Usually, by the end of a break I am chafing to get back to school. After my dismal last quarter, however, and in sight of my fully enjoyable summer vacation, I have been a little less eager this time around.
This morning I realized that I would be back in school tomorrow and that the prospect did not fill me with anticipation, joy, excitement, enthusiasm, fervor, ardor or any other of a wide range of synonyms. I was jealous of my time off and not quite ready to give it up.
As I DO start school tomorrow, however, after returning home from today’s adventures (which I will address later) I decided that I was due to check into my schedule for the upcoming quarter and find out where I need to be, when (classes are scheduled mid quarter and by the time a new term starts I have generally forgotten completely what I have signed up for).
Now, I am properly looking forward to school again. I already had hopes and plans of trying to remain more focused and on-task this quarter-to-come, but as I have at least one teacher that I like and at least one class in what I believe shall be honest-to-God illustration, I am gazing on the days ahead of me with delight and trepidation rather than dread and trepidation.
All-in-all, this break has been something I would consider a success.
Though I did not have quite as many material accomplishments to boast as I would have hoped, I did:
Finish one piece of fan fiction (thus proving that I am capable of finishing a writing project)
Get four pieces of art colored and posted, three of which I am actually fairly satisfied with.
Do laundry
Get a kitten
Do large amounts of work on projects for people to whom I had promised results (this sentence seems awkward)
Make cookies
Dye my hair
I had hoped to get more done, but I also spent some much-needed time relaxing, and although I felt (and to be honest, still feel) mildly guilty for that unproductive time, I feel much less stressed than I did by the end of last quarter. I consider this a good sign and therefore, time well spent. I even took a blissful afternoon nap or two. *sigh* Heaven.
I also, much to my chagrin, got some sun on my skin. I even have a tan line or two. Scandalous!
This last day before my return to school was, of course, spent in Pittsburgh, watching the long-awaited performance of Les Miserables.
Overall, it was awesome and a lot of fun — I loved getting to see the show performed at all, of course, and though a few of the actors didn’t QUITE carry their weight (Valjean was too fond of his vibrato, and adult Cosette was just a touch shrill) , there were others who more than made up for those slight lacks (Eponine was, in a word, amazing. The priest had a marvelous voice, and the Thenardiers were fantastic) and everything about the show as a whole was awesome and beautiful. I cried when Valjean died. Also, I had
never been in the Benedum before — my LORD what a lovely building! Overall, a wonderful day aside from a few annoyances:
Arriving early to town, we thought to acquire caffeine and something to eat. We had forgotten that, outside of business hours, downtown PGH is dead. We eventually found coffee, but didn’t locate lunch before it was time to report to the theater.
The seats we got were at the end of an aisle right up on the rail and, though I did no know it at the time, the end of the rail wrapped around right into Briggs’ leg space, leaving him about four inches and a bruise on his knee.
On MY other side was a woman who I sincerely feel should have been ushered out of the theater. First of all I don’t believe I am being snobby in my opinion that when one attends an actual theater, an attempt to dress at least somewhat nicely is in keeping with proper decorum. I do NOT feel that a baggy T-shirt emblazoned with a moose, blue jeans and sneakers are quite the best choice for the venue. I don’t think she should have gotten kicked out for her clothing choice or anything, just that…well… I didn’t see a single other person so casually dressed. You dress nicely to go to the theater, darn it! What I DO feel that she should have been removed for is a much more discourteous gaffe. During Fantine’s solo (i used to think life was hella sweet, but now I know it sucks) the woman opened her program and then turned on a FLASHLIGHT to begin perusing the contents — and not some special theater-specific flashlight…no, this was a bright light on my left side TOTALLY distracting me from what was happening on the stage. I was shocked. Even more-so when she did the same thing again, and again throughout the show! I wanted to elbow her in the teeth. No lie. Also, her overweight leg kept oozing under my arm-rest into my seat. ALSO, she opened and consumed some sort of candy with a very crinkly wrapper and a number of points during the show.
Yes, the woman next to me aggravated me a LOT. But despite her best efforts, I still had a great deal of fun.
Now, to get prepared for tomorrow, because morning is going to come frickin’ EARLY.
