The Best Weekend of My Life!
This weekend was so incredible! I don't even know where to start! First of all, Al came to visit - which was amazing! She's my bestest friend in the whole world, and I am so blessed to have her in my life! I love you, AL! It was great to have someone to tell inside jokes with, and the same-wavelength-instantanous-communication has not suffered one bit from our two month separation. (The Boy had the misfortune of witnessing our initial reunion, when I threw my oboe in the bushes and ran 100 feet to her and jumped on top of her!) Bohemian Storm was AMAZING! SOOOOOOO much fun - the coolest, COOLEST musicians! Great music, tons of laughs, lots of scandalous fun. (Check out pics here. I mean, is this not the hottest pit orchestra you've ever seen (photo 1)? Not convinced? Look again (photo 2)! We had sooooo much fun! And everyone is so talented - the brass was amazing (especially on the dance numbers in the first act; and then, of course, Dave's amazing trombone solo (photo 3)!) And between the two shows on Saturday night, we RAN to the YSO concert to hear the SYMPHONY that my friend Eric Nathan COMPOSED. (He was bored over the summer . . . so he decided to write a symphony . . . ) It was incredible! I was so proud, I was practically crying! The cast party was the hottest, most crazy, fun, dancing, drunken, SPECTACULAR SPECTACULAR. Like, not home till 4:30 SPECTACULAR! And to top off the craziness, the girl who hosted the party is housemates with the Hungarian boy who I did my polsci presentation with!?!?!?!?!!! Crazy, huh? (But after seeing him last night, I'll never be able to take him seriously when he talks about the EU ever again!) SOOOOOO COOL! It was an amazing party - in the true spirit of the show!!! Just simply amazing, and possibly the most fun I've had since I've been here! And did I mention that this Boy is absolutely adorable (and Al approves!) - he's just soooooooo cute. I think I'll keep him for a while :)
- posted by Nicole @ 4:34 PM

 
Review
Oh, and here's a quick write up on the concert from TheOneRing.net. Ying Huang is the amazing soloist I was talking about.
- posted by Nicole @ 3:05 PM

 
Lord of the Rings Concert
It was absolutely incredible! The Montreal Symphony Orchestra is simply amazing! I've never heard a string section like that before! The violins were so strong, but still sounded like only one violin. The french horns were fantastic - there were five of them, and they were so on! This symphony/score is really demanding for the horn section - they play practically the entire time, and I still don't know how they didn't all drop dead by the end! The trumpets were awesome too. It's such a different experience to hear a piece live, because you hear things that don't come across through the recording - it's incredible! It was lke hearing it for the first time again. It was also really interesting to see what intruments played on which parts, and to see how Shore conducted them (though, he's obviously not a conductor - he was buried in his score the whole time, and was rather mechanical about it. But it was no big deal, since the MSO is basically capable of playing itself!) About half the stage was devoted entirely to the percussion equipment - including two full sets of tympani and a plethora of specialty percussion instruments. Then there was the 100 person choir - the men were surprisingly strong, it was awesome - including a children's choir. Oh - and there was this soloist who did like all the ethereal, Elvish stuff, and she was fabulous - what an amazing voice! It was such a cool experience - like a pilgrimmage, actually. And I got to try out my French in the "real world". (heheh, I asked a woman for directions in French and she responded in French, and I understood everything she said - AGGGGHHHHH! Dad was so impressed.) The concert was as much a feast for the eyes and it was for the ears, I didn't now where to look - I wanted to see each section all at once. It was soooooo cool! Now I've seen Howard Shore and John Williams live in concert!
- posted by Nicole @ 2:58 PM

 
MONTREAL AND LOTR!
In less than 20 hours, I will be hearing the Montreal Symphony Orchestra perform the six-movement Lord of the Rings Sympony in its North American premier under the direction of composer Howard Shore . . .
- posted by Nicole @ 12:22 AM

 
About Boys
Some assembly is always required.
- posted by Nicole @ 6:53 PM

 
Why I Rock at Life
(Nothing like a little self-love every once and a while.) So, yesterday was a really great day! I had my Quintet concert, which went really well - we played great and had a pretty decent audience (I was actually surprised at how many people were there, including the trombone player from the basement). And we had a ton of fun doing it! The Boy changed a meeting/study session to come celebrate with us after . . . and was rewarded for his efforts ;) Then, I went to (finally!) meet with the Hungarian, with whom I was to do my polsci presentation with. And for all the trauma he put me through, he actually turned out to be a really nice guy (and he payed for my tea - how nice). I then re-met up with some of my Quintet people at Yorkside to get a midnight serving of pizza - we had a great (loud) time!

And then today, of course, was the much anticipated polsci presentation *dramatic music*. I went to my morning classes and then came back to my room to look over my material. After redefining the phrase "Dressed to Kill", I headed over to the seminar. AND COMPLETELY ROCKED MY PRESENTATION! It was one of the best classes we've had - really great discussion. And the prof kept coming back to points that I had made - YES! So life is very good! I ran into Marcus on the way back home and tried not to look superior . . . *maniacal laughter*

And I thought to myself, it's gotta be the Supergirl underwear . . .
- posted by Nicole @ 6:38 PM

 
Happy Thoughts
Once again, I would like to reiterate that mail and packages are like the BEST thing in the world. My P.O. Box is the way to my heart. Al sent me this AMAZING V-Day package, complete with Disney Princess fruit chews, chocolate, dots (dots! remember those?), and the most adorable beanie baby EVER - he commemorates the Centennial of powered flight (hehe, he's the "Red Bearon" - get it?). AMAZING! Thanks girlie - I have the bestest Bestest Friend in the WHOLE world ( . . . though I'm not sure if the boy is ready to handle both of us at once . . . )!

And I finally figured out why the campus has been completely overrun by prospective '08's and '09's - duh! Like, it's February recess all this week. It gives me such a warm fuzzy feeling to see them all . . .

Tonight is my Quintet ("Ventus Quintinarius") concert, and I am sooooooo excited for it! We are gonna be AWESOME! We're playing the Beethoven that I always play with my Qunitet back home and this totally incredible piece by Klughart (this guy who really didn't write anything else besides this amazing quintet piece).

And tomorrow, at last, is the much anticipated Polsci presentation - will me your confidence at 3:30 . . . .

- posted by Nicole @ 2:27 PM

 
SOOOOOOOOO HAPPYYYYYYYYYY!
Ok, this is getting really pathetic. I've been walking around all day today like I'm completely drunk, and I can't tell if it's because I kissed a boy this weekend or because I've only gotten 6 hours of sleep the past three (four?) nights in a row and am just WAY overtired. BUT, the natural hazards midterm was STUPID easy. My biggest fear is that they will somehow lose my exam (as they hastily collected 430 of them in a space of like 5 minutes). OVERstudy with a capital "O". And - hoooray! Leah and Christian are moving to Pittsburgh - AGGGGHHHHH! I know you guys are feeling kinda low about it right now, but everything will work out . . . and I'll be there to visit/babysit CONSTANTLY! Got a ROCKIN' good grade on the French test I was COMPLETELY sure I had failed miserably, the boy walked me to class (soooooo out of his way), and my BESTEST friend in the whole wide world is coming to visit me in less than two weeks! AND my mom sent me an AMAZING Valentine's day package (complete with TWO boxes of sponge candy), Nana sent me a lovely card and included provisions for refueling (heheh - coffee), and my Daddy and I are going to Montreal this weekend. AAAAAAGGGGHHHHH! AND - it's sunny! (I swear I'm drunk.)
- posted by Nicole @ 2:37 PM

 
Boys are Stupid . . .
. . . Throw rocks at them. Big ones. Really big, heavy ones. I really didn't mean to post this entry on Valentine's Day (I don't want to sound like all those vindictive, hypocritical feminists who go around denouncing the holiday as the combined work of Satan and capitalism - I really don't hate it at all, in fact I quite enjoy it . . . unlike just about every other girl I've seemed to talk to this past week), but I didn't get around to posting till after midnight. However, in my mind, it's still Friday night. In Leah's words, "I digress", so back to the stupid boys. Not only did Mr. Breakfast Club (his official designation, according to Al) surrender his final opportunity to ask me out for Valentine's Day this morning, but I was later stood up by the cute Hungarian boy (causing me to miss Saybrook dinner - of which the aforementioned Mr. BC was in attendence). Big, Heavy ones.

. . . Beth had one of the a cappella groups do a singing valentine to us at BC this morning - it was really cute!

. . . And if you need to laugh, totally check this out - les francais! C'est fou!
- posted by Nicole @ 12:37 AM

 
Three Doors Down
"If I go crazy then will you still call me Super(wo)man?"
- Kryptonite

. . . on the bright side of things, I get to do my polsci presentation with the cute Hungarian boy . . . .

. . . oh! and I had an extra-Breakfast Club interation with the boy last night. And for the record, he flagged ME down to say hello - before I saw him. So, let the record reflect . . .
- posted by Nicole @ 2:04 PM

 
Teetering on the Precarious Edge of Insanity
This week is the final week of sanity. Do you hear that rumbling in the distance? 'Tis the host of Midterms approaching - RUN FOR THE HILLS! But I must stay and fight. Prediction: I will be insane by Tuesday of next week. One week from today. One week of sanity left. But I've been busting my ass to try to get a bit ahead this week, so I'm already waning. Last night was the third consecutive night with under 7 hours of sleep. Will I make it? As my amazing polsci prof always says, "Watch this space."
- posted by Nicole @ 2:05 PM

 
In Memory of The Mrs
Alas, it appears that - for at least the present time - the blogosphere has lost one of its great voices: Mrs. Fezziwig has left us. There has been much weeping, moaning, and tearing of hair. Bereavement groups have formed. Her readers are concomitantly haunted and encouraged by the prospect of her possible return in another incarnation. On a more personal level, Mrs. Fezziwig is the reason that you are reading this blog right now. It was through her persistence that this then-high-school-student finally decided to chronicle her own adventures through time and space. This blog-mentor of mine has provided me with endless hours of distraction - both by posting entries on my own blog and in reading hers. But now she is gone, and now I - and I'm sure many of her other readers - must come to terms with the fact that we now have fewer excuses to procrastinate and must actually get some work done. We can only hope that the wisdom and humor she did impart on Mrs. Frezziwig.net will find its way to us through her elucidating comments and all too infrequent emails. I will leave the link to her blog on my sidebar for two more weeks, as a sign of mourning. Alas - a moment of silence for The Mrs - the Once and Future Blogger . . .
- posted by Nicole @ 11:47 AM

 
Ode to Breakfast Club
Oh wondrous club that helps me climb
out of bed just after nine
(which really is a sin, I think,
to wake before the sun un-sinks . . . but not really).
Oh that which makes the morning fun
despite the work that must be done;
Oh mini-wheats and orange juice too,
and the coffee that doth get me through;
Breakfast Club that makes me smile
and laugh with mes amis a while.
And of course I cannot disagree
with the beauty of the scenery!


- posted by Nicole @ 9:02 PM

 
Word of the Very Nice, Warm, Beautiful Day
It felt soooooo much like Spring today . . . what a mean, nasty trick. It was seriously like 45 degrees out and sunny. I think it was the first time in 3 weeks that I've been warm.

Bearing no relation to today's weather, the Merriam-Webster word of the day is contumacious. It means stubbornly disobedient or rebellious. As in, if this boy doesn't get his act together soon, I will most likely respond to that holiday on the 14th with contumacious behavior.
- posted by Nicole @ 10:47 PM

 
Leap Years and French Phrases
Damn leap years . . . they sneak up on you like the overcooked beans in the JE dining hall. Just when you think you can beat the dreary, depressng, uneventful month of February - BAM! There's an extra day to overcome. An extra day between me and my spring break. An extra meal I have to eat in the JE dining hall. And all because of the irregularities of planetary orbit. . .

Today's French phrase on the one-a-day calendar that Nana bought me is: "Va voir dehors si j'y suis!" Literally translated, it means "Go look outside and see if I'm there"; roughly translated, "Go jump in a lake." . . . . hehehe . . .
- posted by Nicole @ 2:44 PM

 
Insomnia
"Well I've tried everything short of Aristotle to dramamine and a whiskey bottle..." (That's one of my favorite Vineyard Sound songs, appropriately titled "Insomniac".) So here I sit at 3:30 in the morning, having slept very little last night, and thoroughly disparing of the repeat occurance. Which is not to say that - up until about 10:30 (when the stupid boy left the party to go to the Winter Ball with someone else) - today wasn't an absolutely marvelous day. Mommy's in town, and it's been just lovely having her here. I love her - she's the best. I'm so glad she could be here for our second Saybrook concert of the season, which was this afternoon. It was just as Providentially inspired as the first, and fear not all yee you missed it, cds will circulate as soon as I get the recording. We played Handel's (Handal? too lazy to look it up) Royal Fireworks music, and it was as majestic and thoroughly baroque as anyone could ask for. Then we did Mahler songs that were so beautiful. Our soloist (Charlotte) is our conductor's girlfriend, so that was really cute, and she has an amazing voice! In the last of the five songs, there's this part near the end where all the brass instruments come in - it's sooooo sweet! It's like the heavens opening up! And they totally nailed it tonight! AND - when they came in, the sun came out and burst through the stained glass windows, making the chapel where we were playing absolutely glow - it was one of the most moving, incredible musical experiences I've ever had! It defies description. And then we kicked some SERIOUS ass with Sorcerer's Aprentice (Perry wore the Mickey Mouse hat from Fantasia - complete with ears and everything)! We played it better than we've ever played it before - it was right on and soooooo much fun! We totally rocked! After the post-concert reception, I had a lovely dinner with me mum, and then headed over to Perry's suite with Veronica to celebrate the concert. A fun time was had by all, until said unfortunate event, at which point I became sad, had some more champange, swing danced with Beth and a bunch of other people, and then proceded not long thereafter to stagger home (and up four flights of stairs) with V. I got home at like 10:30 (the party started early to accomodate those who were planning to attend the Winter Ball) and fell into bed. After 2 hours of restless sleep, I was wide awake and dangerously sober. An hour ago I gave up completely and read some of Great Expectations (which was lovely - heheh, word of the day - but I found I really didn't have the patience for it) and have recently begun working on Emily's scarf (another Harry Potter one). Lauren gave me some Tylenol PM and I'm waiting for it to kick in . . . waiting . . .still waiting . . . I hate this.
- posted by Nicole @ 3:37 AM