Any Bright Ideas?

Picture Caption: SW Bowne Hall, Drew University, my Academic Building from the undergrad years

I'm taking a break (okay so I take a lot of them!) from studying for my MA exam, less than two months away. Even though I know I'm going to pass, somehow I still don't certain of how much studying is enough for this.

My boss saw SparkNotes on my desk and was teasing me about taking this approach to studying. I truly believe SparkNotes could save my life at present because all I really need is the broader picture not the nitty gritty that I usually lose anyway from reading. I usually don't go for minute reading comprehension but I can hold my own in a larger discussion.

For example, a few month ago, I was at a symposium during my college reunion on the new MoMA. I had not yet been but managed to jump in and shake up the discussion a little bit. Mind you I was on the lower age end of the group and the people that argued against me for elitest snobs my alma mater is probably notorious for.

Oh but I digress...

I spent half of last weekend throwing away the papers from the last six and a half years of my academic life. I was saving them for an occasion such as teaching or at present my MA exam. However, I found most of my notes to "in the moment" and decided that only two courses I've taken had applicable notes. Last night, the rest of my laborious note-taking (class notes, then later re-writes into what I called "master notes) went to the curbside to get recycled. What in the world with the center think when they see all that?

My senior thesis...draft after draft... the notes on paintings I can't even remember anymore...and at least 3 readings of "Hamlet" good grief I truly loathe that play.

I've been musing half-heartedly about making this brief but increasingly profound experience into a novella. It begins at the curb and ends when I make my final student loan repayment when I'm like 60.

As usual with me...stayed tuned!
Mags

DMB at the Garden

I went to my second DMB show of 2005 on Friday night with my B&N friend, Jenn. It was her turn to get the tixs. We thought getting them through the Warehouse (DMB's fan club) would get us closer to Stefan (yes there's is more to DMB than Dave) but alas we were on Butch Taylor's side (nice funky shirt Butch!). Anyway, we got there very early so it was cool to watch the Garden fill up.
The band that opened, Soul Live, featured a lot of James Brown attitude and sky high afros. DMB came on for their set around 8:45 and played through 'til 10:45. They took their sweet time getting back for an encore but I think they were really tired because there were long gaps in between the songs.
Here's the set list from the show
Cheers!
Mags

Friday Dec 9 2005
Madison Square Garden

Recently *
Granny
Everyday
Dream Girl
Don’t Burn The Pig
Crash
Hunger For The Great Light *
Where Are You Going
American Baby Intro *
All Along The Watchtower +
Louisiana Bayou *
Stand Up *
Old Dirt Hill
Too Much *
Stay *
__________________

Christmas Song
Two Step

Show Notes:
* Rashawn Ross

Room Redo

I spent most of Saturday with the youth group I volunteer with redecorating our room at the church. Here are the highlights from our Wal-Mart shopping trip and the decorating session after.

I haven't seen the group in a while so all night I kept hearing "Maggie" someone was looking to catch up with me :-).

The funniest part of the night was the road trip that Colin, one of the Reusch twins (I forgot your name don't hate me!), and James took to get my Gram's old couch outta her old apartment. We broke a railing bringing it down the stairs so the couch was dubbed "The Broken Railing" by us! My Gram never let us put our feet up on that couch and now it's since been draped with a pink fur cover and many sneakers were leaning on it thatnight.

Mags

The List

Okay, so only two people have acutally fessed up to reading my blog posts. Here's something I've been working on for a while.

"The List"
1. Bake a wedding cake
2. Go to Italy (for shoes, artwork, and driving a Fiat). I heard I could teach there if I'm willing to sneak in on a student visa or let a tourist visa expire.
3. Take a Monet trek through France
4. Make a real photography portfolio
5. Learn how to take good people shots (they always come out too dark for me)
6. Guest appearance on "Gilmore Girls"
7. Own a Cartier tank watch
8. Own a Kate Spade bag

Items Checked Off on the List
1. Go to London
2. Try Rock climbing (just kidding, I really decided to take that off the list)
3. Stop biting my nails (been clean since January '05). Now they just break of their own accord if I don't got for regular manicures.

Media Feast!

I just want to save you $9.00 or whatever your local cinema is charging. "Elizabethtown" totally not up to Cameron Crowe's vision. The script is not plausible at all except for the half-hour.
I love Paula Dean's cameo though and the soundtrack was interesting.

Also, since I'm wearing my "Indescribable" shirt I'll tell ya'll how great the Chris Tomlin concert was. Tony's talk before used pictures from the Hubble telescope to convey how vast and well indesribable God's power is. That is something I definitely take for granted as a fast paced person.

Anway, if you want to learn more about him, check out: www.christomlin.com

Cheers!
Maggie

Roy In Japan

Roy In Japan: Camp Photos

Remembrance

When I overhear someone in a public place usually I laugh to myself because their loudness is very amusing. However this morning, a man ordering train tickets at my train station was quick annoying.

He was taking his family to see "Ground Zero" and either is never rides the train or thought he had to talk louder because of the glass seperating him and the booth clerk. But he acted like he was going to a special, fun place instead of the sacred ground I still view the WTC as.

My neighbor, Andy, died there, leaving behind a beautiful yet still grieving family. I would rather not have people trivilize this place, in the same vein as seemingly just another NYC attraction. I suppose the same could be said for any place that's been memoralized for the dead. My sister just came back from Hawaii and visited Pearl Harbor while there. She didn't find it all that thrilling, maybe because it happened so long ago, or more importantly, she has no personal connection to the site.

Anyway, I looked across at a fellow commuter who was overhearing this man's pronouncement. She had a similarly bemused look on her face and I just rolled my eyes and went back to reading my book.