saphire and faded jeans.

corinne bailey rae is my new favourite artist. just so you know.

i've been thinking about spending a lot of money this summer, and i'm not sure if i can afford it, but i'm also not sure if i want to give up those plans.

here it is.

- mark camp, last week of june (it's an ivcf mini-conference. no idea of the cost).
- new york city, first week of july (rent-free, the city of a million dreams...)
- woodsong music festival, orcas island, july 19-22. i might even get to play and sing.
- August 5, mike & stephanie's wedding reception in Airdrie, AB (this in place of flying to the wedding in new mexico).
- August 18, Evie & Kevin's wedding in Okotoks, AB (this isn't optional).
- buy a car (this would be so fantastic for my grad year in lethbridge -- oh, taste the freedom...the "downside" is that i'd have to maintain an almost full-time job while in school...but i only have to take 7 classes next year).

i'm fully willing to take on 2 jobs this summer, no problem with that. i probably won't go back to stanley park's fantastic kitchen, because that much time off is completely impractical.



that's my story -- thanks for reading, ya'll.

this was too good not to re-post.

hey ya'll.

Since transferring to the U of L, my course load has been IMPOSSIBLY light (I hesitate to post this here, for fear that someone will find out, and assign me 26 more classes before I graduate). BUT, before I even entertained the thought of transferring to this academic heaven-land, I was @ Capliano College, buried by assignments and readings...

link here to read the poem of my well-burdened and studious self:
I used to live in the library nook.

extravagant.

extravagant.

It's such an incredible word -- the sound of it speaks of the riches it seeks to describe.

This has been an interesting few days. On thursday, I had coffee with Troy, and he spoke some words that really shot through the fog I've been feeling lost in.

(picture that? good).

Honestly though, it was pretty incredible, to begin to see with such clarity over the span of an hour, spent sipping chai in starbucks.



There may be more on the details of the revelation later...for now, I will say that I'm ready to move from panic/survival mode, into really living.

I don't feel like staying online long enough (today) to really write about what that is, but since most of you readers know me, I'm sure you'll begin to see it unfolding.

:)

according to wikipedia...

this should tell you all about me!



thank you, wikipedia.

:)

refreshing.

the wind has been blowing with great strength for about 13 consecutive hours now.

it's refreshing.

the image of the wind rushing in to blow away the last dredges of winter chill and tiredness...

this morning MA, Mel & I led worship @ Lethbridge Christian School's 9am chapel! woohoo, singing @ 9am...

it was really cool to be there with those kids, and hear them singing...I realize how cynical I've become, and in that, starved for meaningful fellowship, for any kind of deep, fulfilling spiritual connection. it's a deadly loop, cynicism, and I suppose I'll have to get out of it. :)



we went for a long walk in the coulees (or, more accurately, along the river bottom), and it was SO beautiful -- I really do love spring. the metaphors of renewal and regrowth seem cliche until you're walking in them, soaked in sunshine, refreshed by the breezes...

it's a beautiful thing.

it's been a weird day, yo.

I totally slept through church this morning. My alarm went off in time to catch the 9.20 bus, then again in time to catch the 10.00 bus...but I just wasn't into it.

Is that weird?

At home, I ususally feel guilty (or convicted) when I think about sleeping through church -- maybe it's because my whole family is there...

Anyway, I was pretty ok with it today. Except that I think I was supposed to go over tomorrow's worship songs with MA and Mel -- *sighs*.

The heretic within me grows...

I've had a couple mini-'lectures' this week from people who think I should be at certain prayer or worship gatherings more often. It kind of bugs me because these particular people haven't taken a whole lot of time to try and know who I am, in matters of faith or otherwise, so their rebukes or lectures or assumptions and expectations are sort of empty -- no ground to stand on.



In addition to that, I'm reading this book for sociology of religion called: Acts of Faith: explaining the human side of religion.

Now, the cool thing about this book is that the authors recognize that God (or god) could very well exist, while previous sociologists of religion went from the assumption that God (of god) does not exist, so all religious people are irrational.
The hard thing about it is reading the scientific observations made of religious groups...it has me questioning the necessity or purpose of the formality of the Church organization...that part of the whole christian culture is very human.

I've got a paper due tuesday, 8-10 pages, about chapter 6 of the book: Religious Group Dynamics.
It's supposed to be a research paper, but I haven't read any of the author's sources yet...so the rest of today will be spent at the library.

Like I said, it's been a weird day, yo.

Part 5, Feb.21, 2007. The Conclusion!

On Wednesday, Feb.21, I had my final lesson with Cornelius, and then took a cab (grumpy driver and broken credit card machine included) to LaGuardia airport.

The lesson was fantastic, almost magical (that's a shout-out to Jayda, because she says "magical" a lot). Cornelius got me to a beautiful high 'A', and it was really good to be able to sing with him again, while feeling a little more relaxed.

(The unfortunate part of the lesson was this: Tony's recording device was set up wrong, so we weren't able to get the lesson on mini-disc. It would have been cool to be able to listen to that lesson again, but it was also cool to just appreciate an experience in the moment, not disregarding any of it, thinking I could listen to it later).

When it came to getting to LaGuardia, I had a plan that involved the C train, and the M60, but I decided to take a cab instead. Thaaat was good times. The cabbie was sort of grumpy, and I ended up being so early for my flight, that I got bored and took a lot of pictures -- for you happy blogreaders to enjoy.








One last note/travel tip: I didn't have any cash to pay for the ride (because I thought I could pay with VISA), and the cabbie was NOT happy with me. Always carry enough cash to pay for a cabin New York.

Ok, here's the pics. Enjoy!







Now, some night shots:






(and this brings my NY trip blog post series to a close).

...THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO...

is basically ALL about the flower maidens.



seriously.

we move the plot ALONG...without us, who would singing songs of mockery to the count?

part...4? Feb.20, 2007!!!

lady liberty!

Today was not a Cornelius day (I can't help but wonder if it should have been? Who knows).

We...no, I got up late (Tony, Elizabeth and David were all up before 7! gah!). Anyway, it was a day for shopping (woohoo $5 pashminas), and sight seeing!

I think we hit up whole foods for lunch...or maybe it was dinner...either way, incredible indian and jamaican food -- WOW!! I haven't had really good 'ethnic' food in quite some time...I miss the incredible "all india sweets" on 49th and Main...

anyway, new york!

We headed down south to chill with lady liberty, and that was fun! It was incredible to be out on the ocean, with the wind and the view -- oooh so beautiful.

Tony can comment about anything else we did together...I think that was about it.

I went adventuring @ night -- down to Lincoln Centre for Met presents, and then to Sal & Carmine's pizza, as recommended by Emily. It was fun. I felt really...natural, being out in the city on my own at night.

Mmmmm.




















"pre-fonatory tuning" -- ask me about it sometime.

PART 3: Feb.19, 2007.

10am: free tickets to a Carnegie hall rehearsal of Francesco Cilea's L'Arlesiana.

12.30pm: Carnegie Hall is FREEZING cold -- I head out to Fifth Ave. to look @ expensive stores, and buy inexpensive Pashmina's.

3pm: arrive @ Cornelius' apartment, observe Christi's lesson.

4pm: my lesson.

6.30pm: Applebee's.

7.30pm: the Met. Verdi's Simon Bocanegra

We had to leave a bit early, and went through a door marked exit...and into a deadend hallway that smelled like weed. THE ONLY WAY OUT was an emergency exit -- and we didn't want to be the idiots to set off the alarm. FORTUNATELY, someone let us back into the theatre, and we left through the front doors.
Christi headed to the Port Authority Bus Station to book it back to Baltimore, and Tony & I headed home to Elizabeth's.

I was reeling from the Cornelius experience (it was unreal), and the opera.

pics:















tomorrow: we make friends with lady Liberty...

PART 2: Feb.18, 2007.

10.00am: (ok, more like 11am) Sunday morning service @ St.Thomas, on fifth ave. (THE Fifth Ave!! ah!).

then:
Starbucks, lunch from Whole Foods (in Columbus Cirlce), back to Elizabeth's to eat, grocery shopping @ Gristede's (?), and walking up to Tryon Park (I think that's what it was called) -- beautiful view of George Washington Bridge.

6.00pm: checkin' out St.John the Divine -- divine it was.

On the way home: THE SEINFELD RESTAURANT. Cool. This city is so famous.

Dinner was chili @ Elizabeth's (she puts beer in it -- very interesting), and chill time.





















tomorrow: lessons with Cornelius...(sadly, no pictures of him, but plenty of recording).

new york: my blogger scrapbook. PART 1: FEB.17, 2007.

Feb.17.

7am: leave for Calgary with Kira.
10.15am: sitting in the airport waiting.
9.20pm: arrive @ LaGuardia, NYC.

pics: