Still Alive and Kicking

Work
Munching on Animal Crackers
Watching the Snow
Waiting for the Kiddos
3:07 pm
Thursday, February 24, 2005

Still Alive and Kicking

Muffet open's tonight, and I guess I'm pumped. It's fun, fabulous, and it makes my life happy.

My grades, not so much. I'm not going to do well this quarter. I'm probably going to get a C in Physics, but damn, that shit is hard, and I don't care about it a goddamn bit. But I may also get a C in French. I'm going to bust my butt, and I think I have a B in me, but you never know. I have no clue what I'm going to get in Grad class, but I think I'll do pretty well, and ASL is good too.

I don't know. Two C's in one semester. My first C's ever. Damn, that's depressing.

Alii assured to me that I'm a good person, even if I get a C in French. At this level, it's really difficult, and it's been a wierd quarter. I could break that down into many smaller components that made it thus (Kenneth, Coldness, a couple of bad colds, back pain) but truth be told, it's just been hard to focus. I haven't been motivated because of the combination of classes I took. I'm really going to have to plan winter quarter better next year.

I mean, let's break it down. Physics has been slowly sucking my gumption. I'm just not good at it, I don't care about it, and therefore have no motivation. Even when I think I get it, I don't. French got really hard. I feel like I'm behind, even when I'm not. There's so many grammer concepts thrown at me every week, without much time to get comfortable with them. And my Grad class, while I've been keeping up, I never feel prepared -- that's because I don't know much about educational theory in general, and I know that others do. Put these things in a bowl, dash of whiskey, mix well and you get my quarter.

Next quarter is going to be fabulous though! Not only am I stage managing Anyone Can Whistle, but I'm taking tasty tasty inspiring classes. Classes I want to take, that aren't fundamentally over my head. Hooray!

I'm taking Gesture in Cognition and Communcation, Sociology of Political and Social Movements (MHC here I come), French 203 (if I'm going to Paris) and ASL. Doesn't that sound lovely? And I won't have class on Tuedays and Thursdays, which'll allow me to keep my horses very much in hand.

I'm going to start spending more time studying away from Maclean. I think that's part of my problem. I mean, when it's horrible out, it makes sense, but I'm going to get to know Harper quite well.

As Alii put it, "Everyone's allowed a quarter of suck."

MUFFET: I really can't explain this one. I'll stick the little blurb in that we put on all the emails, but really, it's intense. I'm the Spider, to Ms. Muffet, who is the mascot of The University of Chicago State. It starts out as a campus tour, that suddenly goes horribly wrong, and everyone ends up in Muffetonia, where the absurd is key, and things wish they made sense. Oh joy!

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to watch someone attacked by a giant crayon? To witness birds die in flames? To see a pair of doppelgangers fall in love? To view theater in a bathroom?

Perhaps you have, perhaps you have not. Either way though, you definitely want to come see the most extravaganzical and lusterly production of the century----- an original production, created by the actors and staff in the rehearsal room- Muffet’s Leap, co-directed (and acted in by) Jeremy Cohan and Ben Shepard!

The dates:

Wed.-Fri., Feb. 23-25 (8th week)
Wed.- Sat., Mar. 2-5 (9th week)
7:30 PM

At a measly $5
Tickets are sold only in advance and there are only 20 available per show- so get them as soon as possible (i.e. RIGHT NOW)- they can be ordered at
nakedtickets@listhost.uchicago.edu. (If you absolutely must order by phone, or
want more info, call 773-684-5099)- Money is then taken upon meeting.
Also, check out naked.uchicago.edu for info.

Beginning around the University of Chicago seal in the Reynolds Club (57th and
University), Muffet’s Leap takes a 20-person audience on a wild and exciting
journey through the University campus- made strange. Everyday spaces are
traversed on a twisted “tour”- Hutch courtyard, the Midway, Cobb, Burton-Judson,
the center of the Quads- and are made into places of theatrical excitement,
violence, and magic by being immersed in the world of “Muffetonia”, where
everything that was comfortable, everything that was normal (like Miss Muffet on
her tuffet) is made spiderly strange. The show takes the moments where the world
is ruptured, where the normal is twisted into the miraculously odd, and runs
with them- a college couple becomes a pair of dueling, dancing, and baby-tossing
lovers; an uncast actor becomes a tragic suicidal Hamlet; a loser gains a
super-power of repellance and a doppleganger; a bully and nerd become figures
locked in an eternal chase; a Professor becomes a figure of monstrous and
threatening order; a Prospie becomes a guide, victim, and hero- and, as expected
at the end of any play, there is a trial.

This show is expansive, exciting, and provocative- you do NOT want to miss it!
Furthermore, it is the first large-scale production of a new campus theater
group, Naked Theater, So come to see a mammoth theatrical wildfire, come to support a new theater group and see its work, come because you know and love and/or despise me------just come! "

Isn't that lovely? Okay, I'm going to read Psychology Today, and wait to get off work.

Oh, one more thing. I went and observed a first grade class twice this week, and I think I'll be going back next week. I walked into the classroom, was suddenly, overwhelmed with this thought.

"I'm going to teach first grade."

It just hit me, and I couldn't shake it. I'm not saying that's my life goal, but I'm pretty sure that at some point, that's what's going to happen.

Damn those kids were cute. And the teacher was fabulous. I really enjoyed observing. I think I've got some good stuff to work with for the paper. She uses fluid groups, which I didn't expect. It's going to be fun researching.

That's what this weekend is about: Muffet, sleep, and work. Work work work.

Anywho, off to attempt to be productive at work. More about the kids and my paper as it comes forth.