, and flute choir. Lucky for me, Dr. Packwood is in Brazil until next week, so I don't have Elementary Methods or MUS 401 at all this week. In fact, today all I had was racquetball, and we just went over the syllabus. Sweet. :-)
So, stage 1 has begun. I sent the first article this morning, and I will send two tomorrow and two Wednesday morning. The articles become progressively blunter (more blunt?) as the days go on. Wednesday morning will start Stage 2, and Thursday is when it all goes down.
