SassyBlonde

So, my friends, as of today I'm officially a student again. Goodbye, lazy musician's life-- I got up at 5 AM this morning for 8 AM Chemistry class, followed by Pre-Calculus at 9. OY.

At least there's no Biology lab today. I need a nap.

SO not used to all of this reading and taking notes. I'm already behind on reading in math and biology, and have a crapload to do this weekend, and I have my brother-in-law's party to throw tomorrow. OY VEY.

All right-- off to the library for siome quality math book time.

So apparently in college now most kids come in as freshmen already having had up to Calculus II and maybe even as far as Diff EQ. Me? Precalculus, and getting my ass kicked. Who knew?

So therefore tomorrow will be spent in the library (first class out at 9:15-- next class not until 3 PM) beating my brain to a pulp with math problems until it wakes from its long and lazy slumber.

WTF was I thinking?

So not only do I have to restart my brain on this whole math thing, but everything for all my classes is pretty much submitted electronically via software programs like WebCT and WebAssign.

Not only do you have to learn how to do all the math, you also have to learn how to properly enter the information into the computer so that you don't get the answer marked wrong for inproper notation, even if the value is correct.

Aaack. Double whammy.

--UPDATE--
Apparently I'm not the only one with this problem-- our math prof has moved the homework due date back twice because so many people were having problems. Whew. Maybe I'm not as blonde as I thought.

Today, my friends, is Biology Day in the world of SassyBlonde. Mainly because that class is currently the one most seriously kicking my ass.

I'm pretty sure that at this point I'm about as freaked as possible about this class-- apparently most people in it have been in biology since they were born and have already had Organic Chemistry, even though they're mostly freshmen!!!! WTF?

When I came out of high school (granted, 10 years ago) I had had basic Biology and Chemistry. These kids I'm in class with have already had General Chemistry, apparently Organic too, as well as more Biology than I ever thought of and we're not even getting into the math thing again. Oy.

All right-- no more bitching-- off to study, promise. I WILL beat this thing's ass, and pronto.

Phew. Still not really caught up, but today was kind of a review day, so I have a little more time to get on the ball with my Bio class.

Now let's be clear-- I spent about 5 hours on Tuesday and 4 hours yesterday studying up, and still have 3 chapters to cover by Tuesday. OY.

But at least I now have a few days to do it. And by the way-- last night all of my dreams were about amino acid formulas and hydrocarbon molecules. Even when I sleep there's no down time, although I did have a three-hour orchestra rehearsal last night, during which I decrompressed with my friend Alan. Woohoo!!

Off to read some history texts and do Chem homework.

Chem this week's a bitch-- quantum physics. Mmmm boy. What the hell was I thinking-- it's been way too long since I did this stuff.

Frac-a frac-a frac-a... chem exam today and not enough coffee in the world. Wish me luck!

And now, chemistry exam behind me, I plan to bore a few kids (lessons to teach this afternoon) and then enjoy a blissfully school-free evening of drinking and stupid-movie-watching. Have a good weekend guys! (By the way, I got an A!!)

History exam tomorrow. And here we go 'round the mulberry bush (quite literally this time, as the house I live inhas three in the front yard-- more trees, really, but I digress)

When I started back to school this time I swore I'd be an outstanding, outspoken, overachieving A student. And yet, here I find myself again in the doldrums of mediocrity, trying not to drown in calculus and history. When I was in college for my first degree, I struggled just to stay on top of everything, much less up my GPA... I really hope I'm no going in that direction again. I really loved that A on the first Chemistry exam...

On a more positive note, I had the second highest grade in my biology class on the first exam. Now, don't ask what the actual grade was-- it was pretty frightening. But nonetheless, I'm above his lack-of-a-curve.

K. Off to blow things up in Chem lab. Whoopee!!

I know, I know. Absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder. But I have an excuse, really!-- I survived mathand biology and chemistry and history... only to come back for more punishment.

So far this semester I have had time to work, sit in class, stain multiple slides and myself to hilarious effect, and sometimes to sleep. (Shakespeare, forget the dreaming-- it's overrated.)

That being said, maybe there will be more-- maybe there won't.

Enjoy.

Boy, am I up to my ass in trying-not-to-suck today. Calc exam tomorrow and had a quiz today in discussion that completely baffled me. Not a good sign. Math anxiety!!!

But now I get to go to my favorite class, Microbiology lab, and play with little bacterial beasties for two hours. Yay! (I never thought I'd be so excited about staph and e. coli!)

Today is one of those days where no matter how I try, the batteries are just dead. And I have my MicroBiology midterm tomorrow. OY.

Anybody want to go to Chem lab for me today?

What happens to those students in the school who only graduate with "average" grades? Where do they go? What do they do?

(I ask because I'm one of them)

This police report was forwarded from a friend at a local university today:

At approximately 1900 hrs, the complainant reported that the opera studio had been ransacked, and a leather whip was missing.

The place was "ransacked" and the only thing missing was a leather whip? For the love, there has to be an easier way to get toys to get your jollies... :D

I need to take a moment here to talk about someone I loved dearly who passed away this week-- Dr. Gerald Loren Welker. He was the Director of the University of Alabama School of Music and the conductor of the Wind Ensemble and Contemporary Ensemble when I was in school there, and inhabits most of my most vivid memories of that time.

If it wasn't for this man, I wouldn't be a musician, pure and simple. He was one of the most flamboyant and inspiring musicians I've ever known, and his charismatic presence and conducting style inspired everyone around him, particularly an impressionable and idealistic thirteen-year-old from suburban Birmingham. His inspiration and guidance is one of the main reasons I persevered in music when I could have easily taken another path, and his demand for musical excellence made me strive to excel far harder than I could have on my own. I grew up with his children in the Alabama music system, children who have gone on to have wonderful musical careers of their own. He introduced me to composers like Messaien and Birtwistle, and taught me to love the ideas they and other new music composers championed, which planted the seed for some of the projects I'm involved in today.

"Write yourself a note," he would say. " 'Dear Me, don't be a goober, Love, Me." in his deep and resonant voice. He had the tall, lanky and fluid swagger of Jack the Pumpkin King, with a face like a devil and wild hair. He always smelled of pipe tobacco, a smell that I can't experience today without being flooded with memories of him. His good humor let you make a mistake without taking it personally while making a point to improve on it. His smile was infectious.

Dear Me, I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me.

Though I hadn't seen him in a few years, he always held a very special place in my heart. He was one of my favorite teachers and his musical touch still resonates through the playing that I do every day. He will be sorely missed, but always fondly remembered.

Nearby the Jell-O box pyramids and just out of range of the flying whiffle golf balls that pass near the kitchen of senior Adam Boorstein's off-campus rental, sits a stinky, lonely, gallon-sized jar of grease.

For more than a year, that grease container, formerly a restaurant-sized pickle jar, sat near the stove, its owners slowly filling its belly with goopy cooking residue until it was oozing with the gelatinous, oily remains of a college diet. And all that time, its keepers were oblivious of the fact that they were sitting on an absolute gold mine. Imagine their ignorance.

But Boorstein and his four other roommates, being the tech-saavy college students they are, decided that instead of throwing the yellowish layers of bottled grease away, why not see if there was an Internet market for it? There was. Two weeks ago, the jar sold on eBay for a whopping $305. And the jar has even raked in almost $400 from a website where people sympathetic to poor college students can wire money.

About $700. For a jar of grease.

So here's the thing:

I've missed you guys.

I've had some pretty heavy things going on in my life this year, things which basically have changed the face of my entire existence in one way or another. And I haven't really felt comfortable talking about that here, in public, for anyone and everyone to read. More importantly, there are very good reasons why I can't and shouldn't.

And frankly, it's killing me.

Because if you're still reading this, then I've probably known you, or had you as a reader, for long enough that you're probably wondering what the hell happened to me.

Because if you're still reading this, you're probably one of the people whose opinions and love I value enough that I'm going to need your help in the next year.

Because frankly, I need an outlet more in-depth than Twitter and less personal than Facebook.

So here's the other thing:

On March 1st, this blog is getting a makeover. I'll be moving it to a new server, shaking up the layout a little, and converting it to a new CMS, though the site address won't change. The ranting and raving and silliness will stay the same, only there will be some things that I don't want to share with everybody, some things that I may need to share and say, but only within certain circles. I'm tired of keeping it all pent up and I've done that for long enough.

If you're still reading this blog, and you're been a loyal reader or friend or even a long-time lurker, email me at (sassy{at}sassyblonde{dot}net) with the title of this post in the subject line or comment on this post and request an access key. I'd love to have you in the circle.

Til then, I'll be cleaning house and doing some renovation, and I'll see you on March 1st.

UPDATE: So, snow and circumstances being what they've been around here, I'm going to have to ask you guys to wait around a little longer, which actually ends up being appropriate for a lot of reasons. I've gotten all your emails and comments, and if you can hang tight for a few more weeks, I'll have the next phase ready on April 1st.