Everything I own is currently in place at my parents' house.
I am out of College Station.
Phew.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The end of a not-so-era.
In four days, my time in College Station will come to an end. A definite, final, complete end.
I'm sitting here at my computer, thinking about the past three years (roughly three, anyway) that I have been here. I'm musing over the things that I have seen, the people I have met, things that have happened to me. It's a wonder how anyone can manage to keep themselves at least relatively composed when they go through so much.
Between the loss of family members, hurricanes and some rather disappointing trials of love, it is some kind of marvel that I am able to look back on the past few years and consider my life a lucky one. But I AM lucky. I have my life, I have fair health, I have a small, tightened group of friends who mean the world to me.
I do, however, feel like my writing is lacking in quality lately. Something happened recently that has made me doubt my own abilities. As much I tend to pride myself on being able to thrive without the approval of others, it really does hack my nerves when someone knocks on something that I have spent quite a bit of time writing. I'm one of the first people who will criticize my own work, and I know I am not an impeccable writer, but what happened is an insult to me. It isn't personal, but as a writer, I am fairly unsettled.
With all of that being said, I'm soooo ready to move home. I am sad to be leaving College Station for a few very good reasons, but moving on to this next chapter in my life is much less daunting than it previously was.
I have to say, I'm pretty thrilled to be enjoying some damn good home cooking for a little while...
I'm sitting here at my computer, thinking about the past three years (roughly three, anyway) that I have been here. I'm musing over the things that I have seen, the people I have met, things that have happened to me. It's a wonder how anyone can manage to keep themselves at least relatively composed when they go through so much.
Between the loss of family members, hurricanes and some rather disappointing trials of love, it is some kind of marvel that I am able to look back on the past few years and consider my life a lucky one. But I AM lucky. I have my life, I have fair health, I have a small, tightened group of friends who mean the world to me.
I do, however, feel like my writing is lacking in quality lately. Something happened recently that has made me doubt my own abilities. As much I tend to pride myself on being able to thrive without the approval of others, it really does hack my nerves when someone knocks on something that I have spent quite a bit of time writing. I'm one of the first people who will criticize my own work, and I know I am not an impeccable writer, but what happened is an insult to me. It isn't personal, but as a writer, I am fairly unsettled.
With all of that being said, I'm soooo ready to move home. I am sad to be leaving College Station for a few very good reasons, but moving on to this next chapter in my life is much less daunting than it previously was.
I have to say, I'm pretty thrilled to be enjoying some damn good home cooking for a little while...
Monday, July 18, 2011
Camping is more fun when the temperature agrees with you.
Also, Melatonin is spectacular and a lifesaver, and I would recommend it to anyone who ever has any trouble falling asleep.
Oh, readers, what have I done? I told myself that I would keep up with my blog and here I am with a time span close to a month between now and the last time I updated. Crap, indeed.
Anyway, I suppose it is about time to start yammering about my life and what is new.
Insite is going fairly well. I have been pretty consistently busy for the past few weeks with interviews and stories and whatnot. I'm trying to use my experience with Insite as a jumping off point for deciding whether or not I want to stick with magazines. The main issue with this is the realization that Insite is not the type of magazine I would like to work or write for. Although the circulation runs at right around 5,000 readers/subscribers, it's not quite what I'm really interested in. Realistically speaking, I doubt I will ever actually work for National Geographic or Aperture, but a girl can hope...right?
Let's see what else is new... I haven't gotten my diploma yet, even though I graduated two months ago. For those of you who were unaware, I had some... "issues" with a couple of classes right at the time of graduation, and my diploma is being withheld until all of these issues are resolved. The main thing that is getting on my nerves is the fact that the final problem keeping me from having that piece of paper is not something I can control. I suppose it would help to have a little bit of a background story for this.
This past semester, I took a class that actually uses student work to produce a magazine and circulate it. We, as students, find the stories, do the interviews, take the photos, write the stories, design the layouts and sell advertisements. I was on the editorial staff as a Copy Editor (a position I was pretty proud of myself for earning). My work involved seeing the magazine to completion, and because the magazine is not finished, I have an 'Incomplete' for my grade for the class.
The real issue is that the thing that is keeping the magazine from being totally finished is the placement and finalization of ads. That's it. All we have needed for the past two months is for our ads to be placed in the magazine. That's all. Nothing else but the procrastination of other people is keeping me from my diploma.
By golly and jumping Jesus, I am livid. I want my diploma! Ugh.
EDIT: I have been made aware that there was more to do than place ads in order for the magazine to be finished, and my rant about the fact that I haven't gotten my diploma yet because of this class was taken in the wrong light. Let me make something abundantly clear...my job as Copy Editor included being 100% available to anyone who needed my help. Whether someone needed my help with designing a layout or getting a picture, I made sure to let people know that I was willing and able to assist in any way I could. I went so far as to even ASK people if they needed my help, and this included other members of the editorial staff. After the end of the semester, I was never asked for help or assigned anything to do for the completion of the magazine, even though I had made it known that I was staying in College Station for the remainder of the summer and that it wouldn't be any trouble to lend a hand. It was my job, after all, and I was determined to see it to completion. When my questions about whether or not I could do anything were shot down repeatedly, I STOPPED ASKING. My frustration, maybe a tad misplaced, is justified and will remain so until the situation is rectified. Until that time, please keep your passive aggressive comments to yourself, and stop trying to defend yourself to me. I am very aware that you have done your work and you have done it well, and I understand that you may be frustrated also. I admire your hard work and diligence. I admire your intelligence and motivation and passion. But, as I said, keep your passive aggressive comments to yourself. They are unnecessary and ill-judged, and I am not going to sit on my thumbs and allow you to speak to me that way.
Oh, readers, what have I done? I told myself that I would keep up with my blog and here I am with a time span close to a month between now and the last time I updated. Crap, indeed.
Anyway, I suppose it is about time to start yammering about my life and what is new.
Insite is going fairly well. I have been pretty consistently busy for the past few weeks with interviews and stories and whatnot. I'm trying to use my experience with Insite as a jumping off point for deciding whether or not I want to stick with magazines. The main issue with this is the realization that Insite is not the type of magazine I would like to work or write for. Although the circulation runs at right around 5,000 readers/subscribers, it's not quite what I'm really interested in. Realistically speaking, I doubt I will ever actually work for National Geographic or Aperture, but a girl can hope...right?
Let's see what else is new... I haven't gotten my diploma yet, even though I graduated two months ago. For those of you who were unaware, I had some... "issues" with a couple of classes right at the time of graduation, and my diploma is being withheld until all of these issues are resolved. The main thing that is getting on my nerves is the fact that the final problem keeping me from having that piece of paper is not something I can control. I suppose it would help to have a little bit of a background story for this.
This past semester, I took a class that actually uses student work to produce a magazine and circulate it. We, as students, find the stories, do the interviews, take the photos, write the stories, design the layouts and sell advertisements. I was on the editorial staff as a Copy Editor (a position I was pretty proud of myself for earning). My work involved seeing the magazine to completion, and because the magazine is not finished, I have an 'Incomplete' for my grade for the class.
The real issue is that the thing that is keeping the magazine from being totally finished is the placement and finalization of ads. That's it. All we have needed for the past two months is for our ads to be placed in the magazine. That's all. Nothing else but the procrastination of other people is keeping me from my diploma.
By golly and jumping Jesus, I am livid. I want my diploma! Ugh.
EDIT: I have been made aware that there was more to do than place ads in order for the magazine to be finished, and my rant about the fact that I haven't gotten my diploma yet because of this class was taken in the wrong light. Let me make something abundantly clear...my job as Copy Editor included being 100% available to anyone who needed my help. Whether someone needed my help with designing a layout or getting a picture, I made sure to let people know that I was willing and able to assist in any way I could. I went so far as to even ASK people if they needed my help, and this included other members of the editorial staff. After the end of the semester, I was never asked for help or assigned anything to do for the completion of the magazine, even though I had made it known that I was staying in College Station for the remainder of the summer and that it wouldn't be any trouble to lend a hand. It was my job, after all, and I was determined to see it to completion. When my questions about whether or not I could do anything were shot down repeatedly, I STOPPED ASKING. My frustration, maybe a tad misplaced, is justified and will remain so until the situation is rectified. Until that time, please keep your passive aggressive comments to yourself, and stop trying to defend yourself to me. I am very aware that you have done your work and you have done it well, and I understand that you may be frustrated also. I admire your hard work and diligence. I admire your intelligence and motivation and passion. But, as I said, keep your passive aggressive comments to yourself. They are unnecessary and ill-judged, and I am not going to sit on my thumbs and allow you to speak to me that way.
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