Christmas

Altogether, my Christmas was excellent. I received far more than I asked for (or deserved, if you ask me) and I am thankful for it all. The highlights of this Christmas' unwrappings include a five-disk, collector's edition box set of Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks including an entire disk of remixed and unreleased music. (!!!) The amazing and unique thing about Hans Zimmer is that he doesn't just write the music for the film, call it quits and collect his paycheck, he explores all the possibilities for the themes he creates by writing extended, elaborate suites. Disk four of the set includes suites for the Hoist the Colours, Beckett, Davy Jones and Singapore themes and though all of these suites are unbelievable to hear, they pale in comparison to the 11 minute suite for the At World's End love theme. This track is breathtaking and moving. It stirs so many memories for me from the end of an amazing chapter of my life*. The set also includes a 'Behind the Score' featurette with Zimmer and the other important players from the series.
I also found Mac's latest and greatest operating system, Leopard, in my stocking this Christmas. It is beautiful, and I mean that in a way that only the true Mac enthusiast will understand. I haven't come across any glitches yet. Then again, by now I can pretty much tell what will and won't piss off a Mac; don't go against the grain and you won't find a single issue.
My iPod has a slick new case now, one that is rubber-based and will hopefully absorb some of the shock should the unspeakable happen.
Of course, there was cash, which I appreciate because it lets me put it where I want it. Now, more than ever before, I am becoming super-conscious of how expensive my life is. To be honest this subject is one I never really talk about more out of guilt than any other factor. Financially, my family is relatively well-off. My parents have always been there with whatever money I may have needed for this or that. To put it bluntly, I am spoiled and I feel guilty about it. I look around and see so many of my good friends working their asses off with two and three jobs for the money that I just somehow have. These days I do have jobs, they're just jobs that can be done from my laptop and the comfort of my own home. This summer I will be getting a real, daily job, not because I have to but because I want to. Right now, I have a horribly warped perspective on life. I sit around and sulk because none of my friends are online or can do the things I'd like to do. Of course, it's not that they don't want to, it's that they're always working to have the money it takes to have a little fun once in a while. I need to feel that too, as crazy as that sounds.
So, on this Christmas (now Boxing Day if we're being technical) I would like to express how thankful I am and that I am consistently humbled by the gifts I receive, both beneath the tree and in the heart. I have some of the greatest, kindest, most genuine, most hard-working friends anyone could ask for. I expect too much from them, I'm afraid and I am working consciously to change that. After all, it's not all about me. That much, especially now, is clear.

Thank for everything and I hope you all had Christmases even greater than mine.



*More on this chapter in a later post.

Current Status: Working

Sorry it's been forever. Things are teetering on the edge of insanity at this point and finding time to blog is difficult. The past few weeks have been good ones. I'm meeting people, which, about a month ago, I had no real desire to do. What I love about CCAD's Foundation Studies year is that everyone suffers through the same hellish projects. We can sympathize with each other when we mess up, rejoice with each other when we finish a particularly grueling assignment and struggle through the process together. It's strange how much bonding can be done over a few odd pieces of wood or a drawing of a barn.
Last week was a doozie. The workload took a dramatic surge upward and just at the time when I needed a little free time. My parents bought me tickets to see John Williams conduct the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and the show was Wednesday. I wanted that night to be as stress-free as possible. This meant cramming two-days worth of work, an enormous 2D Design project, drawing assignment, 3D Design project and Digital Design/Type project into the span of one night. At one point I thought my eyes were going to fall out of my skull in protest but, after many, many hours of work, I finished and God was that feeling gratifying. The concert was amazing. I took my friend Ashley and we had a great time being nerds. The pizza we ordered afterward was some of the best tasting food I had ever ingested simply because I hadn't eaten since 8 o'clock that morning.
I spent the weekend in the peace and quiet of my own back yard. I love fall and sitting out beneath the changing trees. The peace of home is such a contrast to the non-stop action of school and, for me at least, it's a necessity. I watched Emily and the rest of the marching band compete in their first-ever band festival hosted by North Union High School. They looked so great and I am still very proud of them. As a group, they sounded great even while missing several key players (namely Casey who is currently recovering from a particularly nasty bout with mono and Davy who took a rather unpleasant spill during school and injured his knee. Guys, we're all thinking about you and hoping you get better soon).
Other than that, my life has consisted of working, eating and sleeping, one of which I am looking forward to doing now.

Note to those who are not attending school due to illness or immobilization and who wish to talk, I'm free every day from 11 o'clock to 12:15; IM me or call, whatever.

Miss you.

Revelations

I made a revelation a few days ago while talking to Dave. In college, weekends are not "week-ends" as much as they are "week-extensions". The work never really ends, certainly not for two whole days. At least for me, weekends in high school meant sleeping in, laying around, watching football, hanging out, having fun. In college, weekends are hard-earned chunks of quiet, precious moments of uninterrupted work time. The work load is growing, my friends. In 2D Design alone I have three rather daunting assignments due in less than a week. I'm not worried though. It's nothing I can't handle.

I've also realized that, in general, I am far more introverted in college as compared to high school. I'm sure this has something to do with my completely new surroundings, group of friends and work load, but over all, I would much rather be alone, in my dorm, drawing and listening to some Pirates or Potter than out gallivanting around campus or the city. I like the quiet, it lets me focus and be productive; some of the happiest times of the week are the ones when I am alone with my music and a pencil.

In keeping the this week's theme, I would like to stress that things are going great here at school. Plans are underway for the annual CCAD Boo Ball (we're going as Death Eaters), I really like the people in my classes, I've made an admirable set of friends who are so remarkably like me we can't help but get along and I've stopped dreading the alarm each morning. That being said, I miss my friends: the original group, the one-and-only. I think about them every day and miss them more than anything else. The lapses of time that pass without hearing anything from them are starting to hurt but I realize that, like me, they are busy. They have more important things to do.

And so, I venture ever onward, sailing swiftly into the Unknown, all the while keeping a weathered eye on the horizon, searching for signs from the past.

Three Weeks and Counting

After three weeks, I have started to dig myself into a niche here in college. I know the difference between what I "need" for class and what I need for class. I know exactly when I need to leave my bed each morning to make it to class on time. I know that the shower takes seven seconds to transition from cold to hot. I know what classes demand the better part of my attention and what classes don't. I know to have my CCAD-ID out and ready so as not to piss off the lunch lady when going through the line in the café. I know that the raspberry Creamice smoothies are the greatest beverages on Earth (and at four dollars a pop, they damn-well better be). I know how to unlock the door of my room with one hand (which comes in very handy when carrying a large drawing board, 18 x 24 inch sketch pad, box of drawing pencils, and a backpack of notebooks). I know not to take critiques personally; they exist only to make me better, although they still suck. I know that Armbrust means "crossbow" in Ancient Germanic and I know that without my daily retreat into the safe haven of my iPod, my routine swim through a sea of good memories, I would not have made it this far.

My birthday was a good one. Thanks to everyone for the onslaught of wall well-wishes and if I didn't thank you personally, I apologize and hope this mention will suffice. My parents bought me a fantastic Casio camera which I make an attempt to use at least once every day (although today was an exception because the battery was charging). I am spending iTunes money like there's no tomorrow. I know, I know. I could pirate but I can't, out of respect for the composers, bring myself to steal the music I listen to. Speaking of composers, one week from today I will be listening to the music of John Williams, live, and conducted by the genius himself (again, thanks to my parents). I can't wait and will do my best to take clear, flash-less pictures. Don't hold your breath.

I had an unusual lull in homework today. It's worrisome: I feel like I've forgotten something but I can't think of what it could be. Oh well, here's hoping I'm wrong. I am, for the most part, completely exhausted and looking forward to Friday and a little extra sleep. Until then, I'll take what I can get.

I miss you all (and I mean that. Sure, it's turned into a kind of tag line [inspired fully by the awesome sign-off of Potter-Watch] but it is the truth. I can't stress that enough). Stay in touch (please). See you when I can.

Stretch, Yawn; Repeat As Needed.

This is morning was one of those curse-the-alarm-clock, stub-your-toe, shampoo-in-the eyes kind of mornings. I didn't make it to bed until 1:00 last night so the 6:00 alarm seemed t0 c0me out of nowhere in the middle of the night. I did manage however, to finish my four sketchbook pages which are due today. Thursdays suck for me: 2D Design, Drawing and Art History. I bought my mammoth, eight-pound Art History book yesterday for an account-killing one-hundred twenty-two dollars. I honestly think that if you can return the book at the end of the year, in good condition, they should give at least some of that money back.

I can feel the workload growing already, and they keep telling us that our current assignments are the easiest we'll ever see. This is going to be rough. I miss jazz band; I had "On Green Dolphin Street" stuck in my head for the majority of Digital Design yesterday. I miss the music, the relaxing, anything-goes atmosphere but most of all, I miss the people.

Thanks to Emily for my fantastic Chipotle gift card, complete with "Shoes" parody.
Good Luck to Heidi in her final Cross Country meet.
Good luck to Anna, Casey, Davy, Emily, Heidi, Lee and everyone else for Friday night. You guys have one hell of a show put together and I am really proud.

To everyone else, miss you all. Stay in touch. See you later.

Music Makes You Lose Control.

Actually, no. Music helps me stay in control. It keeps me focused and I could happily sit through three hours of Painting Fundamentals just so long as I had good music playing absentmindedly in the background. Today was a Hans Zimmer day. Last night I downloaded the soundtracks to Gladiator and The Da Vinci Code and have been listening to them on and off all day today.
While not as good a Pirates of the Caribbean, they come pretty damn close. Gladiator is a lot like Pirates in that its main themes are brash and bold; you can hear the battle raging on as you listen. Interestingly enough, at one point in Gladiator's track three, "The Battle," a theme almost identical to "Jack Sparrow's Theme" staggers in and out of the action. When I heard it today during Drawing, I let out an audible "Ha!" and several people glanced up at me, no doubt wondering what the hell was so funny. Funny or not, those kind of musical moments make listening exciting to me. Zimmer is a master of weaving themes together in great, grand, sweeping suites ("At Wit's End" on the At World's End soundtrack is a prime example) although I must admit, hearing such blatant personal plagiarism came as quite a shock, hence the mid-still-life "Ha!"
The Da Vinci Code score is much more subdued, more ethereal and haunting just like it's ink-and-paper counterpart. Zimmer's use of choir and the female voice is amazing and suites the story perfectly. It is almost as though angels are singing from heaven, addressing the horror, the mystery, the action themselves. The prominent theme (found in its full glory in track twelve, "Chevaliers de Sangreal") is broad and sweeping using the strings to their fullest potential. It is inspiring, as I'm sure it was intended to be.
I didn't intend for this to turn into a review but these things tend to write themselves, you know. All I can say is without music, my life would be silent; and what good is a silent life?

The soundtracks to Gladiator and The Da Vinci Code are both available from the iTunes Store.

Hope you enjoyed this little diversion for the the norm, I know I did.
Miss you all. Stay in touch. See you later.

Memories: Now Playing

I was told that my blog is melancholy so, in an effort to reduce the amount of melancholyness, I will do my best to stay positive. I will also do my best to make these more regular.

Melissa, Carie, Heidi and I went to the Mean Bean tonight in a last-stitch attempt at memory-making before we all head our separate directions. Nathan was there (in photographic form) too. The night consisted of two lattes, two hot chocolates, two good phones, two crap phones, puddle-jumping, wet bushes, a Brown Jug bathroom break and Moulin Rouge. Quite the combination. It amazes me how easily good times come to us. I guess that is to be expected after so many years of friendship and shared memories. Memories will come in handy in college; familiar little wafts of happiness that crop up every once-in-a-while to remind us home and the way things used to be. Luckily for me, most of my memories sit happily in my iPod in the form of music. Whenever I push play the songs follow bring back sensations of time and place, feelings, emotions and memories. For example:

• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End will forever remind me of an amazing day at Cedar Point and night with a group of twenty-something of my closest friends at the movies.
• Star Wars: Episode II, Attack of the Clones brings back memories of sophomore year, reading Edith Hamilton's Mythology for Enriched English (every book I read must have its own soundtrack Mythology's happened to be this).
• Wicked is riding in the car with Emily on our way to Chicago to see the play, reveling in the greatness of the music. It is also junior year during the stint where the band was playing it and the show choir was singing it.
• Hairspray is great times in the Visions combo, beehive wigs, Casey's valiant attempts at being suave and Lee's accidental impersonation of Duane.
• Superman is band camp freshman year, touching my toes and thanking God for giving me food. It is also Tony's solo sophomore year and our kick-ass senior show.
• The Chronicles of Narnia is the amazing time junior year during which I read that series and the magical Christmas that followed. It is sleepy bus rides and dreary winter mornings at Larry Lukas' plaque.
• Moulin Rouge is prom, junior year. Of course.
• West Side Story is my first days as field commander, waking up at odd hours of the night, conducting Maria/Cool or One Hand, One Heart. It is also jazz band; frantic, fun-filled attempts at Mambo up to tempo; covert excursions to the DECA store and Vince on the woodblock.
• The Beatles: Love is band, my amazing senior year; painting the concession stand with Zandra and Anita and glee-filled, post-win joyrides to B-Dubs with Emily and the crew.
• Duel of the Fates is pep band, more specifically "Broom Wars."
• Friends in Low Places is us, our group from our humble beginnings to present day; that song will always bring me home.

So many great memories and I am so lucky that they are all at my fingertips, ready at the push of a button. I have no doubt that they will all resurface at some point over the next year and the idea of that is exciting.