I need a planner.

I don't miss the mini panick attack that accompany each to-do list, but I do miss the feeling of satisfaction when I cross an item off. It's not that I don't have enough to do...wait, scratch that. Compared to the usual Ching load, the current state of affairs weights about 0.05 carat.

I am forgetting to do things. Silly things, like taking out the garbage or laundry or groceries and paying my rent. You'd think that if I had more time to do things, that they would get done. Not true. This is what I talking about: I am at such a relaxed and unChing state that I have chronic procrastination syndrome. Life is much more predictable these days. I don't have "hell week of midterms" or "group seminar in 2 days and we don't even have an outline" or "nasty paper before Ranch night" or "3 finals in 24 hrs and no sleep 72 hours prior" to mark the progress of time. If I weren't booking appointments for my boss and turning on the tv, I probably would loose track of time all together. Ironically, I am not getting more sleep, eating properly, gettin my exercise, or more weight (this last one being the most surprising).

The worst part of the work-fulltime-and-nothing-else lifestyle is that academic endeavors, ie: gradschool applications, just quatruple in difficulty and misery.

All in all, I feel like I am in a slump. I don't know why I want my stress and my acid reflex back but I do. I am sure I will live to regret bitching about the current state of my life. You know what they say about women ---"they will bitch about everything. And when life is perfect, they will bitch about the fact that they have nothing to bitch about"

My fingers have never been so dull and underused! Oh, just look at these long finger nails, perfect indication of an underpracticed pianist.

This rant was triggered by a visit to The Octive Music's website...I used to teach there. *sob sob*

They still had my music bio up!

http://www.theoctavemc.com/m/content/article.php?content_id=24

it says:
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Ching started flute and piano at the age of 13. After six weeks of piano lessons with Nancy Chung at Music Music, she was playing Grade 2 Royal Conservatory Repertoire and within a year advanced to Grade 5. Following, Ching studied at the Piano Studio of Mrs. Florence White and received awardsfor performance excellence in the 1999 and 2000 Kiwanis Music Festival of Guelph.

She completed Grade 8 Examination in Piano and Grade 2 Examination in Music Rudiments achieving First Class Honours and First Class Honours with Distinction standings, respectively. Concurrent with her private piano studies, Ching pursued flute throughout school and has performed with the University of Guelph Concert Winds as a soloist, in trios and quartets. She recently graduated from University of Guelph with a honours Bachelors degree Majoring in Bio-Medical Science and Minoring in Business Administrations.

Ching accommodates her teaching style to the goals and needs of her students. Ultimately, she aims to make learning instrumental music an enjoyable and rewarding experience for all. Ching currently teaches flute and piano at the Octave Music Centre Inc.
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I guess that's one thing I am looking forward to when going home to visit my family...enjoying my beautiful piano.

So I decided to give the template a little shake. I created a collection of banners for this blog so it's definitely nice to rotate the visuals.

The banner features one of James's photographs. It's at least two years old. Been a while since I had long hair.

Now, if you are looking for a deeper/more meaningful justification for this visual change (asides from procrastination) I guess it would be that I am going through a real trial and error time and that I am exposing myself to new things and concepts while getting more comfortable in my own skin. Wow, where did that line just come from?

I went to TO for the Play! concert yesterday.

This is the program

1. Play! A Video Game Symphony- Fanfare by Nobuo Uematsu
2. Final Fantasy VIII - Liberi Fatali by Nobuo Uematsu
3. Super Mario Bros -Suite by Koji Kondo
4. Shenmue and Shenmue II - Sedge Tree by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi
5. Battlefield 1942 and Battle Field 2 - Suite by (I am not typing all these out)
6. Final Fantasy VII -Aerith's Theme by Nobuo Uematsu
7. Sonic the Hedgehog - Suite by Masato Nakamura
8. Metal Gear SOlid - Main THeme by Tappy Iwase and Kazuki Muraoka
9. Kingdom Hearts - Suite by Yoko Shimomura and Hikaru Utada

Intermission

Special treat: Takenobu Mitsuyoshi belting out a piano solo
Special treat 2: Castlevania

10. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind -Suite by Jeremy Soule
11. Final Fantasy Series- Swing de Chocobo by Nobuo Uematsu
12. Chrono Tigger and Chrono Cross -Suite by Tasunori Mitsuda
13. World of Warcraft (aka digital crack cocaine) -Suite by Jason Hayes
14. Silent Hill 2 - Theme of Laura by Akira Yamaoka
15. Halo - Suite by Martin O'Donnell and Micahel Salvatori
16. The Legend of Zelda -Suite by Koji Kondo
17. Final Fantasy VIII - One Winged Angel by Nobuo Uematsu

Encore piece : Blue Dragon

Gotta say, there is something so incredibly refreshing and funny about a full orchestra playing Super Mario Bros theme....(and doing a superb job at that)

Not to mention, this is perhaps the only orchestral concert for which the Y chromosomes make up the majority of the audience. (I don't think this sentence is grammarically correct...help?)

What a way to spend a Saturday night.