My fall quarter is over, and concluded rather unexpectedly satisfactorily.
I had the repeated experience over the last week that, every time I thought I was totally ahead of my final projects, I would discover some minor miscalculation I made in the process that resulted in me quickly assembling the last bits of my work before class and just hoping that everything would be the right size this time and that I wouldn’t screw up on a part of the project that I wouldn’t be able to replace.
Well, everything was and I didn’t, and my last few days have been rather eminently enjoyable. Heck…my whole past week was pretty good:
I began to go into a day-by-day description to substantiate the phrase ‘pretty good’…but it was really long so you’ll just have to take my word for it.
A few points in brief (and, since it’s me writing…occasionally not-so-brief):
- I got my homework done despite hurdles.
- I watched Love, Actually and also played with my new miniature bunt cake pans.
- I enjoyed an entirely-too-wholesome day of Christmas tree shopping and lunch and then later dinner and watching Briggs’ young cousins decorate their tree.
- I got an adorably scrawny Christmas tree, which is now so covered in glitter, garland, lights, ornaments and tinsel that you can barely see the tree.
- My illustration teacher liked my final piece so much he had me give him the digital file so he could enter it in the New York Society of Illustrators student competition. 
I’m not holding my breath and neither should you, because some of the work entered is absolutely AMAZING, but that my teacher thought my work was so good he took it upon himself to enter it in a competition is plenty for me.
- Yesterday was my last Tuesday this quarter, and my Tuesdays (this quarter, that is) have traditionally been long, boring and all together sucky, as I had only one class but not until 6pm, but am dropped off a little before 1. I expected yesterday to be much of the same and was prepared to endure, knowing it would be over soon. I did have a bit of time spoken for, as I had forgotten a factor in the measurements for my final Dimensional Design project and had to make a quick stop at Kinko’s to get revised labels printed, then return to school so I could cut and place the labels. I finished, put my project in the classroom I would be in later to keep the slightly fragile project safe, and immediately I ran into a school friend that I have had a number of classes with. He and a couple other friends were heading to lunch and, as I had hours yet to fill, and they were due back at the same time I was, I accepted the invitation to join them. The four of us walked across the bridge in the freezing wind off the river and went to Joe’s Crab Shack in Station 
Square. All three guys were of the geek variety, so we had an awesome lunch talking about favorite sci-fi and fantasy series, Ren Faires, and etymology. There was even a decent Mac/PC debate in which no one got maimed, no one said anything that would ruin a friendship and a general consensus was reached. We arrived back at school with about an hour left before class–myself with more caffeine inside me than could really be considered healthy–so I meandered to my classroom (to find my project unmolested) and rambled animatedly to my classmates until 6-ish. I got an ‘A’ on my project and we were free to go by 7. (Yes, I’m aware that for most people, stopping for lunch with friends is nothing to blog about…even lunch with a friend and two previously-unknown people might warrant at the least a foot-note…but I NEVER engage in social activities, especially if the people involved aren’t close, long term friends. Socializing with others and having a good time doing so is an exciting and rare occurrence for me.)
Anyway, today is the first day of my break. As is traditional, I have mostly 
done absolutely nothing, and it has been marvelous. Tomorrow I will be heading back to town to finally get a look at this ‘portfolio review’ thing they speak of… I figure, with only a year or so left of school, and as fast as THIS quarter shot by, it might be good for me to see what level of work I should be producing for my own portfolio. Not only that, but the convention center in which the review is taking place is right in the South Side Works, so after I finish looking around, I can stop at Caribou and get some coffee, then wander over to JB and curl up with a book or 5.
Finally, a reminder:
Finally Part 2, the Revenge of Finally:
This is awesome:
