Archive for the 'college' Category
June 16th, 2010 -- Posted in college, culture, life, mental health, photography, school, utah |
Anyone who knows me well can tell you that, after many flailing attempts at routine, I have given up and settled comfortably into an unsettled state of chaos.
If it weren’t for constantly setting reminders for myself, some fairly important things would be forgotten and left festering to screw up untold future conditions. Kind of like the past 20 years of my life, before the incorporation of cell phones and their portable tiny calendars with their pleasant little alarms that gently shock me back into the present when I’d been enjoying watching the wind in the grass or something.
Still, there is no set bedtime, waking time, meal time, or any designated space on the clock in my life. Things happen when they happen. I generally wake up between 5 and 7. I eat when I’m hungry. I sleep when I’m tired. I study when I pick up a book. I make phone calls and such when my phone plays a pleasant little “DING!” and a message pops up that says “Call the damn (whatever).”
Few people in our society could tolerate this lackadaisical response to daily life, I know. I got lucky with Matt, who is pretty much the same way. Work depends on how much work there is at work. Band practice happens when everyone can get together. Everything else…. meh. Of course, having little time- conceived structure in our lives hasn’t made life any less demanding. We just choose not to stress it, as much as we can. Stress causes bad things to happen.
Our friends truly envy our relationship- hell, we’ve been together five years (married three as of next month) and we still cuddle like turtle- doves and enjoy every moment. That isn’t to say we haven’t endured our rough patches, a couple of which I wondered if we would survive. But once we understand what’s really causing the problem- usually stress from outside sources- it’s pretty easy to find each other again in spite of our differences.
Matt has been keeping my foot wrapped in an ancient ace bandage that appears to be doing the trick. It doesn’t hurt so much anymore, as long as I avoid certain yoga poses and remember to take my supplements, and as long as he kisses it every time he re- wraps it. I know, I’m a sentimental nut. But I think it does make a difference…
Back to my Pablo Neruda and berry smoothie and Spanish grammar. I’ve got five days left of this term, and time is catching up with me…
May 19th, 2010 -- Posted in college, culture, kids, life, photography, school, utah |
No me gusta idear títulos. Takes up way too much time.
It’s been an eventful week. Obviously I have school and lots of homework (which I’ll get to as soon as I’m done with this, I swear), then we’ve had old friends and new dropping in, working out four days per week (me, anyway), and a photo shoot and… other stuff. Laundry. Weather. Lots of weather. You know, other stuff.
There are some serious highlights, though- Matt’s band, the Delphi Quorum, had their second (and much bigger and better) show, and it was recorded for Comcast. I was really worried at first, but the more they practiced (of course) the better they got. Now I think they have some real potential. They’re creating their own genre with a theramin, hand drums, bass guitar, a violin, a banjo- and there was an autoharp but it turned up missing. Glenn (a.k.a. Judas- bass, banjo, harps of sorts) was really upset until I told him I’d seen a lap harp of some kind at a thrift store. He went and picked it up for thirty bucks, and it turned out to be a very rare instrument- a tremoloa. I don’t have pictures of it yet, but I will…
For now, here are some pics from the show:
Matt on (my) djembe
Judas (Glenn) on bass for a minute
Angela on violin
Glenn has always gone by the nickname Judas. He was actually a model for a famous painting of the Last Supper that has won several awards, as Judas. Look! I found it online! That’s him, on the far left- and yes it’s a perfect image of Glenn.
Interestingly enough, when I was studying and visiting the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, I couldn’t help but notice… okay. Judas (Glenn) has always loved black and white striped things and painting himself to look mime- ish. In Tarahumara culture, their hybrid Catholicism/ Native religion has an Easter theme of Jesus and Judas as brothers embroiled in rivalry. In their ceremonies, Judas and his minions are painted… black and white striped.
Our own Judas was clueless about this until I showed him the pictures, then he thought it was pretty cool.
Trippy.
Anyway, me and Blue and her kids and a couple of mine did a photo shoot on Saturday. Unfortunately, I had no idea Mekare was coming until she was getting in the car, and unlike most everyone else, she did not dress up. So we got kind of a princesses- and- the hobo thing going on:
Arielle is an interesting person to photograph. Here’s the difference between Friday:
And Saturday:
(That’s her boyfriend, who happens to be Blue’s son.)
Here are my other favorite shots of the day:
Sensitive eyes may want to look away now- you see, we kill Blue in every photo shoot. It’s usually her idea. Usually. This time, it was definitely her idea- and a brilliant one:
Ahem.
Finally, my friend Ian from high school whom I haven’t seen in 18 years just happened to be traveling through, and stopped in. He picked a great night for it. We has some company over, including a native Philippine girl who made some traditional stuffed talapia. I’d found some gigantic campfire marshmallows (I called them “Deathmallows” -it caught on fast) that we roasted over the fire, and had a drum and didgeridoo circle. All had a great time.
On a sad note, Matt and I had to cancel our planned trip to Zion National Park because we’re simply too broke to get there. But, at least I’ll have more time for homework…
~sigh~
April 17th, 2010 -- Posted in college, culture, kids, photography, school |
I just rolled in from the airport and I feel like my brains are squished into the back of my head. I need a nap. A long, memory- foam enhanced dream of a place where the air smells like cooking corn tortillas and sagebrush, the morning doves coo, distant laughter echoes off adobe walls, and accomplished nerds come in droves to share their immense knowledge and excellent beer with me.
No, I wasn’t quite done with Albuquerque when I had to go. I’m a little sad. Especially since we flew into Salt Lake and I wondered why, while they had announced clear conditions over the intercom, it still seemed overcast. Then it occurred to me- the sky is brown in SLC.
I won’t be done with editing Albuquerque pictures for a while as I have three papers to write, a test to study for, and some serious napping to dedicate myself to. But here are a few from the week so far:
ABQ botanical gardens
Display at Church Street Cafe in Old Town Albuquerque- go visit and tell Tony “Hi” for me. Oh, and the food is great.
My little niece at the children’s garden
..and my feet, of course, with some tree blossom petals that I swear were just like that when I got there.
Nap time.
March 10th, 2010 -- Posted in college, culture, life, mental health, photography, school, utah |
It’s been a little more exciting. I can finally see the clouds break and sense that the doldrums of winter might soon be over. Signs of a new season are everywhere- little flower buds, a few blooming bulbs, rain more often than snow…
zits… lots of zits. My skin never knows what the hell to do when the weather starts changing, so it gives up and breaks out. Ick.
And it seems I have some opportunities. First, Matt and I are taking our annual not- exactly- valentines trip over spring break. Then, of course, there’s my belly dance concert the week after next. I’ll be attending the Paleopathology Association Annual meeting next month, which just happens to be in the town where my parents, sister, nieces, nephew, and some aunts and uncles and cousins live.
This summer, if the Peace and Justice Studies (one of my minors) folks get funding, I might go to Haiti.
Next year, if I’m very good and keep my grades up, it looks like I’ll get to do some excavating at an archeological site in Peru.
Yes, it sounds like fun and interesting and exciting, etc. I just hope I can handle all this.
I’d better get ready to go- we’re drilling our dance routine like crazy tonight. I’m a little under the weather so I hope all the spins and such don’t make me too dizzy, and I’ll try not to breathe on the other girls…
March 2nd, 2010 -- Posted in college, culture, life, photography, school, utah |
“It’s illegal? Are you serious?! …Is it good with honey?” -girl in my class on a person (whom I will not name) drinking Coca tea smuggled from South America- which, by the way, is not psychoactive and is not cocaine but yes, it is still illegal thanks to people using it to MAKE cocaine).
Drunk guy at the bar trying to hit on me: “You’ve got hair like Crystal Gayle! Why, I’ve always liked Crystal Gayle!”
His friend: “I thought you liked crystal Meth.”
(Scary thing is, he didn’t deny it.)
“Whoa- this is SO much better than whatever the hell Raphael had on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!” -Melissa, upon examining my six- edged knife- and yes, I know how to use it, though I’d prefer not to have to.
(annoyed groan) “You need to know your Alice before you see whatever weird crap Tim Burton has done with it!” -Dr. M. Jefferys, trying to get the class to think critically about literature
“That’s what everyone says- after they laugh.” Jeff, responding to M. Minch’s comment that he looked “handsome all the same” after his haircut
“If you want to turn this into a drinking game: every time we change meter, drink.” -Sax player for First Press, a great instrumental band out of Salt Lake. And if I’d been able to play their drinking game that night, I would have been wasted.
The news: I will be performing at the Covey Center for the Arts in Provo on March 24th with dozens of other belly dancers. My class of 6 girls will be on stage for 3.5 minutes, and I’ll be in the front facing the audience for at least half of it. Am I scared? YES!!!
February 25th, 2010 -- Posted in animals, college, culture, kids, life, photography, school, utah |
“I think you can tell a lot about people from the hors d’oeuvres, she said. I nodded & hid my Vienna sausage in a big plant in the hall & avoided her for the rest of the evening.” -my wonderful, witty friend Dana
“So.. are you going for a UVU or Euro- centric Jesus look?” -some guy in my Peace and Justice Studies class, on Jeff’s famous Jesus look. Really. He looks like Jesus- only happy. Except that he just chopped off his Jesus hair so he would appear less intimidating to conservatives he’s working with.
“You have done well, my minion.” -Ana, to Arielle, who’d just brought her a drink
“So you’re saying, the term “Eat Shit and Die” came from the ancient Peruvians in Nasca?” -my friend Ryan in my Bioarchaeology class, on the war- related practice of shrinking the heads of enemies and the discovery of fossilized ancient poo in the mouth of one of the shrunken heads
“I DO like it! It just felt weird at first!” -Bobbi, in my belly dance class, commenting on a choreography sequence- prompting my very first “That’s what she said.”
“Sorry for driving too close to your front bumper…” -homemade sign on the back of a truck at the post office
“Why do I get coffee? It only makes me jittery and AWESOME. But only awesome for about ten minutes, and then I’m back to being jittery. Does it help me write papers and articles? Not really. Does it help me update my status? Obviously. You guys are angels. Angels among men and other angels. You are also all beautiful. I can’t blink.” -my wonderfully creative friend Meg
February 7th, 2010 -- Posted in animals, college, culture, kids, life, mental health, photography, school, utah |
Notes to Self: How to Study While Insane
MAKE COFFEE. Medium latte with a spoon of honey. Eat a waffle and an orange or something.
Get online. Check email and facebook crap, read the news. Close all but two tabs.
Go to dictionary.com on one tab, Pandora Radio with the other. Click on the Paris Combo list on Pandora.
Open reading in separate window, open Word in another for note- taking. Refer to dictionary.com whenever a word comes up that you haven’t heard in use since Gross Anatomy eight years ago, as Dictionary.com is counterintuitively better than www.medical-dictionary-online.com.
Click (control)+ a few times so you can lean back in a comfortable, if chiropractically ill- advised, position in your chair (usually in a half- fetal position wrapped in a blanket or four) and still read the font.
Ocassionaly get up to add ginger and orange peel or whatever to beef stir fry stuff in the crock pot, make small talk with wanderers stopping in to use the wi- fi or game with Matt, answer munchkin questions, usurp the bathroom.
Combination of caffiene, smooth jazz, and brain occupaion help create perfect intercranial atmosphere for the ignoring of vaccuuming, arguing, three- way discussions in the other room, people borrowing and replacing and tossing things onto my desk, company roaming in and out, people asking questions.
WARNING: COFFEE BEGINS TO WEAR OFF AFTER 2-3 HOURS. Mood gradually changes from floaty- comfortable concentration to hungry- and- need- and- creative- outlet distractability. People begin to flee perfect boring environment, causing changes in overall ambiance.
Solution: lukewarm Mango Ceylon tea. Too hot and your brain goes fuzzy, too cold and the effects are nullified.
Eat something. Chips and salsa. Tabbouleh. Squash. Pozole. SOMEthing.
Change Pandora playlist from Paris Combo to Solace.
Open Irfanview and edit photos in another window if brain wanders.
If it wanders too much, take a shower or a bath and do spa stuff and go over belly dance routine.
Caveat: IF IT IS SUNNY, YOU CANNOT STAY INSIDE. If you try, you’ll just end up staring longingly out the window. Take a walk somewhere and take pictures, or you will NOT be able to concentrate for shit. If it is not sunny out close the study off, clear the floor, and dance.
Late afternoon is too exhausting and distracting to study. Usually. Eat something and listen to Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! on NPR or watch the Flogging Molly “Float” video again. Once refreshed, study can begin anew.
As a general rule, sensing that you are relaxed brings everyone back into the sphere to ruin the mood. Return to reading. Go to Pandora, click on Trivium playlist.
People flee. Continue enjoying Trivium, Slayer, et al., or click Type O and Tool playlist depending on mood. Return to reading and note- taking. If attention is still wandering, switch to other reading assignments.
Practice Arabic. Go over phrases and words six or seven times, write each version of each character five times while repeating sound. Practice writing your name.
Eat a meal of some sort. Drink a giant glass of water or ice tea and take vitamins.
Play some Loreena McKennit to relax while reviewing notes. Check the time. If it’s after 10 p.m. on a school night, close out of everything and begin tooth- brushing, face- cleansing, tracking- down- person(s)- responsible- for- disappearance- of- dental- floss ritual.
Get shit ready for morning. Load backpack. Find some kind of food that can travel and doesn’t mind being smashed. Make sure phone is charged. Double- check assignments due. DON’T FORGET THE YOGA MAT.
Grab Palaeoepidepiology book and headphones and get in bed. Doze off trying to make sense of tables.
This SHOULD get you ready for tomorrow’s discussions, notes, etc. Unless you forgot to do laundry, eat, stay hydrated, take your B vitamins and calcium, or shower. Then you’ll be too distracted to think straight and possibly make an ass of yourself. Best thing to do under these circumstances is keep your damn mouth shut.
This concludes today’s episode of Notes to Self. Stay tuned for How to Deal with Whiny Bitches Without Screaming. If you remember to write it.
January 29th, 2010 -- Posted in archaeology, college, culture, kids, life, school, utah |
Apparently while I was at school yesterday, an unauthorized person was granted access to my computer. When I got home, I was informed that something was wrong with it.
So this unauthorized person used Internet Explorer instead of Mozilla, and “accidentally” downloaded some malware.
While we have some major problems worked out (I can SEE my SCREEN now!!), others are still driving me nuts. For example, uploading pictures, in most cases, just doesn’t work.
Let’s see if Wordpress will work…
Nope. Errors. DAMMIT. And I even got an awesome shot of the full moon tonight…
Well, if you’re awake right now, I guess you’ll just have to look out the window.
So I’m sipping some crappy box Merlot and thinking I might get into the liquor since I was supposed to be at band practice with the Quorum (HA! that makes me laugh) and getting a consultation at a tattoo place, but band practice was canceled because the guy with the effects tech equipment couldn’t make it, and since we’re not going to be up that way, we’ll have to do the consultation another time.
Meh, I’m in no hurry.
Maybe I’ll just curl up with my Bioarch book and a second glass of what I’m only tentatively referring to as ‘wine’ because my brain is too tired at the moment to manufacture a decent insult for it.
In the meantime, here are some quotes from the last couple of weeks:
“So, you’re saying it’s like a promise that there is cake, somewhere under the icing?” – Prof. Mark Jefferys, Biology of Religion/ Evolution of Storytelling class, on what is meant by “based on a true story”
“(What might result is) a child with a massive thyroid who glows in the dark.” -Dr. Haagen Klaus, Bioarchaeology, on how many roentgenograms (or was it MRI’s?) it might take to verify certain things about the growth patterns of subadult skeletons
“I wish I had a loop pedal. I could have fun playing with myself for a change… I mean, someone would actually be following me! Because it’s ME!” Angela, violin player
Arielle: “This is, like, an evolutionary error.”
Me (imitating Arielle’s oft- heard insult voice): “You’re an evolutionary error!”
Arielle: “Yeah! I’m YOUR evolutionary error!!”
…And this is where I applauded Arielle on her very first decent comeback.
Matt’s gone to visit friends. Tomorrow he’s going to a friend’s house where someone lives who I cannot bloody stand, but that’s okay because I’ve been invited to the hookah bar with a couple of the belly dance girls. Sounds like fun to me… I hope they don’t mind if I wander off for a bit. Maybe I should forewarn them about my wandering isolationist tendencies.
Oh- I’ll be performing on stage at the Covey Center for the Arts with Gypsy Tapestry Belly Dance Concert on, um… well, in the first two weeks of March. We’re not sure of the date yet, but I’ll keep you posted…
January 25th, 2010 -- Posted in acupuncture, archaeology, band, college, culture, didgeridoo, drums, education, family, music, photography, psychology, utah, writing |
If my life gets any more interesting, I’ll be a great case study soon. But until then, I’m rather enjoying the oddness.
First, I’ve found out that my intermediate belly dance class will be performing in the first two weeks of March. The choreography is awesome, and the music is everything I’d hoped for. It starts out sounding really tribal, then this heavy bass kicks in… hell yeah. My teacher Natalie is a sweetheart AND a good teacher. Very patient.
Then, there’s the explanation for this picture:
(That’s me in my funny hat on the djembe and Matt on didgeridoo, Angela on violin, Glen on djembe/ banjo, and that one guy I just met on doumbek and effects pedals. No, the drum set wasn’t played and I have no idea what the skillet is for.) Matt and I were asked if we wanted to perform with our friend’s band, Delphi Quorum, on Feb. 5. Sure, why not, an excuse to play music is an excuse to play music. This is an…. interesting musical experiment- some guy is using effects pedals (including a loop) on some odd sounding vocals and Matt’s didgeridoo. Then there’s a few djembes (including mine) and my Remo klong yaw that Matt is pretty good at using as a “talking drum” because it’s so out of tune.. I guess you have to hear it and know a little about tuning drums to understand why. But anyway, there’s a banjo and a violin as well. Yeah. Experimental. It’s fun, but I’m sure plenty of folks might see it is strange or just plain creepy.
So, I was at my acupuncture appointment getting jabbed when for some reason, in a conversation between me and Brent and Allie, it was mentioned that Brent knows an Incan Shaman. I’m about to start writing a research paper on medicines and hallucinogens in the ancient Andes, so it seemed quite serendipitous. He hasn’t seen her for a bit but says he’ll look her up for me. Meanwhile, I’m also doing a research paper on NAGPRA, and Ana just revealed to me that her best friend’s father is a Lakota Shaman. Perfect. And weird. But cool… I’ll be attempting to set up some interviews soon.
Meanwhile…
I’ll be doing a photo shoot this Sunday with a few models. It will hopefully involve a collection of antique tools, really colorful clothing, railroad tracks, possibly a raccoon skin coat, and a crumbling silo. Sounds like fun to me.
If you’re not calling your favorite legal drug dealer (i.e. psychiatrist) for some Prozac on my behalf yet, it’s only because you know me well enough. I guess. Thanks.
I’m making some Pozole and hoping the damn hominy is done before the cornbread is. I need to get to sleep soon… long day tomorrow…
Oh, yeah. The top picture is my friend and tattoo artist Randal, playing a variation of chess invented by our friend Kurray and some other guys. Possibly including Randal. Matt helped make the board a couple years ago. The board they’re playing on has elevated squares in a roughly pyramid shape, and the corners are decorated each with tropical island, Antarctic, desert, and jungle scenes. No idea how it’s played. I always lose chess. And Hearts. And Gin. And… well, everything but scrabble and connect four.
Back to the “grind…”
January 15th, 2010 -- Posted in archaeology, college, culture, dreams, education, life, photography, rocks, school, utah |
It’s late at night on a far- away shore. The moonlight is so strong that flashlights aren’t necessary. I’m not alone- I’m talking to others around me, but I don’t know who they are.
Talking about the stones we’re walking on.
They are black- volcanic, I think. But they aren’t just stones, they are ruins. There is something important here, I can feel it.
The tide is coming in, the waves are crashing. Then, I see it. Something that looks like carving in the stone.
I call the others over. We all begin to examine the stones. Then, for some reason I don’t know, I look up.
A huge, flat, rectangle stone is on the ground. It looks to me like a door. I walk toward it, I walk on it. The waves are crashing louder.
Someone is standing in front of me, a man. An authority. He’s saying we need to go, but we’ll return.
But I don’t want to go. I feel there’s something here I need to know…
I woke from this dream many years ago.
Then today, in class, it all came flooding back to me when Dr. Haagen Klaus showed us pictures of Peru.
And there it was- the rocks, the beach, the flat stone, everything. Ruins soon to be excavated. The only difference was, the picture had been taken during the day.
I talked to him after class about going to Peru, but the next two excavations are full. However, he said he can help me study those ruins for my Master’s.
Literally, a dream come true. I can’t wait.
(*NOTE: I did my best to find stones in my picture archives that look like the ones in my dream, but this was as close as I got. The stones in my dream were all black.)
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