It's A Charmed Life...

The air, the air is everywhere!

2009-10-07T19:52:00.003-05:00

Hi all...

So, I know my dad has already written a blog about this, but yes, I was cast in UMaine's production of Hair as Jeanie. I am VERY excited. There's nothing I enjoy more than being on a stage and this character is going to be very fun to get to know and make my own. I was bored at my local laundromat the other day and was taking advantage of their free wifi and researching some analysis's of the show and I especially liked Scott Miller's take on Jeanie (note:in this particular part of his analysis he's paralleling the show to the bible, his analysis compares the show to many things):

"And like Mary Magdalene and Jesus, Jeanie loves Claude, but he can't return her love. Because Claude is the emotional and moral center of Hair, Jeanie is by extension the most important female character in the show, even though it might not appear that way at first glance. She acts as Greek chorus several times throughout the show, explaining things to the audience, identifying characters and relationships, but she also gets a solo introduction song in Act I ("Air") along with the other leads. It's through her that we feel the tragedy and the anguish of those Claude will leave behind. There are cryptic references throughout the show that Jeanie may be psychic in some way (or at least some kind of hippie mystic), that she knows Claude will end up going to war, and that she may know that Claude will die in Vietnam.

It may even be that Jeanie is denying the fact that Claude is the father of her unborn child only to free him from any responsibility, since she knows he doesn't really love her. It's probable that they have slept together. Though there's nothing in the text that says this explicitly, Jeanie and Claude allude to this in their conversation before the Be-In, and it's certainly an interesting idea for the actors to explore. Though Claude is in love with Sheila, Jeanie is in love with Claude and, along with Berger, she will suffer the greatest loss when Claude dies. It's hard not to see parallels to Mary Magdalene, and since the discovery of "new" lost gospels in 1945, there may even be romantic parallels. These new papyrus texts have holes and gaps in them but some scholars maintain that these texts describe a romantic relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Unsurprisingly, this is hotly contested among Biblical scholars.

Like Mary Magdalene, who was called both prostitute and saint, Jeanie provides a symbolic bridge between sexuality and spirituality, between the pleasures of the flesh and the cultivation of the soul. (Perhaps she should be the one to sing "Sodomy.") Jeanie is promiscuous, already pregnant when the show begins (by "some speed freak"), but she is also the one who invites the audience to the Be-In, an event of spiritual exploration and awakening. She brings Claude a book on astral projection, and as mentioned earlier, she seems to have mystical powers. But even beyond all that, Mary Magdalene would have been right at home with Berger and the tribe. She grew up in Magdala, a small fishing village that was a hotbed of rebel activity against the Roman Empire. She came from a well-to-do family just as many of the hippies came from upper middle class families. And, in fact, Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute even though she was characterized as such for centuries, just as the hippies were often characterized as sexual deviants and hedonists. Some texts suggest that she did have a considerable sexual appetite and, because she was well off enough that she didn't have to work, she may have practiced what the hippies of the 1960s called "free love." And for that she was considered a sinner by her contemporaries. Like the hippies, Mary Magdalene was an independent thinker who met Jesus, a radical political activist, and joined his movement, a movement dedicated to finding enlightenment, rejecting old social norms and rules, and discovering the answers to the great existential questions; the parallels to the tribe in Hair are obvious. After Christ's crucifixion, and after Mary's subsequent preaching and evangelism, she retired to a secluded wilderness where she lived out her remaining years. Some accounts say that each day she was carried up to the heavens by angels to listen to the music of the heavens, an experience probably akin to astral projection, a practice
Jeanie is very interested in."

To read the rest of Scott Miller's analysis go here: http://www.orlok.com/hair/holding/articles/HairArticles/scottmiller.html. It's pretty long, but very interesting! After reading that analysis I am EVEN more excited to play Jeanie. I think I can put a lot into this character. :)

Anywho..the show goes up in February, so I hope everyone can make it!

Later, gators!!

My first solo tour!

2009-09-19T14:19:00.003-05:00

Today I gave my first SOLO tour of UMaine! I have given tours with other tour guides before but never by myself. Today we had 60 people come and so we had to split it up meaning everyone working had to do a solo tour of about 15-20 people. I was nervous but also excited! I like being in the spotlight so even though I do like giving tours with another tour guide, I like having my own show even better! It was really fun and everyone asked interesting and good questions. I had about 20 people on my tour, most of whom were from Massachusetts and had toured many other schools in the last few weeks. Hopefully I left them with a good impression of UMaine! I did get a really good compliment, actually. When we got back apparently one of the moms on the tour went up the girl in charge at the desk and said "Who is in charge here!?" and at first they thought it was something bad but then she said "I just have to tell someone that Sarah was an incredible tour guide. I have been on 23 college tours lately and she was by far the best tour guide we've had." So, I was pretty happy with that news! I love the work I do with the university and I can't wait to give more tours and to do this kind of thing for the rest of my life! :)

More soon...later, gators!

1st day of school!

2009-08-31T19:22:00.004-05:00

So, the first day of school was today! The picture above is "the gang" in our first day of school attire. "The gang" being my closest class friends, Cassie, Kate, Alan and Emily. We have all of our music classes together and have since the beginning so we've all become very close. :)

I didn't have class until 11 today, but woke up naturally 8, which was actually kind of nice. I ate some breakfast, watched a movie, and then took a shower and got ready. I didn't feel rushed! We'll see if I can keep getting up at that hour or not. The only problem with having late classes is getting to school at that hour because the parking is LIMITED. I ended up having to park at the Rec Center at Hilltop (a good 10 minute walk from my classroom building) because the ENTIRE MCA parking lot was FILLED. For those of you that know UMaine well you know that that parking lot is HUGE...so yeah. Parking at Hilltop meant I was in the first year residential part of campus which meant I walked to class with hundreds of eager and nervous first year students on their way to their first college day. I walked fast and wasn't looking at a map the whole time so I probably stood out. Anywho, I only had 1 class and then some re-auditions and then work. It was an eventful day, indeed! Class at 8am tomorrow so it's going to be an early night tonight!

Later, gators!

Team Maine Retreat!

2009-08-27T05:33:00.006-05:00

Team Maine went on a retreat Tuesday night into Wednesday, which was a lot of fun. Team Maine, for those that don't know, is actually more than just the Student Ambassadors. It is comprised of the Student Ambassadors, the Dirigo Tour Guides, and the Telecounselors; I am all three of these titles. The differences between them are as follows: SA's run summer orientation, Dirigo Tour Guides give campus tours during the academic year and summer months, and the Telecounselors call prospective students a few nights a week to help them along with their application process.

For retreat we went to Camp Roosevelt in Eddington, which is a Boy Scout camp. It was a lot of fun; we bonded; we swam; we ate s'mores...it was a good time had by all. Here are some pictures:

A team-building activity that involved flinging a stuffed animal into a trash can:

A bunch of Team Maine'ers hanging out...

UMaine Jeopardy:

Cabin #4!!:

Me & Abby:

It was a really fun time. Alright off to campus for another long day of planning....later, gators!

At the University of Maine...

2009-08-23T21:13:00.003-05:00

you're in a great place.

That slogan, as cheesy as it may be, rings true with me and with many other UMaine students I am sure. I was thrilled to find out on Friday that I got the position of Dirigo Tour Guide that I had applied for. This means that I now work for all 3 branches of New Student Programs, Telecounseling and Student Ambassadors being the other 2. Earlier this week I worked a few days at the Visitors Center before Student Ambassador training started to get acquainted and see whether tour guiding was something I wanted to actually apply for. After assisting on a couple of tours I knew that it was definitely something I wanted to do! Not only is it fun, but I actually learn new things about the campus I call home on each one. For instance, did you know that UMaine's Fogler Library is the biggest library in the state of Maine and has over 1.1 MILLION volumes? Or that the state-of-the-art Recreation and Fitness Center that opened in 2007 is the largest one of its kind north of Boston? How about that 11% of UMaine's population is involved with Greek life? Okay that one isn't as interesting, but a fact nonetheless.
On Wednesday we had a special tour of camp kids that we took to specific areas of campus. One of those areas was the AEWC, which is UMaine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center. The kids got a tour of the facility from 2 grad students, but I also hopped on that tour because I myself had never been there. This facility is a shining star in the engineering world and produces some of the finest work in the field. Infact, the US Secretary of Transporation, Ray LaHood, visited the AEWC last Monday to check out their ideas in bridge making. That's a big deal! His boss is Barack Obama!
Whether it be how beautiful our campus is (check out the above photo that I snagged off UMaine's website), or the people I know here, or the things I learn everyday, I love being a student at UMaine and I can't wait to be that first impression that future students can have of the University. I think I'll really like being a tour guide.

On another note, SA training is going well. Long days. We have retreat on Tuesday night. We are going to a big cabin and hanging out. That should be fun. I will try to take some pictures to put up here. Alright time for bed.

Later, gators!

ALL MOVED IN! :)

2009-08-15T18:44:00.012-05:00

I know, I know...it's been like 56 fortnights since I posted. My summer was filled with work, that is it. I worked all day, slept all night, and then did it all over again. Not a whole lot to report in the last 2 months. BUT today, however, marked an exciting day; I moved into my new apartment! My good friend, Jesse, has lived here for 2 years and her past roommate, Craig, moved out this summer and so I moved in! :) She and I have been friends for a couple years now so I am very excited to live with her. I thought ya'll might like a few pictures of my new pad, so here you go:

Living Room shot #1

Living Room shot #2
The door you see is the door to get outside.

Living Room shot #3

Kitchen shot #1

Kitchen shot #2
The little eating nook :)

Kitchen shot #3

My Bedroom shot #1
*note: the HUGE windows with shutters on them..I love them!

My Bedroom shot #2
BIG walk in closet

My Bedroom shot #3
Another one of of the windows!

My Bedroom #4
The door is to the hallway in the house--this apartment is in a very old house and the door leads to what the owners once used as a staircase and whatnot.

So, there you have it! I didn't take any pictures of Jesse's room or of the bathroom, but they're both very nice too. Jesse's room even has an old fireplace in it! It doesn't work anymore, but looks great just the same!

Anywho...I start work with NSP on Monday and I am excited! More soon...PINKY PROMISE!

Later, gators!!! :)

Student Ambassadors 2009

2009-06-17T20:23:00.010-05:00

Well, it's certainly been awhile since I've written in my blog. I go through droughts. Right now, however, I am in that last hours of my 2 days off and have time to collect my thoughts and inform you all of this amazing experience I've had being a student ambassador at UMaine. This adventure is not over and it's been a tiring adventure at that, but I have enjoyed every second of it.

We arrived on June 3rd, fresh faced and eager, ready to take on the challenges of running such an extravagant event as orientation. We hit the ground running as soon as we got there. Every day was filled with campus info sessions, meetings with the deans, event assignments, and campus luncheons. Somewhere in there we met our French interns, Solenn and Adele. They are college students from France interning for New Student Programs this summer, they are both wonderful and I notice their English getting better and better every day. Here is Solenn, holding a lobster, with Adele in the background:

This picture brings me back to what I was about to mention: our retreat at the Darling Marine Center. The Darling Marine Center is a portion of UMaine located in Walpole where marine biology students can do a "semester at sea". We did an overnight retreat there on June 8th and 9th. It was so much fun and the facility is amazing. We got to go on a boat ride and catch all kinds of creatures in a big net. When the net was brought back in we spent a half hour just pawing through all the sea junk and finding lots of cool stuff--little lobsters, eels, crabs, and my personal favorite, the sea cucumber. That night we had a campfire and heard the many ghost stories at UMaine, which REALLY freaked a lot of people out, but not me...I actually think they're pretty cool stories. The next morning I got up earlier than I needed to and had some time to kill so I went and sat outside by the water and read my book, which was a really nice way to relax and start the morning. Once we got back to campus it was business as usual as the first orientation was approaching fast! On Friday June 12th the day arrived! The 3 sessions this past weekend went very smoothly, I met a lot of really awesome first-year students and had a ton of fun. I have, however, really enjoyed these past 2 days which we had off. Tomrrow we set-up and Friday we start all over again with 3 more sessions. Monday after orientation I head home and start work at child care on Tuesday morning. I'll be tired, but that's alright.

Anywho, here's some more pictures--

Some of us at the Darling Marine Center:

Me & Alex and our "big buddy", Ryan:

Some ladies at banquet:

Student Ambassadors doing the "Call on Me" dance for first-year students at one of the orientation bonfires:

Okay, until next time....later, gators!

SPA Ball 2009!

2009-03-29T21:57:00.008-05:00

Last night was the annual School of Performing Arts Ball. It was a blast! :) This year it was held at the PAV, which is the Pavillion Theater located behind the library. My date was my old roomie, Cory. It was wonderful to see him. Here are some pictures from the night:

All in all it was a wonderful evening spent with the fantastic people I call my friends. :)
More soon. Later, gators.

Singers Tour 2009!

2009-03-16T21:42:00.006-05:00

Hi!! This past week was fantastic. I had an absolute blast on tour. My voice is shot and I'm exhausted, but it is well worth the fun that ensued while traveling with 75 of my best friends. I'll post some pictures below, but first I just want to give you guys a short run-down of my week.

Monday, March 9th--I arrived on campus at 6am, we loaded up, and headed out. Had a concert at Lee Academy in the morning, Wiscasset High School in the afternoon, and Windham High School at night. Liz and I had a wonderful host home in Windham. They had 2 pugs..and as you all know I have a pug OBSESSION.

Tuesday, March 10th--We did a morning assembly at Windham, an afternoon show at Noble High School and then an evening show at St. Christopher's Catholic Church in York. Again, we had a fantastic host home family. The father was actually from Augusta and knew who my dad was, so that was pretty interesting! Small world!

Wednesday, March 11th--Morning assembly at York Middle School, and then some travel time and a night show at Winnisquam Regional High School in Tilton, NH. Another great host home family.

Thursday, March 12th-- Morning assembly at Winnisquam Regional High School and then we were off to Vermont The only day I rode in one of the vans instead of the bus! It was a great day to ride in the van, too. Craig drove, Stephen was in the front seat and then Kristen and I both had our own big seats to stretch out and sleep on. Not to mention that Kristen is a Vermonter so it was fun to get a little tour of Vermont as we were arriving. We got to Vergennes High School and had retreat, which is a bonding time, of sorts. We reflect about what singers means to us and all of that stuff. It was a really emotional and special time. Then we had an evening concert at the high school. After that a group of 6 of us girls stayed at our friend, Olivia's house. She is a Singer and is from Vergennes, so that was really fun!

Friday, March 13th--Afternoon concert at Champlain Valley HS in Hinesburg, VT and then we headed off to Burlington. We got to the hotel, grabbed some dinner, and then got ready for our final concert of tour at the Unitarian Universalist Church. (yay suz!) It was a very small, but appreciative crowd. After that a few of us walked around Burlington and had ice cream. It's a wonderful little city and I would definetely love to go back!

Saturday, March 14th--MONTREAL! We arrived in Montreal around noon and had the whole day and night free. It was so much fun. We had wonderful food, good drinks, and hilarious moments that will turn into great memories. It's a trip I will certainly never forget. :)

Sunday, March 15th--An 8-hour drive back to Maine. It was good to roll onto campus. Not as much fun, however, to wake up for class this morning!

All in all tour was something unforgettable and I can't wait until the tour next year. It may seem in my description to just be stop-to-stop, but it's so much more than that. Whether it be side-splitting laughter during "Morning Mad-Libs" on the bus, or rocking out during the Homme and Femme Du Jour dances, or bonding with people that will be my friends for life, it's just a truly undescribable experience. I am so happy to be a part of such a wonderful group of talented people.

Anywho, here are a handful of pictures, I will post more soon!

Later, gators!

Some exciting news!

2009-03-02T22:02:00.003-05:00

I got an e-mail last night informing me that I have been chosen as a UMaine student ambassador for 2009-2010! I interviewed for the position last month and was really looking forward to hearing back--so I was definitely VERY excited about the outcome! The picture is Tour Guides and Student Ambassadors from a couple years ago. For those that don't know, I'll explain a little bit about what being a student ambassador means. At UMaine we have a very active New Student Programs office, which runs programs throughout the entire year that focus on recruitement and then welcoming future students. As many of you know, I have been a telecounselor for New Student Programs all year and have really enjoyed my job there, which is one of the main reasons I decided to apply for the Student Ambassador position. Student Ambassadors run new student orientations in the summer and then they also run fall welcome weekend. So, for three weeks this summer I'll be very busy doing training and then 2 weeks of orientations. Orientations are two days long and we have a number of them throughout those 2 weeks, which are divided up by colleges. The SA's plan and then execute everything for those orientations. Here's an idea of the itinerary for an orientation at UMaine:

DAY 2
12:00 - 3:30 p.m.	ORIENTATION CHECK IN, INFO FAIR & MEETINGS Check-in at registration desk Check into residence hall Get your MaineCard student ID picture taken Register your keys with Public Safety Textbook reservation form Parking decal application Campus Tours Meeting for Honors College Students & Parents Meeting for Student Athletes & Parents Meeting for Transfer Students Meeting for New Commuter Students
3:30 p.m.	ORIENTATION OPENING SESSIONS Hearty Maine Hello, Money Matters, Agenda Review, Team Maine
4:30 p.m.	Breaking the Ice
5:45 p.m.	Planet UMaine
6:15 p.m.	Bear Fare Cookout
7:30 p.m.	Computers on Campus
8:00 p.m.	Making College Count
9:15 p.m.	Reality U!
10:30 p.m.	Bonfire/Res Hall Activities
7:00 a.m.	Check-out of Residence Hall
7:45 a.m.	Breakfast
9:00 a.m.	Class Scheduling & Advising
10:00 a.m.	The Finish Line

I remember my orientation fondly and it really does help with the nerves that come along with starting college. I am VERY excited and look forward to welcoming the class of 2013 (wow) to the University of Maine!

Later, gators!

Gearing up for tour...

2009-02-28T21:36:00.005-05:00

Hi! I am home for spring break right now. Yesterday was the last day of classes, and I only had one, so I left campus around 1 to head home. I'll be home for this first week of the 2-week break and then the second week will be spent touring with the University Singers. I'm really, really excited. It's a week of performing with a bunch of people I love! :) It's a pretty heavy load of performing, actually. We average 3 concerts a day and then the last day (Saturday) is spent as a free day and night in Montreal! WOO!
Here's what the schedule looks like for that week:

MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009
9:00AM – Lee Academy, Lee, ME
1:00PM – Wiscasset High School, Wiscasset, ME
7:00PM – Windham High School, Windham, ME

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2009
9:00AM – Windham High School, Windham, ME
1:00PM – Noble High School, Berwick, ME
7:00PM – St. Christopher’s Catholic Church, York, ME

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2009
9:00AM – York Middle School, York, ME
7:00PM – Winnisquam Regional High School, Tilton, NH

THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 2009
9:00AM – Winnisquam Regional High School, Tilton, NH
1:00PM – Retreat, Vergennes, VT
7:00PM – Vergennes High School, Vergennes, VT

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2009
1:00PM – Champlain Valley Union High School, Hinesburg, VT
7:00PM – Unitarian Universal Church, Burlington, VT

SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 2009
9:00AM – Leave For Montreal
12:00PM – Arrive at Hotel in Montreal
1:00pm – FREE TIME

SUNDAY MARCH 15, 2009
9:00AM – Leave For Maine
4:00PM – Arrive at UMAINE!!!!

So, as seen--it's a pretty intense schedule! We stay in host homes, except for the last 2 nights--we have hotels in Burlington and Montreal, but the rest of the nights are spent in host homes. My tour-buddy (the person who stays with me in the host homes) is my friend, Liz, so it should be a really good time! I am very excited and I'll be sure to post lots of pictures when I get back! Woo! :)

Later, gators!

The worst pies in London come to UMaine!

2009-02-25T17:46:00.004-05:00

Today was a really exciting day! "Sweeney Todd" the touring Broadway production is going to be at the CCA tonight and I have tickets! On top of that, though, the lead (Sweeney Todd) is a man named David Janes..shown in the picture below:

and he is a graduate of UMaine as well as an alumni of the University Singers!! So, today he came into Singers and chatted with us! He's absolutely hilarious and it was so much fun being able to meet him and hear his perspective on the performing world and he came from right where I am now! It's a refreshing feeling! :) So, that was really exciting. I have really awesome seats (which is amazing because I just got my tickets today and other people have had theirs for months!) But I got rush tickets for $5 and I am sitting in the 8th row center. Woo! I'm really excited, I'll let ya'll know how the show is!

Gotta get going! :) Later, gators!

A fun game!

2009-02-21T23:44:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I totally stole this idea off of someone else's blog, but I think it's fun!

Rules: Go to Google and type in your name followed by "needs" and then see what 10 funny things come up. Here is mine--

1.) Sarah needs a cold shower. (Well, I prefer hot ones.)
2.) Sarah needs your manly vote. (Uh..what?)
3.) Sarah needs more love. (True dat...don't we all?)
4.) Sarah needs a Wii. (I WOULD LOVE A WII!)
5.) Sarah needs batteries. (You can never have enough.)
6.) Sarah needs a home. (I have like 3 homes...I'm all set on the home frontier.)
7.) Sarah needs to lean on her man. (Well, it'd help if I had a man to lean on.)
8.) Sarah needs money. (Yes, yes I do.)
9.) Sarah needs hugs. (Always!)
10.) Sarah needs to lose weight. (Sigh. Stop calling me fat!)

later, gators!

Come look at the freaks!

2009-02-17T22:54:00.003-05:00

There's a good reason I haven't written in eons. Tonight is the first night I've had off in months. Seriously! And it's all because of Side Show, the musical I am a part of right now. We opened this past weekend and it went so well! It's the story of true conjoined twins, Daisy and Violet Hilton who worked freak shows and eventually vaudeville in the 30s. I've heard nothing but positive reviews from all of my friends who have seen it, so if you have the chance to make it up this way I recommend seeing it. I've had a blast. We have 4 shows this weekend--Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and I can't wait to have another full weekend of it. I love doing musical theatre soo much. I made a decision a long time ago that no matter where I end up and what my career is I WILL find a community theater near me and I will continue doing musical theatre because it's what I love to do more than anything.

As for everything else, all is well. The musical has pretty much been taking over my life, but tonight was a nice break. Classes are going well..there's less than 2 weeks until spring break! CRAZY! I feel like I JUST got back from Christmas break. Time fliiiiiiies. It'll be nice to be home for a week and then I have Singers tour for a week. We end in Montreal...woo! :) It should be a fantastic time and I am very excited!

Alright..bed time! More soon! :) Later, gators!

Millions of people...

2009-01-21T11:30:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Historical, emotional, and full of hope. There was a feeling of jubilation on the UMaine campus that radiated throughout the day and into the night as we all soaked in the fact that we have a new president; one we can believe in and feel proud to support. It hasn't been that way in 8 years. 8 years ago I was 13 years old. It's been a long time coming.

I was so proud to call myself an American yesterday and know that I was a part of making history within this great nation. On that note, I think those that say that yesterday wasn't historical for the fact that Obama is black are ignorant. Of course, there are many other factors to why yesterday was a momentous occasion, but the fact that we FINALLY have made strides with racism in this country is something to be enormously proud of. It's okay to be proud of that, it's okay to focus on the fact that he is a black man with a black family. No, he isn't fully black, but have we ever had a president with any color in him at all? No, we haven't. Wake up, people...his race isn't what makes him, but it's what makes me proud of this country. It's okay to be proud of that and to focus on that because it's something we can finally feel good about. We are getting somewhere, America, and there's absolutely no reason to feel like we can't think about that. Anyway, I just had to get that out because I am so PROUD of this fact and PROUD to know that racism may actually get its ugly butt out the door. I stand fearlessly behind this leader and I can feel the love that this country has for him. I am enormously happy.

On another another note, my voice teacher let me skip my lesson to watch the inauguration. I wish I could say the same about my theory teacher, but no such luck. We got out of theory at 11:50 and then Kate, Emily, Cassie, and myself RAN and I mean RAN back to our friend, Karin's dorm to watch him be sworn in and to see his first speech as our new president. It was joyous. After he was sworn in you could hear the cheers up and down the halls of Penobscot Hall. The very few on this campus who weren't proud of Obama yesterday were silenced by the cheers of hope and happiness and pride. It was definitely something I'll remember forever.

Later, gators.

Crossing back over...

2009-01-08T14:10:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone. Again, my apologies for the lack in entries. I will try harder this semester to update. I am back at school this week for rehearsals for the musical. I've been crashing at Alyssa's place for the week since we're practically the only ones up here right now.
I have some news...my MacBook died the other night. I knew it was coming. It had been acting up lately and I've had it for 2 1/2 years. It's sort of a known fact that Macs don't last all that long. Most everyone I know that has had one has had trouble with it. So, I've decided to cross back over the PC-side. I ordered a Dell Inspiron 1525 and I'm pretty excited about it. Woo. It should be here in a couple weeks or so. Until then I am going to be using my dad's laptop. I have an online class this coming semester, so it's kind of important that I have a computer to use.
Alright, well I still haven't showered today, so I should get on that. More soon!
Later, gators!

PS: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

An udpate!

2008-12-20T11:14:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I had a very busy last couple weeks of school and couldn't really find the time to collect my thoughts enough to write a post. My finals went well! I had 4 of them plus a jury. I feel pretty confident with how I did on all of the written finals and my jury went well, I forgot some words for a second, but then I recovered and it was fine. After my jury I hopped in my car and headed for home. It was a long ride, mostly in the dark (yuck) in my little car with no radio (I make up a lot of songs on my trips to and from school). Eventually though, I got home. I got home only to find out, however, that I am literally working 7 hours a day this entire week, except Christmas. I even work Christmas Eve! It's fine though, I really like working there and that equals lotsa moola for me! :)

Last night I got out of work at 4 and then Chantal and I went to Sakura to get sushi. The restaurant looks like crap from the outside. They really need to do something about the outward appearance of their business, but the inside is nice and the sushi is scrumptious. Then we went back to Chantal's and hung out and had one of of sleepovers that we have frequently. It was a good time.

Right now I am sitting on the couch watching The Waltons Christmas Special (I LOVE THE WALTONS) and then I'm gonna hop in the shower and probably try to get some Christmas shopping done for a few people. Then I work tonight...wooo!

I can't believe Christmas is right around the corner. I feel like school just started and I've already got one semester out of the way! Time flies.

Alright, gotta get back to The Waltons. :)

Later, gators!

A day in the life of Sarah...

2008-12-03T22:32:00.016-05:00

So, I thought it'd be fun to do a blog relaying what a typical day for me is like.

I left my apartment at around 8:30 this morning...

When I arrived at work, my co-worker Dominick was there to greet me with a smile!

Dominick is an academic advisor for the Explorations program, but he's also a very talented actor, singer, and director, so we have lots in common. Often times when there isn't much to do at work (..which really is often times), Dominick and I will have little chats about life. It's fun times.

After work I headed over to 1944 hall to wait for Music History to begin.
When I got there, Alan was eating his bagel and drinking apple juice, though I thought his apple juice looked like beer...

As you can see the 1944 halls fill up quickly! The building is always booming with activity...that's a big part of why I love my program so much, it's such a family atmosphere!

Music History then began...

After Music History, I had an hour break so I decided to go practice piano...

Then it was time for piano class...

I always meet Alyssa in the lobby after piano so we can go get lunch!

Then we headed over to the union and had lunch with Chris and Nate...

And then Craig stopped by to say hi...

After lunch I had singers...and I completely forgot to take pictures. Then I went home for a couple hours to have dinner and get some work done. At 6 it was time to head back to campus for a Side Show The Musical dance rehearsal...
Happy, smiling, dancey ladies!

Brianne, the choreographer, and Greg, the dance captain discuss something...

I left that rehearsal at around 8:30 and went downstairs to have a capella rehearsal with the newest mixed a capella group on campus! ALL NATURAL! :) We're great and it's filled with wonderful people...

We're making the musical "natural" sign in the picture...haha :)
So, I just got home from that...and now I've gotta do a tiny bit of homework and get to bed! I hope you enjoyed a day in the life of me!
Later, gators!

THE WEEK FROM HELL....

2008-12-01T10:56:00.002-05:00

MY & ALAN'S REACTION TO THIS WEEK SUMMED UP IN A PICTURE:

Okay, so Alan and I just took this picture. We're in between classes. We just got out of music history and are waiting for our Sight Singing/Ear Training teacher to get here (it's in the same classroom). This week is insane crazy. I have so much due. SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH DUE. Instead of eating today, I am spending my hour break in the library. So many papers, so many projects, so much stuff. Hopefully I make it through this week so I can blog more later. SIGH. Happy December, everyone.

Later, gators!

So much to catch up on!

2008-11-23T22:06:00.008-05:00

Oh man...I haven't updated in like 28 years! A lot has happened! Last weekend I went to Camden with Alyssa, which was really fun. We went to see her sister in the Camden Hills Regional High School production of Beauty and the Beast. It was really good! Especially for being a high school show! Alyssa's sister, Kathryn, was a "silly girl"...you know, one of the girls that follows Gaston around and acts foolish. So, that was super fun!

Monday I sang in Recital Lab, which went well! It's nice to have that out of the way for the semester! Tuesday and Wednesday nothing too exciting happened. Thursday, Euphony, the select acapella choir I am in, traveled to Lee Academy to do a gig there. Euphony isn't connected to the University, so it's not required that you be a student at UMaine to be a part of it. One of our members who just graduated last year from UMaine is now the music director at Lee Academy and so we went there to do a concert. It was fun, we sounded great and they fed us a fantastic meal! WOO! Good stuff all around. Friday , I did a little astro-bowling (whatever that means) with friends. :)

Saturday night Euphony had our concert at UMaine...it went VERY WELL. Here are some pictures from that:

And here's a video:

We are performing "Bogoroditse Djevo" by Arvo Part. I will continue to post videos of the concert as Alyssa puts them up on YouTube! :)

Today I had my Athena Consort concert, which also went very well. So, as seen...it's been a busy couple of weeks! MANY concerts and the like! Tomorrow I head home for Thanksgiving break and I couldn't be more excited! I'm eating lots, working lots at American Eagle, and hopefully seeing family lots. It should be a nice, relaxing break. More soon! Later, gators!

Heading to the coast...

2008-11-14T12:58:00.005-05:00

In a few minutes I'll be heading to Camden for the weekend with Alyssa! I'm pretty excited, it should be a nice low-key relaxing weekend. We're going to see her sister in their production of "Beauty and The Beast", so that will also be fun! I'll be sure to take some pictures of my time on the coast and blog about it when I get back. I hope everyone has a great weekend! =)

Later, gators!

I woke up this morning feeling brand new...

2008-11-08T12:56:00.000-05:00

Watch it. It's the 2nd installment of Will.I.Am's "Yes We Can" series. Good stuff.

Later, gators.

This is unreal...

2008-11-05T09:04:00.004-05:00

The first president I ever voted for was a black man and he won. I seriously could not be more proud of this country if I tried. I am 21 years old. When my parents were 21 years old, it would have been IMPOSSIBLE to have a black president. It's so unreal. It was an emotional night last night. I watched the returns with a few friends and then after the exciting news that Barack Obama would be our next president, Cory and I headed back home. A few minutes later Cory came bounding into my room as Obama was starting his speech and said "SARAH I HAVE TO WATCH THIS WITH YOU, I THINK I MIGHT CRY" and so we sat on my bed, weeping in happiness for how far our country has come and the history that we are now a part of. Children for thousands of years will know that name. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama. And I was a part of making that happen. It's a good feeling. I have always loved this country and the freedoms it provides me with, but I am more proud to be an American on this day than I have ever been before.

Congratulations, Mr. President.

later, gators!

There has never been anything false about hope...

2008-11-04T15:42:00.006-05:00

Let's do this, America.

later, gators.

Halloween Shenanigans...

2008-11-02T20:16:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone! So, my Halloween weekend was pretty fun-filled. On the actual night of Halloween, I dressed as a cowgirl of sorts and Alyssa and I went "dance-hopping". There were a few different dances going on and we went into them, made our apperance, danced like fools, and left. Then we hung with friends, made a 1am trip to Dysarts, and went to bed will full bellies. It was a good time. Last night was the Halloween party at DC's house. DC is the director of University Singers and he has a Halloween party at his house every year. It was pretty fun! I dressed as a Black Eyed Pea for that, which is what the picture is of. Get it? I thought it was pretty clever. Though people didn't really get it and kept asking me if I'd been abused. Alas! After that a group of us went back to my place and hung out and then I went to bed. All in all, it was a nice time. Here are some more pics from the evening...

If you knew Kirsten Johansen, you would truly understand the irony of her costume..

Colin said he was Sarah Palin on a hunting trip...

Kate as a strung-out Amy Winehouse and Cassie as a cheerleader...

Erika as Giselle from "Enchanted" and Alyssa as a pile of leaves haha :) ...

Anywho, another great weekend filled with great people. More soon! Later, gators!

Haunted Hayride

2008-10-26T09:18:00.002-05:00

Last night the UMaine Animal Club hosted their annual haunted hayride at the Witter teaching Farm, which is just down the road from campus. To be honest, it was rather low-budget and not very scary. Which, is saying a lot because I get scared by just about everything. BUT, this did not really scare me. We screamed a lot because it's fun, but not because we were terrified.

Next weekend is Halloween, woohoo! I am going to be a Black Eyed Pea...wear a shirt with a P on it, and make myself a black eye. Clever, right? =)

Okay, I really need to clean my room and do homework/laundry. Later, gators!

Apartment Tour & Emily's Game!

2008-10-24T19:04:00.001-05:00

For starters, here's a tour of my apartment:

Secondly..I just got back from my first UMaine atheletic game in 2 years. Tonight I went to see my good friend, Emily, play volleyball. She's a Music Ed major and a UMaine athlete, which is practically unheard of (because both things take up SO MUCH TIME) but somehow she gets it done! =) So, tonight Kate, Karin, Chelsea, Alan, and I headed over to "the pit" to watch the lady Black Bears beat UNH. Emily's roommate, Amanda, even threw me a little signed volleyball when they called her name in the starting line-up.

Of course, I made a fool of myself in my attempt to catch it. Alas! So, it was fun and I'm glad I went to support my friend. To see Emily's UMaine athletic page...click HERE!

Later, gators!

"The future of this republic...

2008-10-23T21:00:00.006-05:00

...is in the hands of the American voter." -Dwight D. Eisenhower

I did, indeed. Vote, that is. Today was early voting day at UMaine and I took advantage. Because I am no longer a campus resident I would have had to vote at another location in Orono, but today we were able to vote on campus (through absentee ballots) as long as we were residents of Orono. It was nice to get it out of the way and know that on November 4th I won't be standing in mile long lines. You can definitely tell who the popular candidate on this progressive campus is. All of the advertisements about Early Voting had Barack Obama's logo on it. I found that a little bit unfair and bias, but whatever. I love Obama and obviously I voted for him, but again...it was a tad unfair. This was my first time voting in a presidential election, I was 17 in 2004, just shy of being able to vote for Kerry. So, anyway..wahoo! I voted! =)

On another note, I just got finished watching "The Happening" with Cory & Gab.

I practically peed my pants 89 times. The storyline was horrifying, but the horrible acting also made it a little bit funny. Mark Wahlberg should just stop trying. Anyway, it's about these plants that are omitting toxins that make people (in large groups, usually) kill themselves. It's so scary. AHHH! But again, Mark Wahlberg...just stop. Just stop it.

School is going pretty well. I'm busy and stressed and am looking forward to Thanksgiving. I had a concert last night and then my friend, Jesse, and I went out for drinks...you know, cuz I'm 21. And by "drinks" I mean I drank 1 drink at Margaritas. But, still it was fun. Jesse is one of my only friends who is 21, so she and I decided to celebrate that fact.

Okay, I need to finish some homework and hit the sack. More soon! Later, gators!

I'm 21!

2008-10-18T13:05:00.007-05:00

Holy moly, everyone! I'm 21 years of age! Yesterday was fantastic. I had a great day filled with awesome people. I feel very blessed to have the tight-knit group of friends that I have. I love them all very much. =)

Thursday night I spent the night at Alyssa's so that she could give me my gifts at midnight when I officially turned 21. She got me some really cute and funky things. I then had class, got sung to many times during the day, got a few more gifts, etc. After singers Alyssa and I came back here and got all dolled up for my dinner at Margaritas. Before dinner we had our first Side Show cast meeting, so we went to that looking like a million bucks. Good times. After that we headed over to Margaritas and I had my first drink of the night, a Russell Rita. It was so good.

I had about twenty people at my dinner, there actually wasn't enough seating for everyone..I made the reservation for 18 people and a few more showed up. SO, they had to get another table. It made me feel nice though that all these people had come for me. =)

After the dinner we went over to Jesse & Craig's for the first installment of "Classy to Trashy" weekend. Last night was "classy" night..tonight will be "trashy" night. It was a lot of fun. All in all, I had a great birthday filled with wonderful friends.
Later, gators!

College is a time to be thrifty...

2008-10-08T20:11:00.003-05:00

My friend Liz is funky. She marches to the beat of her own drum and that's what I love about her. She also has the most unique style I've ever seen. Almost daily I find myself saying "Liz! That's so cute! Where'd you get it!?" and almost all of the time her answer, with a smile on her face, is "Goodwill!" So, tonight...Liz, Cory, and I ventured to the Bangor Goodwill to do a little "thrifting" as Liz puts it. It was super fun! I found a really cute black dress for 6 dollars and I also bought Alyssa a few records (she has a record player). Liz found a couple really cute things as well; she's a much more seasoned "thrifter" though, so she finds cute things more easily than I do. Anyways, I think I'll have to hit up Goodwill more often. You can find some really fantastic things in there for ridiculously cheap. It's funny to think back to middle school and high school when I wouldn't dare dream of shopping at Goodwill for fear of being "uncool" or whatever and now it's a blast. One woman's trash is another woman's treasure. :)

More soon! Later, gators!

Zebra love...

2008-10-07T15:48:00.000-05:00

later, gators. =)

Welcome to the jungle!

2008-10-06T15:25:00.005-05:00

Hola! Saturday night was the Singers JUNGLE FEVER dance! It was pretty fun! Cory and I went as dates and were decked out in zebra print. I don't have that many pictures uploaded from it yet, but I'll include a couple.
Me & Andrew (...I helped him pick out that DOPE costume at Goodwill, I'll have you know)

Me & Liz doing a lil choreographed dance sequence...

As soon as the "before" pictures are uploaded, I'll post them up here. There's some great ones of Cory and I in our zebra get-up. Cory's costume was out of control. I have to include a photo...
He wore Liz's shower curtain as a toga, a mask from IParty, his Dansko's, short shorts, a red earring...he was just...out of control.

I love my roommate. :)

On another note, Side Show auditions were last night. Callbacks are tonight. I shall find out about it sometime this week and as soon as I know I'll be sure to let ya'll know. For those of you that don't know, Side Show is the musical that UMaine is doing this year. The music is fantastic. I LOVE IT. It's a show about a circus and the 2 main characters are conjoined twin sisters, Daisy and Violet (based on the real Daisy & Violet Hilton). For more info on Side Show click HERE and for more info on Daisy and Violet Hilton, click HERE. They lead pretty interesting lives. It's a great show and I'm really excited about it. So, stay tuned!

Okay, I've got Euphony rehearsal and then callbacks so I gotta wrap this up! More soon! Later, gators!

Proud to be a Black Bear...

2008-09-28T21:40:00.003-05:00

Tonight I started my second job. Don't worry, I'm not over-exerting myself. It's just for 3 hours on Sunday nights. I'm a telecounselor. Pretty much I call people that have show an interest in the University of Maine (at College Fairs, etc) and chat them up about how great UMaine is. It's really fun, actually. I got to talk to a few prospective music students tonight and that was fun because I knew a lot about the program and really talked up how great being a music student is at UMaine. I think I'm pretty good at it. I like talking peoples' ears off, so I feel that it's a good job for me! PLUS it's a lil extra cash. Speaking of working, I called American Eagle today and they're gonna let me work the few days that I am home for fall break, so that's exciting! I enjoy money. 2 more weeks until fall break! I can't believe how fast this month as flown by. Next weekend is the JUNGLE FEVER singers dance and then the weekend after that I'll be home (and working at AE the whole time..haha) so it should be a good couple of weeks! This year has really been fantastic so far. I really feel like I've found my niche at UMaine and I have a great group of friends. I think that's why I am pretty good at telecounseling, too. I love this school and I want everyone to go here so they can love it too. I know it's cheesy on the commercials, but it's true...At UMaine, you're in a great place.

More soon. Later, gators!

I've begun the decorating process...

2008-09-20T09:07:00.008-05:00

Hi all! So, I've begun the process of decorating my ever-so-white walls in my room. The other day I was over at my friend Emily's apartment and she had all these 4X6's of digital pictures that she had ordered prints of online. I thought that was such a good idea, because you can order prints for SO CHEAP online and I like having tangible pictures as well as digital ones, so I went online and ordered 40 prints and it cost me like 4 dollars. What a deal! Those came in the mail yesterday and I arranged them on homemade bulletin boards (pieces of cardboard) on my wall:

I also put the left-over ones around my door. Not only did my prints come yesterday, but my allposters.com posters came as well!! They are having a huge sale right now where thousands of their posters are $4.98! So, I bought 4 the other day! I bought this one for above the keyboard:

I think it looks nice because it has black & white in it, relates to music (John Lennon), and the flowers are pink (though they look red in this picture) so it matches the decor of my room.
Around my desk are these 2 posters:

The one on the left is titled "The Luncheon of the Boating Party" and is a painting done by Pierre Auguste Renoir in 1881. For some reason it just really caught my eye when I was browsing through the posters on the website. I think the 1800's lifestyle is fascinating, plus I thought my room needed a little culture. The one on the right is titled "Le Baiser" and it's a photo done by Leanne Pedersen. I really love black & white photography and apparently pictures of random people I don't know kissing, haha. I used to have the "Kissing the War Goodbye" poster in my room last year and that is BY FAR my favorite photo ever, but "Le Baiser" is also really touching.
Lastly, I have this one above my bed:

Sorry that my bed is a mess in this photo! Anyway, I love Audrey Hepburn and the pink, once again, matches my decor so I couldn't pass it up!

Anywho...I've still got lotsa space to decorate, so it should be an on-going project. It's nice though to have made this room a little more me! =) Alright, I should go. I have cleaning to do and errands and such and then the first Singers party of the year is tonight! So, it should be a good time! More soon. Later, gators!

PS: Here's the lowdown on dates for Singer's concerts & such...
November 8th- 7:30PM concert Minsky Recital Hall
November 9th- 2:00PM concert Minsky Recital Hall
December 7th- Yuletide Concert Time TBA Hauck Auditorium
March 9th-15th- TOUR TO MONTREAL
March 21st- 7:30PM concert Minsky Recital Hall
March 22nd- 2:00PM concert Minsky Recital Hall
That's all I know of right now!

I'M A UNIVERSITY SINGER!

2008-09-08T20:03:00.002-05:00

It's official! I made University Singers this year!!! I don't have much time to blog about it, but I am THRILLED beyond belief! I will write more about the group and concerts and such soon! Until then...later, gators!!! =)

Hi..we're lame on a Saturday.

2008-09-07T10:11:00.003-05:00

Nothing was really going on last night...so Cory, Amelia, the dog, and I made this video. It's a good time. Also...I dyed my hair so you guys can see the color I dyed it to! I love it. DISCLAIMER: there's a couple swears in this vid!

Later, gators!

The newest ensemble I'm in...and pics of the dog!

2008-09-05T06:20:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! I was extremely excited yesterday to find out that I have been accepted into Euphony this year! Euphony is a choral group that focuses on contemporary a capella music, much of which is composed by up and coming young composers. It was founded in 2006 and they're sooo good, so I'm really, really excited to be a part of that! To find out more about Euphony, click HERE and to hear them sing a song from last Fall's concert click HERE! I was placed as an alto 1 which is going to be really interesting. I've always only been a soprano 1 or 2, but my sight singing skills are going to improve SO MUCH after being an alto and I'm up for a challenge! =) So, yeah that was super exciting yesterday. We had our first rehearsal last night and it went really well. I find out about more ensembles and such next week so I'll keep ya'll updated!

On another note, I thought I'd include some pics of Domino, our roommates' doggy that inhabits our apartment. She is the sweetest dog in the whole world and warms up to just about everyone VERY quickly.
Here she is hanging out in my room with her chew toy...

And here she is with me...

She's super cute and we love her lots! Isn't she adorable?

Okay I should get going, I've got to finish some homework, take a shower, and make my way to campus for that thing called class. More soon! Later, gators!

PS..the time stamp really ticks me off. It's 7:36...not 6:20.

All settled in...

2008-09-03T08:09:00.001-05:00

Hi! Sorry I haven't written since I've been at school! I need to update ya'll on my life! I moved into my apartment on Sunday morning. It's really nice, I like it a lot! Living with Cory has been a blast thus far and our other two roommates, Rhon and Gabrielle (and their adorable Jack Russell Terrier, Domino) are really awesome! Here are some pictures, I apologize for how dark they came out...my flash decided to work strangely that day.

My bed:

My desk area (taken from standing on my bed...I'm not 9 feet tall):

My armoire, floor lamp, and Cory's keyboard (which didn't fit in his room, but I like having it in mine!):

So yeah, so far it's been really fun! Monday night we had some friends over for a dinner party, I made asparagus which actually turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself!
Yesterday classes started and I had a pretty full day! I had some weird economics class at 8, but I think it'll be okay. Then I had Intro to Music Ed at 9:30, went to the new Wells Commons to eat a muffin with friends, had Music Theory at 11, and then EDB 202 which is a education course. I have friends in all of my classes so that makes everything really fun. Today I have Music History at 10, Ear Training/Sight Singing at 11, and then Piano at 12. I think after that I am going to hang out with Alyssa for awhile and then we have a Music Majors Meeting at 2. THEN I am going to come back here, get some homework done, eat some food and then be off to work training at the library until 10 tonight. SO, it's a pretty full day! I'll try to take lots of pictures this year of my happenings so everyone can see how life is going! Okay, I gotta eat some breakfast and then go to the bookstore (and wait in line forever) before class! Later, gators!

A little determination goes a long way...

2008-08-12T13:54:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone! Last night I worked 5 hours at American Eagle and it was actually a really fun and exciting shift. After I got out of work at the Clubhouse I wasn't really looking forward to working 6-11, but it turned out to be rather rewarding. Before I delve too deep into the story, let me give you a little background info on American Eagle. Our store just got 2 brand new things. #1 We got a new store manager. #2 We got brand spankin' new AWESOME touch-screen registers, which everyone is dying to try out. Our new store manager, however, said that sales people could not be trained on the new registers until after they had sold 1 credit card on the floor. When I heard this newly implemented rule I thought I should just kiss those shiny new registers goodbye, I mean getting someone to sign up for a credit card while cashing them out is hard enough..but on the FLOOR?! While they're shopping!? I thought that it must be impossible. Last night, however, I went into work with some credit card sale tips given to me by a friend and fellow employee (AND fellow Fame Forever-er), Ashley, and was determined as EVER to sell one of those damn things. I started off a little shaky, got a couple no's. Then finally..as I was letting someone into a fitting room and explaining the perks of the AE VISA, she said the magical words "okay, I'll think about it" and after she came out of the fitting room I had the application there and waiting and sure enough she signed on board. =) I WAS SO EXCITED. So, I got trained on the new cash registers and it just so happens that my first transaction on one was an upgrade from the old credit card to the new one so that counted as ANOTHER credit card sold for me! Anyhoo, it probably sounds silly in the big scheme of things, but I was excited about it and pretty proud of myself. Alright...later, gators!

COUNTDOWN UNTIL MOVE-IN DAY: 19 days!

A great day with a bestie...

2008-08-04T16:54:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was a really fun day. I made the drive to Camden (while only getting slightly lost once) to visit Alyssa, one of my best friends and roommate from last year. You guys know her from the various video blogs she's been a part of, I'm sure. She and I met in November of freshman year when we were doing a production of "Bat Boy: The Musical" together and the rest is history. There's literally never a dull moment when we're together, since we have pretty much the same wacky sense of humor. Here are some pictures from over the course of our friendship:

During a Bat Boy rehearsal (I think this is the first picture taken of us):

Move-in night 2007:

A group photo from after Fame Forever 2007. Lyss and I have been in 3 productions together to date and I hope those shows (Bat Boy, Fame Forever, and The Marriage of Figaro) are only the beginning of our time on stage together:

I really like this photo because it's my future roommate, me, and my last roommate all together =):

SPA Ball 2008:

So, anyway...the day was very fun. I haven't been to Camden in years, so long in fact that I don't even remember if I've ever been...though I'm sure I have at some point. First we went to lunch at The Camden Deli, which has very good sandwiches and overlooks the harbor. After lunch we walked around downtown Camden and checked out cool stores like The Smiling Cow and Planet. After that we headed to Northport Music Theater (where I saw Alyssa in a show in July) and saw their production of "Closer Than Ever" in which we pretty much knew the entire cast. It was made up of 4 people, plus a bassist (who we also knew). Seth Grondin, who played Figaro in the Marriage of Figaro, was in it, Dominick Varney, who I worked with at Explorations, was in it, Kim Murphy, who was Alyssa's high school music teacher, was in it, and Annie Watson, who was in the last show with Alyssa, was also in it. The show was really really really good. The 4 voices were all very strong, which is important in a show with only music, and so it was really fun to listen to. All in all it was a really fun day with one of my besties and it made me super excited to get back to Orono and the rest of my besties. This year is sure to be the best yet. =) Later, gators!

I'm thrifty!

2008-07-25T17:42:00.007-05:00

Hey all. So, I must say...I'm quite proud of myself. It's kind of a known fact that college bookstores completely rob you for books, so I decided to take matters into my own hands when buying text books this summer. I went on the bookstore website, found out what books I need, e-mailed my professors to make sure I had the right editions, and then went online to find them. To give you an example of some of my savings...

At the bookstore this book would have cost me $42.75..I found it online for $35.40.

Or this one..

In the bookstore this book costs $72.40...I found it online for $70.75. I know that's not much of a difference, but that book is brand spankin' new..just released in May, so I wasn't gonna find it much cheaper than that. PLUS..2 dollars less is still less!

That's just 2 examples, trust me there are more! It may not seem like much, but it adds up, so I am pretty proud of my thriftiness I must say!! I can't wait for school! Later, gators!

PS: Happy Birthday, Tut!

summmmmmertime and the living's easy...

2008-07-07T17:50:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone! My summer has been very busy thus far! During the weekdays I work at the Kid's Clubhouse, during the weekend I'm out with friends and then once in awhile there's an American Eagle shift peppered in there, so there's been very little downtime to collect my thoughts and write a blog entry.

For starters, I hope everyones' 4th of July was fun! Mine was eventful. In the morning the Clubhouse staff was in the parade. I was dressed as the Little Mermaid...my wig looked like trailer trash. In fact, while I was walking I heard a little girl say "THAT's Ariel!?" I couldn't blame her; I looked like meth addict Ariel. You can judge for yourself, though this picture truly doesn't do the hideousness justice.

The others are Beth as Cinderella's Fairy Godmother, Molly as Cinderella, Shelby as Fiona from Shrek, and of course me as Methadone Mermaid. Oh well! It was fun despite my horrendous wig.
That evening I went out with Chantal and her sister, Kyra and some other friends to a party on Lower Narrows Pond in Winthrop, which is actually the same lake that my grandparents used to live on! It was fun! Here is a picture of Chantal and I at that:

So it was definitely a fun night!
Saturday evening I went to see Alyssa in "Fame Takes A Holiday" at the Northport Music Theater. She was BY FAR the best one in the show, and I'm not just saying that because I am bias...she was seriously the best one. Here is the promotional photo for that, I know it's small, but Lyss is the one all the way to the left:

Yesterday I went to Old Orchard Beach with Chantal and then we stopped in Freeport for a bit. It was really fun and I hadn't been to OOB since I was little, so that was exciting. Here's a picture from that:

So, yeah I've been really busy and it's been a really great summer so far! I can't wait to get back to Orono though! September 1st can't come soon enough! More soon! Later, gators!

I'm just a Broadway baby!

2008-06-15T22:04:00.007-05:00

Did everyone watch the Tony's tonight? I thought they were just fantastic! There were 3 parts that were especially exciting for me, though.

#1)

Stephen Sondheim's lifetime achievement award. What a no brainer! That man is pure genius and if he doesn't deserve a Tony lifetime achievement award, I really don't know who does. He has composed the music and/or written the lyrics for such shows as Gypsy, West Side Story, Sweeney Todd, Into The Woods (a show near and dear to my heart), and Company, just to name a few! There's something about Sondheim's music that is unique to a point I truly can't explain. But I can tell just by hearing a few bars whether or not Stephen Sondheim composed it. I think it'd be safe to say that he's my favorite Broadway composer. There's just no one like him. In fact, I wrote a paper for one of my classes this past year about the way in which Stephen Sondheim's music affects the masses. It's true. He puts so much into his music. Life lessons, feelings, emotions. He's amazing, truly amazing. So, congrats to him.

#2)

The reunion of the original cast of RENT! I am so so so happy that I was able to see this show on Broadway in 2003, especially since its last show will be September 7th of this year. I got a bit teary when the current cast and the original cast started singing "Seasons of Love" together. The show is about so much. It's heavy and heartwarming and brilliant and true. It's just what Jonathan Larson wanted it to be, and unfortunately he died before he could see his creation gain the enormous popularity that it has. Sad.
Side note: Right after this, Liza Minelli came out with her bra showing to present an award and I was no longer teary, just scared.

#3)

Patti Lupone's much deserved (and LONG awaited) second Tony for her role as Mama Rose in the revival of Gypsy. It had been 28 years since she won her first Tony, for her role as Evita in Evita. She's just great. 59 years old and still giving just as much energy and pizzaz as she ever did. I love her. So yay yay yay Patti. =)

There were a few disappointments, namely that Mainer Andrea Martin didn't win in her category. That was a bummer. I love her though, she's faaabulous.

I love love love the stage. :)

As for everything else in my life...all is well. My day job starts Thursday. Thank heavens! I can stop being bored out of my mind during the days! Wahoo! Okay, more soon!

Later, gators!!!

He did it...

2008-06-03T23:25:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to be witnessing this piece of history. Barack Obama is officially the democratic candidate for the president of the United States and with any luck he'll be the president in January. I think he deserves it and I'm looking forward to continuing my support for who I feel would be a great leader for this country!

I am exhausted, though...so I should hit the hay. I promise to try harder to update this thing. Sometimes I get in writing slumps. I'll definitely try my best, though! Later, gators!

Home sweet home & 2 jobs!

2008-05-13T14:06:00.004-05:00

Hey ya'll! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile...finals week was crazy and I don't have the internet right now at my mom's house so there hasn't been a whole lot of time to update! The end of my second year in college went smoothly. My grades thus far are looking good and so I have no complaints. I can't believe how fast the school year went, though...it's insanity! Being home is nice, but I am excited to start working! I actually have 2 jobs lined up for this summer, which I am excited about! I am returning to work for the city rec department's Kids Clubhouse. It's a nice job that pays well and I like having set hours. That doesn't begin until mid June, though, so I am happy that I have my American Eagle job lined up as well. I have my orientation tomorrow afternoon and I am really excited. I worked retail 2 summers ago, and I enjoyed it, plus I LOVE American Eagle's clothes. So, up until the Clubhouse starts I'll be working whenever at AE and then when the Clubhouse starts I'll be working evenings and weekends at AE. =) $$$$! Yay yay! Cory and I also found out who we will be living with next year. It's a really nice couple with a dog. I facebooked them and they seem completely normal and very nice and their dog, a Russell Terrier named Domino, is ADORABLE. =) So, that takes some of the stress off about worrying who I am living with!
Okay, well I have laundry to attend to! But I will update soon! Later, gators!

Sance-alicious.

2008-05-02T07:39:00.000-05:00

Hello! Today is the last day of classes before finals! I can't believe it! I've got quite a full weekend ahead of me, with a concert to attend on each day...plus trying to fit in time for studying as well! Tonight is Renaissance's Spring Show. Renaissance is the all female a capella group on campus. There are 4 a capella groups at UMaine...Bear Vocals, Mixed Nuts, Renaissance and the Maine Steiners. Renaissance and Steiners are formed from within the University Singers, Renaissance being all female and Steiners being all male. Bear Vocals and Mixed Nuts are mixed and anyone can audition. All of them are pretty good. Alyssa is in the picture, she's the one kneeling on the left side with her arms in the air. I don't think you guys would know anyone else in the photo. Anyway, they're really good and I am selling tickets beforehand which means I get into the show for FREE! So, ya can't beat that. I'll write more later on the other shows I'll be attending this weekend. Hope everyone has a marvelous day!
Later, gators!

Birthday Banana!

2008-04-28T16:10:00.000-05:00

Okay, so basically Alyssa and I think that we're the most creative and amazing people ever for this idea...so I had to write a blog about it. Today is our friend, Cassie's, birthday. I had classes with her this morning, but I completely FORGOT that it was her birthday. So, when I got back to the room and good ole reliable facebook reminded me...I felt really bad. So, Alyssa grabbed a banana off of her desk and was like "let's give her this!" so then we wrote "Happy Birthday! Love Sarah & Alyssa" on it.

Later, gators!

Here comes the sun...doo doo doo doo...here comes the sun!

2008-04-18T14:48:00.000-05:00

Hi there everyone! It is insanely beautiful out today. I found myself actually feeling a little bit too warm while walking on campus today, which is a welcome change! My day's been good thus far! I got to sleep in a little bit this morning because my German lab was canceled, and so I didn't have to get up until 9:00 to make my 10:00 German class. That went fine. I then went to the library for an hour to study a little bit for my German oral exam I had at noon. That also went fine. Except I said "si" instead of "ja" like a hundred times. I took Spanish for 5 years...I can't shake saying "si" for "yes"...it's rather silly. Then Alyssa and I went to lunch and then I went to work for a little bit. At around 4 I'm gonna go over to my friend, Kate's dorm and then we're going to walk to my credit union because my bank is an idiot. They sent me a new ATM card because of the Hannaford fiasco and then they sent me the wrong pin. Smart. Then Kate and I are going to dinner and to our Athena Consort rehearsal. We have a concert tomorrow, in which my dad, aunt, and grandparents are going to. So, I'm pretty excited about that!!! After my rehearsal, I don't know what's going on...but I think I'm going to call it a low-key evening because my ears are tingling which is usually the first sign I'm coming down with something...which is NOT a good thing right before my juries. Sooo, I'm going to try and ward off whatever is coming on. Alright, I'm gonna wrap this up. Later, gators!

Mama had a baby and her head popped off!!

2008-04-14T13:43:00.001-05:00

I saw my first dandelion of the season today! I even did the whole song "Mama had a baby and her head popped off!"...it was that joyous of an occasion. It's so nice around campus when things start warming up. People are always lounging on the mall, taking walks, wearing less than 9 layers of clothing. You can defintely tell when spring is coming...this campus comes alive, truly. It's just too bad that for most of the school year we're buried under a blanket of snow and spend many months hibernating inside the warmth of our rooms. But, seeing a dandelion today really lifted by spirts! =)

On another note, I had a pretty eventful weekend. Friday night, one of my best friends from high school, Brian came up to get me. We then proceeded to Waterville where we saw Jesus Christ Superstar at the Waterville Opera House.
It's the story of Jesus set to rock-ish music. I'm sure you've all heard the song "Jesus Christ Superstar", yes it's from that show. It was excellent, as are all WOH productions. I liked it a lot. The show is playing at the Maine State Music Theater this summer as well so I am excited to see their production. It will be interesting to note the differences between the community theatre and the professional theatre. =)

Saturday I had an interview at American Eagle.
I already have my rec job back for the summer, but if I get the job at AE I could work nights and weekends there. I need all the money I can get. I thought the interview went very well and so I shall know soon about that. =) Alright, I need to go to recital lab in a few...so I'm gonna wrap this up.
Later, gators!!

Fall 2008...21 credits.

2008-04-09T18:21:00.002-05:00

Hey ya'll. I signed up for next semester's classes yesterday. I have quite the full load. 21 credits, in fact. I'll give you an idea of what my schedule looks like for next Fall... and this doesn't even include my voice lesson or any ensembles...

Monday:
9-950: Biology
10-1050: Music History
11-1150: Sight Singing/Ear Training
1210-1: Piano
210-3: Recital Lab

Tuesday:
930-1045: Intro to Music Ed
11-1150: Theory
1230-145: Education in a Multicultural Society

Wednesday:
9-950: Biology
10-1050: Music History
11-1150: Sight Singing/Ear Training
1210-1: Piano
110-3: Biology Lab

Thursday:
930-1045: Intro to Music Ed
11-1150: Theory
1230-145: Education in a Multicultural Society

Friday:
9-950: Biology
10-1050: Music History

Pretty crazy! I love this major, though. So I couldn't be happier to continue on. Not to mention that today I got a sight singing/ear training test back (which is a class I really struggle with) and I got an 86 on the test!!!! That may seem mediocre to you all, but that's the highest I've ever gotten in that class...in either semester! So I'm quite ecstatic about it. I guess the tutoring is paying off. The test is hanging on my & Lyssa's fridge right now! See...

Woohoo!! Alright, dinner time!
Later, gators!

Goodbye, Pink Razr...

2008-04-07T17:58:00.001-05:00

YAY! Today I ordered a new phone! I've had my lovely little pink Razr since we first got our contract with T-Mobile in July 2006 and it's time for a change. Though I love my Razr...I'm getting a Sidekick Slide and that's pretty sweeeet! My dad and brother extended their contracts (we have a family plan) a couple months back and so I extended mine today and ordered this aweeesome new phone because I got a pretty nifty check back from the federal government. Plus, my Razr is getting old and runs out of battery in like a nano-second so I'm just really excited. The Sidekick looks like so much fun. It has a FULL keyboard! Ever since we got unlimited texting with our plan I've become a texting machine and so the full keyboard will only help with my addiction. :-P I'll be sure to take pictures when it comes! I am so pumped! =) WAHOO!
Later, gators!

SPA Ball!!!

2008-04-06T17:27:00.000-05:00

Hola everyone! Last night was the School Of Performing Arts Ball! It was so much fun! It was held at the Sport's Cafe in downtown Orono, and it was a good time. I think my dress was really cute and springy...and I LOVE my shoes. Here are some pictures from the event:
Me in my dress @ Whitney's before the dance:

An action shot...

Alyssa & Jesse doing their "Toxic" dance...

I love my future roomie!!!!

Sara & Jon sporting their $5.99 sunglasses...

Anyways, it was a really fun time!!! =) Later, gators!

I broke my leg!

2008-04-01T14:50:00.000-05:00

Just kiddin! =) I hope everyone is having a fun April Fools Day. The weather is lousy here...but other than that my April Fools Day has been fun.

Nothing too exciting is happening. Classes and being excited for the year to wind down is pretty much what I've been up to. I just want summer. Here. NOW. Oh well...it'll be here soon enough.

Okay...well, I need to go practice.
Later, gators!

Chizzle Wizzle!

2008-03-30T16:38:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! Friday night I went to see Cony's 117th Chizzle Wizzle! It was very good. A tad bit long...3 1/2 hours...but good nonetheless. The Ends were talented and the olios was full of laughs. I think the cast really had fun with this year's theme, 60's Invasion, and so that really showed. The Ends' songs were all very 60's inspired: "Son of A Preacher Man", "These Boots Were Made For Walkin", "I Feel Good", "Good Morning Baltimore", "Hair", "Little Red Riding Hood" and the Alternates sang a little medley duet of "Save The Last Dance For Me" and "Do You Love Me?". It was a very cute show.

Now, I am back at school and very excited for this weekend because it' SPA Ball! (AKA School of Performing Arts Ball) I bought a really cute dress and I LOVE my shoes...so I'll definitely post pics after the dance on Saturday!

Alright...homework time.
Later, gators!

It's Not That Simple...

2008-03-26T21:26:00.000-05:00

Tonight my friend Jeremy and I went to a performance called "It's Not That Simple", which was hosted by the School of Performing Arts and organized by my RA from last year, Molly. It was, in a way, I guess a kick-off to Sexual Assault Awareness month, which is April. The show "incorporate[d] visual and performing arts including theatre, dance, music and new media. Through these different mediums, the show powerfully represent[ed] many different kinds of assault - including voyeurism, stalking, rape and domestic abuse - and the many emotions that sexual assault victims, and those who know them, experience." I thought it was very good. Many theatre friends were in it, so it was nice to see them perform.

On another note, my illness is almost gone. Knock on wood. I can at least stand up now without feeling as if I'm going to faint. And my lungs don't feel as if they are filled with liquid...so that's a welcome change. Hopefully within the next few days I'll be as good as new.

This weekend I am going to see Chizzle Wizzle. For anyone that doesn't know, Chizzle Wizzle is the variety show extravaganza at Cony High School and it's also the longest running high school production in the country...117 years this year! I was involved all 4 years in high school and the show will always hold a really special place in my heart. It was actually kind of tough to go see it last year because I was really jealous that I wasn't a part of it!! I'm sure I'll get a little bit of that itch again this year too...but it's a great show regardless! So, I'm looking forward to that! =)

Alright, I'm gonna go watch some TV.
Later, gators!

Mucinex in, Mucus out!

2008-03-18T17:07:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll. I'm back at school. Sorry I've been so bad at updating lately. I'll try to work on that! The rest of my time in DC & NYC was fabulous. I had a lot of fun and saw two great shows, "Kiss of The Spider Woman" at Arlington's Signature Theater and "The Lion King" at Minskoff Theater in Times Square. I had already seen "The Lion King", but that show is so truly breathtaking that I could see it another 928334 times and not get burnt out. "Kiss of The Spider Woman" was fantastic. Natascia Diaz and Hunter Foster were both magnificent and I was honored to see them live. So yes, my week away was a success, most definitely!
I got back to school Sunday night and then woke up Monday morning with a really really tight chest and it hurt when I breathed. So, today I went to Cutler Health Center here on campus and I had a doctor check me out...just to make sure it wasn't something like pneumonia or bronchitis. Thankfully, it was neither. I guess I just have very congested lungs so the doctor suggested I take Mucinex. You know that commercial...with the little mucus family who gets blown out of their home in the person's lungs. I am all about good marketing and I was seriously excited to take it just because of the commericial. So, whoever came up with that ad, kudos to you, you sold me on it!
School is going well, despite the fact that I feel as though my lungs have blown to smithereens. I'm going to be truthful here though and say I just want to get these 7 weeks until finals over. I'm ready for summer. Okay, I just wanted to give you guys an update. I promise I'll try to be better with my blogging. =)
Later, gators!

In DC! =)

2008-03-12T17:46:00.001-05:00

Hey ya'll. I arrived in DC Sunday night. It's been really fun. Haven't done all that much, but hanging out with family is fun! =) Today Suz and I went to the Madame Tussaud's museum...which was fun! I've always wanted to go to a wax museum. It was a tad expensive considering how small it is, but it was fun nonetheless. Here are some good pictures:

Me & Abe Lincoln-

Me, JFK, & Jackie O-

Me & J.Lo-

Okay. Well, I took lots more. But my computer is being weird...so I'll load some more later or something. Tomorrow I am going to the zoo and to the Smithsonian with my Dad and his class. So, that should be fun! Alright I'm gonna go. Later, gators!

Nothing quite says Spring Break like freezing rain...

2008-03-05T14:08:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. I apologize for my lack in entries. Spring Break began on Friday evening. Though, quite frankly, it's not Spring yet...it won't even be Spring when we return to school and apparently the weather wants to prove this fact to UMaine. Today is just yucky. Saturday was a mess. We are buried under what seems like an abnormal amount of snow. When will this end?! Oy vey. My trip out of this God forsaken state can't come any sooner!

My Spring Break thus far has been rather uneventful. Saturday was low-key because of the weather, Sunday was low-key because that's how Sundays should be. Monday my friend, Meaghan, came over and interviewed me for one of her classes. It was an interview on body image and she needed to interview one girl who had grown up playing sports her whole life and one who had not. I'll let you guess which girl I was.. ha ha. The rest of this week has been spent relaxing, sleeping in, and watching a whole lot of Crossing Jordan...my newest guilty pleasure. I watch way too many crime dramas and then I wonder why I'm paranoid.

Alright, I will try to blog more this vacation...expecially during my trip! But in the meantime...let's all do a collective prayer that this weather improves....the birdies are hungry!

Later, gators! =)

The lease is signed!!!

2008-02-26T17:11:00.001-05:00

So, my friend Cory & I signed our leases to live in Orchard Trails next year. We're pretty excited! They are 4-bedroom 2-bathroom apartments across from campus and they're pretty nice! =) We have until May to find 2 more roommates or they'll just randomly place us after that. Either one would work. Only we might be placed with another guy...but she said she wouldn't put me with 3 boys...so hopefully it'd be another girl & gay guy like how me & Cory are. We'll see! But here are some pictures from the tour room:

Bedroom:

Bathroom:

Kitchen:

Living Room:

Living Room Again:

Pretty nice, eh?! Yeah...we're quite excited about it! =) Alright see you all soon because I come home for spring break on FRIDAY and I leave for DC a week from SUNDAY! WOOO!! Later, gators!

The most nostagic video ever...

2008-02-22T12:05:00.000-05:00

Most of the readers of my blog are at least a couple decades older than me, so to most of you this video won't bring back any nostalgic memories. But to my brother & I and most of our friends this video leaves us cracking up & wanting to cry all in the same instant. Often times my friends and I will find ourselves venturing back to discussions of, what we call, "old school" Nickelodeon. The stuff that we grew up on...shows like "Hey Dude", "Salute Your Shorts", and "Clarissa Explains It All" among many others. Today we found ourselves amidst that same conversation, and my friend Kate decided to do something about it. She went on YouTube and found this video...the intros to the shows I grew up on. =) It made me very happy & yet feel old at the same time. None of these shows are on Nickelodeon anymore (truthfully Nickelodeon has gone to shit in my opinion) so it's weird to see the intros. Enjoy! Later, gators!

Living just enough, just enough for the city...ee ha!

2008-02-18T20:16:00.000-05:00

I can't wait for spring break! I will be going to both of the pictured cities: Washington, DC & New York City. I am so excited! I fly to DC on March 9 to spend some time with my family that lives there and to see The Kiss Of The Spider Woman (a musical), which is playing at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA. I'm very excited to see it, not only because I love musical theatre, but because it's starring 3 pretty famous Broadway stars: Will Chase (The Full Monty, RENT, Aida), Natascia Díaz (Man of La Mancha, Carousel), and HUNTER FOSTER (Little Shop, Footloose, Urinetown)! They are all fabulous, but Hunter Foster is just amazing. He performed at the Tony's a few years back with the Urinetown cast...click HERE to watch it. I'm very exciiited to see him. =)
I am then heading to NYC on the 15th with my dad and his students. We're seeing The Lion King, which I've already seen, but I loved it...so I am not opposed to seeing it again!

It should be a really fun spring break and it'll be nice to just get out of Maine for awhile. =) Woohoo!!!

Later, gators!

We opened with a bang!

2008-02-16T15:42:00.001-05:00

Last night was opening night of "The Marriage of Figaro"!! And it went splendidly! That picture is the actual poster from our show...I don't really get it...but whatevs. So, anywho...it went so well. The audience LOVED it, which is saying a lot considering it's a 3-hour opera.
I was happy to just be in it at all. I woke up at around 4am yesterday morning and started throwing up...but by 6 I was feeling better and I spent the day resting. I was fine by the evening and was able to do the show. I don't know what was wrong with
me...something I ate or something. I hope everyone comes to see it, it's definitely a show worth seeing. Gotta run. Later, gators!

PS- Here are some back stage photos:
*Molly & I* (Note how AWESOME our costumes are)

*Me booty dancing on Alyssa* (I took this photo so that people would understand the hugeness of my ass in my costume...under my skirt is something called a "butt pad" it literally gives a new meaning to "ghetto booty"..oh and she's standing on a chair, she isn't 9 feet tall)

*Jeremy & I* (Note: he has tan make-up. This is because back in the time period people of high stature were very pale and poor people were tan because they worked outside. Jeremy plays a gardener...cool eh?)

*Jeremy & Molly* (Please note Molly's wig...bahahah love it)

Happy Valentine's Day...

2008-02-14T14:32:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone has a love-erific day!
Later, gators.

The rest of recital lab...

2008-02-13T11:48:00.000-05:00

Hey ya'll. So the last little bit of my recital lab has been recovered....so enjoy! Later, gators!

PS...WE HAVE A SNOW DAY TODAY!!!!!!

My first recital lab...

2008-02-12T12:11:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. Yesterday was my first recital lab ever. Recital labs happen every Monday from 2:10-3:00. All the music students go into Minsky Recital Hall and we listen to our peers perform. Every music student is required to perform at least once per semester. Yesterday was my first time! It went pretty well, but something kinda funny happened at the beginning. My accompanist was Phillip Silver, who is a professor here at UMaine. He's a really amazing pianist and he's a good accompanist because he gives good feedback and all that jazz. So anyway, yesterday I start singing my song and I realize a bit into it that something is going horribly wrong. Like it just sounds off. So I start backtracking in my mind going "what in the world did I do wrong!??!" And I looked at Phillip out of the corner of my eye. He stopped playing and he goes "my mistake!" He had the pages out of order! I was sooo relieved that it wasn't me!!! So we started again and it actually took a lot of the nerve off...and I sounded better the second time around. Everyone had a laugh and congratulated me after for being "the only person they'd ever seen Phillip mess up with". haha. He felt bad, I think, but I mean...it was honest mistake. No hard feelings =) Plus it was pretty funny. Alyssa was taping...so you can watch the video. Her camera dies before the end, but you'll get a good jist off my song...plus the funny mess up at the beginning. Enjoy! Later, gators!

OBAMA IN BANGOR!!!!

2008-02-10T11:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was such an exciting day. Barack Obama was at the Bangor Auditorium!! I got up in the morning and had to go to rehearsal, so I was really worried I wouldn't get in to see him, but this is what happened:
Sara picked me up at 1:30. We headed for Bangor. The traffic was out of control. We were stuck on the interstate for almost an hour. By the time we actually parked it was after 2:30, when the doors were supposed to open. The line was stretching at least a mile and we thought that there was absolutely no way we were going to get in. We started walking toward the back of the line and we saw 3 kids who lived on our floor last year...who we'd never talked to. BUT I was like "oh my gosh! you guys lived in York last year!!! Let's walk and talk!" so they let us in line with them and WE GOT IN. Thank God! So we were sitting way in the back up high, but we had a good view of the stage and everything. The crowd was HUGE and he was so inspiring. I love him. I have rehearsal today and can't go to the caucus...so vote for Obama for me. He ABSOLUTELY needs to be our next president. Later, gators.

Yes We Can...

2008-02-06T12:54:00.000-05:00

"Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can."
-Senator Barack Obama

I love him. Plain and simple.
Later, gators.

PS...If you've been living under a rock and HAVEN'T seen the "Yes We Can" video go here. It makes me tear up every time I watch it. Lovin' Barack...

Oh come faithful lovers in happy accord!

2008-02-05T17:18:00.000-05:00

The Marriage of Figaro was composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. According to Wikipedia,

"The action of The Marriage of Figaro takes place after the events in The Barber of Seville and recounts a single day in the palace of the Count Almaviva. Rosina is now the Countess; her husband, the Count, is seeking the favors of Susanna, who is to be wed to her love, Figaro, the Count's valet. When the Count detects the interest of the young page Cherubino, in the Countess, he tries to get rid of Cherubino by giving him an officer's commission in his own regiment. Figaro, Susanna, and the Countess conspire to embarrass the Count and expose his infidelity. Meanwhile Figaro is caught up in a dispute with Bartolo and Marcellina, which ends when he is revealed to be their son. At night, all find themselves on the palace grounds, where a comic series of cases of mistaken identity results in the Count's humiliation and then forgiveness by the Countess. The action takes place in Seville, Spain."

Though I wasn't extremely excited about being a part of this show at first, I am becoming increasingly more excited as opening night gets closer and closer. I think we have a very entertaining piece of work to present and though I am not in it ALL that much, I think it's a good show for everyone to see because I mean, how often does a full staged opera get done around here? Not that often.

So come see it!

Later, gators!

Oh Britney...

2008-02-02T00:14:00.000-05:00

...what has happened to you? I wrote a blog much like this one awhile ago...right after Britney had shaved her head. At that point I just thought she was doing stuff for attention...but I officially think her status is scary. I don't think people who don't live in the spotlight can truly understand what a famous person lives with everyday of their lives. I got Rosie O'Donnell's book Celebrity Detox for Christmas and it's definitely and interesting look into the life of a celebrity and the pressure one feels under constant watch. Rosie, of course, didn't start when she was a pre-teen like Britney did. Clearly child stars, of Britney's stature, are over-worked. Think about over-worked pre-teens and teens for just a moment and where they are now. Britney Spears...obviously mentally ill. Michael Jackson...nuff said. Drew Barrymore...drug addict for many years. MaryKate & Ashley Olson...anorexia and now some weird twist with Heath Ledger. Speaking of...with the recent death of Heath Ledger I began thinking about Britney and how I'm certainly frightened the same fate is not far off for her. Maybe I'm just the 5th grade girl that adored Britney Spears, but I truly fear for her life. And I feel like America is addicted to watching her downfall. She needs help and not from Dr. Phil. She needs professional help and to be left alone for like 2 seconds. I'm sure you all think this is a ridiculous post, but I don't. Yeah, maybe she has said some dumb things, maybe she has done some dumb things, maybe she dressed slutty...but she's human. And people forget that...she's a human being and I've always been one to look at people as human first and judge their actions later. I hope she gets better. I miss the old Britney, but I bet she doesn't even know who the real Britney is. She's never been allowed to decide for herself, America has decided for her. And that's scary. Anyway...I just felt the need to say it. Mock it all you want, I don't care! =) Later, gators.

So busy...

2008-02-01T00:11:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't written in a few days...I'm super busy. I go pretty much straight from 9am til 9pm...so I don't usually get a whole lot of time to write an entry. Between Figaro rehearsals and my ensembles and classes and voice lessons and everything else that I squeeze into 12 hours, I am pretty pooped by the end of it. It's great, don't get me wrong! It just doesn't leave a whole lot of time to do anything else but sleep (and maybe some homework hehe). And I've got added stress because a week from Monday I am singing in recital lab. What's recital lab you ask? Well, every Monday from 2:00-3:00 all the music students congregate in Minsky Recital Hall and we listen to our peers. Every music student who is taking applied lessons (private lessons in their field, whether it be voice or instrumental) is required to perform at least once in Recital Lab per semester. 1st year music students are exempt from performing our first semester, so this semester will be my first time performing...I'm kind of nervous. It's nerve racking to perform in front of peers!! But I am sure it will go fine. And I'm pretty comfortable with the song I am singing.
Alright, well I should really get some sleep! Later, gators!

PS:
Come see The Marriage of Figaro!!!!
February 15, 16, 17, 22, 23, 24!!!
Call 581-1755 for tickets and
visit the UMaine School of Performing Arts website for more info on the show!

Back into it!

2008-01-27T00:42:00.000-05:00

I love marathon-ing shows. For those unaware of what I mean by that, let me explain. It's when you buy the season DVD and over the course of a few days you watch the entire season. The reason I like doing this so much is for the following reasons:
#1: I am usually very busy during the week nights when the shows actually play.
#2: I don't have to wait a week to deal with the suspense!
#3: It's a fun friend activity for a boring weekend or a rainy/snowy day.
So, anyway...a couple years ago I marathon-ed the first season of LOST and I got way into it. I then marathon-ed the 2nd season a year later. When the third season started I watched some episodes and then I got busy and I lost track of it and I just stopped watching it all together. Now, the 4th season starts on the 31st and ABC.com is doing some sort of a promotional thing where ALL 3 seasons of LOST are online...FOR FREE. So, the past few days I have watched a few episodes a day and I finished the 3rd season. NOW I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL the 31st!!! I am going to try really hard this season to keep up with watching it at its scheduled Thursday night slot...but if it doesn't work out...I can always marathon it next year! :)
LOST is such a good show. If you don't watch it...you should. End of story. Later, gators!

RIP...

2008-01-23T18:17:00.000-05:00

Heathcliff Andrew Ledger
April 4, 1979-January 22, 2008

:(

Later, gators.

New Video Blog!

2008-01-21T15:55:00.000-05:00

Later, gators!

Happy Belated Birthday, MLK!

2008-01-21T13:27:00.000-05:00

So, Martin Luther King Jr. came into the world on January 15, 1929 and now I get a day off from school...6 days after his actual birthday. Oh well...Happy Belated Birthday! :)
Later, gators!

The Class Of 1944 Hall...

2008-01-17T20:03:00.000-05:00

Hello all. I thought I'd take the opportunity tonight to tell you a little bit about the building in which I spend most of my time. The Class of 1944 Hall was named after the class that donated the money to its creation. I believe it was built around 10 years ago, and it houses the School of Performing Arts facilities. I rarely leave this building during the day, as most of my classes are inside. The first picture of the hallway is the hallway I walk down every morning to get to class. On the ceiling performing arts quotes are written and there is almost always music coming from the speakers connected to the ceiling as well. It's a really cheery way to the start the day. The benches are infamous. I took the picture in the evening, but during the day there are ALWAYS music students sitting there waiting for classes to begin, studying, and just hanging out. The last picture is of me showing off the fliers board. The huge bulletin board stretches the length of one wall and has TONS of fliers about different performing arts events and opportunities. All in all, The Class of 1944 Hall is a really nice place to spend my day. :) Later gators!

My homeboy...

2008-01-14T18:02:00.000-05:00

My Obama t-shirt came in the mail today! Isn't it cute? I'm excited to wear it at some point this week. Well, I already posted earlier today, but I just wanted to show ya'll my t-shirt. :)
Later, gators!

First day back + a snow day!

2008-01-14T14:32:00.000-05:00

It's not the best quality photo, but I took that from the window in the hall outside of my room. It's snowing so hard! Classes after 2:00 were canceled, so I got out of one class, but I had three classes this morning. They went well. It's three straight hours of classes, though, so that's kind of tiring. At 9am I had sight singing, which was fine. 10am I had German which I think is going to be a fun class and interesting. Then at 11am I had piano class and so many of my friends are in that class so it's really fun!
Okay, well Alyssa and I are watching a movie, a perfect activity for a snowy day. It's supposed to snow all through the night too so we'll see what happens with classes tomorrow!
Later, gators!

I think I know now...

2008-01-08T20:10:00.000-05:00

I found this picture on flickr...
(http://www.flickr.com
/photos/commonroman/16287993/)
It's of "A DC public school student protest[ing] the use of hundreds of millions of tax dollars to build a new baseball stadium in Washington, DC, rather than fix ailing schools."
I think I know now, for sure, what I want to do with my life, and it's not from this picture...but this picture enhances my desire to teach in the inner city. Some people think I am crazy for wanting to do this, but I don't find it crazy. Music, for me, was readily available in my school with a fantastic music teacher. I want to be the Mrs. Beaudoin for kids in a place where it seems like there is no hope. I am sure it would be frustrating because I might be able to only reach 1 student out of hundreds, but knowing that through my teaching a student chose a life better than the one they are destined to would be worth it for me. I feel like I could do this.
We'll see if that's where life takes me.
Later, gators.

B to the A to the R-A-C-K-O-B-A-M-A!

2008-01-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

WOOOO my man has won Iowa and with any luck he'll win New Hampshire and then the presidency (knock on wood!). Some people, namely old geezers hehe, think he hasn't done enough to prove that he'd be a good president, but I just have faith in him. I think his ideas are best, I think he delivers his ideas well, and how can you go wrong with that smile?
Now, don't get me wrong...I'd be happy if any democrat was in office, but if Obama (or Hillary) won not only would there be a great president, but I would feel as if I was a part of making history as well. I'm just really excited for Obama...and for the democratic party in general.
I found that picture on a website that had that print on a t-shirt...and the t-shirt was on sale......so I bought it. :) Once it comes in the mail I'll take a picture of me sporting it. YAY FOR BARACK!

My brother wants the phone, but YAY!
Later, gators!

The Demon Barber of Fleet Street...

2007-12-30T17:23:00.000-05:00

In a few minutes I'll be heading to Bangor to see "Sweeney Todd". Yeah, we have to travel ALL the way to Bangor to see it, it's not playing anywhere around here. It looks a little bit scary, but hey it's a musical so OBVIOUSLY I'm going to go see it. I'll give ya'll a review tomorrow.

On another note, woo go Pats? Okay, I don't ever watch football, it just confuses me. BUT I watched last night's game, there seemed to be a lot of fighting. BUT Idina Menzel sang the national anthem and I almost flipped out. I LOVE HER.

On another another note, I got a trip to DC to see "The Kiss of the Spiderwoman" in March. I am riding back with my dad's class (they'll be down at the same time) and hopefully I'll be able to go see "The Lion King" with them in NYC. I've already seen it, but it's a fabulous show nonetheless and I could see something 1920384 times on Broadway and never get sick of it.

Alright, almost time to leave.
Later, gators!

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!

2007-12-25T14:39:00.000-05:00

Okay, before I even start...I took the pictures with PhotoBooth on my computer so that's why all the letters on the books, and the treble clef on the earring are backwards.
BUT MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope everyone's holiday thus far has been just splendid. I got many great things!
In the first picture is my new Vera purse (and I got the matching wallet). I love the pattern, Alyssa actually has the same one...haha! The picture also has the three books I asked for, and got: "A Lifetime Of Secrets" by Frank Warren (go to postsecret.com if you never have), "Celebrity Detox" by Rosie O'Donnell (I don't care if everyone hates her, I love her!), and "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert (which got GREAT reviews). I'm excited to get started on all of those! The second picture is of the treble clef earrings I got. Aren't they pretty!? YAY! Other gifts I received:
A pug calendar, "The Pact" by Jodi Picoult (MY FAVORITE AUTHOR EVER), Wool socks, hat, and mittens knit by my grandmother, Target gift cards (WOOOHOO), a sweater, $100, Pajamas, and lots of other little things. It was a very nice Christmas, all in all! Later the extended family is coming over and we're exchanging gifts & having dinner. We did a gift swap this year, in which everyone picked a name. It should be really fun. Okay, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!!!
Later, gators!

PS...I am so in love with Gerard Butler it hurts...

2007-12-22T17:05:00.000-05:00

Today I went to see "P.S. I Love You" with my friend, Tyler. I fell in love with Gerard Butler. A man who looks like that and sings like he does (See "Phantom of The Opera" if you haven't) should be illegal.
The movie was really, really good. I laughed, I cried (there are some VERY sad parts), it became a part of me. (haha)
There were so many good actors in it too. Tyler and I were swooning over Gerard, but the movie also featured Hilary Swank, Lisa Kudrow, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Denny from Grey's..another hunk of burning love), and Kathy Bates.
I definitely recommend it, but bring your hankies. It's a tear-jerker.
Break is going very well thus far! It's nice to be home and it was great to see Tyler today. He leaves for Germany on Thursday to visit his beau, so I was very happy to see him before he left.
Alright, things to do.
Later, gators!

Only 1 more final to go!

2007-12-20T16:48:00.000-05:00

So, I only have one more final and then I am done! It's algebra..icky. BUT THEN I GET TO GO HOME! :) :)
I just took that picture, which was taken at a very odd angle and it makes me look like I am writing with my left hand, in the computer cluster in the Union. I'm studying for my algebra final. The computer cluster freaks me out sometimes, you run into some crazy crazies sometimes, and it smells like old people. For an example of the crazy crazies, this kid just walked in here breathing heavily and then argued with the guy who works here for a good 10 minutes about whether or not he can eat in here.
"Oh please sir, just this once! I haven't eaten for 4 hours..." okay? Then go outside in the hall, you freakin wackjob.
My jury this morning went very well. A few hours after it I got to go see my scores, judged by the 4 voice faculty members there. Out of a 4.0 I got 1 3.9, 1 3.3, and 2 3.7's for an average of a 3.65, not too shabby for my first jury! I was very surprised that Lud gave me a 3.9, it made me happy. He's a good voice faculty member to impress around here, so I was glad I impressed him. I really didn't get any negative feedback about my voice, just things like "you move too much when you sing" and stuff like that. At least they weren't like "you were incredibly off pitch" or anything!
After my jury I had lunch with my friend, Cory and then we studied for the music theory final. I think I did pretty okay. It takes me awhile to do the stuff on theory tests that it takes other people (cought...instrumentalists...cough) 2 seconds to do. BUT all in all I think I did better on this test than I did on the final.
Alright, I need to study algebra for a little bit more and then GO HOME. :) :)
Later, gators!

Merry Christmas from 423 Part II

2007-12-18T20:07:00.000-05:00

Enjoy :) Later, gators!

Meet Reverend Jiggles...

2007-12-17T19:05:00.000-05:00

This cute little fella is my friend Jesse's cat, Reverend Jiggles McGillicutty. She and Alyssa were thinking of funny names for a cat last year, before Jesse even had a cat, and Reverend Jiggles McGillicutty was the name they came up with. I think it suits him well, though we rarely call him by his full name. Usually it's just Jiggles or Jigs. Is he not the cutest thing ever? :)

On another note, one of my finals is out of the way. I had my ear training final at 9am this morning. It went okay. I am really bad at ear training, so it went as well as expected.
This afternoon I met with Laura, my accompanist for my jury, and we went over my music. It all sounds really good. One of the pieces, Do Not Go My Love, is really really tricky timing wise, but other than that everything sounds pretty good! :)

I just want to get this week over with so I can have a nice relaxing break. Alright, gotta practice piano.
Later, gators!

UMaine trudges on!

2007-12-16T22:46:00.000-05:00

Tonight's forecast, as you can see, looks grim. On any other normal day tomorrow's classes would probably be canceled, but this will not be the case for December 17, 2007. For tomorrow is the first day of finals week and there is literally no time to make-up finals.
"Oh, the horror! What about those students who live off campus? They should risk their lives to take a test?"
Now, don't you worry about that, because UMaine has a solution for even that!
And that solution lies in this little plan:

Greetings:

There is a large storm forecasted for Sunday and Sunday night. Because of this we are keeping the Memorial Union open 24 hours on Sunday. Please feel free to utilize the Union as a base and feel free to spend the night studying here. We can only provide the space - no amenities will be offered after 9 PM ( though we'll have coffee and cookies available in the lobby until we run out!) - but if you'd like, feel free to set up your study camp here in the Union.

Robert Q. Dana
Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

This cracks me up for some reason. A bunch of people camping out in the union? Silly. Though, I, just like the next person, DO NOT want to have to be here any longer than needed, so I say, more power to the school for creating a refuge for commuters. BUT maybe, just maybe they'll plan better scheduling next year and leave a little leeway for storms because, let's be honest, we have them a lot.
Okay, bedtime for me.
Later, gators!

Practice, Practice, Practice...

2007-12-11T17:01:00.001-05:00

Hey there everyone! :)
I thought I'd give you an update on what is going on in my life as of now. I have been doing a lot of studying and practicing. In fact, I included a video of me playing my piano final piece so you guys can hear what it is I am playing.
The Athena concerts went well this past weekend. They were fun!
I have a lot going on this week and weekend as well. Tomorrow I have classes + a sight singing test+ opera rehearsal (maybe). Thursday is shaping up to be a pretty easy day because some classes are canceled, which is nice. Friday, I have my usual classes + a music history test+ opera rehearsal until 10. Saturday, we have the opera concert. It's not the whole opera with costumes or anything, that goes up in February, but Saturday night we are doing Acts II and IV in concert form. Don't come, I'm only singing in the last 5 minutes. And then Sunday I have to start studying for finals!!!
My finals weeks looks like this:
Monday, December 17
9:00 AM: Sight-Singing Final
STUDY/PRACTICE
1:00 PM: Practicing with my accompanist for my jury.
STUDY/PRACTICE
Tuesday, December 18
2:30 PM: Piano final
STUDY/PRACTICE
Wednesday, December 19
FREE DAY!!!!
Studying & practicing all day though.
Thursday, December 20
11:00 AM: JURY!
Study
2:45-4:45 PM: Music Theory final
5:30-7:30 PM: Algebra final
AND THEN FINALLY I GO HOME!!!!!!
Well, anyways, enjoy the video of my piano piece and see you all soon.
Later, gators!

A very busy weekend ahead...

2007-12-06T13:26:00.000-05:00

Well, I have a very busy weekend ahead of me! In fact, I am pretty much going going going non-stop until my last final on Thursday the 20th. This weekend I have an Athena Consort concert. For anyone that doesn't know, Athena Consort is the women's chorus on campus. We have a concert Saturday evening with the Black Bear Men's Chorus. So, tomorrow night I have opera rehearsal for an hour, then dress rehearsal for the Athena concert until 7. Saturday I am going to see Euphony, another ensemble, perform in the afternoon and then I have the concert that night. THEN on Sunday Athena is performing at Bucksport Middle School in the afternoon...don't ask me why, I couldn't tell ya. This weekend is rather chock full. PLUS I think Alyssa and I are going to have a guest for a couple nights because our friend, Kate, who is in Athena with me, is staying in our room because her roommate is having a friend over for the weekend. So, that should be fun. :)

Next week is very busy too, as I will have to start preparing for my finals, one of which is next Friday. And then the next week is finals and I have 1 final on Monday, 1 final on Tuesday, a free day Wednesday, and then 2 finals plus my jury on Thursday and then FINALLY I can go home. I am off until January 13th, so it should be a really wonderful, nice, looong break. :)

Alright, things to do.
Later, gators!!!

This day in music...

2007-12-05T23:05:00.000-05:00

Alyssa found this cool website tonight where you can type in a date and it will tell you what the number 1 song was on that day.

On October 17, 1987...the day I was born,
Lisa Lisa's "Lost In Emotion" was number 1.

On October 17, 2005...the day I turned 18,
Kanye West's "Gold Digger" was number 1.

Interesting, interesting!
Check it out! :)
Later, gators!!!

SNOW DAY!!!!!...kind of.

2007-12-03T14:15:00.000-05:00

So, today was a snow day...of sorts. My first class of the day was supposed to be at 10am. Alyssa's first class on Mondays is at 9 so I told her last night that if when she woke up and there was a snow day to WAKE ME UP and tell me! So, I woke up around 7 for some reason so I decided to call 581-SNOW (the number which tells us if class is canceled) and it said classes were going to be going on as scheduled. So, I was bummed, but went back to sleep. I heard Alyssa get up at 8, check her e-mail, and then go back to bed, so I got hopeful that maybe they had canceled classes. My alarm went off at 9, I called 581-SNOW again and it still said the same thing. Alyssa said that her teacher had canceled her first class, so I checked my e-mail and to my delight, my 10 am class was CANCELED. Now, the teacher in my 10am class is married to the teacher of my 1pm class, so I checked that class folder and sure enough my 1pm class was canceled as well. All that left was piano class at 11 and recital lab at 2. SO, I went back to bed for an hour and then got up and got ready to go to piano class. Right before leaving for piano I checked my phone and saw that I had a text message from the university. Yes, a text message. After Virgina Tech the school started this new text messaging alert thing that is supposed to be used for emergencies, but apparently they use it for cancellations as well because the text said that all classes starting at noon or after were canceled. BUT that still meant I had to go to piano. So, I made the trek to piano class. The picture is from the front step of my dorm. That was at 10:45AM...it looks like it's the evening. So, anyways, I went to piano, then came back, ate some lunch and then Alyssa and I went to our friend, Arielle's room. We played Wii. It was pretty fun. Here are some pictures:
Alyssa playing:

Me Playing:

And Arielle playing:

Okay, until next time...later, gators!!!

Happy December, Everyone!

2007-12-01T11:06:00.000-05:00

It's December! & 24 days until Christmas! I think Alyssa and I need to get an advent calendar for our room. Or, better yet, maybe I'll make one!
Today is a pretty low-key day, as was last night. Last night I had opera rehearsal and then I ate dinner with some friends. Then Jeremy came over to take a nap, as he often does, and we got caught up on America's Next Top Model (aka...my Uncle Jim's favorite show...not! I believe his exact words were "this show is making me physically ill")...but that's alright, I still love it! So, yeah then I hung around until Alyssa got back from a rehearsal and then Jeremy came back over, we played Monopoly for like 5 minutes, danced for a bit, you know...the regular stuff. Today, because I have the room to myself again, as Alyssa will be at a rehearsal until around 5, I plan on doing laundry, getting caught up on Grey's and Pushing Daisies and practicing a little Christmas piano surprise I have in store for my family. Then tonight after Alyssa gets home we're heading to Waterville to see the WOH production of "A Christmas Carol", I heard it was good. So, I am excited. :)
OH, another exciting thing! I got an e-mail yesterday about a new a-capella group they are starting on campus. Molly, a grad student who stands next to me in Athena Consort, wrote to me, Alyssa, and a few others about starting a new co-ed a-capella group and I am soo excited! I really wanted to be in one this year. Molly is really good at arranging a-capella pieces, as she is in Renaissance, the all girl's a-capella group on campus. SO I am really excited. :) :)
Alright, I have a breakfast date with Miss Arielle Costello so off I must go.
Later, gators!

Merry Christmas from 423!

2007-11-27T16:34:00.000-05:00

Like our tree?? :) Alyssa and I put that puppy up on Sunday. It's fake and very small, but I think it adds some holiday cheer to the room.

It's nice to be back at school, though I am rather stressed getting ready for finals and my jury. A jury is a final for music majors. Pretty much you go in and sing two songs in front of the voice faculty. It's just nerve-racking and I need to really start cracking down on memorizing my songs and everything, which is hard when a couple are in Italian. Oh well, I'm sure it'll all work out.

On another note, Alyssa, Jeremy, and I are heading down to Waterville on Saturday to see the WOH production of "A Christmas Carol" which some FAME-rs are in as well as 3 members of the Ganza family. So, I'm excited to see that!

On another another note, Alyssa owns seasons 1-3 of "Reno 911"...which is probably my top favorite show in the entire world and we've been watching a lot of that lately. Trudy Wiegel is my hero...end of story.

Okay, gotta go!
Later, gators!

Happy Turkey Day!

2007-11-22T22:28:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday. I, for one, am STUFFED. My day started around 10 when I began helping my mum peel carrots and chop potatoes. We ate around 1pm and it was very yummy. She even made this really delicious dessert that my grandmother used to make when I was little and I hadn't had it in years. I am not much of a pie person, which sucks around Thanksgiving time because everyone eats pie! So, this dessert was a definite treat. It's made with whipping cream, chocolate syrup and graham crackers. You whip the cream, mix in the chocolate syrup, and then line the pan with graham crackers. Then you put the chocolate cream on the graham crackers, line some more graham crackers on, put some more cream and so on. Then you put it in the freezer and freeze it. It's so yummy! :) So, that was a nice dessert. After we ate my brother and I left for my dad's. We got to my dad's and then I watched some episodes of The Office from the seasons 1&2 DVDs. I love that show, it's soo funny. Eventually Uncle Jim, Deanna, Mammie, Tut, and Murph arrived and we ate around 6. Another scrumptious meal with pumpkin cheesecake for dessert! SCRUMPTIOUS! Now, I'm just watching some more of "The Office" and hanging out.
It was a nice holiday, all in all!
Later, gators!

Video blog!

2007-11-17T21:25:00.000-05:00

Later, gators!

Thanksgiving=Canned Cranberry Sauce

2007-11-16T12:37:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and there's nothing I love more on Thanksgiving than canned cranberry sauce. I first remember eating it at my grandmother's on my mom's side. I was obsessed. In one of my nursery school artwork books, there is a page where one of the teachers asked me what my favorite food was and I replied "the red stuff we eat at Gee's on Thanksgiving." Talking, of course, about cranberry sauce. People always say "oh, gross! eat the real stuff, with the real berries!" and I do eat that too, but it's not even NEARLY as good as the jellied canned kind. YUM.

On another note, my friend Jeremy and I drove to Waterville last night to see the high school's production of "Annie". Our friend, Libby, from FAME was Annie and then Chris' sister, MaryKate was Miss Hannigan. Both of them were wonderful! And both of them were definetely in a different caliber than the rest of the cast. So, that was fun. I was tired though, and the show was kind of long. I did, however, get to see Chris' dad and his little brother, Will, who I hadn't seen since August, so that was nice!

Tonight I have a rehearsal for a Collegiate Chorale concert I have tomorrow evening. Hopefully that won't take all year. Blech.

Alright, well I have class in a few.
Later, gators!

Oh, DSIS...you ole dog, you!

2007-11-13T20:11:00.000-05:00

Last night, after taking a two-hour nap, I woke up at midnight to get on good ole WebDSIS and register for classes. I've blogged about DSIS before...and how registering is a dreaded part of the year...for everyone. Because everyone is up trying to get on, it takes forever...but oh well. I'm all registered.

I'm taking the following classes next semester:
*Sight Singing/Ear Training II
*German 101
*Pre-Calculus (woo, online..gotta love getting crappy gen-eds outta the way online!)
*Piano Class II
*Elementary Harmony II
*Principles of Singing II
*Collegiate Chorale
*Athena Consort
*Voice Lesson
19 CREDITS...holy moly oly. I'll be busy, for sure!

Alright, well I need to go practice for my piano quiz tomorrow and study for my math test that I have tomorrow as well. YUCK! Later, gators!

Shiny, happy people holding hands...

2007-11-12T17:59:00.000-05:00

Woohoo! Suz & Grant are married! The wedding was very nice. Very them. I even liked the vegan food! :) I am exhausted though. It was a lot of travel and hustle bustle in a short amount of time. Not to mention that I have register for classes at midnight tonight. Blech! I think a nap is in order...and then I'll just wake myself up at midnight.
Anywho, back to the wedding, yes it was very fun and entertaining. My brother and I were deemed "greeters" and so we stood outside the sanctuary and handed out programs.

It was fun! The reception was very nice, lots of fun dancing. It was a very nice wedding, all in all. BUT I need to get some rest, so I'll write more soon!
Later, gators!

PS...HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE JIM! :) :)

I voted today...did you??

2007-11-06T17:05:00.000-05:00

I made my way to the union today to vote. To be honest I had no idea about any of the issues at hand, but I voted anyway. So, yeah. Woo! Go me!
The weather today was horrible. Cold, dark, gross rain. Yuck.
I just got out of my voice lesson and walked back in the dark...at 4:30. That's ridiculous! My voice lessons are going really well. I am learning a lot about my voice and how to properly use it. :)
Only 3 days until we leave for DC...woohoo!!!
Okay, well I need to eat some dinner and study for an Ear Training test. Later, gators!!!

This isn't normal...

2007-11-05T23:13:00.000-05:00

Look at how huge and disgusting that is! It takes up almost my whole thigh. I don't know why I am so fascinated by the freakin' thing...but it just seems like such a disgusting mark for just small bang.
On another note, I am sooooo excited to go to DC. :) :) It'll be nice to have a little break from school as well.
I called the Augusta Superintendent's office today to find out about substitute teaching during X-Mas and Spring breaks. I have to get finger printed...which costs $70. Highway freaaaakin robbery, I tell you. BUT I think it's like 50 bucks a pop for a day of subbing, so that's not too shabby. And she said that once I sub for 20 days they'd reimburse the 70 dollars. So, anyways...bed time for me. Later, gators!

It was the storm of the century!

2007-11-04T13:06:00.000-05:00

Even up here in Orono, ME we had a taste of Hurricane Noel. And she (he?) was a-rip-roarin! The picture is me getting ready to walk over to the union to see Hedda Gabler. I got soaked. To give you an idea of how soaked I was...here is a BEFORE picture of Alyssa:

And an AFTER picture of Alyssa:

Needless to say it was a tad bit uncomfortable to sit through the play soaking wet, BUT it was a really good show! Sarah Farnham, who played Hedda and was in Bat Boy with me last year, was magnificent! She portrayed the crazy, lonely lady wonderfully. I wish it wasn't illegal for me to snap pictures of the set because it was absolutely amazing! I've never seen such an elaborate set ever. So, yeah, it was a really good play. :) Okay, well I need to take a shower now.
Later, gators!!!