Small Successes

Yesterday was a day of accomplishments. A huge project at work met a major milestone, and it was such a relief! Naturally, some projects are tougher than others, but this one really was trying at times! I also finished one of my two classes. My group gave our final presentation in market research. For the last 15 weeks we've studied Whole Foods, and last night we shared our findings, insights, and recommendations. I'm very happy to say that the whole thing came off swimmingly.

It's Friday, I'm getting my haircut this afternoon, and I'm off to see my mom and sister for a quick pre-Christmas visit tomorrow. All in all, things are pretty good.

Sunday Morning Homework

You'd think that yesterday, with it's rain, would have been a good day to get homework out of the way for the weekend. I utterly failed to do that, though, and so here I am doing it now. I've been at the table for two hours and gotten a lot done, but not nearly as much as I expected in that time. There is so much more to do. :(

Another Thursday

Another Thursday — another day of lots of meetings and scrambling to get something done in between them, followed by four hours of classes. Blogging is proving very difficult on Thursdays! I can't find the time to think of something fabulous to say, and I can't find the time to write something boring in a way that sounds fascinating.

Now that tonight's classes are over, I have just three sessions left. One more before Thanksgiving and two after. I'm excited for this semester to be over — oh, how excited! — but I'm somewhat daunted by how much there is to do in the meantime. I'm hoping that Thanksgiving weekend offers me a little downtime to power through some of it.

Cranky

After a lovely weekend, I spent much of Sunday night cranky about the homework I have to do. I don't mind the work when I feel like I'm learning. But as I've told many of you, one of my classes this semester feels like a waste. The more time consuming an assignment, the more irritated I am. This fall is too busy to dick around with what feels like bullshit. Unfortunately, I have to do it. The course is required, and I'm 10 weeks into the 14 week course. There is no point in complaining, and yet here I am.

Worst Day of the Week

Thursdays are hellish. I'm not trying to be overly dramatic here. They really are the worst day of my week.

I have four and a half hours of standing meetings on Thursdays, and one additional always seems to get added to the calendar just for fun. Then I race uptown to attend my market research class at 6:00 and my writing class at 8:00. By the time I'm home a little after 10:00, my brain is fried, my energy is gone, and I just want to watch TV until I fall into bed.

The up side is that Fridays almost feel like a vacation in comparison. I'm excited to have time to actually get work done at work, as opposed to just talking all day. And I appreciate having the evening to myself and a full weekend just beyond. And my schedule will change in January with the start of a new semester, so I only have a few more LONG Thursdays to get through.

Lovely Weekend

I'm just coming off a really nice weekend, and I wish I had one more day before the week started up again. Friday night after work I met Todd and Dylan for dinner around Union Square. We ate fully healthy vegetarian fare, and then counteracted every bite with a trip to Veneiro's. So good! If we lived closer, I'd have cannolis everyday.

Treats in tow, we made our way to the movies to watch Nine. I hadn't expected the movie to be as dark as it was. Afterward, Todd and I talked about the ending and how we both thought it was heading someplace different — and better. It had the feeling of an ending-by-committee. I think our ideas would have made for a more original movie that left viewers with much more to think about after the credits rolled. Also, did you ever have a writing teacher tell you that if your story includes a shotgun mounted on the wall, the gun has to go off at some point in the story? The idea, of course, is that if you give a detail like that, it should be there for a reason. Well, Nine had a shotgun on the wall and it never went off. Again, I think the detail had a purpose in an earlier version and got workshopped out to make people happy. I liked the movie, but I think anyone interested is just as well served waiting for the DVD.

Saturday the three of us went to a newly found brunch place in Harlem. It was really good and has a nice vibe. It's the kind of place where you could bring a book or laptop and settle in for a few hours, I think. Dylan went off to a friend's birthday shortly after brunch, and I requested that Todd and I spend the afternoon with a bottle of wine and a viewing of the latest Project Runway. He indulged me, and it was just what I needed. I've been feeling pretty stressed out lately, and the laziness and relaxation of our afternoon was perfect. We tried to go shoe shopping after PR, but we got sidelined by the new Whole Foods in our neighborhood and did grocery shopping instead. The evening ended with sushi in bed while we watched District 9. It was good, but very different and less political than I expected.

And yesterday started out with hours of homework (boo) followed by brunch downtown with Ben and Lorraina. Apologies in advance to Ben if you read this: I sometimes get a little negative about all the time I have to devote to school and the way it limits the fun things I can do. I know that going to school is an enormous opportunity, but it's still hard not to feel disappointed about all the social things I miss. Ben got his MBA a year ago and now has a job that would make me want to jump out a window. I can't believe the hours he works, the travel he has to do, and the way his employers expect him to be available at their whim. On the subway I had a moment of schedenfreude and said to Todd, "If anything can make me feel better about my situation, it's brunch with Ben!" Brunch was wonderful, and not because someone else's schedule sucks harder than mine. Instead, it was just a treat to catch up with friends I don't see often enough.

Todd and I did shoe shopping along 8th Street after we ate, and I came home with two new pairs of boots. Hooray! Poor Todd got no shoes and instead luggeed my boxes. He's the sweetest.

The End of Summer

We have closed summer with a bang over here. The weather has been sublime (unlike 98% of summer), and we made the most of it.

Yesterday Todd, Dylan, Sofia, and I went out to Coney Island where we rode everything from the Wonder Wheel to the Thunder Bolt to the Cyclone. The Thunder Bolt made me a little dizzy and gave me a headache, but I loved the Wonder Wheel and the Cyclone. We also feasted. Everyone but me ate at Nathan's Hot Dogs for lunch; I'm not a hot dog person, so I was able to resist the calorie fest, but I made up for it later with an ice cream cone on the beach.

Today we took the bike out for a ride; it was one of the few rides this whole summer. Between busy schedules and terrible weather, we didn't really cycle as much as I'd have liked, so it was especially good to ride around again before the weather gets too cold. We went down through Central Park and back up through Riverside. The weather was beautiful, and we all loved it. Well...for the most part: Dylan really out grew his bike this summer and made quite a fuss about it being too small for him. We'll definitely need to upgrade before next summer rolls around.

Now the summer is over and work begins in earnest. This Thursday is my first night of back-to-back classes, and one professor gave pre-homework, which I think is a drag. It's neither surprising nor uncommon, but I still wish profs would let us enjoy the final week of break. Alas.

The Close of ToBloPoMo

That's it, my friends. Today is the last day of ToBloPoMo, and I'm happy that I succeeded with my post-a-day goal. There were times that I posted late, put up something lame, or struggled for something to say, but I still made it through.

As I knew I would, I really liked posting regularly again. I wish I could promise to keep it up, but I don't realistically believe it will happen. I'm taking on a big new challenge at work this week, and fall classes begin next week. Together, those two challenges are going to be tough enough without the added pressure to post every day. Depending on how things are going, maybe I'll take on NaBloPoMo, but we'll have to wait and see on that one. Until then, I'll be here posting irregularly. :)

Adjustments

You’d think that after two semesters of school I’d have reconciled myself to what I’m giving up as well as what I’m gaining. In reflecting more on what I wrote yesterday, I realized that part of my frustration rests squarely on my shoulders. I love being in school now and am excited that I’m learning a lot and setting myself up for new opportunities down the road. But it means some less wonderful things, too: it’s harder than ever visit friends out of town. I’ve now completed two semesters and did the same thing both times; I felt so busy during the term that I promised everyone I know a visit once I had a break. This August I’m going to Massachusetts to see my sister, the Berkshires to see Rena, and Vermont to see some old friends and meet one of Todd’s oldest friends. Broken promises include a visit to Colorado to see Laura and Nate and meet baby Piper and a visit to London to see Tina. I wish I could come in the fall instead, but I know once my semester starts up again the opportunity to travel will disappear.

And I’ve talked a lot lately about being a little sick of New York and wanting to get out of here, and I think some of that has to do with school, too. Ironically, I have to stay in New York during this program, but it’s also the time when I can least enjoy the city. There just isn’t the time to see Broadway shows, visit galleries, lounge in the park, etc.

All that said, a lot of this is just the sad circumstance in living in a city abandoned by my peeps. A couple of weeks ago, Todd and I met up by his office, which is near Madison Square Park. We wanted to get a drink and after walking a few blocks south found ourselves at the one and only No Idea Bar. We went in, mostly to indulge my nostalgia. The place was completely the same, except that now the music seemed way too loud. I suspect that says more about how I’ve changed than how the bar has. It took me back to our weekly gatherings and the days when I really had a circle of friends in New York. This was around the same time a group of us all went to the movies together; I think we saw The Talented Mr. Ripley. Outside the theater after the movie we all pulled out our cell phones and Michael said something like, “Who was going to call you? Everyone you know is right here at the movies with you.” Those days of having all my friends together in one place are long gone.

Todd got word the other night that another of his friends is now leaving the city, too. I am meeting new people and making new friends at school, and maybe at some point those still new friendships will solidify to the same extent as my other friendships. For now, though, I’ll continue to miss you guys and days when visits didn’t require so much planning.

Three Credits Closer

As of 9:00 p.m. last night, I am three credits closer to finishing my degree. That means I’m exactly one quarter of the way through the program.

This class, Positioning, was my favorite of the three I’ve taken so far, which made it a lot easier to dedicate a good chunk of my summer to it. And we ended on a high note. Because the summer term is condensed, our last two weeks have been very intense. We each did a big fat presentation last night about how to bring more visitors to New York City, and I was proud of how my group did and what we put together. I liked the people I teamed with (not something you can always say about working groups), and the rest of the people in the class were all great, too. There was a feeling of camaraderie, and everyone (save the one sad sack in the group) went out for drinks together after class. Our professor and TA even came. And our professor even bought a round! It was a really fun way to end the semester and was a nice reminder that there are a lot of personal/social benefits to this adventure as well as academic/professional ones.

As good as it was, I’m glad that it’s said and done now. I have six solid weeks of no school, and I’m planning to appreciate the free time. Bring on the novels, dinners with friends, and weekend getaways!

Rain and not getting it up

This weather is putting me in a serious funk. I have tomorrow off work, and Saturday is the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. Both days would be infinitely better with some sunshine involved. Instead of being out and about enjoying myself, though, I predict a couple of days where I hibernate, clean the apartment, futz around, and end up with cabin fever. I really don’t remember the last time we had so much rain in such a short period of time.

Otherwise there’s not much to report. I had a fairly big paper due in class on Tuesday when I also had to give a presentation about Cialis. I was a model of maturity in class but have been cracking erectile dysfunction jokes ever since.

It’s too bad there isn’t anything more interesting happening for me to reflect on here.

Weekend Plans

This weekend will be a mix of total work and utter fun. My summer class started a week late, so we have a make up class tonight. Yes, that’s right. My professor thought we’d all appreciate making up that three-hour class on a Friday night. He obviously has his pulse on the lives of his students. We’ve only met twice so far and the first session went by quickly. Tuesday’s class dragged beyond belief, though, and I’m suspecting tonight’s will be the same. Luckily a classmate / friend and I are getting together with our Todds (her fiance is also named Todd) for dinner after class, so at least there’s that to look forward to.

This weekend is Figment, which is one of the best art events of the year in NYC. It takes place out on Governors Island, which I adore. The whole island is transformed into a collaborative and interactive art space, and I can’t wait to see what New York’s most creative minds have put together this year. Unfortunately the weather will suck (NYC has recently turned into Seattle in terms of rainfall, overcast skies, and an inability to produce any sunlight), and I’ll be doing mad amounts of homework for my class. My first big paper is due on Tuesday and I was randomly selected to do my presentation (everyone has to present one paper this semester) in the first round, which means I have to put together a plan for that, too.

Weekend Update

This past weekend was a very full one. In addition to seeing Next to Nothing, Todd and I had drinks with some of my classmates. I thought I should go and network, but it ended up being a small group and I definitely could have skipped it. Todd was a trooper, though, and made nice with everyone there, even though he was probably bored to death. It was good that about half the people who were there also brought S.O.s, so it wasn’t all school talk all the time.

Saturday morning we lazed about and then hit the mean streets of New York (ok, the perfectly lovely and verdant loop in Central Park) for our first bike ride of the season. We were temporarily derailed by a flat tire on Todd’s bike, but one visit to the bike repair shop later we were on our way. It was a great day to be out and about, and we felt lucky with the weather. Rain was predicted, but as usual, the forecast was wrong.

That evening we headed downtown and saw The Thermals play at Bowery Ballroom. Todd loves concerts and has been to many in his day. He hasn’t been to many, though, in the last two years, in part because I’m sort of a dud when it comes to music. I just don’t pay that much attention to it. I like good music, but given the choice between spending my time with friends, a new book, watching a movie, etc. or a new album, I consistently don’t choose the album. It means I’m not up on many bands and definitely don’t make it to many shows (I think I’ve been to about 5 in my life). I also find concert behavior a little off-putting. Yes, I realize I’m an old lady in a 31-year-old body, but I just don’t enjoy being bumped into that much. Luckily, The Thermals put on a great show, and I had a really good time. Their energy was great, the music was excellent, and it was so much fun to see Todd enjoying himself so much. He goes out of his way to do things that I like all the time, so getting bumped into a little bit isn’t so bad in the grand scheme of things.

We also fit a viewing Star Trek movie into the weekend, which I really liked. I’ve seen episodes here and there over the years, usually with my dad, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan. I’d heard nothing but positive buzz about the movie, though, and it really was enjoyable. Live long and prosper.

Classes are over for one course

Last night my professor in one of my classes said, “It’s been a good semester with you guys. Good luck.” And that was it. First class is over, pending submission of my final paper which is due on Saturday. It’s kind of hard to believe! It went well, I really liked it, and I’m glad to have a break!

Tonight I have my second to last class for my other course. Because class was canceled once for Passover I actually have to go again next week for that one. Boo!

Woe is Me (Apparently)

I’m sorry that I’m such a sporadic blogger these days. I really do miss blogging on a regular basis, but I can’t seem to find a new rhythm that allows for both daily blogging and the time now spent on homework. I’m thinking of all of you often, though!

I’m feeling particularly stressed these days. The move is coming up fast and furious and my apartment is both a mess and only half packed. I need to go secure a storage unit for us tonight, buy more boxes, and get some more packing done. I have more bags to donate to the church around the corner from me, but their thrift shop has the incredibly inconvenient operating hours of 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There’s more, but listing all that I have to do feels a bit like whining and also stresses me out a bit as I think about all that needs to happen. So that’s all you get on that front for now.

I’m in the homestretch for the semester. Sadly, of course, the homestretch includes lots of work, but still, some downtime is on the horizon. I got my final assignment for one of my classes two weeks ago and haven’t done anything on it. I know that a more organized, ambitious, and proactive student would be diligently working away so that she wouldn’t be crazed at the end...I seem not to be that student despite knowing I’d be better off if I were. Someone should tell professors that they can’t keep giving out weekly papers if they expect students also working full time jobs to start on their finals early.

Oh, yeah, and I had someone tell me the other day that taking two classes at a time while working a full-time job really didn’t sound like that much. I thought it was both rude and showed a serious lack of understanding on his part.

Sorry—this post has turned into a big complaining fest, which probably isn’t so fun to read.

Busy Week

My days of lolling about last week are behind me. I was back in class last night and will be again tonight. It was actually quite nice to be back. I have a tendency to look at this program with a count down kind of attitude (ok, if I can take X number of classes per semester I’ll be out this quickly; after the summer I’ll be a quarter of the way through; etc.). I’ll be happier, though, if I recognize and appreciate the enjoyment I’m getting out of the process as I’m in it.

And in the meantime, I’m still managing (albeit with exhaustion on some days) to keep up with most if not all of my personal life. I’m 3/4 of the way through Watchmen right now, and I think Todd and I will see the movie this weekend. Also this week is the last show of my subscription to Roundabout and an outing with Todd and a couple of friends to see a sci fi opera. It’s a lot to fit in to a single week, but all of it sounds great, and I’m looking forward to it. Reviews of much of this to come!

Subliminal Advertising

Since everyone let me know which of my recent video posts you liked and had seen before, I thought I’d share one more. I really don’t want to turn this blog into an aggregator of random videos, so this will be the last one for a while. It’s pretty interesting, though. Take a look.


via videosift.com

What Do You Use?

The final project in one of my classes (yes, we're only half way through the semester, and I'm already being prompted to think about the final paper) needs to focus on a company that is specifically targeting me in their marketing outreach. I could be their focus because of demographics, behavior, psychographics--really anything.

So now I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out what product or service to write about, and I'm having a stupidly hard time deciding. Who do you think targets you? What brands do you find yourself returning to time and again?

Random Videos

These two videos came up in my classes over the last week as examples of strange and wonderful things that become internet phenomena. I had never seen either before, though. Have any of you?

Charlie Bit My Finger


Where the Hell Is Matt?

Resurfacing

Hello all! I feel like I’m just coming up for air after a busy couple of weeks, and I’ve missed blogging and keeping in touch. I owe lots of people emails and am generally ignoring everyone right now—it’s not personal!

While you’d think that half way through the semester I’d be adjusted to the new schedule, you’d be wrong. I’m in what I believe to be a temporary lull (low point?) between the excitement of starting this program and the point at which I’m fully adjusted to both the early morning hours and the added work. All will be fine, but I’m finding myself crashing early fairly often and simply unable to make myself stay at the computer when my work is finally done (hence the lack of emails and blogging).

Here’s a snapshot of some of what I’ve been up to:

School (duh). I’ve survived two group projects and been reminded of both the good and bad of working this way. The bad: I always feel like I’m doing more than at least half the group, and often more than everyone. I realize that this can’t always be true, but damn does it feel that way. The good: I’ve found a couple of people in my program that I really like. It’s definitely better to have people to drink with after class and with whom to trade papers. This last was especially helpful in my last assignment. It was a public relations assignment, and I have no experience whatsoever in PR. My prof has a unique approach, where class discussions are always engaging, the frequent guest speakers are great (last week: Peter Shankman who was fabulously interesting), and we never, ever talk about the shit he wants us to prove we know in our homework. Oh, yeah, and there’s no textbook. So basically we’re on our own to figure out what he wants us to know for the papers. It’s actually not an approach I’m particularly fond of, being intolerant of ambiguity as I am. Luckily, two of the friends I’ve made have worked in PR and were really valued resources.

Because we’re talking about media all the time in these classes, I’ve also seen a few random YouTube clips that have gone viral but somehow passed me by. I’ll share them in the next few days in case you guys missed the “Where is Matt” and “Charlie Bit My Finger” boats, too.

Now that I have a few minutes to write, I’m going to get some posts ready for the next couple of days, too. I’m back in the blogosphere (at least until I remember how much homework I have...)!