Monday, January 9
New LJ :) Blog is dead...http://www.livejournal.com/users/sparkler_39
Enjoy :)
jess
0 comments
Monday, December 26
Hmmm...so today was busy....my mom got me up at 7 freaking o'clock in the morning to run around to different stores for sales....I couldn't believe how crowded they were at 7 am! Ah well....came home, took a nap, then met Helen and Kathy for lunch at Schlotsky's and then shopping at the mall....shopping was fun....making fun of people was better....and trekking back through the crowds to JCPenney's because Helen left her keys in the dressing room was the best ;) But yeah, ended up with yet another little black dress (I love JCPenney's), and two cute tops and a black skirt :)So came home, took Merlin for a long walk...brushed him and took off enough hair for another sheltie....watched several Law and Order episodes and relaxed....
Tomorrow is dog-sitting in the morning, shopping with mom in the afternoon, and the Stoneham's over for dinner....I haven't seen Ashley in over a year....she's engaged now so I'm sure there'll be lots of wedding talk ;)
And I forgot to add to my list of things to do in the next couple of days....hopefully a New Year's Eve sleepover with Susan (complete with lots of sparkling apple cider) and then maybe GSA alumni recital with VJ and Justin :)
Anyways, survey time ;) Couldn't find any good ones online so I took an old one from another blog :)
name] Jessica
[nickname] Jess
[what’s the best bed you’ve ever slept in?] I think there's a current tie between my bed and Steve's for best bed :) They're both incredibly comfy in different ways :)
[what never fails to relax you?] Reading in a nice hot bubble bath....granted depending on the time of day I take a bath in my apartment, the shower that follows is freezing cold and kinda ruins it, but still....
[what song, book, and/or movie never fails to reduce you to a blubbering mound of Kleenex?] Hmm....song would be Pearl Jam's "Last Kiss"....book would be a couple of the Redwall books....and movie would be "The Notebook"
[what would you do if you were brave and knew you wouldn’t fail?] Surf the incredible waves around Angel Island in CA....way too many great whites there though...*sigh*
[do you hold a grudge or do you forgive? why?] It depends on the situation and the people involved....
[if you could change one thing that you did today, what would you change, and why?] Hmm...I'd change dropping my phone on the concrete while walking Merlin....I think it's dead....
[what is the most vibrant or significant memory you have from your elementary school years?] Hmm....fifth grade, recess...Mr. Schiffelbian gave in and let our class have recess hoping it'd make us behave (it didn't)....I remember running around the playground with Julie because Kariss dared Eddie and Mark to kiss us...
[who would you pick to play you in a movie based on your life? why?] I'd still pick Holly Marie Combs (even though Steve thinks she looks weird)....I think she's incredibly talented and not in a show-offy way....she's also very pretty but not a stand-out....I think I'm pretty enough on my own but lost in a larger crowd....
[if you could choose to be a character in a book, who would you choose?] Hermione Granger (but I'd pick Wood...ha ha) :)
[which of the seven deadly sins are you most guilty of? are you trying to fix it, and if so, how?] Sloth....I don't like to practice...*sigh*....
[when look back on your life, who is the one person that you weren’t close to that you wish you had become better friends with?] Bojana Ilic....my co-reigning middle school bitch/tyrant/heart breaker...I wish we had kept in better touch through high school....
[if you could break any law, with no consequences, which law would you break?] Murder would occasionally be nice, here and there ;)
[if you created a rock band, what would you call it, and what would you play?] I'd probably sing or play keyboards....and it'd have some sort of cutesy name most likely....about love or tragedy....but I wouldn't want it come off sounding like a cheesy 80's female band....
[what has been your best job? your worst job?] Best job? Teaching Ashley harp lesson....Worst job? Teaching tons of little bratty kids to swim....
[if you could suddenly have some sort of superpower, what would you choose?] The ability to read minds and to manipulate water ;) ....the second one, not so much....it just kinda sounded cool :)
[spell your name backwards] tsorf ianah enna acissej
[where do you live?] Alternate between VA Beach and Winchester
[describe yourself in three words] Outspoken, idealistic, and friendly
[who is your worst enemy?] Hee hee...my original answer for this was the Ethiopian, the idiot, and the pecan....ha ha....ahh freshman year was fun....but now, it'd definitely be the dumb lying bitch
[if you could have any animal for a pet, what would it be?] Another sheltie...you can never have just one ;) Ha ha....Just kidding....I'd like a fox :)
[coffee cup] The one that is several shades of purple :)
[sunglasses] Oval, brown tinted
[shoes] Sandals for sure....it's like 65 degrees here! :)
[nail polish] When I'm tan....a shimmery pink
[handbag] Cute black fleece bag from Old Navy
[favourite top] Fleeces :)
[favourite pants] Jeans
[cd in stereo right now] Shakira ;) Ha ha...
[tattoos] Maybe....not sure now...maybe Chela will convince me :)
[piercings] One in each ear
[current song] Feliz Navidad ;)
[wearing] Jeans and a fleece....fancy that ;)
[hair] Dark brown with fading caramel highlights....need to get that done....
[talking to] No one right now....playing with Merlin
[today i...] Went shopping EARLY with my mom, came home and napped, went for a jog with Merlin, took a shower, met Helen and Kathy for lunch at Schlotsky's and shopping at Lynnhaven mall, came home and went for a long walk with Merlin, Atticus, and mom, went grocery shopping with dad, had dinner, watched Law and Order: SVU and CI, and relaxed and read a book :)
[5 facts about me]
[1] I have more guy friends than girl friends, and that’s just fine with me
[2] I absolutely adore Steve :)
[3] I HATE liars, hypocrites, and fundamentalists
[4] I can't wait to get married ;)
[5] I love Rold Gold honey wheat pretzels....just thought I'd mention that :)
[5 things i’d like to do before i die…]
[1] Get married and have a family
[2] Travel throughout Europe
[3] Have a long family vacation to Disneyworld ;) (and get to see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom this time)
[4] Perform Gliere's Harp Concerto with a national or international orchestra
[5] Fit into a size 0 just once more by exercising and dieting healthy....not stupid meds or diet pills :)
[5 actors/actresses I love…]
[1] Johnny Depp
[2] Mel Gibson
[3] Julia Roberts
[4] Orlando Bloom
[5] Heath Ledger
[name your fave band/artist/song that starts with each letter…]
[a] “Always” -Saliva
[b] Blink182
[c] “Chop Suey” –System of a Down
[d] Dreamtheater
[e] "Endless Sacrifice" -Dreamtheater
[f] “For The Longest Time” –Billy Joel
[g] Garbage
[h] “Happy Now” –No Doubt
[i] “Island in the Sun” -Lit
[j] Jordan Rudess, James LaBrie, John Petrucci, or John Myung of Dreamtheater (also Mike Portnoy....but his name doesn't start with a J)
[k] "Kiss Me" -Sixpence None the Richer
[l] “Last Kiss” –Pearl Jam
[m] Megadeth
[n] No Doubt
[o] Oleander
[p] "Perfect One" -Lit
[q] ...
[r] "Rock Show, The" -Blink182
[s] Symphony X
[t] “Time of your Life" -Green Day
[u] “Under the Bridge” –Red Hot Chili Peppers
[v] ...
[w] Weezer
[x] ...
[y] ...
[z] “Zoot Suit Riot” –Cherry Poppin’ Daddies
[what was the first cd you owned (bought for you)?] No Doubt's "Tragic Kingdom"
[what was the first cd you ever bought?] Alanis Morrisette's single for "Ironic"
[if you had someone of the opposite sex coming over and you wanted to impress them, what music would you hide?] Probably my rap cds....they'd probably scare some people :)
[is there a song that reminds you most of certain years of your childhood…if so, which ones?] Hmm....more like songs that remind me of people in my childhood....too many to name....
[if you could spend a night with five musical artists - three for their personalities and two for their bodies - who would they be?] Personalities: Gwen Stefani, John Petrucci (hell, all of DT), and Berlioz....Bodies: Dave Mustaine and Travis Barker (ha ha) :)
[if applicable, name a song or concert that moved you to tears] The soundtrack to "Edward Scissorhands"
[what do you listen to when you are...]
[excited] Something incredibly upbeat like Ricky Martin or Shakira
[angry] “Chop Suey” or “Atwa” by System of a Down or almost anything by Eminem or Dr Dre
[sad] “Last Kiss” –Pearl Jam
[in love] “Here With Me” -Dido
[nostalgic] “Time of your Life” –Green Day or that weird Vitamin C graduation song :)
[name one musical artist you would like to see banished] Britney Spears....definitely not a musical artist....or Michael Jackson cause he's just nasty....
[name one musical genre you would like to see banished] If it involves lip-syncing, more than three guys, or one scantily-clad chick gyrating on stage with an earpiece...it needs to go...
[name one song you would rather hear never again] I can't pick just one...
[what now-defunct band would you most like to see reunite (living or dead)?] Smashing Pumpkins
[name an album that is perfect all the way through] My numerous mixed cds or "Tragic Kingdom"
[music you like that could be considered a guilty pleasure] Broadway musical soundtracks
[if your music collection was about to go up in flames, which five cds would you save?] I'd grab my iPod ;)
[which underrated artist deserves more attention?] Dreamtheater
[what is your favourite soundtrack?] “Edward Scissorhands”
[best music-related movie]: Amadeus ;)
[do you miss the days when mtv used to, like, show videos and stuff?] YES
[what is your favourite all-time video?] Ricky Martin's "Livin' la Vida Loca" ;)
[you’re done....]
But yeah, I think I'm gonna head back to Winchester on the 12th....we'll see....back to playing with Merlin and reading.....
**I love you!!**
jess
1 comments
Sunday, December 25
Merry Christmas! :) And Happy Hanukkah! :)Anyways, it's been a good Christmas here....my two big presents this year were my van and Merlin but I got a bunch of cute little things....but there were two other quite big presents in my family this year. My dad finally got his sailboat...he paid for it on Friday. It's a 1982 (but in great shape) 22 foot Cape Dory that's docked in a slip at the Norfolk Navy Base....hopefully if we get good weather I'll get to go out sailing in it before I go back to school.... And then my mom received her gift certificate for a sea kayak of her very own. We have to go out to the store to do some research tomorrow :) And after we buy hers my dad and I will get a cheap one so that one of us can go with her when she goes out in the ocean....
But yeah, so Wednesday we saw the Lion King at Chrysler Hall....it was ABSOLUTELY amazing! :) Very impressive...the way they portrayed all the animals was very well done.....my only complaint was the out-of-tune 12 year old who played young Simba and the fact that they changed Timon's line to "What do you want us to do? Dress in drag and do the hula?" to "What do you want us to do? Dress in drag and do the charleston?"....Ah well....still very humorous...
And then Thursday I drove up to Triangle in the morning with Merlin and we visited briefly with Steve and his mom before heading up to Ballston mall with Mrs. Ballas, Steve, Dan, and Patrick to meet his dad....had a quick dinner at Ruby Tuesday's and then took the metro to MCI center...Trans-Siberian Orchestra was ABSOLUTELY amazing as well!! :) They played an entire Christmas CD in the first half (including my favorite song) and then spent the 2nd half playing a bit of Christmas but mostly their non-Christmas classical pieces....very very cool....they even played Led Zeppelin ;) (Steve loved it) But the lights and pyrotechnics were incredibly well-done and they finished with my favorite piece again so I was thrilled....but it was a fun adventure getting home and then everyone slept WAY in on Friday (except Steve's dad who had to go to work) :)
Anyways, on Friday Steve and I took Patches and Merlin to Locust Shade Park for a nice long walk which they both seemed to enjoy....we also took some good pictures that I'll post when I get back to school....and we went to Carrabbas in Dale City for dinner (my first time there) and relaxed with his family when we got back....
But our big event of Friday was purchasing online tickets to Dreamtheater's 20th Anniversary show on April 1st in New York City at Radio City Music Hall....it will mark the end of their 2005-2006 tour....so we're taking a trip to NYC this year (yay, just what I wanted!) and will spend the next couple of weeks making hotel reservations and figuring out what we want to do (definitely a trip to Little Italy and Chinatown though)....so that's incredibly exciting :)
So Saturday I came home, played at St. Aidan's for the 9th year in a row....*sigh*....and had a great Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family....and I've got all sorts of things planned for the next couple of weeks so it should be fun....tomorrow is early shopping with my mom and hopefully seeing Helen and maybe Vivian, too....Tuesday is dog-sitting early in the day and then having the Stoneham's over for dinner....Wednesday is seeing Amber and Chela (they both got ahold of me via IM and phone recently....it'll be great to catch up with them soon)....Thursday is relaxing ;) except for two NVSR home visits I have to do....and then Friday mom is having me make dinner for when the Kemman's come over.... then sometime soon I'm meeting Justin Kauflin for lunch and a movie (preferably Chronicles of Narnia again) and I've got to go up to Baltimore to their "National Hand Center" for an appointment about my left hand (and hopefully on the way back my mom and I will stop by and see Steve and his family)....
So it'll be a busy couple of weeks and then I'll be back up at school for the spring semester....*sigh* I should probably also practice here and there ;)
Oh yeah, Kim and I have decided to firm up on our dieting plans for our New Year's Resolutions....I figure I might as well not even try to start until after the holidays end....my mom makes too much good food....but starting January 1st it's back to lots of dog walks, Master's swimming, gym time, and less good food ;) Sounds good to me :)
Anyways, back to talking to people....
**I love you and I miss you!!**
jess
0 comments
Saturday, December 17
You can tell I'm home and bored already ;) Just kidding....anyways, stealing a survey from Donnie....Time started: 11:10 PM
Full Name: Jessica Anne Hanai Frost
Single or Taken: Most definitely taken ;)
Sex: Female
Birthday: September 8th, 1984
Siblings: Only child unless you count my five "brothers" ;)
Eye color: Dark brown
Shoe size: 4.5
Height: 4'11" and a half
Innie or Outie: Innie....outies are creepy
What are you wearing right now: Jeans and a blue Old Navy tank top (I love VA Beach weather)
Where do you live: Alternate between Virginia Beach and Winchester, VA
Righty or lefty: Righty
Can you make a dollar in change right now?: Yep...the girl at Daily Grind gave me alot of change this morning :)
Piercings/tattoos: Pierced ears...still debating on lower back tattoo and belly button piercing....oh, know what's even creepier than an outie....an outie that's pierced....ick...
Relationships
Who are your closest friends: Steve, Matt, Matt, Nick, Tyler, Brandon, Kyle, Helen, Kim, and Donnie
Do you have a BF or GF?: BF Steve :)
Did you send this to your crush?: Ha ha....no....online journals aren't really his thing ;)
Best place to go for a date: Pretty much anywhere :)
Shopping
Where is your favorite place to shop: Forever 21, Charlotte Russe, Old Navy, Pacific Sunwear, Abercrombie and Fitch, Express, American Eagle, and Aeropostale
Favorite kind of pants: Jeans or my pilates pants :)
Color: Silver, cerulean blue, violet
Number: 13
Boys Name: Too many...
Girls Name: I really like Sierra, but I don't know if I'd want to name my kid that...
Animal: Bunnies, seals, squirrels, shelties, opossums, raccoons, foxes...basically anything cute and fuzzy :)
Drink: Regular Mountain Dew and Cranberry Ginger Ale
Sport(s): Swimming, surfing, and cheerleading (yes it is a sport)
Football: Eck...only thing I like about football is cheering on Kai Parham....and since I don't go to UVA....I don't really like football
Basketball: I used to like going to see the ODU Lady Monarchs play :) ....but I think that was mostly so Ashley and I could buy cotton candy and flirt with the guys hanging around the stands :)
Hockey: Mighty Ducks! :) Quack Quack Quack... ;)
Baseball: Eh...
Month(s): Any fall, winter, and spring months....hell, summer, too....I don't really have a favorite month....except I'm a sucker for finding the radio stations playing endless Christmas songs on the radio so maybe December :)
Movie: The Notebook, Chronicles of Narnia, Troy, all the HP movies (except 3), The Corpse Bride, Amadeus, Braveheart, The Patriot, Glory, anything starring the young Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas (like The Vikings or Spartacus)
Juice: Apple, pomegranate, or cranberry
Finger: Ring finger ;) Ha ha...
Breakfast: Homemade waffles (although we usually eat that for dinner) :)
Favorite cartoon character: Snoopy :)
Have you ever:
Given anyone a bath: Ha ha, I bathed Merlin yesterday....does he count as an 'anyone'?
Smoked: Yes...cigarettes, nothing else...
Bungee: Nope
Made yourself throw-up: Unfortunately yes
Gone skinny dipping: Ha ha....technically yes....ODAC, man those were the days....ha ha...just kidding :)
Eaten a dog: I could make a joke here, but seeing as how I'm Asian....I'm not going to....and no I've never eaten a dog...
Put your tongue on a frozen pole: Nope, I dared Steve to last week, but he didn't :)
Loved someone so much it made you cry?: I don't think so....it wasn't love...
Broken a bone: Nope
Played truth or dare: Hell yeah....swim meets were prime truth or dare time :)
Been in a physical fight: A couple fun ones in elementary school in Japan
Been in a police car: Just once...but it wasn't for being arrested or anything....
Been on a plane: Many times
Come close to dying: Unfortunately, yes....I'm a bit of a reckless surfer ;)
Been in a sauna: Yep
Been in a hot tub: Yep
Swam in the ocean: Ha ha, that's a stupid question for me....
Fallen asleep in school: Yep....stupid history classes in high school....and even stupider ROTC guy that would poke me if I fell asleep....
Ran away?: Kinda...but not really....
Broken someone's heart: Yeah....I feel kinda bad about it now though....ah well, occasionally I was a little bit of a bitch in high school....
Cried when someone died: Yes
Cried in school: Yes
Saved AIM conversations: Most definitely....how do you think I have so much fun reveling in how stupid people are....I get to read the same damn things over and over again from the same stupid person....
Saved e-mails: Sometimes...
Fallen for one of your best friends? Yes, it doesn't work out....believe me....
Made out with JUST a friend?: Yeah but that was a LONG time ago....
Used someone: I don't think I've purposely used anyone, but I think sometimes in my attempts to get over a previous boyfriend I might have made guys feel like I was using them.... :(
Been cheated on: Yes
What is...
Your good luck charm: Hmm...it used to be my surfer wave ring....then Matt stole it when they moved to San Francisco....now it's probably my graduation ring from the guys....
Best song you ever heard: That's a hard one....not sure, right now...
Stupidest thing you have ever done: Ah, too many to name....one though is wasting 5 years and too much money on a stupid worthless bitch....
What's your room like: Well I like my room at school more now....I'd say it's a pretty good reflection of me....lots of posters and pictures...my cute pink Target sheets and Ralph Lauren extra soft comforter....fun stuff, mostly :)
Last thing you said: "Merlin it's time to go to bed!"
What is beside you: My parents' desk stuff....
Last thing you ate: Homemade Christmas cookies
What kind of shampoo do you use?: It varies....right now is Herbal Essences
Best thing that has happened to you this year: I figured out what I'm going to do next year (which means staying with Steve and getting everything I wanted to do done), and getting a sheltie of my very own :)
Have you had...
Chicken pox: Yes
Sore Throat: Yes
Stitches: Too many....stupid surfing accidents....
Broken nose: Nope
Believe in love at first sight: I think it's funny that this category is 'Have you had' and the question is 'Believe in love at first sight'...ah well....Kinda yes and kinda no....it depends....
Have picnics: Yep and I like them alot....hopefully this year we'll get to do a (Frost family) traditional fried chicken picnic under the cherry trees when they start blooming....it's what we always did on base in Japan....
Like school: Yes
What schools have you gone to: Shenandoah University, Princess Anne High School, Governor's School for the Arts, Landstown Middle School, ODC, Salem Elementary School, Sullivan's Brothers Elementary School
If you were stuck on an island, what people would you want with you: All the people on my closest friends list, Martha Stewart, and the Crocodile Hunter....someone to tidy up the island and make it hospitable (it's a good thing) and someone to kill and/or contain anything creepy crawly or poisonous :)
Who was the last person that called you: My mom
Who was the last person you slow danced with: Wow....ummm, actually I think it was Matt Bonanno and my freshman year at SU Homecoming Dance...but that might not have technically been a slow dance....otherwise it was Scott and GSA Prom
What makes you laugh the most?: The interactions between Steve, Merlin, Nestle, and Cookie :)
What makes you smile?: Steve
Who is the last person
You Kissed?: Steve
Who broke your heart: In all honesty, probably Scott
Who told you they loved you: Steve
Is your loudest friend: Matt still wins this one....although if she's pissed off, maybe Helen ;)
Do you/Are You:
Do you like filling these out: Sometimes
Do you wear contacts or glasses: Both....hopefully laser surgery in the near future...
Do you get along with your family: Yes
Stolen anything over $50: Ha ha yeah.... ;)
Obsessive? Sometimes...
Compulsive? About some things, yes...
Anorexic? Nope
Suicidal? Nope
Final questions...
How many people are you sending this to: Umm, no one....
What did you do yesterday: Slept in for the first time in a week, relaxed in the morning, bathed the dog, took Merlin to meet Dr. Boyd after Steve's jury, ran a bunch of errands and took Merlin to PetSmart for the first time....Went to Martinsburg to go to Outback for dinner, baked a Hungarian double-decker pastry, cleaned, packed, and watched Fresh Prince and Cosby show reruns....
Hated someone in your family: No
Gotten any awards: Yeah...but I don't feel like going through them....
What car do you wish to have: Something cute and sporty...but as a harpist, that's not gonna happen....I'm quite content with my Ford Windstar though :)
If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?: I wouldn't be so overly generous when I don't need to be, and I'd be skinnier ;)
Good Singer: Damn straight I am ;)
Have a lava lamp: Kinda....it's not really a lava lamp, more a glitter lamp :)
How many remote controls are in your house: 4 in Winchester
Are you double jointed: Nope
What do you dream about? Ha ha, Steve would kill me ;)....Master's degree in one year means what? ;) Ha ha just kidding :)
Last time you showered: This afternoon when I got home to Virginia Beach
Last time you took a bath: Yesterday
The last movie you saw at the theatres: Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe....btw, it was absolutely amazing :)
Scary or happy movies: Both
Chocolate or white chocolate: White chocolate
Root Beer or Dr.Pepper: Root Beer
Mud or Jell-O wrestling: No wrestling....ugh
Vanilla or chocolate: Umm....it would depend....
Skiing or Boarding: Boarding of any type (surfing, skateboarding) is better than skiing or anything requiring two of something (skating, freestyling)....one takes more skill ;)
Summer or winter: Winter
Silver or Gold: Silver
Diamond or pearl: Diamond
Sunset or Sunrise: Sunrise
Sprite or 7up: Sprite
Orange juice or apple juice: Apple
Cats or dogs: Dogs...but most especially Shelties :)
Coffee or tea: Coffee
Phone or in person: In person
Are you oldest, middle, youngest or only child: Either only or youngest :)
End Time: 11:50 PM....whew :)
jess
0 comments
Friday, December 16
Well unfortunately I can't add pictures yet....but I've got some great ones to add when I get the time....but yes the semester is over (finally) :) A's in all my classes and on both my juries :)But the best news....I'm getting a sheltie for Christmas :) I told my parents all I wanted for Christmas was to keep Posse....I knew my mom liked him after the first night....it took my dad a little longer but after last weekend, my dad decided "he'd do"....which really means he loved him, too :) So after lots of debating and discussion we've decided to rename him Merlin :) He's technically a bi-blue merle sheltie (definitely pure-bred) with the best disposition imaginable :) But yes, since he's a merle and has a half blue eye (that could be considered "magical") ;) we decided Merlin was a good choice...plus it's like ten times more masculine sounding then Posse ;) But he's doing great in the apartment....follows me around and sleeps at my feet....but when we went home for the weekend he had a great time barking and chasing Atticus around the backyard :)
And plans have changed slightly for next year....after discussing my hand with Mrs. Blakeslee and my parents, I've decided that instead of auditioning and getting into one of my second choice schools and possibly not getting into Toronto (my first choice) and transferring into Toronto the following year....I've spoken to the Dean and assistant Dean (my favorite Dr. Phipps!) of Shenandoah Conservatory and they have agreed to allow me to complete a Master's of Music in Harp Pedagogy in one year (including both summers) next year...So I'll stay at SU with Steve for a year and get my first Master's in just a year....meanwhile continuing to work towards my Toronto audition....then hopefully, the following year I'll attend the University of Toronto and work on my Master's of Music in Harp Performance and a Master's of Music in Musicology....and then on to Yale or Indiana for my Doctorate ;) Crazy, I know...but hey, I'll have a Bachelor's and Master's degree in just five years (and without some "special" program)....plus I'll get to stay in my cute apartment with Steve for another year....and then we'll both be done and we can see what options we have for moving up to Toronto together :)
Anyways, winter break should be good....lots of practicing, gym time, and sheltie time :) Next Wednesday, my family goes to see Lion King at Chrysler Hall....the next day I drive up to Steve's house to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra with his family at the MCI Center....then there's Christmas and New Year's.....then Les Miserables at National Theatre with Steve....and before we know it, I'll be back at SU for the spring semester :)
Classes for next semester should be kinda fun....I have no classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays except for a harp lesson, piano lesson, and ensembles (which are nothing, really)....and on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have Arranging at 8, Form and Analysis II at 9, Music Notation at 10, and on Tuesdays, Survey of World Music at 3 with Kim and Josh :) So even though I have three or four classes on two days, I have a four day weekend and then in the middle of my "work" week, I get a day off :) Plus, I'm moving the harp into the apartment so I can spread out my practicing and spend more time with Merlin :) Sounds good to me....
So lots of good news...anyways, I've gotta finish making a Hungarian double-decker pastry to bring home tomorrow :)
**Love you!!**
jess
0 comments
Friday, November 25
Ahh! Well life is going pretty well....except for audition nervousness and all that....but anyways, I'm home for break...my grandparents are here as well...and I'm heading back to school tomorrow.....and on the way home I get to pick up......da da dum.... ;)
My new sheltie foster! Posse is a gorgeous 3 year old blue merle male sheltie...I've got him for two weeks as a foster and then I can decide if I'd like to keep him or put him up for adoption through the rescue league....but from his temporary foster's descriptions and pictures, I think I want him....but we'll see....it'll be $350.00 to adopt him, $200.00 to the rental office, and then vet bills, food bills, and such....*sigh*....all I want for Christmas is a sheltie :)
Anyways, more fun news....I talked to Justin Kauflin online for the first time in like 2 years tonight...we've made plans to go see another epic long movie over winter break...LOTR was first....he about killed me for that one :)
"What the hell is going on?"
"There's fighting"
"Who's fighting"
"The trees..."
"Since when do trees fight?"
But now he's read those books and read the Chronicles of Narnia so it shouldn't be too bad :) Ha ha....
Well...stupid people amuse me....but that's not anything new....sometime soon there's a definite rant coming....but for now, I'm too amused with the prospect of having a sheltie in less than 24 hours that I don't really care...
Btw, I'm going to rename the sheltie Rimsky if I decide to keep him...for any non music people, that's short for Rimsky Korsakov who wrote one of my all-time favorite pieces to play and listen to, "Scheherazade" and also wrote the first major cadenza I ever played in public with an orchestra, "Capriccio Espagnol"...
Helen and I ran all through the list of composers names last night....but I think Rimsky is the choice for sure :)
Back to talking to Steve and Donnie :)
Happy late Thanksgiving everyone and I'll post sheltie pictures tomorrow :)
**LOVE YOU!!**
jess
0 comments
Saturday, November 12
Well I didn't switch over to LiveJournal like I planned....I'll worry about it later...oh well...but yeah, lots of stuff has happened and alot of stuff coming up so hopefully this will actually be a good update :)So first off....big news of the week....the demise of my 1994 Ford Taurus station wagon....that car has seen some good times....some bad ones as well....but overly amusing times for the most part :) Ha ha all the car drives with the FUF (and most especially Chela who I've finally reconnected with....yay for Thanksgiving break and seeing the Waanck! girl) :) Ha ha, the "fucked-up-four" or FUF...ha ha Chela's right....most appropriate name for two of the group ;) but I won't go any further with that....it's best left to IM conversations with Chela :)
Anyways, Monday I'm driving to a NVSR home visit I have to do in Winchester and I'm driving up this hill on route 37 and at the end of a song (I listen to music WAY too loud) I realize that my gas pedal is making a really strange noise when I push down on it...and come to think of it, I'm slowly losing speed...and wow, my engine thermostat is all the way over on the hot/danger/warning side.....and so I get over the hill and my engine shuts off....therefore the steering wheel locks...and I kinda freaked out....but I managed to jerk the steering wheel over enough to stop on the side of the road near the exit for WMC....I call my parents, AAA, and Steve....and Steve brings us lunch and waits with me for the AAA tow truck to arrive....and it does, so they tow my poor car to Pep Boys....and by Monday night I know that my engine overheated, my head gasket is blown, my head is cracked and most likely there's internal damage to the engine....so my dad decided it'd be better to get rid of the car and buy a new one a little earlier than expected....(we had originally planned to get a minivan over the summer before I went off to graduate school)
So this week has been filled with vehicle hunting in Winchester and Virginia Beach....Kim and I went out on Wednesday and I got to test drive a Toyota Sienna and a Dodge Caravan....we also visited the Kia, Ford, and Honda dealerships....Thursday Steve and I tried loading the harp into a couple different vans to see how they fit....meanwhile my dad was also searching new and used vans throughout Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Norfolk....
....and today my dad went and bought me a 2002 Ford Windstar SE Minivan from Freedom Ford....I'm so excited! It's silver (color was a big scare for me....no more sea foam green cars!)....it fits the harp perfectly (and safely)....has a 6 cd changer, sun roof, keyless entry, 10 speakers, and adjustable pedals! I can actually sit where normal people sit when they drive and be able to reach the pedals :) Very very nice :) So I'll get to see it next weekend when we go down to VA Beach for Steve's birthday and the VBSO concert with Mrs. Bennett :)
So what's coming up?
-November 18-20 Steve's birthday weekend (celebrating with a trip to the Melting Pot, seeing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire on opening night, and like three actual birthday celebrations ;)), the VBSO concert featuring Mrs. Bennett, and a wedding gig :)
-November 22-27 Thanksgiving break....my grandparents are spending the holiday with us so I'll be picking them up on my way home for the week :)
-Harp gigs throughout the next month...too numerous to add unless they're interesting
-December 8-10 Home in VA Beach for gig with Mr. Kunkel's church and the Continental Army Band (that's the exciting one!)
December 17 Home for winter break!
December 21 Lion King at Chrysler Hall
January (sometime) Les Miserables at National Theater
February (TBD) Auditions...Toronto, Peabody, and Illinois (top choice, back-up, and option) :)
March 9-13 Wind Ensemble Tour to NYC
March 26 Steve's first Graduate recital
April 9 My Senior recital
May 13 Graduation
May (two weeks TBD) Steve and I go to Japan!
And then who knows what I'll do this summer :) Haven't thought about it....no idea :)
But anyways, what else is new....well for fun, Kim and I spent Friday afternoon in Manassas shopping at Borders, Panera, and ULTA ;) We should get out and spend those afternoons exploring areas more often...ha ha....
My applications are ALMOST all complete....gotta finish them in the next few days or so though....my iPod is on its way to being fixed....damn me for spilling Mello Yello all over it...*sigh*.....my eBay auction ended yesterday and I was pretty pleased with the end bid :)
Let's see....what else....well the bunnies are doing great....Nestle and Cookie are troublemakers though....they love to chew on wires....so we've bunny proofed the living room but it's still hard to keep them away from them....but they're definitely adorable together :) I'm really glad I found him a friend :) She compliments him very well....and he's lost ALOT of weight and gained alot of energy in return which is good, too....
I've started doing more and more work with NVSR....I went to the annual meeting last weekend and volunteered to write a monthly email newsletter plus research several fundraising options....and I've also volunteered to be a foster if necessary.... it'd be awesome if we got to take care of a sheltie for a little while :)
Steve and I are doing great...on our way to two years, and 8 months :) Moving into an apartment was definitely a good idea....we only fight about stupid things like me leaving bunny vegetables in the sink for him to find a day later when he washes the dishes....but yep, things are wonderful....and our apartment is so cute :) I wish we could move Dr. Johnston to whatever graduate school I go to ;)
Oh and McLean orchestra....well I played my first concert with them two weekends ago....five pieces and they ALL had harp parts!
Saint-Saens "Danse Macabre"
Ravel "La Valse"
Saint-Saens "Danse Bacchanale"
Tchaikovsky "Francesca da Rimini"
Ravel "Bolero"
It was amazing...I had a great time meeting the other harpist, Michelle, and playing with the ensemble....they were SO good! (It made playing the Danse Macabre with Sinfonia that much more painful....especially with our "soloist"...ugh....I won't even get started on that) But yeah, my parents came up for the concert and we spent the afternoon shopping at Trader Joe's and Balducci's and then Steve joined us for dinner at a sushi place in McLean (I can't remember the name of it)....I also got to spend the previous night with Emily and Ben at their new house in Fairfax....it was great to catch up with both of them....I REALLY hope Emily comes back next semester so it's more than just me and Tula :)
Hmmm....I think this is an adequate update :) It's time to finish LoTR Risk with Steve ;) Our two night game continues....
**Love you!!**
jess
0 comments
