Senior Week begins...

Lava was amazing - I want the job of the go-go dancers, it was all super sexy and exotic and amazing and frankly my 4-year degree is just for show compared to how much they probably make in a night.

Bright and early this morning I was jostled up to go white water rafting. I need to make it clear that this has always frightened me, and I was not going to go at all in the first place. All of my friends decided they were though, and I refused to be the wet mop and be the only one not going.
Lauren promised that if I fell out of the boat she'd jump in and save me.

Turns out, I did fall out of the boat. No, rather, I was sucked up, out, and over until I was under the boat in a rapid they lovingly refer to as "The Cruncher" -- we hit it at a bad angle, didn't paddle hard enough, lost our instructor who fell out before me, and just as I was going to grab the outer rope while hitting the deck, I was the one trying to say "Hold on kiddiepoos!" as we started hardcore spinning in this awful washing-machine-esque rapid.
I got out about "Hold on kiddiepo-aughboglogoblaughhnchangblrg *bloop*" before I was under the boat, in the fetal position like they told me to, hoping I was going to come up from air a little faster than I seemed to be. I'm sure I wasn't under all that long, but drowning feels like an eternity. Lauren did try to save me as promised, but her leg was inexplicably wedged under the goofy-ass seats we never used.

The kayak man, Manny, (who also happens to be a raging anti-vegetarian), pulled me to shore and I breathed it off. Thankfully no head-to-rock impact as I was most afraid of, and no injuries past my neck feels strained, so I eventually flopped back into our boat and we all just hoped for the best after that. Apparently no one else had that much trouble with that particular rapid, I have no idea what our issue was. Our instructor was officially 50/50 with that one as of our trip.
I don't love those odds, but we all survived, so no harm no foul.

Now it's time for Pocahontas and naps and perhaps a beer or two before hitting the last karaoke night at Berts.
I still feel a lot like I'm on water. What an odd sensation.

The Photo Booth Manifesto

In a world steadily being overtaken by immediacy and digital technology, the Photo Booth provides us with the means to slow down, take a seat, and create a small piece of art from four single moments. The digital camera, after becoming commonplace on mobile phones, has taken the place of photo booths, as it can take a photo at a moment’s notice rather than situationalizing the composition. However, these mobile phone photos, snapped at random, do not yield emotion and intention, and therefore cannot be qualified as art in the same vein as the photo booth. We, the Photo Booth Aficionados, feel it is necessary to remind everyone that there are valuable guidelines to enjoying the photo booth experience, and creating the highest quality artwork, artwork that is the embodiment of pure joy.
1) Thou shall giggle like schoolgirls, regardless of age or gender. Photo Booths are not to be taken so seriously. They are for entertainment and creativity.
2) Thou shall make at least one fish-face. This is the understood facial expression that demonstrates no social, economic, racial, ethnic, gender, or age bias.
3) When applicable, thou shall kiss your lover’s lips. A curtain covers your in dim, tight quarters. There is no reason to keep your adorableness a secret beyond the flashbulb.
4) Thou shall understand and accept the Photo Booth’s quirks. The black and white prints will be green (or perhaps blue), the sepia will be yellow or red, and the color prints will almost certainly be heavy on the orange.
5) Though shall have patience. They are “instant,” not “magic,” so take a moment to lavish in the printing process, and appreciate that the most genuine of things cannot happen in mere seconds.
6) Thou shall cherish the moment. In a world of portable, digital cameras, which are meant to take thousands of snapshots (most of which go unprinted and forgotten), the photo booth shall take the time to gather friends, take four photos, and provide the hardcopy so that the moment can travel beyond its initial ephemeral being, to be displayed on a desk, dresser, or tucked into a wallet right away for further showcasing.
7) Thou shall share: that’s why there are two strips. This final command is rather straightforward. Let’s all just get along. Rock, Paper, Scissors may be implemented to dividing the strips as necessary.
From these guidelines, anyone may be an artist; anyone may create the highest emotionally-infused piece of art. It may be reproduced, and experienced by anyone at all that comes into contact with a Photo Booth. Social standing is notwithstanding; anyone from any socioeconomic sanction may create the same art, and finances cannot influence their creations. Everyone shall understand the joy of everyone else after they have experienced the Photo Booth’s art, thus creating a common level of peace and unity.

This was my Aesthetics final -- I had been asked to make it somewhere public, so tada!
Feel free to call yourself a Photo Booth Aficionado if you wish to believe these fundamentals with me =)

I should be doing aesthetics but I'm at such a loss... I have to turn in a project and paper by Wednesday afternoon, but I can't for the life of me think of anything I want to seriously focus on.
Maybe I can think of something to do with photo booths?... I won't hold my breathe, but it's sadly the best idea I could think of.

In brighter news, I finished everything for Anita's meeting tomorrow morning, and I don't think I need to turn anything in at our last Capstone meeting, so tomorrow is simply another work day with a few short meeting times in between. Wednesday is the long one [but at least it's promptly followed with margaritas for Cinco de Mayo].

My presentation went well this morning for that Division Award. I wasn't trying to be a suck up when I thanked the committee for even putting me in the same room as the other artists chosen, the gallery sincerely looks sensational with all the top notch work, and I'm ridiculously honored for being given the opportunity to show with the best our senior class's visual designers. Alyson's clothes always blow my mind, Elisa's VC stuff is so smart and clean, and Nina has such an eye for interiors, I feel like my 2D photos fell short against the wall compared to all of their work. I think I certainly held my own with my presentation though.

Here's to hoping, you'll know when I know who won.

In the meantime, back to wrapping up Kim's sketchbook for Wednesday and hopefully settling on something for Sanders much sooner than later.

Hope finals week isn't kicking too much ass, kiddies.

I have sufficiently fucked my entire blog layout up.
I have no idea how to fix it, I am completely lost in the world of html and I can't for the life of me get it to go back to the original, not even when I 'revert to original template.'

helppp!!?

Chaos

I should be out with my friends tonight, as it's the last "official" karaoke night at 'Berts.
Believe you me, I'd much rather be there than in the A&D at 11pm on a Saturday.
I've spent my entire day in the A&D basement, prepared for once to print nonstop, but after a series of unfortunate events including but not limited to sketchy ICT communication and suddenly coming down with a sinus cold, I had three prints done by 9. At least I should be set now; Sean just saved the night with a full roll of paper and 3 ink cartridges. I hope to be out of here no later than 1.

In other news, this week was oddly nostalgic. Next week is finals, I have 2 final projects to wrap up and some paperwork sort of business for Anita, and I can be done. All done with college. I can't quite get my head around that concept.

Highlights of the week included having a glass of wine on the Honors committee, discovering I could curl my hair really cute at this length, Jill's opening, super kind words from Neil about my future and portfolio work, Gracie Lou's capstone performance, and getting ready to install for the Division Award show because, ps, I won the photo division award for "excellence" (although I personally believe there were much more 'excellent' candidates, so I'm incredibly honored to even be in the top grouping). I now have my capstone work going up in the gallery a second time until Graduation, and am in the running for the overall award? I don't understand the particulars, it hasn't exactly been thoroughly described or handled with any sort of discretion. Apparently the judging is Monday? I need to have a presentation ready? Here's to hoping I'm quick on my toes Monday. I'm not displaying the mounted prints, but rather enlarged prints from my book, hence the printing issues all day as I discussed with Nige pretty last minute about what and how I should display...

OH MY GOSH I almost forgot. Amazing highlight of the week: I freaking met Annie Leibovitz! Ok, she glanced at me, but I did get her autograph and heard her speak on Thursday. It was such a photofangirl moment. I have been so busy since that I haven't seriously had time to bask in that moment of awesome, but I intend to plow through her latest book this summer.
Back to busy printing, and after I'm done in the A&D, I have to finish one last Kim project (a week late or so, my bad.) I just got a second wind now that I took some time to collect myself, medicate, and get all my inks in order.
Here's to the last Saturday.
Cheers to my beautiful, celebrating friends