So Very Dark

In keeping with my promise to try to update more regularly, here I am, updating.

My first week back to school is over and so far, my classes don’t seem as though they will be quite as unpleasant as I had steeled myself for them to be. On Mondays I start with Packaging Graphics, which is instructed by a teacher I have had before and liked fairly well.  We have two projects over the course of the quarter and both seem rather diverting.  My Monday evening consists of the dreaded Art History class, and it is likely to be at least nearly as abhorrent as I expected, but I have already conversed with the teacher regarding one issue, and he seemed willing to accommodate my needs.  We shall see how the matter progresses.

On Wednesday, my afternoon was spent in ‘Design Team Production’ — a class that I was predisposed to disdain, due to the dreaded ‘T’ word.  It was not, however, nearly as bad as I had feared.  We will be working on a quarter-long project with students from the Photography major, and though the work could go smoothly or less so, depending on who I am paired with, the undertaking seems an interesting one.  On odd weeks, we are to do in-class assignments in two-person teams, but at least two of my classmates are good students that I have had former interactions with, so even that aspect of the class is not quite as loathsome as it could otherwise be.

My final class of the week, on Wednesday night, is World Literature.  I began this class with trepidation, as it is a subject that could truly go either way, depending upon the instructor.  The first session, at least, gave me great hope.  The professor is weird and funny and dorky in the way of the best literature teachers, passionate about knowledge and much more interested in what we take away from the class than how many books we get through in the 11 weeks allotted.  The assigned readings are Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, and Gordimer’s July People.

Along with my formal studies, I am making a concerted effort this quarter to find time for my personal work as well, even if that time is only in snippets and wedges between larger projects.  I am sincerely tired of the feeling of my skills rusting and stagnating, and the fears that I am backsliding in my abilities that visit me each quarter, and of the inevitable fevered rush to work on as many personal projects as possible during my breaks.  Especially as I have no drawing courses this term, I feel that working to improve my skills in my own time if particularly important.  I am perfectly aware of the fact that my lack of time for extracurricular projects is due in large part to my bad time management skills, and endeavor to achieve better habits this quarter.

Outside of the academic world, my life marches on at the same exciting pace that draws readers back to my blog time and time again.  I finally received my birth certificate, and Briggs and I plan to wake at an inhuman hour on Wednesday, in order to finally acquire my Pennsylvania license.  Or so we hope.

Today, while picking up the first assigned novel for my World Lit class, I stumbled upon a bargain compilation of the work of Scottish-Italian artist, Jack Vettriano.  Though not greatly admired in the fine arts community, I am entranced by his work.  His work is in many ways reminiscent the voyeuristic style of Edward Hopper, but containing an aura of passion, glamor and noir grittiness that I adore.  His use of color is at the same time limited and decadent, and his technique almost impressionistic in broad strokes and simplification of detail, which enriches rather than depletes.  

So anyway, despite my limited means at this point the $8 seemed a justified expense.  And now I have a little book full of gorgeous paintings.

Due to a certain amount of peer pressure, the show that is currently serving as a background distraction is the geek-turned-spy saga, “Chuck”.  I admit that so far, I am enjoying it.  I have also been enjoying the series “Flash Forward”, and just last night watched the first episode of  “V”.

I continue to experiment, however slowly, with my new crock pot and have made some truly delicious food.  Slow-cooked meat is a truly glorious thing…even tough chunks of stew-beef come out of the pot full of flavor, moist and juicy, and so tender that a they can nearly be cut with a sharp glance.  (And I would like to thank Crissi, aka Wine County Mom, for her direction to the Year of Slow Cooking blog.  If you have crock pot and are looking for recipes, YoSC is a gold mine.)

The frigid cold has departed these last few days, melting snow into slippery slush as temperatures hover in the 30′s and 40′s.  Yesterday felt almost tropical, with temperatures approaching 50 degrees.  (Stop laughing, Californians.)

I have begun, and am enjoying, the Liveship Traders fantasy series, but have learned that author Robin Hobb never seems satisfied to let her characters have their happy ending — circumstances have a great tendency to intervene, just when characters stand on the brink of romantic fulfillment.  It’s a real dick move, IMHO.

And upon that elegant note, I have nothing else of the slightest interest to impart.  The saga continues anon.