deepgreen18

Well! After all that hard work getting into grad school. Perhaps I should say stressful work - because I didn't really work hard, you know? I actually slacked off a little on the practicing (which makes it that much more amazing that I got in) and did my utmost to avoid anything that might actually get the results I wanted. It was quite the revelation when it all got done. I was so much less stressed, wrung out, and unhappy. Lately, I've been observing a bed time. It's lovely to get enough (or nearly enough) sleep. Another revelation, I suppose. -  I'm doing something new: doing stuff related to grad school without procrastinating...much. Moving to Ohio, I realized, is kind of a big deal. If I don't stay on top of it, it will turn into a huge, stressful, unhappy ordeal just like applying for grad school was.

Yesterday I made my first steps towards finding an apartment by looking at the housing options at the school. Today I sent out an e-mail to a grad student who goes there for some advice on outside apartments. Tomorrow will find me doing something else. I'm (finally) doing something proactive, and it's a relief, honestly.

The funniest thing about this is that I got myself going, once again, with help from my psychology class. Maybe I should take one every couple of years, just to refresh on how stubborn and dumb people can be, and how to not be that way. Simply learning about stress, and what kind of situations cause it, helped me keep this situation from going toxic. This makes me happy.

Before I got started on the "doing something" phase, tax season came. This is my first year to do them. I started them April 14th, and then my dad helped me file for an extension. They much closer to completion now. Here are a few things I've learned from the experience: People hate the IRS for a reason, parents encourage you to keep records on the computer for very good reasons, I will be using a computer program from now on, and it's really interesting to find out how much money you make.

On a side note, I recently got my violin appraised, and most acoustic instruments appreciate with time. It is near and dear to my heart, my violin. Soon, I'll be getting a bow worthy of it. I may also be buying a blue electric violin (Pops concert last weekend with a jazz fiddler who had one inspired me in many ways [see below]. His violin, though, be still my heart).

In other news, I've officially started my cardigan. The ladies at Loops (a local yarn store, or LYS) downtown were very nice and assisted me in picking a pattern after I got stuck. I had no idea that one could search a yarn on Ravelry for patterns made with it. The pattern is to be Short 'n Sweet from The Happy Hooker crochet book. Here's a link to someone else's version. Mine will be beige, or off-white, pearl, vanilla, whatever you wish to call it, down to my waist (I am determined to have a cardigan, not a bolero) and will probably have buttons, you never know.

Finally, Mother and I began working out a few weeks back. She mentioned the blog today and asked if I had mentioned our outings. I had no idea that a mention on the blog was important, but here it is, Mom! We've been biking or walking about two times a week. My bum really doesn't like biking for too long, but it is good exercise. You know, I don't think I've ever described my mother here. In three words, my mom is: buff, boxer, chick. She used to be a: religious, asthmatic, housewife (with five kids). Then she went back to school, got her degree in Health and Human Performance, and discovered working out. She's quite the inspiration, if you are the type to look up to people and feel inspired, rather than jealous and insecure (guess which way I swing). 

Gotta go read my psych book,

Greeny