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:
great attitude for a teacher. Plus, his teaching style seems to be very much along the lines of, “You wanna learn how to swim? Here, I’ll toss you in this deep water and you’ll figure it out.” I have ‘working drawings’ due on Tuesday (basically a schematic of the Point of Purchase display we are supposed to build) and am not even entirely sure what my product is, certainly not sure what my display is and NOT good at drafting. And I’m hesitant to even query my teacher after hearing him rant about how when you have a job in design, your boss is 
going to expect you to figure it out, not come whining to him with every little problem. He already holds my class in rather low esteem, but at least so far, he seems to like me okay. If I explain that I’m feeling a bit lost I fear that a) it will put me on his ‘useless’ list, and b) he’ll just rant at me about needing to use my head to figure these things out and still won’t really help me. *sigh*
back to PA with me–then returned to the house where we ate lunch and I promptly passed out again.
of the guests were people I had met only once, or spent just a little time with…not people I had a deep level of emotional intimacy with. And I had fun. Having rolled off the sofa and headed straight over, I was wearing a baggy hoodie, no make-up and loose-fitting jeans, and a number of the other girls had obviously put time into their appearances, but I still somehow didn’t feel so horribly dowdy and unattractive that I needed to hide in a corner. I ate food…like, in front of other people. That’s pretty much maximum Ra comfort level.
tell. We just hung out and talked and laughed and all those things that a group of friends does.
was in town, so we stopped in and said hi…then we went over to Erin’s house and I met her adorably awesome Cavalier King Charles spaniel and Siamese kitties before we all headed downtown to get coffee. While we were at my favorite Starbucks/Barnes and Noble, Heather picked up the next book in the series I’m reading for me. (Thank you! I’m almost done with it and I love it.) The three of us returned to my mom’s house and sipped at our various beverages and chatted with my mom until it was time for almost-tearful good-byes.
ensuring I got to the airport with lots and lots of time to wait for my…two-hour-delayed flight. *shrug* I got homework done.
returning to my mom’s house until after the wedding on Saturday.
about a half-hour trip). We chatted more about the wedding and I mentioned how impressed I was with her level-headedness regarding headaches and bumps in the road, and shared amusement with her at the fact that her MoH was being more of a crazy bridezilla in the situation than she was. We stopped at the dollar store to pick up some last minute items, like wrapping paper and gift bags for a few wedding party gifts, and goofed and chatted while we wandered the aisles.
maybe I didn’t say that last one out loud, but the vile premonition was burbling inside me regardless.
deep breaths and tried to tell myself that I really could talk to these people without my head exploding and I was NOT going to cry. Of course, right about then, the groom and his men showed up and began bringing alcohol down to the pool area. I tried to remain unobtrusive, but apparently black pants, shoes, hoodie and hair somehow failed to camouflage me against the pale grey rocks of the pool patio, and Brennian, the man of the hour came over to drop a few distracted words of welcome and a warning that my smoking was frowned upon.
absolutely broke.
I think that a couple of the other brides’ maids were just…well, would never get me. And I didn’t get to know all of the grooms’ men, so maybe some of them were huge a-holes. BUT…people were very nice…I was just terrified of them. So my discomfort was only increased by the knowledge that they probably thought I was an aloof snob that thought I was too good to talk to them or something.
The food was decent (catered from a local deli), but I was tired, cold, emotionally spent and stuck there until my mom and the friends she came up with were ready to leave. After dinner, toasts and the official dances, I ran off to get my hoodie, then wandered back and forth between the reception and the house for a little while before I finally did what I should have done in the first place — made myself a cup of tea, grabbed my book, a blanket and an 
oatmeal cookie and curled up in a chair on the patio and enjoyed myself for the first time that evening. Unfortunately, just as my tea was cool enough to drink, mom let me know that we were leaving.
