Happy Halloween!

I'm sitting here at the Commons desk at 4:45 am in an Alice in Wonderland costume. I am tired and ready to wash off my heavy blush, but I still have another hour and change to go.

The last week has been busy, but I still feel so behind! This weekend is very welcome though--I love Halloween, Betsy is visiting, and it means we're another week closer to 1) the play, 2) my 21st birthday, and 3) my Thanksgiving trip to John's house! :D Yay!

The play is doing well, although we've begun to hit that in-between where everyone is tired and a little flat, so we forget little things. It will definitely pull together into something amazing, and I'm really excited for that. You should all come see it--November 13th and 14th in the BBox at MICA. 8 pm. Tickets are only $5 if you're not a MICA student! So cheap!

My Dad called me this morning and scared me: "I've got a bone to pick with you." I got nervous--I always get worried that when he calls, it's because I'm in trouble, or something bad happened. As it turns out, he only called because he found this link to some songs I recorded for a zine project sophomore year, and asked why I didn't tell him about the site before (honestly, not that many people know about it to begin with!). He liked the songs (especially 'Nice Girl', the one I wrote in high school from Letta's point of view about her idiot crush and this big mess of a love triangle that dominated those four years), and was very complimentary, which was a pleasant surprise (and relief). :)

Also, it was John's brother's 17th birthday yesterday, and he passed his driving test! (I am also officially lamer for not knowing how to drive.)

I've been in this place lately where I've been wanting to surpass all of the coming months and their stresses--thesis, deadlines, bill-paying, etc.--and just get to graduation and satisfaction and the place where it all (allegedly and clichédly) 'commences'. I know that I have to go through all of this to get to the 'good stuff', or to be ready for it at all. I'm just impatient. It's difficult knowing all of the awesome things that are waiting for me after this year and not being able to get at them! It's a very frustrating and obvious dilemma.

However, the future good stuff is WELL worth the wait. I know that for sure.

I'm such a sap. :)

Love,

A.

Fall break. RULES.

This weekend is my fall break (no classes tomorrow or Tuesday, woo!), and neither John nor I have classes on Friday either, so we've basically spent three days solid together, and it's been great. We've been hanging out, drinking tea, and watching movies and shows (Snow White! Glee!), which has been wonderful. We also hung out with Betsy, who came to visit from Rutgers (good visit, and she'll be back for Halloween!), saw Where the Wild Things Are (cool movie--SO INDIE) for one of John's friend's birthday's (Cara L., who is hastily and aggressively attaching herself to me at "best friend" status. She's nice but...I really only tolerate her for John's sake).

John and I had a double-date with a newlywed couple from our new church, Becky and Mark. It was SO WONDERFUL, and it basically confirmed everything I'm feeling about my relationship with John, which was a relief and a wonder.

Then we had a Target run today, and grabbed dinner--the drive home was a little scary: John was feeling sick and lost feeling in his hands, so we pulled over and stood out in the chill air, waiting for him to feel well enough to drive again. But he's fine now (thank God). He's sitting up with me at my grave shift now, the dear.

Bought some new shoes this week--practical black slip-ons (Keds mixed with vans--for $5!), real Keds in navy blue, and a pair of adorable black quilted/cap-toed flats with ankle strap (Alice would approve). I also bought two pairs of thigh-high socks (one grey with a cream top, one black with a grey top). We'll see if I can pull them off.

I think my Egypt midterm this past Wednesday went okay--better than I thought it would.

My thesis midterm critique went exceptionally well--I got some good feedback, and a lot of much-needed encouragement from my professors. It was really uplifting, and I felt like a proper artist. Speaking of which, I've also been hired by a recent grad to design some Baltimore-sports-themed tee shirts for him to sell. We'll see how that goes over, as he has no real clue what he's doing--but he did say he doesn't want to "stifle my creativity"--I had to laugh.

I intend to put my Alice costume together this week--tomorrow feels like a good thrifting day. Wish me luck!

In other news, John is perfect. Oh, wait. NOT NEWS AT ALL.

Love you all,

-A.

P.S. Pumpkin Patch Photos!

Pumpkin Picking and Wedding Accoutrements.

I forgot to mention the awesome time I had picking pumpkins at Baugher's Farm on Sunday afternoon with Robin, Colin, Katie, Ben, Nicolette, and Jen! (Shame on me!)

We went up around 1:30 and found the place to be PACKED, waited in line a few times for the hay ride up to the pumpkin patch (which was fine, because the weather was PERFECT). We took a lot of absurd photos (including an extended photo shoot where Robin and Colin switched shirts and Robin climbed all over the broken tractors pretending to be a farmer). I'll post some when I get them. :)

We all got the perfect pumpkins (Jen had a huge one, then she saw an abandoned one while we were in line for the hay ride back, and spent ten minutes deciding which one she wanted), and got some food (yummy hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries), then checked out the marketplace and tasted some amazing (FREE!) apple cider and fudge. We also acted like little kids and took photos in the 'face-sticky-outie' things (You know what I'm talking about), and got a hilarious video of Colin playing on the kids ride-y tractor.

:D I love my friends.

Even better, on Wednesday we're having a Pumpkin Carving/Seed Roasting/Pie Making party (with the apples Colin and Katie picked from the same farm the week before)! I need to prep my design! (I bet Colin will have something appropriately geeky and type-based. :P Graphic Designers. Sheesh.)

ALSO, I finally got some info back on Alexandre and Rheanna's wedding! I got a message from Rheanna with all of the bridesmaids attached, so we can start being all buddy-buddy. I'm excited. :)

Another good thing--I may be doing an illustration job for a Baltimore sports blog! At this point, it REALLY looks like it needs a designer instead of an illustrator, but if they pay me, I don't really care! :P I like Baltimore, I like sports, I like drawing! And I like money. It's a win-win-win.

Betsy is coming this weekend, too! So much excitement! And yet, I need to be concentrated on my thesis, etc. Signed up for ArtMarket, and I have some stuff to assemble.

Love you all, and I hope you're well.

-A.

Chit-Chat.

It seems like I've been immersed in unusual talks with unusual people lately--Lacie and I reconnected recently in Facebook messages. Not with any overt affection on my part, although it is good to hear that she's doing better. It's nostalgic, but I have no intention of bringing our friendship back to what it once was.

On the flip side, John's ex, Christine, has been making a serious effort to do...SOMETHING I can't put my finger on. Just being nebby. A mutual friend says, "She's just jealous and wants to know what's going on." (As if I'd tell her.) Lacie summed up the situation from Christine's point-of-view rather well, actually: "Hey, I know you have something to do with my ex-boyfriend--comparing you to me, you're not totally ugly and that threatens me so let me befriend you as to assure myself that I am, in some way, better than you and can come to terms with the fact that you are in the picture."

Either way, it's been amusing, but annoying and pathetic. Time to move on (although she apparently has a new boyfriend). Today is dedicated to working that out. Wish us luck!

Otherwise, the play is going very well (November 13th and 14th if you can make it!), things with work are slow (on my part), but good, and I'm so unbelievably happy with John I can't even express it. :D On that note, I'm going to New Jersey to spend Thanksgiving with John and his family, so I won't see you Sewickley people! :( BUT, I'll be bringing John back with me for the first part of Winter Break so you all can meet him! Excitement!

I've even been hearing from some of you, which is great! (Em, I'll call again today.) Drea! Where are you, dear?!

ALSO. Hilarious news. Drea C. won a beauty pageant representing my birthplace of Reading, PA. I guess getting discovered on her own wasn't enough, so she's going for Miss America! Hysterical! Check it out here.

John gets home today from a weekend visit to his family! Yay! :) Then play practice, then actual work.

Muah--

Love,

-A.

Snatched from (Wedding Cabaret)

From "The Irrational Season" by Madeleine L'Engle

But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take…It is indeed a fearful gamble…Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature.

To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take…If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation…It takes a lifetime to learn another person…When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected.

(Found here.)

-A.

Who wants firsts when you can have bests?

I am very happy, but also working hard to catch up to the work I need to do!

I had a really fun and surprising weekend--I received a Save-the-Date for a high school friend's wedding--Alexandre--and with that was a handwritten letter from his bride, Rheanna, who wrote that they were grateful I'd still be attending the wedding despite the time crunch (the wedding is May 15, 2010--I graduate May 17th), and asked me if I would do her the honor of being a bridesmaid!

Now, I met Rheanna once, about two years ago--we got along great, as two bookish nerds are bound to, but we barely had any contact after that. I can only assume that Alexandre suggested me--I called him a week and a half ago and we talked about the wedding and about the proposal, etc, and I guess he must've been affected by my enthusiasm, and mentioned it to Rheanna! I thought that she might need more girls to balance out if Alexandre had a lot of groomsmen or something, but apparently I'm only one of four! I'm totally honored and excited--my first peer wedding and I'm a bridesmaid!

I admit, I hesitated--after all, I barely know her, and Alexandre and I are friends, but we weren't all that close in high school. However, I WAS the first person to know about Alexandre's feelings for Rheanna, and the first person to encourage him to ask her out, so that's something. :) I'm really excited! My wedding blog obsession is going to go into overtime. :P

Also, John and I celebrated our one-month anniversary! We're not going to be queer and celebrate every month--the next one will be our 6 month. It was really great--we grocery shopped together and he made this amazing carbonara and I made homemade whipped cream with strawberries. It felt good. :)

Also, I am lame for liking Emily Osment's (Haley Joel's sis!) version of "Once Upon A Dream". It's blasphemous, but SO CATCHY.

The play is also coming together really, really well. :D We had our first proper full-cast rehearsal, and we ran through the whole show, which went exceptionally well. I'm happy! If you want to come see it (AND YOU BETTER) it is November 13th and 14th here at MICA. DO IT.

More soon!

Love,

-A.