Frankenstein can sing!

I had a great four days off. As you know, on Monday I retrieved my books and craft items from my friends house in Denton. Tuesday I spent the day putting everything else away (I still have a mess) and watched the baby for a few hours (We spent some time looking for the bunnies in the front yard). Wednesday we went to a park that was supposed to be awesome with a huge maze and play things and what not...turned out to be really small, no slides or swings. Just a one way maze in the shape of Texas and an old caboose. But we did find a place that had really good red pepper soup. I also watched a zombie movie called "Exit Humanity" I got from the Netflix.  The story was set ten years after the Civil War ended. I was ok, but the previews is what got me. There's this weird horror type movie out that won a bunch of stuff at Sundance called "Chop". Seems Quinton Tarantino-ish, but without his flair. I will need to see if it is available on Netflix, too.
Thursday I spent the first half of the day at my new scrapbook store finishing my friends book from Alaska and started on her Hawaii book. Then, I drove down to Dallas to the Pocket Sandwich Theater to watch "Frankenstein the Musical".  This theater is great; small, but big enough to enjoy everything the show has to offer: dinner, drinks, desserts, music, the play and your neighbors. The tickets were only $10 and since I was by myself, I was seated next to an older gentleman (probably around 60) who was also by himself. His friend was the violinist in the orchestra for the play and he came down at intermissions to hang out. The man I sat next to is a teacher at SMU and was saying how he loves to be at work around young people because they have so many new and bright ideas and everything is new to them, then he goes home and there's nothing but old people around, boring and set in their ways. I thought this was funny, but it's true.
The play was a hoot. Mostly based on Mary Shelley's book, but with musical numbers like "Ghost Story" where everyone danced around, twirling. Then there was an upbeat gospel like number, I think was called "God made man, but man made monster" or something like that. The "choir" was singing and clapping. All the actors did a really good job, there's a lot of talent in that little place and I can't wait until the next show "Curse of the Mummy".
When the waiters came around to collect for the bill, my new acquaintance paid for my dinner! How nice, huh? Maybe I'll see him again, he was a nice older man.
And now, today, I got work, again....but I get to go to school today to get my new schedule and a few supplies for my new classes: color fundamentals, observational drawing, and design fundamentals.
I wish I could afford to take more classes. Hopefully when I apply for another loan next year, I can.

click here to read a great review of the play!

Smells like college....

Amazingly, I had no school and no work today! I took the opportunity to make the trek to Denton to finally move my books and craft stuff out of the garage of my gracious friends. (thanks again, by the way, I still have my costumes in there)
Since I was in this college town, I decided to try a new restaurant that opened on the famous Fry Street  just off the campus of UNT. I circled the block a few times looking for the place called MacDaddy's and also a place to park. Every time I circled the block, there was a fresh round of students gathering at the cross walks, so I don't know if anyone noticed me or not (like you could really miss MY car anyway, right?). Fry Street, even in the daytime looks like a cool place to hang out. It's the type of place I've been looking for in Dallas: typical college drag with bars, coffee joints, vegetarian and  pizza places, loung-y type hangouts that beckon those reaching for higher learning or higher something.
I finally did find my eatery. I don't know what it was before (most likely a really cool bar that had to close for some monetary reason) but it is a converted mechanic garage. Orange is the primary color, and there is some seating outdoors, too. I ordered the snack-sized Mac French Onion. Everything is served in a skillet and everything is macaroni and cheese based! Mine had caramelized onions and smoked bacon. It was ok, I would have liked a topping of fresh cheese and more onions. Even though it was "snack-sized", I was full for quite some time. I would go again if I was in the area. Who knows when that will be since I live what feels like light years away.
Once I got back to Plano, I started to unpack my beloved books and craft supplies. Oh, how I've missed skimming my bookshelf for something to browse or even to be able to jump into any chapter of my most favorite story in the wide world: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Vern. I have 5 different copies. I should have kept one with me, I don't know why I didn't. Anyway, when I got to unpacking, I also found my going-away basket from my friends from work and my writing group. I read the cards and got a little choked up. I do miss my peeps in Amarillo and I hope they miss me. I opened my "prescriptions" for creativity that a few in my writing group gave me. They were messages or craft items stuffed into pill bottles for me to keep. I have them lined up on my workspace now. I think it was a really cute idea!
I have almost all my stuff unpacked and put away now, so hopefully I can take advantage of my week off from school and do some crafting or scrapbooking.

my French Onion skillet at Mac Daddy's today

You better work, work it girl...

I went to a fashion and portfolio show tonight for the graduating fashion design students at school. It was fun! I think I was the only graphic design student there, but I wanted to see all the students work in fashion design. I see them in the hallways with their dress forms and patterns and measuring tapes and what nots, but I never get a chance to see anything they've done - until tonight. Of course I didn't have my camera with me, but let me tell you, there is some talent out there that will give the people on Project Runway a challenge! I "facebooked" a few and looked at some portfolios of their work.
The runway show was great. The first part was a design contest for masks. Some were your basic Mardi Gras feathers and beads looking things, then there was one with a huge plume and danglies and sparkly things and I loved the one that was brown and black and gold and had a huge beak on it. That one didn't win though. There were six designers and they were all so different. I had three favorites. One was called Funhouse and it reminded me of a demented, dominatrix Alice in Wonderland type theme. Bright, bold and geometric. Another was Metal Militia. It was black on black with studs and spikes and skulls. It was fun and still wearable, believe it or not. My other favorite was different than those two, it was called Forever and For Always. The designer called it "a country wedding for a city girl" and it was! Lace and satin and some ruffles. It was nice.
Below are some pictures I scanned from the program.

Metal Militia

Country Wedding for a City Girl

Demented Dominatrix Alice in Wonderland

I've been feeling, not exactly bored, but missing something lately: adventure. I am missing an adventure. I love my friends in Denton and try to see them when I can, but it's sooo far. And even though I am living with friends, we never get to do much because of the baby, so I am still trying to find new friends. Preferably single and over 25ish. I just want someone to go somewhere with so I don't have to go alone. If you know someone like that, send them my way!

...and in the final run, we have, art!

Okay, this is my final week of classes for this quarter. I had my final project for my Introduction to Graphic Design class yesterday. I did a powerpoint, with music (! I learned how to do that stuff in another class) comparing who would win in  a fight: coffee vs. tea. Durning the presentation, while Thomas Dolby's song "She blinded me with science" played in the background, I had samples and we took a vote. Coffee won 8 to 5. Other kids had really cool movies that they made using iMovie or Flipnote from the DSi. So I learned from them, too, since I'm still not cool enough to do something like that. Next time then.
Tomorrow I've got my final exam in my Intro to Design Applications. This is the class where I got exposed to all the design programs I'll be using like InDesign on Adobe. We have the written part tomorrow and we have to turn in the practicum by end of class. But, I've been working on mine already so I won't have to stay late, and one of my classmates is doing the same thing so we've been working together. Well, I've been working, he's been playing Sims and helping me, which I really appreciate the help because some things I just can't remember how to do. Our assignment was to use all the programs we reviewed to create brochures, charts, information and a webpage for a national park. I chose Mount Fuji in Japan. It wasn't too difficult since I had a lot of information already from when I went a few years ago.
My last class in Perspective Drawing, we took our final last week. The instructor went over the information, I wrote down my little notes and thought, "good I have these to go over for the test next week." But the guy said, "Okay, who wants to take the exam now?" Of course everyone's hands shot up except mine. I felt  like the last kid standing during a round of musical chairs. I know I missed a few questions, but I think I still did well. We also have a final drawing to turn in. Everyone else used their drawing from the previous assignment, which was to draw a building from a photograph. I, of course, had to be different and started another drawing, which I think was better because I got more practice and advice. So I hope that turns out well, too. We have until the end of class to turn in the final drawing.
Now, please enjoy a few pictures from school:

my group for our "design the decade" project. Ours was the 70's and we were the only group to go old school and do a live collage during our presentation. The teacher really liked that idea and it was my idea.

my final drawing for Perspective class. It is my second attempt to draw something this big and in pencil. I did use a range of pencils for the drawing, but I think my shading and shadows are way off. Still, a good first try, I think.

It was a day....one of THOSE days

Everybody has them. Those days, one of those days. You know what I mean.
Yesterday I was all screwed up. I had a plan: go to school to finish my final project for a class then go to work, then go to a store to get a few things to present for another final project in another class.
That's as far as I got. Oh, I went to school, I even called one of my classmates to remind him that he was going to school too to do his project. It all started when I went to the print lab to scan an image I'd drawn so I could convert it to a computer graphic. I took my flash drive out of the computer, went back to the classroom where we were working, put in my flash drive and it was empty. Erased. Gone. Deleted. How the hell did that happen?? I took it to the tech guys and they didn't have an answer and could't recover it, at least not so anything would be functional. We went back to the same computer and nothing was there either. All the work I did was gone. *snap* just like that.
Luckily I had already printed out what I needed for the first part and saved my homework on the hard drive at school, but I still needed everything to use it to work on the second part. I did have some stuff saved at home, so the only option I have is to go back to damn school again today after damn work...again.
Then I got to work and we got paid. Yay! right? Hmph. I opened my paycheck and immediately thought "Is there another one in here somewhere? This ain't enough" Well, it was all correct, I just get screwed on taxes, you know, because I'm independent without children, so why not tax the hell out of people like me who don't have to support anyone else?
Then, we only had a few rude customers yesterday. One lady I dealt with was in a hurry to get to a soccer game and needed to make these hair barrett things. Well we didn't have anything she needed and I tried to offer alternate solutions, but she was not having it, all she wanted to do was complain, so I apologized and left her to stew. She came up to the register with those things anyway, still with a grump on her face. Nothing worked on this lady. She must have had her tampon in backwards or her kotex on upside down. Then, another lady came up to the register with a few things and a spool of ribbon, which was sold by the yard. I asked if she wanted the whole spool at forty-four some odd dollars and she said "Hell no. I just need 10 inches." I told her she needed to get it cut and ticketed at the cutting counter where she got it and she threw up her hands and said "Oh forget it! I give up" and left, almost stomping.
Someone didn't take their nap I guess.
Not too bad a day, but it could have been better, no doubt. I just wanted to go home and lay down so I forgot to go to the store. So I have to do that today too. Poop.

Now, please enjoy this video from Limp Bizkit: Limp Bizkit video

now it's time to breathe

As some of you know, I moved last weekend from a piece of a bedroom in an apartment in Dallas to a whole bedroom to myself in a house in Plano (about 16 miles north of Dallas).
My friends whom I live with helped  me move my stuff: it took a van and two car trips for my stuff since I didn't have a bed at the time. I helped them move their stuff one car load at a time throughout the week. That took a lot longer. On Sunday, when they rented a  moving truck, I was scheduled to work, so I did. I thought they didn't have that much stuff, just big furniture and a few boxes and that shouldn't take long with four other people helping, right? Well, after having worked 8 hours at a cash register all day, I drove to the new house around 7pm, they were still unloading the FIRST truck load. I got there just in time to help push the 400 pound wardrobe closet upstairs. After much straining a groaning and squeezing and grunting, we finally got this behemoth in place, and it's never moving again. Whoever rents this house next will inherit a giant wardrobe cabinet. Someone said "It stays here now, it's the closet to Narnia." So that was the first truck load, like I said.
 Wow, they got a lot of stuff. So I changed my clothes, moved my tired feet to my car and met them back at the old place to load up more stuff. This took until about 11pm or so. When I drove back to the house, my feet and legs were hurting so bad they itched. I really really wanted to help unload the last truck load so they  could return the truck, but I lay on my mattress that had been delivered two days prior and that was that. I hurt to even think about getting up. It felt like the Viet-cong were chewing off my feet. I peeled open my eyes and could see the bottle of ibuprofen I left on the window sill, but couldn't reach it. I tried to use my powers to move the bottle to me, but since I wasn't in the Matrix, it didn't work, so I just lay there. I was a bit still stiff the next day, and I had to work - again. Luckily I had no school and work was not until 6pm. I bought me some insoles which have been like miracles for my heels.
The rest of week I spent going to school and working and being tired. I thought about writing on my blog, but we had no internet, so I just looked at my computer. I finally got my loft bed delivered on Thursday and assembled it that night. Took me 3 hours! But, it's up and I have lots of room to move around now. So, I am writing this while sitting at my new desk under my bed. I like it. It's like a fort and forts are fun!
Now I'm going to climb up to my bed and watch a movie.

me, under my bed, still in my work clothes