Friday, June 30, 2006
When you roll the dice and swear your love's for me
Ah, the marketing project, which is due Monday, is almost finished. The paper itself is done, for the most part. I need to write a conclusion and finish the appendix, but that's not a huge deal. That'll be two press releases, a budget, and a timeline. And I think that's it. But 10 of 15 pages are finished, which was what I was aiming for tonight--getting the actual paper/plan written.
Tomorrow, I'm hanging out with Adina, so I needed to get it mostly finished, so that on Sunday, I just have a little bit to do to finish up the last details. And, it seems like the mission was accomplished!
And classes are over, which is kind of a relief, but it'll be weird not to see everyone every day. That's what kind of sucks the most--we bonded, and I think that some longer lasting friendships will come out of it, but it's weird. Even after only 4 months. But today, I wasn't really feeling that. I came home and took a nap, and then started blasting on this paper.
So apparently, Reader's Digest has confirmed what I've suspected for the past year. New York is a really friendly city. I love that article--and it's so true. Not even just in being polite in general things (no, they don't apologize as much as Canadians, but no one does!), but in terms of talking to strangers? All the time.
Granted, it has to do with the amount of time you spend in a stranger's face, but the very essence of what makes New York what it is means that you interact with other people so much more. I talk to random people on the subway all the time, have random conversations about other people, observations, the weather, the neighborhood... things like that, that I don't necessarily talk to strangers about in Calgary. Or, rather, I don't have the opportunity to talk to strangers about. Because there are so many people, and you're always around them, there's just so much more opportunity to interact.
It's keeping me awake
Fancy that. My classmates are actually fun to hang out when when we're not in class. Too bad we're always in class.
Last night, they had a "closing reception" for us (even though we stll have a class left this morning), and after that, a bunch of us went out to Johnny Rocket's, and we just had so much fun. We were giddy and silly and just so relieved to be thinking about anything but class and all the assignments we still have to do, and it was just... fun.
As stressful as the intensive has been, it's been so cool to hang out and get to know them, and I'll miss them! That's one more group of people that I'll be sad to leave here--I won't be able to go to their shows and openings and galleries, and I'll miss that. We've spent so much time getting to know each other's dreams and goals, and it would be nice to stay involved as much as possible.
Ummm... I think we're going to try and stay in touch over the summer--keep each other on track with getting our papers in on time, now that we don't have each other to push us in class--and maybe all go out when the certificates come in the mail, to celebrate actually having them in hand.
And now, I must get dressed and get out of the house.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
When it don't come easy
I love it!!! It made me laugh. And cry. And I have to thank Lady M for bringing it to my attention. Jen, you'll appreciate this.
Oh, and I want everything on this page (scroll down about halfway--the bottom before the comments start). Seriously. It's all that good. I'll just have to wait until everything is finalized, and then pick 2 of my favorites to go for.Monday, June 26, 2006
Felt the earth move in my hands
The countdown is on... 5 more days. And then papers. And I still don't have a job. And I have no money. And that's a lot of sentences to start with "and."
I'm sure I'll enjoy the summer, once I've got some income, but I'm antsy for fall, and I'm looking forward to these last few weeks (well, once the papers are over!) of a relatively quiet summer, before things get busy in Sep... August, actually. It's weird--there are things about moving back to Calgary that I'm looking forward to, and things about leaving New York that absolutely suck, but on the whole, I'm just looking forward to getting out of limbo and moving forward with something. Anything.
Of course, within 6 months, I'll feel like I'm in limbo again, because I'll be applying to grad schools, wondering what the next year is going to look like, where I'll be living, where I'll be working, whether I'll be in school, which city I'll be in...
Seriously--do things ever settle down?
Other than that... I've got an amazon gift certificate, and I really, really want the "American Dreams" DVDs, but they're almost $90, so I'm going to try and find them on ebay instead. Oh! And if you've ever wanted season 1 of "Everwood" on DVD, this is the time to get it--it's only $19.88 on amazon. Amazing! Plus, you'll be boosting the sales stats, which will help convince TPTB (The Powers That Be, if you're not up on fandom acronyms) to give us seasons 2-4.
By the way, I just decided (and I'm going to count Dad as my henchman here, even if he doesn't know it yet) that my new mission in life is to not only get Mom chatting with friends online, but to get her involved in some sort of online community, on a forum of some sort. Hee. Can you imagine? That would be so cool!
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Just wanna dance all night
Presentation's over! I can breathe again!
So, interesting day. I had to do an 8-minute presentation to the "board" (my classmates) of a "foundation" (a real one that I'd researched), asking them for a grant for my company. I am, of course, using Unnamed Productions as my foundation for pretty much every project in this certificate--it's way more beneficial to be able to apply my own goals to it than it is to just use some arbitrary organization, because this will be of much greater benefit in the future.
Anyway, I was oddly nervous, even though I can usually bs my way through something like that and appear confident, because I've got a lot of public speaking experience--plus, a lot of theatre/improvisational experience. Funny thing was, people commented on how I'd memorized my presentation, even though I had the paper up there with me. I guess I didn't look at it, though, and I made eye contact with everyone in the room, which was impressive? Huh.
I was outlining a proposal for my company, though, and it's so much a part of me that when you get me started talking about it, I can give you anything from a two-sentence outline to a two-hour plan of the vision, dreams, and goals, so giving an 8-minute presentation without looking too much at the paper in front of me wasn't that difficult. I had to tie it in to the specific thrust of the presentation, but so much of it is so close to my heart that the passion, enthusiasm, and competence in what I'm saying just comes through naturally.
And I got my pretend $25,000. Heh. Lotta good that'll do me. ;)
The really interesting thing about all this is the atmosphere. Because of the nature of Unnamed, and because we all know the organizations that the other classmates work for (or are starting) quite intimately, I've had to be more unapologetically Christian during this certificate than anywhere else. It's all out there, and everyone knows that this is the mandate, these are the funds I'm applying for, this is the focus and the thrust of the company, and that's just the way it is. It's really interesting, especially in New York--especially in the arts in New York--which is so completely not a Christian-friendly environment.
Over the course of the few weeks, though, I've had several of my classmates approach me after a discussion or a presentation, even if they're not Christians themselves, commenting on how refreshing it is to have someone who's unapologetic about it, and who's willing to put a Christian, faith-based organization out there in the running--and at the same level as--all the secular, professional organizations. And that's the goal. I want to be at the same level professionally, in my expectations, in my exposure, in the company's skill base and level, as any other arts organization out there, regardless of mandate, mission, or creed. That shouldn't be a determining factor in excellence.
It's what the company is, though, and it's the foundation of why I'm doing it, and I can't leave that out and still present an honest representation of who or what it's supposed to (what it's going to) be.
It's just interesting that several different people have commented on it--whether they're "closet Christians," or people who are just seeing it through a different lens because of my involvement in the course, or "cultural Christians," or whatever... it's a refreshing encouragement, and something that comes very unexpectedly at times.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
The world spins madly on
Happy First Day of Summer!
Man, it gets dark early here. It's amazing how much of a difference a few hours north makes. June 21, and it was dark by 9:00. Something's not quite right with that picture.
Hmmm... I got sick. Gotta love A/C. It's murder on the throat, and it's been really hot and humid all week, so going from an air conditioned classroom to the hot outdoors all week, combined with the fact that I actually slept on Saturday, which automatically gives my body license to get sick, meant that I spent two days with sinuses that were going to explode. And wow, that's a long sentence. But not technically run-on. Although that one was technically a fragment.
Okay then.
On the bright side, I did find my perfect Nyquil dose. Usually, if I just take it before bed, I wake up all sweaty in the middle of the night and have really weird hallucinations. So last night, I took a full dose about 2 hours before bed, which didn't knock me out right away, and then I took another half-dose right before bed, and it was perfect! I slept all night--a full 8 hours--but I didn't wake up in the middle of the night, and I didn't wake up groggy in the morning.
The moral of the story, kids, is to play around with drugs until you find the right combination for you. Mmmkay?
Sunday, June 18, 2006
This is my generation
Well, Lourenzo left on Wednesday, but right now, I'm hardly noticing it--it's just nice right now to not have to worry about conflicting schedules. I'm sure that once school's over and I'm not racing to class all the time or trying to do readings, I'll notice his absence more, but right now--it's just nice.
Oh! New pictures! Actually, posted pictures. Ed and Laura's wedding and some spring and summer pictures, including some from Mom, Dad, and Carl's visit. Eventually, I'll actually get an album of house pictures together--between my pictures, Jen's pictures, and Mom's pictures, I've actually got pretty much the whole house covered.
A few pictures before Lourenzo left for the airport on Wednesday afternoon...
Alexandra's still here, but she's leaving sometime this week for most of the summer--she'll probably be back for a week or so in mid-July, but that's about it, so my "job" here turns into house-sitting instead of babysitting. It'll be kind of nice, honestly--it's a little weird having just the two of us in the house. Kind of awkward.
Not to mention the fact that I'm starting to chafe at being in someone else's house. I'm not itching to leave New York, but I am itching to not be in someone else's home. It's just... not the way I enjoy living. It's different than having roommates, where even though you share a house, you can still set it up together--this really is living in someone else's house, and I'm looking forward to getting into a different housing situation.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
All this wandering
Ah, getting caught up feels good. I've spent the morning/early afternoon working, so hopefully I can take tonight off from anything related to school. Unless, of course, some of my textbooks come in the mail today; then I have to catch up on those.
It's interesting--one of the big themes that's running through every single one of my classes is how 9/11 has impacted the arts world in NYC. It doesn't surprise me, but it's just interesting that it has completely changed the way they market and do business. Just a random observation.
Um, I had more to say, but no time now. Gotta run...
Monday, June 12, 2006
Ever get home tonight
Wow. I am, apparently, very boring. Either that, or no one wants to talk to me anymore.
Then again, I've been pretty remiss at actually calling people lately--if I owe you a phone call or an email... it'll come eventually!
Only two more Lourenzo days, which is really weird, and I don't think has sunk in. Right now, I'm just relieved that I don't have to try and juggle classes around his school schedule anymore--I haven't actually thought about what it'll mean that I won't be babysitting. That's really weird to think of.
I survived my first Financial Management class at 8:30 a.m., and it should be okay, because the prof has no text, no final, one assignment, and has never given a grade lower than an A in 12 years of teaching the class. So--yeah. It should be fine. It's all about budgets: Income, Cash Flow, and Expenses, and how to actually apply them. You all wanted to know that, right? ;o)
You know how I was talking about these two performances a week that we're supposed to go to? If it wasn't for the fact that I haven't been able to do them yet (so my first two will be from shows I've seen in the past month or so--which is totally allowed), I think I wouldn't be so overwhelmed by the idea. It's like Artist Dates in Creativity Tutorial--it'll force us to keep the artistic side of things flowing, even while we're in the middle of all these logistical things. It's actually somewhat of a lifesaver, so... yeah. It'll be good.
Okay--can I talk about anything but school? Sometime this summer, I want to have a games night or something with people from church--do it as an "invite everyone, church-wide event" kind of thing--at my house. With no one else there, it's perfect. The main floor (for the 4 of you who have actually seen my house) is great for that, right? Set up games in the first 2 rooms, a movie in the third, food in the back, and it can still be open all the way through... it's just a great set-up for something like that.
Oh! This is kinda cool, in defense of my becoming a part of the online Gilmore Girls community. One of the girls on there is doing her masters in Media Studies or something like that, and last night, she gave us part of her proposal for her thesis, which will (in some ways) actually focus on TWoP:
I am particularly interested in the relationship between television programs and the Internet in relation to women building relationships with each other. Technology has given the ability for people to watch a program and instantly go online and talk about it with others. This is especially prevalent in television programs focusing on the relationships between women, such as Desperate Housewives and Gilmore Girls. These programs that examine the relationships between women have led women on the Internet to form similar relationships. Women can speculate, analyze and be their own critics. However, on these forums, it is not just about the television program anymore. Relationships are created between these online identities and suddenly the forums become an extended family helping each other out in ways beyond the television program.
So... yeah. She said it so much better than I did a while ago, but it's the same idea.
Okay, off to write reviews of The Three Musketeers and Children of a Lesser God now.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Running out of time, running out the door
So apparently blogger absolutely hates me--I started writing an entry yesterday, and it got deleted three times, and then blogger was down, so I couldn't even post if I wanted to. Heh. So that's my excuse why I haven't updated all week.
And seriously--sitting in class all day? Haven't done that in ages! I’m getting used to it again. It's going to be a busy month, especially if every week goes as fast as this one has.
Still waiting for my textbooks to come from Amazon--when they do, I'll have a ton of reading to catch up on. A lot of it is handout-based, and I can download those, so I'm not getting too far behind, but in terms of the texts themselves... A few of the classes haven't actually started yet, so I should have them before I start those classes, but there's one class that almost finishes tomorrow, and I still don’t have the text, so I'll have to do some major reading in order to get caught up for the final paper.
Today is really the last day I have to miss any class because of Lourenzo's school schedule, thank goodness. That's been the most frustrating part of this week, but at least Alexandra can switch off tomorrow for me--otherwise, I'd have to miss 8 hours of one class, which is a lot.
It's a good group, though--there are about 20 of us, and it's about 2/3 performing, 1/3 visual arts oriented. Everyone seems to be clicking well, too. By the time we got to our third class, we'd heard each other's introductions at least four times, and we could almost introduce each other. It reminded me of vanning with Laurel, when we'd just take turns introducing each other and our goals in general. When you do it every single day for 8 weeks, you get pretty good at it.
Next week, we have Financial Management at 8:30 a.m. Now, I can handle an 8:30 start--I’m used to leaving the house at 7:30 anyway. But Financial Management at 8:30 a.m.? Ick. The only consolation is that all of us are artists, so at least we're all in it together.
Monday, June 05, 2006
The ones that took me by surprise
Well, fancy that. It actually feels like... school. With classes (Marketing the Arts, Managing the Arts, Fundraising for the Arts, Financing Cultural Institutions in an Uncertain Environment, Performing Arts Management, Financial Management for the Arts, and Arts & the Law... did I miss anything? I don't think so) and assignments and textbooks and readings and field trips and everything. And a new friend on the first day. Ha. I totally feel like I'm in kindergarten. "Did you make any new friends today?" It'll be entertaining, and we'll all get to know each other really well, since there are only about 20 of us, and we're going to be together every day for a month.
And I'm seriously not impressed with Lourenzo's school for scheduling so many half-day PD days right when I actually need to have a "normal" schedule.
And... it's over, and it was sad.
And stupid CW Network kept playing their stupid commercials for their stupid (minus GG and, presumably, VM) new season during the entire 2-hour show. Every freakin' commercial break. Talk about rubbing salt in the wound.
"Hey, look. You're awesome, but we don't like you, so let's promote the crap that we're going to show instead of you."
It made me irrationally angry and tainted my grief at losing the show. Stupid CW.
Friday, June 02, 2006
Sold your guitar and bought a car
From The Polysyllabic Spree, by Nick Hornby:
Years and years ago, I read a great interview with Jam and Lewis, the R&B producers, in which they described what it was like to be members of Prince's band. They'd sit down, and Prince would tell them what he wanted them to play, and they'd explain that they couldn't--they were quick enough, or good enough. And Prince would push them and push them until they mastered it, and then, just when they were feeling pleased with themselves for accomplishing something they didn't know they had the capacity for, he'd tell them the dance steps he needed to accompany the music.
That's what I want to be like, whenever I'm in a position to offer leadership and guidance in an artistic capacity, as a director, Artistic Director, Managing Director, mentor, beta, or whatever.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Heading under
One of Lourenzo's pieces is a Bastien piece, and it's amazing how little things have changed since I was going through the Bastien books.
Um, yeah. I've been editing all evening, so I'm kind of out of original thoughts--everything is filtered through someone else's words, which isn't too conducive to actually writing anything interesting. I'm trying to get a one-shot drafted before I go to bed, but I don't know how much I'll get done in the next 20 minutes. Probably not enough. Still, it'll be good to get some of my own thoughts flowing.
Gotta love the internet. I'm listening to Vibe 98.5 right now. Sometimes, I just listen to Calgary radio stations, instead of whatever's on my playlist. Although it's kinda weird to hear Calgary traffic and news and ads. Oh well--it's all good.