Darn These Quiet Days!

Once again, nothing much to report for the day. I had class this morning, got some new links in for my chainmaille, and have been focused on those since. I hope to have the necklace finished by tomorrow and out in the mail the day after. It was another commissioned piece for $50, so I want to finish it asap for the young lady. It promises to be a gorgeous piece, too!
Sorry I haven't posted the sunset photos yet, but I promise that will happen tomorrow when I get tired of reading. PROMISE!

First Time Clubbing!

So I got go club for the first time ever, which was really neat! It started off as a birthday party on campus and migrated out quickly to one of the local clubs, Corazon, where I got the chance to dance the night away - and I did! It was incredibly for a couple reasons. One, it was Gay Pride night at the club, which gave me a chance to dance without being groped constantly. Definitely good! Well, on top of that, and far more incredible, two of my favorite actors were there at the club too! Now, normally I'm not a fan-girl or anything, but these two? Oh wow. Incredible!
So, for those of you who are now wondering who the hell I'm going on about.... Nick Frost and Simon Pegg! Mr. Frost is actually a very nice guy, though I didn't get a chance to talk to Mr. Pegg. It was so incredible, though! I kind of hope I bump into them again in town - I'd love the chance to actually talk to the two of them, and perhaps get a photo or autograph. I really am a huge fan, so it was wonderful to find out the two of them were there filming!

Borealis Baubles is Officially A-Go!

Today marks a great moment - Borealis Baubles is officially a-go! (as if you couldn't tell from the title, right?) That's the official name for my chainmaille jewelry company. If you want a piece, let me know! If you're on facebook, I have photos uploaded currently for some of my works that are for sale. If not, email me! I also make custom-pieces, so if you have something in mind, let me know!
Santa Fe was great today, though I'm tired from lack of sleep last night - folks called me at one a.m. to discuss the trip to Oregon that's happening on the way back to Santa Fe and they kept me up until three a.m. discussing it. So tonight? Sleep. Lots of sleep! But first? Jewelry making!

Hiatus

Sorry about the two-day hiatus - I'm sure some of you are thinking I died or something! I'm quite alive, I've just been really busy. I actually have a few orders for jewelry that I've been fulfilling, which of course takes a chunk of time out of my day-to-day life and by the time two am rolls around and my head finally hits the pillow, I remember too late that I have not updated my blog! I have managed to attach myself to a few different things here in New Mexico, including a meditation period every Tuesday and, today I had choir practice. Yes. Choir. There are many hidden talents to this girl! Or rather, there are many loves that I have. I don't know if I can actually sing - I just love doing it and decided to pull out of my comfort zone while here and sing in public. Although it's with a group, it's a very small group. I've even flirted with the idea of a perhaps doing a solo at some point. We're talking about singing Journey's "Can't Stop Believin'", and I'm thinking that's one that I know so well that I could maybe do a small solo.
Aside from that, classes are going really well. We're watching Doctor Atomic in my opera class. It's a little odd, but in a good way. Once you get used to it, it's great.
In Contemporary American Short Story, we're reading about failed parent-child relationships and I have to admit, I never felt this! I mean, my folks and I had our occasional spats, but other than that, I've always gotten along with my parents. I am definitely their child! I take a bit of each of them and their interests into my own personality. So it's actually really interesting to read about these relationships that don't make it - it's a foreign concept to me in my own life.
Anyway, that's what's been up the last few days: lots of reading, writing, and extra curricular activities to fill my days with. I'm hoping to go downtown some time this weekend and have some fun shopping and being an independent chick in a big city. Come on weekend....

New Links!

It's sad when my biggest excitement is getting new links, I know, but I am! I got the new rings for my chain maille today and I have to say, I'm sold! I will definitely order from them again and, as soon as I'm done with the jewelry, I will definitely post pictures. I enjoy the colors and they are much stronger than the silver plated that I was using. I even have a commission already, using the black ones. I must get working on them, too, so I can give it to her today!

A Week of Sunsets

For your viewing pleasure, I present another week of sunsets!
6-14-09

6-15-09

6-16-09

6-17-09

6-18-09

6-19-09

6-20-09

A Slow Weekend

The weekend thus far has been very quiet, filled only with a little reading, some chain maille, and catching up on some sleep. Mostly, it has been filled with wishing my books would come in, because it makes it very difficult to read my books when I don't have them here. So much for jumping ahead on my reading this weekend. That's alright, though. Apparently later this week is supposed to be rainy and cold, so those will definitely be wonderful days to read!
I will post more a little later, of course, but for now, I will continue with my jewelry. If anyone is interested in commissioning me, let me know!

Dehydration

sucks. Ugh. My head is pounding. Sorry I haven't been the most conversational the last couple of days, but I've been busy with classes and all the stuff that goes along with those. Today, though, a bunch of us here at Bread Loaf went to look at some amazing murals... with the artist himself! It was amazing. I took tons of photos, but I will have to post them once my hydration levels are back to normal again. Until then, I'm afraid you'll only have to imagine what the Mayan calendar looks like when done in Florentine glass. Amazing.

Quiet Days, Howling Nights

Sorry about the lack of a pretty picture, but it was definitely more about the sound when I took this video. Just listen to those yowls! An interesting counter to my very quiet day. All I did was go to class, do homework, and finish some of the jewelry pieces I was working on. For instance:

(And, of course, I can make some comment here about "And for $20, you TOO can have one made!)
The most exciting parts of today are that my new sandals came in today and, happily, I ordered some new, unique kinds of links for more of my jewelry. Huzzah!

Stupid Modern Technology Anyway....

Yes. I'm out of batteries. Again. Stupid batteries. Stupid camera. Oy. Actually, I did what I should have done ages ago: I ordered some rechargeable AA batteries (and a charging unit, of course!) so that I won't have to go through the song and dance of buying $3.00 batteries every couple of days. Why can't I just wise up sooner?
Today has been filled with finishing projects and with working on papers and such. I have a paper due in class tomorrow morning... this morning... Oy. It's late. And I'm running a presentation, though I am pretty sure I'm going to just run it as an informal discussion on the story. I think it'll be more interesting that way.
By the way, I have discovered, through this paper, that I am NOT a fan of Charles Baxter. If you like his writing, let me know why - I could use an explanation of what makes his writing interesting to others, because I'm missing it big time.
Oh! One other thing. I was walking back to my dorm after dinner tonight and discovered something interesting. There in the doorway was a pair of mating moths. I took several photos in the hopes of discovering what kind of moths they are. I emailed the photo to an expert after finding no results myself. I will post the picture and the name as soon as I know!

A Major Project....

All finished up! I thought I'd go ahead and post something that I've been working on for a little while now and is finished. For the past three days, when I wasn't studying or going outside to enjoy the gorgeous weather, I was working on a commissioned piece of jewelry. For those of you who don't know, I do some chainmail jewelry and have done so on commission several times. This piece was bought for $50 (though now I'm thinking that wasn't enough. My poor thumbnail!) In the picture, you can also see my GORGEOUS sunburn-turning-bad-farmer's-tan. Enjoy!
The progression of the piece:

A Quiet Day

Today was spent mostly doing massive amounts of reading and sitting in a classroom. I'm hoping that tomorrow I will have a more eventful day, but I doubt it! I have some photos, but I haven't had the chance to upload them yet, so they will have to unfortunately wait until tomorrow. But things are going well, in general. I've discovered that the real time-consumer with grad classes are the amount of reading, but the papers are considerably less.
I did get to read outside for a bit, though, in the gorgeous sunlight. It was bright blue skies again. All I could think of was ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky".

Also, don't forget to click occasionally on the link below - I get paid for each click! I need some way of affording this fancy school of mine....

Rain Again

Halfway through the day, it started to pour again.
It stopped for about fifteen minutes, when it was absolute blue skies again, then the clouds began to dump once more. It was an amazing day full of contrasts, and I got a few gorgeous photos to share with you!

Other than the magnificent storms, my day was filled with homework, homework, and more homework. However, I have officially finished my first graduate class ever - one aimed towards my M.Ed. - so revel in the moment that is accomplishment with me!
Revel, revel, revel....

Thunder and Rain at Ten AM

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain, pouring on the terrace outside as well as the ceiling above. It was amazing!
It was almost like the skies had been ripped open, letting the water cascade through to the world below. And within an hour, it had stopped once more, leaving only blue skies above!

Santa Fe Sunsets

There is something about sunsets that is so dynamic, each one different and then differing further depending on where you are. Sunsets in Santa Fe are wildly different from anywhere else I've been, which makes for fantastic moments and, of course, fantastic photos. So, I have decided that, for my dear audience, I would record each sunset I got the chance to. For your viewing pleasure for the evening, I present the sunsets for this week so far:
6-10-2009
6-11-2009
6-12-2009
6-13-2009

A Quiet Day

Today was full of a lot of nothing - mostly relaxing indoors, waiting for pretty much nothing to happen. I stayed indoors for the most part, because I didn't want to worsen the sunburn that is quickly healing. I didn't see the need to back track on its slow but steady process. I did, however, pick up my new best friend ever:
That's right, everyone, you've been replaced by a giant green bottle of GOO. However, I did learn something today, a very important lesson, in fact! The smell of aloe vera, no matter how long ago you applied the stuff, seems to attract yellow jackets heavily. Yes. It's scary. I had to run halfway up to my dorm to get away from a few of them, because they kept finding me. Huffing and puffing, back into my room, where I think I'm going to spend the rest of the night, aside from a few minutes to take pictures of tonight's sunset, which won't be for a little longer.
Until then, enjoy the image of me running up the stairs, full throttle, with a swarm of yellow jackets hungrily following me. Joy.

The Baile!

New Mexican Baile

The sun goes down as we
step onto the floor, a
mass of undulating hips and
desperate gasps for breath,
all driven by percussion, drum beats hard,
fast, moving us quicker through the night.
Eyes lazily sweep across, settling
on a handful of people, a smile
brings them to the group, where they
join in the movement of one
crushing mass of arms and legs,
feet constantly moving until
You wrap your arm around my waist
and guide me out, exhausted,
until we are cloaked in stars.

AGAIN WITH THE BATTERIES!

Yes, that's right. Only a few days after all the craziness of trying to find new batteries and - guess what? I need more! It's either that my camera is eating batteries up left and right or I am just that camera happy...
I'm just that camera happy!
For instance....
These flowers are for my mother:
And this plant is for my father:
This cool shot for Justin:
A pretty yellow rose for Jadah:
This pretty dandelion for Jorja:
As well as these koi (fishies for Jorjina!):
And this shot? This shot is for me!
Like I said. I went a little camera crazy. And this isn't even including the baile that I went to! Oh what fun! I forgot how much I love to dance, and I only went originally for the live music. Silly me, thinking I can sit still!

Sunburn Central

It finally happened - too damn long in the sun. Give me about four hours in the direct sun with no relief and I'll start to burn a bit. I'm a little red, though not bad. I want some ice, though, that's for sure. It's been a while since I had an honest-to-God sunburn. Since I went to Idaho, actually. Teach me to sit in a beach chair for four hours by the pool. Ugh. That one was infinitely worse than this.
This is a bit red, but ironically, the side that is redder was the side not in direct sunlight and the one that hurts less.

The other shoulder (direct sun) burns a bit more, but it's only a slight annoyance. I figure a nice cool shower will cool me down some. By the way, for those who haven't seen it, that's my new haircut, ala Jadah.

So, the reason I was in the sun! I actually went downtown today and shopped for many, many hours, though all I got was one small present for my girlfriend, who is going to have to wait to get it, because it's HEAVY. It's pretty though! I looked everywhere for this artist my parents want jewelry from - Jeff Largo - but came up empty handed. I guess this just means more ventures forth to the wild Downtown Santa Fe! I definitely had fun, though, and got to eat at a local stop called The Shed. Phenom. So good. Mmm... Enchiladas on a blue corn tortilla. That's heaven. I also realized that I really like the attitude here: It's a lot like Alaska! But I also learned that I am probably ruined for anywhere on the East Coast - my mentality is way too off for it. I think dressing for working at a school is casual wear - blue jeans, t-shirt. That's what they do in Alaska! Apparently not elsewhere, and I keep having to remind myself of that. I got this tidbit over lunch when the girls I was with (powerwalkers, by the way, are hard to keep up with when casually shopping!) were complaining about the clothes they had to wear to work. Heels?! What?! I think NOT!

Photos

I have decided to add a bunch of photos to this one, because it wouldn't let me earlier. Below here is a gorgeous shot just outside my dorm:





























The skies here are so beautifully dynamic, it's hard not to enjoy them! It's also surprisingly green from down below compared to up in the sky! I really like it. Everything kind of has a sage-y blue/green color to it. Oh yeah. So poetic today. Oy. Normally I would wax philosophic on it with something like:

The robin-egg gem of a sky
Smiles down upon the sage,
Broken only by a Martian red floor
and the occasional human inhabitant.

Yeah. Not my best work, but darn it! I'm at least feeling creative in the photo sense. So, here are more photos!



Remember that koi pond I mentioned? Well, here's a nice little shot of a few of the koi and the waterfall behind. I love this place. It's so quite and inspirational... When there isn't a bunch of construction happening behind it, like there was today.

Anyway, I think that's it for right now. Like I said, I didn't get many before my silly camera decided it needed a break. Off to go get batteries!

Camera....

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Guess who forgot to pack extra AA batteries? Yep. Stupid move on my part. Luckily, tomorrow I go SHOPPING! Middlebury has sprung for a shuttle to take us downtown and to Target, so I can actually go and pick up some necessities while I'm here (shampoo and conditioner was also left at home, but because I was convinced they would confiscate it or burst the bottles all over my clothing. Good thing too, my luggage was brutalized on the way down.) So, AA batteries are at the very top of my list of things to get tomorrow, as well as a few of my textbooks, though those are a little easier to get by without, surprisingly enough.
But, for your viewing pleasure, I present...
Santa Fe:




























No wait. That's a bug. Cool bug. Damselfly, I believe....
I'll post more pictures when I can get Blogger to work with me. Might be a little while, though.
But for now, enjoy the cool bug that landed by the koi pond.

Random Moment

(which are constant for those who know me...)
Good news everybody!


FUTURAMA IS BACK!


I know. It has nothing to do with Santa Fe, but it has a lot to do with me as a person! I am a HUGE Futurama lover (preordered every movie!) and so I am really excited about this! I have been waiting with baited breath for this moment. And here it is! The same season that pulls out not one, but two other shows that looked like certain death, simply because the stations loved them too much to give up on them so soon. (Chuck and Dollhouse, for those with questions in their eyes. I am totally addicted to these and will definitely buy the dvds. Already have Chuck Season One... Now I'm just waiting for Doctor Who to start up again!)
Alright, Futurama news: Comedy Central has renewed it with two seasons consisting of 26 episodes. It will start in 2010. COME ON 2010!

For Those Who Hate Stairs....

Avoid Santa Fe like the plague! I walk up and down 49 stairs several times a day. Twice to go to breakfast and back, then about half of those to get to my classroom, then back up, then down the 49 again for lunch and then back, then down again and back for dinner, and that's all provided I am not silly like I was today and forget important things nor is it accounting for actually wanting to do anything. Now, normally stairs would be just a slight annoyance, but they are a special kind of annoyance when you're up at 7300 feet and you're only used to 450. Joy! I didn't expect it to hit me as much, but I don't think anyone does. I'm proud to say, though, that my lungs are still abnormally tough, apparently, because I can manage about twice as far as most before I start huffing and puffing. Not bad for an asthmatic, right?
Aside from stairs, my classes are going well, the scenery is beautiful (as you can hopefully see!) and is completely unlike Alaska. I keep seeing some really interesting flora and fauna. I found my favorite place on campus, hands down. Down by the food area there is a koi pond! It has a little waterfall that pours into it and everything. I already took a few minutes there earlier today, sitting on a rock and working on paperwork while enjoying the wonderful sun and fish. I love koi ponds. Maybe it's the marine biologist still in me, or simply the fact that you cannot really have them in Alaska! Either way, it was a relaxing place and there are surprisingly few people who stop there. I think that is due to the fact that everywhere else has them normally. I will enjoy all that the little fishies have to offer, though!
After only a few hours, though, my exhaustion caught up with me again and I crashed. Hard. Actually slept through dinner! So my lessons today are:
Classes are interesting.
The food on campus is pretty darn good!
Don't sleep through dinner.
Food that you pay for isn't that expensive when compared to Alaska.
No matter how hard I try, I will constantly miss my kitty! PANDORA! I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN YOU!

Literature Moment

DISCLAIMER: (yes. A disclaimer. In a blog. Hahaha!)
For anyone who isn't interested in English or, especially, literature and publication, I will post separately about my day, so you can avoid this blog entry completely...
I had my first class today, which was great. Although I was a bit on the tired side, once it got going, it was a really interesting discussion about the changing face of literature - what literature is going to look like now with the internet.
So here's what I'd like to ask from all of the one of you following my blog avidly at the moment (and hopefully that number will grow...) Where do you see books going now with the internet and Kindle, etc. Do you think books will become obsolete and people will strive to get rid of their physical libraries and instead turn to electronic ones or do you think books have something special about them that will allow them to withstand the test of time?
Personally, I think humanity has already undergone one major switch like this: oral communication to mass-produced books on a printing press. And yet, we still strive to hear stories aloud, either read to us in person or we spend a lot more money in order to get the audio book version, which will reveal a different world than the text version. Or is that just me? Anyway, I just wanted to know what you thought about this!

Yep. Hell with Free Internet

It is official. Dallas is a terrible, terrible place and I would rather spend my time just about anywhere else. Especially after five long hours of trouble there. Got on the flight no problem. The one going to Albuquerque. I was all excited, because that meant I'd be arriving just in time for the welcome dinner. And then it happened. Plane problems. Couldn't take off. So then starts the terminal jumping, where they send us from one area of the airport to the next, making us all do circles over and over and keeping us from doing anything we'd like to, like being able to use said free internet (see? Hell. Dangles the one good thing and then RIPS it away.) Three hours later, we finally get a new flight and get out of Dallas, thank GOD. I'm hours off from when I was supposed to be, I now get to go to bed without dinner (making my total amount of food for the last twenty-four hours one small salad and a thing of soy nuts that upset my stomach) and hope that the blood all pooled in my legs will go away soon.
Moral of the story: DON'T LAND IN DALLAS! And the worst of it? That's where I have to stop again on my way outta here in July. Can you say death by heat?

Dallas, Texas = Hell

Okay, maybe not hell (they at least have free internet. Or maybe that's how Hell hooks ya... Free connections....), but man alive! For someone from Fairbanks, Alaska, this is miserably hot and humid. Every gust in just sits there. It wouldn't be so bad if I was actually outdoors with the slight breeze that's going on out there, but instead, I'm stuck in the airport with little to no circulation. Sigh. Hot, miserably, and dragged from one gate to another. I just hope I will find my bags in Albuquerque instead of having them take their own little adventure.
Speaking of adventures.... I think I'm about to embark on one of my own. I'm starving and there are a few little food places around here. Nothing fantastic, but it's something. Unless I can make it to 4:40, when I land in Albuquerque... Nope. Food time.
Oh. By the way, texting everyone is out. My phone won't let me do anything but look at the pretty time in Alaska. So much for plan A. On to plan D. (All the others got lost at the gates, like I'm thinking my luggage will...)

Tonight!

Well, it is official. For $182, I have a plane ticket to leave tonight. I'm nervous, but excited! This time tomorrow, I'll be in Santa Fe and hopefully... doing some shopping! I'm hoping to find some really nice turquoise and silver jewelry for my friends and family... and maybe a few pieces for me too! I can't wait to leave! I'll try to find a place to post for free while I'm headed out, but no promises on that front - but I can at least text message a few of you from Seattle/Dallas/Albuquerque, and then post again in Santa Fe.
See you where it's warm!

The First Leg

Well, after a very LONG drive, I am now at the beginning of my major trip - Palmer, Alaska. Yeah, it doesn't seem like a huge step, but leaving my kitten behind was remarkably difficult. Normally I can leave her for a few days' stint, but this time I know that it will be far longer. After heading out though, I had a fairly uneventful trip down to Palmer, aside from the fact that it was five very long hours stuck with only a few cds.
However, I think I've had plenty of excitement in the last few days trying to get the tickets together in order to fly out. There was some confusion as to what day I was to fly out, which has not entirely been fixed just yet. Also, there is the question of when I'm coming back. Because this flight is one I won through the university, I wanted to see if I could manage to finagle things just a bit - something I feel I deserve considering I had to fight tooth and nail for well over a year now in order to get this plane ticket and, had I had the ability to, would have had the flight booked months ago but was unable to get a hold of the correct people in order to do so. And finagle did I - no longer am I coming straight back from Santa Fe! Now I am getting a brief week-long reprieve in my home state of Oregon on the way back. And more exciting, my father is meeting me there. And more exciting than all of that is the fact that this huge bill is being covered by the school. Thank goodness for not having to pay over $1000 for travel! HUZZAH! (Sorry, went to the Ren. Faire in Anchorage with my sister today...)
Well, now for some sleep and a bit of time of stress hoping that I can still fly out of here tomorrow night like I'm supposed to! CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR ME!