The Swing of Things

While breaks are fantastic, the reality is that eventually you have to jump right back into the swing of things. Which is exactly what tomorrow is...classes.  

After a 14+ hour trip we made it to Rochester yesterday from Green Bay. Alison slept over in my dorm last night-- which she discovered is ridiculously small! Took a walk around campus to show her around and then hung around with everyone who was already back from break. This morning we woke up at 6:45 to go to IHOP with my parents and Sarah before they all headed back down the road. Unpacked and such until Ashley woke up and then we went out to buy some of her books for next quarter and get some juice from Wegmans for her. Came back and then got invited by Drake to go to the mall so we walked to the Library and caught the shuttle over to the Marketplace Mall. Walked around the mall for a few hours just looking at stuff for fun and then came back here for dinner and a movie (The Holiday) in our dorm room. Now we're listening to christmas music and making snowflakes for our door and windows! 

I've been absolutely horrible about updating over break and I apologize again for that. However, my justification is that I was having so much fun relaxing and seeing people that I didn't even have time to slip away and write about it. And you know what, that's just fine with me. These are afterall my memories and this is simply a way to share some of those with you. I think we'll go with a nice photo wrap up of the break and leave it with that. Hope you all had a great thanksgiving! 

We had an excellent time in Green Bay, as always. It's always nice to catch up with family and hang around for a week. On the way up we stopped in Bloomington Indiana to see a volleyball game and also look at where my dad used to live. I'm pretty sure I ate more this week than I did all quarter (just kidding... sort of =) ) Uncle Dan has become master chef and lives in the kitchen starting each meal just minutes after we finished the last one. Uncle Mark and Aunt Barb made the trek to get 11 delicious pies (which we got to start eating earlier this year!). And, of course, Grandma's cookies and rolls! Yummy. There was lots of pool playing, air hockey-ing, swimming, walking, biking, movie watching, reading, and general hanging out going on throughout the week.

Twenty Days, Folks.

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, faster than some of you may think... So watch out Maryland, here I come! 

Just finished up week eight. Went out to dinner with a group of friends.. It's kind of funny here.. once you have one deaf friend you start meeting them ALL because they are somehow all related, friends, or knew each other in some weird chain of knowing. After nine weeks of using sign language, I can definitely tell I'm getting better at it. I am by no means fluent.. in fact, far from it. But I manage to hold conversations and at least have some idea of what is going on. It's kind of cool really, I've just been thrown in an entire new language. I've gotten some comments like "wow, you're actually improving.." or "can you seriously understand what they're saying?". The way I see it, you won't learn something unless you try. Sure, it's a lot easier to pick up just by living around other deaf kids but you actually have to ... in mr. molfino's phrase, be "proactive"... I try to learn at least one new sign every day either by watching the interpreter in class/campus events, asking how to sign something or watching other people in the elevator or at dinner (no, it's not rude to watch other people sign.. i've asked.). 

Anyway, a bunch of people went out tonight to see Saw 5 because it came out. For one, i'm not a big fan of scary movies... although I don't really mind seeing the Saw movies. I just decided to be a good kid (or just really lame...) and stay here and knock out some of my homework so i'm not up until 3 am next week. Worked on my self-portrait for a few hours and now i'm switching gears and going to work on my research paper for writing. I think I pretty much have the entire library sitting on my nightstand right now... I'm working on a project for 3d and I checked 4 books out to use as a reference then I'm working on this research paper about how bikes are going to provide a sustainable future for our environment... so i cleared out the libraries section of books on bikes then I checked out a book on graphic design just because it had an awesome cover page. I do believe I will be living in the library this winter, they have comfy couches, tons of books and coffee! What more could you want? 

Every Second Counts

Goodness gracious, time goes by quickly. 

The title of this post was inspired by the Plain White T's 2006 album called... well... "Every Second Counts" I've been listening this CD on repeat pretty much all week. 

I look once and it's Sunday night then the next thing I know, it's almost Friday! I guess that is a mix of good and bad. School is good, i'm actually enjoying my classes for the most part. I am kind of ready for a break though. I'd like to just have a minute to breathe and fortunately Thanksgiving is right around the corner. We are currently in the midst of week seven which means that we only have 3 weeks left until finals week. Art majors are faced with the burden of 7 classes a quarter with 3 of those being studio classes.. however, we seem to be pretty lucky come finals week. Yay for only having 2 finals! It would be nice if they were on say.. Monday instead of thursday, just because then I could go home earlier and not have to wait around for a week but hey, no complaints here. 

I should probably quit wasting my time before dinner and go work on some homework. I'm meeting Ashley and Drake for dinner, working on some homework, going to volleyball practice and then going out to see a movie with Ash, Drake and some other fun kids. 

As long as I'm procrastinating on my homework... I'd like to thank people for actually putting up with my nonsense and coming to read my blog! It's kind of awesome to look at the map and see where everyone is coming from. 

PIE PIE PIE

Oh man, you know when this list goes out it's getting close to Thanksgiving time! Yummm. Who knew you could have SO many different kinds of pie?!

Apple
Banana Cream
Blackberry
Blackberry Cream Cheese
Blueberry
Blueberry Cream Cheese
Blueberry Crunch
Butterscotch
Cherry
Chocolate Cream
Chocolate Mint
Chocolate Mousse
Coconut Meringue
Coconut Pineapple Dream
Cranberry Apple
Custard
Dutch Apple
Fresh Strawberry
Strawberry Cream Cheese
Fresh Raspberry
Lemon Meringue
Lingonberry Apple
Peach
Peach Praline
Pecan
Pecan Cream Cheese
Pecan Fudge
Pumpkin
Pumpkin Cream Cheese
Chocolate Peanut Butter
Raspberry Cream Cheese
Rhubarb
Sour Cream Apple Blueberry
Sour Cream Blackberry
Sour Cream Lingonberry
Sour Cream Raisin
Sour Cream Raspberry
Strawberry Rhubarb

You see, each year during Thanksgiving week, my Aunt Barb and Uncle Mark so generously wake up at some insanely early hour in the morning and drive far away to pick up hundreds of pies... well, not hundreds, but it's A LOT. Pies are so tasty. Mmmm.

I thought I would just take a moment and write about my favorite holiday ever. Usually Thanksgiving is a spectacularly wonderful week of hanging out with family however this year will be ten times better because I WILL HAVE NO HOMEWORK! RIT conveniently schedules finals week right before we go home for break which means I will have no obligations other than hanging out with family, swimming and, of course, eating lots of pie and Grandma's yummy rolls (which i hope she is bringing?!). Oh man mashed potatoes... Guys, we need some of those too please. Gracie's mashed potatoes are just disgusting!

Speaking of family.. mine is coming tomorrow! Yay! This weekend is Brick City Homecoming so there are lots of activities and such around campus for families. It'll be nice to see them since it's been foreverrrr.