Classes are officially over for the semester. I have the next week off other than my psych final Tuesday and then final crits are the following week. I'm really stressing about how I'm going to accomplish everything before then because my time management skills are.. well, they pretty much don't exist. A large percentage of college is supposed to be learning how to manage your time but all I've learned is that I'm really great at putting things off until the last possible minute. I guess I suck.

It's the last week of classes and so far I missed my entire class yesterday and my AM class this morning, but oh well. The only reason I was concerned because my teacher for today's class tried to fail my last semester for my excessive absences but when we sat down and talked, he was pretty cool about it. He's one of those teachers I completely hate but I feel like there's a certain level we understand each other on, so I guess it all works out.

So growing up, I used to horseback ride. I competed and the whole nine yards but once high school hit, I stopped. It was a weird situation where my trainer left the place I was at and I had to make a choice between my social/work life and continuing to do it and I dropped it and I wish I had made a different decision because I really miss it. Maybe not so much the competition aspect of it, but still. Anyway, my cousin's wife has a horse she keeps out at a place in Atco and when we were out to dinner the other night, she asked if I would start going out there and riding because she doesn't always have the time and I was ecstatic to say yes. It makes me feel better about having something productive to do with my summer free time. 

Otherwise, not too much is going on. Joe and I are meeting up tonight to order shirts for the Makeout Party summer tour so I can get them all printed up as quickly as possible. I'm still waiting to hear back from Lori about using the studios this summer but even if they tell me I can't, I'm sure I can find a way around that. Or at least I hope.

I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. It doesn't help that the weather is absolutely beautiful and I have to go in to work. I feel like my life is becoming this endless cycle of school and work. I understand summer is right around the corner, but even that knowledge brings on a sense of uncertainty instead of just relief. I don't want to spend this summer like I do every summer - sleeping in far too late, going to work, and otherwise doing nothing productive or exciting with my time.

I think today I've just let my mind wander far too much. I feel like I've lost touch with so many good people over the years for no reason other than my own laziness as far as making the effort to stay in touch with them and it really upsets me because it makes me wonder if it's too late to recover what I used to have. A lot of things are going to change soon - no more school, more hours at work, and moving back in with my parents. I'm not a fan of change but I'm sick of the cycle I'm in. It doesn't make any sense.

I'm completely relying on getting into NYU for grad school. I need to get away from this town, away from the neighboring city, even if it is for only a couple of years. I'm so desperate for a fresh start, but what am I supposed to do with the two years I still have left here?

I deleted my last super short post in exchange for something with a little more substance. I'm also sitting in a critique right now and if I don't find something to do I'm going to rip my own eyeballs out out of complete boredom.

This weekend was absolutely beautiful and I can't wait for that weather to return. I am so sick of these April showers. I didn't get to enjoy the weather as much as I would have liked due to work, but I guess that's life. At least the Flyers won on Sunday and will hopefully do so again tonight to tie up the series.

So yesterday I got three colors done on a screenprinting edition I have due Wednesday. I forgot my phone in my car so I felt completely naked without it but it was also nice to not have any distractions. I can't wait to finish these prints and wish I could do them now instead of sitting through this excruciating class. I don't really have another choice other than to finish it tonight, but I won't even get to start until after 7 because that's when I have class until tonight.

I tried to register for my classes last night pretty unsuccessfully. I only got into two of my required courses and when I tried to register for the third, it told me I didn't have enough pre-requisites which makes absolutely no sense. I was also told I need department approval to register for Abnormal Psychology when I'm an art therapy minor.. hm. So my schedule is basically nothing like I said it was in another entry and the whole situation is a complete mess right now but hopefully everything gets sorted out when I go to the registrar today and throw a fit about the whole thing. After spending about a half hour freaking out at my computer over all this, Nick and I went out in the disgusting weather to see Adventureland last night and it was so good and everyone should totally go and see it.

Shortest blog entry ever, buuuut.. so in love with my life. Just thought you all should know.

So this Easter was pretty great, even though I had to work in the morning. I only had two tables and only ended up making ten dollars, but whatever. Bill came and got me, I worked on my sculpture project, and then Nick and I went to my parents' for dinner. It was nice seeing a few people, but what will be even better will be my sister's graduation party next month because that's when the whole damn fam will be there. Even though they're slightly nuts and even a little dysfunctional at times, I love my family. After dinner, Nick and I went to the Flyers game and even though they lost the last game of the season, we still had a good time and we got to watch Sean Avery run away from Hartnell like the little bitch that he is at the very end of the game.

Today I had my sculpture crit which went about as well as it could considering I waited until yesterday to actually do the project. I left the city around 10:30, came home, got back in bed and tried to fall asleep which was practically impossible considering a drank a huge Starbuck's coffee on the train. So Nick and I went to the diner and got some breakfast and I had enough time to take a nap before going to work tonight. In conclusion, life hasn't been too eventful but I am certainly not complaining because everything eventful in my life prior to the month of April has been one terrible thing after another. Thank you, April, for giving me hope that things are turning around.

And of course, RIP Harry Kalas. Philadelphia and it's Phillies fans definitely suffered a huge loss today.

Time for a cigarette, to fold my laundry, and then bed.

I really love my life right now. Except for that $119 ticket and a possible court appearance I received for my accident.

There's only three weeks left of classes and a lot of art to get done in the meantime, but I've already started planning out art I'm going to be doing over the summer. I just e-mailed my advisor to ask if undergrad students even have access to the studios during the summer but even if they don't, I don't really care because I'll find a way around that. I already have a couple ideas and even some positives made for prints I want to do. I'm also going to try to make at least one design for some JBSP shirts as well as doing some major work on DG4L. I'm also going to be doing about 100 shirts for Makeout Party's summer tour. As much as I love school, it sucks that you have absolutely no time for the art that you want to do on your own. You have complete freedom when you make your own art but not every class at UArts gives you that freedom. I'm tired of all the guidelines and I just want to make what I want to make, so having a good four months to do so is going to be amazing. Plus, I'm pretty sure my junior and senior year will be a lot more open to preparing my portfolio as opposed to actually learning techniques so I'm sure I'll have a lot more freedom then, too. 

I picked all my classes for next year and my schedule will be as follows: on Mondays I have Drawing: Form and Space from 8:30 to 4. On Tuesdays, I have Abnormal Psychology from 1-4 and Bodily and Spiritual Love from 4-7. On Wednesday, I have Lithography from 8:30-4. On Thursday, I have Attitudes and Strategies from 1-7. On Friday, I have Print Study Seminar from 10-12. It's a bit of a packed schedule but it still allows me to work Friday through Sunday, so it's not so bad. I had to pack my schedule as thick as possible this semester due to the fact that I withdrew from a class last semester. Oh well.

So yesterday I went to New York City for the day to check out galleries for my Research Practices class. Yet another piece of proof that that class is completely disorganized and not even the people that teach the classes really have any idea what's going on: the main gallery we were supposed to see didn't even have a show. Seriously? And of course it was a book arts gallery, aka the only show I was really looking forward to seeing. But whatever, we found a bunch of other galleries (some with awesome work and others with work that was just plain stupid) and I got away from Philadelphia for the day. Then I went to dinner with Nick and we attempted to watch television on my laptop again but it didn't really work this time because there wasn't really anything to watch now that we're caught up on Tough Love.

So here's a breakdown of the next few weeks:

I have three more weeks of classes and still have assignments/projects to do before I even start any of my finals. There's a whole week in between the end of classes and final critiques which is amazing because it will give me the well-needed time to do any last minute work. And then it's summer! Which I am so excited for. I think I'm going to avoid taking summer classes like I intended and just work my ass of instead to get myself out of debt. I'm going to attempt to take 18 credits next semester, but we'll see how that goes. 

I can feel the pieces of everything starting to fall back into place. School is almost over, so that will be one less thing to stress me out constantly. I'm starting to develop a plan as to how I'm going to pay all this money I owe and having three extra days of availability when school ends will also be very helpful. My boyfriend is absolutely amazing and treats me like a princess and I guess I must still have some luck afterall to have found him. The only thing that could make life better right now is the Flyers winning the Stanley Cup. And maybe a winning lottery ticket or something.

Sooo I got my septum pierced a few days ago. I took out my nose ring a couple months ago when I was applying for new jobs and never put it back in and I started to miss it, so Mark over at Body Art hooked me up and I'm pretty happy with it. It's simple and it's nothing too obnoxious or gaudy which is good because that's just totally not me.

Summer is fast approaching and I'm trying my hardest to stay on top of all my schoolwork. I had to re-do an entire 3-color screenprint today that's due Wednesday and I'm pretty happy with it. Granted it's not perfect, but better than it was originally. It's on the drying racks at school now so I just have to edition them and then I'll photograph one and post it. I intended to include my art in this blog and really haven't yet so hopefully that will be the start.

I will be in New York all day tomorrow checking out galleries and such and I'm pretty stoked on that because I haven't been to the city in a few years and it's also nice to see what current working artists are up to. I have to be on the speedline at 6:50am to catch the Frankford-Market line at 7:12 and then I have to hop on a bus at 30th Street at 8. I really hope I can get my ass out of bed that early. Once I'm back to in Philadelphia it's back to the studio to do more work. College sucks.

I guess I'll do this to kill time while I wait for Nick to wake up.

There's only four weeks of school left which is pretty much insanity. It's great because there's only four weeks left, but it's horrible because there's only four weeks left. I am so ready for summer vacation it's unfathomable, but at the same time four weeks is definitely NOT enough time to finish all the work I have to do. I have a feeling there's gonna be a lot of Red Bull and all-nighters in the near future. I'm already behind with work so that fact is not going to make this any easier. I have a sculpture project due next Monday that I haven't even started and a print edition due Wednesday that I did but have to completely re-do, among other things. But Tuesday I'll be spending the entire day in New York City with one of my classes so that little getaway for the day should be pretty great.

It's kind of fucked up how appropriate this is.

Here are some random thoughts on this lovely April morning:

- Thank god you're here, April. And if you even plan on being as shitty as the past three months have been, just let something awful happen today so I can just give up hope that things are going to get better.

- I really like Rihanna's new song and don't really give a shit if you don't.

- I probably wouldn't be able to make it through the day without at least one cup of hot tea.

-  I Love You, Man was pretty funny. I will now no longer feel left out when everyone is quoting it at work.

- Since Tori introduced me to it the other day, I have spent far too much time on fmylife.com because I thoroughly enjoy laughing at other people's lives.