Girl's Best Friend?

Man, I need a dog. Some little furry thing to keep me company during the day. It would probably greatly encourage me to get out of the house more often!

A little bit of frustration with college things. Today we're (seniors) are supposed to come in and take down our gallery pieces. This is one little piece to take down. Honestly most of me doesn't care about picking it up. It was the same with other projects during the semester that the professor would turn in back to us - "Here take it home." What if I don't want it?

The way it works is - I have already laid out pages in my portfolio with the exact same piece.

No interviewer wants me to drag in huge mounted pieces of work on black matte board - when I have the same exact work in my portfolio book.

So yeah, I don't really care about getting it. Don't know why I'm being so 'bleh' about it. I also haven't been able to find a good time to get my senior show banner and posters from a lady there, either. Jane's never there on the only day a week I have off right now, Thursdays. When am I gonna be able to get them?? Gah. うざい。

Last night we were both feeling blue, since I brought up an old topic up again, having to do with Takeshi's work schedule in general with the food industry. Kind of just beating a dead horse really, but, I guess I bring it up over and over again anyway, from time to time.

I always thought that once I got out, got a professional job, and brought another income to the house then Takeshi could maybe work less demanding hours or have another day off. To be able to take off some workload from him. But he was telling me that, no matter what, his schedule no matter what job he has, will more-or-less be this way.

I feel defeated about it a little. To know that there's not much that I could on my side that could make us have more time off together than we do now. Of course it always depends on the job he has.

And I can't ask him to do something else in the food industry - I'd hate myself to make him do something below what he loves to do. If he was doing something else then he wouldn't be the Takeshi I know and love. So it's a catch 22.

It's not a totally hopeless situation, and it's not like we never ever see each other. Life brings different things at different stages. We'll find a happy medium. Also, this has gotten me thinking about kids, and I told him this. Taking into account his schedule and such, how it could play out. I dunno - so much to think about that my head felt like it was going to explode last night...

On a lighter note.

Weather is getting warmer! Wow, almost feels like summer now finally. :) But now, some nights I wish we had the AC installed into the window already, but I know we'll try to go as long as we can to go without it! がんばります！

Something that makes me happy is to know that the closer we will be to D.C., the better opportunity we will have in the future to go see the cherry blossoms bloom! That would be a great thing to do on our days off together. :) With little furry puppy in tow.

Everyone enjoy their weekends!

The loudest bike in the city

The internship has been going swimmingly. I'm glad I actually enjoy my non-paid job everyday, even though it's definitely not the environment to prep me for more fast-paced, tear-my-hair-out future work environments. I'm never the person who gets excited when the job description says something like, "Our company is fast-paced and never slows down; you'll be a pin-hair away from going insane everyday. Wanna join?"

...Nah.

Some lady screamed at me on my bike - MY BIKE - this morning while on my way to work. I have insanely out-of-shape breaks on my bike, that blare out horrible SQUEEKS and SQUELCHS. I was going downhill and saw the woman near the bottom, and as I got closer I started to press on the brakes more, since I didn't want to cream her from behind. She didn't hear me I guess, and I kept saying louder and louder, "Excuse me!" Nothing. So I couldn't really stop and I kept breaking in short bursts, right behind her

"SQUEEK SQUAWK SQUEEEE EEEEK"

She finally spun around frantically at the last minute, stepped to the side, and practically bellowed at me, "GOD get OUT of the WAY!!" I probably would have been really startled by that, but I hadn't had coffee or breakfast yet, so I was still fairly blank.

My answer should have been, "Shouldn't that be my line lady?", but I sped away with a "Sorry!" instead. Take a chill pill lady. But I suppose I would pee myself if I heard that sound right behind me! Everyone else I've had to SQUEEK by is startled to a certain degree, but that's the first time I've had someone just plain flip out. It made me laugh a little! Good thing I was around the corner from her when I did.

The moving schedule is still turning it's wheels slowly, and before you know it it'll be time to jump ship and head down to the D.C. area. We're able to stay in our apartment until the end of June.

Takeshi is feeling pretty secure with his options for jobs in that area. This past Saturday he went to work for free for the day at a restuarant in downtown D.C. - they told him that they would definitely hire him if he came back to them at the end of his search. He's doing another work day at a place in Frederick tomorrow as well.

Laura on the other hand, once again, is feeling inadequate and has not been able to get anything so far. Didn't know it would be this tough. But I keep in mind the state of the current economy and the statistics of the amount of college students who can't get into a job in their field right after college. Bleh, statistics. I guess I am one now!

I keep looking though. I think my best bet is to start somewhere as an intern, get my foot in the door that way - and in the meantime have a part-time job.

Graduation and Internship

Graduation went by fast to say the least. The week prior to it was spent coming into the college building early in the morning, to join with the other seniors to mount our senior thesises for the senior show. I'm not much of a handy-woman with tools and measuring so needless to say I got help with my boards! The two days of installation turned out to be very frustrating - somehow a lack of coordination and scheduling befell whoever had been in charge, and a majority of the time (on both days) was spent waiting around for things to happen. Lots and lots of puttering around on our designated floor and wondering what the hell people were doing, and "why are we standing out doing nothing?!"

Things that probably would take us until about 2pm to do, turned into us waiting for people to finally install temporary walls and such until about 7pm. Seniors were angry and annoyed when we finally were able to leave!

In any case, the senior show was very neat. As the displayed artist we were told we could do whatever during the show - it was ours afterall! I was surprised that a lot of the graphic designers decided to stay on our floor, and some even stood by their work the entire time. Not me. There was no way I was going to stand there and gaze out from my little corner for 3 hours. There was way too much else to see around the entire building - all of the other majors had their work up as well. Also - what if someone had come to me and had been interested in offering a position or internship? We're moving back down to the D.C. area soon, and I'd have to decline by default. My aunt and uncle were able to come, and Takeshi came of course. Nothing special afterwards, aunt and uncle went home, so Takeshi and I went home and chilled for the rest of the afternoon.

Even though on that next Monday, seniors were supposed to come and take down their pieces, I couldn't because I had already started my internship and wouldn't get out until after the college building closed. So I was able to come on my scheduled day off, Thursday. Someone had taken down my art from the wall, which was nice because then I wouldn't have to wrestle with 3 large sheets of glass (cheapo-crappily-cut glass with sharp edges) and somehow take off the temporary shelf all by myself...

Graduation day came fast after that, on Saturday. My best friend Todd came up Friday evening to stay the weekend with us. He ended up having to go to an interview on Monday in Philedelphia. It was easier for him to leave from our apartment instead of driving all the way up from Maryland in the morning.

Graduation was held at a hall on the campus of Franklin & Marshall college nearby, since our college doesn't have the means or space to hold our graduations ourselves, yet. The day was windy WINDY. So windy. I liked the skirt I was in, but wished it was sooo much longer. Todd had to hold one side of it as I walked everywhere! The ceremony went by fast, since there's only 60 of us in the senior class.