On the Beaches of Florida

Holidaze

Currently I am sitting on my sister's couch in St. Petersburg, Florida. My parents and I drove down here with Nathan Miller to move him in with my sister and Mike. 'Twas a long trip, but I'm happy to be here.

Leading up to this moment, as the boys install the washer and dryer and Domini and Mom wander about the house, much has and hasn't happened. Leaving MCAD was a bittersweet event. My parents drove up and then we went to Little Ts with the whole gang: Charlotte, Ethan, and Peter; Sara and Marissa; Sara with Erik, Alyssa, and Michelle; and Carl. After being filled to overflowing and some awkwardness in the table distances, we headed back to my place to finishing rearranging and packing up. Sara and I switched rooms to make room for Audrey, and I got a new desk and chair. I said a very short and unsatisfying goodbye to Marissa and we headed out.

Home was a little less exciting than I was...expecting. All my friends were still in school for the first week and then family festivities took over for the remaining days before Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I was thankful to be home, but I guess I just wanted a little more hangout time with the pals. We DID have one evening of fun, eating at our fave, Red Robin, and then exchanging Secret Santa gifts. I miss my friends so much. It seems like we all have less and less to talk about as the years go on. I don't know. It's a weird transitioning period.

For Christmas I got lots of goodies:

• A set of 8 wooden salad bowls, 1 big wooden bowl, and a set of wooden cooking utensils.
• Raving Rabids Wii game.
• A device to hook my guitar up to the computer for recording.
• A delicious hardcover, color-illustrated edition of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
• Legit headphones.
• Flip videocamera.
• WALL-E pillow.
• A mirror/frame my sister made with a little inside joke on it.
• Paper Cement.
• World War Z audiobook.
• 30 GB iPod
• Oh and the Wii....

Reflecting on that -- I had a damn good Christmas! Granted the iPod, videocamera, and Wii were all used. But hey, I'm not complaining about that!

So now we're in Florida with lots to do. My sister lives about three houses down from the water's edge and the sunshine is mighty. After we got in last night, we opened presents and then had a jam session. It was great! My dad got a hold of the bass and -- let's just say I never knew he was THAT GOOD! Wicked awesome. Phenomenal. Farout! He was all of the above. I think I gained a new appreciation for the man, and maybe, just maybe, that's where I got all my musical talent. Did you know he played baritone back in the day too? Yeah, I'm my father's daughter.

Pictures to come,
Sarah

Missing Missouri Thunderstorms, Comparing Muic and Art

I miss Missouri thunderstorms REAL bad. After a super humid, hot yesterday, it rains and the ground steams, making the air like a sauna. And the raindrops are warms and refreshing. MAN I would trade that for snow any day.

I remember when I was younger and my sister and I would spend entire days watching the Lord of the Rings Extended Version WITH all the extra features. We'd go out and play in the rain, getting completely soaked, and then come in and cuddle in warm blankets, watching all the behind-the-scenes of LOTR. What a great feeling.

In other matters.
Whilst finishing my last drawing of the semester last night, I was listening to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on audiobook. SO FUNNY! I can't wait to read it for real. Zombie stories are always enjoyable, considering one's self amidst the zombie apocalypse. But considering ladies and gentleman brandishing a sword after an extremely polite ball? SO much better.

Furthermore,
I was considering the countless similarities between music and the visual arts.
Instruments/Tonality:Mark-making and Line Weight
Tempo:Rhythm/Movement
Composition
Mood
Emphasis

Thinking about one really helps me understand the other in a new light. It's really exciting to be building my comprehension of art the way I used to pursue music. And to have that 'family' aspect again. Mm.

Harry Potter 7, Finals, Thanksgiving

I can't wait for the next movies! And I'm super thankful I get to see one with my MCAD pals and then finish it up back home with my quidditch team!

So.
As of right now I'm amidst Finals and on the brink of the last week of the semester. Super stoked and super hyperactive. I'm pretty excited about all my projects. I wish I could work on all of them simultaneously, but priorities are overtaking!

Drawing:
Marissa is modeling for me. I'm trying to portray a heaviness and strong sense of weight in the image. Strong directional lighting and whatnot. I'm really loving it. Possibly my favorite drawing all year. Good way to end, eh?

Animation:
FUCK. I'm super behind. I'm only about 2/3 of the way done with the rotoscoping and I still have to do all the 2D animation on top of it. But it'll be great!

Ideation:
Super excited! I'm turning all my blogs into physical books. I'll probably only get Volume 1 done, but it's a start! I started when I was 13, and it's been really interesting to see everything I used to think and to watch friendships grow and fade. Even the way I typed was different. Super thought-provoking.

Sophpmore Seminar:
I think I just have to do my submission and I'm totally done!

Illustration:
I'm REALLY excited to do this. It's a cut paper "What's Wrong With This?" image of a yeti roasting mallows in a cave. I can't wait to get into it. For once I'm not dreading the class. Finally!


And now for a Thanksgiving review!
Domini bought me a last minute ticket to Kansas City, so I boarded my plane and was on my way home. I had a lay over in Denver, and when I finally boarded the plane to KC they said something wasn't starting so we'd have to pull back into the gate for about 15 minutes. Well 15 minutes later they said the plane couldn't fly, so we'd have to switch planes, and it wouldn't get there for another hour. Sorely disappointed because I only had one night in KC before we left for South Dakota, I looked at my options. The people I was sitting next to mentioned there were other planes heading out to KC at the gate next door, so I got in line for my chance to board another plane. A lot of people didn't go on because their checked luggage wouldn't fly with them, but I had thankfully packed a smaller bag at the last minute, so that was no problem for me! I anxiously waited in line, and just as they were about to close the door, they let me on. Last passenger to board. I was so thankful!

When I arrived at the KCI airport, I was greeted by Taylor and Erin. So wonderful! We got in the car to go home and party. We were so happy that we started singing Disney songs and weren't really paying attention. Half an hour later we realize we're going in the wrong direction and drove north instead of south, almost ending up in Iowa. An hour after leaving the airport, we were back where we started, and began heading home in the RIGHT direction.

We finally got home at midnight, where the quidditch team (Janessa, Jill, Beves, Erin, Taylor, and Frances) gathered. I cuddled with my dog and cat and caught up with le parentals and pals and was unbelievably happy! Then we decided pizza rolls and Mean Girls were absolutely janessasary, so we headed to WalMart, got the goods, and came home to vedge out together.

The next morning my parents and I drove to South Dakota to celebrate Thanksgiving with my grandparents, aunt and uncle, cousins, etc. It's always bittersweet because it's good to be family, but I don't know my relatives all too well, so it's just a lot of listening on my part. Rarely could I join in on conversations, all of which were set in 60s South Dakota. It's nice to hear family history, yes. But. You know.

I ate lots of food and played lots of darts and pool. Everyone always went to bed 3 hours before I was ready, so often stared at the ceiling, thinking about all the homework I had to do. It was a very restless vacation, but better than being at school, still. OH! I got a wii too. :) My cousin's wife's stepdad was selling his for $200 with 3 controllers and guitar hero, so I jumped on it. When I got back to MCAD, Sara and I played it for 3 hours after a delicious meal of Quang's with le parentals.

And that's about it!
I couldn't believe how excited I was to see my MCAD pals when I got back. It felt like forever since I had seen them. I can't imagine how Christmas break is going to go this time around. I know I'll be plenty busy and happy with my friends back home and visiting my sister in Florida, but I have a second (or third?) family now! It's as if wherever I am, I'm always longing for somewhere else. Honestly -- it feels great to have so many loved ones! Can't complain about that! :)