As promised in my last entry...
Physical workouts are a great way to start the day. They force me to wake up early, and thus, to get to bed on time; they're a great way to get my blood flowing and my whole body started up early in the day, reducing my "boot-up" time; and, I suppose, they're doing my health good.
2008/05/28
2008/05/26
Beginning of term
Work is exciting - at least, as I get closer to working, it's becoming more that way. Computer setbacks have fortunately been minor, so while I'm not quite yet capable of running the software I need to, I still have other things to do that I don't need a computer for. My project is pretty exciting and my professor is great - and he treats his students very, very well. I've very much enjoyed working for him so far.
Living in residence comes with all the pros and cons I've become accustomed to. My roommate this term is great, as is just about everybody else here this summer. I haven't seen most of them in quite some time - which, in some cases is regrettable; in others, not so much. Living on a floor with a bunch of other students is a lot of fun, but it can make focusing on work more challenging. The laundry is expensive and the food is of a lower standard than I like to think I can cook, but I don't have to prepare it or wash the dishes. Ultimately, the social benefits and supreme convenience of being able to walk to work in ten minutes win out over all the downsides.
Oh yeah; did I mention that I don't have terribly much closet space or shelving to put stuff in? 'Cause I don't like that much, either.
Also we don't have air conditioning.
The jazz band is going well this term. I've taken on a new position in it which comes with a new set of challenges and rewards. I'm enjoying it very much so far. Our first gig will be around the end of June, I believe... at which point the combo should be back together and rehearsing regularly.
Speaking of jazz, and gigs, The Bad Plus are playing in Toronto on June 13, and I think that a friend and I will go.
Lately I've been reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and I've been enjoying it immensely. It's quite the mental workout: I can feel my mind straining and growing while I read it and for a time afterwards. It's quite addictive... I wonder if physical workouts are as exhilarating? I'll have to investigate. More on that in a future post.
Anyway, Monday evening beckons. Be seeing you.
Living in residence comes with all the pros and cons I've become accustomed to. My roommate this term is great, as is just about everybody else here this summer. I haven't seen most of them in quite some time - which, in some cases is regrettable; in others, not so much. Living on a floor with a bunch of other students is a lot of fun, but it can make focusing on work more challenging. The laundry is expensive and the food is of a lower standard than I like to think I can cook, but I don't have to prepare it or wash the dishes. Ultimately, the social benefits and supreme convenience of being able to walk to work in ten minutes win out over all the downsides.
Oh yeah; did I mention that I don't have terribly much closet space or shelving to put stuff in? 'Cause I don't like that much, either.
Also we don't have air conditioning.
The jazz band is going well this term. I've taken on a new position in it which comes with a new set of challenges and rewards. I'm enjoying it very much so far. Our first gig will be around the end of June, I believe... at which point the combo should be back together and rehearsing regularly.
Speaking of jazz, and gigs, The Bad Plus are playing in Toronto on June 13, and I think that a friend and I will go.
Lately I've been reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and I've been enjoying it immensely. It's quite the mental workout: I can feel my mind straining and growing while I read it and for a time afterwards. It's quite addictive... I wonder if physical workouts are as exhilarating? I'll have to investigate. More on that in a future post.
Anyway, Monday evening beckons. Be seeing you.
2008/05/02
Vacation's end
Well, another break has come and gone. Tomorrow I'll be shopping and packing, and Sunday I leave pretty early, arriving in Kitchener before dinner.
It was nice seeing family and friends again. I got to talk to some old band teachers, which provided some insight I think I'll find valuable while conducting With Respect To Time this summer. I also got to see many friends I haven't in a while, have a few drinks, play a reasonable amount of Brawl, and completely vegetate on the recliner in the family room. Somebody (she knows who she is) I didn't see at Christmas gave me a present that she'd been saving since then. If you're reading this: your Christmas present is full of win! Thank you!!
Last weekend I made a trip to Vancouver, driving one way (Mom drove the other), for my little sister's golf tournament. I had a good time; Saturday morning I stopped by Long & McQuade to take a look at some sheet music for WRTT, and while I saw some things I liked, big band arrangements cost something like $70 a piece. I'm hoping that the band will have room in the budget for a couple charts, and I'm thinking about getting in touch with a few publishers, like Kendor, to get their promotional CDs featuring the charts they sell sheet music for.
Work starts on Monday and I'm getting pretty excited about it. I have yet to really know the full spectrum of what I'll be doing, but it sounds like I'll learn a lot and like I'll get to travel to Arizona once or twice to work with a reasonably large telescope to boot. I'm more excited about the work than I am the pay, which is saying something given the improvement in pay over my previous co-op jobs.
Unfortunately, there's been a mix-up with one of my professors from this past term and it's causing some fuss about the midterm for that class, and another class has a final pending due to illness at the time of writing, but hopefully those should both get cleared up quickly, leaving me with a better (and more final) grade average for this term. Wish me luck!
Cheers for now; I have a barbecue to attend.
It was nice seeing family and friends again. I got to talk to some old band teachers, which provided some insight I think I'll find valuable while conducting With Respect To Time this summer. I also got to see many friends I haven't in a while, have a few drinks, play a reasonable amount of Brawl, and completely vegetate on the recliner in the family room. Somebody (she knows who she is) I didn't see at Christmas gave me a present that she'd been saving since then. If you're reading this: your Christmas present is full of win! Thank you!!
Last weekend I made a trip to Vancouver, driving one way (Mom drove the other), for my little sister's golf tournament. I had a good time; Saturday morning I stopped by Long & McQuade to take a look at some sheet music for WRTT, and while I saw some things I liked, big band arrangements cost something like $70 a piece. I'm hoping that the band will have room in the budget for a couple charts, and I'm thinking about getting in touch with a few publishers, like Kendor, to get their promotional CDs featuring the charts they sell sheet music for.
Work starts on Monday and I'm getting pretty excited about it. I have yet to really know the full spectrum of what I'll be doing, but it sounds like I'll learn a lot and like I'll get to travel to Arizona once or twice to work with a reasonably large telescope to boot. I'm more excited about the work than I am the pay, which is saying something given the improvement in pay over my previous co-op jobs.
Unfortunately, there's been a mix-up with one of my professors from this past term and it's causing some fuss about the midterm for that class, and another class has a final pending due to illness at the time of writing, but hopefully those should both get cleared up quickly, leaving me with a better (and more final) grade average for this term. Wish me luck!
Cheers for now; I have a barbecue to attend.
2008/04/11
Stormy weather
I love energetic weather. Strong wind, hard rain, thunder and lightning... Even weather that's less energetic but left of normal nonetheless: fog or mist (especially heavy fog or mist), ominous clouds, intense sunsets...
There's something about interesting weather that I love. The town I'm living in now is much more humid than the one in which I grew up, and as a consequence, fog and mist frequent it much more often. If I'm out and about in such weather, I'm generally grinning from ear to ear.
Tonight it was pouring rain, and on a whim, I decided to go for a walk in sandals, jeans, and a t-shirt. My hair was thoroughly soaked after maybe ten minutes. It was delightful.
There's something about interesting weather that I love. The town I'm living in now is much more humid than the one in which I grew up, and as a consequence, fog and mist frequent it much more often. If I'm out and about in such weather, I'm generally grinning from ear to ear.
Tonight it was pouring rain, and on a whim, I decided to go for a walk in sandals, jeans, and a t-shirt. My hair was thoroughly soaked after maybe ten minutes. It was delightful.
2008/04/09
End of term
Hello, internets. I'll be posting some stuff here in future. And right now.
On with it, then.
With Respect To Time had its charity concert tonight in the humanities theatre. What a hit! The combo I started played music while people filtered in, and then the whole band did a nice long set with an intermission and guest choir. Several of the band members expressed interest in the combo afterwards, and our bassist said that one of his old profs was in the audience, and that he wanted to play with us too! I'm pumped about it; it was a total blast and the combo's future looks bright.
Exams start on Thursday for me, so most of my time in the next couple weeks should be spent studying. I think a friend is planning on visiting this weekend to start his move back on-campus for the summer term, and I know the band has a social outing planned after my exams are done, seeing as the director and creator of the band is graduating and moving on. So are some really good friends I've met through the engineering department, the band, and residence.
(*cough*)
I'm going to miss them. Residence won't be quite the same next year - but then, there'll be frosh to take under my wing and other people to meet. As Alvin Toffler said, "Change is not merely necessary to life, it is life."
Now then, it's 3:30 and as I said earlier, I should be spending these days studying - which means that I should be spending the nights getting proper sleep!
Good night, internets. See you again some other day.
On with it, then.
With Respect To Time had its charity concert tonight in the humanities theatre. What a hit! The combo I started played music while people filtered in, and then the whole band did a nice long set with an intermission and guest choir. Several of the band members expressed interest in the combo afterwards, and our bassist said that one of his old profs was in the audience, and that he wanted to play with us too! I'm pumped about it; it was a total blast and the combo's future looks bright.
Exams start on Thursday for me, so most of my time in the next couple weeks should be spent studying. I think a friend is planning on visiting this weekend to start his move back on-campus for the summer term, and I know the band has a social outing planned after my exams are done, seeing as the director and creator of the band is graduating and moving on. So are some really good friends I've met through the engineering department, the band, and residence.
(*cough*)
I'm going to miss them. Residence won't be quite the same next year - but then, there'll be frosh to take under my wing and other people to meet. As Alvin Toffler said, "Change is not merely necessary to life, it is life."
Now then, it's 3:30 and as I said earlier, I should be spending these days studying - which means that I should be spending the nights getting proper sleep!
Good night, internets. See you again some other day.
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