Silly Birds

I have two very silly parakeets. I leave their cage open and let them fly around my home office. They stay in the office and that is a good thing. The bad thing is they are very messy and love to chew on stuff. They have taken to chewing on the wood trim around the window. This cannot be healthy for them and it is not heathy for the trim and appearance of the office but the birds love to fly around and explore. I hate to keep them shut up.

 

I originally thought my blue parakeet, BB, was a girl but then thought it was a boy because it developed color on it's cere (the spot above their beak), an indicator that the bird is male. It is hard to tell the sex of birds. They do not have sex organs that are identifiable (not that I  know of) and anyway my birds will not let me hold them. I know my green parakeet, Sprite, is a boy birdie. Recently my husband and I have observed Sprite getting on top of BB (and also the other way around). I actually watched Sprite going to town on BB yesterday. I was embarrassed but fascinated.   I just thought, you know, they are together all the time, they have no other birds, that is just the way it is. Well, I have made a discovery. BB has been playing around in a fooseball table that we have - going in and out of the launch and goal holes. I thought it was just something fun for the bird but it seems that SHE is trying to nest. I discovered an EGG in the goal hole. I am so suprised. It is a tiny little egg. I don't think it will make it but I am not going to touch it and will watch and see what happens. I will have to buy some nesting materials for the poor birdies. YIKES!

Weight Loss Inspiration

Cool. Here is a great slideshow I seen on MSN today about people that lost a lot of weight. This is exactly what I need to give me inspiration for my own weight loss.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25708021/

 

My New Years Resolution for 2009 is to lose weight and get healthy. This is my husband's resolution too. I hope we will be sucessful, we want to be in shape for the cruise we tentatively plan to take in 2010 (maybe even in 2009 if everything falls into place). We actually made a little mantra to help us - looking fine in 2009. Hahaha  We made this up earlier this year and wanted to be looking fine BY 2009 but due to my illness we were not able to get to the gym or work out like we would have liked. I am hoping that I will be healthy and hearty in 2009 and able to accomplish what I want.

 

We checked out the gym at my university last Saturday and intend to start going on a regular basis. The gym is free for me while I am enrolled at the university and inexpensive for my husband so we really need to take advantage of it. The gym has everything we should need or want and it is co-ed so we can work out together. I am actually thinking about getting a personal trainer for a bit too, just to help me formulate an exercise program. I set up my classes this semester so my husband and I can go in the morning before work and class and also I have time to go in-between classes to get in some extra work out or just sit in the hot tub. So I really have NO excuse.  I am determined!

 

 Some more inspiration. Gotta' love those pecs!

 

 

 

Another Christmas Over

I had a great Christmas but I am glad it is over. Now I can relax. I wrote the same thing last year too! That is the great thing about keeping a blog or diary - I can go back and see what I was thinking last year. Well I feel the same this year as last.

 

I hate to feel glad that Christmas is over but I am. It used to be my favorite time of year but now it is just a lot of work. Some aspects of Christmas are still fun but because of school, it has been harder for me to get all the decorations up (and that is one of my favorite things about the holidays. I love my Christmas ornaments and decor) and shopping done in time for the season. By the time I am out of school for break I just want to take to my bed for a few days and not have to worry about anything. Needless to say my Christmas spirit is out the window.

 

Christmas is bittersweet to say the least. For one thing I always think about my Grandparents, and Aunts and Uncles, who are no longer around to celebrate the season. For anyone who has lost someone special, you know how empty it can feel when someone is missing at Christmas. It just is never the same.

 

Here is another problem - sometimes I feel like such a hypocrite celebrating Christmas. I am not religious (to all my religious friends, I am spiritual, I believe in God and Jesus but I have my own set of beliefs that works for me) and I do not attend church so Christmas does not have a lot of meaning for me. It just seems like it is a very materialistic holiday anymore, you know "Gimme Gimme" or "I got this, this and that.... what did you get" I am just so over it all. Well I guess I should say I am torn; I like to see a lot of presents under the tree (and who doesn't like to get gifts) but at the same time the 'rampant' consumerism around this time of year really bugs me. I am sickened by it. What is the point, really? The whole guy getting trampled by shoppers trying to get into Walmart for the best deal really bothered me this year. It just illustrates how crazy and uncaring people have become. Christmas should not be all about the presents. To me the most important part of Christmas is getting together with friends and family, not getting the best deal or the most crap.

 

I am getting to be like my Dad. Whenever I ask him what he wants for Christmas he says "Nothing" or "Don't get me anything. I don't need anything" That is how I am beginning to feel as I get older. I got some awesome gifts from my husband throughout the year and I felt bad that he should spend a lot more money on me now, just because it is Christmas. My parents too - they have done a lot to help me and my brother over the years that I really don't want them to feel obligated to give me a gift at Christmas. My Mom always goes crazy at Christmas. She too likes to see a lot of presents under the tree. It just gets to be too much. I feel greedy making a list. Specially when all I really want is time - time to spend with family and friends.

 

I was trying to start some new traditions with my husband, friends, and the rest of my family but time has been an issue. I love going to places like Greenfield Village or Crossroads Village (old time places) for Christmas but I didn't have the time or energy this year. That is one of my favorite things to do for the holiday season. Another fun thing to do is to watch the Santa parade. There is one in my town every year. Last year I went, along with my stepson, sisters-in-law and their kids. We all came back to my house for hot chocolate after. That was fun. For some reason it didn't happen this year. I think everyone was just too busy (I know I was still up to my ears in papers to write). These are things I like - the old fashioned, simple ways of celebrating the holiday season. I will have to try harder next Christmas. I think I am going to start planning now so I can do the things that matter to me.

 

http://www.thehenryford.org/village/index.aspx

http://www.geneseecountyparks.org/christmas.htm

 

And every year I want to go check this out but I never get a chance, so maybe if I post the link I will see it for next year...

http://www.mainstreetholly.com/dickens/

 

 

My Christmas Celebrations

 

This year we kicked the holiday season off with my husband's work Christmas party. I felt guilty going because I had a ton of schoolwork to finish and I had to work super early the next morning. I didn't even go to my own work party because of schoolwork but I didn't want to let my husband down and blow off his work party too. After the company party, everyone got together to go bowling. That was fun even though I can't bowl worth a crap. Then we all went to a bar called the "Thrift City Bar" to sing karaoke. I wasn't expecting much from this bar but it ended up being a pretty good hang out and we all had a blast. We got the whole bar singing along to our karaoke songs (one was Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"). They also had some good cosmos at that bar too. I hope we can do that again.

 

Then, a couple of weeks later, my husband and I went to my stepson Jordan's Christmas band concert at his high school. I took my 5 year old nephew, Kenny, along to see my stepson play in the band. My nephew loves his cousin. Well anyway that was an adventure. My nephew, before the concert, kept asking "Where's Jordan?" I had to keep telling him he was getting ready to perform. I walked with him around the school to keep him occupied before the concert and told him to peek in the band room to see if he saw Jordan. He looked in and then shut the door real quick, embarrassed to be caught peeking. Luckily Jordan's band was up first. Kenny sat still for Jordan's performance but it was hard to keep him still through the rest of the concert - the choir's 5-6 songs and another band's 3 songs. He kept asking for Jordan (or is it over yet). I brought him a coloring book and crayons but he wasn't interested in that. Trying to be funny, I told him he should do a pretty ballet dance to the music and he said "That is stupid. Don't say that to me ever again!" Hahaha. He has a lot of attitude for a 5 year old. After the concert Lil' Kenny got to say hi to Jordan but was disappointed that Jordan couldn't come home with him and play. My husband and I took Lil' Kenny to the local restaurant (it has a bar too) where he got quite comfortable. We were talking to the owner, who is a friend of ours, and Lil' Kenny sits up next to the owner at the bar and asks for a beer! Then he was asking the owner about his wildlife and guns decorating the walls of the restaurant. Lil' Kenny wanted him to take the guns down so he could see them. Yikes, I think my little nephew is going to be trouble.

 

The Saturday before Christmas we went to my brother-in-law's house for our family Christmas. We were lucky to have my stepson with us. For a few days my husband and I thought that it might not happen because of a dispute with his ex-wife but stuff worked out for the holidays at least (I will have to write more about that another time - did I ever tell you what a piece of s... work that one is, with her games and shenanigans ). The party was fun and good to see everybody again. It seemed like it had been so long. My husband's family all live close by (except one brother) but we don't seem to get together as much as we used to. We always laugh our butts off when we get together and this Christmas was no exception. There is also always plenty of food. We left that party with our bellies sore from eating and laughing too much.  My sister-in-law made the best fudge and buckeyes ever. I am craving some right now. Luckily she emailed me the recipe and I am thinking about making some for New Years.

 

Then the next day we had to drive down to Toledo to my Uncle Joe's for another family Christmas. This time with my Dad's side of the family. I don't get to see them very often but I was very tired after driving almost 2 hours in the ice and wind. More good food and fun, although we did not stay very long this Christmas because of the drive back. I left with two big projects to work on for 2009: First my Uncle Tim says I have to get in shape to walk the Detroit marathon in October with him, my Dad, and my other Aunts and Uncles. The second project is that my husband and I have to make sure to have our house ready to host Christmas. It is supposed to be my Mom hosting the family in 2009 but she does not want to do it at her house because it is too much work. I am actually looking forward to hosting the family but I know it is going to be a challenge because I always have trouble getting everything ready while I am in school. I am going to have to start planning early and stay on top of things.

 

Christmas eve, my husband, stepson and I stayed home. I made one of our favorite dinners (and easy) - Chicken Parmesan.  My stepson spent Christmas eve watching old Saturday Night Live episodes and killing people.... on his video game. Haha.  I decorated the Christmas tree with a little help from my husband. I love decorating the Christmas tree, and the house to, although I only had time to decorate the tree. I actually have 3 little Christmas trees besides the big one. I have tubs and tubs of decorations but I never have enough time to get everything out. I always mean to start decorating in November but I can't ever seem to make it. I love my ornaments for the tree though. I have a lot and they are all very beautiful. Unwrapping the ornaments every year is like getting presents. Some I just like for their beauty and some have special meanings and memories for me.

 

Christmas morning we unwrapped our presents. My husband was disappointed because some of the presents he ordered for me and his son did not come in time. I felt bad for him but it did not bother me - it is always nice to get presents after Christmas too.  Then he was even more embarrassed because the big gift he had ordered for his son, the game Guitar Hero World Tour for playstation, was actually the wrong kind. It was for the Wii. I told my stepson maybe, if his Dad had any money left , we will have to buy a Wii now. They seem kind of interesting, but Lord knows my husband and I don't have time for any game systems (I waste enough time blogging and playing The Sims 2). I don't think my stepson is really interested in the Wii though. He was not upset about the mix-up either. He is a good kid. Haha, he was happy with his requisite socks and underwear for Christmas. He also went back to his mom's house Christmas morning so he knew he had more presents to open (and maybe a chance of getting that game there too). I got my husband a cool blue Ipod for Christmas. I was excited about that because he has been wanting a new one for a while now. He really likes it. I also made out for Christmas, even though I really didn't want anything in particular. Really the only thing I wanted was to do some book shopping and my husband came through bigtime on that. I also got a cool digital frame. My husband knows I love my pictures.

 

After my stepson left for his mom's, my husband and I went to my parent's house for breakfast and more presents. It is fun to watch my nephews open their gifts. It is a little crazy. Breakfast was really good. My Mom made biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs. Yummy! Then my husband and I went home to spend some quality time together . Then back to my parents for dinner and to watch my nephews bang up their new toys. Boy did my Mom make a lot of food. There was awesome prime rib, sauerkraut and kielbasa, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, salad, steamed veggie medley, cookies, cheesecake, jello and pecan pie. Yummy! but Yikes! We had to go back the next day to help clean up leftovers.

 

Too much food, too much fun. I am just now starting to recover from Christmas and the fall semester of school. So soon it will be New Years and then back to school time.

>

Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

or as my husband says "Merry Chrismahanakwanzika"

 

OMG! Part 2

I am so freakin' happy. I turned in the final draft of my big research paper for my Literary Analysis class on Friday. My prof gave me the best compliment when I let her read the almost finished paper last Monday. She said it was good - she was ready to put an A on it (except I had to make a conclusion and works cited page), that it was graduate quality work, I could use the paper for my graduate thesis, also that I should enter it in a writing contest currently being held and finally that my paper was good enough to be published in an academic journal. WOW. I just had to do a little finishing work on it and make a concluding paragraph.

Well after such a great compliment I kind of got scared to work on my paper - I was afraid I would mess it all up or something. I worked on it though and turned it in thinking that it was not the most brilliant conclusion I could have done but I finished it and could work on it more later. My prof emailed me today and gave me an even more awesome compliment than before. This is what she wrote me:

Brilliant.
Gorgeously constructed argument.
Sophisticated use of the text, other critics, and post-colonial theory.
Wow. Thank you so much for your persistence.
You should take great pride in this essay, put it in your portfolio for graduation, and keep it around if you need a writing sample for graduate school admissions.


I made comments and suggestions, but only because:

1. you really should submit this to one of the university's conferences
   
2. I'd like to use this to show future students how the finished product looks when all of these skills are brought together. (without your name, and only with your permission)
   

---------------------------------------------------------------

 I am so excited. Not only am I getting an A in the class (which was very challenging) but now I feel validated. I love writing, I have always loved writing but writing research papers (academic writing) always scared me. Now I know I can do it and kick ass at it. I was also worried about graduate school - do I have what it takes to make it through?... but this experience has shown me that I can do it.

Creativity

"Every creator painfully experiences the chasm between his inner vision and its ultimate expression."

 -

Isaac Bashevis Singer

Oh man, do I feel that quote. I often feel that when I write, either papers or in my blog. Sometimes words just aren't enough; or you don't have enough time.

Detroit

"We hope for better things; it will arise from the ashes."

 

Motor City's woes extend beyond auto industry

'All of Detroit is not going to hell'; can city avoid drumbeat of doom?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28327490/

This is an interesting article about Detroit, although the title is kind of a 'DUH' statement. The article doesn't have a lot of solutions on how to pull the city out of its downward spiral. The same stuff that is happening in Detroit is happening in Flint (city about 80 miles north of Detroit where I go to school). What can be done to save the cities? A whole lot of jobs would help but also people need to start visiting the downtown areas more. That will not happen until there are more businesses downtown, which won't happen until more people visit, live and work downtown. So where are the jobs going to come from? There are only so many jobs the medical field can offer, what else is there that pays well? Nothing much since our manufacturing is gone. This is a horrible situation that has been building for decades - Michigan (between both Detroit and Flint) is ground zero for this bad economy now. What can be done? What is going to pull Detroit and Flint from turning to rubble, what is going to save the U.S. economy?

Bizarre.....

 

"Bury me with my cell phone"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28182292//wid/11915829?GT1=40006

 

I find this article extremely interesting. My husband thinks that this is stupid - burying people with their cell phones. I think it is wierd but I am not sure that it is a bad idea. I think it may help people with their grief.

So I wonder....

There is this thing I have been wondering for a long time now... this has nothing to do with my friends in person or online so don't pay any mind to this dear friends.

 

So what I wonder is .... who is it that has been checking my msn space at least once, sometimes 3-4 times a day, Monday through Thursday? This has been going on for quite some time, since about last February (possibly before). Someone was checking my msn space like clockwork 3 times a day. So I put an IP tracker on it. I found out it is someone with a State of Michigan IP (Michigan State Governement IP) address. Now I wonder who that could be? Is it the governor of my great state of Michigan? I could only hope. Could it be someone who admires me and my writing? That would be wonderful but, I wish if that were the case, that they would send me a friend request. It could be someone who is just curious about me - that would be fine to, I guess, but 3 to 4 times a day most weekdays and sometimes on the weekend too (yeah, I know the home IP too - that isn't hard to figure out)? Huh?? Could it be someone who dislikes me and wants to use my writings against me? Could be, could be. I don't know, I just don't know. I was hoping this someone would learn some things but unfortunately I see that she has not .... but maybe if she keeps reading she will. She may even be back today, even though I know she has visited twice already today. Maybe around 3:30 or 4 I would bet. Oh yeah, she'll be back becuase she was just over checking my myspace. I wonder too, what is she looking for? I can make assumptions but they are only that...

 

Oh and in case you are wondering what your IP is you can check it here http://www.find-ip-address.org/ And, my special visitor (or stalker?) if you want me to confirm yours just email me.

 

And for my friends I will explain at a later date. 

Wrapping up

I am so excited. I only have one thing (my Lit paper which I am now afraid to work on; silly me I am afraid I am going to ruin it) to wrap up and then I am done with this semester. Then I can move on to wrapping up Christmas gifts, HaHa.

 

This semester was super hard (well it was a challenge for sure) for me. I took on too much (16 credits, 5 classes!) but it is all coming together. Well, accept for my math but you win some and you lose some. That is one major thing a lot of students have reminded me of this semester is that if at first you don't succeed try try again, and it will be alright. I couldn't concentrate on my math because I did about a novels worth of paper writing. When I get the time I am going to put all my papers together and add up the page count.

 

I am proud of myself because I completed my Psych research paper, which I got a 95% on. I have never done a paper for psych before and had barely done a research paper at all. Now I have that under my belt. I also am amazed at my Final test grade in Psych - I got a 96%. Woohoo! I didn't think I did that well on the test. And to top it all off, we had to do a presentation on our research (my group did colors effect on emotions) and me and my group got 5 points extra over and above the top grade because our presentation was so magnificent! I pulled of an A in research Psych so I am so happy.

 

I am getting an A in my Drama as Performance class. There was a ton of writing in that class, but most of it was fun except for our big project where I had to take apart a play and analyze it. I did mine on Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. That is a very complex play and of course I waited until the last minute to do the bulk of the work on it but I pulled it off. I ended up getting an A on the project. I still want to learn more about Williams too, I got really into the project and his work. I felt bad I couldn't give it more time. I can't believe I got an A (25 pts put of 25) on the last test in that class too; I didn't have enough time to study and didn't even study all the plays covered on the test. Wouldn't you know it, the majority of the test was about the play I didn't know but I decided to wing it and I succeeded. I padded my grade with about as much extra credit (extra opinion papers on plays we read and an extra performance critique) I could do but didn't really need it at the end. Oh well, I had fun writing and going to plays.

 

In my English grammar class I am .01% (I kid you not, my grade is an 89.99%) away from an A. I am hoping my prof bumps me up to an A but I am not sure. That class was challenging but the easiest of all my classes - no papers to write. I did really well in it too, except I messed up on one test so that brought my grade down. Dang verbs! hahahaha. I loved the professor for that class too; I am going to miss her. She is from the Netherlands and had really interesting stories. I hope she doesn't forget me because I am going to take another one of her classes.

 

Now I am just waiting to see what my grade for my Literary Analysis class is going to be. I think I did really well on the final although I was mad when I took it. The prof told us there would be no essay questions on the test and there was 2. How is she going to lie like that? haha And the test was a 2 parter. I came in and she hands me the first part and says "Here is part one" I was like "HUH? Part one?" Yeah there was another part. Part one was the essay questions and close reading part. Also she gave us 11 pieces of narrative from the literature we read in class and we had to write both the title of the piece and the author. I aced that, whizzed right on through but those darn essays! I think I did pretty good though. You know by that point I was sick of writing. Then part two was multiple choice. I think I did pretty good there too, although there were a few questions I was iffy on. So now all I have to do is wrap up my research paper. I have one paragraph and a closing to do, and like I said, now I am afraid to work on it. I am afraid I can't wrap it up correctly and I will ruin it. I am so silly.

 

All and all I am proud of myself and I feel like I did good . It was my first semester at a new school and I was worried it was going to be 10 times harder than my old school. It wasn't really harder, I think I just put put a lot more on myself - had higher expectations of what I could accomplish. I pulled almost every thing off I set out to do and I learned a lot. I am not scared (not too much anyway) that I am going to really mess up like I was at the beginning of the semester. I know I can meet the challenges of the next semester.

 

Now if I can only meet the challenges of Christmas.

 

 

Interesting Article

This is a an interesting 'teaser' article. It covers a lot of issues but does not go in depth enough about them so it raises more questions than it answers. It is good that they have an article about how custody is changing in America (albeit ever so slowly) and that touches on the concerns of fathers.

 

Not Your Dad's Divorce

http://www.newsweek.com/id/174790/page/1

OMG!OMG!OMG!

I am so excited, it is like a dream come true. I have been working on a research paper for my Lit class. It is on Waiting for the Barabrians by J.M. Coetzee. So I have been talking to my professor about it because it is a big project, and I have been overwhelmed with it and everything else. I showed her my almost completed paper today. She read it while I waited. I didn't think she liked it because she wasn't saying anything. When she finished reading it she said "This is good. Really good, do you see it?" She just gave me a few pointers but said she is ready to put an A on it. That is not the best part though - she says I should submit to a writing contest that is going on right now, and she also said I should shop it around for publication!!! WOW! It's that good?? She doesn't know what publications are out there for undergraduates but she said it is good and I have something in my paper above the ordinary. I am so exicted. It would be amazing if I could win a prize in a writing contest or get my work published before I even have my bachelors! Even to have a shot, and to have someone say that about my writing makes me feel out of this world.

Demoralizing...

 

from Dictionary.com:

 

de⋅mor⋅al⋅ize

verb

1.	to deprive (a person or persons) of spirit, courage, discipline, etc.; destroy the morale of: The continuous barrage demoralized the infantry.

2.	to throw (a person) into disorder or confusion; bewilder: We were so demoralized by that one wrong turn that we were lost for hours.

3.	to corrupt or undermine the morals of.

 

1.	corrupt morally or by intemperance or sensuality; "debauch the young people with wine and women"; "Socrates was accused of corrupting young men"; "Do school counselors subvert young children?"; "corrupt the morals"
2.	lower someone's spirits; make downhearted; "These news depressed her"; "The bad state of her child's health demoralizes her" [syn: depress] [ant: elate]
3.	confuse or put into disorder; "the boss's behavior demoralized everyone in the office"

 

The demoralizing example of profligate power and prosperous crime. --Walsh.

 

 

Now I understand what that means.

 

 

Black Friday: Is that what Christmas is all about??

http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/index.ssf/2008/11/rush_is_on_genesee_county_shop.html

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27962382/

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27996349/?GT1=43001

Liar, Liar Pants on Fire!

Haven't written a blog in a while...

Actually it is 12/10/08

 

I have been slacking. Well, no, not really. I have been very very busy with schoolwork and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I tried to get on here and blog but somehow my posts got messed up so the night that it happened I just said forget about it and went to bed. Now I am back for a little while and will blog what I wanted to say a week ago. Haha.

 

I have been a writing fool lately. I am excited though because today I just finished a huge play analysis for my Theatre class. It must be like 15 pages long. I did it on Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire. It is an interesting play and an even more interesting author but man was this project not fun. I had to chart out the scenes and the action in the play. I had to write an essay on the author and another essay on my impressions of the play among a few other things. I am glad it is over although I want to learn a lot more about Tennessee Williams. What I learned about him only scratched the surface and like I said he was really interesting and he was a great writer.

 

I also had to do a research paper for Psych. We conducted an experiment a few weeks ago about how (or if) color effects emotions and we had to incorporate our research into an APA paper. That was also a lot of work - 12 to 13 pages worth. Truth to tell I haven't done too many research papers and I had not done one for psych ever. I was stressed out bigtime but I did fabulous. I submitted a rough draft Monday and I got 50 points out 50pts. I got my paper back today and the prof wrote "Great job"  on it. I had a few little things to fix and now I am good to go. I am so happy it didn't need major revision. Not bad for my first Psych research paper.

 

Now all I have to do is work on my 4-6 page paper for Literary Analysis. I have to do a research paper on Waiting for the Barbarians. My paper is colonial/post-colonial analysis on how the author uses the main character's penis to represent Empire - it is a book about an unknown colony (could be anywhere but the author is from South Afirca) an how the main character who is a magistrate feels for the native peoples 'the barbarians' of the colonized lands and has a relationship with a girl who was tortured in the name of Empire. It is very interesting but extremely complex. I am having trouble reigning in my ideas. I have about 3 pages written but I was not happy with it so I went to my prof and we talked about it. She said I made my argument but I have to organize my paper better. Luckily she gave me some extra time to work on the paper so I could get all the other crap out of the way I needed to do, namely the 2 aforementioned papers. So yeah I am all about writing these days.

 

I have some awesome professors - they are so helpful, they care about how their students are doing, and they are not opposed to telling you when you do a good job. I got some lovely compliments this past week. On my way into the English dept with my Literary Analysis prof I saw my Engish prof (I absolutely love her). She said to my Lit prof, "Oh you have her as a student too, isn't she awesome." That made me feel wonderful, such a nice compliment and in front of another professor too! Talk me up, I hope to make a (a positive ) name for myself at UofM - Flint. Then today when I handed over my project to my Theatre prof she said "Jackie you are a good student." I didn't know what to say. I have done a lot of writing for her class and most of it has been fun and easy - opinion papers mostly, plus two peformance critiques I posted below in another blog entry (which I used for extra credit in another class, hehe). I always get A's (full point value) and nice compliments on my papers so I think she likes my writing. I like writing too, especially when I complete a paper or project but it can get overwhelming.

 

It is exam time at school. I just have a couple more exams (the hardest) on Monday and then I am done. I can't wait although I am going to miss my professors. I may see the English prof again - she wants me to take a Linguistics class she teaches. I already have my classes set for next semester so I will have to take it next fall or something.

 

I haven't been doing much of anything else, just school, work, homework, school, work and back around again. I am ready to cut loose and party!! hahaha, I was so envious of the people that went out the night before Thanksgiving and partied. That is the biggest bar night of the year. Not for me though. I had to stay home and work on schoolwork. I had a nice Thanksgiving though.

 

Wow, wow, this is all about school. I read a study that students who write about adjusting to college do better (GPA +) than those who do not. I always felt that writing about my experiences in school helped me, even though I am not 'adjusting' or just starting at college (but I am adjusting to a new school). I wish I could find the time to write more. There is a ton of stuff I want to write about, even stuff besides school. Especially stuff besides school, but I have to get through this semester first. Then I will have time to relax a little an maybe do a few interesting and fun things.

 

By the way, I hate what they have done to Spaces. It is harder to navigate. Why the changes??

 

Recession, Depression

 

and one I like about the American auto company crisis/bailout ....

 

Talking about Broken heart death - is it true?

  Wow! This is very sad - read the story about the dolphin Mary G. It breaks my heart.

Quote

Broken heart death - is it true

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1403428.ece

Two Plays

I saw two plays this week-end. Both were interesting but one was painful and the other was about mythology, which I am not into. Currently writing papers on them.  Critiques added 12/10/08

 

How I Learned to Drive

http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/entertainment/index.ssf/2008/11/how_i_learned_to_drive_navigat.html

Very disturbing molestation scene at the end of this play. Words are not enough to describe.

 

 Metamorphoses

http://www.mlive.com/flintjournal/entertainment/index.ssf/2008/11/uniquely_set_metamorphoses_a_w.html

Beautiful set - the pool was very cool.

 

How I Learned to Drive

            On Saturday, November 22^nd my husband and I went to The University Theatre in Flint and saw the play How I Learned to Drive by Paula Vogel. Unfortunately we arrived late, after the play had already started. I was sorry to be late because I had just read the play and really wanted to see it performed. We were not too late though; I believe we only missed about the first five minutes. I was worried about my husband understanding the play, specially since we missed a bit, because he had not read it.

            How I Learned to Drive is a weird play. It is not a traditional play where the action starts at one point and time moves chronologically forward. The play, a story about an adolescent girl, Li’l Bit who was sexually molested by her uncle, jumps around in time. I guess it is a story told in flashbacks. It works well though because the last scene of the play is shocking – it is when the girl is first molested by her uncle. In this production of the play there were two versions of the character Li’l Bit - an older, grown up Li’l Bit, who basically functions as the narrator and the younger Li’l Bit, who is always in the ‘past’ – she speaks and acts as the adolescent character in her ‘present’ circumstances as the older version tells the story looking on from the present or the young Li’l Bit’s future self.

The other characters in the play were Uncle Peck, the molester and Lil’s Bits family, a few high school girls, and a waiter. In the script of the play all the family and other small parts were to be played by three Greek Choruses. In this production there were single actors portraying each part, although some actors took on two roles. I like that there was just one actor instead of a chorus representing a character. This made the play more traditional and easier to follow. It also made the characters more real.

Although the action of play takes place in many different settings (a car, a kitchen, a bedroom, a dorm room, a hotel room, a restaurant, a school locker room), there were no set changes in this production of the play. The set was laid out in three distinct areas – a kitchen on one side, a bedroom in the middle, and a restaurant scene set up off to the other side. There was a bench set up downstage, close to the audience that was used for the car. Each area was spotlighted when the action was taking place in them, leaving unused areas in the dark. I thought this was ingenious way to set up the play and use of the stage. That way a few basic set-ups were used many different ways. Places like a locker room were just imagined.

Overall, I really liked the play. My husband thought it was a little strange because of the subject and the non-traditional time order of the play. The acting was good, specially the actor who played Uncle Peck. Bart Allen Burger did a good job of making Uncle Peck likeable yet damaged too. I guess he has charisma. He did a great southern accent too. The last scene of the play, when Li’l bit is molested for the first time was horrible as it should be. I mean that it was totally believable and cringe worthy to watch. I felt like I was being molested. Uncle Peck was touching her breasts and I felt like I was in Li’l Bit’s place trying to fend his hands off my breasts. I had to shut my eyes. I did like the play but I couldn’t wait to get out of there at the end. It was nice that older Li’l Bit’s monologue was a little humorous at the end of the play – it lightened the mood and gave the audience a chance to laugh after a horrifying scene. It gave hope- everything is going to be all right.

 

 

 Metamorphoses

            My husband and I saw the play Metamorphoses at The University Theatre, University of Michigan – Flint on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at 2pm. We had never seen a production of Metamorphoses before nor read the play so we did not really know what to expect. I read the synopsis of the play in the program and understood it to be about mythology. I am not a big fan of mythology – not sure why but it kind of bores me, it has never been my cup of tea. Still, I looked forward to seeing the performance because I had heard that the play was performed in a pool of water and that seemed interesting. I hoped for the best – that the play would interest me and I could come up with something to write about.

            My husband and I arrived early at the theatre and had time to look at all the beautiful photographs of the actors in the production. The photographs were taken by Lake Fenton high school students for a new project in conjunction with the University Theatre and Dance Department. I thought this was a great idea to get younger kids involved with the different aspects of the theatre, the arts and the community.

The play itself got off to a late start.  One of the actors had been in a car accident the day before, so she had to be replaced by her understudy, which called for some extra rehearsing. I couldn’t wait for the play to get started or at least get into my seat so I could study the set – I was intrigued by the pool of water I had heard about. Finally, at about 2:20 the house was opened and we were shown to our seat. The set was beautiful but sparse. There was a pool which took up most of the thrust stage. Behind the pool were tall columns (six, I believe), and behind the columns were arches. The columns, arches and stage (tiles) surrounding the pool all looked like a lovely, peachy marble. I really liked the set – it set the tone (the columns especially) for getting ready to see a mythological play. For who can see columns and not think of the Greeks or Romans and mythology? The music that was played prior to the opening of the show was whimsical classical music and that too set the tone. I thought that this might turn out all right – I might end up enjoying myself. At the very least the play would be interesting.

The play was made up of about 10 scenes or vignettes from Greek and Roman myths. I recognized some of the myths from childhood. Most of the myths were sad and had dark themes of death and loss, such as King Midas turning his daughter to gold, a woman losing her husband at sea (this scene was poorly acted), a man eaten up by hunger (I did not like the character Hunger in this scene - I think this may have been poorly cast), and a husband trying to get his wife back from the underworld. In between some of the vignettes were bits of silliness, put in to lighten the mood. There was a brief scene of Narcissus and also a cute little scene of Pandora’s box but these myths were just a brief suggestion using visual and auditory gags – no story was explained here.

In my opinion, which I admit may be skewed because I am not fond of mythology, I did not think the myths were very good – they did not seem to go into depth or were not dramatic enough. This play was mythology ‘lite’ that did not quite succeed. Something did not ring true with the stories and I am not sure if it was the acting or the writing/script of the play. I think it may have been both but mostly the writing. It did not pull me in. The silly bits between the vignettes, while they were cute, were not funny enough to really make me laugh out loud. The whole play was just mildly entertaining to me (mainly because of the set and lighting) and not at all because of the acting, directing, or the play itself. The play mixed modern music, sensibilities, and props (such as an oddly out of place pool net) with the old. This did not work for me, and while a little amusing at times, seemed out of place. There was one vignette I did like, the story of Pomona and Vertumnus (A god loves the goddess of gardens orchards who turns her back on Aphrodite and love, and ignores Vertumnus until he disguises himself as an old woman). I liked that mainly because of the silliness of the situation, the cuteness of it, and the actors were very good in these roles. I did not like the fact that this story was interrupted for the rather disturbing story of Myrrha (a girl who turns her back on the goddess of love and sleeps with her father). It seemed the story of Pomona and Vertumnus was cut short for this dark myth, which did not seem to be explained in full either. Most of the stories were too dark to be lighter fare and ended up being disjointed and watered down. The stories that were truly ‘lite’ were not developed enough within the play to really entertain.

The aspect of the play that really drew me in, and I have already talked about a little, was the set and the lighting. I loved the columns, arches, and of course the pool. I liked the color of the set, a peachy marble look. I loved the pool and the idea of doing a play in the water. I would have loved to have worked on this play (specially when I was younger and practically lived in the pool all during the summer months, inventing games and activities for water play). Performing in the water looked like a lot of fun. This is something you don’t see in the theatre everyday. The lighting was beautiful too, with different backlighting used for the different vignettes. There was lovely lighting used after the story of Pomona and Vertumnus concluded; it was a dappled lighting that made the effect of being in a forest. I also liked it when the set was only minimally lighted. You could just make out the contrast of the architectural details and the actors against the low lighted background. In the end scenes, a reflective mood was set with the use of candles held by the actors. The candles were floated in the pool at the end, which made the set magical and romantic.

Overall, I am sorry to say that I did not enjoy the play Metamorphoses, nor did my husband. I think this is mainly because we are not into mythology but personally, I don’t think the play was well written or put together. Most of the stories were too heavy, strange, and tragic to be made light of or it was not done successfully here. I don’t think it was the fault of the actors or director, I think it was the fault of the playwright/script or even the subject matter. Although I loved the set and lighting and found them interesting,  I walked away from the theater dissatisfied. There was no substance, and I did not feel really entertained. I did not get a nice meaty story to take with me and ponder on later nor was I happy with the memory of laughter of the funniness of the play. Oh well – at least I didn’t leave with a headache.

 

 

 

                                                                                               

Paranoia

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27678810/wid/11915773?gt1=31037